Cross Type Research Articles

Paternal leakage of plastids rescues inter-lineage hybrids in Silene nutans.

Organelle genomes are usually maternally inherited in angiosperms. However, biparental inheritance has been observed, especially in hybrids resulting from crosses between divergent genetic lineages. When it concerns the plastid genome, this exceptional mode of inheritance might rescue inter-lineage hybrids suffering from plastid-nuclear incompatibilities. Genetically differentiated lineages of Silene nutans exhibit strong postzygotic isolation owing to plastid-nuclear incompatibilities, highlighted by inter-lineage hybrid chlorosis and mortality. Surviving hybrids can exhibit variegated leaves, which might indicate paternal leakage of the plastid genome. We tested whether the surviving hybrids inherited the paternal plastid genome and survived thanks to paternal leakage. We characterized the leaf phenotype (fully green, variegated or white) of 504 surviving inter-lineage hybrids obtained from a reciprocal cross experiment among populations of four genetic lineages (W1, W2, W3 and E1) of S. nutans from Western Europe and genotyped 560 leaf samples (both green and white leaves for variegated hybrids) using six lineage-specific plastid single nucleotide polymorphisms. A high proportion of the surviving hybrids (≤98 %) inherited the paternal plastid genome, indicating paternal leakage. The level of paternal leakage depended on cross type and cross direction. The E1 and W2 lineages as maternal lineages led to the highest hybrid mortality and to the highest paternal leakage from W1 and W3 lineages in the few surviving hybrids. This was consistent with E1 and W2 lineages, which contained the most divergent plastid genomes. When W3 was the mother, more hybrids survived, and no paternal leakage was detected. By providing a plastid genome potentially more compatible with the hybrid nuclear background, paternal leakage has the potential to rescue inter-lineage hybrids from plastid-nuclear incompatibilities. This phenomenon might slow down the speciation process, provided hybrid survival and reproduction can occur in the wild.

Phenotypic Characteristics of Indigenous Goats in Benin

Introduction: Phenotypic characterization contributes to the knowledge of breeds and their sustainable use. The present study assessed the possibility of using factorial analysis of mixed data (FAMD) combined with hierarchical clusters on principal components to manage goat characteristics. Materials and methods: A total of 1644 adult male and female indigenous goats were randomly sampled across different climate zones (Guinean, Sudanian-Guinean, and Sudanian zone) of Benin. The samples were investigated in terms of 20 body measurements (head length, right and left horn length, right and left ear length, neck girth, neck length, cannon length, cannon bone circumference, body length, heart girth, tail length, body weight, Rump width, withers height, chest depth, back height, rump height, rump depth, and age) and 12 qualitative traits sex, coat color, color pattern, horn presence, horn shape, horn orientation, ear orientation, head profile, beard presence, wattles presence, back profile, and rump profile). Data analysis was performed using FAMD and hierarchical clusters on principal components. Results: The findings indicated three types of goats with distinct characteristics. The first goat type had a small size (35.65 cm in withers and 38.29 cm in back height), while the third type had a large size (57.02 cm in withers and 59.08 in back height ). The second genetic type had a medium size (47.31 cm and 50.01 cm for withers and back height, respectively) resulting from the previous types of genetic crosses. Conclusion: The results indicate the efficiency of FAMD-based cluster analysis in handling phenotypic data.

A Refined Combined Grid Model for Characterizing Concealed Microcracks with Various Geometric Shapes Based on Radar Signal Processing

The concealed microcracks in shield tunnel lining present the characteristics of being of small size, unknown shape, and are difficult to detect. Based on the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) approach, this study proposed a new construction method of a refined grid accommodating and combining the variable shapes of microcracks, and capable of designing cross type, mesh type, and wave type microcrack models. The proposed new method also configured steel bars in the models to simulate actual engineering conditions, and characteristic response images of the models under different working conditions were obtained using ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology, which were then compared and analyzed to identify the imaging characteristics and differences of microcracks with variable geometric shapes. The waveform, amplitude, and time span of the characteristic single channel signal were furthermore studied. The results showed that the new method could successfully simulate the GPR characteristic response images of 0.5[Formula: see text]mm microcracks of diverse geometric shapes. When the microcracks were wavy, their real shape could only be determined after signal pre-processing; the density and quantity of steel bars directly affected the appearance of microcrack characteristic signals; the greater the density and quantity of steel bars, the greater the interference on the waveform, amplitude, and time-frequency range of electromagnetic wave signals; a special correlation existed between the maximum mean root square value of the amplitude and the single channel signal of the cracks. Moreover, the finding that the extension in time and distance in the GPR time distance profile intersected with the cracks was deemed potentially to provide fresh insights into identifying the characteristic points of the cracks in the GPR images. The new method proposed in this study successfully obtained the GPR numerical simulation images and characteristic signals of microcracks with variable geometric shapes. Through the processing and analysis of the characteristic response signals of microcracks, the conclusions obtained were considered to provide an interpretation basis for the detection of microcracks in practical engineering.

