bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insecticide Efficacy Against the Meadow Spittlebug on Strawberries, 1982
Authors: Schaefers George A.
Published: March 2022

Nine insecticide treatments were evaluated against the meadow spittlebug on a 4-variety strawberry planting at Geneva, NY. The planting, established in 1980, consisted of 40 rows with each row having 4 - 2 × 20 ft sections of plants of the varieties 'Honeyoye', 'Canoga1, 'Redchief, and 'Midway'. The planting was divided into 4 blocks and each treatment was randomly replicated once in each block. Treatments were applied with a boom sprayer having flat cone Tee Jet nozzles. Application was made on May 25 '82 at 50 gal/acre. Counts were made of the total number of spittle masses on May 27 '82. Six ft of plant material were examined in each varietal section for a total of 24 ft for each row.
Purple Passion Plant, Green Peach Aphid, 1982
Authors: Stephenson J. C. , Zarko Marie L.
Published: March 2022

Fenpropathrin and acephate (Orthene) were evaluated for aphid control on purple passion. Plants were grown in an amended pine bark medium in a glass greenhouse and hand irrigated as needed. Treatments were applied Apr 30 to all leaf surfaces to run-off with a hand-pumped, compressed air sprayer. At time of application, ambient temperature was 78°F with a relative humidity of 56%. Four single-plant replicates were arranged in a completely randomized design. Nu-Film 17, 8 oz/100 gal water, was added as an adjuvant to all insecticide treatments. Pretreatment and post-treatment counts were taken on tagged plant terminals.
Effect of Application Timing on Control of European Corn Borer Damage to Snap Bean, 1982
Authors: Cranshaw Whitney S.
Published: March 2022

'Bush Blue Lake 94' snap beans were planted Jun 1 at the Agricultural Experiment Station, Rosemount, MN. Plots were 3-row, 35 ft long, arranged in a randomized complete block with 3 replications. Ten plants from the center of each row were artificially infested the morning of Jul 23 with 2 egg masses/plant of European corn borer in the 'blackhead' stage of development. Egg hatch occured during mid-day and first spray applications were made during late afternoon. Subsequent applications were made either 5 or 10 days following egg hatch. All applications were made using a CO.-powered sprayer delivering 20 gal/acre at ca 25 psi . Evaluations of the plots were made Aug 12 by harvesting the center 10 ft of each plot and recording the presence of larvae and the extent of stem and pod tunneling.
Aphid and Mite Suppression on Strawberries, 198
Authors: Trumble John T. , Nakakihara H. , Carson W.
Published: March 2022

'Tufts' strawberries were transplanted Nov 3 '81 into drip-irrigated, double-row raised beds. Beds were mulched with clear plastic approximately 1 week following transplanting. Vydate was injected through the drip line by reversing a standard line filter, adding the chemical, and allowing the water and Vydate mixture to be forced through the system. The water was turned on ca. 1 hr prior to application and allowed to run for 1.5-2hr following application. Water pressure averaged 13 psi. Treatments were made weekly beginning Jan 19 until Feb 16 (5 applications) at 1.12 kg/ha. Remaining 11 weekly applications were at 0.56 kg/ha. Each plot was 22.9 m (2 rows/bed) and was replicated 4 times in an incomplete block design. Edge effects were reduced by leaving at least 4 buffer rows on each side of the test and 4.25 m on each end. On Jan 26, Feb 9, and on alternate weeks thereafter (7 sample dates), mites and aphids in treatment plots were evaluated by whole plant counts from one randomly chosen sub-bed per replicate (16 plants). Infestations were classified by the following index: 0 = 0, 1-5 = 1, 6-20 = 2, 21-50 = 3, 51+ = 4. Additionally, 10 leaves were selected at random from each replicate and examined with a dissecting microscope. The number of mite-infested leaves per replicate and an index of pest population size (size previous index) were recorded on each sampling date.
Mexican Bean Beetle Control in Snap Beans, 1982
Authors: Klostermeyer L. E. , Mullins C. A.
Published: March 2022

Experimental and registered insecticides were evaluated for efficacy against snap bean insects at the Plateau Experiment Station, Crossville, TN. Snap beans were planted in 38-inch rows on Jul 15. Plots were 3 rows × 20 ft with 1 untreated row between plots. Treatments were replicated 5 times in a randomized complete block design. Insecticide sprays were applied with a 2-gal hand sprayer at 50 gal/acre spray on Aug 20 and Sep 9. Insecticide dusts were applied on Aug 20 with a rotary hand duster and on Sep 9 with a cheesecloth shaker method at the rate of 10 lb/acre for Pounce and at 20 lb/acre for the Sevin-Thiodan dust. One treated row/plot was sampled by taking 5 sweeps along the row (ca 15-row ft) with a 15-inch diameter insect net. A different row was sampled on each date to reduce plant damage. There were 2.9 Mexican bean beetle (MBB) adults and 1.7 MBB larvae per plot prior to the initial treatment. A 3-ft section from each middle row was hand harvested on Sep 14.
Mexican Bean Beetle Control in Snap Beans, 1982
Authors: Linduska James J.
Published: March 2022

