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Severe winter storms in combination with precipitation extremes pose a serious threat to Europe. Located at the southeastern exit of the North Atlantic's storm track, European coastlines are directly exposed to impacts by high wind speeds, storm floods and coastal erosion. In this study we analyze potential changes in simulated winter storminess and extreme precipitation, which may occur under 1.5 or 2°C warming scenarios. Here we focus on a first simulation suite of the atmospheric model CAM5 performed within the HAPPI project and evaluate how changes of the horizontal model resolution impact the results regarding atmospheric pressure, storm tracks, wind speed and precipitation extremes. The comparison of CAM5 simulations with different resolutions indicates that an increased horizontal resolution to 0.25° not only refines regional-scale information but also improves large-scale atmospheric circulation features over the Euro-Atlantic region. The zonal bias in monthly pressure at mean sea level and wind fields, which is typically found in low-resolution models, is considerably reduced. This allows us to analyze potential changes in regional- to local-scale extreme wind speeds and precipitation in a more realistic way. Our analysis of the future response for the 2°C warming scenario generally confirms previous model simulations suggesting a poleward shift and intensification of the meridional circulation in the Euro-Atlantic region. Additional analysis suggests that this shift occurs mainly after exceeding the 1.5°C global warming level, when the midlatitude jet stream manifests a strengthening northeastward. At the same time, this northeastern shift of the storm tracks allows an intensification and northeastern expansion of the Azores high, leading to a tendency of less precipitation across the Bay of Biscay and North Sea. Regions impacted by the strengthening of the midlatitude jet, such as the northwestern coasts of the British Isles, Scandinavia and the Norwegian Sea, and over the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, experience an increase in the mean as well as daily and sub-daily precipitation, wind extremes and storminess, suggesting an important influence of increasing storm activity in these regions in response to global warming.

This review assesses storm studies over the North Atlantic and northwestern Europe regarding the occurrence of potential long-term trends. Based on a systematic review of available articles, trends are classified according to different geographical regions, datasets, and time periods. Articles that used measurement and proxy data, reanalyses, regional and global climate model data on past and future trends are evaluated for changes in storm climate. The most important result is that trends in storm activity depend critically on the time period analysed. An increase in storm numbers is evident for the reanalyses period for the most recent decades, whereas most long-term studies show merely decadal variability for the last 100-150 years. Storm trends derived from reanalyses data and climate model data for the past are mostly limited to the last four to six decades. The majority of these studies find increasing storm activity north of about 55-60° N over the North Atlantic with a negative tendency southward. This increase from about the 1970s until the mid-1990s is also mirrored by long-term proxies and the North Atlantic Oscillation and constitutes a part of their decadal variability. Studies based on proxy and measurement data or model studies over the North Atlantic for the past which cover more than 100 years show large decadal variations and either no trend or a decrease in storm numbers. Future scenarios until about the year 2100 indicate mostly an increase in winter storm intensity over the North Atlantic and western Europe. However, future trends in total storm numbers are quite heterogeneous and depend on the model generation used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Type I (LAD I) is a rare inborn error of immunity caused by mutations in the ITGB2 gene coding for β2-integrin CD18 on the surface of leukocytes. Affected patients display severe clinical manifestations with life threatening infections and inflammatory complications due to an impaired ability of leukocytes to transmigrate from the blood vessel to the tissue. Here we describe the generation of eight induced pluripotent stem cell lines from two patients with LAD I and mutations in the ITGB2 gene. With this project we contribute patient individualized cell lines for explorative research in a rare disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ataxia telangiectasia is a monogenetic disorder caused by mutations in the ATM gene. Its encoded protein kinase ATM plays a fundamental role in DNA repair of double strand breaks (DSBs). Impaired function of this kinase leads to a multisystemic disorder including immunodeficiency, progressive cerebellar degeneration, radiation sensitivity, dilated blood vessels, premature aging and a predisposition to cancer. Since allogenic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation improved disease outcome, gene therapy based on autologous HSCs is an alternative promising concept. However, due to the large cDNA of ATM (9.2 kb), efficient packaging of retroviral particles and sufficient transduction of HSCs remains challenging.We generated lentiviral, gammaretroviral and foamy viral vectors with a GFP.F2A.Atm fusion or a GFP transgene and systematically compared transduction efficiencies. Vector titers dropped with increasing transgene size, but despite their described limited packaging capacity, we were able to produce lentiviral and gammaretroviral particles. The reduction in titers could not be explained by impaired packaging of the viral genomes, but the main differences occurred after transduction. Finally, after transduction of Atm-deficient (ATM-KO) murine fibroblasts with the lentiviral vector expressing Atm, we could show the expression of ATM protein which phosphorylated its downstream substrates (pKap1 and p-p53)., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A structural change between amorphous and crystalline phase provides a basis for reliable and modular photonic and electronic devices, such as nonvolatile memory, beam steerers, solid-state reflective displays, or mid-IR antennas. In this paper, we leverage the benefits of liquid-based synthesis to access phase-change memory tellurides in the form of colloidally stable quantum dots. We report a library of ternary M x Ge 1- x Te colloids (where M is Sn, Bi, Pb, In, Co, Ag) and then showcase the phase, composition, and size tunability for Sn-Ge-Te quantum dots. Full chemical control of Sn-Ge-Te quantum dots permits a systematic study of structural and optical properties of this phase-change nanomaterial. Specifically, we report composition-dependent crystallization temperature for Sn-Ge-Te quantum dots, which is notably higher compared to bulk thin films. This gives the synergistic benefit of tailoring dopant and material dimension to combine the superior aging properties and ultrafast crystallization kinetics of bulk Sn-Ge-Te, while improving memory data retention due to nanoscale size effects. Furthermore, we discover a large reflectivity contrast between amorphous and crystalline Sn-Ge-Te thin films, exceeding 0.7 in the near-IR spectrum region. We utilize these excellent phase-change optical properties of Sn-Ge-Te quantum dots along with liquid-based processability for nonvolatile multicolor images and electro-optical phase-change devices. Our colloidal approach for phase-change applications offers higher customizability of materials, simpler fabrication, and further miniaturization to the sub-10 nm phase-change devices.

