Short Journey Research Articles

Three decades of progress in artificial insemination in rabbit farming: a review

The commercial use of artificial insemination (AI) in rabbit farming is relatively recent, especially when compared to other species such as cattle or swine, in which AI has been used for more than 60 years. The large-scale use of AI in rabbit farming dates back to the late 80s. However, despite its short journey, it has not stopped evolving. Although there have been numerous changes, in this review article we aim to highlight two important milestones in optimisation of this technique: the introduction of biostimulation and the addition of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues to the seminal dose to induce ovulation. In the former case, by means of different methods of biostimulation, such as feed and light flushing and/or separation of the litter in the days prior to AI, the use of hormones to synchronise heat with the moment of AI was practically eliminated. Nowadays, the possibility of using pheromones with the same objective is under research, even to increase ovulation rate or improve semen production. Although there are pheromones on the market labelled for use in other species, in the case of rabbit the knowledge of them is limited. Nevertheless, given the verified effects that pheromones produce in other animals, expectations are high. In the latter case, after several attempts by using other methods, the technique commonly used to induce ovulation was the intramuscular administration of GnRH or its synthetic analogues. However, in recent years, it has been proven that administration of GnRH through the vagina is possible, added to the seminal dose, which offers numerous advantages regarding health, animal welfare and the workforce needed. Recently, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved this practice, so in the near future it will probably become the most widely used method. Even so, there is still room for improvement, as the dosage of GnRH needed is higher than the one administered intramuscularly. Research on this topic allows us to predict that this problem should be solved in the coming years. Other alternatives such as the β-Nerve Growth Factor need further research to become a feasible option.

AN ADVANCED FLIGHT SCHEDULING APPLICATION BASED ON DIJKSTRA`S ALGORITHM

Dijkstra`s Algorithm is a popular example of a greedy solution to the problem of determining the shortest path. This algorithm calculates the most direct and shortest journey and is majorly used in routing, rail networks, maps, etc. Its application to both directed and undirected graphs has the same goal, which is to determine the path that travels the least distance from the starting node, also known as the origin node, to any other node along the tracks. In this article, we are going to implement an application of this algorithm, but this time with a minor tweak. a travel agency asks for software that can create flight schedules for their customers, and the agent has the access to a database that lists all of the airports and flights. In this scenario, the agent is able to create flight schedules for their customers. In addition to the flight number, the airport of departure and arrival, and the destination, each trip`s times of departure and arrival are listed. The agent is interested in finding out the earliest possible arrival time at the destination, given both the airport of departure and the time at which the trip will begin. It was observed during implementation that, if the method is correctly applied, the overall cost for building every flight priority queue is O(m). For the airport priority queue, the overall cost using a heap is O((n + m) log n))

Conciliating accuracy and efficiency to empower engineering based on performance: a short journey

Conciliating accuracy and efficiency to empower engineering based on performance: a short journey

Sustainable urban mobility: Flexible bus service network design in the post-pandemic era

The excessive traffic congestion in vehicles lowers the service quality of urban bus system, reduces the social distance of bus passengers, and thus, increases the spread speed of epidemics, such as coronavirus disease. In the post-pandemic era, it is one of the main concerns for the transportation agency to provide a sustainable urban bus service to balance the travel convenience in accessibility and the travel safety in social distance for bus passengers, which essentially reduces the in-vehicle passenger congestion or smooths the boarding–alighting unbalance of passengers. Incorporating the route choice behavior of passengers, this paper proposes a sustainable service network design strategy by selecting one subset of the stops to maximize the total passenger-distance (person × kilometers) with exogenously given loading factor and stop-spacing level, which can be captured by constrained non-linear programming model. The loading factor directly determines the in-vehicle social distance, and the stop-spacing level can efficiently reduce the ridership with short journey distance. Therefore, the sustainable service network design can be used to help the government minimize the spread of the virus while guaranteeing the service quality of transport patterns in the post-pandemic era. A real-world case study is adopted to illustrate the validity of the proposed scheme and model.

