Multiple Populations Research Articles

A multi-ecosystem prioritization framework to balance competing habitat conservation needs of multiple species in decline

ContextIndividual species often drive habitat restoration action; however, management under this paradigm may negatively affect non-target species. Prioritization frameworks which explicitly consider benefits to target species while minimizing consequences for non-target species may improve management strategies and outcomes.ObjectivesWe examined extents to which conifer removal, an approach frequently implemented to restore sagebrush ecosystems, can be conducted without detrimental effects to conifer-associated species, including the imperiled Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). Additionally, we prioritized sites for conifer removal, and predicted abundance responses for multiple species following simulated conifer removal at selected sites to achieve variable management objectives.MethodsWe used model-predicted changes in species’ densities following simulated conifer removal to identify optimal removal sites under single species, multi-species (ecosystem), and multi-ecosystem management scenarios. We simulated conifer removal at prioritized sites and evaluated resulting changes in abundance for six passerine species.ResultsManagement prioritized for a single species (Brewer’s Sparrow) provided the greatest per-unit-effort benefits for that species but resulted in the lowest population outcomes for all other species considered. In comparison, prioritizations for multiple species within a single ecosystem (i.e., pinyon–juniper or sagebrush) resulted in larger population benefits for species associated with that ecosystem and reduced detrimental effects on non-target species associated with another ecosystem. For example, single species management for Brewer’s Sparrow resulted in an average increase of 1.38% for sagebrush-associated species and a 4.58% decrease for pinyon–juniper associated species. In contrast, when managing for multiple sagebrush-associated species sagebrush-associated songbird populations increased by 3.98% and pinyon–juniper associated species decreased by 2.36%, on average.ConclusionsOur results illustrate single species management can result in detrimental outcomes and/or opportunity costs for non-target species compared to management designed to benefit multiple species. Our framework can be used to balance undesired consequences for non-target species and is adaptable for other systems and taxa.

Development of an Advanced-Generation Multi-Objective Breeding Population for the 4th Cycle of Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.)

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) is an important timber species native to southern China. While the single, unstructured breeding strategy was employed in the past three cycles of breeding, it is no longer adequate for managing a more advanced breeding population. In this study, we utilized restriction-site-associated DNA-sequencing (RAD-seq) to estimate the genetic diversity of breeding populations and phenotypic values or breeding values to estimate the genetic gain of hundred-grain weight, diameter at breast height, and wood basic density. To achieve a balance between genetic gain and genetic diversity, we combined the multiple populations and core-main populations methods to construct the fourth cycle breeding population. Finally, the fourth cycle breeding population was made up of a core population of 50 individuals with an inbreeding coefficient of ~0, and an additional main population of 183 individuals, with an effective population size of 108. Crossings made within and/or between different trait-targeted subpopulations could facilitate bidirectional gene flow between the core and main populations, depending on the breeding objectives. This structured breeding population of Chinese fir could aim for both short- and long-term genetic gains and has the potential to support the preservation of germplasm resources for future climate change.

Multicompartmental analysis of the murine pulmonary immune response by spectral flow cytometry.

Studies of pulmonary inflammation require unique considerations due to the complex structure and composition of the lungs. The lungs have multiple compartments and diverse immune cell populations, with inherently high autofluorescence, and are involved in the host response to pulmonary pathogens. We describe a protocol that accounts for these factors through a novel combination of methodologies-in vivo compartmental analysis and spectral flow cytometry with a broad panel of antibodies. In vivo compartmental analysis enables the precise localization of immune cells within the marginated vasculature, lung interstitium, nonlavageable airways, and lavageable airways of the lungs, as well as the pulmonary lymph nodes. Spectral flow cytometry with a broad panel of antibodies supports an unbiased exploratory approach to investigating diverse immune cell populations during pulmonary inflammation. Most importantly, spectral flow uses cellular autofluorescence to aid in the resolution and identification of immune cell populations. This methodology enables the acquisition of high-quality data compatible with informed gating and dimensionality reduction algorithms. In addition, our protocol emphasizes considerations for compartmentalization of the inflammatory response, spectral flow panel design, and autofluorescence spectra analysis. These methodologies are critical for increasing the rigor of pulmonary research. We apply this protocol for the precise characterization and localization of leukocytes in the pulmonary host response to influenza A virus in C57BL/6J mice. In particular, we demonstrate that this protocol improves the quantification and localization of alveolar macrophages within the airways. The methodology is modifiable and expandable to allow for further characterization of leukocyte populations of special interest.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We describe a novel combination of methodologies that incorporates dual in vivo compartmental analysis using intravascular and intratracheal CD45 labeling, a broad panel of antibodies for identifying lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells, and spectral flow cytometry that uses cellular autofluorescence to aid in resolving and identifying immune cell populations. This methodology allows precise localization of immune cells in the lavageable airways, nonlavageable airways, interstitial lung tissue, and marginated in the lung vasculature.

