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Fidler RY, Mahajan SL, Ojwang L, Obiene S, Nicolas T, Ahmadia GN, Slade L, Obura DO, Beatty H, Mohamed J, Kawaka J, Harborne AR. Individual and community empowerment improve resource users' perceptions of community-based conservation effectiveness in Kenya and Tanzania. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301345. [PMID: 38687761 PMCID: PMC11060543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Community-based conservation has been increasingly recognized as critical to achieve both conservation and socio-economic development goals worldwide. However, the long-term sustainability of community-based conservation programs is dependent on a broadly shared perception among community members that management actions are achieving their stated goals. Thus, understanding the underlying factors driving differences in perceptions of management effectiveness can help managers prioritize the processes and outcomes most valued by resource users and thereby promote sustained support for conservation efforts. Here, we utilize large-scale interview survey data and machine learning to identify the factors most strongly associated with differences in perceived management effectiveness between resource users engaged in marine community-based conservation programs in Kenya and Tanzania. Perceptions of management effectiveness were generally favorable in both countries, and the most important predictors of positive perceptions were associated with community and individual empowerment in resource management and use, but within disparate focal domains. Improved perceptions of management effectiveness in Kenya were closely related to increases in women's empowerment in community-based conservation programs, while inclusionary and transparent governance structures were the most important factors driving improved perceptions in Tanzania. Additionally, the strongest predictors of differences between individuals in both countries often interacted synergistically to produce even higher rates of perceived effectiveness. These findings can help future initiatives in the region tailor management to match community-level priorities and emphasize the need for community-based conservation programs to understand local context to ensure that metrics of "success" are aligned with the needs and desires of local resource users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Y. Fidler
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Shauna L. Mahajan
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund US, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund US, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Lenice Ojwang
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development–Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Samson Obiene
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development–Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
| | | | - Gabby N. Ahmadia
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund US, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Lorna Slade
- Mwambao Coastal Community Network Tanzania, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - David O. Obura
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development–Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Hope Beatty
- Mwambao Coastal Community Network Tanzania, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Juma Mohamed
- Mwambao Coastal Community Network Tanzania, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Joan Kawaka
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development–Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Alastair R. Harborne
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, United States of America
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2
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Mahajan SL, Obiene S, Ojwang L, Olwero N, Valdivia A, Wosu A, Adrid E, Andradi-Brown DA, Andriamalala G, Ban NC, Bennett NJ, Blythe J, Cheng SH, Darling E, De Nardo M, Drury O'Neill E, Epstein G, Fidler RY, Fisher K, Geldmann J, Gill DA, Kroner RG, Gurney G, Jagadish A, Jonas HD, Lazuardi ME, Petersen S, Ranarivelo VV, Rasoloformanana L, Rasolozaka TM, Read DJ, Mwaiteleke ES, Ahmadia G. Introducing Elinor for monitoring the governance and management of area-based conservation. Conserv Biol 2024; 38:e14213. [PMID: 37904666 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the governance and management effectiveness of area-based conservation has long been recognized as an important foundation for achieving national and global biodiversity goals and enabling adaptive management. However, there are still many barriers that prevent conservation actors, including those affected by governance and management systems from implementing conservation activities and programs and from gathering and using data on governance and management to inform decision-making across spatial scales and through time. We explored current and past efforts to assess governance and management effectiveness and barriers actors face in using the resulting data and insights to inform conservation decision-making. To help overcome these barriers, we developed Elinor, a free and open-source monitoring tool that builds on the work of Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom to facilitate the gathering, storing, sharing, analyzing, and use of data on environmental governance and management across spatial scales and for areas under different governance and management types. We consider the process of codesigning and piloting Elinor with conservation scientists and practitioners and the main components of the assessment and online data system. We also consider how Elinor complements existing approaches by addressing governance and management in a single assessment at a high level for different types of area-based conservation, providing flexible options for data collection, and integrating a data system with an assessment that can support data use and sharing across different spatial scales, including global monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Although challenges will continue, the process of developing Elinor and the tool itself offer tangible solutions to barriers that prevent the systematic collection and use of governance and management data. With broader uptake, Elinor can play a valuable role in enabling more effective, inclusive, and durable area-based conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shauna L Mahajan
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Samson Obiene
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development, Indian Ocean (CORDIO), Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Lenice Ojwang
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development, Indian Ocean (CORDIO), Mombasa, Kenya
- Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nasser Olwero
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Abel Valdivia
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Adaoma Wosu
- The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Emily Adrid
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Natalie C Ban
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nathan J Bennett
