Search

Genetic improvement of livestock productivity has resulted in greater production of metabolic heat and potentially greater susceptibility to heat stress. Various studies have demonstrated that there is genetic variability for heat tolerance and genetic selection for more heat tolerant individuals is possible. The rate of genetic progress tends to be greater when genomic information is incorporated into the analyses as more accurate breeding values can be obtained for young individuals. Therefore, this study aimed (1) to evaluate the predictive ability of genomic breeding values for heat tolerance based on routinely recorded traits, and (2) to investigate the genetic background of heat tolerance based on single‐step genome‐wide association studies for economically important traits related to body composition, growth and reproduction in Large White pigs. Pedigree information was available for 265,943 animals and genotypes for 8686 animals. The studied traits included ultrasound backfat thickness (BFT), ultrasound muscle depth (MDP), piglet weaning weight (WW), off‐test weight (OTW), interval between farrowing (IBF), total number of piglets born (TNB), number of piglets born alive (NBA), number of piglets born dead (NBD), number of piglets weaned (WN) and weaning‐to‐estrus interval (IWE). The number of phenotypic records ranged from 6059 (WN) to 172,984 (TNB). Single‐step genomic reaction norm predictions were used to calculate the genomic estimated breeding values for each individual. Predictions of breeding values for the validation population individuals were compared between datasets containing phenotypic records measured in the whole range of temperatures (WR) and datasets containing only phenotypic records measured when the weather station temperature was above 10°C (10C) or 15°C (15C), to evaluate the usefulness of these datasets that may better reflect the within‐barn temperature. The use of homogeneous or heterogeneous residual variance was found to be trait‐dependent, where homogeneous variance presented the best fit for MDP, BFT, OTW, TNB, NBA, WN and IBF, while the other traits (WW and IWE) had better fit with heterogeneous variance. The average prediction accuracy, dispersion and bias values considering all traits for WR were 0.36 ± 0.05, −0.07 ± 0.13 and 0.76 ± 0.10, respectively; for 10C were 0.39 ± 0.02, −0.05 ± 0.07 and 0.81 ± 0.05, respectively; and for 15C were 0.32 ± 0.05, −0.05 ± 0.11 and 0.84 ± 0.10, respectively. Based on the studied traits, using phenotypic records collected when the outside temperature (from public weather stations) was above 10°C provided better predictions for most of the traits. Forty‐three and 62 candidate genomic regions were associated with the intercept (overall performance level) and slope term (specific biological mechanisms related to environmental sensitivity), respectively. Our results contribute to improve genomic predictions using existing datasets and better understand the genetic background of heat tolerance in pigs. Furthermore, the genomic regions and candidate genes identified will contribute to future genomic studies and breeding applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following up on our previous article, "Weaving Indigenous science, protocols and sustainability science" we posited that for Indigenous and Western Sciences to work together there must be reciprocity. For there to be reciprocity, Western science must adhere to the protocols of Indigenous People's science. The fundamental underpinnings of reciprocity being "reciprocal appropriation," first described by Kiowa intellectual N. Scott Momaday in the edited volume, Seeing with a Native eye: Essays on Native American religion. Momaday explained reciprocal appropriation as a paradox in which the Indigenous experience is vested in the landscape and in return the landscape invests itself in the Indigenous experience and observation of a living universe. We attempt to further elaborate on this work by first holding up other intellectuals who have contributed to the ongoing discussion of reciprocity to the natural world through a breadth of engagement with substantive strands of the literature. The term reciprocity in the context of this article works to elaborate on and alludes to a practice of meaningful exchanges that signify the continuation of relationships with all of life. The authors describe cases in which Indigenous people have demonstrated what those temporal and spatially oriented relationships can look like, how they can be carried out, and the commitment required. We conclude by offering the phrase Reciprocal Guardianship as a moral ethos in helping to shape a better stewardship of the natural world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-range passive source localization is possible in the deep ocean using phase-only matched autoproduct processing (POMAP) [Geroski and Dowling (2021). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 150, 171–182], an algorithm based on matched field processing that is more robust to environmental mismatch. This paper extends these prior POMAP results by analyzing the localization performance of this algorithm in the presence of environmental noise. The noise rejection performance of POMAP is assessed using both simulated and measured signal data, with noise data based on environmental noise measurements. Herein, signal and noise measurements are from the nominally one-year-long PhilSea10 ocean acoustic propagation experiment. All signals were recorded from a single moored source, placed near the ocean sound channel 129.4 km away from a nearly water-column-spanning distributed vertical line array. The source transmitted linear frequency modulated chirps with nominal bandwidth from 200 to 300 Hz. The noise measurements used in this study were collected in the months after this source stopped transmitting, and synthetic samples of noise are calculated based on the characteristics of this measured noise. The effect that noise rejection algorithms have on the source localization performance of POMAP is also evaluated, but only 1 dB of performance improvement is achieved using these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding programs have substantially improved productive and reproductive efficiency in worldwide swine populations. However, increased performance is often accompanied by reduced climatic resilience due to greater metabolic heat production. Genomic selection is an effective tool for alleviating the negative effects of heat stress, but it requires traits that effectively capture the physiological, behavioral, and morphological mechanisms regulating the heat stress response. In this presentation we will first describe the genetic background of heat tolerance based on routinely recorded phenotypes and climatic variables obtained from public-weather-station databases. There are clear genotype-by-environment interactions across environmental conditions and the definition of the critical periods for quantifying the environmental gradient directly impacts the accuracy of genomic prediction of breeding values for heat tolerance. Secondly, we will describe the genetic background of various behavioral, physiological, and morphological indicators of heat stress in maternal line pigs, including automatically recorded vaginal temperature, skin temperature measured in different body locations and times of the day, respiration rate, panting score, body condition score, hair cortisol, hair density, and ear area. We will also present recently developed indicators of climatic resilience based on variability metrics of longitudinal measurements of automatically recorded body temperature in lactating sows. These traits are heritable and can be successfully included in genomic breeding programs. Furthermore, we will discuss the transgenerational effects of heat stress in maternal-line pigs from quantitative and molecular perspectives, including an epigenomic analyses of in utero heat stress that identified over 200 genomic regions that are differentially methylated in in utero heat stressed pigs and provide results from a comprehensive biological validation study based on in-depth phenotyping of genetically divergent animals. We will also discuss key challenges and opportunities for breeding for improved climatic resilience in pigs. In summary, we will: 1) provide a comprehensive description of the environmental-gradient variables and critical periods fitted in genomic evaluations of heat tolerance; 2) describe the genetic background of various indicators of heat tolerance and climatic resilience; 3) present the accuracies of genomic predictions for each indicator trait; 5) describe key results from biological validation studies; and, 6) make recommendations for the implementation of genomic selection for improved heat tolerance in pigs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine coupling of fluctuations in the solar wind with electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the magnetosphere using an advanced full‐wave simulation code, Petra‐M. Dipole tilt dramatically affects the coupling process. While very little wave power can reach the inner magnetosphere without tilt effects, a tilted dipole field dramatically increases the efficiency of the coupling process. Solar wind fluctuations incident at high magnetic latitude effectively reaches the ground along the field line and mode‐convert to linearly polarized field‐aligned propagating waves at the Alfvén and IIH resonances. Therefore, solar wind compressions efficiently drive linearly polarized EMIC waves when the dipole angle is tilted toward or away from the Sun‐Earth direction. Plain Language Summary: The solar wind is emitted near the ecliptic planes, and solar wind pressure is one of the critical sources of wave activities in the Earth's magnetosphere. Since Earth's magnetic