Site-directed conjugation of single-stranded DNA to affinity proteins: quantifying the importance of conjugation strategy.

Affinity protein-oligonucleotide conjugates are increasingly being explored as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Despite growing interest, these probes are typically constructed using outdated, non-selective chemistries, and little has been done to investigate how conjugation to oligonucleotides influences the function of affinity proteins. Herein, we report a novel site-selective conjugation method for furnishing affinity protein-oligonucleotide conjugates in a 93% yield within fifteen minutes. Using SPR, we explore how the choice of affinity protein, conjugation strategy, and DNA length impact target binding and reveal the deleterious effects of non-specific conjugation methods. Furthermore, we show that these adverse effects can be minimised by employing our site-selective conjugation strategy, leading to improved performance in an immuno-PCR assay. Finally, we investigate the interactions between affinity protein-oligonucleotide conjugates and live cells, demonstrating the benefits of site-selective conjugation. This work provides critical insight into the importance of conjugation strategy when constructing affinity protein-oligonucleotide conjugates.

Effects of pulmonary function improvement devices in the pediatric population with cerebral palsy: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Enhancing lung function can significantly improve daily life functionality for children with cerebral palsy, leading to increased interest in respiratory physiotherapy training devices in clinical practice. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of devices (inspiratory muscle training and feedback devices) for improving pulmonary function through various respiratory parameters. METHODS: A systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials was conducted in seven databases up until May 2023. The included studies focused on training inspiratory muscle function using specific devices (inspiratory muscle training and feedback devices) in children with cerebral palsy. The main outcomes were maximum expiratory pressure and maximum inspiratory pressure. Secondary outcomes included forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, peak expiratory flow, and the Tiffenau index. The effects of respiratory treatment were calculated through the estimation of the effect size and its 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias (RoB2). RESULTS: Nine studies were included in the systematic review with meta-analysis, involving a total of 321 children aged between 6 and 18 years after secondary analyses were conducted. Feedback devices were found to be more effective in improving maximum expiratory pressure (effect size -0.604; confidence interval -1.368 to 0.161), peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, and forced vital capacity. Inspiratory muscle training devices yielded better effectiveness in improving maximum inspiratory pressure (effect size -0.500; confidence interval -1.259 to 0.259), the Tiffeneau index, and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Both devices showed potential in improving pulmonary function in children with cerebral palsy. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to determine the optimal dosage and the most beneficial device type for each pulmonary function parameter.

Short-Term Effects of Vestibular Training on Gross Motor Function in Children and Youth with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

AIMS: To review the literature on the effects of vestibular training on motor function and balance in children and youth with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Eight databases (MEDLINE-PubMed, PEDro, Cochrane Library, OTSeeker, Web of Science, Scopus Database, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus.) were searched up to May 15th, 2023. Studies comparing vestibular training with other types of interventions. The DerSimonian and Laird method was employed using random effects models to calculate the pooled estimate of the effect size with confidence intervals of 95%. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to judge the certainty of the evidence for all outcomes. RESULTS: Eight studies were included comprising 226 participants with cerebral palsy. The meta-analyses demonstrated significant standardized mean differences in favor of vestibular training program compared to other technique(s) for Gross Motor Function Measure (-0.471; 95% confidence intervals: -0.919 to -0.023) and balance (-0.546; 95% confidence intervals: -0.916 to -0.176). CONCLUSIONS: Vestibular training has potential benefits in the short-term as a therapeutic approach for improving gross motor function and the balance in children and youth with cerebral palsy, but further research is needed.

Estimation of daylight spectral power distribution from uncalibrated hyperspectral radiance images.

This paper introduces a novel framework for estimating the spectral power distribution of daylight illuminants in uncalibrated hyperspectral images, particularly beneficial for drone-based applications in agriculture and forestry. The proposed method uniquely combines image-dependent plausible spectra with a database of physically possible spectra, utilizing an image-independent principal component space (PCS) for estimations. This approach effectively narrows the search space in the spectral domain and employs a random walk methodology to generate spectral candidates, which are then intersected with a pre-trained PCS to predict the illuminant. We demonstrate superior performance compared to existing statistics-based methods across various metrics, validating the framework's efficacy in accurately estimating illuminants and recovering reflectance values from radiance data. The method is validated within the spectral range of 382-1002 nm and shows potential for extension to broader spectral ranges.

