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We examine the recent history and future trends in the field of insect behavior in North America. This project stemmed from participation in a section symposium at a Joint Meeting of the Entomological Societies of America (ESA), Canada (ESC), and British Columbia (ESBC) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 2022. Each participating team in the symposium was asked to address 3 questions about their subdiscipline: (i) How has your subdiscipline changed in the last 15 yr? (ii) How will your subdiscipline change as a discipline over the next 15 yr? (iii) What can ESA and the Plant-Insect Ecosystem section (P-IE) do to help members who study your subdiscipline and improve the understanding of the subdiscipline? To address the first question, we used data from 2008 to 2022 on presentations given at ESA meetings, literature searches, and funding databases. To predict changes in the discipline of insect behavior in the future, we examined data pertaining to student participation in the field and educational opportunities in insect behavior. Our main findings are that insect behavior is an integral part of entomological research with an important future role to play in understanding insect biology under climate change. We provide multiple lines of evidence illustrating the importance of insect behavior in multidisciplinary research across a variety of scientific fields. We conclude by answering the third question with suggestions for the promotion of insect behavior research at annual ESA meetings and for gathering more information to further understand the importance of the subdiscipline of insect behavior.

Src-homology-2-domain-containing PTP-2 (SHP2) is a widely expressed signaling enzyme whose misregulation is associated with multiple human pathologies. SHP2’s enzymatic activity is controlled by a conformational equilibrium between its autoinhibited (“closed”) state and its activated (“open”) state. Although SHP2’s closed state has been extensively characterized, the putative structure of its open form has only been revealed in the context of a highly activated mutant (E76K), and no systematic studies of the biochemical determinants of SHP2’s open-state stabilization have been reported. To identify amino-acid interactions that are critical for stabilizing SHP2’s active state, we carried out a mutagenic study of residues that lie at potentially important interdomain interfaces of the open conformation. The open/closed equilibria of the mutants were evaluated, and we identified several interactions that contribute to the stabilization of SHP2’s open state. In particular, our findings establish that an ion pair between glutamate 249 on SHP2’s PTP domain and arginine 111 on an interdomain loop is the key determinant of SHP2’s open-state stabilization. Mutations that disrupt the R111/E249 ion pair substantially shift SHP2’s open/closed equilibrium to the closed state, even compared to wild-type SHP2’s basal-state equilibrium, which strongly favors the closed state. To the best of our knowledge, the ion-pair variants uncovered in this study are the first known SHP2 mutants in which autoinhibition is augmented with respect to the wild-type protein. Such “hyperinhibited” mutants may provide useful tools for signaling studies that investigate the connections between SHP2 inhibition and the suppression of human disease progression.

Ocean warming has emerged as a pivotal research topic in the field of climate science. With increasing global warming the surface as well as the Subsurface Temperature (ST) of the global oceans have exhibited a steady increasing trend over the last few decades. This paper presents a hybrid method to predict the ST of the Arabian Sea by following a decomposition-based Machine Learning (ML) regression. The study considers Sea Level Pressure, humidity, wind speed, Sea Surface Temperature and heat fluxes which impact the ST. The proposed methodology first uses the Akaike Information Criterion to determine the most significant parameters influencing the ST. Next, Empirical Mode Decomposition is applied to each of the selected parameters, forming a dataset of corresponding Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) and residues. Redundant IMFs and residues are filtered out by Spearman’s correlation function. The newly formed compact dataset then undergoes ML regression. This hybrid methodology has demonstrated improved accuracy in predicting the ST at the depths of 5 m and 25 m.

Host affiliation and entomopathogenic infections play a major role in shaping population dynamics of the forest tent caterpillar (FTC), Malacosoma disstriaHübner (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae). The effect of these individual factors has been studied, but it is unknown whether interactions between these factors significantly impact FTC life history traits. In the laboratory, we investigated a tritrophic interaction among larval diet, larval microsporidian infection, and FTC life history traits. Larvae were reared on foliage of trembling aspen, Populus tremuloidesMichx (Malpighiales: Salicaceae) or sugar maple, Acer saccharumMarshall (Sapindales: Sapindaceae), or an artificial diet. Natural levels of microsporidian infection were assessed through microscopy and categorized as none (0 spores), low (1–100 spores), or high (>100 spores). Microsporidian infection and larval diet individually, but not interactively, impacted FTC life history traits. Moths with high infection had smaller wings, but infection did not increase the probability of wing malformations. Wings of FTC reared on fresh maple foliage were significantly smaller, had a higher probability of wing malformation, and a lower likelihood of cocoon production than FTC reared on other diets, but displayed higher overall survival. While microsporidian infection did not influence FTC-diet interactions, we provide further evidence on how these main effects may individually contribute to shaping FTC adult life history traits, and, ultimately, cyclical population dynamics. Future research should consider how larval mortality, distinct infection levels, and geographical source of FTC populations affect this tritrophic interaction.

