Genome-wide association study identifies quantitative trait loci affecting cattle temperament

Cattle temperament is an interesting trait due to its correlation with production efficiency,labor safety,and animal welfare.To date,however,its genetic basis is not clearly understood.Here,we performed a genome-wide association study for a series of temperament traits in cattle,assessed with via open field and novel object tests,using autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)derived from the whole-genome sequence.We identified 37 and 29 genome-wide significant loci in the open field and novel object tests,respectively.Gene set analysis revealed the most significant pathway was the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway,which may be essential for emotional control in cattle.Analysis of the expression levels of 18 tissue-specific genes based on transcriptomic data showed enrichment in the brain,with some candidate genes involved in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases in humans.Based on principal component analysis,the first principal component explained the largest variance in the open field and novel object test data,and the most significant loci were assigned to SORCS3 and SESTD1,respectively.Our findings should help facilitate cattle breeding for sound temperament by pyramiding favorable alleles to further improve cattle production.

On the Causes of Negative Impact of CET-4

As one of the world well-known high-stakes tests, CET-4 （College English Test Band 4） changed from being generally accepted to being widely questioned in the past 25 years. In spite of a series of reforms of CET-4, the negative impact of CET-4 remains intense. Three main reasons are probed into here. Firstly, the objective of CET-4 is ambiguous. Secondly, the test objective does not accord with teaching objective. Finally, test contents do not match well with the practical language use. To improve the present passive state of CET-4, some suggestions are given.

Objective screening for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective study in healthcare workers using self-administered testing

Background: Smell and taste loss are highly prevalent symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), although few studies have employed objective measures to quantify these symptoms, especially dysgeusia. Reports of unrecognized anosmia in COVID-19 patients suggests that self-reported measures are insufficient for capturing patients with chemosensory dysfunction.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of recent COVID-19 infection on chemosensory function and demonstrate the use of at-home objective smell and taste testing in an at-risk population of healthcare workers.Methods: Two hundred and fifty healthcare workers were screened for possible loss of smell and taste using online surveys. Self-administered smell and taste tests were mailed to respondents meeting criteria for elevated risk of infection, and one-month follow-up surveys were completed.Results: Among subjects with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, 73% reported symptoms of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction. Self-reported smell and taste loss were both strong predictors of COVID-19 positivity. Subjects with evidence of recent SARS-CoV-2 infection (<45 days) had significantly lower olfactory scores but equivalent gustatory scores compared to other subjects. There was a time-dependent increase in smell scores but not in taste scores among subjects with prior infection and chemosensory symptoms. The overall infection rate was 4.4%, with 2.5% reported by PCR swab.Conclusion: Healthcare workers with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection had reduced olfaction and normal gustation on self-administered objective testing compared to those without infection. Rates of infection and chemosensory symptoms in our cohort of healthcare workers reflect those of the general public.

Optimum angle-cut of collimator for dense objects in high-energy proton radiography

The use of minus identity lenses with an angle-cut collimator can achieve high contrast images in highenergy proton radiography.This article presents the principles of choosing the angle-cut aperture of the collimator for different energies and objects.Numerical simulation using the Monte Carlo code Geant4 has been implemented to investigate the entire radiography for the French test object.The optimum angle-cut apertures of the collimators are also obtained for different energies.

ON THE OBJECTIVITY OF THE IELTS TEST

IntroductionEvery.year many Chinese scientists,scholars,university teachers,doctors,and other professional go toBritain to do research or continue their education sponsored by various bodies such as the SBFSS(Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Scheme)of the TC(Technical Cooperation)scholarship holders:Most of these people are aged between 30 and 50.They have all passed a screening test called the EPT(theEnglish Proficiency Test)before being nominated as candidates.Most attend one or two sessions of apredeparture training course in one of the three pre-departure training centres in China-Beijing,Shanghai and Chengdu.The purpose of these courses includes improving the candidates’languageskills,preparing them with some study skills for their research/study in Britain,giving them knowledgeand advice about living an studying in Britain,and practice for the IELTS test.Each session of thetraining is 4-5 months long.At the end of the training the candidates are given the IELTS test.Thosewho fail to reach Band 6 have to attend one more session and take the test again.