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There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks. We tested this hypothesis on a large dataset by comparing the amount of male variation and female variation in total EE, activity EE and basal EE, at different life stages, along with several morphological traits: height, fat free mass and fat mass. Total EE, and to some degree also activity EE, exhibit considerable greater male variation (GMV) in young adults, and then a decreasing GMV in progressively older individuals. Arguably, basal EE, and also morphometrics, do not exhibit this pattern. These findings suggest that single male sexual characteristics may not exhibit peak GMV in young adulthood, however total and perhaps also activity EE, associated with many morphological and physiological traits combined, do exhibit GMV most prominently during the reproductive life stages.

Abstract Background A multidrug-resistant lineage of Staphylococcus epidermidis named ST215 is a common cause of prosthetic joint infections and other deep surgical site infections in Northern Europe, but is not present elsewhere. The increasing resistance among S. epidermidis strains is a global concern. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize ST215 from healthcare settings. Results We completed the genome of a ST215 isolate from a Swedish hospital using short and long reads, resulting in a circular 2,676,787 bp chromosome and a 2,326 bp plasmid. The new ST215 genome was placed in phylogenetic context using 1,361 finished public S. epidermidis reference genomes. We generated 10 additional short-read ST215 genomes and 11 short-read genomes of ST2, which is another common multidrug-resistant lineage at the same hospital. We studied recombination’s role in the evolution of ST2 and ST215, and found multiple recombination events averaging 30–50 kb. By comparing the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for 31 antimicrobial drugs with the genome content encoding antimicrobial resistance in the ST215 and ST2 isolates, we found highly similar resistance traits between the isolates, with 22 resistance genes being shared between all the ST215 and ST2 genomes. The ST215 genome contained 29 genes that were historically identified as virulence genes of S. epidermidis ST2. We established that in the nucleotide sequence stretches identified as recombination events, virulence genes were overrepresented in ST215, while antibiotic resistance genes were overrepresented in ST2. Conclusions This study features the extensive antibiotic resistance and virulence gene content in ST215 genomes. ST215 and ST2 lineages have similarly evolved, acquiring resistance and virulence through genomic recombination. The results highlight the threat of new multidrug-resistant S. epidermidis lineages emerging in healthcare settings.

Water is essential for survival, but one in three individuals worldwide (2.2 billion people) lacks access to safe drinking water. Water intake requirements largely reflect water turnover (WT), the water used by the body each day. We investigated the determinants of human WT in 5604 people from the ages of 8 days to 96 years from 23 countries using isotope-tracking (2H) methods. Age, body size, and composition were significantly associated with WT, as were physical activity, athletic status, pregnancy, socioeconomic status, and environmental characteristics (latitude, altitude, air temperature, and humidity). People who lived in countries with a low human development index (HDI) had higher WT than people in high-HDI countries. On the basis of this extensive dataset, we provide equations to predict human WT in relation to anthropometric, economic, and environmental factors.

In mammals, trait variation is often reported to be greater among males than females. However, to date, mainly only morphological traits have been studied. Energy expenditure represents the metabolic costs of multiple physical, physiological, and behavioral traits. Energy expenditure could exhibit particularly high greater male variation through a cumulative effect if those traits mostly exhibit greater male variation, or a lack of greater male variation if many of them do not. Sex differences in energy expenditure variation have been little explored. We analyzed a large database on energy expenditure in adult humans (1494 males and 3108 females) to investigate whether humans have evolved sex differences in the degree of interindividual variation in energy expenditure. We found that, even when statistically comparing males and females of the same age, height, and body composition, there is much more variation in total, activity, and basal energy expenditure among males. However, with aging, variation in total energy expenditure decreases, and because this happens more rapidly in males, the magnitude of greater male variation, though still large, is attenuated in older age groups. Considerably greater male variation in both total and activity energy expenditure could be explained by greater male variation in levels of daily activity. The considerably greater male variation in basal energy expenditure is remarkable and may be explained, at least in part, by greater male variation in the size of energy-demanding organs. If energy expenditure is a trait that is of indirect interest to females when choosing a sexual partner, this would suggest that energy expenditure is under sexual selection. However, we present a novel energetics model demonstrating that it is also possible that females have been under stabilizing selection pressure for an intermediate basal energy expenditure to maximize energy available for reproduction.

