Low Contribution Research Articles

Temporal spatial transfer characteristics and cross-scale fusion behavior mechanism of interface temperature in induction welding of plain carbon fiber polyphenylene sulfide

The intricate multiphysics coupling conditions and nonlinear characteristics inherent in carbon fiber composite induction welding render the temperature transfer properties of the interface and the fusion connection mechanism across different scales ambiguous. In this study, a transient 3D finite element model was developed to simulate the induction welding process of carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (CF/PPS) composites, utilizing an electromagnetic-thermal multiphysics coupling mechanism. This investigation revealed that the electromagnetic effect leads to the accumulation of magnetic flux and spatial constraints, thereby triggering an eddy current concentration effect at the interface, which serves as an additional influencing factor in induction welding's edge effect. Simultaneously, the temperature distribution at the induction welding interface exhibits a gradient characteristic over both time and space: fluctuations in the current heat source result in a pronounced gradient distribution pattern of 225 %-680 % in welding interface temperature differences, accompanied by a 43.29 % reduction in shear strength. Notably, this study delves into the intricate origin of the induction welding heat source, elucidating that the generation of induced current in the magnetic field by carbon fiber overlap contributes to volumetric heat induction. This facilitates the welding process to some extent, despite the significantly lower heat contribution compared to thermally conductive wire meshes. In conclusion, to gain deeper insights into the impact of heat input on the fusion behavior of the bonding interface, SEM analysis was conducted on the experimental samples to examine the fusion morphology of the induction welding interface. Additionally, the method of EDS elemental analysis has also been used to investigate the generation and fusion mechanisms of welding defects. The amalgamation of numerical simulation technology and multi-scale material characterization serves as a methodological guide for researching the welding mechanisms of composite materials and even extends to investigations within the domain of metal connections. Furthermore, it paves the way for exploring a multidimensional research horizon in the realm of material joining and molding.

Impact of Dust Source Patchiness on the Existence of a Constant Dust Flux Layer During Aeolian Erosion Events

AbstractDust emission fluxes during wind soil erosion are usually estimated using a dust concentration vertical gradient, by assuming a constant dust flux layer between the surface and the dust measurement levels. Here, we investigate the existence of this layer during erosion events recorded in Iceland and Jordan. Size‐resolved dust fluxes were estimated at three levels between 2 and 4 m using the eddy‐covariance method. Dust fluxes were found mainly constant only between the two upper levels in Iceland, the lower dust flux being often stronger and richer in coarse particles, while dust fluxes in Jordan were nearly constant across all levels. The wind dynamics could not explain the absence of a constant dust flux layer in Iceland. We show that the presence of stationary dust source patches in Iceland, related to surface humidity, created a non‐uniform dust layer near the surface, named dust roughness sublayer (DRSL), where individual plumes behind each patch interact but do not fully mix. The lowest dust measurement level was probably located within this sublayer while the upper ones were located above, such that there the emitted dust became spatially well‐mixed. This explains near the surface in Iceland, the more intermittent dust concentration, its low correlation with the dust concentrations above, and the richer dust flux in coarse particles due to their lower deposition contribution. Our findings highlight the importance of estimating dust fluxes above a dust blending height whose characteristics depend on the dust source patchiness caused by surface humidity or the presence of sparse non‐erosive elements.

Climate Change and Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential Impact Indicators of Cow Milk: A Comparison of Different Scenarios for a Diet Assessment

An estimate of the environmental impact of dairy farms in Northern Italy producing milk for hard cheese (protected designation of origin) has been obtained through a comprehensive life cycle assessment. The estimate focused on climate change (CC) and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) indicators, which were evaluated according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and interpreted with the aid of the feeds’ composition evaluated using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (Foss NIR-System 5000) as well as with a diet evaluation according to the NRC (National Research Council) or the CNCPS (Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System) nutrient requirement modeling. Herds were classified into high-, mid-, and low-performing based on the daily milk yield per cow. A lower impact on indicators was observed as herd performance increased. The high-performing herds had a lower contribution from enteric fermentation (6.30 × 10−1 kgCO2-eq), and the more milk that they produced allowed for a differentiation of CC from land use and transformation (2.39 × 10−1 kgCO2-eq), compared to low-performing herds (3.66 × 10−1 kgCO2-eq). Compared to the IPCC approach, the CC and POCP indicator estimates were reduced when addressing the feed’s quality, particularly in mid- and high-performing herds. The results could be helpful in the dairy sector as they provide an insight into how diet quality affects the environmental impact of milk.

