The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a highly destructive polyvorous pest with a wide host range and the ability to feed continuously with seasonal changes. This destructive pest significantly damages crops and can also utilize non-agricultural plants, such as weeds, as alternative hosts. However, the adaptation mechanisms of S. frugiperda when switching between crop and non-crop hosts remain poorly understood, posing challenges for effective monitoring and integrated pest management strategies. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the adaptability of S. frugiperda to different host plants. Results showed that corn (Zea mays L.) was more suitable for the growth and development of S. frugiperda than wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and goosegrass (Eleusine indica). Transcriptome analysis identified 699 genes differentially expressed when fed on corn, wheat, and goosegrass. The analysis indicated that the detoxification metabolic pathway may be related to host adaptability. We identified only one SfGSTs2 gene within the GST family and investigated its functional role across different developmental stages and tissues by analysing its spatial and temporal expression patterns. The SfGSTs2 gene expression in the midgut of larvae significantly decreased following RNA interference. Further, the dsRNA-fed larvae exhibited a decreased detoxification ability, higher mortality, and reduced larval weight. The findings highlight the crucial role of SfGSTs2 in host plant adaptation. Evaluating the feeding preferences of S. frugiperda is significant for controlling important agricultural pests.

Screw theory serves as an influential mathematical tool, significantly contributing to mechanical engineering, with particular relevance to mechanism science and robotics. The instantaneous screw and the finite displacement screw have been used to analyse the degree of freedom and perform kinematic analysis of linkage mechanisms with only lower pairs. However, they are not suitable for higher pair mechanisms, which can achieve complex motions with a more concise structure by reasonably designing contact contours, and they possess advantages in some particular areas. Therefore, to improve the adaptability of screw theory, this paper aims to analyse higher kinematic pair (HKP) mechanisms and proposes a method to extend instantaneous screw and finite displacement screw theory. This method can not only analyse the instantaneous degree of freedom of HKP mechanisms but also determine the relationships between the motion variables of HKP mechanisms. Furthermore, this method is applied to calculate the degree of freedom and the relationships between the motion angles in both planar and spatial cam mechanisms, thereby demonstrating its efficiency and advantages.

Objectives/Goals: Investigating the B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL)-associated germline SNP rs7090445, located in intron 3 of ARID5B, which is more frequently observed in individuals of Hispanic/Latino descent. Investigating the mechanisms behind this inherited single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that may contribute to the higher incidence of B-ALL in this population. Methods/Study Population: Specific Aim 1: We hypothesize ARID5B SNP rs7090445 disrupts intrinsic enhancer function. Identification of critical DNA looping events impacted by ARID5B variants using Capture C. Affinity purification-mass spectrometry to identify potential ARID5B transcription mediators. Specific Aim 2: We hypothesize the B-ALL-associated SNP leads to a partial human B-cell differentiation block. Utilize Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair to create ARID5B SNP in primary human hematopoietic stem cells. Gene-edited HSCs will be differentiated into B cells using an ex vivo system. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting to sort our pool of cells into stages of B-cell development spectrum. Amplicon sequencing and variant allele frequency of rs7090445 SNP to evaluate its impact on B-cell development. Results/Anticipated Results: This proposal is conceptually innovative as it seeks to understand the mechanism by which the B-ALL-associated SNP rs7090445 in intron 3 of ARID5B disrupts enhancer function and investigates its impact on human B-cell development. Future research will investigate a tumor-suppressive role of ARID5B and whether it constitutes a “first-hit” of leukemogenesis. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Successful completion of this research will elucidate the critical role of the B-ALL-associated ARID5B SNP rs7090445 in human B-cell development and leukemogenesis. As this SNP is more prevalent in Hispanic/Latino populations, it will also provide crucial insights into the genetic factors behind the elevated incidence of B-ALL.

