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The abrupt onset of the COVID -19 pandemic brought devastating consequences to society as we know it. Connected to the obvious medical, societal, and economic changes, the pandemic also ushered in a world of isolation. Within this world, both media and violence are connected to imposed quarantine and confinement. During the pandemic, many studies indicated the rise of gender-based violence. For example, Mittal and Singh (2020) study the rise of quarantine violence in India. Equally disturbing is the rise of gender-based violence in digital spaces. Anon-IB is an image-based discussion board where anonymous images are posted. However, the board has become a hotbed for revenge porn and incel activity. Dutch police shut the site down in April 2018 (Vaas, 2018), but during the pandemic Anon-IB was able to find loopholes to restart itself. Users can also post headshots of a woman on the site and then ask for “wins,” which translates into nude photos. Anon-IB is location-based, and users often ask for photos of women in the surrounding area. The site also reaches aninternational audience. One example is a past thread from The University of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia. This paper discusses the rise of extreme online violence and revenge porn during the pandemic through a discourse analysis of Anon-IB. A discussion of incel culture will also be discussed, using the work of O’Malley et al. (2020) and others as a framework to discuss the internet’s role in ideological extremism and violence.

MXene is a promising two-dimensional (2D) material that is widely used in electro-photonic devices due to its unique properties. In this contribution, V2CT x , a novel MXene, was employed as a saturable absorber (SA) for hybrid passively mode-locked fiber lasers. An ultra-stable and self-starting mode-locked laser system with low threshold can be achieved using V2CT x nanosheets and nonlinear polarization evolution (NPE). Signal to noise ratio increased 13 dB compared with using only NPE SA. A 72 fs pulse duration is easily achieved from this hybrid mode-locked fiber laser system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest pulse duration generated from the Yb-doped mode-locked fiber lasers using a hybrid or 2D SAs. This study proves that MXene V2CT x nanosheets can be developed as suitable SAs and served as potential advanced ultrafast photonic devices in the future.

This research evaluated the effects of supplementing extruded dried distillers’ grains (DDG) cubes to grazing steers on subsequent finishing performance and carcass characteristics. Steers (n = 140) grazed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)/bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pastures from 14 April to 17 September 2020 with supplementation treatments (n = 3 pastures/treatment) that included: 1) Fertilized Control (FC), no supplementation on N fertilized pastures (112 kg N/ha); 2) Fertilized Supplement (FS), supplemented DDG cubes at 2.9 kg/d prorated for 3-d/wk feeding on N fertilized pastures; and 3) Supplement (S), supplemented DDG cubes at 0.75% of BW/d prorated for 5-d/wk feeding on unfertilized pastures. All animals were followed through the finishing phase in a commercial feedyard to investigate carryover effects on feedlot performance in 2 pens comingled across supplemental treatment. Carcass characteristics were evaluated via ultrasonography on d0 and d84 of finishing, and measurements were obtained at harvest. Feed DMI were segregated to individual animals according to Guiroy et al. (2001) and Tedeschi and Fox (2020b). Supplemented animals were heavier (P < 0.01) at feedlot entry than FC, but harvest BW did not differ (P = 0.23). However, S and FS required 37 fewer days on feed (P = 0.01) than FC. Supplementation on pasture reduced total feed required (P = 0.02) and feed costs (P = 0.01) relative to FC. Gains were greater (P = 0.02) for FC and FS than S from d0 to d84, but did not differ thereafter (P ≥ 0.15). At harvest, FC had the greatest dressing percent (P < 0.01) and lower yielding carcasses than FS (P = 0.01), but did not differ (P = 0.11) from S. Overall, extruded DDG cube supplementation during grazing did not negatively affect subsequent feedlot performance or carcass characteristics, but reduced the total feed required for finishing.

Kappa Alpha, a Greek fraternal organization with chapters in universities across the nation, compromises to shield itself from scrutiny for entrenched racist history. Negative press incidents lead to the removal of its Confederate flag and Old South balls, even as the organization is monological in its historical alliance with white supremacy and Robert E. Lee, as its “spiritual founder.” In this chapter, Whitney Jordan Adams dissects an online message board in reaction to the loss of Old South balls, finding “frozen loci,” isolated argument of resentment devoid of historical reasoning or context. Adams calls for a pedagogical disturbance in the classroom, one that creates new dialogism for these students who have never dealt with difference in their lived proximity. Disturbances such as personal narratives, anti-racist art, and DEI-themed university history tours are promoted as workable unsettling of frozen loci.

New technologies have enabled autonomous measurement of intake and feeding behavior of pen-fed animals and this has piqued interest in utilizing similar technologies in grazing experiments. Various feeding systems are currently available, but individual supplementation and feeding experiments have been conducted for years using individual feeding stanchions, which are the lowest level of technology for measuring supplement intake. These experiments are laborious as they require animals to be trained and acclimated, gathered at each feeding, and sorted into individual stalls for supplementation—thereby disrupting the animals grazing activities. In the mid-1980s Calan Gate systems (American Calan; Northwood, NH) became popular in pasture supplementation experiments, but still have many of the same disadvantages. Newer, more automated systems, reduce labor and possibly have less disruption of the animal’s grazing behavior, but are reliant on the animal’s willingness to use the system and ability to access it when more dominant peers are present. Individuals also do not always follow the “averages”-based rules we often hold true and behave differently in groups. Recent research with automatic feeders show steers consumed average of 60% of the potential supplement with supplement intake CVs of 50 to 100%. These technologies lead many to question the paradigm of experimental units in experimental designs. The experimental unit is defined as the smallest independently assigned unit to which the treatment is applied. This definition of experimental unit is somewhat limiting when taken to the extreme, but still applies well for experiments utilizing individual animal feeding, regardless of the level of technology involved. In many cases where the aforementioned technologies are used, the individual animal can be both the observational and experimental unit. This symposia presentation will discuss attributes of different feeding options and the implications on study design, experimental power, and the designated experimental unit.

