Search Results (706)

Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves (ZBL) are a phytogenic feed resource, but their energy value and functional effects in laying hens are not well defined. Two experiments were conducted. In Exp. 1, 96 healthy 38-week-old Roman Pink laying hens were allotted to either a control diet or a diet containing 5% ZBL (eight replicates, six hens per replicate) to determine apparent metabolizable energy (AME) using an indicator method (7 d adaptation, 3 d collection). The AME and nitrogen-corrected AME of ZBL were 5.46 and 5.33 MJ/kg, respectively. In Exp. 2, 832 healthy 41-week-old hens were randomly assigned to diets supplemented with 0, 1%, 2%, or 3% ZBL (8 replicates, 26 hens per replicate) for 8 weeks after 1 week adaptation. Dietary ZBL at 1% to 3% did not affect production performance (p > 0.05), but increased albumen height linearly (p < 0.05) and improved yolk color at 2% and 3% (p < 0.05). ZBL increased serum albumin (p < 0.05) with a linear tendency (p = 0.065), and elevated serum IgA and IgM linearly (p < 0.05). Serum total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase were increased (p < 0.05) with significant linear and quadratic responses (p < 0.05), while serum malondialdehyde was reduced (p < 0.05). In the liver, 3% ZBL increased total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05), hepatic catalase activity was decreased in all ZBL groups (p < 0.05), and hepatic malondialdehyde was reduced (p < 0.05). Cecal acetate increased linearly (p < 0.05), and propionate and butyrate increased with both linear and quadratic dose responses (p < 0.05). ZBL improved small intestinal morphology, especially duodenal villus height (p < 0.05). Gut microbiota was remodeled, with a marked reduction in norank_o__WCHB1-41 and increases in Ruminococcus, Pseudoflavonifractor, and several Coriobacteriales and Erysipelatoclostridiaceae taxa. Overall, ZBL provides usable energy and, at 2–3% inclusion, enhances egg quality, antioxidant status, humoral immunity, short-chain-fatty-acid production, and intestinal health without compromising laying performance. Full article

This work explores the mechanical responses of 3D-printed periodic arch-inspired structures (PASs) and PASs doped with NdFeB powder to advance their application in lightweight structural load-bearing and future structure–function integration. Three PAS configurations were fabricated via digital light processing (DLP), and magnetic PASs (MPASs) were produced by dispersing NdFeB powder (1–3 g/200 mL) into photosensitive resin. Under quasi-static compression, key mechanical properties—Young’s modulus (E), yield strength (σ_y), and compressive strength (σ_c)—of non-magnetic PASs increase linearly with relative density (ρ* = 0.18–0.48): for PAS22, E rises from 68.1 to 200.3 MPa (+194%), σ_y from 2.18 to 6.75 MPa (+210%), and σ_c from 2.98 to 9.07 MPa (+204%). Under dynamic impact (~100 s⁻¹), mechanical enhancement is even more pronounced: E of PAS22 surges to 814.8 MPa (3.2× higher than quasi-static), and σ_c reaches 11.54 MPa. Finite element simulations reveal that the Ideal Plastic Model best predicts quasi-static brittle fracture, whereas the Hardening Function Model captures dynamic behavior most accurately. Stress and plastic strain concentrate at the straight–arc junctions—identified as critical weak points. MPASs exhibit higher stiffness and yield strength (e.g., E of MPAS22 up to 896.5 MPa under impact) but lower compressive strength (e.g., 11.01 MPa vs. 11.54 MPa for NMPAS22), attributed to NdFeB-induced brittleness that shifts the failure mode from “local damage accumulation” to “rapid overall failure”. This study establishes quantitative doping–structure–property correlations, providing design guidelines for next-generation functional arch-inspired metamaterials toward magnetically responsive, load-bearing applications. Full article