Endometriosis is a debilitating and painful gynecological inflammatory disease affecting up to 15% of women and transgender men. Current treatments are ineffective for a substantial proportion of patients, underscoring the need for additional therapies with long-term benefits. Nociceptors release neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP), which are known to shape immunity through neuroimmune communication. Given the comorbidity between endometriosis and migraine and the integral role of immune cells and inflammation in endometriosis, we investigated the role of CGRP-mediated neuroimmune communication in endometriosis. Using samples from eight patients with endometriosis and a nonsurgical mouse model of the disease, we found that mouse and human endometriosis lesions contain both CGRP and its coreceptor, receptor activity modifying protein 1 (RAMP1). In mice, nociceptor ablation reduced pain, monocyte recruitment, and lesion size, suggesting that nociceptor activation and neuropeptide release contribute to endometriosis lesion growth and pain. Mechanistically, CGRP changed the phenotype of macrophages to a pro-endometriosis phenotype. CGRP-stimulated macrophages demonstrated impaired efferocytosis and supported increased endometrial cell growth in a RAMP1-dependent manner. Treatment of lesion-bearing mice with US Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs that block CGRP-RAMP1 signaling reduced mechanical hyperalgesia, spontaneous pain, and lesion size. Together, our data demonstrated the effectiveness and underlying cellular mechanisms of nonhormonal and nonopioid CGRP/RAMP1 blockade in a mouse model of endometriosis, suggesting that targeting this axis may lead to clinical benefit for patients with endometriosis.

Data on community-acquired antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are particularly sparse in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Limited surveillance and oversight of antibiotic use in food-producing animals, inadequate access to safe drinking water, and insufficient sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in LMICs could exacerbate the risk of zoonotic antibiotic resistance transmission. This critical review compiles evidence of zoonotic exchange of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) or antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within households and backyard farms in LMICs, as well as assesses transmission mechanisms, risk factors, and environmental transmission pathways. Overall, substantial evidence exists for exchange of antibiotic resistance between domesticated animals and in-contact humans. Whole bacteria transmission and horizontal gene transfer between humans and animals were demonstrated within and between households and backyard farms. Further, we identified water, soil, and animal food products as environmental transmission pathways for exchange of ARB and ARGs between animals and humans, although directionality of transmission is poorly understood. Herein we propose study designs, methods, and topical considerations for priority incorporation into future One Health research to inform effective interventions and policies to disrupt zoonotic antibiotic resistance exchange in low-income communities.

Infectious disease transmission from domestic sheep threatens the persistence of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations throughout western North America. Quantifying spatial separation between the 2 species is an essential component in assessing the risk of disease transmission. We present a spatial analysis to evaluate infectious disease risks for endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (O. c. sierrae; hereafter Sierra bighorn sheep). Our approach accounted for spatial separation between the species as well as the configuration of resources that influences Sierra bighorn sheep movement. We assessed the potential for contact by predicting where Sierra bighorn sheep were likely to be located and travel. We combined a resource selection probability function with a cost distance analysis to quantify the risk of grazing domestic sheep in proximity to Sierra bighorn sheep core home range from a habitat perspective. We compared our approach to a standard buffer approach and determined that our cost distance model better quantified how risk varied among grazing parcels. Sierra bighorn sheep selected and traveled within habitat that included escape terrain. Our model, which included a log normal transformation, characterized the high relative cost (i.e., reduced likelihood) to traveling beyond selected habitat and predicted that such movement is less likely. As a result, our habitat‐based risk threshold was 48% smaller in area than the standard buffer area that included landscape that bighorn did not use. Our method establishes a risk threshold that can be used by land managers to optimize public and private grazing regimes and minimize the risk of disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal dynamic treatment rule (ODTR) framework offers an approach for understanding which kinds of patients respond best to specific treatments – in other words, treatment effect heterogeneity. Recently, there has been a proliferation of methods for estimating the ODTR. One such method is an extension of the SuperLearner algorithm – an ensemble method to optimally combine candidate algorithms extensively used in prediction problems – to ODTRs. Following the ``causal roadmap,” we causally and statistically define the ODTR and provide an introduction to estimating it using the ODTR SuperLearner. Additionally, we highlight practical choices when implementing the algorithm, including choice of candidate algorithms, metalearners to combine the candidates, and risk functions to select the best combination of algorithms. Using simulations, we illustrate how estimating the ODTR using this SuperLearner approach can uncover treatment effect heterogeneity more effectively than traditional approaches based on fitting a parametric regression of the outcome on the treatment, covariates and treatment-covariate interactions. We investigate the implications of choices in implementing an ODTR SuperLearner at various sample sizes. Our results show the advantages of: (1) including a combination of both flexible machine learning algorithms and simple parametric estimators in the library of candidate algorithms; (2) using an ensemble metalearner to combine candidates rather than selecting only the best-performing candidate; (3) using the mean outcome under the rule as a risk function. Finally, we apply the ODTR SuperLearner to the ``Interventions” study, an ongoing randomized controlled trial, to identify which justice-involved adults with mental illness benefit most from cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce criminal re-offending.

