Variation In Growth Rate Research Articles

Recent carbon sequestration dynamics in four temperate SE European peatlands using 210Pb dating

The last two centuries’ anthropogenically-accelerated climatic changes and elevated atmospheric levels of CO2 are influencing the recent carbon sequestration dynamics of peatlands, resulting in high variations of growth rates, and a general ascending trend in apparent carbon accumulation rates. In the present work, 210Pb high-resolution chronologies and 137Cs alternative markers were employed to study the recent carbon-related peat properties and their evolution throughout the last two centuries in four Sphagnum-dominated bogs in SE Europe (Romania). The results revealed a recent apparent carbon accumulation rate ranging from 9.5 to 437.5 g C m−2 yr−1, with a mean value of 144 ± 90.1 g C m−2 yr−1, that yielded an average increase of 18.25% of the rate from 1950 to the present period, suggesting an enhanced contemporaneous C uptake and storage in the peatlands. The mean C storage per unit area was 17.6 ± 7.6 kg C m−2. The periods of decreased peat growth rates were identified and attributed to significant drought events at the regional scale. The results found in the present study confirm the observations and trends remarked by other researchers in the literature, and further reinforce the relevance of studying recent carbon dynamics in peatland ecosystems. The obtained 210Pb chronologies were validated by 137Cs markers, highlighting the suitability of this technique for peat profile dating.

Growth and passivation of individual carbon nanoparticles by C2H2 addition at high temperatures: Dependence of growth rate and evolution on material and size.

Absolute kinetics for reactions of C2H2 with a series of ∼60 individual carbon nanoparticles (NPs) from graphite, graphene, graphene oxide, carbon black, diamond, and nano-onion feedstocks were measured for temperatures (TNP) ranging from 1200 to 1700K. All the NPs were observed to gain mass by carbon addition under conditions that varied with feedstock but with large variations in initial growth rate. Long reaction periods were studied to allow the evolution of growth rates over time to be observed. Diamond NPs were found to passivate against C2H2 addition if heated above ∼1400K, and the highly variable initial reactivity for carbon nano-onions was found to depend on the presence of non-onion-structure surface carbon. For graphitic and carbon black NPs, three distinct growth modes were observed, correlated with the initial NP mass (Minitial). Smallest graphitic and carbon black NPs, with masses <∼25 MDa, initially grew rapidly but also passivated quickly after adding <4% of Minitial. NPs in the 20-50 MDa range also passivated but only after multiple waves of fast growth separated by periods of low reactivity, with up to ∼11% total mass gain before passivation. The largest carbon black and graphitic NPs, with Minitial >50 MDa, grew rapidly and continuously, adding up to ∼300% of Minitial with no signof rate slowing as long as C2H2 was present. The efficiencies for C2H2 addition and etching by O2 are strongly correlated, but the correlation changes as the NPs passivate. Growth and passivation mechanisms are discussed.

Different hydrological controls causing variable rates of Holocene peat growth in a lowland valley system, north-eastern Netherlands; implications for valley peatland restoration

The Drentsche Aa valley system in the glacial sandy landscape of the north-eastern Netherlands, is one of the many regional drainage systems in the north-western to central European Lowlands. Following deep incision in the Weichselian, ca 7 m of eutrophic peat has accumulated in the lower to middle reaches of the valley system in the Holocene, completely filling the Weichselian incision. We reconstructed the rate of water-level rise controlling peat growth at three locations in the valley system (representing the upper, middle and lower reaches), using 14C peat dates from compaction-free sampling sites on the sloping valley margin where the peat directly overlies the sandy Pleistocene subsurface. The 14C dates enabled the construction of curves showing the water-level evolution at each location. Our results show variable rates of Holocene peat growth in the valley system in response to different drivers of hydrological change: a strong increase in annual precipitation (onset Holocene), a decrease in evapotranspiration (10,000–8000 cal. years BP) and relative sea-level rise (after ~4500 cal. years BP). Because the identified hydrological controls on peat growth are regional, they probably ruled Holocene peat growth in many peat-filled valley systems in the north-western to central European Lowlands. Currently, there is growing attention for these valley systems in the context of European nature restoration efforts and climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. The present study underscores that large-scale hydrological measures outside the valley system are needed for restoration of degraded valley peatlands.

