Variation In Number Research Articles

Vaccination rates in Europe are not associated with online media intensity

To map the public information about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine trials in Europe, we have compiled an inventory of online communication materials from official sources (e.g., governments, public agencies, and NGOs) via directed online research. While information for the general public was abundant across Europe, we found a large variation in number, type and target audiences among countries. Little or no information was found for population groups that are typically underrepresented in vaccine clinical trials. Materials about clinical trials and trial participation were also limited. Interestingly, higher number of media materials was not reflected in higher national vaccination rates.

Time of Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome Foliar Symptom Onset Influences Final Disease Intensity, Yield, and Yield Components.

Sudden death syndrome (SDS), caused by Fusarium virguliforme, causes substantial yield losses in soybean. However, relationships between soybean yield and components of disease progress, including time of disease onset, are poorly understood. Individual soybean plants (2018) and quadrats (2016 to 2018) were monitored in commercial fields and experimental plots in Iowa to quantify the impact of SDS foliar symptom onset on final SDS intensity, soybean yield components, and yield. The date when SDS foliar symptoms were first detected (onset time) and progress of SDS incidence and severity were recorded weekly. Individual soybean plants and quadrats were harvested at the end of each season. Beta-regression showed that date of SDS onset had a consistent and stable effect on final disease intensity both at individual plant and quadrat levels. The slope of the relationship between date of SDS onset and final SDS severity was common across all field sites and years. Weighted linear regression revealed that SDS onset explained 60 to 83% of the variation in number of pods, number of seeds, and total seed weight in individual plants, and 94 to 97% of the variation in seed yield in quadrats. Soybean yield damage functions (slopes) indicated that for each day SDS onset was delayed, soybean yield increased by 30.5 to 31.3 kg/ha. This new quantitative information improves understanding of the impact of SDS on final disease intensity and soybean yield. Further experiments are needed to determine how this relationship is affected by site-specific factors.

Dominant periods and memory effect of the 2021 earthquake swarm in Hualien, Taiwan

An earthquake sequence that occurred in the Hualien area during April 7 to August 30, 2021 has been recognized as two swarms by the Central Weather Bureau. Its earthquakes with ML ≤ 6.2 (ML = local magnitude) and focal depths ≤ 25 km were located in an area from 23°46’ N to 24°04’ N and from 121°25’ E to 121°42’ E. The Morlet wavelet technique is applied to analyze the dominant periods of temporal variations in numbers of daily events for the earthquake sequence in two magnitude ranges, i.e., ML ≥ 3 and ML ≥ 4. Results show that the dominant periods are 30.8 and 38.0 days when ML ≥ 3; while the dominant period does not exist when ML ≥ 4. The fluctuation analysis technique in the natural time domain is used to study the memory effect in the swarm for two magnitude ranges, i.e., ML ≥ 3 and ML ≥ 4. Calculated results show that the memory effect is stronger for the time sequence of magnitudes than for that of inter-event times and higher for ML ≥ 3 earthquakes than for ML ≥ 4 events. Consequently, only the short-term corrected memory effect was operative in the earthquake sequence of the Hualien swarms.

Preparation and Physico-Chemical Analysis of Agnikumara Rasa (B.R Jwaradhikara) Prepared with Variation in Number of Bhavana (Levigation)

Rasasastra is a specialised branch of Ayurveda that deals with Rasa dravyas which include Visha dravyas used for the preparation of therapeutically potent medicines. Agnikumara rasa of Bhaishajya Ratnavali Jwara adhikara reference is one such herbal formulation that contains a major proportion of Shodhita Vatsanabha and other ingredients of Maricha, Vacha, Kushta, Mushta, and Ardraka. It is a Kharaliya yoga (a formulation prepared in mortar) prepared by Bhavana samskara (levigation). As the number of levigation is not mentioned, three samples were prepared by doubling the number of Bhavana (levigation) of the preceding sample and physico-chemical analysis of these samples was done and compared. In Charaka samhita Vimanasthana, Acharya has explained the relevance of Samskara for imparting new Gunas (properties) and thereby potentiating the drug. The present study was done to identify a better analytical profile among the samples. It was found that some of the analytical parameters like hardness, disintegration time were modified with Bhavana which may increase the bioavailability of the drug and thereby its therapeutic potency.

