Direct Response Research Articles

Pixel-Grouping G(E) Functions for Estimating Dose Rates from Unknown Source Distributions with a Position-Sensitive Detector.

Estimating accurate radiation doses when a radioactive source's location is unknown can protect workers from radiation exposure. Unfortunately, depending on a detector's shape and directional response variations, conventional G(E) function can be prone to inaccurate dose estimations. Therefore, this study estimated accurate radiation doses regardless of source distributions, using the multiple G(E) function groups (i.e., pixel-grouping G(E) functions) within a position-sensitive detector (PSD), which records the response position and energy inside the detector. Investigations revealed that, compared with the conventional G(E) function when source distributions are unknown, this study's proposed pixel-grouping G(E) functions improved dose estimation accuracy by more than 1.5 times. Furthermore, although the conventional G(E) function produced substantially larger errors in certain directions or energy ranges, the proposed pixel-grouping G(E) functions estimate doses with more uniform errors at all directions and energies. Therefore, the proposed method estimates the dose with high accuracy and provides reliable results regardless of the location and energy of the source.

The impact of prenatal inflammation on hematopoietic development.

Inflammation is now recognized as a major regulator of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. Adult hematopoietic stem cells can adaptively modulate hematopoietic output in direct response to acute infection and inflammation. Conversely, prolonged exposure to inflammation can drive impaired HSC function, clonal expansion, and malignant transformation. As compared with adult hematopoiesis, the effects of prenatal inflammation on developing hematopoietic stem cells are understudied. Inflammatory cues directly activate adult HSCs in the bone marrow, but the response of fetal HSCs to maternal inflammation is underexplored. Recent evidence demonstrates that maternal inflammation can be detected by fetal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) within the fetal liver and that the same inflammatory cues evoke fundamentally distinct responses during development. The responses of developing stem and progenitor cells and the specialized immune cells they produce have important implications for postnatal hematopoietic output and immune function. We discuss recent insights into the response of fetal hematopoiesis to prenatal inflammation and examine how recent discoveries regarding the contribution of fetal hematopoiesis to the adult hematopoietic system will influence future studies.

Tension–compression biaxial test with ±45° symmetric angle-ply laminates for determining the pure shear response in principal material directions of a lamina

The tension–compression biaxial test with cruciform specimens using ±45° symmetric angle-ply laminates is proved to be suitable for determining the in-plane pure shear response of a lamina in principal material directions. The full stress–strain evolution presents a linear stage followed by an inelastic region with high shear deformations. At the linear stage a pure and homogeneous shear strain state is measured by Digital Image Correlation (DIC). Afterwards, the DIC registers the initiation of a shear band in the measurement region at 45° from the loaded directions that leads to the final failure plane. It is verified that the arms of the specimen, which are uniaxially loaded, do not develop pseudo-ductile effects during testing that could affect the central response. For comparison purposes, the ability to obtain an accurate shear elastic response from uniaxial loading with ±45° angle-ply laminates is investigated. Based on the elastic strain energy involved in the linear stage of the testing process, it is concluded that both uniaxial tensile and compressive tests could overestimate the shear stiffness. Moreover, if the material has higher tensile than compressive elastic properties, the uniaxial tensile tests should provide a slightly better approximation of the shear elastic modulus than uniaxial compressive tests.

Improvement of LXR-mediated lipid metabolism in nephrotic model kidney accompanied by suppression of inflammation and fibrosis

Kidney disease affects millions of people worldwide. Chronic kidney diseases, such as diabetic nephropathy, are often accompanied by nephrotic syndrome, which causes a large amount of protein and lipid to leak out into the urine. Leaked lipids are well known to accumulate in the proximal tubules as lipid droplets. However, the role of lipid metabolism in the kidney has not been thoroughly studied, and the relationship between accumulated lipid and pathological progression is often unknown. In this study, we showed that reducing accumulated lipids by exerting an agonistic effect on Liver X receptor, one of the nuclear receptors known to play an important role in lipid metabolism, suppressed the development of pathological conditions, such as inflammation and fibrosis, in a nephrosis model. Until now, many renal disease treatments have focused on suppressing the inflammatory response. However, it is now clear that even if the direct anti-inflammatory response is weak, the spread of inflammation and fibrosis can be suppressed by reducing accumulated lipids. Our results suggest that reducing abnormal lipid accumulation in the kidney could lead to disease treatment.