Lower ambient temperature (Ta) requires greater energy expenditure to sustain body temperature. However, effects of Ta on human energetics may be buffered by environmental modification and behavioral compensation. We used the IAEA DLW database for adults in the USA (n = 3213) to determine the effect of Ta (-10 to +30°C) on TEE, basal (BEE) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) and physical activity level (PAL). There were no significant relationships (p > 0.05) between maximum, minimum and average Ta and TEE, BEE, AEE and PAL. After adjustment for fat-free mass, fat mass and age, statistically significant (p

Head and pelvis vertical movement asymmetries in horses are often evaluated under different conditions yet better understanding is required of how these asymmetries are altered by factors such as surface type or circle size. This study investigated how stride duration, surface and lungeing in circles of different sizes influenced objectively measured head and pelvis movement asymmetries in riding horses in full training. Movement asymmetries were recorded with body mounted accelerometers and were based on the differences between the two vertical displacement minima or maxima of head (HDmin, HDmax) and pelvis (PDmin, PDmax) within a stride cycle. Each horse was evaluated during straight-line trot and during lungeing (d = 10m/15m) on hard and soft surfaces at slow and fast speed (determined by stride duration). All horses (N = 76) had at least one movement asymmetry parameter above a predefined thresholds (|HDmin| or |HDmax| >6mm, |PDmin| or |PDmax| >3mm) during a straight line trot on hard surface (baseline). The horses were assigned to a 'predominant asymmetry' group (HDmin, HDmax, PDmin, PDmax) based on which movement asymmetry parameter was the greatest during the baseline condition; the head movement asymmetry values were divided by two to account for the difference in magnitude of the thresholds. Analysis was carried out for each predominant asymmetry group separately using linear mixed models-outcome variable: predominant asymmetry parameter; random factor: horse; fixed factors: surface, direction with stride duration as covariate (P

Surveillance of mosquito vectors is critical for early detection, prevention and control of vector borne diseases. In this study we used advanced molecular tools, such as DNA barcoding in combination with novel sequencing technologies to discover new and already known viruses in genetically identified mosquito species. Mosquitoes were captured using BG sentinel traps in Western Kenya during May and July 2019, and homogenized individually before pooled into groups of ten mosquitoes. The pools and individual samples were then used for molecular analysis and to infect cell cultures. Of a total of fifty-four (54) 10-pools, thirteen (13) showed cytopathic effect (CPE) on VeroB4 cells, eighteen (18) showed CPE on C6/36 cells. Eight (8) 10-pools out of the 31 CPE positive pools showed CPE on both VeroB4 and C6/36 cells. When using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Sanger sequencing and Twist Comprehensive Viral Research Panel (CVRP) (Twist Biosciences), all pools were found negative by RT-PCR when using genus specific primers targeting alphaviruses, orthobunyaviruses and virus specific primers towards o'nyong-nyong virus, chikungunya virus and Sindbis virus (previously reported to circulate in the region). Interestingly, five pools were RT-PCR positive for flavivirus. Two of the RT-PCR positive pools showed CPE on both VeroB4 and C6/36 cells, two pools showed CPE on C6/36 cells alone and one pool on VeroB4 cells only. Fifty individual mosquito homogenates from the five RT-PCR positive 10-pools were analyzed further for flavivirus RNA. Of these, 19 out of the 50 individual mosquito homogenates indicated the presence of flavivirus RNA. Barcoding of the flavivirus positive mosquitoes revealed the mosquito species as Aedes aegypti (1), Mansonia uniformis (6), Anopheles spp (3), Culex pipiens (5), Culex spp (1), Coquilletidia metallica (2) and Culex quinquefasciatus (1). Of the 19 flavivirus positive individual mosquitoes, five (5) virus positive homogenates were sequenced. Genome sequences of two viruses were completed. One was identified as the single-stranded RNA Culex flavivirus and the other as the double-stranded RNA Hubei chryso-like virus 1. Both viruses were found in the same Anopheles spp. homogenate extracted from a sample that showed CPE on both VeroB4 and C6/36 cells. The detection of both viruses in a single mosquito homogenate indicated coinfection. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the Culex flavivirus sequence detected was closely related to a Culex flavivirus isolated from Uganda in 2008. All four Hubei chryso-like virus 1 segments clusters closely to Hubei chryso-like virus 1 strains isolated in Australia, China and USA. Two novel strains of insect-specific viruses in Anopheles mosquitoes were detected and characterized.

