Maternal ability (milk and environment) in beef cattle is one of the most important traits influencing weaning weight of the calf, but amount and composition of milk produced by the dam is difficult to measure. The assessment of polymorphisms of candidate genes related to milk composition could indirectly enlighten this perspective. In the present study, the frequency of αs1-casein 1175AG and g26181A>G; κ-casein 13068 (CSN3 AB1) and 13104 (CSN3 AB2) loci, β-lactoglobulin variants 3984GA and 5263CT, Diacyl glycerol transferase K232A, and Stearoyl CoA desaturase A702G and A762G polymorphisms were estimated in Gray and Red Brahman, Nellore, Guzerat, Gir, Indubrazil, and Sardo Negro registered sires from Mexico. Most of the documented favourable alleles were found in low frequency in most of the evaluated breeds, except for β-lactoglobulin, in which the presence of favourable alleles might represent an opportunity for marker-assisted introgression. The relevance of the findings for each variation and implications from the outcomes are discussed.

Integrating trees and shrubs into agroecosystems increases soil nutrients and organic matter, which helps in the recovery of degraded tropical soils. However, selecting the most appropriate tree and shrub species as sources of nutrients and organic matter requires knowledge of their productive potential. The study aimed to evaluate litter productivity and nutrient input to the soil of three tropical silvopastoral fodder bank species. Litter input from Tithonia diversifolia, Leucaena leucocephala, and Moringa oleifera was quantified monthly for one year. We found that the litterfall amount was greatest (p < 0.05) from T. diversifolia (1.81 t ha–1 yr–1) compared to L. leucocephala (1.26 t ha–1 yr–1) and M. oleifera (118 t ha–1 yr–1). Indeed, T. diversifolia had a greater (p < 0.05) input of biomass from leaves (1.36 t ha–1 yr–1) compared to L. leucocephala (0.901 t ha–1 yr–1) and M. oleifera (0.869 t ha–1 yr–1). The highest biomass input (p < 0.05) occurred in September to the three species, T. diversifolia (0.516 t ha–1), L. leucocephala (0.243 t ha–1), and M. oleifera (0.233 t ha–1), and the lowest biomass input occurred in March. Furthermore, the greatest annual input of carbon (0.687 t ha–1 yr–1), nitrogen (0.030 t ha–1 yr–1), and phosphorus (0.006 t ha–1 yr–1) to the soil originated from T. diversifolia. Our study showed that T. diversifolia had the greatest capacity to produce biomass that potentially can reintroduce nutrients and contribute to the recovery process of degraded soil due to its high litter productivity, besides, a combination of these three species also improves soil nutrients in fodder banks when do not hauling forage for livestock, contributing to sustainability of system.

The Antarctic active volcano Deception Island has been the subject of extensive geological, geophysical and geomorphological research, including studies on its volcanic history. Since the initial geoscientific research, many authors have included lineament traces (in general considered as faults) in the maps, schemes and figures accompanying their publications. In the last 3 decades, several papers have contributed to improving our understanding of the volcano’s structure. In some cases, the fracture network was identified, measured and analysed and general models of the island’s structure were developed. However, the various authors have not always used consistent methodologies for lineament mapping, presenting significant disparities in the obtained results. This paper analyses previously interpreted lineaments and integrates existing geophysical, geological and morphostructural evidence, along with original field data, to establish a morphostructural model through a coherence and uncertainty analysis. The lineaments determined on Deception Island exhibit three preferred directions: NE-SW, ESE-WSW and SSE-NNW. However, the fractures measured in the field generally show a radial distribution, although there are two preferred directions: NNE-SSW and SE-NW. A synthetic map of Deception Island’s lineaments is presented, indicating which are the lineaments that should be considered tectonic-volcanic fractures among the other existing lineaments.

The discipline of political science faces significant disparities in the representation and participation of underrepresented groups in graduate education, including first-generation college students, racial and ethnic minorities, and women. Underrepresentation has a wide variety of limiting effects, including a narrower range of questions being explored within the field. This article proposes a template for teaching and mentoring undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds to enhance their opportunities in graduate programs. Specifically, it examines the Mobilization and Political Economy (MPE) Summer Program, an in-residence graduate pipeline program designed to equip participants to study and conduct research on political mobilization, social movements, and political economy. The MPE Summer Program aims to develop and sustain broad-scale collaborative infrastructures that prefigure reciprocal and equitable pathways to increase participation in the social sciences across the United States.

With the increasing volume of scientific literature, there is a need to streamline the screening process for titles and abstracts in systematic reviews, reduce the workload for reviewers, and minimize errors. This study validated artificial intelligence (AI) tools, specifically Llama 3 70B via Groq’s application programming interface (API) and ChatGPT-4o mini via OpenAI’s API, for automating this process in biomedical research. It compared these AI tools with human reviewers using 1,081 articles after duplicate removal. Each AI model was tested in three configurations to assess sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios. The Llama 3 model’s LLA_2 configuration achieved 77.5% sensitivity and 91.4% specificity, with 90.2% accuracy, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 44.3%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 97.9%. The ChatGPT-4o mini model’s CHAT_2 configuration showed 56.2% sensitivity, 95.1% specificity, 92.0% accuracy, a PPV of 50.6%, and an NPV of 96.1%. Both models demonstrated strong specificity, with CHAT_2 having higher overall accuracy. Despite these promising results, manual validation remains necessary to address false positives and negatives, ensuring that no important studies are overlooked. This study suggests that AI can significantly enhance efficiency and accuracy in systematic reviews, potentially revolutionizing not only biomedical research but also other fields requiring extensive literature reviews.

The effect of humic acid (HA) adsorption on the hydrophilicity of two different montmorillonite samples (Na-montmorillonite, NaMt, and a Na-fluorinated Na-montmorillonite, FNaMt, or ‘Rassoul’) was investigated. The changes in the wettability of clays were discussed in terms of the non-electrostatic free energy of interaction between the clay particles immersed in aqueous humic acid solutions (ΔG121), using the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good (vOCG) model. The surface free energy components (both non-polar or Lifshitz-van der Waals, and polar or acid-base) of clays were obtained from contact angle measurements, after adsorption of humic acid, at acid or basic pH, in 10−2 M NaCl solutions. It was found that: (1) at acid pH, a progressive decrease in the hydrophilic character of both clays was observed when the humic acid concentration was increased; (2) at basic pH, the hydrophilic character of both samples studied increased with HA concentration; (3) the effect of humic acid adsorption on the wettability of model edge surfaces of the laminar montmorillonite particles was estimated from a parallel study on silica and alumina surfaces, and only a slight decrease in the hydrophilicity was observed, whatever the pH of the liquid media. The ζ potentials of both clays in the absence and presence of humic acid were determined and the linkage between ζ potential and the electron-donor character of the materials is discussed.

Body composition and phase angle (PhA) have been used to predict mortality in multiple diseases. However, little has been studied regarding segmental measurements, which could potentially help assess subtle changes in specific tissue segments. This study aimed to identify the total PhA cut-off point associated with mortality risk and changes in body composition within a week of hospitalisation in non-critical hospitalised patients with COVID-19. A cohort study was conducted where patients underwent to a complete nutritional assessment upon admission and after seven days, and followed up until hospital discharge or death. A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to determine the PhA cut-off point, and the Kaplan–Meier estimator was used to determine survival analysis. Segmental and complete body compositions on admission and after 7 d were compared. We included 110 patients (60 men) with a mean age of 50·5 ± 15·0 years and a median BMI of 28·5 (IQR, 25·6–33·5) kg/m2. The median length of hospital stay was 6 (IQR, 4–9) d, and the mortality rate was 13·6 %. The PhA cut-off point obtained was 4°, with significant differences in the survival rate (P < 0·001) and mortality (HR = 5·81, 95 % CI: 1·80, 18·67, P = 0·003). Segmental and whole-body compositions were negatively affected within one week of hospitalisation, with changes in the approach by the graphical method in both sexes. Nutritional status deteriorates within a week of hospitalisation. PhA < 4° is strongly associated with increased mortality in non-critical hospitalised patients with COVID-19.

