Patterns Of Selection Research Articles

Pattern selection and the route to turbulence in incompressible polar active fluids

Active fluids, such as suspensions of microswimmers, are well known to self-organize into complex spatio-temporal flow patterns. An intriguing example is mesoscale turbulence, a state of dynamic vortex structures exhibiting a characteristic length scale. Here, we employ a minimal model for the effective microswimmer velocity field to explore how the turbulent state develops from regular, stationary vortex patterns when the strength of activity resp. related parameters such as nonlinear advection or polar alignment strength—is increased. First, we demonstrate analytically that the system, without any spatial constraints, develops a stationary square vortex lattice in the absence of nonlinear advection. Subsequently, we perform an extended stability analysis of this nonuniform ‘ground state’ and uncover a linear instability, which follows from the mutual excitement and simultaneous growth of multiple perturbative modes. This extended analysis is based on linearization around an approximation of the analytical vortex lattice solution and allows us to calculate a critical advection or alignment strength, above which the square vortex lattice becomes unstable. Above these critical values, the vortex lattice develops into mesoscale turbulence in numerical simulations. Utilizing the numerical approach, we uncover an extended region of hysteresis where both patterns are possible depending on the initial condition. Here, we find that turbulence persists below the instability of the vortex lattice. We further determine the stability of square vortex patterns as a function of their wavenumber and represent the results analogous to the well-known Busse balloons known from classical pattern-forming systems such as Rayleigh–Bénard convection experiments and corresponding models such as the Swift–Hohenberg equation. Here, the region of stable periodic patterns shrinks and eventually disappears with increasing activity parameters. Our results show that the strength of activity plays a similar role for active turbulence as the Reynolds number does in driven flow exhibiting inertial turbulence.

Crop use structures resource selection strategies for African elephants in a human-dominated landscape.

To conserve wide-ranging species in degraded landscapes, it is essential to understand how the behavior of animals changes in relation to the degree and composition of modification. Evidence suggests that large inter-individual variation exists in the propensity for use of degraded areas and may be driven by both behavioral and landscape factors. The use of cultivated lands by wildlife is of particular interest, given the importance of reducing human-wildlife conflicts and understanding how such areas can function as biodiversity buffers. African elephant space use can be highly influenced by human activity and the degree to which individuals crop-raid. We analyzed GPS data from 56 free-ranging elephants in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem using resource selection functions (RSFs) to assess how crop use may drive patterns of resource selection and space use within a population. We quantified drivers of similarity in resource selection across individuals using proximity analysis of individual RSF coefficients derived from random forest models. We found wide variation in RSF coefficient values between individuals indicating strongly differentiated resource selection strategies. Proximity assessment indicated the degree of crop use in the dry season, individual repeatability, and time spent in unprotected areas drove similarity in resource selection patterns. Crop selection was also spatially structured in relation to agricultural fragmentation. In areas with low fragmentation, elephants spent less time in crops and selected most strongly for crops further from protected area boundaries, but in areas of high fragmentation, elephants spent twice as much time in crops and selected most strongly for crops closer to the protected area boundary. Our results highlight how individual differences and landscape structure can shape use of agricultural landscapes. We discuss our findings in respect to the conservation challenges of human-elephant conflict and incorporating behavioral variation into human-wildlife coexistence efforts.

Design and characterization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles of nintedanib for theranostic application