We collected data on mass mortality in Sandwich terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis) during the 2022 breeding season in the Netherlands. Mortality was associated with at least 2 variants of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b. We report on carcass removal efforts relative to survival in colonies. Mitigation strategies urgently require structured research.

Respiratory tract infections are among the deadliest communicable diseases worldwide. Severe cases of viral lung infections are often associated with a cytokine storm and alternating platelet numbers. We report that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) sense a non-systemic influenza A virus (IAV) infection via inflammatory cytokines. Irrespective of antiviral treatment or vaccination, at a certain threshold of IAV titer in the lung, CD41-positive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) enter the cell cycle while endothelial protein C receptor-positive CD41-negative HSCs remain quiescent. Active CD41-positive HSCs represent the source of megakaryocytes, while their multi-lineage reconstitution potential is reduced. This emergency megakaryopoiesis is thrombopoietin independent and attenuated in IAV-infected interleukin-1 receptor-deficient mice. Newly produced platelets during IAV infection are immature and hyper-reactive. After viral clearance, HSC quiescence is re-established. Our study reveals that non-systemic viral respiratory infection has an acute impact on HSCs via inflammatory cytokines to counteract IAV-induced thrombocytopenia., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Platelets are anucleate blood cells that are shed from megakaryocytes (MKs) into the bloodstream to maintain hemostasis and promote wound healing after vascular injury. To carry out their functions, platelets become activated and release bioactive substances from their secretory granules. As alpha granules (αGs) in resting platelets store proteins and release them only after activation, the packaging of proteins into αGs is an attractive strategy to deliver therapeutic proteins. Here, we propose an adjustable model for targeting transgenic proteins to platelet αGs using third-generation self-inactivating lentiviral vectors. The vectors express from the murine platelet factor 4 promoter (mPf4P), restricting transgene expression to the MK lineage. For the delivery and retention of expressed proteins in αGs, proteins are fused to short peptide sorting signals derived from the human cytokine RANTES or from the transmembrane protein P-selectin. We demonstrate effective targeting of GFP to αGs of murine and human in vitro -differentiated MKs and murine platelets in vivo . Furthermore, interferon-α (IFNα), as a potentially therapeutic cytokine, was successfully delivered to and stored in murine platelets in vivo , was released after activation, and inhibited virus replication in vitro . Our vectors create possibilities for numerous applications in cell therapy utilizing platelets as carriers of therapeutic proteins., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Platelets are small anucleate cells that circulate in the blood in a resting state but can be activated by external cues. In case of need, platelets from blood donors can be transfused. As an alternative source, platelets can be produced from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); however, recovered numbers are low., Objectives: To optimize megakaryocyte (MK) and platelet output from murine iPSCs, we investigated overexpression of the transcription factors GATA-binding factor 1 (GATA1); nuclear factor, erythroid 2; and pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor 1 (Pbx1) and a hyperactive variant of the small guanosine triphosphatase RhoA (RhoAhc)., Methods: To avoid off-target effects, we generated iPSCs carrying the reverse tetracycline-responsive transactivator M2 (rtTA-M2) in the Rosa26 locus and expressed the factors from Tet-inducible gammaretroviral vectors. Differentiation of iPSCs was initiated by embryoid body (EB) formation. After EB dissociation, early hematopoietic progenitors were enriched and cocultivated on OP9 feeder cells with thrombopoietin and stem cell factor to induce megakaryocyte (MK) differentiation., Results: Overexpression of GATA1 and Pbx1 increased MK output 2- to 2.5-fold and allowed prolonged collection of MK. Cytologic and ultrastructural analyses identified typical MK with enlarged cells, multilobulated nuclei, granule structures, and an internal membrane system. However, GATA1 and Pbx1 expression did not improve MK maturation or platelet release, although in vitro-generated platelets were functional in spreading on fibrinogen or collagen-related peptide., Conclusion: We demonstrate that the use of rtTA-M2 transgenic iPSCs transduced with Tet-inducible retroviral vectors allowed for gene expression at later time points during differentiation. With this strategy we could identify factors that increased in vitro MK production., (© 2020 The Authors. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH).)

