This paper reports two experiments comparing variants of multiple explanation applied in the early stages of a judgment task (a case involving employee theft) where participants are not given a menu of response options. Because prior research has focused on situations where response options are provided to judges, we identify relevant dependent variables that an intervention might affect when such options are not given. We use these variables to build a causal model of intervention that illustrates both the intended effects of multiple explanation and some potentially competing processes that it may trigger. Although multiple explanation clearly conveys some benefits (e.g., willingness to delay action to engage in information search, increased detail, quality and confidence in alternative explanations) in the present experiments, we also found evidence that it may initiate or enhance processes that attenuate its advantages (e.g., feelings that one does not need more data if one has multiple good explanations).

We report the experimental results of the commissioning phase in the 10 PW laser beamline of the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF). The peak power reaches 2.4 PW on target without the last amplifying during the experiment. The laser energy of 72 ± 9 J is directed to a focal spot of approximately 6 μm diameter (full width at half maximum) in 30 fs pulse duration, yielding a focused peak intensity around 2.0 × 1021 W/cm2. The first laser-proton acceleration experiment is performed using plain copper and plastic targets. High-energy proton beams with maximum cut-off energy up to 62.5 MeV are achieved using copper foils at the optimum target thickness of 4 μm via target normal sheath acceleration. For plastic targets of tens of nanometers thick, the proton cut-off energy is approximately 20 MeV, showing ring-like or filamented density distributions. These experimental results reflect the capabilities of the SULF-10 PW beamline, for example, both ultrahigh intensity and relatively good beam contrast. Further optimization for these key parameters is underway, where peak laser intensities of 1022–1023 W/cm2 are anticipated to support various experiments on extreme field physics.

Long-term care given to disabled older adults takes many forms, with each impacting life satisfaction through different ways. Drawing data from the 2011–2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, this article explores the effects of various care types on life satisfaction, with a particular focus on disabled older persons. Estimates derived from a fixed effects model with propensity score matching show that compared with formal care, informal care has significant positive effects on life satisfaction for disabled older adults. In addition, informal care has its greatest positive effect on life satisfaction on those who are mildly disabled, men and rural residents compared to their counterparts, while formal care addresses the needs of individuals with severe disability. We find that the main channels of effect occur through reduced loneliness and unhappiness, increased participation in social activities and improved physical health. This work contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating how various care types affect life satisfaction in China where filial piety, the central pillar of the Confucian ethics, is one of the common shared values among residents. These findings highlight the benefits derived from policies that promote and support the provision of informal care for older individuals. Moreover, there is a pressing need to buttress the formal care provision as a supplement to support severely disabled older adults in China.

The Maz Metasedimentary Series is part of the Maz Complex that crops out in the sierras of Maz and Espinal (Western Sierras Pampeanas) and in the Sierra de Umango (Andean Frontal Cordillera), northwestern Argentina. The Maz Complex is found within a thrust stack of Silurian age, which later underwent open folding. The Maz Metasedimentary Series mainly consists of medium-grade garnet–staurolite–kyanite–sillimanite schists and quartzites, with minor amounts of marble and calc-silicate rocks. Transposed metadacite dykes have been recognized along with amphibolites, metagabbros, metadiorites and orthogneisses. Schist, quartzite and metadacite samples were analysed for SHRIMP U–Pb zircon dating. The Maz Metasedimentary Series is polymetamorphic and records probably three metamorphic events during the Grenvillian orogeny, at c. 1235, 1155 and 1035 Ma, and a younger metamorphism at c. 440–420 Ma resulting from reactivation during the Famatinian orogeny. The sedimentary protoliths were deposited between 1.86 and 1.33–1.26 Ga (the age of the Andean-type Grenvillian magmatism recorded in the Maz Complex), and probably before 1.75 Ga. The main source areas correspond to Palaeoproterozoic and, to a lesser magnitude, Meso-Neoarchaean rocks. The probable depositional age and the detrital zircon age pattern suggest that the Maz Metasedimentary Series was laid down in a basin of the Columbia supercontinent, mainly accreted between 2.1 and 1.8 Ga. The sedimentary sources were diverse, and we hypothesize that deposition took place before Columbia broke up. The Rio Apa block, and the Río de la Plata, Amazonia and proto-Kalahari cratons, which have nearby locations in the palaeogeographic reconstructions, were probably the main blocks that supplied sediments to this basin.

The characteristic traits of maize (Zea mays L.) leaves affect light interception and photosynthesis. Measurement or estimation of individual leaf area has been described using discontinuous equations or bell-shaped functions. However, new maize hybrids show different canopy architecture, such as leaf angle in modern maize which is more upright and ear leaf and adjacent leaves which are longer than older hybrids. The original equations and their parameters, which have been used for older maize hybrids and grown at low plant densities, will not accurately represent modern hybrids. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to develop a new empirical equation that captures vertical leaf distribution. To characterize the vertical leaf profile, we conducted a field experiment in Jilin province, Northeast China from 2015 to 2018. Our new equation for the vertical distribution of leaf profile describes leaf length, width or leaf area as a function of leaf rank, using parameters for the maximum value for leaf length, width or area, the leaf rank at which the maximum value is obtained, and the width of the curve. It thus involves one parameter less than the previously used equations. By analysing the characteristics of this new equation, we identified four key leaf ranks (4, 8, 14 and 20) for which leaf parameter values need to be quantified in order to have a good estimation of leaf length, width and area. Together, the method of leaf area estimation proposed here adds versatility for use in modern maize hybrids and simplifies the field measurements by using the four key leaf ranks to estimate vertical leaf distribution in maize canopy instead of all leaf ranks.

