Reproductive Research Articles

What you can do for evolutionary developmental linguistics

A growing number of linguistic attempts to explain how languages change use cultural-evolutionary models involving selection or drift. Developmental constraints and biases, which take center stage in evolutionary developmental biology or evo-devo, seem to be absent within this framework, even though linguistics is home to numerous notions of constraint. In this paper, we show how these evo-devo concepts could be applied to linguistic change and why they should. This requires some conceptual groundwork, due to important differences between linguistic and biotic evolution. In biological evolution, development generates the organism's variable traits on which selection and drift act. In linguistic evolution by analogy, we say development generates the linguistic variants on which selection and drift can act. “Linguistic development” then picks out how individual speakers produce and comprehend language. It involves much more than just learning. Using this broad notion of development, we distinguish between different types of bias that could operate in the processes of linguistic innovation and transmission, which correspond to genetic mutation and biological reproduction, respectively. Having thus sharpened our conceptual toolbox, we then reanalyze two well-documented cases of linguistic change and show that, in both these cases, linguists have only considered Neo-Darwinian evolutionary explanations, falsely deploying an exclusive disjunction of selection and drift. We show that there is at least a third relevant alternative in these examples, namely developmental constraint or bias in the sense we explicate here.

High Efficiency (>10%) AgBiS2 Colloidal Nanocrystal Solar Cells with Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Polymer Hole Transport Layer.

Silver bismuth disulfide (AgBiS2) colloidal nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as ecofriendly photoactive materials with excellent photoconductivity and high absorption coefficients, in compliance with the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) guidelines. To maximize the theoretical potential of AgBiS2 CNC solar cells, a new diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based polymer, BD2FCT, optimized as a hole transport layer (HTL), is developed. This asymmetric thiophene-rich polymer HTL effectively complements the optical absorption spectrum of CNCs and forms a homogeneous layer atop the CNCs, facilitating favorable vertical charge transfer through intrinsic molecular packing. Furthermore, the BD2FCT HTL aligns energetically with AgBiS2, significantly reducing charge recombination at the CNC/HTL interfaces and enhancing charge extraction and photocurrent generation across the entire optical absorption spectrum. These characteristics are further optimized through precise molecular engineering. Additionally, a low-bandgap acceptor, IEICO-4F, is structurally incorporated with the BD2FCT polymer to further improve charge funneling and complementary absorption. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals enhanced hole transfer from CNC to BD2FCT-29DPP:IEICO-4F, resulting in reduced charge recombination and efficient charge extraction. Consequently, a BD2FCT-based AgBiS2 CNC solar cell achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.1%, demonstrating significant improvements in short-circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor (FF).

Insight into the mechanism of alkyl polyglucose biosurfactants enhancing antibiotics resistance genes removal during biotransformation of waste activated sludge into medium-chain fatty acids

Enhancing the biodegradability of waste activated sludge (WAS) based on environmentally friendly biosurfactants alkyl polyglucose (APG) to promote the recovery of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) is a promising strategy. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of APG on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) removal during MCFAs production by WAS anaerobic fermentation are still unclear. This study found that APG significantly enhanced the removal of ARGs during the anaerobic fermentation to produce MCFAs, and the maximum removal efficiency of total ARGs was 95.64 % in 0.3 g APG/g TSS group, which was 46.31 % higher than the control group. The increase in extracellular lactate dehydrogenase, 16S rDNA and ARGs indicated that APG strengthened the lysis of ARGs hosts, thus suppressing the vertical transfer of ARGs caused by host proliferation. Furthermore, APG facilitated the decline in the abundance of mobile gene elements and two-component system genes, which was beneficial to reduce the horizontal transfer of ARGs. Microbial community and network analysis revealed that APG enriched functional microorganism and reduced potential ARGs hosts. Finally, partial least-squares path model analysis further demonstrated that the effectiveness of APG in ARGs removal was related to the restriction of ARGs transfer and change of bacterial community.

Optimal Driving Torque Control Strategy for Front and Rear Independently Driven Electric Vehicles Based on Online Real-Time Model Predictive Control

This paper presents a novel driving torque control strategy for the front and rear independently driven electric vehicle (FRIDEV) to reduce energy consumption and enhance vehicle stability. The strategy is built on a comprehensive vehicle model that integrates vertical load transfer, tire slip dynamics, and an electric system model that accounts for losses in induction motors (IMs), permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs), inverters, and batteries. The torque control problem is framed with a nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) method, utilizing state-space equations as representations of vehicle dynamics. The optimization targets adjust in real-time based on road traction conditions, with the slip rate of front and rear wheels determining the torque control strategy. Active slip control is applied when slip rates exceed critical thresholds, while under normal conditions, torque distribution is optimized to minimize energy losses. To enable online real-time implementation, an improved sparrow search algorithm (SSA) is designed. Simulations in MATLAB/Simulink confirm that the proposed online strategy reduces energy consumption by 2.3% under the China light-duty vehicle test cycle-passenger cars (CLTC-P) compared to a rule-based strategy. Under low-adhesion conditions, the proposed online strategy effectively manages slip ratios, ensuring stability and performance. Improved SSA also enhances computational efficiency by approximately 44%–52%, making the online strategy viable for real-time applications.

Experimental investigation of surface buoyant jet interactions with grid obstructions: implications for aquaculture

Freshwater inputs originating from terrestrial streams and gullies that discharge into quiescent, semi-enclosed coastal regions (such as estuaries, tidal inlets or lagoons), typically provide point sources of nutrients (e.g. nitrates, phosphates) and/or contaminants (e.g. pesticides, pathogens) that may have a deleterious impact on water quality. Many of these sheltered coastal regions also increasingly support aquaculture operations (e.g. finfish, shellfish, or seaweed farms), which can therefore be directly impacted by nutrient and contaminant inputs. Dynamically, these terrestrial freshwater inflows behave as surface buoyant jets or plumes within the coastal saline or brackish receiving waters, due to the salinity-induced density gradients. As such, the presence of infrastructure associated with aquaculture operations in sheltered coastal waters can provide obstruction to the propagation characteristics and residence times for these surface freshwater flows. Consequently, an improved physical understanding of the flow-structure interaction is clearly crucial to assessing the potential contamination risk of aquaculture products. The aim of the current study is therefore to explore, through scaled laboratory experiments within a channel-basin facility, the impact of physical obstruction induced by a vertical grid structure on the flow evolution of a 2D – 3D expanding, surface buoyant jet. Two grid obstructions with different solidity ratios are tested, along with surface gravity currents of different density excesses and freshwater inflows to infer the influence of different parametric conditions on the propagation, blockage and mixing characteristics of the surface current in the vicinity of the grid obstruction. Measurements of the velocity structure and thickness of the expanding surface plume are obtained by ultrasonic velocity profilers, while the density excess in the evolving plume is measured by micro-conductivity probes. Dye visualization results also show that, in the presence of the grid obstruction, the generation of shear-induced billows at the lower interface of the expanding surface current is largely blocked and a local deepening of the fresh-salt water interface in the immediate vicinity of the grid obstruction is observed. In this sense, the obstruction imposed by aquaculture infrastructure in coastal domains can have a considerable influence of the local turbulent mixing and vertical transfer of substances (e.g. nutrients and contaminants), but is likely to have relatively minimal impact in the final dispersion of the surface plume.

Al-N3 Bridge Site Enabling Interlayer Charge Transfer Boosts the Direct Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide from Water and Air.

