We are using information from a paper deriving a Lorentz-violating energy-momentum relation entailing an exact mo_mentum cutof as stated by G. Salesi . Salesi in his work allegedly defines Pre Planckian physics, whereas we restrict our given application to GW generation and DE formation in the first 10^-39s to 10^-33s or so seconds in the early universe. This procedure is inacted due to an earlier work whereas referees exhibited puzzlement as to the physical mechanism for release of Gravitons in the very early universe. The calculation is meant to be complementary to work done in the Book “Dark Energy” by M. Li, X-D. Li, and Y. Wang, and also a calculation for Black hole destruction as outlined by Karen Freeze, et. al. The GW generation will be when there is sufficient early universe density so as to break apart Relic Black holes but we claim that this destruction is directly linked to a Lorentz violating energy-momentum G. Salesi derived, which we adopt, with a mass m added in the G. Salesi energy momentum results proportional to a tiny graviton mass, times the number of gravitons in the first 10^-43 seconds

With continued technological innovation in the fields of mixed reality (MR), wearable-type MR devices, such as helmets, have been released and are frequently used in various fields, such as entertainment, training, and education. However, because each product has different parts and specifications in terms of the design and manufacturing process, users feel that the virtual objects overlaying real environments in MR are visualized differently depending on the scale and color used by the MR device. In this paper, we compare the effect of scale and color parameters on users’ perception in using different types of MR devices to improve MR experience. We conducted two experiments (scale and color), and our experimental study showed that the subjects who participated in the scale perception experiment clearly tended to underestimate virtual objects, compared with real objects, and overestimate color in MR environments. [MM1]Please confirm meaning.

Local air quality is a major concern for the population regularly exposed to high levels of air pollution. The airport, mainly due to its aircraft engines activities during taxiing and take off, is often submitted to heterogeneous but important concentrations of NOx and PM. The study suggests an innovative approach to determine the air traffic impact on air quality at the scale of the airport, its runways and terminals, in order to be able to locate the persistent high concentrations spots. The pollutants concentrations at 10 m resolution and 1 s time step are calculated in order to identify the most affected areas of an airport platform. A real day of air traffic on a regional airport is simulated, using real data as aircraft trajectories (from radar streams). In order to estimate the aircraft emissions, the Air Transport Systems Evaluation Infrastructure (IESTA) is used. Regarding local air quality, IESTA relies on the non-hydrostatic meso-scale atmospheric model Meso-NH using grid-nesting capabilities with 3 domains, for this study. The detailed cartography of the airport distinguishes between grassland, parking and terminals, allowing to compute exchanges of heat, water and momentum between the different types of surfaces and the atmosphere as well as the interactions with the building using a drag force. The dynamic parameters like wind, temperature, turbulent kinetic energy and pollutants concentration are computed at 10 m resolution over the 2 × 4 km airport domain. The pollutants are considered in this preliminary study as passive tracers, without chemical reactions. This preliminary study aims at proving the feasibility of high scale modelling over an airport with state of the art physical models.

The range of rating instruments in depression measurement and the depth of their analytical relevance constitutes a major development in this psychiatric and psychotherapeutic field of mental health. Though the competition is acute amongst these various instruments, the results for the public have been outstandingly positive. A depression rating scale is essentially a psychiatric measuring instrument utilized in the identification and ranking of depression severity within the patient. The scale provides the practitioner, psychiatrist or psychotherapist, with sufficient information to assess the severity of the depression plotted on the scale. Not used as a “diagnostic tool” itself, nevertheless, the depression rating scale does function as an effective device for designating and assigning a behavioral score which may, then, be used in establishing the severity of depression of value in the designation of a diagnosis and treatment formula. In this paper, we will take a close look at the leading depression rating scales and briefly summarize their scope of assessment value in rating depression.

Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection remains a significant public health concern, particularly in Africa, where the burden is substantial. HBV is an enveloped virus, classified into ten phylogenetically distinct genotypes (A – J). Tests to determine HBV genotypes are based on full-genome sequencing or reverse hybridization. In practice, both approaches have limitations. Whereas diagnostic sequencing, generally using the Sanger approach, tends to focus only on the S-gene and yields little or no information on intra-patient HBV genetic diversity, reverse hybridization detects only known genotype-specific mutations. To resolve these limitations, we developed an Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT)-based HBV diagnostic sequencing protocol suitable for clinical virology that yields both complete genome sequences and extensive intra-patient HBV diversity data. Specifically, the protocol involves tiling-based PCR amplification of HBV sequences, library preparation using the ONT Rapid Barcoding Kit, ONT GridION sequencing, genotyping using Genome Detective software, recombination analysis using jpHMM and RDP5 software, and drug resistance profiling using Geno2pheno software. We prove the utility of our protocol by efficiently generating and characterizing high-quality near full-length HBV genomes from 148 residual diagnostic samples from HBV-infected patients in the Western Cape province of South Africa, providing valuable insights into the genetic diversity and epidemiology of HBV in this region of the world.

Bacterial infections pose a serious threat to human health, and the overuse of antibiotics has led to the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Numerous current wound dressings, which may cause skin irritation or allergies are insufficient in handling large wounds, often leading to infections. This highlights the need for better antibacterial materials. Nypa fruticans (Nipa palm), native to Southeast Asia, has long been utilized for various purposes because of its multiple benefits such as its antimicrobial properties, presence of probiotics, and high cellulose content. This study evaluates the use of cellulose hydrogel from nipa fronds, loaded with probiotics (ProbioGel), as an antimicrobial agent to prevent infections. The study involved an in-vitro assay using the Kirby-Bauer method to evaluate the gel’s antimicrobial properties against common wound pathogens. Additionally, whole genome sequencing and promoter analysis were done to identify genes supporting their biochemical properties. The results showed ProbioGel exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Candida albicans due to the presence of genes encoding lysozyme, carnobacteriocin B2, and fatty acid ABC transporter ATP binding in the Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BCRC-16100. This study highlighted the potential of ProbioGel as an innovative and effective antimicrobial and anti-infection agent for wound care. The discovery of genes in the probiotic strain responsible for encoding antimicrobial peptides further supports its therapeutic potential.

The Aspergillus genus comprises fungi that are widely distributed in nature. The Terrei section is particularly important due to its functions in recycling organic matter. Aspergillus hortae is a species from this section that has been isolated from clinical samples, but its role as a pathogenic agent is unclear. In this study, three clinical A. hortae isolates from Colombia, initially identified as A. terreus, were characterised by micro and macro-morphological analysis at 26°C and 37°C. A bioinformatic pipeline was used for molecular typing, which included analysis of whole genome sequences for accurate species identification. Susceptibility assays were also conducted using the microdilution broth method (EUCAST). It was confirmed that this species is intrinsically resistant to Amphotericin B with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2-4 mg/L, and is also thermotolerant. We obtained the in vitro susceptibility profiles for three azole drugs (MIC, 0.25-1 mg/L). The three isolates showed phylogenetic divergence from the reference genome strain. A mutation (M769K) in the MelA ortholog of a hypopigmented isolate, which had the lowest MIC value for AmB (2 mg/L), was identified. This study presents the morphological characterization, molecular typing through whole-genome analysis and identification of susceptibility profiles to azoles and amphotericin B of three clinical isolates of A. hortae from Colombia.

Cleomaceae is an important group that is medicinally and economically important. However, its systematic position has been controversial. In this study, we have obtained three chloroplast genomes sequencing results of Cleomaceae species. The genome sizes ranged from 157,073 bp (Sieruela rutidosperma) to 158,152 bp (Gynandropsis gynandra). These chloroplast genomes have a typical quadripartite formation with a large single-copy (LSC) region (86,422-87,242bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,485-18,548bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,083-26,184bp). The chloroplast genomes encoded 131-132 genes, comprising 8 rRNA genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 79-84 protein-coding genes. The overall GC contents of the three chloroplast genomes are almost identical (35.81%-36.02%). The phylogenetic trees concluding 8 Cleomaceae plants were constructed based on ML and BI methods. The results showed that Gynandropsis gynandra and Sieruela rutidosperma were in the same branch, with Corynandra viscosa as their sister. Six hypervariable areas were identified, containing clpP, matK, ndhF, atpH-atpI, atpF-atpH and petN-psbM which could be used in species identification and population genetics studies. This study provides valuable information for further species identification, evolutionary and genetic studies of Cleomaceae in the future.

The Ylistrum japonicum is a commercially valuable scallop known for its long-distance swimming abilities. Despite its economic importance, genetic and genomic research on this species is limited. This study presents the first complete mitochondrial genome of Y. japonicum. The mitochondrial genome is 19,475 bp long and encompasses 13 protein-coding genes, 3 ribosomal RNA genes, and 23 transfer RNA genes. By selecting 15 Pectinidae species and additional outgroup taxa, we have constructed phylogenetic trees to elucidate the evolutionary placement of Ylistrum within the family Pectinidae. Our analysis reveals that Ylistrum is a basal lineage to the Pectininae clade, distinct from its previously assigned tribe, Amusiini. This study offers critical insights into the genetic makeup and evolutionary history of Y. japonicum, enhancing our knowledge of this economically vital species.

We sequenced and assembled genomes for 17 isolates of Staphylococcus cohnii isolated from osteomyelitis lesions in young broilers from two separate experiments where we induced lameness using a hybrid wire-litter flooring system. Whole genome comparisons using three different methods support a close relationship of genomes from both S. cohnii and Staphylococcus urealyticus. The data support three different lineages, we designated Lineage 1, Lineage 2 and Lineage 3, uniting these two species within an evolving complex. We present evidence for horizontal transfer between lineages of genomic regions from 50-440 kbp. The transfer of a 186 kbp region from Lineage 1 to Lineage 2 appears to have generated Lineage 3. Human-associated isolates appear to be limited to Lineages 2 and 3 but Lineage 2 appears to contain a higher number of human pathogenic isolates. The chicken isolates from our lameness trials included genomically diverse isolates from both Lineage 1 and 2, and isolates from both lineages were obtained from osteomyelitis lesions of individual birds. Our results expand the diversity of Staphylococci associated with osteomyelitis in poultry and suggest a high diversity in the microbiome of day-old chicks. Our data also support a reevaluation and unification of the taxonomic classifications of S. cohnii and S. urealyticus.

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) stands as a pivotal fruit tree with significant economic, ecological, and social value. Recent years have witnessed remarkable strides in multi-omics-based biological re-search on jujube. This review began by summarizing advancements in jujube genomics. Subse-quently, we provided a comprehensive overview of the integrated application of genomics, tran-scriptomics, and metabolomics to explore pivotal genes governing jujube domestication traits, quality attributes (including sugar synthesis, terpenoids, and flavonoids), and responses to abiotic stress, and discussed the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underlying these traits. Further-more, challenges in multi-omics research on jujube biological traits were outlined, and we pro-posed the integration of resources such as pan-genomics and sRNAome to unearth key molecules and regulatory networks influencing diverse biological traits. Incorporating these molecules into practical breeding strategies, including gene editing, transgenic approaches, and progressive breeding, holds the potential for achieving molecular-design breeding and efficient genetic en-hancement of jujube.

Bulbophyllum is one of the largest genera and presents some of the most intricate taxonomic problems in the family Orchidaceae, including species of ornamental and medical importance. The lack of knowledge regarding the characterization of Bulbophyllum chloroplast (cp) genomes has imposed current limitations on our study. Here, we reported the complete cp genomes of seven Bulbophyllum species, including B. ambrosia, B. crassipes, B. farreri, B. hamatum, B. shanicum, B. triste and B. violaceolabellum, and compared with related taxa to provide a better understanding of their genomic information on taxonomy and phylogeny. A total of 28 Bulbophyllum cp genomes exhibit typical quadripartite structures with lengths ranging from 145,092 bp to 165,812 bp and GC content of 36.60% to 38.04%. Each genome contained 125–132 genes, encompassing 74–86 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The genome arrangements, gene contents and length were similar with differences observed in ndh gene composition. A total of 18–49 long repeats and 38–80 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected and the single-nucleotide (A/T) was dominant in Bulbophyllum cp genomes, with an obvious A/T preference. An analysis of relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) revealed Leucine (Leu) was the most frequently used codon, while cysteine (Cys) was the least used. Six highly variable regions including ndhF-trnLUAG, trnTUGU-trnLUAA, trnFGAA-ndhJ, rps15-trnNGUU, rbcL-accD and psbI-trnSGCU were identified based on the ranking of the Pi values, had the potential to serve as DNA markers for species identification and phylogeny of the genus Bulbophyllum. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete cp genome sequences and 68 protein-coding genes strongly supported 28 Bulbophyllum species can be divided into four branches and sects. Brachyantha, Cirrhopetalum, Leopardinae defined by morphology were non-monophyly. Our results enriched the genetic resources of Bulbophyllum species, providing valuable information to illustrate the complicated taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution process of the genus.