Given an (optimal) dynamic treatment rule, it may be of interest to evaluate that rule – that is, to ask the causal question: what is the expected outcome had every subject received treatment according to that rule? In this paper, we study the performance of estimators that approximate the true value of: (1) an a prioriknown dynamic treatment rule (2) the true, unknown optimal dynamic treatment rule (ODTR); (3) an estimated ODTR, a so-called “data-adaptive parameter,” whose true value depends on the sample. Using simulations of point-treatment data, we specifically investigate: (1) the impact of increasingly data-adaptive estimation of nuisance parameters and/or of the ODTR on performance; (2) the potential for improved efficiency and bias reduction through the use of semiparametric efficient estimators; and, (3) the importance of sample splitting based on the cross-validated targeted maximum likelihood estimator (CV-TMLE) for accurate inference. In the simulations considered, there was very little cost and many benefits to using CV-TMLE to estimate the value of the true and estimated ODTR; importantly, and in contrast to non cross-validated estimators, the performance of CV-TMLE was maintained even when highly data-adaptive algorithms were used to estimate both nuisance parameters and the ODTR. In addition, we apply these estimators for the value of the rule to the “Interventions” study, an ongoing randomized controlled trial, to identify whether assigning cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to criminal justice-involved adults with mental illness using an ODTR significantly reduces the probability of recidivism, compared to assigning CBT in a non-individualized way.

Marine cable bacteria (Candidatus Electrothrix) and large colorless sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria (e.g., Beggiatoaceae) are widespread thiotrophs in coastal environments but may exert different influences on biogeochemical cycling. Yet, the factors governing their niche partitioning remain poorly understood. To map their distribution and evaluate their growth constraints in a natural setting, we examined surface sediments across seasons at two sites with contrasting levels of seasonal oxygen depletion in Chesapeake Bay using microscopy coupled with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and biogeochemical characterization. We found that cable bacteria, dominated by a single phylotype closely affiliated to Candidatus Electrothrixcommunis, flourished during winter and spring at a central channel site which experiences summer anoxia. Here, cable bacteria density was positively correlated with surface sediment chlorophyll, a proxy of phytodetritus sedimentation. Cable bacteria were also present with a lower areal density at an adjacent shoal site which supports bioturbating macrofauna. Beggiatoaceae were more abundant at this site, where their biomass was positively correlated with sediment respiration, but additionally potentially inhibited by sulfide accumulation which was evident during one summer. A springtime phytodetritus sedimentation event was associated with a proliferation of Beggiatoaceae and multiple Candidatus Electrothrixphylotypes, with cable bacteria reaching 1000 m length cm−2. These observations indicate the potential impact of a spring bloom in driving a hot moment of cryptic sulfur cycling. Our results suggest complex interactions between benthic thiotroph populations, with bioturbation and seasonal oscillations in bottom water dissolved oxygen, sediment sulfide, and organic matter influx as important drivers of their distribution.

AbstractThe aim of this study is to determine whether it is the phonetic or phonological effect on processing that is stronger when the two effects are in conflict. Results are presented from a recall experiment, in which speakers of French and Tłı̨chǫ (Dene, Canada) recall syllables with either H or L tone. While French speakers remembered H syllables more accurately, Tłı̨chǫ speakers remembered L tones more accurately. The findings show simultaneous effects of phonetics and phonology, and have implications for notions of salience and how it can be measured as well as for the different types of salience that are active in speech sound processing.

The measured carbon isotopic compositions of carbonate sediments (δ13Ccarb) on modern platforms are commonly 13C‐enriched compared to predicted values for minerals forming in isotopic equilibrium with the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of modern seawater. This offset undermines the assumption that δ13Ccarbvalues of analogous facies in the rock record are an accurate archive of information about Earth's global carbon cycle. We present a new data set of the diurnal variation in carbonate chemistry and seawater δ13CDICvalues on a modern carbonate platform. These data demonstrate that δ13Ccarbvalues on modern platforms are broadly representative of seawater, but only after accounting for the recent decrease in the δ13C value of atmospheric CO2and shallow seawater DIC due to anthropogenic carbon release, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the 13C Suess effect. These findings highlight an important, yet overlooked, aspect of some modern carbonate systems, which must inform their use as ancient analogs. Carbon isotope values of carbonate minerals (δ13Ccarb) are an important archive of information about Earth's carbon cycle in the geological past. To interpret this archive, we must understand how to identify carbonate rocks in which preserved δ13Ccarbvalues are representative of global trends. This effort has long been challenged by a puzzling observation in modern shallow water carbonate‐producing environments like the Bahamas: δ13Ccarbvalues of some sediments in these settings are higher than we predict they should be relative to δ13C values of seawater. These unexpectedly high δ13Ccarbvalues potentially suggest that δ13Ccarbvalues in carbonate rocks deposited in similar environments reflect local, rather than global processes, questioning the application of this important and long‐used tool. We measured hourly changes in seawater chemistry on a shallow marine carbonate platform and observed evidence of two key effects: (a) daily variation in δ13C values driven by photosynthesis, and (b) the recent change in the δ13C value of atmospheric CO2and shallow seawater due to anthropogenic carbon release (the 13C Suess effect). Our data show that δ13Ccarbvalues of shallow marine carbonates are broadly representative of seawater, but only if we account for the 13C Suess effect. Diurnal changes in carbonate chemistry occur, but cannot fully explain the unexpectedly high δ13Ccarbvalues of ooid sand on Caicos PlatformThe 13C Suess effect is primarily responsible for the offset between predicted and expected δ13Ccarbvalues on Caicos PlatformConsideration of the 13C Suess effect is critical for interpretations of modern carbonate sediments as analogs for the rock record Diurnal changes in carbonate chemistry occur, but cannot fully explain the unexpectedly high δ13Ccarbvalues of ooid sand on Caicos Platform The 13C Suess effect is primarily responsible for the offset between predicted and expected δ13Ccarbvalues on Caicos Platform Consideration of the 13C Suess effect is critical for interpretations of modern carbonate sediments as analogs for the rock record

Silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have been explored as a promising technology for transparent electrodes due to their solution-processability, low-cost implementation, and excellent trade-off between sheet resistance and transparency. However, their large-scale implementation in applications such as solar cells, transparent heaters, and display applications has been hindered by their poor thermal, electrical, and chemical stability. In this work, we present reactive sputtering as a method for fast deposition of metal oxynitrides as an encapsulant layer on AgNWs. Because O2cannot be used as a reactive gas in the presence of oxidation-sensitive materials such as Ag, N2is used under moderate sputtering base pressures to leverage residual H2O on the sample and chamber to deposit Al, Ti, and Zr oxynitrides (AlOxNy,TiOxNy, and ZrOxNy) on Ag nanowires on glass and polymer substrates. All encapsulants improve AgNW networks’ electrical, thermal, and chemical stability. In particular, AlOxNy-encapsulated networks present exceptional chemical stability (negligible increase in resistance over 7 days at 80% relative humidity and 80 °C) and transparency (96% for 20 nm films on AgNWs), while TiOxNydemonstrates exceptional thermal and electrical stability (stability up to over temperatures 100 °C more than that of bare AgNW networks, with a maximum areal power density of 1.72 W/cm2, and no resistance divergence at up to 20 V), and ZrOxNypresents intermediate properties in all metrics. In summary, a novel method of oxynitride deposition, leveraging moderate base pressure reactive sputtering, is demonstrated for AgNW encapsulant deposition, which is compatible with roll-to-roll processes that are operated at commercial scales, and this technique can be extended to arbitrary, vacuum-compatible substrates and device architectures.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal, dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG trinucleotide expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Since the reduction of pathogenic mutant HTTmessenger RNA is therapeutic, we developed a mutant allele-sensitive CAGEXRNA-targeting CRISPR–Cas13d system (Cas13d–CAGEX) that eliminates toxic CAGEXRNA in fibroblasts derived from patients with HD and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. We show that intrastriatal delivery of Cas13d–CAGEXvia an adeno-associated viral vector selectively reduces mutant HTTmRNA and protein levels in the striatum of heterozygous zQ175 mice, a model of HD. This also led to improved motor coordination, attenuated striatal atrophy and reduction of mutant HTT protein aggregates. These phenotypic improvements lasted for at least eight months without adverse effects and with minimal off-target transcriptomic effects. Taken together, we demonstrate proof of principle of an RNA-targeting CRISPR–Cas13d system as a therapeutic approach for HD, a strategy with implications for the treatment of other dominantly inherited disorders.

The cell is a multi-scale structure with modular organization across at least four orders of magnitude1. Two central approaches for mapping this structure—protein fluorescent imaging and protein biophysical association—each generate extensive datasets, but of distinct qualities and resolutions that are typically treated separately2,3. Here we integrate immunofluorescence images in the Human Protein Atlas4with affinity purifications in BioPlex5to create a unified hierarchical map of human cell architecture. Integration is achieved by configuring each approach as a general measure of protein distance, then calibrating the two measures using machine learning. The map, known as the multi-scale integrated cell (MuSIC 1.0), resolves 69 subcellular systems, of which approximately half are to our knowledge undocumented. Accordingly, we perform 134 additional affinity purifications and validate subunit associations for the majority of systems. The map reveals a pre-ribosomal RNA processing assembly and accessory factors, which we show govern rRNA maturation, and functional roles for SRRM1 and FAM120C in chromatin and RPS3A in splicing. By integration across scales, MuSIC increases the resolution of imaging while giving protein interactions a spatial dimension, paving the way to incorporate diverse types of data in proteome-wide cell maps.

Just when you thought you'd seen the last fashion metaphor, LJ jumps in with its own brand of style watching. This year, among the 225 public projects completed between July [...]

PurposeIndividuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) experience loss of communication abilities in the context of neurodegenerative disease. Consequently, many individuals with PPA endorse negative psychosocial effects, including social isolation, reduced communication confidence, and depression. Incorporating communication-centered counseling early and often within the speech-language pathology treatment framework is a vital component in holistically addressing the multifaceted ramifications of living with this devastating disorder. Additionally, care partners are key stakeholders in the treatment dynamic. Involving these individuals in the treatment paradigm through care partner training is crucial for facilitating optimal communication in daily life. The purpose of this narrative literature review is to discuss existing research regarding counseling and care partner training in PPA and to outline additional treatment considerations and future research needs in this understudied area.ConclusionsRelative to studies that delineate restitutive speech-language interventions for PPA, the literature pertaining to counseling and care partner training is limited. Available evidence supports the utility of these approaches, which serve as complementary components to restitutive and compensatory speech-language intervention. Additional research is warranted to support generalizability and long-term benefit of these interventions, and to address facets of counseling and care partner training that have not been explored in PPA (e.g., counseling interventions drawing from specific psychotherapeutic traditions; multicultural counseling) or have only been explored to a limited degree (e.g., interventions that jointly provide counseling and partner training).

