Most dioecious plants are trees. However, because of the difficulty in determining sex from vegetative morphology, previous investigations of the sex ratios of dioecious trees were limited to flowering individuals, leading to inadequate and potentially unreliable data on patterns of sex ratios and the underlying mechanisms driving their variation. Here, we applied sex-specific molecular markers to investigate the sex ratio of a fully mapped population of the dioecious tree Diospyros morrisiana (Ebenaceae) in a subtropical forest. We also investigated the sexual dimorphism of life-history traits and spatial association between male and female trees to determine potential processes shaping the sex ratio at different life stages. Molecular sexing revealed a female-biased population sex ratio for this D. morrisiana population, contrasting with the male-biased operational (i.e., flowering) sex ratio. The sex ratio of D. morrisiana shifted from female-biased to male-biased over older life stages. We found that reproduction had a larger impact on the growth of female trees, which may account for the ontogenetic shift in sex ratio. There was no evidence of spatial segregation of the sexes beyond a scale of 2 m. Through molecular sexing of all individuals across all life stages, our work revealed for the first time a shift from a female- to a male-biased sex ratio in a huge population of a dioecious tree species. To better understand variation in sex ratios and the underlying mechanisms in dioecious trees, the sex of non-flowering and juvenile individuals should be included in future studies.

RATIONALE: A general N-glycoproteomics analysis pipeline has been established for characterization of mutation-related gain-of-glycosylation (GoG) at intact N-glycopeptide molecular level, generating comprehensive site and structure information of N-glycosylation. METHODS: This study focus on mutation-originated gain-of-glycosylation using mass spectrometry-based N-glycoproteomics analysis workflow. In brief, GoG intact N-glycopeptide databases were built, consisting of 2,701 proteins (potential GoG N-glycosites and amino acids derived from MUTAGEN, VARIANT and VAR_SEQ in UniProt) and 6,709 human N-glycans (≤50 sequence isomers per monosaccharide composition). We employed the site- and structure-specific N-glycoproteomics workflow utilizing intact N-glycopeptides search engine GPSeeker to identify GoG intact N-glycopeptides from parental breast cancer stem cells (MCF-7 CSCs) and adriamycin-resistant breast cancer stem cells (MCF-7/ADR CSCs). RESULTS: With the criteria of spectrum-level FDR control of ≤1%, we identified 88 and 96 GoG intact N-glycopeptides corresponding to 38 and 36 intact N-glycoproteins from MCF-7 CSCs and MCF-7/ADR CSCs, respectively. Among KEGG annotation of GoG N-glycoproteins, DNA polymerase eta (POLH), serine-protein kinase ATM (ATM) and cellular tumor antigen p53 (P53) were enriched in platinum drug resistance signal pathway. ATM, P53 and G2 and S phase-expressed protein 1 (GTSE1) were associated with p53 signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of site- and structure-specific N-glycoproteomics approach, conjugating with GoG characterization, provides a universal workflow for revealing comprehensive N-glycosite and N-glycan structure information of gain-of-glycosylation. The analysis of mutation-originated gain-of glycosylation can be extended GoG characterization to all the other N-glycoproteome systems including complex clinical tissues and body fluids.

Air-leak syndrome (ALS) is an independent poor prognosis factor among adult patients who have received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which 5-year overall survival (OS) is less than 30%. However, the clinical features of ALS among post-transplant pediatric patients have rarely been explored.We retrospectively reviewed 2,206 pediatric patients who received an allo-HSCT between January 2013 and December 2019 at the Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital and analyzed the role of ALS in their prognosis following HSCT.We divided ALS into two categories: 15 cases of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) and 13 cases of idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS).Following treatment of the ALS, 18 patients survived (18/28, 64.3%) and 10 patients died of respiratory failure or infection (10/28, 35.7%). The OS of ALS in our hospital is significantly higher than that cited in previous reports which may be related to early diagnosis and timely FAM treatment.

