Physiological condition infers habitat choice in juvenile sockeye salmon.

The amount of time that juvenile salmon remain in an estuary varies among and within populations, with some individuals passing through their estuary in hours while others remain in the estuary for several months. Underlying differences in individual physiological condition, such as body size, stored energy and osmoregulatory function, could drive individual variation in the selection of estuary habitat. Here we investigated the role of variation in physiological condition on the selection of estuarine and ocean habitat by sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) smolts intercepted at the initiation of their 650-km downstream migration from Chilko Lake, Fraser River, British Columbia (BC). Behavioural salinity preference experiments were conducted on unfed smolts held in fresh water at three time intervals during their downstream migration period, representing the stage of migration at lake-exit, and the expected timing for estuary-entry and ocean-entry (0, 1 and 3 weeks after lake-exit, respectively). In general, salinity preference behaviour varied across the three time periods consistent with expected transition from river to estuary to ocean. Further, individual physiological condition did influence habitat choice. Smolt condition factor (K) and energy density were positively correlated with salinity preference behaviour in the estuary and ocean outmigration stages, but not at lake-exit. Our results suggest that smolt physiological condition upon reaching the estuary could influence migratory behaviour and habitat selection. This provides evidence on the temporally dependent interplay of physiology, behaviour and migration in wild juvenile Pacific salmon, with juvenile rearing conditions influencing smolt energetic status, which in turn influences habitat choice during downstream migration. The implication for the conservation of migratory species is that the relative importance of stopover habitats may vary as a function of initial condition.

Ecotoxicological soil risk assessment under the new soil exposure framework - an impact assessment.

For the European risk assessment (RA) for soil organisms exposed to plant protection products (PPPs) endpoints from ecotoxicological laboratory studies are compared with predicted environmental concentrations in soil (PECSOIL) at first tier. A safety margin must be met; otherwise, a higher tier RA is triggered (usually soil organism field studies). A new tiered exposure modeling guidance was published by EFSA to determine PECSOIL. This work investigates its potential impact on future soil RA. PECSOIL values for >50 active substances and metabolites were calculated and compared with the respective endpoints for soil organisms to calculate the RA failure rate. Compared to the current (FOCUS) exposure modeling, PECSOIL values for all EU regulatory zones considerably increased, e.g., resulting in active substance RA failure rates of 67%, 58% and 36% for modeling Tier-1, Tier-2 and Tier-3A, respectively. The main driving factors for elevated PECSOIL were soil bulk density, crop interception and wash-off, next to obligatory modeling and scenario adjustment factors. Spatial PECSOIL scenario selection procedures result in agronomically atypical soil characteristics (e.g., soil bulk density values in Tier-3A scenarios far below typical European agricultural areas). Consequently, exposure modeling and ecotoxicological study characteristics are inconsistent, which hinders scientifically reasonable comparison of both in the RA.

Decline of pesticide residue on treated crop seeds: An analysis of comprehensive industry data and implications of the current risk assessment scheme for plant protection products.

For plant protection products applied as seed treatments, the risk to birds and mammals possibly feeding on treated seeds must be addressed in the EU to register products for commercial use. One assumption of the Tier 1 long-term risk assessment of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is that residues of pesticides on treated seeds do not decline over time after seeding. Consequently, a time-weighted average factor (fTWA ) of 1 (i.e., no dissipation) is used to calculate residue concentrations on seeds. In contrast, for spray applications, a default dissipation half-life (DT50 ) of 10 days is considered corresponding to an fTWA of 0.53. The aim of this study was to establish a default fTWA for treated seeds based on 29 industry-conducted seed dissipation studies, providing 240 datasets covering different active substances, crops, and regions. For fTWA calculation, two approaches were used: (i) kinetic fitting and (ii) using measured data without kinetic fitting. From kinetic fitting, 145 reliable DT50 values were obtained. Because there were no significant differences in DT50 values between crops and between the central and southern EU, the DT50 data from all studies were pooled. The geometric mean DT50 was 3.8 days and the 90th percentile was 13.0 days, corresponding to 21-day fTWA values of 0.27 and 0.59, respectively. Twenty-one-day fTWA values could be calculated directly from measured residues for 204 datasets. The resulting 21-day fTWA values were comparable with those from kinetic fitting (geometric mean: 0.29, 90th percentile: 0.59). The results demonstrate that residue decline on seeds is comparable with foliar dissipation after spray applications. Therefore, the risk assessment scheme by EFSA should implement a default fTWA < 1.0 in the Tier 1 risk assessment for treated seeds (e.g., either 0.53 as for foliage or 0.59, the 90th percentile fTWA in seeds reported in this study). Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:239-247. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Impairing cardiac oxygen supply in swimming coho salmon compromises their heart function and tolerance to acute warming.

