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The surface optical (SO) phonon replica in photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy of nitride nanowires (NWs) was theoretically investigated in this study. The dispersive relationships of SO phonon mode in anisotropic wurtzite (WZ) and isotropic zinc-blende (ZB) crystal structure NWs with circular and square cross sections (CSs) were derived within the framework of the dielectric continuum model. Based on the energy and momentum conservation laws, a constraint relationship between the frequency and wave-number was constructed for SO phonon-assisted excitonic PL spectra in the NW structure. By combining the dispersive and constraint relationships, the frequency and wave-number of the SO phonon replica in the PL spectra could be determined. The WZ and ZB crystal structures of nitride semiconductor were considered. The influences of surface factors including the CS shape, dielectric medium, and environment temperature on the frequency and photon wavelength of the band-edge emission of the SO phonon replica were studied in detail. Numerical results reveal that the crystal structure, surface factors, and environment temperature greatly affect the frequency and photon wavelength of the band-edge emission of the SO phonon replica. The calculated results for the photon wavelength agree well with the experimental values of the SO phonon replica in AlN NWs. The results of the dielectric effect obtained here are also supported by previous experimental and theoretical results for nitrides and other semiconductor NWs. The present theoretical scheme and numerical results can be used to analyze and design the SO phonon replica in PL spectra of nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular monitoring of body condition score (BCS) changes during lactation is a crucial management tool in dairy cattle; however, the current BCS measurements are often discontinuous and unevenly spaced in time. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of random regression test‐day models (RR‐TDM) to predict BCS for the entire lactation in dairy cows even if the actual scoring is limited to one BCS record. The data consisted of test‐day records of milk yield (MY), fat percentage (FP), protein percentage (PP) and BCS (based on a 9‐point scale with unit increments; 1–9) collected from 2014 to 2022 in 128 herds in the Walloon Region of Belgium. In total, 20,698 test‐day records on 2166 first‐parity Holstein cows (2–12 with an average of 9.42 test‐day records per cow) were available for MY, FP and PP; and 7985 records on the same animals (2–12 with an average of 3.68 records per cow) were available for BCS. To estimate the solutions, only one randomly selected BCS record per animal along with all her MY, FP and PP records were used, which were then used to predict BCS data (calibration set). The remaining BCS (1–11 with an average 2.86 BCS records per animal) were used to evaluate the goodness of the predictions (validation set). Multiple‐trait RR‐TDM was used to estimate (co)variance components through the average information restricted maximum likelihood (AI‐REML) algorithm. Predicted BCS were grouped into nine classes as the original observed BCS used for comparison. Pearson correlation between the predicted and observed BCS, prediction error (PE), absolute prediction error (APE) and root mean squared prediction error (RMSE) were calculated. Mean (standard deviation; SD) BCS was 4.97 (1.01), 4.95 (1.07) and 4.98 (1.00) BCS units in the full, calibration and validation datasets, respectively. Pearson correlation between the observed and predicted BCS was 0.71, mean (SD) PE was 0.04 (0.52) BCS units, mean (SD) APE was 0.48 (0.53) BCS units and RMSE was 0.72 BCS units. These findings demonstrate the ability of RR‐TDM to predict BCS for the entire lactation using a single BCS record along with available test‐day records of milk yield and composition in Holstein dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Determining the optimal insemination moment for individual cows is complex, particularly when considering the effects of pregnancy on milk production. The effect of pregnancy on the absolute milk yield has already been reported in several studies. Currently, there is limited quantitative knowledge about the association between days post-conception (DPC) and lactation persistency, based on a lactation curve model, and, specifically, how persistency changes during pregnancy and relates to the days in milk at conception (DIMc). Understanding this association might provide valuable insights to determine the optimal insemination moment. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the association between DPC and lactation persistency, with an additional focus on the influence of DIMc. Available milk production data from 2005 to 2022 were available for 23,908 cows from 87 herds located throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. Persistency was measured by a lactation curve characteristic decay, representing the time taken to halve milk production after peak yield. Decay was calculated for 8 DPC (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 d after DIMc) and served as the dependent variable. Independent variables included DPC, DIMc (≤60, 61–90, 91–120, 121–150, 151–180, 181–210, >210), parity group, DPC × parity group, DPC × DIMc, and variables from 30 d before DIMc as covariates. The results showed an increase in decay, which is to say, a decrease in persistency, during pregnancy for both parity groups, albeit in different ways. Specifically, from DPC 150 to DPC 210, multiparous cows showed a greater decline in persistency compared with primiparous cows. Furthermore, a later DIMc (cows conceiving later) was associated with higher persistency. Except for the early DIMc groups (DIMc <90), DIMc does not affect the change in persistency by gestation. The findings from this study contribute to a better understanding of how DPC and DIMc during lactation influence lactation persistency, enabling more informed decision-making by farmers who wish to take persistency into account in their reproduction management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop nomograms that combine clinical factors and MRI tumour regression grade to predict the pathological response of mid-low locally advanced rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The retrospective study included 204 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery between January 2013 and December 2021. Based on pathological tumour regression grade, patients were categorized into four groups: complete pathological response (pCR, n = 45), non-complete pathological response (non-pCR; n = 159), good pathological response (pGR, n = 119), and non-good pathological response (non-pGR, n = 85). The patients were divided into a training set and a validation set in a 7:3 ratio. Based on the results of univariate and multivariate analyses in the training set, two nomograms were respectively constructed to predict complete and good pathological responses. Subsequently, these predictive models underwent validation in the independent validation set. The prognostic performances of the models were evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). The nomogram predicting complete pathological response incorporates tumour length, post-treatment mesorectal fascia involvement, white blood cell count, and MRI tumour regression grade. It yielded an AUC of 0.787 in the training set and 0.716 in the validation set, surpassing the performance of the model relying solely on MRI tumour regression grade (AUCs of 0.649 and 0.530, respectively). Similarly, the nomogram predicting good pathological response includes the distance of the tumour's lower border from the anal verge, post-treatment mesorectal fascia involvement, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and MRI tumour regression grade. It achieved an AUC of 0.754 in the training set and 0.719 in the validation set, outperforming the model using MRI tumour regression grade alone (AUCs of 0.629 and 0.638, respectively). Nomograms combining MRI tumour regression grade with clinical factors may be useful for predicting pathological response of mid-low locally advanced rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The proposed models could be applied in clinical practice after validation in large samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear and nonlinear effects of hydrogen isotope species on ion temperature gradient (ITG) instability in the Large Helical Device (LHD) stellarator are studied using radially global gyrokinetic simulation. We found that the coupling range of linear toroidal harmonics depends on the ion mass of the hydrogen isotope. The growth rates of ITG mode are almost the same for H, D, and T plasmas, indicating a gyro-Bohm scaling of ion-mass dependence. The nonlinear electrostatic simulations show that the zonal flow breaks the radially elongated eigenmode structures and reduces the size of the turbulence eddies, which suppresses the turbulence and the ion heat transport in the LHD. The turbulence amplitude without the zonal flow is almost the same for H, D, and T plasmas, while it decreases with increasing ion mass of the hydrogen isotope when the zonal flow is present. The reduction of the turbulent transport with larger ion mass is mostly due to the enhancement of zonal flows by larger ion mass. The ion heat conductivity deviates from the gyro-Bohm scaling for both cases with and without the zonal flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng (Chinese ginseng) is precious traditional Chinese medicine in China, which is commonly used to treat central nervous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine system diseases, cancer and other diseases. Due to its excellent medicinal properties, it is widely used in East Asia (Korea, China and Japan) as herbal medicine and also known as the king of medicinal herbs. This paper reviews the origin and distribution of ginseng in China, different cultivation methods, economic significance of ginseng industry and allelopathy research on ginseng. This paper also describes the economic importance of ginseng in medical and other uses, and suggests future research areas of ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the synthesis and character of a new organic-inorganic hybrid [4FBzTPP]2[CuBr4] (1) ([4FBzTPP]+ is 4-fluorobenzyltriphenylphosphinium) by XRD, SEM, FTIR and UV-Vis. The XRD analysis showed that the hybrid 1 belongs to the triclinic space group P21 with b = 8.8600(10) Å, c = 16.4867(17) Å, α = 16.639(2)°, β = 96.342(4)°, V = 2415.6(5) Å3, and Z = 2. The hybrid consists of two [4FBzTPP]+ cations and one [CuBr4]2– anion, and the [CuBr4]2– exhibits a twisted tetrahedral coordination geometry with the average bond length between Cu–Br is 2.393 Å. The 3D network structure of 1 is formed by electrostatic terms and other intermolecular interactions. The hybrid material undergoes a direct optical transition and has energy gap values of 1.66 eV and 2.18 eV, indicating its potential as a semiconductor material for optical research. The hybrid material undergoes a direct optical transition and has energy gap values of 1.66 eV and 2.18 eV, showing that the hybrid material is a potential semiconductor material for optical research. In addition, the compound exhibited good antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Cationic surfactants have a wide range of applications, often associated with their affinity for a range of solid surfaces and their anti-microbial properties. Manipulating their adsorption and self-assembly properties is key to most applications, and this is commonly achieved through surfactant mixtures or manipulating their headgroup or alkyl chain structure. Achieving this through adjustments to their headgroup structure is less common in cationic surfactants than in anionic surfactants. Ethoxylation provides the ability to adjust the hydrophilic / hydrophobic balance, as extensively demonstrated in a range of anionic surfactants. This same approach has been applied here to a range of ethoxylated cationic surfactants in the form of the quaternary ammonium salts, and their tertiary nonionic equivalents before quaternisation. Their adsorption and self-assembly properties are investigated using predominantly the neutron scattering techniques of neutron reflectivity, NR, and small angle neutron scattering, SANS. The trends in the adsorption at the air–water interface and the self-assembly in aqueous solution demonstrate how the hydrophilic / hydrophobic balance can be adjusted by varying the degree of ethoxylation and the alkyl chain length, and illustrate the degree of interdependence of the different structural changes. The variation in the adsorption and the micelle structure shows how the surfactant conformation / packing changes as the degree of ethoxylation and alkyl chain length increases and how the introduction of charge induces further changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During thermonuclear bursts, it is suspected that cooling of the corona by the burst emission may be the cause of hard X-ray deficits. Although such a deficit has been observed in nine sources, it has not been observed from 4U 1608–52, a nearby prolific burster. Therefore, the authenticity and universality of the hard X-ray deficit may be in question. To investigate this suspicion, Insight–HXMT performed cadence observations during the low/hard state of 4U 1608–52 in 2022 September and detected 10 thermonuclear X-ray bursts. Two of these bursts show a double-peaked structure in the soft X-ray band, which could be caused by the high temperature of the burst emission and a marginal photospheric radius expansion (PRE) around the burst peak time. This is indicated by their peak fluxes being up to the Eddington limit and having a large colour factor at the peak of the bursts. A hard X-ray deficit is observed at a significant level during bursts at > 30 keV. Furthermore, the fraction of this deficit shows saturation at 50 per cent for the first eight bursts. This saturation may indicate that the corona is layered and only part of the corona is cooled by the bursts: for example, the part close to the neutron star surface is cooled while the rest remains intact during bursts. This result provides a clue to the geometry of the corona. For example, a possible scenario is that the corona has two forms: a quasi-spheric corona between the neutron star and the disc and a disc corona on both surfaces of the disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Andrews introduced separable integer partition classes and analyzed some well-known theorems. In this paper, we investigate partitions with parts separated by parity introduced by Andrews with the aid of separable integer partition classes with modulus 2. We also extend separable integer partition classes with modulus 1 to overpartitions, called separable overpartition classes. We study overpartitions and the overpartition analogue of Rogers–Ramanujan identities, which are separable overpartition classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study draws from family systems theory to investigate the relationships between parents' Internet practices, adolescent age (as a proxy for child development), and adolescents' perceptions of parent-adolescent relationship quality. Secondary data analysis of 4,592 U.S. parent-adolescent dyads from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey revealed that when parents reported having more problematic Internet use, adolescents (ages 12–17) reported having worse relationships with their parents. Stricter rules regarding Internet usage were associated with lower parent-adolescent relationship quality. This negative relationship was more pronounced for adolescents 14.55 years old and older. Unexpectedly, having stricter rules about Internet content was related to better parent-adolescent relationship quality; this association was weaker for older adolescents. The findings provide insight into the differences between restrictive Internet mediation practices about time and content, the importance of examining parents' problematic Internet use, and the need for considering children's development when examining the role of media in the family system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of Pseudocercospora are commonly associated with leaf and fruit spots on diverse plant hosts in sub-tropical and tropical regions. Pseudocercospora spp. have mycosphaerella-like sexual morphs, but represent a distinct genus in Mycosphaerellaceae (Mycosphaerellales, Dothideomycetes). The present study adds a further 29 novel species of Pseudocercospora from 413 host species representing 297 host genera occurring in 60 countries and designates four epitypes and one lectotype for established names. This study recognises 329 species names, with an additional 69 phylogenetic lineages remaining unnamed due to difficulty in being able to unambiguously apply existing names to those lineages. To help elucidate the taxonomy of these species, a phylogenetic tree was generated from multi-locus DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacers and intervening 5.8S nuclear nrRNA gene (ITS), partial actin (actA), and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), as well as the partial DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2) gene sequences. Novel species described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Ps. acaciicola from leaf spots on Acacia sp., Ps. anopter from leaf spots on Anopterus glandulosus, Ps. asplenii from leaf spots on Asplenium dimorphum, Ps. australiensis from leaf spots on Eucalyptus gunnii, Ps. badjensis from leaf spots on Eucalyptus badjensis, Ps. erythrophloeicola from leaf spots on Erythrophleum chlorostachys, Ps. grevilleae from leaf spots on Grevillea sp., Ps. lophostemonigena from leaf spots on Lophostemon confertus, Ps. lophostemonis from leaf spots on Lophostemon lactifluus, Ps. paramacadamiae from leaf spots on Macadamia integrifolia, Ps. persooniae from leaf spots on Persoonia sp., Ps. pultenaeae from leaf spots on Pultenaea daphnoides, Ps. tristaniopsidis from leaf spots on Tristaniopsis collina, Ps. victoriae from leaf spots on Eucalyptus globoidea. Brazil, Ps. musigena from leaf spots on Musa sp. China, Ps. lonicerae-japonicae from leaf spots on Lonicera japonica, Ps. rubigena leaf spots on Rubus sp. France (Réunion), Ps. wingfieldii from leaf spots on Acacia heterophylla. Malaysia, Ps. musarum from leaf spots on Musa sp. Netherlands, Ps. rhododendri from leaf spots on Rhododendron sp. South Africa, Ps. balanitis from leaf spots on Balanites sp., Ps. dovyalidicola from leaf spots on Dovyalis zeyheri, Ps. encephalarticola from leaf spots on Encephalartos sp. South Korea, Ps. grewiana from leaf spots on Grewia biloba, Ps. parakaki from leaf spots on Diospyros kaki, Ps. pseudocydoniae from leaf spots on Chaenomeles lagenaria, Ps. paracydoniae from leaf spots on Chaenomeles speciosa. Thailand, Ps. acerigena from leaf