Health effects of transport noise

ABSTRACT The relationship between transport noise and health outcomes is complex, in part because of the large number of factors involved as well as the range of health impacts, both direct and indirect. To enable the reader to come to grips with the complexity, we have divided the health outcomes into groups: those that are more directly linked to transport noise exposure and those that are more indirectly linked. Four health outcomes, namely annoyance, cognitive disruption, sleep problems, and noise-induced hearing loss, can be directly attributable to transport noise exposure. Less direct outcomes are stress, mental health, metabolic health, cardiovascular health, and overall health-related quality of life. Stress may occur as a direct response to noise, or may occur in response to the aforementioned direct effects. The stress response is a survival mechanism in the short term, but in the long term, stress may lead to systemic health conditions, namely metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes, and to mental health conditions. Finally, a global health outcome that incorporates all of the more direct outcomes is health-related quality of life. Other exposures associated with transport noise that may explain parts of the health outcomes need to be acknowledged, including exposure to social inequities, air pollution, and vibration. These may all be more likely to be experienced by people who are exposed to transport noise in the community and may thus influence the outcomes. Finally, transport noise appears to have more impact on health in those who are noise sensitive, thus noise sensitivity is a key moderator of all the effects observed.

Analysis of T-cell alloantigen response via a direct pathway in kidney transplant recipients with donor-specific antibodies.

Donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) are the main cause of graft loss over time. The direct pathway of alloantigen recognition is important in the pathogenesis of acute rejection. Recent studies have suggested that the direct pathway also contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic injury. Nevertheless, there are no reports on T-cell alloantigen response via the direct pathway in kidney recipients with DSAs. We analyzed the T-cell alloantigen response via the direct pathway in kidney recipients with DSAs (DSA+) or without DSAs (DSA-). A mixed lymphocyte reaction assay was implemented to assess the direct pathway response. DSA+ patients showed significantly higher CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses to donor cells than DSA- patients. Furthermore, proliferating CD4+ T cells showed a marked increase in Th1 and Th17 responses in DSA+ patients than in DSA- patients. In a comparison between anti-donor and third-party responses, the anti-donor CD8+ and CD4+ T cell response was significantly lower than the anti-third-party response. In contrast, the donor-specific hyporesponsiveness was absent in DSA+ patients. Our study demonstrated that DSA+ recipients have a greater potential for developing immune responses against the donor tissues via the direct alloantigen recognition pathway. These data contribute to an understanding of DSAs pathogenicity during kidney transplantation.

In memoriam: Eleanor Jane Sterling (1960–2023)

In memoriam: Eleanor Jane Sterling (1960–2023)

Food and Beverage Promotion Strategy to Increase Sales, at PT. Reska Multi Business

Technological developments are very fast like today. Making companies have to be able to face competition and be able to win the market. There is a lot of competition for food and beverage service and sales made. PT. Reska Multi Usaha is a challenge. For this reason, PT Reska Multi Usaha always innovates so that it can. Serve consumers, as well as keep abreast of technological developments and services that move dynamically. For example, providing discounts, making Indonesian food, holding events, and making sales applications to offer products to the public. The purpose of this research is to determine the level of achievement of service, sales, and promotion through sales and promotion mix in service improvement and sales achievement by using the lokomart.id application and promotions through advertising, price discounts, individual sales, direct sales, and sales with application theory. This research method is a quantitative method with a descriptive approach, through in-depth interviews and documents relevant to the research. the subjects of this study were area 6 Yogyakarta managers, junior sales managers, senior sales supervisors, and sales staff. PT. Reska multi Usaha formed a forum for sales communication and promotion of food and beverage products through 1. Advertising, with railroad television, raw food, kai access, and the official lokomard.id.website. 2. Sales promotion using discounted prices, vouchers, to users, or purchases through kai access and lokomard.id.3.sales promotion by holding events at the station, educational tours, and public relations. 4. face-to-face individual sales to get feedback, 5. Marketing and direct sales and. 6. Digital marketing to find out direct responses from consumers.

