Density of a cryptic Australian small mammal: The threatened Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi).

Globally, hundreds of mammal species face the threat of extinction in the coming decades, and in many cases, their ecology remains poorly understood. Fundamental ecological knowledge is crucial for effective conservation management of these species, but it is particularly lacking for small, cryptic mammals. The Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi), a threatened, cryptic carnivorous marsupial that occurs in scattered populations in the central west of Queensland, Australia, was once so poorly studied that it was believed extinct. Sporadic research since its rediscovery in the early 1990s has revealed that S. douglasi is distributed across land at risk from many threats. Fundamental knowledge of S. douglasi population density is urgently required to inform conservation management at key sites, yet the species has historically proven hard to detect. Indeed, the status of the largest known population of S. douglasi, in Bladensburg National Park, is unknown. Here, we conducted a population study on S. douglasi at two sites within Bladensburg National Park via live mark-recapture surveys during 2022 and 2023. From likelihood-based spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) modelling we provide the first estimates of density and population size for S. douglasi. Live trapping resulted in captures of 49 individual S. douglasi (with 83 captures total, including recaptures). We estimated S. douglasi to occur at a density of 0.38 individuals ha-1 (0.25-0.58) at one site and 0.16 individuals ha-1 (0.09-0.27) at another site, with an estimated mean population size in suitable habitat at Bladensburg National Park of 1211 individuals (776-1646). Our S. douglasi density estimates were similar to that reported for other threatened small mammals in Australia. We also found evidence of extreme S. douglasi population fluctuations over time at Bladensburg National Park, which is of concern for its future conservation. Our study has provided the first estimate of density for S. douglasi, a threatened dasyurid species from the Mitchell Grass Downs of central western Queensland, Australia. Our research provides crucial population data to assist the management of this poorly studied species. We demonstrate a method that can be applied to species with low detection probability to ultimately help address the mammal extinction crisis faced by Australia and the rest of the world.

A mark-specific quantile regression model.

Quantile regression has become a widely used tool for analysing competing risk data. However, quantile regression for competing risk data with a continuous mark is still scarce. The mark variable is an extension of cause of failure in a classical competing risk model where cause of failure is replaced by a continuous mark only observed at uncensored failure times. An example of the continuous mark variable is the genetic distance that measures dissimilarity between the infecting virus and the virus contained in the vaccine construct. In this article, we propose a novel mark-specific quantile regression model. The proposed estimation method borrows strength from data in a neighbourhood of a mark and is based on an induced smoothed estimation equation, which is very different from the existing methods for competing risk data with discrete causes. The asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are established across mark and quantile continuums. In addition, a mark-specific quantile-type vaccine efficacy is proposed and its statistical inference procedures are developed. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the finite sample performances of the proposed estimation and hypothesis testing procedures. An application to the first HIV vaccine efficacy trial is provided.

Sacred Foe: About the Face of Exemplary Evil.

This essay aims to summarize and explore two issues that, in the exegetical and representational traditions of the biblical text, have triggered a myriad of semiotic intelligences. First, the nature of Cain's face at the moment of the sacrifice refused him by the Lord, a face variously interpreted as angry, sad, dejected, depressed, dark. Second, the nature of the sign imposed by God on Cain following Abel's fratricide. After exploring Jewish and Christian exegesis, ancient and modern, with some reference to contemporary narrative versions (and especially to Saramago's Cain), the reflection will turn to the question of whether this kind of exegetical questioning can be part of the objects of a discipline like semiotics, the modern science of signs.

Efficacy of green tea ( Camellia sinensis Linn) 3% extract cream on improvement of striae distensae.

