Within the framework of radioactive waste management, the evolution of the gaseous composition inside the underground repository structures must be understood. Indeed, chemical and microbial reactions and exchanges occur between the rock, the structures and the air. These processes are studied in the Andra’s Meuse/Haute-Marne Underground Research Laboratory’s (URL). Recently, a gas monitoring station “Flair soil™” has been designed to monitor the gaseous composition inside this URL. This station is composed by two analyzers: a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) which allows to follow the evolution of several gases and an infrared laser spectroscope (Picarro) providing simultaneous measurements of CH4, CO2 and CO. Thus, a multivariate calibration method for the quantitative detection of interfering and non-interfering gases in a nitrogen matrix has been developed for the QMS. The MS was calibrated from pure gases in a nitrogen matrix, with known concentrations and ion currents obtained from the measurement of each species of gas. This method uses matrix calculations to calculate the relative concentrations of an unknown gas mixture from the ion currents measured directly in the MS. The test gases T1 and T2 were used to assess the accuracy of the method. Daily ion currents are corrected from theoretical ion currents obtained from calibration coefficients and test gas concentrations. Some gases are less well quantified due to their low concentration in the test gases and interferences on the measured masses. One of the motivations of this study lay in developing an advanced measurement tool allowing to be low in sensitivity, and thus to improve the detection and quantification of gases at low concentrations. The objective of this paper is to propose an analytical method to measure the gaseous composition with several molecules. This method was able to detect hydrocarbons, noble gases, sulfides, greenhouse gases, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen in the same mixture.

Seed production and dispersal are crucial ecological processes impacting plant demography, species distributions, and community assembly. Plant-animal interactions commonly mediate both seed production and seed dispersal, but current research often examines pollination and seed dispersal separately, which hinders our understanding of how pollination services affect downstream dispersal services. To fill this gap, we propose a conceptual framework exploring how pollen limitation can impact the effectiveness of seed dispersal for endozoochorous and myrmecochorous plant species. We summarize the quantitative and qualitative effects of pollen limitation on plant reproduction and use Optimal Foraging Theory to predict its impact on the foraging behavior of seed dispersers. In doing so, we offer a new framework that poses numerous hypotheses and empirical tests to investigate downstream effects of pollen limitation on seed dispersal effectiveness and, consequently, post-dispersal ecological processes occurring at different levels of biological organization. Finally, considering the importance of pollination and seed dispersal outcomes to plant eco-evolutionary dynamics, we discussed the implications of our framework for future studies exploring the demographic and evolutionary impacts of pollen limitation for animal-dispersed plants.

It is challenging for a single development subject to complete complex scientific research tasks due to the peculiarities of saline-alkali land. Collaborative innovation and cooperation between development subjects are increasingly vital. This paper first constructs an undirected weighted collaborative innovation network from the upstream, midstream, and downstream levels of technological innovation for saline-alkali land development, analyzing the network’s structural characteristics and spatial distribution features. Then uses ERGM to explore the internal and external driving mechanism for network formation from network self-organization, subject characteristics, and exogenous environmental factors. The results demonstrate that the distribution of collaborative innovation networks for saline-alkali land development is relatively uniform. However, there are also clusters, and the clusters are mostly centered on universities and scientific research institutions. Both the development subjects and clusters present regional features. Centrality and transitivity are crucial in the internal driving mechanism. In the external driving mechanism, the Matthew effect is modest, and the Homozygous effect is considerable; Organizational and technical proximity play a positive role; Geographical and institutional proximity play a blocking role. This study also provides practical enlightenment for encouraging horizontal and vertical collaborative innovation of sustainable development of saline-alkali land.

