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Goal: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune, systemic disease with prominent fibrosis of skin and internal organs. Early diagnosis of the disease is crucial for designing effective therapy and management plans. Machine learning algorithms, especially deep learning, have been found to be greatly useful in biology, medicine, healthcare, and biomedical applications, in the areas of medical image processing and speech recognition. However, the need for a large training data set and the requirement for a graphics processing unit (GPU) have hindered the wide application of machine learning algorithms as a diagnostic tool in resource-constrained environments (e.g., clinics). Methods: In this paper, we propose a novel mobile deep learning network for the characterization of SSc skin. The proposed network architecture consists of the UNet, a dense connectivity convolutional neural network (CNN) with added classifier layers that when combined with limited training data, yields better image segmentation and more accurate classification, and a mobile training module. In addition, to improve the computational efficiency and diagnostic accuracy, the highly efficient training model called “MobileNetV2,” which is designed for mobile and embedded applications, was used to train the network. Results: The proposed network was implemented using a standard laptop (2.5 GHz Intel Core i7). After fine tuning, our results showed the proposed network reached 100% accuracy on the training image set, 96.8% accuracy on the validation image set, and 95.2% on the testing image set. The training time was less than 5 hours. We also analyzed the same normal vs SSc skin image sets using the CNN using the same laptop. The CNN reached 100% accuracy on the training image set, 87.7% accuracy on the validation image set, and 82.9% on the testing image set. Additionally, it took more than 14 hours to train the CNN architecture. We also utilized the MobileNetV2 model to analyze an additional dataset of images and classified them as normal, early (mid and moderate) SSc or late (severe) SSc skin images. The network reached 100% accuracy on the training image set, 97.2% on the validation set, and 94.8% on the testing image set. Using the same normal, early and late phase SSc skin images, the CNN reached 100% accuracy on the training image set, 87.7% accuracy on the validation image set, and 82.9% on the testing image set. These results indicated that the MobileNetV2 architecture is more accurate and efficient compared to the CNN to classify normal, early and late phase SSc skin images. Conclusions: Our preliminary study, intended to show the efficacy of the proposed network architecture, holds promise in the characterization of SSc. We believe that the proposed network architecture could easily be implemented in a clinical setting, providing a simple, inexpensive, and accurate screening tool for SSc.

The effects of aluminium (Al)-induced alterations on elongating radicles of Cicer arietinum L. were studied in relation to growth and biochemical markers of oxidative stress. Elongating radicles (c. 1 mm) were treated with 0–3 mM aluminium chloride (pH 4.5) for seven days at room temperature (26 ± 2°C). The results indicated that exposure to Al significantly inhibited radicle growth. This growth inhibition was accompanied by excessively high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The levels of ROS were significantly positively correlated with Al concentration. Levels of lipid and protein oxidation products increased significantly with an increase in Al concentration, and were significantly positively correlated with ROS levels. On the other hand, Al stress significantly decreased the activities of selected enzymatic antioxidants. Collectively, the results suggest that Al rhizotoxicity in C. arietinum is partially mediated by oxidative stress brought about by excessive ROS production and reduced antioxidant scavenging activity.

The current study investigated the phytochemical analysis, chemical composition, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antifungal activity of Trichilia emetica seed extracts. Preliminary phytochemical screening and quantification were realized by GC-MS. Consecutive extractions (methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, hexane, chloroform and distilled water) were carried out and phytochemical tests performed to represent the variety of phytochemicals. Seed extracts variably displayed alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, phenols, sterols, terpenoids and flavonoids but there was no indication of saponins and tannins in all extracts. The biological investigation of the methanolic extract showed significant biological activities. The results obtained revealed that methanol extract has presented significant IC50 =5.94 µg/mL radical scavenging activity. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of hexane and chloroform fractions displayed antifungal activity (40.95-100 and 76.27-100.11, respectively) against all three fungal pathogens, whilst the methanol extract inhibited C. krusei and C. parapsilosis and the ethyl acetate inhibited C. parapsilosis only. The results obtained revealed the medicinal importance of the plant and methanol extract of T. emetica would aid researchers to exploit as potential antifungal and antioxidant agent.