Strong Ligand Control for Noble Metal Nanostructures.

ConspectusNanosynthesis is the art of creating nanostructures, with on-demand synthesis as the ultimate goal. Noble metal nanoparticles have wide applications, but the available synthetic methods are still limited, often giving nanospheres and symmetrical nanocrystals. The fundamental reason is that the conventional weak ligands are too labile to influence the materials deposition, so the equivalent facets always grow equivalently. Considering that the ligands are the main synthetic handles in colloidal synthesis, our group has been exploring strong ligands for new growth modes, giving a variety of sophisticated nanostructures. The model studies often involve metal deposition on seeds functionalized with a certain strong ligand, so that the uneven distribution of the surface ligands could guide the subsequent deposition.In this Account, we focus on the design principles underlying the new growth modes, summarizing our efforts in this area along with relevant literature works. The basics of ligand control are first revisited. Then, the four major growth modes are summarized as follows: (1) The curvature effects would divert the materials deposition away from the high-curvature tips when the ligands are insufficient. With ligands fully covering the seeds, the sparser ligand packing at the tips would then promote the initial nucleation thereon. (2) The strong ligands may get trapped under the incoming metal layer, thus modulating the interfacial energy of the core-shell interface. The evidence for embedded ligands is discussed, along with examples of Janus nanostructures arising from the synthetic control, including metal-metal, metal-semiconductor, and metal-C60 systems using a variety of ligands. (3) Active surface growth is an unusual mode with divergent growth rates, so that part of the emerging surface is inhibited, and the growth is focused onto a few active sites. With seeds attached to oxide substrates, the selective deposition at the metal-substrate interface produces ultrathin nanowires. The synthesis can be generally applied to grow Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, and hybrid nanowires, with straight, spiral, or helical structures, and even rapid alteration of segments via electrochemical methods. In contrast, active surface growth for colloidal nanoparticles has to be more carefully controlled. The rich growth phenomena are discussed, highlighting the role of strong ligands, the control of deposition rates, the chiral induction, and the evidence for the active sites. (4) An active site with sparse ligands could also be exploited in etching, where the freshly exposed surface would promote further etching. The result is an unusual sharpening etching mode, in contrast to the conventional rounding mode for minimized surface energy.Colloidal nanosynthesis holds great promise for scalable on-demand synthesis, providing the crucial nanomaterials for future explorations. The strong ligands have delivered powerful synthetic controls, which could be further enhanced with in-depth studies on growth mechanisms and synthetic strategies, as well as functions and properties.

The evolution and diversification of growth strategies in abelisauroid theropods

ABSTRACT Theropods comprise a successful group of mostly predatory dinosaurs with varied growth rates that colonized all continents. Much research has addressed the histology of the Global North’s Mesozoic populations, especially coelurosaurians and allosauroids. However, little has been done to understand the histological patterns of the Gondwanan populations, especially abelisauroids. Previous studies detected disparate (parallel-fibered or fibrolamellar) bone profiles between noasaurids and abelisaurids but did not include broader quantitative analyses. Here we describe the femoral histology of a mid-sized abelisaurid from the Upper Cretaceous Serra da Galga Formation, Bauru Group, Southeast Brazil. Despite the harsh semiarid paleotropical context, our specimen shows a growth rate more similar to the Patagonian abelisaurids, challenging a previous hypothesis on environmental pressure selecting taxa with lower growth rates and parallel-fibered bone tissue. We also bring data to bear from several taxa to test the hypothesis of tissue differentiation within abelisauroid clades. Our logistic regression and correlation analyses show that the variation in histology in noasaurids and abelisaurids can be explained by body size and phylogeny when considering fibrolamellar tissue, but not parallel-fibered tissue. A decrease in growth rate through the deposition of parallel-fibered bone tissue may be an example of evolutionary convergence between noasaurids and some small-bodied sauropods.

