Software development is a multifaceted endeavor, requiring a profound grasp of both social dynamics and technical intricacies. Poor collaboration often leads to the accumulation of social debt, manifesting as unforeseen project costs due to sub-optimal team interactions. Community smells have emerged as indicators of these socio-technical inefficiencies and potential social debt. While previous research has focused on automated detection of community smells through analyzing developer communication patterns, our study offers a complementary approach. We emphasize the critical role of project managers in assessing socio-technical dynamics and propose a novel, tool-supported catalog of symptoms. This catalog can be used for manual inspections to identify early signs of community smells at the individual level, allowing managers to address issues before they escalate. Using a mixed-method design that leveraged an existing literature review and a user survey, we cataloged symptoms related to four community smell types. Additionally, we developed TOAST, a tool that operationalizes this catalog, and assessed its usability. The paper concludes by shedding light on the potential impact of our work and its contribution to advancing the detection and analysis of community smells.

The Chilean government is committed to reforming the health financing scheme set up in the eighties, characterized by risk and income segmentation. There is a need to move towards a universal, comprehensive, and sustainable health system, the financing component of which is fundamental. To contribute elements of comparative analysis to inform Chile’s reform efforts, we reviewed international health reform experiences carried out in similar settings. We used a scoping review methodology. Six countries were included in the analysis: Canada, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, and France. A profile was prepared for each country describing the financing system, the structures in charge of managing the public health insurance system, and the institution responsible for financing and its attributions regarding health care providers. One-hundred and eighty-eight records were identified to create the country profiles. In this article, we narratively analyze the findings, focusing on a) financing (revenue collection and pooling), b) purchaser-provider relationship and payment mechanisms, c) governance of institutional capacities and policies for reform, and d) voluntary private health insurance. For each of these dimensions, we make focused recommendations that could aid the Chilean ongoing effort for health care reform to move towards universal public insurance with a mixed payment mechanism for public and private providers. We also discuss the type of institutional governance required and the transition from mandatory to complementary private insurance.

A document by Alfredo Jose Bolt Iriondo. Click on the document to view its contents.

Map projections transform the Earth's curved surface into a plane and are thus crucial for mapping and geospatial analysis. However, projections inevitably introduce distortion and the conventional approach is to select a suitable,  predefined map projection for the mapped region. Unfortunately, the available projections are limited in variety and can be difficult to evaluate effectively.We propose an alternative approach: rather than selecting from a predefined set of projections, we introduce an algorithm that optimizes a single projection for a given data set: Data-Optimized Oblique Mercator (DOOM). At its core is the Hotine oblique Mercator projection, featuring a flexible set of adjustable parameters and a universal implementation in GIS platforms and related software. DOOM utilizes the well-established optimization algorithms Levenberg-Marquardt, Adamax, and BFGS, to optimize the projection parameters, minimizing distortion in the mapping of geospatial data. The algorithm supports various objective functions (e.g., L1- and L2-norms, minmax) and can be extended to incorporate data weighting. The methodology is validated through several case studies, highlighting its adaptability across diverse applications.  Additionally, we introduce a GIS plugin to streamline the use of optimized projection parameters, enhancing accessibility for the geospatial community.

RATIONALE: Understanding plant defense mechanisms against pathogens is critical for agricultural productivity and crop protection. This study focuses on the quantification of camalexin and scopoletin, essential phytoalexins in Arabidopsis thaliana, using advanced mass spectrometry techniques. Accurate measurement of these compounds can provide insights into plant resistance and support agricultural research. METHODS: Camalexin and scopoletin were quantified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (MALDI-HRMS). The matrix and solvent conditions were optimized to enhance sensitivity and accuracy. MS/MS experiments confirmed the identification with high mass accuracy (mass error < 5 ppm). RESULTS: The method demonstrated high linearity for scopoletin (R 2 = 0.9992) and camalexin (R 2 = 0.9987) over concentration ranges of 0.16-5 µM and 0.31-5 µM, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.16 µM for camalexin and 0.04 µM for scopoletin, while the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.31 µM for camalexin and 0.16 µM for scopoletin. The average relative standard deviation was 1.43% for scopoletin and 2.46% for camalexin, with average relative errors of 3.91% and 4.11%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a precise, and accurate method for the quantification of key phytoalexins in Arabidopsis thaliana. The developed MALDI-HRMS approach significantly contributes to the understanding of plant defense mechanisms and offers potential applications in agricultural and biotechnological research.