Experimental study on impact response of seaborne rocket launch platform

This paper presents a novel test method for evaluating the impact response of a seaborne launch platform. By simulating and analyzing the platform's impact response to develop a test plan, designing an assistive test device to enhance data accuracy, and conducting a shipboard test, we analyzed the launch platform's impact response during cold launch. Results show that during the ejection stage, the platform experiences a sudden acceleration peak that quickly attenuates. During ignition, the vibration acceleration response oscillates and fluctuates. The maximum structural impact response occurs below the launcher, gradually attenuating to the bow, stern, and sides of the ship, and propagating slowly along the captain's direction. The vibration acceleration response varies along different directions, with the highest response in the vertical direction and the lowest in the longitudinal direction. FE numerical analysis confirms the experimental results. This study provides reference data for the structural anti-impact design of seaborne launch systems.

Grassroots temporary urbanism as a challenge to the city of austerity? Lessons from a self‐organised park in Thessaloniki, Greece

AbstractThis paper traces the legacies of austerity through a focus on grassroots temporary urban interventions in public spaces. Drawing on a self‐organised neighbourhood park in Thessaloniki, Greece, it explores and analyses the politicising dynamics of these urban experiments that emerged as a direct response to state retrenchment but became a long‐term legacy of austerity with material and social consequences. The aim of the paper is to contribute to contemporary scholarly debates on temporary grassroots urbanism amidst austerity by uncovering the ambiguous nature of such urban experiments without reproducing dichotomising approaches that understand them as either a vehicle of neoliberalisation or an instrument of revolt. Through the case of Svolou I develop a twofold argument. First, regarding their social dynamics and legacies, grassroots urban initiatives that lack a politicising element of disagreement with (planning and governance) authorities result in creating parallel micro‐spheres of socialities and solidarities with a questionable long‐term impact against austerity urbanism. Although such socialities are important at the local level, they often risk reproducing neoliberal rationalities of individual responsibility and exclusions. Second, regarding their material legacies, I argue that grassroots urban initiatives produce temporary self‐organised spaces and experiment with innovative grassroots space‐making processes but they often remain entrapped at the local level without being able to develop broader contestations of the uneven urban development model emerging in and through austerity.

Multiscale characterization of left ventricle active behavior in the mouse.

The myocardium possesses an intricately designed microarchitecture to produce an optimal cardiac contraction. The contractile behavior of the heart is generated at the sarcomere level and travels across several length scales to manifest as the systolic function at the organ level. While passive myocardial behavior has been studied extensively, the translation of active tension produced at the fiber level to the organ-level function is not well understood. Alterations in cardiac systolic function are often key sequelae in structural heart diseases, such as myocardial infarction and systolic heart failure; thus, characterization of the contractile behavior of the heart across multiple length scales is essential to improve our understanding of mechanisms collectively leading to depressed systolic function. In this study, we present a methodology to characterize the active behavior of left ventricle free wall (LVFW) myocardial tissues in mice. Combined with active tests in papillary muscle fibers and conventional in vivo contractility measurement at the organ level in an animal-specific manner, we establish a multiscale active characterization of the heart from fiber to organ. In addition, we quantified myocardial architecture from histology to shed light on the directionality of the contractility at the tissue level. The LVFW tissue activation-relaxation behavior under isometric conditions was qualitatively similar to that of the papillary muscle fiber bundle. However, the maximum stress developed in the LVFW tissue was an order of magnitude lower than that developed by a fiber bundle, and the time taken for active forces to plateau was 2-3 orders of magnitude longer. Although the LVFW tissue exhibited a slightly stiffer passive response in the circumferential direction, the tissues produced significantly larger active stresses in the longitudinal direction during active testing. Also, contrary to passive viscoelastic stress relaxation, active stresses relaxed faster in the direction with larger peak stresses. The multiscale experimental pipeline presented in this work is expected to provide crucial insight into the contractile adaptation mechanisms of the heart with impaired systolic function. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Heart failure cause significant alterations to the contractile-relaxation behavior of the yocardium. Multiscale characterization of the contractile behavior of the myocardium is essential to advance our understanding of how contractility translates from fiber to organ and to identify the multiscale mechanisms leading to impaired cardiac function. While passive myocardial behavior has been studied extensively, the investigation of tissue-level contractile behavior remains critically scarce in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, our study here is the first to investigate the contractile behavior of the left ventricle at multiple length scales in small animals. Our results indicate that the active myocardial wall is a function of transmural depth and relaxes faster in the direction with larger peak stresses.