Rumen acidosis is a common metabolic disorder occurring when organic acid production exceeds clearance capacity, reducing ruminal pH. Acidosis occurrence has been directly correlated to the ratio of concentrate to forage in the diet. However, the rates of substrate fermentation and acid absorption vary at different locations in the rumen. The objective of this study was to determine the pH in different locations of the rumen using 16 rumenally- cannulated steers (309 ± 43 kg) receiving quebracho extract (QT; Schinopsis balansae) within a grower-type diet [25:75 forage-to-concentrate, dry matter (DM) % basis]. Animals were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments (n = 4): QT at 0, 1, 2, and 3% of DM (QT0, QT1, QT2, and QT3). Animals were adapted to the basal diet (QT0) for 12-d before being introduced to predetermined treatments for four weeks, with feed provided twice daily to allow ad libitum intake. Weekly measurements of ruminal fluid pH and redox potential (Eh) were taken four h post-feeding using a portable pH and redox meter probe in four locations of the rumen (cranial sac, ventral sac, dorsal sac, and reticulum). Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model with the pen as a random effect and week as repeated measures. The DM intake was included as a covariate. There was no interaction among diet, location, and week (P ≥ 0.925) on pH. Overall, ruminal pH was lower for QT0 and QT1 compared to QT3 (P < 0.001). Ruminal pH in the cranial sac and reticulum was greater than in the dorsal sac (5.98, 6.03, and 5.87, respectively; P = 0.001). Redox potential was lower for QT0 in week 1 than all other treatments (P = 0.042). This study indicated that pH differs among locations of the rumen regardless of QT supplementation level and days on feed.

This Letter presents a study of laser-induced nanoparticle release from a soft substrate in air under different conditions. A continuous wave (CW) laser heats a nanoparticle and causes a rapid thermal expansion of the substrate, which gives an upward momentum that releases the nanoparticle from the substrate. The release probability of different nanoparticles from different substrates under different laser intensities is studied. The effects of surface properties of substrates and surface charges of the nanoparticles on the release are also investigated. The mechanism of nanoparticle release demonstrated in this work is different from that of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT). Owing to the simplicity of this technology and the wide availability of commercial nanoparticles, this nanoparticle release technology may find applications in nanoparticle characterization and nanomanufacturing.

Rumen acidosis is a common metabolic disorder occurring when organic acid production exceeds clearance capacity, reducing ruminal pH. The occurrence of acidosis has been directly correlated to the ratio of concentrate to forage in the diet. However, rates of substrate fermentation and acid absorption vary at different locations in the reticulo-rumen. The objective of this study was to determine the pH and redox potential (Eh) in different locations of the reticulo-rumen using 16 ruminally cannulated steers (309 ± 43 kg) receiving different supplementation levels of quebracho extract (QT; Schinopsis balansae) within a grower type diet (CP: 13.4%; total digestible nutrients [TDN]: 70.4%; and ME: 2.55 Mcal/kg, dry matter [DM] basis). Animals were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments: QT at 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% of DM (QT0, QT1, QT2, and QT3, respectively), containing about 0%, 0.7%, 1.4%, and 2.1% of condensed tannins (CT), DM basis, respectively. Animals were adapted to the basal diet for 12 d before being introduced to predetermined treatments for 4 weeks (wk), with diets provided twice daily to allow ad libitum intake. Weekly measurements of ruminal fluid pH and Eh were taken 4 h post-feeding using a portable pH meter with two probes (pH and redox) in four locations of the reticulo-rumen (reticulum, cranial sac, dorsal sac, and ventral sac). Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model with the pen as a random effect and wk as repeated measures, with DM intake included as a covariate. There was no interaction among treatments, location, and wk (P ≥ 0.882) on reticulo-ruminal pH. Overall, ruminal pH was lower for QT0 and QT1 compared to QT3 (P < 0.001). The pH in the reticulum was greater than those of the ventral and dorsal sacs (6.05 vs. 5.94, 5.89, respectively; P ≤ 0.001) but similar to cranial sac (6.00). Reticular pH was positively correlated with the ruminal locations (≥0.78; P < 0.001). The linear equation to estimate ruminal mean pH using reticulum pH had an intercept and slope different from zero (P ≤ 0.04), but CT (% DM) was not different from zero (P = 0.15), root mean square error of 0.15, and R2 of 0.778: 0.723 (±0.36) + 0.857 (±0.059) × reticulum pH + 0.033 (±0.023) × CT. The Eh was lower for QT0 in week 1 than all other treatments (P < 0.001). We concluded that reticulo-ruminal pH differs among locations in the rumen regardless of QT supplementation level and days on feed, with reticular pH being the highest.

Annually laminated sediments (varves) form in particular depositional settings, e.g., where seasonal climate produces fluctuations in runoff volume; variations in runoff affect the amount and type of sediment delivered to a catchment. Prior studies confirm that variations in selected varve traits correlate with inter-annual climate signals. In some locations, solar activity also appears to be expressed in varve characteristics, either through a direct effect or indirectly via influence of solar activity on climate. Evidence from proglacial Iceberg Lake, Alaska, indicates that solar activity may have directly contributed to varve deposition. A varve thickness sequence is compared to sunspot observations from 1610–1995 CE. Maunder and Dalton minima are clearly expressed in a varve power spectrogram; varve signal amplification beginning ca. 1950s CE coincides with increasing activity evident in a sunspot spectrogram, features that are only vaguely discernible in the raw time-series plots. Spectral relationships at sunspot periodicities are consistent with direct solar forcing of varve thickness, independent of any effect solar activity might otherwise have on climate. Simulations based on a meltwater model indicate that direct forcing could result from amplified ultraviolet (UV) emission during solar maxima, combined with lower UV albedo of glacial ice. The plausible forcing mechanism bolsters epistemology for concluding a cause–effect relationship: solar variability likely contributed directly to inter-decadal patterns in Iceberg Lake varve thicknesses. The putative effect could be enhanced at higher latitudes, where Earth’s atmosphere absorbs less of the UV energy emitted by the Sun; periods of lowered ozone concentration near the poles would exacerbate the natural abetting UV phenomena, potentially linking human activity to recent and accelerated polar ice cap melting.

