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Background: Penile fibropapilloma is a condition caused by bovine papilloma virus and is frequently encountered in young bulls. Penile fibropapillomatosis is thought to be spread through homosexual mounting behaviour. Fibropapillomas of the penis are painful, often bleed and can impede normal intromission. Treatment may range from allowing time for slow, spontaneous regression to surgical resection but recurrence following surgery is reported by some authors., Case Presentation: Thirty one bulls that were presented to University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital from March 2017 to March 2023 for surgical resection of penile fibropapillomas were included in this retrospective case series. Twenty-seven of the 31 bulls (87%) were under two years of age. The majority (42%) of bulls presented were Hereford, but Angus, Charolais, Holstein-Friesian and Limousin breeds were also seen. Following examination and diagnosis of penile fibropapilloma, regional anaesthesia (xylazine-procaine epidural and internal pudendal nerve block) and standing surgical intervention (resection and cautery) was performed in each case. Phone call follow-up was performed by one author (EET) in all 31 cases and 2 cases out of the 28 that were contactable showed post-surgical recurrence of penile fibropapillomatosis (i.e., 7.1% recurrence rate)., Conclusion: This case series summarises the history and presenting findings of 31 bovine penile fibropapilloma cases and describes a regional anaesthetic and standing surgical approach for successful case management., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is secreted by granulosa cells of healthy, growing follicles and is positively correlated with the ovarian reserve. Maternal and environmental factors, such as nutrition, disease, parity and endocrine disruptors, are thought to have a profound impact on ovarian reserve development during early foetal life. For genetic progress, it can be advantageous to breed dairy replacements from heifers to expedite the generation interval; however, there is some evidence that nulliparous animals produce female offspring with smaller ovarian reserves compared with multiparous animals. The objective of this prospective, observational study was to determine whether maternal growth in the pre-conception and early gestational period of nulliparous dairy heifers is associated with pre-weaning AMH concentrations in their female offspring. Our hypothesis was that excessive growth in this period would negatively impact AMH concentrations. Seasonal, pasture-based dairy heifer calves (n = 156) born from nulliparous dams, from six Irish farms, were blood sampled at an average of 60 days of age in spring 2022 and tested for AMH. Mixed-effects linear regression models were constructed with Box-Cox transformed AMH concentration as the dependent variable. The independent variables tested included maternal average daily gain (ADG) from pre-breeding examination (PBE) to pregnancy diagnosis (PD) between 30 and 60 days in calf (DIC), ADG from PBE to PD over 60 DIC and ADG between the two PDs. Calf breed and age at sampling were forced into the models, and the farm was treated as a random effect in all models. We found that as ADG increased from the pre-breeding period to their first PD visit, the AMH concentration in their offspring reduced. However, ADG explained only a small amount of the variation in AMH concentrations (marginal R 2  = 0.041). In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that excessive growth prior to conception and in early gestation of nulliparous heifers could impact the ovarian reserve of their female offspring, and may imply that farmers should avoid excessive growth in the immediate pre-breeding and early gestational periods., (© 2023 The Authors. Reproduction in Domestic Animals published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: Climate change is a source of global concern that has both direct and general impacts on mental health. A recent study conducted following severe bushfires in Australia demonstrated relationships among nature connectedness, climate action, climate worry, and mental health; for example, nature connectedness was associated with climate worry, which in turn was associated with psychological distress., Methods: The present study sought to replicate those findings while building on them in two important ways: on those findings in two ways: first, test similar relationships in a different geographical context that has been mostly spared from direct impacts by acute climate events; second, we take into consideration an additional factor, climate knowledge, which has been linked to relevant factors such as climate anxiety., Results: The results of a survey completed by 327 adults revealed a similar relationship between nature connectedness and climate anxiety, and between that and psychological distress. Further mirroring those previous findings, nature connectedness was associated with both individual and collective climate action, but the relationships between them and psychological distress differed., Discussion: The proposed model was a better fit to the collected data among those with high levels of climate change knowledge than those with low levels, suggesting that such knowledge influences how the above factors relate to each other., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Thomson and Roach.)

