Morphological Attributes Research Articles

Uranium Production Pathway Classification Using Quantified Morphology Without Human Interaction

Facilities that handle special nuclear materials must account for the entire mass of materials in their control. Should that material be diverted, it must be traced back to its origins. This work explores whether uranium oxide precipitation routes can be classified through quantified morphology without human interaction. The system to achieve this started with a program to generate quantified morphology for algorithmically segmented images. The quantified morphological attributes for each segment were averaged before being used to train and test various machine learning (ML) classifiers on a five-class problem. Seven processing factors were evaluated in a design of experiments (DOE) study to determine their impact on classification accuracy using analysis-of-variance techniques. These processing factors included process steps like denoising, normalization, and augmenting the ML data with the final oxide type (UO3, U3O8, or UO2) and the image pixel width. The factors that offered the best accuracy included dataset augmentation with the final oxide and pixel width. The most accurate standard ML classifiers were the support vector machine (SVM) and random forest. The most beneficial DOE factors were applied to the most accurate classifiers, which were subsequently retrained resulting in an accuracy as high as 89% with an SVM. These experiments were repeated after dropping two attributes called “grayscale mean” and “gradient mean” from the training data to check for bias in the data, which reduced the best accuracy to 85%. This paper also includes an experiment to automatically select the watershed segmentation threshold using clustering analysis techniques. Those techniques used a dimension reduction algorithm and a clustering algorithm with silhouette scoring to select the best segmentation threshold for each image in the dataset. However, this reduced classifier accuracy by an average of 17%. Regardless, this work demonstrates that uranium oxide precipitation routes can be classified using morphology without human interaction with up to 89% accuracy.

Dasyspora (Pucciniales) on Xylopia in the Amazon, with new distribution records for Brazil

This work presents a taxonomic study with a morphological basis of Dasyspora (Sphaerophragmiaceae, Pucciniales) specimens deposited in herbaria of the Brazilian Amazon, aiming to update the status of this genus according to the recognition of the valid species complex. Specimens from the authors’ collections and from the collections of fungi and plants of the herbaria of Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MG) and EMBRAPA Amazônia Oriental (IAN) previously identified as D. gregaria on Xylopia spp. were analyzed. Additional samples from other areas were also analyzed. Descriptions, images of nomenclatural types, and literature data complemented the identification and description of species. Six Dasyspora species were recorded in the Amazon (D. amazonica, D. echinata, D. ferrugineae, D. gregaria, D. nitidae and D. segregaria). New records are presented for Brazil (D. ferrugineae, D. nitidae and D. segregaria), and for the states of Amapá (D. echinata), Mato Grosso (D. amazonica), Pará (D. amazonica and D. echinata) and Rondônia (D. gregaria and D. segregaria). The additional samples studied were D. segregaria from Peru and D. ferrugineae from Surinam. Characteristics and the distribution of ornamentations on the wall of the teliospores were the main morphological attributes that differentiate the species. Host specificity was observed at the host genus level, but not at the host species level. The new records expand the geographic distribution of rust fungi in Brazil. Descriptions, illustrations, taxonomic comments, geographic distribution of fungi and host plants, and an identification key for known species in South America are presented.

Preparation of nanofiber membrane based on recycled keratin from chicken eggshell and its preliminary application in membrane distillation

