Oncoid-dwelling foraminifera from Late Jurassic shallow-water carbonates of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria and Germany)

Oncoidal limestones with different oncoid types are ubiquitous in back-reef open-lagoonal and, to a minor amount, in closed-lagoonal facies of the Late Jurassic Plassen Carbonate Platform of the Northern Calcareous Alps. A common feature of the oncoids from moderately to well-agitated open-lagoonal habitats are incorporated small trochospiral benthic foraminifers, tentatively assigned to trochamminids, switched between individual micritic layers. Their life style is discussed concluding a specialized feeding on cyanophytes on the outer side of the oncoids and later becoming biomurated by successive sheet formations due to oncoid growing.     

Functional Interrogation of Adult Hypothalamic Neurogenesis with Focal Radiological Inhibition

The functional characterization of adult-born neurons remains a significant challenge. Approaches to inhibit adult neurogenesis via invasive viral delivery or transgenic animals have potential confounds that make interpretation of results from these studies difficult. New radiological tools are emerging, however, that allow one to noninvasively investigate the function of select groups of adult-born neurons through accurate and precise anatomical targeting in small animals. Focal ionizing radiation inhibits the birth and differentiation of new neurons, and allows targeting of specific neural progenitor regions. In order to illuminate the potential functional role that adult hypothalamic neurogenesis plays in the regulation of physiological processes, we developed a noninvasive focal irradiation technique to selectively inhibit the birth of adult-born neurons in the hypothalamic median eminence. We describe a method for Computer tomography-guided focal irradiation (CFIR) delivery to enable precise and accurate anatomical targeting in small animals. CFIR uses three-dimensional volumetric image guidance for localization and targeting of the radiation dose, minimizes radiation exposure to nontargeted brain regions, and allows for conformal dose distribution with sharp beam boundaries. This protocol allows one to ask questions regarding the function of adult-born neurons, but also opens areas to questions in areas of radiobiology, tumor biology, and immunology. These radiological tools will facilitate the translation of discoveries at the bench to the bedside.     

Rotation effects on the target-volume margin determination

Rotational setup errors are usually neglected in most clinical centers. An analytical formula is developed to determine the extra margin between clinical target volume (CTV) and planning target volume (PTV) to account for setup errors. The proposed formula corrects for both translational and rotational setup errors and then incorporated into margin determination for PTV.     

Positional uncertainty of vaginal cuff and feasibility of implementing portable bladder scanner in postoperative cervical cancer patients

PurposeTo propose a geometrical margin for definition of the vaginal cuff PTV using only CT images of the full bladder (CT_full) in postoperative cervical cancer patients.MethodsTwenty-nine operated cervical cancer patients underwent volumetric arc therapy with a bladder filling protocol. This study assessed bladder filling using a portable bladder scanner and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) during the entire treatment period. The measured bladder volumes with a BladderScan® were compared with the delineated volume on CBCT. Titanium clips in the vaginal cuff were analysed to assess geometrical uncertainty and the influence of rectal and bladder volume changes.ResultsBladderScan® showed good agreement with the delineated volume (R = 0.80). The volume changes in the bladder have a greater influence on the clip displacements than in the rectum. The 95th percentile of uncertainty of the clips in reference to CT_full in the right-left (RL), the superoinferior (SI), and the anteroposterior (AP) was 0.32, 0.65, and 1.15 cm, respectively. From this result and intra-fractional movements of the vaginal cuff reported by Haripotepornkul, a new geometrical margin was proposed for definition of the vaginal cuff planning target volume (PTV): 0.5, 0.9, and 1.4 cm in the RL, SI, and AP directions, respectively.ConclusionsA new geometrical margin was proposed for definition of the vaginal cuff PTV based on CT_full, which will be needless of empty bladder at the planning CT scan. This method allows patients to reduce the burden and efficient routine CT scans can be improved.     

The ontogeny of the Late Permian terebratulids (Brachiopoda) Gruntelasma Smirnova, Grigorjevaelasma Smirnova, and Campbellelasma Smirnova and their taxonomic position

A specific type of ontogenetic change combining elements of dielasmoid and angustothyridid stages of brachidium development is established for the Late Permian genera Gruntelasma Smirnova, 2004, Grigorjevaelasma Smirnova, 2004, and Campbellelasma Smirnova, 2004 from the Russian Platform. On this basis, these genera are assigned to the superfamily Compositelasmatoidea Smirnova, family Compositelasmatidae.     

