Recent studies of viscous dissipation mechanisms in impacting droplets have revealed distinct behaviours between the macroscale and nanoscale. However, the transition of these mechanisms from the macroscale to the nanoscale remains unexplored due to limited research at the microscale. This work addresses the gap using the many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) method. While the MDPD method omits specific atomic details, it retains crucial mesoscopic effects, making it suitable for investigating the impact dynamics at the microscale. Through the analysis of velocity contours within impacting droplets, the research identifies three primary contributors to viscous dissipation during spreading: boundary-layer viscous dissipation from shear flow; rim geometric head loss; and bulk viscous dissipation caused by droplet deformation. This prompts a re-evaluation of viscous dissipation mechanisms at both the macroscale and nanoscale. It reveals that the same three kinds of dissipation are present across all scales, differing only in their relative intensities at each scale. A model of the maximum spreading factor (βmax) incorporating all forms of viscous dissipation without adjustable parameters is developed to substantiate this insight. This model is validated against three distinct datasets representing the macroscale, microscale and nanoscale, encompassing a broad spectrum of Weber numbers, Ohnesorge numbers and contact angles. The satisfactory agreement between the model predictions and the data signifies a breakthrough in establishing a universal βmax model applicable across all scales. This model demonstrates the consistent nature of viscous dissipation mechanisms across different scales and underscores the importance of integrating microscale behaviours to understand macroscale and nanoscale phenomena.

Nutritional Risk Screening index is a standard tool to assess nutritional risk, but epidemiological data are scarce on controlling nutritional status (CONUT) as a prognostic marker in acute haemorrhagic stroke (AHS). We aimed to explore whether the CONUT may predict a 3-month functional outcome in AHS. In total, 349 Chinese patients with incident AHS were consecutively recruited, and their malnutrition risks were determined using a high CONUT score of ≥ 2. The cohort patients were divided into high-CONUT (≥ 2) and low-CONUT (< 2) groups, and primary outcomes were a poor functional prognosis defined as the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of ≥ 3 at post-discharge for 3 months. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the poor functional prognosis at post-discharge were estimated by using a logistic analysis with additional adjustments for unbalanced variables between the high-CONUT and low-CONUT groups. A total of 328 patients (60·38 ± 12·83 years; 66·77 % male) completed the mRS assessment at post-discharge for 3 months, with 172 patients at malnutrition risk at admission and 104 patients with a poor prognosis. The levels of total cholesterol and total lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in high-CONUT patients than low-CONUT patients (P = 0·012 and < 0·001, respectively). At 3-month post discharge, there was a greater risk for the poor outcome in the high-CONUT compared with the low-CONUT patients at admission (OR: 2·32, 95 % CI: 1·28, 4·17). High-CONUT scores independently predict a 3-month poor prognosis in AHS, which helps to identify those who need additional nutritional managements.

In high power laser facility for inertial confinement fusion research, final optics assembly (FOA) plays a critical role in the frequency conversion, beam focusing, color separation, beam sampling and debris shielding. The design and performance of FOA in SG-II Upgrade laser facility are mainly introduced here. Due to the limited space and short focal length, a coaxial aspheric wedged focus lens is designed and applied in the FOA configuration. Then the ghost image analysis, the focus characteristic analysis, the B integral control design and the optomechanical design are carried out in the FOA design phase. In order to ensure the FOA performance, two key technologies are developed including measurement and adjustment technique of the wedged focus lens and the stray light management technique based on ground glass. Experimental results show that the design specifications including laser fluence, frequency conversion efficiency and perforation efficiency of the focus spot have been achieved, which meet the requirements of physical experiments well.

The Shen-Guang II Upgrade (SG-II-U) laser facility consists of eight high-power nanosecond laser beams and one short-pulse picosecond petawatt laser. It is designed for the study of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), especially for conducting fast ignition (FI) research in China and other basic science experiments. To perform FI successfully with hohlraum targets containing a golden cone, the long-pulse beam and cylindrical hohlraum as well as the short-pulse beam and cone target alignment must satisfy tight specifications (30 and $20~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ rms for each case). To explore new ICF ignition targets with six laser entrance holes (LEHs), a rotation sensor was adapted to meet the requirements of a three-dimensional target and correct beam alignment. In this paper, the strategy for aligning the nanosecond beam based on target alignment sensor (TAS) is introduced and improved to meet requirements of the picosecond lasers and the new six LEHs hohlraum targets in the SG-II-U facility. The expected performance of the alignment system is presented, and the alignment error is also discussed.