Heifers that conceive early in the breeding season are key to the maintenance of a compact calving pattern in seasonal dairy herds. The purpose of this prospective observational study was to determine whether a single pre-breeding examination is useful in predicting future reproductive and calving performance in dairy heifers. This evaluation was based on a matrix of easily measurable variables which could be applied to seasonal, pasture-based dairy heifers. The matrix variables were; body weight (≥55% mature body weight at mating start date), body condition score (≥3.5), and the presence of a corpus luteum. Seasonal, pasture-based dairy heifers (n = 572) on six commercial dairy farms were examined at an average of 28 days prior to the breeding season. At this examination, they were classified as READY (meeting all three of the above criteria), INTERMEDIATE (meeting one or two of the above criteria) or PROBLEM (meeting none of the above criteria) based on the matrix and then exposed to a routine artificial insemination (AI) breeding period followed by bull breeding depending on individual farm management. Subsequent pregnancy status was determined by transrectal ultrasonography initially at 30-60 days in calf (DIC), and confirmed at over 60 DIC. After the breeding season, 519 (96%) of heifers were determined to be pregnant, of which 345 (64%) became pregnant within the first three weeks of the breeding season. Farmers collected calving data; including calving difficulty score, from the heifers the following spring. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between the matrix categories and the following outcomes: reproductive (21 day submission rate, 1st AI conception rate, 3 wk and 6 wk in calf rate) and calving (assistance and dystocia). Heifers classified as PROBLEM had significantly lower odds of conceiving to the first AI serve and of becoming pregnant within the first three and six weeks of the breeding season (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the proposed matrix could be practically useful for classifying heifers prior to the breeding season., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The dynamics of living organisms are organized across many spatial scales. However, current cost-effective imaging systems can measure only a subset of these scales at once. We have created a scalable multi-camera array microscope (MCAM) that enables comprehensive high-resolution recording from multiple spatial scales simultaneously, ranging from structures that approach the cellular scale to large-group behavioral dynamics. By collecting data from up to 96 cameras, we computationally generate gigapixel-scale images and movies with a field of view over hundreds of square centimeters at an optical resolution of 18 µm. This allows us to observe the behavior and fine anatomical features of numerous freely moving model organisms on multiple spatial scales, including larval zebrafish, fruit flies, nematodes, carpenter ants, and slime mold. Further, the MCAM architecture allows stereoscopic tracking of the z-position of organisms using the overlapping field of view from adjacent cameras. Overall, by removing the bottlenecks imposed by single-camera image acquisition systems, the MCAM provides a powerful platform for investigating detailed biological features and behavioral processes of small model organisms across a wide range of spatial scales., Competing Interests: ET, KK, PK, CS, CC, SX, WJ, RB, YC, TD, EN No competing interests declared, MH is scientific co-founder at Ramona Optics Inc which is commercializing and patenting the multi-camera array microscope, SS, JP was an employee at Ramona Optics Inc, which is commercializing and patenting the multi-camera array microscope, RH is a scientific co-founder at Ramona Optics Inc, which is commercializing and patenting the multi-camera array microscope, (© 2022, Thomson et al.)