Synonymous Myocilin mutations break their silence in a Zambian population attending selected referral eye health facilities

Objective: Primary open-angle glaucoma in Zambia has an earlier age of onset and appears to be more clinically severe. Myocilin mutations are associated with primary open angle glaucoma in multiple populations. Therefore, we investigated the role of myocilin gene mutations in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in a Zambian population. Methods: The unrelated primary open-angle glaucoma patients and unaffected controls recruited were from the University Teaching Hospitals Eye Hospital, Kitwe Teaching Eye Hospital and Lusaka Adventist Eye Hospital. A complete eye examination, including visual field assessment, was performed in all cases and controls.Genomic DNA was extracted from whole peripheral blood, then subjected to polymerase chain reaction to amplify exons, flanking introns and promoter regions of the myocilingene. The amplified products were screened for base mutations by auto sequence based on the Sanger method. The analyses of findings included odds ratios, chi-square, bivariate, multivariate and conditional logistic regression with 95% confidence interval and at a 5% level of significance.There was also a comparison between the identified mutations and the previously reported myocilinmutations. Results: Unrelated 165 Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma patients and unaffected 173 controls enrolled for the study. The analysis revealed 4 variants of MYOC mutations in 49 participants of the 338. The mutations included one synonymous (silent) mutation (Thr474Thr; 45/338) and three missense mutations (Ala446Thr; 16/338), (Leu158Arg; 4/338) and (Arg342Lys; 1/338). The study observed two previously reported mutations, Ala446Thr and Arg342Lys, as glaucoma causing mutations. The missense mutation, Ala446Thr, was found in 16 participants who also had silent mutations broken down as eight cases and eight controls. One control had two variants, Ala446Thr and Arg342Lys. Twenty (20) controls and 25 cases had the synonymous or silent (neutral) mutation, (Thr474Thr). The occurrence of Thr474Thr and Ala446Thr in the same cases and controls was compelling evidence to think that the synonymous mutations were not as silent as previously reported. The Thr474Thr and Ala446Thr mutations exhibited identical primary open-angle glaucomaphenotypic features in both cases and controls. In the remaining 17 cases and 12 controls the phenotype were still the same. The clinical profile in Thr474Thr mutation was statistically significant for female gender, younger age group (<40 years), older age group (≥ 65 years), positive family history, poor visual acuity, severe visual field changes, diffuse retinal nerve fibre layer defects, peripapillary atrophy surrounding the optic nerve head and high cup disc ratio between 0.8 and 1.0 Conclusions: The silent myocilin mutations, Thr474Thr, break their silence in a Zambian population. The silent mutation Thr474Thr found was associated with primary open-angle glaucoma phenotype and appeared to be a glaucoma-causing.

Extinction of Multiple Populations and a Team of Die-Out Lyapunov Functions

Extinction of Multiple Populations and a Team of Die-Out Lyapunov Functions

Modelling migratory behaviour and habitat use of fish in a large, uninterrupted river network: A case study of a migratory salmonid

AbstractBull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) research has historically focused on highly impacted systems or occurred in a reactionary manner following overharvest. Here, we used telemetry and multi‐state capture–recapture modelling to inform management decision‐making for this highly migratory, conservation‐listed species in British Columbia's upper Fraser River watershed (UFW). Our work reduced critical information gaps surrounding the seasonal migration patterns, distribution, and survival rates of fluvial bull trout within the region. By using results of an existing microsatellite DNA analysis, we were able to assign each tagged individual to one of five spawning populations. This assignment allowed us to investigate potential differences in migratory behaviour and seasonal habitat use among the different spawning populations. We identified that the majority of tagged UFW fluvial bull trout made repeated, long‐distance migrations (>300 km one direction) to appropriate spawning, overwintering and foraging habitats. The five populations did not vary in their seasonal transition probabilities at the spatial scale investigated, suggesting key habitats are important to multiple populations. We also detected post‐spawning migration and distribution patterns that suggest UFW bull trout exploit seasonal resource pulses during salmon smolt outmigration. Our results highlight the importance of protecting, restoring and maintaining a diverse assemblage of complex habitats and the natural connections between them (e.g. between tributary spawning habitats and larger rivers) at a spatial scale that supports migratory bull trout life histories. This work provides valuable information for prioritizing conservation actions and identifying restoration opportunities both in the UFW and across the species' range.

