[Antimicrobial in vitro effects of eight essential oils on Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica from nasopharyngeal swab samples of fattening calves]. / Antimikrobielle in-vitro-Wirkung acht ätherischer Öle auf Pasteurella multocida und Mannheimia haemolytica aus Nasenrachentupferproben von Mastkälbern.

INTRODUCTION: Essential oils are secondary metabolites of aromatic plants and are used in phytotherapy to treat various diseases. In the present study, eight selected essential oils - ajwain oil (Trachyspermum ammi L.), fennel oil (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. subsp. vulgare var. vulgare), thyme oil chemotype (ct.) thymol (Thymus vulgaris L.), tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel.), oregano oil (Origanum vulgare L.), mountain savory oil (Satureja montana L.), lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.) and eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) -were examined for their antibacterial effect against Pasteurella (P.) multocida and Mannheimia (M.) haemolytica isolates from deep nasopharyngeal swab samples of fattening calves using agar diffusion and microdilution. All eight essential oils were effective against the tested isolates. Lemongrass oil proved to be the most potent of all eight essential oils, while fennel oil was only weakly effective. Different antimicrobial effects were observed between the two research methods. The effectiveness of ajwain, thyme, oregano and mountain savory oils was comparable in agar diffusion. However, this could not be reproduced using the microdilution method. P. multocida was found to be more sensitive to all essential oils tested than M. haemolytica. This study shows that the tested essential oils have antimicrobial in-vitro effects on P. multocida and M. haemolytica isolates and that the examination method is associated with the test result.

INTRODUCTION: Les huiles essentielles sont des métabolites secondaires de plantes aromatiques et sont utilisées en phytothérapie pour le traitement de différentes maladies. Dans la présente étude, huit huiles essentielles sélectionnées ­ huile d'ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi L.), huile de fenouil (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. subsp. vulgare var. vulgare), huile de thym chémotype (ct.) thymol (Thymus vulgaris L.), huile d'arbre à thé (Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel.), huile d'origan (Origanum vulgare L.), huile de sarriette de montagne (Satureja montana L. ), huile de citronnelle (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.) et huile d'eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) ­ ont été étudiées par diffusion sur gélose et microdilution pour leur effet antibactérien sur des isolats de Pasteurella (P.) multocida et de Mannheimia (M.) haemolytica provenant d'échantillons d'écouvillons nasaux profonds de veaux d'engraissement. Les huit huiles essentielles se sont révélées efficaces sur les isolats testés. L'huile de citronnelle s'est avérée être la plus puissante des huit huiles essentielles, tandis que l'huile de fenouil n'était que faiblement efficace. Des effets différents ont été observés entre les deux méthodes de recherche utilisées. Par exemple, l'efficacité des huiles d'ajowan, de thym, d'origan et de sarriette de montagne était comparable dans la diffusion sur gélose. Cependant, cela n>a pas pu être reproduit avec la méthode de microdilution. P. multocida s'est révélée plus sensible que M. haemolytica à toutes les huiles essentielles testées. Cette étude montre premièrement que les huiles essentielles testées ont une efficacité antimicrobienne in vitro sur des isolats cliniques de P. multocida et de M. haemolytica. Deuxièmement, elle montre que la méthode d'examen est associée au résultat du test.

Molecular age prediction using skull bone samples from individuals with and without signs of decomposition: a multivariate approach combining analysis of posttranslational protein modifications and DNA methylation.

The prediction of the chronological age of a deceased individual at time of death can provide important information in case of unidentified bodies. The methodological possibilities in these cases depend on the availability of tissues, whereby bones are preserved for a long time due to their mineralization under normal environmental conditions. Age-dependent changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) as well as the accumulation of pentosidine (Pen) and D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) could be useful molecular markers for age prediction. A combination of such molecular clocks into one age prediction model seems favorable to minimize inter- and intra-individual variation. We therefore developed (I) age prediction models based on the three molecular clocks, (II) examined the improvement of age prediction by combination, and (III) investigated if samples with signs of decomposition can also be examined using these three molecular clocks. Skull bone from deceased individuals was collected to obtain a training dataset (n = 86), and two independent test sets (without signs of decomposition: n = 44, with signs of decomposition: n = 48). DNAm of 6 CpG sites in ELOVL2, KLF14, PDE4C, RPA2, TRIM59 and ZYG11A was analyzed using massive parallel sequencing (MPS). The D-Asp and Pen contents were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Age prediction models based on ridge regression were developed resulting in mean absolute errors (MAEs)/root mean square errors (RMSE) of 5.5years /6.6 years (DNAm), 7.7 years /9.3 years (Pen) and 11.7 years /14.6 years (D-Asp) in the test set. Unsurprisingly, a general lower accuracy for the DNAm, D-Asp, and Pen models was observed in samples from decomposed bodies (MAE: 7.4-11.8 years, RMSE: 10.4-15.4 years). This reduced accuracy could be caused by multiple factors with different impact on each molecular clock. To acknowledge general changes due to decomposition, a pilot model for a possible age prediction based on the decomposed samples as training set improved the accuracy evaluated by leave-one-out-cross validation (MAE: 6.6-12 years, RMSE: 8.1-15.9 years). The combination of all three molecular age clocks did reveal comparable MAE and RMSE results to the pure analysis of the DNA methylation for the test set without signs of decomposition. However, an improvement by the combination of all three clocks was possible for the decomposed samples, reducing especially the deviation in case of outliers in samples with very high decomposition and low DNA content. The results demonstrate the general potential in a combined analysis of different molecular clocks in specific cases.