Although polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is best diagnosed with indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), ICGA is often unavailable or not ordered. OCT is widely available, and OCT B-scan can visualize polypoidal lesions diagnostic of PCV as inverted U-shaped elevations of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with heterogeneous reflectivity and sometimes ring-shaped lesions within the polypoidal lesion. This study aims to differentiate findings between eyes diagnosed with PCV or typical exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using ICGA and then compares findings noted on the OCT B-scan line scan in each group.

AbstractThe invasive pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus(Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), damages field peas, Pisum sativumLinnaeus (Fabaceae), and faba beans, Vicia fabaLinnaeus (Fabaceae), on the Canadian prairies. We used semiochemical-baited pitfall traps to monitor and detect S. lineatusrange expansion and capture associated predaceous ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in pulse-growing regions across Alberta. Traps captured male and female S. lineatusin all pulse-growing regions in the spring and fall, including a first record of S. lineatusin the Peace River region of northwestern Alberta. Pheromone-baited traps captured more weevils than unbaited traps did, and the addition of host plant volatiles did not increase the catch. More weevils were captured in traps in pea fields compared to in faba bean fields. Rubber septa lures released more pheromones and attracted a similar number or more weevils to traps than microcentrifuge tube lures did. Ground beetle capture was not affected by semiochemical baits targeting S. lineatus. Ground beetle diversity varied by region and collection period, but the most frequently collected species was Pterostichus melanarius, a potential predator of S. lineatus. This study shows that pitfall traps baited with rubber septa pheromone lures can be used to monitor new and expanding S. lineatuspopulations, as well as potential natural enemy communities.

Insect performance is linked to environmental temperature, and surviving through winter represents a key challenge for temperate, alpine and polar species. To overwinter, insects have adapted a range of strategies to become truly cold hardy. However, although the mechanisms underlying the ability to avoid or tolerate freezing have been well studied, little attention has been given to the challenge of maintaining ion homeostasis at frigid temperatures in these species, despite this limiting cold tolerance for insects susceptible to mild chilling. Here, we investigated how prolonged exposure to temperatures just above the supercooling point affects ion balance in freeze-avoidant mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) larvae in autumn, mid-winter and spring, and related it to organismal recovery times and survival. Hemolymph ion balance was gradually disrupted during the first day of exposure, characterized by hyperkalemia and hyponatremia, after which a plateau was reached and maintained for the rest of the 7-day experiment. The degree of ionoregulatory collapse correlated strongly with recovery times, which followed a similar asymptotical progression. Mortality increased slightly during extensive cold exposures, where hemolymph K+ concentration was highest, and a sigmoidal relationship was found between survival and hyperkalemia. Thus, the cold tolerance of the freeze-avoiding larvae of D. ponderosae appears limited by the ability to prevent ionoregulatory collapse in a manner similar to that of chill-susceptible insects, albeit at much lower temperatures. Based on these results, we propose that a prerequisite for the evolution of insect freeze avoidance may be a convergent or ancestral ability to maintain ion homeostasis during extreme cold stress.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text

AbstractWheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellanaGéhin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is an invasive pest of wheat, Triticumspp. (Poaceae), in North America and is found in all wheat-growing regions of the world. Wheat midge biology, particularly post-diapause emergence of adults, varies with geographic region. The biology of wheat midge has not previously been examined in the northernmost area of its range in Canada – the Peace River region of Alberta. Wheat midge adult emergence was compared in situto two phenological models of wheat midge emergence developed in other geographic regions. In-field adult emergence did not match the published phenological models. In the Peace River region, adults emerged later than are predicted by both models and precision for both models was low. With the Saskatchewan model, accumulated rainfall that was more than 110 mm in May and early June delayed emergence, whereas accumulated rainfall that was less than 43 mm during that period caused earlier than predicted emergence. Multiple peaks of wheat midge emergence, up to 20 days apart, were observed at some sites, supporting the Jacquemin model depicting “waves” of emergence. Including differences in soil temperature accumulation related to precipitation and optimising the model temperature thresholds would improve accuracy of the current Canadian phenological model in the Peace River region.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

FEATURES IN THE SPRING of 2016, biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came to a terrible realization: The Yaqui catfish, the only catfish species native to the Western United States, was on the cusp of disappearing. Yaqui catfish conservation seems to fit this pattern: In 2015, after three years of applications, Valencia won a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create monitoring and educational programs about Río Yaqui fish on both sides of the U.S-Mexico border. PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Thomas Hafen, Chuck Minckley, Alex Gutiérrez-Barragán and Alejandro Varela-Romero (pictured from left) study a map of the Yaqui catfish's range, discussing where to take eDNA samples during fieldwork in northern Sonora, Mexico, in September 2019 (above). PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Robert Valencia, then-chairman (now vice chairman) of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, who says the catfish ties Yaqui peoples to the Río Yaqui region, in part by embodying the importance of water to the tribes (below). [Extracted from the article]

Quality control monitoring of cell lines utilized in biomedical research is of utmost importance and is critical for the reproducibility of data. Two key pitfalls in tissue culture are 1) cell line authenticity and 2) Mycoplasmacontamination. As a collaborative research institute, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) receives cell lines from a range of commercial and academic sources, which are adapted for high-throughput screening. Here, we describe the implementation of routine NCATS-wide Mycoplasmatesting and short tandem repeat (STR) testing for cell lines. Initial testing identified a >10% Mycoplasmacontamination rate. While the implementation of systematic testing has not fully suppressed Mycoplasmacontamination rates, clearly defined protocols that include the immediate destruction of contaminated cell lines wherever possible has enabled rapid intervention and removal of compromised cell lines. Data for >2000 cell line samples tested over 3 years, and case studies are provided. STR testing of 186 cell lines with established STR profiles revealed only five misidentified cell lines, all of which were received from external labs. The data collected over the 3 years since implementation of this systematic testing demonstrate the importance of continual vigilance for rapid identification of “problem” cell lines, for ensuring reproducible data in translational science research.

