Key Branch Research Articles

Designing nanotheranostics with machine learning.

The inherent limits of traditional diagnoses and therapies have driven the development and application of emerging nanotechnologies for more effective and safer management of diseases, herein referred to as 'nanotheranostics'. Although many important technological successes have been achieved in this field, widespread adoption of nanotheranostics as a new paradigm is hindered by specific obstacles, including time-consuming synthesis of nanoparticles, incomplete understanding of nano-bio interactions, and challenges regarding chemistry, manufacturing and the controls required for clinical translation and commercialization. As a key branch of artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML) provides a set of tools capable of performing time-consuming and result-perception tasks, thus offering unique opportunities for nanotheranostics. This Review summarizes the progress and challenges in this emerging field of ML-aided nanotheranostics, and discusses the opportunities in developing next-generation nanotheranostics with reliable datasets and advanced ML models to offer better clinical benefits to patients.

The Contribution of al-'Ilm Sharaf To the Development of Understanding Classical Arabic Grammar at Islamic Educational Institutions

This study examines the contribution of al-'Ilm Sharaf to the development of understanding classical Arabic grammar in Islamic educational institutions. Al-'Ilm Sharaf is a key branch of Arabic grammar that focuses on word formation and meaning through the manipulation of root letters. Although this subject has been integrated into the curriculum, there is still a gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application. This research employs a library research method to gather data from various relevant written sources. The findings show that students often struggle to apply the theoretical aspects of Arabic morphology when analyzing classical texts, and al-'Ilm Sharaf instruction requires a more interactive and practice-based approach. Therefore, this study offers valuable insights into how teaching methods and materials can be improved to enhance students' comprehension of classical Arabic grammar.

Mammalian IRE1α dynamically and functionally coalesces with stress granules.

Upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, activation of the ER-resident transmembrane protein kinase/endoribonuclease inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) initiates a key branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) through unconventional splicing generation of the transcription factor X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1s). Activated IRE1 can form large clusters/foci, whose exact dynamic architectures and functional properties remain largely elusive. Here we report that, in mammalian cells, formation of IRE1α clusters is an ER membrane-bound phase separation event that is coupled to the assembly of stress granules (SGs). In response to different stressors, IRE1α clusters are dynamically tethered to SGs at the ER. The cytosolic linker portion of IRE1α possesses intrinsically disordered regions and is essential for its condensation with SGs. Furthermore, disruption of SG assembly abolishes IRE1α clustering and compromises XBP1 mRNA splicing, and such IRE1α-SG coalescence engenders enrichment of the biochemical components of the pro-survival IRE1α-XBP1 pathway during ER stress. Our findings unravel a phase transition mechanism for the spatiotemporal assembly of IRE1α-SG condensates to establish a more efficient IRE1α machinery, thus enabling higher stress-handling capacity.

Bрожайність ранньостиглих сортів картоплі за впливу природно-кліматичних умов західного лісостепу

Agriculture remains a key branch of the economy, ensuring food security and the production of important types of raw materials, but due to the fact that predictive assessments demonstrate the negative impact of climate change on the yield of agricultural crops, there is a need to modernize existing models of agricultural production and improve methods of managing agricultural systems with taking into account climate change. The issues of optimization of obtaining high productivity of potatoes, in certain regions, should first of all be aimed at the rational use of natural and climatic conditions of the year, with the aim of timely revision of the cultivation technology, which would correspond to the most complete realization of the agro-climatic potential of the research area, namely the Western Forest-Steppe. Solving this task depends on the degree of study of the interaction and interdependence of the influence of natural and climatic conditions on the processes of formation of yield and quality of potatoes. The results of the analysis of weather and climate conditions in the Western Forest-Steppe during 2010-2023 and their impact on the yield of early-ripening potato varieties are presented. It was investigated that the meteorological conditions in some years fluctuated sharply in comparison both to previous years and to the average long-term data. This is especially true about the total amount of precipitation and its distribution during the potato growing season, because with regard to the dynamics of the temperature regime, as already noted, a significant increase has been observed. Despite this during the potato growing season the temperature and water conditions provided favorable conditions for obtaining a high yield of early-ripening potato varieties. The presented results of the analysis of weather and climate conditions in the Western Forest-Steppe during 2010-2023 indicate a positive effect on the yield of potato varieties of the early-ripening group. It was established that the weather and climatic conditions of the research area favor the cultivation of potato varieties of the early-ripening group, and the yield compared to the standard variety increased by 0.9-5.2 t/ha. The conducted analysis makes it possible to select the most productive potato varieties of the early-ripening group, which are the most optimal for cultivation in the conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine as well as further study and improvement regarding the formation of their productivity