Stomata are the pores in the epidermal surface of plant leaves that regulate the exchange of water and CO 2 with the environment thus controlling leaf gas exchange. 1 In the model dicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH) and MUTE sequentially control formative divisions in the stomatal lineage by forming heterodimers with ICE1. 2 SPCH regulates entry into the stomatal lineage and its stability or activity is regulated by a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, mediated by its interaction with ICE1. 3-6 This MAPK pathway is regulated by extracellular epidermal patterning factor (EPFs) peptides, which bind a transmembrane receptor complex to inhibit (EPF1 and EPF2) or promote (STOMAGEN/EPFL9) stomatal development. 7-9 MUTE controls the transition to guard mother cell identity and is regulated by the HD-ZIP transcription factor HDG2, which is expressed exclusively in stomatal lineage cells. 10 , 11 Light signals acting through phytochrome and cryptochrome photoreceptors positively regulate stomatal development in response to increased irradiance. 12 , 13 Here we report that stomatal development is also regulated by the redox state of the photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC). Oxidation of the plastoquinone (PQ) pool inhibits stomatal development by negatively regulating SPCH and MUTE expression. This mechanism is dependent on MPK6 and forms part of the response to lowering irradiance, which is distinct to the photoreceptor dependent response to increasing irradiance. Our results show that environmental signals can act through the PETC, demonstrating that photosynthetic signals regulate the development of the pores through which CO2 enters the leaf., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Detailed quantification of neural dynamics across the entire brain will be the key to genuinely understanding perception and behavior. With the recent developments in microscopy and biosensor engineering, the zebrafish has made a grand entrance in neuroscience as its small size and optical transparency enable imaging access to its entire brain at cellular and even subcellular resolution. However, until recently many neurobiological insights were largely correlational or provided little mechanistic insight into the brain-wide population dynamics generated by diverse types of neurons. Now with increasingly sophisticated behavioral, imaging, and causal intervention paradigms, zebrafish are revealing how entire vertebrate brains function. Here we review recent research that fulfills promises made by the early wave of technical advances. These studies reveal new features of brain-wide neural processing and the importance of integrative investigation and computational modelling. Moreover, we outline the future tools necessary for solving broader brain-scale circuit problems., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Adult rats equipped with a sensory prosthesis, which transduced infrared (IR) signals into electrical signals delivered to somatosensory cortex (S1), took approximately 4 d to learn a four-choice IR discrimination task. Here, we show that when such IR signals are projected to the primary visual cortex (V1), rats that are pretrained in a visual-discrimination task typically learn the same IR discrimination task on their first day of training. However, without prior training on a visual discrimination task, the learning rates for S1- and V1-implanted animals converged, suggesting there is no intrinsic difference in learning rate between the two areas. We also discovered that animals were able to integrate IR information into the ongoing visual processing stream in V1, performing a visual-IR integration task in which they had to combine IR and visual information. Furthermore, when the IR prosthesis was implanted in S1, rats showed no impairment in their ability to use their whiskers to perform a tactile discrimination task. Instead, in some rats, this ability was actually enhanced. Cumulatively, these findings suggest that cortical sensory neuroprostheses can rapidly augment the representational scope of primary sensory areas, integrating novel sources of information into ongoing processing while incurring minimal loss of native function.

Can the adult brain assimilate a novel, topographically organized, sensory modality into its perceptual repertoire? To test this, we implemented a microstimulation-based neuroprosthesis that rats used to discriminate among infrared (IR) light sources. This system continuously relayed information from four IR sensors that were distributed to provide a panoramic view of IR sources, into primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Rats learned to discriminate the location of IR sources in <4 d. Animals in which IR information was delivered in spatial register with whisker topography learned the task more quickly. Further, in animals that had learned to use the prosthesis, altering the topographic mapping from IR sensor to stimulating electrode had immediate deleterious effects on discrimination performance. Multielectrode recordings revealed that S1 neurons had multimodal (tactile/IR) receptive fields, with clear preferences for those stimuli most likely to be delivered during the task. Neuronal populations predicted, with high accuracy, which stimulation pattern was present in small (75 ms) time windows. Surprisingly, when identical microstimulation patterns were delivered during an unrelated task, cortical activity in S1 was strongly suppressed. Overall, these results show that the adult mammalian neocortex can readily absorb completely new information sources into its representational repertoire, and use this information in the production of adaptive behaviors., (Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/362407-19$15.00/0.)

Sensory neuroprostheses show great potential for alleviating major sensory deficits. It is not known, however, whether such devices can augment the subject's normal perceptual range. Here we show that adult rats can learn to perceive otherwise invisible infrared light through a neuroprosthesis that couples the output of a head-mounted infrared sensor to their somatosensory cortex (S1) via intracortical microstimulation. Rats readily learn to use this new information source, and generate active exploratory strategies to discriminate among infrared signals in their environment. S1 neurons in these infrared-perceiving rats respond to both whisker deflection and intracortical microstimulation, suggesting that the infrared representation does not displace the original tactile representation. Hence, sensory cortical prostheses, in addition to restoring normal neurological functions, may serve to expand natural perceptual capabilities in mammals.

