High Degree Of Specialization Research Articles

Hunting habits die hard: Conserved prey preferences in army ants across two distant neotropical rainforests

AbstractArmy ants are widely recognized as keystone species in neotropical rainforests due to their role as important arthropod predators. Their large‐scale raids involve thousands of workers scouring the forest floor in pursuit of prey, primarily capturing other invertebrates. Up to 20 species of army ants coexist in a rainforest, and dietary niche differentiation has been proposed as a mechanism to alleviate competition among them. Based on only a handful of study sites, however, our understanding of the precise dietary preferences and the extent of niche differentiation remains notably limited. In this study, we aimed to expand our knowledge of army ant communities by resolving an Ecuadorian predation network consisting of 244 prey species and 13 army ant species representing the five known neotropical army ant genera: Cheliomyrmex, Eciton, Labidus, Neivamyrmex, and Nomamyrmex. We collected 2156 prey items from 180 army ant raids/emigrations, and of these, we identified 1945 prey items to the family level, 1313 to the genus level, and 664 to the species level based on morphological identifications and DNA barcodes. Prey consisted primarily of other ants (1843 prey items; 153 ant species), to the largest part ant brood (N = 1726). Hence, most army ant species chiefly plundered the nests of other ants, while the three swarm raiding species, that is, Lab. praedator, Lab. spininodis, and Ec. burchellii, exhibited a relatively high proportion of non‐ant invertebrate prey in their diet. The predation network showed a high degree of specialization (H2′ = 0.65), characterized by little dietary niche overlap among sympatric species. We compared the Ecuadorian network with one previously studied in Costa Rica and found that, despite the large geographic distance, prey preferences remained remarkably similar. We discovered species‐specific preferences for captured ant genera and species, despite some species turnover in both army ants and prey. Additionally, army ants also exhibited consistent spatiotemporal raiding preferences across study sites. In conclusion, predation preferences within army ant communities exhibited consistency in multiple niche dimensions across two distant neotropical rainforests, suggesting a notable level of predictability within army ant predation networks.

Diversification of export activities: essence, purpose and state in Ukraine

Introduction. Export diversification is an essential tool for accelerating economic growth in developing countries. After all, these countries' exports are concentrated on raw materials and agricultural products, which are primarily sensitive to external shocks. By diversifying their exports, countries can reduce their vulnerability to fluctuations in foreign markets, including changes in demand, prices and terms of trade. This will stabilise the country's export earnings, ensure uninterrupted financing of imports and the development of various sectors of the national economy. In addition, diversifying export activities contributes to the structural transformation of the national economy and the country's innovative development. The purpose of the paper is to reveal the essence and functional purpose of export diversification in ensuring the country's economic development. The objective will be achieved by analysing the state of diversification of Ukraine's exports of goods and studying its relationship with the country's economic development. Results. Based on the analysis of changes in Ukraine's export commodity structure, the paper shows that in 2014-2023, there was a deepening of specialisation in Ukraine's exports of raw materials, food and agricultural products. At the same time, the share of medium and highly processed goods in Ukraine's export structure has decreased significantly. These trends are confirmed by the relatively high degree of specialisation of Ukrainian exports of goods over the period considered, as calculated by the normalised Herfindahl-Hirschman index. It is noted that the deepening concentration of Ukrainian exports of raw materials, food and agricultural products has been accompanied by slow growth or decline in GDP per capita. This confirms the hypothesis that there is a correlation between the diversification of export activities and a country's economic development level. Conclusions. According to the study's results, one strategy for Ukraine's economic growth under current conditions should be to diversify export activities and develop trade in goods with a medium and high degree of processing.