While human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide novel prospects for disease-modeling, the high phenotypic variability seen across different lines demands usage of large hiPSC cohorts to decipher the impact of individual genetic variants. Thus, a much higher grade of parallelization, and throughput in the production of hiPSCs is needed, which can only be achieved by implementing automated solutions for cell reprogramming, and hiPSC expansion. Here, we describe the StemCellFactory, an automated, modular platform covering the entire process of hiPSC production, ranging from adult human fibroblast expansion, Sendai virus-based reprogramming to automated isolation, and parallel expansion of hiPSC clones. We have developed a feeder-free, Sendai virus-mediated reprogramming protocol suitable for cell culture processing via a robotic liquid handling unit that delivers footprint-free hiPSCs within 3 weeks with state-of-the-art efficiencies. Evolving hiPSC colonies are automatically detected, harvested, and clonally propagated in 24-well plates. In order to ensure high fidelity performance, we have implemented a high-speed microscope for in-process quality control, and image-based confluence measurements for automated dilution ratio calculation. This confluence-based splitting approach enables parallel, and individual expansion of hiPSCs in 24-well plates or scale-up in 6-well plates across at least 10 passages. Automatically expanded hiPSCs exhibit normal growth characteristics, and show sustained expression of the pluripotency associated stem cell marker TRA-1-60 over at least 5 weeks (10 passages). Our set-up enables automated, user-independent expansion of hiPSCs under fully defined conditions, and could be exploited to generate a large number of hiPSC lines for disease modeling, and drug screening at industrial scale, and quality., (Copyright © 2020 Elanzew, Nießing, Langendoerfer, Rippel, Piotrowski, Schenk, Kulik, Peitz, Breitkreuz, Jung, Wanek, Stappert, Schmitt, Haupt, Zenke, König and Brüstle.)

Until now, hues as dynamic as those adorning the Apatura emperor butterflies have never been encountered in the painting world. Unlike and unmatched by the chemical pigments traditionally found on the painter's palette, the emperor's wings are studded with strongly reflecting iridescent scales that are structured like those of the iconic Morpho butterflies. The scale ridges act as diffractive multilayers, giving rise to narrow-band reflectance spectra. All scales together create a vividly purple iridescent wing colouration that is observed within a narrow angular range only. Recently, synthetic structures analogous to the multilayer reflectors found on butterfly wings have been developed, referred to as effect pigments. Artists can obtain vital clues for how to adapt and adopt these challenging new materials for painting, by tracing the origin of biomimetics back to the ancient concept of mimesis and building on the knowledge accumulated by optical studies. By selecting various effect pigments, and using the lesser purple emperor butterfly, Apatura ilia, as exemplar, we have accurately mimicked the butterfly's iridescence in art. The resulting artwork, like the butterfly, fluctuates in perceived colour depending on the direction of illumination and viewing. These nature-inspired-colouration and biomimetic-application methods extend the canon of art.