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
- The Peopled Seas Initiative, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- People and the Ocean Specialist Group, Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
- EqualSea Lab, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Jessica Blythe
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Emily Darling
- Emily Darling, Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Graham Epstein
- School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Y Fidler
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Kim Fisher
- Emily Darling, Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Jonas Geldmann
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David A Gill
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel Golden Kroner
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Georgina Gurney
- College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Arundhati Jagadish
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Harry D Jonas
- Conservation Areas Initiative, WWF, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Samantha Petersen
- Southwest Indian Ocean Seascape Program, WWF Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | | | - Tojo M Rasolozaka
- Results-Based Management Unit, WWF Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Daniel J Read
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Gabby Ahmadia
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA
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3
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Fidler RY, Ahmadia GN, Cox C, Glew L, Handayani C, Mahajan SL, Mascia MB, Pakiding F, Andradi-Brown DA, Campbell SJ, Claborn K, De Nardo M, Fox HE, Gill D, Hidayat NI, Jakub R, Le DT, Valdivia A, Harborne AR. Participation, not penalties: Community involvement and equitable governance contribute to more effective multiuse protected areas. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabl8929. [PMID: 35507668 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl8929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Accelerating ecosystem degradation has spurred proposals to vastly expand the extent of protected areas (PAs), potentially affecting the livelihoods and well-being of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) worldwide. The benefits of multiuse PAs that elevate the role of IPLCs in management have long been recognized. However, quantitative examinations of how resource governance and the distribution of management rights affect conservation outcomes are vital for long-term sustainability. Here, we use a long-term, quasi-experimental monitoring dataset from four Indonesian marine PAs that demonstrates that multiuse PAs can increase fish biomass, but incorporating multiple governance principles into management regimes and enforcing rules equitably are critical to achieve ecological benefits. Furthermore, we show that PAs predicated primarily on enforcing penalties can be less effective than those where IPLCs have the capacity to engage in management. Our results suggest that well-governed multiuse PAs can achieve conservation objectives without undermining the rights of IPLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Y Fidler
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Gabby N Ahmadia
- Ocean Conservation, World Wildlife Fund US, 1250 24th St NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Courtney Cox
- Rare US, 1030 N Courthouse Rd., Suite 110, Arlington, VA 22201, USA
| | - Louise Glew
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund US, 1250 24th St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Christian Handayani
- World Wildlife Fund Indonesia, Gedung Graha Simatupang Tower 2C Lantai 7, Jl. Letjen TB Simatupang kav.38, South Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Shauna L Mahajan
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund US, 1250 24th St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Michael B Mascia
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Dr., Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Fitryanti Pakiding
- University of Papua, Jl. Gunung Salju, Amban, Manokwari 98314, West Papua, Indonesia
| | | | - Stuart J Campbell
- Rare Indonesia, Jl. Gunung Gede I No. 6, Bogor 16153, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Kelly Claborn
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund US, 1250 24th St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Matheus De Nardo
- Global Science, World Wildlife Fund US, 1250 24th St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Helen E Fox
- Coral Reef Alliance, 1330 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
| | - David Gill
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd., Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Nur I Hidayat
- Conservation International Indonesia, Jl. Pejaten Barat No. 16 A, Kemang, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Raymond Jakub
- Rare Indonesia, Jl. Gunung Gede I No. 6, Bogor 16153, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Duong T Le
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd., Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
- The World Bank, 1818 H Street, Washington, DC 20433, USA
| | - Abel Valdivia
- Rare US, 1030 N Courthouse Rd., Suite 110, Arlington, VA 22201, USA
| | - Alastair R Harborne
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami, FL 33181, USA
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4
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Harborne AR, Kochan DP, Esch MM, Fidler RY, Mitchell MD, Butkowski DW, González-Rivero M. Drivers of fine-scale diurnal space use by a coral-reef mesopredatory fish. J Fish Biol 2022; 100:1009-1024. [PMID: 35099815 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The habitat preferences of many reef fishes are well established, but the use of space within these habitats by non-site-attached species is poorly studied. The authors examined the space use of a functionally important mesopredator, graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata), on six patch reefs in the Florida Keys. A 1 m2 -scale grid was constructed on each reef and 16 individual C. cruentata were tracked diurnally in situ to identify space use. At the patch reef scale, larger C. cruentata were more active and had larger observed home ranges, although home ranges were also affected by fish density and the abundances of prey and predators. The total time in each 1 m2 grid cell was regressed against a range of fine-scale biotic variables, including multiple variables derived from structure-from-motion three-dimensional digital reconstructions of each reef. Nonetheless, time in grid cells (preferred microhabitats) was only significantly positively correlated with the height of carbonate structures, likely because the cavities they enclose are particularly suitable for predator avoidance, resting and ambushing prey. The ongoing flattening of reefs in the region caused by negative carbonate budgets is thus likely to have significant effects on the abundance and space use of C. cruentata. In addition to examining spatial patterns, we analysed C. cruentata waiting times in each grid cell before moving. These times were best approximated by a truncated power-law (heavy-tailed) distribution, indicating a "bursty" pattern of relatively long periods of inactivity interspersed with multiple periods of activity. Such a pattern has previously been identified in a range of temperate ambush predators, and the authors extend this move-wait behaviour, which may optimize foraging success, to a reef fish for the first time. Understanding how C. cruentata uses space and time is critical to fully identify their functional role and better predict the implications of fishing and loss of reef structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair R Harborne