Earliwax snap beans were planted in double row plots, 90 ft in length, on Jun 7. Each plot was buffered on either side by untreated guard rows. The distance between rows was 3 ft. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Spray treatments were applied on Jul 19 and Aug 3. All spray treatments were mixed in 10 gal of water and applied with a custom built row crop sprayer. Each of the center 2 rows was covered by 3 drop nozzles delivering 50 gal/A at 90 psi. The soil type was a Matapeake silt loam. Insect counts were made on Aug 6 by counting the number of Mexican bean beetle larvae and adults/20 ft of row.
Insect Control on Spring Broccoli, 1982
Authors: Trumble John T. , Nakakihara H.
Published: March 2022

'DeCicco' broccoli was seeded with a Ventura planter into single-row beds (1 m centers) on Feb 22 at the University of California's South Coast Field Station in Santa Ana, CA. Experimental plots were 18 m long and 3 rows wide with 1 row buffer between each treatment. Plants were sprinkle irrigated until emergence and furrow irrigated thereafter. On Mar 31, seedlings were thinned to 25 cm spacings. Each treatment was replicated 4 times in a randomized, complete-block design. Pesticides were applied weekly with a tractor-mounted boom sprayer from„Apr 9 to May 10 (5 applications). As plant height and foliage density increased, nozzles varied from 1-3 per row (3.5-7.0 kg/cm2) and carrier (H2O) increased from 467-734 1/ha. Hollow cone nozzles incorporated D3 orifice disks, #25 cores, and 50-mesh screens. All treatments included 0.04% spreader-sticker (Leaf Act 40). Control plots were not sprayed. Insects were monitored weekly from 10 randomly selected plants in the center row of each replicate except on Apr 21 when high winds lodged the broccoli. Data presented are season means/plant.
Hatching phenology of the brown shrimp Crangon crangon in the southern North Sea: inter-annual temperature variations and climate change effects
Authors: Saborowski Reinhard , Hünerlage Kim
Published: March 2022

Crangon crangon is a key species in the southern North Sea and the most valuable target of coastal fisheries. Recruitment and stock development are highly variable. As recruitment is based on larval production, we determined the timing of larval release in relation to the annual temperature course and the winter water temperature. The annual temperature courses over 50 years (1961–2010) showed a strong inter-annual variation but also a continuous increase in winter water temperatures. The share of ovigerous C. crangon females starts to increase in October/November, reaches a maximum in May, and decreases continuously towards September/October. During cold winters (0°C), egg development is strongly retarded and hatching of larvae culminates in a sharp peak in early June. Warm winters (6°C) facilitate embryogenesis and the earliest larvae hatch in January and February. The temperature sums from November to April correlated significantly with the lowest winter water temperatures. Consequently, the lowest winter water temperatures provide a good indication for the appearance of C. crangon larvae and an estimate for the match or mismatch with the spring bloom and the production of microzooplankton, the preferred food of C. crangon larvae.
Research on efficiency measurement of information industry chain integration based on multiple structures and its application in carbon management industrial park
Authors: Dong Wei , Wang Tao
Published: March 2022

To promote the integration of the information industry, chain is of great significance for enterprises to improve quality, efficiency cost reduction and high-quality industry development. In this paper, based on the data envelopment analysis method, the efficiency measurement models of series structure, parallel structure and hybrid structure industrial chain are constructed under two different scenarios of central decision-making mechanism and decentralized decision-making mechanism. By quantifying the input and output resources that is in each link of the information industry chain integration process, measuring the input and output efficiency under different industrial chain integration structure; comparing and analyzing the integration efficiency of different regions, different links, discussing the cause of the differences in the integration efficiency of industry chain; thus, providing policy recommendations for the efficiency of industrial chain integration. In addition, taking the actual situation of two industrial parks with the main characteristics of carbon emission in a city of China as an example, the paper analyzes the difference of the integration efficiency of the information industry chain between the two parks. The empirical analysis shows that the information industry chain integration efficiency measurement model based on data envelope analysis theory is feasible and effective. It can not only measure the industry chain efficiency as a whole but also compare and analyze the integration efficiency of enterprises in different links of the industry chain.
Determination of Vancomycin and Norvancomycin Residues in Milk by Automated Online Solid-Phase Extraction Combined With Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Wang Hong , Wang Hong-Peng , Chen Min-na , Ai Lian-Feng , Liang Shu-Xuan , Zhang Yan
Published: March 2022

Background

Vancomycin and norvancomycin, as potent antibacterial retention drugs, were used illegally on animals bred for food, which directly affected the quality and safety of animal-derived food, and even harmed human health.

Objective

A fast analysis method, which was adopted to detect residues of vancomycin and norvancomycin in milk, was implemented on a chromatographic system containing online solid-phase extraction (SPE) device that combined with high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS).