Low total energy expenditure (TEE, MJ/d) has been a hypothesized risk factor for weight gain, but repeatability of TEE, a critical variable in longitudinal studies of energy balance, is understudied. We examine repeated doubly labeled water (DLW) measurements of TEE in 348 adults and 47 children from the IAEA DLW Database (mean ± SD time interval: 1.9 ± 2.9 y) to assess repeatability of TEE, and to examine if TEE adjusted for age, sex, fat-free mass, and fat mass is associated with changes in weight or body composition. Here, we report that repeatability of TEE is high for adults, but not children. Bivariate Bayesian mixed models show no among or within-individual correlation between body composition (fat mass or percentage) and unadjusted TEE in adults. For adults aged 20-60 y (N = 267; time interval: 7.4 ± 12.2 weeks), increases in adjusted TEE are associated with weight gain but not with changes in body composition; results are similar for subjects with intervals >4 weeks (N = 53; 29.1 ± 12.8 weeks). This suggests low TEE is not a risk factor for, and high TEE is not protective against, weight or body fat gain over the time intervals tested.

Abstract Distal radius fractures are one of the most common fractures in adults. More research is needed to establish evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to generate cost-effective and fair fracture treatment. The Swedish National Patient Register is a principal source for population-based epidemiologic studies in Sweden. The validity of some–but not all–diagnoses in the register is high. Little is known regarding the validity of registration of distal radius fractures. A dataset of cases registered with diagnosis of distal radius fracture (S52.5) or distal radius and ulna fracture (S52.6) were collected from the Swedish National Inpatient and Outpatient Registers. Six cohorts, each containing 240 simple random samples, were constructed. Radiographic reports and medical records were reviewed to confirm or reject the diagnosis as well as, in relevant cases, the surgical intervention. Positive predictive values (PPV) were calculated. The PPV for distal radius fracture in the register ranges between 92 and 100%, lower if coded as S52.6 and higher if there was an adherent code of surgical intervention. Codes for surgical intervention reached a PPV of 95–100%. In conclusion, the validity of the codes for diagnosis and the surgical treatment of distal radius fracture is high in the Swedish National Patient Register. According to our results, the register may be used as a reliable data source for population-based research of distal radius fractures.

Abstract This paper presents a novel machine learning framework for detecting PxAF, a pathological characteristic of electrocardiogram (ECG) that can lead to fatal conditions such as heart attack. To enhance the learning process, the framework involves a generative adversarial network (GAN) along with a neural architecture search (NAS) in the data preparation and classifier optimization phases. The GAN is innovatively invoked to overcome the class imbalance of the training data by producing the synthetic ECG for PxAF class in a certified manner. The effect of the certified GAN is statistically validated. Instead of using a general-purpose classifier, the NAS automatically designs a highly accurate convolutional neural network architecture customized for the PxAF classification task. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the proposed framework exhibits a high value of 99.0% which not only enhances state-of-the-art by up to 5.1%, but also improves the classification performance of the two widely-accepted baseline methods, ResNet-18, and Auto-Sklearn, by $$2.2\%$$ 2.2 % and $$6.1\%$$ 6.1 % .

BackgroundPhysical activity may be a way to increase and maintain fat-free mass (FFM) in later life, similar to the prevention of fractures by increasing peak bone mass.ObjectivesA study is presented of the association between FFM and physical activity in relation to age.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, FFM was analyzed in relation to physical activity in a large participant group as compiled in the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water database. The database included 2000 participants, age 3-96 y, with measurements of total energy expenditure (TEE) and resting energy expenditure (REE) to allow calculation of physical activity level (PAL = TEE/REE), and calculation of FFM from isotope dilution.ResultsPAL was a main determinant of body composition at all ages. Models with age, fat mass (FM), and PAL explained 76% and 85% of the variation in FFM in females and males

