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The IFIH1 gene, encoding melanoma differentiation‐associated protein 5 (MDA5), is an indispensable innate immune regulator involved in the early detection of viral infections. Previous studies described MDA5 dysregulation in weakened immunological responses, and increased susceptibility to microbial infections and autoimmune disorders. Monoallelic gain‐of‐function of the IFIH1 gene has been associated with multisystem disorders, namely Aicardi–Goutieres and Singleton–Merten syndromes, while biallelic loss causes immunodeficiency. In this study, nine patients suffering from recurrent infections, inflammatory diseases, severe COVID‐19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C) were identified with putative loss‐of‐function IFIH1 variants by whole‐exome sequencing. All patients revealed signs of lymphopaenia and an increase in inflammatory markers, including CRP, amyloid A, ferritin and IL‐6. One patient with a pathogenic homozygous variant c.2807+1G>A was the most severe case showing immunodeficiency and glomerulonephritis. The c.1641+1G>C variant was identified in the heterozygous state in patients suffering from periodic fever, COVID‐19 or MIS‐C, while the c.2016delA variant was identified in two patients with inflammatory bowel disease or MIS‐C. There was a significant association between IFIH1 monoallelic loss of function and susceptibility to infections in males. Expression analysis showed that PBMCs of one patient with a c.2016delA variant had a significant decrease in ISG15, IFNA and IFNG transcript levels, compared to normal PBMCs, upon stimulation with Poly(I:C), suggesting that MDA5 receptor truncation disrupts the immune response. Our findings accentuate the implication of rare monogenic IFIH1 loss‐of‐function variants in altering the immune response, and severely predisposing patients to inflammatory and infectious diseases, including SARS‐CoV‐2‐related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoring biodiversity‐based resilience and ecosystem multi‐functionality needs to be informed by more accurate predictions of animal biodiversity responses to environmental change. Ecological models make a substantial contribution to this understanding, especially when they encode the biological mechanisms and processes that give rise to emergent patterns (population, community, ecosystem properties and dynamics). Here, a distinction between 'mechanistic' and 'process‐based' ecological models is established to review existing approaches. Mechanistic and process‐based ecological models have made key advances to understanding the structure, function and dynamics of animal biodiversity, but are typically designed to account for specific levels of biological organisation and spatiotemporal scales. Cross‐scale ecological models, which predict emergent co‐occurring biodiversity patterns at interacting scales of space, time and biological organisation, is a critical next step in predictive ecology. A way forward is to first capitalise on existing models to systematically evaluate the ability of scale‐explicit mechanisms and processes to predict emergent patterns at alternative scales. Such model intercomparisons will reveal mechanism to process transitions across fine to broad scales, overcome approach‐specific barriers to model realism or tractability and identify gaps which necessitate the development of new fundamental principles. Key challenges surrounding model complexity and uncertainty would need to be addressed, and while opportunities from big data can streamline the integration of multiple scale‐explicit biodiversity patterns, ambitious cross‐scale field studies are also needed. Crucially, overcoming cross‐scale ecological modelling challenges would unite disparate fields of ecology with the common goal of improving the evidence‐base to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems under novel environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an innovative problem/system decomposition approach. Unlike the conventional method, where stakeholder requirements are transformed into system requirements for the system‐of‐interest (SOI), the new approach involves decomposing stakeholder requirements into specifications for modified context subsystems. These subsystems comprise elements from both the SOI and its surrounding context. The new approach offers two key strengths. Firstly, an enhanced contextual relationship. The approach naturally establishes a relationship between the SOI and its context across various abstraction levels. This contextual linkage fosters modularity and agility within the system. Secondly the new approach enables precise functionality definition. Unlike mere declarations, the new approach allows for explicit functionality definition at all levels. Consequently, we can formulate executable requirements, enabling system simulation across all system levels. Very early integration, verification, and validation become possible as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the value in taking a multi‐temporal perspective to the literature on underdogs and favorites in competitive contexts. We contend that an inherent feature of the psychological experience of being an underdog or favorite is the coexistence of thoughts related to the past and future. Building upon this key insight, we adopt a multi‐temporal lens to compare current research on underdogs and favorites to the broader literature studying competition and motivation in intergroup contexts, with the goal of identifying possible areas of coherence and contradiction in relation to other relevant theoretical frameworks. Through this analysis, we put forth a set of what we hope are thought‐provoking research questions that are intended to guide and inspire future work in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) remains relatively understudied in Latin America. Methods: In this observational study, we enrolled 64 patients with a median age of 3 months, of whom 60% were male. Patients included had a history of IgE‐mediated reactions with IgE sensitization or non‐IgE‐mediated reactions or symptoms following exposure to cow's milk. They underwent skin prick test, ImmunoCAP, fecal calprotectin (FC), and fecal eosinophil‐derived neurotoxin (EDN), in addition to double‐blinded placebo‐controlled oral food challenges (DBPCFC), with clinical evolution and tolerance acquisition observed over 1 year. Results: Malnutrition was present in 78.1% of patients, and 87.5% had a family history of atopy, with 51.6% receiving exclusive breastfeeding. Gastrointestinal manifestations were prevalent in 90.6% of patients, followed by dermatological manifestations (10.9%), with only 2 experiencing anaphylaxis. IgE‐mediated CMPA was observed in only six patients. In those with non‐IgE‐mediated CMPA, FC had a median of 284 mg/dL (IQR: 138.5–415.5), while EDN had a median of 508.5 mg/dL (IQR: 160.25–868). One year after diagnosis, median FC significantly decreased (p < 0.0001), and malnutrition prevalence reduced to 17.1%. Moreover, 81% of patients acquired tolerance following DBPCFC, with 52% utilizing nutritional replacement formulas at diagnosis. Notably, 94% of those extensively hydrolyzed casein‐based formulas achieved tolerance (p = 0.08). Conclusion: Our findings provide a foundational framework for future investigations into CMPA diagnosis, tolerance acquisition, and the utilization of hypoallergenic formulas tailored to the unique characteristics of our region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is an important cytokine in the intestinal environment. IL-22 is mainly produced by immune cells and targeted at nonimmune cells such as epithelial and stromal cells in a broad array of tissues such as - but not restricted to- the liver and adipose tissue. IL-22 therefore connects immune functions with metabolic functions of the host, and since it is induced by the microbiota, connects host functioning to the outside environment. IL-22 induces epithelial cell proliferation aiding in rapid epithelium regeneration and wound healing. Additionally, IL-22 activates antiapoptotic genes and DNA damage response pathways, enhancing epithelial cell survival. Recently, it has also been shown that IL-22 induces Paneth cell differentiation in humans. However, IL-22 can also contribute to intestinal epithelium damage and reduces microbial diversity in the intestine directly or indirectly by inducing excessive antimicrobial peptide production by epithelial cells. Moreover, IL-22 enhances angiogenesis and may therefore support tumorigenesis in the intestine. In conclusion, it appears that whether IL-22 has a beneficial or harmful effect in the mammalian intestine largely depends on its regulation. