Search

Tumor Biology, owned by the International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers and currently published by IOS Press, lost its Clarivate impact factor of 3.650 in 2017. It has been plagued by over 100 retractions due to paper mills (including a batch of 15 papers published between 2014 and 2016 that were retracted at the end of 2021), faked peer reviews, and forged research. According to PubMed, the number of papers published by Tumor Biology has been reduced to a mere trickle, dropping from 707 in 2017 to 66 in 2018. It is unclear how Tumor Biology will be able to recover from such disastrous reputational damage and whether there is even merit in continuing its publication. Other journals for cancer and oncology research would do well to observe this case closely and learn from its mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria, responsible for cellular energy synthesis and signal transduction, intricately regulate diverse metabolic processes, mediating fundamental biological phenomena such as cell growth, aging, and apoptosis. Tumor invasion and metastasis, key characteristics of malignancies, significantly impact patient prognosis. Tumor cells frequently exhibit metabolic abnormalities in mitochondria, including alterations in metabolic dynamics and changes in the expression of relevant metabolic genes and associated signal transduction pathways. Recent investigations unveil further insights into mitochondrial metabolic abnormalities, revealing their active involvement in tumor cell proliferation, resistance to chemotherapy, and a crucial role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. This paper comprehensively outlines the latest research advancements in mitochondrial structure and metabolic function. Emphasis is placed on summarizing the role of mitochondrial metabolic abnormalities in tumor invasion and metastasis, including alterations in the mitochondrial genome (mutations), activation of mitochondrial-to-nuclear signaling, and dynamics within the mitochondria, all intricately linked to the processes of tumor invasion and metastasis. In conclusion, the paper discusses unresolved scientific questions in this field, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and novel perspectives for developing innovative strategies targeting tumor invasion and metastasis based on mitochondrial biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere biology disorder (TBD) can present within a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from severe congenital malformations to isolated organ dysfunction in adulthood. Diagnosing TBD can be challenging given the substantial variation in symptoms and age of onset across generations. In this report, we present two families, one with a pathogenic variant in ZCCHC8 and another with a novel variant in TERC. In the literature, only one family has previously been reported with a ZCCHC8 variant and TBD symptoms. This family had multiple occurrences of pulmonary fibrosis and one case of bone marrow failure. In this paper, we present a second family with the same ZCCHC8 variant (p.Pro186Leu) and symptoms of TBD including pulmonary fibrosis, hematological disease, and elevated liver enzymes. The suspicion of TBD was confirmed with the measurement of short telomeres in the proband. In another family, we report a novel likely pathogenic variant in TERC. Our comprehensive description encompasses hematological manifestations, as well as pulmonary and hepatic fibrosis. Notably, there are no other reports which associate this variant to disease. The families expand our understanding of the clinical implications and genetic causes of TBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently 1677 species are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), yet only a small percentage have been delisted due to recovery. In the fall of 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed delisting 23 species due to extinction. Tracking changes in species 'recovery status over time is critical to understanding species' statuses, informing adaptive management strategies, and assessing the performance of the ESA to prevent further species loss. In this paper, we describe four key obstacles in tracking species recovery status under the ESA. First, ESA 5‐year reviews lack a standardized format and clear documentation. Second, despite having been listed for decades, many species still suffer major data gaps in their biology and threats, rendering it difficult if not impossible to track progress towards recovery. Third, many species have continued declining after listing, yet given the above (1 & 2), understanding potential causes (proximate and/or ultimate) can be difficult. Fourth, many species currently have no path to clear recovery, which represents a potential failing of the process. We conclude with a discussion of potential policy responses that could be addressed to enhance the efficacy of the ESA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetics is an emerging field that allows mimicry of living organisms in nature to develop different techniques so as to solve hard and complex problems related to optimization. The different techniques developed in this field takes inspiration from biology or nature. Biology acts as a powerful tool for imitating, copying, learning, understanding and inspiring the development of new systems and models. The different techniques discussed in this paper include techniques based on evolutionary algorithms, neural network and swarm intelligence. All these techniques are biologically inspired and provide good accuracy. The accuracy of all these algorithms can be increased by using them in hybrid form with other techniques and using different datasets. The comparative analysis of these techniques is done using advantages, disadvantages and applications of these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space and time, which should properly be taken conjointly, are both communicatively produced and created with certain contextual perspectives—they are not independent physical entities. The standpoint of production makes the relationship between space and time comprehensible. They can either be mental-subjective, physical-objective, or social-intersubjective. Social and intersubjective (or E-series) spacetime might shed new light on biological thinking. For general readers, this paper provides a clue regarding an alternative conceptualization of spacetime based on biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging field of genomic medicine offers an opportunity for biology and anatomy teachers to bring the topics of DNA, genetics, molecular processes, and evolution together into one experience. Through the genomic medicine paradigm, students see the unbroken connection between small biological topics such as mutations and their potential connection to disease phenotypes. In this paper, we present as a main example cystic fibrosis, which is an often-studied genetic disease in general biology class, for examination through the genomic medicine lens. Concepts such as genes, the plasma membrane, variation, mutations, the nucleus, and chromosomes can be used in a narrative and visual approach to genetics through the genomic medicine standpoint to engage and connect students with next-generation genomics and with the