We perform simulations of a two-fluid–structure interaction problem involving liquid–gas flow past a fully submerged stationary circular cylinder. Interactions between the liquid–gas interface with finite surface tension and flow disturbances arising from the cylinder induce a variety of interfacial phenomena and wake structures. We map different interface regimes in a parameter space defined by the Bond number $Bo \in [100, 5000]$ and the submergence depth $h/D \in [1, 2.5]$ of the cylinder while keeping the Reynolds (Re) and Weber (We) numbers fixed at 150 and 1000, respectively. The emerging interface features are classified into three distinct regimes: interfacial waves generated by Strouhal vortices, the entrainment of multi-scale gas bubbles and the reduced deformation state. In the interfacial wave regime, we demonstrate that the frequency of transverse interface fluctuations at a specific streamwise location is identical to the vortex shedding frequency. Additionally, the wavelength of interfacial waves is determined by the size of vortex pairs consisting of alternating Strouhal vortices. In the gas entrainment regime at $ Bo = 1000$, our bubble-size distributions reveal that the entrained bubbles have sizes ranging from one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the cylinder. These multi-scale bubbles are formed primarily through plunging and surfing breakers at $h/D = 2.5$. In contrast, at $h/D = 1$, smaller bubbles initially emerge from the breakup of a gas finger. Over time, some of these bubbles grow in size through coalescence cascades. The influence of $ Re \in [50, 150]$ and $ We \in [700, 1100]$ on gas entrainment is quantified in terms of mean bubble size and count. Lastly, we demonstrate how the deformability of the liquid–gas interface drives the hydrodynamic lift force acting on the cylinder. The net downward lift materializes only in the gas entrainment and reduced deformation regimes due to the broken symmetry of the front stagnation point. While our study focuses on two-dimensional simulations, we also provide insights into the three-dimensional gas entrainment mechanism for one of the extreme cases at $h/D = 1$.

Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a significant pest of Capsicum annuum (Solanales: Solanaceae) and exhibits intraspecific differentiation within populations. To investigate the adaptability of Hap3 and Hap17 A. gossypii to various C. annuum varieties, including ‘Lvzhou101’ (LZ), ‘Lashen’ (LA), ‘Saierweilvtianjiao’ (SE), ‘Haimaihongri’ (HM), ‘Chaotianjiao’ (CT), and ‘Luosijiangjun’ (LS), we employed life tables to analyse growth and population parameters post-feeding and conducted petri dish host choice experiments to assess the host plant preference of A. gossypii. Survival rates of A. gossypii varied significantly across C. annuum varieties. Notably, Hap3 and Hap17 thrived on ‘LZ’ but failed to establish populations on ‘LA’. The net reproductive rate (R0), average generation time (T), and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) differed markedly between Hap3 and Hap17 across C. annuum varieties. Feeding on ‘LZ’ resulted in a significantly higher R0 value (26.49) for Hap3 relative to other varieties. The T (7.60 days) and rm (0.27) values for Hap3 on ‘SE’ were superior to those observed on other C. annuum varieties. These findings indicate that ‘SE’ is the optimal host for Hap3 growth, while ‘LZ’ best supports Hap17. Both haplotypes exhibited the lowest adaptability to ‘LA’. Therefore, the utilisation capacity of A. gossypii populations on C. annuum demonstrates differentiation, and the resistance levels among C. annuum varieties to A. gossypii vary. This differentiation can inform targeted management strategies for aphid infestations on pepper crops.

The recently discovered social place cells and grid cells in hippocampal formation are believed to be the neural basis underlying relative navigation of conspecifics. In this paper, we propose a new brain-inspired relative navigation model in a large-scale 3D environment for collective UAVs that translates the neurodynamics of the social place cell–grid cell circuit to robotic relative navigation algorithm for the first time. Our approach comprises three key parts: (1) a 3D isotropic Gaussian function-based cube social place cell network (cube-SPCNet), (2) a 3D continuous attractor neural network-based cube grid cell network (cube-GCNet), and (3) a population vector-based neural decoding module. The resulting brain-inspired relative navigation model incorporates the good relative information abstraction capabilities of the cube-SPCNet with the powerful temporal filtering capabilities of the cube-GCNet, yielding robustness and accuracy performance improvement for relative navigation. Experimental results show the new method can provide more robust and precise relative navigation results than its conventional counterpart, displaying a possible brain-inspired solution for relative navigation enhancement for collective UAVs.

