Dietary supplementation of zinc oxide modulates intestinal functionality during the post-weaning period in clinically healthy piglets

Background To improve our understanding of host and intestinal microbiome interaction,this research investigated the effects of a high-level zinc oxide in the diet as model intervention on the intestinal microbiome and small intestinal functionality in clinically healthy post-weaning piglets.In study 1,piglets received either a high concentration of zinc(Zn)as zinc oxide(Zn O,Zn,2,690 mg/kg)or a low Zn concentration(100 mg/kg)in the diet during the post weaning period(d 14–23).The effects on the piglet's small intestinal microbiome and functionality of intestinal tissue were investigated.In study 2,the impact of timing of the dietary zinc intervention was investigated,i.e.,between d 0–14 and/or d 14–23 post weaning,and the consecutive effects on the piglet's intestinal functionality,here referring to microbiota composition and diversity and gene expression profiles.Results Differences in the small intestinal functionality were observed during the post weaning period between piglets receiving a diet with a low or high concentration Zn O content.A shift in the microbiota composition in the small intestine was observed that could be characterized as a non-pathological change,where mainly the commensals inter-changed.In the immediate post weaning period,i.e.,d 0–14,the highest number of differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in intestinal tissue were observed between animals receiving a diet with a low or high concentration Zn O content,i.e.,23 DEGs in jejunal tissue and 11 DEGs in ileal tissue.These genes are involved in biological processes related to immunity and inflammatory responses.For example,genes CD59 and REG3G were downregulated in the animals receiving a diet with a high concentration Zn O content compared to low Zn O content in both jejunum and ileum tissue.In the second study,a similar result was obtained regarding the expression of genes in intestinal tissue related to immune pathways when comparing piglets receiving a diet with a high concentration Zn O content compared to low Zn O content.Conclusions Supplementing a diet with a pharmaceutical level of Zn as Zn O for clinically healthy post weaning piglets influences various aspects intestinal functionality,in particular in the first two weeks post-weaning.The model intervention increased both the alpha diversity of the intestinal microbiome and the expression of a limited number of genes linked to the local immune system in intestinal tissue.The effects do not seem related to a direct antimicrobial effect of Zn O.

A Survey on an Emerging Safety Challenge for Autonomous Vehicles:Safety of the Intended Functionality

As the complexity of autonomous vehicles(AVs)continues to increase and artificial intelligence algorithms are becoming increasingly ubiquitous,a novel safety concern known as the safety of the intended functionality(SOTIF)has emerged,presenting significant challenges to the widespread deployment of AVs.SOTIF focuses on issues arising from the functional insufficiencies of the AVs’intended functionality or its implementation,apart from conventional safety considerations.From the systems engineering standpoint,this study offers a comprehensive exploration of the SOTIF landscape by reviewing academic research,practical activities,challenges,and perspectives across the development,verification,validation,and operation phases.Academic research encompasses system-level SOTIF studies and algorithm-related SOTIF issues and solutions.Moreover,it encapsulates practical SOTIF activities undertaken by corporations,government entities,and academic institutions spanning international and Chinese contexts,focusing on the overarching methodologies and practices in different phases.Finally,the paper presents future challenges and outlook pertaining to the development,verification,validation,and operation phases,motivating stakeholders to address the remaining obstacles and challenges.

Shaking table test study on performance and functionality of a typical telecommunication room after earthquakes

Large numbers of basic transceiver stations,where the telecommunication room is one of the main components,comprise an important part of the telecommunication system.After earthquakes,considerable economic loss from telecommunication systems is often associated with seismic damage and functional loss of the telecommunication room.However,research related to this has been limited.In this study,shaking table tests were conducted for a full-scale typical telecommunication room,including a light-steel house and the necessary communication and power supply equipment.The tests not only focused on the seismic damage to all the structures but also considered the functions of the communication and power supply of the equipment.The interactions between these facilities and their effects on communication function were also investigated.Compared with the damage to structures,the interruption of the power supply due to earthquakes is a weak link.Finally,the damage indexes,together with their threshold values of different damage states for the communication and power supply equipment,were derived from the test results.The results of this research can contribute to the literature gaps regarding seismic performance studies of telecommunication rooms,and can serve as a valuable reference for future research on its seismic fragility and economic losses evaluation.