SIGNIFICANCE: We argue that the immediate, intermediate, and long-term implications of seismic surveys for hydrocarbon exploration merit noting. If seismic surveys detect feasible hydrocarbon deposits, they effectively serve as a precursor to hydrocarbon extraction and consumption. The additional greenhouse gas emissions that will originate from new oil and gas fields in South Africa will push the world closer to the tipping point of breaching the limit of 1.5 °C targeted at the 2021 COP26 UN climate summit, and should thus be avoided at all costs. South Africa's pursuit of energy self-sufficiency through local fossil fuel extraction should not come at the cost of its unique biodiversity nor planetary health.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:40:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 Wild leafy vegetables are of increasing interest because many have higher concentrations of some beneficial minerals, vitamins and nutrients than commercial crops. Some reports also indicate that they exhibit high levels of tolerance to abiotic stressors associated with climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate whether selected biochemical, physiological (related to photosynthesis) and morphological traits could be used to screen for elevated temperature tolerance in two wild leafy vegetable species, viz. Amaranthus dubius (C4) and Galinsoga parviflora (C3). One-month-old seedlings were transferred from a greenhouse to growth chambers and subjected to either ambient [25°C (day)/14°C (night)] or elevated [30°C (day)/19°C (night)] temperatures for 15 days. On days 0, 5, 10 and 15, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, selected biochemical, physiological and morphological traits were determined. Data for the 24 traits measured were used in plant trait network analyses to establish the populations’ phenotypic plasticity, including changes in the interactions/relationships amongst the traits when exposed to elevated temperatures. Sixteen traits showed significant differences between ambient and elevated temperatures on day 15, 11 in G. parviflora only, one in A. dubius only and four in both species. Those shared by the two species were intracellular hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, while specific leaf area was significantly different in A. dubius only. Both species altered biochemical leaf traits under elevated temperatures, while morphological leaf traits were altered in A. dubius only and photosynthetic leaf traits in G. parviflora only. In G. parviflora, the photosynthetic traits were more sensitive to elevated temperatures than in A. dubius. This suggests that photosynthetic traits may be ineffective for screening C4 species, due to them being highly evolved to survive in warmer climates. However, the results showed that photosynthetic traits could be useful as screening tools for C3 photosynthetic pathway species. The plant trait network analyses showed that both species displayed high phenotypic plasticity with a 5°C increase in temperature. We recommend when screening wild leafy vegetables for high temperature tolerance that photosynthetic traits be considered in the context of their phenotypic plasticity. This approach could fast-track the identification of more climate-resilient wild edible species. School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban Plant Metabolism Lab. Biosciences Institute São Paulo State University UNESP Coastal campus Praça Infante Dom Henrique s/n São Vicente Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 1003963201 Department for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17 Plant Metabolism Lab. Biosciences Institute São Paulo State University UNESP Coastal campus Praça Infante Dom Henrique s/n São Vicente

The maintenance of seed quality during the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources is crucial for averting the projected food crises that are linked to the changing climate and rising world population. However, ageing-induced loss of seed vigour and viability during storage remains an inevitable process that compromises productivity in several orthodox-seeded crop species. Seed ageing under prolonged storage, which can occur even under optimal conditions, induces several modifications capable of causing loss of intrinsic physiological quality traits, including germination capacity and vigour, and stand establishment. The problems posed by seed ageing have motivated the development of various techniques for mitigating their detrimental effects. These invigoration techniques generally fall within one of two categories: (1) priming or pre-hydrating seeds in a solution for improved post-harvest performance, or (2) post-storage reinvigoration which often involves soaking seeds recovered from storage in a solution. Seed priming methods are generally divided into classical (hydropriming, osmopriming, redox priming, biostimulant priming, etc.) and advanced (nanopriming, magnetopriming and priming using other physical agents) techniques. With the increasing popularity of seed invigoration techniques to achieve the much-desired enhanced productivity and resilience in the face of a changing climate, there is an urgent need to explore these techniques effectively (in addition to other important practices such as plant breeding, fertilizer application, and the control of pests and diseases). This review aims to provide an overview of ageing in orthodox seeds and invigoration techniques that can enhance desirable agronomic and physiological characters.