Method

First, the analytes were added to the blank milk sample were extracted with water [containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)]–acetonitrile (ACN) (8:2, v/v), and then were purified and enriched on a C18-XL column, whereafter eluted from the purification column onto the analytical column (Shiseido Capcell Pak ADME column) for chromatographic separation prior to hybrid quadrupole–Orbitrap (Q-Orbitrap) detection.

Results

The results showed that the limit of detection (LOD) for each analyte and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.15  and 0.5 μg/kg, respectively. The correlation coefficient(s) of vancomycin and norvancomycin ranged from 0 to 200 ng/mL were greater than 0.9983.

Conclusions

These validations reflected that it was suitable for the established method to rapidly analyze vancomycin and norvancomycin residues in milk.

Highlights

The method for detecting vancomycin and norvancomycin residues in milk by online SPE combined with LC-HRMS. Online SPE technology realized automation, and the application of HRMS greatly improved the reliability of qualitative and quantitative analyses. The developed method is fast, simple, and reliable; each methodological index can meet requirements of trace analyses of vancomycin and norvancomycin in milk.
Formalism in Competition Law
Authors: Lindeboom Justin
Published: March 2022

This article analyzes the meaning and role of formalism in competition law. Drawing on general legal theory and philosophy, this article conceives of formalism as decision-making constrained by rules, whereby rules exclude considerations from the decision-making process. It analyzes the degree to which per se rules and the rule of reason in U.S. antitrust law and the category of “by object” restrictions in EU competition law involve formalistic reasoning. It subsequently discusses the relationship between “legal form” and “anticompetitive effects” and the debate on “form-based” versus “effects-based” approaches to competition law. It concludes that “effects-based” approaches to competition law typically involve formalistic legal rules, thus deconstructing the well-known form–effect dichotomy. Finally, this article analyzes the normative relationship between formalism, type 1 and 2 errors, and legal certainty, and argues that this relationship is fundamentally shaped by beliefs about institutional competence and the allocation of decisional jurisdiction. The article concludes by arguing against pejorative conceptions of “formalistic” and “form-based” competition law. Competition law, like law in general, is inherently formalistic, albeit to a limited degree. Rather than the empty dichotomy of “form” versus “effect,” the central question in competition law is to which formalism it ought to be committed.
The Hospital Ship as a Strategic Asset in21st Century Foreign Policy and Global Health Crises
Authors: Baker Michael S , Baker Jacob B , Burkle Frederick M
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Current U.S. hospital ships—USNS Mercy and Comfort—are old, slow, cumbersome, and indefensible, and due for retirement. As new challenges and new threats emerge in the 21st century, the U.S. Navy should field new afloat medical platforms to potentially deal with both mass casualty scenarios and humanitarian disaster relief in a rapid and tactical manner. New hospital ships should be able to defend themselves with more modern weapons and to be interconnected with encrypted communications. They must be fast, nimble, tactical, defensible, and forward deployed in the risky global commons of the 21st century.

Materials and Methods

Systematic review of the literature on hospital ships, U.S. Navy policy, the Geneva Conventions, and current global threat conditions.

Results

Hospital ships provide medical support for U.S. forces in conflict and promote goodwill and a positive image of the U.S. abroad. Current hospital ships do not fit the operational paradigm of the current needs for forward deployed and rapidly deliverable operational medicine. There is a need for a new and more capable platform to deliver operational health care in the forward deployed setting.

Conclusions

Multiple high-speed medical response vessels—whether reconfigured from an existing ship, or an entirely new platform developed for more robust medical delivery—need to be urgently fielded for future combat operations, humanitarian missions, and participation in cooperative security engagements. These medical platforms need to be able to defend themselves and be tactically interconnected with the Fleet and Fleet Forces.
RESEARCH ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF RADIONUCLIDES AT IES – AN OVERVIEW
Authors: Yoshida Satoshi
Published: March 2022

This paper summarises the research works of the Institute for Environmental Sciences on the environmental behaviour of radionuclides related to the first commercial-spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The distribution and fluctuation in natural radiation in Aomori Prefecture were estimated as basic data. Radionuclides possibly released from the plant operation have been continuously measured using a variety of samples from different locations in Aomori Prefecture. During the test of cutting and chemical treatment of the spent fuel rods from 2006 to 2008, the concentration of 85Kr, 14C, 3H and 129I in the air increased, whereas that of 3H and 129I increased in several environmental samples. A numerical simulation model consisting of several sub-models was constructed for predicting the behaviour of released radionuclides in the environment and for evaluating the realistic radiation dose of residents around the facility.
Tracking SARS-CoV-2 Mutations & Variants Through the COG-UK-Mutation Explorer
Authors: Wright Derek W , Harvey William T , Hughes Joseph , Cox MacGregor , Peacock Thomas P , Colquhoun Rachel , Jackson Ben , Orton Richard , Nielsen Morten , Hsu Nienyun Sharon , Harrison Ewan M , de Silva Thushan I , Rambaut Andrew , Peacock Sharon J , Robertson David L , Carabelli Alessandro M
Published: March 2022