Is more always better? Effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy in children with high-risk or unilateral cerebral palsy (0-6 years): Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: While constraint-induced movement therapy is strongly recommended as an intervention for infants with unilateral cerebral palsy, the optimal dosage remains undefined. This systematic review aims to identify the most effective level of intensity of constraint-induced movement therapy to enhance manual function in infants at high risk of asymmetric brain lesions or unilateral cerebral palsy diagnosis. METHODS: This systematic review with meta-analysis encompassed a comprehensive search across four electronic databases to identify articles that met the following criteria: randomised controlled trials, children aged 0-6 with at high risk or with unilateral cerebral palsy, and treatment involving constraint-induced movement therapy for upper limb function. Studies with similar outcomes were pooled by calculating the standardised mean difference score for each subgroup, and subgroups were stratified every 30 h of total intervention dosage (30-60, 61-90, >90 h). Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane Collaboration's tool. RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included. Meta-analyses revealed significant differences among subgroups. The 30-60 h subgroup showed a weak effect for spontaneous use of the affected upper limb during bimanual performance, grasp function, and parents' perception of how often children use their affected upper limb. Additionally, this subgroup demonstrated a moderate effect for the parents' perception of how effectively children use their affected upper limb. CONCLUSIONS: Using a dosage ranging from 30 to 60 h when applying a constraint-induced movement therapy protocol holds promise as the most age-appropriate and cost-effectiveness approach for improving upper limb functional outcomes and parent's perception.

Reliability, Knowledge Translation, and Implementability of the Spanish Version of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination.

Purpose. This study aimed to: (a) translate and cross-culturally adapt the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) into Spanish; (b) evaluate its intra- and inter-examiner reliability; (c) support a knowledge translation and tool implementation program in early intervention; and (d) evaluate its reliability and implementation for professionals one year after receiving training. Materials and methods. The translation followed the World Health Organization's recommendations. Reliability was assessed in 25 infants aged between 3 and 15 months with identifiable risks of cerebral palsy (CP). The implementation was also evaluated by analyzing the reliability of professionals without previous experience of the tool by using a pre-survey and a follow-up survey one year after training. The survey covered aspects related to the use of early detection tools of CP and the use of HINE, including attitudes, opinions, and perceptions. Results. An excellent intra- and inter-examiner agreement was obtained for the total score of the HINE intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.98 in both indices). One year after training, the professionals also showed excellent reliability values (ICC = 0.99), as well as an increase in sensitization and skills in evidence-based practices for the early detection of "high risk" of CP. Conclusions. The Spanish version of HINE is a reliable measure for the neurological evaluation of "high risk" of CP and can be administered after standardized training and without costs to acquire the evaluation. This allows its accessible and widespread implementation in the clinical context.

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and repercussions on neurodevelopment: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Accumulation of bilirubin above normal levels is considered a neurological risk factor for both premature and full-term newborns. This systematic review aimed to determine the effect of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia on neurodevelopment in preterm and full-term newborns. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Lilacs databases were searched for articles published until 1 June 2022. The quality of cohort and case-control studies was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the MINCir scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of therapy studies or the therapeutic procedures. Premature neonates without neurological conditions and those born at term with hyperbilirubinemia as the sole risk factor were included. Studies reporting one or more neurodevelopmental outcomes were included with an inter-group comparison of a hyperbilirubinemia group versus a non-hyperbilirubinemia or non-pathological hyperbilirubinemia group. The main outcomes were auditory function, visual function, cognitive function, motor function, behavior, global development and neurological risk. RESULTS: The search identified 951 studies, 19 of which (n = 2210 newborns) were finally included. Fifteen of the cohort and case-control studies presented low risk of bias, and six studies showed high methodological quality. Within the preterm population, hyperbilirubinemia as the sole risk factor was not shown to affect neurodevelopment. Auditory, neurological and motor development alterations were found in the population of full-term newborns with hyperbilirubinemia, which were more evident during the first year of life. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated bilirubin levels may be a trigger for the onset of neurodevelopmental disorders in full-term infants during the first year of life. More studies are warranted in the preterm population with hyperbilirubinemia to draw conclusions about its impact on their neurodevelopment.