AIMS for wildlife: Developing an automated interactive monitoring system to integrate real-time movement and environmental data for true adaptive management

To effectively manage species and habitats at multiple scales, population and land managers require rapid information on wildlife use of managed areas and responses to landscape conditions and management actions. GPS tracking studies of wildlife are particularly informative to species ecology, habitat use, and conservation. Combining GPS data with administrative data and a diverse suite of remotely sensed, geo-referenced environmental (e.g., climatic) data, would more comprehensively inform how animals interact with and utilize habitats and ecosystems and our goal was to create a conceptual model for a system that would accomplish this – the ‘Automated Interactive Monitoring System (AIMS) for Wildlife’. Our objective for this study was to develop a Customized Wildlife Report (CWR) - the first AIMS for Wildlife deliverable product. CWRs collate and summarize our 8-year GPS tracking dataset of ∼11 million locations from 1338 individual (16 species) avifauna and make actionable, real-time data on animal movements and trends in a specific area of interest available to managers and stakeholders for rapid application in day-to-day management. The CWR exemplar presented in this paper was developed to address needs identified by habitat managers of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and illustrates the highly specific, information offered and how it contributes to assessing the efficacy of conservation actions while allowing for near real-time adaptive management. The report can be easily customized for any of the thousands of wildlife refuges or regional areas of interest in the United States, emphasizing the broad application of an animal movement data stream. Utilizing diverse, extensive telemetry data streams through scientific collaboration can aid managers and conservation stakeholders with short and long-term research and conservation planning and help address a cadre of issues from local-scale habitat management to improving the understanding of landscape level impacts like drought, wildfire, and climate change on wildlife populations.

Genetic continuity, isolation, and gene flow in Stone Age Central and Eastern Europe

The genomic landscape of Stone Age Europe was shaped by multiple migratory waves and population replacements, but different regions do not all show similar patterns. To refine our understanding of the population dynamics before and after the dawn of the Neolithic, we generated and analyzed genomic sequence data from human remains of 56 individuals from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Eneolithic across Central and Eastern Europe. We found that Mesolithic European populations formed a geographically widespread isolation-by-distance zone ranging from Central Europe to Siberia, which was already established 10,000 years ago. We found contrasting patterns of population continuity during the Neolithic transition: people around the lower Dnipro Valley region, Ukraine, showed continuity over 4000 years, from the Mesolithic to the end of the Neolithic, in contrast to almost all other parts of Europe where population turnover drove this cultural change, including vast areas of Central Europe and around the Danube River.

Alkbh5 plays indispensable roles in maintaining self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells.

Alkbh5 is one of the primary demethylases responsible for reversing N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications on mRNAs, and it plays a crucial role in many physiological and pathological processes. Previous studies have shown that Alkbh5 is required for maintaining the function of leukemia stem cells but is dispensable for normal hematopoiesis. In this study, we found that Alkbh5 deletion led to a moderate increase in the number of multiple progenitor cell populations while compromising the long-term self-renewal capacity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Here, we used RNA-seq and m6A-seq strategies to explore the underlying molecular mechanism. At the molecular level, Alkbh5 may regulate hematopoiesis by reducing m6A modification of Cebpa and maintaining gene expression levels. Overall, our study unveiled an essential role for Alkbh5 in regulating HSC homeostasis and provides a reference for future research in this area.