Machine learning, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, and generative artificial intelligence are revolutionising every area of our lives when data is made available. With the help of these methods, we can decipher information from larger datasets while addressing the complex nature of biological systems in a more efficient way. Although machine learning methods have been introduced to human genetic epidemiological research as early as 2004, those were never used to their full capacity. In this review, we outline some of the main applications of machine learning to assigning human genetic loci to health outcomes. We summarise widely used methods and discuss their advantages and challenges. We also identify several tools, such as Combi, GenNet and GMSTool, specifically designed to integrate these methods for hypothesis-free analysis of genetic variation data. We elaborate on the additional value and limitations of these tools from a geneticist’s perspective. Finally, we discuss the fast-moving field of foundation models and large multi-modal omics biobank initiatives.

Transposons are mobile DNA sequences that contribute large fractions of many plant genomes. They provide exclusive resources for tracking gene and genome evolution and for developing molecular tools for basic and applied research. Despite extensive efforts, it is still challenging to accurately annotate transposons, especially for the beginners as transposon prediction requires necessary expertise in both transposon biology and bioinformatics. Moreover, the complexity of plant genomes and the dynamic evolution of transposons also bring difficulties for genome-wide transposon discovery. This review summarizes the three major strategies for transposon detections including repeat-based, structure-based, and homology-based annotation, and introduces the transposon superfamilies identified in plants thus far, and some related bioinformatics resources for detecting plant transposons. Furthermore, it describes the transposon classification and explains why the terms of ‘autonomous’ and ‘non-autonomous’ cannot be used to classify the superfamilies of transposons. Last, this review also discusses how to identify misannotated transposons and improve the quality of transposon database. This review provides helpful information about plant transposons and a beginner’s guide on annotating these repetitive sequences.

Elongate loach (Leptobotia elongata) is an endemic fish in China. Previous studies have provided some insights into the mitochondrial genome composition, and the phylogenetic relationships of L. elongata inferred using protein-coding genes (PCGs). However, the detailed information about is limited. Therefore, in this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of L. elongata and analyzed its structural characteristics. The PCGs and mitochondrial genome were used for selective stress analysis and genomic comparative analysis respectively. The complete mitochondrial genome of the L. elongata, together with those of 36 Cyprinidae species, was used to infer the phylogenetic relationships of the Cobitidae family through maximum likelihood (ML) reconstruction. The results showed that the genome sequence has a full length of 16,591 bp, which includes 13 PCGs, 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and two non-coding regions (CR D-loop and light chain sub-chain replication origin OL). Overall, L. elongata shared the same gene arrangement and composition of the mitochondrial genes with other teleost fishes. The Ka/Ks ratios of all mitochondrial PCGs were less than 1, indicating that all the PCGs were evolving under purifying selection. Genome comparison analyses showed a significant sequence homology of species of Leptobotia. A significant identity between L. elongata and the other 5 Leptobotia species was observed in the visualization result, except for L. mantschurica, which lacked the tRNA-Arg gene and had a shorter tRNA-Asp gene. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the Cobitidae species examined here can be grouped into two clades, with L. elongata forming a sister relationship with L. microphthalma. This study could provide additional inferences for a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among Cobititdae species.

Littoraria melanostoma (Gray, 1839) is a most common species of gastropods in mangroves. They quickly respond during the early stage of mangrove restoration and usually form a dominant community within a certain period. We characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of the species. The whole mitogenome of L. melanostoma was 16,149 bp in length and its nucleotide composition showed high AT-content of 64.16%. It had 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes, one control region between tRNA-Phe and COX3. The A/T compositions in the control region is 74.7%, respectively, and are much higher than the overall A/T composition of the mitochondrial genomes. The amino acid composition and codon usage of the mitochondrial genomes of from eight superfamilies of Littorinimorpha were analyzed, and the results showed that CUU (Leu), GCU (Ala), AUU (Ile), UCU (Ser), UUA (Leu), GUU (Gly) and UUU (Phe) are the commonly used codons in this order. The results of phylogenetic analysis were roughly consistent with morphological classification, which showed that L. melanostoma is closely related to L. sinensis, a rock-dwelling species that is widespread in the coastal intertidal zone of China. These results may provide a basis to understand the phylogeny and evolution of the Littorinimorpha.

Histoplasmosis is one of the most underdiagnosed and underreported endemic mycoses in the United States. Histoplasma capsulatum is the causative agent of this disease. To date, molecular epidemiologic studies detailing the phylogeographic structure of H. capsulatum in the United States have been limited. We conducted genomic sequencing using isolates from histoplasmosis cases reported in the United States. We identified North American Clade 2 (NAm2) as the most prevalent clade in the country. Despite high intra-clade diversity, isolates from Minnesota and Michigan cases predominately clustered by state. Future work incorporating environmental sampling and veterinary surveillance may further elucidate the molecular epidemiology of H. capsulatum in the United States and how genomic sequencing can be applied for surveillance and outbreak investigation of histoplasmosis.

Plesiomonas shigelloides is the only species in the genus and has zoonotic importance due to its serious implications resulting from the consumption of contaminated seafood. This is the first report on the genomic features of the whole-genome sequence (WGS) of P. shigelloides strain V-78 recovered from diseased rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. The genome of P. shigelloides V-78 consists of 4,478,098 base pairs (bp), which encode 3730 proteins and has a G+C content of 51.1%. The bioinformatics analysis of WGS of V-78 confirmed the presence of 121 tRNA genes and 42 rRNA genes (15 genes for 5S rRNA, 13 genes for 16S rRNA and 14 genes for 23S rRNA). Comprehensive genome analyses revealed that the strain encodes for secondary metabolites, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence genes. The strain V-78 has 31 known antibiotic resistance models, which encode many antimicrobial resistances. Also, strain V-78 has 42 different virulence genes such as adhesion, secretion system, and motility. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization value against P. shigelloides NCTC 10360 was 74.2%, while the average nucleotide identity value was 97.1%. Based on the scrutinized analysis of genomic data, strain V-78 should be considered a novel subspecies of P. shigelloides, for which Plesiomonas shigelloides subsp. oncorhynchi is proposed.

Poplar and willow species in the Salicaceae are dioecious, yet have been shown to use different sex determination systems located on different chromosomes. Willows in the section Vetrix are interesting for comparative studies of sex determination systems, yet genomic resources for these species are still quite limited. Only a few annotated reference genome assemblies are available, despite many species in use in breeding programs. Here we present de novo assemblies and annotations of 11 shrub willow genomes from six species. Copy number variation of candidate sex determination genes within each genome was characterized and revealed remarkable differences in putative master regulator gene duplication and deletion. We also analyzed copy number and expression of candidate genes involved in floral secondary metabolism, and identified substantial variation across genotypes, which can be used for parental selection in breeding programs. Lastly, we report on a genotype that produces only female descendants and identified gene presence/absence variation in the mitochondrial genome that may be responsible for this unusual inheritance.

Background. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified as a pathophysiological hallmark of disease onset and progression in patients with Parkinsonian disorders. Besides the overall emergence of gene therapies in treating these patients, this highly relevant molecular concept has not yet been defined as a target for gene therapeutic approaches. Methods. This narrative review will discuss the experimental evidence suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction as a viable treatment target in patients with monogenic and idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. In addition, we will focus on general treatment strategies and crucial challenges which need to be overcome. Results. Our current understanding of mitochondrial biology in parkinsonian disorders opens up the avenue for viable treatment strategies in Parkinsonian disorders. Insights can be obtained from primary mitochondrial diseases. However, substantial knowledge gaps and unique challenges of mitochondria-targeted gene therapies need to be addressed to provide innovative treatments in the future. Conclusions. Mitochondria-targeted gene therapies are a potential strategy to improve an important primary disease mechanism in Parkinsonian disorders. However, further studies are needed to address the unique design challenges for mitochondria-targeted gene therapies.

The SnRK gene family is a key regulator playing an important role in plant stress response by phosphorylating the target protein to regulate the signalling pathways. The function of SnRK gene family has been reported in many species but is limited to Triticum asetivum. In this study, SnRK gene family in the wheat genome was identified and its structural characteristics were described. One hundred forty-seven SnRK genes distributed across 21 chromosomes were identified in the Triticum aestivum genome and categorised into three subgroups (SnRK1/2/3) based on phylogenetic analyses and domain types. The gene intron-exon structure and protein-motif composition of SnRKs were similar within each subgroup but different amongst the groups. Gene duplication between the wheat, Arabidopsis, rice and barley genomes was also investigated in order to get insight into the evolutionary aspects of the TaSnRK family genes. SnRK genes showed differential expression patterns in leaves, roots, spike, and grains. Redundant stress-related cis-elements were also found in the promoters of 129 SnRK genes and their expression levels varied widely following drought, ABA and light regulated elements. In particular, TaSnRK2.11 had higher and increased expression under the abiotic stresses and can be a candidate gene for the abiotc stress tolerance. The findings will aid in the functional characterization of TaSnRK genes for further research.

The development of CRISPR associated proteins, such as Cas9, has led to increased accessibility and ease of use in genome editing. However, additional tools are needed to quantify and identify successful genome editing events in living animals. We developed a method to rapidly and quantitatively monitor gene editing activity non-invasively in living animals that also facilitates confocal microscopy and nucleotide level analyses at the end of study. Here we report a new CRISPR “footprinting” approach to activate luciferase and fluorescent proteins in mice as a function of gene editing. This system is based on experience with our prior Cre-detector system and is designed for Cas editors able to target LoxP including gRNAs including SaCas9 and ErCas12a [1, 2]. These CRISPRs cut specifically within LoxP, an approach that is a departure from previous gene editing in vivo activity detection techniques that targeted adjacent stop sequences. In this sensor paradigm, CRISPR activity was monitored non-invasively in living Cre reporter mice (FVB.129S6(B6)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm1(Luc)Kael/J and Gt(ROSA)26Sortm4(ACTB-tdTomato,-EGFP)Luo/J, which will be referred to as LSL and mT/mG throughout the paper) after intramuscular or intravenous hydrodynamic plasmid injections, demonstrating utility in two diverse organ systems. The same genome-editing event was examined at the cellular level in specific tissues by confocal microscopy to determine the identity and frequency of successfully genome-edited cells. Further, SaCas9 induced targeted editing at efficiencies that were comparable to Cre recombinase demonstrating high effective delivery and activity in a whole animal. This work establishes genome editing tools and models to track CRISPR editing in vivo non-invasively and to fingerprint the identity of targeted cells. This approach also enables similar utility for any of the thousands of previously generated LoxP animal models.

Entamoeba histolytica, like other Organismes, is characterized by diversity and heterogeneity in its genetic content, which is one of the most important reasons for survival, and the increase in susceptibility to infection.Non-condensation of chromosomes during the process of cell division and the ambiguity of the chromosomal ploidy makes predicting the exact chromosomal number difficult. Genes distributed across 14 chromosomes as well as many extra-chromosome elements. Most Genes composed of one axon only, with Introns in 25% of Genes. This genome is characterized by the presence of Polymorphic internal repeat regions, and several gene families, one of these large families encoding Transmembrane kinas, Cysteine protease (CP), SREHP protein, and others.

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important cause of upper and lower respiratory tract disease in individuals of all ages. It is estimated that most individuals will be infected by HMPV by the age of 5 years old. Despite this burden of disease, there remains caveats in our knowledge of virus global genetic diversity due to a lack of HMPV sequencing, particularly at whole genome scale. The purpose of this study was to create a simple and robust approach for HMPV whole genome sequencing to be used for genomic epidemiological studies. To design our assay, all available HMPV full length genome sequences were downloaded from the NCBI GenBank database and used to design four primer sets to amplify long, overlapping amplicons spanning the viral genome and, importantly, specific to all known HMPV subtypes. These amplicons were then pooled and sequenced on an Illumina iSeq; however the approach is suitable to other common NGS platforms. We demonstrate the utility of this method using a representative subset of clinical samples and examine these sequences using a phylogenetic approach. Here we present an amplicon-based method for the whole genome sequencing of HMPV from clinical extracts that can be used to better inform genomic studies of HMPV epidemiology and evolution.

The constitutively active tyrosine kinase BCR/ABL1 oncogene plays a key role in human chronic myeloid leukemia development and disease maintenance, and determines most of the features of this leukemia. For this reason, tyrosine kinase inhibitors are the first-line treatment, offering most patients a life expectancy like that of an equivalent healthy person. However, since the oncogene is not destroyed, lifelong oral medication is essential, even though this trigger adverse effects in many patients. Furthermore, leukemic stem cells remain quiescent and resistance is observed in approximately 25% of patients. Thus, new therapeutic alternatives are still needed. In this scenario, the emergence of CRISPR technology can offer a definitive treatment based on its capacity to disrupt coding sequences. This review describes CML disease and the main advances in the genome-editing field by which it may be treated in the future.