fundamental unit of life—the cell. It is through the genomic medicine lens that the cell's context and relationship to the evolving world takes place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pope Leo XIII's publication of Aeterni Patris (1879) was a major factor in the great revival of Thomistic thought in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. Among the authors that took up the challenge implicit in the Pope's document of bringing Aquinas and his thought into the intellectual debates of the times we find two interesting proposals. The first is that of Juan González Arintero, a Spanish Dominican, and the second one is that of Josef Donat, a Jesuit born and raised in the Austrian Empire. Arintero is mostly known in Catholic circles for his influential works on mysticism, but in fact he devoted much of his early work to the subject of evolution, and how it could interact with the Catholic faith in general, and with Thomism in particular. Donat is the author of a Summa Philosophiae Christianae, a collection that was widely read in Catholic seminaries well into the 20th century. In this paper we will focus on the differing ways in which these authors tackled the problems and questions presented by Darwinian evolutionism to the post-Aeterni Patris Thomism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, the number of published papers that include search terms such as thermodynamics, entropy, ecology, and ecosystems has grown rapidly. Recently, background research carried out during the development of a paper on "thermodynamics in ecology" revealed huge variation in the understanding of the meaning and the use of some of the central terms in this field—in particular, entropy. This variation seems to be based primarily on the differing educational and scientific backgrounds of the researchers responsible for contributions to this field. Secondly, some ecological subdisciplines also seem to be better suited and applicable to certain interpretations of the concept than others. The most well-known seems to be the use of the Boltzmann–Gibbs equation in the guise of the Shannon–Weaver/Wiener index when applied to the estimation of biodiversity in ecology. Thirdly, this tendency also revealed that the use of entropy-like functions could be diverted into an area of statistical and distributional analyses as opposed to real thermodynamic approaches, which explicitly aim to describe and account for the energy fluxes and dissipations in the systems. Fourthly, these different ways of usage contribute to an increased confusion in discussions about efficiency and possible telos in nature, whether at the developmental level of the organism, a population, or an entire ecosystem. All the papers, in general, suffer from a lack of clear definitions of the thermodynamic functions used, and we, therefore, recommend that future publications in this area endeavor to achieve a more precise use of language. Only by increasing such efforts it is possible to understand and resolve some of the significant and possibly misleading discussions in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotaxis plays a crucial role in a variety of processes in biology and ecology. Quite often it acts to improve efficiency of biological reactions. One example is the immune system signalling, where infected tissues release chemokines attracting monocytes to fight invading bacteria. Another example is reproduction, where eggs release pheromones that attract sperm. A macro scale example is flower scent appealing to pollinators. In this paper we consider a system of PDEs designed to model such processes. Our interest is to quantify the effect of chemotaxis on reaction rates compared to pure reaction-diffusion. We limit consideration to surface chemotaxis, which is well motivated from the point of view of many applications. Our results provide the first insight into situations where chemotaxis can be crucial for reaction success, and where its effect is likely to be limited. The proofs are based on new analytical tools; a significant part of the paper is dedicated to building up the linear machinery that can be useful in more general settings. In particular, we establish precise estimates on the rates of convergence to the ground state for a class of Fokker--Planck operators with potentials that grow at a logarithmic rate at infinity. These estimates are made possible by a new sharp weak weighted Poincaré inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The reduviid genus Sycanus Amyot & Serville, 1843, possesses higher aesthetic value and plays a crucial role as a natural enemy in the control of agricultural and forestry pests. However, Sycanus from China has not undergone a comprehensive review for over four decades. Based on both molecular data and morphological evidence, we conducted a systematic review of the 14 Chinese Sycanus species, including a description of three new species. Due to the variability of body coloration and morphological similarity among closely related species, unresolved issues and debates still persist in the taxonomic study of the genus Sycanus from China. In this study, we conducted phylogenetic analyses and species delimitation for Sycanus in China based on a COI DNA barcoding dataset comprising 81 samples. The results revealed that all the samples could be classified into 12 species by integrating molecular analyses with morphological comparison. This paper provides a comprehensive systematic review of the Sycanus species found in China, including descriptions of three new species: S. taiwanensis Zhao & Cai sp. nov., S. flavicorius Li & Cai sp. nov., and S. hainanensis Wang & Cai sp. nov. Furthermore, it is proposed that S. croceovittatus Dohrn, 1859, S. leucomesus Walker, 1873, and S. villicus Stål, 1863, are three synonyms of S. bifidus (Fabricius, 1787); S. bicolor Hsiao, 1979, is a synonym of S. versicolor Dohrn, 1859; and S. hsiaoi Maldonado-Capriles, 1990, is a synonym of S. marginellus Putshkov, 1987. Additionally, brief biological information is provided for two species, S. falleni Stål, 1863, and S. croceus Hsiao, 1979. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria are commonly perceived as "cellular power plants". Intriguingly, power conversion is not their only function. In the first part of this paper, we review the role of mitochondria in the evolution of eukaryotic organisms and in the regulation of the human body, specifically focusing on cancer and autism in relation to mitochondrial dysfunction. In the second part, we overview our previous works, revealing the physical principles of operation for proton-pumping complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Our proposed simple models reveal the physical mechanisms of energy exchange. They can be further expanded to answer open questions about mitochondrial functions and the medical treatment of diseases associated with mitochondrial disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This opinion piece, written by ethnobiologists from different parts of the world, emphasizes the importance of ethnobiology research in advancing contemporary biology, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and, especially, contributing to the ecological transition and more just and inclusive world. To achieve these goals, it is essential to develop research