This research was designed to develop and characterize citric acid-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (CA-SPIONs) and nintedanib esylate (NE) loaded CA-SPIONs (NE-CA-SPIONs) for their ability as cancer theranostics. The synthesis of SPIONs involved a chemical co-precipitation method. The XPS analysis confirmed the development of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles by the presence of photoelectron lines ascribed to C 1 s, O 1 s, and Fe 2p. The CA-SPIONs and NE-CA-SPIONs had particle size of 21.30±2.3 nm and 30.65±3.2 nm, respectively. The zeta potential was found to be −42.7±1.8 mV for CA-SPIONs and −32.3±2.4 mV for NE-CA-SPIONs. The magnetic properties of CA-SPIONs and NE-CA-SPIONs was found to be 65.64 emu/g and 22.09 emu/g, respectively. The particles were spherical-shape and selective area electron diffraction pattern exhibited semi-crystalline nature of NE-CA-SPIONs. The NE-CA-SPIONs showed drug release of 98.85±3.7 % in 29 h. In vitro hemolysis assay demonstrated hemocompatibility of CA-SPIONs and NE-CA-SPIONs. The NE-CA-SPIONs were more cytotoxic compared to free NE across the A549 cells. The CA-SPIONs were proven to be safe with less percentage cell inhibition even at high concentration. The X-ray imaging of CA-SPIONs displayed their use as a contrast agent in diagnosis. Overall, the research suggested the use of CA-SPIONs and NE-CA-SPIONs in diagnosis and cancer treatment.

Multimodal Image Classification by Multiview Latent Pattern Extraction, Selection, and Correlation.

The large amount of data available in the modern big data era opens new opportunities to expand our knowledge by integrating information from heterogeneous sources. Multiview learning has recently achieved tremendous success in deriving complementary information from multiple data modalities. This article proposes a framework called multiview latent space projection (MVLSP) to integrate features extracted from multiple sources in a discriminative way to facilitate binary and multiclass classifications. Our approach is associated with three innovations. First, most existing multiview learning algorithms promote pairwise consistency between two views and do not have a natural extension to applications with more than two views. MVLSP finds optimum mappings from a common latent space to match the feature space in each of the views. As the matching is performed on a view-by-view basis, the framework can be readily extended to multiview applications. Second, feature selection in the common latent space can be readily achieved by adding a class view, which matches the latent space representations of training samples with their corresponding labels. Then, high-order view correlations are extracted by considering feature-label correlations. Third, a technique is proposed to optimize the integration of different latent patterns based on their correlations. The experimental results on the prostate image dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Seasonality in functional connectivity: A case study with the American marten in Forillon National Park

AbstractProtected areas are essential tools for reducing loss of global biodiversity. To fulfill their ecological functions, protected areas must be connected to their surroundings, a requirement that is difficult to meet in landscapes intensively disturbed by anthropogenic activities. Therefore, protecting movement corridors at the edges of protected areas is crucial, especially for species with broad habitat needs, such as the American marten (Martes americana). However, habitat selection and space use patterns are dynamic processes, so we could expect that functional connectivity would vary temporally in response to changing environmental conditions and levels of human activities. In this study, we aimed at predicting the location of movement corridors for the American marten in Forillon National Park and its periphery during two contrasted periods (snow‐free: May–November; snow‐covered: December–April). We used “seasonal” resource selection functions to identify core areas (interpreted as circuit “nodes”) and CircuitScape to delineate movement corridors between them based on the electrical circuit theory. Habitat selection patterns differed between periods, with martens avoiding open areas, high elevations and road proximity during the snow‐free period, while avoiding areas closer to secondary roads but selecting areas closer to primary roads and housing structures during the snow‐covered period. Consequently, the location of movement corridors differed partially between periods. Functional connectivity was favored by the presence of forest patches for both periods, while being constrained by open environments, especially during the snow‐free period. Our study highlights the importance of modeling functional connectivity at fine temporal scales in order to provide movement corridors that fulfill the requirements of a species at each period of its annual cycle.

Dopamine D1 Receptor Agonists Rescue Age-related Decline in Temporal Order Memory

Dopamine D1 receptor agonists improve spatial working memory, but their effects on temporal order memory, particularly prone to the effects of aging, have not been studied. Two D1 agonists, PF6256142 (PF) and 2-methyldihydrexidine (2MDHX), were examined for their effects in a rodent temporal order recognition task. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that there is an age-related decline in rodent temporal order memory. The data also show that either agonist rescues the poor memory performance with a large effective size. Interestingly, the optimal effective dose varied among individual rats of different age groups. PF showed greater potency for older rats, whereas 2MDHX showed better overall population effectiveness. Both PF and 2MDHX have high intrinsic activity at rodent D1-mediated cAMP synthesis. Conversely, at D1-mediated β-arrestin recruitment, PF has essentially no intrinsic activity, whereas 2MDHX is a super-agonist. These findings suggest that D1 agonists have potential to treat age-related cognitive decline, and the pattern of functional selectivity may be useful for developing drugs with an improved therapeutic index.