CrossPredGO: A Novel Light-weight Cross-modal Multi-attention Framework for Protein Function Prediction.

Proteins are represented in various ways, each contributing differently to protein-related tasks. Here, information from each representation (protein sequence, 3D structure, and interaction data) is combined for an efficient protein function prediction task. Recently, uni-modal has produced promising results with state-of-the-art attention mechanisms that learn the relative importance of features, whereas multi-modal approaches have produced promising results by simply concatenating obtained features using a computational approach from different representations which leads to an increase in the overall trainable parameters. In this paper, we propose a novel, light-weight cross-modal multi-attention (CrMoMulAtt) mechanism that captures the relative contribution of each modality with a lower number of trainable parameters. The proposed mechanism shows a higher contribution from PPI and a lower contribution from structure data. The results obtained from the proposed CrossPredGO mechanism demonstrate an increment in Fmax in the range of +(3.29 to 7.20)% with at most 31% lower trainable parameters compared with DeepGO and MultiPredGO.

Gait balance recovery after tripping: The influence of walking speed and ground inclination on muscle and joint function

Reactive lower limb muscle function during walking plays a key role in balance recovery following tripping, and ultimately fall prevention. The objective of this study was to evaluate muscle and joint function in the recovery limb during balance recovery after trip-based perturbations during walking. Twenty-four healthy participants underwent gait analysis while walking at slow, moderate and fast speeds over level, uphill and downhill inclines. Trip perturbations were performed randomly during stance, and lower limb kinematics, kinetics, and muscle contribution to the acceleration of the whole-body centre of mass (COM) were computed pre- and post-perturbation in the recovery limb. Ground slope and walking speed had a significant effect on lower limb joint angles, net joint moments and muscle contributions to support and propulsion during trip recovery (p < 0.05). Specifically, increasing walking speed during trip recovery significantly reduced hip extension in the recovery limb and increased knee flexion, particularly when walking uphill and at higher walking speeds (p < 0.05). Gluteus maximus played a critical role in providing support and forward propulsion of the body during trip recovery across all gait speeds and ground inclinations. This study provides a mechanistic link between muscle action, joint motion and COM acceleration during trip recovery, and underscores the potential of increased walking speed and ground inclination to increase fall risk, particularly in individuals prone to falling. The findings of this study may provide guidelines for targeted exercise therapy such as muscle strengthening for fall prevention.

Unbiased clustering and molecular characterisation of novel metabolic phenotypes in a heart failure cohort

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): DIASyM cluster Heart Failure is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by the inability to pump enough blood and thus provide enough oxygen to the human body. The current classification of heart failure is based on the left ventricular ejection faction (LVEF). Although the classification clearly defines heart failure subtypes and stages, and clinical guidelines are available for their management, it is preferable to prevent the disorder or take control over it from its onset. Evidence suggests strong molecular connections between human metabolism and heart failure. Exploiting the unique and diverse molecular characteristics that drive heart failure could be an effective strategy for patient stratification, to identify new therapeutic targets and to personalize treatments. The current research attempts to identify clinically relevant metabolic subgroups of individuals with the help of a similarity network-based approach, based on targeted proteomics data of a heart failure cohort. With Olink targeted proteomics technology, six protein abundance panels (547 distinct proteins) from 3063 subjects (1103 females) were obtained. Using nonlinear combination methods, the created networks were integrated into a single similarity network and then used for clustering with unbiased network-based approaches. The results have distinguished the subgroups with worse outcome prediction, supported by significantly different clinical profiles. Surprisingly, the significant clinical parameters have shown the dominance of not only classical metabolic signatures (diabetes) but also parameters related to kidney and liver function. The differential protein abundance profiles were then compared among clusters to derive novel insights into clinical subtypes, and have highlighted a significant contribution of inflammatory proteins to the unbiased subtyping rationale. The study attempted to improve previous patient stratification efforts, by having a large sample size with a broader variety of molecular variables. These results will pave the way to precision medicine, and will allow indirectly to integrate and/or adjust the analysis by adding clinically relevant social parameters such as lifestyle, parents’ anamnesis, demographics that are often left out due to their lower contribution at the pre-processing steps in comparison to more objective laboratory parameters. Previous studies have already clustered the heart failure population, based on various clinical and biochemical parameters. However, the clustering was guided by well-established metabolic parameters and thus, the results can be highly biased. The current project allows an unbiased, data-driven approach that holds more potential to identify novel and clinically relevant metabolic subgroups and to define new molecular targets.