Rationale: Sex estimation by analysis of amelogenin peptides in archaeological and fossil material has recently been gaining great traction within the fields of archaeology and palaeontology. Current widely used proteomic amelogenin sex estimation methods are hindered by relatively long mass spectrometric run times, or targeting peptides specific to human amelogenin proteins. Untargeted, high-throughput amelogenin sexing would be invaluable for a range of applications, from sex estimation of remains at mass grave sites to broadening the application of rapid amelogenin sexing to non-hominin species for husbandry and evolutionary studies. Methods: A new acid etch amelogenin analysis protocol followed by Evosep-LC-TIMS-TOF mass spectrometry is presented, providing global peptide data through rapid mass spectrometric methods in under 20 minutes per sample (including sample preparation, mass spectrometric acquisition and data processing). Furthermore, this method is applied to a preliminary study of both modern and archaeological Bos taurus remains, alongside archaeological human remains, showing the potential of straightforward application of this rapid amelogenin sexing method to a range of taxa. Results: Application of the developed Evosep-LC-TIMS-TOF mass spectrometry shows the novel acid etch approach improved peptide counts. Furthermore, rapid untargeted mass spectrometry using the Evosep-LC-TIMS-TOF gave comparable peptide counts to conventional long untargeted methods, while maintaining similar, or faster, acquisition times to those reported in methods targeting specific human amelogenin peptides. Conclusions: Rapid, untargeted Evosep-LC-TIMS-TOF mass spectrometry was successfully implemented in sex estimation of modern and archaeological material from Bos taurus and human teeth. This demonstrates an advancement in low-cost, high-throughput amelogenin sex estimation, for both human and zooarchaeological applications.

Background Roflumilast is an add-on therapy for COPD following exacerbations, but real-world safety data in the U.S. is limited. Objective This study aimed to identify safety signals associated with roflumilast use through a high-throughput signal detection algorithm. Methods Using sequence symmetry analysis (SSA), we analyzed Marketscan databases for new roflumilast users (2011–2021). We screened for adverse effects across 211 therapeutic classes within 365 days of initiation. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by sex, age, and observation period. Crude and adjusted sequence ratios (cSR, aSR) were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Among 11,091 patients (53% aged 65+, 52% female), 19 safety signals were identified. Strong associations were observed with anti-thyroid agents (aSR, 3.62; 95% CI: 1.44–10.36), parathyroid hormones (aSR, 2.65; 95% CI: 1.33–5.51), and meglitinides (aSR, 2.43; 95% CI: 1.15–5.35). While many signals aligned with prior clinical trial data, novel associations with anti-thyroid and parathyroid agents were discovered. Conclusion In our study, we detected 19 safety signals for roflumilast, including notable associations with anti-thyroid agents and parathyroid hormones. Future investigations using more robust study designs are warranted to evaluate those signals.

Objectives: Nonsuicidal self-injury is a behavior typically used to regulate emotions, resulting in damage to one’s body without suicidal intent. Self-injury may indicate a need for psychological support, yet stigma is a major barrier to disclosure for many. Despite stigma’s potential impact on help-seeking, recovery, and wellbeing, our understanding of self-injury stigma is limited. While traction is building in this space, few measures of self-injury stigma exist to allow exploration of its impacts. In this study, we outline the preliminary validation of the Self-Injury Stigma Questionnaire (SIS-Q), which was developed to capture the features of self-injury stigma conceptualised in the NSSI Stigma Framework (Staniland et al., 2021). Method: First, we developed item pools representing five stigma perspectives: Public, Personal, Internalized, Anticipated, and Enacted, and reflecting six dimensions of stigma: Origin, Concealability, Aesthetics, Course, Peril, and Disruptiveness. These items were piloted with a sample of 316 ( M age = 32.1, 68% male, 40% with a history of self-injury) participants. Following item reduction, the scales were administered to 722 ( M age = 29.2, 27.3% male, 55.7% with a history of self-injury) participants, and data were analysed for validity, reliability, and invariance. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed four factors: Origin, Concealability, Peril, and Disruption. Internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and measurement invariance were demonstrated. Conclusion: The SIS-Q offers a comprehensive and theoretically informed measure to support ongoing efforts investigating the development and persistence of self-injury stigma, and the impact it has on individuals with lived experience of self-injury.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a growing health issue worldwide. It happens when fat builds up in your liver for reasons other than drinking alcohol. Imagine the liver, which is a critical organ responsible for detoxifying the body, storing energy, and digesting food, becoming clogged with fat. This excess fat in the liver is not due to drinking too much alcohol but rather because of poor diet, lack of exercise, or genetics. If not addressed, this buildup of fat can lead to serious health problems.