Information Extraction and Knowledge Map Construction based on Natural Language Processing

As a key branch of artificial intelligence, Natural Language Processing (NLP) focuses on making machines understand and generate human language. This paper introduces the basic tasks of NLP, such as lexical analysis, syntactic analysis and semantic understanding, and discusses the cutting-edge technologies such as word embedding. In the aspect of information extraction, this paper deeply discusses the methods of named entity recognition, relationship extraction and event extraction, and points out the challenges in dealing with complex texts. Finally, the paper focuses on the construction of knowledge map, expounds the complete process from data collection to entity identification, relationship extraction, graph construction and query, and emphasizes the core position of graph query in the application of knowledge map. On the whole, this paper provides a comprehensive perspective for understanding NLP, information extraction and knowledge map construction, and points out the importance and future development direction of these technologies in intelligent systems.

Microfluidic compartmentalization of rat vagal afferent neurons to model gut-brain axis

BackgroundVagal afferent neurons represent the key neurosensory branch of the gut-brain axis, which describes the bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal system and the brain. These neurons are important for detecting and relaying sensory information from the periphery to the central nervous system to modulate feeding behavior, metabolism, and inflammation. Confounding variables complicate the process of isolating the role of the vagal afferents in mediating these physiological processes. Therefore, we developed a microfluidic model of the sensory branch of the gut-brain axis. We show that this microfluidic model successfully compartmentalizes the cell body and neurite terminals of the neurons, thereby simulates the anatomical layout of these neurons to more accurately study physiologically-relevant processes.MethodsWe implemented a primary rat vagal afferent neuron culture into a microfluidic platform consisting of two concentric chambers interconnected with radial microchannels. The microfluidic platform separated cell bodies from neurite terminals of vagal afferent neurons. We then introduced physiologically-relevant gastrointestinal effector molecules at the nerve terminals and assessed their retrograde transport along the neurite or capacity to elicit an electrophysiological response using live cell calcium imaging.ResultsThe angle of microchannel outlets dictated the probability of neurites growing into a chamber versus tracking along chamber walls. When the neurite terminals were exposed to fluorescently-labeled cholera toxin subunit B, the proteins were taken up and retrogradely transported along the neurites over the course of 24 h. Additionally, mechanical perturbation (e.g., rinsing) of the neurite terminals significantly increased intracellular calcium concentration in the distal soma. Finally, membrane-displayed receptor for capsaicin was expressed and trafficked along newly projected neurites, as revealed by confocal microscopy.ConclusionsIn this work, we developed a microfluidic device that can recapitulate the anatomical layout of vagal afferent neurons in vitro. We demonstrated two physiologically-relevant applications of the platforms: retrograde transport and electrophysiological response. We expect this tool to enable controlled studies on the role of vagal afferent neurons in the gut-brain axis.