Gas Injection and Suction Effect on the Instability of a Supersonic Boundary Layer

We present the results of an investigation of the boundary layer stability on a flat plate having a region of gas injection/suction normal to the wall at a large supersonic freestream Mach number. The laminar flow past a flat plate having a region of distributed injection/suction of fixed intensity is modeled numerically using the integration of Navier—Stokes equations. The unstable disturbances in the boundary layer distorted by injection/suction are analyzed within the framework of the linear stability theory and the eN{{e}^{N}} method for compressible flows. High-frequency disturbances belonging to the plane second mode of the boundary layer, which are the most unstable at high velocities, are considered. It is shown that gas injection/suction leads to a nonmonotonic variation of disturbance growth rates with the appearance of stabilization/destabilization regions, as compared with the case in which injection/suction is absent.

Lower skeletal extension in Pleistocene Orbicella (Montastraea) corals than in their modern counterparts

IntroductionDespite warmer conditions during the Last Interglacial, coral colonies of Orbicella were abundant and reached large sizes on many Caribbean reefs, including the extinct O. nancyi.MethodsTo explore variation in growth rates, we examined the yearly mean linear extension of growth bands in two fossil Orbicella species and compared them with two modern species of the same genus from shallow waters of the wider Caribbean.We measured the linear extension of corals exposed in a fossil reef and their modern counterparts, from both in situ colonies and coral slab X-rays.ResultsFew coral colonies showed autocorrelation or a linear trend on their linear-growth time series. A Bayesian ANOVA showed lower linear-extension rates of fossils compared to modern colonies and similar or lower than other fossil corals from the Pleistocene. Growth rates and growth form contribute significantly to the amount of tissue and size of coral colonies and can be a decisive trait for inter and intra specific competition.DiscussionIt is unlikely that temperature or interspecific competition explain modern coral extension rates and the low rates of the fossils data, which seem to be controlled instead by past habitat conditions.

Carbonate diagenesis: A celebration of the work of John Anthony Dawson (Tony) Dickson

Carbonate diagenesis: A celebration of the work of John Anthony Dawson (Tony) Dickson

IGF-1 receptor inhibitor OSI-906 reduces growth in nestlings of a wild passerine

Young animals need to grow to a large body size fast to maximise their survival prospects until sexual maturity. However, body size varies substantially in wild populations, and neither the selection pressures maintaining this variation, nor the regulatory mechanisms are well understood. IGF-1 administration has been shown to accelerate growth, but this does not necessarily imply that natural variation in growth rate is IGF-1 dependent. To test the latter we administered OSI-906 to pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca nestlings, which has an inhibitory effect on IGF-1 receptor activity. We performed the experiment in two breeding seasons to test the prediction that blocking the IGF-1 receptor downregulates growth. As predicted, OSI-906 treated nestlings had lower body mass and reached a smaller structural size than siblings receiving a vehicle only, with the mass difference being most profound at the age preceding the highest body mass growth rate. The IGF-1 receptor inhibition effect on growth varied with age and year of study, and we discuss possible explanations. The OSI-906 administration results indicate that natural variation in growth rate is regulated by IGF-1, and constitutes a novel tool to study causes and consequences of growth variation, but details of the underlying mechanism still need to be resolved.

Insight into growth and wood properties based on QTL and eQTL mapping in Populus deltoides ‘Danhong’ × Populus simonii ‘Tongliao1’

Poplar is a short-rotation cultivated energy tree species, and analysis of genetic regulation of gene expression at the seedling stage is important for understanding phenotypic variation in growth rate and wood quality. However, the genetic regulation of xylem gene expression is still poorly understood. We determined transcriptomes of developing xylem of Populus deltoides ‘Danhong’, P. simonii ‘Tongliao1’ and F1 hybrids of them to explore the variations in the landscape transcriptome and its genetic basis. Through quantitative trait locus (QTL) and expression QTL (eQTL) analysis, we identified 237 QTLs, 48,019 cis-eQTLs and 2,184,889 trans-eQTLs contributing to the whole-genome transcriptome variation in poplar. Trans-acting effects play major role in expression regulation. We identified 38 eQTL hotspots, among which the A/T base mutation in PdCaM247 3′UTR in hot12654 influenced the wood basic density and regulated the expression of QTL major genes (YEATS and IQD32) and secondary cell wall related genes. Transgenic poplar with overexpressing PdCaM247 presented an increase of the secondary xylem. Yeast two-hybrid analysis revealed that PdCaM247 interacted with the secondary cell wall regulator MYB156. This study generates a large genetic resource for studying xylem development and provides new insights into the genetic basis of secondary cell wall regulatory networks.

