Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic understanding of perianth traits hindering pollination in Aristolochia contorta Bunge

Insects are vital pollinators for angiosperms, playing a crucial role in their reproductive success and fruit production. Aristolochia contorta is a perennial herbaceous vine that occurs in fragmented populations across East Asia. One notable feature of this plant is its trap flower, which employs a unique mechanism to attract, trap, retain, and release insects, ensuring effective pollination. The presence of this trap flower significantly influences the pollination system of A. contorta. Field surveys and pollination experiments were conducted to understand the processes and effectiveness of its pollination mechanism. It was allogamous and was pollinated by the species from Ceratopogonidae. During the insect attraction stage, 11.57% of the flowers contained insects, primarily Ceratopogonidae spp. Most Ceratopogonidae spp. concentrated in few flowers, indicating that although overall attraction might be modest, specific flowers acted as significant focal points for gathering. Trichomes effectively trapped Ceratopogonidae spp. inside flower tubes. In the retention stage, 26.16% of Ceratopogonidae spp. were loaded with pollen grains, but only 7.91% of those exited the flowers in the release stage. The sticky texture of the perianth’s internal cavity posed challenges during this release, leading to adhesion and clogging of the narrow perianth tube. Consequently, a significant portion of Ceratopogonidae spp. became trapped on the perianth wall and perished. This highlights that despite the significant energy and resources invested in flower development, the perianth contributes to the low pollination effectiveness. This study revealed additive factors with negative effects on pollination, including the densely clustered distribution of its pollinators within only a few flowers, insufficient pollen loading onto pollinators, hindered release of entrapped pollinators due to the perianth adhesive surface, and a high rate of defective pollen grains in A. contorta. These factors account for the observed phenomenon of low fruit set (7.7%) and contribute to the diminished rate of sexual reproduction in A. contorta populations. This might lead the species to heavily rely on asexual reproduction, which could potentially lead to gene erosion within populations. The implications of these findings extend to the ecological and conservation aspects, emphasizing the need to understand and conserve the unique pollination system of A. contorta.
Adult tissue-specific stem cell interaction: novel technologies and research advances

Adult tissue-specific stem cells play a dominant role in tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Various in vivo markers of adult tissue-specific stem cells have been increasingly reported by lineage tracing in genetic mouse models, indicating that marked cells differentiation is crucial during homeostasis and regeneration. How adult tissue-specific stem cells with indicated markers contact the adjacent lineage with indicated markers is of significance to be studied. Novel methods bring future findings. Recent advances in lineage tracing, synthetic receptor systems, proximity labeling, and transcriptomics have enabled easier and more accurate cell behavior visualization and qualitative and quantitative analysis of cell-cell interactions than ever before. These technological innovations have prompted researchers to re-evaluate previous experimental results, providing increasingly compelling experimental results for understanding the mechanisms of cell-cell interactions. This review aimed to describe the recent methodological advances of dual enzyme lineage tracing system, the synthetic receptor system, proximity labeling, single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics in the study of adult tissue-specific stem cells interactions. An enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of adult tissue-specific stem cells interaction is important for tissue regeneration and maintenance of homeostasis in organisms.
Commentary: Antibodies against multiple post-translationally modified proteins aid in diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis and associate with complete biochemical response to treatment

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Taubert, Engel and Campos-Murguia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Commentary: Antibodies against multiple post-translationally modified proteins aid in diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis and associate with complete biochemical response to treatment
Spinal muscular atrophy type I associated with a novel SMN1 splicing variant that disrupts the expression of the functional transcript

Introduction Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the SMN1 gene. The majority of SMA patients harbor a homozygous deletion of SMN1 exon 7 (95%). Heterozygosity for a conventional variant and a deletion is rare (5%) and not easily detected, due to the highly homologous SMN2 gene interference. SMN2 mainly produces a truncated non-functional protein (SMN-d7) instead of the full-length functional (SMN-FL). We hereby report a novel SMN1 splicing variant in an infant with severe SMA. Methods MLPA was used for SMN1/2 exon dosage determination. Sanger sequencing approaches and long-range PCR were employed to search for an SMN1 variant. Conventional and improved Real-time PCR assays were developed for the qualitative and quantitative SMN1/2 RNA analysis. Results The novel SMN1 splice-site variant c.835-8_835-5delinsG, was identified in compound heterozygosity with SMN1 exons 7/8 deletion. RNA studies revealed complete absence of SMN1 exon 7, thus confirming a disruptive effect of the variant on SMN1 splicing. No expression of the functional SMN1-FL transcript, remarkable expression of the SMN1-d7 and increased levels of the SMN2-FL/SMN2-d7 transcripts were observed. Discussion We verified the occurrence of a non-deletion SMN1 variant and supported its pathogenicity, thus expanding the SMN1 variants spectrum. We discuss the updated SMA genetic findings in the Cypriot population, highlighting an increased percentage of intragenic variants compared to other populations.
What is the function of the human retrosplenial cortex