Cenozoic History of the Indonesian Gateway

The tectonically complex Indonesian Gateway is part of the global thermohaline circulation and exerts a major control on climate. Waters from the Pacific flow through the Indonesian Archipelago into the Indian Ocean via the Indonesian Throughflow. Much progress has been made toward understanding the near-modern history of the Indonesian Gateway. However, the longer-term climate and ocean consequences of Australia's progressive collision with the Eurasian Plate that created it are less known. The gateway initiated ∼23 Ma, when Australia collided with Southeast Asia. By ∼10 Ma the gateway was sufficiently restricted to create a proto–warm pool. During the Pliocene it alternated between more or less restricted conditions, until modern oceanic conditions were established by 2.7 Ma. Despite its tectonic complexity, climate modeling and Indian and Pacific scientific ocean drilling research continue to yield insights into the gateway's deep history. ▪The Indonesian Gateway is a key branch of global thermohaline oceanic circulation, exerting a major control on Earth's climate over the last 25 Myr.▪We find that a complex interplay of tectonics and sea level has controlled Indonesian Gateway restriction since 12 Myr, resulting in La Niña– and El Niño–like states in the equatorial Pacific.▪Long term Indonesian Gateway history is best determined from ocean drilling cores on the Indian and Pacific sides of the Indonesian Gateway, as records from within it are typically disrupted by tectonics.▪Model simulations show the global impact of the Indonesian Gateway. Further modeling with ocean drilling/tectonic research will enhance our understanding of Cenozoic Indonesian Gateway history.

Big data analysis and evaluation for vitality factors of public space of regenerated industrial heritage in Luoyang

Abstract The regeneration of idle industrial heritage buildings needs to take into account many factors such as history, science, art, and social aspects. Current research on industrial heritage regeneration has not developed quantitative research in each factor of assessment, and cannot provide clear guidance and program reference for industrial building regeneration weighting ratios. In this study, we put forward a spatial vitality factor range prediction method based on big data analysis for the regeneration of an industrial heritage public space in Luoyang, aiming to establish a model for the regeneration of industrial heritage abandoned industrial buildings and to provide implementation and regeneration planning. The specific evaluation process and regeneration evaluation design scheme based on Luoyang’s industrial heritage were restored. The weights and percentages of the key domain indicators and branch indicators of the idle industrial building regeneration model were predicted, which provided clear guidance and reference for the planning of regeneration of public spaces of industrial heritage. The prediction accuracy of each key assessment factor was maintained above 90%, and the sequential ranking result of the assessment factors was given. The spatial regeneration prediction scheme provided an effective guide and indicator reference for the case design, highlighting the effectiveness of our approach.

Transient angle stability analysis of maximum Lyapunov exponent based on the key branch response information

Based on real-time access to response information on wide-area tributaries, in order to assess the system stability more quickly, this paper combines the simplified branch transient transmission capability (sBTTC) index and the largest Lyapunov exponent (MLE). An online identification method for transient power angle stability is proposed. Firstly, the method is based on a two-machine system to study the consistency of the power angle difference between the two ends of the critical branch and the change of the phase difference of the fleet. Secondly, the transient power angle stability problem is transformed into the MLE analysis problem according to the change rule of sBTTC index of the key branch. Then, by combining the characteristics of MLE curve and sBTTC index curve, the transient power angle stability criterion is given. Finally, the proposed method is verified and analysed by simulation examples. The method has strong industrial applicability because it does not need system model, the information source is easy to measure, it has strong anti-noise ability, and it overcomes the defect of the traditional method that needs to set a fixed symbolic observation window.

Modeling a new taper curve and form factor of tree branches using terrestrial laser scanning