Climatic warming elevates mortality for many salmonid populations during their physically challenging up-river spawning migrations, yet, the mechanisms underlying the increased mortality remain elusive. One hypothesis posits that a cardiac oxygen insufficiency impairs the heart's capacity to pump sufficient oxygen to body tissues to sustain up-river swimming, especially in warm water when oxygen availability declines and cardiac and whole-animal oxygen demand increases. We tested this hypothesis by measuring cardiac and metabolic (cardiorespiratory) performance, and assessing the upper thermal tolerance of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) during sustained swimming and acute warming. By surgically ligating the coronary artery, which naturally accumulates arteriosclerotic lesions in migrating salmon, we partially impaired oxygen supply to the heart. Coronary ligation caused drastic cardiac impairment during swimming, even at benign temperatures, and substantially constrained cardiorespiratory performance during swimming and progressive warming compared to sham-operated control fish. Furthermore, upper thermal tolerance during swimming was markedly reduced (by 4.4 °C) following ligation. While the cardiorespiratory capacity of female salmon was generally lower at higher temperatures compared to males, upper thermal tolerance during swimming was similar between sexes within treatment groups. Cardiac oxygen supply is a crucial determinant for the migratory capacity of salmon facing climatic environmental warming.

Two new species of the genus Leptomyxa (Goodey, 1915) - Leptomyxa botanica n. sp. and Leptomyxa monrepos n. sp. from the soil habitats of Northwestern Russia.

Amoebae of the genus Leptomyxa have variable morphologies and can only be reliably identified using molecular data. However, species distinction based on the 18S rRNA gene sequence is difficult due to the very low level of sequence divergence among morphologically different species. The database for other genes is much smaller, and genomic data on Leptomyxa is almost absent. In this study, we describe two new terrestrial species of the genus Leptomyxa isolated from Northwestern Russia, Leptomyxa botanica n. sp. and Leptomyxa monrepos n. sp. Both species easily adopt an expanded fan-shaped form and have a complex structure of the nucleolar material. Phylogenetic analyses show a derived status of these two species. They form a clade with Leptomyxa valladaresi. Our tree confirms that the 18S rRNA gene sequences of Leptomyxa species are split into two large clades. The morphological synapomorphies of these clades are not obvious. This analysis is complicated by the lack of reliable morphological data on many sequenced strains and probable misidentification of some isolates.

Infectious agents and their physiological correlates in early marine Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

The early marine life of Pacific salmon is believed to be a critical period limiting population-level survival. Recent evidence suggests that some infectious agents are associated with survival but linkages with underlying physiological mechanisms are lacking. While challenge studies can demonstrate cause and effect relationships between infection and pathological change or mortality, in some cases pathological change may only manifest in the presence of environmental stressors; thus, it is important to gain context from field observations. Herein, we examined physiological correlates with infectious agent loads in Chinook salmon during their first ocean year. We measured physiology at the molecular (gene expression), metabolic (plasma chemistry) and cellular (histopathology) levels. Of 46 assayed infectious agents, 27 were detected, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. This exploratory study identified.a strong molecular response to viral disease and pathological change consistent with jaundice/anemia associated with Piscine orthoreovirus,strong molecular signals of gill inflammation and immune response associated with gill agents `Candidatus Branchiomonas cysticola' and Parvicapsula pseudobranchicola,a general downregulation of gill immune response associated with Parvicapsula minibicornis complementary to that of P. pseudobranchicola.Importantly, our study provides the first evidence that the molecular activation of viral disease response and the lesions observed during the development of the PRV-related disease jaundice/anemia in farmed Chinook salmon are also observed in wild juvenile Chinook salmon.