Background: Striae distensae (SD) is a skin condition that frequently causes dermatological consultations and although asymptomatic, it may can cause itch and burning sensation. Green tea extract contains polyphenol, including flavanol, flavandiol, flavonoid, phenolic acid, amino acids and minerals which play a role in the repair of stretch marks through anti-inflammatory mechanism, increase collagen production, fibroblast proliferation, and skin hydration. Objective: To determine the efficacy of green tea extract cream on striae distensae. Methods: This is a pre-experimental clinical trial with a pretest-posttest design on 36 subjects with striae distensae. Diagnosis establishes through history taking and clinical evaluation. Imam Nelva Alviera (INA) score was used as SD severity before and after the application of the 3% green tea extract cream carried out at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Side effects and subjects' satisfaction were also recorded. Cochran test was carried out to see the difference before and after treatment, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant. Results: Majority of study subjects were 18-25 years (77.8%), had history of pregnancy (75%), had a history of menarche at the age of 12 years (27.8%) and all subjects had striae alba. There was significant decrement in INA score for striae distensae (p<0.001) after eight weeks administration of 3% green tea extract cream. Clinical improvement and no side effects were also noted. All subjects were satisfied. Conclusions: The use of 3% green tea extract cream can improve the appearance of SD.

Wetland butterfly thriving in abandoned jungle: Neptis rivularis in the Czech Republic.

With ongoing insect declines, species expanding in distribution and abundance deserve attention, as understanding their success may help design conservation strategies for less successful species. Common causes of these successes include warmer climates, novel resources, and exploiting land use change, including land abandonment. These factors affect the nymphalid butterfly Neptis rivularis, developing on Spiraea spp. shrubs and reaching the north-western limits of its trans-Palearctic distribution in Central Europe. We combined mark-recapture, behaviour analysis, and distribution modelling to study N. rivularis in wetlands of the Trebonsko Protected Landscape (IUCN category V). The long-living adults (up to 4 weeks) spent a considerable amount of time searching for partners, ovipositing and nectaring at Spiraea shrubs, alternating this with stays in tree crowns, where they located cool shelters, spent nights, and presumably fed on honeydew. They formed high-density populations (310 adults/ha), exploiting high host plant abundance. They adhered to floodplains and to conditions of relatively mild winters. The ongoing Spiraea encroachment of abandoned alluvial grasslands is, thus, a transient situation, ultimately followed by forest encroachment. Rewilding the habitats by introducing native ungulates presents an opportunity to restore the disturbance regime of the sites. The increased resource supply combined with a warming climate has opened up temperate Europe to colonization by N. rivularis.

Development of underground detection system using a metal detector and aluminum tag for, Copris ochus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Tracking of soil-dwelling insects poses greater challenges compared to aboveground-dwelling animals in terrestrial systems. A metal detector system consisting of a commercially available detector and aluminum tags was developed for detecting dung beetle, Copris ochus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). First, detection efficacy of the system was evaluated by varying volumes of aluminum tags attached on a plastic model of the insect and also by varying angles. Then, detection efficacy was evaluated by varying depths of aluminum-tagged models under soil in 2 vegetation types. Finally, the effects of tag attachment on C. ochus adults were assessed for survivorship, burrowing depth, and horizontal movement. Generally, an increase in tag volume resulted in greater detection distance in semi-field conditions. Maximum detection distance of aluminum tag increased up to 17 cm below soil surface as the tag size (0.5 × 1.0 cm [width × length]) and thickness (16 layers) were maximized, resulting in a tag weight of 31.4 mg, comprising ca. 9% of average weight of C. ochus adult. Furthermore, the detection efficacy did not vary among angles except for 90°. In the field, metal detectors successfully detected 5 aluminum-tagged models in 20 × 10 m (W × L) arena within 10 min with detection rates ≥85% for up to depth of 10 cm and 45%-60% at depth of 20 cm. Finally, aluminum tagging did not significantly affect survivorship and behaviors of C. ochus. Our study indicates the potential of metal detector system for tracking C. ochus under soil.

MARK2 phosphorylates KIF13A at a 14-3-3 binding site to polarize vesicular transport of transferrin receptor within dendrites.