The complete sequence and comparative analysis of ape sex chromosomes

Apes possess two sex chromosomes—the male-specific Y chromosome and the X chromosome, which is present in both males and females. The Y chromosome is crucial for male reproduction, with deletions being linked to infertility1. The X chromosome is vital for reproduction and cognition2. Variation in mating patterns and brain function among apes suggests corresponding differences in their sex chromosomes. However, owing to their repetitive nature and incomplete reference assemblies, ape sex chromosomes have been challenging to study. Here, using the methodology developed for the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) human genome, we produced gapless assemblies of the X and Y chromosomes for five great apes (bonobo (Pan paniscus), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii)) and a lesser ape (the siamang gibbon (Symphalangus syndactylus)), and untangled the intricacies of their evolution. Compared with the X chromosomes, the ape Y chromosomes vary greatly in size and have low alignability and high levels of structural rearrangements—owing to the accumulation of lineage-specific ampliconic regions, palindromes, transposable elements and satellites. Many Y chromosome genes expand in multi-copy families and some evolve under purifying selection. Thus, the Y chromosome exhibits dynamic evolution, whereas the X chromosome is more stable. Mapping short-read sequencing data to these assemblies revealed diversity and selection patterns on sex chromosomes of more than 100 individual great apes. These reference assemblies are expected to inform human evolution and conservation genetics of non-human apes, all of which are endangered species.

Real-world data on patients with early breast cancer who were prescribed abemaciclib adjuvant therapy in Japan.

Aim: To understand the real-world use of abemaciclib in Japanese patients with early breast cancer (EBC).Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted using a Japanese administrative claims database in patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative EBC who received abemaciclib adjuvant therapy from December 2021-March 2023. Patient characteristics and treatment patterns were summarized.Results: Among 374 patients, 38.2, 51.6 and 63.4% patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, respectively; 13.1% were chemotherapy naive. Tamoxifen (37.7%), letrozole (35.6%), anastrozole (24.3%) were the commonly prescribed concomitant adjuvant endocrine therapies. Abemaciclib dose reductions were observed in 42.0% patients.Conclusion: Use of abemaciclib for treatment of high-risk EBC was described, which could help inform patient selection and treatment patterns.

Opportunities offered by latent-based multiblock strategies to integrate biomarkers of chemical exposure and biomarkers of effect in environmental health studies

Modern environmental epidemiology benefits from a new generation of technologies that enable comprehensive profiling of biomarkers, including environmental chemical exposure and omic datasets. The integration and analysis of large and structured datasets to identify functional associations is constrained by computational challenges that cannot be overcome using conventional regression methods. Some extensions of Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression have been developed to efficently integrate multiple datasets, including Multiblock PLS (MB-PLS) and Sequential and Orthogonalized PLS; however, these approaches remain seldom applied in environmental epidemiology. To address that research gap, this study aimed to assess and compare the applicability of PLS-based multiblock models in an observational case study, where biomarkers of exposure to environmental chemicals and endogenous biomarkers of effect were simultaneously integrated to highlight biological links related to a health outcome. The methods were compared with and without sparsity coupling two metrics to support the variable selection: Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) and Selectivity Ratio (SR). The framework was applied to a case-study dataset mimicking the structure of 36 environmental exposure biomarkers (E-block), 61 inflammation biomarkers (M-block), and their relationships with the gestational age at delivery of 161 mother-infant pairs. The results showed an overall consistency in the selected variables across models, although some specific selection patterns were identified. The block-scaled concatenation-based approaches (e.g. MB-PLS) tended to select more variables from the E-block, while these methods were unable to identify certain variables in the M-block. Overall, the number of variables selected using the SR criterion was higher than using the VIP criterion, with lower predictive performances. The multiblock models coupled to VIP, appeared to be the methods of choice for identifying relevant variables with similar statistical performances. Overall, the use of multiblock PLS-based methods appears to be a good strategy to efficiently support the variable selection process in modern environmental epidemiology.