Climate Overrides the Influence of Microsite Conditions on Radial Growth of the Tall Multi-Stemmed Shrub Alnus alnobetula at Treeline.

Green alder (Alnus alnobetula), a tall multi-stemmed deciduous shrub, is widespread at high elevations in the Central European Alps. Its growth form frequently leads to asymmetric radial growth and anomalous growth ring patterns, making development of representative ring-width series a challenge. In order to assess the variability among radii of one shoot, among shoots belonging to one stock and among stocks, 60 stem discs were sampled at treeline on Mt. Patscherkofel (Tyrol, Austria). Annual increments were measured along 188 radii and analyzed in terms of their variability by applying dendrochronological techniques. Results revealed a high agreement in ring-width variation among radii of one shoot, among shoots of one stock and largely among stocks from different sites, confirming the pronounced limitation of radial stem growth by climate forcing at the alpine treeline. In contrast to this, a high variability in both absolute growth rates and long-term growth trends was found, which we attribute to different microsite conditions and disturbances. These factors also override climate control of radial growth under growth-limiting environmental conditions. Based on our findings we provide recommendations for the number of samples needed to carry out inter- and intra-annual studies of radial growth in this multi-stemmed clonal shrub.

Assessing growth of pelagic sargassum in the Tropical Atlantic

Pelagic sargassum species, historically endemic to the North Atlantic, have now been identified in the Tropical Atlantic. For over a decade, massive blooms of pelagic sargassum have dispersed seasonally from this ‘new’ Tropical Atlantic source region, negatively impacting the coasts of Caribbean and West African countries. Significant strides have been made towards adaptation to this new ‘hazard’, yet many knowledge gaps remain that constrain improvements to these efforts. The key objective of this study was to add to the knowledge of pelagic sargassum growth rates in the Tropical Atlantic to better inform forecasting and innovative applications. Growth rates of the three commonly occurring morphotypes from the Tropical Atlantic source region, S. fluitans III, S. natans I and S. natans VIII, were studied in-situ using novel 'growth mesocosms' in neritic waters of Barbados under cool and warm ambient conditions. Overall, results reveal a significant difference in growth rates among all pelagic sargassum morphotypes, with S. fluitans III on average doubling its biomass in 13 days, S. natans I in 22 days and S. natans VIII in 31 days. Furthermore, growth rates of S. fluitans III decreased significantly with an increase in ambient temperature from the cool (mean 27.6 °C) to warm (mean 29.6 °C) water period. During both periods S. fluitans III grew significantly faster than the other two morphotypes. However, S. natans I only grew significantly faster than its conspecific morphotype, S. natans VIII, during the cool period. These findings highlight the different growth responses among sargassum morphotypes under varying conditions and add to the considerable variability in growth rates reported by recent similar studies conducted elsewhere in the Tropical Atlantic. As such, it is clear that further research will be needed to unravel the complex mechanisms affecting pelagic sargassum growth rates before they can confidently inform improvements in management applications.

Are early-life lambs’ characteristics and behavioural reactivity related to later survival and growth performance during artificial feeding?