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current literature and emphasizes that IL-22 signaling outcome depends on the timing and duration of IL-22 production, the presence of it regulators such as IL-22BP, and the specific location of the cytokine production in the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral food challenges (OFCs) are used to confirm or reject a diagnosis of food allergy. However, younger children may encounter difficulties in consuming all offered doses during an OFC in the absence of symptoms, resulting in inconclusive outcomes. Our aim is to assess the eliciting dose for objective symptoms among various age groups and determine the necessity of consuming the final dose step during an uneventful OFC to avoid false negative outcomes. Methods: OFCs for common food allergens performed between 2012 and 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The primary outcome was the association of age with stop dose for OFCs with inconclusive outcome. Secondary outcome measures were the association of age with eliciting dose and the potential number of false negative outcomes. Results: A total of 1327 OFCs were performed in 707 patients. Of these, 514 (38.7%) were positive, 589 (44.4%) negative, and 224 (16.9%) inconclusive. In OFCs with inconclusive outcome, age appeared to be a significant predictor of the stop dose only for almond (p =.005). Objective symptoms occurred after the last dose step in 2%–13% of all OFCs with positive outcome. In our cohort, potential false negative outcomes may have been drawn in 27.6% of uneventful OFCs. Conclusions: Two third of children under 6 years of age successfully consumed all the provided doses during OFCs with a negative outcome. The eliciting dose for objective symptoms was not associated with age, and in a substantial number of OFCs with positive outcome, symptoms occurred after eating the final dose. These findings suggest that in case of an uneventful OFC, the outcome should be drawn only after a cumulative dose of 4.4 g has been consumed to avoid the risk of a potential false negative outcome. Key points: Younger children may encounter difficulties in consuming all doses during an oral food challenge (OFC).Symptoms occur after the final dose in a substantial number of patients, irrespective of age.The final outcome of uneventful OFCs should be drawn after all doses have been consumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a pivotal role in electrochemical energy conversion and chemical production. Two‐electron (2e−) charge transfer for oxygen reduction is considered a promising method for the on‐site production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which requires electrocatalysts with high H2O2 selectivity and ORR activity. Noble metal alloys (e.g., Pt‐Hg and Pd‐Hg) have been prevalent materials of choice due to their desirable intrinsic activity, but their scarcity and high cost seriously hinder their widespread application in practice. Self‐doped heteroatomic carbon‐based electrocatalysts, derived from abundant and inexpensive biomass, have emerged as attractive candidates for on‐site H2O2 production. This review summarizes the fundamentals and recent advances in H2O2 production via 2e− ORR, including basic catalytic mechanisms, the influence of electrolyte pH and porous structure of catalysts, selectivity assessment methods, determination of the cumulative H2O2 concentration, development of biomass‐derived carbon‐based catalyst, and electrochemical device designs. Current challenges and proposed opportunities are also presented with an emphasis on large‐scale electrochemical H2O2 synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the Editorial for the Special Collection 'Global plant diversity and distribution'. See https://www.newphytologist.org/global-plant-diversity for more details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality dynamics have recently revived interest as a subject of systematic investigation in personality science. Personality dynamics theories and research refer to nonstatic phenomena related to personality, such as the regulatory mechanisms and processes involved in the control of behavior and experience related to personality and their interactions with situations. Such research is not only important to understand personality but also important to explain the large amount of variability in behavior and experience in an individual that can hardly be explained by a few personality traits. This introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Personality outlines the contributions of 11 articles tackling four emerging trends in the field: (1) personality dynamics and levels of regulation; (2) personality dynamics and the motivational dimension of regulation; (3) dynamics and regulatory potentials of structural personality components; and (4) personality dynamics and timescales. Moreover, we add recommendations for future exploration. Together, we believe that our special issue advances personality science in conceptualizing and examining personality dynamics as well as drawing attention to unanswered issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generative perspective in therapy understands relations and dialogue as a generative social space where participants can promote innovative resources and possibilities for themselves, and their relations and circumstances, along with new social ecologies. It focuses on the creative dimensions of human relationality. This epistemological and clinical perspective has a heuristic value that allows us to discern and work with micro dialogues—micro processes of creative, generative dialogues—in the ongoing dialogue, mindful of the opportunities for creativity and innovation they provide. The generative perspective promotes creative processes and transformations to help clients build possible and viable futures when faced with problems, conflicts and challenges. It involves the dialogical and relational co‐creation of resources and possibilities, and actions for implementation. The perspective is illustrated with a therapy process involving a 3‐year follow‐up. The paper includes a section where differences and similarities between dialogical perspectives are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We draw the attention of readers and governments to the death rate from coronavirus disease 2019 in Japan, continuing as a fraction of that experienced by many other developed nations. We think this is due to the activity of the powerful, protective lactoperoxidase system (LPO) which prevents serious airborne infections. The LPO system requires iodine, which is liberally provided by the typical Japanese diet but lacking in many others. One might consider the Japanese experience an incredibly large, open‐label study exhibiting the preventative power of a high‐iodine diet. We predict this favourable trend will continue for Japan because deadly variants of the severe, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 will be with us, forever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frameworks have been developed to help conceptualize clinical genetic counseling (GC), and observational studies have helped understand the process and content of GC sessions. However, additional research is needed to identify GC skills (behaviors or strategies) that practicing genetic counselors report consciously using to meet certain GC goals and determine what common terminology, if any, is being used to describe the various skills. Nineteen practicing genetic counselors in prenatal, pediatric, or cancer specialties were interviewed to elicit how they achieve session goals. Interview recordings were transcribed, coded thematically, and categorized using process categories from the communication strategy domain of the Framework for Outcomes in Clinical Communication Services (FOCUS). Reported skills largely fit within FOCUS, though findings prompted minor modifications of several FOCUS process categories and consolidation of the categories from 13 into 10. Although genetic counselor respondents reported a broad range of strategies and behaviors, they rarely had terms for skills they described. Results reveal concrete examples of