Spike times encode stimulus values in many sensory systems, but it is generally unknown whether such temporal variations are decoded (i.e., whether they influence downstream networks that control behavior). In the present study, we directly address this decoding problem by quantifying both sensory encoding and decoding in the leech. By mechanically stimulating the leech body wall while recording from mechanoreceptors, we show that pairs of leech sensory neurons with overlapping receptive fields encode touch location by their relative latencies, number of spikes, and instantaneous firing rates, with relative latency being the most accurate indicator of touch location. We then show that the relative latency and count are decoded by manipulating these variables in sensory neuron pairs while simultaneously monitoring the resulting behavior. Although both variables are important determinants of leech behavior, the decoding mechanisms are more sensitive to changes in relative spike count than changes in relative latency.

In response to touches to their skin, medicinal leeches shorten their body on the side of the touch. We elicited local bends by delivering precisely controlled pressure stimuli at different locations, intensities, and durations to body-wall preparations. We video-taped the individual responses, quantifying the body-wall displacements over time using a motion-tracking algorithm based on making optic flow estimates between video frames. Using principal components analysis (PCA), we found that one to three principal components fit the behavioral data much better than did previous (cosine) measures. The amplitudes of the principal components (i.e., the principal component scores) nicely discriminated the responses to stimuli both at different locations and of different intensities. Leeches discriminated (i.e., produced distinguishable responses) between touch locations that are approximately a millimeter apart. Their ability to discriminate stimulus intensity depended on stimulus magnitude: discrimination was very acute for weak stimuli and less sensitive for stronger stimuli. In addition, increasing the stimulus duration improved the leech's ability to discriminate between stimulus intensities. Overall, the use of optic flow fields and PCA provide a powerful framework for characterizing the discrimination abilities of the leech local bend response.

Performance in sensory discrimination tasks is commonly quantified using either information theory or ideal observer analysis. These two quantitative frameworks are often assumed to be equivalent. For example, higher mutual information is said to correspond to improved performance of an ideal observer in a stimulus estimation task. To the contrary, drawing on and extending previous results, we show that five information-theoretic quantities (entropy, response-conditional entropy, specific information, equivocation, and mutual information) violate this assumption. More positively, we show how these information measures can be used to calculate upper and lower bounds on ideal observer performance, and vice versa. The results show that the mathematical resources of ideal observer analysis are preferable to information theory for evaluating performance in a stimulus discrimination task. We also discuss the applicability of information theory to questions that ideal observer analysis cannot address.

Calsenilin, which was originally identified as a presenilin interacting protein, has since been shown to be involved in the processing of presenilin(s), the modulation of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) levels and apoptosis. Subsequent to its original identification, calsenilin was shown to act as a downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (and termed DREAM), as well as to interact with and modulate A-type potassium channels (and termed KChIP3). Calsenilin is primarily a cytoplasmic protein that must translocate to the nucleus to perform its function as a transcriptional repressor. This study was designed to determine the cellular events that modulate the translocation of calsenilin from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The nuclear translocation of calsenilin was found to be enhanced following serum deprivation. A similar effect was observed when cells were treated with pharmacological agents that directly manipulate the levels of intracellular calcium (caffeine and the calcium ionophore A23187), suggesting that the increased levels of calsenilin in the nucleus are mediated by changes in intracellular calcium. A calsenilin mutant that was incapable of binding calcium retained the ability to translocate to the nucleus. Taken together, these findings indicate that the level of intracellular calcium can modulate the nuclear translocation of calsenilin and that this process does not involve the direct binding of calcium to calsenilin.