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - David P Kochan
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Melanie M Esch
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Robert Y Fidler
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Matthew D Mitchell
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
- Marine Biology Lab, Division of Science, New York University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Drew W Butkowski
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
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5
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Mahajan SL, Jagadish A, Glew L, Ahmadia G, Becker H, Fidler RY, Jeha L, Mills M, Cox C, DeMello N, Harborne AR, Masuda YJ, McKinnon MC, Painter M, Wilkie D, Mascia MB. A theory‐based framework for understanding the establishment, persistence, and diffusion of community‐based conservation. Conservat Sci and Prac 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shauna L. Mahajan
- Global Science World Wildlife Fund Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Arundhati Jagadish
- The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science Conservation International Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Louise Glew
- Global Science World Wildlife Fund Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Gabby Ahmadia
- Ocean Conservation World Wildlife Fund Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Hannah Becker
- Department of Conservation Science & Design Fauna & Flora International Cambridge UK
| | - Robert Y. Fidler
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University North Miami Florida USA
| | - Lena Jeha
- Department of Conservation Science & Design Fauna & Flora International Cambridge UK
| | - Morena Mills
- Centre for Environmental Policy Imperial College London London UK
| | - Courtney Cox
- Department of Fish Forever Rare Conservation Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Nicole DeMello
- Department of Global Science The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Alastair R. Harborne
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University North Miami Florida USA
| | - Yuta J. Masuda
- Department of Global Science The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | | | | | - David Wilkie
- Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx New York USA
| | - Michael B. Mascia
- The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science Conservation International Arlington Virginia USA
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6
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Fidler RY, Carroll J, Rynerson KW, Matthews DF, Turingan RG. Coral reef fishes exhibit beneficial phenotypes inside marine protected areas. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193426. [PMID: 29470525 PMCID: PMC5823445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human fishing effort is size-selective, preferentially removing the largest individuals from harvested stocks. Intensive, size-specific fishing mortality induces directional shifts in phenotypic frequencies towards the predominance of smaller and earlier-maturing individuals, which are among the primary causes of declining fish biomass. Fish that reproduce at smaller size and younger age produce fewer, smaller, and less viable larvae, severely reducing the reproductive capacity of harvested populations. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are extensively utilized in coral reefs for fisheries management, and are thought to mitigate the impacts of size-selective fishing mortality and supplement fished stocks through larval export. However, empirical evidence of disparities in fitness-relevant phenotypes between MPAs and adjacent fished reefs is necessary to validate this assertion. Here, we compare key life-history traits in three coral-reef fishes (Acanthurus nigrofuscus, Ctenochaetus striatus, and Parupeneus multifasciatus) between MPAs and fished reefs in the Philippines. Results of our analyses support previous hypotheses regarding the impacts of MPAs on phenotypic traits. Asymptotic length (Linf) and growth rates (K) differed between conspecifics in MPAs and fished reefs, with protected populations exhibiting phenotypes that are known to confer higher fecundity. Additionally, populations demonstrated increases in length at 50% maturity (L50) inside MPAs compared to adjacent areas, although age at 50% maturity (A50) did not appear to be impacted by MPA establishment. Shifts toward advantageous phenotypes were most common in the oldest and largest MPAs, but occurred in all of the MPAs examined. These results suggest that MPAs may provide protection against the impacts of size-selective harvest on life-history traits in coral-reef fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Y. Fidler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jessica Carroll
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kristen W. Rynerson
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Danielle F. Matthews
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ralph G. Turingan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, United States of America
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Swanton RG, Kuske RR, Hawkins RB, Golodner EH, Bell K, Fidler RY, Zakris EL. Disseminated epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma treated with radiation and chemotherapy. South Med J 1996; 89:718-22. [PMID: 8685761 DOI: 10.1097/00007611-199607000-00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
When a 40-year-old patient with end-stage acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had bloating and abdominal pain, a large epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EKS) lesion was found obstructing the pylorus. Treatment consisted of single-agent chemotherapy for the disseminated lesions and external beam irradiation to the obstructing lesion. Within days of radiation therapy, symptoms began to resolve, and by completion of therapy, the patient was virtually asymptomatic. Although EKS is common in homosexual men infected with the AIDS virus, these patients usually succumb to overwhelming opportunistic infections. Nevertheless, palliative courses of radiation, which can produce a complete response in 50% to 100% of treated KS lesions, can substantially improve the quality of life in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Swanton
- Department of Internal Medicne, Ochsner Clinic and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans 70121, LA 70121, USA
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