The Relationship between General Movements and Risk Factors in Moderate-Late Preterm Infants: A Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Moderate-late preterm infants constitute the largest segment of preterm births globally. While previously considered to have a low neurological risk, recent research has uncovered an elevated incidence of neurodevelopmental conditions in this group. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the general movement assessment and birth-related risk factor-based tools in moderate-late preterm infants. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 65 moderate-late preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit involved the evaluation of general movements, the Nursery Neurobiologic Risk Score, and the Perinatal Risk Inventory. Associations were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, Spearman's correlation was used for ordinal variables, and backward stepwise logistic regression was used to identify predictor variables for the assessments. RESULTS: The findings indicated a high prevalence of normal (41%) and poor (52%) repertoire patterns during the writhing period. While no significant associations were found between the three assessments, a slight approximation emerged between dysmorphic traits and patterns (p = 0.053). Furthermore, an extended period of ventilation correlated with a higher likelihood of developing a cramped synchronized pattern and there was a correlation between both risk factor-based tools (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This research enhances our understanding of the early impact on general movement assessments in moderate-late preterm infants. While no clear relationship emerged between general movement assessment and risk factor-based tools, there was a subtle connection noted with dysmorphic traits. A longer ventilation duration was linked to a higher risk of developing cramped synchronized patterns.

Dehazing in hyperspectral images: the GRANHHADA database.

In this study, we present an analysis of dehazing techniques for hyperspectral images in outdoor scenes. The aim of our research is to compare different dehazing approaches for hyperspectral images and introduce a new hyperspectral image database called GRANHHADA (GRANada Hyperspectral HAzy Database) containing 35 scenes with various haze conditions. We conducted three experiments to assess dehazing strategies, using the Multi-Scale Convolutional Neural Network (MS-CNN) algorithm. In the first experiment, we searched for optimal triplets of spectral bands to use as input for dehazing algorithms. The results revealed that certain bands in the near-infrared range showed promise for dehazing. The second experiment involved sRGB dehazing, where we generated sRGB images from hyperspectral data and applied dehazing techniques. While this approach showed improvements in some cases, it did not consistently outperform the spectral band-based approach. In the third experiment, we proposed a novel method that involved dehazing each spectral band individually and then generating an sRGB image. This approach yielded promising results, particularly for images with a high level of atmospheric dust particles. We evaluated the quality of dehazed images using a combination of image quality metrics including reference and non-reference quality scores. Using a reduced set of bands instead of the full spectral image capture can contribute to lower processing time and yields better quality results than sRGB dehazing. If the full spectral data are available, then band-per-band dehazing is a better option than sRGB dehazing. Our findings provide insights into the effectiveness of different dehazing strategies for hyperspectral images, with implications for various applications in remote sensing and image processing.

Phenological variations of avocado cv. Hass and their relationship with thermal time under tropical conditions.

In recent years, the avocado has been one of the most dynamic fruits in the world market. In particular, cv. Hass stands out due to its productivity, nutritional quality, and acceptance. Under tropical conditions, weather elements, especially air temperature, and precipitation, affect the productivity and quality of cv. Hass. However, in tropical environments, many relationships between weather and phenological aspects of this cultivar are still unknown. Given this situation, our aim was to identify the variation and degree of association between the phenology of avocado cv. Hass and thermal time (TT) under low-latitude conditions. Eight commercial fields planted with cv. Hass grafted onto Antillean genotypes, located in an altitudinal transect between 1,700 and 2,500 m, were evaluated. The evaluation was carried out for three years and was focused on determining the differences in avocado phenological patterns associated with different environmental variables monitored by weather stations at each location. Air temperature data were used to calculate the base temperature (BT) using different methods for all phenological stages. Later the TT was determined for each stage and all locations. The results show that the duration of each phenological stage varies as a function of elevation (air temperature) and that the phenological stages overlap at the regional, crop field, and plant levels at different periods of the year, generating a high phenological variability but with specific patterns associated with temperature and precipitation. The BT for each phenological stage varied between 0.3 and 7.5 °C, and TT was found to vary depending on the method of calculation. Our work suggests that the generalization of a BT of 10 °C is not applicable for avocado cv. Hass crops under tropical conditions, specifically in the case of Colombia. Detailed studies of phenological relationships with respect to climatic variables will allow a better approximation of the productive behavior of avocado cv. Hass.

