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In the autonomous driving industry, there is a growing trend to employ long-wave infrared (LWIR)-based uncooled thermal-imaging cameras, capable of robustly collecting data even in extreme environments. Consequently, both industry and academia are actively researching contrast-enhancement techniques to improve the quality of LWIR-based thermal-imaging cameras. However, most research results only showcase experimental outcomes using mass-produced products that already incorporate contrast-enhancement techniques. Put differently, there is a lack of experimental data on contrast enhancement post-non-uniformity (NUC) and temperature compensation (TC) processes, which generate the images seen in the final products. To bridge this gap, we propose a histogram equalization (HE)-based contrast enhancement method that incorporates a region-based clipping technique. Furthermore, we present experimental results on the images obtained after applying NUC and TC processes. We simultaneously conducted visual and qualitative performance evaluations on images acquired after NUC and TC processes. In the visual evaluation, it was confirmed that the proposed method improves image clarity and contrast ratio compared to conventional HE-based methods, even in challenging driving scenarios such as tunnels. In the qualitative evaluation, the proposed method demonstrated upper-middle-class rankings in both image quality and processing speed metrics. Therefore, our proposed method proves to be effective for the essential contrast enhancement process in LWIR-based uncooled thermal-imaging cameras intended for autonomous driving platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects impact human health through vector-borne diseases and cause major economic losses by damaging crops and stored agricultural products. Insect-specific growth regulators represent attractive control agents because of their safety to the environment and humans. We identified plant compounds that serve as juvenile hormone antagonists (PJHANs). Using the yeast two-hybrid system transformed with the mosquito JH receptor as a reporter system, we demonstrate that PJHANs affect the JH receptor, methoprene-tolerant (Met), by disrupting its complex with CYCLE or FISC, formation of which is required for mediating JH action. We isolated five diterpene secondary metabolites with JH antagonist activity from two plants: Lindera erythrocarpa and Solidago serotina. They are effective in causing mortality of mosquito larvae at relatively low LD50 values. Topical application of two diterpenes caused reduction in the expression of Met target genes and retardation of follicle development in mosquito ovaries. Hence, the newly discovered PJHANs may lead to development of a new class of safe and effective pesticides.

Dissociated cultures from many species have been important tools for exploring factors that regulate structure and function of central neuronal synapses. We have previously shown that cells harvested from brains of late stage Drosophila pupae can regenerate their processes in vitro. Electrophysiological recordings demonstrate the formation of functional synaptic connections as early as 3 days in vitro (DIV), but no information about synapse structure is available. Here, we report that antibodies against pre-synaptic proteins Synapsin and Bruchpilot result in punctate staining of regenerating neurites. Puncta density increases as neuritic plexuses develop over the first 4 DIV. Electron microscopy reveals that closely apposed neurites can form chemical synapses with both pre- and postsynaptic specializations characteristic of many inter-neuronal synapses in the adult brain. Chemical synapses in culture are restricted to neuritic processes and some neurite pairs form reciprocal synapses. GABAergic synapses have a significantly higher percentage of clear core versus granular vesicles than non-GABA synapses. Gap junction profiles, some adjacent to chemical synapses, suggest that neurons in culture can form purely electrical as well as mixed synapses, as they do in the brain. However, unlike adult brain, gap junctions in culture form between neuronal somata as well as neurites, suggesting soma ensheathing glia, largely absent in culture, regulate gap junction location in vivo. Thus pupal brain cultures, which support formation of interneuronal synapses with structural features similar to synapses in adult brain, are a useful model system for identifying intrinsic and extrinsic regulators of central synapse structure as well as function.

Simple Summary: Several plant species have diterpene compounds with juvenile hormone (JH) disruptor activity in insects. Demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) are two curcuminoid components of turmeric, interfering with the JH-mediated formation of the JH receptor complex. In vitro, DMC and BDMC also inhibit larval and pupal development in Drosophila melanogaster. The results suggest that both DMC and BDMC are JH disruptors that affect insect growth and development by regulating JH-mediated gene expression. Juvenile hormones (JHs) play a central role in insect development, reproduction, and various physiological functions. Curcuminoids generally exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and insecticidal, and they exhibit insect growth inhibitory effects. However, research on insecticidal properties of curcuminoids has been limited. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, studies on JHs of insects and curcuminoids are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the substances that act as JH disruptors (JHDs) from edible plants. Demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), two curcuminoids from the turmeric plant Curcuma longa L. inhibited the formation of a methoprene-tolerant (Met)–Taiman (Tai) heterodimer complex in Drosophila melanogaster, as shown through in vitro yeast two-hybrid assays. An artificial diet containing 1% (w/v) DMC or BDMC significantly reduced the number of D. melanogaster larvae in a concentration-dependent manner; larval development was disrupted, preventing the progression of larvae to pupal stages, resulting in an absence of adults. Building on the results obtained in this study on curcuminoids, researchers can use our study as a reference to develop eco-friendly pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background DNA barcoding uses a 650 bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene as the basis for an identification system for members of the animal kingdom and some other groups of eukaryotes. PCR amplification of the barcode region is a key step in the analytical chain, but it sometimes fails because of a lack of homology between the standard primer sets and target DNA. Results Two forward PCR primers were developed following analysis of all known arthropod mitochondrial genome arrangements and sequence alignment of the tRNA-W gene which was usually located within 200 bp upstream of the COI gene. These two primers were combined with a standard reverse primer (LepR1) to produce a cocktail which generated a barcode amplicon from 125 of 141 species that included representatives of 121 different families of Hexapoda. High quality sequences were recovered from 79% of the species including groups, such as scale insects, that invariably fail to amplify with standard primers. Conclusions A cocktail of two tRNA-W forward primers coupled with a standard reverse primer amplifies COI for most hexapods, allowing characterization of the standard barcode primer binding region in COI 5' as well as the barcode segment. The current results show that primers designed to bind to highly conserved gene regions upstream of COI will aid the amplification of this gene region in species where standard primers fail and provide valuable information to design a primer for problem groups.

