Competing Physiological Demands During Incipient Colony Foundation in a Social Insect: Consequences of Pathogenic Stress

The social nature of termites has allowed them to become an ecologically dominant taxon. However, their nesting and foraging habits (decayed wood and/or soil), combined with frequent social interactions, enhances the risk of pathogen transmission. New dispersing kings and queens are especially vulnerable to pathogens due to the metabolic demands of nest construction, courtship, mating, oogenesis, and parental care, all while mounting an immune response to novel pathogens encountered upon leaving the natal nest. To quantify differential allocation of resources during colony establishment in response to disease exposure, Zootermopsis angusticollis kings and queens were paired after one or both individuals received an injection of saline, heat-killed Serratia marcescens (ecologically relevant, Gram-negative, soil bacterium), a sub-lethal dose of live S. marcescens, or were left untreated. We then quantified several indices of fitness, including the survival of the reproductive pair, onset and likelihood of oviposition, number of eggs produced, and egg quality as a function of parental immunological treatment. Our results uncovered complex and dynamic interactions between these fitness measures and pathogenic stress. Overall, pathogenic stress reduced the survival of kings and queens, the likelihood of oviposition and egg total, but not the onset of oviposition or egg quality, indicating that, in the face of disease, queens “opt” to maintain offspring quality over quantity. These impacts appear to be context-dependent—modulated by colony of origin, sex, mass, and the presence of a mate—rather than absolute. The acquisition of resources prior to colony foundation, combined with the effects of pathogenic exposure, can dramatically limit the success of termites. Based on these empirical data, we have developed a conceptual model of the first 30 days of colony life, involving two successive fitness checkpoints, survival and oviposition, followed by an initial growth phase in which the first egg cohort is produced. In summary, we identified not only the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence successful termite colony foundation, but also the maternal and paternal pathogen-induced effects. Such effects alter resource allocation decisions of parents toward their offspring, with cascading consequences on colony fitness

Collaborative learning & co-creation in XR

In this SIG, we aim at gathering researchers and practitioners to reflect on using XR technologies to support collaborative learning and co-creation, and to foster a joint force by connecting the Learning and Education community and the XR community at CHI. We witness a significant increase in CHI publications relating to these research areas: 292 titles about "collaborative learning" or "co-creation" since 2015 compared to 96 in 2010-2014; and 1180 titles about XR since 2015 compared to 288 in 2010-2014. This SIG will bring together researchers, educators, designers and practitioners to 1) stimulate a cross-disciplinary discussion on the opportunities of collaborative learning and co-creation in XR; 2) foresee the future directions, standards and obstacles to introduce XR to education; and 3) build a joint community connecting XR and education research at CHI

Automatic Annotation of Spatial Expression Patterns via Sparse Bayesian Factor Models

Advances in reporters for gene expression have made it possible to document and quantify expression patterns in 2D–4D. In contrast to microarrays, which provide data for many genes but averaged and/or at low resolution, images reveal the high spatial dynamics of gene expression. Developing computational methods to compare, annotate, and model gene expression based on images is imperative, considering that available data are rapidly increasing. We have developed a sparse Bayesian factor analysis model in which the observed expression diversity of among a large set of high-dimensional images is modeled by a small number of hidden common factors. We apply this approach on embryonic expression patterns from a Drosophila RNA in situ image database, and show that the automatically inferred factors provide for a meaningful decomposition and represent common co-regulation or biological functions. The low-dimensional set of factor mixing weights is further used as features by a classifier to annotate expression patterns with functional categories. On human-curated annotations, our sparse approach reaches similar or better classification of expression patterns at different developmental stages, when compared to other automatic image annotation methods using thousands of hard-to-interpret features. Our study therefore outlines a general framework for large microscopy data sets, in which both the generative model itself, as well as its application for analysis tasks such as automated annotation, can provide insight into biological questions

Optimizing anti-gene oligonucleotide ‘Zorro-LNA’ for improved strand invasion into duplex DNA

Zorro-LNA (Zorro) is a newly developed, oligonucleotide (ON)-based, Z-shaped construct with the potential of specific binding to each strand of duplex DNA. The first-generation Zorros are formed by two hybridized LNA/DNA mixmers (2-ON Zorros) and was hypothesized to strand invade. We have now established a method, which conclusively demonstrates that an LNA ON can strand invade into duplex DNA. To make Zorros smaller in size and easier to design, we synthesized 3′–5′–5′–3′ single-stranded Zorro-LNA (ssZorro) by using both 3′- and 5′-phosphoramidites. With ssZorro, a significantly greater extent and rate of double-strand invasion (DSI) was obtained than with conventional 2-ON Zorros. Introducing hydrophilic PEG-linkers connecting the two strands did not significantly change the rate or extent of DSI as compared to ssZorro with a nucleotide-based linker, while the longest alkyl-chain linker tested (36 carbons) resulted in a very slow DSI. The shortest alkyl-chain linker (3 carbons) did not reduce the extent of DSI of ssZorro, but significantly decreased the DSI rate. Collectively, ssZorro is smaller in size, easier to design and more efficient than conventional 2-ON Zorro in inducing DSI. Analysis of the chemical composition of the linker suggests that it could be of importance for future therapeutic considerations

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely