During the COVID-19 pandemic, pandemic-driven nationalism surged in China, exemplified by widespread mockery and disparagement of India’s handling of the crisis in Chinese cyberspace. Adopting a linguistically grounded approach, this study scrutinizes how India is discursively constructed as an inferior Other amid COVID-19. It conducts a linguistically informed discourse analysis of a highly viewed text on Zhihu (China’s largest online Q&A platform). Drawing mainly on Halliday’s transitivity theory, this study unpacks the linguistic features in the chosen text, which, within a discourse of modern medicine, depicts the Indian people as trapped between hopelessly passive and absurdly overactive in the face of the pandemic. The text also casts the Indian government as an impotent foil to the Chinese government, a representation situated within a discourse of strong-state pandemic governance. By interrogating the non-official social media text through a linguistic lens, this study contributes to understanding China’s representational politics of Othering the non-West within the intertextual nexus between official and non-official spheres. It also contributes to making sense of the multidimensionality and ambivalence underlying Chinese national identity-making as well as “Orientalism within the ‘Orient’” in the Chinese context.

Do citizens prefer national policies that are designed collaboratively over those produced by national government alone? The question is relevant, especially in Latin America, where citizens are sceptical of government’s capacity to address complex problems. In this article, we hypothesize that collaboratively crafted policies will be preferred over those produced by government alone in Argentina and Chile. We design conjoint experiments that ask respondents to choose among three pairs of policies, each of which varies randomly in terms of whether and with whom the government collaborates. We find that citizens in both countries tend to prefer collaboratively produced policies. This is especially the case when citizens have higher levels of trust in the actors with whom the national government collaborates. One important insight of our study is that, despite the costs of collaborative approaches to policymaking, citizen preferences for it could incentivize national governments to invest more resources in collaborative governance.

Large-scale field investigation in the Eastern Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang identified 108 Palaeolithic/microlithic surface findspots. Pulei Cave reveals the first well-preserved spelean sediment record containing Upper Palaeolithic cultural remains in eastern Xinjiang, dating from c. 45–43 ka BP.

The Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, but the development of effective conservation strategies is hindered by a lack of data on its distribution range and population dynamics. In addition, standardized survey and analysis methods are required to facilitate the sharing of results and maximize conservation effectiveness. To fill these knowledge and methodological gaps, we investigated the occurrence of pangolin burrows in the subtropical forest ecosystem of Fujian, China. We surveyed a total of 70 transects across five land-cover types within the Fujian Junzifeng National Nature Reserve and detected 87 burrows. The majority of burrows (87%) were located in mixed conifer and broadleaf forests. We used six environmental variables in a generalized linear model to examine the relationship between the occurrence of burrows and environmental factors. The average model results from the best model set showed that the distribution of burrows was significantly influenced by forest type. For effective pangolin conservation, we recommend that local conservation authorities prioritize the protection of mixed conifer and broadleaf forests. Our findings support the local conservation of the Chinese pangolin and the standardization of surveys and conservation efforts across the species’ range.

We extend the definition of the X-Rokhlin property to countable discrete groups and prove some permanence properties. If the action of a countable discrete group on X is free and minimal and the action of this group on the separable simple $C^*$-algebra has the X-Rokhlin property, then the reduced crossed product is simple.

Ultra-thin liquid sheets generated by impinging two liquid jets are crucial high-repetition-rate targets for laser ion acceleration and ultra-fast physics, and serve widely as barrier-free samples for structural biochemistry. The impact of liquid viscosity on sheet thickness should be comprehended fully to exploit its potential. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that viscosity significantly influences thickness distribution, while surface tension primarily governs shape. We propose a thickness model based on momentum exchange and mass transport within the radial flow, which agrees well with the experiments. These results provide deeper insights into the behaviour of liquid sheets and enable accurate thickness control for various applications, including atomization nozzles and laser-driven particle sources.

The measured markups in the U.S. have been increasing since the 1980s. This paper quantitatively evaluates the impact of surging mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on the aggregate markup. We propose a dynamic general equilibrium model featuring heterogeneous firms, endogenous markups, and an M&A market to explore the aggregate implications of M&As under different antitrust policy regimes. Firms are heterogeneous in productivity, while more productive firms are larger in size and charge a higher markup, and the M&A market is characterized by a search and matching process. Successful purchases of other firms improve the productivity of the acquirer but also raise its markup. We calibrate the impact of M&As on markups at the firm level to the data counterpart. Our quantitative results show that surging M&As account for about 60% of the 9.75 percentage points increase in aggregate markup in the U.S. from the 1980s to the 2010s. The quantified model also generates changes in the markup distribution comparable to the data.