field is tilted to the ecliptic plane, compressed solar wind fluctuations can be incident over a wide range of magnetic latitudes depending on seasonal and diurnal variations. When the solar wind fluctuations reach Earth's magnetosphere, incoming wave energy can be linearly transferred to another wave mode, called a mode coupling. This paper examines the role of Earth's magnetic tilt on this mode coupling between solar wind fluctuation and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves using an advanced full‐wave simulation code, Petra‐M. Without magnetic tilt, solar wind fluctuations incident at a low latitude are almost totally reflected. In contrast, solar wind fluctuations incident at high latitude can propagate efficiently into the inner magnetosphere and reach the ground. Compressional fluctuations can also be converted to linearly polarized, field‐aligned propagating waves. These results suggest that solar wind compressions can drive the linearly polarized EMIC waves and that the wave occurrence can have seasonal and diurnal dependence, which is expected to maximize at the maximum tilt of Earth's dipole into the Sun‐Earth direction. Key Points: Wave mode coupling of solar wind fluctuation to electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves is examined using an advanced 2D‐full wave simulation code, Petra‐MWhen the dipole magnetic field is tilted, compressional waves can reach the ground near the cusp region via mode conversionThe solar wind can drive linearly polarized EMIC waves via mode conversion more efficiently when the dipole field is tilted [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate understanding of heat stress (HS) temperatures and phenotypes that indicate HS tolerance is necessary to improve swine HS resilience. Therefore, the study objectives were 1) to identify phenotypes indicative of HS tolerance, and 2) to determine moderate and severe HS threshold temperatures in lactating sows. Multiparous (4.10 ± 1.48) lactating sows and their litters (11.10 ± 2.33 piglets/litter) were housed in naturally ventilated (n = 1,015) or mechanically ventilated (n = 630) barns at a commercial sow farm in Maple Hill, NC, USA between June 9 and July 24, 2021. In-barn dry bulb temperatures (TDB) and relative humidity were continuously recorded for naturally ventilated (26.38 ± 1.21 °C and 83.38 ± 5.40%, respectively) and mechanically ventilated (26.91 ± 1.80 °C and 77.13 ± 7.06%, respectively) barns using data recorders. Sows were phenotyped between lactation days 11.28 ± 3.08 and 14.25 ± 3.26. Thermoregulatory measures were obtained daily at 0800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 h and included respiration rate, and ear, shoulder, rump, and tail skin temperatures. Vaginal temperatures (TV) were recorded in 10 min intervals using data recorders. Anatomical characteristics were recorded, including ear area and length, visual and caliper-assessed body condition scores, and a visually assessed and subjective hair density score. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED to evaluate the temporal pattern of thermoregulatory responses, phenotype correlations were based on mixed model analyses, and moderate and severe HS inflection points were established by fitting TV as the dependent variable in a cubic function against TDB. Statistical analyses were conducted separately for sows housed in mechanically or naturally ventilated barns because the sow groups were not housed in each facility type simultaneously. The temporal pattern of thermoregulatory responses was similar for naturally and mechanically ventilated barns and several thermoregulatory and anatomical measures were significantly correlated with one another (P < 0.05), including all anatomical measures as well as skin temperatures, respiration rates, and TV. For sows housed in naturally and mechanically ventilated facilities, moderate HS threshold TDB were 27.36 and 26.69 °C, respectively, and severe HS threshold TDB were 29.45 and 30.60 °C, respectively. In summary, this study provides new information on the variability of HS tolerance phenotypes and environmental conditions that constitute HS in commercially housed lactating sows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2015, the National Hockey League (NHL) was invited to present on a special sport panel showcasing the green leaders of the sport industry, which was hosted as part of the COP 21 United Nations climate change talks in Paris. The NHL has won numerous awards for its environmental initiatives over the last number of years, arguably the most important of which was the release of its 2014 Sustainability Report (SR), where it highlighted its carbon footprint, water and energy use, as well as its numerous environmental projects. Utilizing the concept of ecological modernization (EM), this paper presents a detailed analysis of the NHL SR in order to explore how environmental advocacy, citizenship, and initiative is produced and shaped by the professional sporting industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A global transition to power grids with high penetrations of renewable energy generation is being driven in part by rapid installations of distributed energy resources (DER). New DER equipment includes standardized IEEE 1547-2018 communication interfaces and proprietary communications capabilities. Interoperable DER provides new monitoring and control capabilities. The existence of multiple entities with different roles and responsibilities within the DER ecosystem makes the Access Control (AC) mechanism necessary. In this paper, we introduce and compare two novel architectures, which provide a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) service to the DER ecosystem's entities. Selecting an appropriate RBAC technology is important for the RBAC administrator and users who request DER access authorization. The first architecture is centralized, based on the OpenLDAP, an open source implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). The second approach is decentralized, based on a private Ethereum blockchain test network, where the RBAC model is stored and efficiently retrieved via the utilization of a single Smart Contract. We have implemented two end-to-end Proofs-of-Concept (PoC), respectively, to offer the RBAC service to the DER entities as web applications. Finally, an evaluation of the two approaches is presented, highlighting the key speed, cost, usability, and security features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the near future, grid operators are expected to regularly use advanced distributed energy resource (DER) functions, defined in IEEE 1547-2018, to perform a range of grid-support operations. Many of these functions adjust the active and reactive power of the device through commanded or autonomous operating modes which induce new stresses on the power electronics components. In this work, an experimental and theoretical framework is introduced which couples laboratory-measured component stress with advanced inverter functionality and derives a reduction in useful lifetime based on an applicable reliability model. Multiple DER devices were instrumented to calculate the additional component stress under multiple reactive power setpoints to estimate associated DER lifetime reductions. A clear increase in switch loss was demonstrated as a function of irradiance level and power factor. This is replicated in the system-level efficiency measurements, although magnitudes were different—suggesting other loss mechanisms exist. Using an approximate Arrhenius thermal model for the switches, the experimental data indicate a lifetime reduction of 1.5% when operating the inverter at 0.85 PF—compared to unity PF—assuming the DER failure mechanism thermally driven within the H-bridge. If other failure mechanisms are discovered for a set of power electronics devices, this testing and calculation framework can easily be tailored to those failure mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestating sows are particularly sensitive to heat stress due to their large mass and greater metabolic heat production associated with increased reproductive organ and fetal development. Unfortunately, the heat stress sensitivity of gestating sows has increased over the past decades due to genetic and genomic advances that have improved litter sizes and reproductive efficiency. When combined with the greater frequency and severity of heat waves and high temperatures, it is likely that reproductive issues associated with heat stress exposure will continue to be a concern for the swine industry. It is well understood that high temperatures pose a challenge to gestating sows and their developing offspring. Research from 50 to 60 yr ago demonstrated that heat exposure results in a decrease in viable embryos and an increase in embryonic mortality, particularly when gestating sows are subjected to heat stress in the first trimester. Additionally, late gestation heat stress exposure can increase the rate of stillborn piglets and reduce the total number of liveborn piglets. Although the reasons for these losses are multifactorial, the direct influence of maternal body temperature and total stress load on the intrauterine environment can play a significant role during these critical stages. For offspring that survive to birth, prospects for a healthy, productive, and stress-free life are at risk due to the long-lasting effects of in utero heat stress, which include greater postnatal stress sensitivity and decreased productivity. Therefore, understanding and mitigating gestational heat stress in pigs is of great importance to ensure the sustainability and profitability of swine production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is a critical challenge to swine productivity and welfare that causes economic losses and endangers