Overview of Over-the-Counter Medicine Sales and Investment at "X" Pharmacy, Karang Anyar District, Tarakan City Using ABC Analysis Year 2022

Drug management includes planning drug availability, including type, amount, quality, and quantity, to increase efficiency. One method used in drug planning is ABC or Pareto. This research aims to look at the sales and investment picture of over-the-counter OTC drugs at Pharmacy "X" using ABC analysis based on sales data for 2022. This research is a quantitative descriptive research, the retrospective data obtained was analyzed using Microsoft Excel® with the ABC method. The OTC drug data obtained was then classified into 3 groups, namely A, B, and C with cumulative percentages for groups A (70%), B (20%), and C (10%) of the sales or investment value. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that drugs with sales value in group A contained 147 items of medicine with an investment value of Rp. 381,662,590 (69.91%). Meanwhile, group B contained 164 medicinal items with an investment value of Rp. 109,472,850 (20.05%). Meanwhile, for group C there are 305 items of medicine with an investment value of Rp. 54,790,100 (10.04%). The research conclusion shows that category A dominates the investment value, while category C has a lower investment contribution even though the number of types of drugs is greater.

P.022 Gender disparity in canadian institutes of health research funding within neurology

Background: Despite efforts to advance equity, women face gender-based barriers in research, including fewer senior authorship and grant opportunities. We examined gender disparities in Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funding for Canadian neurology divisions and departments. Methods: Data on CIHR grant recipients and metrics (duration, quantity, and contribution) within Canadian neurology divisions and departments (2008-2022) were acquired from the CIHR Funding Decisions Database. Gender-based differences in grant prevalence, duration, and contribution amount within neurology were calculated with subgroup analysis for Canadian neurologists and Project Grant awards. Results: 1604 grants were awarded to Canadian neurology divisions and departments between 2008-2022. Women received fewer grants (41.46%), less funding (p&lt;0.0001), and shorter grant durations (p&lt;0.0001) than men annually. Women comprised the minority of recipients (45.47%) and were less likely to be awarded grants (p&lt;0.001) annually relative to men. Differences were consistent in subgroup analyses, except grant durations were equal across genders in Project Grant awards. Conclusions: Gender disparities persist in CIHR grant funding to Canadian neurology divisions and departments. Women receive fewer grants, lower contribution amounts, and are less likely to be recipients compared to men. Future work includes addressing gender differences and continuing to evaluate CIHR funding to provide equitable opportunities for women.

Subtropical mangroves poleward shift to the Yangtze Estuary under different carbon emission scenarios

