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ABSTRACT: We investigated the effects of road transportation and administration of the vitamin E and selenium (ESe) on circulating cortisol, haptoglobin, blood metabolites, oxidative biomarkers, white blood cell profiles, and behaviors in pregnant dairy heifers. Forty pregnant Holstein heifers were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments: no transportation and no ESe administration, no transportation and ESe administration, transportation and no administration, and transportation and ESe administration. The ESe (70 IU/kg dry matter feed of dl-α-tocopheryl acetate and 0.3 mg/kg dry matter feed of sodium selenite) was orally delivered once a day from 7 d before transportation to 3 d after transportation. The heifers were transported in trucks designed for cattle transportation. Blood was collected 1 h before transportation, immediately after transportation (IAT), and at 6, 24, and 48 h after transportation. Behaviors were recorded using a video camera for 2 consecutive days after transportation. Transported/non-ESe-administered heifers had greater cortisol at IAT, haptoglobin at 6 and 24 h after transportation, total oxidative status at 6 h after transportation, and nonesterified fatty acid levels, white blood cell numbers, and neutrophil percentages at IAT and 6 h after transportation in the blood than nontransported heifers. Transported/non-ESe-administered heifers had lower total antioxidative status levels at 48 h after transportation and lymphocyte percentages at IAT and 6 h after transportation than nontransported heifers. Lying time was shorter in transported heifers than nontransported/non-ESe-administered heifers. Transported/ESe-administered heifers had lower cortisol, total oxidative status, nonesterified fatty acid levels at IAT, and haptoglobin concentrations at 6 and 24 h after transportation than transported/non-ESe-administered heifers. Transported/ESe-administered heifers had greater total antioxidative status levels at 48 h after transportation than transported/non-ESe-administered heifers. No ESe administration effects were observed for white blood cell number and neutrophil and lymphocyte percentages and lying time. In conclusion, road transportation caused temporary oxidative stress. Administrating ESe partially alleviated the stress, suggesting that ESe administration could be a viable strategy to reduce stress in transported pregnant heifers, providing a novel role of vitamin E and selenium for improving animal welfare.

The Tb3+ or Eu3+-doped Lu2Gd1Ga2Al3O12 phosphor were fabricated by funace at 1500 °C for 12 h using a solid state reaction. The XRD (X-ray diffraction_Panalytical X'Pert Pro) and FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscope) are measured to confirm the crystalline structure and surface morphology of the phosphor. The Tb3+-doped Lu2Gd1Ga2Al3O12 phosphor emits the lights in 470∼650 nm wavelength range due to transitions from 5D4 to 7Fj.Therefore, it shows the green region in the CIE chromaticity diagram under both UV and X-rays excitations. The Eu3+-doped Lu2Gd1Ga2Al3O12 phosphor emits the lights in 550∼750 nm wavelength range because of 5Di to 7Fj. The emission is confirmed to be in the red region using the CIE chromaticity diagram. The Tb3+ or Eu3+-doped Lu2Gd1Ga2Al3O12 phosphor shows the characteristic f-f transition with a long decay time, which is about several milliseconds. They have the high efficiency of light emission for X-ray because of their high effective Z number (Zeff = 58.5) and density. Therefore, they are very much promising phosphors for X-ray imaging application in medical fields.

This study explores four different ways (tap water, deionized water, sodium chloride, and seawater) as the pretreatment methods of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) bottom ash used in mortar. After incorporation of the bottom ash as partial replacement of fine aggregate, the mixtures were evaluated for compressive strength, heat of hydration, chloride content and shrinkage performance. The results reveal that all pretreated samples have comparable compressive strength at early age (day-7) and higher compressive strength at later age (day-120). Meanwhile, the pretreatment in tap water and deionized water can slightly reduce the chloride content, whereas the other two pretreatment methods induce extra chloride ions into the mixtures. The correlation between the chloride content and the peak temperature indicates the acceleration effect of chloride ions during hydration. In addition, all the specimens with pretreated MSWI aggregates have higher shrinkage regardless of pretreatment methods.