The use of prolific sheep breeds often leads farmers to rear some lambs with an automatic milk feeder to improve survival and growth. However, the success of these challenging situations could depend on lamb’s early individual characteristics, and their behavioural reactivity in a stressful context. The study was performed on 567 Romane lambs. We tested the hypothesis that early-life characteristics, including behaviour and physiology, could predict survival and growth performances until weaning. In addition, on a random subsample of one third of these lambs we assessed whether behavioural reactivity to social isolation and unknown human presence was a further predictor of individual variability in growth rate. Lambs were characterised by birth weight, rectal temperature and scores for vigour, handling and sucking of first bottle milk on arrival at nursing. After three weeks of artificial rearing (i.e. halfway to weaning age), 202 randomly-chosen lambs were studied in a 2-phase test to record their reaction to social isolation in a novel arena test and presence of an unknown human. Test variables were summarised phase-wise by principal component analysis. The factor scores characterised lamb general activity in phase 1 and affinity to humans in phase 2. Data was examined using descriptive statistics, survival analysis and multivariate regression models to identify the key factors for survival and average daily gain (ADG) until weaning. Cumulative early death rate at one week was 5% and global death rate at the end of the rearing period was 11.6%. There was a higher hazard ratio for death for weak sucking at the first milk-bottle test (P = 0.011), low rectal temperature (P < 0.05), and dam age of 4–5 years versus 2–3 years (P < 0.01). A low ADG until weaning was associated with a low vigour score (P < 0.01), weak sucking (P < 0.05) and low birth weight (P < 0.001). Our data also supports the hypothesis of a relationship between growth and behavioural reactivity in artificially-reared lambs. A low growth rate until weaning was also associated with higher lamb affinity shown to humans (P < 0.001) and lower activity expressed in social isolation in a new arena (P < 0.05). Our study suggests that early-age characteristics but also reactivity to social isolation and affinity to humans could be valuable predictors of lamb survival and growth in artificial rearing. Our results possibly reveal an over-dependency on humans in some lambs in such a system.

Abstract 36: Comparing twenty-two matched patient-derived cell lines developed from either patient, PDX, or organoid tumor cell material

Abstract The National Cancer Institute has developed a Patient-Derived Models Repository (NCI PDMR; https://pdmr.cancer.gov) comprised of quality-controlled, early passage, and clinically-annotated patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs), organoids (PDOrgs), cell cultures (PDCs), and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) available with genomic data to the extramural community for research use. Models are developed by the NCI PDMR in decreasing order of complexity, specifically 1) patient material can be used to develop PDXs, PDOrgs, PDCs, and CAFs, 2) PDX material for PDOrgs and PDCs, and 3) PDOrg material for PDCs, but a PDC is never used to develop a PDOrg or PDX. Eleven pairs of 22 matched PDCs have been developed in parallel from either patient, PDX, patient-derived organoid, or PDX-derived organoid tumor material and sequenced by WES and RNASeq. Genetic stability was assessed using multiple approaches including microsatellite instability (MSI) generated from MSISensor2, percentage of genomic loss of heterozygosity (LOH) using a set of ~800k heterozygous SNPs from a population level genomic database (gnomAD), pairwise Spearman correlation based on BIN level copy number (CN)/RNA expression profiles, and OncoKB annotated oncogenic/likely oncogenic variants. No systematic differences were observed within PDC pairs derived from different origins or compared to their patient and/or PDX material in MSI, LOH% and RNA expression profile but pairwise Spearman correlation (0.66-0.88) in CNV profiles were somewhat variable, likely due to low sequencing depth. In one PDC pair (299254), 3 out of 12 OncoKB annotated Indels and CNV showed opposite level of variant allele frequencies/CN when comparing a model derived from patient material to one developed from a PDX-derived organoid, possibly driven by a lineage-specific subclonal outgrowth when compared to patient and PDX data. Phenotypic characteristics of matched PDCs also overall show no major differences, though variability in growth rates and the ability to form spheroids in serum-free medium were noted. In one pair (919269), the PDC derived from patient material was able to form a cell line xenograft (CLX) in NSG mice but not the PDC developed from a patient-derived organoid. Overall, these models demonstrate a high degree of concordance at the genetic and phenotypic level when compared to the originating patient and/or PDX tumor. Though further characterization (e.g., preclinical drug testing) may be needed to define differences between matched PDC pairs, lack of access to patient tissue or failure to generate tumor cell cultures from one source of material should not hamper development of preclinical in vitro models from other patient-derived model types as long as the source-of-origin is clearly defined. Funded by NCI Contract No. HHSN261200800001E Citation Format: Cindy R. Timme, Ting-Chia Chang, Sergio Y. Alcoser, Gareth Bliss, Carrie Bonomi, Suzanne Borgel, John Carter, Alice Chen, Li Chen, Kevin Cooper, Biswajit Das, Kelly Dougherty, Lindsay Dutko, Marion Gibson, Michelle M. Gottholm-Ahalt, Tara Grinnage-Pulley, Shahanawaz Jiwani, Keegan Kalmbach, Chris Karlovich, Kimberly Klarmann, Tiffanie Chase, Michael Mullendore, Matthew Murphy, Kevin Plater, Gloryvee Rivera, Jessica Steed, Luke Stockwin, Yvonne A. Evrard, Mickey Williams, Dianne L. Newton, Melinda G. Hollingshead, James H. Doroshow. Comparing twenty-two matched patient-derived cell lines developed from either patient, PDX, or organoid tumor cell material [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 36.

