Emerging technologies in citizen science and potential for insect monitoring.

Emerging technologies are increasingly employed in environmental citizen science projects. This integration offers benefits and opportunities for scientists and participants alike. Citizen science can support large-scale, long-term monitoring of species occurrences, behaviour and interactions. At the same time, technologies can foster participant engagement, regardless of pre-existing taxonomic expertise or experience, and permit new types of data to be collected. Yet, technologies may also create challenges by potentially increasing financial costs, necessitating technological expertise or demanding training of participants. Technology could also reduce people's direct involvement and engagement with nature. In this perspective, we discuss how current technologies have spurred an increase in citizen science projects and how the implementation of emerging technologies in citizen science may enhance scientific impact and public engagement. We show how technology can act as (i) a facilitator of current citizen science and monitoring efforts, (ii) an enabler of new research opportunities, and (iii) a transformer of science, policy and public participation, but could also become (iv) an inhibitor of participation, equity and scientific rigour. Technology is developing fast and promises to provide many exciting opportunities for citizen science and insect monitoring, but while we seize these opportunities, we must remain vigilant against potential risks. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.

An updated and validated model for predicting the performance of a biological control agent for the oriental migratory locust.

BACKGROUND: The oriental migratory locust is a major crop pest across eastern and south-eastern Asia. Metarhizium anisopliae is an effective biopesticide agent used for locust control, but its performance is temperature dependent, and thus can be more variable than chemical pesticide performance. To predict biopesticide performance for the control of the oriental migratory locust, we adapted a previous temperature-dependent model and validated it using field trial data. To increase the applicability of this model, we explored the use of readily available temperature variables, as well as our own satellite-derived canopy temperature variable, to run the model. RESULTS: Compared to collected in situ temperature data, our canopy temperature variable most accurately represented the ambient temperature experienced by the locust. When the biopesticide performance model was run using this canopy temperature and compared to field trials results, the model predictions were more accurate than when the model was run with the other temperature variables. The accuracy of the biopesticide performance model was impacted by vegetation cover, but across the areas most associated with locust oviposition, growth and migration, the model predictions were satisfactorily accurate to guide biopesticide operational use. CONCLUSION: We validated the model in six provinces in China, representing the three agro-ecological zones largely representative of the oriental migratory locust problem areas in China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Whilst further validation work is needed, this model could be used in these countries to assess, at a fine spatial scale, the appropriateness of M. anisopliae for controlling the oriental migratory locust. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Invasion of Rugose spiraling whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) across Bangladesh coastal region causes widespread damage to coconut plants.

Rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin, a native pest of coconut in Central America, has recently been introduced to South-East Asia. Little is known about the spread of RSW in Bangladesh, the effect this pest has on coconut plants, or the full range of its plant hosts. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted surveys across the southern coastal coconut producing region of Bangladesh. Coconut plant damage from RSW was high throughout all the areas surveyed, and this was correlated with the population density of RSW. Areas, such as Khulna, which had the highest population density of RSW, had the highest level of RSW leaf damage. Coconut plants with an infestation of RSW had significantly fewer leaves and fruits. The coconut fruits were also smaller, both in terms of size and weight, and contained less water and lighter endosperm compared to non-infested plants. This highlights the need for the management of RSW in coconut growing regions. We also report 39 new host plant species for RSW from 22 plant families, including the economically important mangrove plant Nipa palm, Nypa fruticans Wurmb.

The potential global distribution of the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, a polyphagous pest.

BACKGROUND: The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, is a highly polyphagous invasive pest that affects more than 200 plants, many of which are of economic importance. We modelled the potential distribution of P. marginatus using CLIMEX, a process-oriented, climate-based niche model. We combined this model with spatial data on irrigation and cropping patterns to increase the real-world applicability of the model. RESULTS: The resulting model agreed with known distribution points for this pest and with broad areas where P. marginatus has been reported, but for which no GPS data were available. Our model highlights the potential expansion of P. marginatus into novel areas in Central and East Africa, as well as further expansion in Central America and Asia, as these areas are highly climatically suitable, and have large expanses of suitable crop hosts. It also highlights areas, such as the central and eastern states of the USA as well as the western provinces of China, that are suitable for seasonal invasions of P. marginatus. CONCLUSION: Our results offer refined resolution on areas with high potential for invasion by P. marginatus. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Immunotherapy Approaches for Pediatric CNS Tumors and Associated Neurotoxicity.

Treatment for brain tumors has recently shifted to using the power of the immune system to destroy cancer cells with promising results. Many immunotherapeutic approaches that have been used in adults, including checkpoint inhibitors, vaccine therapy, adoptive immunotherapy, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, and viral therapy, are now being evaluated in children. Although these treatments work through different mechanisms, they all activate the immune system and can result in inflammation at the site of disease. This can be especially problematic in the confined area of the brain causing potentially severe neurological side effects, which are of special concern in children with central nervous system malignancies. Steroids can be helpful in the management of neurological complications but carry the risk of making immunotherapeutic approaches less effective. Alternative therapeutic interventions to mitigate side effects are being evaluated. This review describes the most common immunotherapeutic modalities that are now under study for the treatment of pediatric brain tumors, their rationale, associated neurotoxicities, and current management.

