One-domain-one-input: adaptive random testing by orthogonal recursive bisection with restriction

One goal of software testing may be the identification or generation of a series of test cases that can detect a fault with as few test executions as possible. Motivated by insights from research into failure-causing regions of input domains, the even-spreading (even distribution) of tests across the input domain has been identified as a useful heuristic to more quickly find failures. This finding has encouraged a shift in focus from traditional random testing (RT) to its enhancement, adaptive random testing (ART), which retains the randomness of test input selection, but also attempts to maintain a more evenly distributed spread of test inputs across the input domain. Given that there are different ways to achieve the even distribution, several different ART methods and approaches have been proposed. This paper presents a new ART method, called ART-ORB, which explores the advantages of repeated geometric bisection of the input domain, combined with restriction regions, to evenly spread test inputs. Experimental results show a better performance in terms of fewer test executions than RT to find failures. Compared with other ART methods, ART-ORB has comparable performance (in terms of required test executions), but incurs lower test input selection overheads, especially in higher dimensional input space. It is recommended that ART-ORB be used in testing situations involving expensive test input execution

Metabolomics and physio-chemical analyses of mulberry plants leaves response to manganese deficiency and toxicity reveal key metabolites and their pathways in manganese tolerance

IntroductionManganese (Mn) plays a pivotal role in plant growth and development. Aside aiding in plant growth and development, Mn as heavy metal (HM) can be toxic in soil when applied in excess. Morus alba is an economically significant plant, capable of adapting to a range of environmental conditions and possessing the potential for phytoremediation of contaminated soil by HMs. The mechanism by which M. alba tolerates Mn stresses remains obscure.MethodsIn this study, Mn concentrations comprising sufficiency (0.15 mM), higher regimes (1.5 mM and 3 mM), and deficiency (0 mM and 0.03 mM), were applied to M. alba in pot treatment for 21 days to understand M. alba Mn tolerance. Mn stress effects on the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), chlorophyll content, plant morphological traits, enzymatic and non-enzymatic parameters were analyzed as well as metabolome signatures via non-targeted LC-MS technique.ResultsMn deficiency and toxicity decrease plant biomass, Pn, Ci, Gs, Tr, and chlorophyll content. Mn stresses induced a decline in the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), while peroxidase (POD) activity, and leaf Mn content, increased. Soluble sugars, soluble proteins, malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline exhibited an elevation in Mn deficiency and toxicity concentrations. Metabolomic analysis indicates that Mn concentrations induced 1031 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), particularly amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, benzene and derivatives and secondary metabolites. The DEMs are significantly enriched in alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, galactose metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, pentose phosphate pathway, carbon metabolism, etc.Discussion and conclusionThe upregulation of Galactinol, Myo-inositol, Jasmonic acid, L-aspartic acid, Coproporphyrin I, Trigonelline, Pantothenol, and Pantothenate and their significance in the metabolic pathways makes them Mn stress tolerance metabolites in M. alba. Our findings reveal the fundamental understanding of DEMs in M. alba’s response to Mn nutrition and the metabolic mechanisms involved, which may hold potential significance for the advancement of M. alba genetic improvement initiatives and phytoremediation programs

Circulating Naturally-Occurring Anticoagulants before Treatment and after Recovery from SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Ghana

Background: Disturbance in naturally-occurring anticoagulants may contribute to the hypercoagulable state in COVID-19. This study determined the plasma antigen levels of protein C (PC), protein S (PS), antithrombin-III (AT-III), and thrombomodulin (TM) before treatment and after recovery from COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from February to August 2022 at Kumasi South Hospital, recruited sixty-five RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 participants. A venous blood sample was taken for full blood count (FBC) analysis using a 3-part fully automated haematology analyzer, and PC, PS, AT-III, and TM antigen levels measured using ELISA. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Severe COVID-19 participants had relatively lower haemoglobin (p<0.001), RBC (p<0.001), HCT% (p<0.001) and platelets (p<0.001), but higher RDW-CV% (p=0.013), WBC (p<0.001), and absolute lymphocyte counts (p<0.001) compared to those with the non-severe form of the disease. The overall prevalence of anaemia among the participants was 58.5%, and 32 (84.2%) and 6 (15.8%) of the anaemic participants had mild and moderate anaemia respectively. Protein C (p<0.001), PS (p<0.001) and ATIII (p<0.001) levels were lower among the severe COVID-19 participants than in the non-severe group. But severe COVID-19 group had higher TM levels (p<0.001) than the non-severe group. Again, participants had higher haemoglobin (p<0.001), RBC (p<0.001), HCT% (p=0.049), absolute neutrophil count (p<0.001) and platelets (p<0.001) after recovery from COVID-19 than the values on admission. Additionally, after recovery, participants had higher levels of PC (p<0.001), PS (p<0.001), and ATIII (p<0.001), but reduced TM (p<0.001). Conclusion: Severe COVID-19 patients had higher PC, PS, and AT-III, but lower TM levels. The changes in circulating anticoagulants may contribute to the hypercoagulable state of COVID-19. Blood cell indices are negatively affected during COVID-19. Complete recovery from the SARS-CoV-2 infection normalised the haematological indices. Assessment of naturally-occurring anticoagulants and the provision of anticoagulants are recommended in the management of COVID-19.   Doi: 10.28991/SciMedJ-2022-04-04-01 Full Text: PD