Diversity of the volatilome and the fruit size and shape in European woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca).

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca subsp. vesca) is a wild relative of cultivated strawberry (F. × ananassa) producing small and typically conical fruits with an intense flavor and aroma. The wild strawberry species, F. vesca, is a rich resource of genetic and metabolic variability, but its diversity remains largely unexplored and unexploited. In this study, we aim for an in-depth characterization of the fruit complex volatilome by GC-MS as well as the fruit size and shape using a European germplasm collection that represents the continental diversity of the species. We report characteristic volatilome footprints and fruit phenotypes of specific geographical areas. Thus, this study uncovers phenotypic variation linked to geographical distribution that will be valuable for further genetic studies to identify candidate genes or develop markers linked to volatile compounds or fruit shape and size traits.

Short-term effectiveness of kinesio taping as therapeutic tool in conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and kinesio taping is one of the tools used as a complementary tool within the conventional treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. To investigate the short-term effects of kinesio taping on pain, functionality, strength, and nerve conduction in subjects suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Seven electronic databases (MEDLINE-Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, PEDro, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus) were searched for full-text articles published from inception to March 1st , 2023. Studies had to meet the following inclusion criteria: randomised clinical trials, including patients of legal age with mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome without associated pathologies, and treating the studied body area with kinesio taping, whether or not in combination with other therapies. The DerSimonian and Laird method was employed using random effects models to calculate the pooled estimate of the effect size with confidence intervals of 95%. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to judge the certainty of the evidence for all outcomes. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included, comprising 665 participants with carpal tunnel syndrome. This meta-analysis revealed a strong effect of kinesio taping on distal sensory latency and a weak effect on functionality and pain, while no significantly superior effects were found on the symptom severity, strength, or neurophysiological outcomes (distal motor latency and sensory conduction velocity) compared to other physical therapy techniques or untreated control group in the short term, with moderate-certainty evidence. DISCUSSION: Kinesio taping is a complementary tool to the conventional treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome that improves functionality, pain, and distal sensory latency in the short term.

The ß Form in PVDF Nanocomposites with Carbon Nanotubes: Structural Features and Properties.

Different amounts of carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been incorporated in materials based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) by solvent blending followed by their further precipitation. Final processing was performed by compression molding. The morphological aspects and crystalline characteristics have been examined, additionally exploring in these nanocomposites the common routes described in the pristine PVDF to induce the ß polymorph. This polar ß phase has been found to be promoted by the simple inclusion of CNT. Therefore, coexistence of the α and ß lattices occurs for the analyzed materials. The real-time variable-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements with synchrotron radiation at a wide angle have undoubtedly allowed us to observe the presence of the two polymorphs and determine the melting temperature of both crystalline modifications. Furthermore, the CNT plays a nucleating role in the PVDF crystallization, and also acts as reinforcement, increasing the stiffness of the nanocomposites. Moreover, the mobility within the amorphous and crystalline PVDF regions is found to change with the CNT content. Finally, the presence of CNT leads to a very remarkable increase in the conductivity parameter, in such a way that the transition from insulator to electrical conductor is reached in these nanocomposites at a percolation threshold ranging from 1 to 2 wt.%, leading to the excellent value of conductivity of 0.05 S/cm in the material with the highest content in CNT (8 wt.%).