Lactate is a ubiquitous and pleiotropic signalling molecule, with important functional effects in tissue and cellular metabolism. As an exerkine, lactate is not only substantially released from tissues during exercise but may also play a role in exercise-related medical conditions. Since exercise is a known co-factor in anaphylaxis, this may suggest a mechanistic relevance for lactate release during anaphylactic events. Here, we evaluated in vitro and in vivo evidence for lactate release from mast cells (MCs) from preclinical microdialysis studies, animal models and clinical data in anaphylaxis. Lactate levels are markedly elevated in both animal models of anaphylaxis as well as in patients with anaphylaxis. Lactate is clearly relevant to many different steps in anaphylaxis, including MC activation, vascular permeability, and gastrointestinal dysfunction, but currently lacks a comprehensive interpretation framework in anaphylaxis. As a result, lactate cannot be currently considered a biomarker of anaphylaxis per se. However, given its wide dynamic range, a plethora of available lactate biosensors, and the ease of measurement in various biological fluids, lactate is a potential candidate for biomarker development. At present, lactate’s contribution to anaphylaxis, which was discovered a century ago by Zunz and La Barre, has not been fully elucidated. Unresolved issues in anaphylaxis include the patient’s metabolic state, the kinetics of lactate release and its biological actions, MC bioenergetics and metabolome, activation thresholds and feedback mechanisms, as well as an expression of lactate-metabolizing enzymes. A closer focus on these known unknowns may demystify the contribution of lactate to anaphylaxis and beyond.

Impact of Duffy-Associated Neutrophil Count on Maintenance Chemotherapy Management in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic LeukemiaDerek K. Zachman1,2, Jonathan G. Bardahl1, Laurie A. Graves1, and Lars M. Wagner11Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC2Corresponding author:2301 Erwin Road, Durham NC 27710Phone: 919-684-3401, Fax: 919-668-4447dkz3@duke.eduWord Counts: 828Number of Figures/Tables/Supporting Documents: 1 FigureRunning Title: Duffy Associated Neutrophil Count in Pediatric LeukemiaKeywords: pediatric oncology, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Duffy-associated neutrophil countAbbreviations:

IntroductionTAM is characterized by a transient proliferation of abnormal myeloid cells in the bone marrow, leading to an excess of immature cells circulating in the peripheral blood [2]. TAM diagnosis is associated with the presence of GATA1 mutations, but other features such as blasts on peripheral blood smear, flow cytometry immunophenotype or cytogenetics can be indicative of TAM. This patient’s case is unusual due to the GATA1 mutation-negative status. The GATA1 gene encodes a transcription factor crucial for normal hematopoiesis and mutations in this gene are associated with myeloid disorders including TAM [3]. TAM leads to a wide range of hematologic abnormalities and clinical complications including hyperviscosity syndrome with potential for thrombosis, hydrops fetalis, pericardial effusion, respiratory distress, hypereosinophilia, pseudohyperkalemia, hyperbilirubinemia with liver failure, multi-organ failure and potential for death [1,2,5,14]. Patients with TAM require timely diagnosis as well as close follow up, as 20-30% of these patients subsequently develop myeloid leukemia associated with Down Syndrome (ML-DS) before the age of four [4]. GATA1 mutations have, to date, been discovered in nearly all patients with TAM and ML–DS [7]. The absence of aGATA1 mutation in this case raises the question of an alternative molecular mechanism contributing to the development of TAM and extreme thrombocytosis in this patient.