Thrombopoietin (THPO) and its receptor myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene (MPL) regulate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) quiescence and maintenance, but also megakaryopoiesis. Thrombocytopenias or aplastic anemias can be treated today with THPO peptide mimetics (romiplostim) or small-molecule THPO receptor agonists (e.g., eltrombopag). These THPO mimetics were designed for human application; however, many preclinical studies are performed in murine models. We investigated the activation of wild-type murine MPL (mMPL) by romiplostim. Romiplostim stimulated AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT5 phosphorylation without preference for one of these pathways, however, with a four- to fivefold lower phosphorylation intensity at high concentration. Faster internalization of mMPL after romiplostim binding could be one explanation of reduced signaling. In vitro megakaryocyte differentiation, proliferation, and maturation by romiplostim was less efficient compared with stimulation with mTHPO. We further dissected mMPL signaling by lentiviral overexpression of mMPL mutants with tyrosine (Y)-to-phenylalanine (F) substitutions in the distal cytoplasmic tyrosines 582 (Y582F), 616 (Y616F), and 621 (Y621F) individually and in combination (Y616F_Y621F) and in truncated receptors lacking 53 (Δ53) or 69 (Δ69) C-terminal amino acids. Mutation at tyrosine residue Y582F caused a gain-of-function with baseline activation and increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation upon stimulation. In agreement with this, proliferation in Y582F-32D cells was increased, yet did not rescue in vitro megakaryopoiesis from Mpl-deficient cells. Y616F and Y621F mutated receptors exhibited strongly impaired ERK1/2 and decreased AKT signaling and conferred reduced proliferation to 32D cells upon mTHPO stimulation but a partial correction of immature megakaryopoiesis in vitro., (Copyright © 2020 ISEH -- Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Thrombopoietin (Thpo)/myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene (Mpl) signaling controls hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and quiescence; however, how these 2 seemingly opposing functions are controlled is not well understood. By transplantation of lentiviral-transduced hematopoietic cells in the Mpl-deficient mouse model, we addressed whether known or predicted Thpo target genes were able to rescue the Mpl-deficient phenotype of the mice. Among the tested genes, we identified endothelial protein C receptor (Epcr) to expand HSCs with the long-term (LT)-HSC surface phenotype in Mpl -/- mice and to enable secondary transplantation of Mpl-deficient bone marrow (BM). Epcr-transduced Mpl -/- HSCs enter quiescence earlier after transplantation than control-transduced Mpl -/- cells, and upregulated expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-xL. Also, in the wild-type background, Epcr expression marked the engrafting population in the BM. Furthermore, Epcr expression in Mpl -/- hematopoiesis increased the number of megakaryocytes in the BM. In vitro Thpo supported the surface expression of Epcr on primary murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. With these data, we add new insights into Thpo-dependent influence on HSC engraftment after transplantation. This may be of use for the in vitro manipulation of HSCs, also in the context of gene therapy., (© 2019 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Genetic modification of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells may be necessary for the generation of effector cells for cellular therapies. Hereby, it can be important to induce transgene expression at restricted and defined time windows, especially if it interferes with pluripotency or differentiation. To achieve this, inducible expression systems can be used such as the tetracycline-inducible retroviral vector system, however, retroviral expression can be subjected to epigenetic silencing or to position-effect variegation. One strategy to overcome this is the incorporation of ubiquitous chromatin opening elements (UCOE ® 's) into retroviral vectors to maintain a transcriptionally permissive chromatin state at the integration site. In this study, we developed Tet-inducible all-in-one gammaretroviral vectors carrying different sized UCOE ® 's derived from the A2UCOE. The ability to prevent vector silencing by preserving the Tet-regulatory potential was investigated in different cell lines, and in murine and human iPS cells. A 670-bp fragment spanning the CBX3 promoter region of A2UCOE (U670) was the most potent element in preventing silencing, and conferred the strongest expression from the vector in the induced state. While longer fragments of A2UCOEs also sustained expression, vector titers and induction efficiencies were impaired. Finally, we demonstrate that U670 can be used for constitutive expression of the transactivator in the all-in-one vector for faithful regulation of transgenes by doxycycline, including the thrombopoietin receptor Mpl conferring cytokine-dependent cell growth., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Increasing CO 2 concentration ([CO 2 ]) is likely to affect future species distributions, in interaction with other climate change drivers. However, current modeling approaches still seldom consider interactions between climatic factors and the importance of these interactions therefore remains mostly unexplored. Here, we combined dendrochronological and modeling approaches to study the interactive effects of increasing [CO 2 ] and temperature on the distribution of one of the main European liana species, Hedera helix . We combined a classical continent-wide species distribution modeling approach with a case study using H. helix and Quercus cerris tree rings, where we explored the long-term influence of a variety of climate drivers, including increasing [CO 2 ], and their interactions, on secondary growth. Finally, we explored how our findings could influence the model predictions. Climate-only model predictions showed a small decrease in habitat suitability for H. helix in Europe; however, this was accompanied by a strong shift in the distribution toward the north and east. Our growth ring data suggested that H. helix can benefit from high [CO 2 ] under warm conditions, more than its tree hosts, which showed a weaker response to [CO 2 ] coupled with higher cavitation risk under high temperature. Increasing [CO 2 ] might therefore offset the negative effects of high temperatures on H. helix, and we illustrate how this might translate into maintenance of H. helix in warmer areas. Our results highlight the need to consider carbon fertilization and interactions between climate variables in ecological modeling. Combining dendrochronological analyses with spatial distribution modeling may provide opportunities to refine predictions of how climate change will affect species distributions.