Recently the polyvalent bacteriophage FP01, isolated from wastewater in Valparaiso, Chile, was described to have lytic activity across species against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovars. Due to it polyvalent nature the bacteriophage FP01 could have potential application in food and agri-industry. Also, fundamental aspects of polyvalent bacteriophage biology are not well known. In this study we sequenced and describe the complete genome of the polyvalent phage FP01 (MH745368) using the nanopore technology. The bacteriophage FP01 genome has a 44,900 bp, double-stranded DNA with an average G+C content of 49.41% and 90 coding sequences (CDSs). We found that the phage FP01 critically depends on host factors for replication and transcription. Also, it has a critical lysogenic repressor pseudogene. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the phage FP01 is closely related to phages lambda and P22. These results suggest that the phage FP01 could be a lytic variant of a lysogenic phage or acquired genes from lysogenic phages during host infection.

Cyanobacteria are an ancient lineage of slow-growing photosynthetic bacteria and a prolific source of natural products with diverse chemical structures and potent biological activities and toxicities. The chemical identification of these compounds remains a major bottleneck. Strategies that can prioritize the most prolific strains and novel compounds are of great interest. Here, we combine chemical analysis and genomics to investigate the chemodiversity of secondary metabolites based on their pattern of distribution within some cyanobacteria. Planktothrix being a cyanobacterial genus known to form blooms worldwide and to produce a broad spectrum of toxins and other bioactive compounds, we applied this combined approach on four closely related strains of Planktothrix. The chemical diversity of the metabolites produced by the four strains was evaluated using an untargeted metabolomics strategy with high-resolution LC-MS. Metabolite profiles were correlated with the potential of metabolite production identified by genomics for the different strains. Although, the Planktothrix strains present a global similarity in term biosynthetic cluster gene for microcystin, aeruginosin and prenylagaramide for example, we found remarkable strain-specific chemo-diversity. Only few of the chemical features were common to the four studied strains. Additionally, the MS/MS data were analyzed using Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) to identify molecular families of the same biosynthetic origin. In conclusion, we present an efficient integrative strategy for elucidating the chemical diversity of a given genus and link the data obtained from analytical chemistry to biosynthetic genes of cyanobacteria.

Individuals with low health literacy (HL) are known to have poorer health outcomes and to have higher mortality rates compared to individuals with higher HL: hence, the improvement of HL is a key outcome in modern healthcare systems. Healthcare providers are therefore asked to support patients’ literacy skills by encouraging the implementation of autonomy-supportive patient centered communication (PCC), which in turn requires the enhancement of patient engagement. Our main hypothesis is that the well-known relationship between autonomy-supportive PCC and HL is mediated by patient engagement which is known to play a role in HL promotion and that is related to PCC as well. The purpose of this study was to formulate a hypothetical structural equation model (SEM) linking PCC to patient engagement and HL. A cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 1007 Italian chronic patients. The hypothetical model was tested using SEM to verify the hypothesized mediation of patient engagement between PCC and HL. Results show that the theoretical model has a good fit indexes and that patient engagement fully mediates the relationship between PCC and HL. This finding suggests healthcare systems to implement a new paradigm where patients are supported to play an autonomous role in their own healthcare.

Phubbing - the act of snubbing someone by concentrating on a smartphone - is claimed to be an increasing, even normative, behaviour receiving more research attention. However, evidence about the adequacy of instruments that allow screening for phubbing is limited. Thus, the main purpose of the present study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Phubbing scale in a sample of adolescents and young adults, and present a reliable and valid short form. The final sample included a total of 1351 adolescent students (54.25% males), aged between 12 and 21. A two-dimensional model of a short version of the PS with 6 items (PS-6) displayed appropriate goodness of-fit indices. Strong measurement invariance for the two-dimensional model across gender and educational level was confirmed. McDonald’s Omega coefficients for the Communication, the Obsession, and the Total score of the PS-6 were 0.617, 0.669, and 0.701, respectively. The PS-6 was positively associated with several indicators of psychological difficulties and negatively associated with psychological well-being and self-esteem. The present study contributes valuable information about the psy-chometric adequacy of the PS-6, a short instrument that allows screening for Phubbing in adoles-cents and young adults.

Existing scales assessing family relations are usually quite long. Our aim was to develop and validate the Family Functioning and Cohesion Scale (FFCS), a self-reported short instrument consisting of 14 items. The validation of the FFCS was based on its administration through an online platform to 481 subjects living in 46 different countries around the world. Cronbach's alpha was 0.85 (ranging from 0.83 to 0.86 if any one item was deleted), signifying high internal consistency. The scale can be considered as a sole factor based on its high consistency, while factor analysis produced three factors corresponding to “communication”, “anger/resentment/aggression” and “values and beliefs”. Test-retest reliability correlation coefficient was found to be 0.88 at a 2-week interval. As far as external validity is concerned, the correlation coefficient of the FFCS with the General Functioning subscale of the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) was 0.83. The high measures of consistency, reliability, and validity of the FFCS, combined with its short length, make it an invaluable tool for use in research as well as in any professional dealing with families in the clinical fields of psychiatry, psychology, social work or any other relevant specialty.

The Phubbing Scale (PS) is an instrument used to measure the frequency and extent of the behaviour of ignoring someone you are with and giving attention to your mobile phone instead. However, there is insufficient evidence about the psychometric adequacy of the Spanish version of the instrument. The main goal of this research was to analyse the psychometric properties of PS in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents and young adults. A total of 1351 participants comprised the sample. (42,78% females, age range = 12-21). The goodness-of-fit indices for the two-factor model were good. The McDonald’s Omega coefficient for the total score was 0.787. The phenomenon of phubbing was found to have statistically significant correlations with emotional well-being, other mental health indicators, and with Problematic Internet Use (PIU); with the sole exception of the hyperactivity subscale of the SDQ This study provided validity evidence for the Spanish version of the Phubbing Scale (PS), suggesting that PS is a reliable tool for quantifying phubbing in Spanish adolescents.

Background: This study assessed the nature of healthcare services offered in the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences health clinic and students' disposition to access the facility. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of students in accessing healthcare services in the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences health clinic.Methods: Used cross-sectional design, a structured questionnaire of a five-point Likert scale as a veritable instrument for collecting the data from 50 student respondents. The questionnaire is made up of four key sections comprising student’s demographic parameters, knowledge, attitude and practice of both students and the clinic staff. Data collected was analyzed in a table of descriptive statistics to determine the total, range, mean and median, which were used to ascertain students’ utilization/accessibility disposition, perception of barriers to accessing healthcare service and overall viability of the clinic.Results: The mean value outcome of knowledge of students falls between 3.1 and 3.9, the mean value for attitude of students falls between 2.5 to 3.4 and 4.0, while the practice of students falls between mean values 2.6 and 3.1. Most of these outcomes represent poor or weak weight factor which requires several levels of intervention.Conclusion: This study highlights the overriding importance of the university healthcare clinic in maintaining a healthy study season among students of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and their health-seeking behaviour. This helps to promote health, attract higher intakes and retain them in the institution till graduation.

Recently, the Portuguese parliament approved the decriminalisation of euthanasia for incurable illnesses. As the experiences of other countries show us, it will be a matter of time before mental disorders are addressed. Studying the phenomenon, particularly in vulnerable groups, in advance is essential for proper law drafting. Therefore, instruments which allow an objective assessment and comparison between groups must be available. This study aims to explore the validation of Faria's Attitude about Euthanasia scale in Portuguese older adult patients with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. A sample of 114 older adult patients with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder collected by convenience in the Psychiatry Department of Senhora da Oliveira Hospital in Portugal was included. The pre-final version of the scale was tested in a small group with good results. The validity of the internal structure was analysed using exploratory factorial analysis. The internal consistency study verified reliability. For construct validity, we assessed the correlation with other validated scales measuring attitudes toward euthanasia, cognitive performance, personality and empathy. Attitude about euthanasia scale showed good internal consistency. One factor was retained in the principal component analysis. Significant correlations verified construct validity. The results support the scale's usefulness and validity. This study makes available a unique instrument to assess the overall tendency of the attitudes towards euthanasia in European-Portuguese, which can be used, for example, to compare Portuguese with Brazilian older adult psychiatric patients suffering from the same disorder. Furthermore, the adapted scale paves the way for other cross-cultural translations, adaptations, validations, and comparative analyses.

Women's empowerment represents a process in which they are recognized as subjects of rights. Despite advances in women's rights, inequalities persist in various areas. This study aims to validate a psychometric scale of 31 items in seven factors: Participatory Empowerment, Temerity, External Influences, Independence, Social Satisfaction and Equality. The objective is to measure the empowerment of women in the university context. The research was carried out in a transversal and non-experimental manner, with the participants' voluntary collaboration, including the participation of 1,478 university students from four Higher Education Institutions in Zone 4 of Ecuador. The data was analyzed through inferential statistics, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated that the instrument for measuring empowerment can be made up of 24 items grouped into six factors, and this model showed a good fit.

The coastal zone, situated at the sensitive interface between land and sea, serves as a pivotal area of extensive human economic activities. As one of China's economic special zones, Xiamen exemplifies the comprehensive trajectory of coastal governance in China. This research adopts an interdisciplinary approach grounded in historical geography and political ecology, employing data collection methods encompassing historical literature, field surveys, and interviews. The research findings indicate that:(1) The year 1994 witnessed the pivotal role played by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in connecting Jimei Peninsula from a local context to the international arena, thus signifying a momentous turning point in the process of scale reconstruction. However, the subsequent implementation of the Coastal Exclusion Policy in 2002 had detrimental consequences, leading to the disintegration of the local scale, the erosion of maritime culture, and the disregard for the livelihood security of displaced coastal populations.(2)The Coastal Exclusion Policy serves as an instrumental tool for implementing scale politics, while its functional realignment has had profound implications for the coastal zone, encompassing economic transformation, ecological degradation, and the marginalization of the socio-cultural fabric that intertwines humans and the coastal environment.

The Principle of Indifference (“PI”: the simplest non-informative prior in Bayesian probability) has been shown to lead to paradoxes since Bertrand (1889). Von Mises (1928) introduced the “Wine/Water Paradox” as a resonant example of a “Bertrand paradox”, and which has been presented as demonstrating that the PI must be rejected. We now resolve these paradoxes by a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) treatment of the PI that also includes information provided by Benford’s “Law of Anomalous Numbers” (1938). We show that the PI should be understood to represent a family of informationally-identical MaxEnt solutions; each solution being identified with its own explicitly justified boundary condition. In particular, our solution of the Wine/Water Paradox exploits Benford’s Law to construct a non-uniform distribution representing the universal constraint of scale invariance, which is a physical consequence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Land cover data are important basic data for earth system science and other fields. Multi-source remote sensing images have become the main data source for land cover classification. There are still many uncertainties in the scale effect of image spatial resolution on land cover classification. Since it is difficult to obtain multiple spatial resolution remote sensing images of the same area at the same time, the main current method to study the scale effect of land cover classification is to use the same image resampled to different resolutions, however errors in the resampling process lead to uncertainty in the accuracy of land cover classification. To study the land cover classification scale effect of different spatial resolutions of multi-source remote sensing data, we selected 1 m and 4 m of GF-2, 6 m of SPOT-6, 10 m of Sentinel-2 and 30 m of Landsat-8 multi-sensor data, and explored the scale effect of image spatial resolution on land cover classification from two aspects of mixed image element decomposition and spatial heterogeneity. For the study area, we compared the classification obtained from GF-2, SPOT-6, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-8 images at different spatial resolutions based on GBDT and RF. The results show that (1) GF-2 and SPOT-6 had the best classification results, and the optimal scale based on this classification accuracy was 4–6 m; (2) the optimal scale based on linear decomposition depended on the study area; (3) the optimal scale of land cover was related to spatial heterogeneity, i.e., the more fragmented and complex was the space, the smaller the scale needed; and (4) the resampled images were not sensitive to scale and increase the uncertainty of the classification. These findings have implications for land cover classification and optimal scale selection, scale effects and landscape ecology uncertainty studies.

BACKGROUND. The aims of this study was to compare differences in daytime sleepiness between genders and qualification levels in a cohort university Chinese soccer player under 0 Covid policy restrictions in the urban area of Shanghai. METHODS. 491 questionnaires of Epworth Sleepiness Scales (ESS) were compiled online by males and females Soccer Students (SS), Semi-professional players (SP) and professional players (PP) during the ongoing measures of Shanghai lockdown. ANOVA was performed for players levels and gender. RESULTS. Significant differences were found between the 3 levels and between males and females. PP showed a very low score in the ESS (5,97) well below the threshold of 8, while SS and SP showed an ESS score above the threshold. Female showed higher scores than males. CONCLUSIONS. This study present the first data on sleepiness in Chinese soccer players of different level of qualification in a lockdown condition. Professional players has been less affected by lockdown measures than SS and SP. We can hypothesize the reasons resides in the more ordered lifestyle of PP in comparison to SS and SP, which mitigated the effects of the lockdown. Measures to improve sleep in females’ soccer player should be adopted.