A review on cell damage,viability,and functionality during 3D bioprinting

Three-dimensional(3D)bioprinting fabricates 3D functional tissues/organs by accurately depositing the bioink composed of the biological materials and living cells.Even though 3D bioprinting techniques have experienced significant advancement over the past decades,it remains challenging for 3D bioprinting to artificially fabricate functional tissues/organs with high post-printing cell viability and functionality since cells endure various types of stress during the bioprinting process.Generally,cell viability which is affected by several factors including the stress and the environmental factors,such as pH and temperature,is mainly determined by the magnitude and duration of the stress imposed on the cells with poorer cell viability under a higher stress and a longer duration condition.The maintenance of high cell viability especially for those vulnerable cells,such as stem cells which are more sensitive to multiple stresses,is a key initial step to ensure the functionality of the artificial tissues/organs.In addition,maintaining the pluripotency of the cells such as proliferation and differentiation abilities is also essential for the 3D-bioprinted tissues/organs to be similar to native tissues/organs.This review discusses various pathways triggering cell damage and the major factors affecting cell viability during different bioprinting processes,summarizes the studies on cell viabilities and functionalities in different bioprinting processes,and presents several potential approaches to protect cells from injuries to ensure high cell viability and functionality.

Factors related to the functionality of community-based rural water supply and sanitation program in Indonesia

This study used multinomial logistic regression and Bayesian belief networks(BBN)to analyze factors influenc-ing the functionality of the community-based rural drinking water supply and sanitation program(PAMSIMAS)in Indonesia.28,936 PAMSIMAS projects in 33 provinces in Indonesia were analyzed.The data indicates that 85.4%of the water supply systems were fully functioning,9.1%were partially functioning,and 5.5%were not functioning.In the regression analysis,good management is positively associated with functionality and a high investment per capita is negatively associated with the functionality.The latter suggests the need for comprehen-sive economic analysis in the feasibility study in scattered housing sites and remote-undeveloped areas.We also found that high community participation at the beginning of the project was associated with the not functioning system,while women’s participation was positively associated with the functionality.Furthermore,the household connection is more likely to be functioning than communal connection.BBN analysis shows if the beneficiaries do not pay for water,the probability of not functioning systems is 20 times higher than systems with fee collec-tion.Moreover,the combination of strong management,strong financial status,and household connection rather than communal connection increases the probability of fully functioning to 98%.Improvement of data collection is also necessary to monitor the current conditions of all PAMSIMAS systems in Indonesia.This study offers a country-level perspective for better implementation of the community-based rural water supply and sanitation program in developing countries.

Phosphatidylserine:An overview on functionality,processing techniques,patents,and prospects

Phosphatidylserine(PS)is the part of cell structure in the body and has many beneficial functions especially in brain-related aging diseases.Although daily foods can provide PS to human body,the amount is very limited due to its poverty in most foods.To overcome the issue,numerous studies based on PS have been reported to develop PS-related supplements.In this review,PS was comprehensively and critically reviewed from the view of resources,functions,processing techniques,patents,and prospects.For resources,animal,plant,and microorganism origins were all covered with their differences in composition profiles.For functions,benefits regarding memory,cognitive enhancement,exercise performance,reducing Alzheimer’s disease,and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms were covered as well as the functional differences among animal-,plant-,and microorganism-based PS-related supplements.For processing techniques,traditional extracting methods from animal,plant,and microorganism tissues were comparatively discussed with enzymatic synthesis based on different reaction systems.Finally,patents of PS-related supplements were evaluated as well as their applications.This review could provide scientific and valuable support for PS industry.

Investigation into Protective Groups for Anilino Functionality upon Oxone-Mediated Oxidative Esterification

In the course of organic synthesis, particularly for multi-step synthesis or natural product total synthesis, the selection of appropriate protective groups for the intended functionality is crucial in order to achieve chemoselective synthetic goals. The development of many useful protective groups has been reported based on the functionality of the anilino group. Herein, we discuss our study of various protective groups and the processes we used to establish compatibility with anilino functionality via the implementation of Oxone-mediated oxidative esterification in methanol. The results and the details of our experiments are reported herein.

