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.

The interaction of helminth infections with type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been a major area of research in the past few years. This paper, therefore, focuses on the systematic review of the effects of helminthic infections on metabolism and immune regulation related to T2D, with mechanisms through which both direct and indirect effects are mediated. Specifically, the possible therapeutic role of helminths in T2D management, probably mediated through the modulation of host metabolic pathways and immune responses, is of special interest. This paper discusses the current possibilities for translating helminth therapy from basic laboratory research to clinical application, as well as existing and future challenges. Although preliminary studies suggest the potential for helminth therapy for T2D patients, their safety and efficacy still need to be confirmed by larger-scale clinical studies.

This paper provides an overview of the current status of ultrafast and ultra-intense lasers with peak powers exceeding 100 TW and examines the research activities in high-energy-density physics within China. Currently, 10 high-intensity lasers with powers over 100 TW are operational, and about 10 additional lasers are being constructed at various institutes and universities. These facilities operate either independently or are combined with one another, thereby offering substantial support for both Chinese and international research and development efforts in high-energy-density physics.

Accurate characterization of high-power laser parameters, especially the near-field and far-field distributions, is crucial for inertial confinement fusion experiments. In this paper, we propose a method for computationally reconstructing the complex amplitude of high-power laser beams using modified coherent modulation imaging. This method has the advantage of being able to simultaneously calculate both the near-field (intensity and wavefront/phase) and far-field (focal-spot) distributions using the reconstructed complex amplitude. More importantly, the focal-spot distributions at different focal planes can also be calculated. To verify the feasibility, the complex amplitude optical field of the high-power pulsed laser was measured after static aberrations calibration. Experimental results also indicate that the near-field wavefront resolution of this method is higher than that of the Hartmann measurement. In addition, the far-field focal spot exhibits a higher dynamic range (176 dB) than that of traditional direct imaging (62 dB).

The vitamin K (VK) levels vary greatly among different populations and in different regions. Currently, there is a lack of reference intervals for VK levels in healthy individuals, The aim of this study is to establish and validate the reference intervals of serum vitamin K1 (VK1) and vitamin K2 (VK2, specifically including menaquinone-4 (MK4) and menaquinone-7 (MK7)) levels in some healthy populations in Beijing. Serum VK1, MK4, and MK7 were firstly measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in 434 subjects. The reference intervals for three indicators were established by calculating the data of 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles. Finally, preliminary clinical validation was conducted on 60 apparent healthy individuals undergoing physical examination. In the young, middle-aged, and elderly groups, the reference intervals of VK1 were 0.180 ng/mL ∼ 1.494 ng/mL, 0.247 ng/mL ∼ 1.446 ng/mL, and 0.167 ng/mL ∼ 1.445 ng/mL, respectively. The reference intervals of MK4 were 0.009 ng/mL ∼ 0.115 ng/mL, 0.002 ng/mL ∼ 0.103 ng/mL, and 0.003 ng/mL ∼ 0.106 ng/mL, respectively. The reference intervals of MK7 were 0.169 ng/mL ∼ 0.881 ng/mL, 0.238 ng/mL ∼ 0.936 ng/mL, and 0.213 ng/mL ∼ 1.012 ng/mL, respectively. The reference intervals had been validated by the samples of healthy individuals for physical examination. In conclusion, the reference intervals of VK established in this study with different age groups have certain clinical applicability, providing data support for further multicentre studies.

Tea can improve the progression of some metabolic diseases through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its impact on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still controversial. The aim of this paper is to identify the relationship between tea and NAFLD by Mendelian randomisation (MR) and complete clinical validation using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. MR used data from Genome Wide Association Study, with inverse-variance weighted (IVW) as principal analytical methods. The reliability of the results was verified by a series of sensitivity and heterogeneity tests. Subsequently, clinical validation was conducted using NHANES (2005–2018), involving 22 257 participants, grouped by the type of tea. Green tea drinkers were categorised into four groups (Q1–Q4) by quartiles of green tea intake, from lowest to highest (similar for black tea drinkers and other tea drinkers). Models were constructed by logistic regression to estimate the role of tea consumption (Q1–4) on NAFLD. Finally, using fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis, the effect of tea consumption (Q1–4) on the degree of hepatic fibrosis was investigated by linear regression. IVW method (OR = 0·43, 95 % CI: 0·21, 0·85, P = 0·01) and weighted median method (OR = 0·35, 95 % CI: 0·14, 0·91, P = 0·03) revealed there was a causal relationship between tea and NAFLD. An array of sensitivity analyses validated the reliability of results. Analysis of NHANES indicated tea drinker present a slightly lower prevalence of NAFLD than non-tea drinker (green tea drinkers: 47·6 %, black tea drinkers: 46·3 %, other tea drinker: 43·2 %, non-tea drinkers: 48·1 %, P < 0·05). After adjusting for confounders, compared with the lowest black tea consumption (Q1), the population with the highest black tea consumption (Q4) was independently related to lower presence of NAFLD (Q4: OR = 0·69, 95 % CI: 0·50, 0·93, P < 0·05), such association remained stable in the overweight subgroup. As further analysed, Q4 also displayed a significant negative correlation with the level of hepatic fibrosis in patients with NAFLD (β = –0·073, 95 % CI: –0·126, −0·020, P < 0·01).Tea reduces the morbidity of NAFLD and ameliorates hepatic fibrosis degree in those already suffering from the disease.