Mass transfer is often the rate determining step for solid-liquid chemical reactions. Decrease of the concentration boundary layer thickness is essential to intensify the chemical reaction. Because the concentration boundary layer exists in the velocity boundary layer, force imposition in the concentration boundary layer by superimposing an electrical current and a magnetic field was proposed. Through, flow can be directly excited in the concentration boundary layer. The previous result indicates that by superimposing a DC current and a gradient magnetic field, the development of the concentration boundary layer was suppressed, because of a macro-scale flow excitation in the whole vessel. And by superimposing the gradient magnetic field with a modulate current, the development of the concentration boundary layer was further suppressed. This is because of the macro-scale flow enhancement and the excitation of a micro-scale flow near the solid-liquid interface. However, the mechanism for the micro-scale flow excitation has not been clarified. To clarify this, a uniform magnetic field was superimposed with the DC current or the modulate current. By this means, only the micro-scale flow was excited near the anode surface. The results found that the non-unform electromagnetic force distribution is the main reason for the micro-scale flow excitation.

The level of technological development of any civilization can be gaged in large part by the amount of energy they produce for their use, but also encompasses that civilization’s stewardship of their home world. Following the Kardashev definition, a Type I civilization is able to store and use all the energy available on its planet. In this study, we develop a model based on Carl Sagan’s K formula and use this model to analyze the consumption and energy supply of the three most important energy sources: fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas, crude, NGL and feedstocks), nuclear energy and renewable energy. We also consider environmental limitations suggested by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency, and those specific to our calculations to predict when humanity will reach the level of a Kardashev scale Type I civilization.

Carton detection is an important technique in the automatic logistics system and can be applied to many applications such as the stacking and unstacking of cartons, the unloading of cartons in the containers. However, there is no public large-scale carton dataset for the research community to train and evaluate the carton detection models up to now, which hinders the development of carton detection. In this paper, we present a large-scale carton dataset named Stacked Carton Dataset (SCD) with the goal of advancing the state-of-the-art in carton detection. Images are collected from the Internet and several warehouses, and objects are labeled using per-instance segmentation for precise localization. There are total of 250,000 instance masks from 16,136 images. Naturelly, a suite of benchmarks are established with several popular detectors. In addition, we design a carton detector based on RetinaNet by embedding our proposed Offset Prediction between Classification and Localization module (OPCL) and Boundary Guided Supervision module (BGS). OPCL alleviates the imbalance problem between classification and localization quality which boosts AP by 3.1%∼4.7% on SCD at the model level while BGS guides the detector to pay more attention to boundary information of cartons and decouple repeated carton textures at the task level. To demonstrate the generalization of OPCL to other datasets, we conduct extensive experiments on MS COCO and PASCAL VOC. The improvements of AP on MS COCO and PASCAL VOC are 1.8%∼2.2% and 3.4%∼4.3% respectively. Source dataset is available here.

Scale inhibitors are deployed as preventive and rejuvenation operation in oil and gas industry when production operations are under threat or menace of scale blockage. The application of scale inhibitors is carried out through a method known as squeezing. In general, the squeeze process is governed by inhibitor-rock interaction which is described by adsorption/desorption isotherm. Most reservoirs produce loose sand grains or fine sand which float and flow within the pore spaces along with the squeezed scale inhibitors. Hypothetical reports have shown that not all scale inhibitors pumped into the formation adsorb onto the formation rock. A number of factors (irreversible adsorption, pH changes, competing ions, concentration and temperature) have been considered to affect the adsorption and return profile of these scale inhibitors. This review work examines the performances of most common scale inhibitors used in the oil and gas production activities, theoretical application in reservoirs and how loose fine sand grains affect the adsorption and desorption characteristics of squeezed scale inhibitors. Additionally, presented were overviews of previous reports on fine sand production and migration of fine sands through formation pores in reservoirs.

The Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) was developed 10 years ago to assess pain through characterisation of changes in five facial features or action units. The strength of the technique is that it is proposed to be a measure of spontaneous or non-evoked pain. A comprehensive scoping review of the academic literature was performed. The MGS has been employed mainly in evaluation of acute pain, particularly in the pain and neuroscience research fields. There has however been use of the technique in a wide range of fields, and based on limited study it does appear to have utility for pain assessment across a spectrum of animal models. Use of the method does allow detection of pain of a longer duration, up to a month post-initial insult. There has been less use of the technique using real-time methods and this is an area in need of further research.

Small-scale fishers are considered as one of the most vulnerable communities in Bangladesh but very few studies focused on the livelihood sustainability and vulnerabilities of this professional group. A fieldwork in lower Padma and upper Meghna hilsa sanctuaries identifies different livelihood characters and associated vulnerabilities of the fishers. A conceptual framework known as Sustainable Livelihood Approaches (SLA) has been introduced to analyses the qualitative and quantitative data. The insights of the livelihood strategies provide on small-scale fishers and fisheries management have been explained and explored. Fishers are found solely dependent on fishing, economically insolvent and neglected. In addition, some socio-economic abstractions such as low income, credit insolvency, lack of substitute earning flexibility make them more vulnerable. A number of effective suggestions are elicited from fishers’ perceptions, the implementation of which is crucial to ensure livelihood sustainability of the small-scale fishers.

Friction is an important subject for sustainability due to problems associated with energy loss. Recent years, surface micro- and nanostructures have attracted much attention to reduce friction; however, suitable structures are still under consideration. Many functional surfaces are present in nature, such as the friction reduction surfaces of snake skins. In this study, we focused on firebrats, Thermobia domestica, living in narrow spaces such as under bark, so their surface frequently contacts with surrounding surfaces. We speculate that their body surface would be adapted to reduce friction. To investigate the firebrat surface functions, firebrat surfaces were observed by using a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and a colloidal probe atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. Results of surface observations by the FE-SEM revealed that firebrats are entirely covered with scales, whose surfaces have micro groove structures. Scale groove periods around the firebrat's head are almost uniform within a scale but vary between scales. AFM friction force measurements revealed that firebrat scale reduces friction by decreasing contact area between scales and a colloidal probe. The heterogeneity of groove periods of the scales suggest that it is difficult to fix the whole body in particular rough surfaces and that lead to be "fail-safe".

Size-based fungal growth studies have limitations. For example, the growth in size stops in closed systems once it reaches the borders and poorly describes the metabolic status, especially in the stationary phase. This might lead mycotoxin studies to unrealistic results. Color change could be a viable alternative as pigments are results of the mold’s metabolic activity. This study aimed to verify the possibility of using gray values and the RGB system to analyze the growth of Fusarium graminearum. It consisted color and area measurement using the ImageJ software for specimens grown in yeast extract agar (YEA). The results suggest the usability of color and gray values as reliable tools to analyze the growth of F. graminearum.

This article is some review of results that were obtained at 2007-2021 years development of “The Information as Absolute” concept and the informational physical model, which is based on the concept; including a number of fundamental physical problems are briefly considered in framework of the conception and the model. Recently in physics there are several publications, that present lists of the problems. However, those lists are essentially incomplete, for at least two reasons. Firsts of all, a number of phenomena are studied traditionally by philosophy, and so corresponding problems are usually considered to be “metaphysical”. However, they relate also to some concrete physical phenomena. For example, physics evidently studies Matter, and so the metaphysical problems “what is ontology of Matter”, “what is “Space”, “Time” and a few other physical phenomena and notions as well, are really a Meta-physical problems “what does physics study?” There are other fundamental physical problems, which are not considered as such in physics, and are absent in the “fundamental problems lists”. Those include the problems, which really exist, yet are incorporated into standard physical theories, and so are fundamental “implicitly”, which in physics are “solved by default” ‒ and mostly erroneously. Note, though, that a number of “Meta-physical”, and concrete fundamental, problems more in detail are considered in the paper “The Informational Conception and Basic Physics”, https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.4657, v5 (2021), so this paper is, in certain sense, an expanded conclusion of this paper, which includes, correspondingly, more in detail consideration of some more general physical problems; and, besides, in this article, the problem “what are Gravity and Electric Forces” is essentially clarified comparing with the arXiv 2021 paper version above, and additionally initial model of Nuclear Force is presented. Besides, the concrete problem “What is Life”, and the rational cosmological model, where a few vague points in standard cosmology rather probably are rationally clarified, while the fundamental problem “matter – antimatter asymmetry” in Matter is solved with rather large probability, are considered, and one of recently published rather complete “lists of fundamental problems” is commented in Appendix.

Aging is a gradual and irreversible physiological process that leads to declines in tissue and cell functions, along with an increased risk of developing various age-related diseases. The primary driving force associated with aging is the accumulation of damaged genetic material in the cell, such as DNA. DNA damage can be caused by endogenous and exogenous factors, which leads to genome instability, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic modifications, and proteostatic disturb. Another driving force associated with aging is the disruption of cellular metabolism. This disruption is closely linked to alterations in the function of metabolic pathways, including insulin/IGF-1 and mTOR, which regulate crucial cellular processes like cell growth, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The activation of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway highly promotes cell growth and proliferation, while also inhibits autophagy and increasing ROS production. This ultimately leads to accelerated aging. Another crucial signaling pathway is the mTOR signaling pathway. It is responsible for detecting nutrient availability and controlling cell growth and metabolism. The dysregulation of mTOR function can lead to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, which are characterized by the aggregation of protein. Activation of transposable elements is the other driving force of aging, caused by changes in DNA methylation and the loss of heterochromatin. As a result, this leads to DNA damage, genomic instability, and inflammation. The aim of this review is to elucidate the consequence of DNA damage and other associated factors drive aging.

Canine Multiple System Degeneration (CMSD) is an early onset, progressive movement disorder affecting Kerry Blue Terriers and Chinese Crested dogs. The associated pathologic lesions include degeneration of the cerebellum, caudate nucleus and substantia nigra. CMSD is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait in both dog breeds. Previous linkage mapping localized the CMSD locus to a 15 MB region on canine chromosome 1 (CFA1). Next generation sequencing was used to generate whole genome sequences from DNA of an affected dog from each breed. The resulting sequence reads were aligned to the NCBI canine reference genome (build 3.1). Among the homozygous sequence variants within the CFA1 target region, a nonsense variant in exon 15 of SERAC1 was identified in the affected Kerry Blue Terrier, while in the Chinese Crested dog, a 4 bp deletion in the SERAC1 exon 4 acceptor splice site was found. RT-PCR showed that this deletion resulted in exon 4 skipping. Genotyping of large cohorts of Kerry Blue Terriers and Chinese Crested dogs for the respective breed-specific SERAC1 variants showed complete concordance between genotype and disease phenotype. Genotype-phenotype concordance was also observed in offspring generated by cross breeding between SERAC1-heterozygous Kerry Blue Terrier and Chinese Crested dogs, with only the compound heterozygotes exhibiting the disease phenotype, further confirming the recessive inheritance of CMSD. Variants in human SERAC1 are associated with disorders with a range of ages of disease onset and patterns of clinical signs, but that are all characterized by movement abnormalities similar to those of the dogs with CMSD. Canine CMSD could serve as a valuable model to elucidate the mechanisms underlying SERAC1-deficiency disorders and to evaluate potential therapeutic interventions.

The vast majority of gecko species are capable of tail regeneration, but singular geckos of Correlophus, Uroplatus, and Nephrurus genera are unable to regrow lost tails. Of these non-regenerative geckos, the crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) is distinguished by ready availability, ease of care, high productivity, and hybridization potential. These features make C. ciliatus particularly suited as a model for studying the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying loss of tail regeneration capabilities. We report a contiguous genome of C. ciliatus with a total size of 1.65 Gb, a total of 152 scaffolds, L50 of 6, and N50 of 109 Mb. Repetitive content consists of 40.41% of the genome, and a total of 30,780 genes were annotated. Assembly of the crested gecko genome provides a valuable resource for future comparative genomic studies between non-regenerative and regenerative geckos and other squamate reptiles.

A genome represents the complete collection of genetic material in an organism or cell. This genetic information is encoded in nucleic acids, which can be either single or double-stranded and arranged in linear or circular forms. DNA, the most common type of genetic material, consists of just four nucleotides: adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. These nucleotides are organized in a double helix structure, a discovery made by Watson and Crick. The sequence of these nucleotides forms the basic blueprint of a gene or genome. The process of determining this sequence is known as genome sequencing. The field of genome sequencing has evolved dramatically over time, advancing from sequencing short DNA fragments to analyzing millions of base pairs. Initially, efforts were focused on determining the sequence of individual genes, but now whole genome sequencing is both rapid and widely accessible. Recent improvements in sequencing technology emphasize faster, more accurate results, lower costs, and better data analysis. Sanger sequencing, which became the gold standard for DNA sequencing for about thirty years, was instrumental in completing various genome sequences, including the human genome. It laid the groundwork for newer sequencing methods. Today, these newer methods, known collectively as “Next-Generation Sequencing” (NGS), include several generations of technology. Second-generation methods, such as Illumina, Pyrosequencing, ABI/SOLiD, and Ion Torrent Sequencing, and third-generation methods like PacBio and Helicos Sequencing, have advanced the field further. Fourth-generation technology, such as Nanopore sequencing, is also emerging. Most modern research now relies on NGS for analyzing biological sequences, and understanding these technologies offers insight into current methods and future developments.

