Biology subjects

Wilson, C. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Wilson, C. R..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Quantitative evaluation of enrichment protocols on rhesus macaques welfare in laboratory environment.

Non-human primates are crucial animal models in biomedical research including neurosciences. Legal frameworks ensure that participation of monkeys in biomedical research follows an ethical assessment, driven by specific guidelines for ensuring animal well-being. Those guidelines promote continued refinement of practices to improve animal wellbeing, yet quantitative data to inform such refinements is limited. In this context, we investigated the impact of modifications to the housing that created either navigational complexity or visual access to neighbouring animals on the behaviour of rhesus macaques. Then we quantified the value of different enrichment programmes based on manipulable objects. We showed that making navigation within a modular housing more complex, or adding transparent separations between housing units is associated with significant reduction of severe aggression, stereotypical behaviours and a significant increase of appeasing behaviours. We also observed a positive effect of manipulable objects with an increase in the expression of appeasing behaviours and a decrease in abnormal or stereotypical behaviours. Finally, our study revealed significant inter-individual variability that was not explained by sex, age, social network size or social status. Overall, our results point to the importance and benefits of environmental changes and enrichment protocols, and of the critical need for personalised enrichment programmes.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2024

Spatial resolution of transcriptomic plasticity states underpinning lethal morphologies in lung adenocarcinoma

Adenocarcinoma of the lung (LUAD) is a common and highly lethal disease. Clinical grading of disease strongly predicts recurrence and survival after surgery and is determined by morphological assessment of histological growth patterns in resected tumours. The molecular basis of growth pattern is poorly understood at present, as are the mechanisms linking growth pattern to recurrence and death. Interestingly, the two archetypal lethal morphologies, solid and micropapillary patterns, are characterised by their biphasic appearance. Both have an epithelial fraction which is in direct stromal contact, and a fraction which is not. This morphological variance seems likely to represent plasticity, and to be causally linked to mechanisms of virulence. To investigate the gene expression changes related to growth pattern both intra- and intertumoral, we applied spatial transcriptomics (Nanostring GeoMx DSP) to tissue microarray specimens of primary resected human lung adenocarcinoma. Using a variety of region-of-interest (ROI) selection strategies, we sampled 160 pure epithelial ROIs across 7 distinct morphological features of LUAD from 51 patients. Analyses of gene expression reveal fundamental trajectories connecting growth patterns, and crucial modes of plasticity which underly high-risk morphologies. These modes suggest mechanisms for the origins of growth pattern and mechanisms of virulence. Our work highlights dramatic divergence in gene expression programmes between highly lethal but morphologically diverse modes of tumour growth. Furthermore, it provides an explanation for how microscopically localised hypoxia in the primary tumour helps to establish and maintain survival strategies which ultimately determine morphology-specific mechanisms of tumour metastasis, suggesting new therapeutic vulnerabilities.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

The use of threshold methods to detect beta bursts may inadequately characterize the beta band

In neurophysiological research, the traditional view of beta band activity as sustained oscillations is being reinterpreted as transient bursts. Bursts are characterized by a distinct wavelet shape, high amplitude, and, most importantly, brief temporal occurrence. The primary method for their detection relies on a threshold-based analysis of spectral power, and this presents two fundamental issues. First, the threshold selection is effectively arbitrary, being influenced by both temporally proximal and distal factors in the signal. Second, the method necessarily detects temporal events, as such it is susceptible to misidentifying sustained signals as transient bursts. To address these issues, this study systematically explores burst detection through simulations, shedding light on the methods robustness across various scenarios. Although the method is effective in detecting transients in numerous cases, it can be overly sensitive, leading to spurious detections. Moreover, when applied to simulations featuring exclusively sustained events, the method frequently yields events exhibiting characteristics consistent with a transient burst interpretation. By simulating an average difference in power between experimental conditions, we illustrate how apparent burst rate differences between conditions can emerge even in the absence of actual burst rate disparities, and even in the absence of bursts. This capacity to produce misleading outcomes challenges the reinterpretation of sustained beta oscillations as transient bursts and prompts a critical reassessment of the existing literature. New and NoteworthyNeurophysiological research is experiencing a transformative shift in understanding beta band activity, moving away from the notion of sustained oscillations towards recognizing the significance of transient bursts. Here we show how the methods to detect such bursts are prone to spurious detections and can blur the distinction between sustained signals and transient bursts. Further, in realistic scenarios these methods can produce apparent behavioral associations where no such association exists.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Frontal oscillatory beta bursts have rhythmically distinct regimes with differing functional relevance

Beta band rhythms often appear as brief bursts, but how variations in burst properties impact neural function is unclear. We probed beta burst heterogeneity by developing two complementary detection algorithms. One isolates brief high amplitude events (bursts of power, BoP) and another that identifies consistent oscillations that span multiple cycles (bursts of consistency, BoC). Examining frontal LFP and ECoG recordings from mice and macaques, these two burst types occupied the same 15 to 30 Hz frequency band yet showed minimal temporal overlap, indicating independent phenomena probably with distinct neural generators. Crucially, when task demands shifted between high and low cognitive control states, BoC bursts were enriched during demanding phases, whereas BoP bursts dominated routine phases. These results demonstrate that frontal beta activity comprises at least two rhythmically distinct regimes linked to different levels of cognitive control. Our dual mode framework refines mechanistic models of transient oscillations and underscores the significance of burst waveform diversity for flexible brain function.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Quantifying risk factors associated with light-induced potato tuber greening in retail stores

Light conditions in retail stores may contribute to potato greening. In this study, we aimed to develop a potato tuber greening risk rating model for retail stores based on light quality and intensity parameters. This was achieved by firstly exposing three potato varieties (Nicola, Maranca and Kennebec) to seven specific light wavelengths (370, 420, 450, 530, 630, 660 and 735 nm) to determine the tuber greening propensity. Detailed light quality and intensity measurements from 25 retail stores were then combined with the greening propensity data to develop a tuber greening risk rating model. Our study showed that maximum greening occurred under blue light (450 nm), while 53%, 65% and 75% less occurred under green (530 nm), red (660 nm) and orange (630 nm) light, respectively. Greening risk, which varied between stores, was found to be related to light intensity level, and partially explained potato stock loss in stores. Our results from this study suggested that other in-store management practices, including lighting duration, average potato turnover, and light protection during non-retail periods, likely influence tuber greening risk.

plant biology↗