Flax is a minor oilseed crop in Canada largely exported to the European Union for use as a source of industrial oil and feed ingredient. While flax could be genetically engineered (GE) to enhance nutritional value, the adoption of transgenic technologies threatens conventional flax market acceptability. Harvest seed loss of GE crops and the persistence of GE crop volunteers in the seed bank are major factors influencing transgene persistence. Ten commercial fields in Alberta, Canada, were sampled after harvesting conventional flax in 2006 and 2007, and flax seed density and viability were determined. Additionally, artificial seed banks were established at two locations in Alberta in 2005 and 2006 to quantify persistence of five conventional flax cultivars with variability in seed coat color (yellow or brown) and α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3cisΔ9,13,15) content (3 to 55%) at three soil depths (0, 3, or 10 cm). Harvest methods influenced seed loss and distribution, > 10-fold more seed was distributed beneath windrows than between them. Direct harvested fields had more uniform seed distribution but generally higher seed losses. The maximum yield loss was 44 kg ha−1 or 2.3% of the estimated crop yield. Seed loss and the viability of flax seed were significantly influenced by year, presumably because weather conditions prior to harvest influenced the timing and type of harvest operations. In artificial seed bank studies, seed coat color or ALA content did not influence persistence. Flax seed viability rapidly declined in the year following burial with < 1% remaining midsummer in the year following burial but there were significant differences between years. In three of four locations, there was a trend of longer seed persistence at the deepest burial depth (10 cm). The current study predicts that seed-mediated gene flow may be a significant factor in transgene persistence and a source of adventitious presence.

Development of genetically modified (GM) wheat has raised concerns about the movement and persistence of transgenes in agroecosystems and the ability of growers to segregate GM from conventional wheat. Wheat as a crop has been studied extensively but the population biology of volunteer wheat is not well characterized. Artificial seed bank studies were conducted in western Canada to provide baseline data on volunteer wheat seed persistence. Seed from two cultivars of Canadian western red spring wheat, ‘AC Splendor’ and ‘AC Superb’, were buried in mesh bags at three depths (0, 2, and 15 cm) in two different environments in the fall of 2003 and 2004. In addition, in 2004, ‘AC Superb’ seed were separated into small and large seed lots and buried with a medium seed lot to examine the influence of seed size on seed bank persistence. Seeds were withdrawn at intervals to assess seed germination and viability and regression analysis conducted on the viable seed at each sample period, after burial. Seed viability was variable within years and sites, and declined exponentially over time. In the spring, approximately 6 mo after initiation, viable seed ranged from 1 to 43%. With the exception of a single site and year, seeds on the soil surface persisted significantly longer than buried seeds and increasing burial depth accelerated loss of viability. The maximum viability of wheat seeds at 0, 2, and 15 cm depth in the spring following planting was 43, 7, and 2%, respectively. The extinction of viability for 99% (EX99) of the seed was estimated from regression analysis. The EX99 values of seeds buried at 0, 2, and 15 cm ranged from 493 to 1,114, 319 to 654, and 175 to 352 d after planting (DAP), respectively, with the exception of one site in 2003 where burial depths were not different and all had an EX99 value of 456 DAP. Seed size and cultivar did not significantly affect persistence, with the exception of one site in 2003 where the difference in EX99 values was 20 DAP. The rapid loss of seed viability limits temporal gene flow via volunteers in years following a wheat crop. Results provide data on spring wheat biology to aid in Canadian environmental biosafety assessments of GM wheat and will be incorporated into a mechanistic model to predict wheat gene flow on the Canadian prairies.

Global expansion in the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops has raised concerns about the adventitious presence of GE seeds in non-GE and organic products. Flax is the second most important oilseed crop in western Canada and is currently being evaluated as a potential platform for the production of bio-products. Before transgenic flax is released for commercial production, mitigation measures must be identified to reduce the adventitious presence in subsequent crops. To quantify adventitious presence of volunteer flax in spring wheat and to identify the efficacy of herbicide treatments on mitigating volunteer flax adventitious presence, research was conducted at four locations during 2005 and 2006 in central Alberta. To simulate artificial volunteer populations, flax was seeded prior to wheat at a target population of 150 plants m−2. In the untreated control, volunteer flax seed yield was 135 kg ha−1, which resulted in adventitious presence of 8.57% in spring wheat. When left uncontrolled, volunteer flax reduced wheat yields ∼57% and resulted in volunteer flax seed production of 4,755 seeds m−2. A single PRE treatment of glyphosate or glyphosate plus tribenuron reduced volunteer flax density from 39 to 4 and 6 plants m−2, respectively, seed production from 4,755 to < 58 seeds m−2, and volunteer flax seed viability from 55 to < 40%. POST herbicides, fluroxypyr plus MCPA and fluroxypyr plus 2,4-D, reduced volunteer flax seed production as low as 0.6 and 0.0 seeds m−2, respectively, adventitious presence to 0.64 and 0.03%, respectively, and seed viability to ≤ 10%. Combination of glyphosate applied PRE followed by fluroxypyr plus 2,4-D or by thifensulfuron plus tribenuron plus quinclorac applied POST reduced adventitious presence of volunteer flax in wheat to near 0%. These treatment combinations were also effective for reducing volunteer flax fecundity to 0.0 and 7.1 seeds m−2, respectively, and volunteer flax seed viability to 0 and 5%, respectively. This study demonstrated that with effective mitigation strategies, seed mediated gene flow from GE volunteer flax can be reduced.