Optimal strategies for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) engagement in generalised HIV epidemics are unknown. We aimed to assess PrEP uptake and engagement after population-level HIV testing and universal PrEP access to characterise gaps in the PrEP cascade in rural Kenya and Uganda.

The redbacked cutworm, Euxoa ochrogaster(Guenée), and the pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia(Morrison), are generalist pests that cause sporadic economic damage to several annual crops in the Canadian Prairies. Early larval instars feed on foliage, whereas mature larvae eat into the stem and sever crop seedlings. Here, we evaluate the influence of annual crop species and host fertilization on the larval performance and feeding preference of both cutworm species. Performance is the ability of an insect to reach its maximum growth potential. The first set of experiments evaluated larval development and preference on canola (Brassica napusL. [Capparales: Brassicaeae]), field peas (Pisum sativaL. [Fabales: Fabaceae]), and spring wheat (Triticum aestivumL. [Cyperales: Poaceae]). The redbacked cutworm had higher performance on canola and peas, while the pale western cutworm had higher performance on wheat. In multiple-choice feeding experiments, the redbacked cutworm consumed more canola, whereas the pale western cutworm consumed more spring wheat. The third set of experiments evaluated larval development on fertilized and unfertilized seedlings of canola and spring wheat seedlings. When fed unfertilized seedlings, the redbacked cutworm had better performance on canola than spring wheat, whereas pale western cutworm had better performance on spring wheat than canola. Fertilizer application enhanced the performance of both cutworms regardless of the crop species. Despite their generalist feeding behavior, both cutworm species have a larval feeding preference for the host plant on which they achieve high performance. Canola-cereal cropping is a common crop rotation schedule in the region; however, this tactic will not negatively impact cutworm performance.

Existing data on the clinical features and outcomes of immunocompromised children with influenza are limited.

Climate change in Alaska and British Columbia is causing glaciers to melt, creating new river systems and potential habitat for Pacific salmon. However, mining companies are also taking advantage of these new areas, with significant overlap between potential salmon habitat and mining claims. Indigenous protected areas in British Columbia offer hope for protecting these new waterways and their fish, but the government has not yet recognized these areas and is still selling mineral tenures. The establishment of First Nations consultations in mining laws could help protect future salmon habitat, but action has not yet been taken. [Extracted from the article]

Plants utilize multiple isoforms of villin, an F-actin regulating protein with an N-terminal gelsolin-like core and a distinct C-terminal headpiece domain. Unlike their vertebrate homologues, plant villins have a much longer linker polypeptide connecting the core and headpiece. Moreover, the linker–headpiece connection region in plant villins lacks sequence homology to the vertebrate villin sequences. It is unknown to what extent the plant villin headpiece structure and function resemble those of the well-studied vertebrate counterparts. Here we present the first solution NMR structure and backbone dynamics characterization of a headpiece from plants, villin isoform 4 from Arabidopsis thaliana. The villin 4 headpiece is a 63-residue domain (V4HP63) that adopts a typical headpiece fold with an aromatics core and a tryptophan-centered hydrophobic cap within its C-terminal subdomain. However, V4HP63 has a distinct N-terminal subdomain fold as well as a novel, high mobility loop due to the insertion of serine residue in the canonical sequence that follows the variable length loop in headpiece sequences. The domain binds actin filaments with micromolar affinity, like the vertebrate analogues. However, the V4HP63 surface charge pattern is novel and lacks certain features previously thought necessary for high-affinity F-actin binding. Utilizing the updated criteria for strong F-actin binding, we predict that the headpiece domains of all other villin isoforms in A. thalianahave high affinity for F-actin.

•Milestones can be used as a conceptual framework to define competency standards.•Milestone standards can provide a foundation to build a program of assessment.•Competency standards reflect culture and expectations of individual institution.•This methodology can be readily replicated at other programs.

Non-fluent/agrammatic primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) is caused by neurodegeneration within the left fronto-insular speech and language production network (SPN). Graph theory is a branch of mathematics that studies network architecture (topology) by quantifying features based on its elements (nodes and connections). This approach has been recently applied to neuroimaging data to explore the complex architecture of the brain connectome, though few studies have exploited this technique in PPA. Here, we used graph theory on functional MRI resting state data from a group of 20 nfvPPA patients and 20 matched controls to investigate topological changes in response to focal neurodegeneration. We hypothesized that changes in the network architecture would be specific to the affected SPN in nfvPPA, while preserved in the spared default mode network (DMN). Topological configuration was quantified by hub location and global network metrics. Our findings showed a less efficiently wired and less optimally clustered SPN, while no changes were detected in the DMN. The SPN in the nfvPPA group showed a loss of hubs in the left fronto-parietal-temporal area and new critical nodes in the anterior left inferior-frontal and right frontal regions. Behaviorally, speech production score and rule violation errors correlated with the strength of functional connectivity of the left (lost) and right (new) regions respectively. This study shows that focal neurodegeneration within the SPN in nfvPPA is associated with network-specific topological alterations, with the loss and gain of crucial hubs and decreased global efficiency that were better accounted for through functional rather than structural changes. These findings support the hypothesis of selective network vulnerability in nfvPPA and may offer biomarkers for future behavioral intervention.

