The heating effect of electromagnetic waves in ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRFs) in magnetic confinement fusion device is different in different plasma conditions. In order to evaluate the ICRF heating effect in different plasma conditions, we conducted a series of experiments and corresponding TRANSP simulations on the EAST tokamak. Both simulation and experimental results show that the effect of ICRF heating is poor at low core electron density. The decrease in electron density changes the left-handed electric field near the resonant layer, resulting in a significant decrease in the power absorbed by the hydrogen fundamental resonance. However, quite a few experiments must be performed in plasma conditions with low electron density. It is necessary to study how to make ICRF heating best in low electron density plasma. Through a series of simulation scans of the parallel refractive index (n//) of the ICRF antenna, it is concluded that the change of the ICRF antenna n// will lead to the change of the left-handed electric field, which will change the fundamental absorption of ICRF power by the hydrogen minority ions. Fully considering the coupling of ion cyclotron wave at the tokamak boundary and the absorption in the plasma core, optimizing the ICRF antenna structure and selecting appropriate parameters such as parallel refractive index, minority ion concentration, resonance layer position, plasma current and core electron temperature can ensure better heating effect in the ICRF heating experiments in the future EAST upgrade. These results have important implications for the enhancement of the auxiliary heating effect of EAST and other tokamaks.

This paper introduces a novel ray-tracing methodology for various gradient-index materials, particularly plasmas. The proposed approach utilizes adaptive-step Runge–Kutta integration to compute ray trajectories while incorporating an innovative rasterization step for ray energy deposition. By removing the requirement for rays to terminate at cell interfaces – a limitation inherent in earlier cell-confined approaches – the numerical formulation of ray motion becomes independent of specific domain geometries. This facilitates a unified and concise tracing method compatible with all commonly used curvilinear coordinate systems in laser–plasma simulations, which were previously unsupported or prohibitively complex under cell-confined frameworks. Numerical experiments demonstrate the algorithm’s stability and versatility in capturing diverse ray physics across reduced-dimensional planar, cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems. We anticipate that the rasterization-based approach will pave the way for the development of a generalized ray-tracing toolkit applicable to a broad range of fluid simulations and synthetic optical diagnostics.

Manganese (Mn) is a crucial trace element that actively participates in a diverse array of physiological processes. Mn is maintained at appropriate levels in the body by absorption and excretion by the body. Dysregulation of Mn homeostasis can lead to a variety of diseases, especially the accumulation of Mn in the brain, resulting in toxic side effects. We reviewed the metabolism and distribution of Mn at multiple levels, including organ, cellular and sub-cell levels. Mitochondria are the main sites of Mn metabolism and energy conversion in cells. Enhanced Mn superoxide dismutase activity reduces mitochondrial oxidative stress and inhibits cancer development. In addition, Mn enhances anti-cancer immune responses through the cGAS–STING pathway. We introduced various delivery vectors for Mn delivery to cancer sites for Mn supplementation and anti-cancer immunity. This review aims to provide new research perspectives for the application of Mn in the prevention and treatment of human diseases, especially by enhancing anti-cancer immune responses to inhibit cancer progression.

Rare earth elements (REEs) preserved in speleothems have garnered increasing attention as ideal proxies for the paleoenvironmental reconstruction. However, due to their typically low contents in stalagmites, the availability of stalagmite-based REE records remains limited. Here we present high-resolution REEs alongside oxygen isotope (δ18O) records in stalagmite SX15a from Sanxing Cave, southwestern China (110.1–103.3 ka). This study demonstrates that REE records could provide useful information for the provenance and formation process of the stalagmite, due to consistent distribution pattern across different periods indicating stable provenance. More interestingly, the total REE (ΣREE) record could serve as an effective indicator to reflect local hydrological processes associated with monsoonal precipitation. During Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 5d, a relatively low ΣREE content is consistent with the positive SX15a δ18O and negative NGRIP δ18O, reflecting a dry-cold environment; while during MIS 5c, a generally high ΣREE content suggests a humid-warm circumstance. Furthermore, the ΣREE record captured four prominent sub-millennial fluctuations within the Greenland interstadial 24 event, implying a combined influence by the regional climate and local soil redox conditions. Our findings indicate that the stalagmite-based REE records would be a useful proxy for better understanding of past climate and environment changes.