Natural history of pollination of an Asian bignoniaceous tree: The long-tubed flower and the not-so-long bird bill

Bird pollination is well-established in New World Bignoniaceae, but studies of species with floral traits suggestive of bird pollination in the Old World are lacking. Here we studied the pollination ecology of Mayodendron igneum to test the prediction of pollination by specialist flower-visiting birds. Observations from multiple sites showed that both the Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) and pollen-collecting bees were floral visitors. However, almost no fruit was produced if birds were excluded, suggesting that bees do not play a role in pollination, and that pollination is performed almost exclusively by birds in this self-incompatible tree. Measurements of floral traits revealed a typical bird pollination syndrome, and the nectar concentration and volume were both within the proposed ranges based on other flowers pollinated by specialist birds. However, the rather low level of sucrose (less than 2 %) in nectar sugar contradicts the expectation for nectar of flowers pollinated by specialist nectar-feeding birds. Although the Streaked Spiderhunter is among the longest-billed flower-visiting birds in Asia, its bill is only 2/3 of the corolla tube in length, suggesting that the bird can extend the tongue to access nectar. This study is the first to experimentally confirm bird pollination in the Old World Bignoniaceae. It also indicates aspects that are possibly characteristic of spiderhunter pollination systems, i.e. high degrees of specialization, unusual nectar sugar composition, and floral tubes much longer than bird bills.

Creating a place for open innovation among diverse players - a perspective from practitioners at a science park

Twenty years after the concept of open innovation was first proposed, entrepreneurship and horizontal division of labor have become popular in Japan, following the global trend. However, in the life science field, the foundation for open innovation is still in its infancy due to the high degree of specialization, large scale of required investment, and low probability of success. For the five years since its opening in 2018, Shonan Health Innovation Park (Shonan iPark) has taken on the challenge of building an ecosystem to create a place where a diverse range of players can realize open innovation. The key points of the efforts are the multifaceted approach taken by the governing body, which is well versed in life sciences, and on the other hand, the fostering of a mutually supportive mechanism and culture by actively borrowing the strength of the community's constituent members. In this article, we introduce the efforts to support diverse players, including venture companies, from the perspective of a science park that creates a place for open innovation.

Adoption and intensity of use of personal protective equipment by agricultural pesticide handlers: Empirical evidence from Peruvian agriculture

Pesticide use poses risks to human health that could be mitigated by the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), among other things. The aim of this study is to analyze the adoption and adoption intensity among a sample of nearly 12,000 crop farmers in Peru who grow a wide range of crops. This study further aims at identifying the factors that condition PPE use and intensity of use, with special attention paid to crop specialization. To achieve this objective, an econometric hurdle model that separates the decision on whether to adopt PPE from the decision on how many PPEs to employ was used. Results show that about a third of the sample farmers did not use any PPE when applying pesticides. For those farmers already using PPE, average PPE use intensity was relatively low at two PPEs, with boots being the most used PPE, followed by masks and gloves. The decision to adopt PPEs was strongly and positively influenced by farmers' level of education, access to credit, and training on pesticide use. The same factors were also found to be positively associated with PPE use intensity, which was further shown to be driven by cooperative membership. Crop specialization is shown to be an important determinant of both PPE adoption and adoption intensity. Interventions to promote PPE use should mainly target farms with a higher degree of specialization in cereal production, as these farms were less likely to use and intensify PPE adoption than farms specializing in other crops. Other relevant pathways to increasing PPE use include improving farmers’ educational status, communicating information on pesticide use, alleviating credit constraints, and strengthening farmer organizations.

The Megaendoprosthesis in Revision Arthroplasty - a Cost-revenue Analysis in the aG-DRG System.