Clade-dependent effects of drought on nitrogen fixation and its components – Number, size, and activity of nodules in legumes

Drought affects the growth of legumes directly, and indirectly, by reducing total nitrogen fixation . Here, we compiled published data to compare the sensitivity to water deficit on plant growth and total nitrogen fixation traits, i.e., the number of nodules per plant, average nodule mass, and nitrogen fixation per unit nodule mass. Hierarchies of phenotypic plasticity have been established for seeds and organelles , whereby variation in number associates with conserved size. By analogy, our first hypothesis is that there is a hierarchy of plasticities between nitrogen fixation traits. Our second hypothesis is that determinate nodules are more sensitive to water deficit than their indeterminate counterparts, because the latter can reactivate meristems when water becomes available. In our sample, onset of stress treatment averaged 28 d after sowing; median duration of stress was 12 d; and intensity of stress (ratio of shoot biomass between stressed and control) averaged 0.65. These drought conditions (i) reduced total nitrogen fixation and average nodule mass more severely than plant shoot mass, (ii) elicited a hierarchy of plasticities whereby number of nodules per plant varied substantially, and average nodule mass and nitrogen fixation per unit nodule mass were relatively conserved, and (iii) affected more severely Milletioids (determinate, ureide exporting nodules) than their IRLC counterparts (indeterminate, amide exporting nodules). • Total N fixation was partitioned as nodule number, average nodule mass, and nitrogen fixation per unit nodule mass. • Early-season drought reduced nodule number more than average nodule mass and N fixation per unit nodule mass. • Drought effect were more severe in Milletioid (determinate, ureide) than in IRLC (indeterminate, amide) nodules.

Optimum models of hospice at home services for end-of-life care in England: a realist-informed mixed-methods evaluation

Background Many people prefer to die at home when the time comes. Hospice at home services aim to support patients to achieve this. A range of hospice at home services exist; some services have been evaluated, but there has been limited evidence synthesis. Objectives The main objective was to find out what models of hospice at home services work best, for whom and in what circumstances. Other objectives supported this aim, including an analysis of the health economic costs of hospice at home models. Design The study was an overarching, non-interventional, realist evaluation comprising three phases. Phase 1 was a survey of hospice at home services. Phase 2 involved 12 case studies, grouped into four models on the basis of size and 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (24/7), operations, from which quantitative and health economics data were gathered. Qualitative interview data from bereaved carers, commissioners and providers were analysed to generate context–mechanism–outcome configurations. Phase 3 comprised stakeholder consensus meetings. Setting Hospice at home services across England. Participants A total of 70 hospice at home managers responded to the survey. A total of 339 patient and family/informal carer dyads were recruited; 85 hospice at home providers and commissioners were interviewed. A total of 88 stakeholders participated in consensus meetings. Main outcome measures The quality of dying and death of patients was assessed by bereaved carers (using the Quality of Dying and Death questionnaire). A patient’s use of services was collected using the Ambulatory and Home Care Record. Results Hospice at home services varied; two-thirds were mainly charitably funded, and not all operated 24/7. Most patients (77%) had cancer. Hospice at home services overall provided care that was likely to deliver ‘a good death’, and 73% of patients died in their preferred place. Six context–mechanism–outcome configurations captured factors relevant to providing optimum hospice at home services: (1) sustainability (of the hospice at home service); (2) volunteers (use of, in the hospice at home service); (3) integration and co-ordination (with the wider health and social care system); (4) marketing and referral (of the hospice at home service); (5) knowledge, skills and ethos (of hospice at home staff); and (6) support directed at the carer at home. Key markers of a good service included staff who had time to care, providing hands-on care; staff whose knowledge and behaviour promoted supportive relationships and confidence through the process of dying; and services attending to the needs of the informal carer. Areas of potential improvement for most hospice at home services were the use of volunteers in hospice at home, and bereavement care. Limitations The study had the following limitations – heterogeneity of hospice at home services, variations in numbers and patient clinical statuses at recruitment, a low Quality of Dying and Death questionnaire response rate, and missing data. Only patients with an informal carer involved on a daily basis were eligible for the study. Conclusions Hospice at home services delivered high-quality care and a ‘good death’, with the majority of patients dying in their stated preferred place. Hospice at home providers can improve their impact by focusing on the features identified that deliver the best patient outcomes. Commissioners can facilitate patient preference and reduce the number of hospital deaths by working with hospice at home services to secure their financial sustainability and increase the numbers and range of patients admitted to hospice at home services. Future research Future research should explore the use of volunteers in the hospice at home setting and evaluate approaches to bereavement support. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 10, No. 24. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Variation in core clerkship grading reported on the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) for orthopaedic surgery applicants: a retrospective review