During the summer grazing season, steers grazing introduced forages are oftentimes provided supplemental protein and energy to improve animal performance. However, it is important to determine if the additional supplementation is economically beneficial. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the profitability of supplementing dried distillers’ grains cubes (DDGS) to improve animal performance or replace the use of N fertilizer (112 kg N/ha from urea) for steers (n = 149; BW = 238 ± 13.8 kg) grazing mixed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)/bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pastures (n = 9 pastures, 7.2 ± 2.90 ha) from April 14 to September 17 (n = 155 d) using an enterprise budget analysis. Main plot supplemental treatments (n = 3 pastures/treatment) included 1) Fertilized Control (FC), no supplementation on fertilized pastures; 2) Fertilized Supplement (FS), 2.9 kg/steer DDGS supplemented 3-d/wk on fertilized pastures; and 3) Supplement (S), supplemental DDGS at 0.75% BW/d prorated for 5-d/wk feeding on unfertilized pastures. The assumptions used in this analysis were based on actual costs of inputs for pasture management and the DDGS offered, as well as the 5-year average Oklahoma auction market prices for 227 kg steers in April and 386 kg steers in October. Total cost per hectare was greater for S (P < 0.01), was least (P < 0.01) for FC, and FS was intermediate (P < 0.01). Cost per kg gain for FS and S was greater (P < 0.01) than for FC. Gross return per hectare tended to be greatest for S (P = 0.06), but net return per hectare was less for FS and S (P < 0.01) than FC. Although FS and S allowed for improvement of animal performance, our results imply that FC was the most profitable due to the cost of supplementation and low supplemental efficiency of S and FS.

We evaluated the effects of supplementing dried distillers’ grains cubes (DDGS) and re-implantation of steers (n = 149; BW = 238 ± 13.8 kg) grazing tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)/bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pastures (n = 9 pastures, 7.2 ± 2.90 ha) from 14 April to 17 September 2020 (n = 155 d) in a split-plot design on steer performance and forage production. Main plot supplemental treatments (n = 3 pastures/treatment) included 1) Fertilized Control (FC), no supplementation on fertilized pastures (112 kg N/ha); 2) Fertilized Supplement (FS), supplemental DDGS fed at 2.9 kg 3-d/wk on fertilized pastures; and 3) Supplement (S), supplemented DDGS at 0.75% BW/d on unfertilized pastures prorated for 5-d/wk feeding. Steers were previously implanted during receiving with 40 mg trenbolone acetate and 8 mg estradiol (REV-G; Revalor G, Merck Animal Health). On July 7, steers in each pasture were randomly assigned to one of three re-implant treatments: 1) no re-implant; 2) REV-G; or 3) 200 mg progesterone and 20 mg estradiol (Synovex S, Zoetis Animal Health). Steers in FS and S gained more (P < 0.01) than FC throughout the trial and final BW was greater (P < 0.01) for FS and S compared with FC. Unexpectedly, re-implanting had no effect on ADG (P = 0.57) or BW (P = 0.34), but statistical power may be lacking. Supplemental efficiency was greater in the late summer for FS (P = 0.05) compared to S. Fertilizing pastures in FS and FC did not affect biomass (P = 0.39), however, CP was increased (P = 0.01) and acid and neutral detergent fibers tended to decrease (P = 0.06) relative to S in the early summer (April, May, June, and July), but did not differ in late summer (August and September). Based upon our analysis, DDGS is a suitable supplement and can replace N fertilizer for steers grazing introduced pastures.

The objective of this study was to evaluate supplementation rates of dried distillers’ grains cubes (DDGS) on voluntary intake (DMI), rate and extent of digestibility, and blood parameters of growing Charolais-cross heifers (BW = 286 ± 28.9 kg) fed ad libitum bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay. For the 29-d study, heifers were randomly assigned to one of four supplementation treatments: 1) Control, no supplement (n = 6); 2) Low, supplemented 0.90 kg/d (n = 6); 3) Intermediate, supplemented 1.81 kg/d (n = 5); or 4) High, supplemented 3.62 kg/d (n = 6). Heifers were offered supplement each morning in individual stalls. From d 15 to 25, heifers were dosed twice daily with titanium dioxide in gelatin capsules (10 g/d), and fecal samples were collected via rectum at time of dosing from d 22 to 25 to estimate fecal output. Post-dosing, fecal sampling continued over 96-h from d 25 to 29 to determine passage rate (Kp) via titanium dioxide analysis. Blood was collected from each animal on d 26 via jugular venipuncture before supplementation, and 4 and 8-h post-supplementation for analysis of blood urea N (BUN), lactate, and glucose. Samples of feces, hay, and supplement were incubated in rumen-cannulated Holstein steers (n = 4; BW = 281 ± 29.5 kg) for 576-h to estimate digestibility with indigestible neutral detergent fiber as an internal marker. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the mixed procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc. Cary NC), with treatment least-squares means separated using orthogonal polynomial contrasts. Increasing DDGS linearly (P < 0.01) decreased forage DMI linearly, but linearly increased Kp, total diet DMI, and total diet digestibility. Linear increases (P ≤ 0.02) in glucose, lactate, and BUN were likewise observed with increasing DDGS. Increasing DDGS supplementation to growing calves consuming bermudagrass hay may increase productivity while reducing forage intake.

The use of the in vitro gas production (IVGP) technique requires accurate determination of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) residue. However, the NDF determination using standard procedures are not always feasible for IVGP; thus requiring micro-NDF methods, which need autoclave (AC) and pressure cooker (PC) to boil the solution. A complete randomized design using a 3×3 factorial arrangement was implemented to investigate the effect of washing methods (WM: AC, PC, or ANKOM200) and solution ratios (WS: 100 mL neutral detergent solution (ND), 150 mL ND, or 100 mL H2O/g sample) to determine NDF residues, assuming ANKOM200 and 100 mL ND/g as the standard methodology. Each factor combination was performed in triplicate with a replicate being comprised of 12 bottles or bags (two blanks and five feedstuffs in duplicate). Feedstuffs were: alfalfa hay (AH), bermudagrass hay (BH), two high-forage rations (G1 and G2), and a high-concentrate ration (FR). Following each run, bottles were filtered to obtain the NDF. Data were analyzed by diet using a random coefficients model. An interaction of WM ′ WS was present for AH and G1 (P < 0.01), G2 and FR had tendencies (P = 0.08 and 0.06, respectively), whereas BH demonstrated no interaction (P = 0.37). The PC with 100 mL or 150 mL did not differ from the standard methodology for AH, G1, G2, and FR. The BH demonstrated differences between WM and WS (P < 0.01). The PC had lower NDF residue compared to the AC and ANKOM200, whereas H2O had substantially greater NDF residue relative to both ND ratios. We concluded that H2O is not a suitable substitute for ND solution regardless of the feedstuff. Both micro-NDF washing methods may be satisfactory depending on the type of feedstuff used but further investigation is required.

