Uncertain Position Research Articles

Father Iosif Fudel Among Conservatives: Friendship with Lev Tikhomirov

The article examines the worldview of the priest Iosif Ivanovich Fudel (1864/1865–1918) through the prism of the Russian conservative thought at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It shows his complex and dynamic views aligned with the chronology of his life and the historical context. Outlining the circle of Father Iosif’s fellow thinkers at different times (Slavophiles, Konstantin Leontiev, Mikhail Novoselov with his Circle of Those Seeking Christian Enlightenment, etc.), the author pays special attention to Fudel’s relationship with Lev Tikhomirov, a prominent representative of conservatism, who was Fudel’s close friend for more than a quarter of a century.The friends were clearly unanimous about the need to nurture the church intelligentsia and restore the sobornost (conciliarity) of the church life, although Fudel throughout his whole life was much less concerned about the political agenda. The direction of the public thought that he represented can be defined as Neo-Slavophilism. It was characterized by switching from vast political topics to specific organization issues within the church with a common antirenovationist and anti-modernist vector. This said, the leaders of this trend advocated for the wider participation of the laity in the life of the church, for the development of fraternal life and the Slavophilelike collegiality and the convocation of the church council. Common to the Fudel’s circle were the criticism of the dominance of the bureaucracy, negative attitude towards Grigory Rasputin, support for Aleksandr Samarin and a certain opposition to the synodal administration. It was, in its own way, a conservative project of the church modernization. Belonging to the circle ideologically, Father Iosif acted not so much as a thinker, but as a doer, fulfilling the main task of his life, that of a pastor.The author emphasizes that Father Iosif’s position had always been personal, not favoring any party, and in the last decade of his life he sought to stay out of politics, cutting his public comments on issues relating to the secular politics. He accepted neither the revolution of 1905–1907, nor the uncertain position of the church in it, nor the political concessions made by the authorities. Father Iosif immersed himself completely in the parish life of Moscow.

A systematic review of the Iberian springsnail subgenus Alzoniella (Navarriella) (Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae), with the description of a new potentially relict subfamily

Abstract The threatened springsnail subgenus Alzoniella (Navarriella) in the Iberian Peninsula has been suggested to be an old and relict lineage of the family Hydrobiidae. The subgenus is represented by two morphological species, both endemic to the Pyrenees and their southern foothills. We conducted phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene fragments of topotypes and other populations, four molecular species delimitation methods, and morphological examinations to clarify the uncertain systematic position of the subgenus within the family, assess its species diversity, and understand the population genetic structure of the two geographically restricted species. Our phylogenetic results revealed that Alzoniella (Navarriella) is distantly related to all other species of Alzoniella, even belonging to an independent subfamily-level clade, for which we introduce the new genus Navarriella and the new subfamily Navarriellinae subfam. nov. Molecular methods and geometric morphometric analysis of shell shape identified a single species in the new genus. The significant phylogenetic distance from other hydrobiid taxa, narrow distribution, and limited gene flow among its populations (estimated from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences) highlight Navarriella as an isolated lineage within the family that requires urgent conservation attention. Furthermore, our results cast a new light on the northern Iberian Mountains as a dispersal barrier for ancient spring lineages.

A phylogenetic assessment of a fungicolous lineage in Coniocybomycetes: Chaenotricha, a new genus of Trichaptum-inhabiting species.

The globally distributed genus Trichaptum is one of the most species-rich among polypores in terms of hosting other fungi. Among Trichaptum-associates, there is a group of mazaediate lichenized fungi (Coniocybomycetes, Ascomycota) that previously had an uncertain phylogenetic position. DNA sequences - mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU), nuclear large subunit rDNA (nuLSU), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) - were obtained from 29 specimens collected from Europe and North America. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of these three gene loci were used to infer phylogenetic position and relationships among lineages. Statistical tests were used to find which phenotypical characteristics distinguish species. The molecular sequence data provide evidence that the fungicolous specimens form a distinct lineage within Coniocybomycetes sister to the combined clade of Chaenotheca s. lat. and Sclerophora. Considering its phylogenetic placement and strict specialization, we describe a new genus - Chaenotricha. This fungicolous lineage contains three species based on molecular characteristics. Morphological characters mostly overlap except for spore size and stalk length of apothecia. We provide a new combination, Chaenotricha obscura, for the only previously described species for which we designate an epitype, and introduce a new species - Chaenotricha cilians. The third lineage remains undescribed because of a small sample size, which did not allow us to clearly delineate species boundaries. Citation: Suija A, McMullin RT, Lõhmus P (2023). A phylogenetic assessment of a fungicolous lineage in Coniocybomycetes: Chaenotricha, a new genus of Trichaptum-inhabiting species. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 12: 255-269. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.12.13.

