Search Results (371)

This paper develops a unified finite-bit distributed optimization framework for UAV swarms operating over bandwidth-limited communication graphs. We consider strongly convex and smooth global objectives decomposed over local UAV cost functions and study three communication-efficient algorithmic regimes. First, we design a quantized distributed gradient-tracking descent scheme with fixed finite-bit communication and show that, under bounded quantization errors, the method converges R-linearly to a quantization-dependent neighborhood of the global optimizer. Second, we introduce an adaptive quantization strategy that dynamically adjusts the number of transmitted bits according to the current convergence stage. By forcing the quantization distortion to decay proportionally to the optimization error, the proposed adaptive scheme recovers exact linear convergence to the optimal solution while substantially reducing the cumulative communication load. Third, we develop a fully distributed 1-bit communication mode in which UAVs exchange only sign information and use coordinate-wise majority voting to aggregate both descent and consensus directions. The robust linear-contraction property is proved to a small neighborhood under a sign-Polyak–Lojasiewicz condition and a probabilistic majority-correctness assumption. Full article

Background: Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) serves as an excellent model for studying plant water adaptation mechanisms due to its exceptional drought tolerance. While aquaporins (AQPs) mediate the transmembrane transport of water and solutes in plants, their fine-tuned regulatory networks underlying stress resilience in Tartary buckwheat remain largely elusive. Methods: Here, we combined bioinformatics and transcriptomics to systematically identify 30 highly conserved FtAQP genes at the genome-wide level. Results: Cross-validated by qRT-PCR, our analysis revealed their distinct expression patterns across different organs. Based on our transcriptomic data, we hypothesize that FtAQP family members potentially participate in a coordinated whole-plant water management network through differential spatiotemporal expression. Specifically, the robust transcription of FtAQP8, FtAQP12, and FtAQP28 in roots is associated with the initial water uptake process. As water undergoes long-distance transport, the synergistic upregulation of FtAQP13, FtAQP17, FtAQP20, and FtAQP29 in the stem suggests a potential role in facilitating critical lateral water flow. Furthermore, during reproductive development, FtAQP27 exhibits extreme tissue specificity in floral organs, implying its possible involvement in maintaining local osmotic homeostasis. Furthermore, the promoter regions of FtAQPs are highly enriched with cis-acting elements responsive to light, abscisic acid (ABA), and cold stress, suggesting they are intimately regulated by a coupling of endogenous phytohormones and environmental cues. Conclusions: Ultimately, this study provides valuable insights into the potential molecular basis of multidimensional water regulation in Tartary buckwheat, and identifies candidate genetic targets for improving water use efficiency in dryland agriculture through the precise manipulation of aquaporins. Collectively, while these observational findings provide valuable predictive models, future in vivo experimental validations are required to confirm their exact biological functions. Full article

Subgraph isomorphism counting is a fundamental yet computationally challenging task in graph analysis, with broad applications in bioinformatics and social network mining. With the tightening of data privacy regulations and the emergence of data silos, traditional centralized Graph Neural Network (GNN) approaches face significant deployment hurdles. Existing federated subgraph counting methods are primarily designed for database federation scenarios, focusing on exact queries and the privacy and security concerns of databases. However, this rigid focus on exactness and heavy cryptographic security severely limits their scalability and generalizability to complex, arbitrary query patterns. To bridge this gap, we propose a general Federated Edge-Centric Framework for Subgraph Isomorphism Counting (FedCount), shifting the paradigm from exact querying on federated databases to neural approximate counting under federated architectures. Rather than relying on heavy cryptographic techniques, we exclusively leverage the inherent structural isolation of federated learning as a lightweight empirical privacy measure. While this framework does not theoretically defend against advanced gradient-based inference attacks, it successfully prevents the direct leakage of raw graph topology and node features, achieving high-precision approximate counting without the prohibitive cryptographic overheads. Specifically, we introduce two key technical innovations to enhance local counting capability: (1) we integrate a provable edge encoding scheme into the interaction-based GNN architecture, explicitly modeling edge-to-edge interactions to break the expressiveness bottleneck of standard message passing; (2) we design a Residual Edge-Centric Readout mechanism that mitigates the gradient vanishing problem, enabling the effective training of deeper networks to capture high-order topological dependencies. Extensive experiments on multiple benchmark datasets demonstrate that our framework significantly outperforms existing distributed enumeration baselines in terms of generalization and efficiency, approaching the performance of centralized state-of-the-art models. Full article