Purpose: To understand the variation in number and verbiage in grading schemes during third-year core clerkships for orthopaedic surgery residency applicants. Methods: Applications to a single institution’s orthopaedic surgery residency program during the 2017-2018 match cycle were reviewed. Data extracted from the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) included medical school name, number of core clerkships, grade options/tiers, and % grade distribution in clerkships. Applicant data collected included Step 1 Score, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) Score, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) membership status, clerkship grades, and medical school rank. Results: A total of 858 applications from 211 medical schools were reviewed. Further analysis was performed on 142 schools, representing 721 students, that reported grading distributions. The number of grade tiers varied from two to 11, with three (26.1%), 4 (43.7%), and five (20.4%) tiered grading systems being the most common. One-hundred unique verbiages were identified to describe grading amongst all schools. Schools ranked in the top 25 distributed honors more often than schools ranked outside the top 25 (P<0.001). The median for the average percentage of honors distributed by a school was 32.3%, with a total range of 2.4 to 72.6%. A significant relationship between applicant match success and medical school grading practices could not be determined (P=0.054). Conclusions: Significant differences in assigned grades by medical schools for third-year core clerkships were found. Therefore, students’ core clerkship grades should be reviewed in the context of the grade distributions at their medical schools. Level of Evidence: Level IV.

Arthropod communities and drivers of their species diversity and composition in caves

Understanding the drivers of diversity patterns in ecological communities remains a major challenge in ecology. Moreover, few studies have considered invertebrate or subterranean communities and little is known about which factors are responsible for structuring arthropod communities in caves. In this study we: assessed the abundance, richness, and composition of arthropod communities from eight caves located in Banat and Mehedinti region, Romania; and determined whether altitude, cave physical characteristics (temperature, relative humidity, light intensity) and features (cave extension, hight, width, heterogeneity, substrate (wall versus floor)) influence cave arthropod communities along the horizontal development of the cave (i.e. from the cave entrance, through the intermediate zone, to the aphotic zone). assessed the abundance, richness, and composition of arthropod communities from eight caves located in Banat and Mehedinti region, Romania; and determined whether altitude, cave physical characteristics (temperature, relative humidity, light intensity) and features (cave extension, hight, width, heterogeneity, substrate (wall versus floor)) influence cave arthropod communities along the horizontal development of the cave (i.e. from the cave entrance, through the intermediate zone, to the aphotic zone). Overall, 89 species were found, of which three were obligate subterranean dwellers and 17 were endemic species. Species abundance distributions showed evident variation in species numbers among cave zones and between the wall and floor substrate. Species abundance was influenced by cave extension, relative humidity and light intensity. Species richness was related to cave extension while relative humidity and cave heterogeneity affected the species diversity. The results also indicated differences in species abundance, richness and diversity among cave zones and between substrate types. The arthropod community structure and composition was determined by altitude, relative humidity, temperature and substrate. The floor and wall substrate had different species composition while the species composition of the three cave zones largely overlapped. We conclude that several biotic and abiotic factors explain the diversity and composition of cave arthropods communities and that our results may be relevant to other types of island-like habitats.