Manipulating the electronic environment of the reactive center to lower the energy barrier of the rate-determining water oxidation step for boosting the direct generation of H2O2 from water, air, and sunlight is fascinating yet remains a grand challenge. Driven by a first-principles screening across a series of metal single atoms in carbon nitride, we report a class of an Al-N3 bridge site enabling interlayer charge transfer in carbon nitride nanotubes (CNNT-Al) for the highly efficient photosynthesis of H2O2 directly from water, oxygen, and sunlight. We demonstrate that the interlayered Al-N3 bridge site in CNNT-Al is able to activate the neighboring surface N atom for promoting the rate-determining step of the two-electron water oxidation to H2O2. It is also able to act as a bridge for enhancing the vertical interlaminar charge transfer due to the hybridization between the 3s and 3p states of the interstitial Al atom and the conduction band of two adjacent carbon nitride layers. Collectively, these factors lead to a highest photocatalytic mass activity of 1410.2 μmol g-1 h-1 (with a photocatalyst concentration of 1 g L-1) for direct photosynthesis of H2O2 out of all CN-based photocatalysts and a 7-fold higher solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency (0.73%) compared to that of the natural photosynthesis of typical plants (∼0.1%). Most importantly, the CNNT-Al-based flow reactor can steadily produce H2O2 for 200 h and be directly used for the on-site degradation of organic dye in water. The CNNT-Al-based flow reactor can also kill a 10 times higher concentration of bacteria in deionized water than that in natural water with 100% efficiency, which makes our design economically appealing for practical water treatment.

Numerical and experimental investigations on the effect of skeleton shapes and heat transfer directions on water freezing in porous media

Incorporating porous skeletons into PCMs is an effective strategy for enhancing their thermal properties. However, this approach increases the complexity of the heat transfer process and poses a challenge to accurate modeling. This study investigates the water freezing process in porous skeletons with various shapes and heat transfer directions through experiments and numerical simulations. The model employs the hybrid finite element method with mesh adaptation to optimize numerical solutions. The experimental and simulation results are in good agreement, which validates the accuracy of this model. The study aims to reveal the evolution mechanisms of the phase interface, temperature field, and freezing rate of water in various porous skeletons, enhancing the theoretical foundation and offering insights for practical applications. Results show that the square steel skeleton exhibits the highest freezing rate among the tested skeleton shapes, while the rhombus resin skeleton demonstrates the slowest. Furthermore, the square skeleton shows the smallest interface deflection before and after the pores, while the rhombus skeleton presents the largest. Additionally, vertical heat transfer from bottom to top increases the freezing rate by 38.97% compared to horizontal heat transfer from left to right.

Migration of fungicides, antibiotics and resistome in the soil-lettuce system

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have become a serious issue in global agricultural production. However, understanding how these ARGs spread across different spatial scales, especially when exposed to both pesticides and antibiotics, has remained a challenge. Here, metagenomic assembly and binning methodologies were used to determine the spread pathway of ARGs in the soil-lettuce system under individual and combined exposure of fungicides (carbendazim and pyraclostrobin) and antibiotics (chlortetracycline and ciprofloxacin). These agrochemicals not only facilitated the spread of ARGs from soil to lettuce but also significantly elevated the risk of developing multi-antibiotic resistance among bacteria, especially to some antibiotic types (i.e. sulfonamide, aminoglycoside, quinolone, and tetracycline). ARGs could be migrated through distinct pathways, including both vertical and horizontal gene transfer, with plasmids playing a crucial role in facilitating the horizontal gene transfer. These transfer pathways have enabled key pathogenic bacteria belonging to the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Pantoea to acquire resistance and remain recalcitrant, posing the potential risk to crop health and food safety. In summary, our findings highlighted that fungicide and antibiotic could drive upward migration of ARGs in the soil-lettuce system and reduced the quality safety of agricultural products.

