Evolution of NAC transcription factors from early land plants to domesticated crops.

NAC [NO APICAL MERISTEM (NAM), ARABIDOPSIS TRANSCRIPTION ACTIVATOR FACTOR 1/2 (ATAF1/2), and CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON (CUC2)] transcription factors are key regulators of plant growth, development, and stress responses but were also crucial players during land plant adaptation and crop domestication. Using representative members of green algae, bryophytes, lycophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms, we expanded the evolutionary history of NAC transcription factors to unveil the relationships among members of this gene family. We found a massive increase in the number of NAC transcription factors from green algae to lycophytes and an even larger increase in flowering plants.

Socioeconomic Disparities and Other Factors Affecting Time to Dispensing of Pediatric Hearing Aids.

Introduction: Pediatric hearing loss can significantly impact speech, language, social, and educational development. Providing access to speech and environmental sounds using amplification devices, such as hearing aids, can help improve developmental outcomes. However, timely rehabilitation and intervention may be delayed due to limited access to resources, further prolonging the adverse effects of childhood hearing loss.

3D mouse pose from single-view video and a new dataset.

We present a method to infer the 3D pose of mice, including the limbs and feet, from monocular videos. Many human clinical conditions and their corresponding animal models result in abnormal motion, and accurately measuring 3D motion at scale offers insights into health. The 3D poses improve classification of health-related attributes over 2D representations.

Method to Isolate Dormant Cancer Cells from Heterogeneous Populations.

Cancer recurrence is responsible for a high percentage of cancer-related deaths. Primary tumor removal, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy often leave behind cancer cells that are clinically undetectable. Recent evidence has shown that subpopulations of these residual cancer cells enter into a prolonged dormant state, remaining quiescent for months to years, and eventually lead to metastases and relapse (Sosa et al.

The Arabidopsis HDZIP class II transcription factor ABA INSENSITIVE TO GROWTH 1 functions in leaf development.

Leaf laminar growth and adaxial-abaxial boundary formation are fundamental outcomes of plant development. Boundary and laminar growth coordinate the further patterning and growth of the leaf, directing the differentiation of cell types within the top and bottom domains and promoting initiation of lateral organs along their adaxial or abaxial axis. Leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity specification and laminar outgrowth are regulated by two transcription factors, REVOLUTA (REV) and KANADI (KAN).

Knox homologs shoot meristemless (STM) and KNAT6 are epistatic to CLAVATA3 (CLV3) during shoot meristem development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Background: In Arabidopsis, the genes SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) and CLAVATA3 (CLV3) antagonistically regulate shoot meristem development. STM is essential for both development and maintenance of the meristem, as stm mutants fail to develop a shoot meristem. CLV3, on the other hand, negatively regulates meristem proliferation, and clv3 mutants possess an enlarged shoot meristem.

Induction of dormancy by confinement: An agarose-silica biomaterial for isolating and analyzing dormant cancer cells.

The principal cause of cancer deaths is the residual disease, which eventually results in metastases. Certain metastases are induced by disseminated dormancy-capable single cancer cells that can reside within the body undetected for months to years. Awakening of the dormant cells starts a cascade resulting in the patient's demise.

The SvFUL2 transcription factor is required for inflorescence determinacy and timely flowering in Setaria viridis.

Inflorescence architecture in cereal crops directly impacts yield potential through regulation of seed number and harvesting ability. Extensive architectural diversity found in inflorescences of grass species is due to spatial and temporal activity and determinacy of meristems, which control the number and arrangement of branches and flowers, and underlie plasticity. Timing of the floral transition is also intimately associated with inflorescence development and architecture, yet little is known about the intersecting pathways and how they are rewired during development.

Evaluation and measurement of heliostat misalignment in solar power plant using vector model.

Heliostat alignment evaluation is among the main issues in solar tower concentration plant operation and maintenance. This paper describes a novel method used to evaluate heliostat misalignment and its experimental verification. This method provides a different way of visualizing beam centroid pointing errors by generating the complete deviation curve for each axis.

Endoscopic identification of endoluminal esophageal landmarks for radial and longitudinal orientation and lesion location.

Aim: To characterize esophageal endoluminal landmarks to permit radial and longitudinal esophageal orientation and accurate lesion location.

Methods: Distance from the incisors and radial orientation were estimated for the main left bronchus and the left atrium landmarks in 207 consecutive patients using white light examination. A sub-study was also performed using white light followed by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in 25 consecutive patients to confirm the findings.

Primary Gastrointestinal Kaposi's Sarcoma in a Patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Gastrointestinal bleeding in HIV patients secondary to coinfection by HHV8 and development of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare complication even if no skin lesions are detected on physical examination. This article indicates which patients might develop this type of clinical sign and also tries to recall that absence of skin lesions never rules out the presence of KS, especially if gastrointestinal involvement is documented. Gastrointestinal bleeding in terms of hematemesis has rarely been reported in the literature.