ABSTRACT The inner eggshell membrane (ESM) sanctions the unfettered conveyance of air across the membrane, ensuring the air provision for embryonic development. As such, the electrostatic spinning technique was availed to fabricate large-scale and flat-sheet ‘artificial’ eggshell membranes by extracting keratin from waste egg membranes. Keratin within eggshell membranes was initially extracted via the chemical reduction method. Subsequently, diverse electrospinning conditions encompassing the type and concentration of additives as well as the electrospinning voltage were utilised to explore their impact on membrane morphology, wetting, and mechanical attributes. Experimental outcomes demonstrated that the ESM-based nanofiber membrane with salubrious morphology, anti-wetting, and mechanical properties could be procured by adding 12 wt% PVA into the keratin solution at 10.5 kV. Eventually, DCMD experiments for the ESM-based nanofiber membrane evinced that a stable water flux (10 LMH) and salt rejection rate could be discerned throughout the 150-min operational tenure, yet its efficacy lags behind other reported membranes. In light of the lofty porosity (>70%) and meager thermal conductivity of ESM (0.04 W/m·K), ESM nanofiber was coalesced with commercial PTFE membrane to fashion a dual-layer porous composite MD membrane utilised in VMD. Experimental findings divulged that the ESM-PTFE hybrid membrane possesses a relatively elevated water flux (30.21 LMH), being commensurate with the reported PTFE-based MD membranes. Accordingly, this research can provide the theoretical underpinning for the fabrication of ESM-based nanofiber membranes by means of the electrostatic spinning approach, and is conducive to the highly efficient and highly valuable exploitation of waste eggshells.

Where to call tonight? Selection of breeding sites by Phyllodytes luteolus (Anura: Hylidae), a bromeligenous tree frog from Brazil

ABSTRACT Embryonic development and survival in anuran amphibians are influenced by various microhabitat traits. Phytotelmata, which are small water-filled cavities found in plants, serve as microhabitats for anuran reproduction in tropical forest ecosystems, contributing to their survival. Certain morphological attributes are commonly selected based on ecological requirements, such as reproduction. For instance, species of the genus Phyllodytes, endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, complete their entire life cycle within bromeliads and are known as bromeligenous species. Despite previous research efforts, there is a gap in knowledge about the reproduction of these species. Thus, the present study aimed to identify which traits of bromeliads are selected as vocalisation sites by males of Phyllodytes luteolus, and which of these traits are important for the development of the tadpoles. Our sampling efforts were concentrated within bromeliads found in a restinga environment in southern Bahia, Brazil. Eight predictor variables describe the micro-habitat structure used by both males and tadpoles in this research. Our results suggest that males of P. luteolus use four morphological characteristics (cup and axil volume, axil diameter and number of leaves) to prioritise selecting their calling sites. The results contribute to the idea that these individuals choose traits based on the characteristics that are associated with favourable oviposition sites (high capacity of accumulated water and suitable refuges), and tadpoles’ presence was also associated with these morphological characteristics. Thus, our study contributes valuable insights into the natural history of P. luteolus and the intricate interactions between frogs and tank bromeliads. By shedding light on the specific microhabitat traits favoured by these amphibians, especially within the context of the limited existing knowledge, our results enhance the understanding of this unique ecological niche.

Early field performance of three planted Inland Northwest conifer species: Effects of root growth potential, morphology, and environmental conditions

Early field performance of three planted Inland Northwest conifer species: Effects of root growth potential, morphology, and environmental conditions

Integrative species delimitation reveals an Idaho-endemic ground squirrel, Urocitellus idahoensis (Merriam 1913).

The "small-eared" species group of Urocitellus ground squirrels (Sciuridae: Xerinae: Marmotini) is endemic to the Great Basin, United States, and surrounding cold desert ecosystems. Most specific and subspecific lineages in this group occupy narrow geographic ranges, and some are of significant conservation concern; despite this, current taxonomy remains largely based on karyotypic or subtle pelage and morphological characteristics. Here, we leverage 2 multilocus DNA sequence data sets and apply formal species delimitation tests alongside morphometric comparisons to demonstrate that the most widespread small-eared species (U. mollis Kennicott, 1863 sensu lato; Piute Ground Squirrel) is comprised of 2 nonsister and deeply divergent lineages. The 2 lineages are geographically separated by the east-west flowing Snake River in southern Idaho, with no sites of sympatry currently known. Based on robust support across the nuclear genome, we elevate populations previously attributed to U. mollis from north of the Snake River to species status under the name Urocitellus idahoensis (Merriam 1913) and propose the common name "Snake River Plains Ground Squirrel" for this taxon. We delimit 2 subspecies within U. idahoensis; U. i. idahoensis (Merriam 1913) in western Idaho and U. i. artemesiae (Merriam 1913) in eastern Idaho. Urocitellus idahoensis is endemic to Idaho and has a maximal range area of roughly 29,700 km2 spanning 22 counties but occurs discontinuously across this area. Our work substantially expands knowledge of ground squirrel diversity in the northern Great Basin and Columbia Plateau and highlights the difficulty in delimiting aridland mammals whose morphological attributes are highly conserved.