This study examined the incorporation of benzalkonium chloride into palygorskite and montmorillonite, assessing their potential as drug carriers. The aim was to evaluate the use of both clay minerals as viable options for antibacterial drug delivery. Various amounts (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 times the cation-exchange capacity) of benzalkonium chloride were incorporated into both clay minerals, and the resulting materials were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis using both CHNS-O elemental analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis results indicate that benzalkonium chloride was incorporated successfully into the clay minerals. The X-ray diffraction traces of organo-montmorillonite indicate that the d-value increased as benzalkonium chloride content increased, confirming the intercalation of benzalkonium chloride within the montmorillonite interlayer space. By contrast, this behaviour was not observed for palygorskite. For the benzalkonium chloride-release studies, an initial burst release was found within the first 5 h, followed by a sustained release of benzalkonium chloride during the remaining testing time (24 h). Drug-release profiles were similar for modified palygorskite or montmorillonite during the testing time (24 h). Both clay minerals modified with benzalkonium chloride are promising materials for use as antibacterial fillers for several applications, including in the dental care industry.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) rapidly replaced Delta (B.1.617.2) to become dominant in England. Our study assessed differences in transmission between Omicron and Delta using two independent data sources and methods. Omicron and Delta cases were identified through genomic sequencing, genotyping and S-gene target failure in England from 5–11 December 2021. Secondary attack rates for named contacts were calculated in household and non-household settings using contact tracing data, while household clustering was identified using national surveillance data. Logistic regression models were applied to control for factors associated with transmission for both methods. For contact tracing data, higher secondary attack rates for Omicron vs. Delta were identified in households (15.0% vs. 10.8%) and non-households (8.2% vs. 3.7%). For both variants, in household settings, onward transmission was reduced from cases and named contacts who had three doses of vaccine compared to two, but this effect was less pronounced for Omicron (adjusted risk ratio, aRR 0.78 and 0.88) than Delta (aRR 0.62 and 0.68). In non-household settings, a similar reduction was observed only in contacts who had three doses vs. two doses for both Delta (aRR 0.51) and Omicron (aRR 0.76). For national surveillance data, the risk of household clustering, was increased 3.5-fold for Omicron compared to Delta (aRR 3.54 (3.29–3.81)). Our study identified increased risk of onward transmission of Omicron, consistent with its successful global displacement of Delta. We identified a reduced effectiveness of vaccination in lowering risk of transmission, a likely contributor for the rapid propagation of Omicron.

There is a substantial body of research that recognises the importance of analysing regional characteristics in employment and labour relations that occur in a given geographical context. However, this phenomenon has been scarcely studied from a spatial approach. This article uses a spatio-temporal panel data model to examine the spatial interactions between the gender employment gap and, some labour and socioeconomic characteristics of 727 municipalities of Andalusia, Spain, for the period 2012–2016. The results show that due to spatial diffusion mechanisms, a spatial spillover effect occurs in both the gender gap in employment and in some of the labour and socioeconomic characteristics considered. These findings may be extended to other geographic areas and can be of use for the implementation of regional policies aimed at narrowing the gender employment gap.

Poppy (also common poppy or corn poppy; Papaver rhoeas L., PAPRH) is one of the most harmful weeds in winter cereals. Knowing the precise and accurate location of weeds is essential for developing effective site-specific weed management (SSWM) for optimized herbicide use. Among the available tools for weed mapping, deep learning (DL) is used for its accuracy and ability to work in complex scenarios. Crops represent intricate situations for weed detection, as crop residues, occlusion of weeds, or spectral similarities between crop and weed seedlings are frequent. Timely discrimination of weeds is needed, because postemergence herbicides are used just when weeds and crops are at an early growth stage. This study addressed P. rhoeas early detection in wheat (Triticum spp.) by comparing the performance of six DL-based object-detection models focused on the “You Only Look Once” (YOLO) architecture (v3 to v5) using proximal RGB images to train the models. The models were assessed using open-source software, and evaluation offered a range of results for quality of recognition of P. rhoeas as well as computational capacity during the inference process. Of all the models, YOLOv5s performed best in the testing phase (75.3%, 76.2%, and 77% for F1-score, mean average precision, and accuracy, respectively). These results indicated that under real field conditions, DL-based object-detection strategies can identify P. rhoeas at an early stage, providing accurate information for developing SSWM.