Introduction:Floppy Eyelid Syndrome (FES) describes the disease process whereby extreme laxity of the eyelid can lead to recurrent irritation of the ocular surface and corresponding palpebral keratoconjunctivitis1,2. Clinical exam characteristically reveals an eyelid that is easy to evert with traction superiorly2. However, FES can masquerade as conditions such as dry eye syndrome, keratitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatochalasis1-3. Incidence in the general population has been estimated to range from 2.3% to 15.8%, though notably it may not always be correctly diagnosed and may be more common1,2.We describe a case of unilateral and chronic keratoconjunctivitis unresponsive to standard medical therapy. Applying upward traction on the upper eyelid confirmed the diagnosis, as it revealed extensive laxity of the tarsal plate with resultant lagophthalmos and exposure keratopathy. Tape splint tarsorrhaphy (TST) has been recently described as a novel and non-invasive treatment modality for persistent corneal epithelial defects4. In this case, the TST was used as a novel and non-invasive diagnostic and temporizing tool to splint the eyelid down to address exposure keratopathy from lagophthalmos. Resolution of signs and symptoms was diagnostic and therapeutic confirmation that the keratoconjunctivitis resulted from the lagophthalmos and FES. This is the first such report to our knowledge discussing the specific use of this technique to more effectively diagnose refractory keratoconjunctivitis due to lagophthalmos and FES.