COG-UK Mutation Explorer (COG-UK-ME, https://sars2.cvr.gla.ac.uk/cog-uk/ - Last Accessed date 16/03/22) is a web resource that displays knowledge and analyses on SARS-CoV-2 virus genome mutations and variants circulating in the UK, with a focus on the observed amino acid replacements that have an antigenic role in the context of the human humoral and cellular immune response. This analysis is based on more than 2 million genome sequences (as of March 2022) for UK SARS-CoV-2 data held in the CLIMB-COVID centralised data environment. COG-UK-ME curates these data and displays analyses that are cross-referenced to experimental data collated from the primary literature. The aim is to track mutations of immunological importance that are accumulating in current variants of concern and variants of interest that could alter the neutralising activity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), convalescent sera and vaccines. Changes in epitopes recognised by T cells, including those where reduced T cell binding has been demonstrated, are reported. Mutations that have been shown to confer SARS-CoV-2 resistance to antiviral drugs are also included. Using visualisation tools, COG-UK-ME also allows users to identify the emergence of variants carrying mutations that could decrease the neutralising activity of both mAbs present in therapeutic cocktails, e.g., Ronapreve. COG-UK-ME tracks changes in frequency of combination of mutations and brings together curated literature on the impact of those mutations on various functional aspects of the virus and therapeutics. Given SARS-CoV-2 unpredictable nature as exemplified by yet another variant of concern, Omicron, continued surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 remains imperative to monitor virus evolution linked to the efficacy of therapeutics.
Twelve-month clinical outcomes after implantation of a new, modular, anterior shape-changing fluid optic intraocular lens
Authors: Garg Sumit , De Jesus Melinda T. , Fletcher Laura M. , Chayet Arturo , Barragán Enrique , Casey Patrick
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

To report the initial safety and effectiveness profile for an anterior shape-changing, modular IOL, Juvene IOL (JIOL), for the treatment of aphakia and presbyopia after removal of the natural crystalline lens due to cataract.

Setting:

2 private practices in Monterrey and Tijuana, Mexico.

Design:

Exploratory prospective multicenter open-label noncomparative clinical trial.

Methods:

A convenience sample of patients aged 50 to 80 years with planned cataract surgery was recruited to undergo unilateral or bilateral implantation with the JIOL. Patients were required to complete an informed consent and be able to dilate to at least 6.0 mm pharmacologically, be in good overall health, and have no significant eye health history to qualify. Visual acuities, defocus curves, and contrast sensitivity were measured for all patients 12 months postoperatively.

Results:

51 of 58 eyes completed the 12-month visit. Intraoperative complication rates were extremely low (n = 1; missed base lens tab). The most frequent adverse events (AEs) were prolonged inflammation (N = 6) and cystoid macular edema (N = 4); all AEs were resolved without sequelae by the 12-month visit. The mean monocular logMAR corrected distance visual acuity, distance-corrected intermediate visual acuity, and distance-corrected near visual acuity were 0.01, 0.08, and 0.24, respectively. Defocus testing showed visual acuity > 20/40 from approximately +1.00 through −2.00 diopters. Binocular implantation (n = 16) provided superior performance over monocular implantation.

Conclusions:

The JIOL offers a new solution to treat presbyopia, providing clear functional vision performance across a range of distances with an acceptable initial safety profile.
Relationship Between Resilience and Perceived Control After Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Kondo Akiko , Oki Tomomi , Otaki Amane , Abuliezi Renaguli , Eckhardt Ann L.
Published: March 2022

Background

Patients with acute coronary syndrome report poor health-related quality of life and decreased levels of perceived control. Perceived control is a person's belief that they can cope with negative events. Resilience is an adaptation that gives people the capacity to recover from difficult situations, and higher levels of resilience may impact recovery after an acute event.

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between resilience, perceived control, and health outcomes of patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome within 6 months of discharge.

Methods

Data were collected prospectively from adult patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome in 3 university hospitals in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, Japan. All data were collected between December 2015 and December 2019. The Sukemune-Hiew Resilience Test (part 1) was used to measure resilience, which includes 3 domains of social support, self-efficacy, and sociality. The Control Attitudes Scale-Revised was used to measure perceived control. Linear regression and path analysis were used to statistically analyze the relationship among variables.

Results

Higher resilience, especially self-efficacy, was associated with higher perceived control during admission. Higher resilience, especially social support, during admission was associated with perceived control at 6 months after adjusting for income and education. Higher resilience during admission was associated with better perceived control at 3 months, which was associated with better health outcomes at 6 months. Higher income and lower depression were related to higher resilience.