Mangroves are crucial plant communities in the coastal intertidal zones, providing various ecological services and supporting biodiversity. To identify the primary factors affecting the poleward shift of subtropical mangroves and the northernmost extent of subtropical mangroves under various carbon emission scenarios, the MaxEnt model was utilized with presence data of subtropical mangrove and environmental data under different carbon emission scenarios. Kandelia obovata, Avicennia marina, and Aegiceras corniculatum in China were included for modeling, utilizing 22 bioclimate variables to predict mangrove distributions, and kernel density analysis was further employed to identify conservation and afforestation hotspots for mangroves. The results indicated that the number of days below 10 °C per year is the major climatic factor shaping the distribution of subtropical native mangroves, while precipitation exerts a relatively lower contribution. Under the low and medium emissions scenarios (SSP126 and SSP245), the northern boundary of the distribution of K. obovata remains stable, while A. marina and A. corniculatum are projected to shift northward to Fuzhou, Fujian Province (26.1°N) from 24.9°N by 2100. Under higher emissions scenarios (SSP370 and SSP585), the suitable habitat of K. obovata is expected to shift north to the mouth of the Yangtze River (31.9°N) from 26.8°N, and A. marina and A. corniculatum are projected to move northward to the coastal area of Ningde, Fujian Province (26.8°N) by 2100. In conclusion, with the increase in carbon emissions, there is a significant northward migration observed in subtropical native mangroves (p < 0.01), and suitable areas for restoration in China have been identified, with the northernmost region located in Zhejiang Province. The spatial and temporal patterns of range change predicted in this study provide valuable information for conservation and afforestation strategies for these ecologically important species.

Bank loans to agricultural SMEs and the performance of the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of bank loans for agricultural SMEs on agriculture sector performance, specifically assessing how this financial support influences the overall performance of the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka. Data for both dependent and independent variables were meticulously sourced from the annual reports of the Ministry of Finance, covering the study period from 2012 to 2021. The study evaluates the performance of 16 distinct agricultural economic activities, each contributing uniquely to Sri Lanka's economy. The descriptive statistics, particularly the mean values, highlight intriguing aspects of Sri Lanka's agricultural sector. Notably, there is a considerable disparity in the average gross domestic production, with marine fishing and marine aquaculture emerging as highly productive. At the same time, the growing of other beverage crops demonstrates a significantly lower contribution. Crucially, the regression analysis affirms a positive and statistically significant impact of bank loans to agricultural SMEs on the performance of the overall agricultural sector in Sri Lanka. This substantiates the fundamental need for adequate bank loans for agricultural SMEs to empower and enhance the performance of the entire agriculture sector. As this study sheds light on the positive correlation between bank loans for agricultural SMEs and agricultural sector performance, it underscores the importance of tailored public policies concerning loan proportions and amounts for distinct economic activities within the agriculture sector.

Earliest Lymphoid Precursors in the Fetal Liver Contribute Constructing Mucosal Immunity in a HSC-Independent Manner

Abstract We've been clarifing the role of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) -indepenbdent progenitors for the consisting the post-natal immune-layers. Recent our repors, combining fate-mapping (FM) study and transplantation of E11.5 AGM cells, displayed nearly half of lympoid cells are maintained by HSC-independent progenitors even in old mice. Here, we characterized eariest lymoid progenitors in the E12.5 fetal liver (FL) by using IL-7RCre:flox-dTom mice and FM study. Unlike protein expression, dTom % in the E12 FL lin-Sca1-Kit+ (LSK) cells were more than 30% (34.8 ± 7.2%, n=7). Tom+ or Tom- LSK cells were further divided into HSC (CD48loEPCRhi) and MPP (CD+EPCRlo~dim) and sorted 4-populatios were transplanted into NSG mice. Recipients with Tom-HSCs showed multi-lineage reconstitution wile MPPs (Tom- or Tom+) repopulated B-1 and T-cells. Interestingly Tom+CD48loEPCRhi, phenotypically equivalent to HSCs, exibited unique properties that reconstituted only B-1 cells in PerC and IgA+ cells and type 2 innate lymphoid cells in the small intestine. These data suggest HSC-independent PerC B-1a cells and IgA+ cells share the common progenitor. As for FM study, we labeled neonatal HSC with dTom by injecting p2 Tamoxifen into Fgd5-based FM model, resulted in very lower contribution to the IgA+ B-cells in the lamina proplia. Relative Tom percentage showed 0.382 ± 0.12, indicating IgA+ cells are maintained by largely HSC-indepent mannar than previously thought.

Outcomes by sex in the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) trial.