Germplasm resources are the foundation for improving crop varieties and a strategic asset for global food security. They also advance plant breeding, agricultural biotechnology and the production of essential agricultural goods. To assess the distribution, diversity and conservation status of food crop germplasm in the Hainan Province, China, we conducted a detailed survey of the Hainan Island. Between 2017 and 2022, we collected 330 food crop germplasm resources, encompassing 16 cereal crops, including rice, maize, sweet potato. The collected germplasm resources exhibited traits of high resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses, including common diseases and drought stress, as well as superior quality and adaptability to poor soil conditions such as sandy land. However, challenges such as low productivity and hybrid degradation were identified. These resources were primarily found in Haikou City, Baisha County, Danzhou City, Wuzhishan City and Sanya City. Additionally, we collected several ancient local varieties and endangered germplasm resources such as ‘Jiezi rice’ and ‘Wuzhishan maize’. This study serves as a reference for the conservation, development and utilization of local food crop germplasm resources in Hainan Province and lays the foundation for breeding and developing new varieties.

Long-duration and time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements were conducted in rough-wall open channel flows (OCFs), with the friction Reynolds number ranging from 642 to 2034. The primary objective is to investigate the impacts of various turbulent motions at different scales on the mean wall-shear stress ($\langle \tau _w \rangle$). To achieve this aim, a physical decomposition of $\langle \tau _w \rangle$ was initially performed utilizing the double-averaged methodology proposed by Nikora et al. (2019 J. Fluid Mech. 872, 626–664). This method enabled the breakdown of $\langle \tau _w \rangle$ into three distinct constituents: viscous, turbulent and dispersive stress segments. The findings underscore the substantial roles that turbulent and dispersive stresses play, accounting for over 75 % and 9 % of $\langle \tau _w \rangle$, respectively. Subsequently, a scale decomposition was further applied to analyse the contributions of coherent motions at different scales to $\langle \tau _w \rangle$. Adopting typical cutoff streamwise wavelengths ($\lambda _x = 3h$ and $10h$), the contribution of large-scale motions (LSMs) and very large-scale motions (VLSMs) to the overall wall-shear stress was quantified. It was revealed that turbulent motions with $\lambda _x \gt 3h$ and $\lambda _x \gt 10h$ contribute more than 40 % and 18 % of $\langle \tau _w \rangle$, respectively. The scale decomposition of the wall-shear stress and the contribution from LSMs and VLSMs exhibit evident dependencies on the Reynolds number. The contribution of LSMs and VLSMs to $\langle \tau _w \rangle$ is lower in rough OCFs compared with those of smooth counterparts. Secondary currents induced by the rough wall are hypothesised to be responsible for the reduced strength of LSMs and VLSMs and decreases in their contribution to $\langle \tau _w \rangle$.

In this study, we explore the evolution of instabilities in magneto-quasi-geostrophic (MQG) modons on the $f$-plane using a magnetohydrodynamic rotating shallow water model. The numerical experiments have been conducted using a recently proposed second-order flux-globalisation-based path-conservative central-upwind scheme. Our focus is on the evolution and interactions of three key configurations: singular, regular and hollow MQG modons, which represent cases where the magnetic field is confined within the separatrix, evenly distributed inside and outside the separatrix and localised outside the separatrix, respectively. The singular MQG modon emerges as the most stable configuration, demonstrating the greatest resilience to destabilising forces. A notable observation is its transition from a quadrupolar to a tripolar magnetic field structure before reverting to a quadrupole adjusted magnetic modon, accompanied by a clockwise rotation of the system. In terms of stability, singular modons are the most stable ones, while hollow modons are the least stable. As instabilities develop, southward or northward displacements become significantly more pronounced than eastward or westward movements, primarily due to the Coriolis force. Among the configurations, the hollow (singular) modons experience the biggest (smallest) displacements. Additionally, we investigate modon collisions and highlight three scenarios: interactions between cyclonic and anticyclonic components that form a composite modon with meridional bifurcation; collisions of cyclonic vortices that produce a tripolar structure with counterclockwise rotation; and collisions between anticyclonic components that result in a stable, quasi-stationary tripolar configuration. The resulting magnetic poles exhibit a checkered pattern, with their amplitude decreasing with increasing distance from the central vortex.

In this work we focus on expected flow in porous formations with highly conductive isolated fractures, which are of non-negligible length compared with the scales of interest. Accordingly, the definition of a representative elementary volume (REV) for flow and transport predictions may not be possible. Recently, a non-local kernel-based theory for flow in such formations has been proposed. There, fracture properties like their expected pressure are represented as field quantities. Unlike existing models, where fractures are assumed to be small compared with the scale of interest, a non-local kernel function is used to quantify the expected flow transfer between a point in the fracture domain and a potentially distant point in the matrix continuum. The transfer coefficient implied by the kernel is a function of the fracture characteristics that are in turn captured statistically. So far the model has successfully been applied for statistically homogeneous cases. In the present work we demonstrate the applicability for heterogeneous cases with spatially varying fracture statistics. Moreover, a scaling law is presented that relates the transfer coefficient to the fracture characteristics. Test cases involving discontinuously and continuously varying fracture statistics are presented, and the validity of the scaling law is demonstrated.

