Complete plastid genomes have recently been proposed as ”super-barcodes” for genetic identification and delineation in plants, for which standard DNA barcodes may fail. However, relatively few studies have fully considered the genetic mechanisms inherent to the taxonomic complexity of specious genera and how this may affect species resolution via complete plastome barcodes. Pedicularis is a highly diversified group of plants whose floral traits have undergone rapid radiation in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, which can complicate identification and classification within the group based on morphological traits alone. In this study, we analyzed 292 plastomes representing 96 species of Pedicularis to compare species discrimination rates with those based on standard DNA barcodes. The results show that the traditional standard barcode (nrITS+matK+rbcL+trnH-psbA) and the large single copy (LSC) region of the plastid genome share the highest discrimination rates (80.21%), followed by the plastid genome, the supermatrixes of protein-coding genes and high variable regions (79.17%), and the matK gene and ycf1 gene alone could discriminate 78.13% of species. Further, we found that the sequence length and percentage of parsimony-informative sites significantly influence species discrimination rates, and genes with higher species discrimination rates are more likely to be conservative in selection. Given the extra costs and time required for generating such “super-barcodes” to try to discern species in taxonomically complex genera, this study questions their use and calls for more efforts to explore nuclear markers that may improve discrimination rates in future studies with relatively low-cost and effort.

Historical events change the socio-cultural and political contexts that Latinx gay men live in, shaping how different generations are impacted by and respond to minority stress over time, as well as their external support and comfort being out—factors crucial in buffering the effects of stigma. The stigma Latinx gay fathers face is informed by racial and xenophobic prejudice they encounter as Latinx individuals and negative attitudes towards their parenting abilities as gay men. To better understand the lives of Latinx gay fathers, we employed a life course perspective to explore their pathways to parenthood, experiences and avoidance of stigma, helpfulness of social relationships, and their comfort being out. Eighty-six Latinx gay fathers from 47 states in the U.S. participated. Over half of participants’ first and second children were genetically related to them. Participants reported low frequencies of sexuality-based stigma and even lower levels of stigma avoidance, as well as relatively high levels of comfort being publicly out and helpfulness of social relationships. Generational differences between Latinx gay fathers in the AIDS-1 (born 1950-1969) and AIDS-2 generations (born 1970-1980s) were salient, signifying the importance of historical context in understanding this population.

Analyzed the clinical characteristics and genetic characteristics of two patients with the U2AF2 gene variant causing systemic malformation and epilepsy. Methods The clinical data and genetic test results of two patients with systemic deformity and epilepsy were retrospectively analyzed, and the literature was reviewed. Results All two patients presented with

Case report: CT Manifestations of Primary Esophageal TuberculosisZhong Huang1, Shaoyong Zhang2, Ruikun Liao3, Zhi Wang41Department of Radiology, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Qijiang District, Chongqing Municipality, 401420, China;2Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Qijiang District, Chongqing Municipality, 401420, China;3Department of Radiology, Shapingba Hospital affiliated to Chongqing University (Shapingba District People’s Hospital of Chongqing) ,Chongqing, 400030, China;4Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Qijiang District, Chongqing Municipality, 401420, China;Correspondence: Zhi Wang, M MedDepartment of Gynecology, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Qi jiang District, Chongqing Municipality, 401420, ChinaE-mail: [email protected] Huang and Shaoyong Zhang are the Co-first Author

A document by Shahab Noorian. Click on the document to view its contents.

Old-growth forests in Southeast Asia are dominated by trees of the Dipterocarpaceae family which are targeted by selective logging. Their traits (supra-annual mast fruiting, limited dispersal, and recalcitrant seeds that form no seed bank) mean they can have poor natural regeneration rates in some selectively logged forests. Enrichment planting is commonly used to overcome recruitment limitation and increase restoration success. However, it is still unclear what factors influence the success rate of planted seedlings, including the characteristics of the surrounding tree matrix and local neighbourhood. Here, we examine the growth and survival of 721 enrichment line-planted seedlings within 24 plots of the selectively logged forest of the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment, in Malaysian Borneo, in relation to their species identity and local neighbourhoods. We mapped the spatial location, size, and identity of nearly 5,000 surrounding matrix trees (≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)) within a 10 m radius of focal planted seedlings in 2012 and 2015. We analysed levels of tree density-dependence, asymmetric competition with naturally occurring trees, and confamilial density-dependence for each seedling. Survival and growth rates of enrichment planted seedlings were positively associated with canopy openness and total basal area of the surrounding tree matrix. These results were consistent between two planting cohorts. Increased survival and growth of enrichment planted seedlings in areas of the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment with higher canopy openness (up to around 40%) is consistent with understory light as a limiting resource. The unexpected higher survival and growth of enrichment planted seedlings in forest areas with higher basal area of unlogged remnant trees may be explained by the logging-induced creation of patches with varying local conditions, with those less heavily impacted by logging containing more naturally occurring trees, greater moderation of extreme high temperature and low humidity, more established mycorrhiza and reduced soil compaction.