Background/Objectives: Transcatheter ablation assisted by three-dimensional (3D) electroanatomical mapping (EAM) is the elective treatment for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) in children and adolescents. In this population of patients, the most frequently employed EAM strategies are the low-voltage bridge (LVB) strategy and sinus rhythm propagation mapping (SRPM). However, the exact pathophysiology and anatomy of the AVNRT reentrant circuits are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SRPM and LVB and to shed light on nodal physiology in children and adolescents affected by AVNRT. Methods: We retrospectively collected data on pediatric patients who underwent cryoablation for AVNRT assisted by high-density 3D EAM by using the LVB strategy; maps were reviewed by two independent electrophysiologists and the SRPM was described. SRPM was defined as typical when only one collision area was identified and atypical whenever either no or ≥ two collision areas were localized. Results: Twenty-eight consecutive patients (11.3 ± 3.3 years) were enrolled. All procedures were acutely successful. Overall, atypical SRPM was present in 10 patients (35.7%), and it did not correlate with the presence of multiple SPs or electrophysiological data. Moreover, we observed an imperfect concordance between SRPM and LVB (only in 10/18 patients). When SRPM and LVB were assessed in different locations, the LVB identified the effective cryoablation site in more cases than SRPM (4/8 vs. 1/8). Lastly, in cases of double collision, one collision area co-localized with the LVB and the effective cryoablation spot, whereas the other was located superiorly, closer to the His bundle. Conclusions: Atypical sinus rhythm propagation in the Koch’s triangle is a frequent finding in pediatric AVNRT patients. In this series, LVB showed closer concordance with the successful cryolesion site than retrospectively reconstructed SRPM. Full article

Background: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immune checkpoint that has been shown to play a key immunomodulatory role in various solid tumors, including breast cancer (BC). Although increased IDO expression has been previously observed in some BC subtypes, mainly triple-negative BC (TNBC), the clinical relevance of this protein across the entire range of BC and its exact correlations with other immune checkpoints remain to be elucidated. We herein aimed to further investigate the differential expression patterns of IDO and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in variable BC subtypes and in distinct compartments of breast cancer tissue, and to explore their potential associations with standard patient- and tumor-related clinicopathological parameters as well as prognosis. Methods: This was a retrospective multi-center cohort study of 150 female patients with BC. The clinicopathological parameters analyzed were retrieved from the medical records of patients while sections from archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were also obtained for the performance of immunohistochemistry. The expression of IDO and PD-L1 was evaluated separately on tumor cells (IDO/CA, PD-L1/CA), lymphocytes (IDO/L, PD-L1/L) and stromal cells (IDO/S, PD-L1/S) and the results were correlated with the remaining clinical and pathological features of patients, as well as with local recurrence, metastasis and survival. Results: The mean age of patients was 59.5 years (SD = 13.4 years). Positive expression of IDO/CA, IDO/L and IDO/S was found in 6%, 93.3% and 90.7% of tissue samples, respectively, while 4%, 11.2% and 6.7% of tumors were positive for PD-L1/CA, PD-L1/L and PD-L1/S, respectively. A significantly higher rate of positive IDO/CA expression was observed in triple-negative BC (TNBC) patients (p = 0.037). Positive expression of IDO-CA was also significantly associated with positivity for PD-L1/L and PD-L1/S (p = 0.001 and p = 0.015, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed independent correlations between IDO/CA and IDO/L and the presence of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (OR = 1.10; p = 0.026) and N1 status (OR = 10.93; p = 0.039), respectively, IDO/S and both N1 (OR = 14.64; p = 0.018) and positive HER2 status (OR = 6.11; p = 0.019), PD-L1/L and high Ki67 (OR = 7.96; p = 0.001) as well as negative ER (OR = 0.08; 0.003) and PR status (OR = 0.09; p = 0.002), PD-L1/S and both NST (no special type) histology (OR = 4.68; p = 0.032) and negative ER status (OR = 0.21; p = 0.044). No statistically significant associations were observed between the expression patterns of the examined biomarkers and recurrence, metastasis or survival. Conclusions: In our study, IDO expression on tumor cells was predominantly observed in TNBC and was found to correlate with PD-L1 expression in the lymphocytic and stromal compartments. Furthermore, expression of PD-L1 among lymphocytes was found to independently correlate with unfavorable clinicopathological parameters, including high proliferation rate and negative hormone receptor status. Full article

