The present study investigated the linkage between days to flowering (DTF) and Growth Habit (GH) in pigeonpea using QTL mapping, QTL-seq, and GWAS approaches. The linkage map developed here is the largest to date, spanning 1825.56 cM with 7987 SNP markers. In total, eight and four QTLs were mapped for DTF and GH, respectively, harboring 78 pigeonpea orthologs of Arabidopsis flowering time genes. Corroboratively, QTL-seq analysis identified a single linked QTL for both traits on chromosome 3, possessing 15 genes with genic variants. Together, these 91 genes were clustered primarily into autonomous, photoperiod, and epigenetic pathways. Further, we identified 39 associations for DTF and 111 associations for GH through GWAS in the QTL regions. Of these, nine associations were consistent and constituted nine haplotypes (five late, two early, one each for super-early and medium duration). The involvement of multiple genes explained the range of allelic effects and the presence of multiple LD blocks. Further, the linked QTL on chromosome 3 was fine-mapped to the 0.24 Mb region with a LOD score of 8.56, explaining 36.47% of the phenotypic variance. We identified a 10 bp deletion in the first exon of TFL1 gene of the ICPL20338 variety, which may affect its interaction with the Apetala1 and Leafy genes, resulting in determinate GH and early flowering. Further, the genic marker developed for the deletion in the TFL1 gene could be utilized as a foreground marker in marker-assisted breeding programs to develop early-flowering pigeonpea varieties.

Philosophy has long been debated for its relevance to natural sciences. Drawing from evolutionary biology, I exemplify how philosophy contributed to scientific discourse, in particular to the concept of genes and traits. Rather than determining distinct traits, genes influence the plastic development of traits, especially during sensitive periods. EvoDevo further integrates philosophical insights to explore how developmental processes influence evolutionary change. I highlight the concept of heterochrony which describes temporal changes of developmental events during evolution. I argue that neuroscience could also benefit from similar conceptual scrutiny. In the paper, I discuss the expansion of the human neocortex in light of heterochrony and developmental plasticity as a key example. Plasticity allows organisms to adapt to fluctuating environments characteristic of the human cognitive niche and contributes to diversity. As an effect of heterochrony, postnatal brain development in modern humans is prolonged and the brain remains highly plastic. While periods of plasticity enable developmental variability, they also introduce the risk of neurodevelopmental aberrations, such as in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is characterized by an abnormal prolongation of neuroplasticity due to an impaired excitatory/inhibitory balance and excessive synaptic pruning, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. This “overpruning” combined with delayed maturation may contribute to the disorder´s onset and progression. The interplay between environmental factors and neurodevelopment during sensitive periods is crucial in shaping the disease outcome. This reconceptualization challenges traditional gene-for-trait paradigms and instead advocates for a focus on developmental timing during different life stages to better understand the etiology of psychopathologies and potential intervention strategies.

Brain information processing complexity is conventionally recognized as derived from neuronal activity, with neurons and their dynamic signalling responsible for the transfer and processing of information . However, the brain also contains other non-neuronal cells, glial cells, which exceed the number of neurons and have been largely ignored, in the past, as being involved in the processes related with information coding by neural networks and underlying brain functions. Nonetheless, decisive advances in the characterization of the molecular and physiological properties of glial cells shed light on their active roles in neurotransmission and neuronal physio-pathology. Thus, in order to understand the brain functions we need to consider the complexity of the relationship between neurons and glial cells. This expanded relationship between neurons and glia is challenging traditional neurobiology, representing a typical ‘chicken and egg ‘problem. A philosophical tool, the ‘Theory of Complexity’ of Edgard Morin can help to better explain and study the complexity of neuronal- glia interactions. Morin’s proposal on complexity is useful to transform brain knowledge, in order to review the brain molecular functions in anti-reductionist pattern. In this manuscript, we will discuss how to use the ‘retroactive loop’ principle from the Morin’s ‘Theory of Complexity’ at the brain molecular level, proposing a new philosophical-experimental grid that can help neuroscientists for a better understanding of the glia-neurons interactions in the brain.