Megaendoprosthesis offer a viable treatment in complex revision arthroplasty cases with good functional outcome. In the context of a neoplastic indication, the diagnosis-related group (DRG) I95A is usually assigned with a relative weight of 4.906 (2021). In contrast, in revision arthroplasty, the appropriate DRG is assigned, depending on the joint replacement. The additional costs compared to the invoiced DRG are to be compensated by agreeing on hospital-specific individual fees. These complex revision arthroplasties set high technical and operative demands and are mainly performed in specialised departments. We conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the use of the megaendoprosthesis in revision cases in a specialised orthopaedic clinic, as a single centre study. The question we sought to answer was: Is cost recovery possible in the modified German DRG system (aG-DRG)?A retrospective single centre analysis of treatment costs was performed. From 2018 to 2020, 113 patients treated with a megaendoprosthesis reconstruction in a referral centre due to extensive bone loss after aseptic or septic revision of a hip or knee prosthesis were included in the study. Relevant case-related cost drivers of the aG-DRG matrix (including staff and material costs of the operating theatre area and the ward) were taken into account. The actual costs were determined according to the specifications of the calculation manual published by the German institute for the remuneration system in hospitals (InEK). For each case, the contribution margin was calculated by relating the hospital's internal costs to the corresponding cost pool of the aG-DRG matrix.According to the DRG system 2021, 17 different DRGs were used for billing - in 70% based on a patient clinical complexity level (PCCL) ≥4. Compared with the InEK calculation, there is a deficit of -2,901€ per case in the examined parameters. The costs of physicians show a shortfall in both the operating theatre and on the ward. Implant costs, which were supposed to be compensated by hospital-specific additional charges, show a hospital-specific shortage of -2,181€. When analysing the risk factors for cost recovery, only these showed a significant difference.Implantation of the megaendoprosthesis in revision arthroplasty is often the last option to preserve limb function. At present, despite a high degree of specialisation and process optimisation, this treatment cannot be provided cost-effectively even in tertiary care. The politically desired specialised department structure requires sufficient reimbursement for complex cases. The economic outcome of each treatment case is often unpredictable, however the surgeon is confronted with these cases and is expected to treat them. The high standard deviation indicates large differences in the cost/revenue situation of each individual case. Our results show for the first time a realistic cost analysis for megaprosthesis in revision arthroplasty and underline the importance of an adequate hospital-specific charge, individually agreed by the funding units. The calculation should include not only the implant costs, but also the increased staff costs (increased, complex planning effort, quality management, surgery time, etc.).

Association of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) and bats: Richness and host specificity in Western Mexico.

As part of a widespread ecological study on the ectoparasites of bats in Western Mexico, we report new information on the specificity, and distribution of bat flies in a geographical transition zone between the neartic and neotropical zones. Fifteen (15) species of bats representing three families (Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae, and Vespertilionidae) were collected in 10 locations throughout western Mexico. A total of 276 bat flies, representing 6 genera and 25 species, were identified four species of the bat flies are new records for the region indicating an expansion of the distribution for Trichobius corynorhini (Cockerll, 1910), T. hoffmannae (Guerrero & Morales-Malacara, 1996), T. intermedius (Peterson & Hürka, 1974) and Nycterophilia natali (Wenzel, 1966). These records update the species richness of streblids to 40 species in the state of Jalisco, representing 65.6% of the total number of 61 species of streblids recorded in Mexico. The interaction network showed a high degree of specialization of the bat flies towards their hosts (H2'=0.92). Similarly, the specificity indices showed that there is a high ecological specificity (SI) with an average of 92%. of all the bat flies was associated with their primary hosts, while the average value of specificity of the phylogenetic trees (STD) of the six streblid species that presented more than one host was 1.7%, indicating a high specificity. The results of this study provide relevant information on bat-parasite associations and highlight the need for further research to obtain information on the geographic distribution of streblids and their hosts.

An assessment of the diet of Brown Fish-Owl Ketupa zeylonensis (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) (Aves: Strigiformes: Strigidae) from two localities in the foothills of the Western Ghats of Goa, India

The Brown Fish-Owl Ketupa zeylonensis is a large nocturnal bird of prey that has a vast distribution range. However, there is a significant literature gap on the ecology of this species in the Western Ghats ecoregion, particularly in regard to its food spectrum. In the present study, we assessed the diet composition of this species in the foothills of the Western Ghats of Goa, India. The diet was evaluated by analysing the undigested prey remains in regurgitated pellets obtained from the banks of forest streams and roosting sites. A total of 104 pellets were collected from two localities that exhibited similar landscape characteristics. Our analysis indicated that crabs contributed to a significant proportion of the diet of the species (75.47%), followed by amphibians (frogs, 8.02%), fishes (7.08%), reptiles (snakes, 2.83%), birds (2.36%), scorpions (1.89%), and insects (Odonata, 0.47%). Additionally, 1.89% (n = 4) of the prey items could not be identified due to their disintegrated nature. Furthermore, an assessment of Food Niche Breadth (FNB) indicated that K. zeylonensis exhibited a high degree of specialization in terms of its diet in the study areas.