Single molecule infrared spectroscopy in the gas phase.

Spectroscopy is a key analytical tool that provides valuable insight into molecular structure and is widely used to identify chemical samples. Tagging spectroscopy is a form of action spectroscopy in which the absorption of a single photon by a molecular ion is detected via the loss of a weakly attached, inert 'tag' particle (for example, He, Ne, N2)1-3. The absorption spectrum is derived from the tag loss rate as a function of incident radiation frequency. So far, all spectroscopy of gas phase polyatomic molecules has been restricted to large molecular ensembles, thus complicating spectral interpretation by the presence of multiple chemical and isomeric species. Here we present a novel tagging spectroscopic scheme to analyse the purest possible sample: a single gas phase molecule. We demonstrate this technique with the measurement of the infrared spectrum of a single gas phase tropylium (C7H7+) molecular ion. The high sensitivity of our method revealed spectral features not previously observed using traditional tagging methods4. Our approach, in principle, enables analysis of multicomponent mixtures by identifying constituent molecules one at a time. Single molecule sensitivity extends action spectroscopy to rare samples, such as those of extraterrestrial origin5,6, or to reactive reaction intermediates formed at number densities that are too low for traditional action methods.

Phenological shifts and mismatch with marine productivity vary among Pacific salmon species and populations.

Global climate change is shifting the timing of life-cycle events, sometimes resulting in phenological mismatches between predators and prey. Phenological shifts and subsequent mismatches may be consistent across populations, or they could vary unpredictably across populations within the same species. For anadromous Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), juveniles from thousands of locally adapted populations migrate from diverse freshwater habitats to the Pacific Ocean every year. Both the timing of freshwater migration and ocean arrival, relative to nearshore prey (phenological match/mismatch), can control marine survival and population dynamics. Here we examined phenological change of 66 populations across six anadromous Pacific salmon species throughout their range in western North America with the longest time series spanning 1951-2019. We show that different salmon species have different rates of phenological change but that there was substantial within-species variation that was not correlated with changing environmental conditions or geographic patterns. Moreover, outmigration phenologies have not tracked shifts in the timing of marine primary productivity, potentially increasing the frequency of future phenological mismatches. Understanding population responses to mismatches with prey are an important part of characterizing overall population-specific climate vulnerability.

Population variability in thermal performance of pre-spawning adult Chinook salmon.

Climate change is causing large declines in many Pacific salmon populations. In particular, warm rivers are associated with high levels of premature mortality in migrating adults. The Fraser River watershed in British Columbia, Canada, supports some of the largest Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) runs in the world. However, the Fraser River is warming at a rate that threatens these populations at critical freshwater life stages. A growing body of literature suggests salmonids are locally adapted to their thermal migratory experience, and thus, population-specific thermal performance information can aid in management decisions. We compared the thermal performance of pre-spawning adult Chinook salmon from two populations, a coastal fall-run from the Chilliwack River (125 km cooler migration) and an interior summer-run from the Shuswap River (565 km warmer migration). We acutely exposed fish to temperatures reflecting current (12°C, 18°C) and future projected temperatures (21°C, 24°C) in the Fraser River and assessed survival, aerobic capacity (resting and maximum metabolic rates, absolute aerobic scope (AAS), muscle and ventricle citrate synthase), anaerobic capacity (muscle and ventricle lactate dehydrogenase) and recovery capacity (post-exercise metabolism, blood physiology, tissue lactate). Chilliwack Chinook salmon performed worse at high temperatures, indicated by elevated mortality, reduced breadth in AAS, enhanced plasma lactate and potassium levels and elevated tissue lactate concentrations compared with Shuswap Chinook salmon. At water temperatures exceeding the upper pejus temperatures (Tpejus, defined here as 80% of maximum AAS) of Chilliwack (18.7°C) and Shuswap (20.2°C) Chinook salmon populations, physiological performance will decline and affect migration and survival to spawn. Our results reveal population differences in pre-spawning Chinook salmon performance across scales of biological organization at ecologically relevant temperatures. Given the rapid warming of rivers, we show that it is critical to consider the intra-specific variation in thermal physiology to assist in the conservation and management of Pacific salmon.