Understanding the impacts of activity on energy balance is crucial. Increasing levels of activity may bring diminishing returns in energy expenditure because of compensatory responses in non-activity energy expenditures.1-3 This suggestion has profound implications for both the evolution of metabolism and human health. It implies that a long-term increase in activity does not directly translate into an increase in total energy expenditure (TEE) because other components of TEE may decrease in response-energy compensation. We used the largest dataset compiled on adult TEE and basal energy expenditure (BEE) (n = 1,754) of people living normal lives to find that energy compensation by a typical human averages 28% due to reduced BEE; this suggests that only 72% of the extra calories we burn from additional activity translates into extra calories burned that day. Moreover, the degree of energy compensation varied considerably between people of different body compositions. This association between compensation and adiposity could be due to among-individual differences in compensation: people who compensate more may be more likely to accumulate body fat. Alternatively, the process might occur within individuals: as we get fatter, our body might compensate more strongly for the calories burned during activity, making losing fat progressively more difficult. Determining the causality of the relationship between energy compensation and adiposity will be key to improving public health strategies regarding obesity.

Abstract Background Formula-fed infants are at increased risk of infections. Due to the cross-talk between the mucosal systems of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, adding synbiotics (prebiotics and probiotics) to infant formula may prevent infections even at distant sites. Infants that were born full term and weaned from breast milk were randomized to prebiotic formula (fructo- and galactooligosaccharides) or the same prebiotic formula with Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei F19 (synbiotics) from 1 to 6 months of age. The objective was to examine the synbiotic effects on gut microbiota development. Results Fecal samples collected at ages 1, 4, 6, and 12 months were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a combination of untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed that the synbiotic group had a lower abundance of Klebsiella, a higher abundance of Bifidobacterium breve compared to the prebiotic group, and increases in the anti-microbial metabolite d-3-phenyllactic acid. We also analyzed the fecal metagenome and antibiotic resistome in the 11 infants that had been diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infection (cases) and 11 matched controls using deep metagenomic sequencing. Cases with lower respiratory tract infection had a higher abundance of Klebsiella species and antimicrobial resistance genes related to Klebsiella pneumoniae, compared to controls. The results obtained using 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic sequencing were confirmed in silico by successful recovery of the metagenome-assembled genomes of the bacteria of interest. Conclusions This study demonstrates the additional benefit of feeding specific synbiotics to formula-fed infants over prebiotics only. Synbiotic feeding led to the underrepresentation of Klebsiella, enrichment of bifidobacteria, and increases in microbial degradation metabolites implicated in immune signaling and in the gut-lung and gut-skin axes. Our findings support future clinical evaluation of synbiotic formula in the prevention of infections and associated antibiotic treatment as a primary outcome when breastfeeding is not feasible. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01625273 . Retrospectively registered on 21 June 2012.

This study investigates the effects of a ketogenic low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) diet on body composition in healthy, young, normal-weight women. With the increasing interest in ketogenic diets for their various health benefits, this research aims to understand their impact on body composition, focusing on women who are often underrepresented in such studies. Conducting a randomized controlled feeding trial with a crossover design, this study compares a ketogenic LCHF diet to a Swedish National Food Agency (NFA)-recommended control diet over four weeks. Seventeen healthy, young, normal-weight women adhered strictly to the provided diets, with ketosis confirmed through blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was utilized for precise body composition measurements. To avoid bias, all statistical analyses were performed blind. The findings reveal that the ketogenic LCHF diet led to a significant reduction in both lean mass (−1.45 kg 95% CI: [−1.90;−1.00]; p < 0.001) and fat mass (−0.66 kg 95% CI: [−1.00;−0.32]; p < 0.001) compared to the control diet, despite similar energy intake and physical activity levels. This study concludes that while the ketogenic LCHF diet is effective for weight loss, it disproportionately reduces lean mass over fat mass, suggesting the need for concurrent strength training to mitigate muscle loss in women following this diet.

Total daily energy expenditure ("total expenditure") reflects daily energy needs and is a critical variable in human health and physiology, but its trajectory over the life course is poorly studied. We analyzed a large, diverse database of total expenditure measured by the doubly labeled water method for males and females aged 8 days to 95 years. Total expenditure increased with fat-free mass in a power-law manner, with four distinct life stages. Fat-free mass-adjusted expenditure accelerates rapidly in neonates to ~50% above adult values at ~1 year; declines slowly to adult levels by ~20 years; remains stable in adulthood (20 to 60 years), even during pregnancy; then declines in older adults. These changes shed light on human development and aging and should help shape nutrition and health strategies across the life span.