Biomonitoring is an approach that uses indicators or sentinel species to assess the health or pollution of an environment, combining diversity based on specific taxonomic groups with the taxa’s indicator of pollution into a single index or score. Benthic macroinvertebrates are among the most preferred and valuable indicators of the biotic index. Our study aims to evaluate water quality and ecological status using biotic and diversity indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates. The macroinvertebrate samples used in this study were collected seasonally from 16 stations determined in Karasu Stream. These samples consist of 14747 specimens belonging to 9 orders and 40 families of Insecta, Malacostraca, Hirudinea and Oligochaeta. In addition, some physicochemical parameters were measured at the stations. The data obtained were analyzed using the Turkey-Biological Monitoring Working Group (TR-BMWP), Average Score per Taxon (ASPT), Family Biotic Index (FBI), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxon richness index, and Shannon-Wiener (SWDI), Simpson (SDI) and Hill’s diversity indices. Our results showed that the last six stations of Karasu Stream were under pressure due to various anthropogenic effects. According to biotic indexes, the ecological quality status of the water in the stations was determined to be High or Good in the first ten stations and Average, Poor, or Bad in the last six stations. The results of our study showed that TR-BMWP, FBI, and EPT indices are more reliable in determining water quality than the ASPT index and reflect the environmental situation better. Since the TR-BMWP index is adapted to macroinvertebrate taxa distributed in Türkiye, it can be used as a suitable tool for evaluating other rivers’ water quality in Türkiye.

Background Asthma during pregnancy is associated with a range of adverse perinatal outcomes. It is also linked to increased rates of neurodevelopmental conditions the offspring. We aimed to assess whether fractional exhaled nitric oxide (F ENO)-based asthma management during pregnancy improves child developmental and behavioural outcomes compared to usual care. Methods The Breathing for Life Trial was a randomised controlled trial that compared F ENO-based asthma management during pregnancy to usual care. Participants were invited to the developmental follow-up, the Breathing for Life Trial – Infant Development study, which followed up infants at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. The primary outcomes were measured in infants at 12-months using the Bayley-III: Cognitive, Language, and Motor composite scores. Secondary outcomes included Bayley-III social-emotional and adaptive behaviour scores, autism likelihood, and sensory and temperament outcomes. The exposure of interest was the randomised intervention group. Results 220 infants and their 217 participating mothers were recruited to the follow-up; 107 mothers were in the intervention group and 113 were in the control group. There was no evidence of an intervention effect for the primary outcomes: Bayley-III cognitive (Mean=108.9 control, 108.5 intervention, p=0.93), language (Mean=95.9 control, 95.6 intervention, p=0.87) and motor composite scores (Mean=97.2 control, 97.9 intervention, p=0.25). Mean scores for secondary outcomes were also similar among infants born to control and F ENO group mothers, with few results reaching p<0.05. Conclusion In this sample, F ENO-guided asthma treatment during pregnancy did not improve infant developmental outcomes in the first year of life.

Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) are one of the most behaviourally diverse, colourful and species rich reef fish families. One remarkable characteristic of damselfishes is that they communicate in ultraviolet (UV) light. Not only are they sensitive to UV they are also prone to have UV-reflective colours and patterns enabling social signalling. Using more than 50 species, we aimed to uncover the evolutionary history of UV colour and UV vision in damselfishes. We find that all damselfishes had UV-transmitting lenses, expressed the UV-sensitive SWS1 opsin gene, and most displayed UV-reflective patterns and colours. We find evidence for several tuning events across the radiation, and while SWS1 gene duplications are generally very rare amongst teleosts, our phylogenetic reconstructions uncovered two independent duplication events, one close to the base of the most species-rich clade in the subfamily Pomacentrinae, and one in an individual Chromis species. Using amino acid comparisons, we found that known spectral tuning sites were altered several times in parallel across the damselfish radiation (through sequence change and duplication followed by sequence change), causing repeated shifts in peak spectral absorbance of around 10 nm. Pomacentrine damselfishes expressed either one or both copies of SWS1, likely to further finetune UV-signal detection and differentiation. This highly advanced and modified UV vision among damselfishes, in particular the duplication of SWS1 among Pomacentrinae, might be seen as a key evolutionary innovation that facilitated the evolution of the exuberant variety of UV reflectance traits and possibly the diversification of this coral reef fish lineage.