Objective: Lateral flow assays (LFA) are sensitive for detecting antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 proteins within weeks after infection. This study tested samples from immunocompetent adults, and those receiving treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases (CID), before and after mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Methods: We compared results obtained with the COVIBLOCK Covid-19 LFA to those obtained by anti-spike (S) ELISA. Results: The LFA detected anti-S antibodies in 29 of 29 (100%) of the immunocompetent and 110 of 126 (87.3%) of the CID participants after vaccination. Semiquantitative LFA scores were statistically significantly lower in samples from immunosuppressed participants, and were significantly correlated with anti-S antibody levels measured by ELISA. Conclusions: This simple LFA test is a practical alternative to laboratory-based assays for detecting anti-S antibodies after infection or vaccination. This type of test may be most useful for testing people in outpatient or resource-limited settings.

Abstract In a previous study, the authors investigated that abnormal Vth behaviour could occur due to polyimide charging when a voltage was applied to the gate in thin film transistors fabricated on polyimide substrates. The authors propose a barrier structure that could prevent this charging effect when fabricating flexible thin film transistors on polyimide substrates. The barrier layer was changed to an SiOCH/SiO2 double layer to reduce the influence of fluorine ions generated in PI by negative bias temperature stress. To confirm the effect of the SiOCH layer, Al/PI/SiO2/Al, Al/PI/SiOCH/SiO2/Al metal‐insulator‐metal capacitors were fabricated and electrical properties were measured. When bias stress was applied, changes in current and capacitance were observed only in the device with a single SiO2 barrier layer. In addition, it was confirmed through secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements that the Si–CH3 bonds in the SiOCH layer were replaced with Si–F bonds by the fluorine ions originating from PI. It was also verified that the abnormal behaviour of Vth did not occur after negative bias temperature stress of the thin film transistor fabricated using an SiOCH/SiO2 double layer.

Objective The recent hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) shortage due to use in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has forced some rheumatic disease patients to choose between continuing their current dose of HCQ but exhaust their supply early or ration it in order to prolong its use. Blood HCQ concentrations are directly correlated with disease activity in rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. We sought to model how changes in HCQ dosage will best maintain sufficient blood HCQ concentrations for the longest period of time in order to avoid potential future flares. Methods A one‐compartment pharmacokinetic model was used to predict mean blood HCQ concentrations. Monte Carlo simulations with 10‐fold inflated model parameter variance was utilized to assess the impact of variability. Results Maintenance of 400 mg/d resulted in mean therapeutic whole‐blood HCQ concentrations that exceeded 700 ng/ml for 10.5 days, whereas HCQ rationing by reducing the dose by half resulted in the mean concentration remaining above 700 ng/ml for 2.4 days (net gain = 8 days). Variability analysis demonstrates that results may differ at the individual level, dependent on baseline blood HCQ concentrations. Conclusion Although mean blood concentrations exceed 700 ng/ml for a longer time if patients maintain their full dose of HCQ, more information is needed to fully understand the elimination of HCQ at the patient level, particularly the contribution of tissue stores of HCQ transiting back into the blood.

This paper is concerned with the numerical optimization of the thickness-wise CNT (carbon nanotube) distribution in functionally graded CNT-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) beams to secure the structural safety. The FG-CNTRC in which CNTs are inserted according to the specific thickness-wise distribution pattern are extensively investigated for high-performance engineering applications. The mechanical behaviors of FG-CNTRC structures are definitely affected by the distribution pattern of CNTs through the thickness. Hence, the tailoring of suitable CNT distribution pattern is an essential subject in the design of FG-CNTRC structure for a given boundary and loading conditions. Nevertheless, the thickness-wise CNT distribution pattern has been assumed by several linear functions so that these assumed primitive patterns cannot appropriately respond to arbitrary loading and boundary conditions. In this context, this paper aims to introduce a numerical method for optimally tailoring the CNT distribution pattern of FG-CNTRC beams. As a preliminary stage, the effective stress is defined as the objective function and the layer-wise CNT volume fractions are chosen as the design variables. The exterior penalty-function method and golden section method are adopted for the optimization formulation, together with finite difference scheme for the design sensitivity analysis. The proposed optimization method is illustrated and validated through the benchmark experiments, such that it successfully provides an optimum CNT distribution which can significantly minimize the effective stress, with a stable and rapid convergence in the iterative optimization process.

