Waterlogging is an important environmental stress limiting the productivity of crops worldwide. Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L) is particularly sensitive to waterlogging stress during the reproductive stage, with a consequent decline in pod formation and yield. However, little is known about the critical processes underlying cowpea’s responses to waterlogging during the reproductive stage. Thus, we investigated the key parameters influencing carbon fixation, including stomatal conductance (g s), intercellular CO 2 concentration, chlorophyll content, and chlorophyll fluorescence, of two cowpea genotypes with contrasting waterlogging tolerance. These closely related genotypes have starkly contrasting responses to waterlogging during and after 7-days of waterlogging stress (DOW). In the intolerant genotype (‘EpicSelect.4’), waterlogging resulted in a gradual loss of pigment and decreased photosynthetic capacity as a consequent decline in shoot biomass. On the other hand, the waterlogging-tolerant genotype (UCR 369) maintained CO 2 assimilation rate ( A), stomatal conductance (g s), biomass, and chlorophyll content until 5 DOW. Moreover, there was a highly specific downregulation of the mesophyll conductance (g m), maximum rate of Rubisco (V cmax), and photosynthetic electron transport rate (J max) as non-stomatal limiting factors decreasing A in EpicSelect.4. Exposure of EpicSelect.4 to 2 DOW resulted in the loss of PSII photochemistry by downregulating the PSII quantum yield (F v/F m), photochemical efficiency (Ф PSII), and photochemical quenching (qP). In contrast, we found no substantial change in the photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence of ‘UCR 369’ in the first 5 DOW. Rather, UCR 369 rapidly developed adventitious roots (ARs), maintained biomass accumulation, and elongated stems, enabling the genotypeto maintain nutrient absorption and photosynthesis during the early period of waterlogging. However, compared to the control, both cowpea genotypes could not fully recover their photosynthetic capacity after 7 DOW, with a larger decline in EpicSelect.4. Overall, our findings suggest that rapid AR formation and stem elongation appear to play critical roles in cowpea’s waterlogging tolerance, with the waterlogging-tolerant genotype also maintaining considerable carbon fixation during the reproductive stage.