Abstract 10: Orthotopic nGEM glioma growth rates in allogenic hosts associate with hypoxia and proximity to host cells

Abstract Genomic profiling of glioblastoma uncovers fundamental differences in the driver events of malignant transformation and progression, yet the nuances driving the particular growth rate of glioblastoma in individual patients remain poorly defined. We exploited the availability of fourteen histocompatibility-matched mouse hosts from the collaborative cross (CC) [PMID: 15514660] as hosts for a non-germline, engineered model of murine glioblastoma [PMCID: PMC4210043] to interrogate cell types, functional states and proximity in situ in tumors with varying growth rates. Specifically, Kaplan-Meier survival data was used to determine the rates of Nf1:TP53 null tumor growth in different cc host groups. Spatial transcriptomics and single nucleus RNA seq (sn-seq) analyses were conducted in tumor-bearing brain tissue from C57Bl/6 (syngeneic) and 2 CC histocompatible allogeneic mouse strains with differential survival outcomes. Spatial analysis was conducted using a disease-focused multiplexed mRNA probe set assembled from annotations of GBM/glioma specific genes reported in the literature. Cell segmentation of the data was performed to investigate the spatial pattern of single-cell level expression. The spatial transcriptomic dataset was also analyzed with a segmentation-free pipeline. In addition, to detect cell clusters, the probability of genes detected in close proximity (genes within a cell 5px radius [0.5 um]) was determined using Pdgfra as the tumor marker (anchor). We identified differential levels of spatially correlated expression of cell clusters expressing hypoxia markers such as HIF-1a and PDK1 between hosts with fast and slow growing tumors. Tumors from the 3 hosts were also processed for sn-seq. Integrated analysis of cell clustering was used to determine differences in clusters between the fast growing and slow growing groups. Enrichment of expression of Top2a, a gene associated with proliferation and poor prognosis in glioma, was detected in a unique cluster of cells in the slow-growing tumor when compared to the fast-growing group. This suggests that the host microenvironment may play a role in influencing the decelerated growth of this tumor. These results support the utility of spatial transcriptomics and sn-seq in understanding how differences in tumor:host cell interactions contribute to tumor growth. Future opportunities enabled by histocompatible allogeneic hosts for GEM and nGEM glioma models include unraveling host effects on drug sensitivity, tumor heterogeneity, molecular plasticity, angiogenesis, invasion, and lymphoid and myeloid microenvironmental dependencies, each with profound opportunities for clinical translation. Citation Format: Angela S. Baker. Orthotopic nGEM glioma growth rates in allogenic hosts associate with hypoxia and proximity to host cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 10.

Abstract 5189: Comparisons of Rituximab and CD19xCD3 BiTE antitumor response across multiple humanized NSG strains engrafted with human hematopoietic stem cells