Metabolic constraints and individual variation shape the trade-off between physiological recovery and anti-predator responses in adult sockeye salmon.

Metabolic scope represents the aerobic energy budget available to an organism to perform non-maintenance activities (e.g., escape a predator, recover from a fisheries interaction, compete for a mate). Conflicting energetic requirements can give rise to ecologically relevant metabolic trade-offs when energy budgeting is constrained. The objective of this study was to investigate how aerobic energy is utilized when individual sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are exposed to multiple acute stressors. To indirectly assess metabolic changes in free-swimming individuals, salmon were implanted with heart rate biologgers. The animals were then exercised to exhaustion or briefly handled as a control, and allowed to recover from this stressor for 48 h. During the first 2 h of the recovery period, individual salmon were exposed to 90 ml of conspecific alarm cues or water as a control. Heart rate was recorded throughout the recovery period. Recovery effort and time was higher in exercised fish, relative to control fish, whereas exposure to an alarm cue had no effect on either of these metrics. Individual routine heart rate was negatively correlated with recovery time and effort. Together, these findings suggest that metabolic energy allocation towards exercise recovery (i.e., an acute stressor; handling, chase, etc.) trumps anti-predator responses in salmon, although individual variation may mediate this effect at the population level.

The spatial distribution of infectious agents in wild Pacific salmon along the British Columbia coast.

Although infectious agents can act as strong population regulators, knowledge of their spatial distributions in wild Pacific salmon is limited, especially in the marine environment. Characterizing pathogen distributions during early marine residence, a period considered a survival bottleneck for Pacific salmon, may reveal where salmon populations are exposed to potentially detrimental pathogens. Using high-throughput qPCR, we determined the prevalence of 56 infectious agents in 5719 Chinook, 2032 Coho and 4062 Sockeye salmon, sampled between 2008 and 2018, in their first year of marine residence along coastal Western Canada. We identified high prevalence clusters, which often shifted geographically with season, for most of the 41 detected agents. A high density of infection clusters was found in the Salish Sea along the east coast of Vancouver Island, an important migration route and residence area for many salmon populations, some experiencing chronically poor marine survival. Maps for each infectious agent taxa showing clusters across all host species are provided. Our novel documentation of salmon pathogen distributions in the marine environment contributes to the ecological knowledge regarding some lesser known pathogens, identifies salmon populations potentially impacted by specific pathogens, and pinpoints priority locations for future research and remediation.

Low-Temperature Gas-Phase Kinetics of Ethanol-Methanol Heterodimer Formation.

The structures of gas-phase noncovalently bound clusters have long been studied in supersonic expansions. This method of study, while providing a wealth of information about the nature of noncovalent bonds, precludes observation of the formation of the cluster, as the clusters form just after the orifice of the pulsed valve. Here, we directly observe formation of ethanol-methanol dimers via microwave spectroscopy in a controlled cryogenic environment. Time profiles of the concentration of reagents in the cell yielded gas-phase reaction rate constants of kMe-g = (2.8 ± 1.4) × 10-13 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 and kMe-t = (1.6 ± 0.8) × 10-13 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 for the pseudo-second-order ethanol-methanol dimerization reaction at 8 K. The relaxation cross section between the gauche and trans conformers of ethanol was also measured using the same technique. In addition, thermodynamic relaxation between conformers of ethanol over time allowed for selection of conformer stoichiometry in the ethanol-methanol dimerization reaction, but no change in the ratio of dimer conformers was observed with changing ethanol monomer stoichiometry.