Conclusions

Nurses should make sure patients with depression, low income, and low social support are connected with appropriate treatment and social support resources.
Computed Tomography Imaging of Iatrogenic Esophageal Injuries
Authors: Sargent Tyler , Al-Katib Sayf
Published: March 2022

Knowledge of iatrogenic esophageal injuries is important given the variety of etiologies, including medical instrumentation (eg, endoscopes), radiotherapy, and anticoagulation. The clinical presentation and imaging findings of esophageal injuries depend on the mechanism and location of the injury. Imaging modalities commonly used for the evaluation of esophageal injuries include esophagram and computed tomography. Esophageal injuries should be considered in patients with acute chest symptoms. Recognizing an unsuspected esophageal injury on imaging can be critical to reaching the correct diagnosis given their nonspecific symptomatology. This review article highlights various iatrogenic esophageal injuries and their appearance on computed tomography imaging.
Synapse-type-specific competitive Hebbian learning forms functional recurrent networks
Authors: Eckmann Samuel , Young Edward James , Gjorgjieva Julijana
Published: March 2022

Cortical networks exhibit complex stimulus-response patterns that are based on specific recurrent interactions between neurons. For example, the balance between excitatory and inhibitory currents has been identified as a central component of cortical computations. However, it remains unclear how the required synaptic connectivity can emerge in developing circuits where synapses between excitatory and inhibitory neurons are simultaneously plastic. Using theory and modeling, we propose that a wide range of cortical response properties can arise from a single plasticity paradigm that acts simultaneously at all excitatory and inhibitory connections – Hebbian learning that is stabilized by the synapse-type-specific competition for a limited supply of synaptic resources. In plastic recurrent circuits, this competition enables the formation and decorrelation of inhibition-balanced receptive fields. Networks develop an assembly structure with stronger synaptic connections between similarly tuned excitatory and inhibitory neurons and exhibit response normalization and orientation-specific center-surround suppression, reflecting the stimulus statistics during training. These results demonstrate how neurons can self-organize into functional networks and suggest an essential role for synapse-type-specific competitive learning in the development of cortical circuits.

Significance Statement

Cortical circuits perform diverse computations, primarily determined by highly structured synaptic connectivity patterns that develop during early sensory experience via synaptic plasticity. To understand how these structured connectivity patterns emerge, we introduce a general learning framework for networks of recurrently connected neurons. The framework is rooted in the biologically plausible assumption that synapses compete for limited synaptic resources, which stabilizes synaptic growth. Motivated by the unique protein composition of different synapse types, we assume that different synapse types compete for separate resource pools. Using theory and simulation, we show how this synapse-type-specific competition allows the stable development of structured synaptic connectivity patterns, as well as diverse computations like response normalization and surround suppression.
Patterned apoptosis has an instructive role for local growth and tissue shape regulation in a fast-growing epithelium
Authors: Matamoro-Vidal Alexis , Cumming Tom , Davidović Anđela , Levayer Romain
Published: March 2022

What regulates organ size and shape remains one of the fundamental mysteries of modern biology. So far, research in this area has primarily focused on deciphering the regulation in time and space of growth and cell division, while the contribution of cell death has been much more neglected. This includes studies of the Drosophila wing imaginal disc, the prospective fly wing which undergoes massive growth during larval stage, and represents one of the best characterised systems for the study of growth and patterning. So far, it has been assumed that cell death was relatively neglectable in this tissue and as a result the pattern of growth was usually attributed to the distribution of cell division. Here, using systematic mapping and registration combined with quantitative assessment of clone size and disappearance, we show for the first time that cell death is not neglectable, and outline a persistent pattern of cell death and clone elimination in the disc. Local variation of cell death is associated with local variation of clone size, pointing to an impact of cell death on local growth which is not fully compensated by proliferation. Using morphometric analyses of adult wing shape and genetic perturbations, we provide evidence that patterned death affects locally and globally adult wing shape and size. This study describes a roadmap for accurate assessment of the contribution of cell death to tissue shape, and outlines for the first time an important instructive role of cell death in modulating quantitatively local growth and the morphogenesis of a fast-growing tissue.
Assessing behavioral sex differences to chemical cues of predation risk while provisioning nestlings in a hole-nesting bird
Authors: Saavedra Irene , Tomás Gustavo , Amo Luisa
Published: March 2022