The application of monoclonal antibodies to the quantification of blood group antigen sites on erythrocytes was examined. A second antibody technique using labelled anti-mouse IgG could not be used as it was not possible to predict the binding ratio between this and the monoclonal antibody. A series of monoclonal antibodies (R10, R18, BRIC 13, BRIC 14) to the erythrocyte sialoglycoprotein alpha (syn: glycophorin A) showed the number of antigen sites to be from 0.3 X 10(6) to 1.2 X 10(6) per erythrocyte and supported the conclusion that the Wrb antigen is located on this protein. An antibody with a specificity related to the Rh blood group system (R6A) showed 4.6 - 10.4 X 10(4) binding sites to be present on cells of phenotype cCDEe. On cells of phenotype -D- 1.24 X 10(4) binding sites were present but protease treatment increased the number of available sites to 1.3 X 10(5). An antibody to a Kell-related antigen (BRIC 18) recognized 2.5 - 5.9 X 10(3) sites per erythrocyte on cells of phenotype Kk. However, a similar number also appeared to be present on cells of the McLeod and Ko phenotypes although the affinity for the antigen on these cells was very much reduced. The potential of using monoclonal antibodies for this purpose and the value of this in the study of blood group systems has been demonstrated.

We have studied the erythrocytes of two individuals (P. L. and K. W.) who lack the Gerbich (Ge) blood-group antigen. The erythrocytes of P. L. and K. W. were not reactive with two monoclonal antibodies (NBTS/BRIC 4 and NBTS/BRIC 10) which reacted with normal erythrocytes. The membranes of P. L. and K. W. erythrocytes appeared to lack three minor sialoglycoproteins (beta, beta 1 and gamma). These three minor sialoglycoproteins were found to be associated with the cytoskeletons of normal erythrocytes. Approx. 10% of the erythrocytes of P. L. and K. W. were frankly elliptocytic. We suggest that one or more of the minor sialoglycoproteins may play a part in maintaining the discoid shape of the human erythrocyte.

The amount of antibody bound to cells in a low ionic strength solution (LISS) has been quantitated for several antibodies including anti-D, anti-c, anti-Kell, anti-Fya, and anti-Jka. With the exception of the Kell antibodies there was an enhancement of the rate of antibody uptake in LISS. For Rh antibodies the amount bound after a 5-min LISS incubation is comparable to that bound after 45 min in saline. For Kell antibodies a smaller amount was bound in LISS than in saline. The effect of the ratio of serum to cells was also studied, and with several antibodies there was an increase in the amount of antibody bound with a higher serum to cell ratio irrespective of suspending medium. For Kell antibodies this ratio appears to be of greater importance than the ionic strength for antibody detection. A modification to the LISS method to increase the serum to cell ratio is, therefore, presented.

A sensitive method has been developed using 125I-labelled anti-IgG which allows detection of IgG present on the red cell surface. By suitable absorption and correction for non-specific binding to trypsinized red cells, a reproducible, accurate method of quantitating IgG absorbed onto red cells is obtained. The number of IgG molecules present on normal cells was found to range from 5 to 90 with an average of 39. Studies of correlation of agglutination in the antiglobulin test with numbers of IgG molecules on the cell were also undertaken.

Monocyte-erythrocyte interaction in patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) was assessed by phagocytosis and rosette assays. In most patients, a relationship was observed between haemolysis and the phagocytosis of their own erythrocytes by allogenic peripheral monocytes. An evaluation of the number of immunoglobulins on patient erythrocytes and IgG subclasses of autoantibodies shows that in patients with only IgG1 antibody or with additional IgG2 or/and IgG4, phagocytosis was always observed when the number of erythrocyte-bound IgG molecules was above 2,000. On the other hand, in all patients where IgG3 was detectable, phagocytosis was observed even if the amount of IgG was as low as 230 molecules per erythrocyte. Similar observations were made in the rosette assay. Generally, the number of erythrocyte-bound IgG and the presence of phagocytosis were correlated with the degree of haemolysis, but there were exceptions, i.e. the amount of IgG and phagocytosis were high but there was no evidence of haemolysis, or where there was little IgG, no phagocytosis but haemolysis was present. Our data do not indicate that erythrocytes from AIHA are preferentially bound to autologous monocytes.