Plant Community Changes Based on The Lotka-Volterra Model

Globally, ecosystem functions are threatened by repeated droughts and declining plant diversity. Due to frequent droughts, the species in the plant community show different adaptions towards the extreme weather conditions. The aim of this report is to explore how the plant community changes over time. Considering the growth law of population, establish the model of precipitation and plant growth rate based on the Logistic function. Moreover, considering the competition and interaction between populations, this paper chooses the Lotka-Volterra model and adapt it, then use the improved Euler method to obtain numerical solutions of these nonlinear ordinary differential equations of plant population over time under the interaction of multiple populations. The observations are obtained: For the population of a plant community, when the rainy season intersects with droughts, the decline rate of the population at the inflection point slows down, the continuity of population change is interrupted. And the plant population shows an increasing trend in the rainy season, and a decreasing trend in droughts.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing reveals cell type-specific transcriptome alterations of Down syndrome hippocampus using the Dp16 mouse model.

Down syndrome (DS), the most frequently occurring human chromosomal disorder, is caused by trisomy 21. The exact molecular effects of trisomy on certain cell populations in the brain remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of trisomy on the transcriptomes of various types of neurons and nonneuronal cells in the hippocampus. A total of 8993 nuclei from the WT and 6445 nuclei from the Dp16 hippocampus were analyzed by single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq). Cell clustering was achieved by the Seurat program. Hippocampal cells were grouped into multiple neuronal and nonneuronal populations. Only a limited number of trisomic genes were upregulated (q < 0.001) over 1.25-fold in a specific type of hippocampal cell. Specifically, deregulation of genes associated with synaptic signaling and organization was observed in multiple cell populations, including excitatory neurons, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. This observation suggests the potential importance of synapse deficits in DS. Interestingly, GO annotation of the upregulated genes suggested potential activation of the immune system by hippocampal excitatory neurons. Fewer trisomic genes were altered in nonneuronal cells than in neurons. Notably, microglial transcriptome analysis revealed significantly (q < 0.001) increased expression of C1qb and C1qc, which suggested potential involvement of complement-mediated synapse loss mediated by microglia in DS. The trisomy-related hippocampal deficits should be driven by a small amount, not all, of the trisomic genes in a specific type of cell. Our work may help to narrow down both the molecular and cellular targets for future gene therapies in DS.

Exploring Acheulean biface diversity in the central Narmada Valley, Madhya Pradesh, India

Central India occupies a pivotal place in the study of the Indian Palaeolithic. It is rich in Lower Palaeolithic records, with over 300 occurrences reported, and the region's antiquity is at least 800 Ka or older. The central Narmada Valley remains one of the crucial regions in Central India with a high frequency of Acheulean sites, which are primarily observed in the regolith deposits derived from the Vindhyan Supergroup. It is observed that most of the Acheulean sites are to the north of the Narmada River, and with fewer sites to the south. One possible reason could be that multiple hominin populations occupied this region, and the central Narmada Valley acted as a corridor for multidirectional movement in the past. This paper presents preliminary research on different lithic bifacial forms at various Acheulean sites in the central Narmada Valley. This study presents an analysis of 733 bifaces which are typologically divided into cleavers (57.1%), handaxes (35.1%) and miscellaneous (7.8%) specimens. The spatial distribution of these biface forms shows that cleavers are prominently present in the Northern zone, while handaxes are more prevalent in the Central zone. This research discusses various technological aspects of Acheulean bifacial technology in the central Narmada Valley and provides broad implications regarding the hominin occupation in the Indian Subcontinent.

Predicting moderate drinking behaviors in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants using biochemical and demographical factors with machine learning

Recent studies revealed that any amount of alcohol consumption is an overall health detriment to multiple populations, contrary to popular beliefs. In addition, very few alcohol use studies utilized machine learning methods to compare the biological health of moderate drinkers compared to those that abstain from alcohol consumption, opting instead to focus on binge drinking and heavy drinking. Using participant data of multiple factor types from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we created prediction models with stacked ensembles and gradient boosting models. Machine learning models were used to identify which factors most enabled the prediction of moderate drinking behaviors. Our combined factor runs produced a cross-validation area under the curve (AUC) of 0.929 and a validation area under the curve of 0.806. Runs that only included biochemical or demographical factors received cross-validation AUC values of 0.825 and 0.925, and validation AUC values of 0.757 and 0.783, respectively. The top predictive factors for our machine learning runs, including gamma glutamyl transferase, gender, iron levels, and cigarette and marijuana usage, corroborate past studies that link those factors to alcohol consumption. Our findings identified key differences in the biological health of moderate drinkers compared to those that abstain from drinking. These results reveal a need to further explore the health effects of moderate drinking, especially for vulnerable populations.