Evaluation of algaecide effectiveness of five different oxidants applied on harmful phytoplankton.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal areas similarly impact both ecosystems and human health. The translocation of phytoplankton species via maritime transport can potentially promote the growth of HABs in coastal systems. Accordingly, ballast water must be disinfected. The main goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of different emerging biocides, including H2O2, peracetic acid (PAA), peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and peroxydisulfate (PDS). The effectiveness of these biocides is compared with that of conventional chlorination methods. Their effects on two ichthyotoxic microalgae with worldwide distribution, i.e., Prymnesium parvum and Heterosigma akashiwo, are examined. To ensure the prolonged effectiveness of the different reagents, their concentration-response curves for 14 days are constructed and examined. The results suggest a strong but shorter effect by PMS (EC50 = 0.40-1.99 mg·L-1) and PAA (EC50 = 0.32-2.70 mg·L-1), a maintained effect by H2O2 (EC50 = 6.67-7.08 mg·L-1), and a negligible effect by PDS. H. akashiwo indicates higher resistance than P. parvum, except when H2O2 is used. Based on the growth inhibition performance and consumption of the reagents as well as a review of important aspects regarding their application, using H2O2, PAA, or PMS can be a feasible alternative to chlorine-based reagents for inhibiting the growth of harmful phytoplankton.

Inactivation of the waterborne marine pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus by photo-chemical processes driven by UV-A, UV-B, or UV-C LED combined with H2O2 or HSO5.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a well-implemented process for water disinfection. The development of emergent UV sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), has afforded new possibilities for advanced oxidation processes. The emission wavelength is considered to be an important factor for photo-chemical processes in terms of both biological damage and energetic efficiency, as the inactivation mechanisms and mode-of-action may differ according to the wavelength that is applied. In addition, these processes merit exploration for inactivating emerging pathogens, such as marine vibrios, that are important bacteria to control in maritime activities. The main goal of this study was to compare the disinfection efficacy of several UV-LED driven processes with different modes of action. First, the effect of UV-LEDs was assessed at different UV ranges (UV-A, UV-B, or UV-C). Second, the possible enhancement of a combination with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or peroxymonosulfate salt (HSO5-) was investigated under two different application strategies, i.e. simultaneous or sequential. The results obtained indicate a high sensitivity of Vibrio alginolyticus to UV radiation, especially under UV-B (kobs = 0.24 cm2/mJ) and UV-C (kobs = 1.47 cm2/mJ) irradiation. The highest inactivation rate constants were obtained for UV/HSO5- (kobs (cm2/mJ)=0.0007 (UV-A); 0.39 (UV-B); 1.79 (UV-C)) with respect to UV/H2O2 (kobs (cm2/mJ)=0.0006 (UV-A); 0.26 (UV-B); and 1.54 (UV-C)) processes, however, regrowth was avoided only with UV/H2O2. Additionally, the disinfection enhancement caused by a chemical addition was more evident in the order UV-A > UV-B > UV-C. By applying H2O2 (10 mg/L) or HSO5- (2.5 mg/L) in a sequential mode before the UV, negligible effects were obtained in comparison with the simultaneous application. Finally, promising electrical energy per order (EEO) values were obtained as follows: UV/HSO5- (EEO (kWh/m3)=1.68 (UV-A); 0.20 (UV-B); 0.04 (UV-C)) and UV/H2O2 (EEO (kWh/m3)=2.15 (UV-A); 0.32 (UV-B); 0.04 (UV-C)), demonstrating the potential of UV-LEDs for disinfection in particular activities such as the aquaculture industry or maritime transport.

A chromosome-length genome assembly and annotation of blackberry (Rubus argutus, cv. "Hillquist").

Blackberries (Rubus spp.) are the fourth most economically important berry crop worldwide. Genome assemblies and annotations have been developed for Rubus species in subgenus Idaeobatus, including black raspberry (R. occidentalis), red raspberry (R. idaeus), and R. chingii, but very few genomic resources exist for blackberries and their relatives in subgenus Rubus. Here we present a chromosome-length assembly and annotation of the diploid blackberry germplasm accession "Hillquist" (R. argutus). "Hillquist" is the only known source of primocane-fruiting (annual-fruiting) in tetraploid fresh-market blackberry breeding programs and is represented in the pedigree of many important cultivars worldwide. The "Hillquist" assembly, generated using Pacific Biosciences long reads scaffolded with high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing, consisted of 298 Mb, of which 270 Mb (90%) was placed on 7 chromosome-length scaffolds with an average length of 38.6 Mb. Approximately 52.8% of the genome was composed of repetitive elements. The genome sequence was highly collinear with a novel maternal haplotype-resolved linkage map of the tetraploid blackberry selection A-2551TN and genome assemblies of R. chingii and red raspberry. A total of 38,503 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 72% were functionally annotated. Eighteen flowering gene homologs within a previously mapped locus aligning to an 11.2 Mb region on chromosome Ra02 were identified as potential candidate genes for primocane-fruiting. The utility of the "Hillquist" genome has been demonstrated here by the development of the first genotyping-by-sequencing-based linkage map of tetraploid blackberry and the identification of possible candidate genes for primocane-fruiting. This chromosome-length assembly will facilitate future studies in Rubus biology, genetics, and genomics and strengthen applied breeding programs.

