A colliding microjet liquid sheet target system was developed and tested for pairs of round nozzles of 10, 11 and 18 μm in diameter. The sheet’s position stability was found to be better than a few micrometers. Upon interaction with 50 mJ laser pulses, the 18 μm jet has a resonance amplitude of 16 μm at a repetition rate of 33 Hz, while towards 100 Hz it converges to 10 μm for all nozzles. A white-light interferometric system was developed to measure the liquid sheet thickness in the target chamber both in air and in vacuum, with a measurement range of 182 nm–1 μm and an accuracy of ±3%. The overall shape and 3D shape of the sheet follow the Hasson–Peck model in air. In vacuum versus air, the sheet gradually loses 10% of its thickness, so the thinnest sheet achieved was below 200 nm at a vacuum level of 10–4 mbar, and remained stable for several hours of operation.

To meet the demands of laser-ion acceleration at a high repetition rate, we have developed a comprehensive diagnostic system for real-time and in situ monitoring of liquid sheet targets (LSTs). The spatially resolved rapid characterizations of an LST’s thickness, flatness, tilt angle and position are fulfilled by different subsystems with high accuracy. With the help of the diagnostic system, we reveal the dependence of thickness distribution on collision parameters and report the 238-nm liquid sheet generated by the collision of two liquid jets. Control methods for the flatness and tilt angle of LSTs have also been provided, which are essential for applications of laser-driven ion acceleration and others.

The European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Denis & Shiffermüller 1776) is an economically important pest of the vine-growing areas worldwide. Chemical insecticides have been used for its control; however, its resistance status is largely unknown in many regions. We monitored the susceptibility of several L. botrana populations from Greece and Turkey. In addition, based on RNAseq transcriptome analysis, we identified and phylogenetically classify the cytochrome P450 genes of L. botrana, as well as analysed target site sequences and looked for the presence of known resistance mutations. Resistance against chlorantraniliprole, alpha-cypermethrin, spinetoram, etofenprox, and acetamiprid was very low (below 2.5-fold in all cases, compared to a reference strain from Greece) in all populations from Greece that were included in the study. However, resistance against indoxacarb (4–30-fold), spinosad (5–59-fold), and deltamethrin (18–30 fold) was detected in the L. botrana populations from Turkey, compared to a reference population from Turkey. De novo transcriptome assembly and manual annotation, and subsequent PCR-based analysis of insecticide target sequences (i.e. voltage-gated sodium channel – VGSC: target of pyrethroids and oxadiazines; nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit a6 – nAChR_α6: target of spinosad; ryanodine receptor – RyR: target of diamides; glutamate-gated chloride channel – GluCl: target of avermectins and; acetylcholinesterase – AChE: target of organophosphates) showed the absence of known resistance mutations in all specimens from both countries. Finally, the L. botrana CYPome (116 genes) was manually analysed and phylogenetically characterised, to provide resources for future studies that will aim the analysis of metabolic resistance.

Over the past several decades, clay minerals have been applied in various bio-fields such as drug and drug additives, animal medicine and feed additives, cosmetics, biosensors, etc. Among various research areas, however, the medical application of clay minerals is an emerging field not only in academia but also in industry. In particular, cationic and anionic clays have long been considered as drug delivery vehicles for developing advanced drug delivery systems (DDSs), which is the most important of the various research fields including new drugs and medicines, in vitro and in vivo diagnostics, implants, biocompatible materials, etc., in nanomedicine. These applications are obviously related to global issues such as improvements in welfare and quality of life with life expectancy increasing. Many scientists, therefore, in various disciplines, such as clay mineralogy, material chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and medical science, have been endeavoring to find solutions to such global issues. One of the strategic approaches is probably to explore new drugs possessing intrinsic therapeutic effects or to develop advanced materials with theranostic functions. With this is mind, discussions of examples of cationic and anionic clays with bio- and medical applications based on nanomedicine are relevant. In this tutorial review, nanomedicine based on clay minerals are described in terms of synthetic strategies of clay nanohybrids, in vitro and in vivo toxicity, biocompatibility, oral and injectable medications, diagnostics, theranosis, etc.