Birds can assess nest predation risk and adjust their parental activity accordingly. Risk taking behavior should be related to investment in reproduction as well as to confidence in parenthood that often differ between sexes. In those cases, sexual differences in risk taking behavior may be expected. For example, in blue tits, females invest more time and energy than males in nest-building, egg laying and incubation. Furthermore, confidence in parenthood is supposed to be higher for females, as extrapair paternity is common in this species. Therefore, the reproductive value of nestlings may be higher for females than for males and the former may assume greater risks to ensure nestling growth and maximize their reproductive success. We examined potential sexual differences in the risk assumed by parents in relation to perceived risk of predation inside the nest cavity, where predation risk perception may be higher. We increased perceived predation risk by adding predator chemical cues inside blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nest-boxes, and we tested whether female and male parents differed in the risk assumed when taking care of nestlings. Females and males did not differ in the risk assumed in response to perceived predation risk. However, females reduced time devoted to nest sanitation activities when predator chemical cues were detected inside the nest-box, likely as an anti-predatory strategy to minimize their own risk of predation. Therefore, these results add to the evidence that birds can detect chemical cues of predators inside the nest cavity and suggest that the behavioral response to an increase in risk of predation perceived through olfactory cues is not sex-dependent in blue tit.
Human bone marrow organoids for disease modelling, discovery and validation of therapeutic targets in hematological malignancies
Authors: Khan Abdullah O. , Colombo Michela , Reyat Jasmeet S. , Wang Guanlin , Rodriguez-Romera Antonio , Wen Wei Xiong , Murphy Lauren , Grygielska Beata , Mahoney Chris , Stone Andrew , Croft Adam , Bassett David , Poologasundarampillai Gowsihan , Roy Anindita , Gooding Sarah , Rayes Julie , Machlus Kellie R , Psaila Bethan
Published: March 2022

A lack of models that recapitulate the complexity of human bone marrow has hampered mechanistic studies of normal and malignant hematopoiesis and the validation of novel therapies. Here, we describe a step-wise, directed-differentiation protocol in which organoids are generated from iPSCs committed to mesenchymal, endothelial and hematopoietic lineages. These 3-dimensional structures capture key features of human bone marrow - stroma, lumen-forming sinusoidal vessels and myeloid cells including pro-platelet forming megakaryocytes. The organoids supported the engraftment and survival of cells from patients with blood malignancies, including cancer types notoriously difficult to maintain ex vivo. Fibrosis of the organoid occurred following TGFβ stimulation and engraftment with myelofibrosis but not healthy donor-derived cells, validating this platform as a powerful tool for studies of malignant cells and their interactions within a human bone marrow-like milieu. This enabling technology is likely to accelerate discovery and prioritization of novel targets for bone marrow disorders and blood cancers.

Significance Statement

We present a 3D, vascularised human bone marrow organoid that supports growth of primary cells from patients with myeloid and lymphoid blood cancers. This model allows for mechanistic studies of blood cancers in the context of their microenvironment, and provides a much-needed, ex vivo tool for prioritization of new therapeutics.
The Influence of Neural Activity and Neural Cytoarchitecture on Cerebrovascular Arborization: A Computational Model
Authors: Kumar Bhadra S , Menon Sarath C , Sriya R G , Chakravarthy V Srinivasa
Published: March 2022

Normal functioning of the brain relies on a continual and efficient delivery of energy by a vast network of cerebral blood vessels. The bidirectional coupling between neurons and blood vessels consists of vasodilatory energy demand signals from neurons to blood vessels, and the retrograde flow of energy substrates from the vessels to neurons, which fuel neural firing, growth and other housekeeping activities in the neurons. Recent works indicate that, in addition to the functional coupling observed in the adult brain, the interdependence between the neural and vascular networks begins at the embryonic stage, and continues into subsequent developmental stages. The proposed Vascular Arborization Model (VAM) captures the effect of neural cytoarchitecture and neural activity on vascular arborization.

The VAM describes three important stages of vascular tree growth: (i) The prenatal growth phase, where the vascular arborization depends on the cytoarchitecture of neurons and non-neural cells, (ii) the post-natal growth phase during which the further arborization of the vasculature depends on neural activity in addition to neural cytoarchitecture, and (iii) the settling phase, where the fully grown vascular tree repositions its vascular branch points or nodes to ensure minimum path length and wire length. The vasculature growth depicted by VAM captures structural characteristics like vascular volume density, radii, mean distance to proximal neurons in the cortex. VAM-grown vasculature agrees with the experimental observation that the neural densities do not covary with the vascular density along the depth of the cortex but predicts a high correlation between neural areal density and microvascular density when compared over a global scale (across animals and regions).

To explore the influence of neural activity on vascular arborization, the VAM was used to grow the vasculature in neonatal rat whisker barrel cortex under two conditions: (i) Control, where the whiskers were intact and (ii) Lesioned, where one row of whiskers was cauterized. The model captures a significant reduction in vascular branch density in lesioned animals compared to control animals, concurring with experimental observation.
Temporal dynamics of competition between statistical learning and episodic memory in intracranial recordings of human visual cortex
Authors: Sherman Brynn E. , Graves Kathryn N. , Huberdeau David M. , Quraishi Imran H. , Damisah Eyiyemisi C. , Turk-Browne Nicholas B.
Published: March 2022

The function of long-term memory is not just to reminisce about the past, but also to make predictions that help us behave appropriately and efficiently in the future. This predictive function of memory provides a new perspective on the classic question from memory research of why we remember some things but not others. If prediction is a key outcome of memory, then the extent to which an item generates a prediction signifies that this information already exists in memory and need not be encoded. We tested this principle using human intracranial EEG as a time-resolved method to quantify prediction in visual cortex during a statistical learning task and link the strength of these predictions to subsequent episodic memory behavior. Epilepsy patients of both sexes viewed rapid streams of scenes, some of which contained regularities that allowed the category of the next scene to be predicted. We verified that statistical learning occurred using neural frequency tagging and measured category prediction with multivariate pattern analysis. Although neural prediction was robust overall, this was driven entirely by items that were subsequently forgotten. Such interference provides a mechanism by which prediction can regulate memory formation to prioritize encoding of information that could help learn new predictive relationships.

