Cryphodera guangdongensis n. sp. was collected from the soil and roots of Schima superba in Guangdong province, China. The new species is characterised by having a nearly spherical female, with dimensions of length × width = 532.3 (423.8–675.3) × 295.6 (160.0–381.2) μm, stylet length of 35.7 (31.1–42.1) μm, protruding vulval lips, a vulval slit measuring 54.2 (47.4–58.9) μm, an area between the vulva and anus that is flat to concave, and a vulva–anus distance 49.3 (41.1–57.6) μm. The male features two lip annules, a stylet length of 31.7 (27.4–34.8) μm and basal knobs that are slightly projecting anteriorly, while lateral field is areolated with three incisures and spicules length of 27.1 (23.7–31.0) μm. The second stage juvenile is characterised by a body length of 506.1 (441.8–564.4) μm long, two to three lip annules, a stylet length 31.2 (29.7–33.2) μm which is well developed, basal knobs projecting anteriorly, a lateral field that is areolate with three incisures, and a narrow rounded tail measuring 63.2 (54.2–71.3) μm long, with a hyaline region of 35.6 (27.4–56.6) μm long that is longer than the stylet. Based on morphology and morphometrics, the new species is closely related to C. sinensis and C. japonicum within the genus Cryphodera. The phylogenetic trees constructed based on the ITS-rRNA, 28S-rRNA D2–D3 region, and the partial COI gene sequences indicate that the new species clusters with other Cryphodera species but maintains in a separated subgroup. A key to the species of the genus Cryphodera is also provided in this study.

Multicenter clinical trials are essential for evaluating interventions but often face significant challenges in study design, site coordination, participant recruitment, and regulatory compliance. To address these issues, the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences established the Trial Innovation Network (TIN). The TIN offers a scientific consultation process, providing access to clinical trial and disease experts who provide input and recommendations throughout the trial’s duration, at no cost to investigators. This approach aims to improve trial design, accelerate implementation, foster interdisciplinary teamwork, and spur innovations that enhance multicenter trial quality and efficiency. The TIN leverages resources of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, complementing local capabilities at the investigator’s institution. The Initial Consultation process focuses on the study’s scientific premise, design, site development, recruitment and retention strategies, funding feasibility, and other support areas. As of 6/1/2024, the TIN has provided 431 Initial Consultations to increase efficiency and accelerate trial implementation by delivering customized support and tailored recommendations. Across a range of clinical trials, the TIN has developed standardized, streamlined, and adaptable processes. We describe these processes, provide operational metrics, and include a set of lessons learned for consideration by other trial support and innovation networks.

This study explored mental workload recognition methods for carrier-based aircraft pilots utilising multiple sensor physiological signal fusion and portable devices. A simulation carrier-based aircraft flight experiment was designed, and subjective mental workload scores and electroencephalogram (EEG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals from six pilot cadets were collected using NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and portable devices. The subjective scores of the pilots in three flight phases were used to label the data into three mental workload levels. Features from the physiological signals were extracted, and the interrelations between mental workload and physiological indicators were evaluated. Machine learning and deep learning algorithms were used to classify the pilots’ mental workload. The performances of the single-modal method and multimodal fusion methods were investigated. The results showed that the multimodal fusion methods outperformed the single-modal methods, achieving higher accuracy, precision, recall and F1 score. Among all the classifiers, the random forest classifier with feature-level fusion obtained the best results, with an accuracy of 97.69%, precision of 98.08%, recall of 96.98% and F1 score of 97.44%. The findings of this study demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, offering insights into mental workload management and the enhancement of flight safety for carrier-based aircraft pilots.