Neurons regulate the microtubule-based transport of certain vesicles selectively into axons or dendrites to ensure proper polarization of function. The mechanism of this polarized vesicle transport is still not fully elucidated, though it is known to involve kinesins, which drive anterograde transport on microtubules. Here, we explore how the kinesin-3 family member KIF13A is regulated such that vesicles containing transferrin receptor (TfR) travel only to dendrites. In experiments involving live-cell imaging, knockout of KIF13A, BioID assay, we found that the kinase MARK2 phosphorylates KIF13A at a 14-3-3 binding motif, strengthening interaction of KIF13A with 14-3-3 such that it dissociates from TfR-containing vesicles, which therefore cannot enter axons. Overexpression of KIF13A or knockout of MARK2 leads to axonal transport of TfR-containing vesicles. These results suggest a unique kinesin-based mechanism for polarized transport of vesicles to dendrites.

Long-distance dispersal in the short-distance dispersing house sparrow (Passer domesticus).

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a small passerine known to be highly sedentary. Throughout a 30-year capture-mark-recapture study, we have obtained occasional reports of recoveries far outside our main metapopulation study system, documenting unusually long dispersal distances. Our records constitute the highest occurrence of long-distance dispersal events recorded for this species in Scandinavia. Such long-distance dispersals radically change the predicted distribution of dispersal distances and connectedness for our study metapopulation. Moreover, it reveals a much greater potential for colonization than formerly recorded for the house sparrow, which is an invasive species across four continents. These rare and occasional long-distance dispersal events are challenging to document but may have important implications for the genetic composition of small and isolated populations and for our understanding of dispersal ecology and evolution.

Development of a phantom for assessing the precision of setup in skin mark-less surface-guided radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) is adopted by several institutions; however, reports on the phantoms used to assess the precision of the SGRT setup are limited. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a phantom to verify the accuracy of the irradiation position during skin mark-less SGRT. METHODS: An acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic cube phantom with a diameter of 150 mm on each side containing a dummy target of 15 mm and two types of body surface-shaped phantoms (breast/face shape) that could be attached to the cube phantom were fabricated. Films can be inserted on four sides of the cubic phantom (left, right, anterior and posterior), and the center of radiation can be calculated by irradiating the dummy target with orthogonal MV beams. Three types of SGRT using a VOXELAN-HEV600M (Electronics Research&Development Corporation, Okayama, Japan) were evaluated using this phantom: (i) SGRTCT-a SGRT set-up based solely on a computed tomography (CT)-reference image. (ii) SGRTCT + CBCT-a method where cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) matching was performed after SGRTCT. (iii) SGRTScan-a resetup technique using a scan reference image obtained after completing the (ii) step. RESULTS: Both the breast and face phantoms were recognized in the SGRT system without problems. SGRTScan ensure precision within 1 mm/1° for breast and face verification, respectively. All SGRT methods showed comparable rotational accuracies with no significant disparities. CONCLUSIONS: The developed phantom was useful for verifying the accuracy of skin mark-less SGRT position matching. The SGRTScan demonstrated the feasibility of achieving skin-mark less SGRT with high accuracy, with deviations of less than 1 mm. Additional research is necessary to evaluate the suitability of the developed phantoms for use in various facilities and systems. This phantom could be used for postal surveys in the future.

Mark4 ablation attenuates pathological phenotypes in a mouse model of tauopathy.

Accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins is linked to various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) has been genetically and pathologically associated with Alzheimer's disease and reported to enhance tau phosphorylation and toxicity in Drosophila and mouse traumatic brain-injury models but not in mammalian tauopathy models. To investigate the role of MARK4 in tau-mediated neuropathology, we crossed P301S tauopathy model (PS19) and Mark4 knockout mice. We performed behaviour, biochemical and histology analyses to evaluate changes in PS19 pathological phenotype with and without Mark4. Here, we demonstrated that Mark4 deletion ameliorated the tau pathology in a mouse model of tauopathy. In particular, we found that PS19 with Mark4 knockout showed improved mortality and memory compared with those bearing an intact Mark4 gene. These phenotypes were accompanied by reduced neurodegeneration and astrogliosis in response to the reduction of pathological forms of tau, such as those phosphorylated at Ser356, AT8-positive tau and thioflavin S-positive tau. Our data indicate that MARK4 critically contributes to tau-mediated neuropathology, suggesting that MARK4 inhibition may serve as a therapeutic avenue for tauopathies.