LAMMER kinase plays pivotal roles in various physiological processes in eukaryotes; however, its function in filamentous fungi is not known. We performed molecular studies on the function of the Aspergillus nidulans LAMMER kinase, LkhA, and report its involvement in multiple developmental processes. The gene for LkhA was highly expressed during reproductive organ development, such as that of conidiophores and cleistothecia. During vegetative growth, the patterns of germ tube emergence and hyphal polarity were changed and septation was increased by lkhA deletion. Northern analyses showed that lkhA regulated the transcription of brlA, csnD, and ppoA, which supported the detrimental effect of lkhA-deletion on asexual and sexual differentiation. LkhA also affected expression of cyclin-dependent kinase NimXcdc2, a multiple cell cycle regulator, and StuA, an APSES family of fungal transcription factors that play pivotal roles in multiple differentiation processes. Here, for the first time, we present molecular evidence showing that LAMMER kinase is involved in A. nidulans development by modulating the expression of key regulators of developmental processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a smart insole for inexpensive plantar pressure sensing and a simple visualizing scheme. The insole is composed of two elastomeric layers and two electrode layers where the common top electrode is submerged in the insole. The upper elastomeric layer is non-conductive poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) and supports plantar pressure buffering and the lower layer is carbon nano-tube (CNT)-dispersed PDMS for pressure sensing through piezo-resistivity. Under the lower sensing layer are 16 bottom electrodes for pressure distribution sensing without cell-to-cell interference. Since no soldering or sewing is needed the smart insole manufacturing processes is simple and cost-effective. The pressure sensitivity and time response of the material was measured and based on the 16 sensing data of the smart insole, we virtually extended the frame size for continuous and smoothed pressure distribution image with the help of a simple pseudo interpolation scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LAMMER kinase plays pivotal roles in various physiological processes in eukaryotes; however, its function in filamentous fungi is not known. We performed molecular studies on the function of the Aspergillus nidulans LAMMER kinase, LkhA, and report its involvement in multiple developmental processes. The gene for LkhA was highly expressed during reproductive organ development, such as that of conidiophores and cleistothecia. During vegetative growth, the patterns of germ tube emergence and hyphal polarity were changed and septation was increased by lkhA deletion. Northern analyses showed that lkhA regulated the transcription of brlA, csnD, and ppoA, which supported the detrimental effect of lkhA-deletion on asexual and sexual differentiation. LkhA also affected expression of cyclin-dependent kinase NimXcdc2, a multiple cell cycle regulator, and StuA, an APSES family of fungal transcription factors that play pivotal roles in multiple differentiation processes. Here, for the first time, we present molecular evidence showing that LAMMER kinase is involved in A. nidulans development by modulating the expression of key regulators of developmental processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the 3.74-Mb genome sequence of Galloisinimonas intestini B14(T), isolated from the gut of one of the world's rarest insect species, Galloisiana sp., collected at a Mosan cave, Moonkyung, Gyungsangbook-do, South Korea. Strain B14(T) is a novel genus candidate of the family Enterobacteriaceae.

Serratia proteamaculans HY-3 isolated from the digestive tract of a spider produces an extracellular protease named arazyme, with an estimated molecular mass of 51.5 kDa. The purified enzyme was characterized as having high activities at wide pH and temperature ranges. We further characterized biochemical features of the enzymatic reactions under various reaction conditions. The protease efficiently hydrolyzed a broad range of protein substrates including albumin, keratin, and collagen. The dependence of enzymatic activities on the presence of metal ions such as calcium and zinc indicated that the enzyme is a metalloprotease, together with the previous observation that the proteolytic activity of the enzyme was not inhibited by aspartate, cysteine, or serine protease inhibitors, but strongly inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline and EDTA. The araA gene encoding the exoprotease was isolated as a 5.6 kb BamHl fragment after PCR amplification using degenerate primers and subsequent Southern hybridization. The nucleotide sequence revealed that the deduced amino acid sequences shared extensive similarity with those of the serralysin family of metalloproteases from other enteric bacteria. A gene (inh) encoding a putative protease inhibitor was also identified immediately adjacent to the araA structural gene.