Delayed recrystallization behavior and deformation mechanism of IN738LC alloy prepared by laser powder bed fusion

The design and development of heat treatment regimes adapted to the laser powder bed fusion technology for specific service conditions have become a hot topic of research in the field of additive manufacturing. This paper systematically studies the microstructure changes of the L-PBFed IN738LC alloy, solution heat treated at 1250 °C for various durations (1 h, 3 h, 5 h) and then aged at 850 °C for 24 h. The delayed recrystallization behavior was revealed, and the selective precipitation pattern of the M23C6 carbide on different types of grain boundaries was discussed. Additionally, the tensile deformation mechanism of the alloy before and after heat treatment is clarified. The results indicate that grain boundary migration and transformation are impeded under 1250 °C/1 h conditions due to carbide particle pinning and solute atom segregation during the initial stage of solution treatment, which accounts for the delayed recrystallization behavior, and the microstructure is mainly undergoing recovery. At 1250 °C/5 h, M23C6 carbides selectively precipitate at twin boundaries, accompanied by recrystallization. The samples treated at 1250 °C/1 h exhibit the highest mechanical property (σYS=1305 ± 21 MPa, σUTS=1462 ± 11 MPa, εEL=5.4 ± 0.7 %) owing to the precipitation of γ′ phase and the presence of sub-grain boundaries. The deformation mechanism shows that the as-built samples mainly experience planar dislocations slipping, while the heat-treated samples undergo stacking faults shearing and anti-phase boundary shearing. The dominant mechanism among these is anti-phase boundary shearing.

Pattern Control of Neural Networks with Two-Dimensional Diffusion and Mixed Delays

In this paper, a two-neuron reaction–diffusion neural network with discrete and distributed delays is proposed, and the state feedback control strategy is adopted to achieve control of its spatiotemporal dynamical behaviours. Adding two virtual neurons, the original system is transformed into a neural network only containing the discrete delay. The conditions under which Hopf bifurcation and Turing instability arise are determined through analysis of the characteristic equation. Additionally, the amplitude equations are derived with the aid of weakly nonlinear analysis, and the selection of the Turing patterns is determined. The simulation results demonstrate that the state feedback controller can delay the onset of Hopf bifurcation and suppress the generation of Turing patterns.

Plasmodium ovale spp dhfr mutations associated with reduced susceptibility to pyrimethamine in sub-Saharan Africa: a retrospective genetic epidemiology and functional study

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum dhfr gene confer resistance to pyrimethamine, which is widely used for malaria chemoprevention in Africa. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and evolution of dhfr mutations in Plasmodium ovale spp in Africa and their functional consequences, which are incompletely characterised. We analysed dhfr mutations and their frequencies in P ovale spp isolates collected between Feb 1, 2004, and Aug31, 2023, from the French National Malaria Reference Centre collection and from field studies in Benin, Gabon, and Kenya. Genetic patterns of positive selection were investigated. Full-length recombinant wild-type and mutant DHFR enzymes from both P ovale curtisi and P ovale wallikeri were expressed in bacteria to test whether the most common mutations reduced pyrimethamine susceptibility. We included 518 P ovale spp samples (314 P ovale curtisi and 204 P ovale wallikeri). In P ovale curtisi, Ala15Ser-Ser58Arg was the most common dhfr mutation (39%; 124 of 314 samples). In P ovale wallikeri, dhfr mutations were less frequent, with Phe57Leu-Ser58Arg reaching 17% (34 of 204 samples). These two mutants were the most prevalent in central and east Africa and were fixed in Kenyan isolates. We detected six and four other non-synonymous mutations, representing 8% (24 isolates) and 2% (five isolates) of the P ovale curtisi and Povale wallikeri isolates, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing and microsatellite analyses revealed reduced genetic diversity around themutant pocdhfr and powdhfr genes. The mutant DHFR proteins showed structural changes at the pyrimethamine binding site in-silico, confirmed by a 4-times increase in pyrimethamine half-maximal inhibitory concentration in an Escherichia coli growth assay for the Phe57Leu-Ser58Arg mutant and 50-times increase for the Ala15Ser-Ser58Arg mutant, compared with the wild-type counterparts. The widespread use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for malaria chemoprevention might have exerted fortuitous selection pressure for dhfr mutations in P ovale spp. This calls for closer monitoring of dhfr and dhps mutations in P ovale spp. French Ministry of Health, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and Global Emerging Infections Surveillance branch of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division.