Multiple Stellar Populations in Metal-poor Globular Clusters with JWST: A NIRCam View of M92

Recent work on metal-intermediate globular clusters (GCs) with [Fe/H] = −1.5 and −0.75 has illustrated the theoretical behavior of multiple populations in photometric diagrams obtained with the JWST. These results are confirmed by observations of multiple populations among the M dwarfs of 47 Tucanae. Here we explore multiple populations in metal-poor GCs with [Fe/H] = −2.3. We take advantage of synthetic spectra and isochrones that account for the chemical composition of multiple populations to identify photometric diagrams that separate the distinct stellar populations of GCs. We derive high-precision photometry and proper motion for main-sequence (MS) stars in the metal-poor GC M92 from JWST and Hubble Space Telescope images. We identify a first-generation (1G) and two main groups of second-generation (2GA and 2GB) stars and investigate their kinematics and chemical composition. We find isotropic motions with no differences among the distinct populations. The comparison between the observed colors of the M92 stars and the colors derived by synthetic spectra reveals that the helium abundances of 2GA and 2GB stars are higher than those of the 1G by ΔY ∼ 0.01 and 0.04, respectively. The m F090W versus m F090W − m F277W color–magnitude diagram shows that below the knee MS stars exhibit a wide color broadening due to multiple populations. We constrain the amount of oxygen variation needed to reproduce the observed MS width, which is consistent with results on red giant branch stars. We conclude that multiple populations with masses of ∼0.1–0.8 M ⊙ share similar chemical compositions.

Till evolution do us part: The diversity of symbiotic associations across populations of Philaenus spittlebugs.

Symbiotic bacteria have played crucial roles in the evolution of sap-feeding insects and can strongly affect host function. However, their diversity and distribution within species are not well understood; we do not know to what extent environmental factors or associations with other species may affect microbial community profiles. We addressed this question in Philaenus spittlebugs by surveying both insect and bacterial marker gene amplicons across multiple host populations. Host mitochondrial sequence data confirmed morphology-based identification of six species and revealed two divergent clades of Philaenus spumarius. All of them hosted the primary symbiont Sulcia that was almost always accompanied by Sodalis. Interestingly, populations and individuals often differed in the presence of Sodalis sequence variants, suggestive of intra-genome 16S rRNA variant polymorphism combined with rapid genome evolution and/or recent additional infections or replacements of the co-primary symbiont. The prevalence of facultative endosymbionts, including Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma, varied among populations. Notably, cytochrome I oxidase (COI) amplicon data also showed that nearly a quarter of P. spumarius were infected by parasitoid flies (Verralia aucta). One of the Wolbachia operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was exclusively present in Verralia-parasitized specimens, suggestive of parasitoids as their source and highlighting the utility of host gene amplicon sequencing in microbiome studies.

Flare Up of Hot-Dry-Reduced Ignimbrites Related to Extension in the Cascades Arc: The Deschutes Formation, Central Oregon

