Multiscale spatial mapping of cell populations across anatomical sites in healthy human skin and basal cell carcinoma

\ua9 2024 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.Our understanding of how human skin cells differ according to anatomical site and tumour formation is limited. To address this, we have created a multiscale spatial atlas of healthy skin and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), incorporating in vivo optical coherence tomography, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial global transcriptional profiling, and in situ sequencing. Computational spatial deconvolution and projection revealed the localisation of distinct cell populations to specific tissue contexts. Although cell populations were conserved between healthy anatomical sites and in BCC, mesenchymal cell populations including fibroblasts and pericytes retained signatures of developmental origin. Spatial profiling and in silico lineage tracing support a hair follicle origin for BCC and demonstrate that cancer-associated fibroblasts are an expansion of a POSTN+ subpopulation associated with hair follicles in healthy skin. RGS5+ pericytes are also expanded in BCC suggesting a role in vascular remodelling. We propose that the identity of mesenchymal cell populations is regulated by signals emanating from adjacent structures and that these signals are repurposed to promote the expansion of skin cancer stroma. The resource we have created is publicly available in an interactive format for the research community

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: an overlooked cause of cough and dyspnea.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immune-mediated pulmonary disorder involving inflammation of the lung interstitium, terminal bronchioles, and alveoli caused by the immune response to the inhalation of an offending environmental airborne agent. It can manifest as exertional dyspnea, fatigue, weight loss, and progressive respiratory failure if left untreated. Because of its protean features, it can be misdiagnosed as other common obstructive lung conditions such as asthma. If triggers are not avoided, it can progress to irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. In this article, we present the case of a 51-year-old male who presented to our hospital with recurrent bouts of dyspnea and cough, initially diagnosed as an asthma exacerbation. He received a final diagnosis of HP after investigation of his workplace revealed airborne spores and surface molds from multiple fungal species, serology revealed eosinophilia, and computed tomography showed bronchiectasis. Avoidance of occupational exposure resulted in significant improvement of his respiratory symptoms after two months

Citizen science versus professional data collection: Comparison of approaches to mosquito monitoring in Germany

Due to the recent emergence of invasive mosquito species and the outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe, research on the ecology and diversity of the mosquito fauna has returned to scientific agendas. Through a nationwide surveillance programme in Germany, mosquitoes have been monitored actively by systematically operated traps since 2011, and passively by the 'Mückenatlas' (mosquito atlas) citizen science project launched in 2012. To assess the performance of both monitoring methods we compared the two respective datasets with regard to habitat coverage, species composition and the ability to detect invasive mosquitoes. The datasets include observations from the beginning of the project until the end of 2017. We found significant differences in species composition caused by land use types and the participants' recording activity. Active monitoring performed better in mapping mosquito diversity, whereas passive monitoring better detected invasive species, thereby using data from private premises scientists usually cannot access. Synthesis and applications. Active and passive monitoring is complementary. Combining them allows for the determination of mosquito diversity, efficient detection of emerging invasive species and the initiation of rapid-response actions against such invaders. The 'Mückenatlas' sets an example for the usefulness of citizen science when included in a national monitoring programme, an approach that may be worth copying for tackling the global spread of arthropod vectors of disease agents

Vision Impairs the Abilities of Bats to Avoid Colliding with Stationary Obstacles

Background: Free-flying insectivorous bats occasionally collide with stationary objects they should easily detect by echolocation and avoid. Collisions often occur with lighted objects, suggesting ambient light may deleteriously affect obstacle avoidance capabilities. We tested the hypothesis that free-flying bats may orient by vision when they collide with some obstacles. We additionally tested whether acoustic distractions, such as ‘‘distress calls’ ’ of other bats, contributed to probabilities of collision. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate the role of visual cues in the collisions of free-flying little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) with stationary objects, we set up obstacles in an area of high bat traffic during swarming. We used combinations of light intensities and visually dissimilar obstacles to verify that bats orient by vision. In early August, bats collided more often in the light than the dark, and probabilities of collision varied with the visibility of obstacles. However, the probabilities of collisions altered in mid to late August, coincident with the start of behavioural, hormonal, and physiological changes occurring during swarming and mating. Distress calls did not distract bats and increase the incidence of collisions. Conclusions/Significance: Our findings indicate that visual cues are more important for free-flying bats than previously recognized, suggesting integration of multi-sensory modalities during orientation. Furthermore, our study highlight

An Estimate of Avian Mortality at Communication Towers in the United States and Canada

Avian mortality at communication towers in the continental United States and Canada is an issue of pressing conservation concern. Previous estimates of this mortality have been based on limited data and have not included Canada. We compiled a database of communication towers in the continental United States and Canada and estimated avian mortality by tower with a regression relating avian mortality to tower height. This equation was derived from 38 tower studies for which mortality data were available and corrected for sampling effort, search efficiency, and scavenging where appropriate. Although most studies document mortality at guyed towers with steady-burning lights, we accounted for lower mortality at towers without guy wires or steady-burning lights by adjusting estimates based on published studies. The resulting estimate of mortality at towers is 6.8 million birds per year in the United States and Canada. Bootstrapped subsampling indicated that the regression was robust to the choice of studies included and a comparison of multiple regression models showed that incorporating sampling, scavenging, and search efficiency adjustments improved model fit. Estimating total avian mortality is only a first step in developing an assessment of the biological significance of mortality at communication towers for individual species or groups of species. Nevertheless, our estimate can be used to evaluate this source of mortality, develop subsequent per-species mortality estimates, and motivate policy action

Recommendations for accelerating open preprint peer review to improve the culture of science

Peer review is an important part of the scientific process, but traditional peer review at journals is coming under increased scrutiny for its inefficiency and lack of transparency. As preprints become more widely used and accepted, they raise the possibility of rethinking the peer-review process. Preprints are enabling new forms of peer review that have the potential to be more thorough, inclusive, and collegial than traditional journal peer review, and to thus fundamentally shift the culture of peer review toward constructive collaboration. In this Consensus View, we make a call to action to stakeholders in the community to accelerate the growing momentum of preprint sharing and provide recommendations to empower researchers to provide open and constructive peer review for preprints

DNA replication origin activation in space and time

International audienc

Les lysimètres de petite taille : un outil pertinent d'évaluation du transfert des pesticides ?

Small size lysimeters placed under field conditions are compared to field studies for pesticide leaching and fate. Such column apparatus allows easy collection of leachates and use of radiolabeled pesticides. Soil structure can also be preserved as well as when using the usual larger lysimeters. Moreover, the small size permits an increase in the replicate number and to avoid soil sampling variability. Two exemples are provided to evaluate the relevance of those experimental models compared to field monitoring campaigns. / Des lysimètres de petite taille, placés sous conditions naturelles, sont utilisés en parallèle avec des expériences de suivi de transfert d'herbicides au champ. Ce type de dispositif permet une récolte facile des eaux de percolation ainsi que l'utilisation de molécules marquées. Comme pour des lysimètres classiques de grande taille, il est possible de travailler en préservant la structure du sol mais leurs faibles dimensions permettent d'augmenter le nombre de répétitions ainsi que de s'affranchir des problèmes d'échantillonnage. Deux exemples de résultats obtenus sont présentés pour permettre de juger de la validité de ce type de modèle par rapport à des résultats de plein champ