Dot array deposition through electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is widely used for high resolution and material utilization advantages. However, the conventional printing method is subject to a printing frequency limit known as the capillary frequency of the meniscus oscillation, where the jet directly contacts the substrate. This makes the printing frequency of EHD printing maintain at a low level and that is difficult to improve. In this work, a method for high-frequency EHD printing through continuous pinch-off is proposed. The characteristic frequency is broken through. A model is established to reveal the printing mechanism by combining the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equation and the phase field method. The unreal charge leakage is prevented by constructing a transition function for the fluid’s properties. The stability of the Taylor cone’s deformation and the droplets’ generation is studied. The measurement criterion for printing frequency is determined. The suitable printing height that can prevent the jet from directly contacting the substrate is obtained by investigating its influence on the printing states and frequency. The phase diagram considering the liquid’s conductivity and viscosity is presented to distinguish whether the printing is based on the end-pinching or Rayleigh–Plateau instability. The influence of the conductivity, viscosity, flow rate and printing voltage on the printing frequencies is studied quantitatively. Finally, scaling laws for printing frequency are proposed by theoretical analyses and summarizing the numerical data. This work could be beneficial for further enhancing the printing frequency of EHD printing.

This research investigates the spanwise oscillation patterns of turbulent non-premixed flames in a tandem configuration, using both experimental methods and large eddy simulations under cross-airflow conditions. Based on the heat release rate (17.43–34.86 kW) and the burner size (0.15 $\times$ 0.15 m), the flame behaves like both a buoyancy-controlled fire (such as a pool fire) and, due to cross-wind effects, a forced flow-controlled fire. The underlying fire dynamics was modelled by varying the spacing between the square diffusion burners, cross-wind velocity and heat release rate. Two flapping modes, the oscillating and bifurcating modes, were observed in the wake of the downstream diffusion flame. This behaviour depends on the wake of the upstream diffusion flame. As the backflow of the upstream flame moved downstream, the maximum flame width of the downstream flame became broader. The flapping amplitude decreased with a stronger cross-wind. Furthermore, the computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed by FireFOAM based on OpenFOAM v2006 2020 to investigate the flapping mechanism. The simulation captured both modes well. Disagreement of the flapping period on the left and right sides results in the oscillating mode, while an agreement of the flapping period results in the bifurcating mode. Finally, the scaling law expressed the dimensionless maximum flame width with the proposed set of basic dimensional parameters, following observations and interpretation by simulations. The results help prevent the potential hazards of this type of basic fire scenario and are fundamentally significant for studying wind-induced multiple fires.

Cargo carrying by a spring connected chiral micro-swimmer in a square channel is numerical studied by the three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method and a chiral squirmer model. The effects of the driving type (β), swimming Reynolds number (Rep), spin coefficient (ξ) and diameter ratio (S) on the changes of the cargo-carrying velocity, spring length and motion modes are investigated, respectively. Four kinds of interesting motion modes are observed. When the chirality is not considered, the optimal combination for maximising swimming velocity are the pusher–cargo and cargo–puller configurations when Rep = 0.1 ∼ 1. When Rep is enhanced, the swimming velocities of the pusher–cargo, puller–cargo and cargo–pusher are increased, while the velocity of the cargo–puller is gradually decreased. When considering the chirality, only the swimming velocity of cargo–pusher and cargo–puller keep an interesting increment, and the reverse motion mode for the pusher-cargo and puller-cargo is firstly found in the present work when ξ exceeds a certain value. The impact of S on the cargo-carrying behaviour is complex, three kinds of oscillatory trajectories will appear under different ξ and S. The swimming velocity is reduced and even zero velocity will be observed when S is large. This work reveals key factors on the movement of microorganisms, offering guidance for improving cargo-carrying capabilities.