The purpose of the paper is twofold. First, we show that partial-data transmission eigenfunctions associated with a conductive boundary condition vanish locally around a polyhedral or conic corner in $\mathbb{R}^n$, $n=2,3$. Second, we apply the spectral property to the geometrical inverse scattering problem of determining the shape as well as its boundary impedance parameter of a conductive scatterer, independent of its medium content, by a single far-field measurement. We establish several new unique recovery results. The results extend the relevant ones in [26] in two directions: first, we consider a more general geometric setup where both polyhedral and conic corners are investigated, whereas in [26] only polyhedral corners are concerned; second, we significantly relax the regularity assumptions in [26] which is particularly useful for the geometrical inverse problem mentioned above. We develop novel technical strategies to achieve these new results.

Core knowledge systems play an important role in theories of cognitive development. However, recent studies suggest that fundamental principles of the object and agent systems can be revised by adults and preschoolers, when given small amounts of counterevidence. We argue that not all core knowledge systems are created equal, and they may be subject to revision throughout development.

Lubricants are an essential component in high-performance mechanical equipment, but traditional lubricants are becoming inadequate for meeting the increasing demands for anti-friction and anti-wear properties and they discharge harmful chemicals to the environment. The purpose of the present study was to explore the use of sepiolite as a novel oil additive to extend the performance of lubricants. Sepiolite nanofibers were first treated by acid followed by a dry air flow, aimed at increasing the pore volume and decreasing the particle size. Then the nanofibers were further modified by an organosilane coupling agent to reduce the surface free energy and to improve the dispersion stability in lubricant. A significant improvement in the performance of the lubricant was achieved by using the modified sepiolite nanofibers as an additive. When the amount of modified sepiolite nanofibers added was 1.5 wt.%, the best performance was demonstrated by the lubricant, showing a viscosity increase at 40°C and 100°C, and an increase in resistance to oxidation. Moreover, the acid value and pour point decreased, and the copper sheet corrosion level dropped to its lowest value.

Waste brownfield-site soils contaminated with heavy metals such as Zn and Cr are of critical environmental concern because of the rapid urbanization and industrialization that is occurring in China. Thermal treatment can fix heavy metals in specific mineral structures, which might be a promising technology for remediation and reutilization of the metal-contaminated soils. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the stabilization mechanisms of Zn and Cr through thermal treatment of mixtures of ZnO + Cr2O3 to form ZnCr2O4 and to confirm that Zn and Cr were incorporated simultaneously into the spinel structure. The incorporation efficiency for Zn was quantified, with the value ranging from 70.6 to 100% over the temperature range 700–1300°C. Leaching results further confirmed that ZnCr2O4 spinel was a superior product for Zn and Cr immobilization. Then, by artificially sintering Zn- and Cr-enriched soils, both Zn and Cr were immobilized effectively (with three orders of magnitude reduction in Zn leachability) in the ZnCr2O4 spinel as the predominant product phase. In addition, multiple heavy metals such as Zn, Cu, and Cr in the actual brownfield-site soils were well immobilized after sintering, which confirmed the potential for practical application of the thermal treatment technology utilized in this study.

Since Bai (2009, Econometrica 77, 1229–1279), considerable extensions have been made to panel data models with interactive fixed effects (IFEs). However, little work has been conducted to understand the associated iterative algorithm, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the most commonly adopted approach in this line of research. In this paper, we refine the algorithm of panel data models with IFEs using the nuclear-norm penalization method and duple least-squares (DLS) iterations. Meanwhile, we allow the regression coefficients to be individual-specific and evolve over time. Accordingly, asymptotic properties are established to demonstrate the theoretical validity of the proposed approach. Furthermore, we show that the proposed methodology exhibits good finite-sample performance using simulation and real data examples.