The use of the in vitro gas production (IVGP) technique requires accurate determination of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) residue. However, the NDF determination using standard procedures are not always feasible for IVGP; thus requiring micro-NDF methods, which need autoclave (AC) and pressure cooker (PC) to boil the solution. A complete randomized design using a 3×3 factorial arrangement was implemented to investigate the effect of washing methods (WM: AC, PC, or ANKOM200) and solution ratios (WS: 100 mL neutral detergent solution (ND), 150 mL ND, or 100 mL H2O/g sample) to determine NDF residues, assuming ANKOM200 and 100 mL ND/g as the standard methodology. Each factor combination was performed in triplicate with a replicate being comprised of 12 bottles or bags (two blanks and five feedstuffs in duplicate). Feedstuffs were: alfalfa hay (AH), bermudagrass hay (BH), two high-forage rations (G1 and G2), and a high-concentrate ration (FR). Following each run, bottles were filtered to obtain the NDF. Data were analyzed by diet using a random coefficients model. An interaction of WM ′ WS was present for AH and G1 (P < 0.01), G2 and FR had tendencies (P = 0.08 and 0.06, respectively), whereas BH demonstrated no interaction (P = 0.37). The PC with 100 mL or 150 mL did not differ from the standard methodology for AH, G1, G2, and FR. The BH demonstrated differences between WM and WS (P < 0.01). The PC had lower NDF residue compared to the AC and ANKOM200, whereas H2O had substantially greater NDF residue relative to both ND ratios. We concluded that H2O is not a suitable substitute for ND solution regardless of the feedstuff. Both micro-NDF washing methods may be satisfactory depending on the type of feedstuff used, but further investigation is required.

