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Fuchsia standishii J. Harrison, 1840, a perennial shrub, is renowned for its vividly colored and uniquely shaped blooms, which have an extended flowering season. Commonly cultivated as an ornamental potted plant, it is utilized in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we successfully sequenced and assembled the complete chloroplast genome of F. standishii using high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology. The assembled chloroplast genome displays a typical quadripartite structure, with a total length of 156,391 bp. It consists of a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs), each measuring 25,069 bp, separated by a large single-copy region (LSC) of 87,754 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,499 bp. The overall GC content of the genome is 37.60%. The genome includes a total of 129 genes, comprising 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of 17 complete chloroplast genomes revealed that F. standishii forms a monophyletic group with the entire Circaea. This study provides a molecular foundation for future phylogenetic research on Fuchsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gynodioecy, the coexistence of hermaphrodite and female plants in the same population, could be an intermediate state in the evolution of the full separation of sexual functions (dioecy). Fuchsia arborescens has been reported as a hermaphrodite species, however here we demonstrate that it is gynodioecious in most of its range. We sampled populations of F. arborescens along their distribution gradient (~900 km) to: (1) measure floral morphometry in both floral morphs (2) estimate female frequency and (3) evaluate seed production in both floral morphs. We found that F. arborescens shows floral dimorphism, mainly given by the length of the floral tube and anthers, which are shorter in female flowers and lack pollen grains in most cases (95%). The northernmost population in Jalisco was completely hermaphrodite while in the others female frequency ranged between 35% and 58%. We also found that female plants consistently produce more mature seeds per fruit than hermaphrodites, supporting the resource reallocation hypothesis for gynodioecious species. Further studies are required on seed germination and seedling performance of both morphs, as well as the estimation of visitation rate in both floral morphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in functional foods is driven by the exploration of new foods with positive health effects. Pleasant sensory features are essential for consumer acceptance. In this work, we investigated the composition of the bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and aroma profiles of four edible flowers: Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Dianthus chinensis L., Fuchsia regia (Vand. ex Vell.) Munz., and Viola cornuta L. For the first time, we quantified the water-soluble group of B vitamins. Significant variations in the content of soluble sugars, vitamins, and secondary metabolites were observed. V. cornuta showed the highest concentration of vitamin C and carotenoids, while C. moschata had the highest content of vitamin B and flavonoids. F. regia stood out for its exceptionally high content of total phenolics, while D. chinensis surpassed the other flowers in soluble sugar content. The aroma profile analysis revealed a diverse array of volatile organic compounds, with each species having its own unique composition. C. moschata was characterized by p-dimethoxybenzene and D. chinensis by non-terpene compounds; F. regia displayed high amounts of decanal and nonanal, while V. cornuta was rich in myrcene and α-farnesene. These findings provide valuable insights into the secondary metabolites and aroma profiles of these flowers, enhancing our understanding of their bioactive compounds and potential health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird-pollinated flowers typically appear 'red'. Fuchsia excorticata (Onagraceae), a gynodioecious tree species endemic to New Zealand, is a notable exception. It produces 'green', cauliflorous flowers at early stages in flower ontogeny, when pistils are receptive. Flowers later turn 'red' as they lose their receptivity. We conducted field observations and spectrographic analyses to test whether: (1) receptive, green-phase flowers are actually more conspicuous to avian pollinators against their natural backgrounds than unreceptive, red-phase flowers, (2) green-phase flowers produce more nectar, and (3) relationships between flower conspicuousness and nectar production are similar in females and hermaphrodites. Results showed that the reflectance properties of green-phase flowers sharply contrast 'orange' tree bark, their natural visual background, rendering them more conspicuous to the avian eye than red-phase flowers. Green-phase flowers also produced more nectar than red-phase flowers as an honest signal of rewards. Similar results were observed in both female and hermaphrodite plants. Overall results provide an unusual example of reversed flower-background colour contrasts, with 'reddish' hues being incorporated into the visual backgrounds of floral displays rather than being associated with the flowers themselves. They also illustrate that flower conspicuousness can serve as an honest signal of nectar rewards to pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuchsia hybrida (pena pena) and Alcea rosea L. (malvagoma) are predominant flowers in the "Horchata" infusion, a traditional beverage in southern Ecuador, to which some medicinal properties are attributed. However, there is very little published information about these two flower species. The current study aimed to obtain two dehydrated powders of these flowers and to determine their chemical composition, physicochemical and technological properties, polyphenols, and fatty acids profile. In both powdered flowers, carbohydrates predominated, with a significant content of dietary fiber and fructose. The fat content was low, mainly comprising polyunsaturated fats (62% pena pena and 