Hans Henrik Bruuna, Rasmus Ejrnæsba Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmarkb Section for Biodiversity, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, DK-8410 Rønde, DenmarkType of article: Technical note (comment on Brun et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13968)Abstract Brun et al. (2022) found that a few tall, high-SLA plant species had stronger effects on primary productivity than any measure of functional diversity. We add data on species rarity to show that ongoing biodiversity loss is unlikely to hamper ecosystem productivity, a core insight we feel the authors missed.Main text Brun et al. (2022) present important new results regarding the controversial relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function. Studying plant communities from the French and Swiss Alps, they assessed if the presence or abundance of certain plant species were linked to higher levels of pivotal ecosystem functions, here primary productivity. They identified ‘key’ species, which have a decisive role in overall productivity, and ‘keystone’ species, which have disproportionally large productivity effects given their abundance, and which are a subset of the key species. Out of 2918 plant species found, they identified 38 key species, of which 11 qualified as keystone species. They found that the five key species with largest effects on productivity jointly explained more deviance in ecosystem productivity than any measure of functional composition. The results provide evidence supporting the Trait Driver Theory (Enquist et al. 2015), which is related to the ‘mass-ratio hypothesis’ (Grime 1998; Garnier et al. 2004), and against the ‘complementary resource use hypothesis’ (Naeem et al. 1994). Key and keystone species were found to be taller and have higher than average specific leaf area.Brun et al. (2022) state in their introduction that understanding the relationships between species richness, functional traits and ecosystem function “is pivotal for assessing the impacts of biodiversity loss”. Their study builds on solid empirical data, a strong analytical framework and deals with real-world communities, shaped by abiotic environmental filtering and non-artificial extinction processes, something rarely undertaken (e.g. Vile et al. 2006; Mokanyet al. 2008). Therefore, we miss an explicit evaluation of the assumptions underlying the ‘rivet-popper hypothesis’ (Ehrlich & Ehrlich 1981). In this powerful narrative, the popping rivets leading to the crash of the plane are juxtaposed to species going extinct, leading to ecosystem collapse. The metaphor has inspired and gained some support from the so-called random deletion experiments (e.g. Tilman et al. 1997; Hector et al. 1999), in which all species are assumed to have equal extinction probability.We plotted a rank-abundance diagram of the species in the data of Brun et al. (2022) based on their regional occupancy (using mean local abundance yielded qualitatively equal results, with a strong positive correlation between regional occupancy and local abundance; Spearman rho = 0.93, p << 0.001). We categorized species as either key, keystone, redlisted or other and superimposed species category on the diagram (Fig. 1). Redlist status was derived from the redlists for vascular plants of Switzerland (Bornand et al. 2016) and the French region Rhône-Alpes (Kristo et al. 2015). We found that key and keystone species strongly tended to be regionally widespread and locally abundant species, whereas species threatened with regional extinction were found in the tail of the rank-abundance distribution. A one-way anova of difference in log-transformed frequencies revealed that key and keystone species did not differ in abundance but were both significantly more abundant than all other categories and that redlisted species were significantly less abundant than all other categories (p << 0.001, TukeyHSD). It appears evident that the contribution of rare species to ecosystem productivity is a weak argument for conservation actions in their favour. In fact, Fig. 2a of the original paper shows that many species leads to reduced ecosystem productivity when present.A revised version of Ehrlich’s aeroplane metaphor could sound: The wings are effectively attached to the body of the plane by a small number of large rivets of key importance, while numerous small rivets, most of which tiny as needles, serve no other function than mere decoration (Gould & Lewontin 1979). The biodiversity crisis and its derived biotic homogenization implies that already common key species increase in occupancy and abundance, while initially un-common species decrease or vanish completely (Finderup Nielsen et al. 2019; Kempel et al. 2020).There is solid evidence for loss of endangered species disproportionately happening in low-productive natural ecosystems (Walker et al. 2004; Wassen et al. 2005), which we show have very low extinction risk. Moreover, the plant species critical to human sustenance are all superabundant crops, such as wheat, corn and rice. We propose it is time the scientific community acknowledge that arguments for biodiversity conservation should not be sought in optimization of productivity, decomposition rate or – in general – in efficiency of ecosystem processes. We are not misanthropic, but rather confident that disciplines such as agronomy, forestry, technical sciences, geophysics and medicine will look after the well-being of our own species.

Danthonia californica is a native perennial bunchgrass commonly used in the restoration of prairie ecosystems in the western United States. Plants of this species simultaneously produce both chasmogamous (potentially outcrossed) and cleistogamous (obligately self-fertilized) seeds. Restoration practitioners almost exclusively use chasmogamous seeds for outplanting, which are predicted to perform better in novel environments due to their greater genetic diversity. Meanwhile, cleistogamous seeds may exhibit greater local adaptation to the conditions in which the maternal plant exists. We performed a common garden experiment at two sites in the Willamette Valley, Oregon to assess the influence of seed type and source population (eight populations) on germination and found no evidence of local adaptation for either seed type. Cleistogamous seeds outperformed chasmogamous seeds regardless of whether seeds were sourced directly from the common gardens (local seeds), or other populations (nonlocal seeds). Furthermore, average seed weight had a strong positive effect on germination success, despite the fact that chasmogamous seeds had significantly greater mass than cleistogamous seeds. At one common garden we observed that seeds of both types sourced from north of our planting site performed significantly better than local or southern-sourced seeds. We also found a significant seed type and distance-dependent interaction, with cleistogamous germination peaking approximately 125km from the garden, which may be explained by differences in the pathogen content of cleistogamous and chasmogamous seeds. These results suggest that cleistogamous seeds should be considered for greater use in D. californica restoration.

After a suspected allergic reactions to first dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, given the PEG skin tests negativity and tolerance in vivo to PEG containing drugs, five patients were vaccinated with the second dose of Pfizer-Biontech undergoing a fractional protocol, with antihistamine premedication, without presenting immediate or delayed reactions.