Iranian clinical practice guideline for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegeneration involving motor neurons. The 3-5 years that patients have to live is marked by day-to-day loss of motor and sometimes cognitive abilities. Enormous amounts of healthcare services and resources are necessary to support patients and their caregivers during this relatively short but burdensome journey. Organization and management of these resources need to best meet patients' expectations and health system efficiency mandates. This can only occur in the setting of multidisciplinary ALS clinics which are known as the gold standard of ALS care worldwide. To introduce this standard to the care of Iranian ALS patients, which is an inevitable quality milestone, a national ALS clinical practice guideline is the necessary first step. The National ALS guideline will serve as the knowledge base for the development of local clinical pathways to guide patient journeys in multidisciplinary ALS clinics. To this end, we gathered a team of national neuromuscular experts as well as experts in related specialties necessary for delivering multidisciplinary care to ALS patients to develop the Iranian ALS clinical practice guideline. Clinical questions were prepared in the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) format to serve as a guide for the literature search. Considering the lack of adequate national/local studies at this time, a consensus-based approach was taken to evaluate the quality of the retrieved evidence and summarize recommendations.

Assessment of thermal changes in water buffalo mobilized from the paddock and transported by short journeys.

Evaluating the welfare of buffaloes during transport is key to obtaining and commercializing high-quality meat products; however, effective assessments require recognizing several stressors that activate physiological mechanisms that can have repercussions on the health and productive performance of species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface temperatures of different body and head regions in this species during events prior, and posterior, to transport for short periods; that is, from paddock to loading. The second goal was to determine the level of correlation between thermal windows. This study used infrared thermography (IRT) to evaluate the surface temperature of 624 water buffaloes (Buffalypso breed) during 12 short trips (average duration = 2 h ± 20 min) by focusing on 11 regions of the body (Regio corporis), in the head regions (Regiones capitis) the face regions (Regiones faciei), Orbital region (Regio orbitalis) with special attention to structures such as the lacrimal caruncle, periocular area and lower eyelid (Regio palpebralis inferior); nasal region (Regio nasalis) with special attention to nostril thermal window; and regions of the skull (Regiones cranii) such as auricular region (Regio auricularis) with special attention to auditory canal and frontal-parietal region (Regio frontalis-parietalis) and trunk region (Truncus regionis) such as thoracic and abdominal regions, regions of the vertebral column (Columna vertebralis) with the thoracic vertebral region (Regio vertebralis thoracis) and lumbar region (Regio lumbalis); and regions of the pelvis limb (Regiones membri pelvini). Recordings were made during seven phases: paddock (P1), herding (P2), corral (P3), chute handling (P4), shipping (P5), pre- (P6), and post-transport (P7). A total of 48,048 readings were obtained from 11 thermal windows. The results showed that the surface temperatures of the windows increased by as much as 5°C during P2, P3, P5, P6, and P7 compared to P1 and P4 (p < 0.0001). Differences of at least 1°C were also observed between thermal windows in the craniofacial, lateral corporal, and peripheral zones (p < 0.0001). Finally, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.9, p < 0.0001) was found between the thermal windows. These findings lead to the conclusion that the surface temperature of the craniofacial and corporal regions of buffaloes transported for short periods varied in relation to the phase of mobilization (from paddock to post-transport), likely as a response to stressful factors, since herding and loading increased the thermal values in each window. The second conclusion is that there are strong positive correlations between central and peripheral thermal windows.

Les mots du COVID: en créole martiniquais et créole guadeloupéen par Raphaël Confiant et Hector Poullet