Weed composition and maize yield in a former tin-mining area: A case study in Malim Nawar, Malaysia

Abstract Weed species composition has been assessed for major crops such as rice, rubber, and oil palm but not for cash crops in Malaysia. In this study, we determine the associations between maize yields and weed species, weed density, mean temperature, and mean rainfall. Annual field surveys of weeds were conducted in maize (Zea mays L.) in a former tin-mining land in Malim Nawar, Perak, Malaysia, during June of 2017, 2018, and 2020 to determine the effects of weeds on maize yields. The field surveys in 2017, 2018, and 2020 involved 120 quadrats (0.5 m × 0.5 m) with 40 replicates. Fifteen species were observed, representing 14 genera and 9 families and consisted of 9 broadleaves, 3 grasses, and 1 sedge. Phytosociological characteristics, namely, frequency, relative frequency, density, relative density, abundance, and relative abundance, were used to analyze weed species composition at the study site. The species with the highest mean density and relative abundance were Cyperus sp., followed by Amaranthus viridis, Eleusine indica, Hedyotis corymbosa, and Phyllanthus amarus. These five species accounted for 65% of the total relative abundance. Individual broadleaf, sedge, and grass weed types were compared between paired years using a two-proportion z-test. The variation in number of individuals in each group was significant between 2017 and 2018, 2018 and 2020, and 2017 and 2020. The relationship between maize yield and mean rainfall, mean temperature, and weed species was analyzed using a general linear model, none of which affected maize yields. The results of this study provide a foundation for practical weed management in maize fields in Malaysia, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security.

PCR163 Determination of the Ideal Number of Response Levels for the EQ-5D As a US Population Health Measure

The expansion in descriptive system from the EQ-5D-3L (3L) to the EQ-5D-5L (5L) was largely motivated by an interest in greater discriminative ability as a measure of health in ill populations. However, the adequacy of the 5L descriptive system as a general population health measure has received limited attention. The primary aim of this study was to examine the properties of the 5L as a measure of population health in comparison to other variations in number of response levels.

Abstract 6214: Detecting and characterizing extrachromosomal DNA in medulloblastoma at single-cell resolution

Abstract Extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) is an important driver of aggressive cancers, including medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. To assess the clinical import of ecDNA in MB, we applied computational methods to detect ecDNA to the genomes of a cohort of 468 MB patients and 31 MB model systems. Among patients, ecDNA was detected in 18% of tumors and carried threefold greater risk of mortality. Between sequential patient biopsies at initial diagnosis and subsequent relapse, we observed frequent structural variation at ecDNA loci and generation of new ecDNA sequences. Among model systems, ecDNA was found in 19 of 31 genomes (61%). Although ecDNA was far more prevalent among MB models than patients, the ecDNA genomic sequence was conserved between most patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and their origin human tumors. EcDNA promotes high oncogene copy number, accelerated evolution of drug resistance and poor prognosis. Mechanistically, these behaviors are hypothesized to be consequences of intratumoral heterogeneity of ecDNA copy number; however, there are currently no methods to quantify the abundance and distribution of ecDNA across single cells in a tumor. We have previously identified a primary TP53-mutant SHH medulloblastoma tumor, which harbors multiple distinct lineages of ecDNA originating from different chromosomes. We have now simultaneously analyzed the accessible chromatin and gene expression in single cells of the human tumor and of a orthotopic mouse xenograft (PDX) derived for this tumor, using multiome single-cell ATAC-seq and gene expression (10X Genomics). By measuring scATAC-seq read depth at the ecDNA loci relative to the rest of the genome, we estimate ecDNA copy number in single cells. We observe substantial variation in the ecDNA copy number of cells in both the human tumor and the PDX, and strong association with transcription of ecDNA-amplified genes. We anticipate that this approach will illuminate mechanisms of ecDNA-mediated drug resistance, by revealing the sensitivity and population dynamics of ecDNA-containing cells under treatment pressure. Citation Format: Owen Chapman, Sunita Sridhar, Jon D. Larson, Robert J. Wechsler-Reya, Jill Mesirov, Lukas Chavez. Detecting and characterizing extrachromosomal DNA in medulloblastoma at single-cell resolution [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 6214.