The article discusses the process of identifying dead immigrants with documented or undocumented border crosser in U.S. It states Forensic anthropologist Bruce Anderson sends bone from dead person to the DNA testing lab and contacts foreign consulate pertaining to the dead person and directs them to contact his relatives and researchers has to learn in identifying ancestry of skeletal remains in case of undocumented persons and it notes further studies are required for proper identification.

AbstractBackgroundSurvival estimates are integral to care for patients diagnosed with dementia. Few Canadian studies have carried out long-term follow-up of well-described cohorts, analyzing survival related to multiple risk factors. MethodsSurvival analysis of an inception cohort enrolled at a British Columbia (BC) tertiary dementia referral clinic between 1997 and 1999 was undertaken. Vital status was completed for 168 patients diagnosed with dementia. An evaluation of the effects of demographics, vascular risk factors, cognitive and functional ratings, apolipoprotein 4-status, and cholinesterase use on survival was performed using a log-rank test and time-dependent Cox regression. Survival of this dementia cohort was compared with the age-matched life expectancy of persons in BC. ResultsIn all, 158/168 (94.0%) subjects died over 16.6 years, with a median survival of 7.08 years. Risk factors associated with shorter survival in dementia groups included age of onset ≥80 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-2.32); greater functional disability (Disability Assessment for Dementia<55% [HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.04-2.08]); and cumulative medical illness severity (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale≥7 [HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.08-2.12)]. Compared with the BC population, years of potential life lost for dementia subjects aged <65 was 15.36 years, and for dementia subjects aged ≥80 it was 1.82 years. ConclusionsSurvival in dementia subjects is shorter than population life expectancies for each age strata, with greatest impact on younger patients. For people diagnosed with dementia, age ≥80 years, cumulative medical illness severity, and functional disabilities are the most significant survival predictors and can be used to guide prognosis.

The article offers information on the impact of the U.S. government's policies on the people living in Arizona's borderlands. The U.S. government cancelled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which offered temporary protection from deportation to some undocumented immigrants brought as children. The topics include the impact of restrictions on the business in Nogales, Arizona and on the North American Free Trade Agreement, views of U.S. democrat Raúl Grijalva.

IMPORTANCE: The ability to predict the pathology underlying different neurodegenerative syndromes is of critical importance owing to the advent of molecule-specific therapies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the rates of positron emission tomography (PET) amyloid positivity in the main clinical variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective clinical-pathologic case series was conducted at a tertiary research clinic specialized in cognitive disorders. Patients were evaluated as part of a prospective, longitudinal research study between January 2002 and December 2015. Inclusion criteria included clinical diagnosis of PPA; availability of complete speech, language, and cognitive testing; magnetic resonance imaging performed within 6 months of the cognitive evaluation; and PET carbon 11–labeled Pittsburgh Compound-B or florbetapir F 18 brain scan results. Of 109 patients referred for evaluation of language symptoms who underwent amyloid brain imaging, 3 were excluded because of incomplete language evaluations, 5 for absence of significant aphasia, and 12 for presenting with significant initial symptoms outside of the language domain, leaving a cohort of 89 patients with PPA. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Clinical, cognitive, neuroimaging, and pathology results. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases were classified as imaging-supported semantic variant PPA (11 women [39.3%]; mean [SD] age, 64 [7] years), 31 nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA (22 women [71.0%]; mean [SD] age, 68 [7] years), 26 logopenic variant PPA (17 women [65.4%]; mean [SD] age, 63 [8] years), and 4 mixed PPA cases. Twenty-four of 28 patients with semantic variant PPA (86%) and 28 of 31 patients with nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA (90%) had negative amyloid PET scan results, while 25 of 26 patients with logopenic variant PPA (96%) and 3 of 4 mixed PPA cases (75%) had positive scan results. The amyloid positive semantic variant PPA and nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA cases with available autopsy data (2 of 4 and 2 of 3, respectively) all had a primary frontotemporal lobar degeneration and secondary Alzheimer disease pathologic diagnoses, whereas autopsy of 2 patients with amyloid PET–positive logopenic variant PPA confirmed Alzheimer disease. One mixed PPA patient with a negative amyloid PET scan had Pick disease at autopsy. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Primary progressive aphasia variant diagnosis according to the current classification scheme is associated with Alzheimer disease biomarker status, with the logopenic variant being associated with carbon 11–labeled Pittsburgh Compound-B positivity in more than 95% of cases. Furthermore, in the presence of a clinical syndrome highly predictive of frontotemporal lobar degeneration pathology, biomarker positivity for Alzheimer disease may be associated more with mixed pathology rather than primary Alzheimer disease.