Biotic stressors pose serious threats to crop yield, jeopardizing food security and resulting in over US$220 billion per year losses to the agriculture industry. Plants activate innate defense mechanisms upon pathogen perception and invasion. The plant immune response comprises numerous concerted steps, including the recognition of invading pathogens, signal transduction, and activation of defensive pathways. However, pathogens have evolved various structures to evade plant immunity. Given these facts, genetic improvements of plants are required for sustainable disease management to ensure global food security. Advanced genetic technologies have provided new opportunities to revolutionize and boost plant disease resistance against devastating pathogens. Furthermore, targeting susceptibility (S) genes, such as OsERF922 and BnWRKY70, through CRISPR methodologies offers novel frontiers to disrupt the molecular compatibility of pathogens and introduce durable resistance against them in plants. Here, we provide a critical overview of advances in understanding disease resistance mechanisms. The review also critically examines management strategies under challenging environmental conditions and R gene-based plant genome engineering systems intending to enhance plant responses against emerging pathogens. This work underscores the transformative potential of modern genetic engineering practices in revolutionizing plant health and crop disease management while emphasizing the importance of responsible application to ensure sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

The flowering period of rice significantly impacts variety adaptability and yield formation. Properly shortening the reproductive period of rice varieties can expand their ecological range without significant yield reduction. Targeted genome editing, like CRISPR/Cas9, is an ideal tool to fine-tune rice growth stages and boost yield synergistically. In this study, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated multiplex genome editing vector containing five genes related to three traits: Hd2, Ghd7, and DTH8 (flowering stage genes), along with the recessive rice blast resistance gene Pi21 and the aromatic gene BADH2. This vector was introduced into the high-quality Geng rice variety in Zhejiang province, Jiahe212 (JH212), resulting in 34 T0 plants with various effective mutations. Among the 17 mutant T1 lines, several displayed diverse flowering dates, but most exhibited undesirable agronomic traits. Notably, three homozygous mutant lines (JH-C15, JH-C18, and JH-C31) showed slightly earlier flowering dates without significant differences in yield-related traits compared to JH212. Through special Hyg and Cas marker selection of T2 plants, we identified 7, 6, and 2 fragrant glutinous plants devoid of transgenic components, respectively. These single plants will serve as sib lines of JH212 and potential resources for breeding applications, including maintenance lines for Xian-Geng interspecific three-line hybrid rice. In summary, our research offers practical insights and potential resources for targeted improvement of Geng rice varieties, and would also promote the Geng rice varieties expending from the southward to the northward.

Scientists can use the Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein 9 system, which is a powerful and flexible tool for changing the genome, to change only certain parts of the genome. This has helped researchers figure out how target genes work in biology and disease. CRISPR/Cas9 is made up of a sequence-specific CRISPR RNA (crRNA) set and a generic Cas9 nuclease. The crRNA set tells Cas9 where to cut DNA and cause double-strand breaks. In the next step of cellular DNA repair, insertions, deletions, and swaps are made at specific spots. For CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DNA cleavage to be specific, the target sequences must match the crRNA, and a protospacer nearby motif must be placed after the target sequences. In this article, we talk about how CRISPR/Cas9 works at the molecular level, what it can be used for, what it can't do, and what its future clinical treatment promise might be.

The purpose of this study was to identify candidate novel species performing beneficial ecological functions from soil. The hypothesis was that novel culturable species with antibiotic production potential could be readily found from soil in the Nature Canyon at Los Angeles Pierce College. 137 bacterial isolates from soil were grown on nutrient agar, ISP-6 medium, or LB agar and partial 16S was ascertained using the Sanger platform for regions V1-V4. One of the potentially novel isolates, Pseudomonas sp. 21-C3-ER, was isolated on nutrient agar from fallow soil in an agricultural nature preserve in Los Angeles. The soil conditions were 3.7% moisture, clay texture by touch, 13.37% organic matter, pH=6.63, TDS=638, 150 ppm nitrogen, 114 ppm phosphate, and 42 ppm potash. Whole genome sequencing was performed on the DNBseq platform and species identification was performed with TRUEBacID; the closest relative was Pseudomonas brassicacearum subsp. neoaurantiaca which was 92.05% similar by genomic evidence. 197 virulence factors were identified including flagellar biosynthesis, motor proteins, Beta-lactamase, Fosfomycin, copper, and sulfur drug resistance. Gram stain of strain 21-C3-ER revealed gram negative rods. Rods were visualized with scanning electron microscopy, revealing individuals approximately 1 µm in length. Secondary metabolite analysis using antiSMASH showed a variety of post-translationally modified proteins and a promysalin analog. The qualitative test for pyoverdine siderophore production using UV light was positive. Metabolic analysis using RAST indicated genes were present for pyoverdine production, antimicrobial resistance, and ammonification. The nitrate reduction test was positive. Denitrifying bacteria may prevent leaching of nitrates from soil, since ammonia has a higher affinity to soil and organic matter than nitrate. We propose Pseudomonas fernandeno as a novel species. The type stain is 21-C3-ER.

Fecal Microbial Transplant (FMT) has been emerging as a prominent therapeutics in the modern science to modulate and correct the dysbiotic state of gut microbiome that leads to various metabolic and gastro-enteric diseases. A similar concept called as “panchagavya prasahan” exists in Ayurveda. This technique unlike the FMT involves the use of Cive by- products of cow viz. Cow dung, urine, milk, curd, ghee mixed in a copper vessel. In this study we assess the microbial composition of this preparation before and after the mixing in the copper vessel. We used the 16S rRNA gene based amplicon sequencing approach to understand the bacterial composition in the panchagavya preparation. We observed signiCicant decrease in the abundance of genera Pseudomonas and Streptococcus (p

Structural variations (SVs) play a key role in the pathogenicity of hematological malignancies. Optical genome mapping (OGM) is an emerging technology that enables genome-wide detection of all classes of SVs at a high resolution and sensitivity. Identification of cryptic SVs leading to gene disruption or predicted novel gene fusions could be important drivers for cancer development and/or portend a prognostic relevance, which could be used to modify the treatment plan. A cohort of 106 consented cases that had a successful OGM analysis performed were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment data were collected. Routine diagnostic and prognostic testing were done on the peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate as indicated. Additional samples of peripheral blood and/or bone marrow were sent for OGM testing. OGM led to a change in risk stratification in 17/66 (25.75%) of patients with hematological malignancies, the majority of these patients (15/66, 22.72%), having their risk stratification upgraded with a resulting change in treatment of 14 patients. This study highlights the ability of OGM to detect rare, cryptic and clinically relevant variants that potentially impact disease diagnosis, risk stratification and actionable treatment targets.

Background and objectives: TSC1 is a crucial component of the mTOR pathway, impacting cell growth, proliferation, and autophagy, while TSC2 is a tumor suppressor gene that regulates cell growth and is associated with the mTOR signaling pathway. In the present study, we analyzed TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA expression levels in rectal cancer, and evaluated the clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics of TSC1 and TSC2. Materials and Methods: TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA expression was examined in various cancer types. We further evaluated survival to determine the prognostic significance of TSC1 and TSC2 mRNA in CRC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Results: The study focused on rectal cancer, as it exhibited the most promising results. The patients were split into two subgroups, each comprising 50% of the total, based on the TSC gene expression levels. This division was made to assess the clinical characteristics associated with the expression of TSC1 and TSC2 genes. In the study, lower TSC1 expression was linked to venous invasion in rectal cancer patients, and there was also a related trend with lymphatic invasion, although it didn't reach statistical significance. Lower TSC2 expression was observed in younger patients and had some associations with sex and M stage, but these correlations were not statistically significant. When it came to survival analysis, TSC1 expression did not significantly impact overall survival, while higher TSC2 expression was associated with a poorer prognosis in rectal cancer. To enhance our comprehension, additional research, especially in larger case studies, is needed to explore the molecular mechanisms and clinical characteristics of TSC genes in colorectal cancer.

Objective: To identify and characterise genomic and phylogenetically isolated SARS-CoV-2 viral isolates in patients from Lambayeque, Peru. Methods: nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from patients from the Almanzor Aguinaga Asenjo Hospital, Chiclayo, Lambayeque, Peru, which have been considered mild, moderate and severe cases of COVID-19. Patients had to have tested positive for COVID-19, using a positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Subsequently, the SARS-CoV-2 complete viral genome sequencing was carried out using Illumina MiSeq®. The sequences obtained from the sequence were analysed in Nextclade V1.10.0 to assign the corresponding clades, identify mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genes and perform quality control of the sequences obtained. All sequences were aligned using MAFFT v7.471. The SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan NC 045512.2 was used as a reference sequence to analyse mutations at the amino acid level. The construction of the phylogenetic tree model was achieved with IQ-TREE v1.6.12. Results: it was determined that during the period December 2020 and January 2021, the lineages s C.14, C.33, B.1.1.485, B.1.1, B.1.1.1, B.1.111 circulated, lineage C.14 the most predominant with 76.7% (n=23/30), these lineages were classified in clade 20D mainly and also within clade 20B and 20A. On the contrary, the variants found in the second batch of samples of the period September – October 2021 were Delta Variant (72.7%), Gamma (13.6%), Mu (4.6%), Lambda (9.1%), distributed between clades 20J, 21G, 21H, 21J and 21I. Conclusions: This study reveals updated information on the viral genomics of SARS-CoV-2 in the Lambayeque region, Peru, which is crucial to understanding the origins and dispersion of the virus and provides information on viral pathogenicity, transmission and epidemiology.

In our article in Genome Biology Ecology six years ago, one complete plastid genome of Belian was assembled for comparative analyses of the plastomes in Lauraceae. However, Ariati et al. (2023) concluded that our sequenced Belian individual could be located in the clade of Myristicaceae instead of that of Lauraceae. Here, we performed re-analyses of additional two Belian plastomes, along with 42 plastomes from plants spanning ten families of the Magnoliids. The plastomes of the three Belian individuals range from 157,535 to 157,577 bp in length. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 170 mutation sites in their plastomes, which include 111 substitutions, 53 indels, and six microinversions. Phylogeny was reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches for 44 magnoliids species indicated that our three Belian individuals are nested among the species in the family Lauraceae rather than Myristicaceae.

Cycas (family Cycadaceae), spread throughout tropical and subtropical regions, is crucial in con-servation biology. Due to the subtle morphological variations between species, a solid spe-cies-level phylogeny for Cycas is lacking. Because of the rapid progress in high-throughput se-quencing technology, it has become feasible to acquire complete chloroplast (cp) genome se-quences, which provide a molecular foundation for phylogenetic research. In the present study, we employed next-generation sequencing technology to assemble and analyze the chloroplast genomes of six Cycas plants, including their genome structure, GC content, and nucleotide di-versity. The Cycas chloroplast genome spans 162,038 to 162,159 bp and contains 131 genes, in-cluding 86 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Through a comparative analysis, we found that the chloroplast genome of Cycas was highly conserved, as indicated by the contraction and expansion of the inverted repeat (IR) re-gions and sequence polymorphisms. In addition, several non-coding sites (psbK-psbI, petN-psbM, trnE-UUC-psbD, ndhC-trnM-CAU, and rpl32-trnP-GGG) showed significant varia-tion. The utilization of phylogenetic analysis relying on protein-coding genes has substantiated the division of Cycas primarily into four groups. The application of these findings will prove valuable in evaluating genetic diversity and the phylogenetic connections among closely related species. Moreover, it will provide essential support for the advancement of wild germplasm re-sources.

The non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have affected the epidemiology of other respiratory viruses. In South Korea, Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) typically occurs from winter to the following spring; however, it was not detected for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and re-emerged in the fall of 2022, which is a non-epidemic season. To examine the molecular genetic characteristics of HMPV before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed 427 HMPV-positive samples collected in the Gwangju area from 2018 to 2022. Among these, 24 samples were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The results showed a shift in the predominant genotype from A2b2 before the COVID-19 pandemic to A2b1 in 2022. Furthermore, a significant increase in HMPV cases was observed in the 6–10-year age group. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing have reduced the possibility of HMPV exposure and herd immunity due to non-transmission, resulting in the introduction of new HMPV genotypes in different seasons.

Prunus tenella is a rare and precious relict plant in China. It is an important genetic resource for almond improvement and an indispensable material in ecological protection and landscaping. However, the research of molecular breeding and genetic evolution has been severely restricted, due to the lack of genome information. In this investigation, we created a chromosome-level genomic pattern of P. tenella, 231Mb in length with a contig N50 of 18.1 Mb by Hi-C techniques and high-accuracy PacBio HiFi sequencing. The present assembly predicted 32088 protein-coding genes, and an examination of the genome assembly indicated that 94.7% among all assembled transcripts were alignable to the genome assembly; most (97.24%) were functionally annotated. By phylogenomic genome comparison, we found that P. tenella is an ancient group that diverged approximately 13.4 million years ago (Mya) from 13 additional closely related species and about 6.5 Mya from the cultivated almond. Collinearity analysis revealed that P. tenella is highly syntenic and has high sequence conservation with almond and peach. However, this species also exhibit many presence/absence variants. Moreover, a large inversion at the 7,588 kb position of chromosome 5 was observed, which may have a significant association with phenotypic traits. Lastly, population genetic structure analysis in eight different populations indicated a high genetic differentiation among the natural distribution of P. tenella. This high-quality genome assembly provides critical clues and comprehensive information for the systematic evolution, genetic characteristics, and functional gene research of P. tenella. Moreover, it provides a valuable genomic resource for in-depth study in protecting, developing, and utilizing P. tenella germplasm resources.

