Plant small secreted proteins (SSPs), defined as fewer than 250 amino acids (aa) in length, are derived from large precursors or encoded by small open reading frames (sORFs). SSPs play roles in many biological processes, including plant growth and development, response to various stresses, and mediation of intercellular communications. Over 90% of all plant species are associated with mycorrhizal fungi. Legumes are particularly well-studied species, with growing evidence suggesting that SSPs regulate legume growth, nodulation, and nutrient acquisition. Recent studies have shown that plant-derived SSPs may play potential roles in cross-kingdom interactions.

JMIR Publications published a study titled “Competition and Integration of US Health Systems in the Post-COVID-19 New Normal: Cross-sectional Survey” in JMIR Formative Research, which reported that the smaller the geographical region in which mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is pursued, the higher the likelihood that monopolistic tendencies will result.

The idea that a lone snapshot of a brain can tell you about an individual’s personality or mental health has been the basis of decades of neuroscience studies. That approach was punctured by a paper in Nature earlier this year showing that scientists have massively underestimated how large such studies must be to produce reliable findings. At the center of the research is MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain scans. Reaching that conclusion required getting a far broader view of the field than was possible until recently. Along with colleagues at a number of institutions as well as his advisor, Pitt Professor of Psychiatry Beatriz Luna, Tervo-Clemmens combined three recent publicly available studies that together included MRI data from around 50,000 participants.

Researchers from Bar-Ilan University and the University of Memphis recently published a new physical theory that claims to solve the hard problem of consciousness in a purely physical way. According to the authors, when we change our assumption about consciousness and assume that it is a relativistic phenomenon, the mystery of consciousness naturally dissolves. In the paper the researchers developed a conceptual and mathematical framework to understand consciousness from a relativistic point of view.

Flowering date (FD) is an important trait in temperate fruit tree species and is highly dependent on the climate conditions of the production area. In sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.), breeding strategies for crop adaptation are aimed at developing early or late blooming cultivars. Investigating the genetic determinism of FD is therefore highly relevant for maintaining cherry production in temperate climates.