This study was focused on the assessment of fungal occurrence, mycotoxin dynamics, aflatoxin carry-over, and associated biochemical responses in dairy cattle. Moisture emerged as the dominant factor for fungal communities, promoting the co-proliferation of fungal genera adapted to high water activity conditions (a_w > 0.90) and antagonism against xerotolerant and xerophilic species. Aspergillus spp. dominated dry substrates (a_w < 0.75), Fusarium spp. showed strong positive associations with high-moisture matrices (a_w > 0.90), and Penicillium spp. exhibited intermediate, substrate-dependent behavior. Mycotoxin levels fluctuated non-linearly, independently of fungal counts: ochratoxin A (OTA) concentrations in corn silage increased from approximately 12 μg/kg at the onset of the ensiling period to >240 μg/kg at silo opening, indicating dynamic mycotoxin accumulation during storage, while zearalenone (ZEA) oscillated from 40 to 170 µg/kg. Despite the variation in total aflatoxins (AFLA-T) across feed matrices, aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk remained low (0.0020–0.0093 μg/kg), confirming limited carry-over. Serum biochemical parameters—alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (BIL-T), total protein (PROT-T)—remained within physiological limits, yet multivariate analyses revealed metabolic modulation linked to aflatoxin exposure. AFM1 explained >7% of the variance in serum biochemical profiles according to PERMANOVA (p = 0.002), showed significant MANOVA effect (Pillai = 0.198), and displayed a significant canonical association (p < 10⁻¹³). Linear discriminant analysis further separated Normal vs. Borderline hepatic profiles, indicating subclinical physiological adaptation to chronic low-dose exposure. Full article

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease that fundamentally alters the mechanical environment of the knee. This study utilizes a finite element framework to evaluate the biomechanical response of the distal femur in healthy and osteoarthritic conditions across critical functional postures. To isolate the bone’s inherent structural stiffness and avoid numerical artifacts, a free-body computational approach was implemented, omitting external surface fixations. The distal femur was modeled as a linearly elastic domain with material properties representing healthy tissue and OA-induced degradation. Simulations were performed under passive gravitational loading at knee flexion angles of $0^{\circ },{60}^{\circ },$ and ${90}^{\circ }$. The results demonstrate that the mechanical response is highly sensitive to postural orientation, with peak von Mises stress consistently occurring at ${60}^{\circ }$ of flexion for both models. Quantitative analysis revealed that the stiffer Normal bone attracted significantly higher internal stress, with a reduction of over 30% in peak stress magnitude observed in the OA model at the most critical flexion angle. Total displacement magnitudes remained relatively stable across conditions, suggesting that OA-induced material softening primarily influences internal stress redistribution rather than global structural sag under passive loads. These findings provide a quantitative index of skeletal vulnerability, supporting the development of patient-specific orthopedic treatments and rehabilitation strategies. Full article

This study considers the dynamic stability of a three-layered annular plate, whose facings are made of functionally graded material in the radial direction. The plate is subjected to linearly increasing in-plane forces applied at either the inner or outer edge. The effect of the heterogeneity of the plate-facing material on the dynamic response is analyzed in detail. The main parameters defining the stability state—such as critical dynamic load, critical time, maximum deflection, and buckling mode—are specifically evaluated. The problem is analyzed using two approximation methods: the finite difference method and the finite element method. Numerical calculations were carried out using two approaches: the author’s program following analytical calculations, and the ABAQUS system. The results show the importance of modeling the plate with an appropriate material function describing the radial gradation, which significantly affects the plate’s dynamic stability response and critical parameters. Full article

Efficient soil conditioning is critical for controlling the mechanical behavior of sandy muck in earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunneling. This study investigates the undrained shear response of sand conditioned with slurry, a newly developed bubble–slurry, and foam under vertical stresses of 0–300 kPa, considering different injection ratios and shear rates. Under atmospheric pressure, conditioning reduces both peak and residual shear strengths by more than 90% compared with untreated sand. Foam- and bubble–slurry-conditioned sands show stable strength within 6 h; after 24 h, peak strength increases from 0.39 to 4.67 kPa for foam-conditioned sand but only from 0.67 to 0.84 kPa for bubble–slurry-conditioned sand. Shear strength increases nearly linearly with shear rate, especially for residual strength. Pore-scale mechanisms were interpreted by considering bubble proportion and size, pore-fluid rheology, and surface tension. Rheology governs whether dynamic or viscous resistance dominates at different shear rates, while surface tension influences stress transmission through bubble stability and interparticle lubrication. The void ratio range of e/e_max = 1.00–1.36 was identified as achieving low shear strength and good flowability. Field application in Jinan Metro Line R2 confirmed that combined conditioning (25% foam + 13% slurry) reduced cutterhead torque by about 37% without spewing. Full article