It is widely acknowledged that population structure can have a substantial impact on evolutionary trajectories. In social animals, this structure is strongly influenced by relationships among the population members, so studies of differences in social structure between diverging populations or nascent species are of prime interest. Ideal models for such a study are two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus, meeting in Europe along a secondary contact zone. Though the latter subspecies has usually been supposed to form tighter and more isolated social units than the former, the evidence is still inconclusive. Here, we carried out a series of radio-frequency identification experiments in semi-natural enclosures to gather large longitudinal datasets on individual mouse movements. The data were summarised in the form of uni- and multi-layer social networks. Within them, we could delimit and describe the social units (‘modules’). While the number of estimated units was similar in both subspecies, domesticus revealed a more ‘modular’ structure. This subspecies also showed more intramodular social interactions, higher spatial module separation, higher intramodular persistence of parent-offspring contacts, and lower multiple paternity, suggesting more effective control of dominant males over reproduction. We also demonstrate that long-lasting modules can be identified with basic reproductive units or demes. We thus provide the first robust evidence that the two subspecies differ in their social structure and dynamics of the structure formation.

Pine barren and sandplain ecosystems are unique, globally rare ecosystems whose open-canopied vegetation structure supports a unique assemblage of plants and animals. They occur almost exclusively on deep, sandy soils, and require periodic disturbances to prevent succession to forest. Though these ecosystems, and the unique species that live in them, are rare today, they once occupied a larger area of coastal and interior New York and New England. In order to better understand pine barren and sandplain distribution in the past, and the potential for restoring them in the future, we mapped the distribution of soils in New York State that can support these ecosystems. We quantified soil percent sand and soil depth of 156 known high quality remnant pine barren and sandplain ecosystems to calculate threshold soil characteristics. We then mapped all soils in the state that were at least as sandy and deep as the threshold values we calculated. The total area of our map of potential soil conditions was over 9,500 km2, made up of forested (57%), urban (26%), agricultural (13%) and open (4%) land cover. Nearly 7,000 km2 – almost 20 times the area of known, high quality remnant ecosystems – of land was forested, agricultural, or open land. Existing examples of pine barren and sandplain ecosystems were mostly embedded within much larger matrices of forest, agriculture, and urban land cover that shared the distinctive soil conditions. The presence of extensive soils in coastal and interior New York that, with the appropriate disturbance regime, have the potential to host pine barren and sandplain ecosystems offers a new perspective on these ecosystems’ distribution in the past – and about how to better align restoration and conservation to preserve the future.

Central neurocytoma is a rare benign brain tumor that commonly occupies the lateral ventricle with characteristic imaging features. We present a case of a 53-year-old female patient who presented with eight-month history of diffuse headaches that worsened over time. Brain MRI revealed an intraventricular mass lesion consistent with central neurocytoma

Pig outdoor farming is gaining popularity and commercial success in the EU and its expansion, together with an increasingly abundance of wild boar populations facilitates interactions between domestic and wild suids. In the Southern French Department of Ardèche, several episodes of mass mortalities due to infection with an enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli, causing oedema disease (OD) were reported in wild boar populations between 2013 and 2016. In order to investigate a potential link between those events and the frequency of interactions between wild boar and domestic pigs, we analysed regional vegetation and hunting bag data and implemented a semi-structured questionnaire survey among a total of 30 outdoor pig farmers and 30 hunters distributed inside and outside the identified area of OD emergence. One third of interviewed farmers (11/30) had experienced intrusions of wild boars in domestic pig premises during the previous year. Similarly, 23% of interviewed hunters reported interactions between wild boar and feral free ranging pigs in recent years and 60% reported the observation of free ranging pigs with a phenotypic feature of Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (55%). Our analysis identified that the OD emergence area gathered several factors that could facilitate interactions between wild and domestic suids including a predominance of forested vegetation, a higher estimated wild boar density, weaker levels of farm biosecurity and a higher level of reported intrusions or interactions with wild boar in pig farms. Despite our sample was limited, our study suggests that the occurrence and dissemination of wild domestic suid interactions in this region might be higher than expected and sufficient to facilitate the circulation of shared pathogens between wild and domestic suids. Similar studies in this and other rural regions in the EU are recommended, in order to identify risk areas and anticipate preparedness for the emergence and circulation of shared swine pathogens.

A 45-year-old man was affected by myocardial infarction (MI) associated with infective endocarditis. His myocardium was destroyed slowly, and giant myocardial pseudoaneurysm was found to be waiting to go off six weeks after index MI.