Abstract Modeling branch taper curve and form factor contributes to increasing the efficiency of tree crown reconstructions: the branch taper, defined as the sequential measure of diameters along the course of the branch, is pivotal to accurately estimate key branch variables such as biomass and volume. Branch diameters or volumes have commonly been estimated from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) based on automatized voxelization or cylinder-fitting approaches, given the whole branch length is sufficiently covered by laser reflections. The results are, however, often affected by ample variations in point cloud characteristics caused by varying point density, occlusions, and noise. As these characteristics of TLS can hardly be sufficiently controlled or eliminated in automatized techniques, we proposed a new branch taper curve model and form factor, which can be employed directly from the laser reflections and under variable point cloud characteristics. In this paper, the approach is demonstrated on primary branches using a set of TLS-derived datasets from a sample of 20 trees (six species). The results showed an R2 of 0.86 and a mean relative absolute error of 1.03 cm (29%) when validated with field-measured diameters. The approach improved the accuracy of diameter estimates for the fine branch scales (<10 cm) as compared to the quantitative structural model (QSM). Our approach also allowed branch diameter estimation for a relatively larger number of manually recognized primary branches (>85%) from point clouds when validated with panoramic images acquired simultaneously with laser scanning. Frequently used automatized crown reconstructions from QSM, on the other hand, were affected by gaps in the point clouds due to obstruction, with the crown-tops and finer branches being the most critical. Our approach reports mean form factors across the examined species of 0.35 and 0.49, with the diameters determined at 5% and 10% of the total branch length, respectively. Our approach may have the potential to produce branch volume information with reasonable accuracy from only knowing the length and respective diameter of each branch. Our model delivers a first approximation for the taper curve and form factor for primary branches but was developed on a relatively small set of samples. We believe that our approach holds the potential to improve the accuracy of the assessment of branch diameter and volume from TLS data. The approach may also be extended to other branch orders. This could expand the horizon for volumetric calculations and biomass estimates from non-destructive TLS proxies in tree crowns.

A Study of Artificial Intelligence in the Production of Film

As a key branch of the intelligence field, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technical science with the goal of understanding the nature of intelligence and inventing new types of intelligent machines that can act similarly to human intelligence. The study of AI technology includes robotics, natural language processing, speech and image recognition, etc. In recent years, AI has been rapidly developed and widely deployed in a variety of applications in different industries such as autonomous driving, healthcare, financial services, and film production. The application of AI in films is studied in this article, and according to analysis, it can be concluded that in the process of film production, AI technology has its advantages in increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in film production. It can also enhance the overall quality of films, impressing the audience by generating special effects and providing filmmakers with new tools and techniques to explore and experiment with. Meanwhile, AI technology also has its disadvantages such as a lack of human touch and depth in the the works produced by AI.

The Stilbene Synthase Family in Arachis: A Genome-Wide Study and Functional Characterization in Response to Stress.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and its wild relatives are among the few species that naturally synthesize resveratrol, a well-known stilbenoid phytoalexin that plays a crucial role in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. Resveratrol has received considerable attention due to its health benefits, such as preventing and treating various human diseases and disorders. Chalcone (CHS) and Stilbene (STS) Synthases are plant-specific type III Polyketide Synthases (PKSs) that share the same substrates and are key branch enzymes in the biosynthesis of flavonoids and stilbenoids, respectively. Although resveratrol accumulation in response to external stimulus has been described in peanut, there are no comprehensive studies of the CHS and STS gene families in the genus Arachis. In the present study, we identified and characterized 6 CHS and 46 STS genes in the tetraploid peanut and an average of 4 CHS and 22 STS genes in three diploid wild species (Arachis duranensis, Arachis ipaënsis and Arachis stenosperma). The CHS and STS gene and protein structures, chromosomal distributions, phylogenetic relationships, conserved amino acid domains, and cis-acting elements in the promoter regions were described for all Arachis species studied. Based on gene expression patterns of wild A. stenosperma STS genes in response to different biotic and abiotic stresses, we selected the candidate AsSTS4 gene, which is strongly induced by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, for further functional investigation. The AsSTS4 overexpression in peanut hairy roots significantly reduced (47%) root-knot nematode infection, confirming that stilbene synthesis activation in transgenic plants can increase resistance to pathogens. These findings contribute to understanding the role of resveratrol in stress responses in Arachis species and provide the basis for genetic engineering for improved production of valuable secondary metabolites in plants.

Far-red light inhibits lateral bud growth mainly through enhancing apical dominance independently of strigolactone synthesis in tomato.