Urbanized and savvy: Which African firms are making the most of mobile money?

Our analysis of over 500 Ghanaian firms sheds light, for the first time, on how certain firms managed to extract value from mobile money. Our regressions point to the usefulness of this form of cashless payments in stabilizing sales during the COVID pandemic. Perhaps the most important message from our analysis is the recognition that the benefits from mobile money extend beyond its purpose as a tool for transacting cashless payments. We reveal that firms using these additional tools supported by MoMo (e.g. for planning or saving purposes) report higher sales resilience, all things equal. Our findings appear to echo the literature on private householders (e.g. Jack and Suri, 2014). However, while the latter report a positive effect due to remittances, our finding is more likely driven by enhanced ability of businesses to streamline their planning and sales

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Xyloglucan Endotransglucosylase/Hydrolase (<i>XTH</i>) Gene Family: Expression Pattern during Magnesium Stress Treatment in the Mulberry Plant (<i>Morus alba</i> L.) Leaves

Mulberry (Morus alba L.), a significant fruit tree crop, requires magnesium (Mg) for its optimal growth and productivity. Nonetheless, our understanding of the molecular basis underlying magnesium stress tolerance in mulberry plants remains unexplored. In our previous study, we identified several differential candidate genes associated with Mg homeostasis via transcriptome analysis, including the xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) gene family. The XTH gene family is crucial for plant cell wall reconstruction and stress responses. These genes have been identified and thoroughly investigated in various plant species. However, there is no research pertaining to XTH genes within the M. alba plant. This research systematically examined the M. alba XTH (MaXTH) gene family at the genomic level using a bioinformatic approach. In total, 22 MaXTH genes were discovered and contained the Glyco_hydro_16 and XET_C conserved domains. The MaXTHs were categorized into five distinct groups by their phylogenetic relationships. The gene structure possesses four exons and three introns. Furthermore, the MaXTH gene promoter analysis reveals a plethora of cis-regulatory elements, mainly stress responsiveness, phytohormone responsiveness, and growth and development. GO analysis indicated that MaXTHs encode proteins that exhibit xyloglucan xyloglucosyl transferase and hydrolase activities in addition to cell wall biogenesis as well as xyloglucan and carbohydrate metabolic processes. Moreover, a synteny analysis unveiled an evolutionary relationship between the XTH genes in M. alba and those in three other species: A. thaliana, P. trichocarpa, and Zea mays. Expression profiles from RNA-Seq data displayed distinct expression patterns of XTH genes in M. alba leaf tissue during Mg treatments. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis confirmed the expression of the MaXTH genes in Mg stress response. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of the characteristics of MaXTH gene family members and lays the foundation for future functional genomic study in M. alba.</i

Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the environment: A correlation or causation?