Medical Biology of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer with one of the lowest 5-year survival rates of all cancer types. A defining characteristic of pancreatic cancer is the existence of dense desmoplastic stroma that, when exposed to stimuli such as cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines, generate a tumor-promoting environment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated during the progression of pancreatic cancer and are a crucial component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). CAFs are primarily pro-tumorigenic in their activated state and function as promoters of cancer invasion, proliferation, metastasis, and immune modulation. Aided by many signaling pathways, cytokines, and chemokines in the tumor microenvironment, CAFs can originate from many cell types including resident fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, pancreatic stellate cells, adipocytes, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and other cell types. CAFs are a highly heterogeneous cell type expressing a variety of surface markers and performing a wide range of tumor promoting and inhibiting functions. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses have revealed a high degree of specialization among CAFs. Some examples of CAF subpopulations include myofibrotic CAFs (myCAFs), which exhibit a matrix-producing contractile phenotype; inflammatory CAFs (iCAF) that are classified by their immunomodulating, secretory phenotype; and antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs), which have antigen-presenting capabilities and express Major Histocompatibility Complex II (MHC II). Over the last several years, various attempts have been undertaken to describe the mechanisms of CAF-tumor cell interaction, as well as CAF-immune cell interaction, that contribute to tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Although our understanding of CAF biology in cancer has steadily increased, the extent of CAFs heterogeneity and their role in the pathobiology of pancreatic cancer remains elusive. In this regard, it becomes increasingly evident that further research on CAFs in pancreatic cancer is necessary.

CLUSTER POLICY AND ITS IMPACT ON FDI ATTRACTION MODELS AND BETTER COOPERATION BETWEEN MNEs AND SMEs

The concept of FDI has been analyzed by several theorists and many of them see FDI as an engine of growth. FDI affects economic growth directly and indirectly. It is well known that FDI has a positive impact on the domestic economy through the transfer of technology and skills, development of local suppliers in terms of providing technical assistance, training for employees, transfer of knowledge, etc. In this way, FDI affects the improvement of productivity and competitiveness of the entire economy. Multinational enterprises and their foreign affiliates recently generate one third of the global GDP, as well as two thirds of international trade. They also account for half of global exports. Precisely because of their economic importance, many governments offer subsidies and tax breaks to attract multinational enterprises, and consequently FDI. According to OECD (2005), linking MNEs and SMEs is important in the context of investment for development. The so-called "spillover" of know-how and technology from foreign investors to the local business sector is one of the biggest benefits of FDI for development. In most countries, SMEs are considered as the majority of the domestic business sector, therefore the process of overcoming the barriers to the connection between large and small enterprises is of great importance for the overall development. But the benefits of cooperation between MNEs and SMEs do not come automatically. Consequently, if we analyze specifically only one segment of the effects of FDI, such as the introduction of new technologies and innovations, as one of the biggest benefits of the host country from FDI, we come to the conclusion that this transfer is not always the same, but is very more present and effective if it is done in geographically concentrated clusters, in contrast to the cases when it is realized in dispersed companies of the same sector. Companies operating in clusters are characterized by a high degree of specialization and complementarity. This generates dynamic processes of learning, innovation and knowledge transfer. In the clusters, a process of collective learning is realized, which results in innovation and competitiveness even in sectors where high technology is not applied. This paper aims to explore models and ways of attracting FDI as well as creating preconditions for realizing as many benefits and spillovers as possible from the established cooperation between foreign MNEs and local SMEs, such as clusters. The results show that although the clusters in the Republic of North Macedonia are formally functioning, they are far from the desired condition to be in a situation to provide essential assistance in the direction of increasing the positive effects of the cooperation of SMEs and MNEs. However, the clusters should continue to be supported by the relevant competent institutions in order for the desired effects to be measurable, concrete and significant for the local economy.