Knowledge graphs convey precise semantic information that can be effectively interpreted by neural networks, and generating descriptive text based on these graphs places significant emphasis on content consistency. However, knowledge graphs are inadequate for providing additional linguistic features such as paragraph structure and expressive modes, making it challenging to ensure content coherence in generating text that spans multiple sentences. This lack of coherence can further compromise the overall consistency of the content within a paragraph. In this work, we present the generation of scientific abstracts by leveraging knowledge graphs, with a focus on enhancing both content consistency and coherence. In particular, we construct the ACL Abstract Graph Dataset (ACL-AGD) which pairs knowledge graphs with text, incorporating sentence labels to guide text structure and diverse expressions. We then implement a Siamese network to complement and concretize the entities and relations based on paragraph structure by accomplishing two tasks: graph-to-text generation and entity alignment. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the logical paragraphs generated by our method exhibit entities with a uniform position distribution and appropriate frequency. In terms of content, our method accurately represents the information encoded in the knowledge graph, prevents the generation of irrelevant content, and achieves coherent and non-redundant adjacent sentences, even with a shared knowledge graph.

Pediatric Anesthetic Management of a Patient with an ALG-13 Gene Mutation, a Rare Congenital Disorder of GlycosylationEsha Thakkar, PharmD,1 John A. Iasiello, MD,1 Sunny R. Cai, MD,1 Adrienne Hutton, MD11 Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

A document by Jia-jun Zhang. Click on the document to view its contents.

Life-Threatening Pulmonary Air Embolism Following Right Jugular Venous Catheter Removal Successfully Managed With Hyperbaric Oxygen: An Unusual Case ReportHaidar Barjas1 . Wisam Al Wassiti1 , Rasha Abduljabbar3 , Nagham Sadik1,21-Hamad Medical Corporation, Medical Education, Internal Medicine Department, Doha, Qatar2-Qatar University, Medical College, Doha, Qatar3-University of Nottingham, College of Medicine

TitleTubercular brain abscess in HIV patient: A case report on rare complication of tuberculosis in the Indian subcontinent

The Clavicarpa species, valued for their pharmaceutical, ornamental, and economic importance, exhibit notable rarity and endemism in the Karst areas of the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau in China. These species face significant threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, leading to a decline in biodiversity. To mitigate these threats, the MaxEnt algorithm was employed to analyze current and future distribution patterns, with a particular focus on the influence of climate variables in predicting potential distribution shifts and assessing extinction risks under the optimistic SSP1-2.6 and the pessimistic SSP5-8.5 socioeconomic scenarios. The EC-Earth3-Veg, MRI-ESM2-0, and MPI-ESM1-2-HR models were utilized for conservation status assessment and project future distributions for four time periods: the present, 2030s, 2050s, and 2070s. The minimum temperature during the coldest month (Bio 6) was identified as the most critical environmental factor, influencing both habitat contraction and expansion. Our modeling indicates that regions such as South, Central, and East China, particularly areas east of the Aihui-Tengchong line and south of the Yangtze River, exhibit the highest suitability for Clavicarpa species within the geographical coordinates of 18° N-45° N and 97° E-120° E. Conversely, climate change projections suggest a habitat expansion for I. claviger, I. tubulosa, I. pritzelii, and I. apalophylla, while I. guizhouensis and I. wilsonii face increased extinction risks. Specifically, I. claviger, I. tubulosa, and I. apalophylla are expected to shift northward, necessitating potential relocation to southern regions, while I. guizhouensis and I. wilsonii are projected to experience habitat losses of over 23.94% and 9.13%, respectively. Our research provides a robust scientific foundation for the conservation and sustainable utilization of these important pharmaceutical species and offers a framework for effective biodiversity management. We recommend using protected areas as a basis for the future conservation, breeding, cultivation, and utilization of Clavicarpa species.

Due to the increased emphasis on co-produced and community led research, neurodiversity within research communities has sparked interest, particularly within the context of autism research. This study investigates the presence of neurodivergent researchers within a neuroscience research consortium, with a particular focus on autism prevalence. Using survey data collected from active contributors to the consortium, we examined the self-reported neurodivergent status of researchers, including formal diagnoses of autism, ongoing diagnostic processes, and self-identification as neurodivergent. Our findings reveal that autism is common among consortium researchers, with a substantial proportion reporting formal diagnoses or self-identification as autistic (23%), higher among stages below and including postdoctoral roles (Chi-Square p-value = 0.01). Further, we identified an association between neurodivergence and lower mental well-being among researchers (Coef. = 1.93, p-value = 0.002), highlighting the importance of accommodating neurodiversity within research environments. This study underscores the need for greater inclusivity and support for neurodivergent researchers, particularly in the context of neuroscience that does or does not yet embed participatory research initiatives. By amplifying the voices of neurodivergent researchers, research communities can enhance the equity and impact of their outcomes and foster better public engagement by sharing experiences and understanding the needs of community members.

