The flowering gene, FLC, is my favorite gene

The flowering gene, FLC, is my favorite gene.  Here is a recently published paper about how FLC functions and regulates in Arabidopsis.

Species-wide gene editing of a flowering regulator reveals hidden phenotypic variation (https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003226)
Abstract: Genes do not act in isolation, and the effects of a specific variant at one locus can often be greatly modified by polymorphic variants at other loci. A good example is FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), which has been inferred to explain much of the flowering time variation in Arabidopsis thaliana. We use a set of 62 flc species-wide mutants to document pleiotropic, genotype-dependent effects for FLC on flowering as well as several other traits. Time to flowering was greatly reduced in all mutants, with the remaining variation explained mainly by allelic variation at the FLC target FT. Analysis of FT sequence variation suggested that extremely early combinations of FLC and FT alleles should exist in the wild, which we confirmed by targeted collections. Our study provides a proof-of-concept on how pan-genetic analysis of hub genes can reveal the true extent of genetic networks in a species.

This is the pathway I created in my 2008 literature review, based on papers published before 2008.

FLC是我最喜愛的基因了，是調控植物開花的核心。

https://vocus.cc/article/6847dd4ffd8978000177de97

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Does stimulating the lymphatics under skin on the neck and face enhance brain waste clearance?

This is a recent publication on the Nature. Is it true? If it is true, then we should celebrate this new discovery and do it ourselves daily.

1. Hokyung Jin et al., Increased CSF drainage by non-invasive manipulation of cervical lymphatics. Nature (2025) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09052-5

2. New non-invasive method discovered to enhance brain waste clearance. Retrieved June 5, 2025 from https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1085928

如果真的可以靠簡單的按摩來排除腦內累積的廢物，那真是應該要天天自己動手。

(images from https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Aiz226AKS/)

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Let Me Stand Up Like A Taiwanese

We shouldn't take democracy and freedom for granted. This is a documentary about Peter Huang (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Huang), who dedicated his life to fighting for Taiwan's democracy, freedom, and independence.

【春雨424】 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨

𝟲/𝟭𝟵 (一, 二 集) ​ 週四 𝟮𝟮:𝟬𝟬 ｜公視紀錄觀點

𝟲/𝟮𝟲 (三, 四 集) ​ 週四 𝟮𝟮:𝟬𝟬 ｜公視紀錄觀點

公視YT網路直播

公視＋免費線上看

導演┃馮賢賢

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Over 90% forgery rate. That's typical KMT

Today, I'm just sharing news, but this absurd forgery rate leaves me truly speechless. Typical KMT.

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Northern Prosecutors Indict Huang Lu Jin-ru and 4 Others in "Recall  Legislators Wu and Wu" Case; Prosecutors: Over 90% Forgery Rate in Petition Signatures

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office today (June 16, 2025) concluded its investigation into the "Recall Legislators Wu and Wu" group's alleged fraudulent signature collection, indicting Huang Lu Jin-ru, chairperson of the KMT Taipei City Chapter, Secretary-General Chu Wen-ching, and Wu Szu-yao recall initiator Lai Yi-jen, among five individuals, on charges including forgery of documents and illegal use of personal data. Additionally, 18 people received deferred prosecution, and 9 were not prosecuted. 

Prosecutors stated that the defendants forged the first-stage recall roster by copying signatures, with the forgery rate reaching 96.2% for the Wu Pei-yi recall petition and 94.18% for the Wu Szu-yao petition.

今天純粹貼新聞，這麼荒謬的偽造比率，我真的無言了，不愧是KMT。

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罷雙吳不實連署案起訴黃呂錦茹等5人 北檢：提議書偽造比率破9成(https://news.pts.org.tw/article/756358)

台北地檢署今日(6/16/2025)偵結台北市「罷雙吳」團體涉嫌不實連署案，依涉犯偽造文書、非法利用個資等罪，起訴國民黨台北市黨部主委黃呂錦茹、書記長初文卿、吳思瑤罷免案召集人賴苡任等5人，另有18人緩起訴、9人獲不起訴。檢方指出，被告以抄寫方式偽造一階罷免名冊，其中吳沛憶罷免案提議書偽造比率達96.2％，吳思瑤案則達94.18％。

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I am tired of being treated like this

Why can't I get angry, call the police, or chase them away in self-defense when a weirdo comes to my doorstep three times a day to spray paint, throw rocks, curse, and even put a camera in front of my door to take pictures all the time? This is really strange and doesn't make sense.

為什麼遇到怪人每天照三餐到我家門口噴漆、丟石頭、罵人，還架著攝影機對著我家大門拍照，我都不能生氣、報警、自衛趕人呢？這真是奇怪的邏輯。

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Verra VM0051: a new Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Methodology for carbon credit quantification

This is the information about Verra VM0051

這是 Verra VM0051的相關資訊：

https://verra.org/methodologies/improved-management-in-rice-production-systems/

https://verra.org/verra-releases-new-rice-methodology/

This is a short introduction to the Verra VM0051. In short, Verra introduced new standards due to the over-issued the Verified Carbon Units (VCU) to 37 China's Rice Projects, so stricter standards are needed for identification.

It mentions that one of the differences between VM0051 and VM0042 is "stricter externality standards: using remote sensing data for externality verification to ensure that the project brings additional emission reduction benefits."