This paper proposes a cooperative midcourse guidance law with target changing and topology switching for multiple interceptors intercepting targets in the case of target loss and communication topology switching. Firstly, a three-dimensional guidance model is established and a cooperative trajectory shaping guidance law is given. Secondly, the average position consistency protocol of virtual interception points is designed for communication topology switching, and the convergence of the average position of virtual interception points under communication topology switching is proved by Lyapunov stability theory. Then, in the case of the target changing, the target handover law and the handover phase guidance law are designed to ensure the acceleration smoothing, at last, the whole cooperative midcourse guidance law is given based on the combination of the above guidance laws. Finally, numerical simulation results show the effectiveness and the superiority of the proposed cooperative midcourse guidance law.

One species-general life history (LH) principle posits that challenging childhood environments are coupled with a fast or faster LH strategy and associated behaviors, while secure and stable childhood environments foster behaviors conducive to a slow or slower LH strategy. This coupling between environments and LH strategies is based on the assumption that individuals’ internal traits and states are independent of their external surroundings. In reality, individuals respond to external environmental conditions in alignment with their intrinsic vitality, encompassing both physical and mental states. The present study investigated attachment as an internal mental state, examining its role in mediating and moderating the association between external environmental adversity and fast LH strategies. A sample of 1169 adolescents (51% girls) from 9 countries was tracked over 10 years, starting from age 8. The results confirm both mediation and moderation and, for moderation, secure attachment nullified and insecure attachment maintained the environment-LH coupling. These findings suggest that attachment could act as an internal regulator, disrupting the contingent coupling between environmental adversity and a faster pace of life, consequently decelerating human LH.

It is estimated that one-quarter of the world’s population has Metabolic Syndrome (MS)(1), a key driver of growth in healthcare expenditure. Traditional approaches to treating MS through the application of standard dietary recommendations and caloric restriction have had limited success. More recent evidence suggests that novel, anti-inflammatory approaches such as replacing refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed food with unprocessed or minimally processed, lower carbohydrate foods and adapting meal timing and frequency may be more effective(2). The aim of the study was twofold: 1) To determine the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory dietary strategies for long-term weight loss and improvement in metabolic health and 2) To examine the relationships between eating behaviours and long-term weight loss. Twelve-month audit data from a UK based 12-week lifestyle program that focuses the principles of consuming an anti-inflammatory diet was analysed using repeated-measures ANOVA to examine the effects of the program on changes in weight and waist circumference. A quantitative, survey-based research design was used to retrospectively identify relationships between eating behaviours and both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory dietary patterns. Multivariate regression using stepwise method was used to examine differences in weight change based on eating patterns and behaviours. Six hundred and forty-two (N = 642) participants (age = 50.4 ± 12.5 years, female 63.6%, weight = 96.1 kg ± 22.1, BMI 35.2 kg/m2 ± 7.5) demonstrated a weight loss average of 4.49 kg ± 3.78 post-lifestyle program (12 weeks). Survey respondents (N = 64) reported a maximum long term weight loss of 13.9 kg ± 11.9. Weight loss and percentage weight loss after the program was significantly predicted by daily consumption of sweet drinks and grain-based foods. The model predicted one unit increase in daily serving consumption of these foods resulted in less weight lost [2.3 kg (4.5%)]. Seventy one percent of survey respondents had maintained most or all their weight loss for more than 6 months. The model predicted change in consumption of grain-based foods, TFEQ-emotional eating score, consumption of savoury ultra-processed foods, and following an alternative dietary approach after the program were statistically significant in predicting weight loss maintenance (R2 = 0.803, F(4, 20) = 20.376, p < 0.001). The preliminary findings suggest that anti-inflammatory dietary approaches are effective and sustainable for weight loss. Eating behaviour may both support and hinder long term changes in eating patterns and whilst there are significant relationships between eating behaviour and eating patterns, the extent to which dietary patterns drive eating behaviour remains unclear.

Echinococcosis poses a significant threat to public health. The Chinese government has implemented prevention and control measures to mitigate the impact of the disease. By analyzing data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, we found that implementation of these measures has reduced the infection rate by nearly 50% between 2004 to 2022 (from 0.3975 to 0.1944 per 100,000 person-years). Nonetheless, some regions still bear a significant disease burden, and lack of detailed information limites further evaluation of the effects on both alveolar and cystic echinococcosis. Our analysis supports the continuing implementation of these measures and suggests that enhanced wildlife management, case-based strategies, and surveillance systems will facilitate disease control.