Overview of the human papilloma virus: types and its treatment

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the United States and one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections (STDs) globally. Warts are cutaneous and occasionally mucous lesions brought on by HPV, with 2-20% of elementary school students getting them. There are three types of warts: non-genital warts, flat warts, and plantar warts. Non-genital warts are hyperkeratotic, exophytic, dome-shaped papules or plaques commonly associated with HPV-1, 2, 4, 27, or 57. Flat warts appear as flesh-coloured, erythematous to brown, or hyperpigmented smooth papules with a flat top and a diameter of 2 to 5 mm. Plantar warts, also known as verrucae plantaris, are cutaneous lesions on the plantar aspect of the foot that result from a human papillomavirus infection of keratinocytes (HPV).Genital warts are transmitted through sexual contact, while autoinoculation and vertical transfer do occasionally happen. After engaging in sexual activity with an infected partner, about 70% of people experience anogenital warts. Treatment for HPV includes imiquimod cream formulations, photodynamic treatment (PDT), green tea, chemical cautery, fluorouracil cream, cryotherapy, and surgical treatment. Common warts are hyperkeratotic, exophytic, dome-shaped papules or plaques commonly found in fingers, dorsal surfaces of hands, knees, or elbows. Flat warts are flesh-coloured, erythematous to brown, or hyperpigmented smooth papules with a flat top and a diameter of 2 to 5 mm. Plantar warts are unique in their location and appearance, primarily affecting high-pressure locations on the palms and soles and are uniquely linked to HPV type 1.

Antibiotic resistance genes transfer risk: Contributions from soil erosion and sedimentation activities, agricultural cycles, and soil chemical contamination

The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pose environmental risks that are influenced by soil activity and pollution. Soil erosion and sedimentation accelerate degradation and migration, thereby affecting soil distribution and contamination. This study quantified the vertical and horizontal transfer capabilities of ARGs and simulated soil environments under various scenarios, such as erosion, agricultural cycles, and chemical pollution. The results showed that slope, runoff, and sediment volume significantly affected soil erosion and ARG transfer risks. The response of environmental factors to the transfer risk of ARGs is as follows: the promotion effect of soil deposition (average: 21.41 %) is significantly greater than the inhibitory effect of soil erosion (average: −11.31 %); the planting period (average: −64.654) is greater than the harvest period (average: −56.225); the response to soil chemical pollution is: the impact of phosphate fertilizer residues, antibiotics, and pesticide pollution is more significant. This study constructed a vertical and horizontal transfer system of ARGs in soil erosion and sedimentation environments and proposed a response analysis method for the impact of factors, such as soil erosion and sedimentation activities, agricultural cycles, and soil chemical pollution, on ARGs transfer capabilities.

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Forced Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient Measurement of Silver-Water Nanofluids at Laminar Flow

Heat management in industries and other areas is a major issue currently worldwide. Conventional heat transfer fluids like water and ethylene glycol are not very effective. Nanofluids (NFs), composed of nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed throughout a base fluid (BF), have recently been identified as promising heat management agents for various industrial and other applications. Heat transmission is one of the many uses for AgNPs–water NFs (silver NPs (AgNPs) dispersed in water). The goal of this work was to determine the AgNPs–water NFs' forced convective heat transfer coefficient (HTC) in laminar flow. Due to this, we present the results of the HTC study of AgNPs–water NFs in laminar flow in this paper. First, using AgNO3 as a precursor, a chemical reduction approach was used for facile synthesis of AgNPs in one pot at ambient temperature. Synthesized NPs were examined using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transform electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The average particle size obtained from TEM is 25 nm. The required quantity of AgNPs was added to the water to produce 0.5 and 1.0 vol% of AgNPs–water NFs. Next, zeta potential and dynamic light scattering (DLS), in addition to time-lapse observation and captured picture comparison, were used to assess the stability of the formulated NFs. To calculate the forced convective HTC of prepared NFs in laminar flow, a vertical shell and tube heat transfer apparatus and computer-based data recorder were used. According to the results, in comparison to BF, the HTC of 0.5 and 1.0 vol% NFs was 3.3 and 5 times greater, respectively which encourages the use of AgNPs–water NFs in industry and other heat management. Jagannath University Journal of Science, Volume 11, Number 1, June 2024, pp. 13−22

Does Artificial Intelligence Bring to Renewable Energy Innovation？Yes, Empirical Investigation for 51 Countries?