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded alongside what the Director-General of the World Health Organization has termed an “infodemic” of misinformation . In their coverage of the pandemic, traditional media outlets have reported and sometimes amplified the voices of various actors across the political spectrum who have advocated unproven cures, denied what is known scientifically about the nature and origins of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and proposed conspiracy theories which purport to explain causation and often allege nefarious intent. These competing narratives and explanations have risen and fallen rapidly, behaving almost as viral phenomena themselves. Misinformation about COVID-19 is a serious threat to global public health. If people are misled by unsubstantiated claims about the nature and treatment of the disease, they are less likely to observe official health advice and may thus contribute to the spread of the pandemic and pose a danger to themselves and others. Health protection strategies such as hygiene, sanitation, social distancing, mask wearing, lockdowns, and other measures will be less effective if distrust of public health authorities becomes sufficiently widespread to substantially affect public behavior. Specifically, misinformation about treatments for COVID disease can prompt people to attempt cures that might harm them, while fears and distrust about a possible vaccine could undermine the uptake of any vaccination campaign aiming to immunize the public at a later date. Both misinformation and disinformation center on the dissemination of false information, with the difference being that the former is shared without malice while the latter is spread with the intent to deceive. Though we use the term misinformation in this study, it is clear that some of the nine main topics that emerged do include elements of disinformation in that they appear to have been shared intentionally, primarily to advance political agendas, and others are a combination of misinformation and disinformation. OBJECTIVE It is commonly assumed that misinformation is largely a phenomenon of social media, provoking calls for stricter regulation of the content on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. However, misinformation also appears in traditional media. Here it typically takes two forms: amplification of false claims through widespread coverage of prominent persons whose views and comments are considered newsworthy; and to a lesser degree, active fact-checking and debunking of false claims and misinformation. In this paper we aim to quantify the extent of the COVID infodemic within traditional media and examine it as a multi-dimensional informational phenomenon. While previous authors have investigated specific types of social media misinformation , including the role of “bots” in its dissemination , to our knowledge our analysis is the first comprehensive survey of the traditional and online media landscape regarding COVID-19 misinformation, encompassing millions of articles published globally within the five-month span that followed the outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020. Ours is not the first media assessment: the Reuters Institute/Oxford Martin School published a factsheet in April 2020 looking at “Types, Sources and Claims of COVID-19 Misinformation,” but this considered a sample of only 225 misinformation examples in the media . By using a quantitative approach examining a comprehensive English-language global media database of tens of millions of articles, we aim to present empirical insights into the nature and impact of the entire infodemic that may better inform response measures taken by public health authorities, media institutions, governmental organizations, academia, and others. METHODS We performed a comprehensive analysis of media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic using Cision’s Next Generation Communications Cloud platform. This commercial platform aggregates online news (including licensed print and traditional media news content via LexisNexis), blogs, podcasts, TV, and radio, sourced via webcrawlers and third-party content providers. In total, this database encompasses a network of 7 million-plus global sources of print, broadcast, and online news. Cision’s comprehensive coverage and search capabilities make it a potentially powerful tool for the kind of content analysis we perform here. This Next Generation Communications Cloud database aggregates global coverage, with the largest volume of English-language results coming in descending order from the United States, United Kingdom, India, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, with African and other Asian nations also represented in the sample. This database was queried using an English-language search string for misinformation topics in the context of COVID-19. The search string included variations on common thematic keywords (“COVID-19”, “coronavirus”, “2019-nCoV”, etc.) and used Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT, and proximity terms to sift for relevant content. (For a full reproduction of Boolean operators see Supplementary Information 1.) Media coverage was examined from a sample of articles published between January 1 and May 26, 2020. Misinformation terms were identified by an iterative cycle of reviewing coverage of COVID-19-related misinformation, creating an initial search string, further reviewing coverage, and adding additional terms to improve inclusiveness. Sites known to produce non-news content, such as wordpress.com and livejournal.com, were excluded. Keyword-based, pre-set content filters for press releases, job postings, earnings and stock news, and other irrelevant categories were applied in order to exclude them from results. Specific misinformation topics were identified within media coverage via a similar iterative approach of reviewing sample coverage, search query adjustment, and further review of coverage until it was possible to determine that the leading misinformation narratives over the time period were represented since new topic searches failed to generate a substantial volume of results. Misinformation topics were then searched within the overarching misinformation search, operating as a layering set of context terms. When topic research identified new misinformation keywords, they were added to the master search to further improve comprehensiveness. There is obviously a distinction to be made between misinformation per se (defined as information that is likely to mislead the audience) and information that discusses misinformation topics or the phenomenon of the infodemic with the explicit objective of debunking or correcting factual inaccuracies. We explicitly isolate this fact-checking coverage within the broader misinformation sample by identifying common terms used to identify misinformation as false, such as “fact-check” and “false claim”, as well as the use of terms like “misinformation" and "conspiracy theory" which inherently imply that the narratives they reference are untrue. Coverage falling into the misinformation search was also compared to coverage of COVID-19 generally, which was defined as the misinformation COVID-19 search excluding misinformation context terms. We quantify the extent of misinformation by volume, meaning the number of articles about a topic. To avoid excluding coverage that mentions more than one topic, topics within the report are not mutually exclusive. A notable amount of overlap between certain topics was observed, thus “frequency” is used to ensure accurate representation of each topic. In this report, “frequency” is defined as the volume of a specific topic divided by the total volume for the misinformation conversation. RESULTS From January 1 to May 26, 2020, English-language traditional media outlets published over 1.1 million individual articles (total 1,116,952) mentioning COVID-19 misinformation. This represented just under 3% of the overall COVID-19 conversation (total 38,713,161 articles) during the same timeframe. We identified five different sub-sections within the overall COVID misinformation conversation, summarized in Table 1. (See Supplementary Info for specific search strings that yielded these results.) Specifically: • Misinformation/conspiracies sub-topics: We identified 11 key sub-topics within this conversation, which are shown in Table 2 and profiled in more detail in the discussion section below. • Trump mentions: This topic comprises all mentions of US President Donald Trump within the total misinformation conversation, irrespective of whether other subjects were also referenced in the same news article. This topic is included as a way to quantify the prominence of Trump within the overall COVID “infodemic” without risking double-counting by combining Trump mentions from a number of topics that can be expected to overlap. Any and all mentions of Trump will appear in this category irrespective of whether they also appear elsewhere. • Infodemic coverage: This topic includes articles that mentioned the general term “infodemic” (or related keywords such as “misinformation” or “hoax” combined with mentions of COVID-19) without mentioning a specific additional topic such as 5G or Dr Fauci. • Fact-checking: This topic includes articles that explicitly mentioned conspiracies, misinformation, or factual inaccuracies in a way that aimed to correct misinformation with the audience. Examples of this coverage include articles from established fact-checking sources, such as The Washington Post's Fact Checker, and coverage that mentioned the fact-checking of COVID-19 misinformation. • Trump-only mentions: This topic represents the volume and frequency of articles that mentioned President Trump in the context of misinformation but did not mention a specific other topic at the same time. Examples were articles alleging in general terms that Trump has spread misinformation about COVID-19 or discussing his social media posts in this context. Note ALL articles appearing in this category will also be captured in the “Trump mentions” category. Misinformation Topic Volume Frequency Misinformation/conspiracies (11 sub-topics) 522,472 46.6% Trump Mentions 423,921 37.9% Infodemic Coverage 261,102 23.4% Fact Checking 183,717 16.4% Trump-Only 115,216 10.3% Table 1: Major sub-topics identified within the misinformation conversation. Note: Total volume adds up to more than the total number of articles because of overlaps where individual articles may mention more than one topic. Similarly, frequency percentages total more than 100%. The largest component of the misinformation conversation on COVID-19 is discussion about multiple different conspiracy theories and other sub-topics, which we categorized into eleven different sub-topics. These are broken out and discussed in further detail below. Coverage about the “infodemic” as a phenomenon has also been very significant, with nearly a quarter of the overall conversation including a mention of this. Fact-checking coverage, however, comprised only a minority of the conversation, just 16.4% of the total. Trump-only mentions within the misinformation conversation totalled 10.3%, while the entirety of Trump mentions within the misinformation conversation were 37.9%. Figure 2: The shape of the infodemic: Misinformation coverage of all combined topics over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Headlines are illustrative and not necessarily indicative of the most prominent articles or issues.) Next we examine in more detail 11 specific misinformation/conspiracy sub-topics, ranked in order of volume in Table 2. Table 2: The 11 most prevalent misinformation/conspiracy sub-topics in terms of frequency of appearance in traditional media coverage: Rank Misinformation Sub-Topic Volume Frequency 1 Miracle Cures 295,351 26.4% 2 New World Order / Deep State 49,162 4.4% 3 Democratic Party Hoax 40,456 3.6% 4 Wuhan Lab / Bioweapon 29,312 2.6% 5 Bill Gates 27,931 2.5% 6 5G 23,199 2.1% 7 Antisemitic Conspiracies 17,358 1.6% 8 Population Control 14,788 1.3% 9 Dr. Anthony Fauci 11,321 1.0% 10 Plandemic 7,431 0.7% 11 Bat Soup 6,163 0.6% A graph representing the volume of different misinformation sub-topics in traditional and online media articles over time shows pronounced spikes (Figure 3). Figure 3: Coverage volume of different misinformation sub-topics in traditional and online media during the pandemic This is particularly the case with the “miracle cures” misinformation sub-topic, which sees three separate prominent peaks in March, April, and May 2020. In contrast, the “Fauci” sub-topic sees only one clear peak (on April 13), as does the “5G technology” conspiracy theory, which sees a less prominent peak in the first week of April. “Bat soup” peaks early on in the infodemic (before the end of January) and then ebbs to a very low level thereafter. The “Bill Gates” misinformation sub-topic begins a slower build in March, reaches a plateau in April, and continues relatively unabated into May. Similarly, “Democratic Party hoax” began to build strongly in the second week of February, continuing with minor peaks and troughs up until the end of our data sample in May. “Wuhan bioweapon” emerged at the beginning of April, with “population control” rising somewhat in late April, but only to a relatively low level in contrast to the other misinformation topics. The “Plandemic” video rose quickly to a peak after its online release on May 4. We discuss events in the COVID-19 news cycle that triggered the most prominent spikes in misinformation coverage in the discussion below. CONCLUSIONS It is apparent from the data that mentions of President Trump within the context of COVID-19 misinformation comprise by far the largest single component of the infodemic. Trump mentions comprised 37.9% of the overall infodemic, well ahead of “miracle cures”, which comprised 26.4%. However, a substantial proportion — possibly even the majority — of the “miracle cures” topic was also driven by the president's comments, so a substantial overlap can be expected between these topics. We conclude therefore that the President of the United States was likely the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation “infodemic”. Only 16.4% of the misinformation conversation was “fact-checking” in nature, suggesting that the majority of COVID misinformation is conveyed by the media without question or correction. Eleven separate sub-topics of misinformation emerged from our analysis of the COVID-19 infodemic, as ranked by the percentage of coverage they generated. In Figure 4, the misinformation topic “miracle cures” is displayed separately as this comprises a disproportionately large amount of conversation compared to other misinformation sub-topics. Figure 4: Misinformation media coverage of the “miracle cures” topic over time. (Note: headlines are illustrative to show topic peaks and are not necessarily the most prominent specific articles of the time.) Miracle cures Multiple different misinformation themes converged around the idea of a “miracle cure” for coronavirus. Most notably, President Trump began to advocate for the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine (already in use as anti-malarial drugs) as treatments or cures for COVID-19 from March 19 , though there was no peer-reviewed clinical data showing that these drugs had any efficacy for treating those suffering from the disease . This sparked a substantial amount of media coverage regarding his announcement, the subsequent shortage of these drugs, and later the finding that they were not effective in treating COVID-19 and might indeed be harmful . Coverage received another boost when President Trump claimed on May 20 to be taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative, keeping this issue in the limelight longer . The prominent April 24 peak for the “Miracle cures” topic dwarfs all other misinformation sub-topics throughout the entire period (see Figure 3) and therefore deserves particular consideration. This peak represents President Trump’s press conference statements about the potential of using bleach or other disinfectants internally as a cure for coronavirus infection . This peak, along with others in the “miracle cures” topic — in particular the president’s promotion of hydroxychloroquine — makes this sub-topic the second-largest contributor to the misinformation conversation after President Trump himself. Additionally, the “miracle cures” sub-topic accounts for more misinformation coverage than the other ten sub-topics combined. Though substantial overlap can be expected between these sub-topics given the prominence of President Trump within the “miracle cures” theme, these results strengthen our conclusion that the US President was likely the largest driver of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly given that trendline spikes in coverage of Trump’s comments closely resemble those in more than one sub-topic. Other sub-topics: Figure 5 shows the rises and falls in the other ten misinformation sub-topics over time (i.e. not including "miracle cures"), which are discussed in turn below. Democratic Party hoax A conspiracy theory emerged in January that suggested the COVID-19 pandemic was intentional and manufactured to coincide with President Trump’s impeachment trial. The most prominent public advocate of this idea has been Eric Trump, President Trump’s son, with Fox News reporting on May 17 Eric Trump's comments that the coronavirus will “magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen” after the November 3, 2020 presidential election. This misinformation topic fed into the politicization of the coronavirus response and appeared to energize protests demanding that states end their lockdowns early and “open up” their economies before they had met the criteria for safe opening established by the US Coronavirus Task Force. 5G technology The conspiracy theory that 5G technology has negative health impacts predates the pandemic. For example, in January 2019 the Russian government’s English-language channel RT featured a correspondent warning that 5G “might kill you” . In January 2020 this existing conspiracy narrative was picked up by a French conspiracy website called Les moutons enragés, which suggested a correlation between the emergence of the novel coronavirus and the installation of 5G towers in Wuhan, China . The 5G/COVID-19 conspiracy theory broke into mainstream media coverage on April 5 with widespread reporting of vandalism of 5G towers in the United Kingdom and later other countries. While 5G technology was the sixth most prevalent misinformation topic in traditional media, much of the coverage was fact-checking. This included reportage of how celebrities may have influenced the reach of the conspiracy theory via their own social media channels, and issues regarding the banning of prominent conspiracists from online media for spreading 5G-related misinformation that could incite further criminal damage of cell phone towers. Bill Gates Conspiracies connecting Bill Gates to COVID-19 emerged early on in the pandemic, often referring to and inflating pre-existing conspiracy narratives surrounding Gates. Ironically, Gates’ prescience in predicting a pandemic such as COVID-19 was used against him by conspiracy theorists, who cited a 2015 TED talk Gates gave about the danger of pandemics as evidence that he had foreknowledge of or even directly contributed to causing the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak . Gates’ long-standing interest in vaccinations as a public health measure — and the boost given to COVID vaccine efforts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — were further taken as evidence of nefarious intent by those spreading misinformation, with an oft-made claim being that Gates planned to equip COVID-19 vaccines with microchips to track and control peoples’ actions . The anti-vaccination movement has been both a major source and amplifier of conspiracy theories about Gates due to his long-standing advocacy for and financial support of vaccines. This topic of misinformation received a secondary peak when an Italian politician (who had previously compared vaccines to “genocide”) called for Gates’ arrest for “crimes against humanity”, sparking a number of media headlines . Dr. Anthony Fauci Mentions of US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared as a misinformation topic early in April, with conspiracists accusing him of exaggerating deaths or being a beneficiary of pharmaceutical efforts to find treatments and a vaccine. Social media shares of these reports were often combined with popular hashtags such as #FireFauci and #FauciFraud. Mainstream media often defended Fauci with fact-checking articles, with outlets such as The New York Times, Business Insider, and Forbes all publishing pieces debunking these claims. Compared with longer-running conspiracy and misinformation topics, the Fauci conspiracy was confined to a brief several-week period in April. A prominent spike in this topic is visible on April 13, which corresponds to a major upsurge in coverage after President Trump retweeted a Twitter post by a prominent conservative that stated “Time to #FireFauci” . This single spike is big enough to be comparable in volume to those in the “miracle cures”category. Plandemic The 24-minute Plandemic pseudo-documentary became a major topic of conspiracy conversations shortly after being posted to YouTube on May 4 by a film producer called Mikki Willis . After gaining millions of views through platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, the video was widely debunked for making numerous false claims and removed from most video-streaming platforms. The video’s main interviewee, a disgraced former virologist named Judy Mikovits , became well enough known however to merit a profile piece on May 9 by The New York Times . Wuhan bioweapon Conspiracy theories surrounding the Wuhan Institute of Virology emerged early in COVID-19 misinformation coverage, including theories that it was a secret bioweapons facility and that it was the origin point for a deliberate or accidental release of SARS-CoV-2 . Numerous fact-checking articles examined the actual likely zoonotic origin of the coronavirus, as well as a rise in anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes early on in the pandemic. This misinformation topic also had a geopolitical component in the US government’s struggle with China for blame over the origins of the pandemic and subsequent response to it . Population control Generic conspiracy theories mentioning COVID-19 as an intentional population control scheme were often combined with other issue areas such as assertions by anti-vaccination activists that a COVID vaccine might be a population control effort. This narrative is popular in some countries in Africa, where Western philanthropic organizations, particularly those concerned with public health, are seen to have a nefarious intent of reducing or controlling fertility and population numbers. “Human population planning” and “population control” mentions linked to the ongoing pandemic peaked March 15 and declined through the next several months. Bat soup Early conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19 focused on the claim that the coronavirus was initially caught by humans consuming bats in Wuhan, China. These ideas were spread by a mislabeled viral video showing human consumption of bats in Micronesia, which actually dated from 2016. Outlets such as The Guardian reported early that this conspiracy theory was rooted in racism and likely contributed to an increase in anti-Asian sentiment, including death threats to a Chinese celebrity . As a misinformation topic “bat soup” was an early starter, peaking on January 25 and spiking again in the week of March 15, followed by a swift decline in mentions. Antisemitic conspiracies Misinformation coverage included conversations around how the pandemic and its associated conspiracies were driving anti-Jewish sentiment in the US and Europe. The Anti-Defamation League has claimed for example that extremists are seeding anti-Jewish COVID conspiracy theories online . Most media coverage was not supportive of antisemitic conspiracies; however, we observed some conspiracy blogs promoting longstanding antisemitic conspiracies, such as those associated with George Soros. New world order / deep state Mentions of conspiracies linked to alleged secret “new world orders” or “deep state” government bodies existed throughout the time period and were referenced in passing in conversations that mentioned or listed widespread conspiracies. Indeed, President Trump joked about the US State Department being a “Deep State” Department during a White House COVID press conference, triggering a much-commented-upon “facepalm” by NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was standing behind the president at the time . These conspiracies included allegations that specific figures associated with the COVID-19 response (most prominently, Fauci and Gates) were “paid” by “deep state actors” or secret global governments. Conclusion To our knowledge, this study is the first to attempt a fully comprehensive analysis of media-generated misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the misinformation portion comprised only 2.9% of the whole COVID-19 conversation, the 1.1 million articles identified as covering, fact-checking, or repeating misinformation represent a large volume of information that is likely to have significantly affected public perceptions of the pandemic. It is especially notable that while misinformation and conspiracy theories promulgated by ostensibly grassroots sources, such as anti-vaccination groups, 5G opponents, and political extremists, do appear in our analysis in several of the topics, they contributed far less to the overall volume of misinformation than more powerful actors, in particular the US President. This underscores the outsized role that media professionals play in disseminating misinformation through choices made in who and what to cover. By choosing to uncritically report statements and remarks made by influential persons, without necessarily verifying or discounting the accuracy of those claims, they risk unwittingly facilitating the dissemination of misinformation. Though media professionals do publish fact checks and other reports that clarify or correct statements, that type of reportage comprised just 16.4% of the misinformation conversation. Furthermore, fact-check pieces almost always appear later in time, which suggests that a great deal of misinformation is going out to the public uncorrected. When misinformation is repeated in mainstream media outlets it is likely to gain credibility and credence in the eyes of the audience, who might view social media misinformation more skeptically. To avoid this scenario, genuine experts and the representatives of scientific institutions should in our view be given greater prominence in media coverage in order to avoid the inadvertent spreading of misinformation. Alternatively, misinformation presented by public figures should be corrected by media within the same report, rather than after the fact. In previous pandemics, such as the HIV/AIDS outbreak, misinformation and its effect on policy was estimated to have led to an additional 300,000 deaths in South Africa alone . If similar or worse outcomes are to be avoided in the present COVID-19 pandemic, greater efforts will need to be made to combat the infodemic that is already substantially polluting the wider media discourse.