Abstract Ignimbrite flare-ups are rare periods of intense silicic volcanism during which the pyroclastic volume and eruptive frequency is more than an order of magnitude higher than background activity. Investigating the compositional differences between flare-up and steady-state magmas provides critical constraints on the petrogenetic causes for the event and can offer unique opportunities to investigate the role of large-scale tectonic or geodynamic processes in arc magmatism. In this study, we focus on the bimodal Deschutes Formation ignimbrite flare-up of Central Oregon, which erupted unusually high volumes of pyroclastic material 6.25–5.45 Ma from a new axis of volcanism in the Cascades arc. This episode is marked by increased eruption rates and eruption of more silicic compositions relative to the Quaternary Cascade arc, which rarely erupts rhyolites. Ignimbrites are crystal-poor (&amp;lt;10%) dacite to rhyolites (mostly 65–77 wt.% SiO2) with anhydrous mineral assemblages and higher FeO/MgO, Y, Eu/Eu*, MREE and Zr/Sr, indicating drier magmatic evolution compared to the Quaternary arc, and are more similar to those from the rear-arc High Lava Plains (HLP) province that lies to the east. Magnetite-ilmenite oxybarometry indicates that Deschutes Formation felsic magmas tend to be hotter and more reduced (NNO-1 to NNO) than the Quaternary arc (NNO to NNO + 1.5). Rhyolite-MELTS geobarometry suggests complex storage of diverse Deschutes Formation magmas within the shallow crust (50–250 MPa), and the common co-eruption of multiple plagioclase populations, pumice compositions, and compositionally banded pumice suggest variable degrees of mixing and mingling of distinct magmas. Deschutes magmas also have low δ18Oplagioclase values that indicate partial melting and assimilation of hydrothermally altered shallow crust. Trace element systematics and rhyolite-MELTS modeling suggests that felsic pumice cannot be produced by simple fractionation of co-erupted mafic pumice or basaltic lavas, and requires a crustal melting origin, and trace elements and Pb isotopes suggest that young mafic crust may have been the primary protolith. We suggest that partial melting produced low-Si rhyolite melt (~72 wt.%) that acted as both a parent for the most evolved rhyolites, and as a mixing endmember to create the dacite to rhyodacite magmas with heterogenous plagioclase populations. Unlike the predominantly calc-alkaline basalts erupted in the Quaternary Cascade arc, Deschutes Formation primary basalts are mostly low-K tholeiites, indicative of decompression melting. These are similar to the compositions erupted during a contemporaneous pulse of low-K tholeiite volcanism across the whole HLP that reached into the Cascades rear-arc. We suggest that intra-arc extension focused decompression melts from the back-arc into the arc and that tensional stresses allowed this high flux of hot-dry-reduced basalt throughout the crustal column, causing partial melting of mafic protoliths and the production of hot-dry-reduced rhyolite melts. Depletion of incompatible elements in successive rhyolites implies progressive depletion in fertility of the protolith. Extension also allowed for the establishment of a robust hydrothermal system, and assimilation of hydrothermally-altered rocks by magmas residing in a shallow, complex storage network lead to low δ18O melts. Our findings suggest the integral role that extensional tectonics played in producing an unusual ignimbrite flare-up of hot-dry-reduced rhyolite magmas that are atypical of the Cascades arc and may be an important contributor to flare-ups at arcs worldwide.

Identifying drivers of population dynamics for a stream breeding amphibian using time series of egg mass counts

AbstractThe decline in amphibian populations is one of the starkest examples of the biodiversity crisis. For stream breeding amphibians, alterations to natural flow regimes by dams, water diversions, and climate change have been implicated in declines and extirpations. Identifying drivers of amphibian declines requires long time series of abundance data because amphibian populations can exhibit high natural variability. Multiple population viability analysis (MPVA) models integrate abundance data and share information from different populations to estimate how environmental factors influence population growth. Flow alteration has been linked to declines and extirpations in the Foothill Yellow‐legged Frog (Rana boylii), a stream breeding amphibian native to California and Oregon. To date, no study has jointly analyzed abundance data from populations throughout the range of R. boylii in an MPVA model. We compiled time series of egg mass counts (an index of adult female abundance) from R. boylii populations in 36 focal streams and fit an MPVA model to quantify how streamflow metrics, stream temperature, and surrounding land cover affect population growth. We found population growth was positively related to stream temperature and was higher in the years following a wet year with high total annual streamflow. Density dependence was weakest (i.e., carrying capacity was highest) for streams with high seasonality of streamflow and intermediate rates of change in streamflow during spring. Our results highlight how altered streamflow can further increase the risk of decline for R. boylii populations. Managing stream conditions to better match natural flow and thermal regimes would benefit the conservation of R. boylii populations.

ScDeepInsight: a supervised cell-type identification method for scRNA-seq data with deep learning.

Annotation of cell-types is a critical step in the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data that allows the study of heterogeneity across multiple cell populations. Currently, this is most commonly done using unsupervised clustering algorithms, which project single-cell expression data into a lower dimensional space and then cluster cells based on their distances from each other. However, as these methods do not use reference datasets, they can only achieve a rough classification of cell-types, and it is difficult to improve the recognition accuracy further. To effectively solve this issue, we propose a novel supervised annotation method, scDeepInsight. The scDeepInsight method is capable of performing manifold assignments. It is competent in executing data integration through batch normalization, performing supervised training on the reference dataset, doing outlier detection and annotating cell-types on query datasets. Moreover, it can help identify active genes or marker genes related to cell-types. The training of the scDeepInsight model is performed in a unique way. Tabular scRNA-seq data are first converted to corresponding images through the DeepInsight methodology. DeepInsight can create a trainable image transformer to convert non-image RNA data to images by comprehensively comparing interrelationships among multiple genes. Subsequently, the converted images are fed into convolutional neural networks such as EfficientNet-b3. This enables automatic feature extraction to identify the cell-types of scRNA-seq samples. We benchmarked scDeepInsight with six other mainstream cell annotation methods. The average accuracy rate of scDeepInsight reached 87.5%, which is more than 7% higher compared with the state-of-the-art methods.