We conducted a retrospective study to explore molecular insights into human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) group B strains among patients attending outpatient clinics at government medical facilities both before and during the influenza A/H1N1/2009 pandemic outbreak. We screened 2300 nasopharyngeal swabs using multiplex real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We amplified a segment of the first and second hypervariable regions, as well as the conserved portion of the third domain of the G-gene using HRSV-B specific primers, sequenced by Sanger di-deoxy chain termination method and thereafter analyzed the sequences. We characterized the circulating strains into 3 known genotypes: SAB4 (1.4%), BA7(1.4%) and multiple lineages of BA9 (97.2%). The majority of BA9 viruses were uniquely Kenyan with only 4% aligning with BA9 lineages found elsewhere. The mean evolutionary rate of the HRSV-B was estimated to be 3.08 × 10 -3 substitutions per site per year. Our findings indicate that the circulating HRSV-B viruses in Kenya underwent more rapid evolution during the overlapping period of 2007 to 2012. Additionally, our findings reveal the existence of unique lineages as well as new variants that have not been reported elsewhere to date.

In this paper, a novel reconfigurable angular cone antenna that employs a rotatable fan ground plane for reconfiguration is introduced. By regulating the number and orientation of external grounds, the radiation range is progressively broadened, enabling the antenna to exhibit diverse radiation modes. Experimental results demonstrate that the antenna can successfully switch between three modes and validate seven distinct beam directions. These beam directions include: (1) a single ground plane at 45°, 135°, 225°, and 315°; (2) two ground planes at ±45°; and (3) four ground planes creating an omnidirectional radiation pattern. Notably, the antenna boasts a broad bandwidth of 60.66% (covering 1.2-4.9 GHz; VSWR < 2.0) which cover 2G/3G/4G/5G communication bands, while maintaining an antenna efficiency exceeding 90%, marking a significant performance enhancement.

Abstract:Background : The integration of robotic systems and virtual reality technologies in gastrointestinal surgery has transformed the field, offering improved precision, reduced morbidity, and enhanced patient outcomes. However, several key concerns remain unaddressed, including the high upfront costs and maintenance requirements of these advanced technologies, which may limit their adoption in low-resource settings and exacerbate existing healthcare disparities.Methods : This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgeries in gastrointestinal surgery, highlighting the benefits and limitations of these advanced technologies.Results : The review explores the potential future of minimally invasive surgery, including the need for cost-effectiveness analyses, strategies for increasing accessibility in low-resource settings, and targeted training programs to support surgeons in transitioning to these advanced systems.Conclusions : The review concludes with specific recommendations for clinical practice and further research, emphasizing the importance of a balanced view of the advancements in laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgeries.Novel Aspects :Emphasis on accessibility : Unlike previous reviews, this paper highlights the importance of addressing the high upfront costs and maintenance requirements of advanced technologies, and explores strategies for increasing accessibility in low-resource settings.Comprehensive overview of future directions : This review provides a detailed examination of the potential future of minimally invasive surgery, including the need for cost-effectiveness analyses and targeted training programs, which is a novel contribution to the field.Balanced view of advancements : The paper’s emphasis on presenting a balanced view of the benefits and limitations of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgeries sets it apart from previous reviews, which may have focused primarily on the benefits of these technologies.

In recent years, advancements in attention mechanisms and residual networks have significantly increased their application in facial expression classification. However, challenges such as poor key feature extraction and complex model training still exist. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces a classification algorithm based on improved attention mechanism and residual network. Initially, ResNet50 serves as the backbone network for feature extraction, while the Convolutional Block Attention Module is incorporated to automatically learn and selectively emphasize crucial local features of the input data. Secondly, the residual modules of the backbone network are innovatively constructed to enhance the overall feature extraction effect. Finally, the improved CBAM-ERF, which includes enhancements to the CAM, is incorporated to address the issue of neuron suppression within intervals, thereby accelerating the network’s convergence speed and improving classification efficiency. We conducted experiments using three publicly available facial expression datasets: FER2013, CK+, and RAFDB. Compared to basic methods, the average accuracy increased by 13.04%, 25.67%, and 7.53%, respectively. This method can produce competitive recognition results, demonstrating its effectiveness in facial expression recognition tasks.