Defining dyssynchrony: The ongoing search for cardiac resynchronization therapy “response”Chinmaya Mareddy, MD and Pamela K. Mason, MDUniversity of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VACorresponding Author:Pamela K. Mason, MDProfessor of MedicineUniversity of Virginia Health SystemBox 800158Charlottesville, VA [email protected] are no relevant disclosures.There are no sources of financial support.The first trial to demonstrate the benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was published in 2001. The single-blind crossover study demonstrated significant improvement in quality of life, NYHA class, and 6 minute walk test for patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 35%, NYHA class III, an enlarged left ventricle, and a QRS duration greater than 150 ms.1 CRT represented an exciting advancement in cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) therapy. While implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) had been in use for decades and represented a reliable, life-saving measure to treat fatal ventricular arrhythmias, for the first time, there was a device therapy that could improve quality of life for heart failure patients. The CARE-HF trial went on to demonstrate reduction in hospitalization and mortality in a similar population, and subsequent studies, such as MADIT-CRT suggested that the benefits extended to patients with NYHA class I or II.2,3While there was quick adoption of CRT and over the years and many patients have benefitted, it quickly became clear that there were unresolved issues and questions.4 First, there were patients who could not receive a coronary sinus pacing lead. This was predominantly due to variation in the coronary sinus anatomy and phrenic nerve stimulation. Developments such as quadripolar left ventricular pacing leads and improved sheath design have certainly reduced the number of failed implants, however, they will never be completely eliminated. Second, despite successful implants in “good” locations, some patients simply did not have clinical improvement. Further work identified subgroups that were more likely to respond, particularly those with a wide left bundle branch block (LBBB); however, even now, only about 70% of patients who meet generally accepted criteria for CRT experience improvement after a successful implant. Finally, while symptom improvement was the standard measure for most studies, there were patients who were “super responders” who actually developed improvement in their left ventricular ejection fraction after CRT, and it is difficult to predict which patients might receive this advantage.5As the data increasingly have shown that patients with LBBB are more likely to benefit from CRT compared to right bundle branch block or non-specific intraventricular conduction delays, most society guidelines require a true LBBB to meet a class I indication for CRT.6,7 The difficulty with using LBBB as a metric for CRT candidacy is that defining it has been controversial. Multiple criteria have been proposed. In their 2021 guidelines statement for pacing and CRT, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) altered their definition of LBBB.8 Specifically, they added the requirement of notching or slurring in 2 adjacent leads to define a true LBBB, thus making the definition of LBBB more restrictive. In addition, the 2021 guidelines also moved patients with narrower LBBB (120-149 ms) to a Class IIa recommendation. This obviously has important implications as to guidelines recommendations and benefits of CRT.In this edition of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, Rijik, et al present a retrospective analysis of 1202 consecutive patients from a registry who received a CRT device between 2000 and 2015. They applied the 2013 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) definition of left bundle branch block (LBBB) to the population and then the 2021 ESC definition of LBBB and assessed how patients would have qualified for CRT based upon those criteria. In addition, the authors reviewed the actual patient response to CRT in comparison to the guidelines recommendation for CRT implantation by 2013 and 2021 guidelines. Applying the more stringent 2021 criteria dramatically reduced the number of patients with a true LBBB from 80.9% of the population to 31.6%. This moved many patients out of a class I indication for CRT. In addition, they found that the 2013 criteria better discriminated the patients who actually did respond to CRT therapy. When evaluating a combined end point of transplantation, left ventricular assist device implantation, and mortality, the patients with a LBBB by the 2013 criteria and a QRS duration > 150 ms had significant benefit and those without did not. The same was true for echocardiographic response. When applying the 2021 criteria, differences were not seen between the two groups, implying that many patients who no longer had LBBB by 2021 guidelines still benefitted from CRT.The authors should be congratulated for adding important understanding to how we think about CRT and patient selection. These