GC skills, provide evidence for refinement of FOCUS, and highlight the need for establishing common terminology to describe these skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances a non‐process–oriented understanding of the mind–body relation by uncovering constraints on physicalist mind–body theories. The method of this paper is to explore possible answers that different mind–body theories can provide to the question "When does an experience of pain begin?" This paper demonstrates that physicalist mind–body theories must postulate a synchronic relation between a temporally invariant (i.e., constant over time, as opposed to changing over time) aspect of the mental and a temporally invariant aspect of the physical. This conclusion poses a challenge to many popular mind–body theories, especially those that postulate a synchronic realisation relation between physical processes and instantiations of mental kinds, such as Functionalism, and in particular Computationalism. Apart from the implications on theory choice and theory design within the philosophy of mind, this paper presents a useful tool for the evaluation of inter‐level relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current geomorphological research tends to give preference to landforms rather than landscapes. This commentary brings these notions closer together and incorporates varied views of 'landscape' (such as landscapes in art and poetry) as well as showing the difficulties of communicating them to audiences wider than geomorphology. The paper promotes the use of decimal Latitude Longitude (dLL) values to assist better location of samples, analyses and especially landforms, to produce 'information surfaces' within landscape and landsystem approaches to geomorphology. This will also help the development of geomorphic visual literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agile software development in construction projects – a report summarizing the DigitalTWIN research project Project management in the construction sector is characterized by manifold and numerous interdependencies, high project volumes with variable constraints and long project durations. It requires structured and defined planning principles as well as flexibility, as criteria, assessments, and opinions change or only become clear during the course of a project. Digital tools for project management are consequently an important focus in the DigitalTWIN research project. The implementation of agile software development in the project course of grid shell structures and cable net facades show the advantages of a close collaboration between project stakeholders and specialists in data science and software engineering. Real project progress can be evaluated faster and more precisely, process designs can be developed based on data, and proven workflows can be adjusted to specific situations without losing the relation to a growing database. The paper gives an introduction to management methods and shows how knowledge and recommended actions for construction projects can be obtained faster from relevant data using individual software development. The required cloud infrastructures, platform technologies and methods are developed step by step in demonstrators and provide an outlook how collaboration can be structured, fast, comprehensive, digital and trustworthy using distributed IT systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia are the primary resident immune cells of the central nervous system that are responsible for the maintenance of brain homeostasis. There is a plethora of evidence to suggest that microglia display distinct phenotypes that are associated with the alteration of cell morphology under varying environmental cues. However, it has not been fully explored how the varying states of microglial activation are linked to the alteration of microglia morphology, especially in the microdomain. The objective of this study was to quantitatively characterize the ultrastructural morphology of human microglia under neuroinflammatory cues. To address this, a human cell line of microglia was stimulated by antiinflammatory (IL‐4), proinflammatory (TNF‐α), and Alzheimer's disease (AD)‐associated cues (Aβ, Aβ + TNF‐α). The resulting effects on microglia morphology associated with changes in microdomain were analyzed using a high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy. Our findings demonstrated that microglial activation under proinflammatory and AD‐cues were closely linked to changes not only in cell shape but also in cell surface topography and higher‐order branching of processes. Furthermore, our results revealed that microglia under proinflammatory cues exhibited unique morphological features involving cell‐to‐cell contact and the formation of vesicle‐like structures. Our study provides insight into the fine details of microglia morphology associated with varying status of microglial activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant processes in a watershed are those that most strongly control hydrologic function and response. Estimating dominant processes enables hydrologists to design physically realistic streamflow generation models, design management interventions, and understand how climate and landscape features control hydrologic function. A recent approach to estimating dominant processes is through their link to hydrologic signatures, which are metrics that characterize the streamflow timeseries. Previous authors have used results from experimental watersheds to link signature values to underlying processes, but these links have not been tested on large scales. This paper fills that gap by testing signatures in large sample data sets from the U.S., Great Britain, Australia, and Brazil, and in Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) watersheds. We found that most inter‐signature correlations are consistent with process interpretations, that is, signatures that are supposed to represent the same process are correlated, and most signature values are consistent with process knowledge in CZO watersheds. Some exceptions occurred, such as infiltration and saturation excess processes that were often misidentified by signatures. Signature distributions vary by country, emphasizing the importance of regional context in understanding signature‐process links and in classifying signature values as "high" or "low." Not all signatures were easily transferable from single, small watersheds to large sample studies, showing that visual or process‐based assessment of signatures is important before large‐scale use. We provide a summary table with information on the reliability of each signature for process identification. Overall, our results provide a reference for future studies that seek to use signatures to identify hydrological processes. Key Points: Large sample signature distributions enabled us to put signature values into context as high or low, but differ by countryMost signatures agreed with the processes they are supposed to represent, except for infiltration and saturation excess signaturesWe provide a table of signatures with recommendations on their reliability and use for process interpretation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas, and oceanic sources account for up to one third of the total natural flux to the atmosphere. In oxygen‐deficient zones (ODZs) like the Eastern Tropical North Pacific (ETNP), N2O can be produced and consumed by several biological processes. In this study, the concentration and isotopocule ratios of N2O from a 2016 cruise in the ETNP were analyzed to examine sources of and controls on N2O cycling across this region. Along the north‐south transect, three distinct biogeochemical regimes were identified: background, core‐ODZ, and high‐N2O stations. Background stations were characterized by smaller variations in N2O concentration and isotopic profiles relative to the other regimes. Core‐ODZ stations were characterized by co‐occurring N2O production and consumption at anoxic depths, indicated by high δ18O‐N2O (>90‰) and low δ15N2Oβ (<−10‰) values, and confirmed by a time‐dependent model, which indicated that N2O production via denitrification was significant and may occur with a nonzero site preference. High‐N2O stations, located at the periphery of a mesoscale eddy, were defined by N2O reaching 126.07 ± 12.6 nM and low oxygen concentrations expanding into near‐surface isopycnals. At these stations, model results indicated significant N2O