Financial time series are characterized by high volatility and non-linearity, presenting significant challenges for analysis. Traditional statistical methods, such as ARIMA and GARCH, struggle with non-linear data, while machine learning and deep learning techniques can capture intricate price transformations but are often susceptible to overfitting. In addition, the limited parameters of one-dimensional financial time series signals restrict feature representation. To address these challenges, we propose an efficient multimodal financial time-series prediction network with self-supervised Learning, employing the custom-designed SPPMFN network for stock trend forecasting. Firstly, we introduce a novel signal transformation strategy to capture and analyze richer multi-scale feature representations in financial time series signals. Specifically, we convert one-dimensional stock price time series data into two-dimensional image sequence representations spanning different time intervals through the Gramian Angular Fields. Then, both modalities of data are simultaneously input into the SPPMFN, enabling it to learn features from different dimensions. Moreover, we proposed a self-supervised learning framework, which is instrumental in strengthening the model's capacity to identify intrinsic data relationships, allowing the model to detect underlying patterns and structures while efficiently reducing overfitting. Experimental evaluations on the CSI300E and CSI100E datasets confirm the efficacy of our approach, which accurately predicts high-yield stocks and significantly outperforms industry benchmarks, providing robustness and exceptional performance in dynamic financial data environments. In particular, our method has a significant superiority in the performance of long-term prediction.

Climate change and anthropogenic alteration of landscapes negatively impact the abundance and diversity of plant and animal communities worldwide. Much less is known about the effects on phylogenetic diversity and community functioning. Here we use long-term observation data (1980 – 2022) from the Austrian Alps to assess how butterfly communities adjust community structures and functionality to increasing temperatures along the elevation gradient and how these changes are linked to trait expression and community functioning? Diversity significantly decreased at low and intermediate, and increased at high altitudes. Functional attribute diversity was significantly lower than expected by a random model at intermediate and high altitudes and increased with time at high, but not at intermediate and low altitudes. Multifunctionality significantly decreased at intermediate and high altitudes Phylogenetic diversity did not show significant temporal trends at low altitude, but significantly increased with time at intermediate and high altitudes. Multifunctionality was not significantly correlated with FAD, but decreased with increasing phylogenetic diversity. We conclude that the ongoing homogenisation of Alpine butterfly communities strongly affect species, functional and phylogenetic diversity. The directions of these changes heavily depend on altitude and therefore on specific climatic conditions. Higher altitudes face decreasing butterfly multifunctionality despite of increasing species richness due to climate induced altitudinal up-hill shifts of many species. The assessment of species richness and diversity alone, as provided by common species surveys, might give a false impression about the state and functioning of Alpine insect communities in the course of climate change.

Project delays can affect not only the entire program but also result in various losses to subsequent projects. However, in practice, there is no difference between a program and a single project regarding delay claims, and program owners bear these losses. Although some researchers have identified this problem, feasible solutions have yet to be proposed. To solve this problem, this study establishes a project delay-response mechanism by introducing the concept of the free float between any two tasks in the schedule network, known as special free float (SFF), and proposes a hypothesis on risk-cost control for the program based on SFF and synergistic effects. In addition, a risk-cost optimization model for all involved parties is established, and the example is solved using the NSGA-Ⅲ algorithm. The results show that the claims scheme proposed in this study is feasible, adaptable, and can reduce the risk costs for both contractors and owners. This study addresses the interaction between projects within the program, resolving the transition from theoretical soundness to practical feasibility in claim schemes by considering the mutual influence of projects. It also provides valuable references for program owners in establishing claim rules.