Lower Locus Coeruleus Integrity Signals Elevated Entorhinal Tau and Clinical Progression in Asymptomatic Older Individuals.

OBJECTIVE: Elevated entorhinal cortex (EC) tau in low beta-amyloid individuals can predict accumulation of pathology and cognitive decline. We compared the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived locus coeruleus integrity, neocortical beta-amyloid burden by positron emission tomography (PET), and hippocampal volume in identifying elevated entorhinal tau signal in asymptomatic individuals who are considered beta-amyloid PET-negative. METHODS: We included 188 asymptomatic individuals (70.78 ± 11.51 years, 58% female) who underwent 3T-MRI of the locus coeruleus, Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB), and Flortaucipir (FTP) PET. Associations between elevated EC tau and neocortical PiB, hippocampal volume, or locus coeruleus integrity were evaluated and compared using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses in the PiB- sample with a clinical dementia rating (CDR) of 0. Associations with clinical progression (CDR-sum-of-boxes) over a time span of 6 years were evaluated with Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: We identified 26 (21%) individuals with high EC FTP in the CDR = 0/PiB- sample. Locus coeruleus integrity was a significantly more sensitive and specific predictor of elevated EC FTP (area under the curve [AUC] = 85%) compared with PiB (AUC = 77%) or hippocampal volume (AUC = 76%). Based on the Youden-index, locus coeruleus integrity obtained a sensitivity of 77% and 85% specificity. Using the resulting locus coeruleus Youden cut-off, lower locus coeruleus integrity was associated with a two-fold increase in clinical progression, including mild cognitive impairment. INTERPRETATION: Locus coeruleus integrity has promise as a low-cost, non-invasive screening instrument to detect early cortical tau deposition and associated clinical progression in asymptomatic, low beta-amyloid individuals. ANN NEUROL 2024.

Spatial extent as a sensitive amyloid-PET metric in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Spatial extent-based measures of how far amyloid beta (Aß) has spread throughout the neocortex may be more sensitive than traditional Aß-positron emission tomography (PET) measures of Aß level for detecting early Aß deposits in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) and improve understanding of Aß's association with tau proliferation and cognitive decline. METHODS: Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB)-PET scans from 261 cognitively unimpaired older adults from the Harvard Aging Brain Study were used to measure Aß level (LVL; neocortical PIB DVR) and spatial extent (EXT), calculated as the proportion of the neocortex that is PIB+. RESULTS: EXT enabled earlier detection of Aß deposits longitudinally confirmed to reach a traditional LVL-based threshold for Aß+ within 5 years. EXT improved prediction of cognitive decline (Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite) and tau proliferation (flortaucipir-PET) over LVL. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate EXT may be more sensitive to Aß's role in preclinical AD than level and improve targeting of individuals for AD prevention trials. HIGHLIGHTS: Aß spatial extent (EXT) was measured as the percentage of the neocortex with elevated Pittsburgh Compound-B. Aß EXT improved detection of Aß below traditional PET thresholds. Early regional Aß deposits were spatially heterogeneous. Cognition and tau were more closely tied to Aß EXT than Aß level. Neocortical tau onset aligned with reaching widespread neocortical Aß.

Amyloid and tau burden relate to longitudinal changes in the performance of complex everyday activities among cognitively unimpaired older adults: results from the performance-based Harvard Automated Phone Task.