production from ammonia‐oxidizing archaea and denitrification from nitrate at the N2O maximum within the oxycline, while bacterial nitrification and denitrification from nitrite were insignificant. This study also represents the first in the ETNP to link N2O production mechanisms to a mesoscale eddy through isotopocule measurements, suggesting the importance of eddies to spatiotemporal variability in N2O cycling and emissions from this region. Plain Language Summary: Nitrous oxide (N2O)—commonly known as laughing gas—is a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and microbes in the ocean produce and consume N2O through different processes called nitrification and denitrification. Regions of the ocean with little to no oxygen near the surface, like the Eastern Tropical North Pacific, are hot spots of marine N2O emissions. By measuring and modeling the isotopes of N2O and related molecules in water samples from the region, we were able to better understand what processes are at play and where. N2O production and consumption through denitrification both appeared to be important at depths with no oxygen. N2O production from denitrification and nitrifying archaea were important sources where N2O reached high concentrations. Additionally, swirling ocean currents called eddies may be important to N2O cycling. Untangling the processes contributing to the marine N2O cycle helps researchers predict how the cycle will respond to future climate change. Key Points: Nitrous oxide isotopocules revealed distinct cycling regions throughout the Eastern Tropical North Pacific's oxygen‐deficient zoneArchaeal nitrification and bacterial denitrification from nitrate were important sources to oxycline nitrous oxide accumulationsA mesoscale eddy at the site of high nitrous oxide concentrations suggests the importance of eddies to nitrous oxide cycling in this region [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MCL, Mincle and Dectin‐2 are C‐type lectin receptors expressed by subsets of myeloid cells, and their genes cluster together in the APLEC/Dectin‐2 gene complex. We have previously shown that MCL and Mincle form a heterodimer in the rat, and others have shown that MCL and Dectin‐2 form a heterodimer in the mouse. In the rat, Dectin‐2 is a pseudogene, but here, we examine the association of the three receptors in human. In co‐transfection experiments analyzed with flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation, we here show that human MCL and Mincle form a disulphide‐linked heterodimer that associates with the signalling adaptor molecule FcεRIγ, in accordance with our previous findings in the rat. In contrast to previous findings in the rat, data in this paper indicate a direct association of MCL with FcεRIγ, as previously shown for mouse MCL. We were unable to demonstrate the formation of a heterodimer between human MCL and Dectin‐2. Thus, despite similarities, there may be important differences in the conformation of these receptors between rat, mouse and human, and this may have functional consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a serious health problem. They can be considered as an indicator of the quality of health care and are associated with considerable cost increases for the health care system. The prevention of PUs is a major concern in hospital care. The aim of the study was to reveal the current PU prevention‐related processes and structures with a specific focus on the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department. Method: In late 2018/early 2019, all German hospitals were invited to participate in a nationwide cross‐sectional survey. One standardized questionnaire was assigned to a representative of each hospital. The representative was asked to state what PU‐related structures and processes are implemented in their hospital, in general and specific to the A&E department. Besides mostly descriptive analysis, PU‐related processes were analysed on PU incidence in a multivariate linear regression model. Results: Two hundred seventy‐six hospitals participated in the survey. 63.4% (n = 175) of the participating hospitals had at least one PU manager. Skin inspection was the most frequently performed procedure. Although not recommended, 1.3% (2.1%) of the facilities still use sheepskins quite often (very often). In the regression model on PU incidence, only the process 'mobilization in bed' was statistically significantly associated. Although the risk of developing a PU in the emergency department is high, more than half of the facilities had no PU guidelines. Conclusion: Even if recommended procedures (skin inspection, 30° positioning) have been used frequently, regular training could help to bring new scientific findings such as the use of local skin protection dressings into clinical practice. Prevention guidelines should be established in all areas of care even for A&E as well as when patients are transferred inside or out of the hospital, where the risk of PU development was considered low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A total of 62/66 (93.9%) residents in a senior citizen home in Bremen, Germany, received the first dose of the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine BNT162b2 on December 27th 2020. After routine severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen tests showed positive results on January 5th, all residents and staff were tested by RT-PCR. Results: Nine staff members and 23 residents had a positive result. PCR positive staff members reported mild to severe COVID-19 symptoms, one was hospitalized. None of them had been vaccinated. In contrast, the vaccinated residents reported no or only mild symptoms. Sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes of infected individuals revealed a monophyletic origin of the outbreak within the PANGO lineage B.1.177.86. Conclusions: In summary, our data show that partial vaccination prevented severe COVID-19 among the residents during this local SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, suggesting a high effectiveness of even a single vaccine dose, but also emphasize that asymptomatic individuals might still be carriers/spreaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of low-level pretransplant donor-specific antibody (DSA) on kidney transplant outcomes is not well described. The goal of this study was to compare outcomes among patients of varying immunologic risk, based on the level of pretransplant DSA. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all adult kidney transplant recipients who had undergone a transplant at our center between January 2013 and May 2017. Patients were grouped as negative DSA (mean fluorescence intensity, [MFISUM < 100]), low-level DSA (MFISUM 100-1000), and positive DSA (MFISUM > 1000). Rejection, infection, graft, and patient survival were outcomes measured. Results: Of 952 patients, 82.1% had negative DSA, 10.7% had low-level DSA, and 7.1% had positive DSA. The positive DSA group had the highest rate of antibody-mediated rejection (10.3%), followed by low-level DSA (7.8%) and the negative DSA group (4.5%) (p = .034). The rate of BK viremia was highest in the positive DSA group (39.7%), followed by the low-level group (30.4%) and the negative DSA group (25.6%), (p = .025). None of the other outcomes, including graft or patient survival, were different between the groups. Conclusion: While low-level DSA should not prevent proceeding with kidney transplantation, it should not be ignored. Future studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of varying levels of pre-transplant DSA on outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous systems engineering (SE) methods for the model‐based and textual specification of systems focus on managing complexity solely by partitioning the system based on physical structures or by defining different views of the system and therefore reach their limits in agile development. The increasing demand for an agile system development requires an agile systems engineering procedure for the model‐based and textual top‐down specification of systems. Although function‐based development, variant management, and product line development are well established in software engineering, previous work has failed to introduce methods for the agile specification of systems by combining established methods from systems and software engineering. For that purpose, this paper demonstrates a new SE methodology, which for the first time combines