How is the presence of reward reflected in activity in the corticostriatal networks underlying human categorization? We examined how basal ganglia and corticostriatal network activity differed on trials in which participants received a reward for correct performance versus trials with no associated reward. Participants learned to categorize abstract fractal images as members of two different categories via trial and error with feedback. Images were associated with different monetary reward values (high, low, and none) which could be obtained by the participant for correct categorization. We found that neural activity in the caudate nucleus (head and body) and putamen was greater for rewarded stimuli in comparison with nonrewarded. In addition reward resulted in greater activity across the cortical regions underlying categorization, including areas of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) associated with stimulus - response mapping, the frontoparietal salience network, and visual cortical areas associated with object and form processing. Reward effects were found both during early learning when stimuli were novel, and when participants categorized stimuli on which they had been extensively trained prior to the scan. These results have implications for understanding how reward and categorization are integrated in corticostriatal networks.

Notions of function and dysfunction are fundamental for neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry, but remain contentious. We propose that some of these controversies arise from tacit creationism, which incorrectly views aspects of evolved systems as if intentionally designed. Many philosophers agree that “failure to perform a normal function” is fundamental to the concepts of physical disease and mental disorder. However, unlike machines and computers, bodies and brain-minds are variable in multiple respects, and these variations may have advantages and disadvantages in different environments. Indeed, in the case of bodies and brain-minds it may be difficult to draw a bright line between normal and excessive activation of an adaptive defense in a particular context. The metaphors of body as machine, or the brain-mind as computer, encourage the notions that components of bodies and brain-minds have specific functions like those of the parts of machines, and that disorders have clear boundaries. Rejecting tacit creationism, and accepting the messy reality of organic complexity, as well as the fuzzy boundaries of disorder, offers a better way forward for neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry.

New therapeutic agents developed for treating neurological disorders are often tested successfully on rodents, and yet 80–90% of these prove ineffective when transitioning to clinical application. Testing in an appropriate large-animal model should improve translational success and is frequently expected by regulatory bodies. In this project, we aimed to establish a novel sheep model of Parkinson’s disease as a large-brained experimental model for translational research. Our objective was to create a sheep model of Parkinson’s disease by unilaterally infusing the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine into the substantia nigra pars compacta. This approach, previously used to induce parkinsonism in rat and non-human primate models, causes dopaminergic imbalance and induces rotational behaviour in quadrupeds challenged with dopaminergic receptor agonists. In the present sheep study, the mixed dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine, 0.25 mg/kg, and dopamine D2 agonist ropinirole, 0.16 mg/kg, were used to induce rotational behaviour and confirm dopamine depletion. Behavioural signs were then measured and characterised in the field using automated movement tracking with simultaneous video recordings. Post-mortem, the extent of the 6-hydroxydopamine lesions were evaluated through tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry and quantifying levels of catecholamines (dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanilic acid) quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Our new sheep model of Parkinson’s disease using 6-hydroxydopamine is safe and offers a number of regulatory, ethical, and financial advantages over non-human primate 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine models. It provides a platform to evaluate novel anti-parkinsonian agents and medical devices with the promise of greater success for translation into clinical application than has been achieved using small animal models.

The optimal foraging theory posits that animals select food patches based on a trade-off between energy consumption and resource quantity. We hypothesized that giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) forage at locations with gentle slopes to minimize energy consumption. However, animal-trace data from two national surveys in the Qinling Mountains suggest that giant pandas actually prefer steep locations. To explore the cause of this apparently counterintuitive preference, we analyzed panda utilization of two slope intervals (5–15° and 15–25°) and measured daily movement areas adjacent to those slopes. Our results showed that the daily movement area of the pandas at these two locations were similar in terms of slope composition, implying that the steepness of the surrounding environment did not influence space selection. In addition, giant pandas exhibited a strong preference for utilizing flat land (0–5°) around gentle slope traces, and the 5–15° slope had a greater density of panda traces than the 15–25° slope, strongly supporting the hypothesis that giant pandas prefer flatter regions. Furthermore, we observed that the 5–15° slope was considerably smaller in area than the 15–25° slope (83.39 < 257.57 km²). This difference likely explains the initially observed unusual slope utilization, suggesting that giant pandas may have been forced to inhabit steep areas due to the scarcity of their preferred sites. This study verified that pandas of Qinling foraged optimally within the constraints of habitat availability, providing insights that should benefit future assessment and restoration of their habitats.