Juvenile survival of little owls decreases with snow cover.

Global environmental changes are associated with warmer average temperatures and more extreme weather events, potentially affecting wildlife population dynamics by altering demographic processes. Extreme weather events can reduce food resources and survival in all seasons of the year. Estimates of season-specific survival probabilities are therefore crucial to understand the moderating effect of extreme events on annual mortality. Here, we analysed survival probabilities of 307 radio-tracked juvenile little owls (Athene noctua) over two-week periods from fledging to their first breeding attempt in the following spring to assess the contribution of extreme weather events. Survival probabilities were typically lowest during the first weeks after fledging in summer but were moderated by seasonal extremes in winter. The duration of snow cover in winter had a strong negative effect on survival probability, while being food supplemented during the nestling stage increased survival during the first weeks after fledging in summer and ultimately led to a larger proportion of birds surviving the first year. Overall annual survival probability over the first year varied by 34.3% between 0.117 (95% credible interval 0.052-0.223) and 0.178 (0.097-0.293) depending on the severity of the winter, and was as high as 0.233 (0.127-0.373) for food-supplemented fledglings. In years with mild winters, the season with the lowest survival was the summer post-fledging period (0.508; 0.428-0.594), but in years with extensive snow cover the winter was the season with the lowest survival (0.481; 0.337-0.626). We therefore show that extreme weather events occurring in a particular season reduced the proportion of first-year survivors. Increasing extreme weather events can moderate seasonal survival probability through altering food supply of juvenile little owls either during the nestling period or in winter, with similarly large effects on annual survival and the viability of populations.

Bayesian hidden mark interaction model for detecting spatially variable genes in imaging-based spatially resolved transcriptomics data.

Recent technology breakthroughs in spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) have enabled the comprehensive molecular characterization of cells whilst preserving their spatial and gene expression contexts. One of the fundamental questions in analyzing SRT data is the identification of spatially variable genes whose expressions display spatially correlated patterns. Existing approaches are built upon either the Gaussian process-based model, which relies on ad hoc kernels, or the energy-based Ising model, which requires gene expression to be measured on a lattice grid. To overcome these potential limitations, we developed a generalized energy-based framework to model gene expression measured from imaging-based SRT platforms, accommodating the irregular spatial distribution of measured cells. Our Bayesian model applies a zero-inflated negative binomial mixture model to dichotomize the raw count data, reducing noise. Additionally, we incorporate a geostatistical mark interaction model with a generalized energy function, where the interaction parameter is used to identify the spatial pattern. Auxiliary variable MCMC algorithms were employed to sample from the posterior distribution with an intractable normalizing constant. We demonstrated the strength of our method on both simulated and real data. Our simulation study showed that our method captured various spatial patterns with high accuracy; moreover, analysis of a seqFISH dataset and a STARmap dataset established that our proposed method is able to identify genes with novel and strong spatial patterns.

Dedicated Protocol for Ultrastructural Analysis of Farmed Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Tissues with Red Mark Syndrome: The Skin-Part One.

The present study aims to provide a specific protocol for transmission electron microscopy of a sample of skin of rainbow trout affected by red mark syndrome (RMS). The red mark syndrome is a skin disease that affects the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The disease, probably due to the Midichloria-like organism infection, is not lethal, but morbidity can reach up to 60%, leading to significant economic impact associated with the downgrading of the commercial product, increased labor, and susceptibility to secondary infections. The ultrastructure analyses allowed an earlier study to identify the presence of scattered microorganisms characterized by an oval shape, mainly in the cytoplasm of the cells. The protocol developed in this study will be instrumental in visualizing the ultrastructure of the microorganism, which is probably responsible for red mark syndrome infection.

Dissecting hair breakage in alopecia areata: the central role of dysregulated cysteine homeostasis.