A general multi-type population model is considered, where individuals live and reproduce according to their age and type, but also under the influence of the size and composition of the entire population. We describe the dynamics of the population as a measure-valued process and obtain its asymptotics as the population grows with the environmental carrying capacity. Thus, a deterministic approximation is given, in the form of a law of large numbers, as well as a central limit theorem. This general framework is then adapted to model sexual reproduction, with a special section on serial monogamic mating systems.

In this paper, the generation of relativistic electron mirrors (REM) and the reflection of an ultra-short laser off the mirrors are discussed, applying two-dimension particle-in-cell simulations. REMs with ultra-high acceleration and expanding velocity can be produced from a solid nanofoil illuminated normally by an ultra-intense femtosecond laser pulse with a sharp rising edge. Chirped attosecond pulse can be produced through the reflection of a counter-propagating probe laser off the accelerating REM. In the electron moving frame, the plasma frequency of the REM keeps decreasing due to its rapid expansion. The laser frequency, on the contrary, keeps increasing due to the acceleration of REM and the relativistic Doppler shift from the lab frame to the electron moving frame. Within an ultra-short time interval, the two frequencies will be equal in the electron moving frame, which leads to the resonance between laser and REM. The reflected radiation near this interval and corresponding spectra will be amplified due to the resonance. Through adjusting the arriving time of the probe laser, a certain part of the reflected field could be selectively amplified or depressed, leading to the selective adjustment of the corresponding spectra.

Recently, Echinacea purpurea and its extracts have gained much interest due to their improvement on meat quality, but little information is available on the application of the purified Echinacea purpurea polysaccharide (4-O-methyl-glucuronoarabinoxylan, 4OMG). Thus, this trial aimed at assessing the effects of dietary supplementation of 4OMG on growth performance, thigh meat quality and small intestine development of broilers. A total of 240 1-day-old female broiler chicks were randomly distributed to four groups with three replicates of 20 within each group. Each group received either 0, 15, 20 or 25 g 4OMG/kg DM of diet. During the entire experiment, broilers had ad libitum access to water and feed, and the feed intake was recorded daily. All broilers were weighed before and end of the experiment. For each group, three pens with a total of 20 broilers were randomly selected to slaughter after 30 days. Increasing dietary supplementation of 4OMG linearly increased final live weight and daily body weight gain (P = 0.013) of broilers, Gain-to-Feed ratio (P < 0.001), muscle pH (P = 0.024) and redness (P = 0.001), but decreased drip loss (P = 0.033), shear force value (P = 0.004) and hardness (P = 0.022) of the thigh meat. Broilers fed diet with higher 4OMG had greater weight index, villus height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth in both duodenum and jejunum. These results indicated that increasing dietary supplementation of 4OMG was beneficial for growth performance, meat quality and development of the small intestine of broilers.

This article presents a brief review of our case studies of data-driven Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) for intelligently discovering advanced structural metal materials, including light-weight materials (Ti, Mg, and Al alloys), refractory high-entropy alloys, and superalloys. The basic bonding in terms of topology and electronic structures is recommended to be considered as the building blocks/units constructing the microstructures of advanced materials. It is highlighted that the bonding charge density could not only provide an atomic and electronic insight into the physical nature of chemical bond of materials but also reveal the fundamental strengthening/embrittlement mechanisms and the local phase transformations of planar defects, paving a path in accelerating the development of advanced metal materials via interfacial engineering. Perspectives on the knowledge-based modeling/simulations, machine-learning knowledge base, platform, and next-generation workforce for sustainable ecosystem of ICME are highlighted, thus to call for more duty on the developments of advanced structural metal materials and enhancement of research productivity and collaboration.

The aim of the study was to investigate any association between extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) and intestinal flora of <30-week-old preterm infants. A total of 59 preterm infants were assigned to EUGR (n=23) and non-EUGR (n=36) groups. Intestinal bacteria were compared by using high-throughput sequencing of bacterial rRNA. The total abundance of bacteria in 344 genera (7568 v. 13,760; P<0.0001) and 456 species (10,032 v. 18,240; P<0.0001) was significantly decreased in the EUGR group compared with the non-EUGR group. After application of a multivariate logistic model and adjusting for potential confounding factors, as well as false-discovery rate corrections, we found four bacterial genera with higher and one bacterial genus with lower abundance in the EUGR group compared with the control group. In addition, the EUGR group showed significantly increased abundances of six species (Streptococcus parasanguinis, Bacterium RB5FF6, two Klebsiella species and Microbacterium), but decreased frequencies of three species (one Acinetobacter species, Endosymbiont_of_Sphenophorus_lev and one Enterobacter_species) compared with the non-EUGR group. Taken together, there were significant changes in the intestinal microflora of preterm infants with EUGR compared to preterm infants without EUGR.