Mucilage-based composites films and coatings for food packaging application: A review.

Mucilage-based composites films and coatings for food packaging application: A review.

Synergetic effects of potassium and biochar on morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of maize crop grown under different levels of drought stress

Global climate change accelerates the challenges of agricultural drought spells, which are alarming for food security and can trigger food scarcity. Therefore, improving soil-water retention capability and crop drought resilience is becoming more important for sustainable agriculture. This study investigates the individual and combined effects of biochar and potassium on soil water retention, crop drought resilience, and related physio-biochemical mechanisms over a 50-day growth period in potted plants. Pine needle biochar (350 g/10 Kg of soil) was used during the soil preparation stage while potassium sulfate (100 mg/L) was applied as a foliar spray at the development (10 days) and vegetative stages (45 days) under three drought stress conditions: control (100% FC), mild (75% FC) and severe (40% FC). The results revealed that the combined application of biochar and potassium significantly increased morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of maize plants under drought stress, improving shoot fresh weight by 11%, 6%, and 5%, root fresh weight by 19%, 19%, and 23%, shoot length by 17%, 16%, and 19%, and root length by 21%, 30%, and 29% under control, mild, and severe drought stress conditions, respectively. Similarly, relative water contents (RWC) increased by 12%, 16%, and 20%, water potential (Ψ) increased by 26%, 22%, and 24%, osmotic potential (Ψs) increased by 100%, 59%, and 30%, and turgor potential (Ψp) increased by 28%, 35%, and 51% under combined treatment compared to control, mild, and severe drought stress. Additionally, biochar application with potassium foliar spray also improved membrane stability and integrity, cell wall loosening, membrane lipid peroxidation, and protein denaturing by decreasing electrolytic leakage by 35%, 28%, and 43%, proline by 30%, 27%, and 22%, hydrogen peroxidase by 47%, 45%, and 41%, and malondialdehyde contents by 24%, 20%, and 28% through activation of enzymatic (CAT, POD, SOD) and non-enzymatic (TSS, AsA, GSH) antioxidants. Furthermore, nutrient uptake was enhanced, with N increasing by 47%, 19%, and 45%, P by 64%, 82%, and 52%, and K by 24%, 42%, and 35% in shoots compared to normal, mild, and severe drought stress. These improvements mitigated cell dehydration, reduced transpiration inefficiency and delayed senescence, and ultimately supporting plant growth under drought stress. In conclusion, integrating biochar with potassium application effectively improves soil-water retention, alleviates oxidative stress and enhances drought tolerance in maize plants. This strategy can play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress and improving food security in drought-prone regions.

Comparative study of morphological, anatomical and molecular attributes and essential oil of Lantana horrida and Lantana camara (Verbenaceae)

Comparative study of morphological, anatomical and molecular attributes and essential oil of Lantana horrida and Lantana camara (Verbenaceae)

Revealing morphological fingerprints in perinatal brains using quasi-conformal mapping: occurrence and neurodevelopmental implications.