In the initial stages of Alopecia Areata (AA), the predominance of hair breakage or exclamation mark hairs serves as vital indicators of disease activity. These signs are non-invasive and are commonly employed in dermatoscopic examinations. Despite their clinical salience, the underlying etiology precipitating this hair breakage remains largely uncharted territory. Our exhaustive review of the existing literature points to a pivotal role for cysteine-a key amino acid central to hair growth-in these mechanisms. This review will probe and deliberate upon the implications of aberrant cysteine metabolism in the pathogenesis of AA. It will examine the potential intersections of cysteine metabolism with autophagy, ferroptosis, immunity, and psychiatric manifestations associated with AA. Such exploration could illuminate new facets of the disease's pathophysiology, potentially paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies.

Bite marks: To opine or not to opine?

Much has been written about bite mark comparisons and bite mark analysis. It has largely been written for, and remained within the domain of, the forensic odontologist despite the limited number of such specialists and the even smaller subset who have expertise in this area. For those health professionals who work in the field of clinical forensic medicine, most will not have access to a forensic odontologist. Courts can be reticent about the costs involved in obtaining another expert opinion. For health professionals, who will likely encounter more bite marks in their career than forensic odontologists, the difficulty is knowing what can legitimately be opined about such injuries.

Adaptive Weighted Error-Correction Method Based on the Error Distribution Characteristics of Multi-Channel Alignment.

As process nodes of advanced integrated circuits continue to decrease below 10 nm, the requirement for overlay accuracy is becoming stricter. The alignment sensor measures the position of the alignment mark relative to the wafer; thus, sub-nanometer alignment position accuracy is vital. The Phase Grating Alignment (PGA) method is widely used due to its high precision and stability. However, the alignment error caused by the mark asymmetry is the key obstacle preventing PGA technology from achieving sub-nanometer alignment accuracy. This error can be corrected using many methods, such as process verification and multi-channel weighted methods based on multi-diffraction, multi-wavelength and multi-polarization state alignment sensors. However, the mark asymmetry is unpredictable, complex and difficult to obtain in advance. In this case, the fixed-weight method cannot effectively reduce the alignment error. Therefore, an adaptive weighted method based on the error distribution characteristic of a multi-channel is proposed. Firstly, the simulation result proves that the error distribution characteristic of the multi-alignment result has a strong correlation with the mark asymmetry. Secondly, a concrete method of constructing weight values based on error distribution is described. We assume that the relationship between the weight value of each channel and the deviations of all channels' results is second-order linear. Finally, without other prior process correction in the simulation experiment, the residual error's Root Mean Square (RMS) of fixed weighted method is 14.0 nm, while the RMS of the adaptive weighted method is 0.01 nm, when dealing with five typical types of mark asymmetry. The adaptive weighted method exhibits a more stable error correction effect under unpredictable and complicated mark asymmetry.

Estimating migration timing and abundance in partial migratory systems by integrating continuous antenna detections with physical captures.

Many populations migrate between two different habitats (e.g. wintering/foraging to breeding area, mainstem-tributary, river-lake, river-ocean, river-side channel) as part of their life history. Detection technologies, such as passive integrated transponder (PIT) antennas or sonic receivers, can be placed at boundaries between habitats (e.g. near the confluence of rivers) to detect migratory movements of marked animals. Often, these detection systems have high detection probabilities and detect many individuals but are limited in their ability to make inferences about abundance because only marked individuals can be detected. Here, we introduce a mark-recapture modelling approach that uses detections from a double-array PIT antenna system to imply movement directionality from arrays and estimate migration timing. Additionally, when combined with physical captures, the model can be used to estimate abundances for both migratory and non-migratory groups and help quantify partial migration. We first test our approach using simulation, and results indicate our approach displayed negligible bias for total abundance (less than ±1%) and slight biases for state-specific abundance estimates (±1%-6%). We fit our model to array detections and physical captures of three native fishes (humpback chub [Gila cypha], flannelmouth sucker [Catostomus latipinnis] and bluehead sucker [Catostomus discobolus]) in the Little Colorado River (LCR) in Grand Canyon, AZ, a system that exhibits partial migration (i.e. includes residents and migrants). Abundance estimates from our model confirm that, for all three species, migratory individuals are much more numerous than residents. There was little difference in movement timing between 2021 (a year without preceding winter/spring floods) and 2022 (a year with a small flood occurring in early April). In both years, flannelmouth sucker arrived in mid-March whereas humpback chub and bluehead sucker arrivals occurred early- to mid-April. With humpback chub and flannelmouth sucker, movement timing was influenced by body size so that large individuals were more likely to arrive early compared to smaller individuals. With more years of data, this model framework could be used to evaluate ecological questions pertaining to flow cues and movement timing or intensity, relative trends in migrants versus residents and ecological drivers of skipped spawning.