Stability prediction and optimization of multi-regenerative weak stiffness grinding system based on microstructured tool

Chatter is a serious problem in grinding, which will directly affect machining accuracy, efficiency, tool wear and even damage machine tools. In order to understand and avoid grinding chatter, a stability prediction and optimization method of multi-regenerative weak stiffness grinding system based on microstructured tool is innovatively proposed. It is the first time to use microstructured tools to ensure the system stability without sacrificing the material removal rate, which offers promise for weak stiffness grinding. Firstly, a multi-random geometric model of microstructured grinding wheel is established, considering the shape, distribution, microstructure patterns and truing conditions of abrasive grains. On this basis, considering the regulating effect of microstructure patterns on workpiece regeneration delay and tool wear delay of grinding system with large aspect ratio, a multi-regeneration stability model based on microstructure tool is established. Then, the experiments of grinding wheel microstructuring, internal thread grinding and profile measurement are carried out. The results show that the theoretical model established can accurately predict the grinding stability boundaries. The microstructure types can be arranged in descending order according to the optimization degree of grinding chatter: composite type, cross type, oblique type and linear type. Compared with the grinding wheel without microstructures, the microstructured grinding wheel can increase the speed limit deviation by 12.2 % − 54.0 %, which basically solves the chatter problem at high rotation speed. The wear resistance of microstructured grinding wheel is improved by 44.2 %, the tooth profile angle error and bottom fillet radius of workpiece are reduced by 92.3 % and 90.4 % respectively, and the maximum tooth height difference and average tooth height error are reduced by 90.6 % and 87.5 % respectively.

New finds of crosses from the churchyard of the Church of the Savior in Tobolsk

The subject of the study in the presented article is two crosses from the graves of the Spassky cemetery of Tobolsk. They were discovered during the rescue archaeological excavations in 2022. The range of analogies of the considered finds, as well as their territorial distribution, is considered. A number of issues related to their dating based on typologically identical finds, as well as the chronology of the existence of the churchyard at this church, are touched upon. One of the illustrative specimens in the collection was a rare type of white bronze alloy cross with a crucifixion of Christ on the obverse and an image of an angel on the reverse, originating from burial No. 4. On this cross, the attributes of the Passion Cycle are considered. The analysis showed that such a find, although it has analogies, is still not completely identical to them. It is concluded that the studied type of cross has iconographic origins in the works of European masters. Baroque secular art also had a great influence on the further development of the forms and content of such crosses. The author findings are based on typologies developed by E.P. Vinokurova and V.I. Molodin. The finds were compared with a circle of typologically similar crosses from the territory of Russia and Ukraine, and their chronology was clarified. Identification and comparative analysis of the attributes of the Passion Cycle have been carried out. On the basis of a set of features, their common and distinctive features are revealed. Over the past decades of archaeological research in Tobolsk, a number of archaeologists have collected a representative database of objects of personal piety. For a number of reasons, these findings are not always promptly and fully published, which creates gaps in the source database. The scientific novelty of the presented article is the contribution to the stavrographic collection from the excavations of the churchyard of the Church of the Savior in 2022. Of particular interest is the well-preserved cross No. 4 with a crucifixion, which had not previously been found during excavations in Tobolsk and its surroundings. It is concluded that the studied crosses have iconographic origins in the works of European masters. The further development of the forms and content of such crosses was also greatly influenced by Baroque secular art.