A 13.42-kb tandem duplication at the ASIP locus is strongly associated with the depigmentation phenotype of non-classic Swiss markings in goats

BackgroundThe pigmentation phenotype diversity is rich in domestic goats, and identification of the genetic loci affecting coat color in goats has long been of interest. Via the detections of selection signatures, a duplication upstream ASIP was previously reported to be a variant affecting the Swiss markings depigmentation phenotype in goats.ResultsWe conducted a genome-wide association study using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data to identify the genetic loci and causal variants affecting the pigmentation phenotype in 65 Jintang black (JT) goats (i.e., 48 solid black vs. 17 non-classic Swiss markings). Although a single association peak harboring the ASIP gene at 52,619,845–72,176,538 bp on chromosome 13 was obtained using a linear mixed model approach, all the SNPs and indels in this region were excluded as causal variants for the pigmentation phenotype. We then found that all 17 individuals with non-classic Swiss markings carried a 13,420-bp duplication (CHI13:63,129,198–63,142,617 bp) nearly 101 kb upstream of ASIP, and this variant was strongly associated (P = 1.48 × 10− 12) with the coat color in the 65 JT goats. The copy numbers obtained from the WGS data also showed that the duplication was present in all 53 goats from three European breeds with Swiss markings and absent in 45 of 51 non-Swiss markings goats from four other breeds and 21 Bezoars, which was further validated in 314 samples from seven populations based on PCR amplification. The copy numbers of the duplication vary in different goat breeds with Swiss markings, indicating a threshold effect instead of a dose-response effect at the molecular level. Furthermore, breakpoint flanking repeat analysis revealed that the duplication was likely to be a result of the Bov-B-mediated nonallelic homologous recombination.ConclusionWe confirmed that a genomic region harboring the ASIP gene is a major locus affecting the coat color phenotype of Swiss markings in goats. Although the molecular genetic mechanisms remain unsolved, the 13,420-bp duplication upstream of ASIP is a necessary but not sufficient condition for this phenotype in goats. Moreover, the variations in the copy number of the duplication across different goat breeds do not lead to phenotypic heterogeneity.

Variation in the Number and Position of rDNA Loci Contributes to the Diversification and Speciation in Nigella (Ranunculaceae).

Nigella is a small genus belonging to the Ranunculaceae family which is presumably originated and distributed in Aegean and the adjacent Western-Irano-Turanian region. Comparative repeat analysis of N. sativa, N. damascena and N. bucharica was performed using low-pass Illumina genomic reads followed by karyotyping and FISH mapping of seven Nigella species using the in silico identified repeats and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probes. High- and moderate-copy repeat sequences occupy 57.52, 59.01, and 64.73% of N. sativa, N. damascena and N. bucharica genomes, respectively. Roughly, half of the genomes are retrotransposons (class I transposons), while DNA transposons (class II transposons) contributed to only about 2% of the genomes. The analyzed Nigella species possess large genomes of about 7.4 to 12.4 Gbp/1C. Only two satellite repeats in N. sativa, one in N. damascena and four in N. bucharica were identified, which were mostly (peri)centromeric and represented about 1% of each genome. A high variation in number and position of 45S rDNA loci were found among Nigella species. Interestingly, in N. hispanica, each chromosome revealed at least one 45S rDNA site and one of them occurs in hemizygous condition. Based on the chromosome numbers, genome size and (peri)centromeric satellites, three karyotype groups were observed: Two with 2n = 2x = 12 and a karyotype formula of 10m + 2t (including N. sativa, N. arvensis, N. hispanica as the first group and N. damascena and N. orientalis as the second group) and a more distant group with 2n = 2x = 14 and a karyotype formula of 8m + 2st + 4t (including N. integrifolia and N. bucharica). These karyotype groups agreed with the phylogenetic analysis using ITS and rbcL sequences. We conclude that variation in (peri)centromeric sequences, number and localization of rDNA sites as well as chromosome number (dysploidy) are involved in the diversification of the genus Nigella.