Stan Boutin, a boreal ecologist who has studied lynx in Canada's southwest Yukon for more than 30 years, said the method is a "real breakthrough." It "gives us this baseline information for lynx populations in Glacier Park", Alissa Anderson, a biologist who led this study for her graduate research at Washington State University, said. Camera traps could prove transformative for understanding lynx's vulnerability to climate change, which has been missing from previous assessments by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [Extracted from the article]

Alexander disease is a clinically heterogeneous condition associated with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene mutations initially described in infants, but juvenile and adult forms exist. Adult-onset Alexander disease (AOAD) has an insidious onset of symptoms localized largely to brainstem, but may also include cognitive dysfunction.

The article offers information regarding the impact of ocean acidification on the shellfish industry such as oysters and clams farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Topics include the contribution of climate change on ocean acidification, several shellfish farms in the U.S. that were affected by the event such as Taylor Shellfish Farm, and study conducted by Richard Feely, oceanographer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about the declining shellfish farms in the region.

The article talks about ferruginous hawks that are a part of the Raptor Free Flight show at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Topics discussed include human interactions with raptors, ferruginous hawks being the largest soaring hawks in the U.S., and the authors passion about science and the outdoors.

As sub-Saharan Africa transitions to a new era of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART), up-to-date assessments of population-level HIV RNA suppression are needed to inform interventions to optimise ART delivery. We sought to measure population viral load metrics to assess viral suppression and characterise demographic groups and geographical locations with high-level detectable viraemia in east Africa.

Offset analgesia (OA) is a test paradigm for measuring endogenous pain inhibition by applying noxious thermal stimuli (Grill, 2002). Previous studies have designed protocols where thermal stimulations are applied to different skin areas to avoid desensitization of consecutive thermal stimulations. The reliability of such non-adaptation effect has been tested using pain rating scales (Amir, 2022). This pilot study investigated whether adaptation of thermal stimulations exists when performing an OA paradigm by using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging measures. fNIRS is a noninvasive optical imaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin concentrations within the brain (Quaresima, 2019). Thermal stimulations were given to 10 participants on the non-dominant forearm through four repeated standard OA paradigms (Grill, 2002). Each paradigm contained 3 rest blocks in between 3 task blocks, where thermal stimulators were delivered in different skin sites during task blocks. fNIRS data was obtained from participants' prefrontal and somatosensory cortices, regions involved in pain processing (Ong, 2019; Vierck, 2012). Hemoglobin responses during 4 OA paradigms were evaluated, and differences among paradigms were compared. Results showed no significant differences in brain responses among OA paradigms. Findings indicate an absence of adaptive prefrontal and somatosensory cortices responses to repeated OA paradigms. Results suggest the reliability of this thermal pain calibration procedure as measured by fNIRS brain imaging. This pilot study enhanced our understanding regarding the reliability of OA procedure evaluation for pain assessment. Data collection is ongoing, and further investigations with larger sample size will be conducted to verify the current findings. Funding: R35GM142676–01 R35 MIRA Award (R35GM142676–01).

Biofouling and biocorrosion in oil pipelines are serious problems capable of causing expensive, irreparable losses. For a better understanding of biocorrosion processes, several lines of evidence are required, not least experimental considerations that emulate natural conditions inside pipelines. Herein, an omics approach is used to unveil the microbial involvement in the deterioration and electrochemical process on X52 steel with Shewanella(SW), the oil pipeline microbiota (AK), and a mixed culture (AK5), the latter two obtained from a sludge of pig pipeline cleaning in the Gulf of Mexico. Shotgun metagenomics showed diverse communities at species level in pipeline sludge: bacteria up to 112, 34 archaea, 9 fungi, and 23 viruses. In AK the most abundant taxa were Petrotogaceae with Petrotoga(31.16%) and Methanomicrobiaceae (48.51%). In AK5 were Methylobacterium(49%) and Methanomicrobiaceae (19.49%). Concerning fungi and viruses, respectively: Clavariaceae (43.26%), Picciniaceae (35.59), Onygenaceae (3.77%), Siphoviridae(46.8%), Myoviridae(33.50%), Podoviridae(7.36%) in AK5. Proteomics revealed 32,284 proteins in AK, 13,664 in AK5, and 7 in SW. Expressed proteins were oxidoreductases, lyases, nitrogenases, metalloproteases, and hydrolases associated with the biocorrosion process, for instance, electron transport, sulfur oxidation, nitrate reduction, biofilm formation, and oxygen reduction. In addition to the functional annotation of metagenomes in KEGG pathways, through the Multigenomic Entropy Based Score (MEBS) the metabolic functions were evaluated explaining the relation to energy transfer processes of the biogeochemical cycles. The sludge was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Mössbauer spectroscopy suggesting the microbiota involvement in the biofouling and biocorrosion processes. Regarding the electrochemical assessments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) coupled to SEM, AK, AK5, and SW biofilms on X52 steel behaved differently. Three electrochemical mechanisms of biocorrosion are proposed.

The article focuses on tracking the past and future spread of ragweed allergies. Topics include the height of the Gilded Age, perhaps feeling jealous of London's Kew Gardens, American industrialists funded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, and the garden's other features is its herbarium; today, it's the second largest in the world, with more than seven million specimens.

But in the southern mountains, where forests are dying even without fires because of drought stress, chaparral may replace trees permanently. California's forests are "never going to get a chance to become old-growth forest again", Wang said. In particular, forests in California's southwestern mountains lost 14% of tree cover. [Extracted from the article]