In the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) trial, among participants with stable coronary artery disease, the risk of cardiac events was similar between an invasive (INV) strategy of angiography and coronary revascularisation and a conservative (CON) strategy of initial medical therapy alone. Outcomes according to participant sex were not reported. We aimed to analyse the outcomes of ISCHEMIA by participant sex. We evaluated 1) the association between participant sex and the likelihood of undergoing revascularisation for participants randomised to the INV arm; 2) the risk of the ISCHEMIA primary composite outcome (cardiovascular death, any myocardial infarction [MI] or rehospitalisation for unstable angina, heart failure or resuscitated cardiac arrest) by participant sex; and 3) the contribution of the individual primary outcome components to the composite outcome by participant sex. Of 5,179 randomised participants, 1,168 (22.6%) were women. Female sex was independently associated with a lower likelihood of revascularisation when assigned to the INV arm (adjusted odds ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.99; p=0.04). The INV versus CON effect on the primary composite outcome was similar between sexes (women: hazard ratio [HR] 0.96, 95% CI: 0.70-1.33; men: HR 0.90, 95% CI: 0.76-1.07; pinteraction=0.71). The contribution of the individual components to the composite outcome was similar between sexes except for procedural MI, which was significantly lower in women (9/151 [5.9%]) than men (67/519 [12.9%]; p=0.01). In ISCHEMIA, women assigned to the INV arm were less likely to undergo revascularisation than men. The effect of an INV versus CON strategy was consistent by sex, but women had a significantly lower contribution of procedural MI to the primary outcome.

Long-term monitoring reveals the effect of precipitation and silviculture on Nothofagus regeneration in Northern Patagonia mixed forests

BackgroundTree regeneration is a key component of resilience because it promotes post-disturbance recovery of forests. Northwestern Patagonia from Argentina is occupied by Nothofagus alpina (Na), N. obliqua (No), and N. dombeyi (Nd) forests that grow along an intense precipitation gradient, managed throughout shelterwood silvicultural system by technicians of the Lanin Natural Reserve. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of seeding cuttings over the dynamics of Nothofagus mixed forests across landscape (precipitation gradient) based mainly on the composition and abundance of tree regeneration, permanent sampling plots and generalized linear mixed models. In particular, we analysed: (i) the structure of sexual and asexual regeneration during < 10, 10–20 and > 20 years after harvest (the dynamics of managed forests), and (ii) the structure of sexual regeneration in primary and managed forests after > 20 years of harvest (the effect of silviculture).ResultsNd was the most abundant species in the regeneration of managed forests during all periods in both sites despite its lower contribution to the adult cohort. During the 10–20 years period after harvest, the humid site exhibited higher regeneration density than the mesic site (120,000 and 6000 ind ha−1, respectively), and it decreased afterwards. The number of established regeneration (> 2 m height) was lower for Na in the mesic site and for No in the humid site (0 and 57 ind ha−1, respectively). However, in comparison to No, Na showed a higher number of sprouted stumps and sprouts per stump, and a higher sprout height in the mesic site. No exhibited higher sprout mortality in the humid site. Finally, the regeneration of primary forests showed lower density and height, and a more balanced composition than that of managed forests.ConclusionsThe silvicultural effects on the mixed forest regeneration dynamics was strongly influenced by the condition of sites. Therefore, management prescriptions should be adjusted in order to consider the environmental variation occurring through the entire landscape. An adaptive management that considers the pattern and process of sexual and asexual regeneration and disturbance will contribute to promote a greater resilience of mixed forest ecosystems.