and collaborate with social groups that live in close relationship with nature in research activities, such as Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC), as well as Afro-descendants and other Marginalized, Minority or Minoritized Communities (AMMC). Ethnobiology can identify and provide locally appropriate solutions to local problems, enabling sustainable resource management at the landscape level. The text explores important aspects that need to be considered to guide the future of ethnobiology in the next 20 years, aiming to integrate and amplify previous discussions held in the discipline and identify points that demand ongoing attention. This paper highlights reflections from diverse researchers, emphasizing how ethnobiology can embrace different perspectives and employ rigorous analysis of complex phenomena toward effective policies and practices. This approach holds the potential to address the challenges the planet is currently facing in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This journal article provides information about the upcoming 96th National Congress of the Italian Society for Experimental Biology, which will take place in L'Aquila, Italy from April 25-28, 2024. The article includes a table of contents for the journal issue, featuring various topics such as anthropology, aging, environment and health, aquatic environments, biology of reproduction and infertility, regenerative medicine, micro- and nanovesicles, neuroscience, nutrition, oncology, cell stress, and miscellaneous subjects. Additionally, the article includes summaries of three research papers: one on the relationship between comparative anthropology and urban biodiversity in forensic practice, another on the use of infrared spectroscopy in analyzing the preservation state of archaeological remains, and a third on dental morphology and its impact on periodontal disease in primates. The article also discusses two studies on the potential benefits of using probiotic Streptococcus thermophilus and Artemisia absinthium extract as skincare and mouthwash ingredients, respectively. These studies provide insights into the potential applications of probiotics and herbal extracts in improving skin health and oral hygiene. [Extracted from the article]

High-grade serous tubo-ovarian cancer (HGSTOC) is the most lethal tumor of the female genital tract. The foregoing therapy consists of cytoreduction followed by standard platinum/taxane chemotherapy; alternatively, for primary unresectable tumors, neo-adjuvant platinum/taxane chemotherapy followed by delayed interval cytoreduction. In patients with suboptimal surgery or advanced disease, different forms of targeted therapy have been accepted or tested in clinical trials. Studies on HGSTOC discovered its genetic and proteomic heterogeneity, epigenetic regulation, and the role of the tumor microenvironment. These findings turned attention to the fact that there are several distinct primary tumor subtypes of HGSTOC and the unique biology of primary, metastatic, and recurrent tumors may result in a differential drug response. This results in both chemo-refractoriness of some primary tumors and, what is significantly more frequent and destructive, secondary chemo-resistance of metastatic and recurrent HGSTOC tumors. Treatment possibilities for platinum-resistant disease include several chemotherapeutics with moderate activity and different targeted drugs with difficult tolerable effects. Therefore, the question appears as to why different subtypes of ovarian cancer are predominantly treated based on the same therapeutic schemes and not in an individualized way, adjusted to the biology of a specific tumor subtype and temporal moment of the disease. The paper reviews the genomic, mutational, and epigenetic signatures of HGSTOC subtypes and the tumor microenvironment. The clinical trials on personalized therapy and the overall results of a new, comprehensive approach to personalized therapy for ovarian cancer have been presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of dispositions has been put into question many times in the philosophical literature, especially with regards to how dispositional attributions can be justified. Yet, dispositions are an important part not only of our everyday talk but also of our scientific practices. In this paper, we develop an argument that infers the epistemic justification of dispositional talk from its indispensability for carrying out basic epistemological projects, and we apply it to the use of dispositions in evolutionary biology. For doing this, we first advocate for a function-based strategy for the epistemic justification of dispositional attributions. We next review the functional role of some key dispositional notions in evolutionary biology, such as fitness and evolvability. Then, we show that alternative non-dispositional substitutes of these dispositions fail to fulfill their roles to the same degree. We conclude that the use of dispositions is justified in evolutionary biology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the prevalence of heart failure worldwide and the advancements in molecular and cellular biology that are transforming our understanding and treatment of the condition. The special issue includes nine papers that highlight recent advances in understanding the transcriptome profile in cardiovascular diseases and providing novel treatments for promoting cardiac repair. The papers cover topics such as the transcriptomic profile of endothelial cells in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the impact of inflammation in remote zones after myocardial infarction, the effectiveness of manganese porphyrin compound for cardiac arrest, the role of HIF2α and ARNT signaling in endothelial cells, strategies to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation, the characterization of the common marmoset as a primate model for cardiovascular disease, and the link between heart failure and cognitive impairment. The authors express their gratitude to the contributors and reviewers of the special issue. [Extracted from the article]

In 1934, Marty introduced the concept of hyperstructures, which serves as a generalization of algebraic structures. Hyperstructures have applications in various fields, including biology, where they prove useful for analyzing the different types of hyperstructures in inheritance. On the other hand, NeutroHyperstructures combine Neutrosophic sets with hyperstructures, offering a promising avenue to handle uncertainty in inheritance analysis. Inspired by the intriguing variety of hyperstructures observed in inheritance phenomena, this paper takes on the purpose of thoroughly examining the types of NeutroHyperstructures present in multiple biological inheritance examples. The study focuses on analyzing inheritance patterns in Mirabilis Jalapa flowers, Shorthorn Cattle coat color, and blood types (ABO, ABO with rhesus, MN, MN with rhesus, and the Kidd system) through the lens of NeutroHyperstructures. Through this meticulous analysis, the research aims to contribute significant insights into the genetic inheritance processes, unveiling the role of NeutroHyperstructures in governing diverse biological traits. The findings offer valuable implications for the field of mathematical biology, presenting novel perspectives