The genome and transcriptome of Japanese flounder provide insights into flatfish asymmetry

Flatfish have the most extreme asymmetric body morphology of vertebrates. During metamorphosis, one eye migrates to the contralateral side of the skull, and this migration is accompanied by extensive craniofacial transformations and simultaneous development of lopsided body pigmentation(1-5). The evolution of this developmental and physiological innovation remains enigmatic. Comparative genomics of two flatfish and transcriptomic analyses during metamorphosis point to a role for thyroid hormone and retinoic acid signaling, as well as phototransduction pathways. We demonstrate that retinoic acid is critical in establishing asymmetric pigmentation and, via cross-talk with thyroid hormones, in modulating eye migration. The unexpected expression of the visual opsins from the phototransduction pathway in the skin translates illumination differences and generates retinoic acid gradients that underlie the generation of asymmetry. Identifying the genetic underpinning of this unique developmental process answers long-standing questions about the evolutionary origin of asymmetry, but it also provides insight into the mechanisms that control body shape in vertebrates.National Natural Science Foundation of China [31130057, 31461163005, 31530078, 31472269, 31472262, 31472273]; State 863 High Technology R&D Project of China [2012AA092203, 2012AA10A408, 2012AA10A403-2]; Education and Research of Guangdong Province [2013B090800017]; Taishan Scholar Climb Project Fund of Shandong of China; Taishan Scholar Project Fund of Shandong of China for Young Scientists; Shanghai Universities First-class Disciplines Project of Fisheries; Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at the Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning; Shanghai Municipal Science, Special Project on the Integration of Industryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Building a Dynamic Review Journal (DRJ): Extending the Role of the Virtual Orthopaedic University

The objective to build support for the digital library systems in orthopaedics, and in particular in the context of the Virtual Universities for computer-supported education and communication has been achieved. This was done by bridging the gap between the undertaking of experimental work and the dissemination of its results through electronic publication. This work addresses the cycle of activity in which a digital library rests. The authors argue that publishing / dissemination /research/learning are equally important parts of the scientific cycle of activities in orthopaedics. The DRJ is integrated into a Virtual Orthopaedic University learning environment and is an example of a system, which deliberately crosses the barriers between the areas of experimentation, analysis, publishing, dissemination, discussion & education

Studies of realism and naturalness in a multimodal conversational interface

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Studies of realism and naturalness in a multimodal conversational interface

As computing becomes ever more pervasive in everyday life, new interface metaphors are urgently required. In this thesis, we consider the issues of realism, naturalness, types of interaction, gestures and emotional expression in virtual 'talking head' characters. This thesis presents findings relevant to the design of anthropomorphic interfaces and issues pertaining to the field of anthropomorphic interfaces are discussed. Experimental results on the on levels of interaction, levels of abstraction, gestures and emotions are presented. The applications to study these areas were a web browsing assistant, a storytelling agent, a lecturer agent and a football commentator agent. We are able to ascertain that partial interaction is a valid method for evaluating user's assumptions of on-screen characters, this finding is used extensively in this thesis to design the experiments and greatly facilitates future research. Our conclusions and Gndings provide a solid basis for researchers wanting to carry out further research on these area or developers designing anthropomorphic interfaces.</p

Imbibition Response of Winter Wheat to Water-Filled Pore Space

Reduced temperature and increased bulk density associated with conservation tillage systems cause lower seed germination, seedling emergence, and early growth rates resulting in reduced plant stands. Prediction of the influence of soil condition on seed imbibition through simple soil measurements would help make agronomic decisions such as planting date and/or density. Our objectives were to evaluate the influence of soil water-filled pore space on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed imbibition and to assess the possibility of describing the relationship through simple mathematical models. We measured the rate of water uptake by heat-killed wheat seeds at three levels of water-filled pore space (WFPS: 0.35, 0.60, and 0.85) and temperature (T: 278, 283, and 288 K) and two levels of bulk density (ρb: 1.25 and 1.40 Mg m-3) in a Sharpsburg silty clay loam topsoil. The model proposed in 1972 by Blacklow to estimate seed water content (Өs(0)) after imbibing water for time t, Өs(t) (=m + ot) - (m - Өs(0))-qt, was fitted to seed water content as a function of time and initial seed water content, Өs(0). This equation adequately described the process of water absorption (for 18 treatment combinations, R2 ≥ 0.963). The model parameter o was related (R2 = 0.88) to WFPS and ρb and q was related (R2 = 0.78) to T and WEPS. The third parameter, m, was significantly but weakly related (P \u3c 0.01, r2 = 0.26) to initial seed weight. We showed that easily measured soil properties and simple mathematical models can be used to predict wheat seed imbibition under a variety of soil conditions