Objective: Nowadays, the coagulation status of the cardiac surgical patient is monitored using standard laboratory parameters. However, these tests involve long turnaround times, a critical limitation in settings where the patient’s coagulation status can change very quickly.  The aim of the present study is to describe, through serial blood controls, traditional tests and Point Of Care (POC), the coagulation status of patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Design: Observational study. Setting: Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, University of Turin, Italy. Partecipants: We enrolled 29 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass for cardiac surgery at the ‘Città della Salute e della Scienza’ University Hospital in Turin  between March and June 2021. Interventions: In all patients two series of blood samples were performed at T1 (before the start of CPB, after sternum opening, before UFH administration) and at T2 (after the end of CPB, after protamine administration and before any blood component transfusions). Laboratory tests included blood count, INR, aPTT, Fibrinogen and functional assay of coagulation factors (AT III, factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, proteins C and S). An additional sample was obtained (both at T1 and T2)  for ROTEM analysis. Measurements and Main results: Between the beginning and the end of the bypass we observed a significant decrease in coagulation factors II, X, XI, XII, protein C and S with an average percentage decrease of 32.58%, 34.11%, 36.69 %, 47.45%, 33.65% and 30.20%, respectively.  Regarding viscoelastic parameters, we recorded a median  increase of 22.64% of CT in Intem during CPB, with a reduction in MCF in Fibtem of 16.66%, as well as platelet contribution (MCF Extem-Fibtem), which was reduced by 7.69%. Conclusions: CPB-induced coagulopathy involve dilution, activation and consumption of all components of haemostasis, together with the need for profound anticoagulation.  Our data seem to confirm the important reduction of all coagulation factors and platelets, together with a consensual change in traditional laboratory and viscoelastic parameters.

Arsenic (As) is the most ubiquitous toxic metalloid in nature. Microbe mediated As metabolism plays an important role in the global As biogeochemical processes, greatly changing its toxicity and bioavailability. While metagenomic sequencing may advance our understanding of the As metabolism capacity of microbial communities in different environments, accurate metagenomic profiling of As metabolism remains challenging due to low coverage and inaccurate definitions of As metabolism gene families in public orthology databases. Here we developed a manually curated As metabolism gene database (AsgeneDB) comprising 414,773 representative sequences from 59 As metabolism gene families, which are affiliated with 1,653 microbial genera from 46 phyla. We then applied AsgeneDB for functional and taxonomic profiling of As metabolism in metagenomes from various habitats (freshwater, hot spring, marine sediment, and soil). Compared with other databases, AsgeneDB substantially improved the mapping ratio of short read in metagenomes from various environments. Our results indicate that the diversity and importance of microbial arsenic metabolism in the environment remains to be explored. In addition, we developed an R package Asgene to facilitate the analysis and statistical of metagenomic data. AsgeneDB and the associated R Package Asgene will greatly promote the study of arsenic metabolism in microbial communities in various environments.

In the airway, IgE is traditionally regarded as a key mediator in allergic diseases, such as AR and allergic asthma. However, growing evidence demonstrates the importance of local IgE in airway inflammatory diseases, irrespective of the presence of allergy. In this review, we discuss the most recent evidence for IgE in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP), including the local IgE’s characteristics, the modulation of its synthesis, and function. The levels of local IgE are significantly elevated in polyps independently of IgE serum levels and atopic status. Local IgE is polyclonal and functional, which is correlated with type 2 inflammation. IgE is produced by active B cells and is dependent on the classing switch recombination(CSR). In NPs, this process is triggered by not only allergens but also microbial colonization, especially the superantigen- Staphylococcus aureus. The production of local IgE is modulated by lymphocytes(such as Tfh, ILC2s, iTreg), cytokines(such as IL-4, IL-13, IFN-γ, TGF-β, IL-2, IL-21), transcription factors, and B cell intrinsic factor. Due to the central role of IgE in NPs, it is regarded as an ideal target for therapy and has been proved to be clinically successful. Based on this knowledge, we believe that exploring the trigger and regulatory factors for the activation of local B cells and CSR to IgE will provide more valuable information for us to recognize the pathological mechanisms of local IgE and offer the possible option for new [therapeutic](#/javascript:;) targets of NPs.