Reviewed by: Les mots du COVID: en créole martiniquais et créole guadeloupéen par Raphaël Confiant et Hector Poullet Jeremy Patterson Confiant, Raphaël et Hector Poullet. Les mots du COVID: en créole martiniquais et créole guadeloupéen. Caraïbéditions, 2021. ISBN 978-2-37-311107-1. Pp. 48. Plenty of ink has been spilled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of course much of it, if not scientific publications and research, has been very polemical in nature. Much of the public is probably to the point of wanting to read about anything other than the COVID-19 pandemic. It is, therefore, refreshing to have a little book like Les mots du COVID that provides a different perspective on the pandemic, one that is not combative or debating the scientific merits of different public health measures. Confiant and Poullet, from Martinique and Guadeloupe respectively, instead present an enjoyable and short journey through the COVID-specific vocabulary that has developed in their respective Creoles. They begin with a short preface on "Traduire la science en créole," in which they raise the question "comment […] à partir d'une langue principalement orale, parvenir à rendre les mots et expressions scientifiques?" (9). They do not actually answer the question, or at least not directly. They do point out that even languages with a much longer tradition of writing face the same challenge when new scientific phenomena, such as a new virus or pandemic, present themselves. Their answer to the question is, rather, their lexical work in proposing and recording Creole terms that relate to the COVID-19 epidemic. They are both well qualified to be engaging in this lexical undertaking. Both of the authors have published and worked on a variety of Creole dictionaries. Raphaël Confiant, even as he transitioned years ago from Creole to French in his published novels, has continued to work and advocate for the development of Martinican Creole. In 2007, he published Dictionnaire créole martiniquais-français. Hector Poullet published Dictionnaire des créoles comparés de Guadeloupe et de Martinique with Jude Duranty in 2020 and has worked on a variety of other dictionaries and lexicons as well, such as two volumes on Les mots du sexe en créole de la Guadeloupe. Their COVID book presents a variety of terms and expressions with useful examples for each. The first entry is quite familiar in the COVID-19 era—the French term "Antivax," which comes out in Creole as "Moun ki kont vaksen ora-kou" (15). Many of the terms are similarly recognizable at a global scale and even across many languages, from comorbidité ("malady-batjé") to déconfinement ("dézankazaj") to pandémie ("maladi-tout-wonlatè") to quarantaine ("karantjou-fèmen"). Others are more specific to the French or French Caribbean context—convoi sanitaire ("vréyaj-lasanté"), masque FFP ("mas ka koré partikil"), motifs impérieux ("bligasion red-mato"). In all, the forty-five terms that the authors present in Creole, with examples in both Creole and French translation, contribute to their effort to enrich their Creole languages, their intent "d'apporter [End Page 169] notre pierre aux efforts d'enrichissement lexical de nos créoles sans lesquels ces derniers n'ont pas d'avenir" (11). It is thus felicitous, if not a bit ironic, that out of the deadliest pandemic in recent history, Confiant and Poullet should manage to bring linguistic life through their demonstration of the ongoing vitality of both Martinican and Guadeloupean Creoles. [End Page 170] Jeremy Patterson Bob Jones University (SC) Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French

Barriers and enablers to local active travel during COVID-19: A case study of Streetspace interventions in two London boroughs.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, UK local authorities increased emergency active travel interventions. This study aimed to understand what aspects of temporary Streetspace for London schemes represent barriers or enablers to walking and cycling for short local journeys. Methods: Focusing on two Inner London boroughs, we conducted 21 semi-structured stakeholder interviews and sampled 885 public comments about Streetspace schemes. We triangulated the data in a thematic analysis to identify barriers and enablers, which were categorised using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM-B) model. Results: Opportunity and motivation factors were reflected in the barriers (accessibility and integration of the schemes; controversy, dissatisfaction, and doubt) and enablers (new routes and spaces; sustainability and health beliefs) and mixed themes (changes to traffic and appeal of the area; feelings of safety). Capability was not reflected in the main themes. Conclusions: Although aspects of Streetspace schemes were seen to enable active travel, our findings suggest that additional processes to address the acceptability, fairness, and unintended consequences of emergency interventions will be important to their long-term success for health and sustainability.