The determinants of inward FDI in India in the 2000s

Purpose Unlike the traditional growth model of emerging markets after economic liberalization, India’s inward foreign direct investment (FDI) surged paralleling its strong economic growth in the 2000s, despite the failure to establish a strong secondary sector. This creates an opportunity to deepen the conceptual and contextual understanding of the pivotal mechanisms that impel foreign multinational enterprises to invest into India and provides a natural setting to better understand the nature of its institutional, political and economic environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a theory contextualized to Indian inward FDI patterns for the 2000–2017 period. The theoretical framework expands upon received investment motives, with explicit consideration given to the idiosyncrasies of developments in India’s recent macro and socioeconomic environment. The authors test the hypotheses using panel data from 134 countries that invested in India, using a Hausman–Taylor estimation. Findings The authors find that India’s transition toward a knowledge economy attracts asset augmenting rather than asset exploiting FDI. Investors appear to target long-term investments by gaining access to India’s digital capabilities, R&D, and growing talent base with a high degree of specialization within analytics, biotechnology, engineering, or pharmaceuticals. Foreign investors do not seem to be notably deterred by infrastructural challenges nor by legal and regulatory restrictions. Originality/value By providing a new perspective on India’s atheoretical economic development and FDI environment, this study offers a distinct point of comparison with regard to established hypotheses within the extant literature on FDI into emerging markets. Rethinking contemporary investment motive theory by introducing an adapted conceptual framework provides further opportunity to inform the understanding of firm strategies in similar environments.

Stress Management Amongst Industrial Employee

The sources of stress in the workplace. Include interpersonal relationships, career development, organizational structure and climate, line-staff conflicts, little opportunity for advancement, high degree of specialization and centralization, poor communications, inadequate information, inaccurate assessment of performance and poor feedback. To successfully manage stress, it is important to be aware of sources of stress in our lives and our physical and psychological responses to them. People respond to stress in different ways. Some individuals are more capable of coping with stressors than others, while some individuals are more prone to stress. Our characters determine how we respond to stressors by our perception of "what is" and "what should be", our personality, motivation, problem-solving capacity and ability for self-introspection. In developing countries like India, privatization leads to rapid change in the industrial sector, while corona crises recession has impacted industries. Companies must constantly examine business trends and get innovative to retain key employees in the worst of times. Mergers and acquisitions and changes in labour laws also put stress on working life as well as on personal life of the working class.

Trends in dietary supplement use among athletes selected for doping controls.

Dietary supplements (DS) may be beneficial for athletes in certain situations, whereas incorrect or excessive use may impair performance, pose a risk to the athlete's health and cause positive doping tests by containing prohibited substances. To provide athletes with relevant and tailored information on safe supplement use, a better knowledge about DS trends over time and between sport disciplines are needed. This study examines the use of DS among athletes who have participated in doping controls by extracting information derived from 10,418 doping control forms (DCF) collected by Anti-Doping Norway from 2015 to 2019. Overall, 51% of the DCFs contained information about at least one DS. National level athletes (NLA) more often reported using DS than recreational athletes (RA) (53 vs. 47%, p < 0.001). Athletes in strength and power (71%), VO2max endurance (56%) and muscular endurance sports (55%) had the highest proportion of DCFs with information about DS. Medical supplements were the most used supplement category for both genders and across all sports. Dietary supplements with a high risk of containing doping substances were most common among male, RA in strength and power sports. There were small and non-significant year-to-year variations in the prevalence of athletes using DS, while the number of products used concomitantly peaked in 2017 before declining in 2019 (2.30 vs. 2.08, p < 0.01). The use of medical supplements and ergogenic substances increased slightly for both NLA and RA from 2015 to 2019, while the use of all other supplement categories declined. Half of the 10,418 DCFs contained information about DS, with variations within the athlete population. DS with high risk of containing prohibited substances were mostly seen in sport disciplines requiring a high degree of specialization in strength/power, including powerlifting and weightlifting, as well as in some team sports, such as cheerleading and american football.