ABSTRACT The development of high-tech industries, represented by artificial intelligence (AI), plays an important role in driving renewable energy innovation (REI). This paper analyzes the effects and mechanisms of AI on REI, using data from 51 countries from 1993 to 2019. The results show that AI can promote REI by increasing research and development (R&D) investment, improving labor productivity and institutional quality. The impact varies depending on the level and type of REI, the type of AI, the level of national income, and the extent of digital infrastructure. In addition, by constructing a spatial Durbin model, this paper also shows that AI inhibits the innovation level of neighboring countries while promoting REI at home. In view of this, countries should make full use of the advantages of AI, increase investment in R&D of AI in the field of RE, improve the efficiency of RE production and use, and establish an international cooperation framework of AI for energy innovation among countries in an effort to promote REI.

Maternal Preconception COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Protective Effect on Infants after a Breakthrough Infection during Pregnancy.

The transplacental vertical transfer of maternal antibodies was determined to be a crucial factor in conferring protective immunity to infants following delivery, and this study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of maternal preconception COVID-19 vaccination on infants. A prospective cohort study was conducted at the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Child Health and Diseases in Chongqing, China, spanning from July 2022 to April 2023. The study included infants from mothers with a preconception COVID-19 vaccination and (or) a SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Titers of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and cross-neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants were detected. In this cohort study comprising 158 infants, it was observed that infants born to mothers who experienced a pregnancy-related breakthrough infection following a preconception vaccination had the highest titers of SARS-CoV-2 IgG and cross-neutralizing antibody activity against different variants compared to those with either of these factors alone. The transplacental vertical transmission of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies decreased significantly with increasing age, from 3.16 ODs at birth to 2.29 ODs at two months, and persisted for approximately four months after birth. The predominant subclass of passively transmitted antibodies via the placenta was found to be IgG1, and a positive correlation was observed between the titers of SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgG1 (R = 0.59, p < 0.001; Slope: 0.49 ± 0.070, p < 0.001). Maternal preconception COVID-19 vaccination represents a promising immunological strategy for conferring postnatal protection to infants, especially during the period of heightened risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is imperative to underscore the significance of vaccination for women who are preparing to become pregnant or are pregnant, and concerted efforts must be made to promote vaccination among eligible women.

Turbulent fluxes of aerosol and heat in a desertified area during intermittent emission of dust aerosol

Based on fluctuations measurement results in the components of wind speed, air temperature and concentration of aerosol particles on a desertified area in the Astrakhan region under conditions of intermittent emission of dust aerosol, vertical turbulent fluxes of dust aerosol and heat were determined. Using spectral analysis, the temporal variability of the horizontal and vertical components of wind speed, air temperature and concentration of dust aerosol particles was characterized. It is shown that the intermittent emission of the dust aerosol is determined by low-frequency convective-induced variations in the horizontal component of wind speed when the threshold saltation speed is exceeded. Significant differences in the spatiotemporal variability of vertical heat transfer and dust aerosol were revealed. The 30-minute average values of heat fluxes (90–158 W/m2) and dust aerosol (7.2–27.5 cm–2cm–1), as well as the rate of heat removal (14–21 cm/s) and dust aerosol (10–16 cm/s).

The Introduction of Same-Sex Marriage in Germany—A Question of Conscience and/or Faith? A Case Study

On 30 June 2017, the German Bundestag voted in favor of the introduction of marriage for same-sex couples—a historic moment. Only a few days earlier, the then Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel had released the vote as a decision of conscience and thus dissolved the usual underlying factional compulsion—does this mean that rights for homosexual people are a question of personal conscience and values? Such a localization arouses the interest of religious studies to investigate how the discourse actors from the fields of politics, church and society formulate the decision of conscience as a discursive strategy in the negotiation process of same-sex marriage in Germany argumentatively and which positionings as well as descriptions of others and themselves are derived from this. The starting point is a modernity in which the actors move, understand and articulate themselves. This understanding of modernity is based on the process of a vertical transfer (Gladigow) of sociological theories of religion, among others, whereby narratives of secularization, overcoming religion (as a necessary precondition of modernity) and narratives of an opposition of religious vs. secular or religious vs. homosexual reappear as positions and arguments in the discourse. Using the approach of discursive religious studies (von Stuckrad) in conjunction with sociological discourse analysis (Keller), these processes of positioning, demarcation and negotiation based on the premises of modernity will be analyzed for the period from 2013 to 2017 on the basis of the public debate on religious, political, and social actors in Germany.