The morphological fingerprint in the brain is capable of identifying the uniqueness of an individual. However, whether such individual patterns are present in perinatal brains, and which morphological attributes or cortical regions better characterize the individual differences of neonates remain unclear. In this study, we proposed a deep learning framework that projected three-dimensional spherical meshes of three morphological features (i.e., cortical thickness, mean curvature, and sulcal depth) onto two-dimensional planes through quasi-conformal mapping, and employed the ResNet18 and contrastive learning for individual identification. We used the cross-sectional structural MRI data of 461 infants, incorporating with data augmentation, to train the model and fine-tuned the parameters based on 41 infants who had longitudinal scans. The model was validated on a fold of 20 longitudinal scanned infant data, and remarkable Top1 and Top5 accuracies of 85.90% and 92.20% were achieved, respectively. The sensorimotor and visual cortices were recognized as the most contributive regions in individual identification. Moreover, morphological fingerprints successfully predicted the long-term development of cognition and behavior. Furthermore, the folding morphology demonstrated greater discriminative capability than the cortical thickness. These findings provided evidence for the emergence of morphological fingerprints in the brain at the beginning of the third trimester, which may hold promising implications for understanding the formation of individual uniqueness, and predicting long-term neurodevelopmental risks in the brain during early development.

SDA-Net: A Spatially Optimized Dual-Stream Network with Adaptive Global Attention for Building Extraction in Multi-Modal Remote Sensing Images.

Building extraction plays a pivotal role in enabling rapid and accurate construction of urban maps, thereby supporting urban planning, smart city development, and urban management. Buildings in remote sensing imagery exhibit diverse morphological attributes and spectral signatures, yet their reliable interpretation through single-modal data remains constrained by heterogeneous terrain conditions, occlusions, and spatially variable illumination effects inherent to complex geographical landscapes. The integration of multi-modal data for building extraction offers significant advantages by leveraging complementary features from diverse data sources. However, the heterogeneity of multi-modal data complicates effective feature extraction, while the multi-scale cross-modal feature fusion encounters a semantic gap issue. To address these challenges, a novel building extraction network based on multi-modal remote sensing data called SDA-les (AGAFMs) was designed in the decoding stage to fuse multi-modal features at various scales, which dynamically adjust the importance of features from a global perspective to better balance the semantic information. The superior performance of the proposed method is demonstrated through comprehensive evaluations on the ISPRS Potsdam dataset with 97.66% F1 score and 95.42% IoU, the ISPRS Vaihingen dataset with 96.56% F1 score and 93.35% IoU, and the DFC23 Track2 dataset with 91.35% F1 score and 84.08% IoU.

Enhanced ballistic and mechanical performance of aluminum nickel phosphorus bronze composites reinforced with TiCN and Y₂O₃ for armored vehicles

In response to emerging military tactics and technological advancements, this research investigates the ballistic and mechanical properties of cutting-edge defense-grade aluminum nickel phosphorus bronze (Al-NPB) metal matrix composites (MMCs), enhanced with 2, 4, and 6 weight percent titanium carbonitride (TiCN) coated yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃). The Y₂O₃ nanoparticles were initially synthesized through mechanical milling, followed by further milling with TiCN to produce TiCN + Y₂O₃ (TY) nanopowders, which were subsequently integrated into the Al-NPB matrix via stir-casting. Comprehensive characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the successful formation of the nanocomposite and MMC. Mechanical testing, encompassing tensile, impact, and compression evaluations, revealed that a 4 weight percent filler loading yielded optimal mechanical strength. Additionally, the MMCs were rigorously assessed for corrosion resistance and morphological attributes. Ballistic testing yielded promising outcomes, underscoring the potential applicability of these MMCs in armored fighting vehicles (AFVs). This study introduces a novel MMC that could significantly enhance the performance and durability of AFVs in challenging operational environments, contributing to the advancement of military defense technologies.