Новые находки нательных крестов на территории исторической Алании (II)

Introduction. One of the material evidences of the Christianization of the territory of historical Alania (the east of the Krasnodar Territory – the northern regions of Chechnya) in the period from the 10th to the beginning of the 13th centuries is the data of staurography: the finds of crosses-encolpia, pectoral crosses, crosses-quadrifolia. The study of this category of finds allows us to consider the features and chronology of the process of Christianization of the population of the largest state in the North Caucasus in the Middle Ages, to study more closely the historical and social portrait of ordinary members of the Christian community of Alania and its elite. Methods. As a result of the messianic activity of Byzantium, which led to the baptism of the Alans at the beginning of the 10th century, as well as the establishment of the Alan Diocese (914), objects of small Christian plastics – crosses of provincial Byzantine as well as ancient Russian origin – are becoming widespread on the territory of Alania. And already with the spread of Christianity in the local Alan environment there are imitative and imitation types of crosses that are not found outside the North Caucasus. To date, more than 125 different crosses are known on the territory of Alania. Analysis. To this case, we can add the finds of five more interesting specimens found in recent years in the eastern regions of the Krasnodar Krai, the south of the Stavropol Krai, the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia. The first quadrifolia cross (fig. 1, 1) is a reverse leaf with the image of an unknown Holy Warrior (St. George?), dating from the second half of the 11th – 12th centuries. Such quadrifolia crosses (including two direct analogies) are known on the territory of Alania, originally imported from the urban craft centers of the Asia Minor provinces of Byzantium or Western Georgia, or could be made according to imported prototypes by local (or visiting) craftsmen. The four following crosses indicate the links between Alania and Ancient Russia. Two crosses (fig. 1, 2–3) – with three-part endings and a rhombic middle cross, one cross has traces of manufacturing defects – the right blade is not completely cast. These crosses were brought from the territory of the Old Russian state, where they are quite widespread and date back to the 11th – 12th century abroad. They are found on the territory of Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania, where they were also imported. The fourth cross (fig. 1, 4) is equi-pointed with rectangular branches. Similar crosses are known in the territory of Ancient Russia, from where they also came to the North Caucasus, where imitative crosses were made. They date from the end of the 11th – beginning of the 12th centuries. The fifth cross (fig. 1, 5) – with a square central part. Such crosses are widely found in many regions of Kievan Rus, but in the territory of the North Caucasus they were imported. Results. The considered finds of crosses complement the body of small Christian plastic products of the 11th – 13th centuries of ancient Russian origin, represented on the territory of Alania by crosses-encolpions, cast icons and coils. The presented finds of crosses not only add to the evidence of Christianization of Alania in the 11th – 12th centuries, but also indicate close trade, religious and ethno-cultural contacts of the population of the North Caucasus with the Asia Minor provinces of Byzantium, Georgia and Ancient Russia.

New variable separation solutions and localized waves for (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear systems by a full variable separation approach

A full variable separation approach is firstly proposed for (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear systems by extending the well-established multilinear variable separation approach through the assumption that the expansion function is composed of full variable separated functions, namely, functions with respect to only one spacial or temporal argument. Taking the (2+1)-dimensional Boiti-Leon-Manna-Pempinelli equation, the Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov equation and the dispersive long wave equation as examples, new full variable separation solutions are obtained with several arbitrary one dimensional functions. Especially, a common formula for some suitable physical quantities is discovered. By taking the arbitrary functions in different explicit expressions, the solutions can be used to describe plentiful novel nonlinear localized waves, which might be non-travelling waves as the spacial and temporal variables are fully separated into different functions. In particular, some new hybrid solitary waves, which can pulsate periodically, appear and/or decay with an adjustable lifetime, are discovered through the on-site interactions between a doubly periodic wave and a ring soliton, a four-humped dromion and a four-humped lump, and a doubly periodic wave and a cross type solitary wave. Nonlinear wave structures and their dynamical behaviours are discussed and graphically displayed in detail.

Benefits of outcrossing and their implications for genetic management of an endangered species with mixed‐mating system

Mixing gene pools in translocations can create populations with higher genetic diversity and evolutionary potential compared to single sources. However, the benefits of outcrossing on genetic rescue may depend on species' life history, notably mating systems. We assessed outcomes on growth and survival of different kinds of cross in a translocated population of the highly endangered mixed‐mating species Banksia brownii, established from multiple sources. We genetically assigned plants grown from field‐pollinated seed as of selfed, within‐source or between‐source (referring to the original source populations) cross types, and estimated proportion of heterozygous loci for each plant. We modeled the associations among genetic predictors (cross type, level of genetic diversity, and ancestry) and fitness proxies measured in glasshouse and field. At the translocation site, selfing rates were approximately 53–70% and crossing among sources was rare, both likely owing to different patterns of flowering among plants. Offspring of selfed plants were consistently smaller in volume in the glasshouse than were offspring from within‐source crosses. There was no evidence from the first 3 years that survival in the field was influenced by any predictor tested, but the smaller volume of selfed plants in the glasshouse and correlation of glasshouse size at 5 months with the size of the same plants at 3 years in the field suggest that more time may be needed to observe any effects of outcrossing on survival and fitness. Our results highlight the importance of monitoring mating systems, genetic diversity, and fitness data for evaluating translocation success and informing adaptive management.