Bean common mosaic virus from the genus Potyvirus has a wide range of hosts and a very negative impact on cultivated crops from the genus Phaseolus. The risk of viral infection of economically important crops increases even if the carriers of the virus are related plant species growing on agroecological interfaces. Such plant species have emerged as new hosts for BCMV, usually harboring novel genetic variants of the virus. A novel genetic variant of BCMV was isolated from a symptomatic crownvetch plant, where the presence of this virus was confirmed by Western-blotting analysis and by amino acid identities in peptide fragments of CI, HC-pro, and CP proteins using the nanoLC-ESI-Q-TOF. The novel BCMV SVK isolate differed from the most genetically similar one in 0.91% of nucleotides and 1.55% of amino acids. The highest number of amino acid substitutions (8.8% of amino acids) was in the P1 protein, followed by CP (2.44% of amino acids). Minor substitutions were in Hc-pro, CI, and Nib proteins. The symptomatic crownvetch plant was confirmed as a new host and carrier of the novel BCMV isolate.

Due to the global warming and dynamic changes in pathogenic virulence, leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina has greatly expanded its epidermic region and become a severe threat to global wheat production. Genetic bases of wheat resistance to leaf rust mainly relies on the leaf rust resistance (Lr) gene or quantitative trait locus (QLr). Although these genetic loci have been insensitively studied during the last two decades, an updated overview of Lr/QLr in a genome-wide level is urgently needed. This review summarized recent progresses in genetic studies of wheat resistance to leaf rust. Wheat germplasms with great potentials in genetic improvement of resistance to leaf rust were highlighted. Key information about the genetic loci carrying Lr/QLr were summarized. A genome-wide chromosome distribution map for all the Lr/QLr was generated based on the released wheat reference genome. In conclusion, this review has provided valuable sources for both wheat breeders and researchers to understand the genetics of resistance to leaf rust in wheat.

Plant diseases are among the major factors affecting plant productivity. Biological control of plant diseases is preferred over chemical control as it is environment-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable. Among many microbes capable of providing biological control of plant diseases, probiotic Bacillus species are most promising as they can survive in adverse conditions, provide plants with a wide range of benefits including protection from phytopathogens. Wheat blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype (MoT) has emerged as a potential threat to global wheat production. Due to unreliability of fungicides and limited cultivar resistance, we aimed to screen and identify potential antagonist bacteria collected from internal tissues of rice and wheat seeds to determine their in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects against MoT. Dual culture and seedling assays were performed to evaluate the efficacy of probiotic bacteria. Out of 170 bacterial isolates, three bacteria (BTS-3, BTS-4, and BTLK6A) were screened as potential antagonists against MoT in vitro. Artificial inoculation at the seedling stage showed that the isolates BTS-4, BTS–3, and BTLK6A reduced 89, 88, and 85% of wheat blast disease severity, respectively, compared to mock-inoculated control. The bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis (BTS-3) and B. velezensis (BTS-4 and BTLK6A) through genome phylogeny. The whole genome sequence of these three bacterial strains decoded a number of orthologs to intrinsic genes of antimicrobial peptides, antioxidant defense enzymes, cell wall degrading enzymes, compounds involved in the induction of systemic resistance (ISR) in host plants, and volatile compounds to make them promising biologicals to control MoT in wheat. Combined data of in vitro and in vivo along with genome analysis suggest that Bacillus spp. suppress the destructive wheat blast disease likely through antibiosis and ISR in the host plants. Further field evaluation and characterization of antimicrobial compounds are needed for a better understanding of the mode of action and practical recommendation of these bacteria for wheat blast control in the farmers’ fields.

Human cancers comprise an heterogeneous array of diseases with different progression patterns and responses to therapy. However, they all develop within a host context that constraints their natural history. As it occurs with the diversity of organisms, one can conjecture that there is order in the cancer multiverse. Is there a way to capture the broad range of tumor types within a space of the possible? Here we define the oncospace, a coordinate system that integrates the ecological, evolutionary and developmental components of cancer complexity. The spatial position of a tumor results from its departure from the healthy tissue along these three axes, and progression trajectories inform about the components driving malignancy across cancer subtypes. We postulate that the oncospace topology encodes new information regarding tumorigenic pathways, subtype prognosis and therapeutic opportunities: treatment design could benefit from considering how to nudge tumors towards empty evolutionary deserts in the oncospace.

Global crop yields are estimated to be reduced by 30–40% per year on account of plant pests and pathogens. Agricultural insect pests raise concerns about constraining global food security and climate changes contributing to the rise of infestation. The current management relies on plant breeding, associated or not with transgenes and chemical pesticides. Both approaches face serious technology obsolescence on the field due to resistance breakdown or development of insecticide resistance. The need for new Modes of Action (MoA) approaches in managing crop health grows each year, driven by market demands to reduce economic losses and phytosanitary requirements to meet the consumer perception. Disabling pest genes by sequence-specific expression silencing is considered a promising tool in the development of environment and health respectful biopesticides. The specificity conferred by long dsRNA-base solutions give support to minimizing effects on off-targeted genes in the insect pest genome and the target gene in non-target organisms (NTOs). In this review, we summarize the current status of gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) for agricultural control. More specifically, we focus on the engineering, development and application of gene silencing to control Lepidoptera by the employment of non-transforming dsRNA technologies. Despite some delivery and stability drawbacks of topical applications, we reviewed works showing convincing proof-of-concept results that point to imminent innovative solutions. Considerations about the regulamentation of the ongoing research on dsRNA-based pesticides to produce commercialized products for exogenous application are discussed. Academic and industry initiatives reveal a worthy effort to accomplish controlling Lepidoptera pests with this new mode of action to provide more sustainable and reliable technologies to field management. New data on genomics of this taxon encourage the increment of a customized target genes portfolio. As a case of study, we illustrate how dsRNA and associated methodologies could be applied to control an important Lepidopteran coffee pest.

Whole-genome sequencing has advanced our understanding of the population structure of the pathogenic species complex Cryptococcus gattii, which has allowed for the phylogenomic specification of previously described major molecular type groupings and novel lineages. Recently, isolates collected in Mexico in the 1960s were determined to be genetically distant from other known molecular types and were classified as VGVI. We sequenced four clinical isolates and one veterinary isolate collected in the southwestern U.S. and Argentina during 2012-2021. Phylogenomic analysis groups these genomes with those of the Mexican VGVI isolates, expanding VGVI into a clade and establishing this molecular type as a clinically important population. These findings also potentially expand the known Cryptococcus ecological range with a previously unrecognized endemic area.

Sweet cucumber (Solanum muricatum) sect. Basarthrum, is a neglected horticultural crop native of the Andean region. It is naturally distributed very close to potatoes (Solanum sect. Petota) and tomatoes (Solanum sect. Lycopersicon), two groups of high economic importance. To date, molecular tools for this crop are still undetermined. We here obtained the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of sweet cucumber and compared with seven Solanaceae species. Pair-end clean reads were obtained by PE 150 library and the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The complete cp genome of S. muricatum had a 155,681 bp with typical quadripartite structure, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (86,182 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,360 bp), separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,568 bp). The annotation of chloroplast genome predicted 88 protein-coding genes (CDS), 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and one pseudogene. A total of 48 perfect microsatellites were identified, divided in mononucleotide repeats (32), followed by tetranucleotide (6) and dinucleotides (5). SSRs with trinucleotides repeats (3), pentanucleotide (1) and hexanucleotide (1) repeats motifs in these genomes were identified in lower quantity. Most of these repeats were distributed in the noncoding regions. Whole chloroplast genome comparison with the other seven Solanaceae species revealed that the small and large single copy regions showed more divergence than inverted regions. Finally, phylogenetic analysis resolved that S. muricatum is a sister species to members of sections Petota + Lycopersicum + Etuberosum. This study reports for the first time the genome organization, gene content, and structural features of the cp genome of S. muricatum. Also, this study may provide the basis for evaluating genetic diversity within Solanum, and will be useful to examine the evolutionary processes in sweet cucumber landraces.

Covid-19 has caused infections and deaths worldwide. While research in the field of Data Science has contributed good predictions of positive Covid-19 case numbers, this study's review of literature shows there is little research in the use of variants of the virus in predictions. We set out to define and evaluate novel variant features. We find that features relating to variant trends, thresholds and amino acid substitutions are especially powerful in two tasks. In the first task, predicting Covid-19 case numbers, accuracy improved from 71.53% without variant features to 82.12% with variant features. In the second task, predicting transmission severity of variants between two classes, we created a method to build some variable ensembles through selecting appropriate models that are generated with variant features. The test results showed that our ensembles are more accurate and reliable. One particular ensemble of 14 models correctly classified 90.91% of variants, outperforming other models including the popular Random Forest ensemble. In addition, as the variant features have represented more underlying information about Covid-19 pathophysiology, our ensemble methods use only a few data samples to achieve an accurate prediction. The ensemble of 14 models uses only 50 cases of each variant, an ability that could be exploited for early detection of highly infectious variants. These research findings may benefit public health professionals, policy makers, and the research community in the collective efforts to overcome this disease.

Plastid genomes are in general highly conserved given their slow evolutionary rate, thus large changes in their structure are unusual. However, when specific rearrangements are present, they are often phylogenetically informative. Asteraceae is a highly diverse family whose evolution is long driven by polyploidy (up to 48x) and hybridisation, both processes usually complicating systematic inferences. In this study, we have generated one of the most comprehensive plastome-based phylogenies of family Asteraceae, providing information about the structure, genetic diversity, and repeat composition of these sequences. By comparing the whole plastome sequences obtained, we confirmed the double inversion located in the long single copy region, for most of the species analysed (with the exception of basal tribes), a well-known feature for Asteraceae plastomes. We also show that genome size, gene order and gene content are highly conserved along the family. However, species representative of the basal subfamily Barnadesioideae -as well as in the sister family Calyceraceae - are lacking the pseudogene rps19 located in one inverted repeat. The phylogenomic analysis conducted here, based on 63 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes and 21 ribosomal RNA genes from 36 species of Asteraceae, are overall consistent with the general consensus for the family’s phylogeny, while resolving the position of tribe Senecioneae and revealing some incongruences at tribe level between reconstructions based on nuclear and plastid DNA data.

Marseille-Q4369 is a strain that we isolated from human healthy skin and characterized by taxono-genomic approach. Marseille-Q4369 exhibited 99.80% 16S rRNA sequence similarity with Agrococcus pavilionensisT the phylogenetically closest bacterium with standing in nomenclature. Furthermore, digital DNA–DNA hybridization revealed a maximum identity similarity of only 52.4% and an OrthoANI parameter provided a value of 93.63% between the novel organism and Agrococcus pavilionensisT. Marseille-Q4369 was observed to be a yellowish-pigmented, Gram-positive, coccoïd, facultative aerobic bacterium, and belonging to the Microbacteriaceae family. The major fatty acids detected are 12-methyl-tetradecanoic acid (66%), 14-methyl-hexadecanoic acid (24%) followed by 13-methyl-tetradecanoic acid (5%). The genome size of strain Marseille-Q4369 was 2,737,735-bp long with a 72,27 % G+C content. Taken altogether, these results confirm the status of this strain as a new member of the Agrococcus genus for which the name of Agrococcus massiliensis is proposed (=CSUR-Q4369 = DSM112404).

Influenza B virus (IBV) is considered a major respiratory pathogen responsible for seasonal respiratory disease in humans, particularly severe in children and the elderly. Seasonal influenza vaccination is considered the most efficient strategy to prevent and control IBV infections. Live attenuated influenza virus vaccines (LAIVs) are thought to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses by mimicking a natural infection, but their effectiveness have recently come into question. Thus, the opportunity exists to find alternative approaches to improve overall influenza vaccine effectiveness. Two alternative IBV backbones were developed with re-arranged genomes, re-arranged M (FluB-RAM) and a re-arranged NS (FluB-RANS). Both re-arranged viruses showed temperature sensitivity in vitro compared to the WT type B/Bris strain, were genetically stable over multiple passages in embryonated chicken eggs and were attenuated in vivo in mice. In a prime-boost regime in naïve mice, both re-arranged viruses induced antibodies against HA with hemagglutination inhibition titers considered of protective value. In addition, antibodies against NA and NP were readily detected with potential protective value. Upon lethal IBV challenge, mice previously vaccinated with either FluB-RAM or FluB-RANS were completely protected against clinical disease and mortality. In conclusion, genome re-arrangement renders efficacious LAIV candidates to protect mice against IBV.