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted human lives, human activities, and the world economy. In response to curb its spread, pandemic risk reduction measures such as mass lockdowns, extensive travel bans, and mass quarantine were imposed globally. While the imposition of these measures has negatively impacted the world economy, its impacts on the environment could be described as a gain, as the ecosystem appears to be given a rebirth. During the mass lockdown (February to April 2020), air pollution worldwide has dropped significantly precisely, with a decline in the emission and concentration of pollutants. The emission of CO2 globally declined by 8.8% during the first half of 2020. Additionally, both surface and underground water quality have been improved due to reduced industrial activities. Also, there has been an increase in carbon sink due to the decline in global bush fires. In a nutshell, the study recommends that as the world economy recovers from the impact of COVID-19, world leaders and policymakers should focus on measures that improve the environment and the ecosystem, such as the adoption of the green economy, production and use of fuel cells cars instead of gasoline cars and treating industrial effluents to WHO recommended levels before discharging them into water bodies.&nbsp;</p

ATAC‐seq exposes differences in chromatin accessibility leading to distinct leaf shapes in mulberry

Abstract Mulberry leaf shape is an important agronomic trait indicating yield, growth, development, and habitat variation. China was the earliest country in the world to grow mulberry for sericulture, and it is also one of the great contributions of the Chinese nation to human civilization. ATAC‐seq (Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin using sequencing) is a recently developed technique for genome‐wide analysis of chromatin accessibility. The samples used for ATAC sequencing in this study were divided into two groups of whole leaves (CK‐1 and CK‐2) and lobed leaves (HL‐1 and HL‐2), with two replicates in each group. The related motif analysis, differential expression motif screening, and functional annotation of mulberry leaf shape differences were performed by raw letter analysis to finally obtain the transcription factors (TFs) that lead to the production of heteromorphic leaves. These transcription factors are common in plants, especially the TCP family, shown to be associated with leaf development and growth in other woody plants and are a potential transcription factor responsible for leaf shape differences in mulberry. Dissecting the regulatory mechanisms of leaf shape of different forms of mulberry leaves by ATAC‐seq is an important way to protect mulberry germplasm resources and improve mulberry yield. It is conducive to cultivating mulberry varieties with high resistance to adversity, promoting the sustainable development of sericulture, and protecting and improving the ecological environment

Functional Characterization of <i>MaZIP4</i>, a Gene Regulating Copper Stress Tolerance in Mulberry (<i>Morus atropurpurea</i> R.)

ZIP4 (zinc transporter 4) plays important roles in transporting Cu2+ ions in plants, which may contribute to the maintenance of plant metal homeostasis in growth, plant development and normal physiological metabolism. However, ZIP4 transporters have not been described in mulberry and the exact function of ZIP4 transporters in regulating the homeostasis of Cu in mulberry remains unclear. In this study, a new ZIP4 gene (MaZIP4) was isolated and cloned from Morus atropurpurea R. Phylogenetic analysis of amino sequences suggested that the amino-acid sequence of the MaZIP4 protein shows high homology with other ZIP4 proteins of Morus notabilis, Trema orientale, Ziziphus jujube and Cannabis sativa. In addition, a MaZIP4 silenced line was successfully constructed using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). The analysis of MaZIP4 expression by quantitative real-time PCR in mulberry showed that the level of MaZIP4 expression increased with increasing Cu concentration until the Cu concentration reached 800 ppm. Relative to the blank (WT) and the negative controls, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased significantly and rose with increasing Cu concentration in the MaZIP4 silenced line, whereas the soluble protein and proline content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities of these transgenic plants were lower. These results indicated that MaZIP4 may play an important role in the resistance of mulberry to Cu stress

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa: a scoping review

Background Vaccination against the novel coronavirus is one of the most effective strategies for combating the global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a major obstacle in several regions of the world, including Africa. The objective of this rapid review was to summarize the literature on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa. Methods We searched Scopus, Web of Science, African Index Medicus, and OVID Medline for studies published from January 1, 2020, to March 8, 2022, examining acceptance or hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. Study characteristics and reasons for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were extracted from the included articles. Results A total of 71 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Majority (n = 25, 35%) of the studies were conducted in Ethiopia. Studies conducted in Botswana, Cameroun, Cote D’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe were also included in the review. The vaccine acceptance rate ranged from 6.9 to 97.9%. The major reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns with vaccine safety and side effects, lack of trust for pharmaceutical industries and misinformation or conflicting information from the media. Factors associated with positive attitudes towards the vaccine included being male, having a higher level of education, and fear of contracting the virus. Conclusions Our review demonstrated the contextualized and multifaceted reasons inhibiting or encouraging vaccine uptake in African countries. This evidence is key to operationalizing interventions based on facts as opposed to assumptions. Our paper provided important considerations for addressing the challenge of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and blunting the impact of the pandemic in Africa.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCPopulation and Public Health (SPPH), School ofReviewedFacultyResearche