Further investigations of Aquaponics using brackish water resources of the Negev Desert

Outdoor, floating raft aquaponic systems using the brackish waters of the Negev Desert in Israel and a fresh water control are described. 7m2 of vegetables and herbs were grown in each recirculating system with Tilapia sp. fish. Plant growth was excellent for species such as celery, Swiss chard, spring onions and watercress, and fish health and growth were good. Growth rates for fish were, however, low, with an upper limit of 1.1g per day and would have increased with ad libitum feeding. Water quality was well controlled, and iron chelate was added to correct chlorosis problems. Leafy growth was very good, but fruiting could be improved with the addition of potassium (K) and other micronutrients

Dietas con sal incorporada para mejorar el rendimiento en el crecimiento y supervivencia de juveniles de dorada Sparus aurata L. criados en aguas salobres de baja salinidad

Following previous observations, this study was undertaken to determine the level of salt required in the diet of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) juveniles in order to enhance growth performances and survival when rearing in inland brackish water with a salinity of 2.9‰ TDS (Total Dissolved Salts). The juveniles were reared for 10 weeks in twelve rearing tanks, each stocked with 65 fish. Four different test diets were prepared: a control diet without added salt, and three diets with 12%, 14% and 16% added salt. Fish were fed by hand ad libitum three times daily. All diets were accepted equally well. The highest growth rate (p < 0.05) was achieved in fish fed the 12% diet followed by the 14% diet, the control diet, and finally the 16% diet. The 12% diet produced the best specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio. The highest survival was achieved in fish fed the 12% diet (88%) and the lowest in fish fed the 16% diet (80%) and the control diet (80%). This study demonstrates that growth performance and survival in gilthead sea bream reared in water of low salinity can be significantly improved by adding 12% salt to their diet.A raíz de las observaciones anteriores, este estudio se realizó para determinar el nivel de sal requerido en la dieta de la dorada (Sparus aurata L.) con el propósito de incrementar el crecimiento y la supervivencia en aguas salobres con salinidad de 2.9‰ TDS. Los juveniles (X = 0.58 g) fueron criados durante 10 semanas en doce tanques con 65 organismos en cada uno. Cuatro dietas fueron probadas: control sin adición de sal y adicionadas con el 12, 14 y 16% de sal. Los peces fueron alimentados ad libitum manualmente tres veces al día. Todas las dietas fueron bien aceptadas, sin embargo la mayor tasa de crecimiento se obtuvo con la dieta que adicionaba el 12%, seguida por la del 14%, la dieta control y la de 16% de sal agregada (p < 0.05). La mayor tasa de crecimiento específico, conversión alimenticia y relación de eficiencia proteica se observó con la dieta del 12%. La mayor supervivencia (88%) se encontró con la dieta del 12% y la menor con 16% y en el grupo control (80%). Este estudio demuestra que el crecimiento en la dorada criada en aguas de baja salinidad puede mejorarse significativamente mediante la adición del 12% de sal a su dieta

Survival, growth, metabolism and behaviour of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) early stages under different light conditions

Abstract African catfish, Clarias gariepinus were exposed to total darkness (group D) or continuous light (L) during endogenous feeding. During external feeding some of the fish continued to be reared in darkness (DD) and some in light (LL), whereas two groups were exposed to reversed light conditions (groups DL and LD). Survival to the end of yolk absorption was 22% greater in fish exposed to darkness; during subsequent rearing survival decreased in the sequence DD \LD\ DL\ LL. The onset of external feeding was delayed by a few hours in the L-group as compared with the D-group. Fish reared in dark were larger than those reared in light; the size difference increased with age. In dark, the ratio of total metabolism to body growth (the R tot /P ratio, both in terms of energy) was depressed, hence in the dark, energy used for locomotor activity may have been low, leading to increased investment in growth. We hypothesised that in juveniles light exerts an indirect effect by increasing locomotor activity which in turn promotes multiple encounters between individuals and enhances cannibalistic behaviour. During the fifth and sixth weeks post-fertilization the biomass of fish reared in the dark was about 175% of that in fish reared in light. Light restriction may be recommended as a simple, low-cost technique for intensification of production of C. gariepinus stocking material

Computer‐assisted Curie scoring for metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scans in patients with neuroblastoma

BackgroundRadiolabeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is sensitive and specific for detecting neuroblastoma. The extent of MIBG‐avid disease is assessed using Curie scores. Although Curie scoring is prognostic in patients with high‐risk neuroblastoma, there is no standardized method to assess the response of specific sites of disease over time. The goal of this study was to develop approaches for Curie scoring to facilitate the calculation of scores and comparison of specific sites on serial scans.ProcedureWe designed three semiautomated methods for determining Curie scores, each with increasing degrees of computer assistance. Method A was based on visual assessment and tallying of MIBG‐avid lesions. For method B, scores were tabulated from a schematic that associated anatomic regions to MIBG‐positive lesions. For method C, an anatomic mesh was used to mark MIBG‐positive lesions with automatic assignment and tallying of scores. Five imaging physicians experienced in MIBG interpretation scored 38 scans using each method, and the feasibility and utility of the methods were assessed using surveys.ResultsThere was good reliability between methods and observers. The user‐interface methods required 57 to 110 seconds longer than the visual method. Imaging physicians indicated that it was useful that methods B and C enabled tracking of lesions. Imaging physicians preferred method B to method C because of its efficiency.ConclusionsWe demonstrate the feasibility of semiautomated approaches for Curie score calculation. Although more time was needed for strategies B and C, the ability to track and document individual MIBG‐positive lesions over time is a strength of these methods.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146464/1/pbc27417.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146464/2/pbc27417_am.pd

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment

Spatially restricted drivers and transitional cell populations cooperate with the microenvironment in untreated and chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a lethal disease with limited treatment options and poor survival. We studied 83 spatial samples from 31 patients (11 treatment-naïve and 20 treated) using single-cell/nucleus RNA sequencing, bulk-proteogenomics, spatial transcriptomics and cellular imaging. Subpopulations of tumor cells exhibited signatures of proliferation, KRAS signaling, cell stress and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Mapping mutations and copy number events distinguished tumor populations from normal and transitional cells, including acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Pathology-assisted deconvolution of spatial transcriptomic data identified tumor and transitional subpopulations with distinct histological features. We showed coordinated expression of TIGIT in exhausted and regulatory T cells and Nectin in tumor cells. Chemo-resistant samples contain a threefold enrichment of inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts that upregulate metallothioneins. Our study reveals a deeper understanding of the intricate substructure of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors that could help improve therapy for patients with this disease