Plant functional trait diversity and structural diversity co-underpin ecosystem multifunctionality in subtropical forests

Tree species diversity is assumed to be an important component in managing forest ecosystems because of effects on multiple functions or ecosystem multifunctionality.However,the importance of tree diversity in determining multifunctionality in structurally complex subtropical forests relative to other regulators(e.g.,soil microbial diversity,stand structure,and environmental conditions)remains uncertain.In this study,effects of aboveground(species richness and functional and structural diversity)and belowground(bacterial and fungal diversity)biodiversity,functional composition(community-weighted means of species traits),stand structure(diameter at breast height and stand density),and soil factors(pH and bulk density)on multifunctionality(including biomass production,carbon stock,and nutrient cycling)were examined along a tree diversity gradient in subtropical forests.The community-weighted mean of tree maximum height was the best predictor of ecosystem multifunctionality.Functional diversity explained a higher proportion of the variation in multifunctionality than that of species richness and fungal diversity.Stand structure-played an important role in modulating the effects of tree diversity on multifunctionality.The work highlights that species composition and maximizing forest structural complexity are effective strategies to increase forest multifunctionality while also conserving biodiversity in the management of multifunctional forests under global environmental changes.

Selective logging enhances ecosystem multifunctionality via increase of functional diversity in a Pinus yunnanensis forest in Southwest China

Background:The impacts of selective logging on ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF)remain largely unexplored.In this study,we analyzed the response of nine variables related to four ecosystem functions(i.e.nutrient cycling,soil carbon stocks,decomposition,and wood production)to five selective logging intensities in a Pinus yunnanensisdominated forest.We included a control group with no harvest to evaluate the potential shifts in EMF of the P.yunnanensis forests.We also assessed the relationship between above-and belowground biodiversity and EMF under these different selective logging intensities.Additionally,we evaluated the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on EMF using a structural equation modeling(SEM)approach.Results:Individual ecosystem functions(EFs)all had a significant positive correlation with selective logging intensity.Different EFs showed different patterns with the increase of selective logging intensity.We found that EMF tended to increase with logging intensity,and that EMF significantly improved when the stand was harvested at least twice.Both functional diversity and soil moisture had a significant positive correlation with EMF,but soil fungal operational taxonomic units(OTUs)had a significant negative correlation with EMF.Based on SEM,we found that selective logging improved EMF mainly by increasing functional diversity.Conclusion:Our study demonstrates that selective logging is a good management technique from an EMF perspective,and thus provide us with potential guidelines to improve forest management in P.yunnanensis forests in this region.The functional diversity is maximized through reasonable selective logging measures,so as to enhance EMF.

Evaluating alternative hypotheses behind biodiversity and multifunctionality relationships in the forests of Northeastern China

Background:The importance of biodiversity in maintaining multiple ecosystem functions has been widely accepted.However,the specific mechanisms affecting biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality(BEMF)relationships in forests are largely unknown.This is particularly evident for the macroscale of a large forested landscape.Methods:Based on 412 one-tenth hectare field plots distributed over forested areas across northeastern China,we evaluated three alternative hypotheses explaining the relationships between BEMF,namely:niche complementarity,mass ratio,and vegetation quantity effect.We used Rao's quadratic entropy and community weighted mean trait values to quantify forest“biodiversity”.These two variables represent two complementary aspects of functional properties,which are in line with niche complementary and mass ratio effects,respectively.Results:Ecosystem multifunctionality was negatively associated with the community weighted mean values of acquisitive traits(a proxy of mass ratio effect).Rao's quadratic entropy(a proxy of niche complementarity)had no relationship with ecosystem multifunctionality.Higher stand biomass greatly increased ecosystem multifunctionality,which is in line with the vegetation quantity effect.Our results confirm that in the temperate forests of northeastern China,the relationship of BEMF was primarily affected by vegetation quantity,followed by mass ratio effects.Conclusions:The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the main drivers of ecosystem multifunctionality in forest ecosystems.The results of this study provide additional evidence to support the vegetation quantity and mass ratio hypotheses in forest ecosystems.

Flow cytometry for the assessment of animal sperm ntegrity and functionality： state of the art

Flow cytometry is now a recognized methodology within animal spermatology, and has moved from being a research tool to become routine in the assessment of animal semen destined to breeding. The availability of ＇bench-top＇ flow cytometers and of newer and versatile markers for cell structure and function had allowed the instrumentation to measure more sperm parameters, from viability to reactiveness when exposed to exogenous stimuli, and to increase our capabilities to sort spermatozoa for potential fertilizing capacity, or chromosomal sex. The present review summarizes the state of the art regarding flow cytometry applied to animal andrology, albeit keeping an open comparative intent. It critically evaluates the present and future capabilities of flow cytometry for the diagnostics of potential fertility and for the development of current reproductive technologies such as sperm freezing, sperm selection and sperm sorting. The flow cytometry methods will probably further revolutionize our understanding of the sperm physiology and their functionality, and will undoubtedly extend its application in isolating many uncharacterized features of spermatozoa. However, continuous follow-up of the methods is a necessity owing to technical developments and the complexity of mapping spermatozoa.