Background: Changes in everyday functioning constitute a clinically meaningful outcome, even in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Performance-based assessments of everyday functioning might help uncover these early changes. We aimed to investigate how changes over time in everyday functioning relate to tau and amyloid in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Methods: Seventy-six cognitively unimpaired participants (72 ± 6 years old, 61% female) completed multiple Harvard Automated Phone Task (APT) assessments over 2.0 ± 0.9 years. The Harvard APT consists of three tasks, performed through an automated phone system, in which participants refill a prescription (APT-Script), select a new primary care physician (APT-PCP), and transfer money to pay a bill (APT-Bank). Participants underwent Pittsburgh compound-B and flortaucipir positron emission tomography scans at baseline. We computed distribution volume ratios for a cortical amyloid aggregate and standardized uptake volume ratios for medial temporal and neocortical tau regions. In separate linear mixed models, baseline amyloid by time and tau by time interactions were used to predict longitudinal changes in performance on the Harvard APT tasks. Three-way amyloid by tau by time interactions were also investigated. Lastly, we examined associations between tau and change in Harvard APT scores in exploratory voxel-wise whole-brain analyses. All models were adjusted for age, sex, and education. Results: Amyloid [unstandardized partial regression coefficient estimate (ß) = -0.007, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = (-0.013, -0.001)], and medial temporal tau [ß = -0.013, 95% CI = (-0.022, -0.004)] were associated with change over time in years on APT-PCP only, i.e., higher baseline amyloid and higher baseline tau were associated with steeper rate of decline of APT-PCP. Voxel-wise analyses showed widespread associations between tau and change in APT-PCP scores over time. Conclusion: Even among cognitively unimpaired older adults, changes over time in the performance of cognitively complex everyday activities relate to cortical amyloid and widespread cerebral tau burden at baseline. These findings support the link between Alzheimer's disease pathology and function and highlight the importance of measuring everyday functioning in preclinical disease stages.

First Measurement of R(X_{τ/ℓ}) as an Inclusive Test of the b→cτν Anomaly.

We measure the tau-to-light-lepton ratio of inclusive B-meson branching fractions R(X_{τ/ℓ})≡B(B→Xτν)/B(B→Xℓν), where ℓ indicates an electron or muon, and thereby test the universality of charged-current weak interactions. We select events that have one fully reconstructed B meson and a charged lepton candidate from 189 fb^{-1} of electron-positron collision data collected with the Belle II detector. We find R(X_{τ/ℓ})=0.228±0.016(stat)±0.036(syst), in agreement with standard-model expectations. This is the first direct measurement of R(X_{τ/ℓ}).

Neuroprotection in radiotherapy of brain metastases: A pattern-of-care analysis in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by the German Society for radiation Oncology - working group Neuro-Radio-Oncology (DEGRO AG-NRO).

Background and purpose: Many patients with solid tumors develop brain metastases (BM). With more patients surviving long-term, preservation of neurocognitive function gains importance. In recent years, several methods to delay cognitive deterioration have been tested in clinical trials. However, knowledge on the extent to which these neuroprotective strategies have been implemented in clinical practice is missing. Materials and methods: We performed an online survey regarding treatment patterns of BM in German-speaking countries, focused on the use of neuroprotective approaches. The survey was distributed among radiation oncologists (ROs) registered within the database of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO). Results: Physicians of 78 centers participated in the survey. Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is still preferred by 70 % of ROs over stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in patients with 6-10 BM. For 4-5 BM WBRT is preferred by 23 % of ROs. The fraction of ROs using hippocampal sparing (HS) in WBRT has increased to 89 %, although the technique is used on a regular basis only by a minority (26 %). The drug memantine is not widely prescribed (14% of ROs). A trend was observed for university hospitals to implement neuroprotective approaches more frequently. Conclusion: There is considerable heterogeneity regarding the treatment of BM in German-speaking countries and a general standard of care is lacking. Neuroprotective strategies are not yet standard approaches in daily clinical routine, although usage is increasing. Further clinical trials, as well as improvement of technical opportunities and reimbursement, might further shift the treatment landscape towards neuroprotective radiation treatments in the future.

[Core data set for real world data in multiple sclerosis: customization for latin america from a global task force recommendation]. / Core data set para la generación de datos de la vida real en esclerosis múltiple: adaptación de una iniciativa global para América Latina.