Fabrication of Black Body Grids by Thick Film Printing for Quantitative Neutron Imaging.

Neutron imaging offers deep penetration through many high-Z materials while also having high sensitivity to certain low-Z isotopes such as 1H, 6Li, and 10B. This unique combination of properties has made neutron imaging an attractive tool for a wide range of material science and engineering applications. However, measurements made by neutron imaging or tomography are generally qualitative in nature due to the inability of detectors to discriminate between neutrons which have been transmitted through the sample and neutrons which are scattered by the sample or within the detector. Recent works have demonstrated that deploying a grid of small black bodies (BBs) in front of the sample can allow for the scattered neutrons to be measured at the BB locations and subsequently subtracted from the total measured intensity to yield a quantitative transmission measurement. While this method can be very effective, factors such as the scale and composition of the sample, the beam divergence, and the resolution and construction of the detector may require optimization of the grid design to remove all measurement biases within a given experimental setup. Therefore, it is desirable to have a method by which BB grids may be rapidly and inexpensively produced such that they can easily be tailored to specific applications. In this work, we present a method for fabricating BB patterns by thick film printing of Gd2O3 and evaluate the performance with variation in feature size and number of print layers with cold and thermal neutrons.

Multimorbidity as assessed by reporting of multiple causes of death: variations by period, sociodemographic characteristics and place of death among older decedents in England and Wales, 2001–2017

BackgroundMultimorbidity is common at older ages and is associated with disability, frailty and poor quality of life. Research using clinical databases and surveys has shown associations between multimorbidity and indicators...

Genetic differentiation in weedy (O. sativa f. spontanea) and wild rice (O. rufipogon) revealed by DNA sequence in the QTL SD7-1/Rc locus

The QTLSD7-1/Rc is a pleiotropic locus that controls seed dormancy and pericarp color in rice. DNA sequence variation in promoter region, exon1, and intron 1 in wild rice from Thailand and Laos, weedy rice accessions from Thailand, as well as cultivated rice were investigated using re-sequencing DNA technique. For promoter region, three types of DNA variation were observed including variation in number of nucleotide (T)n (n=9,10,11), five SNPs and 19-bp indel. For coding region exon 1, no DNA sequence variation was observed. For non-coding region intron1, weedy rice had the 10-bp insertion in the region, but there was the deletion in wild rice. In addition, deletion of 34-bp in intron1 was observed in all wild rice accessions examined, while weedy rice had the 34-bp insertion. Haplotype analysis of weedy rice indicated that the pairwise nucleotide diversity parameter, Pi (ℼ) and the level of the Watterson estimator (Өw) in the DNA sequences were 0.00401 and 0.0048, respectively. This finding enhances knowledge of the DNA sequence

Phenotypic variation and genome-wide association studies of main culm panicle node number, maximum node production rate, and degree-days to heading in rice