Functional diversity dominates positive species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality in subtropical plantations

Mixed-species plantations generally exhibit higher ecosystem multifunctionality than monospecific plantations.However,it is unclear how tree species functional composition influences species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality.We selected 171 monospecific and mixed-species plantations from nine regions across subtropical China,and quantified 13 key ecosystem functional properties to investigate how species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality are modulated by functional diversity and identity.We found that ecosystem multifunctionality was significantly higher(p<0.05)in mixed tree plantations than in monospecific plantations except the mixed-conifer species plantations.Across all regions,ecosystem multifunctionality was significantly higher(p<0.05)in mixed conifer-broadleaf plantations than in monospecific plantations of the corresponding species,but not different between mixed and monospecific coniferous plantations.The magnitude of species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality varied greatly with tree species compositions.Taking Cunninghamia lanceolata Lamb.as an example,the effects varied from a range of 2.0%–9.6%when mixed with a conifer species to 36%–87%when mixed with a broadleaf species.The functional diversity was the dominate driver shaping ecosystem multifunctionality,while functional identity,as expressed by community-weighted mean of specific leaf area,also had a positive effect on ecosystem multifunctionality through the increased below-ground nitrogen and phosphorus stocks regulated by specific leaf area of the mixing tree species.Our study highlights the important role of functional diversity in shaping ecosystem multifunctionality across region-wide environmental conditions.Mixed conifer-broadleaf tree plantations with distinct functional traits benefit the enhancement of ecosystem multifunctionality,and the magnitude of species mixture effects is modulated by the functional identity of tree species composition;those relationships deserve a special consideration in multifunctional management context of subtropical plantations.

Functionality evaluation of system of systems architecture based on extended influence diagrams

System of systems architecture（SoSA） has received increasing emphasis by scholars since Zachman ignited its flame in 1987. Given its complexity and abstractness, it is critical to validate and evaluate SoSA to ensure requirements have been met.Multiple qualities are discussed in the literature of SoSA evaluation, while research on functionality is scarce. In order to assess SoSA functionality, an extended influence diagram（EID） is developed in this paper. Meanwhile, a simulation method is proposed to elicit the conditional probabilities in EID through designing and executing SoSA. An illustrative anti-missile architecture case is introduced for EID development, architecture design, and simulation.

Relationship between multifunctionality and rural sustainable development: Insights from 129 counties of the Sichuan Province, China

Rural areas are multifunctional and often have production,living,and ecological functions.The high-quality and balanced development of these three functions is key to sustainable rural development(SRD).Thus,the evaluation of SRD based on rural multifunctionality is of immense significance.This study clarifies the rela‐tionship between multifunctionality and sustainable rural development.An evaluation index system with six sub-components was established for calculating the SRD.In addition,we included 129 counties from the Sich‐uan Province in our case study,and used this index system to analyze the characteristics of rural multifunc‐tionality for evaluating the SRD.The results showed indisputable evidence of multifunctional development.At the county level,rural multifunctionality faces the challenge of insufficient and uneven development,particu‐larly in production functions.Significant spatial differences existed in rural multifunctional development,and the suburban counties generally performed better.Moreover,a mutually reinforcing relationship between pro‐duction,living,and ecological functions was established;however,there was still a significant gap in realizing SRD.Our results emphasize the necessity of a differentiated SRD strategy that should be formulated and imple‐mented based on rural multifunctionality differentiation rules.Our study offers useful guidance for realizing rural multifunctional and sustainable development.

Elaboration of Materials with Functionality Gradients by Assembly of Chitosan-Collagen Microspheres Produced by Microfluidics

Biopolymers extracted from renewable resources like chitosan and collagen exhibit interesting properties for the elaboration of materials designed for tissue engineering applications,among which are their hydrophilicity,biocompatibility and biodegradability.In many cases,functional recovery of an injured tissue or organ requires oriented cell outgrowth,which is particularly critical for nerve regeneration.Therefore,there is a growing interest for the elaboration of materials exhibiting functionalization gradients able to guide cells.Here,we explore an original way of elaborating such gradients by assembling particles from a library of functionalized microspheres.We propose a simple process to prepare chitosan-collagen hybrid microspheres by micro-and milli-fluidics,with adaptable dimensions and narrow size distributions.The adhesion and survival rate of PC12 cells on hybrid microspheres were compared to those on pure chitosan ones.Finally,functionalized microspheres were assembled into membranes exhibiting a functionalization gradient.