An Ethics Journey: From Kant to Assisted Suicide

Most of us would agree with the almost trite saying that “life is a journey”. Of course it is, unless it ends tragically at birth, and even then it is a very short journey. All of us can describe how we got from one stage in life to another, whether personal, family, education or career. Many journeys seem to be in an almost straight line while others meander from one place to another, changing direction and alternating goals, sometimes zigging back and forth. I have had many wonderful journeys in my life; the choice to change career aspirations from engineering to medicine, the choice the study in medicine in Scotland, the choice to focus on geriatrics and then the choice to branch out into medical ethics to add more depth to clinical medicine. The early undergraduate study of philosophy planted the seed that eventually grew into my completing a Master’s in Medical Ethics; and then expanding my teaching and practice to include palliative care and end of life-decision-making, to most recently participating in the assessment of those requesting medical assistance in dying (MAID in Canada).

A single dose of cannabidiol (CBD) positively influences measures of stress in dogs during separation and car travel.

Many dogs experience stress when separated from their caregivers, as well as when traveling in vehicles. Pet owners employ various approaches to managing these issues, from training, to giving medications and supplements, often with mixed results. Cannabidiol (CBD) can alleviate stress and anxiety in humans but the effect it has on canine stress is less well-documented. The present study aimed to understand the impact of being left alone and traveling in a car on measures of canine stress, and establish whether a single dose of a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-free CBD distillate could positively influence any measures of stress. In a blinded, parallel design study, a population of dogs were either left alone in a familiar room (n = 21) or underwent a short car journey (n = 19). A range of physiological and behavioral measures were collected pre, during and post-test. Significant changes in several stress-related measures (serum cortisol, mean ear temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, whining and a stressed/anxious behavioral factor) were observed from baseline to test, with the car journey test paradigm eliciting a more pronounced stress response overall. The mitigating effect of CBD treatment varied by measure and test, with some indicating a significant reduction in canine stress compared to the placebo group. Additional research is required to fully understand the complex effect of CBD on canine wellbeing.

How time consuming are general practitioners' home visits? Insights from a cross-sectional study in Switzerland.

Worldwide, the number of home visits has been decreasing over past decades. Lack of time and long journeys have been reported to hinder general practitioners (GPs) from conducting home visits. In Switzerland also, home visits have declined. Time constraints in a busy GP practice could be one reason. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the time requirements of home visits in Switzerland. A one-year cross-sectional study involving GPs from the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance System (Sentinella) was conducted in 2019. GPs provided basic information on all home visits performed throughout the year and additionally detailed reports of up to 20 consecutive home visits. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to identify factors affecting journey and consultation duration. In total, 95 GPs conducted 8489 home visits in Switzerland, 1139 of which have been characterised in detail. On average, GPs made 3.4 home visits per week. Average journey and consultation duration were 11.8 and 23.9 minutes, respectively. Prolonged consultations were provided by GPs working part-time (25.1 minutes), in group practice (24.9 minutes) or in urban regions (24.7 minutes). Rural environments and short journey to patient's home were both found to lower the odds of performing a long consultation compared to a short consultation (odds ratio [OR] 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.44 and OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46-0.77, respectively). Emergency visits (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.21-4.01), out-of-hours appointments (OR 3.06, 95% CI 2.36-3.97) and day care involvement (OR 2.78, 95% CI 2.13-3.62) increased the odds of having a long consultation. Finally, patients in their 60s had markedly higher odds of receiving long consultations than patients in their 90s (OR 4.13, 95% CI 2.27-7.62), whereas lack of chronic conditions lowered the odds of a long consultation (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.00-0.43). GPs perform rather few but long home visits, especially for multimorbid patients. GPs working part-time, in group practice or in urban regions devote more time to home visits.

Napper cycling typology: Identifying and understanding different bicycle trip purposes

What is a bicycle trip? Our own experiences, observation and reading tells a story – that there is no single or all encompassing “cycling” activity. Although trip purposes are used as examples to illustrate findings or explain ideas, they are often limited to a binary of “transport or recreation”. This oversimplification makes it easy to dismiss and mischaracterise cycling, particularly in countries with low or emerging cycling volumes. This research addressed this gap in knowledge with the development of a typology of bicycle trips. Based on six types of trips, the typology represents how they relate to, and mix with, one another. The typology represents a departure from a tendency of classifying people, to classifying the things they may do.The six journey types are: recreation, commute, tasks and errands, passenger, work, and sport. The implications of trip purposes are discussed, with opportunities arising such as a better understanding of what might be needed to encourage a modal shift from recreational to commuter riding, or a better understanding of user needs in different trips. The practical implications of trip purposes, for example riding with shopping and making short multi-stop journeys carrying goods and children raise implications for the bicycle transport system. This typology provides an addition to the transport lexicon to recognise the many utility functions, and benefits of cycling.

Transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during animal transport.

The transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between food‐producing animals (poultry, cattle and pigs) during short journeys (< 8 h) and long journeys (> 8 h) directed to other farms or to the slaughterhouse lairage (directly or with intermediate stops at assembly centres or control posts, mainly transported by road) was assessed. Among the identified risk factors contributing to the probability of transmission of antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria (ARB) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), the ones considered more important are the resistance status (presence of ARB/ARGs) of the animals pre‐transport, increased faecal shedding, hygiene of the areas and vehicles, exposure to other animals carrying and/or shedding ARB/ARGs (especially between animals of different AMR loads and/or ARB/ARG types), exposure to contaminated lairage areas and duration of transport. There are nevertheless no data whereby differences between journeys shorter or longer than 8 h can be assessed. Strategies that would reduce the probability of AMR transmission, for all animal categories include minimising the duration of transport, proper cleaning and disinfection, appropriate transport planning, organising the transport in relation to AMR criteria (transport logistics), improving animal health and welfare and/or biosecurity immediately prior to and during transport, ensuring the thermal comfort of the animals and animal segregation. Most of the aforementioned measures have similar validity if applied at lairage, assembly centres and control posts. Data gaps relating to the risk factors and the effectiveness of mitigation measures have been identified, with consequent research needs in both the short and longer term listed. Quantification of the impact of animal transportation compared to the contribution of other stages of the food‐production chain, and the interplay of duration with all risk factors on the transmission of ARB/ARGs during transport and journey breaks, were identified as urgent research needs.

Dynamic accessibility by car to tertiary care emergency services in Cali, Colombia, in 2020: cross-sectional equity analyses using travel time big data from a Google API

ObjectivesTo test a new approach to characterise accessibility to tertiary care emergency health services in urban Cali and assess the links between accessibility and sociodemographic factors relevant to health equity.DesignThe...

Autonomous vehicles and changing the future of cities: Technical and urban perspectives

When the first car hit the road in the early 19th century, municipal officials, architects and urban planners had to think differently about the infrastructure and mass development of cities, whether existing or new. The age of narrow roads, pedestrians and short journeys gave way to wide boulevards, interstate highways and suburban growth. These urban planning improvements were intended to enable the car to transport a greater number of people more quickly and safely, without the drawbacks of urban transit. This caused cities to suffer from issues such as unnecessary demolition of houses, degradation of areas for roads, reduction or loss of public transport and dislocation of intimate communities. Now that the mass market will embrace autonomous cars, buses and other innovations over the next decade, urban designers and officials need to reconsider how disruptive technologies can influence our way of life, work and play. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) provide a new way of joining social conversations about urban infrastructure, mobility, community and street functions. AVs will disrupt the urban areas between city centres and the rural outskirts. This paper analyses the impact of AVs on modelling urban forms. The AV has the advantage of optimising various parking locations, thus freeing up the downtown area for other uses. The reduced cost per kilometre is also a popular advantage. Increased access to AVs benefits workers’ welfare, traffic flow, travel distances and city size. The paper concludes by discussing the overall implications of AV implementation for urban transport and mass transit.

Effect of distance and daily periods on heat-stressed pigs and pre-slaughter losses in a semiarid region.