Western European coastal dune landscapes are naturally dynamic and ever changing. However, in the past 100 years coastal dunes have become more stable and encroached by sand-fixating grasses and shrubby vegetation. The drivers of these changes are primarily due to human exploitation with deliberate planting for coastal protection and nitrogen deposition, mainly from agricultural sources. The effects of these changes on terrestrial plant communities in dune landscapes are well documented; they are becoming more homogenous and species poor especially due to the loss of specialized pioneer species. However, much less is known about the effects on the aquatic plant communities in the dune landscape. Here we studied the composition of plant communities in 38 shallow dune lakes in Northwest Denmark, with the aim to identify the effect of stabilization and vegetation encroachment on the aquatic plant communities. Fine benthic and dissolved organic matter (FBOM and DOC) along with lake type (permanent/temporary) was among the main explanatory factors for specialized dune lake plant communities. Isoetids and low-growing plant communities were negatively impacted by increasing amounts of FBOM and DOC, the latter being more pronounced in permanent lakes. At the same time, elevated amounts of organic matter led to an increase of emergent and amphibian plant communities. Stable isotope analysis suggested that the main source of organic matter was allochthonous, possibly resulting from a buildup of organic matter in the catchment of each lake. These results suggest that coastal dune fixation and vegetation encroachment affect plant communities in a similar manner to terrestrial communities, leading to a loss of rare and low-growing dune lake plant species specialists and a favoring of more common and competitive species.

Waveguide evanescent field fluorescence microscopy (WEFF) is an evanescent based microscopy utilizes a confined thin film of light, around 100 nm, to image the plasma membrane of cells attached to a waveguide. Low photobleaching and low background beside its high axial resolution allows time-lapse imaging to investigate changes in cell morphology in the presence or absence of chemical agents. Both large field of view (FOV) and uniform illumination are very important while imaging cell-substrate contacts with an evanescent field. In the current work, we demonstrate that the WEFF microscope is capable of large FOVs with a uniform illumination source and imaging over a very long time period with a simple and an inexpensive experimental setup. The interaction of the trypsin with plasma membranes of live osteoblast cells is investigated. To analyze cell images (250 images), instead of relying on manual tracking, which is time-consuming and can introduce numerous errors, we performed image processing using TrackMate to investigate the dynamic response of cells upon exposure to trypsin. This helps to save time and increase the accuracy of the analysis. The powerful tracking and analysis capabilities of the TrackMate plugin in ImageJ is used to automatically detect the cells boarder and traces each cluster of cells. The reduction in cell area is accompanied by a notable increase in mean intensity, reflecting changes in the intracellular environment. However, the background did not change during the experiment, which proves that the fluorescence material remains attached to the cell membrane and does not leak into the cell medium.

Remaining Useful Life (RUL) has become widely recognized as a key metric for evaluating system reliability within the field of Prognostic and Health Management (PHM). It plays a crucial role in predicting a system’s health status and its expected lifespan. While significant efforts have been directed towards accurately estimating RUL, the process of decision-making regarding health management and potential adjustments to equipment lifespan still poses questions. This study introduces a state-space methodology designed to effectively manage RUL and, thus, the end-of-life of a degrading system, particularly focusing on controlled operation systems. Through an investigation of the relationship between the operational dynamics of the system and its aging process, the study specifically concentrates on regulating the degradation rate experienced during operation. A robust design method of an observer and a controller is presented to effectively govern the degradation trajectory, allowing for the achievement of an acceptable level of deterioration within a desired average lifetime. To demonstrate the performance and practical application of the proposed approach, it is applied to a variable-speed wind turbine with a flexible shaft subjected to torsion effects. The results highlight the benefits of using RUL control as a Health-Aware Control (HAC) strategy, aiming to find an optimal balance between reliability and production objectives. This study makes a valuable contribution to the field of reliability engineering by providing insight into managing the end-of-life of controlled processes suffering from aging. It is showed that the RUL control problem can be conveniently expressed as the problem of controlling a polytopic uncertain system. For this reason, a discrete-time robust LQR controller design is presented for solving the polytopic control design problem.