Indigestible components, including indigestible dry matter (iDM) and indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF), play an integral role as internal markers for determining ruminal kinetics and digestibility estimations. However, the accuracy of internal markers is dependent upon the incubation technique utilized as bag type (BT) and incubation length (IL) can be significant sources of error. Previous studies have primarily focused on iDM and iNDF as digestibility markers, but few studies have compared digestibility estimates to those of acid detergent insoluble ash (ADIA). Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effect of BT (F57, F58, and Dacron) and IL (288 and 576 h) on iDM and iNDF residues, DM and NDF digestibilities, and fecal recoveries when using in situ incubations. Additionally, we evaluated the accuracy of digestibility estimates when using iDM, iNDF, and ADIA. For iDM and iNDF, feed residues demonstrated a BT × IL interaction (P < 0.01). However, fecal residues were only influenced by the main effects of BT and IL (P < 0.01), with the F58 BT and 288-h IL having the greatest residues for both iDM and iNDF. The variation in residues was greatly reduced when using iNDF compared with iDM. Fecal recovery estimates most closely approximated 100% recovery when utilizing ADIA and iDM using the F57 × 576 h incubation method (P < 0.01), although recovery was overestimated for all incubation combinations. Fecal NDF recovery estimates better represented the excretion profiles when the F57 × 576 h combination was used with iDM as the internal marker (P < 0.01). Estimates of DM and NDF digestibility were the most accurate when utilizing ADIA (P < 0.01) relative to all other treatments. Our results indicate that the proper methodological application is specific to the purpose of the inferences. When evaluating fecal recoveries and digestibility, ADIA or iDM with F57 at 576-h in situ incubation provides the greatest accuracy.