這是對 Verra VM0051的中文介紹，簡單來看，Verra會推出新的標準，就是因為中國水稻碳權xx的問題，所以需要用更嚴格的標準來認定。

其中提到VM0051和VM0042的差異之一 "更嚴格的外加性標準：採用遙測數據進行外加性驗證，確保專案確實帶來額外的減排效益。"

https://vocus.cc/article/67826961fd8978000107ae60

https://vocus.cc/article/67c6cb50fd8978000190d3f4

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A scary news on 64: two Chinese try to destroy Poaceae crops in US

Everybody can figure out what the terrible Chinese are trying to do by bringing fugus, which is terrible to Poaceae crops, to the United States.

Chinese couple charged with smuggling a biological pathogen into the US

(https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/chinese-couple-charged-smuggling-biological-pathogen-us-rcna208658)

"A Chinese researcher in Michigan and her boyfriend have been charged with smuggling a biological pathogen that “can cause devastating diseases in crops” into the United States, according to federal charging documents unsealed Tuesday."

Two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling "dangerous biological pathogen" into Michigan 

(https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/2-chinese-nationals-smuggling-dangerous-biological-pathogen-university-of-michigan-lab/)
"Officials said the "noxious fungus causes 'head blight,' a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Fusarium graminearum's toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock."

Chinese nationals accused of smuggling 'dangerous biological pathogen' into US

(https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gkdppymk4o)

"The fungus called Fusarium graminearum can cause a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice that can wipe out crops and lead to vomiting and liver damage if it gets into food."

可怕的中國人，攜帶對禾本科作物是可怕的fugus到美國是要幹什麼，用腳趾頭就可以想得出來。

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Rachel Carson and the Silent Spring

I like her, Rachel Carson. Her book "Silent Spring" has inspired me in my early years.

Rachel was born on May 27, 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, United States.

我喜歡她，Rachel Carson，寂靜的春天(Silent Spring)是我的啟蒙書之一。

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1179951254145994&set=a.272389531568842

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Do not blame everything on Taipower

When I was a kid, my family always kept candles at home for emergencies. This was basic common sense in Taiwan. After flashlights became popular, we kept flashlights at home.Power outages caused by natural disasters, man-made disasters, and electric shocks from animals are common sense. There is nothing to be surprised about. Power outages will occur when the wires short-circuit and trip, when the current is too large and the fuse burns out, when trees fall and crush the wires, and when lightning strikes the transformer box. There are too many situations that can cause power outages. If the power is normal when any above situation happens, that's the time we have to worry about it.

I remember that the network of a former company was intermittent for a while. The network was optical fiber, and the quality was quite poor. My colleagues thought it was a problem with the Chunghwa Telecom and kept asking them to repair it. It was not until we moved to a new office and removed all the network cables. We found that the network cables running from the ceiling were bitten by rats and were broken in several places. No wonder the signal was so poor. At this time, everyone realized that they had wrongly blamed Chunghwa Telecom. Fortunately, the rats only bit the network line. If they had bitten the electric wires, wouldn't it have caused a power outage or even a fire? Can we blame the Taipower and the lack of nuclear power plants for this?

小時候在家裡常備蠟燭以備不時之需，這是生活的基本常識，等手電筒普及後就是常備手電筒了。

因天災人禍動物觸電造成停電，這根本就是常識，有什麼好大驚小怪的。電線短路跳電就會停電，電流過大保險絲燒掉也會停電，樹木倒塌壓倒電線會停電，閃電打到變電箱會停電，造成停電的原因太多了，這時候如果不停電才是要擔心的事情。

記得某前公司的網路有一段時間一直斷斷續續很糟糕，明明是光纖卻品質這麼差，同事都以為是中華電信的問題，一直找他們來維修。直到搬辦公室前，將所有網路線拆下，才發現從天花板走線的網路線被老鼠咬的很淒慘，好幾處都要斷不斷的，難怪訊號很差。

這時候大家才知道當初是錯怪中華電信了。還好只是咬網路線，如果是咬電線，那不就會造成停電甚至火燒，難道這也要怪台電及沒有核電廠嗎？

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Climate-smart rice Jaspe in Chile

Jaspe, a new rice variety developed in Chile, can thrive in dry and cold environments, maintain yields in drought conditions, and reduce CH4 emissions. I want to know if it can also maintain good growth in dry and hot environments, or continue to produce abundant yields in variable dry and wet environments. The reason that I am thinking about this is that these two conditions are occurring quite frequently in Taiwan. As for the description of its yield, Jaspe produces 30 ears of rice. I would like to know if the number and weight of grains per ear of rice are the same as the ordinary rice it is compared with. If so, it really has 10 times the yield as it claims.

智利培育出來的新品種水稻 "氣候智慧型水稻" Jaspe，能在乾燥、寒冷的環境裡生長旺盛，在乾旱情況下維持產量，同時達到減排。不知道是否也能在乾旱炎熱的環境裡維持良好的生長，或是在多變的乾濕環境下繼續產量豐富。

至於其產量的描述，Jaspe產出30株稻穗，不知每株稻穗的穀粒數及重量是否和其拿來比較的一般稻米一樣多，如果是，那就真的如其所說有10倍產量了。

https://news.pts.org.tw/article/752588

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250429-less-thirsty-rice-offers-hope-in-drought-stricken-chile

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