The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) comprises Brodmann areas 29/30 and is an integral part of a brain system that is engaged by spatial navigation, scene processing, recollection of the past and imagining the future. Damage involving the RSC in humans can result in significant memory and navigation deficits, while the earliest metabolic decline in Alzheimer's disease is centred upon this region. The precise function of the RSC, however, remains elusive. In this thesis I sought to determine the key contribution of the RSC in a series of six studies that each comprised behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. Specifically, I discovered that the RSC is acutely responsive to landmarks in the environment that maintain a fixed, permanent location in space, and moreover is sensitive to the exact number of permanent landmarks in view. Using a virtual reality environment populated with entirely novel ‘alien’ landmarks I then tracked the de novo acquisition of landmark knowledge and observed the selective engagement of the RSC as information about landmark permanence accrued. In three further studies I established the parameters within which the RSC operates by contrasting permanent landmarks in large- and small-scale space, by comparing landmark permanence with orientation value, and by investigating permanence in non-spatial domains. In parallel lines of inquiry, I uncovered evidence that a fully functional RSC may be a prerequisite for successful navigation, while also characterising RSC interactions with other brain regions, such as the hippocampus, that could have importance for constructing reliable representations of the world. Together my findings provide new insights into the role of the RSC in a range of cognitive functions. The RSC’s processing of permanent predictable features may represent a key building block for spatial and scene representations that are central to navigation, recalling past experiences and imagining the future.
Updating Maxwell with Electrons, Charge, and More Realistic Polarization.

Maxwell's equations describe the relation of charge and electric force almost perfectly even though electrons and permanent charge were not in his equations, as he wrote them. For Maxwell, all charge depended on electric field. Charge was induced and polarization was described by a single dielectric constant. Electrons, permanent charge, and polarization are important when matter is involved. Polarization of matter cannot be described by a single dielectric constant ${\varepsilon }_{\mathrm{r}}$ with reasonable realism today. Only vacuum is well described by a single dielectric constant ${\varepsilon }_{\mathrm{0}}$. Here, Maxwell's equations are rewritten to include permanent charge and any type of polarization. Rewriting is in one sense petty, and in another sense profound, in either case presumptuous. Rewriting confirms the legitimacy of electrodynamics. One cannot be sure ahead of time that a theory of electrodynamics without electrons or permanent charge (like Maxwell's equations as he wrote them) would be legitimate or not. After all, a theory cannot calculate the fields produced by charges (for example, electrons) that are not in the theory at all! After updating: (1) Maxwell's equations seem universal and exact. (2) Polarization must be described explicitly to use Maxwell`s equations in applications. (3) Conservation of total current (including displacement current ${\varepsilon }_{\mathrm{0\\ }}\frac{\mathrm{\partial }\boldsymbol{\mathrm{E}}}{\mathrm{\partial }t}$) becomes exact, independent of matter, allowing precise definition of electromotive force EMF in circuits. (4) Kirchhoff's current law becomes as exact as Maxwell`s equations themselves. (5) Conservation of total current needs to be satisfied in a wide variety of systems where it has not traditionally received much attention. (6) Classical chemical kinetics is seen to need revision to conserve current.
MicrosMobiNet: A Deep Lightweight Network With Hierarchical Feature Fusion Scheme for Microscopy Image Analysis in Mobile-Edge Computing