Asaia bacteria commonly comprise part of the microbiome of many mosquito species in the genera Anopheles and Aedes, including important vectors of infectious agents. Their close association with multiple organs and tissues of their mosquito hosts enhances the potential for paratransgenesis for delivery of anti-malaria or anti-virus effectors. The molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between Asaia and mosquito hosts, as well as Asaia and other bacterial members of the mosquito microbiome, remained unexplored. Here, we determined the genome sequence of the strain W12 isolated from Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, compared them to other Asaia species associated with plants or insects, and investigated some properties of the bacteria relevant to their symbiosis with host mosquitoes. The assembled genome of strain W12 has a size of 3.94 MB, which is the largest among Asaia spp studied so far. At least 3,585 coding sequences were predicted. The insect-associated Asaia including strain W12 carried more glycoside hydrolase (GH) encoding genes (31 per genome) than those isolated from plants (22 per genome). W12 had the most predicted regulatory protein components (213) among the selected Asaia (ranging from 131 to 211), indicating its great capability to adapt to frequent environmental changes in the mosquito gut. Two complete operons encoding cytochrome bo3-type ubiquinol terminal oxidases (cyoABCD-1 and cyoABCD-2) were found in most of Asaia genomes, which possibly offer alternative terminal oxidases and allow the flexible transition of respiratory pathways. Genes involved in the production of acetoin and 2,3-butandiol have been identified in Asaia sp. W12.

We are in a new chapter of crop and livestock improvement with the emergence of genome editing. This latest generation of molecular tools can be used to make targeted changes in a genome including insertions, deletions, and mutations. With new advances comes new risks for unintended changes and impacts, thus the need for appropriate risk assessment for product development and to inform regulatory measures. Though CRISPR/Cas has arisen as the predominant technology, there are multiple types of genome editing tools each with pros and cons depending on the organism and desired outcome. Furthermore, each editing tool differs in specificity as they may edit non-intended sites, referred to as off-target edits. The consensus of the agricultural editing community is to avoid off-target editing through design and detection, instead of determining whether off-target editing in each case is detrimental. The design of a targeting component, the tool chosen, and the identification of the edit(s) made are the critical factors in avoiding off-target edits and confirming intended edits in final products that are released commercially. The limited amount of head-to-head comparisons of genome editing tools in diverse crops and livestock make it difficult to develop broad conclusions and best practices, which is further compounded by the diversity of techniques, targets, and processes. Developers and breeders should consult the literature and test as needed to determine which editing technology will be the most effective for their purposes, especially as more tools with altered efficiency and specificity become available. Yet, the lack of off-target edits in studies that employed careful design of targeting components followed by wide testing for on- and off-target edits bodes well for the use of genome editing with proper precautions of target selection and screening.

Genome-scale engineering and custom synthetic genomes are reshaping the next generation of industrial yeast strains. The Cre-recombinase mediated chromosomal rearrangement mechanism of designer synthetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes, known as SCRaMbLE, is a powerful tool which allows rapid genome evolution upon command. This system is able to generate millions of novel genomes with potential valuable phenotypes, but the excessive loss of essential genes often results in poor growth or even the death of cells with useful phenotypes. In this study we expanded the versatility of SCRaMbLE to industrial strains, and evaluated different control measures to optimise genomic rearrangement, whilst limiting cell death. To achieve this, we have developed RED (Rapid Evolution Detection), a simple colorimetric plate-assay procedure to rapidly quantify the degree of genomic rearrangements within a post-SCRaMbLE yeast population. RED-enabled semi-synthetic strains were mated with haploid progeny of industrial yeast strains to produce stress tolerant heterozygous diploid strains. Analysis of these heterozygous strains with the RED-assay, genome sequencing and custom bioinformatics scripts demonstrated a correlation between RED-assay frequencies and physical genomic rearrangements. Here we show that RED is a fast and effective method to evaluate optimal SCRaMbLE induction times of different Cre-recombinse expression systems for the development of industrial strains.

In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the New Zealand parasitic blowfly Lucilia sericata (green bottle blowfly) field strain NZ_LucSer_NP was generated using next-generation sequencing technology. The length of complete the mitochondrial genome is 15,938 bp, with 39.4% A, 13.0% C, 9.3% G, and 38.2% T nucleotide distribution. The complete mitochondrial genome consists of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a and a 1,124 bp non-coding region, similar to most metazoan mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that L. sericata NZ_LucSer_NP forms a monophyletic cluster with the remaining six Lucilia species and the Calliphoridae are polyphyletic. This study provides the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence for a L. sericata blowfly species derived from New Zealand to facilitate species identification and phylogenetic analysis.

Latin binomials, popularised in the eighteenth century by the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus, have stood the test of time in providing a stable, clear and memorable system of nomenclature across biology. However, relentless and ever-deeper exploration and analysis of the microbial world has created an urgent unmet need for huge numbers of new names for Archaea and Bacteria. Manual creation of such names remains difficult and slow and typically relies on expert-driven nomenclatural quality control. Keen to ensure the legacy of Linnaeus lives on in the age of microbial genomics and metagenomics, we propose an automated approach, employing combinatorial concatenation of roots from Latin and Greek to create linguistically correct names for genera and species that can be used off the shelf as needed. As proof of principle, we document over a million new names for Bacteria and Archaea. We are confident that our approach provides a road map for how to create new names for decades to come.

The human gut microbiome includes beneficial, commensal and pathogenic bacteria that possess antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and exchange these predominantly through conjugative plasmids. Escherichia coli is a significant component of the gastrointestinal microbiome and is typically non-pathogenic in this niche. In contrast, extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) including ST131 may occupy other environments like the urinary tract or bloodstream where they express genes enabling AMR and host adhesion like type 1 fimbriae. The extent to which non-pathogenic gut E. coli and infectious ST131 share AMR genes and key associated plasmids remains understudied at a genomic level. Here, we examined AMR gene sharing between gut E. coli and ST131 to discover an extensive shared preterm infant resistome. In addition, individual ST131 show extensive AMR gene diversity highlighting that analyses restricted to the core genome may be limiting and could miss AMR gene transfer patterns. We show that pEK499-like segments are ancestral to most ST131 Clade C isolates, contrasting with a minority with substantial pEK204-like regions encoding a type IV fimbriae operon. Moreover, ST131 possess extensive diversity at genes encoding type 1, type IV, P and F17-like fimbriae, particular within subclade C2. The type, structure and composition of AMR genes, plasmids and fimbriae varies widely in ST131 and this may mediate pathogenicity and infection outcomes.

Pathogen fitness landscapes change when transmission cycles establish in non-native environments or spill over into new vectors and hosts. The introduction of Leishmania infantum in the Americas into the Neotropics during European colonization represents a unique case study to investigate mechanisms of ecological adaptation of this important parasite. Defining the evolutionary trajectories that drive L. infantum fitness in this new environment are of great public health importance as they will allow unique insight into pathways of host/pathogen co-evolution and their consequences for region-specific changes in disease manifestation. This review summarizes current knowledge on L. infantum genetic and phenotypic diversity in the Americas and its possible role in the unique epidemiology of VL in the New World. We highlight the importance of appreciating adaptive molecular mechanisms in L. infantum to understand the parasites’ successful establishment on the continent.

A recent study claimed that genome-wide polygenic scores (GPSs) for five common diseases could identify individuals with risk equivalent to monogenic mutations. Receiver operator curve analyses were reported to have areas under the curve (AUCs) ranging from 0.63 for inflammatory bowel disease up to 0.81 for coronary artery disease (CAD) but these models also included age and sex, themselves strong predictors of risk. The GPS for CAD identified 8% of the population at threefold increased risk, which it was claimed was comparable to the excess risk from monogenic mutations. In the present study attempts were made to model the distribution of the GPS for CAD to match the information provided. These models were based on the reported distribution of prevalence by centile of GPS and on the distribution of GPS in controls and cases and were fitted to the reported results using linear approximations to the distributions and using simulations of a liability-threshold model. It was impossible to produce a compatible model in which the GPS produced an AUC as high as 0.81 and the most plausible estimate was that the true AUC was only 0.65. The reported distributions of the GPS in cases and controls overlap so much that they are not compatible with an AUC of 0.7 or higher. The AUC of the GPS for these diseases is modest. Furthermore, the literature robustly demonstrates that true CAD risk associated with monogenic mutations is much higher than the threefold increase which is predicted by the GPS. Together, these findings cast doubt on the clinical utility of the GPS.

Microsporidia are fungi-like parasites that have the smallest known eukaryotic genome, and for that reason they are used as a model to study the phenomenon of genome decay in parasitic forms of life. Similar to other intracellular parasites that reproduce asexually in an environment with alleviated natural selection, Microsporidia experience continuous genome decay driven by Muller's ratchet - an evolutionary process of irreversible accumulation of deleterious mutations, which leads to gene loss and miniaturization of cellular components. Particularly, Microsporidia have remarkably small ribosomes in which the rRNA is reduced to the minimal enzymatic core. To better understand the impact of Muller's ratchet on RNA and protein molecules in parasitic organisms, particularly regarding their ribosome structure, we have explored an apparent effect of Muller's ratchet on microsporidian ribosomal proteins. Through mass spectrometry, analysis of microsporidian genome sequences and analysis of ribosome structure from non-parasitic eukaryotes, we found that massive rRNA reduction in microsporidian ribosomes appears to annihilate binding sites for ribosomal proteins eL8, eL27, and eS31, suggesting that these proteins are no longer bound to the ribosome in microsporidian species. We then provided an evidence that protein eS31 is retained in Microsporidia due to its non-ribosomal function in ubiquitin biogenesis. To sum up, our study illustrates that while Microsporidia carry the same set of ribosomal proteins as non-parasitic eukaryotes, some of ribosomal proteins are no longer participating in protein synthesis in Microsporidia and they are preserved from genome decay by having extra-ribosomal functions.

We describe the draft genome of a Bovine enterovirus (EV) recovered from sewage in Nigeria. The virus replicates on both RD and L20B cell lines, but is negative for all EV screens in use by the GPEI. It contains 7,368nt, with 50.2% G+C content and an ORF with 6,525nt (2,174aa).

A total of five protoclones were successfully cultured on PDA medium out of regenerated twenty two colonies of Termitomyces protoplast and further studied. Liquid MYG grown mycelial tissue is used for protoplast isolation by enzymatic digestionin a mixture containing Lysing enzyme 2% and Cellulase R10 2% in 0.6 M mannitol. The incubation conditions like temperature, shaking and time were standardized at 24ºC, 60 rpm and 10 hours, respectively for healthy protoplasts liberation. The purified protoplasts showed an average yield of 1.2 × 10⁷ cells/gm tissue with 31.60 ± 9.31% regeneration efficiency on specific medium and 77.12 ± 2.72% viability by FDA test. Four ISSR primers were used in this study resulting a total of 27 reproducible bands with mean value of 6.75. They showed similar banding pattern in all the lines with zero percent polymorphism ranged from 280 bp–2700 bp. The amplified rRNA-ITS gene showed ~600 bp size in gel and found a single restriction site for enzyme HaeIII in all the protoclones and parent with similar fragment size in all.

The superfamily Lauxanioidea is a significant dipteran clade including over 2500 known species in three families: Lauxaniidae, Celyphidae and Chamaemyiidae. We sequenced the first five (three complete and two partial) lauxanioid mitochondrial (mt) genomes, and used them to reconstruct the phylogeny of this group. The lauxanioid mt genomes are typical of the Diptera, containing all 37 genes usually present in bilaterian animals. A total of three conserved intergenic sequences have been reported across the Cyclorrhapha. The inferred secondary structure of 22 tRNAs suggested five substitution patterns among the Cyclorrhapha. The control region in the Lauxanioidea has apparently evolved very fast, but four conserved structural elements were detected in all three complete mt genome sequences. Phylogenetic relationships based on the mt genome data were inferred by Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods. The traditional relationships between families within the Lauxanioidea, (Chamaemyiidae + (Lauxaniidae + Celyphidae)), was corroborated, however, the higher level relationships between cyclorrhaphan superfamilies are mostly poorly supported.

A growing number of clinical data suggests that the use of antiplatelets and/or statins pre-stroke are associated with reduced severity and better functional outcomes for ischemic stroke. Studies have shown that the long-term use of ACEI/ARB pre-stroke is beneficial in reducing severity at onset and improving functional outcomes. We aimed to compare stroke severity and early functional outcome between patients taking ACEI/ARB and those who were not, and to identify any additional effects to taking ACEI/ARB with antiplatelets, statins, or both. In this retrospective case-control study, we assessed 218 patients who presented with ischemic stroke to the stroke unit in Padeh-Poriyah Hospital between 2019-2020. Of these patients, 119 took ACEI/ARB pre-stroke. A significantly higher percentage of ACEI/ARB-treated patients had a history of hypertension (HTN) and hyperlipidemia and were taking antiplatelets and/or statins, compared to the non-ACEI/ARB group. We observed that pre-stroke treatment with ACEI/ARB is associated with worsened stroke severity and reduced early functional outcomes. No significant benefit to taking ACEI/ARB with antiplatelets and/or statins pre-stroke was observed. Due to the nature of our study, the data should be interpreted as suggestive. Thus, prospective studies of these medications on ischemic stroke severity and early outcomes are warranted.