From global to regional? New realities of international migration to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Commentary on “Buenos Aires. From successful city/nation-building to fragmented amalgamation” by Marcelo Cavarozzi

ABSTRACT In “Buenos Aires. From successful city/nation-building to fragmented amalgamation”, Marcelo Cavarozzi details the connection between immigration and the construction of Buenos Aires as a global city. Cavarozzi analyzes the evolution of economic segregation in Buenos Aires by describing how the spatial order that separated the city centre from its surrounding areas developed. This commentary takes over where Cavarozzi’s paper ends and describes the changing composition of the immigrant population of Buenos Aires since the 1970s in comparison to U.S. cities. The growth of the Latin American population and the decline in immigration from other areas have resulted in a high degree of specialization of international migration to Buenos Aires, transforming the city from a global to a regional immigrant destination. Buenos Aires has also experienced changes in the national origin of immigrant flows with important differences between the Capital Federal and Gran Buenos Aires.

Scenarios of change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates.

Mountains are among the natural systems most affected by climate change, and mountain mammals are considered particularly imperiled, given their high degree of specialization to narrow tolerance bands of environmental conditions. Climate change mitigation policies, such as the Paris Agreement, are essential to stem climate change impacts on natural systems. But how significant is the Paris Agreement to the survival of mountain mammals? We investigated how alternative emission scenarios may determine change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates in 2050. We based our predictions of future change in species niches based on how species have responded to past environmental changes, focusing on the probabilities of niche shrink and niche stability. We found that achieving the Paris Agreement's commitments would substantially reduce climate instability for mountain species. Specifically, limiting global warming to below 1.5°C would reduce the probability of niche shrinkage by 4% compared with a high-emission scenario. Globally, carnivores showed greater niche shrinkage than ungulates, whereas ungulates were more likely to shift their niches (i.e., face a level of climate change that allows adaptation). Twenty-three species threatened by climate change according to the IUCN Red List had greater niche contraction than other species we analyzed (3% higher on average). We therefore argue that climate mitigation policies must be coupled with rapid species-specific conservation intervention and sustainable land-use policies to avoid high risk of loss of already vulnerable species.

Multiscale imaging reveals the presence of autophagic vacuoles in developing maize endosperm.

Cereal endosperm is solely devoted to the storage of proteins and starch that will be used by the embryo upon germination. The high degree of specialization of this tissue is reflected in its endomembrane system, in which ER derived protein bodies and protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) are of particular interest. In maize seeds, the main storage proteins are zeins, that form transport incompetent aggregates within the ER lumen and finally build protein bodies that bud from the ER. In contrast to the zeins, the maize globulins are not very abundant and the vacuolar storage compartment of maize endosperm is not fully described. Whereas in other cereals, including wheat and barley, the PSV serves as the main protein storage compartment, only small, globulin-containing PSVs have been identified in maize so far. We present here a multi-scale set of data, ranging from live-cell imaging to more sophisticated 3D electron microscopy techniques (SBF-SEM), that has allowed us to investigate in detail the vacuoles in maize endosperm cells, including a novel, autophagic vacuole that is present in early developmental stages.

Bat-parasite interaction networks in urban green areas in northeastern Brazil.