BackgroundGrain yield is a complex trait that results from interaction between underlying phenotypic traits and climatic, edaphic, and biotic variables. In rice, main culm panicle node number (MCPNN; the node number on which the panicle is borne) and maximum node production rate (MNPR; the number of leaves that emerge per degree-day > 10°C) are primary phenotypic plant traits that have significant positive direct effects on yield-related traits. Degree-days to heading (DDTH), which has a significant positive effect on grain yield, is influenced by the interaction between MCPNN and MNPR. The objective of this research is to assess the phenotypic variation of MCPNN, MNPR, and DDTH in a panel of diverse rice accessions, determine regions in the rice genome associated with these traits using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and identify putative candidate genes that control these traits.ResultsConsiderable variation was observed for the three traits in a 220-genotype diverse rice population. MCPNN ranged from 8.1 to 20.9 nodes in 2018 and from 9.9 to 21.0 nodes in 2019. MNPR ranged from 0.0097 to 0.0214 nodes/degree day > 10°C in 2018 and from 0.0108 to 0.0193 nodes/degree-day > 10°C in 2019. DDTH ranged from 713 to 2,345 degree-days > 10°C in 2018 and from 778 to 2,404 degree-days > 10°C in 2019.Thirteen significant (P < 2.91 x 10-7) trait-single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associations were identified using the multilocus mixed linear model for GWAS. Significant associations between MCPNN and three SNPs in chromosome 2 (S02_12032235, S02_11971745, and S02_12030176) were detected with both the 2018 and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) datasets. Nine SNPs in chromosome 6 (S06_1970442, S06_2310856, S06_2550351, S06_1968653, S06_2296852, S06_1968680, S06_1968681, S06_1970597, and S06_1970602) were significantly associated with MNPR in the 2019 dataset. One SNP in chromosome 11 (S11_29358169) was significantly associated with the DDTH in the BLUP dataset.ConclusionsThis study identifies SNP markers that are putatively associated with MCPNN, MNPR, and DDTH. Some of these SNPs were located within or near gene models, which identify possible candidate genes involved in these traits. Validation of the putative candidate genes through expression and gene editing analyses are necessary to confirm their roles in regulating MCPNN, MNPR, and DDTH. Identifying the underlying genetic basis for primary phenotypic traits MCPNN and MNPR could lead to the development of fast and efficient approaches for their estimation, such as marker-assisted selection and gene editing, which is essential in increasing breeding efficiency and enhancing grain yield in rice. On the other hand, DDTH is a resultant variable that is highly affected by nitrogen and water management, plant density, and several other factors.

One or two faecal immunochemical tests in an organised population-based colorectal cancer screening programme in Murcia (Spain).

Roll-out of population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is limited by availability of further investigations, particularly colonoscopy and examination of excised lesions. Our objective was to assess whether variation in number of faecal samples and threshold adjustment can optimise resource utilisation and CRC detection rate. Three different screening strategies were compared for the same FIT threshold using a quantitative FIT system: one FIT, positive when >20 µg Hb/g faeces; two FIT, positive when either was >20 µg Hb/g faeces; and two FIT, positive when the mean was >20 µg Hb/g faeces. We calculated changes in the size of population the provider could invite to screening for an equal number of screening positive results, and CRC and adenoma detected. In our setting, Region of Murcia, south of Spain (not fully rolled out screening programme), changing the usual strategy of two FIT, positive when either to positive when the mean was >20 µg Hb/g faeces, would increase population invited by 37.81% with the same number of positive results (which would generate a CRC detection rate of 19.2%). In a fully rolled out programme, changing the strategy from one to two FIT (positive when the mean is >20 µg Hb/g faeces), would increase CRC detection rate by 4.64% with an increase of only 13.34% in positive FIT. In a population-based CRC screening programme, smart use of number of FITs and positivity threshold can increase population invited and CRC detection without increasing the number of colonoscopies and pathological examinations needed.