The precise effects of infection and maternal vaccination during pregnancy on the fetus remain uncertain. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the immunological responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 exposure or vaccination in pregnant women. However, we also evaluated the vertical antibody transmission and the persistence of immunity in infants up to six months post-birth. The study recruited pregnant women admitted for labor and delivery in Fortaleza, Brazil, between January 2021 and March 2022. Participants aged 18 or older with flu-like symptoms were included. Nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were collected for COVID-19 testing and antibody detection for the viral Nucleocapsid (N) and Spike (S) of SARS-CoV-2. Participants were categorized as Unvaccinated or Vaccinated, and further divided based on PCR test results. Blood or plasma samples were collected at birth and from infants at six months postpartum. We included 76 mother-infant dyads, 11 in the unvaccinated/PCR-/IgG+, 39 in the unvaccinated/PCR+, 20 in the vaccinated/PCR- and 6 in the vaccinated/PCR+. Analysis of maternal serological profiles showed no significant differences in anti-N IgG levels between unvaccinated and vaccinated groups. However, anti-S IgG titers were significantly higher in vaccinated mothers. The ratio of anti-S IgG antibody transfer from vaccinated mothers to infants was notably higher, especially in the Unvaccinated/PCR+ group compared to the Vaccinated/PCR- group. Furthermore, infants born to vaccinated mothers maintained seroconversion at six months, while those born to unvaccinated mothers did not. Maternal vaccination, particularly during the second trimester, results in a significantly higher transplacental transfer ratio. This leads to elevated anti-S IgG antibody levels in cord blood and infants at six months of age. The study emphasizes the importance of vaccination protocols in optimizing antibody transfer and persistence.

Rangelands and semi-arid ecosystems are subject to increasing changes in ecologic makeup from a collection of factors. In much of the northern Great Basin, rangelands invaded by exotic annual grasses such as cheatgrass (Broumus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) are experiencing an increasingly short fire cycle which is compounding and persistent. Improving and expanding ground-based field methods for measuring above-ground biomass (AGB) may enable more sample collections across a landscape and over succession regimes, and better harmonize with other remote sensing techniques. Developments and increased adoption of uncrewed aerial vehicles and instrumentation for vegetation monitoring are enabling greater understanding of vegetation in many ecosystems. Research towards understanding the relationship of traditional field measurements with newer aerial platforms in rangeland environments is growing rapidly, and there is increasing interest in exploring the potential use both to quantify AGB and fine fuel load at pasture scales. Our study here uses relatively inexpensive handheld photography with custom sampling frames to collect and automatically reconstruct 3D-models of the vegetation within 0.2 m2 quatrats (n = 288). Next, we examine the relationship between volumetric estimates of vegetation to compare with biomass. We found that volumes calculated with 0.5 cm voxel sizes (0.125 cm3) most closely represented the range of biomass weights. We further develop methods to classify ground points, finding a 2% reduction in predictive ability compared to using the true ground surface. Overall, our reconstruction workflow had an R2 of 0.42, further emphasizing the importance of high-resolution imagery and reconstruction techniques. Ultimately, we conclude that more work is needed of increasing extents (such as from UAS) to better understand and constrain uncertainties in volumetric estimations of biomass in ecosystems with high amounts of invasive annual grasses and fine fuel litter.

Olfactory dysfunction was one of the most common symptom of infection with the Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 and could persist for several months after symptom onset. The pathogenesis of prolonged olfactory dysfunction (OD) remains poorly understood but probably involves sustained viral replication associated with limited mucosal immune response to the virus. This prospective study was conducted to investigate the potential relationship between nasal SARS-CoV-2 viral load and antibody levels in patients with loss of smell. One hundred and five patients were recruited 2 weeks after presenting with confirmed COVID-19 associated OD. Based on the identification sniffing test performed at enrollment, 52 patients were still anosmic or hyposmic and 53 were normosmic. SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in nasal wash of about 50% of anosmic and normosmic patients. Higher viral load was detected in anosmic patients with lower levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific nasal IgG and IgA. This association was not observed in normosmic patients. No relationship between nasal viral load and antibodies to endemic coronaviruses was observed. SARS-CoV-2 replication in the nasal cavity may be promoted by defective mucosal antibody responses in patients with OD. Boosting mucosal immunity may limit nasal SARS-CoV-2 replication and thereby help in the control of persistent OD.