Numerical Investigation on Thermal Performance in Low-Enthalpy Geothermal System Under the Impact of Anisotropic Reservoir Heterogeneity and Well Layout

Abstract The utilization of low-enthalpy geothermal systems holds substantial potential for mitigating the greenhouse effect. However, the thermal efficiency of geothermal systems is significantly influenced by the spatial distribution of reservoir property, particularly permeability and porosity. In this work, we systematically investigate the impact of anisotropic heterogeneity in porosity and permeability on geothermal performance using numerical method. The thermal performance is evaluated based on parameters such as thermal production lifetime, thermal breakthrough time, and thermal production energy. Our findings indicate that with an increase in correlation length from 100 to 500 m, highly heterogeneous reservoirs tend to regionalize pores, forming highly conductive fluid flow channels. This led to shorter thermal production lifetime and thermal breakthrough time. Moreover, the thermal performance varied significantly with different rotation angles in a double well layout, displaying a maximum difference of 41.17% compared to a homogeneous reservoir. This difference decreased with the number of wells, reaching 32.82% and 16.66% in triple and quadruple well layouts, respectively. Consequently, the thermal performance was more stable under uncertain well positions in the quadruple well layout, but with reduced heat extraction efficiency. Our research results provide valuable insights into the impact of anisotropic heterogeneity on thermal performance in low-enthalpy geothermal systems.

Progress in and research direction of key technologies for normal-pressure shale gas exploration and development

Normal-pressure shale gas is an important object of shale gas reserves and production increase with broad resource prospects in China, but its large-scale benefit development is still confronted with technical bottlenecks. To promote the large-scale benefit development of normal-pressure shale gas, this paper systematically sorts out and summarizes the research achievements and technological progresses related to normal-pressure shale gas from the aspects of accumulation mechanism, enrichment theory, percolation mechanism, development technology, and low-cost engineering technology, and points out the difficulties and challenges to the benefit development of normal-pressure shale gas in the complex structure zones of southern China, by taking the shale gas in the Southeast Chongqing Area of the Sichuan Basin as the research object. In addition, the research direction of normal-pressure shale gas exploration and development is discussed in terms of sweet spot selection, development technology policy, low-cost drilling technology and high-efficiency fracturing technology. And the following research results are obtained. First, the accumulation mechanism of normal-pressure shale gas is clarified from the perspective of geological exploration theory; the hydrocarbon accumulation model of generation, expulsion, retention and accumulation is established; the enrichment theory of “three-factor controlling reservoir” is put forward; and the comprehensive sweetspot target evaluation system is formed. Second, as for development technology, the development technology policies of “multiple series of strata, variable well spacing, long horizontal section, small included angle, low elevation difference, strong stimulation and pressure difference controlling” are formulated. Third, as for drilling engineering, the optimal fast drilling and completion technology with “secondary structure + radical parameter + integrated guidance + unpressured leak-proof cementing” as the core is formed. Fourth, as for fracturing engineering, the low-cost and high-efficiency fracturing technology with “multi-cluster small-stage + limited-entry perforating + double temporary blocking + high-intensity sand injection + fully electric” as the core is formed. Fifth, normal-pressure shale gas is characterized by complex geological conditions, low pressure coefficient and gas content, poor resource endowment and so on, but its resource utilization still faces a series of challenges, such as uncertain productivity construction positions, low single-well productivity and ultimate recoverable reserve, high investment cost and poor economic benefit. In conclusion, the key research directions to realize the large-scale benefit development of low-grade normal-pressure shale gas are to deepen the research on the enrichment and high yield mechanism and sweet spot selection of normal-pressure shale gas, strengthen the research on the benefit development technology policy based on percolation mechanism and the key technologies for low-cost drilling, accelerate the research and development of the key technologies for low-cost and high-efficiency fracturing, and implement cost reduction and efficiency improvement continuously.