Systematically monitoring the baseline sensitivity of troublesome weeds to herbicides is a crucial step in the early detection of their market lifespan. Florpyrauxifen-benzyl is one of the most important herbicides used in rice production throughout the world, and has been used for 5 yr in China. Barnyardgrass is one of the main targeted weed species of florpyrauxifen-benzyl. In total, 114 barnyardgrass populations were collected from rice fields in Jiangsu Province, China, and using whole-plant bioassays they were screened for susceptibility to florpyrauxifen-benzyl. The GR50 values (representing the dose that causes a 50% reduction in fresh weight of aboveground parts) of florpyrauxifen-benzyl for all populations ranged from 1.0 to 34.5 g ai ha−1, with an average of 6.8 g ai ha−1, a baseline sensitivity dose of 3.3 g ai ha−1, and a baseline sensitivity index of 34.5. Twenty-one days after treatment with florpyrauxifen-benzyl at the labeled dose (36 g ai ha−1), 90% of the barnyardgrass populations exhibited >95% reductions in fresh weight of aboveground parts. Compared with the baseline sensitivity dose, 63, 44, and 7 populations had, respectively, no resistance (55%), low resistance (39%), and moderate resistance (6%) to florpyrauxifen-benzyl. Furthermore, the GR50 distribution of barnyardgrass populations did not show a significant correlation with collection location, planting method (direct-seeding or transplanting), or rice species (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica or ssp. japonica) at any of rice fields where seeds had been collected (P > 0.05). In conclusion, florpyrauxifen-benzyl remains effective for barnyardgrass control in rice fields despite serious resistance challenges.

Laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) diagnostics play a crucial role in understanding the complex physical processes governing ICF and enabling ignition. During the ICF process, the interaction between the high-power laser and ablation material leads to the formation of a plasma critical surface, which reflects a significant portion of the driving laser, reducing the efficiency of laser energy conversion into implosive kinetic energy. Effective diagnostic methods for the critical surface remain elusive. In this work, we propose a novel optical diagnostic approach to investigate the plasma critical surface. This method has been experimentally validated, providing new insights into the critical surface morphology and dynamics. This advancement represents a significant step forward in ICF diagnostic capabilities, with the potential to inform strategies for enhancing the uniformity of the driving laser and target surface, ultimately improving the efficiency of converting laser energy into implosion kinetic energy and enabling ignition.

This study demonstrates a kilowatt-level, spectrum-programmable, multi-wavelength fiber laser (MWFL) with wavelength, interval and intensity tunability. The central wavelength tuning range is 1060–1095 nm and the tunable number is controllable from 1 to 5. The wavelength interval can be tuned from 6 to 32 nm and the intensity of each channel can be adjusted independently. Maximum output power up to approximately 1100 W has been achieved by master oscillator power amplifier structures. We also investigate the wavelength evolution experimentally considering the difference of gain competition, which may give a primary reference for kW-level high-power MWFL spectral manipulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power ever reported for a programmable MWFL. Benefiting from its high power and flexible spectral manipulability, the proposed MWFL has great potential in versatile applications such as nonlinear frequency conversion and spectroscopy.

A high-energy pulsed vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) solid-state laser at 177 nm with high peak power by the sixth harmonic of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) amplifier in a KBe2BO3F2 prism-coupled device was demonstrated. The ultraviolet (UV) pump laser is a 352 ps pulsed, spatial top-hat super-Gaussian beam at 355 nm. A high energy of a 7.12 mJ VUV laser at 177 nm is obtained with a pulse width of 255 ps, indicating a peak power of 28 MW, and the conversion efficiency is 9.42% from 355 to 177 nm. The measured results fitted well with the theoretical prediction. It is the highest pulse energy and highest peak power ever reported in the VUV range for any solid-state lasers. The high-energy, high-peak-power, and high-spatial-uniformity VUV laser is of great interest for ultra-fine machining and particle-size measurements using UV in-line Fraunhofer holography diagnostics.

This study aimed to demonstrate the utilization value of 1PN embryos. The 1PN zygotes collected from December 2021 to September 2022 were included in this study. The embryo development, the pronuclear characteristics, and the genetic constitutions were investigated. The overall blastocyst formation and good-quality blastocyst rates in 1PN zygotes were 22.94 and 16.24%, significantly lower than those of 2PN zygotes (63.25 and 50.23%, respectively, P = 0.000). The pronuclear characteristics were found to be correlated with the developmental potential. When comparing 1PN zygotes that developed into blastocysts to those that arrested, the former exhibited a significantly larger area (749.49 ± 142.77 vs. 634.00 ± 119.05, P = 0.000), a longer diameter of pronuclear (29.81 ± 3.08 vs. 27.30 ± 3.00, P = 0.000), and a greater number of nucleolar precursor body (NPB) (11.56 ± 3.84 vs. 7.19 ± 2.73, P = 0.000). Among the tested embryos, the diploidy euploidy rate was significantly higher in blastocysts in comparison with the arrested embryos (66.67 vs. 11.76%, P = 0.000), which was also significantly higher in IVF-1PN blastocysts than in ICSI-1PN blastocysts (75.44 vs. 25.00%, P = 0.001). However, the pronuclear characteristics were not found to be linked to the chromosomal ploidy once they formed blastocysts.