Significance Statement

When faced with a new experience, we are rarely at a loss for what to do. Rather, because many aspects of the world are stable over time, we rely upon past experiences to generate expectations that guide behavior. Here we show that these expectations during a new experience come at the expense of memory for that experience. From intracranial recordings of visual cortex, we decoded what humans expected to see next in a series of photographs based on patterns of neural activity. Photographs that generated strong neural expectations were more likely to be forgotten in a later behavioral memory test. Prioritizing the storage of experiences that currently lead to weak expectations could help improve these expectations in future encounters.
ANTARCTIC FUNGI: A BIO-SOURCE ALTERNATIVE TO PRODUCE POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFAs)
Authors: De Rossi Patrizia , Ambrico Alfredo , Del Fiore Antonella , Trupo Mario , Blasi Luciano , Beccaccioli Marzia , Faino Luigi , Ceci Andrea , Maggi Oriana , Persiani Anna Maria , Reverberi Massimo
Published: March 2022

The Antarctic ecosystem is a combination of conditions including extremely low values of temperature. The environmental temperature is one of the parameters thoroughly affecting the structure and composition of fungal membranes lipids. The psychrophilic fungi generally increase the disorder within macromolecules to maintain membrane fluidity at low temperatures. The strategy adopted by Antarctic fungi is to increase the proportion of unsaturated fatty acid that allows maintaining a semi-fluid state of the membranes. This ecological feature might be exploited for using Antarctic fungi as potential alternative source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for human diet.

This study provides both the characterization of fungal strains isolated from Antarctica by lipidomic analysis and the laboratory/large-scale production of fungal biomass with high content of beneficial PUFAs. In detail, three fungal species isolated from environmental matrices from Antarctica were tested and identified at genome level. Growth experiments to evaluate the influence of temperature and substrate in the yield in biomass and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) were conducted. The results showed that the selected fungi have a high percentage of UFA compared to saturated ones; low growth temperatures increase the yield in linolenic fatty acid (C18:3); the biomass yield depends on the composition of the growth substrate and a satisfying qualitative-quantitative yield has also been obtained by using an agri-food chain waste product as growth substrate.

IMPORTANCE

The presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in human and animal diet is gaining attention because PUFAs have several recognized functional properties: they modulate immune response, have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activity, cardio-protective effect and reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels. Human diets typically do not contain sufficient PUFAs because foods rich in PUFAs are few and it is therefore necessary to supplement this diet. Food supplements with these types of fatty acid currently commercially available come from marine fish oils and this source is no longer sustainable. It is necessary to develop efficient industrial processes capable of producing good quality PUFAs and in quantity, even using as carbon and nitrogen sources agro-industrial chains’ (in our case spent yeast from brewing and whey waste) waste products. Like microorganisms we used Antarctic fungi because they are adapted at very low temperature increasing the proportion of unsaturated fatty acid that allows maintaining a semi-fluid state of the membranes.
SIMMAM 3.0 – Updating the Toolbox for the Conservation of Marine Mammals
Authors: Cabral Alencar , Barreto André S.
Published: March 2022

SIMMAM (Sistema de Apoio ao Monitoramento de Mamíferos Marinhos) has been available for marine mammal researchers and environmental agencies in Brazil since 2005. However, it had to be updated, to adapt to new standards and data sharing policies. SIMMAM 3.0 uses more modern technologies (PHP 7.4, Symfony 5.x, PostgreSQL 11.x, PostGIS 3.x, Leaflet 1.7) and is compliant to DarwinCore (DwC) standard and able to exchange data with other data portals that use it. Its database now holds more than 44000 marine mammal records and is an important tool in the decision-making process of Brazilian environmental agencies.
Glassy phase in dynamically-balanced neuronal networks
Authors: Berlemont Kevin , Mongillo Gianluigi
Published: March 2022

We present a novel mean-field theory for balanced neuronal networks with arbitrary levels of symmetry in the synaptic connectivity. The theory determines the fixed point of the network dynamics and the conditions for its stability. The fixed point becomes unstable by increasing the synaptic gain beyond a critical value that depends on the level of symmetry. Beyond this critical gain, for positive levels of symmetry, we find a previously unreported phase. In this phase, the dynamical landscape is dominated by a large number of marginally-stable fixed points. As a result, the network dynamics exhibit non-exponential relaxation and ergodicity is broken. We discuss the relevance of such a glassy phase for understanding dynamical and computational aspects of cortical operation.
The external validity of four risk scores predicting 30-day mortality after surgery
Authors: Torlot Frederick , Yew Chang-Yang , Reilly Jennifer R. , Phillips Michael , Weber Dieter G. , Corcoran Tomas B. , Ho Kwok M. , Toner Andrew J.
Published: March 2022

Background

Surgical risk prediction tools can facilitate shared-decision-making and efficient allocation of perioperative resources. Such tools should be externally validated in target populations prior to implementation.