Abstract Background Recent advances in sequencing technologies offer promising tools for generating large numbers of genomes, larger typing databases and improved mapping of environmental bacterial diversity. However, DNA-based methods for the detection of Francisella were developed with limited knowledge about genetic diversity. This, together with the high sequence identity between several Francisella species, means there is a high risk of false identification and detection of the highly virulent pathogen Francisella tularensis. Moreover, phylogenetic reconstructions using single or limited numbers of marker sequences often result in incorrect tree topologies and inferred evolutionary distances. The recent growth in publicly accessible whole-genome sequences now allows evaluation of published genetic markers to determine optimal combinations of markers that minimise both time and laboratory costs. Results In the present study, we evaluated 38 previously published DNA markers and the corresponding PCR primers against 42 genomes representing the currently known diversity of the genus Francisella. The results highlight that PCR assays for Francisella tularensis are often complicated by low specificity, resulting in a high probability of false positives. A method to select a set of one to seven markers for obtaining optimal phylogenetic resolution or diagnostic accuracy is presented. Conclusions Current multiple-locus sequence-typing systems and detection assays of Francisella, could be improved by redesigning some of the primers and reselecting typing markers. The use of only a few optimally selected sequence-typing markers allows construction of phylogenetic topologies with almost the same accuracy as topologies based on whole-genome sequences.

Abstract Background Prior to this study, relatively few strains of Francisella had been genome-sequenced. Previously published Francisella genome sequences were largely restricted to the zoonotic agent F. tularensis. Only limited data were available for other members of the Francisella genus, including F. philomiragia, an opportunistic pathogen of humans, F. noatunensis, a serious pathogen of farmed fish, and other less well described endosymbiotic species. Results We determined the phylogenetic relationships of all known Francisella species, including some for which the phylogenetic positions were previously uncertain. The genus Francisella could be divided into two main genetic clades: one included F. tularensis, F. novicida, F. hispaniensis and Wolbachia persica, and another included F. philomiragia and F. noatunensis. Some Francisella species were found to have significant recombination frequencies. However, the fish pathogen F. noatunensis subsp. noatunensis was an exception due to it exhibiting a highly clonal population structure similar to the human pathogen F. tularensis. Conclusions The genus Francisella can be divided into two main genetic clades occupying both terrestrial and marine habitats. However, our analyses suggest that the ancestral Francisella species originated in a marine habitat. The observed genome to genome variation in gene content and IS elements of different species supports the view that similar evolutionary paths of host adaptation developed independently in F. tularensis (infecting mammals) and F. noatunensis subsp. noatunensis (infecting fish).

The doubly labeled water (DLW) method measures total energy expenditure (TEE) in free-living subjects. Several equations are used to convert isotopic data into TEE. Using the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) DLW database (5,756 measurements of adults and children), we show considerable variability is introduced by different equations. The estimated rCO2 is sensitive to the dilution space ratio (DSR) of the two isotopes. Based on performance in validation studies, we propose a new equation based on a new estimate of the mean DSR. The DSR is lower at low body masses (

Abstract Background We have made use of publicly available gene expression data to identify transcription factors and transcriptional modules (regulons) associated with leaf development in Populus. Different tissue types were compared to identify genes informative in the discrimination of leaf and non-leaf tissues. Transcriptional modules within this set of genes were identified in a much wider set of microarray data collected from leaves in a number of developmental, biotic, abiotic and transgenic experiments. Results Transcription factors that were over represented in leaf EST libraries and that were useful for discriminating leaves from other tissues were identified, revealing that the C2C2-YABBY, CCAAT-HAP3 and 5, MYB, and ZF-HD families are particularly important in leaves. The expression of transcriptional modules and transcription factors was examined across a number of experiments to select those that were particularly active during the early stages of leaf development. Two transcription factors were found to collocate to previously published Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for leaf length. We also found that miRNA family 396 may be important in the control of leaf development, with three members of the family collocating with clusters of leaf development QTL. Conclusion This work provides a set of candidate genes involved in the control and processes of leaf development. This resource can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as informing the selection of candidate genes for association mapping or for the selection of targets for reverse genetics studies to further understanding of the genetic control of leaf size and shape.