Increased antimicrobial resistance in bovine respiratory bacterial pathogens poses a threat to the effective control and prevention of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). As part of continued efforts to develop antimicrobial alternatives to mitigate BRD, the microbial community residing within the respiratory tract of feedlot cattle has been increasingly studied using next-generation sequencing technologies. The mucosal surfaces of upper and lower respiratory tracts of cattle are colonized by a diverse and dynamic microbiota encompassing commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic bacteria. While a direct causal relationship between respiratory microbiota and the development of BRD in feedlot cattle has not been fully elucidated, increasing evidence suggests that the microbiota contributes to respiratory health by providing colonization resistance against pathogens and maintaining homeostasis. Certain management practices such as weaning, transportation, feed transition, and antibiotic application can disrupt the respiratory microbiota, potentially altering pathogen colonization. Microbiota-based approaches, including bacterial therapeutics that target restoring the normal respiratory microbiota, may provide new methods for mitigating BRD in feedlot cattle in place of antibiotics. In addition, the distinct bacterial respiratory microbial communities observed in BRD-affected and healthy feedlot cattle may allow for future application of microbiota-based techniques used in the diagnosis of BRD.

Kratochwil's diagnostic approach identifies specific failures in particular, historical contexts in order to prescribe practically realisable remedies under non-ideal conditions. The diagnostic approach compares actual alternatives against each other rather than against some ideal. Yet, the basis for such an identification is unclear. By reinterpreting Kratochwil's approach with the help of Buddha's Four Noble Truths, one can understand Kratochwil's existential worldview and his aims, but the medium Kratochwil uses hinders the attainment of those goals. He tries to communicate in writing something (phronesis) that belongs in the world of experience.

Determination of antibodies against ToRCH antigens at the beginning of pregnancy allows assessment of both the maternal immune status and the risks to an adverse pregnancy outcome. Age-standardised seroprevalences were determined in sera from 1009 women of childbearing age residing in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Turkey or China using a multiparametric immunoblot containing antigen substrates for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2), Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydia trachomatis, parvovirus B19, Treponema pallidum and varicella zoster virus (VZV). Seroprevalences for antibodies against HSV-1 were >90% in samples from Brazil and Turkey, whereas the other four countries showed lower mean age-adjusted seroprevalences (range: 62.5–87.9%). Samples from Brazilian women showed elevated seroprevalences of antibodies against HSV-2 (40.1%), C. trachomatis (46.8%) and B. pertussis (56.6%) compared to the other five countries. Seroprevalences of anti-T. gondii antibodies (0.5%) and anti-parvovirus B19 antibodies (7.5%) were low in samples from Chinese women, compared to the other five countries. Samples from German women revealed a low age-standardised seroprevalence of anti-CMV antibodies (28.8%) compared to the other five countries. These global differences in immune status of women in childbearing age advocate country-specific prophylaxis strategies to avoid infection with ToRCH pathogens.

Mastitis, inflammation of the bovine mammary gland, is generally caused by intramammary infection with bacteria, and antimicrobials have long been a corner stone of mastitis control. As societal concern about antimicrobial use in animal agriculture grows, there is pressure to reduce antimicrobial use in dairy farming. Point-of-care tests for on-farm use are increasingly available as tools to support this. In this Research Reflection, we consider available culture-dependent and culture-independent tests in the context of ASSURED criteria for low-resource settings, including convenience criteria, scientific criteria and societal criteria that can be used to evaluate test performance. As tests become more sophisticated and sensitive, we may be generating more data than we need. Special attention is given to the relationship between test outcomes and treatment decisions, including issues of diagnostic refinement, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and detection of viable organisms. In addition, we explore the role of technology, big data and people in improved performance and uptake of point-of-care tests, recognising that societal barriers may limit uptake of available or future tests. Finally, we propose that the 3Rs of reduction, refinement and replacement, which have been used in an animal welfare context for many years, could be applied to antimicrobial use for mastitis control on dairy farms.