Decades of persecution resulted in the long-term absence of Grey wolves (Canis lupus) from most European countries. However, recent changes in both legislation and public attitudes toward wolves have eased the pressure and, over the last 20 years, wolves have begun rapidly re-establishing territories in their previous Central European habitats. Unfortunately, those habitats are now heavily altered by humans. Understanding the spatial ecology of wolves in such highly modified environments is crucial, given the high potential for conflict and the need to reconcile their return with multiple human concerns. We equipped twelve wolves (from eight packs) in five Central European areas with GPS collars and calculated their monthly home ranges using Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimation. In addition, we used ESA WorldCover data to assess the mosaic of available habitats within each home range. Home range size for most wolves (84.6%) ranged from 56.4 to 259.7 km2. Our data confirmed the general seasonal pattern for breeding individuals, with smaller apparent home ranges during the reproduction phase and non-breeders showing no specific pattern. Somewhat predictably, our wolves showed a general preference for remote areas, and especially forests. Some animals within military training areas also showed a broader preference for grasslands, which could be influenced by the specific land use of this habitat type and the high availability of prey. Our results provide a comprehensive insight into the ecology of wolves during their re-colonisation of Central Europe. Though wolves are spreading relatively rapidly across Central European landscapes, their permanent reoccupation remains uncertain due to conflicting concerns with the human population. To secure the restoration of European wolf populations, further robust biological data, including data on spatial ecology, will be needed to clearly identify the management implications.

Background: Accidental allergic reactions (AAR) in children are under-studied, especially with precise pediatrician-based exact diagnoses and follow-ups. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for AAR in Japanese children with immediate-type food allergies. Methods: This single-center study included children with immediate-type hen’s egg (HE), cow’s milk (CM), wheat, or peanut allergy who had been followed-up regularly at a national center specialized for allergy in Japan. Low-dose reactivity was defined as allergic reactions to a low dose of ≤250, ≤102, ≤53, or ≤133 mg HE, CM, wheat, or peanut protein, respectively. From January to December 2020, pediatricians followed the AAR experience every 2–4 months. Risk factors for AAR were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 1096 participants, 609, 457, 138, and 90 had HE, CM, wheat, and peanut allergies, respectively. In this cohort, the median age was 5.0 years, 39% had completely eliminated allergenic food, and 24% had low-dose reactivity. The annual AAR rate was 0.130 in all sub-cohorts. Moderate and severe symptoms occurred in 50% and 0.7%, respectively, of children who experienced AAR. Multiple logistic regression revealed that low-dose reactivity was a significant risk factor for AAR in the overall, HE, and CM cohorts, respectively ( p <0.001, p = 0.029 and 0.036). Conclusion: In Japanese children with immediate-type food allergies, the annualized rate of AAR was relatively low; however, half of the participants with AAR had moderate to severe symptoms. Children, especially those with low-dose reactivity, would require careful risk management of AAR.

Phylogeography bears an important part in ecology and evolution. However, current phylogeographic studies are largely constrained by limited numbers of individual samples. Using the newly developed environmental DNA (eDNA) assay for phylogeographic analyses, this study provides detailed information regarding the history of Siberian stone loach Barbatula toni, a primary freshwater fish across the whole range of Hokkaido, Japan. Based on an eDNA metabarcoding on 293 river water samples, we detected eDNA from B. toni in 189 rivers. Among the B. toni eDNA-positive sample set, 51 samples were chosen to implement the Barbatula-specific eDNA assay on a fine scale with the goal of determining the phylogeographic pattern. As a result, two regionally restricted, genetically distinct lineages of the species were revealed. According to a molecular clock analysis, they have been genetically isolated for at least 1.5 million years, suggesting their ancient origin and colonization of Hokkaido, presumably in the glacial periods. These results demonstrate how freshwater fishes can alter their distributions over evolutionary timescales and how eDNA assay can deepen our understanding of phylogeography.