Abstract IA013: Genetic heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive brain tumor, remains an unmet medical need. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, only 5.6% of patients survive beyond 5 years post-diagnosis. Targeted approaches have not been successful in this tumor type due to the extreme heterogeneity of GBM. Mosaic amplification of oncogenes suggests that multiple genetically distinct clones are present in each tumor. However, little is known about how different subpopulations of GBM cells interact with each other or with the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). To address this, we employed spatial protein profiling coupled with single-cell spatial maps of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for key oncogenes frequently amplified in GBM. Our analysis spanned 3-4 areas from 17 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) GBM cases, 96 sub-regions of interest and total of 35,843 single nuclei. Digital spatial profiling for 79 protein markers associated with GBM biology, TME and neurobiology revealed high intra-tumor variability of vasculature, between distinct regions of the same tumor biopsy. The single-cell FISH signal quantification allowed us to classify tumors based on the relative frequency of cells harboring co-occurring of EGFR and CDK4 amplifications. Tumors with low odds ratio for EGFR and CDK4 co-amplification in a cell had a significantly higher EGFR copy number in cells harboring this amplification. Cell-to-cell variation in EGFR copy number was also much higher in these tumors, suggesting a possibility for extrachromosomal origin of this amplification. Interestingly, the tumors with high frequency of cells harboring co-amplification of EGFR and CDK4 exhibit higher infiltration by CD163+ immunosuppressive macrophages. Our results suggest that high throughput assessment of genomic alterations at the single cell level could provide a measure for predicting the immune state of GBM. Citation Format: Kacper A. Walentynowicz, Dalit Engelhardt, Shreya Yadav, Ugoma Onubogu, Roberto Salatino, Cristina Vincentelli, Thomas O. McDonald, Franziska Michor, Michalina Janiszewska. Genetic heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolutionary Dynamics in Carcinogenesis and Response to Therapy; 2022 Mar 14-17. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA013.

Factors Affecting Roadkills of Semi-Aquatic Mammals.

Simple SummarySemiaquatic mammal roadkill, specifically the European beaver, Eurasian otter, American mink and muskrat was analyzed in Lithuania in the period 2002–2021. From almost 40,000 recorded roadkill cases for all species, these species were registered 60, 22, 26 and 3 times, respectively, thus being rare events. Registered beaver roadkill numbers correlated with an increased registration effort and traffic intensity, while otter roadkill correlated with a registration effort only, and mink roadkill correlated with an increased population (estimated through its proxy and the number of hunted individuals per year). The roadkill was not always in close proximity to waterbodies, with 38–54% of roadkill of these species occurring over 200 m from the nearest water source. With the American mink and muskrat being invasive species in the EU and the Eurasian otter protected in many countries, it could be considered valuable to enhance the registrations of their roadkill (using targeted efforts by drivers, hunters or other citizen scientists) in order to obtain the extrapolated amount of roadkill and to use this knowledge in species management.We previously showed that registration efforts and traffic intensity explain 90% of variation in mammal roadkill numbers, 70% of variation in the numbers of recorded species and 40% of diversity variation. Here we analyze semiaquatic mammal roadkill in Lithuania in 2002–2021, relating these to the monitoring effort. From 39,936 analyzed roadkill, the European beaver (Castor fiber) was registered 60 times, American mink (Neovison vison) 26 times, otter (Lutra lutra) 22 times and muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) 3 times. The average roadkill indexes were 0.000065, 0.00076, 0.00061 and 0.00010 ind./km/day, and the extrapolated annual roadkill for the country was 44–357, 36–456, 49–464 and 89–144 individuals, respectively. Beaver roadkill numbers correlated with the registration effort and traffic intensity, otter roadkill with registration effort only and mink with hunting bag (number of hunted individuals per year). Roadkill was not always related to proximity to water, with 38–54% of roadkill occurring over 200 m from the nearest water source. With American mink and muskrat being invasive species in the EU and otter protected in many countries, it is valuable to enhance the registrations of their roadkill (using targeted efforts by drivers, hunters or other citizen scientists) to obtain the extrapolated amount of roadkill and to use this knowledge in species management.