Although the spanwise periodicity within the gap between two tandem circular cylinders has been observed by some researchers, there is a lack of systematic study on the properties of this pe-riodicity. For the spanwise periodicity within the gap, this study aims to ascertain its characteris-tics, its influences on the flow field, and its variation trend with increasing spacing ratio. By nu-merically simulating the flow around two tandem circular cylinders with a diameter ratio of d/D=0.6 and seventeen spacing ratios (L/D=1.00~6.00) at Re=3900, this study shows four flow re-gimes: Reattachment Flow (L/D=1.00~3.15), Bi-stable Flow (L/D=3.24), Intermittent Lock-in Co-shedding (L/D= 3.30~3.50) and Subharmonic Lock-in Co-shedding (L/D=4.00~6.00). Further, de-pending on the spanwise periodicity length of the time-averaged flow structures (i.e. Pz) within the gap, Reattachment Flow is, for the first time, subdivided into three new sub-flow regimes: Small-scale Periodic Reattachment (L/D=1.00~1.50, Pz/D=(0, 4]), Large-scale Periodic Reattachment (L/D=2.00~2.25, Pz/D>4) and Non-periodic Reattachment (L/D=2.50~3.15, no spanwise periodicity). The formation mechanisms are elaborated by analyzing the combined effect of both the L/D value and the spanwise-averaged time-averaged reattachment angle of the downstream cylinder. Moreover, this study proves that the newly-defined Small-scale Periodic Reattachment and Large-scale Periodic Reattachment are responsible for the pronounced asymmetry of the flow along the transverse direction within the gap. In addition, detailed flow properties and statistical pa-rameters are provided for each flow regime, such as velocity, vorticity, force coefficient, separa-tion/reattachment angle, Strouhal number and Q-criterion.

A little-known thermomechanical relation between entropy and action, originally discovered by Boltzmann in the classical domain, was later reconsidered by de Broglie in relation to the wave-particle duality in the free propagation of single particles. In this paper we present a version adapted to the phenomenological description of the hadronization process. The substantial difference with respect to the original de Broglie scheme is represented by the universality of the temperature at which the process occurs; this in fact coincides with the Hagedorn temperature. The main results are: 1) a clear connection between the universality of the temperature and the existence of a confinement radius of the color forces; 2) a lower bound on the hadronic mass, represented by the universal temperature, in agreement with experimental data; 3) a scale invariance which allows the reproduction of the well-known hadronic mass spectrum solution of the statistical bootstrap model. The approach therefore presents a heuristic interest connected to the study of the strong interaction.

In this paper we introduce the Adomian decomposition method for a class of first order fuzzy dynamic equations on arbitrary time scales for existence of solutions. The results are provided with suitable numerical examples.

This paper presents an enhanced Fully Connected Neural Network (FCNN) framework that incorporates manifold learning and Renormalization Group (RG) methods. By integrating Christoffel symbols, the model adapts to the curvature and topology of the data manifold, improving learning from geometrically complex data. Additionally, RG methods enable effective multi-scale data processing. We demonstrate the enhanced model’s performance on synthetic and real-world datasets, showing improved accuracy compared to standard FCNNs, particularly in complex systems simulation.

Vulnerabilities in smart contracts may trigger serious security events, and the detection of smart contract vulnerabilities has become a significant problem. In this paper, by using the multi-scale cascade encoder architecture as the backbone, we propose a novel Multi-scale Encoder Vulnerability Detection (MEVD) approach to detect well-known high-risk vulnerabilities in smart contracts. Firstly, we use the gating mechanism to design a unique Surface Feature Encoder (SFE) to enrich the semantic information of code features. Then, by combining a Base Transformer Encoder (BTE) and a Detail CNN Encoder (DCE), we introduce a dual-branch encoder to capture the global structure and local detail features of the smart contract code, respectively. Finally, to focus the model's attention on vulnerability-related characteristics, we employ the Deep Residual Shrinkage Network (DRSN). Experimental results on three types of high-risk vulnerability datasets demonstrate performance compared to state-of-the-art methods, and our method achieves an average detection accuracy of 90%.

This paper deals with the analysis of the cognitive functions of the cerebral cortex or cortex in the evolutionary context. The triune brain model is presented given its notorious popularity in fields that are not strictly neuroscientific, and its limitations and inaccuracies are also shown. Although it is an outdated theory, this one represented the passage to a new era, because it really was the model of the movement towards understanding the brain in evolutionary terms. Next, the paper illustrates the different areas of the cortex and their functions, as well as the evolution of the brain and the cortex in vertebrates. To date, the expansion of the cortex with the amniotes was placed 300 million years ago, although recent studies place it in the lampreys more than 500 million years ago. Evolutionary changes in mammalian brain and cortex size are discussed, showing the evolution from three to six cell layers and trends in different groups of mammals. Finally, the most recent contributions in the field of research are illustrated, such as the role of neurogenesis and the evolution of the connectivity of the cortex.

Background: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) have bothersome symptoms that may assess using the visual analog scale (VAS). Asthma frequently is associated with AR. The present study investigated the role of VAS in children with newly-diagnosed AR. Methods: Parameters were VAS for nasal and asthma symptoms, and doctor’s perception of these diseases, medication use, and asthma comorbidity. Results: 67% of AR children had asthma. Severity of perceived nasal symptoms was associated with more intense asthma symptoms and doctor’s perception of disease severity (p<0.001 and p=0.02, re-spectively. Conclusions: Allergic rhinitis frequently is associated with asthma in child-hood. Symptom perception assessment using VAS is a simple tool for assessing their intensity. Moreover, the severity of nasal symptoms is associated with asthma symptom severity. Therefore, asthma should be carefully considered in AR children and require appropriate symptom perception assessment.

We carry out in a thin heterogeneous porous layer, the multiscale analysis of Smoluchowski's discrete diffusion-coagulation equations describing the evolution density of diffusing particles that are subject to coagulate in pairs. Assuming that the thin heterogeneous layer is made of microstructures that are uniformly distributed inside, we obtain in the limit an upscaled model in lower space dimension. We also prove a corrector-type result very useful in numerical computations. In view of the thin structure of the domain, we appeal to a concept of two-scale convergence adapted to thin heterogeneous media to achieve our goal.

Interspecific competition between herbivorous insects is a major selection pressure affecting the distribution, abundance, and structure of their populations. Facilitator-mediated interactions, such as mutualism, can influence competition. Furthermore, the temporal dynamics of competitive relationships affect the interaction’s outcome. Here, we re-evaluated the data on the competition for space between two herbivorous insects commonly known as scales (Toumeyella martinezae and Opuntiaspis philococcus) in either the presence or absence of Liometopum apiculatum (a mutualistic species of T. martinezae) and its variations over time. We selected 27 Myrtillocactus geometrizans plants on which the studied insects were present; the plants were classified into one of five different conditions: either of the scale species were present on the plant, without its competitor; T. martinezae with neither its mutualistic species nor the competitor; and both scale species competing in either presence or absence of the mutualistic species. We kept a photographic record of each condition, measured the size of (as an indicator of the development stage) and area occupied by the individual scales, estimated the total coverage of each scale species, and assessed their relative occupation of space and their competitive intensity. We found temporal variations in competitive intensity. T. martinezae occupied more space during the first months, whereas O. philococcus did so towards the end of the study period. The population structure changed over time and between species, affecting the competitive interactions. In conclusion, the dynamics of competition change over time, and the mutualistic species has a positive effect on T. martinezae when the scales are in competition. However, temporal variations resulting from changes in the life cycle of the scales allow the two competitors to coexist in the same place at the same time.

Background: The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with arterial hypertension (AH) plays an important role in the management of their health condition. However, a lack of scales assessing self-care is observed. We aimed to develop and validate the Hippocratic hypertension self-care scale. Methods: From a pool of questions derived from a literature review, 18 items were included in the scale and reviewed by a committee of experts. Participants indicate the frequency at which they follow the self-behavior prescribed in each statement on a five-point Likert scale. Data were collected between April 2019 and December 2019. Re-sults: 202 consecutive adult patients with AH were enrolled in the study. The internal consistency of the scale was found to be 0.807, using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. An exploratory factor analysis identified two do-mains that accounted for 92.94% of the variance of the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test- retest of the scale showed a significant strong correlation (r=0.0095, p<0.001). Conclusion: Our data indicate that the scale is a reliable and valid tool for assessing self-behaviors in patients with AH. Health professionals can use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of patients’ health condition.

Introduction: Lack of certainty or knowledge in health professions generates uncertainty, affecting clinical practice in decision-making (diagnostic or therapeutic), intervention design and therapeutic communication. In nursing, the lack of information to predict prognosis and outcome of interventions generates uncertainty: recognizing and managing it is essential for individualized, safe, and effective care. Objective: to assess uncertainty and the perception of a debriefing within the same shift ("intrathoracic pass") as a proposal for improvement. Method: ad-hoc survey of nursing professionals and Auxiliary Nursing Care Technicians (ANC). Variables: age, work experience, PRU scale (Physisicians' Reactions to Uncertainty) and additional question on intrathoracic pass. Results: Sample: 61 nurses and 10 TCAE (90.14 % female, 9.86 % male; mean age 35.18, standard deviation SD=13.04). Mean professional experience 11.74 years (SD=12.21); 56.33% had ≤4 years of experience. Origin: 49.30% Intensive Care Units (ICU), 11.27% Hospitalization, 7.04% Emergency, 1.41% Primary Care and 30.99% Other Services. The mean level of uncertainty was 27.99 points (max. possible 75; SD=7.50), with stress (mean=25.55, max. possible: 40; SD=5.24) and anxiety (mean=15.80, max. possible: 25; SD=3.05) as major manifestations. The association uncertainty-age (r=0.339; p=0.004) and uncertainty-experience (r=0.391; p=0.001) correlated negatively (the older and more experienced, the less uncertainty), with no significant differences between degrees or services. 91.55% stated that the intra-day pass was useful to reduce uncertainty during the working day. Conclusion: Uncertainty is frequent in nursing, and implementing the intrashift pass is perceived as a competent strategy.

AbstractPurpose: This study aimed to perform a psychometric evaluation of the preliminary preterm birth risk assessment scale (PBRAS-K) of 32-item. Method(s): There were 299 subjects, 167 in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) group and 132 in the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) group, who delivered before 37⁺⁰ weeks after having preterm symptoms and were admitted to high-risk pregnancy maternal-fetal intensive care units (MFICU). After an item reduction process in EFA, the psychometric property scales were assessed using SPSS 26, and CFA was accomplished using AMOS 27. Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (KMO) and Bartlett’s χ² test of sphericity confirmed the adequacy of the sample for factor analysis (KMO = .81 (> .80), χ² = 1841.38, p < .001). The final version of the PBRAS-K was comprised of 23 items within seven dimensions. Factor analysis identified items explaining 65.9% of the total variance. The PBRAS-K had a mean score of 35.58 (±10.35) and showed a high internal consistency and satisfactory reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha of .85. The PBRAS-K had a low correlation with risk scoring of preterm delivery (RPD) for discriminant validity (r = .45, p < .001), a positive, high correlation with the Somatic Awareness Scale with Spontaneous Preterm Labor (SPL-SAS) for criterion validity (r = .65, p < .001), and with pregnant stress for convergent validity (r = .57, p < .001). RPD and SPL-SAS were moderately correlated (r = .53, p < .001). Conclusion(s): The PBRAS-23-K is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing pregnant women’s risk of preterm birth. Clinical nurses are encouraged to apply and obtain information for effective interventions in MFICU. This scale has meaningful results and reflects the voices of women who had a preterm birth. The scale should be evaluated for standardization and cut-off scores using larger subject sizes in the future.

The paper shows an analysis of the large-scale distribution of galaxy spin directions of 739,286 galaxies imaged by DES. The distribution of the spin directions of the galaxies exhibits a large-scale dipole axis. Comparison of the location of the dipole axis to a similar analysis with data from SDSS, Pan-STARRS, and DESI Legacy Survey shows that all sky surveys exhibit dipole axes well within 1$\sigma$ error from each other. While non-random distribution is unexpected, the findings are consistent across all sky surveys, regardless of the telescope or whether the data were annotated manually or automatically. Possible errors that can lead to the observation are discussed. The paper also discusses previous studies showing opposite conclusions, and analyzes the decisions that led to these results. Although the observation is provocative, and further research will be required, the existing evidence justifies to consider the contention that galaxy spin directions as observed from Earth are not necessarily randomly distributed. Possible explanations can be related to mature cosmological theories, but also to the internal structure of galaxies.