Recent findings suggest that the distribution of protein intake throughout the day has an impact on various health outcomes in older adults, independently of the amount consumed. We evaluated the association between the distribution of dietary protein intake across meals and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older adults. Data from 3225 older adults aged ≥ 60 years from the Seniors-ENRICA-1 cohort were examined. Habitual dietary protein consumption was collected in 2008–2010 and in 2012 through a validated diet history. Protein distribution across meals was calculated for each participant as the coefficient of variation (CV) of protein intake per meal, in sex-specific tertiles. Vital status was obtained from the National Death Index up to 30 January 2020. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to determine the hazard ratios (HR) and their 95 % CI for the association between the distribution of daily protein intake across meals and all-cause mortality. Over a median follow-up of 10·6 years, 591 deaths occurred. After adjustment for potential confounders, the CV of total protein intake was not associated with all-cause mortality (HR and 95 % CI in the second and third tertile v. the lowest tertile: 0·94 (0·77, 1·15) and 0·88 (0·72, 1·08); Ptrend = 0·22). Similarly, the HR of all-cause mortality when comparing extreme tertiles of CV for types of protein were 0·89 (0·73, 1·10) for animal-protein intake and 1·02 (0·82, 1·25) for plant-protein intake. Dietary protein distribution across meals was not associated with all-cause mortality, regardless of protein source and amount, among older adults. Further studies should investigate whether this picture holds for specific causes of death.

The formation of a “united front of all workers” has been a strategic goal for most labor leaders, but in reality, such coalitions have been more the exception than the rule. This kind of alliance requires workers in different sectors of the economy, who usually have dissimilar interests, to merge into a coordinating body, generally a new labor confederation. Therefore, regardless of whether they emerge in the core or on the periphery, confederations that aggregate the interests of the majority of organized workers have necessarily been preceded by fascinating processes of negotiations and mergers among unions. This study focuses on the formation of one such coalition in the Colombian labor movement.

Involvement in sports is considered a powerful way to generate social capital. However, the role of sport engagement in the development of social relationships of older adults has not received much attention. Remarkably, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the quality and diversity of social relations built through active sport participation and spectatorship. This paper attempts to assess the relationship between sport engagement and various measures of network social capital, including the extension and quality of social networks and the heterogeneity of personal relationships. Also, it proposes new and more informative measurements of an individual's quantity and quality of social ties. By analysing data from a survey in Spain (N = 600) and applying logistic regressions, the results show that sport participation and attendance at sporting events are closely related to different dimensions of network social capital. Concerning people who are not actively engaged in sports, more extensive social networks characterise those who frequently attend sporting events. In contrast, active sport participation is associated with the extensity and quality measures of social connectedness, the level of satisfaction with friends and the opportunity to enjoy close relationships. Therefore, this paper provides new evidence on how sport engagement may result in tighter and extensive networks for older adults and serve as support for emphasising sports, physical activity and leisure as strategies for maintaining and boosting older people's social and psychological health.

This paper presents a new approach for geometrically constrained path planning applied to the field of robotic grasping. The method proposed in this paper is based on the Fast Marching Square (FM$\, ^2$) and a path calculation approach based on an optimization evolutionary filter named Differential Evolution (DE). The geometric restrictions caused by the link lengths of the kinematic chain composed by the robot arm and hand are introduced in the path calculation phase. This phase uses both the funnel potential of the surroundings created with FM$\, ^2$ and the kinematic constraints of the robot as cost functions to be minimized by the evolutionary filter. The use of an optimization filter allows for a near-optimal solution that satisfies the kinematic restrictions, while preserving the characteristics of a path computed with FM$\, ^2$. The proposed method is tested in a simulation using a robot composed by a mobile base with two arms.