Evaluating logic functionality of cascaded frac

Look Up Tables(LUTs) are the key components of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays(FPGAs)Many LUT architectures have been studied; nevertheless, it is difficult to quantificationally evaLUT based architecture. Traditionally, dedicated efforts on specific modifications to the temapping tools are required for LUT architecture evaluation. A more feasible evaluation method forfunctionality is strongly required for the design of LUT architecture. In this paper, a mathematical for logic functionality calculation is proposed and conventional and fracturable LUT architectanalyzed. Furthermore, a cascaded fracturable LUT architecture is presented, which achieves twice functionality compared with the conventional LUTs and fracturable LUTs.

Influence of cooking time and cooling rate on the functionality and microstructure of processed cheese spreads

The objective of this work was to study the influence of cooking time and cooling rate on functionality and microstructure of processed cheese spreads. When the cooking time was 20 min, the hardness and apparent viscosity were increased, and formed a homogenous, dense, and three-dimensional protein network, and a stronger gel was formed at this time. The slow cooling can increase the hardness and apparent viscosity of products, protein wall was thicker, and network was closer, so products can formed a stronger gel structure. The influence of cooking time on the functional properties was more significant than the influence of rapid cooling.

Functionality Semantics of Predicate Data Flow Diagram

SOZL (structured methodology + object-oriented methodology + Z language) is a language that attempts to integrate structured method, object-oriented method and formal method. The core of this language is predicate data flow diagram (PDFD). In order to eliminate the ambiguity of predicate data flow diagrams and their associated textual specifications, a formalization of the syntax and semantics of predicate data flow diagrams is necessary. In this paper we use Z notation to define an abstract syntax and the related structural constraints for the PDFD notation, and provide it with an axiomatic semantics based on the concept of data availability and functionality of predicate operation. Finally, an example is given to establish functionality consistent decomposition on hierarchical PDFD (HPDFD).

The Information Efficiency and Functionality Efficiency of Stock Markets

The efficiency of a stock market is principally measured by its information efficiency and functionality efficiency. Both metrics are closdy related to the information of stock markets. However, there is no uniform definition of information in the economy field since researchers may have various opinions on the information of stock markets. In this research, a comparatively strict definition of information in sense of economy is presented. Based on this definition, the optimal conditions to reach the maximum information efficiency and functionality efficiency of stock markets are derived. The conclusion is, only when the market＇s operation and information transmission mechanisms are fully effective, its information completeness degree is optimal, all investors take optimal equilibrium actions, and the information efficiency and functionality efficiency of stock markets will be optimal. Based on the conclusions, the information efficiency and functionality efficiency of reality stock markets in China are studied and the corresponding supervision countermeasures are suggested.

Effects of Mirror Therapy on the Lower Limb Functionality Hemiparesis after Stroke

Introduction: Mental exercise using the mirror therapy (MT) improves the retention of newly acquired skills and the performance of sequential motor skills in subjects with post-stroke hemiparesis. Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the mirror therapy effect on the range of motion and the lower limb functionality in post-stroke hemiparesis subjects. Materials and Methods: Eleven participants with hemiparesis in the lower limb were subjected to the 10 sessions of a MT protocol. The interventions were three times per week per 30 minutes each day. Evaluation of active and passive ankle goniometry (dorsiflexion and eversion movements);Ascent and Descent Ladder Rate (ADLR);Time Up and Go test (TUG test);EFEI scale;and FAAM scale were performed. The data were collected before and after the intervention using MT, and then statistically compared. Results: The MT improved significantly (p < 0.01) the range of motion of the paretic lower limb both evaluated by active and passive ankle goniometry. An increase in the speed of gait and other functional tasks related to the paretic lower limbs were found through the TUG and ADLR tests. It also demonstrated a positive influence on the functionality of the paretic lower limb motor control through the analysis of the scores in the FAAM and EFEI scales. Conclusion: It is concluded that the MT therapy can help the patients with post-stroke hemiparesis in the improvement of several functions. Probably, the mirror therapy would aid in the repair of the injuries in the cortical areas.