52% malvagoma), with a significant presence of omega-3 (C18:3n-3,6,9) and omega-6 (C18:2n-6,9) fatty acids, showing a better n-6/n-3 balance in the malvagoma flowers. Pena pena flowers are highlighted by high anthocyanin and ellagic acid amounts, whereas malvagoma contains a high content of flavanones. In conclusion, the studied powder flowers, could be used in the formulation of new foods or as source of anthocyanins as food colorants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridization is commonly reported in angiosperms, generally based on morphology, and in few cases confirmed by molecular markers. Fuchsia has a long tradition of ornamental cultivars with different hybrids produced by artificial crosses, so natural hybridization between sympatric Fuchsia species could be common. Natural hybridization between F. microphylla and F. thymifolia was tested using six newly developed microsatellites for F. microphylla in addition to other molecular markers with codominant and maternal inheritance. Geometric morphometrics of leaves and floral structures were also used to identify putative hybrids. Hybrids showed a different degree of genetic admixture between both parental species. Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequences indicated that hybridization occurs in both directions, in fact, some of the hybrids showed new haplotypes for cpDNA and ITS (internal transcriber spacer of nuclear ribosomal RNA genes) sequences. The morphology of hybrid individuals varied between the two parental species, but they could be better identified by their leaves and floral tubes. Our study is the first to confirm the hybridization in natural populations of Fuchsia species and suggests that hybridization has probably occurred repeatedly throughout the entire distribution of the species. Phylogeographic analysis of both species will be essential to understanding the impact of hybridization throughout their complete distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sepal color of Fuchsia hybrida is colorful instead of green and usually varies from the petal colors, which greatly increases its ornamental value and attract customers' preference. However, the potential molecular mechanism underlying the color variation between sepals and petals remains unclear. The present study collected F. hybrida with red sepals and purple petals to explore the key pigments and genes involved in color development using a targeted metabolome and transcriptome. A total of 43 metabolites with diverse hydroxylation, glycosylation, methylation and acylation patterns were isolated and identified by UPLC-MS/MS. The quantification analysis showed that peonidin-3,5-O-diglucoside and malvidin-3,5-O-diglucoside were the most abundant anthocyanins accumulating in the sepals and petals, respectively. Then, six libraries from the sepals and petals were constructed for the transcriptome and 70,135 unigenes were generated. The transcript level of FhF3′H was significantly higher in the sepals, while Fh3′5′H showed more abundant expression in the petals, which can account for the abundant peonidin and malvidin accumulation in the sepals and petals, respectively. The subsequent multiomics analysis showed that both the differentially accumulated anthocyanins and expressed unigenes were enriched in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Additionally, FhMYBs potentially regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis were screened out by correlation analysis and protein interaction prediction. These findings help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the color variation between the sepals and petals in F. hybrida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivory may have a great impact in plants, reducing plant biomass and fitness. Herbivory patterns may differ among genders in dioecious species, affecting male and female plants differentially, and it has been suggested this is a consequence of differences in resource allocation among genders. In this study, we evaluated herbivory intensity and mechanical defenses among genders during two years and during different phenological stages in populations of Fuchsia parviflora, a dioecious shrub. We also evaluated generalist and specialist herbivore gender preferences through a cafeteria experiment. No evident herbivory patterns were detected among genders using both the proportion of leaves affected by herbivory and the proportion of leaf area removed, except during one year in two populations where females had a significantly higher proportion of leaves affected by herbivory. This pattern is similar to the specialist herbivore preference detected in the cafeteria experiment. We also found significant differences in herbivory intensity among phenological stages, populations, and years, highlighting the relevance of continuous sampling to depict the general patterns of herbivory in dioecious plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The princess earring is an ornamental plant native to the southern region of Brazil, much appreciated due to the beauty of its outstanding and colorful flowers. This study evaluated the effect of different doses of synthetic auxin indolebutyric acid (IBA) on the rooting of herbaceous cuttings of Fuchsia regia (Vell.) Munz, native species, and Fuchsia hybrida Hort. Ex Siebert & Voss commercial variety 'General Monk Red Blue'. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse following a randomized block design with a 2x5 factorial arrangement (two genotypes of Fuchsia x five IBA doses). The IBA doses consisted in the concentrations of 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg.L-1. Evaluations were performed 20 days after staking. The parameters evaluated were length of the largest root, number of roots per cutting, fresh weight and dry weight of the aerial part and roots. The concentration of 800 mg.L-1 of indolebutyric acid resulted in greater rooting of the cuttings of both Fuchsia materials tested. Therefore, the use of IBA (800 mg.L-1) provided better quality rooted cuttings, with greater length and number of roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IPC (inter-process communication) is a critical mechanism for modern OSes, including not only microkernels such as seL4, QNX, and Fuchsia where system functionalities are deployed in user-level processes, but also monolithic kernels like Android where apps frequently communicate with plenty of user-level services. However, existing IPC mechanisms still suffer from long latency. Previous software optimizations of IPC usually cannot bypass the kernel that is responsible for domain switching and message copying/remapping across different address spaces; hardware solutions such as tagged memory or capability replace page tables for isolation, but usually require non-trivial modification to existing software stack to adapt to the new hardware primitives. In this article, we propose a hardware-assisted OS primitive, XPC (Cross Process Call), for effi- cient and secure synchronous IPC. XPC enables direct switch between IPC caller and callee without trapping into the kernel and supports secure message passing across multiple processes without copying. We have implemented a prototype of XPC based on the ARM AArch64 with Gem5 simulator and RISC-V architecture with FPGA boards. The evaluation shows that XPC can reduce IPC call latency from 664 to 21 cycles, 14x-123x improvement on Android Binder (ARM), and improve the performance of real-world applications on microkernels by 1.6x on Sqlite3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a deep learning-driven portable, accurate, low-cost, and easy-to-use device to perform Reverse-Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) to facilitate rapid detection of COVID-19. The 3D-printed device—powered using only a 5 Volt AC-DC adapter—can perform 16 simultaneous RT-LAMP reactions and can be used multiple times. Moreover, the experimental protocol is devised to obviate the need for separate, expensive equipment for RNA extraction in addition to eliminating sample evaporation. The entire process from sample preparation to the qualitative assessment of the LAMP amplification takes only 45 min (10 min for pre-heating and 35 min for RT-LAMP reactions). The completion of the amplification reaction yields a fuchsia color for the negative samples and either a yellow or orange color for the positive samples, based on a pH indicator dye. The device is coupled with a novel deep learning system that automatically analyzes the amplification results and pays attention to the pH indicator dye to screen the COVID-19 subjects. The proposed device has been rigorously tested on 250 RT-LAMP clinical samples, where it achieved an overall specificity and sensitivity of 0.9666 and 0.9722, respectively with a recall of 0.9892 for Ct < 30. Also, the proposed system can be widely used as an accurate, sensitive, rapid, and portable tool to detect COVID–19 in settings where access to a lab is difficult, or the results are urgently required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While feeding, foragers can alter their environment. Such alteration constitutes ecological niche construction (ENC) if it enables future benefits for the constructor and conspecific individuals. The environmental modification may also affect non‐constructing, bystander species, especially if they share resources with constructor species. If so, ENC could confer the constructor species a competitive advantage by both enhancing its foraging returns and reducing those of bystander species.Expectations – (E1) ENC frequency should vary positively with the recent and current density of the constructor species, and (E2) constructors should use modifications disproportionately. In contrast, bystanders should (E3) experience intensified competition for the affected resource, and (E4) exhibit diverse, possibly mitigating, responses to ENC, depending on opportunity and relative benefits.We investigated these expectations in Argentina for competition for Fuchsia magellanica nectar between an invasive bumble bee Bombus terrestris (terr: putative constructor), which often bites holes at the bases of floral tubes to rob nectar, and native B. dahlbomii (dahl: bystander), which normally accesses Fuchsia nectar through the flower mouth (front visits). Robbing holes constitute ENC, as they persist until the 7‐day flowers wilt. The dynamics of the incidence of robbed flowers, abundance of both bees and the number and types of their flower visits (front or robbing) were characterised by alternate‐day surveys of plants during 2.5 months.After initially accessing Fuchsia nectar via front visits, terr switched to robbing and its abundance on Fuchsia increased 20‐fold within 10 days (E2). Correspondingly, the incidence of robbed flowers varied positively with recent and past terr abundance (E1). In contrast, dahl abundance remained low and varied negatively with the incidence of robbed flowers (E3). When terr ceased visiting Fuchsia, dahl abundance increased sixfold within 10 days (E3), possibly because many dahl previously had avoided competition with terr by feeding on other plant species (E4). While terr was present, dahl on Fuchsia used front visits (tolerance) or used existing robbing holes (adoption: E4). The diverse dahl responses suggest partial compensation for competition with terr.ENC alters competitive asymmetry, favouring constructor species. However, bystander responses can partially offset this advantage, perhaps facilitating coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen historical specimens (including original material, mainly syntypes and isolectotypes) of Allan and Richard Cunningham's taxa of Epilobium and Fuchsia (Onagraceae) from New Zealand recently discovered in the Turczaninow Herbarium (KW-TURCZ) at the National Herbarium of Ukraine (KW) are discussed in comparison with digital images of and data on other relevant specimens from several other herbaria, such as K, BM, WELT, etc. These specimens, collected in New Zealand by Allan Cunningham in 1826 and 1838 and by Richard Cunningham in 1833–1834, represent the following taxa (as outlined by A. Cunningham): Epilobium