Escherichia coli viability in an isochoric system at subfreezing temperatures.

In comparison with isobaric (constant pressure) freezing, isochoric (constant volume) freezing reduces potential mechanical damage from ice crystals and exposes stored biological matter to a lower extracellular concentration, at the price of increased hydrostatic pressure. This study evaluates the effects of isochoric freezing to low temperatures and high pressures on Escherichia coli (E. coli) survival.

The effect of isochoric freezing on mammalian cells in an extracellular phosphate buffered solution.

Isochoric (constant volume) freezing has been recently suggested as a new method for cell and organ preservation. As a first step in studying the effect of isochoric freezing on mammalian cells, Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells (MDCK), were frozen in an isochoric system, in a simple extracellular phosphate buffered solution to -10 °C (96.5 MPa), - 15 °C (162 MPa) and -20 °C (205 MPa) for 60 and 120 min.

Towards the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Providing Sustainable Services in Smart Cities.

Sustainability is at the heart of many application fields where the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is becoming more and more important (e.g., agriculture, fire detection and prediction, environmental surveillance, mapping, etc.

Pilot Test of a Culturally Appropriate Diabetes Prevention Intervention for At-Risk Latina Women.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to test the preliminary effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of a peer-led, culturally appropriate, Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)-based lifestyle intervention for Latina women at high-risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods Participants (N = 61) were overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥25) Latina women with no diabetes, at elevated risk either due to midlife age (45-65 years; n = 37) or history of gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 24). The study used a 1-group pretest-posttest design and offered 12 weeks of peer-led education sessions in a community setting.

Novel cryoneurolysis device for the treatment of sensory and motor peripheral nerves.

Introduction: Cryoneurolysis is the direct application of low temperatures to reversibly ablate peripheral nerves to provide pain relief. Recent development of a handheld cryoneurolysis device with small gauge probes and an integrated skin warmer broadens the clinical applications to include treatment of superficial nerves, further enabling treatments for pre-operative pain, post-surgical pain, chronic pain, and muscle movement disorders.

Areas Covered: Cryoneurolysis is the direct application of cold temperatures to a peripheral nerve, resulting in reversible ablation due to Wallerian degeneration and nerve regeneration.

The effect of undissolved air on isochoric freezing.

This study evaluates the effect of undissolved air on isochoric freezing of aqueous solutions. Isochoric freezing is concerned with freezing in a constant volume thermodynamic system. A possible advantage of the process is that it substantially reduces the percentage of ice in the system at every subzero temperature, relative to atmospheric freezing.

Development and validation of a new method for locating patella sensory nerves for the treatment of inferior and superior knee pain.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous cryoneurolysis to relieve knee pain requires treating large areas to ensure coverage due to high variability in the sensory innervation of the knee and limitations of current methods for defining treatment targets. This study sought to define and validate a new treatment approach targeting the major sensory nerves of the superior patella and expand upon previous work to define a more efficient treatment approach targeting the sensory nerves of the inferior patella.

Methods: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound were used to evaluate the location and relationship of the cutaneous nerves to the superior and inferior aspects of the knee in 25 healthy volunteers.

Values in nursing students and professionals: An exploratory comparative study.

Background: Many studies have explored personal values in nursing, but none has assessed whether the predictions made by the theory of intergenerational value change are true for the different generations of nursing professionals and students. This theory predicts a shift in those personal values held by younger generations towards ones focussed on self-expression.

Research Question: The purpose of the study was to identify intergenerational differences in personal values among nursing professionals and nursing students and to determine whether generational value profiles fit the predictions made by the theory.

Non-invasive cryolipolysis for subcutaneous fat reduction does not affect serum lipid levels or liver function tests.

Background And Objective: Cryolipolysis provides a method of non-invasive fat reduction that significantly reduces subcutaneous fat without injury to adjacent tissues. Preliminary animal and human data have suggested that cryolipolysis has no effect on serum lipid profiles or liver tests. This study was intended to more fully document any effect of this procedure on lipid and liver-related blood tests.

The first influenza pandemic in the new millennium: lessons learned hitherto for current control efforts and overall pandemic preparedness.

Influenza viruses pose a permanent threat to human populations due to their ability to constantly adapt to impact immunologically susceptible individuals in the forms of epidemic and pandemics through antigenic drifts and antigenic shifts, respectively. Pandemic influenza preparedness is a critical step in responding to future influenza outbreaks. In this regard, responding to the current pandemic and preparing for future ones requires critical planning for the early phases where there is no availability of pandemic vaccine with rapid deployment of medical supplies for personal protection, antivirals, antibiotics and social distancing measures.