Background: Some clinical indicators have been reported to be useful in differentiating asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) from pure COPD/asthma, but the results were inconsistent. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of these indicators for ACO. Methods: Databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid and Web of Science were retrieved. Pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95%CI was calculated in random effects model. Heterogeneity was explored through I-squared statistic. Publication bias was assessed via funnel-plot with begg’s and egger’s tests. Results: 46 eligible studies were included. The pooled results indicated, compared with pure COPD, ACO patients had higher FEV 1% (SMD=0.16, 95%CI 0.05 to 0.27), DLCO% (SMD=0.38, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.6), FeNO (SMD=0.58, 95%CI 0.38 to 0.78), serum total IgE (SMD=0.42, 95%CI 0.07 to 0.76), blood eosinophil (SMD=0.43, 95%CI 0.26 to 0.61), percentage of induced sputum eosinophil (SMD=0.62, 95%CI 0.42 to 0.83), and lower percentage of induced sputum neutrophil (SMD=-0.48, 95%CI -0.7 to -0.27), circulating YKL-40 (SMD=-1.09, 95%CI -1.92 to -0.26). However, compared with asthma alone, ACO patients had lower FEV 1% (SMD=-1.1, 95%CI -1.32 to -0.87), DLCO% (SMD=-0.83, 95%CI -1.24 to -0.42), FeNO (SMD=-0.25, 95%CI -0.38 to -0.11), and higher percentage of induced sputum neutrophil (SMD=0.51, 95%CI 0.21 to 0.81), circulating YKL-40 (SMD=0.96, 95%CI 0.27 to 1.64). Conclusions: Compared with pure COPD/asthma, ACO patients have different levels of FEV 1%, DLCO%, FeNO, serum total IgE, blood eosinophil, percentage of induced sputum eosinophil/neutrophil, and circulating YKL-40, which could be helpful to establish a clinical diagnosis of ACO. More studies are warranted to validate these findings.

The process of sapwood/heartwood transition in trees is not fully understood. We tested whether the ontogenetically-stable apex-to-base conduit widening generates path length effects limiting the conductance of inner sapwood rings. The axial scaling ( b) of conduit hydraulic diameter ( Dh) was estimated at annual resolution in a spruce and beech tree. We compiled a global dataset of sapwood ring number ( NSWr), their average width ( SWrw), tree height ( H) and stem elongation rate ( ΔH) in conifer and angiosperm trees. A numerical model simulated the effects of H and ΔH on the conductance of each xylem ring ( KRING). b resulted ontogenetically stable. Simulations well predicted the observed patterns of increasing NSWr with H and decreasing NSWr with ΔH, assuming that heartwood forms when the marginal conductance gain of maintaining the functionality of an inner ring becomes negligible. Sapwood/heartwood transition minimizes the C costs associated to allocation to secondary growth and maintenance of living sapwood required to attain a given sapwood conductance. The number of sapwood rings depends on the effects of H and ΔH on the conductance of inner sapwood rings. The width of sapwood rings contributes to compensate for the lower conductance of inner sapwood rings at high ΔH.

Social determinants of health (SDoH) are associated with stark disparities in cancer outcomes, but systematic SDoH data collection is currently absent from oncology clinical trials. Trial-based SDoH data are essential to ensure representation of marginalized populations, contextualize outcomes, and identify health-equity intervention opportunities. We report the feasibility of the first pediatric oncology multicenter trial-embedded SDoH investigation. Among 448 trial participants, 392 (87.5%) opted-in to the embedded SDoH study; 375 (95.7%) completed baseline surveys, with high longitudinal response rates (87.2-92.8%) over 24-months of therapy. Trial-embedded SDoH data collection is feasible and acceptable, and must be consistently included within future oncology trials.