on inheritance modeling and establishing the potential of NeutroHyperstructures to effectively address uncertainty in genetics and inheritance studies. This study fosters a deeper understanding of complex biological inheritance and opens new avenues for practical applications in the realm of genetics and related disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses complexity theory, that is, the many theories that have been proposed for emergence of complexity from the underlying physics. Our aim is to identify which aspects have turned out to be the more fundamental ones as regards the emergence of biology, engineering, and digital computing, as opposed to those that are in fact more peripheral in these contexts. In the cases we consider, complexity arises via adaptive modular hierarchical structures that are open systems involving broken symmetries. Each emergent level is causally effective because of the meshing together of upwards and downwards causation that takes place consistently with the underlying physics. Various physical constraints limit the outcomes that can be achieved. The underlying issue concerns the origin of consciousness and agency given the basis of life in physics, which is structured starting from symmetries and variational principles with no trace of agency. A possible solution is to admit that consciousness is an irreducible emergent property of matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil harbors a huge diversity of microorganisms and serves as the ecological and social foundation of human civilization. Hence, soil health management is of utmost and consistent importance, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. One of the most hazardous contaminants in soil matrix is potentially toxic elements (PTEs), which can cause stress in soil indigenous microorganisms and severely jeopardize soil health. Biochar technology has emerged as a promising means to alleviate PTE toxicity and benefit soil health management. Current literature has broadly integrated knowledge about the potential consequences of biochar-amended soil but has focused more on the physical and chemical responses of the soil system than microbiological attributes. In consideration of the indispensable roles of soil microbials, this paper first introduces PTE-induced stresses on soil microbials and then proposes the mechanisms of biochar's effects on soil microbials. Finally, microbial responses including variations in abundance, interspecific relationships, community composition and biological functions in biochar-amended soil are critically reviewed. This review thus aims to provide a comprehensive scientific view on the effect of biochar on soil microbiological health and its management. Highlights: Sketched a mechanistic overview of PTE-induced stress towards soil microorganisms. Demonstrated a synopsis of biochar impacts on soil microbiota from both direct and indirect pathways. Discussed the development prospects of biochar technology aiming for a healthier agro-ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers how a classification of causal effects as comprising efficient, formal, material, and final causation can provide a useful understanding of how emergence takes place in biology and technology, with formal, material, and final causation all including cases of downward causation; they each occur in both synchronic and diachronic forms. Taken together, they underlie why all emergent levels in the hierarchy of emergence have causal powers (which is Noble's principle of biological relativity) and so why causal closure only occurs when the upwards and downwards interactions between all emergent levels are taken into account, contra to claims that some underlying physics level is by itself causality complete. A key feature is that stochasticity at the molecular level plays an important role in enabling agency to emerge, underlying the possibility of final causation occurring in these contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective bioinspiration requires dialogue between designers and biologists, and this dialogue must be rooted in a shared scientific understanding of living systems. To support learning from "nature's overarching design lessons" the Biomimicry Institute has produced ten "Unifying Patterns of Nature". These patterns have been developed to engage with those interested in finding biologically inspired solutions to human challenges. Yet, although well-intentioned and appealing, they are likely to dishearten biologists. The aim of this paper is to identify why and propose alternative principles based on evolutionary theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is an individualized experience for the person suffering from chronic pain. Significant strides have been made in the last few decades in understanding various biological changes that coincide with chronic pain. This state-of-the-art overview looks at the current evidence related to the biology of chronic pain and the implications these findings have on the delivery of pain neuroscience education (PNE). The paper summarizes the various (epi)genetic, neural, endocrine, and immune factors discovered and explored in the scientific literature concerning chronic pain. Each of these biological factors has various implications for the content and delivery of PNE. We discuss the future directions these biological factors have for the clinical implementation of PNE by linking the importance of behavior change, optimizing the learning environment, and using an individualized multimodal treatment approach with PNE. In addition, future directions for research of PNE based on these biological factors are provided with importance placed on individualized patient-centered care and how PNE can be used with traditional modes of care and growing trends with other care methods. PNE was originally and continues to be rooted in understanding chronic pain biology and how that understanding can improve patient care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the journal "Biology & Fertility of Soils" discussing recent advances in the study of biology and fertility in paddy field soil. Paddy fields are flooded during rice cultivation, which affects the activities of microorganisms and microbial community structures. The editorial highlights the importance of understanding the biology and fertility of paddy field soil for sustainable rice production. The special issue of the journal includes research papers on topics such as nutrient cycles, decomposition of organic matter, greenhouse gas production, and interactions between microbes and rice plants. The authors express gratitude to the contributors and hope that the contents of the special issue provide new insights into this field of study. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Circadian rhythms are important for all aspects of biology; virtually every aspect of biological function varies according to time of day. Although this is well known, variation across the day is also often ignored in the design and reporting of research. For this review, we analyzed the top 50 cited papers across 10 major domains of the biological sciences in the calendar year 2015. We repeated this analysis for the year 2019, hypothesizing that the awarding of a Nobel Prize in 2017 for achievements in the field of circadian biology would highlight the importance of circadian rhythms for scientists across many disciplines, and improve time-of-day reporting. Results: Our analyses of these 1000 empirical papers, however, revealed that most failed to include sufficient temporal details when describing experimental methods and that few systematic differences in time-of-day reporting existed between 2015 and 2019. Overall, only 6.1% of reports included time-of-day information about experimental measures and manipulations sufficient to permit replication. Conclusions: Circadian rhythms are a defining feature of biological systems, and knowing when in the circadian day these systems are evaluated is fundamentally important information. Failing to account for time of day hampers reproducibility across laboratories, complicates interpretation of results, and reduces the value of data based predominantly on nocturnal animals when extrapolating to diurnal humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information transmission and storage have gained traction as unifying concepts to characterize biological systems and their chances of survival and evolution at multiple scales. Despite the potential for an information-based mathematical framework to offer new insights into life processes and ways to interact with and control them, the main legacy is that of Shannon's, where a purely syntactic characterization of information scores systems on the basis of their maximum information efficiency. The latter metrics seem not entirely suitable for biological systems, where transmission and storage of different pieces of information (carrying different semantics) can result in different chances of survival. Based on an abstract mathematical model able to capture the parameters and behaviors of a population of single-celled organisms whose survival is correlated to information retrieval from the environment, this paper explores the aforementioned disconnect between classical information theory and biology. In this paper, we present a model, specified as a computational state machine, which is then utilized in a simulation framework constructed specifically to reveal emergence of a "subjective information", i.e., trade-off between a living system's capability to maximize the acquisition of information from the environment, and the maximization of its growth and survival over time. Simulations clearly show that a strategy that maximizes information efficiency results in a lower growth rate with respect to the strategy that gains less information but contains a higher meaning for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oldest form of treatment, over time, was phytotherapy, which was probably born with human being. Popular medicine has developed on an empirical basis in the context of a magical world where analogy and coincidence have played an important role in choosing remedy plants. Regarding the multiple biological effects of Primula officinalis Hill., the scientific literature highlighted anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory and strong antiviral properties. Glycosides contained in this plant have a role in the treatment of kidney and biliary disorders, bronchitis and some gastrointestinal diseases. Primrose is an endangered plant in many Western European countries. In Romania, the plant is found in hills, pastures and alpine meadows up to about 2300-2400 m altitude. Research regarding introduction to culture are ongoing at National Institute of Research and Development for Potato and Sugar Beet Braşov. This paper presents the results obtained regarding the cultivation technology and the establishment of the possibility for introduction into culture. To establish these experiences, the plants were harvested from the spontaneous flora in 2016 and then acclimated to the greenhouses in the Technology Department, Laboratory of medicinal and aromatic plants. In the second experimental year, during the vegetation, observations and measurements were made in dynamics on each experimental variant to highlight the phenological stages regarding the formation of vegetative and generative organs in Primula officinalis (the emergence, the development of the foliar apparatus, the initiation of the floral buttons, the appearance of flowering stems, flowering, capsule and seed formation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: In recent years, placebo and nocebo effects have been extensively documented in different medical conditions, including pain. The scientific literature has provided strong evidence of how the psychosocial context accompanying the treatment administration can influence the therapeutic outcome positively (placebo effects) or negatively (nocebo effects). (2) Methods: This state-of-the-art paper aims to provide an updated overview of placebo and nocebo effects on pain. (3) Results: The most common study designs, the psychological mechanisms, and neurobiological/genetic determinants of these phenomena are discussed, focusing on the differences between positive and negative context effects on pain in experimental settings on healthy volunteers and in clinical settings on chronic pain patients. Finally, the last section describes the implications for clinical and research practice to maximize the medical and scientific routine and correctly interpret the results of research studies on placebo and nocebo effects. (4) Conclusions: While studies on healthy participants seem consistent and provide a clear picture of how the brain reacts to the context, there are no unique results of the occurrence and magnitude of placebo and nocebo effects in chronic pain patients, mainly due to the heterogeneity of pain. This opens up the need for future studies on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress has been consistently linked to negative impacts on physical and mental health. More specifically, patients with chronic pain experience stress intolerance, which is an exacerbation or occurrence of symptoms in response to any type of stress. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unsolved. In this state-of-the-art paper, we summarised the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the two major stress response systems in stress intolerance. We provided insights into such mechanisms based on evidence from clinical studies in both patients with chronic pain, showing dysregulated stress systems, and healthy controls supported by preclinical studies, highlighting the link between these systems and symptoms of stress intolerance. Furthermore, we explored the possible regulating role for (epi)genetic mechanisms influencing the ANS and HPA axis. The link between stress and chronic pain has become an important area of research as it has the potential to inform the development of interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. As stress has become a prevalent concern in modern society, understanding the connection between stress, HPA axis, ANS, and chronic health conditions such as chronic pain is crucial to improve public health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fritillaria is highly endangered in their natural habitats, and these species are perennial bulbous plants with an important medicinal and ornamental value whose reproductive strategies and adaptive evolution mechanisms are still