While researchers often study message features like moral content in text, such as party manifestos and social media posts, their quantification remains a challenge. Conventional human coding struggles with scalability and intercoder reliability. While dictionary-based methods are cost-effective and computationally efficient, they often lack contextual sensitivity and are limited by the vocabularies developed for the original applications. In this paper, we present an approach to construct “vec-tionaries” that boost validated dictionaries with word embeddings through nonlinear optimization. By harnessing semantic relationships encoded by embeddings, vec-tionaries improve the measurement of message features from text, especially those in short format, by expanding the applicability of original vocabularies to other contexts. Importantly, a vec-tionary can produce additional metrics to capture the valence and ambivalence of a message feature beyond its strength in texts. Using moral content in tweets as a case study, we illustrate the steps to construct the moral foundations vec-tionary, showcasing its ability to process texts missed by conventional dictionaries and to produce measurements better aligned with crowdsourced human assessments. Furthermore, additional metrics from the vec-tionary unveiled unique insights that facilitated predicting downstream outcomes such as message retransmission.

Research on the association between the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) and hyperuricaemia (HUA) is scarce, and whether the association differs by sex is unclear. This research aimed to explore sex-specific associations between CVAI and HUA and to compare CVAI’s predictive performance with other adiposity indices using data from 22 171 adults (30–79 years) in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study (Chongqing region). The prevalence of HUA was 20·9 % in men and 9·7 % in women. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilised to assess the adjusted OR and 95 % CI. After multivariable adjustment, CVAI was associated with HUA in men (OR Q4 v. Q1 = 3·31, 95 % CI 2·73, 4·03) and women (OR Q4 v. Q1 = 7·20, 95 % CI 5·12, 10·12). Moreover, significant interactions were observed between BMI and CVAI on HUA in both sexes (all Pinteraction < 0·001), with the strongest associations in those with BMI < 24·0 kg/m2. The OR (95 % CI) across different BMI groups (< 24·0, 24·0–27·9, ≥ 28·0 kg/m²) were 1·87 (1·63, 2·13), 1·65 (1·48, 1·85) and 1·30 (1·14, 1·49) for men and 2·76 (2·18, 3·51), 2·46 (1·98, 3·07) and 1·87 (1·47, 2·39) for women, respectively. Additionally, CVAI showed satisfactory predictive performance for HUA in women, with the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0·735, but not in men (0·660). These findings suggest a close association between CVAI and HUA, particularly pronounced in those with BMI < 24·0 kg/m², and a stronger association in women than in men.

Mapping reviews (MRs) are crucial for identifying research gaps and enhancing evidence utilization. Despite their increasing use in health and social sciences, inconsistencies persist in both their conceptualization and reporting. This study aims to clarify the conceptual framework and gather reporting items from existing guidance and methodological studies. A comprehensive search was conducted across nine databases and 11 institutional websites, including documents up to January 2024. A total of 68 documents were included, addressing 24 MR terms and 55 definitions, with 39 documents discussing distinctions and overlaps among these terms. From the documents included, 28 reporting items were identified, covering all the steps of the process. Seven documents mentioned reporting on the title, four on the abstract, and 14 on the background. Ten methods-related items appeared in 56 documents, with the median number of documents supporting each item being 34 (interquartile range [IQR]: 27, 39). Four results-related items were mentioned in 18 documents (median: 14.5, IQR: 11.5, 16), and four discussion-related items appeared in 25 documents (median: 5.5, IQR: 3, 13). There was very little guidance about reporting conclusions, acknowledgments, author contributions, declarations of interest, and funding sources. This study proposes a draft 28-item reporting checklist for MRs and has identified terminologies and concepts used to describe MRs. These findings will first be used to inform a Delphi consensus process to develop reporting guidelines for MRs. Additionally, the checklist and definitions could be used to guide researchers in reporting high-quality MRs.