conventional SE methods with the agile development procedure of feature‐driven development. The methodology is systematically developed based on theoretical analyses and its suitability for the application‐specific definition of feature‐driven development processes is demonstrated using the example of reference architectures for XiL simulation models of electric vehicles. By applying feature‐driven development, the resulting CUBE methodology enhances collaboration in interdisciplinary development teams and enables companies to adapt development processes to a more agile top‐down specification of systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsere gebaute Umwelt und die Baubranche unterliegen externen Gefahren, aus denen häufig Störungen entstehen. Diese können wiederum Krisen oder dauerhafte Veränderungen zur Folge haben. Für resiliente Fassaden und Unternehmen der Fassadenbranche ist das kein Problem, sondern eine Chance. Sie verhalten sich antizipations‐ und reaktionsfähig. Mit ihrer Robustheit, Redundanz und Austauschfähigkeit stabilisieren sie ihre Strukturen nach abrupten Störungen. Bei dauerhaften Veränderungen wechseln sie – auf Basis ihrer Adaptions‐ und Transformationsfähigkeit – in einen neuen Gleichgewichtszustand mit veränderten Strukturen. Entscheidend ist das Zusammenspiel von Menschen, Prozessen, Technologien, Tools, Produkten und Dienstleistungen. Resilient constructing – facades, structures and processes. Our built environment and the construction industry are subject to external hazards that often cause disturbances. These can in turn lead to crises or permanent changes. For resilient facades and companies in the facade industry this is not a problem, but an opportunity. They are able to anticipate and react. With their robustness, redundancy and exchangeability, they stabilise their structures after abrupt disturbances. In the event of permanent changes, they change – on basis of their ability to adapt and transform – into a new state of balance with changed structures. The interaction of people, processes, technologies, tools, products and services is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibody‐secreting plasma cells are a central component of short‐ and long‐term adaptive immunity. Yet, many fundamental questions about how activated B cells decide to yield functional plasma cells have yet to be answered. Likewise, the biochemical processes underpinning the ability of plasma cells to generate and secrete large numbers of antibodies, the capacity of some plasma cell to sustain antibody secretion, presumably without interruption, for decades, and the capacity of long‐lived plasma cells to avoid apoptosis despite the high‐energy demands associated with sustained robust antibody synthesis and secretion each remain mysterious processes. Our objective here is to review what is currently known about these processes with an emphasis on the earliest phases of plasma cell genesis. Along the way, we will work toward developing a model that ties the biochemistry of plasma cell function and survival. The chief idea imbedded in this model is that progress toward understanding plasma cell survival mechanisms may require increased focus on the unique cell autonomous processes inherent in plasma cell differentiation and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation practitioners regularly engage in partnerships and processes to develop and achieve important conservation goals aimed at alleviating the biodiversity crisis. These processes, and the partnerships needed for success, are subject to complex social dynamics that can result in negative outcomes if not well understood and addressed. As an illustration, a heavy reliance on authority‐based power in a conservation process could lead to alliances with some groups and alienation of others. Such ingroup/outgroup dynamics can prompt threats to one's identity and distrust of others, which may lead to disengagement or active blocking of progress toward goals (e.g., legal action). To support practitioners in addressing the biodiversity crisis, we review key concepts and theory from the literature in relation to how trust, identity, and power operate in the context of conservation partnerships and processes. We further offer a list of considerations for conservation practitioners seeking to co‐develop goals that are achievable, equitable, and responsive to the needs of diverse interests, as well as sustainable over time given shifting social and ecological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to use an uncertainty version of a widely used monthly time step, semi‐distributed model (the Pitman model) to explore the equifinalities in the way in which the main hydrological processes are simulated and any identifiable linkages with uncertainties in the available observational data. The study area is the Zambezi River basin and 17 gauged sub‐basins have been included in the analyses. Unfortunately, it is not generally possible to quantify some of the observational uncertainties in such a data scarce area and mostly we are limited to identifying where these data are clearly deficient (i.e., erroneous or non‐representative). The overall conclusion is that the equifinalities in the model are hugely dominant in terms of the uncertainties in the relative occurrence of different runoff generating processes, although water use uncertainties in the semi‐arid parts of the basin can contribute to these uncertainties. The identification of landscape features that suggest the occurrence of saturation excess surface runoff provides some information to constrain the model. Improved independent estimates of groundwater recharge is also identified as a key source of observational data that would help a great deal in constraining the model parameter space and therefore reducing some of the model equifinality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogeomorphology has been expanding as a discipline, due to increased recognition of the role that biology can play in geomorphic processes, as well as due to our increasing capacity to measure and quantify feedback between biological and geomorphological systems. Here, we provide an overview of the growth and status of biogeomorphology. This overview also provides the context for introducing this special issue on biogeomorphology, and specifically examines the thematic domains of biogeomorphological research, methods used, open questions and conundrums, problems encountered, future research directions, and practical applications in management and policy (e.g. nature‐based solutions). We find that whilst biogeomorphological studies have a long history, there remain many new and surprising biogeomorphic processes and feedbacks that are only now being identified and quantified. Based on the current state of knowledge, we suggest that linking ecological and geomorphic processes across different spatio‐temporal scales emerges as the main research challenge in biogeomorphology, as well as the translation of biogeomorphic knowledge into management approaches to environmental systems. We recommend that future biogeomorphic studies should help to contextualize environmental feedbacks by including the spatio‐temporal scales relevant to the organism(s) under investigation, using knowledge of their ecology and size (or metabolic rate). Furthermore, in order to sufficiently understand the 'engineering' capacity of organisms, we recommend studying at least the time period bounded by two disturbance events, and recommend to also investigate the geomorphic work done during disturbance events, in order to put estimates of engineering capacity of biota into a wider perspective. Finally, the future seems bright, as increasingly inter‐disciplinary and longer‐term monitoring are coming to fruition, and we can expect important advances in process understanding across scales and better‐informed modelling efforts. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is out of equilibrium with the current anthropogenic‐enhanced climate forcing. Paleoenvironmental records and ice sheet models reveal that the AIS has been tightly coupled to the climate system during the past and indicate the potential for accelerated and sustained Antarctic ice mass loss into the future. Modern observations by contrast suggest that the AIS has only just started to respond to climate change in recent decades. The maximum projected sea level contribution from Antarctica to 2100 has increased significantly since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report, although estimates continue to evolve with new observational and theoretical advances. This review brings together recent literature highlighting the progress made on the known processes and feedbacks that influence the stability of the AIS. Reducing the uncertainty in the magnitude and timing of the future sea level response to AIS change requires a multidisciplinary approach that integrates knowledge of the interactions between the ice sheet, solid Earth, atmosphere, and ocean systems and across time scales of days to millennia. We start by reviewing the processes affecting AIS mass change, from atmospheric and oceanic processes acting on short time scales (days to decades), through to ice processes acting on intermediate time scales (decades to centuries) and the response to solid Earth interactions over longer time scales (decades to millennia). We then review the evidence of AIS changes from the Pliocene to the present and consider the projections of global sea level rise and their consequences. We highlight priority research areas required to improve our understanding of the processes and feedbacks governing AIS change.Plain Language Summary: The Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is an important component of the global climate system. Human activities have caused the atmosphere and especially the oceans to warm. However, the full effect of human caused climate change on the AIS has not currently been realized because the ice sheet responds on a range of time scales and to many different Earth processes. Modern observations show that West Antarctica has been melting at an accelerating rate since the 2000s, while the data for East Antarctica are less clear. Environmental records preserve the history of the climate and AIS, which extend beyond the instrumental record and reveal how the AIS responded to past climate warming. Estimates of how much the AIS will contribute to sea level rise by the Year 2100 have changed as a result of new information on how the AIS evolved in the past and research into the interactions between the ice sheet, solid Earth atmosphere, and ocean systems. This review brings together our knowledge of the major processes and feedbacks affecting the AIS and the evidence for how the ice sheet changed since the Pliocene. We consider the future estimates and consequences of global sea level rise from melting of the AIS and highlight priority research areas.Key Points: The AIS is a highly dynamic component of the Earth system, evolving on a broad range of temporal and spatial scalesPaleoenvironmental evidence highlights the centennial to millennial response time scales of the AIS to atmospheric‐ocean forcingCoupling feedbacks in Earth system components are required to reduce the uncertainty in AIS's contribution to past and future sea level rise [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease that arises in genetically predisposed individuals. Chronic skin lesions that contain activated immune cells can persist for years. Systemic inhibition of TNF, IL‐17 and IL‐23 cytokines has revolutionized psoriasis care during the recent decades. Unfortunately, local relapse of disease is common at previously inflamed sites after cessation of treatment. This highlights that fundamental pathologic alterations of the affected tissues are not completely resolved during clinical remission. Here, we present arguments for a local disease memory located in both dermis and epidermis in psoriasis skin. We decipher different cellular components and intercellular crosstalk that sustain local disease memory and amplify disease relapse in human psoriasis. Decrypting the mechanisms underlying the establishment and persistence of pathogenic memory cells in resolved psoriasis may provide new therapeutic perspectives aimed at long‐term remission of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi are ubiquitous eukaryotic micro‐organisms present in virtually all environmental habitats. Although rarely pathogenic to the healthy population, many fungal species are capable of causing human disease in immunocompromised individuals. Thus, fungal infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, with rising prevalence accompanying the worldwide increase in immunosuppression‐based therapies. Therefore, better understanding of the mutual interactions between the protective host mechanisms and the invading fungi remains of critical importance. The innate immune system constitutes the first line of defence against exogenous insults. The innate antifungal immunity is mediated through recognition of specific pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by a broad panel of host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), responsible for mounting adequate protective responses. In this review, we describe fungal PAMPs as well as a selection of PRRs able to recognize them. We focus on the members of the fibrinogen‐related domain (FReD) protein family that have been shown to recognize fungi‐derived molecules: ficolins, fibrinogen C domain containing 1 (FIBCD1) and tenascin‐C. We describe their structure, their binding targets and their established as well as putative biological functions related to fungal recognition and immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a novel solution to the problem of the time of a killing (ToK), which persistently besets theories of act‐individuation. The solution proposed claims to expose a crucial wrong‐headed assumption in the debate, according to which ToK is essentially a problem of locating some event that corresponds to the killing. The alternative proposal put forward here turns on recognizing a separate category of dynamic occurrents, viz. processes. The paper does not aim to mount a comprehensive defence of process ontology, relying instead on extant defences. The primary aim is rather to put process ontology to work in diagnosing the current state of play over ToK, and indeed in solving it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many authors have turned their attention to the notion of constitution to determine whether the hypothesis of extended cognition (EC) is true. One common strategy is to make sense of constitution in terms of the new mechanists' mutual manipulability (MM) account. In this paper, I will show that MM is insufficient. The Challenge of Trivial Extendedness arises due to the fact that mechanisms for cognitive behaviors are extended in a way that should not count as verifying EC. This challenge can be met by adding a necessary condition: cognitive constituents satisfy MM and they are what I call behavior unspecific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon his experience, more than 60 years ago, as a psychometric support person to a very special teacher of brain damaged children, the author of this article reflects on the productive use of educational assessments and data from them to educate ‐ assessment in the service of learning. Findings from the Gordon Commission on the Future of Assessment are referenced to advocate for the position that educational assessments can and should be used to inform and improve teaching and learning processes and outcomes. The author argues for this counter intuitive claim, educational assessments and the data that are produced by them can be used in the service of teaching and learning. The argument draws on logic and emerging existence proofs. The second part of this article is devoted to brief descriptions of those existence proofs, half dozen emerging and established models of educational assessment transactions that are embedded in teaching and learning programs with the intention to improve both the teaching and the learning. This article does not include empirical evidence that either of these ends is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoclasts are responsible for bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and adipose‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) can inhibit experimental collagen‐induced arthritis model. This study aims to determine whether ADSCs also suppresses osteoclastogenesis and bone erosion in collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA). Osteoclasts were induced from bone marrow‐derived CD11b+ cells with receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κ B ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (M‐CSF) stimulation and assessed with tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. For human cells, osteoclasts were produced from human CD14+ cells. ADSCs were generated and added to cultures with different ratios with CD11b+ cells. Transwell and antibody blockade experiments were performed to define the mechanism of action. NF‐κB and RANKL expression were determined by Western blotting and RT‐qPCR. About 2 × 106 ADSCs or fibroblast cells were adoptively transferred to DBA1/J mice on day 14 after immunization with type II collagen/complete Freund's adjuvant (CII/CFA) while the onset and severity of the CIA were monitored. Adipose‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells but not fibroblast cells completely suppressed osteoclastogenesis in vitro for human and mice. ADSCs injected after immunization and before of onset of CIA significantly suppressed disease development. Treatment with ADSCs dramatically decreased the levels of NF‐κB p65/p50 in osteoclasts in vitro and P65/50 and RANKL expression by synovial tissues in vivo. We have demonstrated that ADSCs can inhibit RANKL‐induced osteoclasts genesis via CD39 signals. Our findings also suggest that ADSCs can inhibit osteoclasts genesis without the involvement of regulatory T cells. ADSCs might represent a promising strategy for stem cell‐based therapies for RA. Thus, manipulation of ADSCs may have therapeutic effects on RA and other bone erosion–related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalisation for hydraulic engineering On the one hand digitalisation offers great opportunities for hydraulic engineering, while at the same time also being a major challenge for the upcoming years. To fully utilize the efficiency potential of digitalisation, the entire life cycle of structures must be considered: planning, construction, operation and maintenance. Thus opportunities that go far beyond (the digitalisation of) hydraulic structure planning and intelligent hydraulic structure modeling, seem feasible. This article describes possible approaches to successfully digitalizing the field of hydraulic engineering and it goes on to show which steps can be taken to build a foundation for sustainable digital development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrologic signatures are metrics that quantify aspects of streamflow response. Linking signatures to underlying processes enables multiple applications, such as selecting hydrologic model structure, analysing hydrologic change, making predictions in ungauged basins, and classifying watershed function. However, many lists of hydrologic signatures are not process‐based, and knowledge about signature‐process links has been scattered among studies from experimental watersheds and model selection experiments. This review brings together those studies to catalogue more than 50 signatures representing evapotranspiration, snow storage and melt, permafrost, infiltration excess, saturation excess, groundwater, baseflow, connectivity, channel processes, partitioning, and human alteration. The review shows substantial variability in the number, type, and timescale of signatures available to represent each process. Many signatures provide information about groundwater storage, partitioning, and connectivity, whereas snow processes and human alteration are underrepresented. More signatures are related to the seasonal scale than the event timescale, and land surface processes (ET, snow, and overland flow) have no signatures at the event scale. There are limitations in some signatures that test for occurrence but cannot quantify processes, or are related to multiple processes, making automated analysis more difficult. This review will be valuable as a reference for hydrologists seeking to use streamflow records to investigate a particular hydrologic process or to conduct large‐sample analyses of patterns in hydrologic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinguishing correlative and causal connections among time series is an important challenge in evolutionary biology, ecology, macroevolution and palaeobiology.Here, we present layeranalyzer, an r package that uses linear stochastic differential equations as a tool for parametrically describing evolutionary and ecological processes and for modelling temporal correlation and Granger causality between two or more time series.We describe the basic functions in layeranalyzer and briefly discuss modelling strategies by demonstrating our tool with three disparate case studies. First, we model a single time series of phenotypic evolution in a bird species; second, we extract cyclical connections in the well‐known hare‐lynx dataset; third, we infer the correlative and causal connections among the genus origination and extinction rates of brachiopods and bivalves.We summarize the advantages and limitations of using linear stochastic differential equations and layeranalyzer for studying correlative and causal connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological drought, defined as below‐average streamflow conditions, can be triggered by different mechanisms, which are to a large extent dictated by the climate. Moreover, the simulation of hydrological droughts highly depends on the model structure and how drought‐triggering mechanisms are parameterized. In this large‐sample hydrological study, we investigate how climate and model structure control hydrological drought simulations. We conducted sensitivity analysis on parameters of three frequently used hydrological models (HBV, SAC, and VIC) for the simulation of drought duration and drought deficit over 605 basins covering more than 10 different Köppen‐Geiger climates. The sensitivity analysis revealed that, as anticipated, different parameters are sensitive in different climates. However, not all expected drought mechanisms were reflected in the parameter sensitivity: Especially, the sensitivity of ET parameters does not align with the theory, and the role of snow parameters in snow‐related droughts shows a distinction between degree‐day‐based models and energy‐balance models. Besides parameter sensitivity being different over climates, we also found that parameter sensitivity differed over the different models. Where HBV and SAC did display fairly similar behavior, in VIC other model mechanisms were triggered. This implies that conclusions on driving mechanisms in hydrological drought cannot be based on hydrological models only, as different models would lead to different conclusions. Hydrological models can have heuristic value in drought research, to formulate new theories and identify research directions, but formulated theories on driving processes should always be backed up by observations. Key Points: Parameter sensitivity to drought duration and deficit varies over climatesNot all drought‐triggering mechanisms are reflected well in parameter sensitivityModel structure influences parameter sensitivity on drought duration and deficit [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hazards and difficulties of handling elemental halogens such as I2 can be circumvented through the electrochemical generation of these species in situ and 'on‐demand'. Advantages of this approach include the halogen being introduced into the reaction mixture at a steady rate, ensuring low concentrations to prevent halogenation of reactive aromatic rings. We also demonstrate that the Lewis acid required to promote this reaction, a Zn(II) salt, can also be generated in situ from a zinc‐coated graphite electrode in a clean and energy‐efficient manner. Mechanistic studies indicate an unusual pathway, which provides selectivity for the iodocyclisation without the often‐problematic electrophilic aromatic iodination of the aryl ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in the development of immunotherapies have offered exciting new options for the treatment of malignant diseases that are refractory to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapies. The adoptive transfer of T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has demonstrated dramatic results in clinical trials and highlights the promise of novel immune‐based approaches to the treatment of cancer. As experience with CAR T cells has expanded with longer follow‐up and to a broader range of diseases, new obstacles have been identified which limit the potential lifelong benefits of CAR T cell therapy. These obstacles highlight not only the gaps in knowledge of the optimal clinical application of this "living drug", but also gaps in our