spots on Acer sp., Ps. tectonigena from leaf spots on Tectona grandis. Epitypes are designated for Cercospora bonjeaneae-rectae, Cercospora halleriae, Ps. eucleae, and an epitype as well as a lectotype for Ps. macadamiae. Results obtained in the present study contribute to a better understanding of the host specificity and distribution in Pseudocercospora spp., many of which represent important pathogens of food or fibre crops, or organisms of quarantine concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead in any food is harmful even at low concentrations. In this study, a direct and highly sensitive lead analysis technique was developed for wheat flour using laser-induced fluorescence combined with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Wheat flour was pressed into small pellets and ablated by a low-energy ultraviolet 266-nm laser. A tunable dye laser constructed in our laboratory was used to resonantly excite the lead. The optimized interpulse time delay was 400 ns. A calibration curve was constructed and the detection limit for lead was 73.8 ppb. This method could be used to directly and sensitively analyze wheat flour for trace concentrations of lead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to conduct a single-step genome-wide association to identify genomic regions associated with milk urea (MU) and to estimate genetic correlations between MU and milk yield (MY), milk composition (calcium content [CC], fat percentage [FP], protein percentage [PP], and casein percentage [CNP]), and cheese-making properties (CMP; coagulation time [CT], curd firmness after 30 min from rennet addition [a30], and titratable acidity [TA]). The used data have been collected from 2015 to 2020 on 78,073 first-parity (485,218 test-day records) and 48,766 second-parity (284,942 test-day records) Holstein cows distributed in 671 herds in the Walloon Region of Belgium. Data of 565,533 SNP located on 29 BTA of 6,617 animals (1,712 males) were used. Random regression test-day models were used to estimate genetic parameters through the Bayesian Gibbs sampling method. The SNP solutions were estimated using a single-step genomic BLUP approach. The proportion of the total additive genetic variance explained by windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (with an average size of ∼216 kb) was calculated, and the top-3 genomic regions explaining the largest rate of the genetic variance were considered promising regions and used to identify potential candidate genes. Mean (SD) MU was 25.38 (8.02) mg/dL and 25.03 (8.06) mg/dL in the first and second lactation, respectively. Mean heritability estimates for daily MU were 0.21 and 0.23 for the first and second lactation, respectively. The genetic correlations estimated between MU and MY, milk composition, and CMP were quite low (ranged from −0.10 [CC] to 0.10 [TA] and −0.05 [CT] to 0.13 [TA] for the first and second lactations, respectively). The top-3 regions associated with MU were located from 80.61 to 80.74 Mb on BTA6, 103.26 to 103.41 Mb on BTA11, and 1.59 to 2.15 Mb on BTA14. Genes including KCNT1 , MROH1 , SHARPIN , TSSK5 , CPSF1 , HSF1 , TONSL , DGAT1 , SCX , and MAF1 were identified as positional candidate genes for MU. The findings of this study can be used for a better understanding of the genomic architecture underlying MU in Holstein cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support-seeking, a critical and strategic function of close relationships, is increasingly practiced via texting. Guided by attachment theory and an affordance-centric approach, this study investigated to what extent individuals in a romantic relationship would use texting and face-to-face for support-seeking, and what stimulates their interest in mediated support-seeking. A survey of college students in exclusive romantic relationships (N = 211) found that several affordances (i.e., accessibility, the availability of social cues, and conversation control) were associated with varying levels of interest in texting or face-to-face for support-seeking. Both accessibility and the availability of social cues were perceived as less important by avoidant individuals, which was related to a lack of interest in texting and face-to-face interactions for support-seeking. Anxious individuals valued the availability of social cues more, which led to a greater interest in face-to-face interactions when seeking assistance. These findings contribute to a better understanding of support-seeking behavior in today's mediated world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collocated dating couples have the choice between interacting in person or via communication media, inviting theorizing about when and why they gravitate toward mediated communication. Drawing on O'Sullivan's (2000) model, we investigated young adults' preference for texting over face-to-face (FtF) communication in situations varying in threat (mundane talk vs. difficult conversations vs. breakups), as a function of individuals' social anxiety and perceptions of media affordances. Results show that higher social anxiety predicted preferences for texting, and this relationship got stronger as relational episodes were more threatening. The perceived importance of editability mediated the relationship between social anxiety and preferences for texting under threatening circumstances. The results shed light on the factors that drive media preferences in relational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shock compression and spallation damage of a dual-phase polycrystalline cobalt material is investigated via plate impact experiments along with free-surface velocity measurements. The as-received and postmortem samples are characterized with X-ray diffraction measurement and electron back-scatter diffraction. Free-surface velocity histories, the Hugoniot equation of state and spall strength at different peak shock stress are determined. Multiple deformation mechanisms are found. Except for the dislocation slip in both phase, { 10 1 ¯ 2 } and { 11 2 ¯ 1 } deformation twinning in the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) phase, and the face-center cubic (FCC) to HCP phase transition are also observed. The { 10 1 ¯ 2 } twin density at the impact surface increases with increasing shock stress, but is less than twin density at the spall plane for the same shot. Ductile fracture is the main damage mode, and voids are nucleated preferentially within the HCP phase because of the strain localization. The Johnson–Cook constitutive model can describe the dynamic responses of the dual-phase Co. With this model, finite element modeling is consistent with the shock compression part of experimental observations well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layout planning method for rail transit network is crucial as it ensures efficient, reliable, and convenient transportation systems. It maximizes network coverage, minimizes transfer time, and optimizes passenger flow, crucial for urban development and sustainable transportation. To enhance regional coverage of the rail transit network and minimize passenger transfer time, this study employs the Beam Search algorithm for its layout planning. We prioritize strategic balance in allocating passenger flow, considering both line capacity and transfer needs. With the objectives of maximizing social benefits and minimizing travel impedance, we construct an objective function tailored for rail transit network planning. The Beam Search algorithm is then leveraged to solve this dual-objective function, resulting in an optimal topology for the rail transit network. Experimental findings indicate that proposed approach achieves a maximum regional coverage of 49% and an average transfer time of merely 2.3 minutes, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing network efficiency and passenger convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital-free density functional theory (DFT) is much more efficient than the orbital-dependent Kohn–Sham DFT due to the avoidance of the auxiliary one-body orbitals. The machine learning approach has been applied to build nuclear orbital-free DFT recently [Wu et al., Phys. Rev. C 105 (2022) L031303] and achieved more precise descriptions for nuclei than existing orbital-free DFTs. Here, improved machine learning nuclear orbital-free density functional is built by including the Thomas–Fermi approach as a basement. Performances of the functional are compared in detail with the ones based on the pure machine learning approach. It is found that with the Thomas–Fermi functional included, the machine-learning-based functional can achieve better performance in directly predicting the kinetic energies and in providing the ground-state properties by the self-consistent procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse is a common gynecological condition affecting many women and impairing quality of life. Imaging modalities like 3D ultrasound can provide a valuable anatomical and morphological evaluation of pelvic floor support defects contributing to prolapse. Materials and Methods: This study evaluated the clinical utility of 3D transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound for assessing pelvic organ prolapse in women. Prolapse was quantified using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system based on ultrasound imaging. Additional ultrasound parameters measured were the levator hiatus area, levator ani muscle thickness, and hiatal balloon volume on Valsalva. Results: 3D ultrasound enabled comprehensive visualization and staging of pelvic organ prolapse. Significant stepwise differences were found between mild, moderate, and severe prolapse groups in the levator hiatus area, levator ani thickness, and balloon volume. Ultrasound measurements showed excellent reproducibility. Conclusion: 3D pelvic floor ultrasound allows accurate diagnosis and staging of pelvic organ prolapse severity. Quantified ultrasound indicators of levator injury and pelvic floor laxity correlate with prolapse grade. Our findings demonstrate that 3D ultrasound is a valuable imaging modality for comprehensive pelvic organ prolapse assessment in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The To measure regulatory T cells (Tregs) expression in driver-genenegative advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as well as its effect on the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer without driving genes who were receiving treatment with a monoclonal antibody targeting the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) made up the study group. 