Mitigation of adverse effect of cadmium toxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) through foliar application of chitosan and spermidine

Cadmium (Cd) stress is considered among the most harmful abiotic stresses because of its toxicity and ability to alter the ultrastructure of plants. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) can readily accumulate Cd from the soil, but its elevated level posed negative effect on their development and nutritional quality. In this study, efficacy of chitosan and spermidine synergistic application was evaluated to improve Cd metal tolerance or its exclusion in lettuce. A pot experiment was conducted in a four-way completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 replicates, using two L. sativa varieties (VRIL-0205 and Green Check). Following treatments, Cd stress (10 ppm CdCl2), chitosan (200 ppm) and spermidine (145 ppm) were applied along with their respective controls. The negative effects of Cd stress on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of both L. sativa varieties were evaluated along with counter effect of chitosan and spermidine alone and synergistic application. Cd stress resulted in significant accumulation of Cd2+ ions in the shoot of both varieties (0.038 mg kg− 1 in VRIL-0205 and 0.041 mg kg− 1 in Green Check). It also impaired growth, biomass, gas exchange, water relation, antioxidant activities and nutrient uptake in both varieties. Foliar application of both chitosan and spermidine improved growth, biomass, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, water content, antioxidant activities and nutrient uptake in both control and stressed plants. Their combined treatment reduced stress indicators including relative membrane permeability (VRIL-0205; 19% and Green Check; 22%), H2O2 (VRIL-0205; 27% and Green Check; 26%) and malondialdehyde content (VRIL-0205; 6% and Green Check; 7%) in stressed plants, compared with stress only plants. These findings showed that chitosan and spermidine synergistic application effectively mitigated the Cd toxicity in both L. sativa varieties and improved their growth under stress condition. This study provides insight into the potential use of chitosan and spermidine foliar spray as sustainable tools for improving Cd resilience in crop plants.

Cell Painting of insect gut cells for exploration of molecular responses of insect epithelia to insecticides.

Cell Painting is a sophisticated high-content imaging technique that has been predominantly applied to mammalian cells. Recent advancements have extended its applicability to the first insect cell line, the ovarian cell line Sf9, revealing significant insights into similarities and differences in cellular responses between different taxonomic groups. This study explores the utility of Cell Painting in Helicoverpa zea gut-derived cells, specifically the RP-HzGUT-AW1 cell line, to assess the specifics of insect epithelial cells in response to chemical treatments. Upon adaptation of the analysis pipeline to accommodate their unique morphology and characteristics, our investigations revealed distinct responses of RP-HzGUT-AW1 cells compared to the ovarian insect cell line Sf9. Variations were obtained not only in the dose-response behavior to treatments but also in the overall detectability of specific modes of action. Specifically, processes that relate to osmoregulation and the formation of epithelial structures showed the most significant and distinct responses. This suggests that the specific morphological and physiological attributes of these gut-derived insect cells contribute to unique phenotypic profiles, which enables in-depth interpretation of drug efficacy and safety in these models.

Phenotypic plasticity of bread wheat contributes to yield reliability under heat and drought stress.

Yield reliability under diverse environments is important to address climate stress consequences in wheat production systems. Breeding for reliability under a changing climate remains a challenge in wheat. We assessed the performance of 18 hexaploid (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in three field environments at a location within the semi-arid Canadian Prairies over four years with a primary aim to establish knowledge of the phenotypic plasticity and yield reliability in the parental lines as it relates to heat and drought stress tolerance. We collected data on various physiological traits along with some agronomic and morphological attributes, uncovering significant variation across early seeded rainfed, early seeded irrigated, and late seeded rainfed (hot and dry) environments. Eight high yielding hexaploid genotypes '01S0263-28', 'AC Foremost', AC Karma', 'Cutler', 'MN03358-4', 'Reeder', 'Stettler', and 'Superb' showed higher grain Δ13C. Six of these genotypes '01S0263-28', 'AC Foremost', 'MN03358-4', 'Reeder', 'Stettler', and 'Superb' showed higher water use efficiency under irrigated as well as hot and dry environment compared to the low yielding lines 'Red Fife','8021-V2' and 'BW278'. Only four genotypes '01S0263-28', 'MN03358-4', 'Reeder', and 'Stettler' were found with higher yield reliability index. The grain yield relationship with leaf rolling, glaucousness, and canopy temperature was found to be weak. The flag leaf stomatal numbers increased with water stress in high yielding lines which were otherwise low in stomatal numbers. Contrastingly, water stress significantly reduced the stomatal numbers in low yielding lines that were otherwise high in stomatal numbers. The results highlight the stomatal adaptability of different genotypes in response to drought. Taken together, these results provide baseline information that the genotypes with high grain Δ13C and WUE, and low stomata numbers are more yield reliable under variable field environments, and this information can guide the breeding of climate-resilient germplasm that expresses consistent and reliable grain yield production in the semi-arid Prairies.