INTRODUCTION: The primary objective of the core data set is to reduce heterogeneity and promote harmonization among data sources in EM, thereby reducing the time needed to execute real life data collection efforts. Recently, a group led by the Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance has developed a core data set for collecting real-world data on multiple sclerosis (MS) globally. Our objective was to adapt this global data set to the needs of Latin America, so that it can be implemented by the registries already developed and in the process of development in the region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A working group was formed regionally, the core data set created globally was adapted (translation process into Spanish, incorporation of regional variables and consensus on variables to be used). Consensus was obtained through the remote Delphi methodology of a round of questionnaires and remote discussion of the core data set variables. RESULTS: A total of 25 professionals from Latin America carried out the adaptation process between November 2022 and July 2023. Agreement was established on a core data set of nine categories and 45 variables, version 2023 to suggest its implementation in developed or developing registries, and MS cohorts in the region. CONCLUSION: The core data set seeks to harmonize the variables collected by registries and cohorts in MS in Latin America in order to facilitate said collection and allow collaboration between sources. Its implementation will facilitate real life data collection and collaboration in the region.

TITLE: Core data set para la generación de datos de la vida real en esclerosis múltiple: adaptación de una iniciativa global para América Latina.Introducción. Los objetivos primarios del core data set son reducir la heterogeneidad y promover la armonización entre las fuentes de datos en la esclerosis múltiple (EM), reduciendo así el tiempo necesario para ejecutar esfuerzos en la recolección de datos de vida real. Recientemente, un grupo liderado por la Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance ha desarrollado un core data set para la recolección de datos del mundo real en EM a nivel global. Nuestro objetivo ha sido adaptar y consensuar este conjunto de datos globales a las necesidades de América Latina para que pueda ser implementado por los registros ya desarrollados y en proceso de desarrollo en la región. Material y métodos. Se conformó un grupo de trabajo regionalmente y se adaptó el core data set creado globalmente (proceso de traducción al español, incorporación de variables regionales y consenso sobre variables que se iban a utilizar). El consenso se obtuvo a través de la metodología Delphi remoto de ronda de cuestionarios y discusión a distancia de las variables del core data set. Resultados. Veinticinco profesionales de América Latina llevaron adelante el proceso de adaptación entre noviembre de 2022 y julio de 2023. Se estableció un acuerdo sobre un core data set de nueve categorías y 45 variables, versión 2023, con la sugerencia de implementarlo en registros desarrollados o en vías de desarrollo y cohortes de EM en la región. Conclusión. El core data set busca armonizar las variables recolectadas por los registros y las cohortes de EM en América Latina con el fin de facilitar dicha recolección y permitir una colaboración entre fuentes. Su implementación facilitará la recolección de datos de vida real y la colaboración en la región.

Associations of the Swiss national reporting system's antimicrobial use data and management practices in dairy cows on tiestall farms.

Antimicrobial use (AMU) in Switzerland is above target and requires reduction, especially in dairy cattle. Measuring AMU is pivotal to identifying starting points for AMU reduction, and so are studies investigating its potential drivers in dairy farms worldwide. However, although AMU in dairy farms is high, studies estimating AMU specifically in tiestall farms are scarce. Tiestalls are a common housing system and their prevalence among dairy farms accounts to approximatively 73%, 41%, and 40% in Canada, the United States, and Switzerland, respectively. The objectives of this cross-sectional, retrospective observational study were to estimate AMU using the newly established Swiss national reporting system for AMU in livestock and to identify associated factors on Swiss tiestall dairy farms. We calculated the treatment incidence (TI) by using the European Medicines Agency methodology and their defined daily dose (DDD) and defined course dose (DCD) standards. Data on factors potentially associated with AMU were obtained through personal interviews with farm managers on 221 farms. Retrospectively, during a 1-year period, data on a total of 7,619 treatments were extracted from the national database. Associations between management factors and TI were analyzed using a generalized linear model with gamma distribution. The mean (± SD) overall TI was 5.46 DDD/cow-year (± 4.10 DDD/cow-year). Intramammary treatment during lactation accounted for highest TI (3.24 ± 3.16 DDD/cow-year), whereas dry-cow therapy accounted for lowest TI (0.44 ± 0.49 DCD/cow-year). We found that 5 of the investigated management factors were significantly associated with TI. Organic production (estimate = -2.16; 95% CI = -3.62 to -0.70) and herd size (estimate = -0.81; 95% CI = -1.23 to -0.39) were negatively associated with TI. Specific cow breeds (Brown Swiss estimate = 1.56; 95% CI = 0.45-2.68) and Holstein Friesian (estimate = 1.42; 95% CI = 0.03-2.82; reference: other breeds) and the use of hygienic powders on the lying area (estimate = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.04-2.17) were positively associated with TI. Overall, the Swiss national reporting system is a valuable tool for AMU estimation. Several herd characteristics and management factors were associated with AMU in tiestall farms. Further studies focusing on factors associated with AMU and which are amenable to intervention will help improve stewardship programs and subsequently reduce AMU in dairy cows.