alsinoides, E. atriplicifolium, E. confertum, E. hirtigerum, E. nerterioides, E. nummulariifolium, E. pedunculare, E. thymifolium, E. virgatum (A.Cunn., non Lam.), and Fuchsia procumbens. It is demonstrated that type designations for some names in Epilobium mentioned above remain problematic; some names appear to be not yet typified effectively. These problems are caused by several factors, such as misplaced original labels or specimens, errors or misinterpretations in curatorial or copied labels, a complicated numbering system applied by A. Cunningham, etc. Critical re-assessment of all available original and other associated specimens of the mentioned names in Epilobium, especially those in K, is needed. Before such re-assessment, we refrain from any nomenclatural actions affecting type designations. The recent discovery in KW-TURCZ of important historical specimens (not only Onagraceae but also many other plant families) collected in New Zealand in the first half of the 19th century by Allan Cunningham, Richard Cunningham, J. Everard Home and some other early explorers is not only interesting from a historical viewpoint but also important for taxonomy, especially for proper application of names validated by A. Cunningham.

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Object lifetimes are a common source of bugs in C++ that can cause crashes, unexpected behavior, or even security vulnerabilities. Herb Sutter, the chair of the C++ standard committee proposed a flow-sensitive analysis to catch lifetime errors statically. Sadly, this analysis is prone to false positives unless the author follows some specific guidelines. We developed mitigations to eliminate some classes of false positives to make it easier to write conforming code. The first mitigation fixes a common false positive from a frequently used coding pattern by introducing local path-sensitivity. The second one is a filter based on reaching definitions and dominance algorithms to remove reports that might be the result of analyzing infeasible paths. We tested the effectiveness of the methods on the open source Google Fuchsia project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the toxicity of SO2 to the respiratory tract, ingesting an excess of SO2 can cause some respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Thus, the development of efficient methods for the detection of SO2 in biological environments is of great importance. In this work, a ratiometric fluorescent probe, MQC, was constructed and applied for SO2 detection with good selectivity and sensitivity. Probe MQC displayed a near-infrared emission at 715 nm, which underwent a 245 nm blue-shift (470 nm) upon the addition of SO2. Meanwhile, a color change from fuchsia to colorless was observed before and after the treatment of probe MQC with SO2. Biological imaging experiments were performed on probe MQC to detect intracellular SO2 in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearded iris (Iris 3hybrida Hort.) is a large horticultural hybrid complex in the Iris genus, and the lack of understanding about its inheritance laws has seriously hindered the breeding process. From parental bearded iris 'Indian Chief' and 'Sugar Blues', four hybrid populations--including F1, F2, BC1P1, and BC1P2--were generated through hybridization. Fifteen key phenotypic traits, including plant height (PH), scape height (SH), length of fall (LF), width of fall (WF), length of standard (LS), width of standard (WS), and so on, were measured, and several genetic parameters (e.g., trait variation, heritability, trait correlation, distribution of flower color) were analyzed. The variation of phenotypic traits indicated that the F1 generation could produce larger flowers and a greater number of blooming stems than other generations, whereas backcrossing was beneficial at producing more flowers on one scape in the offspring of 'Indian Chief' and 'Sugar Blues'. WF had the greatest broad-sense heritability (73.91%) among the 15 phenotypic traits, whereas the broad-sense heritability of SH was the lowest (2.06%). The correlation between a vegetative trait (PH) and a reproductive trait (WS) provided a path to early selection of germplasm. Furthermore, four important floral traits (LF, WF, LS, and WS) also correlated significantly to each other, thus simplifying the selection of larger flowers. Genes regulating fuchsia flower color were dominant over those for bluish purple flowers. Genetic effects of flower color in recurrent parents could be reinforced by backcrossing, thereby providing a potential way to modify flower color through hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridization is commonly reported in angiosperms, generally based on morphology, and in few cases confirmed by molecular markers. Fuchsia has a long tradition of ornamental cultivars with different hybrids produced by artificial crosses, so natural hybridization between sympatric Fuchsia species could be common. Natural hybridization between F. microphylla and F. thymifolia was tested using six newly developed microsatellites for F. microphylla in addition to other molecular markers with codominant and maternal inheritance. Geometric morphometrics of leaves and floral structures were also used to identify putative hybrids. Hybrids showed a different degree of genetic admixture between both parental species. Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequences indicated that hybridization occurs in both directions, in fact, some of the hybrids showed new haplotypes for cpDNA and ITS (internal transcriber spacer of nuclear ribosomal RNA genes) sequences. The morphology of hybrid individuals varied between the two parental species, but they could be better identified by their leaves and floral tubes. Our study is the first to confirm the hybridization in natural populations of Fuchsia species and suggests that hybridization has probably occurred repeatedly throughout the entire distribution of the species. Phylogeographic analysis of both species will be essential to understanding the impact of hybridization throughout their complete distribution., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)