30 healthy subjects in the same period were chosen into the control group. Flow cytometry was used to identify CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in peripheral blood of all participants. Relation between CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells and tumor markers were explored, and efficacy and prognosis in patients before and after therapy was analyzed. Results: The fraction of CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in the study group was higher (P<0.05). Following three rounds of PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment, patients' CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells proportion was lower than before treatment (P<0.01), and showed a positive correlation with tumor markers (P<0.05). The fraction of CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in the CR+PR group decreased in both the second and third cycles after treatment compared to the SD+PD group (P<0.01), but no change was found before or during the first cycle (P>0.05). CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells proportion in the death group presented higher relative to the survival group (P<0.05). CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells predicted the area under the ROC curve was 0.8134, with significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusion: CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells proportion in peripheral blood of NSCLC patients shows increased, and has predictive value for therapeutic efficacy of ICIs and prognosis of driver-gene-negative advanced NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean kurtosis (MK) in diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) have value in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). We here investigated the sensitivity and specificity of FA and MK to explore which of these methods were more efficient in the early diagnosis of the PD rat model. Materials and Methods: Twenty male SD rats were injected with 6-OHDA into the right substantia nigra (SN) for modeling, and other 20 rats were included in control group. DKI was performed 5 weeks after modeling. The FA and MK values of the right SN were measured and analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the above two value in the identifying PD. Immunohistochemistry of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), Tunel assay, and Nissl staining in the SN was performed. Results: The FA, MK and FA+MK values in the PD group obtained on the 5th week were statistically significantly different from those of the control group (P < 0.01). The optimal cut-off FA+MK value (with respective area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity) was 1.404 (0.925, 95%, 75%), the Youden's index of FA+MK was higher than of either of the two alone. The FA, MK and FA+MK values correlated positively with the Tunel staining, while they correlated negatively with the TH and Nissl staining. Conclusions: At the 5th week, the diagnostic efficiency of the combined FA and MK values was better than of either of the two alone in diagnosing PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the aerospace aircraft tie rod pipe fittings with indented riveted threaded bushing manufacturing, there are problems such as low connection strength, manufacturing cost and high weight, this paper innovates a new process of three-roll reduction and end extrusion thickening to form the aerospace thin-walled tie rods, and adopts the simufact finite element analysis (FEA) software to numerically analyse the forming process of the thin-walled fittings of A6061 aluminium alloy and analyse the equivalent plastic strain distribution, the change rule of the force-energy parameter, as well as the uniformity of the wall thickness in the process of rolling and squeezing, so that we can get the principle of rolling and squeezing forming and deformation rules of the thin-walled tie rods, and the results of the research provide the theoretical foundation for the domestic forming of the thin-walled tie rod pipe fittings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMost of existing methods for analyzing unreplicated two-level factorial designs need the assumption of effect sparsity and only perform well when the effectssparsity assumption holds. The effects-sparsity assumption is frequently true, but it is not always true. This paper proposes a new method that needs not the effects-sparsity assumption and has the potential for detecting up to m-1 active effects, in which m is the number of effects under study. The proposed method is illustrated by two unreplicated factorial designs appeared in the literature. An extensive Monte Carlo comparison study, based on 100,000 replications, is carried out to compare the proposed method with another four popular and powerful existing objective methods. The simulation study shows that the proposed method has more power than the remainder four compared methods in most of the conditions under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving photocatalytic activity and stability of titanium dioxide (TiO2) is crucial for its application in wastewater treatment. Incorporating polymer ligands into the synthetic process is an important way to improve the catalytic performance of TiO2. In this work, a water-soluble, non-toxic, and non-ionic polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), was used to regulate the synthesis of TiO2 by using hydrothermal method. It was observed that PVP-regulated TiO2 had enhanced photocatalytic performance comparing with the pure TiO2, mainly due to the enhanced light absorption, the suppressed charge recombination efficiency, the increased oxidation power of photogenerated holes and specific surface area. Additionally, the catalytic stability of the catalyst was also improved. As a result, TiO2 assisted with PVP exhibited a significant improvement in catalytic stability after four cycles of methyl orange degradation. Our research results can provide experimental and theoretical basis for the development of photocatalysts with excel-lent stable catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a gamma-coronavirus, can infect chickens of all ages and leads to an acute contact respiratory infection. This study evaluated the anti-viral activity of palmatine, a natural non-flavonoid alkaloid, against IBV in chicken embryo kidney (CEK) cells. 2. The half toxic concentration (CC50) of palmatine was 672.92 μM, the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of palmatine against IBV was 7.76 μM and the selection index (SI) was 86.74. 3. Mode of action assay showed that palmatine was able to directly inactivate IBV and inhibited the adsorption, penetration and intracellular replication of IBV. 4. Palmatine significantly upregulated TRAF6, TAB1 and IKK-β compared with the IBV-infected group, leading to the increased expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α in the downstream NF-κB signalling pathway. 5. Palmatine significantly up-regulated the levels of MDA5, MAVS, IRF7, IFN-α and IFN-β in the IRF7 pathway, inducing type I interferon production. It up-regulated the expression of 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthase (OAS) in the JAK-STAT pathway. 6. IBV infection induced cell apoptosis and palmatine-treatment delayed the process of apoptosis by regulation of the expression of apoptosis-related genes (BAX, BCL-2, CASPASE-3 and CASPASE-8). 7. Palmatine could exert anti-IBV activity through regulation of NF-κB/IRF7/JAK-STAT signalling pathways and apoptosis, providing a theoretical basis for the utilisation of palmatine to treat IBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic aneurysms, particularly abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), exhibit sex differences, with higher prevalence and severity in males than females, both in humans and experimental mouse models. In fact, male sex has been considered as the most potent nonmodifiable risk factor for AAA. Currently, there are no medications approved for the treatment of aortic aneurysms, despite the high lethality of ruptured aneurysms, which account for nearly 2% of all deaths. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanisms mediating the sexual dimorphism of aortic aneurysms remain largely unknown. In this issue of the JCI, Mu et al. revealed a mechanism by which androgens, male sex hormones, exacerbate aortic aneurysms by suppressing programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) expression in T cells in an aldosterone and high salt-- induced aortic aneurysm mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defence theories provide predictions about trade‐offs in the allocation of resources to defence and growth. However, very little is known about how pressure from herbivores influences the allocation of resources during reproduction.Two common peatland bryophyte species, Sphagnum angustifolium and S. capillifolium, were chosen as study species. Vegetative and reproductive shoots of both Sphagnum species were subjected to treatments with and without herbivores in a lab experiment. After 4 weeks of exposure to herbivores in a growth chamber, we measured biomass production, net photosynthesis rate, defence traits (phenolics in leachate and phenolics in extract), nonstructural carbohydrates (soluble sugar and starch), and reproductive traits (capsule number, weight and diameter, and spore germination) of both Sphagnum species.Reproductive shoots had higher constitutive defence than vegetative shoots in S. angustifolium, and a similar pattern was observed in S. capillifolium. With herbivory, reproductive shoots showed stronger induced defence (released more phenolics) than vegetative shoots in S. capillifolium, but not in S. angustifolium. Herbivory had no effect on capsule number, weight, or diameter, but reduced spore germination percentage by more than half in both species.Our study highlights the hidden effects of herbivory on reproduction of Sphagnum and indicates the presence of maternal effects in bryophytes. Ecologists will benefit from examining both quality‐ and quantity‐based traits when attempting to estimate the herbivory effect on plant fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comprehensive description of hearing loss in China and the shifting pattern remain unclear. We conducted the study to estimate the burden of hearing loss in China and project the trends from 2020 to 2034. Data on the disease burden of hearing loss were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to quantify the trends of the age-standardized rates. Projections of hearing loss burden were made until 2034 using Bayesian age-period-cohort analysis. In China, prevalent cases of hearing loss increased from 224.4 million in 1990 to 426.5 million in 2019, representing an increase of 90.1 %. The age-standardized prevalence rate of hearing loss ranged from 22,592.8/100,000 in 1990–22,612.4/100,000 in 2019, with an EAPC of 0.003 %, representing a stable trend. Of the category of hearing loss, mild hearing loss accounted for the highest proportion, with 331.4 million people. More than 95 million people had moderate-to-complete hearing loss. Moreover, hearing loss was mostly attributable to age-related and other factors for adults and otitis media for children younger than 10 years. Based on the projection results, there will be 561 million people (40.1 % of the total population) have hearing loss by 2034. The prevalent cases of hearing loss in China substantially increased over the last 30 years. Over two in five Chinese people will have hearing loss by 2034, thus suggesting more solutions should be established to reduce the burden of hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of Ca2MgSi2O7 to CaSiO3 bioceramics was investigated in order to modify the dissolution rate of CaSiO3. A series of CaSiO3–xCa2MgSi2O7 composite ceramics with x values of 2, 5, 10, and 20 wt% have been successfully obtained. The effects of Ca2MgSi2O7 addition on CaSiO3–Ca2MgSi2O7 ceramics degradation behavior and apatite formation were comprehensively investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results showed that the dissolution rate of the achieve system ceramics gradually decreased in succession, and the apatite-forming was delayed by the addition of Ca2MgSi2O7. The suitable dissolution rate and apatite-forming ability of CaSiO3–Ca2MgSi2O7 bioceramics can be expected, indicating that the addition of Ca2MgSi2O7 to CaSiO3 bioceramics may be a promising route for modifying the dissolution behavior and apatite-forming ability of CaSiO3 bioceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of high-energy-density laboratory plasma experiments, ion radiography is a vital tool for measuring electromagnetic fields. Leveraging the deflection of injected protons, ion imaging can reveal the intricate patterns of electromagnetic fields within the plasma. However, the complex task of reconstructing electromagnetic fields within the plasma system from ion images presents a formidable challenge. In response, we propose the application of neural network techniques to facilitate electromagnetic field reconstructions. For the training data, we generate corresponding particle data on ion radiography with diverse field profiles in the plasma system, drawing from analytical solutions of charged particle motions and test-particle simulations. With these training data, our expectation is that the developed neural network can assimilate information from ion radiography and accurately predict the corresponding field profiles. In this study, our primary emphasis is on developing these techniques within the context of the simplest setups, specifically uniform (single-layer) or two-layer systems. We begin by examining systems with only electric or magnetic fields and subsequently extend our exploration to systems with combined electromagnetic fields. Our findings demonstrate the viability of employing neural networks for electromagnetic field reconstructions. In all the presented scenarios, the correlation coefficients between the actual and neural network-predicted values consistently reach 0.99. We have also learned that physics concepts can help us understand the weaknesses in neural network performance and identify directions for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors in BRAF V600‐mutant melanoma is common. Multiple resistance mechanisms involve heat‐shock protein 90 (HSP90) clients, and a phase 1 study of vemurafenib with the HSP90 inhibitor XL888 in patients with advanced melanoma showed activity equivalent to that of BRAF and MEK inhibitors. Methods: Vemurafenib (960 mg orally twice daily) and cobimetinib (60 mg orally once daily for 21 of 28 days) with escalating dose cohorts of XL888 (30, 45, 60, or 90 mg orally twice weekly) was investigated in a phase 1 trial of advanced melanoma, with a modified Ji dose‐escalation design. Results: Twenty‐five patients were enrolled. After two dose‐limiting toxicities (DLTs) (rash and acute kidney injury) in the first cohort, lower doses of vemurafenib (720 mg) and cobimetinib (40 mg) were investigated with the same XL888 doses. Three DLTs (rash) were observed in 12 patients in the XL888 60‐mg cohort, and this was determined as the maximum tolerated dose. Objective responses were observed in 19 patients (76%), and the median progression‐free survival was 7.6 months, with a 5‐year progression‐free survival rate of 20%. The median overall survival was 41.7 months, with a 5‐year overall survival rate of 37%. Single‐cell RNA sequencing was performed on baseline and on‐treatment biopsies; treatment was associated with increased immune cell influx (CD4‐positive and CD8‐positive T cells) and decreased melanoma cells. Conclusions: Combined vemurafenib and cobimetinib plus XL888 had significant toxicity, requiring frequent dose reductions, which may have contributed to the relatively low progression‐free survival despite a high tumor response rate. Given overlapping toxicities, caution must be used when combining HSP90 inhibitors with BRAF and MEK inhibitors. Resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors in BRAF V600‐mutant melanoma is common, and many of the resistance mechanisms involve heat‐shock protein 90 client proteins. The combination of vemurafenib plus cobimetinib plus XL888 was evaluated in a phase 1 trial of patients with advanced melanoma and had significant toxicity, requiring frequent dose reductions, which may have contributed to the relatively low progression‐free survival despite a high tumor response rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of flow liquefaction in granular soils under drained conditions compared with that under undrained conditions is a subject of great interest. This paper discusses the diverse views in relation to the initiation of instability and the conceptual difficulties brought by the discrepancies. It is shown that the constant shear drained (CSD) stress path is not a conventional stress-controlled test, and overlooking this fact may result in misleading conclusions. The difficulties inherent in the CSD tests have resulted in different criteria for the detection of the onset of instability in experiments and thereafter to different views. Through systematic simulations for the CSD, ACU and ICU stress paths under a range of initial states, it is shown that the instability line in the stress space is state dependent, and its gradient can be well related to the state parameter defined using the critical state concepts. For a given soil, the relationship is nearly unique regardless of the CSD, ACU or ICU stress path, and the critical state concepts and the second-order work criterion work well. Theoretically, it is shown that the conditions for instability under the drained and undrained stress paths are the same, regardless of the constitutive models chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the diagnostic value of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) with coronary artery involvement