Metal-Nano-Ink Coating for Monitoring and Quantification of Cotyledon Epidermal Cell Morphogenesis

During cotyledon growth, the pavement cells, which make up most of the epidermal layer, undergo dynamic morphological changes from simple to jigsaw puzzle-like shapes in most dicotyledonous plants. Morphological analysis of cell shapes generally involves the segmentation of cells from input images followed by the extraction of shape descriptors that can be used to assess cell shape. Traditionally, replica and fluorescent labeling methods have been used for time-lapse observation of cotyledon epidermal cell morphogenesis, but these methods require expensive microscopes and can be technically demanding. Here, we propose a silver-nano-ink coating method for time-lapse imaging and quantification of morphological changes in the epidermal cells of growing Arabidopsis thaliana cotyledons. To obtain high-resolution and wide-area cotyledon surface images, we placed the seedlings on a biaxial goniometer and adjusted the cotyledons, which were coated by dropping silver ink onto them, to be as horizontal to the focal plane as possible. The omnifocal images that had the most epidermal cell shapes in the observation area were taken at multiple points to cover the whole surface area of the cotyledon. The multi-point omnifocal images were automatically stitched, and the epidermal cells were automatically and accurately segmented by machine learning. Quantification of cell morphological features based on the segmented images demonstrated that the proposed method could quantitatively evaluate jigsaw puzzle-shaped cell growth and morphogenesis. The method was successfully applied to phenotyping of the bpp125 triple mutant, which has defective pavement cell morphogenesis. The proposed method will be useful for time-lapse non-destructive phenotyping of plant surface structures and is easier to use than the conversional methods that require fluorescent dye labeling or transformation with marker gene constructs and expensive microscopes such as the confocal laser microscope.

Nasopalatine duct cyst: A jigsaw puzzle

For the success of endodontic treatment outcome, diagnosis plays a very important role. Endodontic diagnosis is similar to a jigsaw puzzle which cannot be made from a single isolated piece of information. Radiography plays a vital role in diagnosing dental diseases. Overcoming the major disadvantage of two dimensional imaging of superimposing the dento-alveolar structures, 3 dimensional images by Cone Beam Computed Tomography is of great help. It is very common that when radiographs show a superimposition of the incisive foramen over the apex of maxillary central incisors, mimicking apical periodontitis, unnecessary endodontic treatment or retreatment may be prescribed. Diseases of non endodontic origin that affect the tooth apex, such as Nasopalatine duct cyst, should be included in the differential diagnosis. In the present case report the role of CBCT in diagnosis is being discussed.

The curious case of COVID-19: Its murky origin, negligence and a botched international attempt for a cover-up

COVD-19 caused due to SARS-CoV2, family of Coronaviridae, the order Nidovirales, and the genus Coronavirus. A zoonotic spillover infection from bats to humans through some intermediate host was proposed to be responsible for its origin. This theory gained traction and raised no concern because our experience with other pathogenic viruses with humans in the past followed a similar trajectory. However, what caught the attention are few missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that seems to defy logic. A detailed investigation revealed a trail of deception, negligence, and blotched attempt of cover-up.

Solving the Puzzle of Shape Regulation in Plant Epidermal Pavement Cells

The plant epidermis serves many essential functions, including interactions with the environment, protection, mechanical strength, and regulation of tissue and organ growth. To achieve these functions, specialized epidermal cells develop into particular shapes. These include the intriguing interdigitated jigsaw puzzle shape of cotyledon and leaf pavement cells seen in many species, the precise functions of which remain rather obscure. Although pavement cell shape regulation is complex and still a long way from being fully understood, the roles of the cell wall, mechanical stresses, cytoskeleton, cytoskeletal regulatory proteins, and phytohormones are becoming clearer. Here, we provide a review of this current knowledge of pavement cell morphogenesis, generated from a wealth of experimental evidence and assisted by computational modeling approaches. We also discuss the evolution and potential functions of pavement cell interdigitation. Throughout the review, we highlight some of the thought-provoking controversies and creative theories surrounding the formation of the curious puzzle shape of these cells.

Secure Encryption then Compression Systems using Encryption Algorithms

A new grayscale-based block scrambling image encryption algorithm is introduced to enhance the security of Encryption-then-Compression (EtC) systems, which are used to securely transmit images over an untrusted channel provider. This algorithm is designed to improve the security of Encryption-then-Compression (EtC) systems. A smaller block size and a greater number of blocks are possible with the proposed scheme in comparison to the new encryption system. In spite of the fact that the original image contains three colour channels, photos encrypted using the suggested approach contain less colour information because grayscale images are used to encrypt the information. These features, among other things, improve security against threats such as jigsaw puzzle solvers and brute-force assaults, among others. Apart from that, even though the encrypted photos do not contain any colour information, it allows for colour sub-sampling, which can increase the compression speed of the photos. In an experiment, encrypted photos were uploaded to and then downloaded from social networking sites, and the results revealed that the suggested approach is successful for ETC systems while still maintaining excellent compression performance by utilising advanced compression algorithms.