Vertical transfer of gut microbiota from dam to neonate calf in the early of life

The aim of this study was to investigate the vertical transfer of microbiota from dams to the offspring. We studied a pair of 20 dams and its offspring. Maternal sources (colostrum, feces and vaginal secretion) and newborn fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing on days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28. Overall, newborns were maintained healthy and did not receive antimicrobial therapy. The Source Tracker analysis indicated that the newborn fecal microbiota was similar to colostrum and vaginal secretion from day 1 up to 7. However, an unknown source (probably from the environment) showed a gradual increase in its similarity with fecal samples from calves measured from day 3 to 28. The most abundant bacteria groups on meconium (day 1) and calf fecal samples on day 3 were Escherichia-Shigella and Clostridium, respectively. On day 7, the predominant genus were Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, while Fusobacterium was the most abundant genus on day 14, coinciding with the diarrhea peak. Faecalibacterium showed a gradual increase throughout the neonatal period. Maternal sources contribute to the neonatal microbiota, however other unknown sources (probably environment) had a strong influence on development of the gut microbiota later in the neonate period.

Invisible threat to mesopelagic fish: Microplastics and artificial cellulose particles in bigfin lanternfish Symbolophorus californiensis from the Northwest Pacific Ocean

Lanternfishes play an important role in connecting epipelagic and mesopelagic ecosystems. Due to their global distribution, diel vertical migration, and low trophic position, they may be highly susceptible to the ingestion of microplastics (MPs) and artificial cellulose particles (ACs). However, the role of lanternfishes in these emergent pollution research remains underestimated. In this study, we compared the abundance and characteristics of MPs and ACs in the stomach and intestine of bigfin lanternfish (Symbolophorus californiensis) from the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The results showed no difference in the abundance and size of MPs between the stomach (0.28 ± 0.63 items/individual, 103.72–2946.58 μm) and intestine (0.32 ± 0.56 items/individual, 122.03–4398.17 μm). The majority of MPs were fibrous in shape, with blue and transparent being the predominant colors. Polyester (28.2 %) and polyethylene terephthalate (20.5 %) were the most common polymer types. ACs were also primary in the shape of fiber (93.2 %), with transparent being the predominant color. The abundance of ACs in the intestine (0.49 ± 0.83 items/individual) was significantly higher than that in the stomach (0.18 ± 0.43 items/individual), while similar particle sizes were observed. This study provides an important baseline on lanternfishes contamination by MPs and ACs. Understanding this impact of mesopelagic fish is crucial for enhancing our comprehension of the vertical transfer mechanism of these pollutants between epipelagic and mesopelagic ecosystems.

Impact Momentum Transfer—Insights from Numerical Simulation of Impacts on Large Boulders of Asteroids

Asteroids pose potential hazards to Earth. The recent NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission successfully demonstrated the change of an asteroid’s orbit by a kinetic impactor. This study focuses on impact-induced vertical momentum transfer efficiency (β − 1) considering various impact angles and subsurface boulder arrangements. Utilizing the iSALE-3D shock physics code, we simulate oblique impacts on different subsurface boulder configurations. Our results show that vertical ejecta momentum decreases with obliquity, with buried boulders inducing an anti-armoring effect. We define the direct impact-contacted boulder as the primary boulder and the surrounding boulders as secondary. The anti-armoring effect is most pronounced when the primary boulder is just below the surface, amplifying β – 1 by 50%. Impact angles between 60° and 75° exhibit a critical drop in ejecta momentum. An in-depth exploration of subsurface boulder arrangements reveals that secondary boulders have a minimal effect on vertical momentum transfer efficiency. Varying the size and separation of secondary boulders suggests that these subsurface features can either enhance or diminish the overall β − 1, providing insights into the dynamics of rubble-pile asteroids. In addition, impact melting is explored in our simulations, which suggests a minimal melt retention on Dimorphos’s surface. Volumes of retained melt differ by an order of magnitude for impacts on the homogeneous regolith and on targets with buried boulders. In summary, this study provides insights into the effect of subsurface boulders and impact angles on vertical momentum transfer efficiency, which is crucial for understanding asteroid deflection by a kinetic impactor.