This study investigated the synthesis and antibacterial activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), produced using aqueous Avicennia marina seed extract. Reaction of the extract with chloroauric acid l...

Temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) have been shown to be useful for studying plant stress physiology and inducing chemical mutagenesis. This study describes the effects of exposure to NaCl (salt stress) and mannitol (osmotic stress) within TIB on sugarcane mineral levels in vitro. Shoots were exposed to concentration of NaCl (89.4 mM) and mannitol (123.1 mM) previously shown to result in a 50% reduction in multiplication rate for 30 d. Thereafter, shoot multiplication rate, shoot cluster fresh weight, and levels of selected minerals were measured. Using ICP-OES, the following minerals were quantified: Na, Ga, Mn, Cr, K, Zn, Ca, Li, Mg, Sr, Co, B, Fe, S, P, Al, Ba, and N. Both NaCl and mannitol decreased shoot multiplication by c. 53% and except for Al and Ba altered mineral levels significantly relative to the control: Na accumulation increased markedly (six-fold in NaCl treatment); levels of Ga, Mn, Cr, K, and Zn changed moderately; Ca, Li, Mg, Sr, Co, B, Fe, S, P, and N levels changed to a limited extent. In terms of the minerals that were most affected, Ga, Mn, K, and Zn levels declined under both stresses; Cr appears to be the only exception, having decreased under the salinity stress and increased under the osmotic stress. Our results suggest that both stresses not only affect growth in the same manner and degree but also appear to have similar effects on the physiological mechanisms that modulate mineral levels at the cellular level under stress conditions. Sugarcane growth inhibition appeared to be mainly due to turgor loss under mannitol-induced stress and the accumulation of Na ions under salt stress. Stress resistance in this species is most likely promoted by the retention of a “safe” water status, a high amount of K and Ca, and a low level of Na.

Shared sanitation is widely proposed as a means to increase access to improved sanitation. There are few reports of a causal relationship between the use of shared sanitation and community-acquired diarrhoea. This paper presents an analytical review of studies that have investigated the relationship between the use of shared sanitation and the prevalence of (1) diarrhoeal disease and (2) soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. Data were extracted from the reviewed literature to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs). The use of shared sanitation showed a significant increase in diarrhoeal diseases, with an overall OR of 2.39 (85% CI 1.15–8.31). Children under 5 years were slightly less affected with a prevalence ratio of 1.09 (95% CI 1.06–1.12). The number of published reports on STH infections in relation to shared sanitation was limited, but the few that do exist report on ‘improved sanitation’, showing a positive and protective impact with an overall OR of 0.49 (95% CI 0.28–0.89), which is contrary to the negative impact related to diarrhoea. Despite the limited information on the direct link between shared sanitation and incidence of diarrhoeal/STH infections, this literature review demonstrates that the relationship deserves close attention in future practice and research. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.

Virus-free sugarcane is difficult to achieve due to the multiple vegetative propagation cycles employed commercially. In vitro culture using small (1 mm) meristematic shoot tips has eliminated viruses but survival is low with small explants.Droplet-Vitrification (D-V) and V-Cryoplate protocols were investigated for the elimination of Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) from large (c. 3 mm) in vitro-derived shoot tips.Shoot tips excised from NCo376 and N19 cultivars were exposed to both cryogenic procedures. Virus indexing by RT-qPCR was performed 16 weeks after recovery.Explants exposed to cryo-treatments that recovered and multiplied was 30-92%, while at least 90% of control explants regenerated. No virus was detected in multiplied shoots from either cultivar after D-V and liquid nitrogen immersion. In NCo376, virus was eliminated after D-V without cooling.The preliminary findings suggest that cryotherapy and/or osmotherapy are viable options for SCMV removal from infected plants.