Data mining reveals tissue-specific expression and host lineage-associated forms of Apis mellifera filamentous virus.

Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus of uncertain phylogenetic position that infects honey bees (Apis mellifera). Little is known about AmFV evolution or molecular aspects of infection. Accurate annotation of open-reading frames (ORFs) is challenged by weak homology to other known viruses. This study was undertaken to evaluate ORFs (including coding-frame conservation, codon bias, and purifying selection), quantify genetic variation within AmFV, identify host characteristics that covary with infection rate, and examine viral expression patterns in different tissues. Short-read data were accessed from the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Sequence reads were downloaded from accessions meeting search criteria and scanned for kmers representative of AmFV genomic sequence. Samples with kmer counts above specified thresholds were downloaded in full for mapping to reference sequences and de novo assembly. At least three distinct evolutionary lineages of AmFV exist. Clade 1 predominates in Europe but in the Americas and Africa it is replaced by the other clades as infection level increases in hosts. Only clade 3 was found at high relative abundance in hosts with African ancestry, whereas all clades achieved high relative abundance in bees of non-African ancestry. In Europe and Africa, clade 2 was generally detected only in low-level infections but was locally dominant in some North American samples. The geographic distribution of clade 3 was consistent with an introduction to the Americas with 'Africanized' honey bees in the 1950s. Localized genomic regions of very high nucleotide divergence in individual isolates suggest recombination with additional, as-yet unidentified AmFV lineages. A set of 155 high-confidence ORFs was annotated based on evolutionary conservation in six AmFV genome sequences representative of the three clades. Pairwise protein-level identity averaged 94.6% across ORFs (range 77.1-100%), which generally exhibited low evolutionary rates and moderate to strong codon bias. However, no robust example of positive diversifying selection on coding sequence was found in these alignments. Most of the genome was detected in RNA short-read alignments. Transcriptome assembly often yielded contigs in excess of 50 kb and containing ORFs in both orientations, and the termini of long transcripts were associated with tandem repeats. Lower levels of AmFV RNA were detected in brain tissue compared to abdominal tissue, and a distinct set of ORFs had minimal to no detectable expression in brain tissue. A scan of DNA accessions from the parasitic mite Varroa destructor was inconclusive with respect to replication in that species. Collectively, these results expand our understanding of this enigmatic virus, revealing transcriptional complexity and co-evolutionary associations with host lineage.

Rhabdamoeba marina is a heterotrophic relative of chlorarachnid algae.

Rhabdamoeba marina is a unique and poorly reported amoeba with an uncertain phylogenetic position. We successfully cultured R. marina from coastal seawater in Japan and performed a molecular phylogenetic analysis using the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequence. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that R. marina branched as a basal lineage of Chlorarachnea, a group of marine photosynthetic algae belonging to the phylum Cercozoa within the supergroup Rhizaria. By comparing the ecological and morphological characteristics of R. marina with those of photosynthetic chlorarachneans and other cercozoans, we gained insight into the evolution and acquisition of plastids in Chlorarachnida.

Diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) of Iran with province distribution based on literature records and new faunistic data

The species list of Dytiscidae of Iran has been composed using recently studied material and all literature data known to us. We report 139 species of Iranian diving beetles including one Dytiscus species of uncertain taxonomic position. Two species, Agabus amoenus Solsky, 1874 and Copelatus pulchellus (Klug, 1834) are recorded for the first time from Iran. For 57 species, new provincial records are provided. Twenty-two species and one genus have been excluded from the Iranian diving beetle fauna as based on misidentifications. The distributional pattern in Iran and preferred habitat (if available) are summarised for each species and discussed in general.