Interaction networks can provide detailed information regarding ecological systems, helping us understand how communities are organized and species are connected. The goals of this study were to identify the pattern of interaction between bats and ectoparasites in urban green areas of Grande Aracaju, Sergipe, and calculate connectance, specialization, nesting, modularity and centrality metrics. Bats were captured using 10 mist nets inside and on the edges of the fragments, and the collected ectoparasites were stored in 70% alcohol. All analyses were performed using R software. The interaction network consisted of 10 species of bats and 13 ectoparasites. Connectivity was considered low (0.12). The specialization indices for ectoparasites ranged from 0.50 to 1.00, and the value obtained for the network was 0.96, which is high. The observed nesting metric was low (wNODF = 1.47), whereas the modularity was high (wQ = 0.74), indicating that the studied network had a modular topology. All centrality metrics had low values. The observed modularity may have been caused by the evolutionary history of the bats and ectoparasites involved and the high specificity index of the interactions. The low centrality values may be associated with low connectivity and a high degree of specialization. This study provides relevant information on bat–parasite interactions in an urban environment, highlighting the need for further studies to improve our understanding of host–parasite interaction networks.

Connectomic analysis of thalamus-driven disinhibition in cortical layer 4.

Sensory signals are transmitted via the thalamus primarily to layer 4 (L4) of the primary sensory cortices. While information about average neuronal connectivity in L4 is available, its detailed higher-order circuit structure is not known. Here, we used three-dimensional electron microscopy for a connectomic analysis of the thalamus-driven inhibitory network in L4. We find that thalamic input drives a subset of interneurons with high specificity, which in turn target excitatory neurons with subtype specificity. These interneurons create a directed disinhibitory network directly driven by the thalamic input. Neuronal activity recordings show that strong synchronous sensory activation yields about 1.5-fold stronger activation of star pyramidal cells than spiny stellates, in line with differential windows of opportunity for activation of excitatory neurons in the thalamus-driven disinhibitory circuit model. With this, we have identified a high degree of specialization of the microcircuitry in L4 of the primary sensory cortex.

Opportunities of the Technological Trends Linked to Industry 4.0 for Achieve Sustainable Manufacturing Objectives

In this work, we integrate the concepts of Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, and sustainable manufacturing in a model that provides a conceptual framework for the study of long-term solutions with a high degree of specialization, according to the specific context of each investigation. This study offers a holistic analysis and evaluation of the main challenges facing the Industry 4.0 concept. We also diagnose the current methodological proposals aimed at solving the challenges of Industry 4.0 and sustainability using a systemic review of the literature from the past 5 years. Firstly, we identify 14 technological trends linked to Industry 4.0. Subsequently, the trends are integrated into the proposed model to identify opportunities, evaluating their relationship with three performance areas. This allows the identification of trends that present the greatest number of opportunities in the context of sustainability. The second stage complements the literature review with a descriptive analysis of the studies and discusses the findings. The study concludes that the identified technological trends positively impact Industry 4.0 challenges, helping to achieve sustainable manufacturing objectives.

Nanoplastic incorporation into an organismal skeleton

Studies on the effects of global marine plastic pollution have largely focused on physiological responses of few organism groups (e.g., corals, fishes). Here, we report the first observation of polymer nanoparticles being incorporated into the calcite skeleton of a large benthic foraminifera (LBF), a significant contributor to global carbonate production. While previous work on LBF has documented selectivity in feeding behaviour and a high degree of specialization regarding skeletal formation, in this study, abundant cases of nanoplastic encrustation into the calcite tests were observed. Nanoplastic incorporation was associated with formation of new chambers, in conjunction with rapid nanoplastic ingestion and subsequent incomplete egestion. Microalgae presence in nanoplastic treatments significantly increased the initial feeding response after 1 day, but regardless of microalgae presence, nanoplastic ingestion was similar after 6 weeks of chronic exposure. While ~ 40% of ingesting LBF expelled all nanoplastics from their cytoplasm, nanoplastics were still attached to the test surface and subsequently encrusted by calcite. These findings highlight the need for further investigation regarding plastic pollution impacts on calcifying organisms, e.g., the function of LBF as potential plastic sinks and alterations in structural integrity of LBF tests that will likely have larger ecosystem-level impacts on sediment production.