Long-term Efficacy of Single-agent Vemurafenib for Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma is a malignant brain tumor that has a good prognosis with complete resection but does not respond well to chemotherapy if there is residual tumor. BRAF V600E mutations are common in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas and provide an additional means for treatment when excision is not possible. Monotherapy with the BRAF V600E inhibitor vemurafenib has only been reported in a small number of cases and mostly in adults. We present the case of a 16-year-old male who responded to vemurafenib monotherapy initially and had an additional response to vemurafenib following progression after a brief time off the medication.

STIM1-Ca2+ signaling modulates automaticity of the mouse sinoatrial node.

Cardiac pacemaking is governed by specialized cardiomyocytes located in the sinoatrial node (SAN). SAN cells (SANCs) integrate voltage-gated currents from channels on the membrane surface (membrane clock) with rhythmic Ca(2+) release from internal Ca(2+) stores (Ca(2+) clock) to adjust heart rate to meet hemodynamic demand. Here, we report that stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and Orai1 channels, key components of store-operated Ca(2+) entry, are selectively expressed in SANCs. Cardiac-specific deletion of STIM1 in mice resulted in depletion of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) stores of SANCs and led to SAN dysfunction, as was evident by a reduction in heart rate, sinus arrest, and an exaggerated autonomic response to cholinergic signaling. Moreover, STIM1 influenced SAN function by regulating ionic fluxes in SANCs, including activation of a store-operated Ca(2+) current, a reduction in L-type Ca(2+) current, and enhancing the activities of Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger. In conclusion, these studies reveal that STIM1 is a multifunctional regulator of Ca(2+) dynamics in SANCs that links SR Ca(2+) store content with electrical events occurring in the plasma membrane, thereby contributing to automaticity of the SAN.

MicroRNA induced cardiac reprogramming in vivo: evidence for mature cardiac myocytes and improved cardiac function.

RATIONALE: A major goal for the treatment of heart tissue damaged by cardiac injury is to develop strategies for restoring healthy heart muscle through the regeneration and repair of damaged myocardium. We recently demonstrated that administration of a specific combination of microRNAs (miR combo) into the infarcted myocardium leads to direct in vivo reprogramming of noncardiac myocytes to cardiac myocytes. However, the biological and functional consequences of such reprogramming are not yet known. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether noncardiac myocytes directly reprogrammed using miRNAs in vivo develop into mature functional cardiac myocytes in situ, and whether reprogramming leads to improvement of cardiac function. METHODS AND RESULTS: We subjected fibroblast-specific protein 1-Cre mice/tandem dimer Tomato (tdTomato) mice to cardiac injury by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and injected lentiviruses encoding miR combo or a control nontargeting miRNA. miR combo significantly increased the number of reprogramming events in vivo. Five to 6 weeks after injury, morphological and physiological properties of tdTomato(-) and tdTomato(+) cardiac myocyte-like cells were analyzed ex vivo. tdTomato(+) cells expressed cardiac myocyte markers, sarcomeric organization, excitation-contraction coupling, and action potentials characteristic of mature ventricular cardiac myocytes (tdTomato(-) cells). Reprogramming was associated with improvement of cardiac function, as analyzed by serial echocardiography. There was a time delayed and progressive improvement in fractional shortening and other measures of ventricular function, indicating that miR combo promotes functional recovery of damaged myocardium. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study further validate the potential use of miRNA-mediated reprogramming as a therapeutic approach to promote cardiac regeneration after myocardial injury.

STIM1-Ca(2+) signaling is required for the hypertrophic growth of skeletal muscle in mice.

Immediately after birth, skeletal muscle must undergo an enormous period of growth and differentiation that is coordinated by several intertwined growth signaling pathways. How these pathways are integrated remains unclear but is likely to involve skeletal muscle contractile activity and calcium (Ca(2+)) signaling. Here, we show that Ca(2+) signaling governed by stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) plays a central role in the integration of signaling and, therefore, muscle growth and differentiation. Conditional deletion of STIM1 from the skeletal muscle of mice (mSTIM1(-/-) mice) leads to profound growth delay, reduced myonuclear proliferation, and perinatal lethality. We show that muscle fibers of neonatal mSTIM1(-/-) mice cannot support the activity-dependent Ca(2+) transients evoked by tonic neurostimulation, even though excitation contraction coupling (ECC) remains unperturbed. In addition, disruption of tonic Ca(2+) signaling in muscle fibers attenuates downstream muscle growth signaling, such as that of calcineurin, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and AKT. Based on our findings, we propose a model wherein STIM1-mediated store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) governs the Ca(2+) signaling required for cellular processes that are necessary for neonatal muscle growth and differentiation.