data show that employing a more strict definition of LBBB does not discriminate those who are most likely to benefit from CRT and might discourage implantation in patients who may benefit. The ESC is not the only society that has supported a more restrictive definition of LBBB.9 It is difficult to know how these definitions and guidelines directly influence practice, but we don’t want to risk denying patients an important therapy that could improve their quality and quantity of life. It is also difficult not to reflect that this paper shows both how far we have come with device therapy for our heart failure patients and how much further we have to go. We have been implanting CRT devices for over 20 years. Many patients have benefitted from this novel therapy, and yet there is so much that we don’t know.We must consider what the role for CRT will be in the future. Novel methods of leadless left ventricular pacing are being developed.10 There are observational and retrospective data suggesting that left bundle branch area pacing may be as good or better than CRT in improving clinical outcomes and heart function.11,12 Further, with experience, it is potentially faster to implant a left bundle area lead compared to a coronary sinus lead, and there has been wide early adoption of the technique compared to His bundle pacing. A multi-center, randomized controlled trial evaluating conduction system pacing compared to CRT should start enrolling soon and we should have more information in the coming years.13 It is possible to envision a future where coronary sinus pacing leads are no longer the norm in this patient population. It is also unlikely that the need for successful coronary sinus lead placement will be completely eliminated. Regardless of what the future holds, the insights from CRT studies, the effects on hemodynamics, electrical function, and outcomes will inform new directions.ReferencesCazeau S, Leclercq C, Lavergne T, et al. Affects of multisite biventricular pacing in patients with heart failure and intraventricular conduction delay. N Engl J Med2001;344:873-80.Cleland JGF, Daubert JC, Erdmann E, Freemantle N, et al. The effective cardiac resynchronization on morbidity and mortality and heart failure. N Engl J Med 2005;352:1539-1549.Moss AJ, Hall WJ, Cannom DS, et al. Cardiac resynchronization therapy for prevention of heart failure events. N Engl J Med2009;361:1329-1338.Sieniewicz BJ, Gould J, Porter B, et al. Understanding nonresponse to cardiac resynchronisation therapy: common problems and potential solutions. Heart Fail Rev 2019;24:41-54.Liang Y, Wang Q, Zhang M, et al. Cessation of pacing in super-responders of cardiac resynchronization therapy: a randomized controlled trial. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2018; 29:1548-1555.Brignole M, Auricchio A, Baron-Esquivias G, et al. 2013 ESC guidelines on cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy: The task force on cardiac pacing and resynchronization therapy of the European society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed in collaboration with European heart rhythm Association (EHRA). Eur Heart J 2013;34:2281-329.Tracy CM, Epstein AE, Barbar D, et al. 2012 ACCF/AHA/HRS focused update of the 2008 guidelines for device based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormalities. Circulation 2012;126:1784-1800.Glikson M, Nielsen JC, Kronborg MB, et al. 2021 ESC guidelines on cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy: developed by the task for sudden cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) with a special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA).Eur Heart J 2021;42:3427-3520.Surawicz B, Childers R, Deal BJ, et al. AHA/ACCF/HRS recommendations for the standardization and interpretation of the electrocardiogram: Part 3: intraventricular conduction disturbances: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Electrophysiology and Arrhythmias Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology; the American College of Cardiology Foundation; and the Heart rhythm Society: Endorsed by the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiography. Circulation 2009; 119:e235-40.Okabe O, Hummel JD, Bank AJ, et al. Leadless left ventricular stimulation with a WISE-CRT system: Initial experience results from the phase 1 of the SOLVE-CRT study (non randomized, role in phase).Heart Rhythm 2020; S1547-5271(21)01808-7.Vijayaraman P, Zalavadia D, Haseeb A, et al. Clinical outcomes of conduction system pacing compared to biventricular pacing in patients requiring cardiac resynchronization therapy. Heart Rhythm. 2022;19(8):1263-1271.Ezzeddine FM, Pistiolis SM, Pujol-Lopez M, et al. Outcomes of Conduction System Pacing for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Heart Failure: A Multicenter Experience. Heart Rhythm. Published online February 24, 2023. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2023.02.018.Wang Y, Zhu H, Hou X, et al. Randomized trial of left bundle branch vs biventricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy. J Am Coll Cardiol 2022;80:1205-1216.