The morphology of the active layer plays a crucial role in the performance of organic photovoltaics. Although volatile additives are commonly used to manipulate the morphology, their mechanism of action remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a systematic exploration of the mechanism of the traditional volatile additive 1-CN in film formation kinetics of typical PM6:Y6 system. We found that 1-CN induces a secondary aggregation effect, improving film morphology and promoting face-on crystalline orientation. Through elucidating its impact on exciton dynamics, we established a link between morphology optimization and increased exciton diffusion length and accelerated charge separation. Our findings unveil the unique mechanism of action of volatile additive, providing a new perspective for improving the morphology and enhancing the performance of organic photovoltaic devices.

Background: Epidemiological data on seasonal coronaviruses (sCoVs) may provide insight on transmission patterns and demographic factors that favour coronaviruses (CoVs) with greater disease severity. This study describes the incidence of CoVs in several high-risk groups in Ottawa, Canada from October 2020 to March 2022. Methods: Serological assays quantified IgG and IgM antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, and HCoV-229E. Incident infections were compared between four population groups: individuals exposed to children, transit users, immunocompromised, and controls. Associations between antibody prevalence indicative of natural infection and demographic variables were assessed using regression analyses. Results: Transit users and those exposed to children were at no greater risk of infection compared to the control group. Fewer infections were detected in the immunocompromised group (p=0.03). SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was greater in individuals with low income and within ethnic minorities. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that non-pharmaceutical interventions intended to reduce SAR-CoV-2 transmission protected populations at high risk of exposure. The re-emergence of sCoVs and other common respiratory viruses alongside SARS-CoV-2 may alter infection patterns and increase the risk in vulnerable populations.

A document by Abdulmumin Ibrahim. Click on the document to view its contents.

Title:A Rare Case of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis associated with Extrahepatic Biliary Neuroendocrine TumorAuthor:Nargiz Gasimova, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Overlook Medical Centre, Summit, 07901, NJ, [email protected] author:Sharon John, Medical Student, Education-Medical department, Overlook Medical Centre, Summit, 07901, NJ, [email protected] contribution:Conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, resources, software, validation, visualization, writing original draft, writing-review & editingAcknowledgement:The authors express their gratitude to the Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Overlook Medical CenterEthical statement:Because this was a retrospective report, we have obtained the written consent from the patient and her family before publication of relevant data. Additionally, because this was a retrospective report, our group presumed that no registration was necessary. It was clearly stated that only clinical information will be shared in research, without mentioning any personal details at any part of the article. Informed consent from the patient was considered sufficient.Funding:This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Disclosure Statement:The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding this paper’s publication.Data availability statement:The data supporting this study’s findings are available in the supplementary material of this article.Key Clinical Message:This case report demonstrates the importance of thorough investigation and vigilance in managing primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), particularly due to its association with various hepatic and extrahepatic malignancies. The discovery of a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) within the extrahepatic bile ducts in a patient with PSC highlights the need for heightened awareness and comprehensive evaluation. This case underscores the complexity of the diagnostic and therapeutic approach when managing PSC, especially when complicated by the presence of additional neoplastic lesions such as NETs.

Plants host diverse assemblages of fungi on their foliar tissues, both in internal compartments and on exterior surfaces. When plant distributions shift, they can move with their fungal associates (i.e. co-introduction) or acquire new associates present in the novel environment (host-jumping). The fungal communities that plants acquire influence a plant’s ability to establish and spread in this new environment. Here, we aimed to assess whether invasive Cenchrus ciliaris hosts similar groups of fungi in its native and introduced ranges and to evaluate community overlap of fungi associated with foliar tissue of C. ciliaris and native and non-native plants within the introduced range. In the introduced range, C. ciliaris associated with a majority of novel OTUs, although 3.2% of OTUs were common to both ranges. Of these shared OTU, 77.6% were found on co-occurring natives and non-natives in the introduced range, whereas 22.4% were completely unique to C. ciliaris indicating a possible co-introduction. Fungal communities within the introduced range contain a higher proportion of generalist symbionts and an increase in heterogeneity of foliar communities than in its native range. Within the introduced range, host phylogenetic distance explained more variation in foliar communities than native status. Our findings provide evidence that non-natives acquire fungi opportunistically from their environment, although host and environmental filtering is present suggesting that successful invasive plants may be able to limit the effect of poor symbionts and select for better ones. Future experimental work will be needed to confirm the occurrence of host selection and identify its mechanisms.