Effective planning animal transport is essential to safeguard animal welfare and reduce production losses. Environmental conditions, specifically extreme temperatures in combination with ranges of relative humidity are highlighted as one of the main risk factors for production losses during transport (e.g., fatalities). The majority of research evaluating both welfare and production impacts of pig transport have been primarily undertaken in Europe and North America, which cover a relatively limited range of distinct climates (e.g., temperate, sub-arctic, etc.). As a result, research on pig transport in semi-arid conditions is lacking. In this study, we evaluated the effects of bothdistance (short, 30km; and long, 170km) and transport daily periods (morning, (05:00-11:00); afternoon (12:00-17:00); and night, (23:00-04:00)) on the preslaughter losses and heat stress of pigs in commercial transport in a semiarid region. Across 19 journeys of standard slaughter-weight pig loads (124.0 ± 2.8kg), 684 focal animals (36 per journey) were evaluated. For each journey, the load's thermal profile (THIadj and enthalpy) and physiological responses of individualpigs were recorded. On arrival at designatedslaughterhouses, the percentage pig of non-ambulatory non-injured (NANI), non-ambulatory injured (NAI), death on arrival (DOA), and total losses were recorded. Short journeys in the afternoon were shown to be more detrimental to the thermal comfort of pigs, with higher rectal temperatures recorded.The highest percentage of total losses and DOA occurred in afternoon journeys, irrespective of distance,followed by the morning, with the lowest losses observed in pigs transported at night. Additionally, total losses and DOA were further exacerbated by journey distance, with higher rates observed in short journeys. Higher percentage averages of NANI and NAI were observed in shorter journeys, but daily periods effects were only observed for NANI. These results further demonstrate the welfare and production loss risks associated with journey distance and time of day (representing varying environmental conditions) during road transport of pigs, whilst providing novel data in semiarid conditions. Carefuland effective planning for pig transportationis essential to minimize heat stress and production losses. Consideration of the thermal environment on the day of travel, as well as providing flexibility to adjust travel times (e.g., early morning or evening), should help to mitigate risks of heat stress and production losses during pig transport.

The Role of Walkability, Socio-Economic and Parental Cognitive Characteristics in Long Walking Journeys to School

Previous research has identified the socio-economic, built environment, and psychological barriers to children walking to school. Long journeys, however, have been identified as a crucial constraint reducing the likelihood of walking to school. Determining a threshold to distinguish between long and short journeys, the present study sought to examine whether the contribution of the factors reducing walking to school differs between short and long journeys. Questionnaires were distributed among 7 to 12-year-old children in a neighborhood of Tehran ( n = 272) to be completed by parents. In addition, instead of walkability at the neighborhood level that considers walkability within a radial buffer from home or destination, we measured walkability along the school routes. ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve analysis found a threshold of 12.5 min to differentiate between long and short journeys. Walking journeys longer or shorter than the threshold were classified to be long or short, respectively. We developed two separate models, one to estimate walking for all (including long and short) journeys; and the other for only long journeys. Compared with all journeys, long walking journeys were explained by more built-environment variables. Parental attitudes toward walking were also significant in long walking journeys. However, analysis of interaction effects between walking time to school and the study variables confirmed that among all variables examined, the contribution of only environmental factors of crosswalks, walkways, and physically permeable frontages was significantly different between long and short walking journeys. Policy implications of the findings have been discussed.

High-Performance Computing Analysis and Location Selection of Logistics Distribution Center Space Based on Whale Optimization Algorithm.

As a meta-heuristic algorithm based on swarm intelligence, the WOA algorithm has few control parameters and searches for the optimal solution by encircling the prey, searching for the prey, and attacking the bubble net. During the whole process, only two internal parameters A and C are utilized for the control of the exploration and development process. BWOA is simple to implement. In the process of algorithm execution, the initial population, global exploration, and local development stages have shortcomings. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the WOA algorithm. Based on WOA, this study conducts a high-performance computing analysis and location selection of logistics distribution center space. It is concluded that: (1) by using the combination of direct logistics distribution and hierarchical logistics distribution, the WOA algorithm optimizes the cross selection strategy, the population fitness S-LO is improved, the quality of LA is guaranteed, and the chaotic S-LO mapping eliminates inferior individuals in the population. Direct distribution is carried out for bulky goods and important distribution customers, and hierarchical logistics distribution is used for customers in intensive logistics distribution destinations. (2) WOA uses the second reverse learning, chaotic mapping, and logistic chaotic mapping to improve the location update mode. The direct distribution method is mostly used for the logistics business with short journeys, fixed distribution points, and more goods delivered at one time, and logistics enterprises do not need to store and distribute goods. The uniform ergodicity of the Tent chaotic map and logistic chaotic map is improved. Ka adaptive inertia weights are a good complement to optimize the limitations of the Ao whale algorithm. (3) The inertia weight of the levy flight behavior can play a powerful role in balancing the global exploration ability and optimization performance of the intelligent algorithm. The long-term short-distance search of HED and the long-distance jump of KVAR are combined. Variant individuals undergo vector synthesis. It reduces the construction and operation costs of logistics sites and is suitable for logistics distribution under specific conditions.