Concentrations and loads of metals, nutrients and organic contaminants entering the St. Lawrence River at Wolfe Island, 2000 to 2019

Water quality trends and loads were analyzed at Wolfe Island for the years 2000 to 2019. This station captures the nutrient and contaminant concentrations leaving the Canadian Great Lakes system into the St. Lawrence River. In addition to tracking what is leaving the Great lakes system, this station provides an indication of contaminants flowing downstream where a number of sensitive areas exist such as the Thousand Island National Park as well as the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern at Cornwall. In terms of trends, trace metals and PAHs are generally decreasing at Wolfe Island while the nutrients and major ions are increasing. Organic compounds are more challenging to summarize since the number of non-detects prevented modeling of many or the frequency of analysis was too low to model. In a general sense, there is an overall decreasing trend in the organics and the large number of compounds whose concentrations are below detection levels does signify the very low concentration of these contaminants. A notable change in trend predominantly for the metals was noted around 2010 and is discussed herein. The amount of recent (5 years) exceedances of the most stringent water quality guidelines is lower than the previous study period (only PCBs and phosphorus, PFOS and most likely dieldrin). While there are many additional downstream sources of contaminants after the Wolfe Island station, the reductions observed from this study indicate a lower contribution from the Great Lakes in many cases.

High-cellulose content of in-situ Miocene fossil tree stumps and trunks from Lusatia lignite mining district, Federal Republic of Germany

Second Miocene Seam Complex (2nd MFK; germ.: 2. Miozäner Flözkomplex) holds many in-situ, not permineralised fossil tree stumps and trunks with high-cellulose contents. The state of preservation of a set of in-situ fossil trees (Taxodioxylon cryptomerioides, Sciadopityoxylon wettsteinii, and Quasisequoioxylon piskowitzense) collected from three open-cast mines (Welzow-Süd, Meuro, and Piskowitz) in Lusatia lignite mining district, Federal Republic of Germany was investigated using a multi-method research schema.Examination of preservation state of thermally immature fossil woods revealed: (1) well-preserved (non-deformed, non-degraded, and non-flattened) textinite, (2) a retained structural integrity represented by multilayered (multi-zoned) cells with primary, secondary cell wall, and middle lamella, (3) microfracturing restricted to secondary walls only, (4) preservation of polyphenolic parenchyma cells (PP cells), (5) excellent preservation of pits in ray tracheids, (6) presence of amorphous silica (opal-A) coating, and (7) crystalline silica (opal-CT) fillings of small-bladed crystals.Thermogravimetric analysis results showed dissimilar gelification status of fossil samples, supporting chlorite holocellulose assay results. The latter indicated anomalously high-cellulose values (15.6–37.6% holocellulose). The micro-FTIR data obtained revealed an excellent preservation of both hemicellulose (bands at 1740 and 1245 cm−1) and cellulose (bands at 1110 and 1040 cm−1). Micro-FTIR spectrometry indicated lack of preferential hydrolytic removal of polysaccharides in examined samples.Biomarker patterns in lignite revealed forested and prevailing reed-mire vegetation. The results indicated lower contribution of Cupressaceae and emergent macrophyta to precursor organic matter of Welzow-Süd in comparison to Piskowitz lignite. Piskowitz lignite formed in permanent mire with stable water table under reducing, mesotrophic conditions. In contrast, more pronounced water level fluctuations (reducing to slightly oxic settings) and/or post-depositional events are postulated for Welzow-Süd samples.Biomarker assemblages obtained from fossil wood show a distinct dominance of diterpenoids and δ13C values (−24.6 ‰ to −20.3 ‰) that clearly confirm gymnosperm sources. Distributions of diteprenoids and sesquiterpenoids, as well as fatty acids indicate the higher amount of saturated diterpenoids (pimarane, abietane) in fossil than in modern wood. This indicates reducing conditions promoting hydrogenation reactions. In addition to low Eh, preservation of cellulose in fossil wood was also favored by acidic conditions, very low degrees of aerobic fungal degradation, and protection of wood by Cupressaceae-derived resins.While δ13C values of fossil wood are generally consistent with stratigraphic trends and chemotaxonomical classification, slightly elevated δ13C values recorded in T. cryptomerioides and S. wettsteinii in Welzow-Süd and Meuro open-cast mines, respectively, compared to published δ13C data of fossil gymnosperm wood are also indicative for good cellulose preservation.Both preservation of in-situ Miocene fossil stumps and trunks and retention of high-cellulose contents are suggested to be related to high-amplitude temporal fluctuations associated with repeated eustatically-controlled wet-dry cycling inducing: (1) weathering of tuff- and rhyolite-dominated acidic volcanics and Lausitz granodiorite, (2) associated erosion of saprolites, and (3) peat-sourced circulation of humic acid- and fulvic acid-rich waters. The latter led to the formation of Middle Miocene kaolinite deposits, as well as to the release of silicic acid and its subsequent precipitation in form of opal-A. The latter influenced preservation of high-cellulose contents in fossil wood.