HIV, which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome, invades the host cell via the CD4 receptor and CCR5 or CXCR4 co-receptors. Interferons induced early in HIV infection induce an antiviral defense mechanism through IFNAR signaling. Our study aimed to examine the relationship between CCR5, CXCR4, and IFNAR1 gene variations as a risk factor in HIV (+) patients and their response to their clinical parameters. Targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) was used to perform molecular genotyping analysis of the CCR5, CXCR4 and IFNAR1 genes in genomic DNA from 22 HIV+ patients and 25 healthy individuals as controls. We detected a total of 13 rare mutations in the study, including 3 missense, 1 synonumous, 2 5′UTR, 4 3′UTR, 1 frameshift variations. We also detected 6 common variants in the IFNAR1 and CXCR4 genes. HIV+ patients carrying the wild type TT genotype of IFNAR1 gene rs2856973 T>A variant had higher CD4+ T cell count compared with patients carrying the TA+AA genotypes of rs2856973 variant in naive and 1st month of ART period (p=0.0011 and p=0.0019, respectively). Similarly, participants receiving ART with TT genotype of rs2856973 showed a significantly higher CD4+ T cell count in the third month (p=0.0008). Patients carrying the homozygous wild type genotype of CXCR4 gene rs2680880 A>T SNP had lower CD4+ T cell count compared with subjects carrying the AT+TT mutant genotypes of rs2680880 in naive and first month period (p=0.0152 and P=0.0256, respectively). Our results demonstrate that variations in the IFNAR1 and CXCR4 genes can contribute to modifications in HIV progression.

A metal phosphonate coordination polymers, [Zn2(tdp)(tpt)·H2O]n (named as IMNU-1, wherein tdp = thiophene-2,5-diphosphonic acid, tpt = 2,4,6-tritri(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,5-triazin) has been successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Built from nitrogen-rich azole and {Zn4O12} cluster, IMUN-1 possesses abundant of Lewis acid/alkali sites and shows effective catalytic activity in the CO2 chemical fixation and in the ring-opening reaction. The TOF values are higher than most reports on MOFs-based catalysts. Additionally, its activity wasn’t compromised after five recycles with a total TON value of 31,605. The feasible mechanism of catalytic reaction was proposed. Furthermore, IMUN-1 exhibits extremely thermal and chemical stability, especially the resistance to hydrolysis, acid and alkali. The exceptional catalytic activity and remarkable stability render it potential for practically industrial applications.

Delayed Closure of Fasciotomy Wound in Acute Compartment Syndrome Using a Novel Pasha Device: A Rare Case with Vascular Injury

Background: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have different chemical structures compared to non-selective NSAIDs and are highly selective for COX-2 enzymes. There are reports of patients with prior NSAID allergy that tolerated COX-2 inhibitors, however data is heterogenous. This review aims to summarise the cross-reactivity rates of COX-2 inhibitors in patients with prior NSAID hypersensitivity in current literature. Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed and Embase to retrieve English studies on adults with previous NSAID allergy, and had received at least one dose of celecoxib, etoricoxib, or parecoxib. Forty-eight included studies were further divided into 74 sub-studies, with a total of 1,991 patients and 2,546 challenges. Results: Overall risk of allergic reactions to COX-2 inhibitors in patients with previous allergic reactions to NSAIDs was 4.75%, with the lowest reported risk in patients with immunologic-mediated reactions to NSAIDs (2.17%). Higher risk of allergic reactions to celecoxib (6.51%) were observed compared to etoricoxib (3.21%). Most allergic reactions observed were mild. Conclusion: COX-2 inhibitor cross-reactivity is heterogenous across different patient populations with different type of NSAID hypersensitivity. In patients with prior NSAID allergy, careful history taking and discussion of risks with patient is advisable before conducting a challenge with COX-2 inhibitors.

Gene duplication events frequently occur during eukaryotic genome evolution, often leading to functional redundancy for organism survival in complex environments. However, whether duplicate genes evolve diverse functions remains unclear. In this study, we explored the roles of autophagy-related gene 9 OsATG9a and OsATG9b in rice development and drought stress responses. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved degradation pathway, plays a critical role in multiple biological processes by recycling cellular components. We found both OsATG9a and OsATG9b involved in autophagy, with functional redundancy affecting traits like grain size, plant height, tiller number, primary branch number, and panicle length. Notably, OsATG9b exhibited a distinct response to drought stress. The osatg9a mutant displayed a lower survival rate than wild type (WT) after drought stress, similar to other osatg mutants, while the osatg9b mutant showed the opposite. Moreover, autophagy flux decreased in osatg9a mutant but increased in osatg9b, surpassing WT response. Overexpression of OsATG9b resulted in lower survival rates and reduced autophagy induction under drought stress. These suggest OsATG9a promotes autophagy during drought stress, while OsATG9b negatively impacts it, representing a newly evolved function in rice. Our findings provided insights into the functional divergence of duplicate genes during evolution.