MicroRNA-mediated in vitro and in vivo direct reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts to cardiomyocytes.

RATIONALE: Repopulation of the injured heart with new, functional cardiomyocytes remains a daunting challenge for cardiac regenerative medicine. An ideal therapeutic approach would involve an effective method at achieving direct conversion of injured areas to functional tissue in situ. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a strategy that identified and evaluated the potential of specific micro (mi)RNAs capable of inducing reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts directly to cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a combinatorial strategy, we identified a combination of miRNAs 1, 133, 208, and 499 capable of inducing direct cellular reprogramming of fibroblasts to cardiomyocyte-like cells in vitro. Detailed studies of the reprogrammed cells demonstrated that a single transient transfection of the miRNAs can direct a switch in cell fate as documented by expression of mature cardiomyocyte markers, sarcomeric organization, and exhibition of spontaneous calcium flux characteristic of a cardiomyocyte-like phenotype. Interestingly, we also found that miRNA-mediated reprogramming was enhanced 10-fold on JAK inhibitor I treatment. Importantly, administration of miRNAs into ischemic mouse myocardium resulted in evidence of direct conversion of cardiac fibroblasts to cardiomyocytes in situ. Genetic tracing analysis using Fsp1Cre-traced fibroblasts from both cardiac and noncardiac cell sources strongly suggests that induced cells are most likely of fibroblastic origin. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study provide proof-of-concept that miRNAs have the capability of directly converting fibroblasts to a cardiomyocyte-like phenotype in vitro. Also of significance is that this is the first report of direct cardiac reprogramming in vivo. Our approach may have broad and important implications for therapeutic tissue regeneration in general.

Calcium as a trigger for cerebellar long-term synaptic depression.

Cerebellar long-term depression (LTD) is a form of long-term synaptic plasticity that is triggered by calcium(Ca2+) signals in the postsynaptic Purkinje cell. This Ca2+comes both from IP3-mediated release from intracellular Ca2+ stores, as well as from Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The Ca2+ signal that triggers LTD occurs locally within dendritic spines and is due to supralinear summation of signals coming from these two Ca2+ sources. The properties of this postsynaptic Ca2+signal can explain several features of LTD, such as its associativity, synapse specificity, and dependence on thetiming of synaptic activity, and can account for the slow kinetics of LTD expression. Thus, from a Ca2+ signaling perspective, LTD is one of the best understood forms of synaptic plasticity.

TRPC6 enhances angiotensin II-induced albuminuria.

Mutations in the canonical transient receptor potential cation channel 6 (TRPC6) are responsible for familial forms of adult onset focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The mechanisms by which TRPC6 mutations cause kidney disease are not well understood. We used TRPC6-deficient mice to examine the function of TRPC6 in the kidney. We found that adult TRPC6-deficient mice had BP and albumin excretion rates similar to wild-type animals. Glomerular histomorphology revealed no abnormalities on both light and electron microscopy. To determine whether the absence of TRPC6 would alter susceptibility to hypertension and renal injury, we infused mice with angiotensin II continuously for 28 days. Although both groups developed similar levels of hypertension, TRPC6-deficient mice had significantly less albuminuria, especially during the early phase of the infusion; this suggested that TRPC6 adversely influences the glomerular filter. We used whole-cell patch-clamp recording to measure cell-membrane currents in primary cultures of podocytes from both wild-type and TRPC6-deficient mice. In podocytes from wild-type mice, angiotensin II and a direct activator of TRPC6 both augmented cell-membrane currents; TRPC6 deficiency abrogated these increases in current magnitude. Our findings suggest that TRPC6 promotes albuminuria, perhaps by promoting angiotensin II-dependent increases in Ca(2+), suggesting that TRPC6 blockade may be therapeutically beneficial in proteinuric kidney disease.

Effects of training history on resurgence in humans.

This experiment assessed the effects of training history on resurgence in three college students. Four-choice arbitrary-matching-to-sample trials occurred in two components of a multiple schedule. An A1 or A2 sample stimulus and four (B) comparison stimuli occurred on AB trials, and a C1 or C2 sample stimulus and four (D) comparison stimuli occurred on CD trials. By the end of training, accuracy and latency measures were comparable across separate discriminations, selecting B2 in the presence of A2 and selecting D2 in the presence of C2, despite a lengthier training correlated with the former discrimination. Next, in the presence of A2 and C2, respectively, responses to B2 and D2 were extinguished and responses to B3 and D3 were reinforced. These responses to B3 and D3 then were extinguished in a final condition. In this final condition, resurgence to B2 occurred for each participant, whereas resurgence to D2 occurred for only one participant. Thus, there was greater resurgence of the discrimination with the lengthier training history, despite the discriminations being similar in terms of accuracy and latency before extinction. This result, therefore, can be classified as a latent, or remote, behavioral history effect.