Arabidopsis thaliana L. ecotype Dijon-G (Di-G) showed a different symptom development during pathogenesis compared to ecotype Columbia-0 (Col-0). Previously, it has been shown that Di-G has a higher susceptibility to necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola than Col-0. In this study, Di-G showed enhanced disease susceptibility to necrotrophic fungi Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Sclerotium rolfsii known to secrete oxalic acid (OA) as a pathogenicity factor. Treatment with 50 and 100 mM OA resulted in a more leaf tissue collapse in Di-G than in Col-0. The OA also up-regulated expression of the salicylic acid (SA)-inducible pathogenesis-related gene 1 (PR1) and down-regulated expression of the jasmonic acid/ethylene-inducible defensin PDF1.2 gene in Di-G. By contrast, Di-G was resistant to hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum and biotrophic Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) infections. Application of 0.5 mM SA resulted in a higher accumulation of endogenous SA and in a preferential expression of SA-responsive genes in Di-G. Salicylic acid accelerated OA-triggered plant cell death and attenuated PDF1.2 expression in Di-G. These results suggest that the enhanced susceptibility of Di-G to necrotrophic pathogen infections might be mediated by attenuated JA-ethylene defence signalling and/or heightened SA-related defence signalling. Interaction of SA-signalling with OA secretion might be also involved in the enhanced susceptibility of Di-G.

Nanostructured thermoelectric materials receiving great attention for its high thermoelectric performance. In this research, nanostructured n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 alloys have prepared using high energy ball milling and followed by spark plasma sintering. Also, we have varied ball milling time to investigate milling time parameter on the thermoelectric properties of n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 powder. The powders were discrete at 10 min milling and later particles tend to agglomerate at higher milling time due to cold welding. The bulk fracture surface display multi-scale grains where small grains intersperse in between large grains. The maximum Seebeck coefficient value was obtained at 20-min milling time due to their lower carrier density. The κ values were decreased with increasing milling time due to the decreasing trend observed in their κL values. The highest ZT of 0.7 at 350 K was observed for 30-min milling time which was ascribed to its lower thermal conductivity. The Vickers hardness values also greatly improved due to their fine microstructure.

In this study, we developed a multi-channel fiber-optic temperature sensor system (FTSS) using an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR). The developed FTSS consists of fiber-optic temperature-sensing probes, a fiber-optic coupler, a transmitting optical fiber, and an OTDR. The fiber-optic temperature-sensing probes comprise silicon oil, a nickel-plated brass cap, a fiber channel (FC) terminator, and a single-mode optical fiber. The developed FTSS has four channels, which have fiber-optic temperature-sensing probes, connected using single-mode optical fibers of different lengths. Silicon oil is employed as a temperature-sensing material, as its refractive index changes with the temperature variations. We measured the optical powers of the reflected light signals (Fresnel reflection), which are generated at the interface between the silicon oil and core of the single-mode optical fiber in the distal ends of the sensing probes. The optical powers of the four channels of the FTSS were measured to simultaneously determine individual temperatures at four different points using an OTDR. Keywords: Fiber-optic temperature sensor, Optical time-domain reflectometer, Fresnel reflection, Multi-channel

Shoulder joint disorders are a major cause of forelimb lameness in dogs, and osteochondrosis, degenerative joint disease, and bicipital tenosynovitis are common joint disorders that have been reported in dogs. Many studies have investigated pain management after arthroscopy in human medicine, but reports from veterinary medicine are rare. Ropivacaine is a new amide local anaesthetic drug and a single isomer drug that is used more widely than bupivacaine in human medicine because it has fewer side effects. The present study was conducted to evaluate the analgesic effect of intra-articular injection of ropivacaine after arthroscopic surgery in dog shoulder joints. To accomplish this, ten dogs were randomly divided into two groups of five who underwent the same anaesthesia protocol and shoulder arthroscopic examination. After shoulder arthroscopy, ropivacaine or 0.9% NaCl was injected into the shoulder joint cavity and the dogs were evaluated at one hour, two hours, four hours, six hours, 12 hours and 24 hours after surgery. The evaluated parameters were heart rate, respiratory rate, lameness score, visual analogue scale and the short form of the Glasgow composite measure pain scale. Ropivacaine showed a higher analgesic effect than 0.9% NaCl, indicating that it may be useful for pain management following arthroscopic surgery in dogs.