Does mandatory tax disclosure mitigate tax expense anomaly? Evidence from FIN 48

Financial Interpretation No. 48 (FIN 48) mandates the disclosure of uncertain tax positions for U.S. public firms. Exploring its impact on market efficiency, we find a reduction in the tax expense anomaly as documented by Thomas and Zhang (2011) for affected firms. The effect is stronger for affected firms with higher disclosure quality, accuracy, and transient institutional shareholding, and it cannot be explained by increased analyst tax forecasts or decreased predictability of tax expenses for future profitability. Our findings suggest that the mandatory tax disclosure under FIN 48 encourages investors to assess the implications of tax information for stock prices.

The early Paleocene (Danian) climate of Svalbard based on palaeobotanical data

AbstractThe early Paleocene (Danian) Barentsburg flora from the Firkanten Formation, Svalbard, provides a valuable insight into the environment and climate of the Arctic early in the warm Palaeogene prior to the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) event. The flora includes c. 50 species of ferns, ginkgos, conifers and angiosperms. Angiosperms predominate and are represented by the families Platanaceae, Cercidiphyllaceae, Trochodendraceae, Hamamelidaceae, Fagaceae, Betulaceae, Nyssaceae and several taxa of uncertain taxonomic position. Palaeoclimate parameters, calculated using a new calibration of the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP), indicate that Svalbard in the early Paleocene was characterized by a temperate, maritime, humid, seasonal climate with cool mild winters and warm summers. Humidity was highest during winter months. Short‐term winter snow cover and light frosts were likely to have been frequent. The CLAMP analysis yields a mean annual temperature of 10.1 ± 1.98°С, a warmest month mean temperature of 19.2 ± 2.49°C and a coldest month mean temperature of 1.7 ± 3.24°С. The growing season lasted c. 6 months. Precipitation during this growth period was 572.4 ± 296.50 mm, while vapour pressure deficit and potential evapotranspiration indicate very high humidity year‐round, with summer being only slightly drier than winter. Taken together with data from other early Paleocene circum‐Arctic sites, these results point to highly uniform, temperate and extremely humid conditions around the margins of the early Cenozoic Arctic Ocean. This condition represents the warm background condition that dominated in the Arctic prior to the anomalous extreme warmth of the early Eocene.

Evolution of Orthonectida body plan.

Orthonectida is an enigmatic group of animals with still uncertain phylogenetic position. Orthonectids parasitize various marine invertebrates. Their life cycle comprises a parasitic plasmodium and free-living males and females. Sexual individuals develop inside the plasmodium; after egress from the host they copulate in the external environment, and the larva, which has developed inside the female infects a new host. In a series of studied orthonectid species simplification of free-living sexual individuals can be clearly traced. The number of longitudinal and transverse muscle fibers is gradually reduced. In the nervous system, simplification is even more pronounced. The number of neurons constituting the ganglion is dramatically reduced from 200 in Rhopalura ophiocomae to 4-6 in Intoshia variabili. The peripheral nervous system undergoes gradual simplification as well. The morphological simplification is accompanied with genome reduction. However, not only genes are lost from the genome, it also undergoes compactization ensured by extreme reduction of intergenic distances, short intron sizes, and elimination of repetitive elements. The main trend in orthonectid evolution is simplification and miniaturization of free-living sexual individuals coupled with reduction and compactization of the genome.

Discovering Non-Linear Boolean Functions by Evolving Walsh Transforms with Genetic Programming

Stream ciphers usually rely on highly secure Boolean functions to ensure safe communication within unsafe channels. However, discovering secure Boolean functions is a non-trivial optimization problem that has been addressed by many optimization techniques: in particular by evolutionary algorithms. We investigate in this article the employment of Genetic Programming (GP) for evolving Boolean functions with large non-linearity by examining the search space consisting of Walsh transforms. Especially, we build generic Walsh spectra starting from the evolution of Walsh transform coefficients. Then, by leveraging spectral inversion, we build pseudo-Boolean functions from which we are able to determine the corresponding nearest Boolean functions, whose computation involves filling via a random criterion a certain amount of “uncertain” positions in the final truth table. We show that by using a balancedness-preserving strategy, it is possible to exploit those positions to obtain a function that is as balanced as possible. We perform experiments by comparing different types of symbolic representations for the Walsh transform, and we analyze the percentage of uncertain positions. We systematically review the outcomes of these comparisons to highlight the best type of setting for this problem. We evolve Boolean functions from 6 to 16 bits and compare the GP-based evolution with random search to show that evolving Walsh transforms leads to highly non-linear functions that are balanced as well.