Immediate-Early Genes as Influencers in Genetic Networks and their Role in Alzheimer's Disease.

Immediate-early genes (IEGs) are a class of activity-regulated genes (ARGs) that are transiently and rapidly activated in the absence of de novo protein synthesis in response to neuronal activity. We explored the role of IEGs in genetic networks to pinpoint potential drug targets for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using a combination of network analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics we show that (1) IEGs exert greater topological influence across different human and mouse gene networks compared to other ARGs, (2) ARGs are sparsely involved in diseases and significantly more mutational constrained compared to non-ARGs, (3) Many AD-linked variants are in ARGs gene regions, mainly in MARK4 near FOSB, with an AD risk eQTL that increases MARK4 expression in cortical areas, (4) MARK4 holds an influential place in a dense AD multi-omic network and a high AD druggability score. Our work on IEGs' influential network role is a valuable contribution to guiding interventions for diseases marked by dysregulation of their downstream targets and highlights MARK4 as a promising underexplored AD-target.

New Method Using Local Affected Cartilage and Flap for the Cleft in Question Mark Ear.

BACKGROUND: As a rare auricular deformity, despite numerous surgical procedures for correcting moderate-to-severe question mark ears described in past studies, there remains a need to explore a more cost-effective approach. The optimal utilization of ear cartilage and surrounding skin while achieving superior outcomes continues to pose a significant challenge. METHODS: From 2018 to 2023, twenty-four patients with unilateral question mark ear were enrolled in this study. Seven of them were severe type deformities (absence of lower part of auricle), and seventeen were moderate (only cleft between helix and lobule). All patients were treated with new method using local cartilage and flap without damage in unaffected area. RESULTS: All patients were satisfied with significant improvement of question mark ear and the overall symmetrical appearance. The surgical scar was not obvious. No complications were observed. The follow-up period revealed that the corrective procedure kept producing the symmetrical and cosmetic results. CONCLUSION: Our new method enables optimal utilization of deformed tissue and surrounding skin, rendering this method effective and reliable for correcting moderate-to-severe question mark ears. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Unlocking adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma's epigenetic secrets: delving into the mechanism and impact of EZH1/2 inhibition.

Epigenetic modifications, particularly through methylation of DNA packaging histones, play a pivotal role in controlling gene expression. Aberrant patterns of histone methylation have been associated with the development and progression of hematological malignancies. Unraveling the impact of aberrant histone marks on gene expression and leukemogenesis has spurred a concerted effort to develop clinically effective epigenetic therapies. In malignancies associated with the accumulation of histone H3 lysine trimethylation (H3K27me3), one such intervention involves preventing the deposition of this repressive histone mark by inhibiting the histone-modifying enzymes EZH1 and EZH2. While inhibition of EZH1/2 has demonstrated efficacy in both preclinical studies and clinical trials in various cancers, studies delineating the dynamic effect of EZH1/2 inhibition on H3K27me3 and disease relapse in clinical samples are lacking. In a recent publication, Yamagishi et al. explore how responses of a patient with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma to valemetostat, an EZH1/2 inhibitor, are associated with changes in H3K27me3, chromatin accessibility and gene expression, and how these changes can be circumvented in relapsed disease.