The ratio of red light to far-red light (R:FR) is perceived by light receptors and consequently regulates plant architecture. Regulation of shoot branching by R:FR ratio involves plant hormones. However, the roles of strigolactone (SL), the key shoot branching hormoneand the interplay of different hormones in the light regulation of shoot branching in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are elusive. Here, we found that defects in SL synthesis genes CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 7 (CCD7) and CCD8 in tomato resulted in more lateral bud growth but failed to reverse the FR inhibition of lateral bud growth, which was associated with increased auxin synthesis and decreased synthesis of cytokinin (CK) and brassinosteroid (BR). Treatment of auxin also inhibited shoot branching in ccd mutants. However, CK released the FR inhibition of lateral bud growth in ccd mutants, concomitant with the upregulation of BR synthesis genes. Furthermore, plants that overexpressed BR synthesis gene showed more lateral bud growth and the shoot branching was less sensitive to the low R:FR ratio. The results indicate that SL synthesis is dispensable for light regulation of shoot branching in tomato. Auxin mediates the response to R:FR ratio to regulate shoot branching by suppressing CK and BR synthesis.

THU572 Structure, Organisation And Mechanistic Insight Of Cytochrome P450 17A1

Abstract Disclosure: L.L. Martin: None. P. O'Leary: None. S. Arumugam: None. S. Bell: None. R.J. Rodgers: None. Introduction: Cytochrome P45017A1 (CYP17) is a heme-containing, membrane bound enzyme situated at a key branch within steroidogenic pathways. CYP17 is a dual function enzyme that initially catalyses 17α-hydroxylation of pregnenolone and progesterone to 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. CYP17 can further metabolize these steroids via 17,20-lyase reactions to produce androgen/estrogen precursors. Activity of CYP17 requires electrons delivered by cytochrome P450 oxido-reductase (CPR) and and accessory protein cytochrome b5 (cyt b5) for the 17,20-lyase reaction. Previously, we showed that (i) CYP17 could homodimerise and heterodimerise with CPR and cyt b5 in cells using FRET [1] and computer models [2] and (ii) protein-protein interaction of cyt b5 with CYP17 slowed the rate of electron transfer to CYP17 [3] by electrochemistry. The current study focuses on sub-cellular organisation of CYP17 and mechanistic insight gained via analysis of the structural and molecular interactions of CYP17 with its partner proteins associated with 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase reactions. Methods: Single molecule fluorescence microscopy (SMFM) was used to observe fluorescently tagged CYP17 in live HEK 293 cells. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were done for CYP17 in membranes, in the presence and absence of substrates, while interacting with CPR and cyt b5. Results: Halo-tagged CYP17 was imaged in real-time within the endoplasmic reticulum, providing kinetic data and sub-cellular localisation dynamics of individual molecules.MD simulations, within a membrane environment, allowed the dynamics of full-length models of CYP17 to be simulated: (i) in the absence of substrate, (ii) with a hydroxylase substrate (pregnenolone), and (iii) with a lyase substrate (17α-OH pregnenolone). Intriguingly, the protein-protein interaction of cyt b5 decreased the movement and flexibility within the active site of CYP17, however, regions not necessarily obvious for haem-substrate rearrangement were also altered. Single molecule fluorescence revealed CYP17 molecules moved dynamically along the endoplasmic reticulum. Conclusions: MD analyses provided structural insight on the mechanism underlying the allosteric coupling between the cyt b5 to the CYP17 interface and specifically to the active site. Single molecule fluorescence tracking indicated that CYP17 actively moves dynamically in the endoplasmic reticulum. 1. Praporski, S., et al., Organization of Cyt P450 Enzymes Involved in Sex Steroid Synthesis. J. Biol. Chem., 2009. 284 33224-33232. 2. Holien, J.K., et al., A Homodimer Model Can Resolve the Conundrum as to How CPR and Cyt b5 Compete for the Same Binding Site on Cyt P450c17. Curr Protein Pept Sci, 2017. 18 515-521. 3. Simonov, A.N., et al., Mechanistic Scrutiny Identifies a Kinetic Role for Cyte b5 Regulation of Human Cyt P450c17. PLoS ONE, 2015. 10 e0141252. Presentation Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Improved thermonuclear rate of42Ti(p,γ)43V and its astrophysical implication in therpprocess