Background: This study aimed to introduce our single-center experience of infant vascular tumor associated with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) which received combined medicine treatment with intralesional laser photocoagulation (ILP) and sclerotherapy. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of medical records of all children with diagnosis of KHE or TA associated with KMP treated with medicine treatment, intralesional laser photocoagulation (ILP) and sclerotherapy between February 2017 to November 2020. Clinical features, response to comprehensive therapy and outcomes were recorded. Results. Twenty-three patients, including nine females (39%) and fourteen males (61%), were identified. The mean age was 6.9 months (age range, 11 days to 2 years) at the time of treatment. Nine children (39%) demonstrated sensitivity to single corticosteroid therapy. Fourteen children (61%) received combining therapy with intravenous VCR and corticosteroid therapy. All children had at least two ILP and sclerotherapy performed, with a mean of 3.5 procedures (range: 2-6). Of these 14 children, only one experienced a relapse of thrombocytopenia and the remaining 13 children had no clinical symptoms recurred but non-involuting tumor. Conclusions. The combined therapy modalities could induce a more rapid tumor response and resolution of KMP, decrease the rebound rates. The precent research presents a noval and safe multi-modality treatment for infant vascular tumor associated with KMP.

Background. Vaginal packing is often used after vaginal hysterectomy to reduce the risk of haemorrhagic and infectious complications, but the procedure may impair spontaneous bladder emptying and necessitate permanent bladder catheterization that itself increases the risk of urinary infection, patient bother, delayed discharge, and increased costs. Objectives. This systematic review aimed to assess the complications and outcomes associated with vaginal packing after vaginal hysterectomy (with or without colporrhaphy). Search Strategy. We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. Selection Criteria. We used the Population, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) framework to define eligibility. Predefined outcomes were: i) vaginal bleeding and blood loss, ii) postoperative pain, iii) acute urinary retention, iv) hospital length of stay, and v) mid-term complications, such as vaginal cuff collection or infection. Data Collection and Analysis. Following data synthesis and subgroup analyses, we assessed the certainty of evidence according to GRADE guidance and formulated a clinical recommendation. Main Results. The review included four clinical trials (involving 337 participants). These provided no clear evidence that vaginal packing led to clinically meaningful reductions in adverse effects, such as vaginal bleeding, hematoma formation, or postoperative vaginal cuff infection. Overall, the intervention produced no clear benefit on the predefined outcomes. Conclusions. Routine vaginal packing after vaginal hysterectomy had no clear benefit on outcomes. We therefore advise against this procedure. Funding. The Catalan Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology granted funding to conduct this work.

In this paper, we study the existence of global $L^2$-constrained minimizers related to the following Kirchhoff type equation: $$ -\left(a+b\ds\int_{\R^N}|\nabla u|^2\right)\Delta u-f(u)=\lambda u,~~~x\in \R^N,~\lambda\in\R,$$ where $N\leq3$, $a,$ $b>0$ are constants, $f(u)$ is a general $L^2$-subcritical nonlinearity. By using the concentration compactness principle, we prove the sharp existence and nonexistence of global $L^2$-constraint minimizers.

In this article, the (2+1) - dimensional variable coefficients Broer-Kaup-Kupershmit equation is studied for the first time by Lie symmetry analysis. The derivation process of generating elements of vcBKK equation is given systematically, and the optimal system of the one-dimensional subalgebras is determined. Furthermore vcBKK equation is reduced based on the optimal system, and then the reduced equations are solved with the help of the (G’/G)-expansion method. The images of various kinds of exact solutions are drawn. Finally, according to the conservation theorem, the conservation laws of vcBKK equation is constructed.

Synaptic crosstalk, which characterizes the interaction between synapses when the neighboring neurons are activated at the same time, plays an important role in the transmission of neural signals. To discover the effect of synaptic crosstalk on associative memory, a memristor-based associative memory circuit considering synaptic crosstalk is proposed in this letter. The inhibitory effect of negative crosstalk on associate memory in the initial learning stage and the consolidation influence of positive crosstalk on associate memory when the synaptic weight exceeds the critical value are revealed. Pspice simulations are conducted on the resultant circuit to verify its correctness.

