Breeding schemes with optimum-contribution selection or truncation selection for beef cattle destined for use on dairy females

We tested the hypothesis that the size of a beef cattle population destined for use on dairy females is smaller under optimum-contribution selection (OCS) than under truncation selection (TRS) at the same genetic gain (ΔG) and the same rate of inbreeding (ΔF). We used stochastic simulation to estimate true ΔG realized at a 0.005 ΔF in breeding schemes with OCS or TRS. The schemes for the beef cattle population also differed in the number of purebred offspring per dam and the total number of purebred offspring per generation. Dams of the next generation were exclusively selected among the one-year-old heifers. All dams were donors for embryo transfer and produced a maximum of 5 or 10 offspring. The total number of purebred offspring per generation was: 400, 800, 1,600 or 4,000 calves, and it was used as a measure of population size. Rate of inbreeding was predicted and controlled using pedigree relationships. Each OCS (TRS) scheme was simulated for 10 discrete generations and replicated 100 (200) times. The OCS scheme and the TRS scheme with a maximum of 10 offspring per dam required approximately 783 and 1,257 purebred offspring per generation to realize a true ΔG of €14 and a ΔF of 0.005 per generation. Schemes with a maximum of 5 offspring per dam required more purebred offspring per generation to realize a similar true ΔG and a similar ΔF. Our results show that OCS and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer act on selection intensity through different mechanisms to achieve fewer selection candidates and fewer selected sires and dams than under TRS at the same ΔG and a fixed ΔF. Therefore, we advocate the use of a breeding scheme with OCS and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer for beef cattle destined for use on dairy females because it is favorable both from an economic perspective and a carbon footprint perspective.     

Phosphoric Acid-assisted Pretreatment Strategy for the Rational Synthesis of Lignin-derived Hierarchical Porous Carbon Toward High-performance Supercapacitors

In this article, a facile two-step activation method, coupled with phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄)-assisted pretreatment and followed KOH activation, was reported for constructing hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) materials derived from lignin. The introduction of H₃PO₄, cross-linked with lignin sources generated phosphate (and/or polyphosphate) ester groups throughout the lignin structure, which endowed the pre-activated intermediate char (IC) with a hierarchical porous structure. Such phosphate esters contributed to the multi-scale pore structure within the pre-activated IC, which was beneficial for the uniform distribution and impregnation of subsequent KOH activators, thus leading to the formation of HPC materials. The as-prepared HPC exhibited a large specific surface area (SSA) of 1345.1 m²/g, which ensures the accessibility of the ion diffusion pathways. The supercapacitors integrated with HPC delivered a high specific capacitance of 241 F/g (in a three-electrode system) and outstanding rate capability with an 80.9% capacitance retention from 0.5 A/g to an ultra-high current density of 50 A/g.     

机械结构分层优化技术研究进展

复杂机械结构优化设计一般表现为多目标、多约束、多参数的优化问题,所以复杂结构优化设计过程通常存在计算复杂、不易收敛等困难。分层优化技术是复杂结构优化设计的一种有效途径,通过将优化问题中复杂的约束、设计变量以及功能目标合理分解为若干子层问题进行求解,然后通过协调得到复杂机械结构整体优化问题的结果。文章对机械结构分层优化技术的理论、应用研究现状进行了总结并探讨了其关键技术环节及发展趋势。     

基于LoRa物联网技术的智能照明控制方案在高速公路上的应用——以北京新机场高速公路(南五环-北京新机场)为例

文章结合北京新机场高速公路照明工程实例,阐述了常规照明控制系统的现状,分析了基于新兴的LoRa物联网技术智能照明控制方案的系统原理和系统构成、系统在高速公路智能照明控制领域的应用以及系统应用能达到的节能和管理效益的提升效果,并对系统的扩展应用前景做了研究分析。     

一种分散在多孔碳上的碳包覆硅负极的制备及应用

硅负极具有高比容量的显著优势,其理论比容量（4 200 mA∙h/g）达到传统石墨负极的10倍以上,被认为是锂离子电池最有潜力的负极之一。然而,硅负极存在导电性较差、充放电过程中体积膨胀巨大等诸多问题,导致其循环性能较差,限制了大规模实际应用。本文提供了一种高性能硅负极的制备方法及应用,通过将硅负极分散在多级孔碳中,连同黏结剂聚丙烯腈涂覆在集流体上,再对极片进行热处理实现聚丙烯腈碳包覆,有效提高电极的整体导电性并能为巨大的体积变化提供空间,从而提升硅负极的大倍率性能和循环稳定性。     

Synthesis of Hierarchical 4H/fcc Ru Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media

Hierarchical metal nanostructures containing 1D nanobuilding blocks have stimulated great interest due to their abundant active sites for catalysis. Herein, hierarchical 4H/face‐centered cubic (fcc) Ru nanotubes (NTs) are synthesized by a hard template‐mediated method, in which 4H/fcc Au nanowires (NWs) serve as sacrificial templates which are then etched by copper ions (Cu²⁺) in dimethylformamide. The obtained hierarchical 4H/fcc Ru NTs contain ultrathin Ru shells (5–9 atomic layers) and tiny Ru nanorods with length of 4.2 ± 1.1 nm and diameter of 2.2 ± 0.5 nm vertically decorated on the surface of Ru shells. As an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media, the hierarchical 4H/fcc Ru NTs exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance, which is better than 4H/fcc Au‐Ru NWs, commercial Pt/C, Ru/C, and most of the reported electrocatalysts.     

New version of continuous–discrete cubature Kalman filtering for nonlinear continuous–discrete systems

For nonlinear continuous–discrete systems, this paper elaborates a new accurate implementation of continuous–discrete cubature Kalman filter (CD-CKF). As the main contribution of this work, the new Kalman prediction stage begins by integrating the nonlinear continuous model for all the cubature sample vectors; the prior estimate state and covariance prediction are based on the weighted statistics of these integrated cubature sample vectors and the Gauss–Legendre approximation scheme. The new square root form CD-CKF is also derived and accurately implemented by combining with the modified variable stepsize NIRK. As the advantages of proposed approach, the complicated and error-prone processes of solving covariance differential equation or calculating derivatives are avoided, while the positive semi-definiteness of prior error covariance are numerically guaranteed. Simulations of traffic control scenarios further confirm the new approach’s superior filtering performance in both reliability and accuracy.     

Hierarchical Coherent Phonons in a Superatomic Semiconductor

The coupling of phonons to electrons and other phonons plays a defining role in material properties, such as charge and energy transport, light emission, and superconductivity. In atomic solids, phonons are delocalized over the 3D lattice, in contrast to molecular solids where localized vibrations dominate. Here, a hierarchical semiconductor that expands the phonon space by combining localized 0D modes with delocalized 2D and 3D modes is described. This material consists of superatomic building blocks (Re₆Se₈) covalently linked into 2D sheets that are stacked into a layered van der Waals lattice. Using transient reflectance spectroscopy, three types of coherent phonons are identified: localized 0D breathing modes of isolated superatom, 2D synchronized twisting of superatoms in layers, and 3D acoustic interlayer deformation. These phonons are coupled to the electronic degrees of freedom to varying extents. The presence of local phonon modes in an extended crystal opens the door to controlling material properties from hierarchical phonon engineering.