How does serif vs sans serif typeface impact the usability of e-commerce websites?

This study tries to find evidence that points towards the best typeface to use in e-commerce websites to maximize usability, trust, loyalty, appearance and overall user satisfaction. We tested the difference between serif and sans serif inside the same font family. A total of 246 volunteers participating in the experiment were asked to complete a set of tasks and a questionnaire on an e-commerce website prototype. We measured task completion time, reading speed and reading comprehension. From the results, using multiple linear regression, we deduced that only gender determines user preferences. Females tend to prefer the serif version of the typeface under study. Although most e-commerce websites use sans serif typefaces, we could not find evidence supporting this decision. The serif and sans serif characteristic inside the same font family does not affect usability on a website, as it was found that it has no impact on reading speed and user preference.

Long-term effects of blue-blocking spectacle lenses on color perception.

The use of blue-blocking filters is increasing in spectacle lens users. Despite the low absorption in the blue range, some users complain about these filters because they affect their color perception. In a pilot study we have evaluated how the long-term use of 8 different blue-blocking filters impact the color perception during more than 2 weeks on a group of 18 normal color vision observers, compared with a control group of 10 observers. The evaluation was done using the FM100, the Color Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) and an achromatic point measurement. Our results show that there is a trend to worsen with the filters on.

Signatures of polygenic adaptation align with genome-wide methylation patterns in wild strawberry plants.

Epigenetic inheritance can drive adaptive evolution independently of DNA sequence variation. However, to what extent epigenetic variation represents an autonomous evolutionary force remains largely elusive. Through gene ontology and comparative analyses of genomic and epigenomic variation of wild strawberry plants raised in distinct drought settings, we characterised genome-wide covariation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs). Covariation between SNPs and DMCs was independent of genomic proximity, but instead associated with fitness-related processes such as stress responses, genome regulation and reproduction. We expected this functional SNP-DMC covariation to be driven by adaptive evolution canalising SNP and DMC variation, but instead observed significantly lower covariation with DMCs for adaptive rather than for neutral SNPs. Drought-induced DMCs frequently co-varied with tens of SNPs, suggesting high genomic redundancy as a broad potential basis for polygenic adaptation of gene expression. Our findings suggest that stress-responsive DMCs initially co-vary with many SNPs under increased environmental stress, and that natural selection acting upon several of these SNPs subsequently reduces standing covariation with stress-responsive DMCs. Our study supports DNA methylation profiles that represent complex quantitative traits rather than autonomous evolutionary forces. We provide a conceptual framework for polygenic regulation and adaptation shaping genome-wide methylation patterns in plants.

Color vision deficiencies and camouflage: a comparative study between normal and CVD observers.

There is a belief that observers with color vision deficiencies (CVD) perform better in detecting camouflaged objects than normal observers. Some studies have concluded contradictory findings when studying the performance of normal and CVD observers in the camouflage detection tasks in different conditions. This work presents a literature review on this topic, dividing it into three different and contradictory types of results: better performance for CVD, for normal observers, or same performance. Besides, two psychophysical experiments have been designed and carried out in a calibrated computer monitor on both normal and CVD human observers to measure the searching times of the different types of observers needed to find camouflaged stimuli in two different types of stimuli. Results show the trend that, in our experimental conditions, normal observers need shorter searching times than CVD observers in finding camouflaged stimuli both in images of natural scenes and in images with synthetic stimuli.