Pepper fruit has a great agronomic, nutritional and commercial value given that it is rich in antioxidant compounds such as carotenes, and vitamins C and E. However, pepper seeds are slow to germinate and emergence is often non-uniform and incomplete. Seed priming and invigoration treatments have been explored for a number of pepper varieties but success has been variable and generally limited. The present report describes the effects of pineapple stem – derived protease (stem bromelain) based priming on pepper seed germination in relation to reserve mobilization (specifically, proteins and aminoacids). Germination capacity in bromelain treated seeds was significantly higher on days 7, 14 and 21 than in unsoaked (control) and deionized water-soaked seeds but comparable across the treatments and the control on day 28. Germination rate was significantly highest in bromelain treated seeds. Light microscopy revealed an abundance of protein bodies in the endosperm of the seeds investigated at before imbibition and when observed over a period of 96 h, these bodies were progressively degraded, with the rate of this degradation being fastest in bromelain treated seeds. Quantitative measurements of protein levels (and free amino content) confirmed this observation. The results motivate the use of bromelain extracts for priming pepper seeds based on their proteolytic activity, since germination is dependent on the availability of crude protein and essential amino acids.

Herbivory is ubiquitous. Despite being a potential driver of plant distribution and performance, herbivory remains largely undocumented. Some early attempts have been made to review, globally, how much leaf area is removed through insect feeding. Kozlov et al., in one of the most comprehensive reviews regarding global patterns of herbivory, have compiled published studies regarding foliar removal and sampled data on global herbivory levels using a standardized protocol. However, in the review by Kozlov et al., only 15 sampling sites, comprising 33 plant species, were evaluated in tropical areas around the globe. In Brazil, which ranks first in terms of plant biodiversity, with a total of 46,097 species, almost half (43%) being endemic, a single data point was sampled, covering only two plant species. In an attempt to increase knowledge regarding herbivory in tropical plant species and to provide the raw data needed to test general hypotheses related to plant–herbivore interactions across large spatial scales, we proposed a joint, collaborative network to evaluate tropical herbivory. This network allowed us to update and expand the data on insect herbivory in tropical and temperate plant species. Our data set, collected with a standardized protocol, covers 45 sampling sites from nine countries and includes leaf herbivory measurements of 57,239 leaves from 209 species of vascular plants belonging to 65 families from tropical and temperate regions. They expand previous data sets by including a total of 32 sampling sites from tropical areas around the globe, comprising 152 species, 146 of them being sampled in Brazil. For temperate areas, it includes 13 sampling sites, comprising 59 species. Thus, when compared to the most recent comprehensive review of insect herbivory (Kozlov et al.), our data set has increased the base of available data for the tropical plants more than 460% (from 33 to 152 species) and the Brazilian sampling was increased 7,300% (from 2 to 146 species). Data on precise levels of herbivory are presented for more than 57,000 leaves worldwide. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this paper when using the current data in publications; the authors request to be informed how the data is used in the publications.