The Contribution of Photon, Z Boson, Higgs, Radion and Unparticle to the Processes in Randall-Sundrum Model

The fundamentally well-known process of Bhabha is studied from the theoretical view of unparticle physics in the prominent Randall-Sundrum model. The cross-sections independently for photon (γ), Z boson (Z), vector unparticle (Uμ), Higgs (h), radion (), and scalar unparticle (U) exchange are calculated and evaluated. Numerical calculations showed that the contribution of unparticle exchange dominates in very high energy regions. While the standard model exchanges as γ and Z are predominant in the lower energy region, h and contribution is very small in comparison with the other exchanges. The results are plotted in the energy ranges available in the present designs of accelerators and near future energy upgrades of the International Linear Collider (ILC) and The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC).&#x0D;

Hide ‘n seek: individual behavioural responses of cattle excreting different amounts of nematode eggs—potential threshold for pasture contamination assessment

The aim of this study was to investigate how the activity of cattle under natural grazing conditions is related to their individual parasite contribution (IPC). Potentially, the individuals contributing the most to the contamination of the pasture with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) could then be identified and selectively treated based on sensor data thresholds. A total of 58 steers of the dairy breeds Swedish Red (SR, n = 19) and Swedish Holstein (SH, n = 39) were used for sensor-based data collection that lasted for a total of 10 weeks from 4 May to 13 July 2022. All steers were inoculated with a priming dose of nematode larvae and weighed in conjunction with the pasture release. The animals were then divided into four experimental groups and treated with ivermectin (IVM PO, Boehringer Ingelheim, 0.5 mg/kg BW) at different intervals to obtain an exposure contrast (Group A was left untreated, Group B/IVM PO-4w was treated after 4 weeks, Group C/IVM PO-8w was treated after 8 weeks, and Group D/IVM PO-4&amp;amp;8w was treated after 4 weeks and then after 8 weeks). The steers were weighed on four further occasions, during which faecal samples were also taken for parasite testing. Activity data were collected using leg-mounted IceQube sensors and body weight data and faecal samples were collected bi-weekly. The new threshold metric (IPC) was proposed for individuals with different faecal egg count (FEC) levels [NO (no contribution) &amp;lt;20 EPG, LO (low contribution) = 20–150 EPG, ME (medium contribution) = 150–250 EPG, and HI (high contribution) ≥250 EPG] The effects of IPC on activity patterns were analysed stepwise using a Generalised Estimating Equations model implemented in Python programming language. Results showed significant effects of different IPC values on motion index and number of steps taken (adjusted p-value of 0.008, 0.018, 0.041, and 0.001 for individuals with NO, LO, ME, and HI IPC values, respectively). There were some breed effects on the average number of steps and minutes spent lying. The results also provide alternative threshold methods aimed at finding more sustainable ways of using anthelmintics and integrating individual data into future parasite control strategies.