Systematics and integrative taxonomic revision of the tribe Scopulini Duponchel, 1845 in Iran (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Sterrhinae).

The Iranian taxa of the tribe Scopulini are taxonomically revised. The systematic positions of the genera Cinglis Guene, 1858, Glossotrophia Prout, 1913, Pseudocinglis Hausmann, 1994 and Scopuloides Hausmann, 1994, with uncertain validity and/or position within the tribe Scopulini Duponchel, 1845 (Lepidoptera: Sterrhinae), are further elucidated by use of one mitochondrial and up to nine protein-coding nuclear gene regions. Available type specimens of the described species and more than 2,600 additional specimens were morphologically investigated. In addition, over 400 genitalia preparations were made and examined together with distribution data and DNA barcodes. As a result of the multi-gene analysis, the genera Cinglis stat. rev. and Scopuloides stat. rev. are re-validated at the genus level. The genus Pseudocinglis syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of the genus Cinglis stat. rev. and Glossotrophia syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of the genus Scopula. Cinglis eurata (Prout, 1913) comb. nov. and Cinglis benigna (Brandt, 1941) comb. nov. are combined with the genus Cinglis. Additionally, Cinglis benigna amseli (Wiltshire, 1967) syn. nov. is regarded as a synonym of C. benigna. Scopula adulteraria (Erschov, 1874) stat. nov. is raised from subspecies to species rank; Scopula iranaria Bytinski-Salz & Brandt, 1937 syn. nov. is synonymized with S. flaccidaria (Zeller, 1852); S. transcaspica taftanica Brandt, 1941 syn. nov. is synonymized with S. transcaspica Prout, 1935; S. diffinaria asiatica (Brandt, 1938) syn. nov. is synonymized with S. diffinaria (Prout, 1913) and Glossotrophia bullata Vojnits, 1986 syn. nov. is synonymized with Scopula sacraria ariana (Ebert, 1965). The female genitalia of Scopula lactarioides Brandt, 1941 are described and illustrated for the first time. In total, the presence of 33 species of Scopulini in Iran is confirmed. Wing patterns, male and female genitalia and diagnostic characters of most Iranian Scopulini species are depicted and their distribution ranges are mapped.

Cerradopsora, a new genus of neotropical rust fungi

ABSTRACT Two Cerrado rust fungi, Phakopsora rossmaniae and Aplopsora hennenii, described in 1993 and 1995 and originally assigned to families Phakopsoraceae and Ochropsoraceae, respectively, were subjected to molecular phylogenetic analyses using fragments of the nuc 28S and 18S rDNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3 (CO3) gene. Although both taxa were morphologically well placed in their original genera, they were shown to belong in a strongly supported new lineage within the Raveneliineae distant from the Phakopsoraceae and Ochropsoraceae. Therefore, we properly treated this lineage as the new genus Cerradopsora now harboring C. rossmaniae (type species) and C. hennenii. However, this novel phakopsoroid genus remains in uncertain familial position without support to be included in any of the families that share space within the Raveneliineae.