An R&D program for the research of 2β0ν decay with a SPC

The objective of the R2D2 R&D is to test the concept of a spherical proportional counter (SPC) for the search of the neutrinoless double beta decay (2β0ν). For this, we built a small prototype (40 cm in diameter), which was filled with an argon-based gas mixture at pressures up to 1.1 bar, and irradiated with a 210Po alpha source. We report on results obtained in terms of directional, volume, and energy responses. We performed time measurements by combining the charge readout from the SPC with the light detection provided by a SiPM. We also studied the possibilities of localizing tracks in the detector and of discriminating multiple tracks.

PO-04-001 COMPARISONS OF ABLATION LESION FEATURES ALONG PULMONARY VEIN ISOLATION LINES USING RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION CATHETER AND CRYOBALLOON ABLATION CATHETER

Direct cell injury and intense inflammatory response occur in radiofrequency ablation (RFA), therefore, heterogeneous ablation lesions were created. Conversely, in cryoballoon ablation (CBA), ablation lesion is created without injury of endocardial tissue architecture and catheter position is stable by adhesion of the catheter to tissues, hence homogeneous ablation lesions were created. However, few studies have investigated the homogeneity of border zone between the left atrium and pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) lines among energy sources. We hypothesized that heterogeneous lesion along PVI lines are more frequently found in patients undergoing RFA than those undergoing CBA. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between homogeneity of ablation lesions along PVI lines and energy source of catheter ablation. In total, 79 consecutive patients who underwent second AF ablation with RhythmiaTM mapping system (age, 70 ± 9 years; female, 26 [33%]) were retrospectively enrolled. As an indicator of heterogeneous lesion, gaps and fractionated signals along previous PVI lines was assessed during pacing from the right atrium. Fractionated signal was defined as electrograms with at least 7 deflections highlighted by LUMIPOINTTM complex activation tool. The proportion of line length with fractionated signals to anatomical line length was compared between patients undergoing RFA and patients undergoing CBA. CBA were performed for 31 (39%) patients in initial AF ablation. There were more PV gaps in CBA group than in RFA group (1 [1-2] versus 0 [0-1], p < 0.001). Anatomical line length of left pulmonary vein and right pulmonary vein were similar in CBA group and RFA group (left pulmonary vein, 121 [109-136] mm versus 118 [107-133] mm, p = 0.78; right pulmonary vein, 126 [116-139] mm versus 121 [108-131] mm, p = 0.08). The proportion of line length with fractionated signals to anatomical line length of left pulmonary vein and right pulmonary vein was significantly higher in RFA group than in CBA group (Figure). In regions other than left posterior region, left bottom region and right bottom region, the proportion of line length with fractionated signals to anatomical line length was also significantly higher in RFA group than in CBA group (Figure). PVI lines created by RFA demonstrated serrated bordering zones, whereas PVI using CBA created sharply delineated lesions.

TIGIT limits anti-bacterial immunity and is a potential target for immunotherapy

Abstract Inhibitory receptors called “immune checkpoints” restrict overzealous immune responses during inflammatory events such as infection or cancer. Blocking the function of these immune checkpoints using monoclonal antibodies can tip the balance towards immune activation and disease clearance, which has been a revelation in the treatment of various cancers. Considering recent advances have shown that immune dysregulation and evasion are shared hallmarks of cancer and persistent bacterial infection, a better understanding of immune checkpoints during bacterial infection may uncover novel therapeutic targets to help direct host immune responses towards clearing pathogens. In this study, we use a murine model of SalmonellaTyphimurium infection to investigate how immune checkpoints regulate immunity to bacterial infection. We found lymphocytes from infected mice exhibit a phenotype suggestive of dysfunction, characterised by upregulation of multiple co-inhibitory checkpoints. Most strikingly, T cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) was upregulated on the majority of CD4 +T cells. We used RNA-sequencing and ex vivostimulation of CD4 +T cells to show that ligation of TIGIT leads to significant functional deficiencies, including reductions in proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Importantly, blockade of this immune checkpoint in vivousing anti-TIGIT antibodies was able to enhance functional immunity leading to improved bacterial clearance. Taken together, this research suggests targeting immune checkpoints such as TIGIT has potential to restore host immune responses towards clearing bacteria and managing serious infection. F.S.F.G is funded by a UQ Frazer Institute Laboratory Start-Up Package, and T.R.M. is supported by a UQ HDR PhD Scholarship.