In recent advancements of lightweight deep architectures for edge devices, most of the works follow a typical MobileNet pipeline designed for computer vision tasks which is not very appropriate for microscopy image analysis. Certainly, the design of the dedicated lightweight network for highly complex microscopy image analysis has not been attempted so far. Therefore, this work proposes a new deep lightweight network, “MicrosMobiNet” having multiscale feature extraction mechanism for bright-field microscopy image analysis on a mobile-edge computing framework. It consists of three key attributes—depth-wise separable convolution for making the network lightweight, multiple kernels with hierarchical feature fusion to extract complex features, and residual connection to keep network deep. Experimental validations have been conducted by two different microscopy image data sets—plant (potato tuber) and histopathology (cancer cell) generated by two different image generation modalities. In the experiment, multiclass and multilabel classification tasks have been evaluated by measuring accuracy, F1-score, and error. In the ablation study, the key attributes of the network have been verified. The results and analysis show that the MicrosMobiNet can achieve classification accuracy up to 98.43% and 96.25% for plant and cancer cells with minimum error 8.38% and 10.03%, respectively. In a comparative study, the MicrosMobiNet outperforms the existing lightweight state-of-the-art methods with fewer parameters (1.9M) and FLOPs count (42M). Finally, the new network has been implemented on an edge device, Smartphone (Android platform) which is working satisfactorily with high speed (140 ms) and very low memory (7.4 MB). Hence, the network exhibits its superiority in bright-field microscopy image analysis on mobile-edge computing platforms in a lightweight deep learning framework.
Thermal Maps of Jupiter: Spatial Organization and Time Dependence of Stratospheric Temperatures, 1980 to 1990

The spatial organization and time dependence of Jupiter's stratospheric temperatures have been measured by observing thermal emission from the 7.8-micrometer CH4 band. These temperatures, observed through the greater part of a Jovian year, exhibit the influence of seasonal radiative forcing. Distinct bands of high temperature are located at the poles and mid-latitudes, while the equator alternates between warm and cold with a period of approximately 4 years. Substantial longitudinal variability is often observed within the warm mid-latitude bands, and occasionally elsewhere on the planet. This variability includes small, localized structures, as well as large-scale waves with wavelengths longer than ∼30,000 kilometers. The amplitudes of the waves vary on a time scale of ∼1 month; structures on a smaller scale may have lifetimes of only days. Waves observed in 1985, 1987, and 1988 propagated with group velocities less than �30 meters per second.
Impact of spinal needle size and design on post-dural puncture headache: A narrative review of literature

Background: Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a well-known iatrogenic complication of lumbar puncture. The main modifiable risk factors of PDPH appear to be needle size and design, which have been extensively modified in an effort to lower the incidence of PDPH. Currently, there is no consensus on the ideal needle tip for lumbar puncture. Therefore, we have conducted this narrative review of literature to provide a more definite answer regarding the impact of spinal needle size and design on PDPH. Methods: Relevant literature was obtained by searching the scientific literature using PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar for from 1990 to July 2022. Results: Both size and design have been extensively researched in numerous randomized controlled trials. A total of seven systematic reviews published since 2016 were reviewed: Five combined with meta-analyses of which two also with a meta-regression analysis, one combined with a network meta-analysis, and one Cochrane review. Discussion and Conclusion: The evidence presented in this review consistently shows that the atraumatic design is less likely to cause PDPH than the traumatic design. There is no simple linear correlation between smaller needle size and lower incidence of PDPH in either needle type. In lumbar puncture for spinal anesthesia we advise the 26G atraumatic spinal needle as the preferred choice, as it is the least likely to cause PDPH and the most likely to enable successful insertion. If unavailable, the 27-gauge atraumatic needle is the next best choice.
Effect of plant-growth regulators, adjuvants and artificial pollination on the fixation and quality of Annona squamosa L cultivars’ fruit

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of plant regulators (gibberellic acid and naphthalene acetic acid) and adjuvant LI 700® with and without hand pollination on the fruiting and quality of Annona squamosa L. cultivars. The experiment was conducted in the experimental orchard of the Florida Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC/UF) in Homestead, Florida, USA. The experimental design in random blocks comprised 14 treatments, 10 repetitions and 3 flowers per treatment and per tree for ‘Red’ and ‘Lessard Thai’ cultivars. To assess quality, 9 fruit from each treatment were used, with 3 repetitions and 3 fruit per repetition. High instability was observed in fruit fixation rates between cultivars. The application of growth regulators did not increase fruit fixation in the tested cultivars. The application of naphthalene acetic acid had a deleterious effect on the flowers of the sugar apple cultivars. The most uneven (asymmetrical) fruit was obtained in the treatments with the application of growth regulators. The application of the adjuvant showed toxicity, causing damage to the skin of the fruit. The fruit with the greatest symmetry had the lowest levels of soluble solids and the highest toxicity. The application of growth regulators associated with hand pollination was not efficient, presenting a low percentage of fruit fixation for Annonaceae cultivars. None of the studied treatments produced parthenocarpic fruit (without seeds). The utilization of an adjuvant in the applied concentration caused damage to the fruit peels (darkening) due to toxicity in both cultivars.
Deepening Self-Efficacy and Emotional Expectation in Learning through Interpersonal Interaction: An IEEP Perspective