The morphology of deltas is determined by the spatial extent and variability of the geomorphic processes that shape them. While in some cases resilient, deltas are increasingly threatened by natural and anthropogenic forces, such as sea level rise and land use change, which can drastically alter the rates and patterns of sediment transport. Quantifying process patterns can improve our predictive understanding of how different zones within delta systems will respond to future change. Available remotely sensed imagery can help but appropriate tools are needed for pattern extraction and analysis. We present a method for extracting information about the nature and spatial extent of active geomorphic processes across deltas from ten parameters quantifying the geometry of each of 1239 islands and the channels around them using machine learning. The method consists of a two-step unsupervised machine learning algorithm that clusters islands into spatially continuous zones based on the ten morphological metrics extracted from remotely sensed imagery. By applying this method to the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Delta, we find that the system can be divided into six major zones. Classification results show that active fluvial island construction and bar migration processes are limited to relatively narrow zones along the main Ganges River and Brahmaputra and Meghna corridors, whereas zones in the mature upper delta plain, with smaller fluvial distributary channels stand out as their own morphometric class. The classification also shows good correspondence with known gradients in the influence of tidal energy with distinct classes for islands in the backwater zone and in the purely tidally-controlled region of the delta. Islands at the delta front, under the mixed influence of tides, fluvial-estuarine construction, and local wave reworking have their own characteristic shape and channel configuration. The method does not distinguish between islands with embankments (polders) and natural islands in the nearby mangrove forest (Sundarbans), suggesting that human modifications have not yet altered the gross geometry of the islands beyond their previous natural morphology. These results demonstrate that machine learning and remotely sensed imagery are useful tools for identifying the spatial patterns of geomorphic processes across delta systems.