A comparison of interactive immersive virtual reality and still nature pictures as distraction-based analgesia in burn wound care.

PURPOSE: Non-pharmacologic adjuncts to opioid analgesics for burn wound debridement enhance safety and cost effectiveness in care. The current study explored the feasibility of using a custom portable water-friendly immersive VR hardware during burn debridement in adults, and tested whether interactive VR would reduce pain more effectively than nature stimuli viewed in the same VR goggles. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with severe burn injuries (44 adults and 4 children) had their burn injuries debrided and dressed in a wet wound care environment on Study Day 1, and 13 also participated in Study Day 2. INTERVENTION: The study used a within-subject design to test two hypotheses (one hypothesis per study day) with the condition order randomized. On Study Day 1, each individual (n = 44 participants) spent 5 min of wound care in an interactive immersive VR environment designed for burn care, and 5 min looking at still nature photos and sounds of nature in the same VR goggles. On Study Day 2 (n = 12 adult participants and one adolescent from Day 1), each participant spent 5 min of burn wound care with no distraction and 5 min of wound care in VR, using a new water-friendly VR system. On both days, during a post-wound care assessment, participants rated and compared the pain they had experienced in each condition. OUTCOME MEASURES ON STUDY DAYS 1 AND 2: Worst pain during burn wound care was the primary dependent variable. Secondary measures were ratings of time spent thinking about pain during wound care, pain unpleasantness, and positive affect during wound care. RESULTS: On Study Day 1, no significant differences in worst pain ratings during wound care were found between the computer-generated world (Mean = 71.06, SD = 26.86) vs. Nature pictures conditions (Mean = 68.19, SD = 29.26; t < 1, NS). On secondary measures, positive affect (fun) was higher, and realism was lower during computer-generated VR. No significant differences in pain unpleasantness or "presence in VR" between the two conditions were found, however. VR VS. NO VR. (STUDY DAY 2): Participants reported significantly less worst pain when distracted with adjunctive computer generated VR than during standard wound care without distraction (Mean = 54.23, SD = 26.13 vs 63.85, SD = 31.50, t(11) = 1.91, p < .05, SD = 17.38). In addition, on Study Day 2, "time spent thinking about pain during wound care" was significantly less during the VR condition, and positive affect was significantly greater during VR, compared to the No VR condition. CONCLUSION: The current study is innovative in that it is the first to show the feasibility of using a custom portable water-friendly immersive VR hardware during burn debridement in adults. However, contrary to predictions, interactive VR did not reduce pain more effectively than nature stimuli viewed in the same VR goggles.

Effects of soil redistribution by tillage on subsequent transport of pesticide to subsurface drains.

BACKGROUND: Tillage operations will change the distribution in soil for any pesticide residues still present from earlier applications. This redistributive effect of tillage has been neglected in the study of pesticide leaching behavior. This study reviews the literature to characterize this redistributive effect for different tillage operations and uses a pesticide leaching model to investigate the impact of redistribution on pesticide transport to subsurface drains which is a significant input route to surface water bodies. RESULTS: Inversion ploughing moves the majority of any residues of pesticide present at or near the soil surface into the bottom two-thirds of the plough layer, whereas non-inversion ploughing has only a limited redistributive effect. Incorporating this redistributive effect into model simulations resulted in large changes (typically 5-10-fold difference) in both the maximum concentration and total mass of pesticide transported to drains over the winter following cultivation. More intense cultivation decreased subsequent leaching for relatively mobile compounds (Koc ≤1000 mL g-1 ), but increased it for strongly sorbed pesticides (Koc ≥2000 mL g-1 ). CONCLUSION: The redistributive effect of soil tillage on pesticide residues can have a large effect on subsequent transport to subsurface drains. This effect has been neglected in the literature. Field research is required to validate the model simulations presented here, and consideration should be given as to whether the effect needs to be included within risk assessment procedures. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Kinopus chlorellivorus gen. nov., sp. nov. (Vampyrellida, Rhizaria), a New Algivorous Protist Predator Isolated from Large-Scale Outdoor Cultures of Chlorella sorokiniana.