The unique features of annular phased array transducers, such as ring-shaped elements and the concentric configuration, cause them to behave differently from commonly used linear array transducers, in terms of sound field distribution and pulse–echo response. Consequently, standard techniques for assessing linear array transducers can introduce significant errors when applied to annular array transducers, especially concerning element-to-element sensitivity variance. This study investigates the consistency of element sensitivity in annular phased array transducers. Through theoretical analysis, a Long-Belt source assumption model was developed based on the Rayleigh integral to characterize the responses of ring-shaped elements in an analytical and explicit form. The model suggests that the response amplitude is linearly correlated with the radial width of the element, which was validated by subsequent numerical simulations. Based on these findings, a modified sensitivity evaluation algorithm for annular array transducers is presented. The response voltage per unit width, rather than the total response voltage, is used to eliminate the influence of varying geometries and sizes across elements. The sensitivity variation of a 32-element annular array transducer was evaluated using the new algorithm. Compared to the uncorrected measurement, the maximum sensitivity variation was reduced significantly from 25 dB to 6 dB, revealing the transducer’s intrinsic consistency despite the different geometric features of each element. Due to its distinct geometry compared to the ring-shaped elements, the central element cannot be corrected or evaluated using this method. These results suggest that the proposed algorithm enables the more accurate evaluation of sensitivity consistency for annular phased array transducers, thereby improving measurement reliability in practical applications. Full article

To quantitatively assess the storm surge induced by Super Typhoon Doksuri (2023) along the complex coastline of Fujian Province, a high-resolution Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) was developed, driven by a refined Holland–ERA5 hybrid wind field with integrated physical corrections. The hybrid approach retains the spatiotemporal coherence of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 reanalysis in the far field, while incorporating explicit inner-core adjustments for quadrant asymmetry, sea-surface-temperature dependency, and bounded decay after landfall. A series of numerical experiments were conducted, including paired tidal-only and full storm-forcing simulations, along with a systematic sensitivity ensemble in which bottom-friction parameters were perturbed and the anomalous (typhoon-related) wind component was scaled by factors ranging from 0.8 to 1.2. Static sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios (+0.3 m, +0.5 m, +1.0 m) were imposed to evaluate their influence on extreme water levels. Storm surge extremes were analyzed using a multi-scale coastal buffer framework, comparing two extreme extraction methods: element-mean followed by time-maximum, and node-maximum then assigned to elements. The model demonstrates high skill in reproducing astronomical tides (Pearson r = 0.979–0.993) and hourly water level series (Pearson r > 0.98) at key validation stations. Results indicate strong spatial heterogeneity in the sensitivity of surge levels to both bottom friction and wind intensity. While total peak water levels rise nearly linearly with SLR, the storm surge component itself exhibits a nonlinear response. The choice of extreme-extraction method significantly influences design values, with the node-based approach yielding peak values 0.8% to 4.5% higher than the cell-averaged method. These findings highlight the importance of using physically motivated adjustments to wind fields, extreme-value analysis across multiple coastal buffer scales, and uncertainty quantification in future SLR-informed coastal risk assessments. By integrating analytical, physics-based inner-core corrections with sensitivity experiments and multi-scale analysis, this study provides an enhanced framework for storm surge modeling suited to engineering and coastal management applications. Full article

Thymol is an antimicrobial terpene with potential as a feed additive for cattle; however, in vivo data describing the response of forage-fed beef cattle to the increasing provision of thymol is limited. As thymol may affect palatability and exert antimicrobial effects on rumen microbes, defining its effects in vivo is critical to inform adoption. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to evaluate cattle acceptance of thymol and characterize the effects of increasing thymol doses on diet utilization and ruminal fermentation, with the overarching goal of identifying a maximum tolerable dose for beef cattle. Two 4 × 4 Latin Square experiments were conducted using beef steers consuming forage and providing thymol dosed on alfalfa. Experiment 1 assessed acceptance of thymol at increasing concentrations (0, 110, 220, and 330 mg/kg intake), and experiment 2 assessed diet utilization and fermentation in response to one of four thymol doses: 0, 120, 240, and 480 mg/kg intake. For experiment 1, thymol dose did not affect treatment or forage intake (p ≥ 0.17). For experiment 2, thymol did not linearly or quadratically affect (p ≥ 0.28) forage organic matter (OM) intake or OM digestibility. There were also no linear or quadratic effects (p ≥ 0.09) on ruminal ammonia-N, volatile fatty acids, or pH. These data indicate that thymol can be provided to beef cattle at up to 330 mg/kg intake and 480 mg/kg intake without negatively impacting acceptance and diet utilization, respectively. Full article