The great demographic pressure brings tremendous volume of beef demand. The key to solve this problem is the growth and development of Chinese cattle. In order to find molecular markers conducive to the growth and development of Chinese cattle, sequencing was used to determine the position of copy number variations (CNVs), bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the function of ZNF146 gene, real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used for CNV genotyping and one-way analysis of variance was used for association analysis. The results showed that there exists CNV in Chr 18: 47225201-47229600 (5.0.1 version) of ZNF146 gene through the early sequencing results in the laboratory and predicted ZNF146 gene was expressed in liver, skeletal muscle and breast cells, and was amplified or overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, which promoted the development of tumour through bioinformatics. Therefore, it is predicted that ZNF146 gene affects the proliferation of muscle cells, and then affects the growth and development of cattle. Furthermore, CNV genotyping of ZNF146 gene was three types (deletion type, normal type and duplication type) by Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR). The association analysis results showed that ZNF146-CNV was significantly correlated with rump length of Qinchuan cattle, hucklebone width of Jiaxian red cattle and heart girth of Yunling cattle. From the above results, ZNF146-CNV had a significant effect on growth traits, which provided an important candidate molecular marker for growth and development of Chinese cattle.

Bragg scattering of nonlinear surface waves over a wavy bottom is studied using two-dimensional fully nonlinear numerical wave tanks (NWTs). In particular, we consider cases of high nonlinearity which lead to complex wave generation and transformations, hence possible multiple Bragg resonances. The performance of the NWTs is well verified by benchmarking experiments. Classic Bragg resonances associated with second-order triad interactions among two surface (linear incident and reflected waves) and one bottom wave components (class I), and third-order quartet interactions among three surface (linear incident and reflected waves, and second-order reflected/transmitted waves) and one bottom wave components (class III) are observed. In addition, class I Bragg resonance occurring for the second-order (rather than linear) transmitted waves, and Bragg resonance arising from quintet interactions among three surface and two bottom wave components, are newly captured. The latter is denoted class IV Bragg resonance which magnifies bottom nonlinearity. It is also found that wave reflection and transmission at class III Bragg resonance have a quadratic rather than a linear relation with the bottom slope if the bottom size increases to a certain level. The surface wave and bottom nonlinearities are found to play opposite roles in shifting the Bragg resonance conditions. Finally, the results indicate that Bragg resonances are responsible for the phenomena of beating and parasitic beating, leading to a significantly large local free surface motion in front of the depth transition.

Customer survey data is critical to supporting customer preference modeling in engineering design. We present a framework of information retrieval and survey design to ensure the collection of quality customer survey data for analyzing customers’ preferences in their consideration-then-choice decision-making and the related social impact. The utility of our approach is demonstrated through the survey design for customers in the vacuum cleaner market. Based on the data, we performed descriptive analysis and network-based modeling to understand customers’ preferences in consideration and choice.

The sound of a vortex ring passing near a semi-infinite porous edge is investigated analytically. A Green's function approach solves the associated vortex sound problem and determines the time-dependent pressure signal and its directivity in the acoustic far field as a function of a single dimensionless porosity parameter. At large values of this parameter, the radiated acoustic power scales on the vortex ring speed $U$ and the nearest distance between the edge and the vortex ring $L$ as $U^6 L^{-5}$, in contrast to the $U^5 L^{-4}$ scaling recovered in the impermeable edge limit. Results for the vortex ring configuration in a quiescent fluid furnish an analogue to scaling results from standard turbulence noise generation analyses, and permit a direct comparison to experiments described in Part 2 that circumvent contamination of the weak sound from porous edges by background noise sources that exist as a result of a mean flow.