A document by ting zhou. Click on the document to view its contents.

Introduction: We describe one rare case of successful ablation of a right epicardial accessory pathway (AP) via the right ventricular diverticulum in a patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Methods: A 42-year-old woman being referred to the hospital for a catheter ablation of a Wolf-Parkinson White syndrome. Earliest activation was shown to be present in the region of the tricuspid annulus. However, ablation had no effect on the AP. Results: We decided to do a selected angiography, in which a big diverticulum near to the right tricuspid annulus was shown to be present. Ablation in this region successfully repressed the AP without any recurrences within a follow-up period of 12 months. Conclustion: The ventricular diverticulum mediated AP is a novel variant of pre-excitation. It can serve as an anatomical substrate of supraventricular tachycardia, and can be ablated endocardially using an irrigation tip catheter within the diverticulum.

A case of renal cell carcinoma in the contralateral kidney withTFE3 gene translocation following successful treatment of nephroblastomaShunsuke Fujisawa1), Junya Furukawa1), Takuto Hara1), Keiske Okada1), Kouji Chiba1),Yuzo Nakano1), Toshiki Hyodo2), Yoji Nagashima3), Masato Fujisawa1)1)Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine2) Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine3) Division of Surgical Pathology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital

MULTICENTRIC RETICULOHISTIOCYTOSIS- A RARE AND DISABLING DISEASEOmowunmi Ashaolu1, Selwyn Ng2, Shaun Smale3, Jenny Hughes11Clinical fellow, Department of Dermatology, Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, UK, [email protected], Department of Histopathology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, UK, [email protected], Department of Rheumatology, Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend UK, [email protected], Department of Dermatology, Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, UK,[email protected] 39-year-old man presented with 5-week history of multiple discrete and skin-coloured lesions on his hands, forearms, and face. He also had severely painful, stiff, and swollen fingers. He was otherwise well with no relevant personal or family history. Skin examination showed multiple discrete and coalescing firm, reddish brown, tender papules of varying sizes distributed mainly over the dorsum of the hands and nail folds (Fig 1) with no mucosal involvement. There was bilateral swelling and stiffness of the joints, especially the distal interphalangeal joints.Baseline investigations, autoantibody, viral screen, and staging CT to rule out underlying malignancy were normal. Radiographs of both hands showed soft tissue swelling and subtle perierosions in the small joints of the hands. Histopathology of the skin biopsy showed infiltration of the dermis and subcutaneous fat by mononuclear and multinucleated histiocytes with granular eosinophilic cytoplasm that showed positivity for CD45, CD68 and factor 13a and negativity for S100- and CD1a (Fig 2). Based on these findings a diagnosis of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis was made.He was initially treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, Morphine, Alendronate and Oral corticosteroids. With worsening disease activity, Denosumab, oral methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, infliximab, tocilizumab and leflunomide were added sequentially, however there was no symptom improvement. He was then considered for Tofacitinib 5mg twice daily with improvement after 4 weeks of initiating this therapy evidenced by improved sleep, skin symptoms and joint pains.Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis is a rare, multisystem inflammatory disease with unknown aetiology. It was first reported by Weber and Freudenthal in 1937, however Goltz and Laymon coined the term multicentric reticulohistiocytosis in 1954. Approximately 300 cases have been reported in the literature with most from Europe and United States. It is slightly predominant in women1 and symptoms manifest from the fourth decade of life2. Associated involvement of the joints impacts significantly on patients’ quality of life due to limitations on activities of daily living which inadvertently increases the risk of increased anxiety and depression.The cause of MRH is not known but activated macrophages and increased levels of TNF-alpha, IL-12, IL-1, and IL-63 have been documented.Cutaneous manifestation of MRH includes firm, discrete clustered reddish brown to flesh-coloured papules or nodules that gradually enlarge in size. It typically occurs over the joints of fingers and wrists giving a characteristic coral bead appearance1 as seen in our patient. Other commonly affected include the face giving leonine facies. However any part of the body can be affected including nail4 , mucosal surfaces1, lungs and heart. Fever, weight loss and malaise have also been reported. In addition, symmetrical polyarthritis mainly affecting the hands can potentially progress to arthritis mutilans. Differential diagnosis includes rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.Although MRH is not a paraneoplastic disease, solid organ especially breast and stomach carcinomas and haematological malignancies have been reported in 31% of cases5 therefore underlying malignancy should always be ruled out in a patient with MRH.There is no laboratory test specific for MRH. Histological studies show multinucleated giant cells with pale, fine, granular eosinophilic cytoplasm in the dermis. Stains are negative for S100, CD34, factor XIIIa and alpha-1-antitrypsin but positive for PAS and histiocytes (vimentin, CD68, CD45 and MAC387)2. Langerhans granules are absent on electron microscopy.There are no established treatment guidelines owing to the rarity and lack of controlled studies of the disease. The disease can be self-limiting, however this may have caused severe joint destruction. Prednisolone, immunomodulatory and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, TNF inhibitors either as monotherapies or combination therapies have shown varying response. Tofacitinib, a selective JAK inhibitor, licenced for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has also been reported to be of benefit in the treatment of MRH6.MRH is a rare disease that cause disfiguring skin lesions and disabling arthritis therefore early recognition, and treatment is important to prevent long term deformities. In conclusion, we present a patient with a very rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis with typical clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings.aFig 1: Showing coral bead appearance of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis

Journal: Allergy

A document by Jana Ebersbach. Click on the document to view its contents.

Objective: Hybrid cardiovascular mock circuits (HMC), designed for dynamic testing of Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD), offer physiologic accuracy by sequestering model complexity in silico and ease of construction by reducing number of model elements in vitro. Despite superior response time and precision, pneumatic actuation is avoided in HMCs due to nonlinear dynamics and noise. We tested the hypothesis that a HMC consisting of a variable elastance-driven numerical circuit coupled to a pneumo-hydraulic physical circuit can be controlled without linearizing system dynamics. Methods: Reference left ventricular and aortic pressures generated in silico were tracked, respectively, in in vitro preload and afterload reservoirs by controlling non-linear pneumatic dynamics using the Lyapunov stability criterion. A centrifugal pump, the speed (i.e. flow) of which was adjusted using PID control, was interposed between the reservoirs and mimicked the VAD under evaluation. The flow of a recirculating gear pump was controlled by the backstepping method to equalize reservoir fluid volumes by rejecting pressure and flow disturbances. Sensor noise was reduced with discrete-time Kalman filtering. Results: Our results showed that normal, failing and assisted cardiovascular physiologies were numerically simulated and tracked at physical VAD terminals with high accuracy. Reservoir volumes remained stable at various combinations of heart rate, pressure, and VAD flow. Conclusion: The HMC described here offers a stable performance testing platform for VAD prototypes. Significance : This is the first proof that hybrid systems using pneumatic actuation at hydraulic interfaces can optimally be regulated with nonlinear controllers to achieve precise reference tracking and robust disturbance rejection.