The Younger Dryas (YD) cold reversal interrupts the warming climate of the deglaciation with global climatic impacts. The sudden cooling is typically linked to an abrupt slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in response to meltwater discharges from ice sheets. However, inconsistencies regarding the YD-response of European summer temperatures have cast doubt whether the concept provides a sufficient explanation. Here we present results from a high-resolution global climate simulation together with a new July temperature compilation based on plant indicator species and show that European summers remain warm during the YD. Our climate simulation provides robust physical evidence that atmospheric blocking of cold westerly winds over Fennoscandia is a key mechanism counteracting the cooling impact of an AMOC-slowdown during summer. Despite the persistence of short warm summers, the YD is dominated by a shift to a continental climate with extreme winter to spring cooling and short growing seasons.

Lateral flow type detection is becoming interesting not only in regions with a poor medical infrastructure but also for practitioners in day-to-day clinical work or for veterinary control in case of possible epidemics. In this work, we describe the first steps of development of a multi-channel strip with potential internal calibration of multiparametric and colorimetric lateral flow assays for the simultaneous detection of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis). We structured four channels in the nitrocellulose membrane with a Yb:KGW solid-state femtosecond laser ("cold" ablation process) to form distinct tracks of porous material and used gold nanoparticles for the labeling of the antibodies. In addition, calibration curves of the spot intensities of both serovars are presented, and it was shown that no cross reactivity between the different capture antibodies and LPS occurred. Finally, we detected LPS of both Salmonella serovars simultaneously. The color changes (spot intensities of the reaction zones) were evaluated using the open-source image-processing program ImageJ. Graphical abstract Multiparametric testing, strip A was tested with LPS S. enteritidis ( c=0.01 g/L) and LPS S.typhimurium ( c=0.0001 g/L), strip B with LPS S. enteritidis ( c=0.001 g/L) and LPS S. typhimurium ( c=0.001g/L) and strip C with LPS S. enteritidis (c=0.0001 g/L) and LPS S. typhimurium ( c=0.01 g/L), and read-out.

Retroviral vectors have shown their curative potential in clinical trials correcting monogenetic disorders. However, therapeutic benefits were compromised due to vector-induced dysregulation of cellular genes and leukemia development in a subset of patients. Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins act as cellular cofactors that tether the murine leukemia virus (MLV) pre-integration complex to host chromatin via interaction with the MLV integrase (IN) and thereby define the typical gammaretroviral integration distribution. We engineered next-generation BET-independent (Bin) MLV vectors to retarget their integration to regions where they are less likely to dysregulate nearby genes. We mutated MLV IN to uncouple BET protein interaction and fused it with chromatin-binding peptides. The addition of the CBX1 chromodomain to MLV IN W390A efficiently targeted integration away from gene regulatory elements. The retargeted vector produced at high titers and efficiently transduced CD34 + hematopoietic stem cells, while fewer colonies were detected in a serial colony-forming assay, a surrogate test for genotoxicity. Our findings underscore the potential of the engineered vectors to reduce the risk of insertional mutagenesis without compromising transduction efficiency. Ultimately, combined with other safety features in vector design, next-generation BinMLV vectors can improve the safety of gammaretroviral vectors for gene therapy., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In this study data on composition of uroliths collected from cats and epidemiologic data of affected cats in Switzerland from 2002 to 2009 are summarised. Of 884 stones analysed 50% (n=441) were composed of calcium oxalate, 45% (n=398) of struvite, 3% (n=18) of ammonium urate, 1% (n=12) were mixed stones, 1% (n=9) were composed of silica, 3 stones were solidified blood, 2 consisted of cystine and 1of xanthine. 40% of the ureteral stones were composed of struvite. Domestic cats had significantly less calcium oxalate stones compared to British Shorthair or Persian cats. Cats with calcium oxalate stones were older and cats with struvite stones were younger than other affected cats. Female and male cats were equally affected with stones. Compared to studies from other countries, in Switzerland silica stones occurred more often and ureteral stones were more often composed of Struvite. The present study shows that occurrence and prevalence of urinary calculi of cats from Switzerland exhibited only slight differences to studies from other countries.