Hiding in the Arctic and in mountains: a (dis)entangled classification of Claxtonia (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae)

Abstract Numerous evolutionary lineages representing an armoured, limno-terrestrial family Echiniscidae are restricted to high mountainous or polar localities, exhibiting clear cold stenothermic preferences. One such group is the genus Claxtonia, with its type species Claxtonia wendti, originally described from Svalbard and later on reported globally. In this paper, we re-describe this taxon by establishing the neotype from Spitsbergen. We sequenced five genetic markers (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-1, ITS-2, and COI) for multiple populations of Claxtonia, including C. mauccii, C. molluscorum, C. wendti, and several potentially new species, collected in the Alps, Andes, Carpathians, Scotland, Iceland, Southern Appalachians, Spitsbergen, Scandinavian Peninsula, Borneo, and the West Indies. The relationships between these species are elucidated thanks to the phylogenetic reconstructions based on nuclear loci. Various Claxtonia species frequently co-occur in mosses and lichens, which hampers delineating their probable geographic ranges. All historical records of C. wendti are questioned in the light of our revision. Delineation of new species within the genus is nipped in the bud due to numerous problems with original species descriptions, unknown intraspecific (including ontogenetic) variability, and the lack of DNA barcodes. Finally, it is hypothesized that Claxtonia potentially comprises two lineages: a cold-stenothermic one and a thermophilic subtropical–tropical one.

Improving secondary prevention knowledge in immigrants after a heart attack: adapting and evaluating a virtual patient education resource to promote behaviour change

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) is prevalent and recurrent (40%), whereas an estimated 75% of events could be avoided by secondary prevention of modifiable risk factors and healthy lifestyle. Structured in-person secondary prevention and patient education programs are both efficient and effective strategies; however, these programs may not meet immigrants’ care or home-based learning needs, and thus alternative educational models are needed. Purpose To adapt and evaluate the simplified Chinese version of Cardiac College, a co-designed evidence-based virtual patient education resource for heart attack, in Chinese immigrants on secondary prevention knowledge and behaviour change outcomes. Methods A prospective longitudinal pre-post study was undertaken in heart attack survivors recruited from cardiac rehabilitation programs at four metropolitan tertiary hospitals from May 2021 to November 2022. Chinese Cardiac College intervention was adapted and provided education via nine booklets and 10 pre-recorded video sessions structured and delivered to patients for four weeks following hospital discharge. Validated surveys measured health literacy, disease-related knowledge, physical activity, heart-healthy diet, and self-management behaviours at baseline and one to two weeks post-intervention. Acceptability, engagement, and satisfaction were also assessed post-intervention. Results From 81 patients assessed for eligibility, 67 were recruited, and 64 (95.5%) completed the study. The sample was aged mean 67.23 ± 8.12 years, and 81.25% were males. Participants had significant improvement in disease-related knowledge in total and in each domain, with the most improvement identified in medical, followed by exercise and psychological domains (p&amp;lt;0.001) (Table 1). Healthy dietary behaviour and other self-management behaviours also significantly improved (all p&amp;lt;0.05). All participants (100%) self-reported being engaged with the materials, rating content as highly acceptable (n=20, 31.3%) and highly satisfactory (n=30, 46.9%). In addition, most participants reported that the delivered information amount was adequate (n=44, 68.8%), and 26.6% (n=17) found it overwhelming. Conclusion A virtual patient-education intervention adapted for Chinese immigrants (Chinese Cardiac College) significantly improves secondary prevention knowledge and self-care behaviour in heart attack survivors and offers a suitable model for intervention, especially where there are limited bilingual staff or resources. Further testing of randomised controlled trials and multiple populations is required.