This study is focused on the anisotropic fatigue crack growth (FCG) behaviour of an aluminium AA7050-T7451 plate. L-T and S-T orientations were studied in M(T) samples with W=50 mm, in mode I loading, with R-ratio of +0.05. A numerical approach was used, assuming that crack tip plastic strain is the crack driving force. A purely kinematic elastic-plastic model was calibrated using experimental data from low cycle fatigue tests of smooth specimens in L and S orientations. The predicted FCG rates agree well with experimental trends in the Paris’ regime, suggesting that cyclic plastic deformation is the main damage mechanism. The numerical model was used to estimate the stress ratio effect for both orientations, which was found to be linked with crack closure variations. However, the closure free predicted trends for both microstructural orientations at R=0.05 are not overlapped, suggesting an effect of microstructure not linked to crack closure.

Water resources management is fundamental for rural communities in drylands. Water Harvesting Technologies (WHT) intercept and store the excess rainfall (surface runoff) in soils for increased plant available water and agricultural productivity. The so-called ‘Marab’ WHT was initially developed by Middle Eastern agro-pastoralists that reside or commute in semi-arid and arid rangelands. The Marab WHT is a macro-catchment measure consisting of earth dams and stone spillways along the contours of a lowland depression or floodplain. Dependent on the local context (i.e. climate, soil, management, etc.) the established Marabs show highly-variable effectiveness. This study aims at filling the knowledge gap on the WHT’s performance in changing environments by simulating its hydro-agrological effects for different soils and climatic conditions using the AquaCrop model. A case study performed for a Jordanian Marab over three seasons (2019-2022) confirms its huge improvement potential for barley production. Through Marab-farming, barley production reached 8.37 t ha -1 on average, versus highly variable 0.34 t ha -1 without the WHT. The simulation-based assessment of soil textures identified that silty soils have the largest potential for producing up to 9.25 t ha -1 barley, compared to 6.60 t ha -1 produced in clay soils. Assessing different climate scenarios, a slight increase in daily average temperatures (+ 0.5°C) led to a considerable production decline of 4-8%, while a significant reduction of precipitation (-20%) decreased biomass production by a similar rate (4-10%). This underlines the robustness of the ‘Marab’ WHT to rainfall amount variation. However, simulations also highlight the sensitivity of timing and frequency of flood events: removing the last and the first flood event reduced biomass production by approximately 50% and 80% respectively, while the barley fails to develop if both events were suppressed.

Owing to the emergence of energy storage and electric vehicles, the desire for safe high-energy-density energy storage devices has increased research interest in anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs). Unlike general LMBs, in which excess Li exists to compensate for the irreversible loss of Li, only the current collector is employed as an anode and paired with a lithiated cathode in the fabrication of AFLMBs. Owing to their unique cell configuration, AFLMBs have attractive characteristics, including the highest energy density, safety, and cost-effectiveness. However, developing AFLMBs with extended cyclability remains an issue for practical applications because the high reactivity of Li with limited inventory causes severely low Coulombic efficiency, poor cyclability, and dendrite growth. To address these issues, tremendous effort has been devoted to stabilize Li-metal anodes for AFLMBs. In this review, we highlight the importance and challenges of AFLMBs. Then, we thoroughly review diverse strategies, such as modifying current collectors, the formation of robust interfaces by engineering advanced electrolytes, and operation protocols. Finally, a future perspective on the strategy is provided to insight into the basis of future research. We hope that this review provides a comprehensive understanding by reviewing previous research and arousing more interest in this field.