Climate change drives substantial decline of understorey species richness and abundance in Norway spruce forests during 32 years of vegetation monitoring

AbstractQuestionsObservations in permanent forest vegetation plots in Norway and elsewhere indicate that complex changes have taken place over the period 1988–2020. These observations are summarised in the “climate‐induced understorey change (CIUC)” hypothesis, i.e. that the understorey vegetation of old‐growth boreal forests in Norway undergoes significant long‐term changes and that these changes are consistent with the ongoing climate change as an important driver. Seven testable predictions were derived from the CIUC hypothesis.LocationNorway.MethodsVegetation has been monitored in a total of 458 permanently marked plots, each 1 m2, in nine old‐growth forest sites dominated by Picea abies at intervals of 5–8 years over the 32‐year study period. For each of the 52 combinations of site and year, we obtained response variables for the abundance of single species, abundance and species density of taxonomic–ecological species groups and two size classes of cryptogams, and site species richness. All of these variables were subjected to linear regression modelling with site and year as predictors.ResultsMean annual temperature, growing‐season length and the number of days with precipitation were higher in the study period than in the preceding ca. 30‐year period, resulting in increasingly favourable conditions for bryophyte growth. Site species richness decreased by 13% over the 32‐year study period. On average, group abundance of vascular plants decreased by 24% (decrease in forbs: 38%). Patterns of group abundance change differed among cryptogam groups: although peat‐moss abundance increased by 39%, the abundance of mosses, hepatics and lichens decreased by 13%, 49% and 67%, respectively. Group abundance of small cryptogams decreased by 61%, whereas a 13% increase was found for large cryptogams. Of 61 single species tested for abundance change, a significant decrease was found for 43 species, whereas a significant increase was found only for 6 species.ConclusionsThe major patterns of change in species richness, group species density and group abundance observed over the 32‐year study period accord with most predictions from the CIUC hypothesis and are interpreted as direct and indirect responses to climate change, partly mediated through changes in the population dynamics of microtine rodents. The more favourable climate for bryophyte growth explains the observed increase for a few large bryophyte species, whereas the decrease observed for small mosses and hepatics is interpreted as an indirect amensalistic effect, brought about by shading and burial in mats of larger species and accelerated by reduced fine‐scale disturbance by microtine rodents. Indirect effects of a thicker moss mat most likely drive the vascular plant decline although long‐term effects of tree‐stand dynamics and former logging cannot be completely ruled out. Our results suggest that the ongoing climate change has extensive, cascading effects on boreal forest ecosystems. The importance of long time‐series of permanent vegetation plots for detecting and understanding the effects of climate change on boreal forests is emphasised.

MP-453088-3 PULSED FIELD ABLATION USING A NOVEL INSULATED ELECTRODE DESIGN REDUCES MICROBUBBLE FORMATION WHILE CREATING LARGE AND HOMOGENEOUS LESIONS IN VITRO