A document by zhi wen. Click on the document to view its contents.

Background: Pathologic changes of the fetlock joint are well documented in thoroughbreds but little information is available describing the common radiographic findings in western performance horses with fetlock lameness. Objectives: Describe radiographic findings in western performance horses with lameness localized to the fetlock. It was hypothesized degree of lameness would correlate with severity of radiographic findings. Study design: Retrospective case series Methods: A retrospective review (2012-2022) of horses with lameness isolated to the fetlock joint via intra-articular analgesia and corresponding fetlock radiographs were included. Signalment, lameness, flexion and effusion grades were recorded. Radiographs were evaluated for presence, severity, and location of pathology. Subjective radiographic severity scores were assigned. Correlations between outcome parameters were evaluated with Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Statistically significant changes in mean lameness grades for each radiographic abnormality were determined using Wilcoxon Rank Sum test. Results: Ninety cases met inclusion criteria. Radiographic lesions were identified in 96.7% of cases. Distal cannon bone sclerosis, periarticular osteophytes, increased soft tissue, proximal phalanx (P1) sclerosis, and subchondral bone (SCB) defects were most common. Horses with P1 sclerosis, SCB cysts, and P1 fissures had significantly higher lameness grades. No significant correlation was established between overall radiographic score and lameness grade . Main limitations: Outcome parameters were not captured for every horse due to retrospective design. Diagnostic analgesia has inherent limitations with specificity and interpretation of results. The use of multiple clinicians may have led to inconsistencies in grading of lameness, flexion response and improvement after diagnostic analgesia. Conclusions: Horses in this study demonstrated changes associated with chronic exercise-induced remodelling and degenerative joint disease. While degree of lameness did not correlate with overall radiographic score, certain radiographic findings- P1sclerosis SCB cysts, and P1 fissures- were correlated with higher degree of lameness.

Globally, urban expansion has led to habitat fragmentation and altered resource availability thus posing significant challenges for wildlife. This study analyzed spatial distribution, habitat use patterns, and anthropogenic impacts on habitat occupancy of the Critically Endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) in the urban landscape of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City, Nepal. Using a single-season occupancy modelling approach, we investigated the factors influencing the detection probability and habitat occupancy of Chinese pangolins in 134 grids of each 600 m × 600 m. Our study identified the role of termite mounds in influencing detection probability, emphasizing the species’ myrmecophilous behavior. Additionally, the Human Disturbance Index (HDI) emerged as a significant factor negatively affecting habitat occupancy of Chinese pangolins. We observed a medium level of anthropogenic disturbances in the grids where pangolin presence was detected. The findings emphasize the need for targeted conservation efforts, considering the fine-scale ecological and anthropogenic factors impacting Chinese pangolins in urban and peri-urban areas. The results underscore the urgency of implementing effective conservation measures to ensure the long-term survival of Critically Endangered Chinese pangolins in urban environments, not only in Dharan but also in similar lowlands areas and the Churia range of Nepal.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a tumor primarily of mesenchymal origin that comprises approximately half of all pediatric sarcomas, which make up 7% of all pediatric tumors. The focus of this manuscript will include recent changes in surgical and local control therapy of RMS. We will discuss surgical therapy principles including improved outcomes associated with complete surgical resection of the primary tumor either prior to the initiation of chemotherapy or after induction of chemotherapy, and in the setting of metastatic disease. We will also discuss the increasing utilization of core needle biopsy for diagnosis and the use of sentinel node biopsy techniques to determine the presence of nodal disease. There have been refinements regarding optimal prognostic factors including the adoption of fusion status over histology, as well as updated risk stratification schemas to assure optimal therapy. Since this manuscript is an international collaboration, part of the discussion will also focus on comparisons between North American and European surgical paradigms.