Context.Accurate42Ti(p,γ)43V reaction rates are crucial for understanding the nucleosynthesis path of the rapid capture process (rpprocess) that occurs in X-ray bursts.Aims.We aim to improve the thermonuclear rates of42Ti(p,γ)43V based on more complete resonance information and a more accurate direct component, together with the recently released nuclear masses data. We also explore the impact of the newly obtained rates on therpprocess.Methods.We reevaluated the reaction rate of42Ti(p,γ)43V by the sum of the isolated resonance contribution instead of the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model. We used a Monte Carlo method to derive the associated uncertainties of new rates. The nucleosynthesis simulations were performed via the NuGrid post-processing code ppn.Results.The new rates differ from previous estimations due to the use of a series of updated resonance parameters and a direct S factor. Compared with the previous results from the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model, which assumes compound nucleus43V with a sufficiently high-level density in the energy region of astrophysical interest, large differences exist over the entire temperature region ofrp-process interest, up to two orders of magnitude. We consistently calculated the photodisintegration rate using our new nuclear masses via the detailed balance principle, and found the discrepancies among the different reverse rates are much larger than those for the forward rate, up to ten orders of magnitude at the temperature of 108K. Using a trajectory with a peak temperature of 1.95×109K, we performed therp-process nucleosynthesis simulations to investigate the impact of the new rates. Our calculations show that the adoption of the new forward and reverse rates result in abundance variations for Sc and Ca of 128% and 49%, respectively, compared to the variations for the statistical model rates. On the other hand, the overall abundance pattern is not significantly affected. The results of using new rates also confirm that therp-process path does not bypass the isotope43V.Conclusions.Our study found that the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model is inappropriate to the reaction rate evaluation for42Ti(p,γ)43V. The adoption of the new rates confirms that the reaction path of42Ti(p,γ)43V(p,γ)44Cr(β+)44V is a key branch of therpprocess in X-ray bursts.

Natural variations in Crocus sativus lycopene epsilon cyclase (CstLcyE) alter carotenoid/apocarotenoid content and stress tolerance

Crocus sativus is an economically and pharmaceutically important crop. The dried stigmas of C. sativus flowers constitute saffron, the only commercial source of apocarotenoids like crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal. Some elite clones of C. sativus with higher crocin content were identified from plant populations over three years. Sequencing approach demonstrated that mutations are present in CstLycE. The C. sativus apocarotenoids are formed by cleavage of β-branch carotenoids. Cyclization of lycopene is the key branch point in carotenoid/apocarotenoid pathway. While lycopene β-cyclase converts lycopene into β-carotene, combined action of β and ε-cyclases forms α-carotene. Towards this, the mutant populations with critical mutations in CstLycE result in loss of function, and hence the metabolic flux was diverted towards β-branch. In-silico analysis and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed the critical nature of these mutations. To ascertain the role of CstLycE, transient over-expression and RNAi lines of CstLcyE in C. sativus were generated, and we observed enhanced β-branch carotenoid and apocarotenoid content in RNAi lines. The effect of CstLcyB and CstLcyE was compared, and CstLcyE RNAi lines had a more profound impact on apocarotenoid accumulation than CstLcyB over-expression lines. CstLcyE-RNAi plants also accumulated more abscisic acid and were more tolerant to abiotic stresses.

Peculiarities of development of the machine-building sector’s enterprises of Ukraine

