First Detection of Thiamethoxam in a Free-Ranging Insectivorous Bird After its Agricultural Use Ban in Spain.

Neonicotinoids are insecticides used worldwide in phytosanitary and biocidal products and veterinary pharmaceuticals. Recently, some restrictions and bans have been imposed due to their adverse effects on nontarget invertebrates, including pollinators. Although they may have direct and indirect effects on wild vertebrates, few studies have assessed exposure to these compounds in wild birds, so our knowledge remains limited.

New Jersey Leaves No Bite Behind: A Climate Change and Food Waste Curriculum Intervention for Adolescents in the United States.

Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. Schools offer a unique opportunity to educate on this issue while also reducing food waste generation; however, few climate-change education curricula that include a food waste component have been developed and tested with fidelity. Thus, the purpose of this cluster randomized controlled study was to assess the effectiveness of a climate change and food waste education program called NJ Leaves No Bite Behind (NJLNBB) among fifth-grade students.

The electrostatic landscape of MHC-peptide binding revealed using inception networks.

Predictive modeling of macromolecular recognition and protein-protein complementarity represents one of the cornerstones of biophysical sciences. However, such models are often hindered by the combinatorial complexity of interactions at the molecular interfaces. Exemplary of this problem is peptide presentation by the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecule, a principal component of immune recognition.

Active monitoring of long-eared owl (Asio otus) nestlings reveals widespread exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides across different agricultural landscapes.

The widespread use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) poses a worldwide threat to farmland wildlife. These compounds accumulate in tissues of both target and non-target species, potentially endangering both direct consumers and their predators. However, investigations on ARs in blood of free-ranging predatory birds are rare.

Change in Cone Structure Over 24 Months in USH2A-Related Retinal Degeneration.

Purpose: To describe cone structure changes using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) in the Rate of Progression of USH2A-related Retinal Degeneration (RUSH2A) study.

Design: Multicenter, longitudinal natural history study.

Methods: AOSLO images were acquired at 4 centers, twice at baseline and annually for 24 months in this natural history study.

Extracting spacing-derived estimates of rod density in healthy retinae.

Quantification of the rod photoreceptor mosaic using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a method for deriving estimates of rod density and rod:cone ratio based on measures of rod spacing, cone numerosity, and cone inner segment area. Twenty-two AOSLO images with complete rod visualization were used to validate this spacing-derived method for estimating density.

Intergrader agreement of foveal cone topography measured using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy.

The foveal cone mosaic can be directly visualized using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). Previous studies in individuals with normal vision report wide variability in the topography of the foveal cone mosaic, especially the value of peak cone density (PCD). While these studies often involve a human grader, there have been no studies examining intergrader reproducibility of foveal cone mosaic metrics.

The association between cardiac magnetic resonance-derived aortic stiffness parameters and aortic dilation in young adults with bicuspid aortic valve: With and without coarctation of aorta.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is associated with progressive aortic dilation. Studies in aortopathies have shown a correlation between increased aortic stiffness and aortic dilation. We aimed to evaluate aortic stiffness measures as predictors of progressive aortic dilation by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in BAV patients.

A Pilot Study Characterizing Flow Patterns in the Thoracic Aorta of Patients With Connective Tissue Disease: Comparison to Age- and Gender-Matched Controls Fluid Structure Interaction.

Prior computational and imaging studies described changes in flow patterns for patients with Marfan syndrome, but studies are lacking for related populations. This pilot study addresses this void by characterizing wall shear stress (WSS) indices for patients with Loeys-Dietz and undifferentiated connective tissue diseases. Using aortic valve-based velocity profiles from magnetic resonance imaging as input to patient-specific fluid structure interaction (FSI) models, we determined local flow patterns throughout the aorta for four patients with various connective tissue diseases (Loeys-Dietz with the native aorta, connective tissue disease of unclear etiology with native aorta in female and male patients, and an untreated patient with Marfan syndrome, as well as twin patients with Marfan syndrome who underwent valve-sparing root replacement).

Cone photoreceptor reflectance variation in the northern tree shrew and thirteen-lined ground squirrel.

images of human cone photoreceptors have been shown to vary in their reflectance both spatially and temporally. While it is generally accepted that the unique anatomy and physiology of the photoreceptors themselves drives this behavior, the exact mechanisms have not been fully elucidated as most studies on these phenomena have been limited to the human retina. Unlike humans, animal models offer the ability to experimentally manipulate the retina and perform direct and comparisons.

Automated image processing pipeline for adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy.

To mitigate the substantial post-processing burden associated with adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), we have developed an open-source, automated AOSLO image processing pipeline with both "live" and "full" modes. The live mode provides feedback during acquisition, while the full mode is intended to automatically integrate the copious disparate modules currently used in generating analyzable montages. The mean (±SD) lag between initiation and montage placement for the live pipeline was 54.