Multifunctional Antimonene-Silver Nanocomposites for Ultra-Multi-Mode and Multi-Analyte Sensing, Parallel and Batch Logic Computing, Long-Text Information Protection.

To simulate life's emergent functions, mining the multiple sensing capabilities of nanosystems, and digitizing networks of transduction signals and molecular interactions, is an ongoing endeavor. Here, multifunctional antimonene-silver nanocomposites (AM-Ag NCs) are synthesized facilely and fused for molecular sensing and digitization applications (including ultra-multi-mode and multi-analyte sensing, parallel and batch logic computing, long-text information protection). By mixing surfactant, AM, Ag+ and Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) at room temperature for 5min, the resulting NCs are comprised of Ag nanoparticles scattered within AM nanosheets and protected by the surfactant. Interestingly, AM-Ag NCs exhibit ultra-multi-mode sensing ability for multiplex metal ions (Hg2+, Fe3+, or Al3+), which significantly improved selectivity (≈2 times) and sensitivity (≈400 times) when analyzing the combined channels. Moreover, multiple sensing capabilities of AM-Ag NCs enable diverse batch and parallel molecular logic computations (including advanced cascaded logic circuits). Ultra-multi-mode selective patterns of AM-Ag NCs to 18 kinds of metal ions can be converted into a series of binary strings by setting the thresholds, and realized high-density, long-text information protection for the first time. This study provides new ideas and paradigms for the preparation and multi-purpose application of 2D nanocomposites, but also offers new directions for the fusion of molecular sensing and informatization.

Analysis of somatic mutations in whole blood from 200,618 individuals identifies pervasive positive selection and novel drivers of clonal hematopoiesis

Human aging is marked by the emergence of a tapestry of clonal expansions in dividing tissues, particularly evident in blood as clonal hematopoiesis (CH). CH, linked to cancer risk and aging-related phenotypes, often stems from somatic mutations in a set of established genes. However, the majority of clones lack known drivers. Here we infer gene-level positive selection in whole blood exomes from 200,618 individuals in UK Biobank. We identify 17 additional genes, ZBTB33, ZNF318, ZNF234, SPRED2, SH2B3, SRCAP, SIK3, SRSF1, CHEK2, CCDC115, CCL22, BAX, YLPM1, MYD88, MTA2, MAGEC3 and IGLL5, under positive selection at a population level, and validate this selection pattern in 10,837 whole genomes from single-cell-derived hematopoietic colonies. Clones with mutations in these genes grow in frequency and size with age, comparable to classical CH drivers. They correlate with heightened risk of infection, death and hematological malignancy, highlighting the significance of these additional genes in the aging process.

The resolution of face perception varies systematically across the visual field.

Visual abilities tend to vary predictably across the visual field-for simple low-level stimuli, visibility is better along the horizontal vs. vertical meridian and in the lower vs. upper visual field. In contrast, face perception abilities have been reported to show either distinct or entirely idiosyncratic patterns of variation in peripheral vision, suggesting a dissociation between the spatial properties of low- and higher-level vision. To assess this link more clearly, we extended methods used in low-level vision to develop an acuity test for face perception, measuring the smallest size at which facial gender can be reliably judged in peripheral vision. In 3 experiments, we show the characteristic inversion effect, with better acuity for upright faces than inverted, demonstrating the engagement of high-level face-selective processes in peripheral vision. We also observe a clear advantage for gender acuity on the horizontal vs. vertical meridian and a smaller-but-consistent lower- vs. upper-field advantage. These visual field variations match those of low-level vision, indicating that higher-level face processing abilities either inherit or actively maintain the characteristic patterns of spatial selectivity found in early vision. The commonality of these spatial variations throughout the visual hierarchy means that the location of faces in our visual field systematically influences our perception of them.