The large-scale culture of low-cost algal biomass can be significantly affected by microbial grazing on the algae. To minimize the impact, it is necessary to manage the predators. In this study, we describe a new genus and species of vampyrellid amoeba, Kinopus chlorellivorus, which caused the loss of Chlorella sorokiniana in large-scale cultures. We assigned it to the family Leptophryidae (Vampyrellida) based on morphology and small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Using transmission electron microscopy, we found spherical lucent inclusions, which have not been reported for any leptophryids or other vampyrellids. The gene sequence of SSU rRNA did not match any recognized genera or species and contained four characteristic regions. K. chlorellivorus preys on algae by engulfment. Laboratory feeding experiments confirmed that its grazing rate was as high as 131 Chlorella cells day-1 individual-1. Results of prey-range experiments demonstrated that it could consume other chlorophyte microalgae (e.g., Scenedesmus, Coelastrella, and Haematococcus) but with a strong feeding ability on Chlorella spp., with ingestion rates ranging from 2.67 to 3.15 prey predator-1 h-1 and growth rates of the amoeba ranging from 0.039 to 0.045 h-1. On the basis of its high grazing ability on Chlorella, capacity to form large populations in a short period of time, and capacity to form resistant resting stages, this contaminant has the potential to cause serious problems in large-scale Chlorella culture and should be of concern to operators of algal production facilities. IMPORTANCE The vampyrellids (Vampyrellida, Rhizaria) are a major group of predatory amoebae that have attracted significant attention because of their diversity of feeding strategies. The crucial roles they play in important processes such as suppressing soil disease and controlling aquatic algae, and as microbial contaminants in outdoor large-scale algal cultures, have also received increasing attention. In this study, a new genus and species of algivorous vampyrellid amoeba, Kinopus chlorellivorus, is described as a significant grazer responsible for losses in outdoor industrial Chlorella cultures. We found that the amoeba's detrimental effects on Chlorella cultures may be related to its specific feeding characteristics. This study provides phenotypic and genetic information on a previously unknown vampyrellid, emphasizes the impact of contaminating vampyrellids in commercial microalgal cultures, and will contribute to the development of management strategies for predicting this kind of contaminant in large-scale microalgal cultivation.

Biomechanical Comparison of a Novel Multiplanar, Perpendicular Whipstitch With the Krackow Stitch and Standard Commercial Whipstitch.

Background: Using alternating orthogonal suture throws with the looped whipstitch technique may allow enhanced suture fixation. Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that this novel multiplanar, perpendicular looped whipstitch (MP) technique would have improved biomechanical properties compared with the standard looped whipstitch (WS) and Krackow stitch (KS). Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 30 cadaveric tibialis anterior tendons were randomly assigned into 3 groups of 10. Tendons were secured to a custom clamp, and the other end was sutured using 1 of 3 techniques: the KS, WS, or novel MP. The MP was performed with alternating orthogonal throws starting right to left, then front to back, left to right, and back to front. Each technique used 4 passes of No. 2 FiberWire spaced 5 mm apart and ending 10 mm from the tendon end. Tendons were preloaded to 5 N, pretensioned to 50 N at 100 mm/min for 3 cycles, returned to 5 N for 1 minute, cycled from 5 to 100 N at 200 mm/min for 100 cycles, and then loaded to failure at 20 mm/min. Elongation was recorded after pretensioning and cycling and was measured both across the suture-tendon interface and from the base of the suture-tendon interface to markings on the suture limbs (construct elongation). One-way analyses of variance were performed, with Bonferroni post hoc analysis when appropriate. Results: There were no differences in cross-sectional area or stiffness among the 3 techniques. The ultimate load for WS (183.33 ± 57.44 N) was less compared with both MP (270.76 ± 39.36 N) and KS (298.90 ± 25.94 N) (P ≤ .001 for both). There was less construct elongation for KS compared with WS and MP for total displacement, measured from pretensioning to the end of cycling (P < .001). All 3 techniques saw a decrease in length (shortening) at the suture-tendon interface during testing. There was more shortening at the suture-tendon interface for WS compared with KS (P = .006). Conclusion: The KS appears superior, as it maximized strength while minimizing construct elongation or graft shortening. The ultimate load of the MP technique was greater than that of the standard technique but not significantly different from that of the KS technique. Clinical Relevance: The KS is preferred. If using a WS, multiplanar, perpendicular passes should be considered.