Retinal alterations in patients with Lafora disease.

Purpose: Lafora disease is a genetic neurodegenerative metabolic disorder caused by insoluble polyglucosan aggregate accumulation throughout the central nervous system and body. The retina is an accessible neural tissue, which may offer alternative methods to assess neurological diseases quickly and noninvasively. In this way, noninvasive imaging may provide a means to characterize neurodegenerative disease, which enables earlier identification and diagnosis of disease and the ability to monitor disease progression.

Phenolic and Carotenoid Profile of Lamb's Lettuce and Improvement of the Bioactive Content by Preharvest Conditions.

This study characterizes the phenolic, carotenoid and chlorophyll profile of lamb's lettuce, a vegetable whose consumption in salads and ready-to-eat products is constantly growing. The MS/MS analysis allowed the identification of thirty-five phenolic compounds including hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanones, flavanols and flavanones, many of which are reported here in lamb's lettuce for the first time. Chlorogenic acid was the principal phenolic compound found (57.

Assessing Interocular Symmetry of the Foveal Cone Mosaic.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that foveal cone topography is symmetrical between contralateral eyes.

Methods: We used adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy to acquire images of the foveal cone mosaic in each eye of 58 subjects with normal vision (35 female, 23 male). Cones were semiautomatically identified over a 300 × 300-µm foveal area.

Assessing the Influence of OCT-A Device and Scan Size on Retinal Vascular Metrics.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of device and scan size on quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) metrics.

Methods: The 3 × 3 mm scans from Optovue AngioVue and Zeiss AngioPlex systems were included for 18 eyes of 18 subjects without ocular pathology. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) was segmented manually by two observers, from which estimates of FAZ area (using both the nominal image scale and the axial length corrected image scale) and acircularity were derived.

Preservation of the Foveal Avascular Zone in Achromatopsia Despite the Absence of a Fully Formed Pit.

Purpose: To examine the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in patients with congenital achromatopsia (ACHM).

Methods: Forty-two patients with genetically confirmed ACHM were imaged either with Optovue's AngioVue system or Zeiss's Plex Elite 9000, and the presence or absence of a FAZ was determined. For images where a FAZ was present and could be confidently segmented, FAZ area, circularity index, and roundness were measured and compared with previously published normative values.

On the axial location of Gunn's dots.

Purpose: To determine the axial location of Gunn's dots in the retina.

Methods: Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) images and adaptive optics - optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) volumes were collected from a region where Gunn's dots were found inferior to the optic disc from a subject determined by clinical examination to be a glaucoma suspect. AO-OCT volumes were also collected along the horizontal and vertical meridians from six healthy subjects and one glaucoma subject to identify and document other occurrences of Gunn's dots.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Children is Safe with Most Pacemaker Systems, Including Those with Epicardial Leads.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with pacemakers remains concerning because of possible magnetic field effects on the device. Many pacemaker models are labeled as non-conditional, or contraindicated for MRI, or do not have any specific safety guidelines listed. This study describes our experience with pacemaker function and adverse events in pediatric and young adult patients after clinically indicated MRI scanning at 1.

Visual Acuity and Foveal Structure in Eyes with Fragmented Foveal Avascular Zones.

Purpose: To assess the frequency and impact of abnormal foveal avascular zone (FAZ) topography (i.e., a fragmented FAZ) on visual acuity and foveal anatomic features.

Conjugated linoleic acid as a novel insecticide targeting the agricultural pest Leptinotarsa decemlineata.

The Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is a major agricultural pest of solanaceous crops in the United States. Historically, a multitude of insecticides have been used to control problematic populations. Due to increasing resistance to insecticides, novel compounds and methodologies are warranted for the control of beetle populations.

Interocular symmetry, intraobserver repeatability, and interobserver reliability of cone density measurements in the 13-lined ground squirrel.

Background: The 13-lined ground squirrel (13-LGS) possesses a cone-dominant retina that is highly amenable to non-invasive high-resolution retinal imaging. The ability for longitudinal assessment of a cone-dominant photoreceptor mosaic with an adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) has positioned the 13-LGS to become an accessible model for vision research. Here, we examine the interocular symmetry, repeatability, and reliability of cone density measurements in the 13-LGS.

Noninvasive imaging of the tree shrew eye: Wavefront analysis and retinal imaging with correlative histology.

Tree shrews are small mammals with excellent vision and are closely related to primates. They have been used extensively as a model for studying refractive development, myopia, and central visual processing and are becoming an important model for vision research. Their cone dominant retina (∼95% cones) provides a potential avenue to create new damage/disease models of human macular pathology and to monitor progression or treatment response.