Effects of Local Anesthetics on Tissue Penetration Using Diode Lasers in Intraoral Tissues.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate heat transfer within oral soft tissues using different lasers under the effect of local anesthetics (LA). Methods: Bovine tongue slices were placed in between two glass slides and at a distance from a thermographic camera. In total, 2-cm-long 240 incisions were made along the surface of the tissue parallel to glass slides and the camera capture field. Incisions were performed using 445-nm and infrared (IR) lasers (970 nm and 980 nm on a continuous wave at 2 W) with 320 µm-initiated (concentrated energy at the tip provided by a blue articulated paper and laser irradiation) and noninitiated (defused energy) fiber (30-sec irradiation period). LA was injected into the specimens before irradiation. The temperature changes in °C (ΔT) and vertical and lateral heat transfer (in mm) were recorded at 10-sec intervals for 30 sec, using thermographic images. The amount of lateral and vertical heat transfer was measured. A repeated analysis of variance statistical comparison test was used to analyze differences between the lateral (width) and the vertical (height) heat transfer for initiated and noninitiated lasers and different lasers. Results: The maximum ΔT in °C utilizing initiated tips of 970, 980, or 445 nm were 11.82 ± 3.46, 7.66 ± 3.24, and 18.94 ± 7.01 and using noninitiated tips were 8.27 ± 1.69, 8.87 ± 2.40, and 12.31 ± 8.65, respectively. Heat transfers (height/width) for initiated were 40.65 ± 10.40/90.65 ± 10.77 mm, 41.50 ± 11.83/83.95 ± 11.20 mm, and 33.70 ± 9.10/95.10 ± 11.17 mm and for noninitiated lasers were 52.95 ± 6.89/96.10 ± 11.17 mm, 47.75 ± 7.41/93.75 ± 14.96 mm, and 31.35 ± 11.40/75.20 ± 19.68 mm, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found between all lasers (p < 0.05) for initiated and noninitiated lasers (except for 970/980 nm for noninitiated lasers). Lower penetration depth (p < 0.05) at 445-nm diode and greater lateral heat spreading (p < 0.05) were identified under LA especially utilizing noninitiated tips without significant difference in IR lasers. Conclusions: LA might negatively influence soft tissues creating scattering when noninitiated tips are used and IR diode laser technology.

A More “Human(e)” Society? Animal Autobiography and the Shaping of Race, Species, and Gender

At the turn of the twentieth century, animal welfare work occupied an increasingly prominent position in the United States, with women’s animal autobiographies serving particularly formative roles in teaching child readers “humane” values. During this same period, felines in particular were increasingly brought into the home even as they were also increasingly racialized in larger discourse. This article focuses on three feline autobiographies from this period, arguing that they present the racialized animal as a site of biopolitical control that ultimately resides in the hands of white women. First, the article examines how humane education initiatives taught children to exert police-like roles in animal welfare work, capitalizing on existing cultural connections between children and animals to then teach children to disidentify from and ultimately help control racialized animal bodies. Then, the essay demonstrates how the three feline autobiographies ultimately advocate for the control and shaping of racialized nonhuman and human biological reproduction. The article’s argument emphasizes the importance of interrogating these texts, published during a formative historical moment in the development of humane education, as we work to transform children’s literature and animal welfare work into sites for anti-racist thought and action.