154 Antibody and Cell-Mediated Responses Associated with Bvdv and Interferon-Gamma Expression in Reciprocal Angus-Brahman First Generation Crosses

Abstract The influence of sex and reciprocal cross type were evaluated in Brahman-sired (B × A) and Angus-sired (A × B) F1 cattle following modified-live viral vaccination regarding virus neutralization titers (VNT) and cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses following in vitro exposure to Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) Type 1 (BVDV1) and Type 2 (BVDV2) genotypes. VNT against BVDV were based on virus neutralization assay, and CMI responses were measured using the PrimeFlow mRNA assay for determination of the frequency of BVDV and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) positive cells. Mixed model procedures utilized individual calf ID as a random effect with fixed effects of F1 cross type, calf sex, evaluation date, and potential 2-way interactions; models for frequency of BVDV and IFN-γ positive cells, stimulation conditions (BVDV1, BVDV2, mitogen, none) and potential two-way and three-way interactions of fixed effects. Relationships of immune responses with calf birth weight and weaning weight and steer carcass traits were also investigated. This study found several CMI traits differed due to the type of cross and calf sex; however, no differences in VNT were attributed to these effects. Cells from B × A animals consistently ranked approximately 20% greater for BVDV positive cells (BVDV+) than those from A × B animals pre-MLV vaccination; however, post-MLV vaccination, cells from A × B animals ranked 20% greater (P < 0.05) for CD2+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells. Post- MLV steers consistently had 30 to 35% greater (P < 0.05) frequencies of BVDV+ cells following viral exposure; steers had greater frequencies (P < 0.05) of CD4+ and CD335+ cells expressing IFN-γ and ranked greater for CD2+ and CD8+ cells when compared with heifers in both crosses. Only vaccination timing affected BVDV VNT. No significant correlations involving VNT and CMI responses were observed among A × B animals when stimulated with BVDV1, but among B × A animals, positive correlations were observed with IFN-γ in CD4+ (r = 0.406, P = 0.049) and CD335+ (r = 0.472, P = 0.020). When stimulated with BVDV2, positive correlations of 0.33 to 0.39 (P < 0.05) were observed between BVDV and IFN-γ frequency within cell type; these were not significant when stimulated with BVDV1, except for CD335+ cells (r = 0.41, P = 0.003). No correlations for VNT and CMI responses were observed when stimulated with BVDV2. No major correlations between immune responses and weight or carcass traits were observed, and immune response category for BVDV or IFN-γ frequency did not influence birth weight or weaning weight. Differences in CMI responses involving reciprocal cross types and sex observed in this project may relate to widely reported reciprocal cross differences in birth weight in Bos indicus - Bos taurus crossbred cattle and warrant additional study.

Symbols of Faith in the Mosaic Floors of the Newly Discovered Ecclesiastical Complex at Ashdod Maritima, Israel

An ecclesiastical complex has recently been discovered in Ashdod Maritima – ancient Azotus. The site was excavated in 2019 and 2021. The complex includes a basilica, several rooms, and a chapel on the north side, all decorated with mosaic pavements. A mixed trend comes to light in the mosaics: on the one hand, there is a continuation of the geometric and vegetal compositions and motifs that originated in the Roman world and continued into the Byzantine period. On the other hand, the complex is unique in the many symbols of faith that appear, scattered throughout its parts. All types of crosses are depicted; a medallion with a Greek cross accompanied by the Greek letters iota-chi, and alpha and omega; a medallion with a Latin cross standing on Golgotha Hill with the Greek letters iota-chi and alpha and omega; a large Latin cross standing on Golgotha Hill with two large Greek crosses between its arms; and a medallion with a quote from Psalms. The complex is exceptional in the large number of crosses, the names of the bishops, priest, deacon, and deaconesses who were involved in the construction and decoration or were buried in the complex, and the large number of dated inscriptions.