Methods

Predicted risk of 30-day mortality was retrospectively derived for surgical patients at Royal Perth Hospital from 2014 to 2021 using the Surgical Outcome Risk Tool (SORT) and the related NZRISK (n=44,031, 53,395 operations). In a sub-population (n=31,153), the Physiology and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality (POSSUM) and the Portsmouth variant of this (P-POSSUM) were matched from the Copeland Risk Adjusted Barometer (C2-Ai, Cambridge, UK). The primary outcome was risk score discrimination of 30-day mortality as evaluated by area-under-receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) statistics. Calibration plots and outcomes according to risk decile and time were also explored.

Results

All four risk scores showed high discrimination (AUROC) for 30-day mortality (SORT=0.922, NZRISK=0.909, P-POSSUM=0.893; POSSUM=0.881) but consistently over-predicted risk. SORT exhibited the best discrimination and calibration. Thresholds to denote the highest and second-highest deciles of SORT risk (>3.92% and 1.52-3.92%) captured the majority of deaths (76% and 13% respectively) and hospital-acquired-complications. Year-on-year SORT calibration performance drifted towards over-prediction, reflecting a decrease in 30-day mortality over time despite an increase in the surgical population risk.

Conclusions

SORT was the best performing risk score in predicting 30-day mortality after surgery. Categorising patients based on SORT into low, medium (80-90th percentile) and high-risk (90-100th percentile) can guide future allocation of perioperative resources. No tools were sufficiently calibrated to support shared-decision-making based on absolute predictions of risk.
Mapping Multiple Factors Mediated Chromatin Interactions to Assess Regulatory Network and Dysregulation of Lung Cancer-Related Genes
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zhang Jingwen , Zhang Wei , Wang Mohan , Wang Shuangqi , Xu Yao , Zhao Lun , Li Xingwang , Li Guoliang
Published: March 2022

Studies on the lung cancer genome are indispensable for developing a cure for lung cancer. Whole-genome resequencing, genome-wide association studies, and transcriptome sequencing have greatly improved our understanding of the cancer genome. However, dysregulation of long-range chromatin interactions in lung cancer remains poorly described. To better understand the three-dimensional (3D) genomic interaction features of the lung cancer genome, we used the A549 cell line as a model system. The generated high-resolution data revealed chromatin interactions associated with RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2), and histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) using specific antibodies and long-read chromatin interaction analysis by paired-end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET). The EZH2/H3K27me3-mediated interactions further silenced target genes, either through loops or domains, and showed distributions along the genome distinct from and complementary to those associated with RNAPII. We found that cancer-related genes were highly enriched in chromatin interactions. We identified abnormal interactions associated with oncogenes and tumor suppressors, such as additional repressive interactions on FOXO4 and promoter – promoter interactions between NF1 and RNF135. Knockout of abnormal interactions reversed the dysregulation of cancer-related genes, suggesting that chromatin interactions are essential for proper expression of lung cancer-related genes. These findings demonstrate the 3D landscape and gene regulatory relationships of the lung cancer genome.
Heterogeneous multimeric metabolite ion species observed in LC-MS based metabolomics data sets
Authors: Abiead Yasin El , Bueschl Christoph , Panzenboeck Lisa , Wang Mingxun , Doppler Maria , Seidl Bernhard , Zanghellini Jürgen , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Koellensperger Gunda
Published: March 2022

Covalent or non-covalent heterogeneous multimerization of molecules associated with extracts from biological samples analyzed via LC-MS is quite difficult to recognize/annotate and therefore the prevalence of multimerization remains largely unknown. In this study, we utilized 13C labeled and unlabeled Pichia pastoris extracts to recognize heterogeneous multimers. More specifically, between 0.8% and 1.5% of the biologically-derived features detected in our experiments were confirmed to be heteromers, about half of which we could successfully annotate with monomeric partners. Interestingly, we found specific chemical classes such as nucleotides to disproportionately contribute to heteroadducts. Furthermore, we compiled these compounds into the first MS/MS library that included data from heteromultimers to provide a starting point for other labs to improve the annotation of such ions in other metabolomics data sets. Then, the detected heteromers were also searched in publicly accessible LC-MS datasets available in Metabolights, Metabolomics WB, and GNPS/MassIVE to demonstrate that these newly annotated ions are also relevant to other public datasets. Furthermore, in additional datasets (Triticum aestivum, Fusarium graminearum, and Trichoderma reesei) our developed workflow also detected 0.5% to 4.9% of metabolite features to originate from heterodimers, demonstrating heteroadducts to be present in metabolomics studies at a low percentage.