Delivery of a Group Hypnosis Protocol for Managing Chronic Pain in Outpatient Integrative Medicine.

Although strong evidence exists for using individual hypnosis to treat pain, evidence regarding group applications is limited. This project evaluated changes in multiple outcome measures in persons with chronic pain treated with 8 weeks of group hypnosis. Eighty-five adults with diverse chronic pain etiologies completed an 8-session, structured group hypnosis treatment. Pain intensity, pain interference, and global health were evaluated at baseline, posttreatment, and 3- and 6-months posttreatment. Linear mixed effects models assessed changes in outcomes over time. In a model testing, all three outcome measures simultaneously, participants improved substantially from pre- to posttreatment and maintained improvement across follow-up. Analyses of individual outcomes showed significant pre- to posttreatment reductions in pain intensity and interference, which were maintained for pain intensity and continued to improve for pain interference across follow-up. The findings provide compelling preliminary evidence that a group format is an effective delivery system for teaching individual skills in using hypnosis for chronic pain management. Larger randomized controlled trials are warranted to demonstrate equivalence of outcomes between treatment modes.

Lineage tracing reveals the phylodynamics, plasticity, and paths of tumor evolution.

Tumor evolution is driven by the progressive acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations that enable uncontrolled growth and expansion to neighboring and distal tissues. The study of phylogenetic relationships between cancer cells provides key insights into these processes. Here, we introduced an evolving lineage-tracing system with a single-cell RNA-seq readout into a mouse model of Kras;Trp53(KP)-driven lung adenocarcinoma and tracked tumor evolution from single-transformed cells to metastatic tumors at unprecedented resolution. We found that the loss of the initial, stable alveolar-type2-like state was accompanied by a transient increase in plasticity. This was followed by the adoption of distinct transcriptional programs that enable rapid expansion and, ultimately, clonal sweep of stable subclones capable of metastasizing. Finally, tumors develop through stereotypical evolutionary trajectories, and perturbing additional tumor suppressors accelerates progression by creating novel trajectories. Our study elucidates the hierarchical nature of tumor evolution and, more broadly, enables in-depth studies of tumor progression.

Verbalized Studying and Elaborative Interrogation in the Virtual Classroom: Students with Social Anxiety Prefer Working Alone, but Working with a Peer Does Not Hurt Their Learning.

Due to public health measures enacted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, educators and students alike have been suddenly thrust into the realm of online learning. To better understand how active and collaborative learning methods can apply to students studying in isolation, we compared the effects of two teach-and-question assignments: one that utilizes the active learning method of reciprocal peer tutoring and a solo version that requires individual verbalized studying and elaborative interrogation. We used a quasi-experimental design, with student participants enrolled in an online introductory human anatomy course. The first treatment group completed regular teach-and-question study assignments virtually with a peer, and the second treatment group completed the same assignment independently. We found no differences in exam scores between treatments, even for students with high social anxiety; however, student attitudes about the social versus individual assignment did differ for specific types of students. Students who reported experiencing high social anxiety preferred completing the active learning exercise by themselves, and students with low scientific reasoning ability preferred the partnered assignment. This research has potential implications for online classrooms. For instance, our results indicate that students who study independently, or in isolation, may have learning outcomes similar to those of students who study with a peer as long as they study actively. Because we found no negative impact on examination results, it also could be that virtually partnered or independent teach-and-question assignments could be helpful for instructors teaching large online classes to ensure all students are getting individualized feedback and attention.