The flexural behavior of cross laminated bamboo and timber (CLBT) and cross laminated timber (CLT) beams

The flexural behavior of cross laminated bamboo and timber (CLBT) and cross laminated timber (CLT) beams are studied to explore the potential of using glued laminated bamboo (glubam) in CLT panels to obtain similar or even better mechanical performance and other constructional and environmental merits. The 4-point bending experiments were conducted for full-scale model CLBT and CLT beams, assisted with using deformation instrumentations including the digital image correlation method (DICM) and conventional methods (LVDT and strain gauges). All the experimental results show that the CLBT beams have the similar even better bending stiffness and capacity than corresponding CLT beams, and the advantage is more significant for beams under in-plane bending condition. Analytical models based on two-dimensional (2D) elasticity theory are also applied to predict the flexural response of CLBT beams. The accuracy of the proposed analytical models can be verified by comparing the results with experimental results. Some parametric studies for CLBT beams with different combination configurations of glubam and wood layers are also conducted to provide several design suggestions to achieve favorite flexural performance for this type of cross laminated bamboo and timber beams.

Investigating the influence of CaCl2 induced surface gelatinization of red adzuki bean starch on its citric acid esterification modification: Structure–property related mechanism

This study prepared starch with different degrees of gelatinization (10 % and 30 %) by CaCl2, and further combined with citric acid at different concentrations (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %) for esterification. The results indicated that CaCl2 induced surface gelatinization and the esterification promoted its fragmentation. This synergistic modification induced depolymerization of starch chains and a decrease in molecular weight, although starch's Maltese cross, growth rings, and crystal type remained unchanged. Moreover, the synergistic modification induces a short-range ordered structure loss and the enthalpy decrease of starch, which induce starch pasting properties decrease and solubility increase. Furthermore, the introduction of ester groups by esterification increases the resistant starch content by limiting the binding sites for digestive enzymes. In conclusion, surface gelatinization can increase active reaction sites by disrupting the starch shell structure, and serves as a potential pretreatment to enhance the deep application of esterified starch in food and pharmaceutical fields.

Polymorphism of the <i>Kappa Casein</i> gene and milk production in cows resulting from crossbreeding with holstein or montbeliarde in the peri-urban area of Bamako

The objective of this contribution is to study the polymorphism of the kappa casein gene in crossbred cows in the peri-urban area of Bamako. Fifty (50) cows, including 22 Montbeliarde crosses and 28 Holstein crosses, were subjected to descriptive analysis comparing average milk production and milk fat and protein percentages and genetic analysis of the kappa-casein gene and its interaction with the crossbred types or breed. The results showed 2 types of crosses for each breed, ½ and ¾ exotic blood. The average daily milk production was 8.2±0.46 kg/d for the Holstein crosses and 7.2±0.73 kg/d for the Montbeliarde crosses with a significant difference. No significant differences were observed for the fat and protein content between Holstein crosses (3.56 ± 0.14% and 3.68±0.02%) and Montbeliarde crosses (3.79 ± 0.10% and 3.74±0.02%). Genetic analysis revealed three genotypes of kappa casein (AA, AB and BB). The AA genotype (0.5) was the most frequent followed by AB (0.41) and BB (0.09). A close link was observed between milk production and the polymorphisms of the kappa casein gene. Individuals with the AB genotype had the highest daily milk production followed by individuals with the AA genotype and those with the BB genotype with respective mean values of 8.6±0.64 kg/d; 7.3±0.56 kg/d and 6.6±1.58 kg/d. Individuals of the BB genotype presented a higher fat content (4.0±0.08%) than that of the other genotypes. The mean milk protein content varied little among the genotypes. These results will contribute to the strengthening of knowledge on the genetic effects of kappa casein polymorphisms on milk production performance and milk composition of crossbred cows in Mali.

Scarce Evidence of Heterosis for Growth Traits in Peruvian Guinea Pigs.