The utilization of natural plant secondary compounds as feed additives in animal nutrition has been extensively studied because of their ability to modify digestive and metabolic functions. Condensed tannin (CT) supplementation can potentially alter ruminal fermentation, and mitigate methane (CH4) emissions. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of quebracho CT extract (QT; Schinopsis balansae) within a roughage-based diet on overall fermentability and CH4 production utilizing the in vitro gas production technique (IVGP). Twenty rumen cannulated steers (227 ± 19 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (n=4): QT at 0, 1, 2, and 3% of DM (QT0, QT1, QT2, and QT3). A roughage-based diet containing 88% bermudagrass hay and 12% concentrate was fed daily at 2.1% of shrunk body weight. The animals were adapted to the basal diet for 24-d then introduced to predetermined treatments for 35d. Rumen inoculum was collected weekly from each steer to perform the incubations. Two hundred milligrams of air-dried base diet were incubated for 48-h with a composite rumen inoculum for each treatment over 5 wk. Kinetic analysis of cumulative 48h gas production was performed using Gasfit. Measurements of CH4 were performed via gas chromatography and digested residue was determined post-incubation. Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model. Total gas production was higher for QT0 compared to QT1 and QT3 (P = 0.001), but not different from QT2 (P = 0.554). The fractional rate of gas production was higher for QT2 compared to QT0 (P = 0.011). First and second pool gas production decreased linearly as QT inclusion increased (P = 0.042 and 0.010, respectively). There was no dietary effect in ivNDFD (P = 0.567). However, there was a linear tendency to decrease CH4 production with the addition of QT (P=0.071) likely due to changes in the microbial population.

Contemporary nutritional research investigates the effects of diet formulation and feeding strategies on animal performance and global sustainability under different climates. Functional nutrition models have incorporated the effects of heat stress on net energy for maintenance requirements, dry matter intake (DMI), and milk production when accounting for animal and the environmental factors. It is commonly assumed that growing Bos indicus breeds receiving feedlot-type diets in tropical and subtropical regions have exhibited lower maintenance energy requirements than Bos taurus breeds. However, the ability to predict supplies of energy, protein, and minerals available to meet animal requirements depends on the accuracy and consistency of feed composition values obtained through digestibility trials and chemical analyses. Empirical observations indicate that feedstuffs grown in high temperatures affect cell wall lignification and metabolic activity rates, requiring special procedures for digestion trials. Similarly, physiological adaptation mechanisms in cattle in response to heat stress conditions include evapotranspiration, sweating, and drooling. Heat stress studies have reported a correlation between reduced DMI and increased dry matter digestibility for all breeds of cattle exposed to temperatures that exceed the upper critical temperatures. For that reason, diet formulation with integrated mathematical nutrition modeling can account for nutrient and animal variability, to improve total digestible nutrient values. Furthermore, the water requirement is influenced by stage and type of production, activity, diet composition, feed intake and environmental temperature. Adjustments in management practices could potentially result in reduced production losses caused by thermal heat stress. The utilization of region-specific facilities that accommodate cattle and ensure the availability and quality of drinking water will improve overall animal health and production. Cattle receiving high-concentrate diets in tropical and subtropical regions require adjustments in management and nutrition to mitigate challenges induced by heat stress environments, but improvements are warranted for required energy and water for Bos indicus breeds.

The objective was to determine the effect of quebracho tannin extract (QT; Schinopsis balansae) within a roughage-based diet upon dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (DMD and NDFD, respectively). The use of natural plant secondary compounds as a feed additive in animal nutrition has been studied due to their ability to modify digestive and metabolic functions in both ruminants and non-ruminants. Condensed tannin (CT) supplementation has demonstrated potential to mitigate CH4 emissions, but this commonly corresponds with reduced ruminal fiber degradation. However, prolonged supplementation of CT in a roughage-based diet is limited within the literature. Twenty rumen cannulated animals (227 ± 19 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (n = 4): QT at 0, 1, 2, and 3% of DM (QT0, QT1, QT2, and QT3). A maintenance-fed diet containing 88% bermudagrass hay and 12% concentrate was offered at 2.1% of shrunk body weight. Steers were adapted to the base diet for 24-d then introduced to predetermined treatments for 35 d. In situ digestibility data were collected weekly over 5 wk. Digestibility estimates were determined using 48-h in situ disappearance of DM and NDF. Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model. There was no difference in DM or NDF intake for dietary treatment (P = 0.66, and P = 0.65, respectively). However, on week 2 QT2 had lower DMD (P = 0.03) and tended to decrease NDFD (P = 0.06) compared to QT1, and QT3. In contrast, there was no observed difference (P = 0.22) in DMD, and NDFD on week 1, 3, 4, 5, and when the 5-wk data were combined. The addition of QT up to 3% DM in a roughage-based diet does not sacrifice DMD and NDFD over time, but it is not clear as to why QT2 affected DMD and NDFD.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are crystals with one to a few layers of atoms and are being used in many fields such as optical modulator, photodetector, optical switch, and ultrafast lasers. Their exceptional optoelectronic and nonlinear optical properties make them as a suitable saturable absorber for laser cavities. This review focuses on the recent progress in ultrafast laser use 2D materials as a saturable absorber. 2D materials traditionally include graphene, topological insulators, transition metal dichalcogenides, as well as new materials such as black phosphorus, bismuthene, antimonene, and MXene. Material characteristics, fabrication techniques, and nonlinear properties are also introduced. Finally, future perspectives of ultrafast lasers based on 2D materials are also addressed.