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a major global health threat, strengthening the case for antimicrobial stewardship strategies that limit unnecessary broad-spectrum empiric therapy while preserving timely escalation when clinically warranted. Before any clinical deployment of large language model (LLM)-based antibiotic decision support can be considered, structured offline evaluation is needed to assess whether model outputs align with auditable stewardship constraints under real-world admission contexts. We therefore evaluated whether post hoc LLM-generated empiric antibiotic recommendations showed greater concordance with a pre-specified stewardship benchmarking framework than clinician-initiated regimens in a retrospective shadow-mode setting. Methods: Single-center retrospective paired evaluation at Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest (Internal Medicine, 2020–2024). The unit of analysis was the admission (N = 493), with paired 24 h empiric regimens (clinician-prescribed vs. post hoc LLM-recommended via OpenAI API; not visible to clinicians; no influence on care). Local laboratory-derived epidemiology was precomputed from microbiology exports and provided as structured prompt context to approximate information parity with clinicians’ implicit local ecology knowledge. Primary (prespecified) endpoint: any contextual guardrail violation (unjustified carbapenem/antipseudomonal/anti-MRSA under prespecified structured severity/MDR-risk rules), exact McNemar. Key secondary (prespecified): Δ contextual guardrail penalty (LLM − Clin), sign test and Wilcoxon signed-rank (ties reported). Ethics committee approval was obtained. Results: Guardrail violations occurred in 17.0% of clinician regimens vs. 4.9% of LLM regimens (paired RD −12.2%; matched OR 0.216, 95% CI 0.127–0.367; McNemar exact p = 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁰). Δ penalty had median 0 with 398/493 ties; among non-ties, improvements (Δ < 0) exceeded adverse shifts (79 vs. 16; sign-test p = 3.47 × 10⁻¹¹). Conclusions: In this offline, non-interventional paired evaluation, LLM-generated empiric regimens showed greater concordance with a pre-specified stewardship benchmarking framework than clinician empiric regimens for the same admissions. These findings should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical superiority, patient safety, or causal effectiveness, but rather as process-level benchmarking within a rule-based stewardship construct. As such, reproducible guardrail-based benchmarking may serve as an early pre-implementation step to identify alignment and potential failure modes before prospective, safety-governed evaluation. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Wolff–Parkinson–White (WPW) pattern is characterized by ventricular preexcitation due to an accessory atrioventricular pathway. Population-based data on the prevalence of asymptomatic WPW patterns in children are limited, and automated ECG interpretation may be misleading in the setting of preexcitation. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of the WPW pattern in a large cohort of asymptomatic Romanian school children and to describe electrocardiographic characteristics, ECG-based accessory pathway localization, and automated ECG interpretation errors. Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 12-lead ECGs obtained during a school-based screening program in Romania (May–December 2015). After exclusion of duplicates, technical errors, and participants outside the prespecified age range, 24,112 unique children aged 6–18 years were included. The WPW pattern was adjudicated by pediatric electrophysiologists. Prevalence was estimated using the Wilson score method. Sex differences were assessed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: The WPW pattern was identified in 18/24,112 children, yielding a prevalence of 0.075% (0.75 per 1000). The WPW pattern was more frequent in boys than girls (12/11,858 (0.10%) vs. 6/12,255 (0.048%), p = 0.18). Most cases demonstrated mild preexcitation, with only a minority showing marked QRS widening. ECG-based algorithms suggested a predominance of left-sided accessory pathways. Automated ECG interpretation frequently produced misleading diagnostic statements, including bundle branch block/intraventricular conduction delay (5/18; 27.8%) and pseudo-infarction/ischemia patterns (1/18; 5.6%), and did not explicitly identify WPW/preexcitation. Conclusions: In a large school-based screening cohort of asymptomatic Romanian children, WPW pattern prevalence was 0.074%, with a trend toward male predominance. Most cases exhibited mild preexcitation. Automated ECG interpretation commonly misclassified preexcitation-related ECG findings, highlighting the importance of expert ECG review in pediatric screening programs. Full article

Nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms are commonly applied to complex combinatorial optimization problems where exact methods are computationally impractical. Tourist route optimization is a representative multi-objective problem characterized by realistic constraints such as travel time, cost, opening hours, and transportation modes. Although Mushroom Reproduction Optimization is computationally efficient, it often experiences premature convergence in complex search spaces. This paper proposes a novel hybrid algorithm, Mushroom–Weed Hybrid Reproduction Optimization (MWHRO), which integrates the colony-based local search of the Mushroom Reproduction algorithm with the fitness-proportional reproduction and competitive elimination mechanisms of Invasive Weed Optimization. Hybridization enhances population diversity and global exploration while preserving fast convergence. The proposed algorithm is evaluated based on a realistic tourist route optimization problem using real-world data from Zagreb, Croatia, across multiple transportation modes and objective-weight scenarios. Performance is compared against Ant Colony Optimization, Invasive Weed Optimization, Particle Swarm Optimization, and standard Mushroom Reproduction Optimization under equal evaluation budgets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed MWHRO algorithm consistently achieves high-quality solutions with significantly lower execution times, particularly in constrained and multimodal scenarios. Statistical analysis confirms the robustness and practical suitability of the proposed approach for real-world route optimization. Full article

Accurate soil thermal resistivity is crucial for real-time cable ampacity determination to maximize cable utilization. However, the determination of soil thermal resistivity involves solving a computationally expensive multi-physical field inverse problem where a high-fidelity model (HFM) is used for performance evaluations. Surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithms (SAEAs) are computationally efficient for such problems; model management strategies (MMSs) are key to SAEAs. Nevertheless, most MMSs struggle to balance the computational cost and the search accuracy due to their reliance on fitness value errors. In fact, maintaining a similar function landscape between the surrogate and the HFM is more essential than achieving precise fitness values on the surrogate. Consequently, a rank-based hybrid MMS-driven two-stage SAEA is proposed. Stage 1 focuses on identifying promising regions. To ensure the similarity between the surrogate and HFM function landscape and thus guide the evolution accurately, a global MMS is proposed. Specifically, a new function landscape similarity metric is proposed to adaptively adjust the surrogate update frequency. A new rank-error-based individual selection strategy selects key individuals for exact evaluations to refine the surrogate similarity. Stage 2 performs a refined local search within the identified promising region, utilizing a local MMS to re-evaluate the optimum of a local surrogate built around the best solution searched in Stage 1. Optimization results confirm the proposed method’s superiority on test functions and a prototype cable. Full article

This study introduces a computational method for designing realistic, geometrically controlled three-dimensional (3-D) micromodels of porous media to investigate fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs. The methodology utilizes a virtual framework of cubes where an arbitrary, continuous 3-D pore network is generated via two-dimensional (2-D) sketches. A key strength of this deterministic, cube-by-cube approach is the ability to independently control porosity and permeability by adjusting channel size and connectivity, facilitating the systematic study of spatial heterogeneity. Six digital models were developed with porosities ranging from 18.4% to 44.4%. Unlike traditional stochastic algorithms, this explicit geometric control enabled the accurate extraction of pore volume distributions and the establishment of a robust power-law relationship between localized porosity and specific surface area. Statistical analysis confirmed a linear correlation between porosity and pore dimensions. While focusing on design and validation, these models are 3-D printable and provide exact boundary conditions for CFD simulations. Single-phase simulations confirmed the capability to decouple absolute permeability from porosity. Consequently, this framework bridges the gap between numerical simulations and physical laboratory experiments to optimize Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) processes. Full article