This study explores the potential for deep learning among students participating in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Program (IEEP). Drawing on ecosystem theory and expected value theory, this research investigates how teacher-student and peer interactions can influence students' willingness to engage in deep learning, as determined by their self-efficacy and emotional value expectations. The study examines the relationships between perceived teacher-student and peer interactions, self-efficacy, emotional value expectations, and deep learning. A sample of 265 students from a Chinese university participated in the study. Research tools were developed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that perceived teacher-student and peer interactions significantly impact students' self-efficacy and emotional value expectations, which in turn, influence deep learning behaviour. Self-efficacy and emotional value expectations mediate the relationship between perceived teacher-student and peer interactions and deep learning. The findings suggest that micro ecosystems can influence individuals' intrinsic belief values, which can, in turn, affect their behaviour. The study highlights the significant impact activities promoting such interactions can have on enhancing students' deep learning, innovation, and creativity abilities.
Physiological observation on activity recovery of mercury exposed fresh water fish by using aquatic weed

Physiological observation on activity recovery of mercury exposed fresh water fish were done by using aquatic weeds. Five weeds constitute two floating weeds Eichhornia and Salvinia in surface layers, Chara and Hydrilla in the column layer and Vallisneria in bottom layer. Five experimental groups constituting five selected weeds were subjected to establish fish lethal concentration of mercury for a period of 48h, 96h, 144h, 192h and 240h to facilitate mercury absorption. All the data shows that mercury removal efficiency increases with increased time exposure. The present results indicate that maximum quantity of mercury was accumulated by weeds of IAMB rapidly up to 144h of exposure.
The role of informal street activities in the context of conserving urban cultural entity : case study : Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta Indonesia

As an important element of urban form, street functions as social space, commercial space, cultural space, as well as channels of movement and symbolic representation of local tradition and culture. Since street spaces comprise not only physical element but also the people who are moving, using, acting, and dancing within and around them, informal street activities emerge as an integral part of street life. This characteristic is endemic to most urban streets in South-east Asia and Malioboro Street in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is without exception one of these streets. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the significant role of informal street activities (street culture) as an integral part of urban culture and image and to provide guidelines to conserve these significant attributes in enhancing the richness and the complexity of Malioboro Street as the main commercial-historic-cultural corridor in the historic city of Yogyakarta. The study focuses on the contextual relationship and interaction between people and the built environment, to emphasise this significant ambience and the role of informal street activities in the current urban design approach. The study intend to prove that informal street activities have a significant role on enhancing diversity in the use of street, activating public life and increasing attractiveness. Despite these positive attributes, these informal activities are seen to be one major obstacle in the process of managing urban spaces by the local authorities because of the inherent issues of conflicting occupation of public urban spaces that result in the hindering of pedestrian and vehicular movements, decreasing sidewalks space and more often, general cleanliness of the urban environment. Urban design solutions are formulated to exploit all possibilities to conserve the informal street activities as significant attributes in enhancing the richness and the complexity of the street and at the same time try to resolve the problems that arose in managing the conflicts and issues pertaining to these activities and the spaces they occupied.
Association between alkaline phosphatase/albumin ratio and the prognosis in patients with chronic kidney disease stages 1–4: results from a C-STRIDE prospective cohort study

Background The alkaline phosphatase-to-albumin ratio (APAR) has been demonstrated to be a promising non-invasive biomarker for predicting prognosis in certain diseases. However, the relationship between APAR and prognosis in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients remains unclear. This study aims to identify the association between APAR and prognosis among CKD stages 1–4 in China. Methods Patients with CKD stages 1–4 were consecutively recruited from 39 clinical centers in China from 2011 to 2016. New occurrences of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and all-cause deaths were the outcome events of this study. Subdistribution hazard competing risk and Cox proportional hazards regression models were adopted. Results A total of 2,180 participants with baseline APAR values were included in the analysis. In the primary adjusted analyses, higher APAR level [per 1-standard deviation (SD) increase in natural logarithm transformed (ln-transformed) APAR] was associated with 33.5% higher risk for all-cause deaths [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.335, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.068–1.670]. In addition, there was evidence for effect modification of the association between APAR and ESKD by baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (P interaction < 0.001). A higher APAR level (per 1-SD increase in ln-transformed APAR) was associated with a greater risk of ESKD among participants with eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (adjusted SHR 1.880, 95% CI 1.260–2.810) but not in eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Conclusion Higher APAR levels in patients with CKD stages 1–4 seemed to be associated with an increased risk of all-cause death. Thus, APAR appears to be used in risk assessment for all-cause death among patients with CKD stages 1–4.