New Cambrian lobopods and chaetognaths of the Siberian Platform

The association of isolated remains of lobopods with a netlike structure, including plates of Microdictyon rozanovi sp. nov. and sclerites with spinelike process of Onychomicrodictyon spiniferum gen. et sp. nov., as well as saberlike sclerites of Protohertzina yudomica sp. nov. interpreted as grasping spines of chaetognaths, is described from the middle part of the Inikan Formation of the Toyonian Stage of the Lower Cambrian (Lermontovia dzevanovskii Zone). The diagnoses and species composition of the genera Microdictyon and Protohertzina are refined.     

The first record of Kaltanidae (Insecta: Mecoptera: Kaltanidae) from the Permian of European Russia

Two new species and a new genus of scorpionflies of the family Kaltanidae, Pseudochorista occidentalis sp. nov. and Kamochorista novokshonovi gen. et sp. nov. (Mecoptera: Kaltanidae), are described from the Urzhumian of Udmurtia (Chepanikha locality). This is the first record of kaltanids on the Russian Platform.     

Microfacies, biostratigraphy, and geochemistry of the hemipelagic Barremian–Aptian in north-central Tunisia: Influence of the OAE 1a on the southern Tethys margin

Upper Barremian–lower Upper Aptian hemipelagic deposits of the Hamada Formation in the Djebel Serdj area, north-central Tunisia were studied in detail with regard to microfacies, biostratigraphy, δ¹³C stratigraphy, and geochemistry. Our data provide insights into the palaeoenvironmental evolution and sea-level fluctuations of the Tunisian shelf. The unusually expanded deposits consist of mud-, wacke-, and packstones which reflect mid- and outer-ramp depositional environments. Planktonic foraminifer and δ¹³C stratigraphy allowed us to establish a detailed time-frame and the recognition of the Lower Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE 1a) as well as time-equivalent deposits of shallow-marine carbonate-platform drowning. Based on our microfacies studies, we subdivide the studied sections into four genetic intervals: a pre-OAE 1a interval, an OAE 1a and platform-drowning-equivalent interval, and a post-platform-drowning interval. We present a 3rd-order sea-level curve for the Tunisian shelf, deriving from the results of our microfacies studies.

Deposits of the OAE 1a in the sections investigated are characterised by bioclastic wacke- and packstones with high abundances of poorly preserved radiolarians and moderately to well preserved planktonic foraminifers, suggesting a transgression and an eutrophication of the upper water column. Scarceness of benthic macrofossils, low abundances of small benthic foraminifers and ostracods possibly suggest dysoxic conditions at the seafloor. Mudstones of the platform-drowning time-equivalent deposits, directly overlying the OAE 1a, are partly showing a pronounced drop in carbonate content and are scarce of macrofossils.     

Interactive Web-based Annotation of Plant MicroRNAs with iwa-miRNA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression. The large-scale detection and profiling of miRNAs have been accelerated with the development of high-throughput small RNA sequencing (sRNA-Seq) techniques and bioinformatics tools. However, generating high-quality comprehensive miRNA annotations remains challenging due to the intrinsic complexity of sRNA-Seq data and inherent limitations of existing miRNA prediction tools. Here, we present iwa-miRNA, a Galaxy-based framework that can facilitate miRNA annotation in plant species by combining computational analysis and manual curation. iwa-miRNA is specifically designed to generate a comprehensive list of miRNA candidates, bridging the gap between already annotated miRNAs provided by public miRNA databases and new predictions from sRNA-Seq datasets. It can also assist users in selecting promising miRNA candidates in an interactive mode, contributing to the accessibility and reproducibility of genome-wide miRNA annotation. iwa-miRNA is user-friendly and can be easily deployed as a web application for researchers without programming experience. With flexible, interactive, and easy-to-use features, iwa-miRNA is a valuable tool for the annotation of miRNAs in plant species with reference genomes. We also illustrate the application of iwa-miRNA for miRNA annotation using data from plant species with varying genomic complexity. The source codes and web server of iwa-miRNA are freely accessible at http://iwa-miRNA.omicstudio.cloud/.     

Late Permian phylloclades of the new genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Permophyllocladus</Emphasis> and problems of the evolutionary morphology of peltasperms

Phylloclades from the Upper Permian (Tatarian) deposits of the Sokovka locality, Vladimir Region, showing gradational transformation of a planate scale-leaved shoot into a foliar organ, are assigned to the new genus Permophyllocladus (Peltaspermales?). The phylloclades are distinctly dorsoventral: scaly leaves and their rudiments are developed on the lower side and are only marked by suture lines on the cuticle of the opposite side. In epidermal characteristics, the phylloclades are similar to the leaves of peltasperms from coeval deposits. It is supposed that peltasperm leaves are of phylloclade origin and were formed by cohesion of units of a coniferoid scale-leaved shoot that resembles shoots of the Mesozoic family Hirmerellaceae (Cheirolepidiaceae), which also tend to develop phylloclades.