and to evaluate whether CCTA could provide potentially useful information for selecting the surgical method. Patients with ATAAD treated from January 2019 to December 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Involvement of the coronary arteries based on CCTA findings were grouped into three major types and five subtypes. Interobserver and intraobserver diagnostic agreement for five subtypes were determined. The patients were divided into the coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and non-CABG groups, and the proportions of the five subtypes between the two groups were compared. A total of 95 patients were enrolled in this study. Interobserver and intraobserver diagnostic agreement were both substantial in the left and right coronary arteries. Overall, the proportions of the five subtypes of coronary artery involvement were significantly different between the two groups (p< 0.001). The proportion of Type A was elevated in the non-CABG group compared with the CABG group (22.6% versus 71.9%); by contrast, the proportions of Type B1 (35.5% versus 14.1%), Type B2 (19.4% versus 10.9%), Type C1 (6.5% versus 0%), and Type C2 (16.1% versus 3.1%) were elevated in the CABG group. CCTA is reliable in evaluating coronary artery involvement by ATAAD. The present retrospective study indicated that CABG may be considered if the intimal flap disrupts the coronary orifice and causes luminal stenosis >50%, particularly Type B, or if an intimal tear occurs in the coronary orifice (Type C), which deserve further validation through prospective studies. • Coronary artery involvement could be divided into five subtypes in CCTA. • Interobserver and intraobserver agreement on five subtypes were excellent. • CABG may be weighed for coronary orifice disruption, >50% luminal stenosis (Type B/C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Prior to any infectious disease emergence as a public health concern, early occupational preparedness is crucial for protecting employees from novel pathogens— coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no different. Aims This study ascertains how occupational safety and health (OSH)/Human Resource (HR) professionals in the Republic of Ireland had managed to prepare their workplaces prior to the advent of COVID-19. METHODS As part of a larger COVID-19 workplace study, online focus groups were conducted with OSH/HR professionals. Collected data were transcribed verbatim and entered into NVivo for thematic analysis incorporating intercoder reliability testing. RESULTS Fifteen focus groups were conducted with OSH/HR professionals (n  = 60) from various occupational settings. Three levels of organizational preparedness were identified: 'early awareness and preparation'; 'unaware and not ready' and 'aware, but not ready'. Most organizations were aware of the COVID-19 severity, but not fully prepared for the pandemic, especially stand-alone enterprises that may not have sufficient resources to cope with an unanticipated crisis. The experiences shared by OSH professionals illustrate their agility in applying risk management and control skills to unanticipated public/occupational health crises that arise. Conclusions General pandemic preparedness such as the availability of work-from-home policies, emergency scenario planning and prior experience in workplace outbreaks of infectious diseases were helpful for workplace-associated COVID-19 prevention. This is the first study conducted with OSH/HR professionals in Ireland regarding COVID-19 preparedness in workplaces, which provides valuable insights into research literature, as well as empirical experience for the preparation of future public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and investigate a novel coherent laser array design based on laterally coupled photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs). As a new type of semiconductor laser technology, PCSELs have field confinement in a planar cavity and laser beam emission in the surface normal direction. By engineering lateral couplings between PCSELs with heterostructure photonic crystal designs, we can achieve coherent operations from an array of PCSELs. In this paper, we demonstrate coherent operation from a passively coupled PCSEL array design. We fabricated PCSEL array devices on a GaAs-based quantum well heterostructure at a target wavelength of 1040 nm. Experimental results show that the 2-by-2 PCSEL arrays have spectral linewidth of 0.14–0.22 nm. Beam combining performance was characterized by self-interference experiments. Similar coherency between the PCSEL array and single PCSEL device was observed. Our compact PCSEL array designs by passive lateral coupling have potential applications in fields of on-chip photonic computing, quantum, and information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore companion movement laws of different age groups and transfer rules of panic emotion during evacuation at subway stations, evacuation groups of different ages were distinguished in this study through differences in movement rate. Moreover, a double-exit subway cellular automaton evacuation model considering companion behaviours was constructed. A case study of evacuation of dense crowds at the Hukou Subway in Wuhan City of China was simulated, and effects of personnel structure, companion behaviours, and panic emotion on evacuation efficiency were analysed. Results show that, (1) the overall crowd evacuation time present a linear growth trend with the increase of pedestrian density. (2) The evacuation time initially decreases and then increases with the increase of companion ratio. The shortest evacuation time is achieved when the companion cells account for 10 %. (3) People are more reasonable and the general evacuation efficiency is higher if they can control emotions better during evacuation. The obtained conclusions provide great references to analyse companion behaviours of different age groups during evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• AUS-CF infants had higher weight for age z-scores than US-CF infants over time. • AUS-CF infants had more Proteobacteria, related to continent or antibiotic prophylaxis. • Malnutrition and daily antibiotics were linked to changes in the microbiome with predicted functional changes. In cystic fibrosis (CF), pathophysiologic changes in the gastrointestinal tract lead to malnutrition and altered gut microbiome. Microbiome alterations have been linked to linear growth, gut inflammation and respiratory manifestations. Elucidating these gut microbiome alterations may provide insight into future nutritional management in CF. Infants were followed for 12-months at four sites in the United States (US-CF) and Australia (AUS-CF). 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on longitudinal stool samples. Associations between microbial abundance and age, antibiotic prophylaxis, malnutrition, and breast feeding were evaluated using generalized linear mixed models. Taxonomic and predictive functional features were compared between groups. Infants with CF (N = 78) were enrolled as part of a larger study. AUS-CF infants had higher mean weight-for-age z-scores than US-CF infants (p = 0.02). A subset of participants (CF N = 40, non-CF disease controls N = 10) provided stool samples for microbiome analysis. AUS-CF infants had lower stool alpha diversity compared to US-CF infants (p < 0.001). AUS-CF infants had higher relative abundance of stool Proteobacteria compared to US-CF infants which was associated with antibiotic prophylaxis (p < 0.001). Malnutrition (weight-for-age <10th percentile) was associated with depleted Lactococcus (p < 0.001). Antibiotic prophylaxis (p = 0.002) and malnutrition (p = 0.012) were linked with predicted decreased activity of metabolic pathways responsible for short chain fatty acid processing. In infants with CF, gut microbiome composition and diversity differed between the two continents. Gut microbial diversity was not linked to growth. The relationship between malnutrition and antibiotic prophylaxis with reduced SCFA fermentation could have implications for gut health and function and warrants additional investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the effects of evaporative cooling on systemic and mammary inflammation of lactating dairy cows, 30 multiparous Holstein cows (parity = 2.4, 156 d in milk) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: cooling (CL) with fans and misters or not (NC). The experiment was divided into a 10-d baseline when all cows were cooled, followed by a 36-d environmental challenge when cooling was terminated for NC cows. The onset of environmental challenge was considered as d 1. Temperature-humidity index averaged 78.4 during the environmental challenge. Milk yield and dry matter intake (DMI) were recorded daily. Blood and milk samples were collected from a subset of cows (n = 9/treatment) on d −3, 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 of the experiment to measure cortisol, interleukin 10 (IL10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), haptoglobin, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP). Mammary biopsies were collected from a second subset of cows (n = 6/treatment) on d −9, 2, 10, and 36 to analyze gene expression of cytokines and haptoglobin. A subset of cows (n = 7/treatment) who were not subjected to mammary biopsy collection received a bolus of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the left rear quarter on d 30 of the experiment. Blood was sampled from cows and milk samples