Abstract Background Genomic studies are routinely performed on young plants in controlled environments which is very different from natural conditions. In reality plants in temperate countries are exposed to large fluctuations in environmental conditions, in the case of perennials over several years. We have studied gene expression in leaves of a free-growing aspen (Populus tremula) throughout multiple growing seasons Results We show that gene expression during the first month of leaf development was largely determined by a developmental program although leaf expansion, chlorophyll accumulation and the speed of progression through this program was regulated by the temperature. We were also able to define "transcriptional signatures" for four different substages of leaf development. In mature leaves, weather factors were important for gene regulation. Conclusion This study shows that multivariate methods together with high throughput transcriptional methods in the field can provide additional, novel information as to plant status under changing environmental conditions that is impossible to mimic in laboratory conditions. We have generated a dataset that could be used to e.g. identify marker genes for certain developmental stages or treatments, as well as to assess natural variation in gene expression.

Abstract Background During generation of microarray data, various forms of systematic biases are frequently introduced which limits accuracy and precision of the results. In order to properly estimate biological effects, these biases must be identified and discarded. Results We introduce a normalization strategy for multi-channel microarray data based on orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS); a multivariate regression method. The effect of applying the normalization methodology on single-channel Affymetrix data as well as dual-channel cDNA data is illustrated. We provide a parallel comparison to a wide range of commonly employed normalization methods with diverse properties and strengths based on sensitivity and specificity from external (spike-in) controls. On the illustrated data sets, the OPLS normalization strategy exhibits leading average true negative and true positive rates in comparison to other evaluated methods. Conclusion The OPLS methodology identifies joint variation within biological samples to enable the removal of sources of variation that are non-correlated (orthogonal) to the within-sample variation. This ensures that structured variation related to the underlying biological samples is separated from the remaining, bias-related sources of systematic variation. As a consequence, the methodology does not require any explicit knowledge regarding the presence or characteristics of certain biases. Furthermore, there is no underlying assumption that the majority of elements should be non-differentially expressed, making it applicable to specialized boutique arrays.

Abstract Background Proteases play key roles in plants, maintaining strict protein quality control and degrading specific sets of proteins in response to diverse environmental and developmental stimuli. Similarities and differences between the proteases expressed in different species may give valuable insights into their physiological roles and evolution. Results We have performed a comparative analysis of protease genes in the two sequenced dicot genomes, Arabidopsis thaliana and Populus trichocarpa by using genes coding for proteases in the MEROPS database 1 for Arabidopsis to identify homologous sequences in Populus. A multigene-based phylogenetic analysis was performed. Most protease families were found to be larger in Populus than in Arabidopsis, reflecting recent genome duplication. Detailed studies on e.g. the DegP, Clp, FtsH, Lon, rhomboid and papain-Like protease families showed the pattern of gene family expansion and gene loss was complex. We finally show that different Populus tissues express unique suites of protease genes and that the mRNA levels of different classes of proteases change along a developmental gradient. Conclusion Recent gene family expansion and contractions have made the Arabidopsis and Populus complements of proteases different and this, together with expression patterns, gives indications about the roles of the individual gene products or groups of proteases.

Abstract Background cDNA microarray technology has emerged as a major player in the parallel detection of biomolecules, but still suffers from fundamental technical problems. Identifying and removing unreliable data is crucial to prevent the risk of receiving illusive analysis results. Visual assessment of spot quality is still a common procedure, despite the time-consuming work of manually inspecting spots in the range of hundreds of thousands or more. Results A novel methodology for cDNA microarray spot quality control is outlined. Multivariate discriminant analysis was used to assess spot quality based on existing and novel descriptors. The presented methodology displays high reproducibility and was found superior in identifying unreliable data compared to other evaluated methodologies. Conclusion The proposed methodology for cDNA microarray spot quality control generates non-discrete values of spot quality which can be utilized as weights in subsequent analysis procedures as well as to discard spots of undesired quality using the suggested threshold values. The MASQOT approach provides a consistent assessment of spot quality and can be considered an alternative to the labor-intensive manual quality assessment process.

Applying arginine-phosphate (AP) to tree seedlings at planting is a novel silvicultural practice in Northern Europe to improve the success of forest regeneration. We present three case-studies of the potential advantages of adding AP at planting on the establishment and damage susceptibility of seedlings in pure and mixed plantings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. ) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) over two years in the field. Location of study sites were in southern (S), northeastern (NE) and northwestern (NW) Sweden. The main agents of damage were pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) on conifers at the south site, browsing of birch at all sites and browsing/other top damage to conifers at the north sites. The effect of adding AP varied between the sites. It was positive for survival of pine at site S, despite considerable damage by pine weevil. However, at the S site more of the surviving spruce and birch were browsed when treated with AP. At the NE site AP-treatment had positive effects on conifer growth. At the NW site adding AP positively affected survival and growth of all three species, and AP-treated seedlings of all species were less browsed than untreated seedlings. AP treatment presents a potential tool to improve the success of forest regeneration, especially when establishing pine stands in south Sweden.

BackgroundPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of ubiquitous, environmental chemicals that may have endocrine disrupting capabilities. We investigated whether childhood exposure to PAHs was associated with adiposity and pubertal timing in a longitudinal study of 404 girls enrolled in the Northern California site of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program cohort.MethodsBaseline urinary samples from girls aged 6-8-years-old were assayed for 2-naphthol, fluorene metabolites, phenanthrene metabolites, 1-hydroxypyrene, and sum of PAH metabolites. Mixed-effects linear models were used to estimate how concentrations of PAH metabolites were related to changes in girl's body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio from age 7 through 16 years old. Accelerated failure time models were used to estimate age of pubertal onset (Tanner stages 2 or higher for breast and pubic hair development).ResultsHigher adiposity measurements among high tertiles of baseline PAH metabolites were evident at age 7 years old and increased thereafter (i.e., BMI for all PAH metabolites, waist-to-height ratio for fluorene and phenanthrene metabolites) or leveled off (i.e., waist-to-height ratio for 2-naphthol, 1-hydroxypyrene, sum of PAHs). Among girls overweight/obese at baseline, median age of breast development onset for high tertiles was 9.1-9.4 years old compared with 10-10.2 years old for low tertiles for all PAH metabolites; in contrast, found no association or slightly later onset of breast development for girls with normal weight at baseline.DiscussionThese results suggest that exposure to specific PAHs during childhood may influence adiposity throughout adolescence and effect pubertal timing.

In this paper, we explore the improvisations made in examination practices in higher education during the pandemic of 2020. Drawing on STS, we start from the theoretical assumption that examinations constitute an obligatory passage point in universities and colleges: a sacred point which students need to pass if they want to gain recognized qualifications. We base our analysis of higher education examinations on cases from six countries around the world: Australia, Belgium, Chile, India, Sweden and the UK. We use the analytical heuristic of choreography to follow the movements, tensions and resistance of the 'emergency examinations' as well as the re-orderings of actors and stages that have inevitably occurred. In our analytical stories we see the interplay between the maintenance of fixed and sacred aspects of examinations and the fluidity of improvisations aimed at meeting threats of spreading COVID-19. These measures have forced the complex network of examinations both to reinforce some conventional actors and to assemble new actors and stages, thus creating radically new choreographies. Although higher education teaching and didactics are being framed as a playground for pedagogical innovation with digital technologies, it is clear from our data that not all educational activities can be so easily replicated.

West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne zoonosis, has emerged as a disease of public health concern in Europe. Recent outbreaks have been attributed to suitable climatic conditions for its vectors favoring transmission. However, to date, projections of the risk for WNV expansion under climate change scenarios is lacking. Here, we estimate the WNV-outbreaks risk for a set of climate change and socioeconomic scenarios. We delineate the potential risk-areas and estimate the growth in the population at risk (PAR).We used supervised machine learning classifier, XGBoost, to estimate the WNV-outbreak risk using an ensemble climate model and multi-scenario approach. The model was trained by collating climatic, socioeconomic, and reported WNV-infections data (2010−22) and the out-of-sample results (1950–2009, 2023–99) were validated using a novel Confidence-Based Performance Estimation (CBPE) method. Projections of area specific outbreak risk trends, and corresponding population at risk were estimated and compared across scenarios.Our results show up to 5-fold increase in West Nile virus (WNV) risk for 2040-60 in Europe, depending on geographical region and climate scenario, compared to 2000-20. The proportion of disease-reported European land areas could increase from 15% to 23-30%, putting 161 to 244 million people at risk. Across scenarios, Western Europe appears to be facing the largest increase in the outbreak risk of WNV. The increase in the risk is not linear but undergoes periods of sharp changes governed by climatic thresholds associated with ideal conditions for WNV vectors. The increased risk will require a targeted public health response to manage the expansion of WNV with climate change in Europe.