Enteric pathogens have been related to child undernutrition. Whereas there are lots of data on enteric bacterial microbiota and infections, much less is known about the incidence of prevalence of intestinal colonisation with viruses or important parasitic species. This study assessed the presence of selected viruses and parasites in stools of 469, 354, 468 Malawian children at 6, 12 and 18 months. We also assessed environmental predictors of the presence of viruses and parasites among 6-month infants. Microbial presence was documented using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Enteroviruses were identified in 68%, 80% and 81% of the stool samples at 6, 12 and 18 months children, rhinovirus in 28%, 18% and 31%, norovirus in 24%, 22% and 16%, parechovirus in 23%, 17% and 17%, rotavirus in 3%, 1% and 0.6%, Giardia lamblia in 9.6%, 23.5% and 26%, and Cryptosporidium (spp.) in 6%, 8% and 2% of the 6, 12 and 18 months stool samples. Dry season (May–October) was associated with a low infection rate of enterovirus, norovirus and Cryptosporidium (spp.). Higher father's education level, less number of person in the household and higher sanitation were associated with a low infection rate of enterovirus, norovirus and rotavirus, respectively. The results suggest that the prevalence of asymptomatic viral and parasitic infections is high among Malawian children and that the family's living conditions and seasonality influence the rate of infections.

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, and has widely varying treatments for stroke prevention and rhythm management. Some of these therapies are increasingly being prescribed by primary care physicians (PCPs). We therefore sought to investigate if healthcare plans with PCP gatekeeping for access to specialists are associated with different pharmacologic treatment strategies for the disease. In particular, we focused on oral anticoagulants (OACs), non-vitamin K-dependent oral anticoagulants (NOACs), rate control, and rhythm control medications. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We examined a commercial pharmaceutical claims database (Truven Marketscan™) to compare the prescription frequency of OAC, rate control, and rhythm control medications used to treat AF between patients with PCP-gated health plans (where the PCP is the gatekeeper to specialist referral—i.e., HMO, EPO, POS) and patients with non-PCP-gatekeeper health plans (i.e., comprehensive, PPO, CHDP, HDHP). To control for potential confounders, we also used multivariable logistic regression models to calculate adjusted odds ratios which accounted for age, sex, region, Charlson comorbidity index, CHADS2Vasc score, hypertension, diabetes, stroke/transient ischemic attack, prior myocardial infarction, peripheral artery disease, and antiplatelet medication use. We also calculated median time to therapy to determine if there was a difference in time to new prescription of these medications. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We found only small differences between patients in PCP-gated and non-PCP-gated plans regarding prescription proportion of anticoagulants at 90 days following new AF diagnosis (OAC 44.2% vs. 42%, p<0.01; warfarin 39.1% vs. 37.1%, p<0.01; NOAC 5.9% vs. 6.0%, p=0.64). We observed similar trends for rate control agents (76.4% vs. 73.4%, p<0.01) and rhythm control agents (24.4% vs. 24.6%, p=0.83). We found similar odds of OAC prescription at 90 days following new AF diagnosis between patients in PCP-gated and non-PCP-gated plans (adjusted OR for PCP-gated plans relative to non-gated plans: OAC 1.006, p=0.84; warfarin 1.054, p=0.08; NOAC 0.815, p=0.001; dabigatran 0.833, p=0.004; and rivaroxaban 0.181, p=0.02). We observed similar trends for rate control agents (1.166, p<0.0001) and rhythm control agents (0.927, p=0.03). Elapsed time until receipt of medication was similar between PCP-gated and non-gated groups [OAC 4±14 days (interquartile range) vs. 5±16 days, p<0.0001; warfarin 4±14 vs. 5±14, p<0.0001; NOAC 7±26 vs. 6±23, p=0.2937; rhythm control 13±35 vs. 13±34, p=0.8661; rate control 10±25 vs. 11±30, p<0.0001]. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: We found that plans with PCP gatekeeping to specialist referrals were not associated with clinically meaningful differences in prescription rates or delays in time to prescription of oral anticoagulation, rate control, and rhythm control drug therapy. In some cases, PCP gatekeeping plans had very small but statistically significant lower odds of being prescribed NOACs. These findings suggest that PCP gatekeeping does not appear to be a major structural barrier in receipt of medications for AF, although non-PCP-gated plans may vary slightly favor facilitating the prescription of NOACs. Our findings that overall OAC prescriptions did not differ by PCP gating status may suggest completion of the rapid dissemination and uptake phase for most AF treatments. The small but statistically significant odds ratios favoring the non-PCP-gated populations in NOACs further suggests that in this newer drug group, the process is ongoing, with more specialists representing early adopters. Interestingly, the low primary care odds ratio of rivaroxaban use, relative to dabigatran, may be indicative of a gradient of uptake of later-generation NOACs, although interpretability is limited by the small number of patients in the rivaroxaban group.