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the current state and features of the development of enterprises in the machine-building industry of Ukraine. The purpose of the paper, based on the analysis of literary sources and statistical data, is to investigate the prospects for the development of the machine-building industry in Ukraine and to highlight the main factors affecting its development. The paper emphasizes the importance of the machine-building sector as a key branch of industry and the national economy as a whole, examines methods of research of enterprises in the machine-building sector, production and financial indicators of the industry, as well as problems and challenges faced by the business. In particular, the most important factors affecting the market situation of the machine-building sector in Ukraine, indicators of the efficiency of the use of production capacities, the role of the state and international cooperation in the development of the machine-building industry, as well as innovative and technological development will be considered. The experience of the development of the machine-building industry in other countries, in particular in Europe and Asia, was studied. The problems of the machine-building sector in Ukraine are revealed, namely: lack of a powerful market, lack of access to financing, low level of innovativeness and technological soundness of production, low level of qualification of the workforce. It was determined that the development of the machine-building sector requires a complex approach and decisive actions on the part of the state and enterprises. The need to develop and implement a strategy that will be aimed at increasing the efficiency of using and developing the potential of the machine-building sector of Ukraine and at creating high-tech products that will meet the requirements of international markets has been proven. This material will offer ways to solve the problems of enterprises in the machine-building industry of Ukraine, such as support for exports, innovations and scientific research, development of infrastructure and logistics, and improvement of employee qualifications.

Human-in-the-loop for computer vision assurance: A survey

Human-in-the-loop (HITL), a key branch of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), is increasingly proposed in the research literature as a key assurance method for automated analyses and predictive application designs. As the need increases to improve methods in Artificial Intelligence (AI) model training, optimize systems performance, provide AI explainability, and monitor AI system operations, the concept of HITL is gaining traction due to its value in solving these challenges. This survey of existing works on HITL from a computer vision system design perspective focuses on the following AI assurance principles: (1) improved data assurance, such as data preparation or automated data labeling; (2) algorithmic assurance, such as managing uncertainty and AI trustworthiness; and (3) critical limitations and capabilities introduced by HITL into a system’s operational efficiency. We survey prior work within these foci, including technical strengths and weaknesses of novel approaches and ongoing research. This review of the state of the art in HITL computer vision research supports an informed discussion of considerations and future opportunities in this critical space.

Lower Facial Nerve Nomenclature Clarification: Cervical Branch Controls Smile-Associated Lower Lip Depression and Dental Display.

In head and neck ablative surgery, traditional teaching is that the key facial nerve branch to preserve along the plane of the lower border of the mandible is the marginal mandibular branch (MMb), which is considered to control all lower lip musculature. The depressor labii inferioris (DLI) is the muscle responsible for pleasing lower lip displacement and lower dental display during natural emotive smiling. To understand the structure/function relationships of the distal lower facial nerve branches and lower lip musculature. In vivo extensive facial nerve dissections under general anesthesia. Intraoperative mapping was performed in 60 cases, using branch stimulation and simultaneous movement videography. In nearly all cases, the MMb innervated the depressor anguli oris, lower orbicularis oris, and mentalis muscles. The nerve branches controlling DLI function were identified 2 ± 0.5 cm below the angle of the mandible, originating from a cervical branch, separately and inferior to MMb. In half of the cases, we identified at least 2 independent branches activating the DLI, both within the cervical region. An appreciation of this anatomical finding may help prevent lower lip weakness following neck surgery. Avoiding the functional and cosmetic consequences that accompany loss of DLI function would have a significant impact on the burden of potentially preventable sequelae that the head and neck surgical patient frequently carries.

The Strigolactone Pathway Is a Target for Modifying Crop Shoot Architecture and Yield.

Due to their sessile nature, plants have developed the ability to adapt their architecture in response to their environment. Branching is an integral component of plant architecture, where hormonal signals tightly regulate bud outgrowth. Strigolactones (SLs), being a novel class of phytohormone, are known to play a key role in branching decisions, where they act as a negative regulator of bud outgrowth. They can achieve this by modulating polar auxin transport to interrupt auxin canalisation, and independently of auxin by acting directly within buds by promoting the key branching inhibitor TEOSINTE BRANCHED1. Buds will grow out in optimal conditions; however, when conditions are sub-optimal, SL levels increase to restrict branching. This can be a problem in agricultural applications, as reductions in branching can have deleterious effects on crop yield. Variations in promoter elements of key SL-related genes, such as IDEAL PLANT ARCHITECTURE1, have been identified to promote a phenotype with enhanced yield performance. In this review we highlight how this knowledge can be applied using new technologies to develop new genetic variants for improving crop shoot architecture and yield.