IntroductionLimb salvage is achievable in most patients (90%) with bone or soft tissue sarcomas owing to chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery advances. However, amputation is needed in some patients due to chronic infection, tumor recurrence, and construct failure (1). Proximal transfemoral amputations result in less energy-efficient walking, increased oxygen consumption, and reduced walking speed (2,3).Tibial turn-up plasty is a surgical alternative for severe femoral bone defects, avoiding proximal above-knee amputations or hip disarticulations to augment the functional length of the stump. The surgical basis is to use the ipsilateral tibia as a pedicled autograft or free flap, rotating the bone proximally 180º (coronal or sagittal plane) to the remaining femur or hip joint. The result is a longer stump, optimizing prosthetic fitting for more efficient gait balance during mobilization (4).We herein report the case of a 46-year-old male with a history of conventional high-grade osteosarcoma of the distal left femur who underwent limb salvage with distal femoral endoprostheses. Several years after the surgery, he developed an untreatable periprosthetic infection with substantial femoral bone loss. The tibial turn-up plasty was proposed as an alternative to a proximal above-knee amputation to optimize prosthesis use and potentiate gait balance. The transfemoral prosthesis was fitted 11 months after surgery. At the final follow-up, the patient was ambulatory with a cane without complaints about prosthesis fitting or pain.

An 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding presented for evaluation and investigation for recurrent unilateral epistaxis. Computer tomography (CT) confirmed the presence of an invasive and expansive progressive ethmoid hematoma (PEH) located in the right paranasal sinuses. The mass invaded the right paranasal sinuses compartments causing moderate leftward displacement of the nasal septum with subsequent collapse of the left nasal passages, complete obliteration of the right ethmoid turbinate, right infraorbital canal, and nasolacrimal duct. Also, impingement of the axial margin of the right orbit. A large frontonasal maxillary bone flap was performed standing under sedation and local anesthesia and the PEH was removed successfully with minimal surgical complications. The gelding made an unremarkable recovery from surgery and progressed well after recovering from post operative pleuropneumonia. Follow-up (25 months post operative) confirmed the reoccurrence of the PEH, but the horse remained healthy in pasture turn out.

Conventional treatment methods are not effective enough to fight the rapid increase in cancer cases. The interest is increasing in the investigation of herbal sources for the development of new anticancer therapeutics. Particularly, much attention is given to finding combined phytochemical/chemotherapeutic treatment models to overcome drug resistance and decrease side effects. The aim was to investigate the antitumor capacity of Hypericum alpestre herb extract in vitro and in vivo, either alone or combined with the inhibitors of the L-arginine/polyamine/nitric oxide pathway and characterize its active phytochemicals using advanced chromatographic techniques. The antioxidant capacity of H. alpestre extract was assessed through chemical spectrophotometric tests (DPPH and ABTS) and in biological systems using Cellular Antioxidant Activity assay. The inhibitory effect of H. alpestre extract on the growth of human colorectal (HT29) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell cultures was explored by the MTT test. The genotoxicity of the tested extract was studied using a comet assay. In vivo, the antitumor properties of H. alpestre and its combinations were explored in a rat mammary gland carcinogenesis model induced by subcutaneous injection of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. The polyphenolic substances present in H. alpestre extract have been characterized using the LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS system. The H. alpestre extract expressed promising antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 and HT29 cells. The extract did not exhibit genotoxic activity nor possessed antigenotoxic properties. The in vivo rat mammary carcinogenesis model data showed that the H. alpestre extract stimulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, brain, and tumors of rats in the experimental groups, demonstrating its antioxidant protective effects. The herb alone and in combination with N ω-OH-nor-L-arginine and N ω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester exhibited pro-/antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-angiogenic, and cytotoxic effects.