This study aimed to estimate the heterosis for productive traits in a two-way crossbreeding scheme. Four guinea pig lines were originally selected for the following traits: line P1 for the growth rate, P2 for the partial feed conversion rate, M1 for the growth rate of the litter at 10 days of age, and M2 for the litter size at birth. The comparison included 176 purebreds (P1: 46, P2: 43, M1: 54 and M2: 33) and 150 crosses (P1P2: 42, P2P1: 38, M1M2: 11 and M2M1: 59); body weights at birth, 10 days, weaning and 60 days of age were analyzed. A linear fixed-effect model was used, and heterosis was estimated as the difference between the average performance of the crossbred and pure-line animals. The pure line comparisons showed that P2 was lower than P1 for weight at 10 days and weaning weight, while all other comparisons between the paternal and maternal pure lines were not significant. The results indicated significant positive heterosis effects for both types of crosses, but only for birth weight: 3.7% for paternal crosses and 12.7% for maternal crosses. The heterosis estimates were mostly positive but not significant for all other traits. A reason for the low levels of heterosis could be that the lines are not very genetically differentiated. These results suggest that applying a two-way crossbreeding scheme within paternal and maternal guinea pig lines for meat production is not recommended due to the absence of heterosis for growth traits.

Production of organic beef from dairy bull calves in Denmark - Effect of different production strategies on productivity, carbon footprint and biodiversity estimated by modelling

In Denmark, organic male calves from the dairy system are typically raised as steers leading to a high carbon footprint per kg meat produced, compared to other types of rearing. Therefore, there is a need to find mitigation options and develop future production systems with a lower climate impact. The aim of this study was to develop strategies for the rearing of organic bull calves considering the following factors: season of birth, feeding strategy, age at slaughter, and breed-type, where all strategies focus on achieving the lowest possible carbon footprint per kg carcass. A total of 10 strategies were compared for each of three breed types: Holstein, Charolais x Holstein, and Angus x Holstein. The carbon footprint was estimated using Life Cycle Assessment including all emissions until the animals leave the farm for slaughter and expressed per kg carcass taking into account different dressing percentages due to breed and age at slaughter.The carbon footprint per kg carcass including contribution from soil carbon changes was 18–32% lower for raising organic young bulls compared with that of organic steers. The strategy with a high feeding intensity and a slaughter age of 13 months had the lowest carbon footprint per kg carcass due to the lowest feed consumption per kg live weight gain (4.9 kg DM compared to 7.4 kg DM for the steer) and use of a high proportion of concentrated feed in the ration. In the strategy with slaughter age of 17 months, but the same high feeding intensity, carbon footprint per kg carcass increased around 6%. This was due to an increase in feed consumption and reduction in feed conversion due to the increasing age at slaughter. The strategy with a low feeding intensity and a high slaughter age (17 months) gave the highest carbon footprint per kg carcass amongst the rearing strategies compared for organically produced bulls, as a greater proportion of roughage in the ration increases enteric methane production from the digestion of the feed. The crossbred bulls compared to purebred dairy bulls had a lower carbon footprint (4–7%) due to higher dressing percentage, higher carcass weight (both types of crosses), and higher growth rates (Charolais crosses).

Effects of cross baffles on the flow of the microalgae in raceway photobioreactors

This paper focuses on the increase in the mixing degree of the fluid in the raceway photobioreactors and puts forward a new type of cross baffles. Computational fluid dynamics is adopted to study the fluid mechanics and the trajectory of the microalgae in the raceway photobioreactors. The research result indicates that cross baffles, compared with other baffles, bring better distribution of the vortex flow, higher vorticity, and a more favorable proportion of the dead zone. In addition, it is found that in the raceway photobioreactors with cross baffles, the light-dark cycle is reduced by 18%, 5.9%, and 7.3% respectively than that of the raceway photobioreactors with other three types of baffle plates. Meanwhile, the outdoor cultivation experiment of Chlorella proves that the optimized cross baffle which can enhance the mixing effects is able to increase the biomass concentration of the RWP by 11.1%.