food security. As temperatures continue to increase in most pig producing regions, the effects of heat stress on pig production will become more apparent. The detrimental effects of postnatal heat stress on pig performance and welfare are well-defined. Furthermore, data on the effects of in utero heat stress in pigs describes lifelong production and welfare deficits that may be transgenerational. Despite its economic implications and transgenerational effects, heat stress mitigation strategies remain underexplored. Genomic selection offers a promising avenue for addressing swine heat stress, targeting resilient swine phenotypes to minimize adverse outcomes. However, challenges persist in integrating thermotolerance traits with traditional performance metrics, as improved thermotolerance is often unfavorably correlated with production traits. Therefore, effective selection strategies require balancing productive efficiency with climatic resilience and animal welfare breeding goals. As climate change continues to intensify the frequency and severity of heat stress, innovative approaches that prioritize resilience and adaptability are needed to safeguard swine productivity and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide growth in electric vehicle use is prompting new installations of private and public electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). EVSE devices support the electrification of the transportation industry but also represent a linchpin for power systems and transportation infrastructures. Cybersecurity researchers have recently identified several vulnerabilities that exist in EVSE devices, communications to electric vehicles (EVs), and upstream services, such as EVSE vendor cloud services, third party systems, and grid operators. The potential impact of attacks on these systems stretches from localized, relatively minor effects to long-term national disruptions. Fortunately, there is a strong and expanding collection of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) cybersecurity best practices that may be applied to the EVSE environment to secure this equipment. In this paper, we survey publicly disclosed EVSE vulnerabilities, the impact of EV charger cyberattacks, and proposed security protections for EV charging technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sustained state of methionine restriction (MR) dramatically extends the healthspan of several model organisms. For example, continuously methionine‐restricted rodents have less age‐related pathology and are up to 45% longer‐lived than controls. Promisingly, MR is feasible for humans, and studies have suggested that methionine‐restricted individuals may receive similar benefits to rodents. However, long‐term adherence to a methionine‐restricted diet is likely to be challenging for many individuals. Prompted by this, and the fact that intermittent variants of other healthspan‐extending interventions (i.e., intermittent fasting and the cyclic ketogenic diet) are just as effective, if not more, than their continuous counterparts, we hypothesized that an intermittent form of MR might produce similar healthspan benefits to continuous MR. Accordingly, we developed two increasingly stringent forms of intermittent MR (IMR) and assessed whether mice maintained on these diets demonstrate the beneficial metabolic changes typically observed for continuous MR. To the best of our knowledge, we show for the first time that IMR produces similar beneficial metabolic effects to continuous MR, including improved glucose homeostasis and protection against diet‐induced obesity and hepatosteatosis. In addition, like continuous MR, IMR confers beneficial changes in the plasma levels of the hormones IGF‐1, FGF‐21, leptin, and adiponectin. Together, our findings demonstrate that the more practicable intermittent form of MR produces similar healthspan benefits to continuous MR, and thus may represent a more appealing alternative to the classical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress (HS) decreases lactation output in sows due to an attempt to reduce metabolic heat production. However, this negatively affects litter growth performance. Therefore, the study objective was to determine whether electronically controlled cooling pads (ECP) would improve indirect measures of lactation output (e.g., total heat production [THP]) and litter growth performance in HS exposed sows. Over two repetitions, 12 multiparous (2.69 ± 0.85) lactating sows (265.4 ± 26.1 kg body weight [BW]) and litters were assigned to either an ECP (n = 3/repetition) or a non-functional ECP (NECP; n = 3/repetition) and placed into farrowing crates within indirect calorimeters from days 3.7 ± 0.5 to 18.7 ± 0.5 of lactation. Litters were standardized across all sows (11.4 ± 0.7 piglets/litter), and sows were provided ad libitum feed and water. All sows were exposed to cyclical HS (28.27 ± 0.26 °C nighttime to 33.09 ± 0.19°C daytime). On days 4, 8, 14, and 18 of lactation, indirect calorimetry was performed on each individual sow and litter to determine THP and THP/kg BW0.75. Body temperature (TB) was measured hourly using vaginal implants, and respiration rate (RR; breaths per minute [bpm]) was measured daily at 0700, 1100, 1300, 1500, and 1900 h. Sow feed intake (FI) was assessed daily. Litter weights were obtained at birth, on days 4, 8, 14, and 18 of lactation, and at weaning. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX with sow and/or litter as the experimental unit. An overall decrease (P < 0.01; 25 bpm) in RR and maximum daily TB (P = 0.02; 0.40 °C) was observed in ECP vs. NECP sows. An increase in THP (P < 0.01; 20.4%) and THP/kg BW0.75 (P < 0.01; 23.1%) was observed for ECP when compared with NECP sows and litters. Litter average daily gain and weaning weight were increased (P < 0.05; 25.0 and 19.2%, respectively) for ECP vs. NECP litters. No FI differences were observed (P = 0.40) when comparing ECP (5.66 ± 0.31 kg/d) and NECP (5.28 ± 0.31 kg/d) sows. In summary, ECPs improve litter growth, thermoregulatory measures, and bioenergetic parameters associated with greater milk production in lactating sows exposed to cyclical HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research and scholarship on the dynamic interconnections between sport and health has steadily grown in the sociocultural study of sport in the past few decades, this paper focuses more directly on the politics of health within sport. Drawing on a small study of the lived experiences and understandings of health, pain/injury, risk and precaution among 12 male and female high performance youth (16-19 years of age) triathletes and three coaches, we outline the ways in which health becomes depoliticized among high performance athletes as our participants made no connection to health as a political phenomenon—within or outside of sport—or to their own right to health as members of the high performance sport community. We conclude by offering some suggestions as to why health was (and is) rendered apolitical in high performance youth triathlon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Resistance to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) garnered national and international media attention in 2016 as thousands gathered near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in protest. Increased media attention spurred enquiry concerning the representation of the Indigenous peoples leading the movement, subjecting the movement to settler assumptions about Indigenous resistance. This research employs a qualitatively-based content analysis of 80 news articles reporting on the DAPL protest. These articles range in political bias and can be categorized in one of the following groups: Conservative Bias, Liberal Bias, Mainstream News, Local News, and Indigenous News. Commonly occurring codes and themes are analysed across each category. Word count and frequency of reporting are also considered to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the media representations as they develop through time. While the non-Indigenous-led media commonly cites water security and destruction of sacred sites as the reasons for protest, the Indigenous led media also cites treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, economic vulnerability, climate change, and colonial history more frequently, indicating a multi-dimensional and more holistic understanding of the movement and the Indigenous experience. The mainstream of U.S. reporting on the DAPL protests perpetuate a reductive, one-dimensional framing of the daily struggles of Indigenous Americans by ignoring the impacts of ongoing settler colonial operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many processes throughout the heliosphere such as flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), storms and substorms have abrupt onsets. The waiting time between these onsets provides key insights as to the underlying dynamical processes. We explore the tail of these waiting time distributions (WTDs) in the context of random processes driven by the solar magnetic activity cycle, which we approximate by a sinusoidal driver. Analytically, we find that the distribution of large waiting times of such a process approaches a power law slope of −2.5, which is primarily controlled by the conditions when the driving is minimum. We find that the asymptotic behavior of WTDs of solar flares, CMEs, geomagnetic storms, and substorms exhibit power laws that are in reasonable agreement with a sinusoidally driven nonstationary Poisson process. However, the WTD of substorms during solar minimum may be more consistent with prolonged periods of weak driving followed by abrupt increase in the rate. Plain Language Summary: Many events in the solar system are driven by the magnetic activity cycle of the sun. In this study, we show that for cyclical