The effect of Mn-doped zinc ferrite nanoparticles at a low volume concentration (1 × 10⁻⁴) on structural changes in the nematic liquid crystals 6CHBT and 5CB, induced by weak magnetic fields, was investigated using surface acoustic wave (SAW) and light transmission (LT) techniques. Structural changes caused by the applied magnetic field, in both increasing and decreasing modes, as well as after pulsed changes, were examined by measuring the responses of SAW attenuation and LT using a linearly polarized laser beam. The influence of nanoparticle shape (rods, needles, and clusters) and temperature on the structural changes was investigated. A shift in the threshold field and the transition temperature was observed. In addition, the magnetic properties of the individual samples in powder form were examined using M–H curves, M–T curves, and XRD patterns. The results obtained from all measurements are compared, and the effectiveness of each technique, considering the influence of nanoparticle shape and suspension stability, was evaluated. Full article

The study was conducted to determine the apparent total tract digestibility, the rate of digesta passage, growth performance, and physicochemical properties of the digesta of Windsnyer pigs fed on increasing levels of potato hash silage. Diets were formulated to contain 0, 80, 160, 240, 320, and 400 g potato hash silage/kg of diet. Pigs were randomly assigned to six diets according to a completely randomised design. Six pigs were allocated to each dietary treatment. All diets were blended with chromic oxide (Cr₂O₃) to calculate apparent total tract digestibility and rate of passage. Pigs were fed diets containing different levels of potato hash silage for 5 d, following 7 d of adaptation. Thereafter, pigs were subjected to a 35-day growth performance experiment. Thirty-six pigs were slaughtered and eviscerated to determine digesta characteristics and gut compartment weights. There was a positive correlation (p < 0.05) between mean retention time and each of digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein. There was a quadratic increase (p < 0.05) in digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, fibre and feed intake as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. Average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio decreased linearly (p < 0.05) in pigs as levels of potato hash silage increased. The swelling capacity (SWC) of the digesta from ileum decreased linearly (p < 0.05) as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. The SWC of the digesta from the caecum increased linearly (p < 0.05) as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. The water holding capacity (WHC) of the stomach digesta decreased linearly (p < 0.05) as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. The WHC of the digesta from the ileum and caecum displayed negative quadratic responses (p < 0.05) as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. The WHC of digesta from the proximal colon showed a linear decline (p < 0.05) as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. The WHC of digesta from the distal colon increased linearly (p < 0.05) as dietary levels of potato hash silage increased. The results indicated that Windsnyer pigs can effectively utilise potato hash silage in diets until the 240 g/kg inclusion level beyond which total tract digestibility and feed intake are compromised. Full article

Accurate real-time dosimetry is key in megavoltage radiotherapy; however, many detectors require external biasing or complex instrumentation. This study evaluated thin-film CdTe solar cells operating in photovoltaic (zero-bias) mode as medical dosimeters. Superstrate ITO/CdS/CdTe/Cu/Au devices were fabricated and irradiated with 6-MV photons from a clinical linear accelerator to 20 kGy cumulative dose. Electrical and dosimetric properties were assessed based on AM 1.5 current–voltage measurements, external quantum efficiency (EQE), dose linearity, dose-rate dependence, field-size dependence, percentage depth dose (PDD), and one-month reproducibility. With increasing dose (5–20 kGy), the open-circuit voltage and fill factor decreased by ~2–3%, the short-circuit current density by ~10%, retaining ~87% initial efficiency. Series and shunt resistances were stable, while EQE decreased uniformly (~5%), indicating degradation mainly from increased nonradiative recombination. Dose–signal linearity remained intact, and post-irradiation sensitivity loss was corrected with a single calibration factor. Dose-rate dependence was minor; low reverse bias (~3–7 V) enhanced response without nonlinearity. Field-size and PDD responses agreed with ionization chamber data within ~1%, and weekly stability was within ~1%. Parallel stacking of two cells increased signal nearly linearly. CdTe solar-cell detectors thus enable zero-bias, real-time, stable, and scalable dosimetry and strongly agree with reference standards. Full article

Vibration control for over-track structures is a key challenge in urban rail transit. To systematically investigate the determining effects of building height and train speed on dynamic response, this study developed a novel moving excitation system. Unlike conventional fixed-point or shaking table methods, this system faithfully reproduces the spatio-temporal “scanning effect” of train loads. In conjunction with a 1:20 modular scaled physical model, a systematic experimental investigation was conducted on structures of different heights (2, 5, 8, 11, and 15 stories) under various train speeds (60, 80, and 100 km/h), with an experimental uncertainty controlled within ±6%. The results revealed two distinct patterns: low-rise rigid structures (≤5 stories) exhibited a monotonic amplification of vibration (top-floor response amplified by 13–28%), whereas mid-to-high-rise flexible structures (≥8 stories) displayed an “attenuation-followed-by-amplification” pattern, with mid-height vibration levels reduced by over 50%. This transition is attributed to a shift in structural dynamics, as the fundamental frequency decreases from approximately 230 Hz (2-story) to approximately 100 Hz (15-story). Furthermore, linear regression analysis (R² > 0.93) confirmed that while train speed linearly scales the response amplitude, the distribution pattern is strictly dictated by the structure’s intrinsic low-order modes. These findings provide a quantified theoretical basis for vibration mitigation in over-track developments. Full article