Multiscale residual gradient attention for face anti-spoofing

In the field of face anti-spoofing (FAS), how to extract the representative features to distinguish between real and spoof faces and train the corresponding deep networks are two vital issues. In this paper, we propose a simple but effective end-to-end FAS model based on an innovative texture extractor and a depth auxiliary supervision mechanism. In the feature extraction stage, we first design the residual gradient convolutions based on the redesigned gradient operators, which are used to extract fine-grained texture features. The extraction of texture features is based on multiple scales by dividing the texture differences between living and spoofing faces into three levels reasonably. Then we construct a multiscale residual gradient attention (MRGA) to obtain representative texture features from multiple levels texture features. By combining the proposed feature extractor MRGA and existing vision transformer (ViT), the MRGA-ViT is proposed to generate related semantics and obtain final classification results. In the training stage, we also propose a local depth auxiliary supervision based on a novel adjacent depth loss, which utilizes the correlation information of adjacent pixels adequately compared with traditional depth loss. The proposed MRGA-ViT model achieves competitive performance in generalization and stability ability, e.g., the ACER(%) values of intra testing on OULU-NPU database are 1.8, 2.6, 1.6 ± 1.2 and 1.9 ± 2.7 respectively, the AUC(%) of cross type testing attains 99.45 ± 0.57, the ACER(%) values of cross dataset testing are 28.1 and 36.7 respectively. Experimental results prove that the proposed model is competitive to other state-of-the-art works on generalization and stability performance.

Inbreeding-Driven Innate Behavioral Changes in Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila melanogaster has long been used to demonstrate the effect of inbreeding, particularly in relation to reproductive fitness and stress tolerance. In comparison, less attention has been given to exploring the influence of inbreeding on the innate behavior of D. melanogaster. In this study, multiple replicates of six different types of crosses were set in pair conformation of the laboratory-maintained wild-type D. melanogaster. This resulted in progeny with six different levels of inbreeding coefficients. Larvae and adult flies of varied inbreeding coefficients were subjected to different behavioral assays. In addition to the expected inbreeding depression in the-egg to-adult viability, noticeable aberrations were observed in the crawling and phototaxis behaviors of larvae. Negative geotactic behavior as well as positive phototactic behavior of the flies were also found to be adversely affected with increasing levels of inbreeding. Interestingly, positively phototactic inbred flies demonstrated improved learning compared to outbred flies, potentially the consequence of purging. Flies with higher levels of inbreeding exhibited a delay in the manifestation of aggression and courtship. In summary, our findings demonstrate that inbreeding influences the innate behaviors in D. melanogaster, which in turn may affect the overall biological fitness of the flies.

Karawaka i synonimy, czyli o leksykalnych powrotach

The authors, referring to the article Words that come back by Bogdan Walczak from 1998, present the history of the word karawaka in Polish. It is the name of the cross with two horizontal beams protecting against various disasters, especially against epidemics. Originally, it was a reliquary from the 4th century AD with a piece of the Holy Cross Tree, brought in the 13th century during the Crusades from Jerusalem to the Spanish city of Caravaca (from which its name comes). The custom of erecting such crosses and wearing these types of small crosses disappeared in the 20th century, and returned with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. The lexeme karawaka was recorded for the first time in Samuel Bogumi Lindes Polish Language Dictionary, and in the Polish Language Dictionary edited by Witold Doroszewski it already had the status of historicism. This word and its synonyms (krzy karawaka, krzy choleryczny, krzy epidemiczny, krzy morowy, krzy epidemiczny, krzy choleryczny, krzy karawaka) returned to Polish in 2020, and the lexical novelty during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic is krzy pandemiczny.

Study of Biomass Composite Workpiece Support Structure Based on Selective Laser Sintering Technology

When using selective laser sintering to print parts with thin-walled structures, the thermal action of the laser can cause thermal stresses that lead to plastic deformation, resulting in large warpage and dimensional deviations. To address this issue, this study proposes a bottom support method for selective laser sintering. The impact of lattice-type, concentric-type, and cross-type support structures with varying filling densities and thicknesses on the suppression of warpage and dimensional errors was investigated. The optimal process parameters for each support structure were then determined through optimization. The findings of this study demonstrated a reduction in Z-axis dimensional errors of the workpiece following the addition of supports. The reduction amounted to 33.809%, 86.160%, and 66.214%, respectively, compared to the original workpiece. Moreover, the corresponding warpage was reduced by 35.673%, 46.189%, and 46.059% for each respective case, showcasing an improvement in the printing precision. Therefore, the bottom support effectively reduces dimensional and shape errors in thin-walled parts printed by selective laser sintering. Specifically, the results obtained indicated that the concentric type of support is more effective in reducing dimensional errors and enhancing the shape accuracy of the printed workpiece. Conversely, the cross type of support demonstrated superior capabilities in minimizing the consumption of printing materials while still delivering satisfactory results. Thus, this study holds promise for contributing to the advancement of thin-walled part quality using selective laser sintering technology. This research can contribute to achieving greater accuracy in the fabrication of parts through 3D printing.