from the LPS-infused quarter were collected at −4, 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 h relative to infusion, for analyses of inflammatory products. Deprivation of cooling decreased milk yield and DMI. Compared with CL cows, plasma cortisol concentration of NC cows was higher on d 1 but lower on d 28 of the experiment (cooling × time). Deprivation of cooling did not affect circulating TNF-α, IL10, haptoglobin, or LBP. Compared with CL cows, NC cows tended to have higher milk IL10 concentrations but did not show effects in TNF-α, haptoglobin, or LBP. No differences were observed in mammary tissue gene expression of TNF-α, IL10, and haptoglobin. Milk yield declined after LPS infusion but was not affected by treatment. Compared with CL cows, NC cows had greater milk somatic cell count following intramammary LPS infusion. Non-cooled cows had lower circulating TNF-α and IL10 concentrations and tended to have lower circulating haptoglobin concentrations than CL cows. Milk IL10 and TNF-⍺ concentrations were higher 3 h after LPS infusion for NC cows compared with CL cows. Additionally, NC cows tended to have higher milk haptoglobin concentration after LPS infusion than CL cows. In conclusion, deprivation of evaporative cooling had minimal effects on lactating cows' basal inflammatory status, but upregulated mammary inflammatory responses after intramammary LPS infusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to perform genome-wide association study to identify genomic regions associated with milk production and cheese-making properties (CMP) in Walloon Holstein cows. The studied traits were milk yield, fat percentage, protein percentage, casein percentage (CNP), calcium content, somatic cell score (SCS), coagulation time, curd firmness after 30 min from rennet addition, and titratable acidity. The used data have been collected from 2014 to 2020 on 78,073 first-parity (485,218 test-day records), 48,766 second-parity (284,942 test-day records), and 21,948 third-parity (105,112 test-day records) Holstein cows distributed in 671 herds in the Walloon Region of Belgium. Data of 565,533 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), located on 29 Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) of 6,617 animals (1,712 males), were used. Random regression test-day models were used to estimate genetic parameters through the Bayesian Gibbs sampling method. The SNP solutions were estimated using a single-step genomic BLUP approach. The proportion of the total additive genetic variance explained by windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (with an average size of ∼216 KB) was calculated, and regions accounting for at least 1.0% of the total additive genetic variance were used to search for positional candidate genes. Heritability estimates for the studied traits ranged from 0.10 (SCS) to 0.53 (CNP), 0.10 (SCS) to 0.50 (CNP), and 0.12 (SCS) to 0.49 (CNP) in the first, second, and third parity, respectively. Genome-wide association analyses identified 6 genomic regions (BTA1, BTA14 [4 regions], and BTA20) associated with the considered traits. Genes including the SLC37A1 (BTA1), SHARPIN , MROH1 , DGAT1 , FAM83H , TIGD5 , MROH6 , NAPRT , ADGRB1 , GML , LYPD2 , JRK (BTA14), and TRIO (BTA20) were identified as positional candidate genes for the studied CMP. The findings of this study help to unravel the genomic background of a cow's ability for cheese production and can be used for the future implementation and use of genomic evaluation to improve the cheese-making traits in Walloon Holstein cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) is an economically important trait for dairy cows. Recently, we proposed a new N efficiency index (NEI), that simultaneously considers both NUE and N pollution. This study aimed to validate the genomic prediction for NEI and its composition traits and investigate the relationship between SNP effects estimated directly from NEI and indirectly from its composition traits. The NEI composition included genomic estimated breeding value of N intake (NINT), milk true protein N (MTPN) and milk urea N yield. The edited data were 132,899 records on 52,064 cows distributed in 773 herds. The pedigree contained 122,368 animals. Genotypic data of 566,294 SNP was available for 4514 individuals. A total of 4413 cows (including 181 genotyped) and 56 bulls (including 32 genotyped) were selected as the validation populations. The linear regression method was used to validate the genomic prediction of NEI and its composition traits using best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) and single‐step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP). The mean theoretical accuracies of validation populations obtained from ssGBLUP were higher than those obtained from BLUP for both NEI and its composition traits, ranging from 0.57 (MTPN) to 0.72 (NINT). The highest mean prediction accuracies for NEI and its composition traits were observed for the genotyped cows estimated under ssGBLUP, ranging from 0.48 (MTPN) to 0.66 (NINT). Furthermore, the SNP effects estimated from NEI composition traits, multiplied by the relative weight were the same as those estimated directly from NEI. This study preliminary showed that genomic prediction can be used for NEI, however, we acknowledge the need for further validation of this result in a larger dataset. Moreover, the SNP effects of NEI can be indirectly calculated using the SNP effects estimated from its composition traits. This study provided a basis for adding genomic information to establish NEI as part of future routine genomic evaluation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotor redesign approaches have been widely proposed to solve the thrust mismatch issue caused by scaling effects for basin model tests of horizontal axis floating wind turbines (FWTs). However, limited basin model tests utilized the thrust-matched rotor (TMR) to accurately evaluate the aerodynamic loads applying to the vertical axis FWTs. This paper described the detailed design approach of the TMR of floating straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) with a rated power of 5.3 MW. First, the AG455 airfoil was selected to replace the NACA0018 airfoil. AG455 airfoil can show a larger lift coefficient and a smaller drag coefficient at low Reynolds number. On this basis, the load distribution match algorithm was used to assign the blade pitch angle and chord length at each section of the blade. This method takes the spanwise load and load change rate of model-scaled blade and full-scaled blade as the constraint conditions. By adopting this method, the rotor thrust can be tailored to match the prototype values across a wide range of tip speed ratios. This design approach proves advantageous in assessing the aerodynamic performance of VAWTs under varying inflow wind speeds and unsteady wind conditions. The redesigned TMR model under low Reynolds number can meet Froude similarity criterion, which is helpful to improve the accuracy of vertical axis FWT model tests in the wave basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to assess the effects of the addition of dietary fermented feed (FF) on the growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal morphology, and number of cecal microorganisms of Sichuan white geese from 1 to 28 d of age. A total of 240, 1-day-old female geese were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates (eight birds per replicate). Geese in the control group were fed the basal diet (0.0% FF) and the experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% FF, respectively. The 5.0% FF and 7.5% FF groups had greater body weights (BW), average daily feed intakes (ADFI), and average daily gains (ADG) than the control group. The feed/gain ratio (F/G) in the 7.5% FF group was higher than the control group. The concentrations of immunoglobulin A (IGA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the 5.0% FF group were higher than those in the control group, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the 5.0% FF group was lower. Moreover, the FF did not affect the plasma biochemical indicators, number of cecal microorganisms, and intestinal morphology of geese in the groups. These findings indicate that 5.0% FF may improve the growth performance (BW, ADG, and ADFI), immunological function, and antioxidant capacity of Sichuan white geese from 1 to 28 days of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning (DL) methods further promote the development of quantitative structure–activity/property relationship (QSAR/QSPR) models by dealing with complex relationships between data. An acetylcholinesterase inhibitory toxicity model of ionic liquids (ILs) was established using a convolution neural network (CNN) combined with support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and multilayer perceptron (MLP). A CNN model was proposed for feature self-learning and extraction of ILs. By comparing with the model results through feature engineering (FE), the model regression results based on the CNN model for feature extraction have been substantially improved. The results showed that all six models (FE-SVM, FE-RF, FE-MLP, CNN-SVM, CNN-RF, and CNN-MLP) had good prediction accuracy, but the results based on the CNN model were better. The hyperparameters of six models were optimized by grid search and the 10-fold cross validation. Compared with the existing models in the literature, the model performance has been further improved. The model could be used as an intelligent tool to guide