RAW MATERIALS PRICE VOLATILITY AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS ON THE JAMNAGAR BRASS PARTS INDUSTRY: A STUDY ON MICRO AND SMALL-SCALE UNITS

Most of the production work is carried out by micro and small-scale units in the Jamnagar Brass Parts industry. Brass scrap is most often used in this industry. Brass scrap prices are based on brass metal prices, and Brass is composed of a mixture of copper, zinc, and lead metals, in addition, copper holds the highest position among other related metals. Therefore, the highest percentage of copper can be found in comparison to other metals. When it comes to brass scrap, prices mostly depend on copper prices. Copper is considered a globle metal today, with developed countries dominating both its production and consumption. In this regard, over the past few years, copper prices have experienced significant instability. Consequently, brass prices also exhibit instability. In this research paper focuses on the Jamnagar Brass Parts industry and examines the economic impacts and challenges arising from the volatility in prices of raw materials, such as brass scrap, on both foundry units and manufacturing units. Furthermore, these small-scale units find themselves in an uncertain position as a result of the volatile fluctuations in raw material prices. Consequently, these units react or respond to the price fluctuations of raw materials like brass scrap. This paper also tries to address this issue.

The concerns of linking IRS tax disclosures to financial statements on analysts' effective tax rate forecasts

This study examines the effect of uncertain tax position (UTP) disclosures on analysts' effective tax rate (ETR) forecasts. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that firms provide detailed information about UTPs reported in their annual 10-K filings on their Schedule UTP form. Schedule UTP applies to federal tax positions for which a corresponding tax reserve has been created for financial reporting purposes. Academics and practitioners have deliberated whether Schedule UTP disclosures could lead to firms altering how they account for their unrecognized tax benefits (UTBs) in financial statements. Overall, we find that UTB additions were originally useful to analysts in forecasting ETRs but became less useful after the implementation of the Schedule UTP form, as it likely reduced the usefulness of information for financial statement users. Our findings contribute to the debate regarding the extent of tax policy overlapping with the generally accepted accounting principles of financial reporting. Following up on a 2018 Treasury Department study that recommended more disclosure on Schedule UTP, the IRS, in December of 2022, finalized additional disclosure requirements to Schedule UTP, These new requirements may further incentivize firms to alter UTB reporting in their financial statements.

Viral community composition ofhypersaline lakes.

Despite their widespread distribution and remarkable antiquity no RNA viruses definitively associated with the domain Archaea have been identified. In contrast, 17 families of DNA viruses are known to infect archaea. In an attempt to uncover more of the elusive archaeal virosphere, we investigated the metatranscriptomes of hypersaline lakes that are a rich source of archaea. We sequenced RNA extracted from water filter samples of Lake Tyrrell (Victoria, Australia) and cultures seeded from four lakes in Antarctica. To identify highly divergent viruses in these data, we employed a variety of search tools, including Hidden Markov models (HMMs) and position-specific scoring matrices (PSSMs). From this, we identified 12 highly divergent, RNA virus-like candidate sequences from the virus phyla Artverviricota, Duplornaviricota, Kitrinoviricota, Negarnaviricota, and Pisuviricota, including those with similarity to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). An additional analysis with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based approach that utilises both sequence and structural information identified seven putative and highly divergent RdRp sequences of uncertain phylogenetic position. A sequence matching the Pisuviricota from Deep Lake in Antarctica had the strongest RNA virus signal. Analyses of the dinucleotide representation of the virus-like candidates in comparison to that of potential host species were in some cases compatible with an association to archaeal or bacterial hosts. Notably, however, the use of archaeal CRISPR spacers as a BLAST database failed to detect any RNA viruses. We also described DNA viruses from the families Pleolipoviridae, Sphaerolipoviridae, Halspiviridae, and the class Caudoviricetes. Although we were unable to provide definitive evidence the existence of an RNA virus of archaea in these hypersaline lakes, this study lays the foundations for further investigations of highly divergent RNA viruses in natural environments.

DENSE SWIN-UNET: DENSE SWIN TRANSFORMERS FOR SEMANTIC SEGMENTATION OF PNEUMOTHORAX IN CT IMAGES

Pneumothorax is a common yet potentially serious lung disease, which makes prompt diagnosis and treatment critical in clinical practice. Deep learning methods have proven effective in detecting pneumothorax lesions in medical images and providing quantitative analysis. However, due to the irregular shapes and uncertain positions of pneumothorax lesions, current segmentation methods must be further improved to increase accuracy. This study aimed to propose a Dense Swin-Unet algorithm that integrated the Dense Swin Transformer Block with the Swin-Unet model. The Dense Swin-Unet algorithm employed a sliding window self-attentiveness mechanism on different scales to enhance multiscale long-range dependencies. We designed an enhanced loss function that accelerated the convergence speed to address the issue of class imbalance. Given the limited availability of data in pneumothorax image processing, we created a new dataset and evaluated the efficacy of our model on this dataset. The results demonstrated that our lesion segmentation algorithm attained a Dice coefficient of 88.8%, representing a 1.5% improvement compared with previous deep learning algorithms. Notably, our algorithm achieved a significant enhancement in segmenting small microlesions.