The study aims were to present in vitro susceptibilities of clinical isolates from Gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections (GNBSI) collected in China. GNBSI isolates were collected from 18 tertiary hospitals in 7 regions of China from 2018 to 2020. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were assessed using a Trek Diagnostic System. Susceptibility was determined using CLSI broth microdilution, and breakpoints were interpreted using CLSI M100 (2021). A total of 1,815 GNBSI strains were collected, with E. coli (42.4%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.6%) being the most prevalent species, followed by P. aeruginosa (6.7%). Susceptibility analyses revealed low susceptibilities (<40%) of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumonia to third-/fourth-generation cephalosporins, monobactamases, and fluoroquinolones. High susceptibilities to colistin (95.0%) and amikacin (81.3%) were found for K. pneumoniae, while Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited a high susceptibility (99.2%) to colistin but a low susceptibility to other antimicrobials (<27.5%). Isolates from ICUs displayed lower drug susceptibility rates of K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii than isolates from non-ICUs (all P < 0.05). Carbapenem-resistant and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae detection was different across regions (both P < 0.05). E. coli and K. pneumoniae were major contributors to GNBSI, while A. baumannii exhibited severe drug resistance in isolates obtained from ICU departments.

The viruses associated with bats have generated significant concern; however, there is limited knowledge regarding the endoparasites that affect these mammals. This study involved the collection of seven nematode specimens (three males and four females) from the intestines of Hipposideros armiger in Shaoguan City, Guangdong, China. Next-generation sequencing was employed to obtain the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome, which was determined to be 14,130 base pairs in length. The mitochondrial genome comprised 12 protein-coding genes, 21 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and an AT-rich non-coding region. Phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA sequences indicated that the nematode forms a sister clade to Nematodirus, exhibiting only 74% nucleotide identity. In contrast, the nuclear ITS1 gene demonstrated a high degree of nucleotide identity (98.6%–98.8%) with Durettenema guangdongense. Consequently, the parasitic nematode identified from H. armiger is likely to belong to the genus Durettenema and has been designated as Durettenema sp. 888. Furthermore, an epidemiological investigation revealed the presence of the parasitic nematode infections in H. armiger collected from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou Provinces. Given the widespread distribution of H. armiger and their tendency to inhabit areas in close proximity to human dwellings, the influence of parasite prevalence on bat population numbers and potential for human and domestic animal transmission of this pathogen warrants further investigation.

The betatron radiation source features a micrometer-scale source size, a femtosecond-scale pulse duration, milliradian-level divergence angles and a broad spectrum exceeding tens of keV. It is conducive to the high-contrast imaging of minute structures and for investigating interdisciplinary ultrafast processes. In this study, we present a betatron X-ray source derived from a high-charge, high-energy electron beam through a laser wakefield accelerator driven by the 1 PW/0.1 Hz laser system at the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF). The critical energy of the betatron X-ray source is 22 ± 5 keV. The maximum X-ray flux reaches up to 4 × 109 photons for each shot in the spectral range of 5–30 keV. Correspondingly, the experiment demonstrates a peak brightness of 1.0 × 1023 photons·s−1·mm−2·mrad−2·0.1%BW−1, comparable to those demonstrated by third-generation synchrotron light sources. In addition, the imaging capability of the betatron X-ray source is validated. This study lays the foundation for future imaging applications.

The effect of the polarizations of two counter-propagating relativistic laser pulses interacting with subwavelength thin solid-density foil is investigated. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and analytical modelling show that the interaction and resulting transverse instability depend strongly on the polarization directions as well as the intensity distribution of the resultant light field in the foil. The left- and right-handed circularly polarized laser pair with the same phase at the common focal spot in the ultrathin foil leads to the strongest distortion of the foil. The fastest growing mode and maximum growth rate depend mainly on the laser intensity. For all polarization and phase-difference combinations, the instability is weakest when the two laser pulses are exactly out of phase at the common focusing point in the foil.

Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid acting as a key nutrition factor regulating animal growth and development. But how Trp modulates food intake in pigs is still not well known. Here, we investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of Trp with different levels on food intake of growing pigs. The data showed that dietary Trp supplementation with the standardised ileal digestibility (SID) Trp to lysine (Lys) ratio at both 0·18 and 0·20 significantly increased the food intake by activating the expression of orexigenic gene agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and inhibiting the expression of anorexigenic gene pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) in the hypothalamus. Meanwhile, the level of anorexigenic hormones appetite-regulating peptide YY (PYY) in the duodenum and serum and leptin receptor in the duodenum were also significantly decreased. Importantly, both the kynurenine and serotonin metabolic pathways were activated upon dietary Trp supplementation to downregulate MC4R expression in the hypothalamus. Further mechanistic studies revealed that the reduced MC4R expression activated the hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, which in turn inhibited the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) activity to stimulate food intake. Together, our study unravels the orexigenic effect of dietary Trp supplementation in pigs and expands its potential application in developing nutrition intervention strategy in pig production.

Our study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to assess talaromycosis risk in hospitalized HIV-positive patients. Prediction models were built using data from a multicentre retrospective cohort study in China. On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we collected data from 1564 hospitalized HIV-positive patients in four hospitals from 2010 to 2019. Inpatients were randomly assigned to the training or validation group at a 7:3 ratio. To identify the potential risk factors for talaromycosis in HIV-infected patients, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Through multivariate logistic regression, we determined ten variables that were independent risk factors for talaromycosis in HIV-infected individuals. A nomogram was developed following the findings of the multivariate logistic regression analysis. For user convenience, a web-based nomogram calculator was also created. The nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination in both the training and validation groups [area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.883 vs. 0.889] and good calibration. The results of the clinical impact curve (CIC) analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed the clinical utility of the model. Clinicians will benefit from this simple, practical, and quantitative strategy to predict talaromycosis risk in HIV-infected patients and can implement appropriate interventions accordingly.

Microorganisms symbiotic with insects, whether permanently or temporarily, play a crucial role in the nutrition, development, reproduction, defence, and metamorphosis regulation. In some Lepidoptera, oviposition-deterrent pheromones (ODPs) on egg surface were used by pregnant females to modify the behaviour of conspecifics to avoid excessive competition for limited resources. In this study, we constructed four different Spodoptera litura groups, including, OH, OA, SH, and OA, which either feed on different hosts or grow in different environments. The 16S rDNA libraries of microbes from the egg surface of the four groups were constructed and sequenced. According to alpha and beta diversity indices, the microbes in environments and diets considerably influenced the richness, diversity, and community compositions of the microbiota on egg surfaces. The quantity of the main ODP components and the corresponding oviposition-deterrent activity among four groups were significantly differed among the four groups. The result of this study revealed that altering of microbes in environments or diets considerably changed the contents of ODP and oviposition-deterrent activity. As ODPs impart oviposition-deterrent activity towards closely related species, the findings of this study suggest that we should pay more attention to the role of symbiotic microorganisms in changing the ability of insects, especially sympatric species, to occupy the optimal niche when developing novel pest-control strategies.

Isolated multi-MeV $\gamma$-rays with attosecond duration, high collimation and beam angular momentum (BAM) may find many interesting applications in nuclear physics, astrophysics, etc. Here, we propose a scheme to generate such $\gamma$-rays via nonlinear Thomson scattering of a rotating relativistic electron sheet driven by a few-cycle twisted laser pulse interacting with a micro-droplet target. Our model clarifies the laser intensity threshold and carrier-envelope phase effect on the generation of the isolated electron sheet. Three-dimensional numerical simulations demonstrate the $\gamma$-ray emission with 320 attoseconds duration and peak brilliance of $9.3\times 10^{24}$ photons s${}^{-1}$ mrad${}^{-2}$ mm${}^{-2}$ per 0.1$\%$ bandwidth at 4.3 MeV. The $\gamma$-ray beam carries a large BAM of $2.8 \times 10^{16}\mathrm{\hslash}$, which arises from the efficient BAM transfer from the rotating electron sheet, subsequently leading to a unique angular distribution. This work should promote the experimental investigation of nonlinear Thomson scattering of rotating electron sheets in large laser facilities.