driving of a Poisson process, the probability of the time between events satisfies a power law of −2.5 when the time between events is large. We show that this power law reasonably describes the distribution of waiting times for solar flares, CMEs, and storms at long waiting time. Additionally, we show that the distribution of long waiting times is primarily determined by the minimum of the driving process. Key Points: Many heliospheric waiting time distributions are consistent with sinusoidal driving of a random processMinima in the driving process determine the tail of the waiting time distributionThe power law of the waiting time distribution is asymptotic to −2.5 for sinusoidal driving [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Increasing the diversity of the biomedical sciences workforce is a national priority. Having a mentor, and more crucially, a personal network of mentors, improves the likelihood that an individual will pursue an advanced degree and career in the biomedical sciences. The chief mission of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) is to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the biosciences workforce through the mentoring of historically underrepresented individuals. Methods: To address this need, we created MyNRMN, an online mentoring platform that connects mentors and mentees nationwide. The platform enables multiple forms of mentoring and recommends connections to mentees that will help them build their personal networks. Results: The MyNRMN online platform has registered more than 13,500 active mentors and mentees across all 50 states and from more than 2100 institutions. Black and Hispanic mentees are highly represented. Discussion: MyNRMN has expanded opportunities for mentorship in the biomedical sciences, particularly among those not from a culture or institution that historically supports mentorship. The platform's robust search and recommendation capabilities and graph database technology enable members to grow their personal network of mentors. Conclusion: The MyNRMN online platform has proven successful in connecting mentees and mentors nationwide, expanding the pipeline in biomedical science careers to attract a more diverse workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restrictions placed on physical gatherings by the Covid-19 pandemic have raised questions in some religious communities about the "validity" of online rituals and sacramental acts. These restrictions have likewise surfaced a deep hunger for the Eucharist in nearly every Christian community. Exactly how necessary are physical touch and bodily engagement for Eucharistic communion? Can online liturgies satisfy the hunger for physicality? Questions like these can spark renewed appreciation for the flesh of the incarnate Christ, or the "carnality" of sacramental presence, as well as fresh engagements with what it means to be human in a digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the course of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 austral summer seasons, the South Pole Ice Core project recovered a 1751m deep ice core at the South Pole. This core provided a high-resolution record of paleoclimate conditions in East Antarctica during the Holocene and late Pleistocene. The drilling and core processing were completed using the new US Intermediate Depth Drill system, which was designed and built by the US Ice Drilling Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In this paper, we present and discuss the setup, operation, and performance of the drill system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic resilience (CR) can be defined as the ability of an animal to maintain euthermia under thermally stressful conditions. However, CR based on longitudinal physiological variables has not been included in current swine genetic selection schemes. This is the first study deriving novel CR indicators using automatically recorded vaginal temperatures (TV) and estimating genetic parameters for them. Therefore, the study objectives were to: 1) derive novel indicators of CR based on automatically recorded vaginal temperature (TV); and 2) estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters for these indicators. TV of 1,381 lactating sows (parities 2 to 7; Landrace × Large White) were measured automatically every 10 minutes from June 5th, 2021 to July 30th, 2021 using a vaginally implanted thermochron data recorder. A total of 1,639 F1 (Landrace x Large White) sows within the studied population were genotyped using the PorcineSNP50K Bead Chip. A total of 18 HS indicators derived from Tv, their definitions, heritability estimates, and mean genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) accuracies are shown in Table 1. Multi-trait animal models were fitted for estimating the (co)variance components, considering the effects of week of data collection, parity, and location (barn and room within barn) as fixed. Heritability estimates for these resilience traits ranged from 0.0004 ± 7.16E-6 (SlopeDe) to 0.291 ± 0.047 (HSAB). Most traits derived directly from vaginal temperature (e.g., Duration: 0.201 ± 0.033, MaxTv: 0.203 ± 0.032) are moderately heritable with substantial additive genetic variance. Besides, LnVar(Med) that is derived from the deviation between the real and predicted value had moderate heritability (0.196 ± 0.041) and high mean GEBV accuracy (0.616 ± 0.042). The indicators defined based on the slope of Tv and time had low heritability estimates, which are close to zero, and low mean GEBV accuracy (0.106 ± 0.050 - 0.337 ± 0.065). Among all the CR indicators, Duration, MaxTv, Nor_medvar, Nor_avevar, HSAA, and HSAB outperformed the other indicators with moderate heritability estimates and high average GEBV accuracies. Genetic correlations were estimated among the six indicators with moderate heritability and high mean GEBV accuracy. Moderate to high positive genetic correlations (0.508 ± 0.034 to 0.992 ± 0.025) were estimated among Duration, MaxTv, Nor_medvar, HSAB, and HSAA. LnVar(Med) showed low negative genetic correlations (-0.218 ± 0.028 to -0.039 ± 0.018) with the traits Duration, MaxTv, HSAA, and HSAB, except with Nor_medvar, which was positive (0.156 ± 0.022). Thus, Duration, LnVar(Med), MaxTv, Nor_medvar, HSAB, and HSAA might be promising CR indicator and contribute toward improving lactating sows' resilience to thermal stress through genetic selection. New studies about the relationship between these new indicators and other economic important traits in pigs are required before including them in selection indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of in utero heat stress (IUHS) range from decreased growth performance to altered behavior, but the long-term impact of IUHS on postnatal innate immune function in pigs is unknown. Therefore, the study objective was to determine the effects of early gestation IUHS on the immune, metabolic, and stress response of pigs subjected to an 8 hr lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge during postnatal life. Twenty-four pregnant gilts were exposed to thermoneutral (TN ; n = 12; 17.5 ± 2.1 °C) or heat stress (HS ; n = 12; cyclic 26 to 36 °C) conditions from days 6 to 59 of gestation, and then TN conditions (20.9 ± 2.3 °C) from day 60 of gestation to farrowing. At 12 wk of age, 16 IUHS and 16 in utero thermoneutral (IUTN) pigs were selected, balanced by sex and given an intravenous injection of LPS (2 µg/kg BW mixed with sterile saline [ SAL ] and injected at 2 µL/kg BW) or SAL (2 µL/kg BW). Body temperature was monitored every 30 min, and blood was obtained at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hr following the LPS challenge. Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), cortisol, and cytokine concentrations. In addition, white blood cell counts were determined at 0 and 4 hr. Hour 0 data were used as covariates. Body temperature was increased (P < 0.01) in LPS (40.88 ± 0.08 °C) vs. SAL (39.83 ± 0.08 °C) pigs. Eosinophils tended to be decreased overall (P = 0.09; 43.9%) in IUHS vs. IUTN pigs. Glucose concentrations were reduced overall (P = 0.05; 5.9%) in IUHS vs. IUTN pigs. The NEFA concentrations tended to be greater (P = 0.07; 143.4%) in IUHS-LPS pigs compared with all other treatments, and IUTN-LPS pigs tended to have greater (127.4%) circulating NEFA concentrations compared with IUTN-SAL and IUHS-SAL pigs. Cortisol was increased (P = 0.04) in IUHS-LPS compared with IUTN-LPS pigs at 3 hr (21.5%) and 4 hr (64.3%). At 1 hr, tumor necrosis factor α was increased (P = 0.01; 115.1%) in IUHS-LPS compared with IUTN-LPS pigs. Overall, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were greater (P < 0.04; 281.3% and 297.8%, respectively) in IUHS-LPS pigs compared with all other treatments, and IUTN-LPS pigs had increased IL-1β and IL-6 concentrations compared with IUTN-SAL and IUHS-SAL pigs. In summary, IUHS altered the postnatal cytokine, metabolic, and physiological stress response of pigs during postnatal life, which may have negative implications toward the innate immune response of IUHS pigs to pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Origin stories, whether these are scientific or mythological, serve multiple purposes in the communities in which they are told. Darwinian evolution stands as a classic case in point, and the latest scientific research on the origins of Homo sapiens as a species makes our own origins much more complex than once thought. This complexity suggests a fruitful way to critique notions of "racial purity" (often used to advance white supremacy). The emergent character of our development as a species can also provide further reasons for considering biological diversity a felicitous component for theological anthropology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an examination of the role of alcohol and its