We estimated the heritabilities (h2) and genetic and phenotypic correlations among individual and groups of fatty acids, as well as their correlations with six important carcass and meat-quality traits in Korean Hanwoo cattle. Meat samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi muscles of 1000 Hanwoo steers that were 30-month-old (progeny of 85 proven Hanwoo bulls) to determine intramuscular fatty acid profiles. Phenotypic data on carcass weight (CWT), eye muscle area (EMA), back fat thickness (BFT), marbling score (MS), Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and intramuscular fat content (IMF) were also investigated using this half-sib population. Variance and covari.ance components were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood procedures under univariate and pairwise bivariate animal models. Oleic acid (C18:1n-9) was the most abundant fatty acid, accounting for 50.69% of all investigated fatty acids, followed by palmitic (C16:0; 27.33%) and stearic acid (C18:0; 10.96%). The contents of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were 41.64%, 56.24% and 2.10%, respectively, and the MUFA/SFA ratio, PUFA/SFA ratio, desaturation index (DI) and elongation index (EI) were 1.36, 0.05, 0.59 and 0.66, respectively. The h2 estimates for individual fatty acids ranged from very low to high (0.03±0.14 to 0.63±0.14). The h2 estimates for SFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs, DI and EI were 0.53±0.14, 0.49±0.14, 0.23±0.10, 0.51±0.13 and 0.53±0.13, respectively. The genetic and phenotypic correlations among individual fatty acids and fatty acid classes varied widely (−0.99 to 0.99). Notably, C18:1n-9 had favourable (negative) genetic correlations with two detrimental fatty acids, C14:0 (−0.76) and C16:0 (−0.92). Genetic correlations of individual and group fatty acids with CWT, EMA, BFT, MS, WBSF and IMF ranged from low to moderate (both positive and negative) with the exception of low-concentration PUFAs. Low or near-zero phenotypic correlations reflected potential non-genetic contributions. This study provides insights on genetic variability and correlations among intramuscular fatty acids as well as correlations between fatty acids and carcass and meat-quality traits, which could be used in Hanwoo breeding programmes to improve fatty acid compositions in meat.

Extranodal marginal zone B-cell type lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in dogs has similar properties to human low-grade B-cell lymphoma. Both are characterised by a relatively low mitotic rate and a slow manifestation of clinical signs. Primary MALT lymphoma of the third eyelid in canines is very rare. In this case report we describe bilateral MALT lymphoma in a 21-month-old miniature poodle. Histological analysis indicated that the masses were mainly composed of lymphoid cells and lymphoepithelial lesions, a typical feature of MALT lymphoma. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the neoplastic cells were positive for CD79α, but negative for CD3. We believe that this case report will facilitate the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of canine MALT lymphoma of the third eyelid.

Lithium yittrium/lanthanum borate glasses doped with Sm ion were prepared by melt quenching technique. Both glasses were studied comparatively in Sm ion local environment and its effect to luminescence properties. XANES indicated that Sm ions in both glasses act as Sm3+ similar as original in Sm2O3 powder. EXFAS result showed that Sm3+ in both glasses are surrounded with first shell neighbor by six particles of oxygen. Sm-O distance and its fluctuation value in LiYBSm is larger than in LiLaSm glass. Latter value represents more asymmetric environment around Sm3+ in LiYB than in LiLaB system. This lead to better ability of absorption and emission in LiYBSm glass which appear in the spectra. The first and second strongest emission of both glasses belong to photon with 600 and 646 nm, via 403 excitation wavelength. From J-O analysis, LiYBSm glass performs more potential than LiLaSm, for using as lasing medium in high power laser with 600 nm and low-energy consumption laser with 646 nm. Keywords: Glass, Samarium, EXAFS, Judd Ofelt

Two dogs were presented owing to sudden rapid growth of cutaneous masses greater than 10 cm on the neck and axillary region, respectively. Based on history and results of physical examinations, blood work, fine needle aspiration, histopathological examination, and computed tomography, inoperable grade III infiltrating mast cell tumours were diagnosed. After the initiation of imatinib treatment, the masses markedly shrank and became undetectable within 10 days in both dogs, although none of the tumour specimens showed evidence of mutations in sequencing of c-kit exons 8 and 11. These results suggest that imatinib could be a therapeutic option in patients with surgically inoperable canine mast cell tumours, even those that are histopathologically high grade without c-kit exon 8 or 11 mutations.