Influence of Temporal and Frequency Selective Patterns Combined with CSP Layers on Performance in Exoskeleton-Assisted Motor Imagery Tasks.

Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) has been recognized as a standard and powerful method for the identification of Electroencephalography (EEG)-based Motor Imagery (MI) tasks when implementing brain-computer interface (BCI) systems towards the motor rehabilitation of lost movements. The combination of BCI systems with robotic systems, such as upper limb exoskeletons, has proven to be a reliable tool for neuromotor rehabilitation. Therefore, in this study, the effects of temporal and frequency segmentation combined with layer increase for spatial filtering were evaluated, using three variations of the CSP method for the identification of passive movement vs. MI+passive movement. The passive movements were generated using a left upper-limb exoskeleton to assist flexion/extension tasks at two speeds (high-85 rpm and low-30 rpm). Ten healthy subjects were evaluated in two recording sessions using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) as a classifier, and accuracy (ACC) and False Positive Rate (FPR) as metrics. The results allow concluding that the use of temporal, frequency or spatial selective information does not significantly ( 0.05) improve task identification performance. Furthermore, dynamic temporal segmentation strategies may perform better than static segmentation tasks. The findings of this study are a starting point for the exploration of complex MI tasks and their application to neurorehabilitation, as well as the study of brain effects during exoskeleton-assisted MI tasks.

Do birds select the plastics debris used for nest construction? A case study in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape

Plastic pollution is becoming a global problem due to its ubiquitous occurrence and the impacts detected for many species. However, the research about plastics in nests of terrestrial bird species has remained relatively overlooked in comparison to those devoted to marine ecosystems. Here we study the occurrence and patterns of use of anthropogenic material in nests of two passerine birds, the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) and the European serin (Serinus serinus), breeding in an orange tree cultivation in Mediterranean Spain. Our results show that both species use extensively plastic debris as nest material; almost 71% of the European serin nests and 96% of nests of Eurasian magpies contained plastic debris. Furthermore, by analyzing the plastic debris availability in the agricultural landscape surveyed we confirmed a selection pattern in the two species. Thus, both species preferably select plastic filaments over other plastic debris. The Eurasian magpie does not select plastic based on size or color but the European serin avoid black plastics prefer smaller fragments in comparison to the average size available. Moreover, we suggest the apparent similarity of plastic filaments with the natural materials typically used by these species, as well as how they use the plastic in their nests could influence their selection behavior. More studies focused on terrestrial birds inhabiting human modified habitats could offer a deeper approach to how plastic debris interacts with wildlife in different ways.

Seasonal shifts in the habitat selection patterns of male American Marten (Martes americana) at a fine spatial scale.

Old-growth forests harbor a large amount of complex structural features that result in a wide array of wildlife habitats. However, intensive forest management is gradually converting old-growth forest into younger, even-aged stands, reducing structural complexity and threatening the persistence of old-growth-dependent species. Maintaining elements of complex stand structure is critical to the conservation of old-growth forest specialists that use different habitat components at different periods of their annual cycle, and it requires a comprehensive understanding of seasonal variation in the habitat needs of these species. However, difficulties in observing free-ranging animals have sometimes limited our ability to assess such variations in habitat requirements, especially for small, elusive species. To address this, we used GPS telemetry collars to describe fine-scale habitat selection patterns of 6 male American Martens (Martes americana) during 2 contrasting periods of the year (snow-free, from mid-April to mid-November; snow-covered, from mid-November to mid-April), an objective formerly hard to achieve using conventional VHF telemetry. We used resource selection functions conducted at the fourth order of selection to compare habitat characteristics found at the sites used by martens (GPS locations, n = 100) to those found on an equal number of available sites (random points, n = 100) within each individual seasonal home range. We conducted vegetation surveys on these 200 sites to describe habitat and built candidate models representing different concurrent hypotheses. Our results showed that proxies of prey availability, predator avoidance, and thermal constraints were the primary factors influencing marten habitat selection during both periods, although their respective importance differed between periods. Martens selected sites with a high density of large-diameter snags (≥30·ha-1), high conifer canopy closure (≥53%), and a dense lateral cover (≥81%) during the snow-free period, but selected sites with a high volume of coarse woody debris (≥64 m3·ha-1) and high conifer canopy closure (≥48%) during the snow-covered period. Our results highlight the importance of contrasting seasonal changes in habitat selection patterns of small carnivores and may help maintain structural attributes in the landscape that are suitable for male American Martens.