central place in university sport hazing rituals, whereby veteran team members require new team members to participate in a rite of passage to gain full access to team membership. Academic research studies as well as media reports on sport hazing reveal the significant extent to which alcohol is closely tied to dangerous behaviors in team initiation rituals. Data was collected using in-depth interviews with varsity athletes, coaches and athletic directors at Canadian universities. The participants discussed their experiences with hazing and provided their perspective on the role of alcohol in university team hazing activities. In our analysis, we applied a sociological lens informed by the work of Theodor Adorno, using a negative dialectic approach to highlight the gap between the actual undesirable impact of team hazing and alcohol in collegiate sport and the potential of collegiate sport to provide a positive contribution to the lives of student-athletes; this negative dialectic approach reveals the social and institutional structures in place which promote the harmful incorporation of alcohol (abuse) in sport, while revealing how change within those very structures can lead to positive change. These data can thus be used to inform programs and policies aimed at improving the transitional experiences of varsity student-athletes, subsequently enhancing the overall culture of university sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prenatal environment influences offspring health and development, and this is readily apparent when considering the well-described effects of maternal nutrition and stress on the postnatal metabolism, neural function, and stress response of progeny. Moreover, in laboratory species, sheep, and humans, the effects of in utero heat stress on offspring development have been described in detail for >50 years. Despite our extensive knowledge of the postnatal phenotypes elicited by in utero stressors, the carryover effects of in utero heat stress in pigs have only recently begun to be elucidated. The effects of climate change on increasing global temperatures, combined with greater metabolic heat production in modern swine, has increased heat stress susceptibility in pigs. Greater heat stress susceptibility can negatively affect swine welfare and performance and may impact future generations of pigs through in utero heat stress. Pigs exposed to in utero heat stress develop a variety of postnatal phenotypes that prevent profitable production, and compromise health, and welfare in commercial production systems. Specifically, in utero heat stress alters the postnatal stress response, core body temperature, response to an immune challenge, and is teratogenic. In addition, in utero heat stress changes postnatal body composition through reduced lean and increased adipose tissue accretion rates, respectively. Furthermore, in utero heat stress reduces piglet birth weight, body weight gain, and reproductive efficiency. Although the economic impact of in utero heat stress in pigs has yet to be determined, it likely rivals the postnatal consequences of heat stress and is a threat to the global sustainability of swine production. • In utero heat stress has lifelong consequences in swine. • Phenotypes programmed by in utero heat stress in swine are typically negative. • In utero heat stress threatens swine production sustainability. • Gestating sow heat stress should be mitigated to improve the postnatal performance and welfare of swine offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is not currently a consensus on the process responsible for producing the waiting time distribution of solar flares. This study presents an information theoretical approach to determining whether solar flare data are significantly distinguishable from a nonstationary Poisson process. A study of solar flares stronger than C1 class detected by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite from 1975 to 2017 was performed. A sequence of waiting times (time elapsed between adjacent X-ray flare peaks) was constructed from the data. Surrogate waiting time sequences were produced using a time-varying Poisson firing rate from the Bayesian block procedure. Utilizing Shannon entropy, the mutual information of time-lagged waiting time distributions was computed for both the original data and the surrogates using a method of discretization by binning. When the entire period is considered, we see that when compared to carefully constructed surrogates, there is a significant elevation of mutual information on a timescale of approximately 30 hr, demonstrating that flares are confidently related to subsequent flares, contradicting the null hypothesis that flares are produced by a nonstationary Poisson process. When only 4 yr subsets of the data are considered, we see that at relatively small timescales (on the order of 10–30 hr), solar flare waiting times have a significant impact on subsequent flares. When corrected for the number of points in each considered time window, there is no correlation between the magnitude of significance and position in the solar cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study objective was to test the hypothesis that 1) lowering dietary crude protein (CP) increases dietary energetic efficiency and reduces metabolic heat associated with lactation, and 2) excessive dietary leucine (Leu) supplementation in a low CP diet decreases dietary energetic efficiency and increases metabolic heat associated with lactation. Methods: Fifty-four lactating multiparous Yorkshire sows were allotted to 1 of 3 isocaloric diets (10.80 MJ/kg net energy): 1) control (CON; 18.75% CP), 2) reduced CP with a near ideal or optimal AA profile (OPT; 13.75% CP) and 3) diet OPT with excessive Leu (OPTLEU; 14.25% CP). Sow body weight and backfat were recorded on day 1 and 21 of lactation and piglets were weighed on day 1, 4, 8, 14, 18, and 21 of lactation. Energy balance was measured on sows during early (day 4 to 8) and peak (day 14 to18) lactation, and milk was sampled on day 8 and 18. Results: Over 21-day lactation, sows fed OPT lost body weight and body lipid (P < 0.05). In peak lactation, sows fed OPT had higher milk energy output (P < 0.05) than CON. Sows fed OPTLEU tended (P = 0.07) to have less milk energy output than OPT and did not differ from CON. Maternal energy retention was lower (P < 0.05) in OPT and OPTLEU compared to CON sows, and did not differ between OPTLEU and OPT sows. Sows fed OPT had higher (P < 0.05) apparent energy efficiency for milk production compared to CON. Heat production associated with lactation was lower (P < 0.05) or tended to be lower (P = 0.082), respectively, in OPT and OPTLEU compared to CON sows. Conclusion: The OPT diet, in peak lactation, improved dietary energy utilization for lactation due to less urinary energy and metabolic heat loss, and triggered dietary energy deposition into milk at the expense of maternal lipid mobilization. Leucine supplementation above requirement may reduce dietary energy utilization for lactation by decreasing the energy partitioning towards milk, partially explaining the effectiveness of OPT diet over CON diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to determine total heat production (THP) in individual sows and litters can be logistically difficult and often requires the use of multiple animals to generate data on a per room basis. Furthermore, these systems may be costly to construct, precluding their use by many researchers. Therefore, the objective was to develop a low-cost indirect calorimetry system to determine THP in individual lactating sows and litters. Six indirect calorimeters were constructed to house 1 sow and litter in a crate throughout farrowing and a 21-d lactation period. Farrowing crates were placed within a high-density polyethylene pan filled with water and then a polyvinyl chloride frame was constructed around the crate. The frame provided a structure to hold the inlet and outlet air pipes, feed and water inlets, air circulation fans, and a polyethylene plastic sheet that was secured at the bottom of the frame and submerged under water to maintain an air tight seal. Chamber accuracies for O2 and CO2 were evaluated by ethanol combustion. One week pre-farrowing, 6 pregnant multiparous sows (parity 2.9 ± 0.9; 218.3 ± 38.6 kg BW) were housed individually in each farrowing crate and the calorimeters were maintained at thermoneutral conditions (20.9 ± 2.6°C and 43.7 ± 18.6% relative humidity) throughout lactation. On lactation day 4, 8, 14, and 18, indirect calorimetry was performed on all sows and their litters, as well as 2 piglets from a sentinel litter to determine THP and the respiratory quotient (RQ). Sentinel piglet data were used to estimate THP and RQ for the sows independent of the litter. Sow + litter THP (kcal/h) increased (P = 0.01; 16.6%) on day 8 compared to day 4 and was greater (27.3%) on day 14 and day 18 compared to day 4 and day 8. Sow THP was greater (P = 0.01) on day 8 (401.19 ± 17.15 kcal/h) and day 14 (430.79 ± 12.42 kcal/h) compared to day 4 (346.16 ± 16.62 kcal/h), and was greater on day 14 compared to day 8, and on day 18 (386.16 ± 20.02 kcal/h) compared to day 14. No sow + litter RQ differences (P = 0.21; 1.02 ± 0.04) were detected by day of lactation. However, sow RQ was reduced (P = 0.01) on day 14 (0.98 ± 0.02) compared to day 4 (1.03 ± 0.03), day 8 (1.02 ± 0.02), and day 18 (1.04 ± 0.03). In summary, this cost-effective system (total cost: $1,892 USD) can allow researchers to accurately evaluate THP in individual lactating sows and their litters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Postnatal heat stress negatively impacts pig productivity and well-being as animals attempt to manage the resultant strain response. This is especially true when postnatal heat stress is combined with production stressors (e.g. mixing, weaning, transport, handling, and isolation) that have the potential to increase disease occurrence, morbidity and mortality. While pigs can utilize adaptive physiological mechanisms to compensate, these are often unfavorable to efficient livestock production. Specifically, postnatal heat stress decreases weight gain, reduces growth and production efficiency, alters carcass composition, and increases morbidity and mortality. Consequently, decreased animal performance constrains profitability and affects economic sustainability. In addition to the negative effects of postnatal heat stress, prenatal heat stress has long-term consequences that may compromise future piglet well-being and performance. Pigs gestated under heat stress conditions have an increased postnatal stress response and an increase in maintenance energy requirements. Furthermore, prenatal heat stress decreases swine birth weight, and increases teratogenicity, core body temperature set-point, and alters postnatal body composition (more adipose tissue and less skeletal muscle). Taken together, the effects of heat stress during pre- and postnatal pig development negatively influences productivity and well-being, a scenario that threatens the sustainability of global swine production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several management practices and technologies have been developed to mitigate thermal stress in swine. However, recommended temperature thresholds for implementing thermal stress mitigation are variable and may not accurately reflect the thermal requirements of non-pregnant and gestating sows with modern genetics. Therefore, a tool to support environmental management decisions for non-pregnant and gestating sows was created. The decision support tool is based on several published works by our group that characterized responses of non-pregnant, mid-gestation, and late-gestation sows across a wide temperature range. Cool, comfortable, and warm ranges were identified based upon behavioral thermal preferendum, and physiological responses were used to determine mild, moderate, and severe heat stress thresholds. The inflection points of respiration rate and body temperature as a function of dry bulb temperature were used to establish heat stress thresholds by gestation stage. Non-pregnant, mid-gestation, and late-gestation sow mild heat stress thresholds differed (P < 0.05) and occurred at 25.5, 25.1, and 24.0 °C, respectively. Body temperature inflection points indicative of moderate heat stress differed by gestation stage (P < 0.05) and occurred at 28.1, 27.8, and 25.5 °C, respectively. Severe heat stress inflection points were lower (P < 0.05) for late-gestation sows (30.8 °C) but were similar for non-pregnant and mid-gestation sows (32.9 °C). Dewpoint influenced heat stress response for mid- and late-gestation sows (P < 0.05) but did not have an effect on non-pregnant sows (P > 0.05). Heat stress threshold data were integrated with behavioral thermal preferendum data. For non-pregnant and midgestation sows, similar (P > 0.05) cool (< 13.2°C) and comfortable (13.2 to 16.4°C) temperature ranges were observed. However, late-gestation sows had lower (P < 0.05) cool (< 12.6°C) and comfortable (12.6 to 15.6°C) temperature ranges relative to non-pregnant and midgestation sows. The dry bulb temperature (TDB) that non-pregnant, mid-gestation, and late-gestation sows found to be warm was estimated as TDB preference range < TDB < mild heat stress. The decision support tool was integrated into a smartphone application called HotHog. This smartphone application provides hourly and daily predictions of thermal comfort and stress in non-pregnant, mid-gestation, and lategestation sows. Users can set geographical locations, either manually or by current location, for thermal index predictions. Additionally, hourly and daily precipitation, and temperature predictions are displayed for the selected location. Management observations and mitigation options, as well as expected physiological and behavioral changes, are provided for each thermal index category to help users identify stressed pigs and assist with management decisions. HotHog will support swine producers in making more informed decisions related to in-barn environmental management to reduce the negative effects of thermal stress on sows and their gestating offspring. Furthermore, the tool may be helpful for teaching thermal management to livestock technicians and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased global temperatures pose challenges to livestock agriculture. Domestic swine are particularly sensitive to hotter environments due to their inability to sweat, litter bearing nature, difficulty in expressing natural cooling behaviors, and intense genetic selection for production traits. Since animal welfare is central to livestock production as a matter vital to efficiency as much as ethics, developing novel traits that may be genetically related to heat tolerance may assist in improving and sustaining animal welfare. The objective of this study was to develop novel traits of behavior using an ethogram designed for efficiency in production settings, estimate the variance components, and correlate these traits with indicators of heat tolerance and maternal ability. This study considered 1,312 individual Landrace-Large White cross production sows between 6 and 19 days of lactation. Animals were housed in farrowing crates in a commercial setting in southern North Carolina in June and July of 2021, an environment susceptible to potential heat stress. These sows were subjected to a standardized procedure involving a person removing hair from both hips using an electric clipper while an observer was positioned in front of the sow to record behaviors. Scores were later applied to the variations in behavior both for changes in positions and types of vocalizations displayed by the animals during handling. Genotypes were obtained from hair follicles and captured by a 50K porcine SNP panel. Variance components for novel behavior traits were obtained using the BLUPF90+ programs and genomic relationship matrix to estimate genetic correlations of behavior with several indicators of heat tolerance and maternal ability. Heritabilities for behavior traits ranged from 0.131 for vocalization score to 0.072 for shaving time, while heritabilities for heat tolerance and maternal ability ranged from 0.15 to 0.03 for vaginal temperature and respiration efficiency, respectively. The maternal ability traits were based on the single current litter and had the lowest heritabilities ranging from 0.101 to 0.04 for number born alive and number of mummies, respectively. High and positive genetic correlations indicate a potential for coupled selection for both fewer mummified piglets and a greater number of liveborn using the behavior trait of vocalization score. These correlations between favorable maternal traits and behavior traits suggest the potential that one or more complex biological pathways exist that share relevancy between these traits. However, genetic correlations between the behavior traits and heat tolerance indicators were low to negligible, most with a magnitude falling below 0.10, revealing the need for other traits to be used as selection parameters for heat tolerance. Further studies may be able to capture additional environmental effects to improve models of behavior and create indirect measures more obtainable than direct measures of heat tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress decreases the sustainability and profitability of global swine production and the reductive effects of pre- and post-natal heat stress on pig productivity have been well described. Decreased growth performance and sow milk production during heat stress exposure is generally attributed to reduced energy consumption and a corresponding catabolic state. Moreover, an assumed increase in maintenance costs due to energetic requirements for thermoregulation and greater chemical reaction rates is proposed to reduce energy available for growth and lactogenesis leading to decreased efficiency and productivity. Despite this, recent research has determined that postnatal heat stress can directly impact nutrient partitioning priorities and growth rate independent of energy intake, maintenance costs may be reduced in heat stressed pigs relative to thermoneutral controls, and that heat stress may have a direct negative effect on sow milk production and litter growth performance independent of sow energy intake. In addition to the postnatal consequences of heat stress, prenatal heat stress reduces postnatal growth rate and feed efficiency in pigs independent of the postnatal environment, increases fasting heat production during the growing phase, and alters nutrient partitioning priorities during the finishing phase leading to an increase in adipose tissue accretion at the expense of lean accretion. Furthermore, meat quality and quantity may be negatively impacted by prenatal heat stress exposure. In summary, both preand postnatal heat stress exposure elicit bioenergetic changes in pigs that influence postnatal productivity, and mitigating heat stress is and will likely continue to be a priority for the swine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress (HS) is a multi-factorial problem that negatively affects livestock health and productivity and is closely linked with animal welfare. While HS may not be harmful when animals are able to adapt, the physiological changes that occur to ensure survival may impede the efficient conversion of feed energy into animal products. This adaptive response can be variable and is often based on previous HS exposure, genetics, species and production stage. When the heat load becomes too great for adaptive responses to compensate, the subsequent strain response causes reduced