Process monitoring methods play a crucial role in identifying equipment malfunctions and instrument failures, as well as in maintaining process safety and product quality. Selecting the right approach for fault detection and diagnosis is therefore vital. Several localization methods based on Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) exist, such as the partial localization approach, which is effective at detecting anomalies but does not always pinpoint faults precisely. This method often identifies a suspicious area or group of variables without isolating the exact source of the fault. In complex systems such as chemical reactors, it can produce false positives or incorrect localizations if the data are noisy or if the fault affects multiple correlated variables. Conversely, the reconstruction-based contribution approach, when integrated with Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA), is both widely documented in the literature and highly effective for fault localization. This method first identifies anomalies using the Hotelling’s T² statistic and Q (squared prediction error) statistic, then analyzes the contributions of individual variables to these indices in order to isolate the fault. However, the convergence of the optimization algorithm using the T² index is not guaranteed. To address this limitation, we introduce RBC-KGLRT, a novel localization framework that integrates reconstruction-based contribution with KPCA and the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test in its kernel form to improve both precision and reliability in localization tasks. This work transforms traditional KPCA and reduced-rank KPCA fault detection approaches—enhanced by the KGLRT metric—into a powerful fault localization solution through the reconstruction-based contribution (RBC) method. Its effectiveness is rigorously evaluated using the Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP), a widely recognized simulation benchmark in process control and chemical engineering. Full article

Cutaneous adnexal carcinomas (CACs) comprise a diverse group of malignant tumors that show morphological differentiation toward one of the four main adnexal structures in normal skin: hair follicles, sebaceous glands, sweat-apocrine glands, and sweat-eccrine glands. These tumors can arise sporadically or may be associated with rare genetic syndromes. A total of 276 CACs cases underwent hybrid capture-based comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to assess all classes of genomic alterations (GA). Sequencing data were used to determine microsatellite instability (MSI) status, tumor mutational burden (TMB), genomic loss of heterozygosity (gLOH), genomic ancestry, and COSMIC mutational signatures. PD-L1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (TPS; Dako 22C3). Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher’s exact test, with false discovery rate correction via the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Sequencing was performed on primary cutaneous tumors in 131 cases (47.4%) and on local recurrence or metastatic site biopsies in 145 cases (52.5%). Across all groups, there was a male predominance (64–81%) and similar mean ages (59–63 years), with apocrine (APO) tumors occurring in older patients than eccrine (ECC) tumors (72 vs. 62 years; p = 0.001). Histologically, 173 tumors (62.7%) were sweat gland-derived (SWT), 55 (19.9%) sebaceous gland-derived (SEB), 14 (5.1%) hair follicle-derived (HRF), and 34 (12.3%) unclassified (UNK). Among SWT tumors, 150 (86.7%) were eccrine and 23 (13.3%) apocrine. SWT tumors included digital papillary adenocarcinomas (DPA, 6.9%), mucinous carcinomas (MC, 6.3%), porocarcinomas (POR, 11.0%), spiradenocarcinomas (SPR, 8.1%), syringoadenocarcinomas (SRNG, 5.8%), and 77 (44.5%) unclassified cases. The number of GA per tumor was highest in SEB compared with SWT tumors (7.9 vs. 4.9; p = 0.005) and lowest in DPA (2.1 vs. 5.0 in non-DPA; p = 0.03). No differences in ancestry distribution were observed. Compared with SWT tumors, SEB tumors exhibited higher frequencies of RB1 (38.2% vs. 8.1%; p < 0.0001) and TP53 alterations (76.4% vs. 43.4%; p = 0.0002), suggesting potential neuroendocrine differentiation. MC tumors showed significantly higher PTCH1 alterations than non-MC tumors (36.4% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.044). MSI-high status was most frequent in SEB tumors compared with all other groups (15.7% vs. 1.2%; p = 0.005), and gLOH > 16% was also more common in SEB than SWT tumors (19.6% vs. 7.2%; p = 0.081). The MMR signature occurred more frequently in SEB than SWT tumors (32.0% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.005). Mean TMB was elevated across most CACs types, ranging from 10.4 mutations/Mb in HRF to 38.8 mutations/Mb in MC, with the exceptions of APO (2.7 mut/Mb; p = 0.001) and DPA (1.4 mut/Mb; p = 0.003). PD-L1 expression was generally low and did not differ significantly between SWT and SEB tumors (37.0% vs. 33.3%; NS). Given the limited data on CAC treatment, this study provides a catalog of commonly observed GA. SEB tumors exhibited the highest frequency of genomic alterations. Prospective clinical trials are needed to determine the prognostic and predictive value of CAC-specific biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response, which is essential for integrating novel therapies into the evolving treatment landscape. Full article