Potential of tragacanth gum in the industries: a short journey from past to the future

Potential of tragacanth gum in the industries: a short journey from past to the future

Pseudoscorpions tweak quartet footfalls when hanging, reversing and simply moving forward

Open a book in a dusty library and you might be in for a shock if a pseudoscorpion jumps out. Yet these mini arachnids pose no threat, even though they are equipped with the most fearsome pair of pincers. Instead, they subdue and dine on mites, booklice and larvae, and hitch rides on larger insects over long distances. For most shorter journeys, pseudoscorpions are equipped with four pairs of legs, yet no one knew how the tiny arthropods coordinate all eight limbs while moving forward, backward and even upside-down. ‘They are capable of locomotion on many different surfaces and substrates’, says Johanna Tross from Ulm University, Germany, so she, Sarah Pfeffer and Torben Stemme (both from University of Ulm) decided to scrutinise the manoeuvres of house pseudoscorpions (Chelifer cancroides).‘Torben Stemme caught the pseudoscorpions in an old hayloft in his parents’ garden’, says Tross, who kept the arachnids alive in the lab by feeding them leaf lice. Then, she and Pfeffer measured the insect's proportions, revealing that the impressive claws were approximately 25% longer (∼3.9 mm) than the pseudoscorpions’ body length (∼3.1 mm). ‘These oversized claws fascinated us’, says Tross. And when she and Pfeffer filmed the animals scurrying around an enclosure, the pseudoscorpions preferred to hug the walls, walking at speeds of 14 m or ∼4200 body lengths per hour – the equivalent of a brisk human walk. The dashing animals also appeared to take brief pauses as they scampered along – so brief they were barely perceptible (100–200 ms) – probably to allow them to take stock of their surroundings with their sensitive claws as their vision is so poor.But what about the fine details of the pseudoscorpion's nimble footwork? This time, Pfeffer and Tross used Harald Wolf's Ulm University high-speed camera to film 65 arachnids as they walked forward and backward along an aluminium channel, as well as upside down on a piece of Perspex placed across the top of the channel. Impressively, the animals were 33% faster (∼40 mm s−1) when going backwards than when travelling forward (∼30 mm s−1), probably because the animals reverse when making a hasty exit, holding their claws wide ready to attack. And when the team analysed the creatures’ footfall patterns, it was clear that they kept four feet in contact with the ground most of the time, alternating between one quartet of limbs – the first and third on one side and the second and fourth on the other – and the opposite quartet as they scampered along. In fact, the pseudoscorpions rarely deviated from this basic footfall pattern, no matter how fast they moved, in which direction and whether they were suspended from above, unlike humans and four-legged creatures, which switch gaits from running, walking and trotting to galloping as they shift up through the gears.However, the amount of time the pseudoscorpions’ feet remained in contact with the ground, and how well coordinated they were, varied depending on where and in which direction the animals were moving. The leg quartets were the most coordinated when walking forward, while the upside-down pseudoscorpions kept their feet in contact with the surface they were suspended from almost three times longer and took shorter strides. It was also apparent that the second pair of limbs is crucial for the creatures’ stability, remaining in contact with the surface longest, especially when they are clinging upside-down.So, pseudoscorpions stick with the same basic footfall pattern, regardless of how fast or in which direction or dimension they are moving in, but tweak how long they remain in contact for stability and stickability.