Geese and swans are focal species in conservation and in management aimed at reducing crop damage. In the former disturbance should be minimized, and in the latter it is important to know how different species react to scaring activities. Previous research about trade-offs between predation risk and foraging in birds often use ‘Flight Initiation Distance’ (FID) as a proxy to compare fearfulness under different circumstances and among species. We studied variation in FID in geese and swans by species, flock size and composition, time of day, and body size (408 scaring trials on agricultural land in the winters 2018—2021). In single-species flocks mean FID decreased in the order: bean goose (171 m) > greylag goose (104 m) > whooper swan (102 m) > Canada goose (92 m) > barnacle goose (77 m). In line with predictions based on body mass, the lightest species (barnacle goose) was the least fearful, but contrary to prediction neither of the two heaviest species (whooper swan, Canada goose) was the most fearful. FID was negatively correlated with flock size in bean goose. Flock size and FID did not correlate in greylag, Canada, and barnacle geese. FID did not differ between morning and afternoon in the 4 species with a sample of >20 single-species trials. When in multi-species flocks, FID differed less among species, converging in the 108—138 m range. Accordingly, bean goose FID decreased significantly whereas it increased significantly in barnacle and greylag geese. Barnacle goose (protected from hunting by the EU bird directive) was less fearful than species with an open hunting season in the EU, implying that exposure to hunting affect species-specific FID. We show that the level of fearfulness varied among swan and goose species, making it necessary to adopt diverse strategies in conservation as well as crop protection.

The perceived impact of soil microplastics on soil aggregation is primarily attributed to their potential toxicity toward soil microorganisms. However, only a limited number of studies have undertaken comprehensive controlled experiments involving sterilized soils to substantiate this notion. The present study embarked on soil incubation experiments encompassing both non-sterilized soils and soils subjected to oven-heating sterilization to investigate the ramifications of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics, characterized by mesh sizes of 30, 150, and 1000, on both the water-stability and mechanical stability of soil aggregates. The presence of microplastics decreased aggregation stability in Tianjin soils (on average -48.89% and -81.61% for 0.5-1 and 1-2 mm aggregates, respectively). The impact of microplastics was notably more evident in the non-sterilized soils. Microplastics also demonstrated the capacity to modify aggregate properties such as surface roughness. This study indicates the pivotal role played by interactions between soil microplastics and microorganisms on soil aggregation, but microplastics hold the potential to influence soil aggregation through non-biogenic pathways.

Advances in genomic sequencing have magnified our understanding of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms relevant to biodiversity conservation. As a result, the field of conservation genomics has grown rapidly. Genomic data can be effective in guiding conservation decisions by revealing fine-scale patterns of genetic diversity and adaptation. Adaptive potential, sometimes referred to as evolutionary potential, is particularly informative for conservation due to its inverse relationship with extinction risk. Yet, global coldspots in genomic resources impede progress towards conservation goals. We undertook a systematic literature review to characterize the global distribution of genomic resources for amphibians and reptiles relative to species richness, IUCN status, and predicted global change. We classify the scope of available genomic resources by their applicability to global change. Finally, we examine global patterns of collaborations in genomics studies. Our findings underscore the urgent need for expanded genomic resources, especially those that directly inform about adaptive potential. Our results also highlight the need for improved global collaborations in genomic research, resource sharing, and capacity building in the Global South.

Comparing cases of parasitism and predation that lead to victim death, parasites need more time to complete victim exploitation. This longer “interaction durability” delays energy transfer from host to parasite. During exploitation, parasite virulence differentiates the infected from the susceptible host dynamics. However, how this parasite characteristic influences the dynamics of their host and nonhost (insusceptible) species in the same community is largely unknown. Here, we use mathematical modelling to investigate the influence, exemplifying an experimental plankton community. In this community, nonhost zooplankton feeds on edible nonhost phytoplankton (resource competitor of the host) and parasite propagules released from infected inedible phytoplankton (“mycoloop” pathway). To assess the effects of parasite-host durability, we contrast parasite-host implementations as Lotka-Volterra predator-prey interaction (immediate energy transfer) with susceptible-infected (SI) host-parasite interactions. For the latter, parasite energy intake depends on infected host density but not susceptible hosts directly (delayed transfer). We further consider the difference between susceptible and infected host dynamics modulated by parasite virulence via its effect on host nutrient uptake. To assess the within-community effects, subcommunities are also investigated, excluding/including the parasite without/with the mycoloop. Our results show that, besides host elimination, longer interaction durability of the host-parasite interaction delays parasite attacks on susceptible hosts, allowing them to increase further (a hydra effect), independent of parasite virulence level. This effect observed in the isolated host-parasite systems is preserved in larger communities with negative consequences for the nonhost species, independent of the mycoloop. These theoretical results are supported by empirical observations within and beyond plankton realms. Our study reveals distinctive influences of parasites on community shot-term dynamics, which stem from the longer interaction durability.