Acupuncture Point Selection Patterns for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Data Mining Analysis

Introduction: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) significantly impacts the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing treatment, often leading to treatment interruptions and compromised adherence to therapy. Our objective was to identify patterns for selecting the optimal acupoints and explore the treatment principles behind forming effective acupoint combinations for CINV. Methods: Clinical trials were retrieved from eight databases. Descriptive statistics analysis was performed, followed by association rule mining, network analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and correlation analysis, all implemented with R software. Results: In summary, this study investigated the potential acupoints and combinations for CINV treatment in 104 published controlled clinical trials and randomized controlled trials. 104 prescriptions involving 48 acupoints were extracted. ST36, PC6, CV12, SP4, LI4, and ST25 appeared to be the most frequently used acupoints for CINV. Stomach Meridian, Conception Vessel (Renmai), and Pericardium Meridian were the most common selected meridians. The lower limbs, chest, and abdomen appeared as the predominant sites for acupoint selection. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that ST36, PC6, and CV12 were central key node acupoints. The clustering analysis displayed the treatment principle of “harmonizing the stomach, stopping vomiting, and descending counterflow.” Association rule mining revealed that the combination of CV4, CV12, ST36, CV6, and PC6 emerged as the optimal acupoint combination for effectively treating CINV. Conclusion: Overall, our research provides evidence-based optimal acupuncture prescription for acupuncturists to treat CINV and presents a complementary therapy for chemotherapy physicians as well as patients to address CINV symptoms.

Lung adenocarcinomas without driver genes converge to common adaptive strategies through diverse genetic, epigenetic, and niche construction evolutionary pathways

Somatic evolution selects cancer cell phenotypes that maximize survival and proliferation in dynamic environments. Although cancer cells are molecularly heterogeneous, we hypothesized convergent adaptive strategies to common host selection forces can be inferred from patterns of epigenetic and genetic evolutionary selection in similar tumors. We systematically investigated gene mutations and expression changes in lung adenocarcinomas with no common driver genes (n = 313). Although 13,461 genes were mutated in at least one sample, only 376 non-synonymous mutations evidenced positive evolutionary selection with conservation of 224 genes, while 1736 and 2430 genes exhibited ≥ two-fold increased and ≥ 50% decreased expression, respectively. Mutations under positive selection are more frequent in genes with significantly altered expression suggesting they often “hardwire” pre-existing epigenetically driven adaptations. Conserved genes averaged 16-fold higher expression in normal lung tissue compared to those with selected mutations demonstrating pathways necessary for both normal cell function and optimal cancer cell fitness. The convergent LUAD phenotype exhibits loss of differentiated functions and cell–cell interactions governing tissue organization. Conservation with increased expression is found in genes associated with cell cycle, DNA repair, p53 pathway, epigenetic modifiers, and glucose metabolism. No canonical driver gene pathways exhibit strong positive selection, but extensive down-regulation of membrane ion channels suggests decreased transmembrane potential may generate persistent proliferative signals. NCD LUADs perform niche construction generating a stiff, immunosuppressive microenvironment through selection of specific collagens and proteases. NCD LUADs evolve to a convergent phenotype through a network of interconnected genetic, epigenetic, and ecological pathways.