In summary, while the developmental potential of 1PN zygotes is reduced, our study shows that, in addition to the reported pronuclear area and diameter, the number of NPB is also associated with their developmental potential. The 1PN blastocysts exhibit a high diploidy euploidy rate, are recommend to be clinically used post genetic testing, especially for patients who do not have other 2PN embryos available.

Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is a complicated procedure requiring clinical expertise, collaboration, and patient involvement to ensure it occurs successfully. Implementation science offers unique insights into the barriers and enablers of service delivery of AVS. The primary aim of this review was to identify implementation components as described within clinical studies, that contribute to a successful AVS procedure. The secondary aim was to inform practice considerations to support the scale-up of AVS. A scoping review of clinical papers that discussed factors contributing to effective AVS implementation was included. A phased approach was employed to extract implementation science data from clinical studies. Implementation strategies were named and defined, allowing for implementation learnings to be synthesized, in the absence of dedicated research examining implementation process and findings only. Ten implementation components reported as contributing to a successful AVS procedure were identified. These components were categorized according to actions required pre-AVS, during AVS, and post-AVS. Using an implementation science approach, the findings of this review and analysis provide practical considerations to facilitate AVS service delivery design. Extracting implementation science information from clinical research has provided a mechanism that accelerates the translation of evidence into practice where implementation research is not yet available.

To characterize fluid flow in the slip regime, the use of Navier–Stokes–Fourier (NSF) equations with slip boundary conditions is prevalent. This trend underscores the necessity of developing reliable and accurate slip boundary conditions. According to kinetic theory, slip behaviours are intrinsically linked to the gas scattering processes at the surface. The widely used Maxwell scattering model, which employs a single accommodation coefficient to describe gas scattering processes, reveals its limitations when the difference between accommodation coefficients in the tangential and normal directions becomes significant. In this work, we provide a derivation of velocity slip and temperature jump boundary conditions based on the Cercignani–Lampis–Lord scattering model, which applies two independent accommodation coefficients to describe the gas scattering process. A Knudsen layer correction term is introduced to account for the impact of the surface on the velocity distribution function, which is associated with the scattering model. The governing equation of the correction term is established based on the linearized Boltzmann equation. Additionally, two moments are derived to capture the collision effect in the Knudsen layer: a conserving moment of collision invariants, and an approximate higher-order conserving moment. These moments are then employed to determine the coefficients in the correction term. We demonstrate that the derived slip coefficients align closely with numerical results obtained by solving the Boltzmann equation in the Knudsen layer. Besides, we apply the derived slip boundary conditions within the framework of the NSF equations, yielding numerical results that exhibit excellent consistency with those obtained through molecular-level simulations.

Characterised by the extensive use of obsidian, a blade-based tool inventory and microblade technology, the late Upper Palaeolithic lithic assemblages of the Changbaishan Mountains are associated with the increasingly cold climatic conditions of Marine Isotope Stage 2, yet most remain poorly dated. Here, the authors present new radiocarbon dates associated with evolving blade and microblade toolkits at Helong Dadong, north-east China. At 27 300–24 100 BP, the lower cultural layers contain some of the earliest microblade technology in north-east Asia and highlight the importance of the Changbaishan Mountains in understanding changing hunter-gatherer lifeways in this region during MIS 2.

Aging ships and offshore structures face harsh environmental and operational conditions in remote areas, leading to age-related damages such as corrosion wastage, fatigue cracking, and mechanical denting. These deteriorations, if left unattended, can escalate into catastrophic failures, causing casualties, property damage, and marine pollution. Hence, ensuring the safety and integrity of aging ships and offshore structures is paramount and achievable through innovative healthcare schemes. One such paradigm, digital healthcare engineering (DHE), initially introduced by the final coauthor, aims at providing lifetime healthcare for engineered structures, infrastructure, and individuals (e.g., seafarers) by harnessing advancements in digitalization and communication technologies. The DHE framework comprises five interconnected modules: on-site health parameter monitoring, data transmission to analytics centers, data analytics, simulation and visualization via digital twins, artificial intelligence-driven diagnosis and remedial planning using machine and deep learning, and predictive health condition analysis for future maintenance. This article surveys recent technological advancements pertinent to each DHE module, with a focus on its application to aging ships and offshore structures. The primary objectives include identifying cost-effective and accurate techniques to establish a DHE system for lifetime healthcare of aging ships and offshore structures—a project currently in progress by the authors.