Background: Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune disorder affecting the skin and mucosa classified within the broad group of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs). Topical treatment is usually effective in resolving the oral inflammation associated with the process, and the possible relationship to a systemic immunological reaction has not been widely discussed. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between local and systemic inflammatory signatures in OLP by identifying potential markers in salivary and serum samples, as well as the topical treatment used to relieve inflammation. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional case–control hospital-based study. A total of 50 blood samples, comprising 31 patients with OLP (study group) and 19 individuals without OLP status (control group), were tested for HLA-B27 in this study. Salivary and serum levels of Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), matrix metalloprotease 8 (MMP-8), and human IL-1 beta (IL-1β) were measured within and between the control and OLP groups. Results: Salivary IL-1β levels were significantly higher in the OLP group than in controls (p = 0.001; W = 101.5). Serum MMP-8 concentrations were significantly lower in patients with OLP. Serum PGE2 levels were elevated in the OLP group; however, the difference was only borderline statistically significant after correction. HLA-B27 allele frequency in the study and control groups was compared with that in the Polish population. Using Fisher’s Exact Test for Count Data, p-value = 0.1404, no statistically significant differences were found between the control and study groups. Conclusions: These findings could suggest that inflammatory activity in OLP might be predominantly localized to the oral cavity rather than systemic. Elevated salivary IL-1β and reduced systemic MMP-8 levels could support the concept of local immune dysregulation; moreover, salivary IL-1β may serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of OLP. Studies involving a larger number of subjects should be conducted to strengthen the provided conclusion. Full article

Background/Objectives: Ticks evade host hemostasis and immunity in part by injecting serine protease inhibitors (serpins) into the host during feeding, yet the genomic organization of tick serpins has remained unresolved. To understand how ticks deploy these proteins, there is a need to elucidate their gene structure, arrangement and copy number in the genome. Methods: We annotated the recent Ixodes scapularis chromosome-level assembly and identified all the serpin genes to build a genome-wide atlas of serpin loci identifying the gene structure and duplication patterns. The gene expression of serpins during blood meal was also analyzed. Results: We identified 74 serpin genes across eight chromosomes and one unplaced scaffold, with a strongly non-random distribution dominated by chromosome 10, which harbored 67.6% of serpin genes in dense tandem clusters. Most genes were intronless and encoded secreted, N-glycosylated proteins, whereas a minority were conserved two-exon loci sharing a common splice junction. Pairwise amino acid comparisons revealed exact duplicates as well as very recent and divergent paralogs, indicating continued local duplication and diversification. Expression analysis across tissues and feeding time showed that serpin expression is structured primarily by organ and feeding stage, including a late feeding increase in midgut serpins that are predicted to inhibit trypsin-like proteases. Conclusions: This atlas provides a comprehensive description of I. scapularis serpins, provides a framework for understanding tick gene structure and function, prioritizes serpins as target candidates for tick control, and functions as a library for other serpin uses in medicine and industry. Full article

Background: Wax synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferases (WS/DGATs), often referred to as WSD proteins, represent a class of key enzymes that catalyze the biosynthesis of wax esters in plants and other organisms. However, the WSD gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum) has not been systematically characterized. Methods: A comprehensive genome-wide identification and bioinformatic characterization of the WSD gene family were conducted in wheat, followed by an analysis of chromosomal locations, gene structures, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, expression profiles, and cis-element predictions. Results: In this study, a total of 43 TaWSDs were identified through genome-wide analysis in wheat. All identified TaWSD members exhibit highly conserved structural features and contain the core catalytic motif HHXXXDG. Phylogenetic analysis of WSD proteins from 63 species revealed that WSDs in Triticeae, including wheat, were mainly clustered into four distinct clades. Furthermore, sequence divergence among TaWSDs from different clades was primarily localized to the N-terminal region. Notably, expression profile analysis demonstrated that TaWSD genes display organ-specific expression patterns in wheat. Among them, 12 TaWSDs showed the highest expression levels in the leaf lamina joint, implying their potential involvement in the regulation of leaf angle formation. Additionally, 27 transcription factors were computationally predicted as putative regulators of TaWSDs, although their exact roles require further experimental confirmation. Conclusions: Our findings provide novel insights into the biological functions of the wheat WSD gene family and offer new perspectives for elucidating their molecular mechanisms underlying plant architecture regulation. Full article