Triticale is a low input crop, produced in North America primarily for silage for animal feed. Currently, seed growers have few herbicide options for producing certified seed. There is anecdotal evidence that triticale tolerates many of the same herbicides as wheat. In 2004 and 2005, the tolerance of three spring triticale varieties (AC Alta, AC Ultima, and Pronghorn) was tested with four herbicides registered for wheat: florasulam + MCPA ester, clodinafop-propargyl, thifensulfuron-methyl/tribenuron-methyl, and sulfosulfuron-methyl + 2,4-D ester. Herbicides were applied at the label rate (1×) for wheat and twice (2×) that rate. Crop injury, plant height, biomass, and seed yields were quantified. Neither florasulam + MCPA ester, clodinafop-propargyl, nor thifensulfuron-methyl/tribenuron-methyl at 1× or 2× use rates significantly injured triticale. Sulfosulfuron-methyl + 2,4-D ester reduced triticale height at the 1× and 2× rates, as well as reduced biomass and yield at the 2× rate. Florasulam + MCPA ester, clodinafop-propargyl, and thifensulfuron-methyl/tribenuron-methyl do not cause significant crop injury and can be used for weed control in spring triticale, but sulfosulfuron-methyl + 2,4-D ester is not recommended for use in triticale.

A 4-year study was initiated in 1997 to provide canola producers with information on the consequences of various rotational intervals with the use of new disease and herbicide-resistant canola varieties. The study was conducted at three locations in Alberta, Canada (Ellerslie, Strathmore, and Warburg). At each location, four canola rotations were established: continuous canola, and canola seeded in 1 of 2, 3, or 4 years. Canola varieties included the conventional varieties ‘AC Excel’ and ‘Quantum’, the glyphosate-resistant variety ‘Quest’, imidazolinone-resistant ‘45A71’, and a glufosinate-resistant hybrid, ‘Invigor 2153’. In the fourth year of the study, when canola was grown in all treatments, weed densities, weed species diversity, and evenness were determined preseeding and before and after in-crop herbicide application. Canola yield was greatest in the northern ecoregions of the Boreal Transition (Warburg) and Aspen Parkland (Ellerslie), and lowest in the Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregion (Strathmore). Weed populations increased and population diversity decreased and became less even where rotations were less diverse; in continuous canola and in the 1-in-4–year rotation. As expected, weed densities increased in poorly competitive, conventional canola varieties compared to herbicide-resistant varieties sprayed with their broader-spectrum herbicides. Where weed densities were high, variety/herbicide system became a critical factor affecting crop yield. Under these conditions, the herbicide-resistant varieties ‘Quest’ and ‘Invigor 2153’ typically outyielded the conventional varieties of ‘AC Excel’ and ‘Quantum’. Canola yield was highest when grown in a 1-in-3– or a 1-in-4–year rotation, although the 1-in-3–year rotation generally had lower weed densities, and allowed high-value canola to be grown more frequently in rotation.

It is well known that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) plays pivotal roles in various mitotic events, but its function in mammalian oocyte meiosis remains unknown. In this study, we found that no specific JNK2 signal was detected in germinal vesicle stage. JNK2 was associated with the spindles especially the spindle poles and cytoplasmic microtubule organizing centers at prometaphase I, metaphase I, and metaphase II stages. JNK2 became diffusely distributed and associated with the midbody at telophase I stage. Injection of myc-tagged JNK2α1 mRNA into oocytes also revealed its localization on spindle poles. The association of JNK2 with spindle poles was further confirmed by colocalization with the centrosomal proteins, γ-tubulin and Plk1. Nocodazole treatment showed that JNK2 may interact with Plk1 to regulate the spindle assembly. Then we investigated the possible function of JNK2 by JNK2 antibody microinjection and JNK specific inhibitor SP600125 treatment. These two manipulations caused abnormal spindle formation and decreased the rate of first polar body (PB1) extrusion. In addition, inhibition of JNK2 resulted in impaired localization of Plk1. Taken together, our results suggest that JNK2 plays an important role in spindle assembly and PB1 extrusion during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.

Field experiments were conducted in Chile and western Canada to measure short-distance (0 to 100 m) outcrossing from transgenic safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) intended for plant molecular farming to non-transgenic commodity safflower of the same variety. The transgenic safflower used as the pollen source was transformed with a construct for seed-specific expression of a high-value protein and constitutive expression of a gene conferring resistance to the broad-spectrum herbicide glufosinate. Progeny of non-transgenic plants grown in plots adjacent to the transgenic pollen source were screened for glufosinate resistance to measure outcrossing frequency. Outcrossing frequency differed among locations: values closest to the transgenic pollen source (0 to 3 m) ranged from 0.48 to 1.67% and rapidly declined to between 0.0024 to 0.03% at distances of 50 to 100 m. At each location, outcrossing frequency was spatially heterogeneous, indicating insects or wind moved pollen asymmetrically. A power analysis assuming a binomial distribution and a range of alpha values (type 1 error) was conducted to estimate an upper and lower confidence interval for the probable transgenic seed frequency in each sample. This facilitated interpretation when large numbers of seeds were screened from the outcrossing experiments and no transgenic seeds were found. This study should aid regulators and the plant molecular farming industry in developing confinement strategies to mitigate pollen mediated gene flow from transgenic to non-transgenic safflower.