productivity and well-being and, in severe cases, mortality. The effects of HS on livestock productivity are well documented and range from decreased feed intake and body weight gain, to reduced reproductive efficiency and altered carcass composition and meat quality. In addition, researchers are beginning to elucidate the effects of prenatal HS on postnatal livestock performance and welfare. As knowledge of the negative impacts of HS on livestock performance and welfare increases, so will the development of effective mitigation strategies to support maintenance of productivity during times of high thermal heat loads and preserve appropriate animal welfare standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the magnetospheric response to the solar wind is nonlinear. Information theoretical tools such as mutual information, transfer entropy, and cumulantbased analysis are able to characterize the nonlinearities in the system. Using cumulant-based cost, we show that nonlinear significance of Dst peaks at 3-12 h lags that can be attributed to VBs, which also exhibits similar behavior. However, the nonlinear significance that peaks at lags 25, 50, and 90 h can be attributed to internal dynamics, which may be related to the relaxation of the ring current. These peaks are absent in the linear and nonlinear self-significance of VBs. Our analysis with mutual information and transfer entropy shows that both methods can establish that there are strong correlations and transfer of information from Vsw to Dst at a timescale that is consistent with that obtained from the cumulant-based analysis. However, mutual information also shows that there is a strong correlation in the backward direction, from Dst to Vsw, which is counterintuitive. In contrast, transfer entropy shows that there is no or little transfer of information from Dst to Vsw, as expected because it is the solar wind that drives the magnetosphere, not the other way around. Our case study demonstrates that these information theoretical tools are quite useful for space physics studies because these tools can uncover nonlinear dynamics that cannot be seen with the traditional analyses and models that assume linear relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objectives were to evaluate the impact of early life thermal stress (ELTS) on thermoregulation, stress response, and intestinal health of piglets subjected to a future heat stress (HS) challenge during simulated transport. From d 7 to 9 post-farrowing, 12 first-parity sows and their litters were exposed to thermoneutral (ELTN; 25.4 ± 1.1 °C w/heat lamp; n = 4), HS (ELHS; cycling 32-38 °C w/heat lamp; n = 4), or cold stress (ELCS; 25.4 ± 1.1 °C w/no heat lamp; n = 4) conditions, and then from d 10 until weaning all piglets were exposed to thermoneutral (TN) conditions (25.3 ± 1.9 °C w/heat lamp). During the ELTS period, respiration rate, rectal temperature (TR), and skin temperature (TS) of three mixed-sex piglets per dam were monitored daily (0800, 1200, 1600, 2000 h). At 13 ± 1.3 d of age, temperature recorders were implanted intra-abdominally into all piglets. At weaning (20.0 ± 1.3 d of age), piglets were bled and then herded up a ramp into a simulated transport trailer and exposed to HS conditions (cycling 32-38 °C) for 8 h. During the 8 h simulated transport, core body temperature (TC) and TS were assessed every 15 min. After the simulated transport, piglets were unloaded from the trailer, bled, weighed, and then housed individually in TN conditions (28.5 ± 0.7 °C) for 7 d. During this time, ADFI and ADG were monitored, blood samples were taken on d 1, 4, and 7, and piglets were video-recorded to assess behavior. Piglets were sacrificed on d 8 post-simulated transport and intestinal morphology was assessed. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS 9.4. In the ELTS period, piglet TR was increased overall (P = 0.01) in ELHS (39.77 ± 0.05 °C) compared to ELTN (39.34 ± 0.05 °C) and ELCS (39.40 ± 0.05 °C) litters. During simulated transport, TC was greater (P = 0.02) in ELHS (40.84 ± 0.12 °C) compared to ELTN (40.49 ± 0.12 °C) and ELCS (40.39 ± 0.12 °C) pigs. Following simulated transport, BW loss was greater (P = 0.01; 40%) for ELHS compared to ELTN and ELCS pigs and ADFI was reduced (P = 0.05; 28.6%) in ELHS compared to ELTN pigs. Sitting behavior tended to be increased (P = 0.06; 47.4%) in ELHS vs. ELCS or ELTN pigs. Overall, circulating cortisol was greater for ELHS (P = 0.01; 38.8%) compared to ELCS and ELTN pigs. Goblet cells per villi were reduced (P = 0.02; 20%) in the jejunum of ELHS vs. ELCS and ELTN pigs. In summary, ELHS reduced thermotolerance and increased the future stress response of piglets compared to ELCS and ELTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The goal of the aging field is to develop novel therapeutic interventions that extend human health span and reduce the burden of age‐related disease. While organismal aging is a complex, multifactorial process, a popular theory is that cellular aging is a significant contributor to the progressive decline inherent to all multicellular organisms. To explore the molecular determinants that drive cellular aging, as well as how to retard them, researchers have utilized the highly genetically tractable budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Indeed, every intervention known to extend both cellular and organismal health span was identified in yeast, underlining the power of this approach. Importantly, a growing body of work has implicated the process of autophagy as playing a critical role in the delay of aging. This review summarizes recent reports that have identified a role for autophagy, or autophagy factors in the extension of yeast life span. These studies demonstrate (1) that yeast remains an invaluable tool for the identification and characterization of conserved mechanisms that promote cellular longevity and are likely to be relevant to humans, and (2) that the process of autophagy has been implicated in nearly all known longevity‐promoting manipulations and thus represents an ideal target for interventions aimed at improving human health span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methionine restriction (MR) extends lifespan across different species. The main responses of rodent models to MR are well-documented in adipose tissue (AT) and liver, which have reduced mass and improved insulin sensitivity, respectively. Recently, molecular mechanisms that improve healthspan have been identified in both organs during MR. In fat, MR induced a futile lipid cycle concomitant with beige AT accumulation, producing elevated energy expenditure. In liver, MR upregulated fibroblast growth factor 21 and improved glucose metabolism in aged mice and in response to a high-fat diet. Furthermore, MR also reduces mitochondrial oxidative stress in various organs such as liver, heart, kidneys, and brain. Other effects of MR have also been reported in such areas as cardiac function in response to hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), identification of molecular mechanisms in bone development, and enhanced epithelial tight junction. In addition, rodent models of cancer responded positively to MR, as has been reported in colon, prostate, and breast cancer studies. The beneficial effects of MR have also been documented in a number of invertebrate model organisms, including yeast, nematodes, and fruit flies. MR not only promotes extended longevity in these organisms, but in the case of yeast has also been shown to improve stress tolerance. In addition, expression analyses of yeast and Drosophila undergoing MR have identified multiple candidate mediators of the beneficial effects of MR in these models. In this review, we emphasize other in vivo effects of MR such as in cardiovascular function, bone development, epithelial tight junction, and cancer. We also discuss the effects of MR in invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acoustics of seagrass meadows impacts naval and oceanographic sonar applications. To study this environment, a one-dimensional resonator was used to assess the low-frequency (1–5 kHz) acoustic response of the leaf blades of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica in water. Three separate collections of plants from Crete, Greece, and Sicily, Italy were investigated. A high consistency in effective sound speed was observed within each collection while a strong variability was observed between different collections. Average size, mass, and epiphytic coverage within each collection were quantified, and discoloration and stiffness are discussed qualitatively with respect to the observed acoustic variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-dimensional acoustic resonator technique was used to study leaves of the Mediterranean seagrass species Posidonia oceanica collected from Crete and Sicily. The leaf blades were finely divided, mixed with artificial seawater, and degassed to create a suspension of tissue independent of leaf structure and free bubbles or internal voids. The low-frequency (1 to 8 kHz) bulk modulus of the leaf tissue was inferred from the acoustic measurements and independent density measurements. The measured density of the seagrass tissue was 960620 kg/m3 which agrees with previously published values. The inferred bulk modulus was 2.1GPa with 90% confidence limits 1.0–5.0GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PV faults have caused rooftop fires in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere in the world. One prominent cause of past electrical fires was the ground fault detection “blind spot” in fuse-based protection systems discovered by the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs) steering committee in 2011. Unfortunately, while a number of alternatives to ground fault fuses have been identified, there has