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Roots are the main sensing organ, initiating multiple signaling pathways in response to abiotic factors, including nutrients, drought, and salt stress. A focus on improving the root system architecture is a key strategy to mitigate these stresses in wheat crop. In the present study, a diversity panel comprising indigenous landraces and historical cultivars from Pakistan was characterized for the root system architecture (RSA) and important loci were identified using a genome‐wide association study (GWAS). RSA of the diversity panel was characterized 30 days after sowing in brunch tubes, and root images were taken. A high‐throughput root imaging analysis using Rhizovision software was performed by setting the scale to extract the eight RSA traits and four plant biomass‐related traits. GWAS identified 323 association signals for 12 root and biomass traits present on all wheat chromosomes, while the most important and reliable genetic loci (based on pleotropic loci and candidate genes) were identified on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 5A, 5D, 6A, 7B, and 7D for RSA. SNP annotation and transcriptome profiling identified nine candidate genes regulating the RSA and plant biomass traits, including ROOTLESS WITH UNDETECTABLE MERISTEM1, MYB TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR4, BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1, SLENDER RICE1, AUXIN‐RESPONSIVE FACTOR25, SCARECROW, NARROW LEAF2, PIN‐FORMED1 AND PHOSPHATE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR1. This study provided pre‐breeding information for deep‐rooting genotypes and associated markers that will accelerate the incorporation of such traits in breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the last decade radio frequency (RF) sensing has emerged as an alternative in‐home monitoring and tracking technology because of its inherent device‐free and privacy‐preserved features over camera and wearable technologies. In this work, contrary to conventional radar‐based sensing and WiFi‐based setups which require line‐of‐sight (LoS) to process and collect the RF signals for monitoring, it is shown for the first time in literature the potential of using RF sensing for vitals, that is, heartbeat detection in the non‐line‐of‐sight (NLoS) using an in‐house‐developed reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), that is, wireless on the walls. The developed RIS is the world's first prototype which consists of "4096 elements". The unit cell elements are individually controlled via PIN diodes, 1‐bit, operating at 3.75 GHz specified for the fifth‐generation (5G) network. Near‐field beam steering is demonstrated, with a switching speed of 15 ms. For the first time in the literature its is demonstrated that RIS can assist in the detection of microactivities including the human heartbeat in NLoS indoor complex environment, a limitation with the existing RF sensing technologies to date. In addition, it is experimentally verified that the RIS can potentially reduce the e‐field magnitude at the user's by regulating the gain at the user terminal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual animals in natural populations tend to host diverse parasite species concurrently over their lifetimes. In free‐living ecological communities, organismal life histories shape interactions with their environment, which ultimately forms the basis of ecological succession. However, the structure and dynamics of mammalian parasite communities have not been contextualized in terms of primary ecological succession, in part because few datasets track occupancy and abundance of multiple parasites in wild hosts starting at birth. Here, we studied community dynamics of 12 subtypes of protozoan microparasites (Theileria spp.) in a herd of African buffalo. We show that Theileria communities followed predictable patterns of succession underpinned by four different parasite life history strategies. However, in contrast to many free‐living communities, network complexity decreased with host age. Examining parasite communities through the lens of succession may better inform the effect of complex within host eco‐evolutionary dynamics on infection outcomes, including parasite co‐existence through the lifetime of the host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a low‐cost, compact, flexible, and wideband wearable antenna for different wireless body area network (WBAN) band applications, covering medical body area network band of 2.4 GHz, industrial, scientific, and medical band of 2.45 GHz, WiMAX band of 3.5 GHz, and wireless local area network band of 5.2 GHz. The final antenna topology is obtained by hexagonal microstrip radiator patch fabricated on commercially available low‐cost photo paper substrate and defected ground plane below the feed line acting as a partial ground to achieve a conformable structure wideband operation. The overall size of the fabricated antenna is 30 × 40 mm2 and yields a wide‐bandwidth of 3 GHz (2.30–5.30 GHz), radiation efficiency of 84.35%, and the highest gain of 3.48 dBi at the centre frequency of 5.2 GHz, and minimum gain of 1.91 dBi at 2.45 GHz. Furthermore, our detailed numerical and experimental investigations involving specific absorption rate performance assessment and bending analysis revealed the proposed design's excellent robustness to both human body loading and structural deformation scenarios. Therefore, simulated and measured results strongly advocate that the proposed design has profound implications for flexible and body‐worn devices in WBAN applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission of monkeypox virus through sexual contact - a novel route of infection. The monkeypox virus (MPXV) that causes the monkeypox (MPX) disease, was first discovered in 1958. Monkeypox outbreak - no panic and stigma; only awareness and preventive measures can halt the pandemic turn of this epidemic infection. [Extracted from the article]

South African geneticists have issued an alarm about a novel coronavirus strain they have been tracking since May 2021.1 They are interested in the C.1.2 variation because it includes a number of genetic changes that are comparable to those discovered in other highly transmissible variants that can bypass vaccination protection to some extent. Precautionary measures for more transmissible C.1.2 COVID-19 variant: A caution for Qatar and the rest of the world REFERENCES 1 Geddes L. What does the new C.1.2 coronavirus variant mean for COVID-19 vaccines?. [Extracted from the article]