not fully clear. Therefore, the reproductive strategies of endemic species, like Fritillaria michailovskyi Fomin are important to detect the community structure and the diversity patterns of ornamental plants. The current paper on the reproductive strategy of F. michailovskyi, a rare endemic species, was carried out at the Erzincan Horticultural Research Institute, Turkey. Our results indicate that the flowering stages of F. michailovskyi may be divided into eight phases. According to pollination experiments and the pollen/ovule ratio, and the self-incompatibility index (SII) in an ex-situ population, F. michailovskyi indicated high levels of xenogamy and self-incompatibility. It was determined that the pollination of F. michailovskyi mostly depended on pollen vectors, and the effective pollinators of F. michailovskyi were Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris. In addition, average seed number, seed germination, and average seed viability were found as 144, 46%, and 67%, respectively. The stigma receptivity, pollen grains, and pollen viability were detected as 83%, 252,000, and 95%, respectively. Our study is the first report providing a detailed explanation of the reproductive strategy of this rare endemic species, which could aid in the genetic evolution and conservation of this valuable taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carl Leavitt Hubbs (1894-1979) was a prominent and internationally renowned American ichthyologist whose publications include taxonomic descriptions of several North American blindfishes including the Mexican Cave Characin. His archived personal papers reveal a wide-ranging interest in the biology and evolutionary origins of cave and blindfishes, and his discussions and disputes with colleagues about their taxonomy. He also took opportunities to collect other fauna from American caves during the inter-war decades. Drawing upon his unpublished archive and other relevant sources his biospeleological work is chronicled in detail and discussed in the context of his other work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Since the beginnings of philosophical thought, the question of the nature and origin of pain has developed. However, it also raises the question of how an omnipotent and morally perfect God can allow so much pain and suffering in the world. In this paper, we analyze the findings of biology and evolutionary medicine to better understand the phenomenon of pain. Based on these insights, we then seek to enrich theological and theodicean reflections on the relationship between pain, humans, and God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calculus of Variations In the paper I On a Non-Newtonian Calculus of Variations i , Delfim F. M. Torres presents, for the first time in the literature, a non-Newtonian calculus of variations that involves the minimization of a function defined by a non-Newtonian integral with a Lagrangian depending on the non-Newtonian derivative. This publication is an editorial for the Special Issue of Axioms "Calculus of Variations, Optimal Control and Mathematical Biology: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Delfim F. M. Torres on the Occasion of His 50th birthday". This Special Issue is dedicated to Professor Delfim F. M. Torres on the occasion of his 50th birthday, as recognition of his significant contributions to Mathematics, in particular in the calculus of variations, optimal control, and mathematical biology. [Extracted from the article]

This essay attempts to combine some recent theoretical results in (bio)semiotics on arbitrariness, semiotic fitting, umwelt, choice, and extended theory of evolution into a more coherent whole. The proposed model describes a living being through its subjectivity and the ability to create meaning, which are often overlooked in models based on replicability. The concept of the umwelt is divided into two - the synchronic umwelt and the distributed or diachronic umwelt. For the latter, a new term 'umweb' is introduced. A mechanism of evolution is described in which arbitrary relating followed by semiotic fitting is somewhat analogous to the neo-Darwinian mechanism of random mutations followed by natural selection. The paper proceeds to discuss the alternativity and coexistence of these two radically different ways of evolution and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell definition of gradual and controlled renewal in principle has changed our view on spermatogonial stem cells, which have become a primary target now for de novo reconstitution of the male gonad with germ cells. However, there are some organs that would mostly need supplementation by external cells (we may call this process as "organ rejuvenation"), and to those organs may belong central nervous system (CNS), heart (post-mitotic cardiomyocytes) and pancreas. The three other papers are richly directed to problems connected to neurodegenerative disease, either by the way of finding new CNS reservoir candidates [[6]] or providing insight into possible allogeneic pre-clinical attempts when transplanting cells of CNS out of external sources [[7]], finally concluding with a review article about the promising ways to influence incurable Alzheimer's disease by the use of stem cells [[8]]. Stem cells seem to hold major promise for contemporary medicine, one which could almost be more significant than a discovery of DNA and ultimate its relevance for organismal integration in the past century. [Extracted from the article]

As part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, we published Registered Reports that described how we intended to replicate selected experiments from 29 high-impact preclinical cancer biology papers published between 2010 and 2012. Replication experiments were completed and Replication Studies reporting the results were submitted for 18 papers, of which 17 were accepted and published by eLife with the rejected paper posted as a preprint. Here, we report the status and outcomes obtained for the remaining 11 papers. Four papers initiated experimental work but were stopped without any experimental outcomes. Two papers resulted in incomplete outcomes due to unanticipated challenges when conducting the experiments. For the remaining five papers only some of the experiments were completed with the other experiments incomplete due to mundane technical or unanticipated methodological challenges. The experiments from these papers, along with the other experiments attempted as part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, provides evidence about the challenges of repeating preclinical cancer biology experiments and the replicability of the completed experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replicability is an important feature of scientific research, but aspects of contemporary research culture, such as an emphasis on novelty, can make replicability seem less important than it should be. The Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology was set up to provide evidence about the replicability of preclinical research in cancer biology by repeating selected experiments from high-impact papers. A total of 50 experiments from 23 papers were repeated, generating data about the replicability of a total of 158 effects. Most of the original effects were positive effects (136), with