Molecular and morphological characterization of four new ancyromonad genera and proposal for an updated taxonomy of the Ancyromonadida.

Ancyromonads are small biflagellated protists with a bean-shaped morphology. They are cosmopolitan in marine, freshwater, and soil environments, where they attach to surfaces while feeding on bacteria. These poorly known grazers stand out by their uncertain phylogenetic position in the tree of eukaryotes, forming a deep-branching "orphan" lineage that is considered key to a better understanding of the early evolution of eukaryotes. Despite their ecological and evolutionary interest, only limited knowledge exists about their true diversity. Here, we aimed to characterize ancyromonads better by integrating environmental surveys with behavioral observation and description of cell morphology, for which sample isolation and culturing are indispensable. We studied 18 ancyromonad strains, including 14 new isolates and seven new species. We described three new and genetically divergent genera: Caraotamonas, Nyramonas, and Olneymonas, together encompassing four species. The remaining three new species belong to the already-known genera Fabomonas and Ancyromonas. We also raised Striomonas, formerly a subgenus of Nutomonas, to full genus status, on morphological and phylogenetic grounds. We studied the morphology of diverse ancyromonads under light and electron microscopy and carried out molecular phylogenetic analyses, also including 18S rRNA gene sequences from several environmental surveys. Based on these analyses, we have updated the taxonomy of Ancyromonadida.

What can traditional plant therapy do in the face of Covid-19? Examples from traditional Chinese medicine.

Until June 2022, more than 540.9 million people had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the pandemic had claimed more than six million lives worldwide. Two years after fighting the virus, we faced a more uncertain position. SARS-CoV-2 is constantly mutating and reappears regularly, particularly with Omicron variants showing high genetic variation and immune escape mechanisms. The efficacy and duration of protection of existing vaccines against new variants of SARS-CoV-2 remains uncertain. The world needs time to develop new variant-specific drugs, including monoclonal topics, vaccines, and other antiviral drugs, to fight the epidemic. The aim of this study was to illustrate the scientific, effective and systematic nature of three classical prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of COVID-19 through comparison of disease symptoms, diagnostic process, and treatment methods and evidence-based and pharmacological studies. We analysed the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia" (Version 9) made by China, "WHO-2019-nCoV-therapeutics", "Therapeutic Guidelines" published by Australian Therapeutic Guidelines Limited, "Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Febrile Diseases)", "Jinkui Yaolue (Golden Chamber Synopsis), and "Wenyi Lun (The Epidemic Febrile Disease)". We manually retrieved the dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine (Version II). In addition, we searched the Wiley online library, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), VIP, WHO website, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for relevant literature from 2001 to 2022. We searched the original plants, ingredients, pharmacology, functions and indications, usage and dosage, drug efficacy, literature sources, and conduct an evidence-based studies. We quantified the strength of pharmacological action to show the pertinence of disease development. We found that the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary infection caused by epidemic disease in TCM classics is consistent with the diagnostic process of modern medical therapeutic guidelines. The three classic prescriptions have significant symptomatic therapeutic effects on the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary and hematological symptoms of the clinical manifestations of COVID-19. It was found that the herbal functional group of Houpo (Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis), Chaihu (Radix Bupleuri), Cangzhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis), Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), etc showed strong anti-inflammatory activity and had a positive effect on treating and preventing the outbreaks of systemic inflammatory factors. TCM can obtain obvious curative effect in symptomatic treatment, has strong anti-inflammatory effect, and can effectively reduce symptoms and patients' pain.