Early life is a sensitive period, in which enhanced neural plasticity allows the developing brain to adapt to its environment. This plasticity can also be a risk factor in which maladaptive development can lead to long-lasting behavioral deficits. Here, we test how early-life exposure to the selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor (SSRI), fluoxetine, affects motivation, and dopaminergic signaling in adulthood. We show for the first time that mice exposed to fluoxetine in the early postnatal period exhibit a reduction in effort-related motivation. These mice also show blunted responses to amphetamine and reduced dopaminergic activation in a sucrose reward task. Interestingly, we find that the reduction in motivation can be rescued in the adult by administering bupropion, a dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used as an antidepressant and a smoke cessation aid but not by fluoxetine. Taken together, our studies highlight the effects of early postnatal exposure of fluoxetine on motivation and demonstrate the involvement of the dopaminergic system in this process.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe developmental period is characterized by enhanced plasticity. During this period, environmental factors have the potential to lead to enduring behavioral changes. Here, we show that exposure to the SSRI fluoxetine during a restricted period in early life leads to a reduction in adult motivation. We further show that this reduction is associated with decreased dopaminergic responsivity. Finally, we show that motivational deficits induced by early-life fluoxetine exposure can be rescued by adult administration of bupropion but not by fluoxetine.

Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder associated with a wide array of transcriptomic and neurobiochemical changes. Genome-wide transcriptomic profiling conducted in postmortem brain have provided novel insights into the pathophysiology of this disorder, and identified biological processes including immune/inflammatory-related responses, metabolic, endocrine, and synaptic function. However, few studies have investigated whether similar changes are present in peripheral tissue. Here, we used RNA-sequencing to characterize transcriptomic profiles of lymphocytes in 18 nonpsychotic controls and 19 individuals with schizophrenia. We identified 2819 differentially expressed transcripts (Pnominal < .05) in the schizophrenia group when compared to controls. Bioinformatic analyses conducted on a subset of 293 genes (Pnominal < .01 and |log2 FC| > 0.5) highlighted immune/inflammatory responses as key biological processes in our dataset. Differentially expressed genes in lymphocytes were highly enriched in gene expression profiles associated with cortex layer 5a and immune cells. Thus, we investigated whether the changes in transcripts levels observed in lymphocytes could also be detected in the prefrontal cortex (PFC, BA10) in a second replication cohort of schizophrenia subjects. Remarkably, mRNA levels detected in the PFC and lymphocytes were in strong agreement, and measurements obtained using RNA-sequencing positively correlated with data obtained by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Collectively, our work supports a role for immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and suggests that peripheral markers can be used as accessible surrogates to investigate putative central nervous system disruptions.

Aim of the study: Alien and indigenous species emergence patterns within canopy gaps in urban subtropical forests are poorly understood. This study compared canopy gap floristics in relation to abiotic and physical characteristics across three subtropical urban forests differing in disturbance history. Area of study: Three Northern Coastal Forests of varying disturbance histories located in coastal subtropical urban KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA). Materials and methods: Closed canopy (n = 15 quadrats per forest ) and four gaps (n = 12 quadrats per forest) from three size classes (‘small’ < 25 m2, ‘medium’ 25 - 45 m2; ‘large’ > 45 m2) were surveyed for the primary least disturbed (PLD), primary highly disturbed (PHD) and transitional highly disturbed (THD) forests using classical vegetation sampling techniques. Soil moisture content and air temperature were measured within each gap. Main results: Cumulatively all forest gaps hosted 198 species. Equivalent number of species (Hill numbers from H = 0 to H = 2) were constantly higher in the PHD forest followed by the PLD forest and lowest in the THD forest. Alien and indigenous plant density were negatively correlated. Species richness was positively correlated with gap size and soil moisture content, and negatively correlated with air temperature. Research highlights: Gap floristic patterns are influenced by size, abiotic factors, disturbance and forest successional status. Floristic, abiotic and physical characteristics of gaps should be monitored within urban forests as these can influence gap infilling in terms of rate, species composition, and alien-indigenous plant interactions across the forest. This can inform management interventions such as species reintroduction and alien clearing. Keywords: conservation; disturbance; gaps; management; Northern Coastal Forest; subtropical; species richness. Abbreviations: SA: South Africa; KZN: KwaZulu-Natal; PLD: Primary Least Disturbed forest; PHD: Primary Highly Disturbed forest; THD: Transitional Highly Disturbed forest; IOCB: Indian Ocean Coastal Belt; New POSA: New Plants of southern Africa website; NEMBA: National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act.