Abstract Humanized NSG mice engrafted with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is a well-known in vivo platform for reconstitution of human immune system in a mouse host. In this study we tried to dissect the role of various human cytokines in the generation of the human immune system, expansion of human B cell lymphoma cells, and drug response to two anti-cancer therapies - Rituximab and CD19XCD3 BiTE (Bispecific T-cell Engager). To exclude donor variabilities, we first humanized five NSG-based, human cytokine-transgenic mouse strains (NSG, NSG-IL15, NSG-SGM3, NSG-SGM3-IL15, and NSG-FLT3L) with HSCs from one donor (0084). We found that tumor growth was enhanced in NSG-SGM3 mice when compared to NSG mice. In contrast, IL15 expression suppressed tumor growth in NSG-IL15 and NSG-SGM3-IL15 mice. Furthermore, NK cell frequencies in blood are higher in NSG-IL15 and NSG-SGM3-IL15 than in other strains. suggesting that NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity is involved in suppression of tumor cell growth in the strains expressing human IL-15. Rituximab treatment resulted in tumor growth inhibition and significant B cell depletions across NSG-IL15, NSG-SGM3, and NSG-SGM3-IL15 mice engrafted with 0084 PBMC. We also observed a donor variability of tumor growth rates in NSG-SGM3-IL15 mice engrafted with donors 0084, 0662A, and 0733. The tumor growth in NSG-SGM3-IL15 mice engrafted with 0084 PBMC was significantly slower than the one in mice engrafted with the other two donors (0084 vs. 0662A, P=0.002; 0084 vs. 0733, P=0.004 on day 21); interestingly, this strain of mice exhibited higher frequencies of CD8+ T cells and lower frequencies of NK cells. Next, we tested CD19XCD3 BiTE treatment in multiple NSG strains engrafted with HSCs from different donors. The BiTE administration inhibited Raji tumor growth and significantly depleted B cells in all tested strains as NSG-SGM3-IL15 showed highest frequencies of NK cells and CD8+ T cells. The combination of Rituximab and BiTE showed even better tumor inhibition efficacy. In conclusion, regardless of the donor and strain variations in tumor growth and human immune cell subset development, the administrations of rituximab or BiTE significantly and consistently inhibited tumor growth and depleted peripheral B cells across all mouse strains. These results indicate that utilizing a comprehensive humanized mouse platform could drive more impactful conclusions in terms of evaluating the anti-tumor efficacy of immune therapies. Citation Format: Won Yeong Kang, Guoxiang Yang, Ilian Radichev, Li-Chin Yao, Mingshan Cheng, James G. Keck. Comparisons of Rituximab and CD19xCD3 BiTE antitumor response across multiple humanized NSG strains engrafted with human hematopoietic stem cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5189.

From molecular to sub-μm scale: The interplay of precursor concentrations, primary particle size, and carbon nanostructure during soot formation in counter-flow diffusion flames

The focus of this work is on counter-flow diffusion flames of C2H4/air near the sooting limit (fV < 500 ppb) to shed light on the transition of precursor molecules to primary soot particles and their nanostructure. The applied experimental techniques cover non-intrusive methods based on laser-induced incandescence (LII) for determination of soot volume fractions, primary particle sizes, and ratios of refractive indices for absorption at different wavelengths. The methods are complemented by intrusive methods such as sampling with microprobes and analysis of gas composition by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, particle sizing by differential mobility analysis, and determining carbon nanostructures of particles by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). For numerical simulation, the well-known ABF-model is applied.The experimentally determined structures of the counter-flow flames could be well reproduced within the experimental uncertainties by the ABF-model for varying fuel mass fractions and strain rates. The numerical simulations identify the different processes during particle formation and the main variation can be attributed to variation of surface growth rates when applying strain rates and fuel mass fractions leading to higher soot volume fractions. Particle size distributions detected in the fuel flow near and below the stagnation plane appear bimodal with distinct maxima at particles sizes about 5 nm and 20 nm. The nanostructure of the primary particles exhibits basic structural units (BSUs), that increase up to the size of 7 Å to 10 Å at increasing soot volume fractions from about 100 ppb to 300 ppb. This coincides with the increase of the mole fractions of the detectable soot precursors with increasing soot volume fraction. The ratios of refractive index functions for absorption E(m,λ532)/E(m,λ1064) and E(m,λ266)/E(m,λ1064) decrease approximately linearly with increasing soot volume fractions. This is corroborated by the analyses of HRTEM-images that clearly bring about increasing sized BSUs with increasing soot volume fractions causing a shift of the absorption to larger wavelengths.

Influence of a random phase plate on the growth of the backward stimulated Brillouin scatter.

We derive the analytical dispersion relation of a high-energy laser beam's backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (BSBS) in a hot plasma, that accounts both for the random phase plate (RPP) induced spatial shaping and its associated phase randomness. Indeed, phase plates are mandatory in large laser facilities where a precise control of the focal spot size is required. While the focal spot size is well controlled, such techniques produce small scale intensity variations that can trigger laser-plasma instabilities such as BSBS. Quantifying the resulting instability variability is shown to be crucial for understanding accurately the backscattering temporal and spatial growth as well as the asymptotic reflectivity. Our model, validated by means of a large number of three-dimensional paraxial simulations and experimental data, offers three quantitative predictions. The first one addresses the temporal exponential growth of the reflectivity by deriving and solving the BSBS RPP dispersion relation. A large statistical variability of the temporal growth rate is shown to be directly related to the phase plate randomness. Then, we predict the portion of the beam's sectionthat is absolutely unstable, thus helping to precisely assess the validity of the vastly used convective analysis. Finally, a simple analytical correction to the plane wave spatial gain is extracted from our theory giving a practical and effective asymptotic reflectivity prediction that includes the impact of phase plates smoothing techniques. Hence, our study sheds light on the long-time studied BSBS, deleterious to many high-energy experimental studies related to the physics of inertial confinement fusion.