been limited adoption or historical use of these technologies in the U.S. Analytical and numerical SPICE simulations were conducted for a wide variety of ground faults and array configurations to understand the limitations of fuse-based ground fault protection in PV systems and determine proper trip settings for alternative GFPDs. Simulation results were compared with experimental measurements on arrays to validate the SPICE model as well as provide direction on proper thresholding of residual current detector (RCD), current sense monitor (CSM) and isolation monitor (R iso ) devices based on historical fault current data. We argue the combination of simulation results with historical data indicates robust settings are possible for each of these technologies to minimize unwanted tripping events while maximizing PV fault detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a qualitative examination of the experiences and impact of participating in an outdoor-based and adventure education-based orientation as an alternative to traditional forms of sport team initiation. Traditional forms of initiation for the participants in this study had included hazing ceremonies, whereby new team members were forced to engage in degrading, humiliating and abusive activities to secure their place on a team. Following an experiential weekend orientation that incorporated cooperative, team-building and adventure-based challenges, interviews were conducted with male and female varsity athletes from collegiate hockey, volleyball, badminton and basketball teams in Canada. The participants observed how the cooperative, outdoor team activities contributed to an egalitarian, inclusive climate, which promoted team cohesion, communication and support among veteran and rookie athletes. Tackling team challenges that required support and cooperation for success facilitated the restructuring of pre-established hierarchical relationships, which led to changes in the ways athletes perceived and subsequently treated each other throughout the orientation and into their season. This study highlights some of the promising possibilities for creating new welcoming traditions for collegiate athletic teams that draw from experiential outdoor education and adventure-based models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress will become a more substantial issue for swine production as global temperatures continue to rise. Efforts have been made to mitigate the negative impacts of heat stress through advances in genetic selection, nutrition, precision technology, and management practices. However, heat stress is still a limiting factor to swine production that must be addressed. A key aspect to mitigating heat stress-related production losses in swine may be developing better management approaches and genetic selection techniques to improve heat stress resilience. This is especially true for heat stress sensitive populations such as gestating and lactating sows. Gestating and lactating sows are considered heat stress sensitive due to greater metabolic heat production resulting from fetal growth and milk production, respectively. Additionally, swine offspring are adversely affected by in utero heat stress, which imprints long-term negative phenotypes that reduce health and productivity regardless of environmental conditions. To address these concerns, swine producers have implemented a variety of cooling and management strategies to mitigate heat stress. However, the recommended or perceived heat stress temperature thresholds for implementation may not accurately reflect the thermal requirements of modern swine with current genetics or at variable gestation stages leading to ineffective use. As such, a re-evaluation of heat stress thresholds for modern swine is warranted. Additionally, genetic selection for productivity traits (e.g., litter sizes and lean growth) has increased metabolic heat production resulting in increased heat stress sensitivity. Therefore, the ability to perform large-scale measures of and implement heat stress tolerance traits within breeding populations may be advantageous for producers to improve heat stress resilience within their herds. Taken together, as heat stress becomes a greater issue for the swine industry, it will become increasingly important to develop sustainable approaches that improve swine heat stress resilience while maintaining or improving producer profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress (HS) is a major welfare and economic issue in the swine industry. However, it is not a trivial task to appropriately quantify the environmental HS. Therefore, this study aimed to 1) define the critical periods and environmental descriptors (based on public weather station information) to evaluate heat tolerance (HT); and 2) estimate genetic parameters for HT in Large White pigs. The traits included in this study were: weaning weight (WW; kg), off-test weight (OTW; kg), total number of piglets born (TNB), number of piglets born alive (NBA), and number of piglets weaned (WN). The number of phenotypic records ranged from 6,059 (WN) to 172,984 (TNB), and genotypes were available for 8,686 animals. Seven climatic variables (maximum, minimum and average temperatures, average relative humidity, dew point, discomfort index and temperature-humidity index) based on public weather station records were compared based on three criteria [GxE estimate as measured by the slope term; theoretical accuracy of the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV); deviation of GEBV per environmental value]. Relative humidity (for WN and WW) and maximum temperature (for OTW, TNB, and NBA) are the recommended environmental gradients for the studied traits. The acute HS (average of 30 days before measurement date) was the critical period recommended for OTW. For WN and WW, a period of 34 days prior to farrowing up to weaning is recommended. For TNB and NBA, the critical period of 20 days prior breeding to 30 days into gestation is recommended. In general, WN and WW were largely affected by the environment, while the remaining traits showed moderate correlations (OTW, TNB, and NBA). Heritabilities estimated for HT ranged from 0.08 (WW) to 0.25 (OTW). In summary, these results suggest that there is genotype-by-environment interaction for all traits analyzed, and genetic progress can be achieved through genetic selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, children's "voices" have been underrepresented in the field of cultural geography. Rather, "adultist views" dominate. In this article, we describe the methodological process of undertaking a comprehensive, participatory action visual methodologies project known as the Hamilton Photovoice Project (HPP) with children from low socioeconomic status neighborhoods in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We also discuss the lessons that we have learned along the way. The purpose of the HPP was to investigate how children in downtown Hamilton experience their metropolitan landscape. Specifically, we examined walking routes for the purposes of identifying desired environmental changes that may increase the use and enjoyment of community walking routes and spaces along routes. In doing so, we discuss what was learned from the methodological process of collecting and working with children's visual productions, including how children appear to use visual methods. Although children's visual productions appear to convey complex emotional, social, and political sentiments about their spatial experiences and desired environmental changes, the methodological process is invariably constrained by the institutions that govern and police children today during the research process. Thus, this study contributes toward the ongoing dialogue about the merits and tensions inherent to using children's visual productions as a way to capture perceptions toward place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently demonstrated that in utero heat stress (IUHS) alters future tissue accretion in pigs, but whether this is a conserved response among species, is due to the direct effects of heat stress (HS) or mediated by reduced maternal feed intake (FI) is not clear. Study objectives were to compare the quantity and rate of tissue accretion in rats exposed to differing in utero thermal environments while eliminating the confounding effect of dissimilar maternal FI. On d3 of gestation, pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats (189.0±5.9 g BW) were exposed to thermoneutral (TN; 22.2±0.1 °C; n=8), or HS conditions (cyclical 30 to 34 °C; n =8) until d18 of gestation. A third group was pair-fed to HS dams in TN conditions (PFTN; 22.2±0.1 °C; n =8) from d4 to d19 of gestation. HS increased dam rectal temperature ( p =0.01; 1.3 °C) compared to TN and PFTN mothers, and reduced FI ( p =0.01; 33%) compared to TN ad libitum fed controls. Although litter size was similar ( p =0.97; 10.9 pups/litter), pup birth weight was reduced ( p =0.03; 15.4%) in HS compared to PFTN and TN dams. Two male pups per dam [ n =8 in utero TN (IUTN); n =8 IUHS; n =8 in utero PFTN (IUPFTN)] were selected from four dams per treatment based on similar gestation length, and body composition was determined using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) on d26, d46, and d66 of postnatal life. Whole-body fat content increased ( p =0.01; 11.2%), and whole-body lean tissue decreased ( p =0.01; 2.6%) in IUPFTN versus IUTN and IUHS offspring. Whole-body composition was similar between IUHS and IUTN offspring. Epididymal fat pad weight increased ( p =0.03; 21.6%) in IUPFTN versus IUHS offspring. In summary and in contrast to pigs, IUHS did not impact rodent body composition during this stage of growth; however, IUPFTN altered the future hierarchy of tissue accretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]