the rest being null effects (22). A majority of the original effect sizes were reported as numerical values (117), with the rest being reported as representative images (41). We employed seven methods to assess replicability, and some of these methods were not suitable for all the effects in our sample. One method compared effect sizes: for positive effects, the median effect size in the replications was 85% smaller than the median effect size in the original experiments, and 92% of replication effect sizes were smaller than the original. The other methods were binary - the replication was either a success or a failure - and five of these methods could be used to assess both positive and null effects when effect sizes were reported as numerical values. For positive effects, 40% of replications (39/97) succeeded according to three or more of these five methods, and for null effects 80% of replications (12/15) were successful on this basis; combining positive and null effects, the success rate was 46% (51/112). A successful replication does not definitively confirm an original finding or its theoretical interpretation. Equally, a failure to replicate does not disconfirm a finding, but it does suggest that additional investigation is needed to establish its reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology to investigate the replicability of preclinical research in cancer biology. The initial aim of the project was to repeat 193 experiments from 53 high-impact papers, using an approach in which the experimental protocols and plans for data analysis had to be peer reviewed and accepted for publication before experimental work could begin. However, the various barriers and challenges we encountered while designing and conducting the experiments meant that we were only able to repeat 50 experiments from 23 papers. Here we report these barriers and challenges. First, many original papers failed to report key descriptive and inferential statistics: the data needed to compute effect sizes and conduct power analyses was publicly accessible for just 4 of 193 experiments. Moreover, despite contacting the authors of the original papers, we were unable to obtain these data for 68% of the experiments. Second, none of the 193 experiments were described in sufficient detail in the original paper to enable us to design protocols to repeat the experiments, so we had to seek clarifications from the original authors. While authors were extremely or very helpful for 41% of experiments, they were minimally helpful for 9% of experiments, and not at all helpful (or did not respond to us) for 32% of experiments. Third, once experimental work started, 67% of the peer-reviewed protocols required modifications to complete the research and just 41% of those modifications could be implemented. Cumulatively, these three factors limited the number of experiments that could be repeated. This experience draws attention to a basic and fundamental concern about replication - it is hard to assess whether reported findings are credible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On January 2020, the WHO Director General declared that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The world has faced a worldwide spread crisis and is still dealing with it. The present paper represents a white paper concerning the tough lessons we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, an international and heterogenous multidisciplinary panel of very differentiated people would like to share global experiences and lessons with all interested and especially those responsible for future healthcare decision making. With the present paper, international and heterogenous multidisciplinary panel of very differentiated people would like to share global experiences and lessons with all interested and especially those responsible for future healthcare decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Adults of stoneflies have diverse mating behaviors and complex signals for communication, but they are not always able to correctly recognize their mates. With the observations from several provinces of China, we provide the first study on the erroneous mating behaviors of stoneflies from this country. Three different categories of erroneous mating attempts involving 13 species belonging to three stonefly families are reported, and information on their physical competition, the sensorial mechanisms triggering the mating, the conditions favoring the mating mistakes, and the possible consequences of interspecific mating are discussed. Hitting and pushing with the head and abdomen could be the unique method employed in the male–male physical competition. Vibrational signals are considered not a prerequisite for triggering a mating behavior, while vision and/or touch could be a sufficient condition for triggering it, but they are not always efficient for species-specific recognition. Currently, information on the biology of Plecoptera from China is scarce, particularly on mating behavior. In this paper, the existence of mating mistakes (erroneous mating attempts) involving 13 Chinese stonefly species (belonging to nine genera and three families) is reported. These erroneous mating behaviors can be included into three different categories: mating attempts between conspecific males (including the formation of erroneous mating balls), mating attempts between different taxa (including displacement attempts during copulation), and mating-related behaviors with non-living objects. From these behaviors, some aspects of stoneflies during mating, such as the physical competition between males, the sensorial mechanisms implied in triggering a mating behavior, the conditions favoring the mating mistakes, and the possible consequences of interspecific mating in the hybrid production, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network biology has garnered tremendous attention in understanding complex systems of cancer, because the mechanisms underlying cancer involve the perturbations in the specific function of molecular networks, rather than a disorder of a single gene. In this article, we review the various computational tactics for gene regulatory network analysis, focused especially on personalized anti-cancer therapy. This paper covers three major topics: (1) cell line's (or patient's) cancer characteristics specific gene regulatory network estimation, which enables us to reveal molecular interplays under varying conditions of cancer characteristics of cell lines (or patient); (2) computational approaches to interpret the multitudinous and massive networks; (3) network-based application to uncover molecular mechanisms of cancer and related marker identification. We expect that this review will help readers understand personalized computational network biology that plays a significant role in precision cancer medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetics has become a powerful tool in many areas of biology. Land plants are the most important primary producers of terrestrial ecosystems and have colonized various habitats on Earth. In the past two decades, tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of phylogenetic relationships at all taxonomic levels across all land plant groups by employing DNA sequence data. Here, we review the progress made in large-scale