Pulsed Field ablation (PFA) is a promising strategy for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. But there are unresolved issues pertaining to its safety and efficacy, specifically microbubbles and lesion homogeneity. Conventional electrode designs result in the ablation electrode surface to be largely in contact with blood, leading to electrolysis and microbubbles during PFA. Additionally, the blood in contact with the electrodes provides a conductive path for the energy, directing it away from the targeted tissue. This in turn can result in non-homogeneous application of energy, thereby, impacting lesion size and durability. We hypothesized that PFA using a novel ablation catheter with an insulated electrode design (Sirona Medical Technologies, SMT) (Figure), in vitro could achieve large, homogeneous lesions while minimizing microbubbles by reducing exposure to the blood path. In total, 18 single-shot, bipolar (2.2 kV) pulsed field applications were delivered using the SMT PFA catheter for 3, 6, and 10 bursts in a potato model. The potato model is considered a relevant and well-accepted model for in vitro study of irreversible electroporation (IRE) due to its similar response to IRE as mammalian cells. Applications were closely observed for presence of microbubbles. Lesion were assessed for thermal injury and the dimensions were analyzed and reported (diameter x depth) 24 h post-ablation. There was no discernible microbubbling observed during PFA at 20 pulses/burst, and only minor microbubbling was encountered at 40 and 60 pulses/bursts. All the lesions were large and homogeneous. With 3 bursts of PFA, lesions measured 7 mm x 3 mm (20 pulses/burst), 10 mm x 4 mm (40 pulses/burst), and 12 mm x 4 mm (60 pulses/burst), respectively. With 6 bursts of PFA, lesions measured 14 mm x 5 mm (20 pulses/burst), 15 mm x 6 mm (40 pulses/burst), and 17 mm x 6 mm (60 pulses/burst), respectively. Lastly, with 10 bursts of PFA, lesions measured 18 mm x 8 mm (20 pulses/burst), 19 mm x 9 mm (40 pulses/burst), and 21 mm x 10 mm (10 pulses/burst), respectively. As such, there was a direct dose response as a function of the number of pulses/burst and the duration of applications. Furthermore, there was no evidence of thermal injury. PFA with the SMT catheter utilizing a novel, insulated electrode design in vitro can create large, homogenous lesions with no discernible/minimal microbubbles. These findings have significant safety and efficacy implications.

Early Feasibility Lessons: A Pilot Randomized Trial of Amnioinfusion as a Novel Indication for Intrapartum Neuroprotection [ID: 1374128

INTRODUCTION: Developing evidence-based management strategies to decrease maternal/neonatal morbidity in labor is essential. However, the barriers/facilitators to executing these trials are underreported. Our objective is to present early feasibility lessons learned after the rollout of a pilot randomized control trial examining amnioinfusion as a novel indication for intrapartum neuroprotection. METHODS: Our pilot randomized control trial began recruiting patients in July of 2022. In the first 3 months of our pilot, we followed the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle to identify barriers and facilitators as a part of our feasibility aim. The PDCA cycle was executed by the primary research team and began with the first patient to be successfully consented and randomized. The barriers and facilitator were tracked by key study personnel and addressed at the weekly research meetings. Using this cycle, we developed the study protocol before widespread recruitment was initiated. RESULTS: We identified several barriers including 1) challenging acute and emergent clinical situations inherent to intrapartum care; 2) lack of provider/patient acceptability for novel indication of amnioinfusion; 3) monitoring for the development of intrapartum risk factors, and 4) unanticipated hospital system processes. We implemented several facilitators in direct response to these barriers for the pilot feasibility trial including 1) identification and presence of a research champion on labor and delivery to build rapport with staff and participants; 2) continuous education of the novel therapy; 3) incentivization of care team and participants; and 4) engagement of key stakeholders. CONCLUSION: Using a PDCA was invaluable. We identified several barriers and facilitators to be considered when designing/implementing future randomized trials intrapartum, particularly when studying novel indications of therapy.

Development of nutrigenomic based precision management model for Hanwoo steers.

Focusing high marble deposition, Hanwoo feedlot system uses high-energy diet over the prolonged fattening period. However, due to the individual genetic variation, around 40% of them are graded into inferior quality grades (QG), despite they utilized the same resources. Therefore, focusing on development of a nutrigenomic based precision management model, this study was to evaluated the response to the divergent selection on genetic merit for marbling score (MS), under different dietary total digestible nutrient (TDN) levels. Total of 111 calves were genotyped and initially grouped according to estimated breeding value (high and low) for marbling score (MS-EBV). Subsequently, managed under two levels of feed TDN%, over the calf period, early, middle, and final fattening periods following 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Carcasses were evaluated for MS, Back fat thickness (BFT) and Korean beef quality grading standard. As the direct response to the selection was significant, the results confirmed the importance of initial genetic grouping of Hanwoo steers for MS-EBV. However, dietary TDN level did not show an effect (p > 0.05) on the MS. Furthermore, no genetic-by-nutrition interaction for MS (p > 0.05) was also observed. The present results showed no correlation response on BFT (p > 0.05), which indicates that the selection based on MS-EBV can be used to enhance the MS without undesirable effect on BFT. Ultimate turnover of the Hanwoo feedlot operation is primarily determined by the QGs. The present model shows that the initial grouping for MS-EBV increased the proportion of carcasses graded for higher QGs (QG1++ and QG1+) by approximately 20%. Moreover, there appear to be a potential to increase the proportion of QG 1++ animals among the high-genetic group by further increasing the dietary energy content. Overall, this precision management strategy suggests the importance of adopting an MS based initial genetic grouping system for Hanwoo steers with a subsequent divergent management based on dietary energy level.