An intact female Maltese dog, rescued two months previously, and weighing 2.7 kg, was presented for ovariohysterectomy. There were no typical clinical signs and evidences of parturitions. A firm abdominal mass was palpated, which was identified as a round-shaped radiopaque mass in survey radiography. The mass was tentatively diagnosed as an extrauterine foetus with mummification on computed tomography (CT). Surgical removal of the mass and ovariohysterectomy were performed. Histopathological examination yielded a final diagnosis of abdominal ectopic pregnancy

Spindle cell lipoma is a benign lipomatous tumour that mainly occurs in the subcutis of the head, neck, and shoulder in elderly men. Oral spindle cell lipoma is extremely rare in all species, and no cases have been reported in veterinary medicine. A 10-year-old male Maltese dog was presented for evaluation of a white- to cream-coloured gingival mass. Microscopically, the mass was composed of mature fat cells and spindle cells containing thick fibrocollagenous bundles. The neoplastic cells showed positive immunoreactivity to vimentin and CD34. Based on the clinical and histopathological findings, spindle cell lipoma of the gingiva was diagnosed. Further immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both adipocytes and spindle cells exhibited positive reactions to oestrogen receptors α and β. These findings demonstrate the clinical, morphological, and immunohistochemical characteristics of an oral spindle cell tumour. The potential role of sex steroid hormones in the pathogenesis of this tumour is also discussed.

Recent advances have raised hope that transplantation of adherent somatic cells could provide dramatic new therapies for various diseases. However, current methods for transplanting adherent somatic cells are not efficient enough for therapeutic applications. Here, we report the development of a novel method to generate quasi-natural cell blocks for high-efficiency transplantation of adherent somatic cells. The blocks were created by providing a unique environment in which cultured cells generated their own extracellular matrix. Initially, stromal cells isolated from mice were expanded in vitro in liquid cell culture medium followed by transferring the cells into a hydrogel shell. After incubation for 1 day with mechanical agitation, the encapsulated cell mass was perforated with a thin needle and then incubated for an additional 6 days to form a quasi-natural cell block. Allograft transplantation of the cell block into C57BL/6 mice resulted in perfect adaptation of the allograft and complete integration into the tissue of the recipient. This method could be widely applied for repairing damaged cells or tissues, stem cell transplantation, ex vivo gene therapy, or plastic surgery.

Trichinellosis is a parasitic zoonosis that is of importance to public health; human trichinellosis usually occurs when improperly cooked pork or wild animal meat is consumed. The purpose of this study was to determine the nationwide seroprevalence of Trichinella infection in wild boar and domestic pig populations in Korea. Using ELISA, we detected no seropositivity among the serum samples of 2350 domestic pigs collected in 2013, indicating that the domestic cycles of Trichinella spp. have disappeared from the domestic pig population in Korea. In contrast, approximately 13% of the 434 wild boars hunted in 2013 were seropositive. Furthermore, the seroprevalence of six of the seven provinces was between 6.7% and 18.3%, indicating that Trichinella infection occurred in the wild boar population throughout the country. The results of this study suggest that Trichinella circulates in the wild boar population and could be transmitted from infected wild boars to other wildlife, domestic pigs, and humans in Korea. Therefore, we recommend continued surveillance of Trichinella infection prevalence in wild animals and an appropriate strategy to prevent human infection in Korea.

Rhabdoid tumours (RTs) are rare, highly aggressive tumours of undetermined origin in humans, and are sub-classified as renal/extrarenal RTs depending on location. The origins of extrarenal rhabdoid tumours are an enigma and neoplasms have rarely been reported in non-primate species. An 11-year-old male Maltese dog was presented with a submandibular mass. Histologically, the mass was composed of sheets of highly pleomorphic "rhabdoid" cells, further characterised by the presence of large epithelioid cells with globular/fibrillar paranuclear inclusions. Further immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the neoplastic cells were positive for vimentin and desmin similar to human tumours. In addition, ultrastructural analysis showed that the intracytoplasmic inclusions were mainly composed of whorled bundles of intermediate filaments. Our results suggest a useful diagnostic approach to cutaneous, extrarenal rhabdoid tumours in dogs and describe their characteristics.