Backgroud: Agroforestry systems (SAFs) are an alternative for sustainable development as they enable the recovery of degraded areas and reduce deforestation, contributing to breaking the cycle of traditional family farming, so common in the Amazon region, which enables the recovery of soils , the increase of organic matter and soil fertility. Cocoa beans are grown and fermented in SAFs. According to researches, the significant appearance of endophytic microorganisms such as bacteria in the cocoa bean can benefit its production commonly with fermentative bacteria. The aim of the study was to characterize the microbiota of cocoa beans during the fermentation process. Methods: Bacteria isolation was performed from the collected samples, one of the applied procedures was the scraping of the dried and fermented cocoa beans. Afterwards, aliquots were subcultured in a Petri dish with culture medium containing Blood agar and MacConkey agar to verify bacteria. Cultures were analyzed by counting colony forming units (CFU/mL). Molecular analyses and Sequencing were realized for described the diversity microbial Results: DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyzes were performed to emphasize microbial morphology characterization. Gram negative bacilli (Enterobacter spp. and Citrobacter spp.) and Gram positive bacilli (Bacillus spp.) were found in cocoa beans after 72 hours of fermentation. Conclusion: However, this work contributed to the characterization of endophytic bacteria in cocoa seeds, enabling in-depth studies of in vitro verification of the potential for biocontrol of these endophytic bacteria in cocoa cultivation.

Abstract Background: Clinically Cardiotocography is a technique which is used to monitor and evaluate the level of fetal distress. Even though, CTG is the most widely used device to monitor determine the fetus health, existence of high false positive result from the visual interpretation has a significant contribution to unnecessary surgical delivery or delayed intervention. Objective: In the current study an innovative computer aided fetal distress diagnosing model is developed by using time frequency representation of FHR signal using generalized Morse wavelet and the concept of transfer learning of pre-trained ResNet 50 deep neural network model. Method: The CTG data is obtained from the only open access CTU-UHB data base of Cardiotocogram, and then FHR signal is extracted and preprocessed to remove noises and spikes. After preprocessing the time frequency information of FHR signal is extracted by using generalized Morse wavelet and fed to a pre-trained ResNet 50 model which is fine tuned and configured according to our dataset. Result: After successfully training the model, a comprehensive experimentation of testing is conducted for FHR data for which a recording is made during early stage of labor and last stage of labor. Thus, a promising classification accuracy result of 98.7% and 96.1 are achieved for FHR data’s of 1st and 2nd stage of labor respectively. Conclusion: A graphical user interface is developed for the model using Matlab app designer for ease of implementation, and can be used as a decision-making aid system for obstetrician and gynecologist.

Since a polyvalent strategy has recently been assumed to be adopted by Deinococcus radiodurans that can generate various resistance against many different detrimental sources of oxidative damage (e.g. reactive oxygen species, heavy metal ions and ionising radiation), investigating more than one restorative metabolic activities and their interrelation of the very same entities of Deinococcus radiodurans is of great significance for exploring its polyextremophile nature, which will be insightful for obtaining fundamental generic insights into life sustainability. Herein, we apply mainly fluorescence microscopy and back reflection microscopy to visibly assess the respective activities of superoxide radical generation and silver ion metabolism for individual Deinococcus radiodurans. Strikingly, only a minority (<20%) of the bacteria which show low superoxide radical levels is revealed to exhibit considerable formation of silver nanoparticles whilst those containing more superoxide radicals all show minimum silver ion metabolism. The discovery of the strong negative correlation for the small subpopulation between the two visualised different metabolic activities not only provides direct experimental evidence in terms of bacterial functionality for the inferred survival regime of the extreme microbe, but also suggests a new way of chemically examining biology from the perspective of inter-functional relationship.

Compared with the targets in natural images, the aerial targets are often distributed in an arbitrary direction. However, the existing detectors rely on the shared features to identify and locate the targets. This leads to the inconsistency between classification and regression: the classifier needs rotation-invariant features and the regressor needs rotation-sensitive features. To solve the above problems, we propose a Spatial Dual Network (SD-Net) composed of two modules: Spatial Coordinate Attention Module (SCAM) and Polarization Dual Pyramid Module(PDPM). We construct an attention module containing convolution kernels sliding in both horizontal and vertical directions, which enables the attention module to capture channel correlation features and global spatial features in different directions. Then, in the dual pyramid, we separate the features suitable for classification and regression tasks through the polarization function to the classifier and regressor of the network, achieving more refined detection. Extensive experiments show that compared with the existing detectors, our method can achieve higher performance on two remote sensing datasets (i.e. HRSC2016 and DOTA) while maintaining high efficiency.