Indigenous Populations of a Biological Control Agent in Agricultural Field Soils Predicted Suppression of a Plant Pathogen.

The nematophagous fungus Hyalorbilia oviparasitica and relatives (Hyalorbilia spp.) are known to parasitize several endoparasitic nematodes. In this project, we hypothesized that indigenous populations of this fungus could be used to predict nematode suppression in agricultural field soils. We quantified Hyalorbilia spp. in soil samples from 44 different sugar beet fields in the Imperial Valley of California. Seven soils harboring Hyalorbilia spp. and two that tested negative for the fungi were examined for nematode suppressive activity. Untreated and autoclaved portions of each soil were planted with cabbage and infested with sugar beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii) juveniles. Females and cysts of H. schachtii were enumerated after 12 weeks. In the seven soils harboring Hyalorbilia spp., females and cysts in the untreated soils were reduced by 61 to 82% compared with the autoclaved controls. Soils with no detectable Hyalorbilia spp. exhibited no nematode suppression. Two novel Hyalorbilia strains, HsImV25 and HsImV27, were isolated from H. schachtii females reared in field soil using an enrichment and double-baiting cultivation technique. Both strains suppressed H. schachtii populations by more than 80% in soil-based assays, confirming that Hyalorbilia spp. are the likely causal agents of the nematode suppression in these soils. This study demonstrated that indigenous populations of a hyperparasite (Hyalorbilia spp.) in agricultural field soils predicted suppressive activity against a soilborne plant pathogen (H. schachtii). To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate this capability. We anticipate that this research will provide a blueprint for other similar studies, thereby advancing the field of soilborne biological control.

Peptide Conjugates of a 2'-O-Methoxyethyl Phosphorothioate Splice-Switching Oligonucleotide Show Increased Entrapment in Endosomes.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are short, single-stranded nucleic acid molecules that alter gene expression. However, their transport into appropriate cellular compartments is a limiting factor in their potency. Here, we synthesized splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) previously developed to treat the rare disease erythropoietic protoporphyria. Using chemical ligation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (CL-qPCR), we quantified the SSOs in cells and subcellular compartments following free uptake. To drive nuclear localization, we covalently conjugated nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides to a lead 2'-O-methoxyethyl phosphorothioate SSO using thiol-maleimide chemistry. The conjugates and parent SSO displayed similar RNA target-binding affinities. CL-qPCR quantification of the conjugates in cells and subcellular compartments following free uptake revealed one conjugate with better nuclear accumulation relative to the parent SSO. However, compared to the parent SSO, which altered the splicing of the target pre-mRNA, the conjugates were inactive at splice correction under free uptake conditions in vitro. Splice-switching activity could be conferred on the conjugates by delivering them into cells via cationic lipid-mediated transfection or by treating the cells into which the conjugates had been freely taken up with chloroquine, an endosome-disrupting agent. Our results identify the major barrier to the activity of the peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates as endosomal entrapment.

Precise Measurement of the D_{s}

We measure the lifetime of the D_{s}^{+} meson using a data sample of 207 fb^{-1} collected by the Belle II experiment running at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The lifetime is determined by fitting the decay-time distribution of a sample of 116×10^{3} D_{s}^{+}→ϕπ^{+} decays. Our result is τ_{D_{s}^{+}}=(499.5±1.7±0.9) fs, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This result is significantly more precise than previous measurements.

Tests of Light-Lepton Universality in Angular Asymmetries of B

We present the first comprehensive tests of the universality of the light leptons in the angular distributions of semileptonic B^{0}-meson decays to charged spin-1 charmed mesons. We measure five angular-asymmetry observables as functions of the decay recoil that are sensitive to lepton-universality-violating contributions. We use events where one neutral B is fully reconstructed in ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] decays in data corresponding to 189 fb^{-1} integrated luminosity from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector. We find no significant deviation from the standard model expectations.