Evidence for a trade-off between growth rate and xylem cavitation resistance in Callitris rhomboidea.

The ideal plant water transport system is one that features high efficiency and resistance to drought-induced damage (xylem cavitation), however species rarely possess both. This may be explained by trade-offs between traits, yet thus far, no proposed trade-off has offered a universal explanation for the lack water transport systems that are both highly drought-resistant and highly efficient. Here we find evidence for a new trade-off, between growth rate and resistance to xylem cavitation, in the canopies of a drought-resistant tree species (Callitris rhomboidea). Wide variation in cavitation resistance (P50) was found in distal branch tips (< 2mm in diameter), converging to low variation in P50 in larger diameter stems (> 2mm). We found a significant correlation between cavitation resistance and distal branchlet internode length across branch tips in C. rhomboidea canopies. Branchlets with long internodes (8mm or longer) were significantly more vulnerable to drought-induced xylem cavitation than shorter internodes (4mm or shorter). This suggests that varying growth rates, leading to differences in internode length, drive differences in cavitation resistance in C. rhomboidea trees. The only distinct anatomical difference found between internodes was the pith size, with the average pith to xylem area in long internodes, 5x greater than in short internodes. Understanding whether this trade-off exists within and between species will help us to uncover what drives and limits drought resistance across the world's flora.

Morphology, growth, and photosynthesis of Ulva prolifera O.F. Müller (Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae) gametophytes, the dominant green tide species in the Southern Yellow Sea

Green tide with the main dominant species is Ulva prolifera O.F. Müller have been reported in the Southern Yellow Sea since 2007. This study investigated differences in the morphology, growth, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and chloroplast pigment content of different day-aged U. prolifera gametophytes. Gametes had two flagella and exhibited positive phototaxis. On the 7th day of culture, young gametophytes began to branch out. Changes in the length and width of the main branches, and the length of the first-level branches showed “S”-shaped growth within 0–30 days, while the fresh weight of single algae exhibited “J”-shaped growth. The average fresh and dry weight of U. prolifera was 12.32 and 1.38 g per thallus, respectively, when cultured from one gamete to 30 days. The average number of first-level branches of 10-day-aged thalli was 119 per blade, and the maximum branching level was one. The average number of first-level branches of 30-day-aged thalli was 243 per thallus, and the maximum branching level was five. Except for the NPQ and IK values of 0 d thalli compared with 10 d thalli, the IK value of 0 d compared with 20 d, the NPQ, ETRmax and IK value of 10 d compared with 20 d, and the Alpha value of 10 d compared with 30 d, the Fv / Fm, YII, NPQ, ETRmax, IK and Alpha values of the other 0 d, 10 d, 20 d and 30 d thalli showed significant or extremely significant differences. There was no significant difference in the Chl b / Car value between 0 d and 10 d, the Chl b value between 10 d and 20 d, the Chla / Car value between 10 d and 30 d, and the Car value between 20 d and 30 d was significantly different. The Chl a, Chl b, Car, Chl a / Chl b, Chl a / Car and Chl b / Car values of the other 0 d, 10 d, 20 d and 30 d were highly significantly different. These results not only verify that U. prolifera gametophytes can directly develop into new thalli by parthenogenesis, but also reveal the morphological and physiological characteristics of different day-aged gametophytes. In addition to presenting the typical morphology of different-day-aged gametophytes, this study also reports significant differences in growth, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and chloroplast pigment contents among them. This revealed the physiological mechanism of varying growth rates of different day-aged U. prolifera. These findings provide essential reference information for green tide prevention and outbreak mechanism research.