Food insecurity (FIS) is a critical public health issue, particularly among older adults. This study investigates the association between FIS with diet quality and anthropometric indices in the US older adults. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using NHANES data from 2017 to 2020, involving 2592 participants aged ≥ 60 years. FIS was assessed using the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 and adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) score. Anthropometric measures were calculated following standardised protocols. Multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for demographic, socio-economic and behavioural factors examined the association between FIS and the higher quartile and tertile of anthropometric and diet quality indices, respectively. Of the participants, 27·4 % experienced FIS. FIS participants were younger and had lower education and income levels compared with FS individuals (P < 0·05). In the adjusted model, FIS was associated with lower adherence to both the Mediterranean Diet (OR: 0·48, 95 % CI: 0·31, 0·67) and HEI-2020 (OR: 0·61, 95 % CI: 0·37, 0·84), indicating poorer diet quality in older adults. In adjusted analyses, FIS was significantly associated with higher A Body Shape Index quartiles (Q3: OR: 1·44, 95 % CI: 1·06, 1·95; Q4: OR: 1·46, 95 % CI: 1·07, 2·01), the waist-to-hip ratio (Q4: OR: 1·44, 95 % CI: 1·01, 2·06) and the Conicity index (Q4: OR: 1·36, 95 % CI: 1·02, 1·81). FIS in older adults is associated with unfavourable diet quality and body composition patterns, particularly central obesity measures. Addressing FIS may mitigate health risks related to obesity and its complications.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial membrane, leading to cartilage destruction and bone erosion. Due to the complex pathogenesis of RA and the limitations of current therapies, increasing research attention has been directed towards novel strategies targeting fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), which are key cellular components of the hyperplastic pannus. Recent studies have highlighted the pivotal role of FLS in the initiation and progression of RA, driven by their tumour-like transformation and the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines and matrix metalloproteinases. The aggressive phenotype of RA-FLS is marked by excessive proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, and enhanced migratory and invasive capacities. Consequently, FLS-targeted therapies represent a promising avenue for the development of next-generation RA treatments. The efficacy of such strategies – particularly those aimed at modulating FLS signalling pathways – has been demonstrated in both preclinical and clinical settings, underscoring their therapeutic potential. This review provides an updated overview of the pathogenic mechanisms and functional roles of FLS in RA, with a focus on critical signalling pathways under investigation, including Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Notch and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4). In addition, we discuss the emerging understanding of FLS-subset-specific contributions to immunometabolism and explore how computational biology is shaping novel targeted therapeutic strategies. A deeper understanding of the molecular and functional heterogeneity of FLS may pave the way for more effective and precise therapeutic interventions in RA.

Suicide accounts for over 700,000 deaths per year globally and remains a public health priority. Evidence suggests that sleep-related interventions may be effective in reducing depressive symptom severity and suicidal thoughts in patients diagnosed with depression and comorbid insomnia. This study aims to systematically review the efficacy of sedative-hypnotics and/or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on measures of suicidality.

In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to July 30, 2024. Studies were included if they (1) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and (2) reported on suicide-related measures associated with sleep interventions as a primary outcome, secondary outcome, or a safety measure. We endeavored to define and operationalize suicidality as suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempts (SA), and suicide completion (SC). In cases where study authors failed to separate these three dimensions, the term “suicidality” was applied.

Eighteen studies were identified meeting inclusion criteria, comprised of studies investigating benzodiazepines (n = 2), Z-drugs (n=4), orexin receptor antagonists (ORAs) (n=8), and CBT-I (n=4). Zolpidem reduces SI as well as insomnia (linear association = 0.12, p<0.05) as evidenced by improvement on both the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI). ORAs were not associated with either an increase or decrease in suicidality. CBT-I alleviates SI in patients with insomnia (t = −3.35, p<0.05).

Effectively treating insomnia is associated with reduced SI. Available evidence suggests that Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved sedative-hypnotics do not increase the risk of suicidality.

Variable topological space robots are essential for providing adaptability and flexibility, enabling the robot to adjust its morphology to perform a range of tasks in the unstructured environment of space. However, impact is a common consequence of topology transformation in space robotics, which may lead to irreversible damage, such as the shedding of solid lubrication on joints. Nevertheless, determining the precise force-time relationships of such impacts poses significant challenges, especially when accounting for various connection mechanisms. In this work, a docking strategy that optimizes the manipulator’s joint angle configuration to minimize the impulse when the topology changes is proposed. First, an estimation technique is developed to quantify the impulse generated by topology transformation, employing spatial operator algebra and generalized momentum balance equations. Based on this model, the impulse minimization is modelled as a bilevel optimization problem, which decomposes a complex multipolar problem into two simpler subproblems. Although this optimization model may compromise computational efficiency, it increases the probability of achieving an optimal solution. To address this, a bilevel solution strategy based on a heuristic algorithm is proposed. In this framework, the lower level uses particle swarm optimization to determine the global optimum, while the upper level adopts simulated annealing to enhance computational speed. Finally, simulations are conducted to validate the proposed approach. Results demonstrate that the proposed method substantially reduces impulse.