Seagrasses produce most of the soil blue carbon in three Maldivian islands

Blue carbon is fast garnering international interest for its disproportionate contribution to global carbon stocks. However, our understanding of the size of these blue carbon stocks, as well as the provenance of carbon that is stored within them, is still poor. This is especially pertinent for many small-island nations that may have substantial blue carbon ecosystems that are poorly studied. Here, we present a preliminary assessment of blue carbon from three islands in the Maldives. The higher purpose of this research was to assess the feasibility of using blue carbon to help offset carbon emissions associated with Maldivian tourism, the largest Maldivian industry with one of the highest destination-based carbon footprints, globally. We used stable isotope mixing models to identify how habitats contributed to carbon found in sediments, and Loss on Ignition (LoI) to determine carbon content. We found that for the three surveyed islands, seagrasses (Thalassia hemprichii, Thalassodendron ciliatum, Halodule pinofilia, Syringodium isoetifolium, and Cymodocea rotundata) were the main contributors to sediment blue carbon (55 – 72%) while mangroves had the lowest contribution (9 – 44%). Surprisingly, screw pine (Pandanus spp.), a relative of palm trees found across many of these islands, contributed over a quarter of the carbon found in sediments. Organic carbon content (‘blue carbon’) was 6.8 ± 0.3 SE % and 393 ± 29 tonnes ha-1 for mangrove soils, and 2.5 ± 0.2% and 167 ± 20 tonnes ha-1 for seagrasses, which is slightly higher than global averages. While preliminary, our results highlight the importance of seagrasses as carbon sources in Maldivian blue carbon ecosystems, and the possible role that palms such as screw pines may have in supplementing this. Further research on Maldivian blue carbon ecosystems is needed to: 1) map current ecosystem extent and opportunities for additionality through conservation and restoration; 2) determine carbon sequestration rates; and 3) investigate options and feasibility for tourism-related blue carbon crediting. Overall, the opportunity for blue carbon in the Maldives is promising, but the state of knowledge is very limited.

Elucidation of the dominant factors influencing N2O emission in water-level fluctuation zones in a karst canyon reservoir, southwest China

The water-level fluctuations zones (WLFZs) are crucial transitional interfaces within river-reservoir systems, serving as hotspots for N2O emission. However, the comprehension of response patterns and mechanisms governing N2O emission under hydrological fluctuation remains limited, especially in karstic canyon reservoirs, which introduces significant uncertainty to N2O flux assessments. Soil samples were collected from the WLFZs of the Hongjiadu (HJD) Reservoir along the water flow direction from transition zone (T1 and T2) to lacustrine zone (T3, T4 and T5) at three elevations for each site. These soil columns were used to conduct simulation experiments under various water-filled pore space gradients (WFPSs) to investigate the potential N2O flux pattern and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that nutrient distribution and N2O flux pattern differed significantly between two zones, with the highest N2O fluxes in the transition zone sites and lacustrine zone sites were found at 75 % and 95 % WFPS, respectively. Soil nutrient loss in lower elevation areas is influenced by prolonged impoundment durations. The higher N2O fluxes in the lacustrine zone can be attributed to increased nutrient levels resulting from anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed that soil bulk density significantly impacted N2O fluxes across all sites, while NO3−and SOC facilitated N2O emissions in T1-T2 and T4-T5, respectively. It was evident that N2O production primarily contributed to nitrification in the transition zone and was constrained by the mineralization process, whereas denitrification dominated in the lacustrine zone. Notably, the annual N2O efflux from WLFZs accounted for 27 % of that from the water-air interface in HJD Reservoir, indicating a considerably lower contribution than anticipated. Nevertheless, this study highlights the significance of WLFZs as a vital potential source of N2O emission, particularly under the influence of anthropogenic activities and high WFPS gradient.

Silicon carbide nanoparticles featured AZ63/BN alloy nanocomposite made by using liquid stir vacuum die cast: characteristics study

ABSTRACT With the unique class, the reinforcements play a precious role during the composite fabrication, expanding the specific properties. The novel research intensively enhances the micro-structural and mechanical behaviour of magnesium alloy (AZ63/3 wt% boron nitride) nanocomposite featured 2, 4, and 6 wt% of nano-size silicon carbide (SiC) particles via liquid state vacuum stir cast route. The exposure of SiC and BN on composite density, voids contribution, changes in AZ91D microstructure, impact toughness, hardness, and stress-strain individuality of AZ63 alloy nanocomposite is evaluated with ASTM policy. The composite composed with 3 wt% BN and 6 wt% SiC proved their identity. It showed the lower contribution of voids-free homogenous dispersion particle results in a maximum impact strength of 14.7J/mm2, hardness of 74HV, and superb tensile strength of 247MPa. This optimum behaviour will be recommended for automotive roof frame applications.