Cultures of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) often contain cells of varying grades of pluripotency. We present novel lentiviral vectors targeted to the surface receptor CD30 (CD30-LV) to transfer genes into iPSCs that are truly pluripotent as demonstrated by marker gene expression. We demonstrate that CD30 expression is restricted to SSEA4(high) cells of human iPSC cultures and a human embryonic stem cell line. When CD30-LV was added to iPSCs during routine cultivation, efficient and exclusive transduction of cells positive for the pluripotency marker Oct-4 was achieved, while retaining their pluripotency. When added during the reprogramming process, CD30-LV solely transduced cells that became fully reprogrammed iPSCs as confirmed by co-expression of endogenous Nanog and the reporter gene. Thus, CD30-LV may serve as novel tool for the selective gene transfer into PSCs with broad applications in basic and therapeutic research.

Background: Radial maze tasks have been used to assess optimal foraging and spatial abilities in rodents. The spatial performance was based on a capacity to rely on a configuration of local and distant cues. We adapted maze procedures assessing the relative weight of local cues and distant landmarks for arm choice in humans., New Method: The procedure allowed testing memory of places in four experimental setups: a fingertip texture-groove maze, a tactile screen maze, a virtual radial maze and a walking size maze. During training, the four reinforced positions remained fixed relative to local and distal cues. During subsequent conflict trials, these frameworks were made conflictive in the prediction of reward locations., Results: Three experiments showed that the relative weight of local and distal relational cues is affected by different factors such as cues' nature, visual access to the environment, real vs. virtual environment, and gender. A fourth experiment illustrated how a walking maze can be used with people suffering intellectual disability., Comparison With Existing Methods: In our procedure, long-term (reference) and short-term (working) memory can be assessed. It is the first radial task adapted to human that enables dissociating local and distal cues, to provides an indication as to their relative salience. Our mazes are moveable and easily used in limited spaces. Tasks are performed with realistic and spontaneous though controlled exploratory movements., Conclusion: Our tasks enabled highlighting the use of different strategies. In a clinical perspective, considering the use of compensatory strategies should orient towards adapted behavioural rehabilitation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Vision is the most synthetic sensory channel and it provides specific information about the relative position of distant landmarks during visual exploration. In this paper we propose that visual exploration, as assessed by the recording of eye movements, offers an original method to analyze spatial cognition and to reveal alternative adaptation strategies in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Our general assumption is that eye movement exploration may simultaneously reveal whether, why, and how, compensatory strategies point to specific difficulties related to neurological symptoms. An understanding of these strategies will also help in the development of optimal rehabilitation procedures., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Information on composition of uroliths collected between 2003 and 2009 from dogs in Switzerland and epidemiologic data of affected dogs are summarised in this paper. Of 490 stones analysed 44% were composed of calcium oxalate, 330% of struvite, 80% of silica, 7% of urate, 3% of cystine, 3% were mixed stones and 1% each were calcium phosphate and xanthine stones. Compared to other dogs, Norwich Terriers, Norfolk Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Miniature Pinscher and Yorkshire Terriers had a significantly increased risk to suffer from calcium oxalate stones, Dalmatians and Continental Bulldogs from urate stones and English Bulldogs from cystine stones. No breed had an increased risk of struvite or silica stones. Stones composed of silica were more prevalent in Switzerland compared to other countries and were more common in the eastern part than in the western part of Switzerland. This study shows that there are differences in occurrence and prevalence of uroliths between Switzerland and surveys of other countries.