understanding of the fundamental biology of CAR T cells themselves. In this review, we discuss the obstacles facing CAR T cell therapy, how these relate to our current understanding of CAR T cell biology and approaches to enhance the clinical efficacy of this therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulty of integrating multiple theories, data and methods has slowed progress towards making unified inferences of ecological change generalizable across large spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales. However, recent progress towards a theoretical synthesis now provides a guiding framework for organizing and integrating all primary data and methods for spatiotemporal assemblage‐level inference in ecology. In this paper, we describe how recent theoretical developments can provide an organizing paradigm for linking advances in data collection and methodological frameworks across disparate ecological sub‐disciplines and across large spatial and temporal scales. First, we summarize the set of fundamental processes that determine change in multispecies assemblages across spatial and temporal scales by reviewing recent theoretical syntheses of community ecology. Second, we review recent advances in data and methods across the main sub‐disciplines concerned with ecological inference across large spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales, and organize them based on the primary fundamental processes they include, rather than the spatiotemporal scale of their inferences. Finally, we highlight how iteratively focusing on only one fundamental process at a time, but combining all relevant spatiotemporal data and methods, may reduce the conceptual challenges to integration among ecological sub‐disciplines. Moreover, we discuss a number of avenues for decreasing the practical barriers to integration among data and methods. We aim to reconcile the recent convergence of decades of thinking in community ecology and macroecology theory with the rapid progress in spatiotemporal approaches for assemblage‐level inference, at a time where a robust understanding of spatiotemporal change in ecological assemblages is more crucial than ever to conserve biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inferring the mechanisms causing river flooding is key to understanding past, present, and future flood risk. However, a quantitative spatially distributed overview of the mechanisms that drive flooding across Europe is currently unavailable. In addition, studies that classify catchments according to their flood‐driving mechanisms often identify a single mechanism per location, although multiple mechanisms typically contribute to flood risk. We introduce a new method that uses seasonality statistics to estimate the relative importance of extreme precipitation, soil moisture excess, and snowmelt as flood drivers. Applying this method to a European data set of maximum annual flow dates in several thousand catchments reveals that from 1960 to 2010 relatively few annual floods were caused by annual rainfall peaks. Instead, most European floods were caused by snowmelt and by the concurrence of heavy precipitation with high antecedent soil moisture. For most catchments, the relative importance of these mechanisms has not substantially changed during the past five decades. Exposing the regional mechanisms underlying Europe's most costly natural hazard is a key first step in identifying the processes that require most attention in future flood research. Key Points: We estimate the importance of extreme precipitation, soil moisture excess, and snowmelt as flood drivers, using dates of annual flow peaksIn Europe, most annual floods are caused by subextreme precipitation with high antecedent soil moisture, not by annual peak rainfallThe relative importance of these flood‐generating mechanisms has not changed substantially from 1960 to 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River deltas and associated turbidity current systems produce some of the largest and most rapid sediment accumulations on our planet. These systems bury globally significant volumes of organic carbon and determine the runout distance of potentially hazardous sediment flows and the shape of their deposits. Here we seek to understand the main factors that determine the morphology of turbidity current systems linked to deltas in fjords, and why some locations have well developed submarine channels while others do not. Deltas and associated turbidity current systems are analysed initially in five fjord systems from British Columbia in Canada, and then more widely. This provides the basis for a general classification of delta and turbidity current system types, where rivers enter relatively deep (>200 m) water. Fjord‐delta area is found to be strongly bimodal. Avalanching of coarse‐grained bedload delivered by steep mountainous rivers produces small Gilbert‐type fan deltas, whose steep gradient (11°–25°) approaches the sediment's angle of repose. Bigger fjord‐head deltas are associated with much larger and finer‐grained rivers. These deltas have much lower gradients (1.5°–10°) that decrease offshore in a near exponential fashion. The lengths of turbidity current channels are highly variable, even in settings fed by rivers with similar discharges. This may be due to resetting of channel systems by delta‐top channel avulsions or major offshore landslides, as well as the amount and rate of sediment supplied to the delta front by rivers. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. • A model for turbidity channel systems in fjords and deep‐water settings is proposed.• Bimodal delta morphology is linked to river drainage basin character.• Turbidity channel morphology is linked to river discharge, avulsion and mass‐wasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emulsion polymerization of vinylidene fluoride (VDF) is used to produce a range of commercially important products. Despite this, the current review article will show that very little is known about the kinetics of polymerization, particle nucleation, and role of chain transfer reactions. This is at least in part due to the extreme conditions needed for the polymerization, which can significantly limit the number of academic laboratories able to enable such reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it was not the main issue at the ACHEMA 2018, some remarkable innovations in the process engineering area took place. The topics microreactor technology, built‐in components for distillation columns and new developments for heat exchangers can be regarded as highlights. Especially, new applications of corrosion‐resistant materials and new manufacturing developments led to elegant solutions for some well‐known process engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune bleeding disorder characterized by increased peripheral immune platelet destruction and megakaryocyte defects in the bone marrow. Although ITP was originally thought to be primarily due to antibody‐mediated autoimmunity, it is now clear that T cells also play a significant role in the disease. However, the exact interplay between platelet destruction, megakaryocyte dysfunction and the elements of both humoral and cell‐mediated immunity in ITP remains incompletely defined. While most studies have focused on immune platelet destruction in the spleen, an additional possibility is that the antiplatelet antibodies can also destroy bone marrow megakaryocytes. To address this, we negated the effects of T cells by utilizing an in vivo passive ITP model where BALB/c mice were administered various anti‐αIIb, anti‐β3 or anti‐GPIb antibodies or antisera and platelet counts and bone marrow megakaryocytes were enumerated. Our results show that after 24 hours, all the different antiplatelet antibodies/sera induced variable degrees of thrombocytopenia in recipient mice. Compared with naïve control mice, however, histological examination of the bone marrow revealed that only 2 antibody preparations (mouse‐anti‐mouse β3 sera and an anti‐ αIIb monoclonal antibody (MWReg30) could affect bone marrow megakaryocyte counts. Our study shows that while most antiplatelet antibodies induce acute thrombocytopenia, the majority of them do not affect the number of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. This suggests that other mechanisms may be responsible for megakaryocyte abnormalities seen during immune thrombocytopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]