The association between time-restricted eating (TRE) and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is less studied. Moreover, whether the association is independent of physical exercise or diet quality or quantity is uncertain. In this nationwide cross-sectional study of 3813 participants, the timing of food intakes was recorded by 24-h recalls; NAFLD was defined through vibration-controlled transient elastography in the absence of other causes of chronic liver disease. OR and 95 % CI were estimated using logistic regression. Participants with daily eating window of ≤ 8 h had lower odds of NAFLD (OR = 0·70, 95 % CI: 0·52, 0·93), compared with those with ≥ 10 h window. Early (05.00–15.00) and late TRE (11.00–21.00) showed inverse associations with NAFLD prevalence without statistical heterogeneity (Pheterogeneity = 0·649) with OR of 0·73 (95 % CI: 0·36, 1·47) and 0·61 (95 % CI: 0·44, 0·84), respectively. Such inverse association seemed stronger in participants with lower energy intake (OR = 0·58, 95 % CI: 0·38, 0·89, Pinteraction = 0·020). There are no statistical differences in the TRE-NAFLD associations according to physical activity (Pinteraction = 0·390) or diet quality (Pinteraction = 0·110). TRE might be associated with lower likelihood of NAFLD. Such inverse association is independent of physical activity and diet quality and appears stronger in individuals consuming lower energy. Given the potential misclassification of TRE based on one- or two-day recall in the analysis, epidemiological studies with validated methods for measuring the habitual timing of dietary intake are warranted.

Coastal eutrophication and hypoxia remain a persistent environmental crisis despite the great efforts to reduce nutrient loading and mitigate associated environmental damages. Symptoms of this crisis have appeared to spread rapidly, reaching developing countries in Asia with emergences in Southern America and Africa. The pace of changes and the underlying drivers remain not so clear. To address the gap, we review the up-to-date status and mechanisms of eutrophication and hypoxia in global coastal oceans, upon which we examine the trajectories of changes over the 40 years or longer in six model coastal systems with varying socio-economic development statuses and different levels and histories of eutrophication. Although these coastal systems share common features of eutrophication, site-specific characteristics are also substantial, depending on the regional environmental setting and level of social-economic development along with policy implementation and management. Nevertheless, ecosystem recovery generally needs greater reduction in pressures compared to that initiated degradation and becomes less feasible to achieve past norms with a longer time anthropogenic pressures on the ecosystems. While the qualitative causality between drivers and consequences is well established, quantitative attribution of these drivers to eutrophication and hypoxia remains difficult especially when we consider the social economic drivers because the changes in coastal ecosystems are subject to multiple influences and the cause–effect relationship is often non-linear. Such relationships are further complicated by climate changes that have been accelerating over the past few decades. The knowledge gaps that limit our quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the human-coastal ocean nexus are identified, which is essential for science-based policy making. Recognizing lessons from past management practices, we advocate for a better, more efficient indexing system of coastal eutrophication and an advanced regional earth system modeling framework with optimal modules of human dimensions to facilitate the development and evaluation of effective policy and restoration actions.

This paper presents a study on the design and modeling of a novel pneumatic self-repairing soft actuator. The self-repairing soft actuator is composed of driving element, heating element, and repairing element. The driving element completes the deformation of the self-repairing soft actuator. The heating element and the repairing element complete the self-repairing function of the self-repairing soft actuator. A model used to optimize the structure is established, and the structure of the self-repairing soft actuator is determined through finite element analysis and experiment. The self-repairing time model of the soft actuator is established. The influences of different factors on the self-repairing effect and the self-repairing time are analyzed. The self-repairing scheme of the soft actuator is determined. Experiments show that the shortest time for the self-repairing soft actuator to complete the self-repairing process is 83 min. When the self-repairing soft actuator works normally, the bending angle can reach 129.8° and the bending force can reach 24.96 N. After repairing, the bending angle can reach 108.2°, and the bending force can reach 21.85 N. The repaired soft actuator can complete normal locomotion.

In this paper, we study the ergodicity of the geodesic flows on surfaces with no focal points. Let M be a smooth connected and closed surface equipped with a $C^{\infty }$ Riemannian metric g, whose genus $\mathfrak {g} \geq 2$. Suppose that $(M,g)$ has no focal points. We prove that the geodesic flow on the unit tangent bundle of M is ergodic with respect to the Liouville measure, under the assumption that the set of points on M with negative curvature has at most finitely many connected components.