A test of psychotherapists' and nontherapists' recognition of correct and incorrect process in managing client resistance

AbstractObjectivePsychotherapist management of client resistance (i.e., opposition to change or the therapy process) has a significant impact on therapy outcomes. This study aimed at assessing psychotherapists' and nontherapists' abilities to recognise empirically supported correct and erroneous therapist responses to client resistance.MethodSeventy‐eight therapists and 111 nontherapists completed a rapidly administered novel skills test, Therapist Errors in Resistance Management (TERM), assessing recognition of correct and erroneous resistance management.ResultsParticipants were, on average, less than half as accurate at recognising therapist errors (recognised below chance levels) compared with correct therapist responses to resistance (recognised above chance levels). Therapists outperformed nontherapists in accurate recognition of therapist responding. However, among the therapist group, greater clinical experience did not predict superior recognition of therapist errors.ConclusionThese results indicate that therapists and nontherapists alike may have difficulty detecting erroneous therapist responses to resistance, tending to mistake empirically contraindicated directive responses for correct responding. This may reflect the difficult and unintuitive nature of correct resistance responding and may suggest a need for increased training in process acuity and resistance management in therapist education.

Assessing Dynamic Changes, Driving Mechanisms and Predictions of Multisource Vegetation Remote Sensing Products in Chinese Regions

Terrestrial vegetation, a critical component of the Earth’s land surface, directly impacts the planet’s material and energy balance. This study investigated the dynamics of terrestrial vegetation in China from 2000 to 2019 using three remote sensing products (NDVI, EVI, and SIF) and explored the driving mechanisms behind these changes. We considered three meteorological factors, nine land use types, and two socio-economic factors while employing mathematical models to analyze the data. Additionally, we used the CA–Markov model to predict the spatial distribution of vegetation remote sensing products for 2020–2025. Our findings indicate the following: (1) Throughout the study period, the vegetation indices, NDVI, EVI, and SIF, all exhibited increasing trends. The SIF showed a more direct response to vegetation cover changes and was less influenced by other driving factors. The SIF outperforms the NDVI and EVI in detecting vegetation trend changes, particularly regarding sensitivity. (2) Vegetation cover changes are driven by multiple meteorological factors, such as temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity. These factors exhibit a strong spatial correlation with the distribution of vegetation remote sensing products. Among these factors, the SIF shows a higher sensitivity to temperature compared to the NDVI and EVI, while the NDVI and EVI display greater sensitivity to precipitation and relative humidity. (3) Within the study area, land use types reveal a gradient from northwest to southeast, which is consistent with the spatial distribution of the vegetation remote sensing products. For green vegetation types, the three remote sensing products exhibit varying sensitivity levels, with the SIF demonstrating the highest sensitivity to green vegetation types. (4) Overall, the future vegetation outlook in China is promising, especially in the southeastern regions where significant vegetation improvement trends are evident. However, the vegetation conditions in some northwestern areas remain less favorable, necessitating the reinforcement of ecological construction and improvement measures. Additionally, a significant positive correlation exists between population size, GDP, and vegetation remote sensing products. This study highlights the variability in the dynamics and driving mechanisms of terrestrial vegetation remote sensing products in China and employs the CA–Markov model for predicting future vegetation patterns. Our research contributes to the theoretical and technical understanding of remote sensing for terrestrial vegetation in the Chinese context.