the design or screening of low-toxicity ILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usually, only one surface or one side of 3D structures is measured in Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (SLDV) tests due to test setup and instrumentation limitations. However, in this work, we demonstrate an approach to overcome these limitations while also using an SLDV that provides high spatial resolution measurement. In the case of a wind turbine blade, only one surface is typically measured. In most scenarios, only focusing on one surface of the blade is sufficient to characterize the dynamics of the global blade modes. However, as we show measurement of both surfaces offers valuable insights to explore both the global blade modes and the relative motions of the two surfaces of the blade. This work proposes and applies a new method of experimental modal testing on both surfaces of the wind turbine blade using a high spatial resolution 3D SLDV. The two surfaces of the wind turbine blade are scanned by the 3D SLDV respectively under the same global test coordinate system defined by several alignment objects. Then the two surfaces are stitched together to build the blade mode shapes of both surfaces. In the current testing, a total of over 1,500 points (4,500 response degrees of freedom for the 3D measurement) are scanned from both surfaces of the blade in a non-contact fashion to obtain the flap-wise, edge-wise, and torsional mode shapes of the blade. The orthogonality of the measured mode shapes, either one surface or both surfaces, is validated by the correlation tool, Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC). The effectiveness of the two-surface measurement is demonstrated by comparing the drive point Frequency Response Function and by correlating the mode shapes from the two surfaces. With the high spatial resolution 3D SLDV measurement, local panel modes of the wind turbine blade are observed from the mode shapes. Especially the panel breathing mode can only be revealed due to the two-surface measurement. This work also provides a useful reference for the wind turbine blade designers and researchers for design, structural analysis, and reliability study on the wind turbine blade. The two-surface measurement technique proposed in this work is demonstrated on a wind turbine blade, and it will also be applicable for other types of two-surface shell-type structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case of Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR) in a 61-year-old woman with diffuse cutaneous systemic scleroderma. The patient presented with slightly blurred vision and was diagnosed with bilateral PLR upon ophthalmologic examination. Fundus photography and ultra-widefield OCT-angiography revealed multiple cotton-wool spots, Purtscher flecken, and intraretinal hemorrhages. The patient received plasma exchange and symptomatic therapy but unfortunately passed away 10 days later due to refractory heart failure and cardiogenic shock. PLR is a rare occlusive microangiopathy associated with systemic conditions, and this case adds to the limited number of reported cases associated with systemic scleroderma. [Extracted from the article]

By starting with the assumption that motion is fundamentally a decision making problem, we use the world‐line concept from Special Relativity as the inspiration for a novel multi‐agent path planning method. We have identified a particular set of problems that have so far been overlooked by previous works. We present our solution for the global path planning problem for each agent and ensure smooth local collision avoidance for each pair of agents in the scene. We accomplish this by modelling the collision‐free trajectories of the agents through 2D space and time as rods in 3D. We obtain smooth trajectories by solving a non‐linear optimization problem with a quasi‐Newton interior point solver, initializing the solver with a non‐intersecting configuration from a modified Dijkstra's algorithm. This space–time formulation allows us to simulate previously ignored phenomena such as highly heterogeneous interactions in very constrained environments. It also provides a solution for scenes with unnaturally symmetric agent alignments without the need for jittering agent positions or velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and identify genomic regions associated with selected individual and groups of milk fatty acids (FA) predicted by milk mid-infrared spectrometry in Dual-Purpose Belgian Blue cows. The used data were 69,349 test-day records of milk yield, fat percentage, and protein percentage along with selected individual and groups FA of milk (g/dL milk) collected from 2007 to 2020 on 7,392 first-parity (40,903 test-day records), and 5,185 second-parity (28,446 test-day records) cows distributed in 104 herds in the Walloon Region of Belgium. Data of 28,466 SNPs, located on 29 Bos taurus autosomes (BTA), of 1,699 animals (639 males and 1,060 females) were used. Random regression test-day models were used to estimate genetic parameters through the Bayesian Gibbs sampling method. The SNP solutions were estimated using a single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction approach. The proportion of genetic variance explained by each 25-SNP sliding window (with an average size of ~2 Mb) was calculated, and regions accounting for at least 1.0% of the total additive genetic variance were used to search for candidate genes. Average daily heritability estimated for the included milk FA traits ranged from 0.01 (C4:0) to 0.48 (C12:0) and 0.01 (C4:0) to 0.42 (C12:0) in the first and second parities, respectively. Genetic correlations found between milk yield and the studied individual milk FA, except for C18:0, C18:1 trans , C18:1 cis -9, were positive. The results showed that fat percentage and protein percentage were positively genetically correlated with all studied individual milk FA. Genome-wide association analyses identified 11 genomic regions distributed over 8 chromosomes [BTA1, BTA4, BTA10, BTA14 (4 regions), BTA19, BTA22, BTA24, and BTA26] associated with the studied FA traits, though those found on BTA14 partly overlapped. The genomic regions identified differed between parities and lactation stages. Although these differences in genomic regions detected may be due to the power of quantitative trait locus detection, it also suggests that candidate genes underlie the phenotypic expression of the studied traits may vary between parities and lactation stages. These findings increase our understanding about the genetic background of milk FA and can be used for the future implementation of genomic evaluation to improve milk FA profile in Dual-Purpose Belgian Blue cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comprehensively consider the mechanical properties of miscellaneous fill, this study conducted triaxial experiments to investigate the strength characteristics of miscellaneous fill samples with different stone content, stone size, and dry density. The results reveal that, as the rock content increases, the cohesion gradually decreases and the friction angle gradually increases. As the rock size increases, the cohesion increases and the internal friction angle decreases. As the dry density of miscellaneous fill increases, the cohesion and internal friction angle gradually increase. Under a single factor, the cohesion and internal friction angle have a linear relationship with the rock content, fractal dimension of rock particles, and dry density of miscellaneous fill. Based on a single factor, a model for predicting the mechanical properties of miscellaneous fill under multiple factors is proposed, and it was confirmed that the proposed model has good accuracy. Thus, the strength parameters of miscellaneous fill under multiple factors were predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection for reproductive components in various pig populations in the world has been successfully performed. This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters and genetic trends of reproductive traits of Taiwan Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire pigs. Data were extracted from the Taiwan Swine Registry Database from 2009 to June 2018. The number of farrowing records used in this study was 6,504, 6,398, and 2,178 for Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire, respectively. Litter traits measured were the number of piglets born alive (NBA), number of piglets at 21 days of age (N21D), litter weight at birth (LWB), and litter weight at 21 days of age (LW21D). Variances estimates obtained from univariate analysis with a repeatability model were used to estimate heritability and repeatability. Heritability estimates were 0.058±0.017, 0.037±0.014, and 0.101±0.032 for NBA; 0.086±0.018, 0.102±0.019, and 0.151±0.035 for N21D; 0.036±0.011, 0.111±0.021, and 0.330±0.05 for LWB; 0.119±0.020, 0.168±0.023, and 0.237±0.045 for LW21D in the Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire breeds, respectively. The genetic trends of NBA were 0.005 piglets/year for the Duroc and 0.002/piglets for the Landrace. In Yorkshire, conversely, there was no significant genetic improvement of NBA, but there was a 0.011 kg/year improvement of LWB. Among all genetic trends, it was shown that genetic gain in Taiwan pig populations was very low. In addition, it also suggested that genomic selection could be used in the Taiwan pig breeding program to push the rate of genetic gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]