Morphological Convergence and Divergence of African Pike Hepsetus odoe (Bloch, 1794) (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) Population from Eleyele Lake, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract. Declining status and the reported endangerment of some of the native species is an indication that the structure of the existing stock would not be consistent with the erstwhile. Identity would have been influenced by plasticity of the fish species, while some of the species populations would have reflected changes because of adaptation to the prevailing environmental factors which vary by geographic locations. Hence, this study determined seasonal changes in morphological attributes among sexes of H. odoe population in Eleyele Lake, Southwestern Nigeria. Specimens collected were weighed (g) and 24 morphometric and seven meristic characters were evaluated to test the hypothesis differentiation. Landmark-based geometric morphometric information was obtained using 11 landmark features to extract the body shape data according to established protocols. Data generated were subjected to descriptive analysis, Hotelling T-test, and discriminant function analysis (DFA) at α0.05. The t-tests analysis showed significant variation (P<0.05) in some morphometric characters across sex and seasons. However, base of pectoral length (0.85±0.13 cm), base of pelvic length (0.79±0.12 cm) and post-orbital length (3.29±0.46 cm) were marginally higher in wet season samples than those of dry season, while slightly higher dorsal fin length (4.22±0.57 cm) were observed in female. The meristic characteristics differ only between season groups. Dorsal fin rays (9.00±0.00) and pectoral fin rays (12.75±0.43) were higher in wet season samples (P<0.05). The DFA analysis revealed that all morphometric characters were not significantly different across sex and season groups. These results confirm that the level of variation between season groups is more significant than sex groups.

Assessing the link between skin Aquaporins and morphological attributes under simulated heat stress conditions: A comparative investigation between hair and wool sheep breeds.

Assessing the link between skin Aquaporins and morphological attributes under simulated heat stress conditions: A comparative investigation between hair and wool sheep breeds.

Exploring the interactions between society, wellbeing and urban spaces: An investigation of safety and morphological attributes focusing on human experiences.

Exploring the interactions between society, wellbeing and urban spaces: An investigation of safety and morphological attributes focusing on human experiences.

Effect of fertilizer and organic manures on Morphological attributes of Casuarina equisetifolia tree growth in different treatments of fertilizer and organic manures under guava based agri-silvi-horti system in sodic soil

Effect of fertilizer and organic manures on Morphological attributes of Casuarina equisetifolia tree growth in different treatments of fertilizer and organic manures under guava based agri-silvi-horti system in sodic soil

THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF ONOSMA BRACTEATUM WALL SOURCE PLANT OF GOJIHVA: A REVIEW

The focus of this review is to comprehensively examine available information on Onosma bracteatum Wall, acknowledged as the species linked to Gojihva in Ayurvedic literature. The objective is to elucidate its botanical, chemical, and therapeutic characteristics, and to propose future considerations. Gojihva is a renowned medicinal herb utilized to treat various ailments in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine. While the accurate identification of the Gojihva plant remains uncertain, Onosma bracteatum Wall is widely regarded as Gojihva in many regions due to its similar morphology and therapeutic indications. The methodology adopted for the study includes a review of literature starting from ancient Indian classics of Ayurveda to updated research articles published in journals. This detailed review meticulously examines the Onosma bracteatum Wall encompassing its geographical distribution, morphological attributes, chemical constituents, and therapeutic utilities. The present study not only explores the diverse aspects of the Onosma bracteatum Wall but also sets the stage for future research, enhancing the knowledge of its potential in medicine.