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) stands as a crucial metric for evaluating the condition and performance of terrestrial ecosystems. This study focuses on northern Xinjiang, China, as the research site. By employing the Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) model alongside meteorological data, we examined the spatiotemporal variations in vegetation NPP from 2001 to 2022. The model utilized monthly NDVI, climate drivers, and vegetation type raster data as inputs, while the Mann–Kendall test, We utilized Theil–Sen trend analysis and residual analysis to investigate how climatic factors and human activities drove NPP changes. Results show that from 2001 to 2022, vegetation NPP in northern Xinjiang generally rose with fluctuations, averaging 127.96 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹ annually and growing linearly at 0.58 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹. Spatially, NPP displayed a pattern of “high in the west and low in the east, high in mountainous areas and low in deserts.” High NPP areas are mainly clustered in the Ili River Valley and adjacent mountainous regions, encompassing eastern and southwestern Ili Prefecture, northern Tianshan slopes, Balq Mountains, and southern Borokunu foothills, where hydrothermal conditions are relatively advantageous. In the last 22 years, the mean temperature in northern Xinjiang showed a fluctuating upward trend, precipitation exhibited a fluctuating downward trend, and solar radiation demonstrated a significant declining trend. Partial correlation analysis revealed that, compared with temperature and solar radiation, precipitation had a stronger positive correlation with NPP. Residual analysis showed that in areas where vegetation NPP exhibited recovery, human activities were the dominant driving factor, accounting for 23.58% of the total area, whereas the influence of climate change was relatively minor. Conversely, in regions where vegetation NPP degraded, climate change exerted a greater impact than human activities. This research clarifies the combined impacts of climate and human actions on ecosystem productivity in arid areas, offering a scientific foundation and reference for ecological protection and regional carbon control in such regions. This provides a scientific basis for formulating rational response strategies to restore vegetation and enhance the quality of ecosystems in arid regions. Full article

Oxidative stress is believed to deteriorate production performance and cause substantial economic losses in commercial poultry farming. Resveratrol (RES) is a polyphenolic antioxidant that can improve intestinal barrier function and regulate gut microbiota composition. This study aimed to evaluate whether short-term (14 days) dietary resveratrol (1000–3000 mg/kg) mitigates dexamethasone (DEX)-induced oxidative stress and performance loss in yellow-feathered broilers. Two hundred and forty 52-day-old birds were assigned to five treatments (n = 8 pens × 6). Control (CON) and DEX groups received the basal diet; DR1, DR2 and DR3 were provided with the basal diet plus 1000, 2000 or 3000 mg/kg RES. During days 1–5, the DEX and RES (DR1, DR2 and DR3) groups were intraperitoneally injected with 5 mg/kg BW DEX; CON birds received saline. DEX significantly reduced average daily gain (ADG) and raised feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.05) without altering feed intake. RES at 1000–2000 mg/kg improved ADG, reduced FCR and lowered serum corticosterone and blood urea nitrogen while increasing albumin (p < 0.05). DEX elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver and thigh muscle, suppressed liver catalase (CAT) activity, and suppressed thigh muscle superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and CAT activities. In serum, only SOD activity decreased. RES partially alleviated the abnormal changes in these antioxidant indices. Intestinally, DEX increased MDA, shortened villi and reduced the villus-to-crypt ratio, whereas RES partially reinstated ileal morphology, decreased MDA dose-dependently and linearly enhanced duodenal SOD activity (p < 0.05). DEX downregulated Occludin mRNA; RES upregulated Occludin and elevated ileal GPX2, SOD, CAT and PPAR-γ transcripts with a quadratic response to RES dose, while lowering duodenal CAT mRNA. Overall, short-term RES supplementation—particularly at 1000–2000 mg/kg—improves growth performance, meat quality and intestinal health of yellow-feathered broilers under DEX-induced oxidative stress by enhancing systemic and intestinal antioxidant capacity and reinforcing epithelial barrier integrity. Full article