Search for a τ

We report the first search for a nonstandard-model resonance decaying into τ pairs in e^{+}e^{-}→µ^{+}µ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} events in the 3.6-10 GeV/c^{2} mass range. We use a 62.8 fb^{-1} sample of e^{+}e^{-} collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. The analysis probes three different models predicting a spin-1 particle coupling only to the heavier lepton families, a Higgs-like spin-0 particle that couples preferentially to charged leptons (leptophilic scalar), and an axionlike particle, respectively. We observe no evidence for a signal and set exclusion limits at 90% confidence level on the product of cross section and branching fraction into τ pairs, ranging from 0.7 to 24 fb, and on the couplings of these processes. We obtain world-leading constraints on the couplings for the leptophilic scalar model for masses above 6.5 GeV/c^{2} and for the axionlike particle model over the entire mass range.

Measurement of CP Violation in B

We report a measurement of the CP-violating parameters C and S in B^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{0} decays at Belle II using a sample of 387×10^{6} BB[over ¯] events recorded in e^{+}e^{-} collisions at a center-of-mass energy corresponding to the ϒ(4S) resonance. These parameters are determined by fitting the proper decay-time distribution of a sample of 415 signal events. We obtain C=-0.04_{-0.15}^{+0.14}±0.05 and S=0.75_{-0.23}^{+0.20}±0.04, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.

Influence of demographic change on the demand for radiotherapy using forecasted predictions for prostate cancer in Germany.

PURPOSE: Demographic change will lead to an increase in age-associated cancers. The demand for primary treatment, especially oncologic therapies, is difficult to predict. This work is an attempt to project the demand for radiation therapy (RT) in 2030, taking into account demographic changes using prostate cancer (PC) as an example. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the GENESIS database of the Federal Statistical Office, we retrieved demographic population projections for 2030 and retrospective demographic surveys from 1999 to 2019. Additionally, we queried incidence rates for PC in the respective age groups of 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and +85 years from 1999-2019 via the Federal Cancer Registry of the Robert Koch Institute. We used a regression method to determine the age-dependent correlation between the incidence of PC and the population size of the respective age group by combining the data from 1999 to 2019. This information was used to calculate the incidence rates in the age groups of the expected population for 2030 and the expected new cases of PC in 2030. Finally, we extrapolated the indications for the demand for RT based on data from the Report on Cancer Incidence in Germany from 2016. RESULTS: Considering a population-dependent incidence rate, an increase in new cases of PC is expected. This increase is particularly evident in the age groups of 70-74 and 80-84 years. With regards to RT, the estimate indicates an overall increase of 27.4% in demand. There is also a shift in RT demands towards older patients, especially in the 80- to 84-year-old age group. CONCLUSION: We observe an age-associated increase in primary cases of PC. This is likely to result in an increased demand for RT. The exact demand cannot be predicted. However, trends can be estimated to plan for the demand. This, though, requires a good database from cancer registries.

Test of Light-Lepton Universality in the Rates of Inclusive Semileptonic B-Meson Decays at Belle II.

We present the first measurement of the ratio of branching fractions of inclusive semileptonic B-meson decays, R(X_{e/µ})=B(B→Xeν)/B(B→Xµν), a precision test of electron-muon universality, using data corresponding to 189 fb^{-1} from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector. In events where the partner B meson is fully reconstructed, we use fits to the lepton momentum spectra above 1.3 GeV/c to obtain R(X_{e/µ})=1.007±0.009(stat)±0.019(syst), which is the most precise lepton-universality test of its kind and agrees with the standard-model expectation.

Real-Time PCR to Phenotype Resistance to the Citrus Nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb.

As pest management options, such as nematicides, become more restrictive, developing rootstocks resistant to the citrus nematode is fundamental for citrus production. This study provides an updated methodology to screen for citrus nematode resistance in rootstock-breeding programs. We developed a novel method to extract female citrus nematodes from roots that is suitable for molecular work and a real-time-PCR-based nematode quantification method for Tylenchulus semipenetrans. These procedures allow scaling up screening to high-throughput workflows, increasing the chances of finding rootstock candidates that combine all the desired traits. Our results contribute to the growing literature supporting quantification of nematodes with molecular methods.

Search for an Invisible Z

The L_{µ}-L_{τ} extension of the standard model predicts the existence of a lepton-flavor-universality-violating Z^{'} boson that couples only to the heavier lepton families. We search for such a Z^{'} through its invisible decay in the process e^{+}e^{-}→µ^{+}µ^{-}Z^{'}. We use a sample of electron-positron collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV collected by the Belle II experiment in 2019-2020, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79.7 fb^{-1}. We find no excess over the expected standard-model background. We set 90%-confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for this process as well as on the coupling of the model, which ranges from 3×10^{-3} at low Z^{'} masses to 1 at Z^{'} masses of 8 GeV/c^{2}.