A sensitive method is described for the quantification of C3 fragments on erythrocytes. A radiolabelled monoclonal antibody, was used which was directed against a C3d determinant on all forms of cell bound C3. The number of C3 molecules on normal erythrocytes was estimated to be 420 +/- 140. The strength of the antiglobulin test increased from negative to 5+ over a range of only 850 C3 molecules (400-1250). A blood donor with a positive direct antiglobulin test was found to have 4800 molecules per cell whereas three cases of cold haemagglutinin disease with active haemolysis had from 16 000 to 52 020 C3 molecules per cell. This test has an application in the testing of acquired haemolytic anaemia cases with a positive direct antiglobulin test with C3 bound to the cells and in the standardization of sensitized cells used for testing antiglobulin reagents by various serological techniques.

The number of IgG molecules bound to the erythrocyte surface for a given agglutination score in the antiglobulin test was studied with several different examples of anti-D, anti-E, anti-c, anti-Kell, anti-Fya, anti-Jka and immune anti-A antisera. The serological scores show a significant correlation with the mean values for bound IgG molecules within a restricted range, although the number bound for a given score may vary by up to 20%. The limit of detection was 100-120 IgG molecules per cell and when over 1,000 were bound, the cells were completely agglutinated. Anti-Kell bound under low ionic strength saline conditions required a greater number of molecules for a given agglutination strength. The relatively low levels of bound IgG necessary to give strong agglutination make the direct antiglobulin test (DAT) less valuable for following the progress of auto-immune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) than a quantitative test. The latter test does not, however, provide any additional information in AIHA cases with a negative DAT as in these the anaemia does not appear to be due simply to the number of bound IgG molecules. Detection of certain antibodies may not be achieved simply by increasing the sensitivity of the antiglobulin test when correctly performed.

Investigations into the IgG sub-types and number of molecules of IgG present on the red cells of 22 apparently normal healthy blood donors with positive direct antiglobulin tests are described. In all cases, the sub-type was IgG1 or IgG4, and none had more than 1000 mol of IgG per red cell. It is suggested that sequestration of IgG-coated cells only occurs when the number of IgG1 mol per cell reaches a certain level.

Following in-vitro tests it was concluded that platelet concentrates stored for 5 days at 22 degrees C in polyolefin containers, coded PL732, should be as effective in clinical practice as similar concentrates stored in the standard PVC containers, coded PL146. These predictions have been confirmed by the following in-vivo tests; autologous survival studies in volunteers, determination of recovery, platelet increment calculations 1 and 24 h after transfusion and clinical appraisal after transfusion of haemorrhagic thrombocytopenic patients. Bacteriological cultures of the platelet concentrates were sterile after storage for more than 5 days. It can be concluded that the 5-day storage of platelet concentrates in these containers is a practical proposition.

The Fc receptors on mononuclear cells were investigated by a rosette technique in which human erythrocytes were sensitized with a known number of molecules of anti-Rh antibodies (IgG1 or IgG3). The number of IgG molecules was quantitated by a radiometric antiglobulin test. The present quantitative evaluation reveals that (1) there is a logarithmic relationship between the proportion of rosettes and the amount of erythrocyte-bound immunoglobulin for both types of mononuclear cells, and for both subclasses; (2) similar percentage of rosettes can be obtained with fewer IgG3 than IgG1 molecules (about 1:4); (3) for a given number of erythrocyte-bound immunoglobulins a higher percentage of rosettes is observed with monocytes than with lymphocytes (ratios of about 3:1 for IgG1 and 5:1 for IgG3); (4) the minimum number of IgG3 molecules for adherence is 180-460 for monocytes, 520-1,300 for lymphocytes, whilst for IgG1 the numbers are 1,180-4,300 for monocytes and 3,400-14,200 for lymphocytes; (5) the minimum levels of sensitization by alloantibodies for adherence should be detectable by the antiglobulin test.