phylogenetic reconstructions of land plants and assess the current situation of phylogenetic studies of land plants. We then emphasize directions for future study. At present, the phylogenetic framework of land plants at the order and familial levels has been well built. Problematic deep-level relationships within land plants have also been well resolved by phylogenomic analyses. We pointed out five major aspects of molecular phylogenetics of land plants, which are nowadays being studied and will continue to be goals moving forward. These five aspects include: (1) constructing the genus- and species-level phylogenies for land plant groups, (2) updating the classification systems by combining morphological and molecular data, (3) integrating fossil taxa into phylogenies derived from living taxa, (4) resolving deep-level and/or rapidly divergent phylogenetic relationships using phylogenomic data, and (5) building big trees using the supermatrix method. We hope that this review paper will promote the development of plant molecular phylogenetics and other related areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a fundamental biological molecule that is essential to all living organisms, performing a versatile array of cellular tasks. The function of many RNA molecules is strongly related to the structure it adopts. As a result, great effort is being dedicated to the design of efficient algorithms that solve the "folding problem"—given a sequence of nucleotides, return a probable list of base pairs, referred to as the secondary structure prediction. Early algorithms largely rely on finding the structure with minimum free energy. However, the predictions rely on effective simplified free energy models that may not correctly identify the correct structure as the one with the lowest free energy. In light of this, new, data-driven approaches that not only consider free energy, but also use machine learning techniques to learn motifs are also investigated and recently been shown to outperform free energy–based algorithms on several experimental data sets. In this work, we introduce the new ExpertRNA algorithm that provides a modular framework that can easily incorporate an arbitrary number of rewards (free energy or nonparametric/data driven) and secondary structure prediction algorithms. We argue that this capability of ExpertRNA has the potential to balance out different strengths and weaknesses of state-of-the-art folding tools. We test ExpertRNA on several RNA sequence-structure data sets, and we compare the performance of ExpertRNA against a state-of-the-art folding algorithm. We find that ExpertRNA produces, on average, more accurate predictions of nonpseudoknotted secondary structures than the structure prediction algorithm used, thus validating the promise of the approach. Summary of Contribution: ExpertRNA is a new algorithm inspired by a biological problem. It is applied to solve the problem of secondary structure prediction for RNA molecules given an input sequence. The computational contribution is given by the design of a multibranch, multiexpert rollout algorithm that enables the use of several state-of-the-art approaches as base heuristics and allowing several experts to evaluate partial candidate solutions generated, thus avoiding assuming the reward being optimized by an RNA molecule when folding. Our implementation allows for the effective use of parallel computational resources as well as to control the size of the rollout tree as the algorithm progresses. The problem of RNA secondary structure prediction is of primary importance within the biology field because the molecule structure is strongly related to its functionality. Whereas the contribution of the paper is in the algorithm, the importance of the application makes ExpertRNA a showcase of the relevance of computationally efficient algorithms in supporting scientific discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomechatronics is an engineering subject in which biomimetics as a method is one of its two supporting pillars: biology for engineering, or Bio4Eng. This is contrasted with biocompatible design, or Eng4Bio, examples of which are human-serving systems, such as exoskeletons, and biomedical engineering. The paper aims to illustrate that the research fields of biomimetics, biomechatronics, and biomedical engineering are not in competition but mutually supportive. The current attempts to place biomechatronics under the umbrella of biomimetics or biomedical engineering are therefore not expedient; they deprive the subject of its strength of combining Bio4Eng and Eng4Bio at any time in a task-related manner. In addition to research and development, however, the training of the specialists supporting the subjects must not be disregarded and is therefore described based on a proven design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative biologists have typically used one or more of the following methods to assist in evaluating the proposed functional and performance significance of individual traits: comparative phylogenetic analysis, direct interspecific comparison among species, genetic modification, experimental alteration of morphology (for example by surgically modifying traits), and ecological manipulation where individual organisms are transplanted to a different environment. But comparing organisms as the endpoints of an evolutionary process involves the ceteris paribus assumption: that all traits other than the one(s) of interest are held constant. In a properly controlled experimental study, only the variable of interest changes among the groups being compared. The theme of this paper is that the use of robotic or mechanical models offers an additional tool in comparative biology that helps to minimize the effect of uncontrolled variables by allowing direct manipulation of the trait of interest against a constant background. The structure and movement pattern of mechanical devices can be altered in ways not possible in studies of living animals, facilitating testing hypotheses of the functional and performance significance of individual traits. Robotic models of organismal design are particularly useful in three arenas: (1) controlling variation to allow modification only of the trait of interest, (2) the direct measurement of energetic costs of individual traits, and (3) quantification of the performance landscape. Obtaining data in these three areas is extremely difficult through the study of living organisms alone, and the use of robotic models can reveal unexpected effects. Controlling for all variables except for the length of a swimming flexible object reveals substantial non-linear effects that vary with stiffness. Quantification of the swimming performance surface reveals that there are two peaks with comparable efficiency, greatly complicating the inference of performance from morphology alone. Organisms and their ecological interactions are complex, and dissecting this complexity to understand the effects of individual traits is a grand challenge in ecology and evolutionary biology. Robotics has great promise as a "comparative method," allowing better-controlled comparative studies to analyze the many interacting elements that make up complex behaviors, ecological interactions, and evolutionary histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]