Analytical tools are needed to identify and quantify artificial short- and long-term discharge fluctuations, which can disrupt the natural processes of a river. To measure the properties of discharge magnitude, frequency, duration, timing and flow change, such tools typically use a subset of metrics selected from over 170 descriptive statistical indices. Many metrics are based on multi-day mean or median discharges with associated variance or use a single value to describe the entire dataset. However, these source indices do not quantify the temporal configuration of streamflow, an additional hydrologic property that is often overlooked. To address this situation, a non-index approach to quantify all streamflow properties has now been developed using analysis methods based on the lag (1) temporal autocorrelation signature of the streamflow. The discharge (Q), discharge change (dQ/dt), and rate of discharge change (d 2Q/dt 2), along with sequential summations, are presented in novel infographics. A dam release river impact case study for the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona, is included to demonstrate this innovative way of analyzing streamflow datasets. The result is a set of new tools which yield detailed information about the hydrologic regime, are highly customizable, and can either be used as a stand-alone analysis or be integrated into other existing data analysis techniques. The end result is a better understanding of the hydrologic regime, more focused research, and more effective management planning.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of two Prophantis species in the tribe Trichaeini (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) were sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology. They were assembled and annotated: the complete mitogenomes of P. octoguttalis and P. adusta were 15,197 bp and 15,714 bp, respectively, and contain 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and an A + T-rich region. Their arrangement was consistent with the first sequenced mitogenome of Lepidoptera, from Bombyx mori (Bombycidae). The nucleotide composition was obviously AT-biased, and all protein-coding genes, except for the cox1 gene (CGA), used ATN as the start codon. Except for trnS1, which lacked the DHU arm, all tRNA genes could fold into the clover-leaf structure. Phylogenetic trees of Crambidae were reconstructed based on mitogenomic data using Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analysis methods. Results showed that Trichaeini in this study robustly constitute a monophyletic group in Spilomelinae, with the relationships (Trichaeini + Nomophilini) + ((Spilomelini + (Hymeniini + Agroterini)) + Margaroniini). However, the affinities of the six subfamilies Acentropinae, Crambinae, Glaphyriinae, Odontiinae, Schoenobiinae and Scopariinae within the “non-PS Clade” in Crambidae remained doubtful with unstable topologies or low supports.

In the Anopheles genus, various mosquito species are able to transmit Plasmodium parasites responsible for malaria, while others are non-vectors. In an effort to better understand the biology of Anopheles species and to quantify transmission risk in an area, the identification of mosquito species collected on the field is an essential but problematic task. Morphological identification requires expertise, well-preserved specimens and high-quality equipment, and it does not allow any subsequent verification when samples are later used in a destructive treatment. Moreover, it involves physical manipulations that are not compatible with experiments requiring fast sampling and processing of specimens, hence species identification is often based on DNA sequencing of reference genes or region such as the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Sequencing ITS2 for numerous samples is costly, but the design of species-specific PCR primers is not always possible when local species diversity is high. Here, we introduce a molecular technique of species identification based on precise determination of ITS2 length combined with a simple visual observation, the color of mosquito hindleg tip. DNA extracted from field-collected Anopheles mosquitoes was amplified with universal Anopheles ITS2 primers and analyzed with a capillary electrophoresis device, which precisely determines the size of the fragments. We defined windows of amplicon sizes combined with fifth hind tarsus color, which allow to discriminate the major Anopheles species found in our collections. We validated our parameters via Sanger sequencing of the ITS2 amplicons. This method can be particularly useful in situations with a moderate species diversity, i.e. when the number of local species is too high to define species-specific primers but low enough to avoid individual ITS2 sequencing. This tool will be of interest to evaluate local malaria transmission risk and this approach may further be implemented for other mosquito genera.