The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is a hotspot of global warming and many fjords experience a continuous increase in seawater temperature and glacial melt while sea-ice cover declines. In 1996/98 and 2012-14 macroalgal biomass and species diversity were quantified at the study site Hansneset, Kongsfjorden (W-Spitsbergen) in order to identify potential changes over time. In 2021, we repeated the earlier studies by stratified random sampling (1x1 m2, n=3) along a sublittoral depth transect (0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15m) and investigated the lower depth limits of dominant brown algae between 2-20m. The fresh weight maximum was 11.5 kg m-2 at 2.5m and kelp blades stored 277g carbon m-2 and 18g nitrogen m-2 at this depth. Although biomass did not significantly change since 2012/13, the ‘Digitate Kelps’ community (Laminaria digitata/Hedophyllum nigripes) changed to an Alaria esculenta dominated kelp forest in 2021 and a balanced age structure of kelps (juveniles plus many older kelp individuals) was only apparent at 2.5m. In addition, the abundances and lower depth limits of all dominant brown algae declined noticeably over the last 25 years while the deep red algae flora remained stable. As we revealed that biomass allocation to blades, stipes and holdfasts as well as the ability to store blade carbon and nitrogen was kelp species-specific, a pronounced shift in the functionality of the kelp forest had occurred over time. We propose that the observed changes in the macroalgal community are mainly driven by alterations in underwater light climate as in situ data confirmed increasing turbidity and decreasing irradiance since 2012 and 2017, respectively. As a consequence, the overall retreat of the kelp forest to lower depth levels seems to be a result of strong glacial melt and will possibly continue in future with unforeseen consequences for Arctic coasts and their socio-ecological fjord systems.

Soybean oil (SO) epoxidation is an extensively studied method to generate a sustainable plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Standard soybean oil is composed of triglycerides whose fatty acids are primarily unsaturated linoleic, oleic, and linolenic acids. High oleic soybean oil (HOSO) is collected from a soybean variety higher in oleic acid than other acids. The present study focused on a preliminary comparison of the epoxidation reaction behavior between SO and HOSO, conducted isoperibolically. The experimental data were correlated by a kinetic model. Considerable differences in the temperature and oxirane index profiles suggest that the epoxidation of HOSO tends to be faster and with a more intense heat release rate than the epoxidation of SO, which was confirmed by the results of estimated kinetic constants. The data collected and shared herein suggest that a first epoxy group generated may cause steric hindrance to slow the epoxidation in the second and third double bonds of the oil.

Objective: Increased rates of pro-inflammatory and metabolic-related disorders, plus perinatal death and other pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes (GDM), are consistently reported among women of Indian ethnicity. This study compares lipid profiles and early pregnancy biomarkers associated with metabolic dysfunction between healthy nulliparous pregnant women of Indian and European ethnicity. Design: a prospective cohort study. Setting: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom; 2004-2011. Population: 138 and 5,240 women of Indian and European ethnicity were included from the prospective Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints cohort study. Methods: Early pregnancy biomarkers were selected a priori on the basis of a potential association with the metabolic syndrome, diabetes/GDM or obesity, and compared between ethnic groups. Biomarkers that differed significantly between ethnic groups were adjusted for maternal age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use and socioeconomic status. Main outcome measures: Mean values for 21 placental, metabolic, inflammatory and cardiovascular biomarkers, plus blood lipids, measured at 15±1 weeks gestation. Results: Ten biomarkers were significantly different by ethnicity, mostly consistent with a pro-inflammatory and less favourable metabolic profile in Indian women: PlGF (p=0.02), adiponectin (p<0.01), NGAL (p<0.01), TNFR1A (p<0.01), CXCL10 (p=0.01), ICAM-1 (p<0.01), ST2 (p<0.01), angiogenin (p<0.01), and proANP (p<0.01). We additionally found increased triglycerides (1.6±0.6 vs 1.5±0.6, p<0.01) and reduced HDL cholesterol (1.7±0.4 vs 1.9±04, p<0.01) in Indian mothers, compared with European. Conclusions: Low-risk mothers of Indian ethnicity have an overall less favourable metabolic health profile at early gestation compared with European women. Future research should investigate the association with pregnancy outcomes.