This study presents a novel investigation into the vortex dynamics of flow around a near-wall rectangular cylinder based on direct numerical simulation at $Re=1000$, marking the first in-depth exploration of these phenomena. By varying aspect ratios ($L/D = 5$, $10$, $15$) and gap ratios ($G/D = 0.1$, $0.3$, $0.9$), the study reveals the vortex dynamics influenced by the near-wall effect, considering the incoming laminar boundary layer flow. Both $L/D$ and $G/D$ significantly influence vortex dynamics, leading to behaviours not observed in previous bluff body flows. As $G/D$ increases, the streamwise scale of the upper leading edge (ULE) recirculation grows, delaying flow reattachment. At smaller $G/D$, lower leading edge (LLE) recirculation is suppressed, with upper Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices merging to form the ULE vortex, followed by instability, differing from conventional flow dynamics. Larger $G/D$ promotes the formation of an LLE shear layer. An intriguing finding at $L/D = 5$ and $G/D = 0.1$ is the backward flow of fluid from the downstream region to the upper side of the cylinder. At $G/D = 0.3$, double-trailing-edge vortices emerge for larger $L/D$, with two distinct flow behaviours associated with two interactions between gap flow and wall recirculation. These interactions lead to different multiple flow separations. For $G/D = 0.9$, the secondary vortex (SV) from the plate wall induces the formation of a tertiary vortex from the lower side of the cylinder. Double-SVs are observed at $L/D = 5$. Frequency locking is observed in most cases, but is suppressed at $L/D = 10$ and $G/D = 0.9$, where competing shedding modes lead to two distinct evolutions of the SV.

We study the generalized Ramsey–Turán function $\mathrm {RT}(n,K_s,K_t,o(n))$, which is the maximum possible number of copies of $K_s$ in an n-vertex $K_t$-free graph with independence number $o(n)$. The case when $s=2$ was settled by Erdős, Sós, Bollobás, Hajnal, and Szemerédi in the 1980s. We combinatorially resolve the general case for all $s\ge 3$, showing that the (asymptotic) extremal graphs for this problem have simple (bounded) structures. In particular, it implies that the extremal structures follow a periodic pattern when t is much larger than s. Our results disprove a conjecture of Balogh, Liu, and Sharifzadeh and show that a relaxed version does hold.

Matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) has been increasingly applied in health technology assessments (HTA). By reweighting subjects from a trial with individual participant data (IPD) to match the summary statistics of covariates in another trial with aggregate data (AgD), MAIC enables a comparison of the interventions for the AgD trial population. However, when there are imbalances in effect modifiers with different magnitudes of modification across treatments, contradictory conclusions may arise if MAIC is performed with the IPD and AgD swapped between trials. This can lead to the “MAIC paradox,” where different entities reach opposing conclusions about which treatment is more effective, despite analyzing the same data. In this paper, we use synthetic data to illustrate this paradox and emphasize the importance of clearly defining the target population in HTA submissions. Additionally, we recommend making de-identified IPD available to HTA agencies, enabling further indirect comparisons that better reflect the overall population represented by both IPD and AgD trials, as well as other relevant target populations for policy decisions. This would help ensure more accurate and consistent assessments of comparative effectiveness.

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.

This study aimed to investigate the intake of dairy products during pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its impacts on neonatal birth weight and pregnancy outcomes. A total of 386 women with GDM during the second trimester pregnancy participated in this prospective cohort study. We evaluated dairy products intake through the FFQ. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained from the delivery data. Participants were divided into insufficient and sufficient intake of milk and dairy products groups (< 300 g/d and ≥ 300 g/d, respectively). The average intake of dairy products during the second trimester pregnancy in women with GDM was 317·8 ± 179·5 g/d, and the total energy intake was 1635·4 ± 708·7 kcal/d. However, 76·68 % of them did not meet the recommended total energy intake of women with GDM. After adjusting for confounding factors, women with GDM who consumed ≥ 300 g/d of dairy products had an average reduction in birth weight of 93·1 g compared with women who consumed < 300 g/d of dairy products (95 % CI −171·343, −14·927). Women with GDM in sufficient intake group was also associated with lower risk of macrosomia (95 % CI 0·043, 0·695) and caesarean section (95 % CI 0·387, 0·933) and not related to low birth weight infant (95 % CI 0·617, 14·502) and preterm birth (95 % CI 0·186, 1·510) when compared with participants in insufficient intake group. Under the premise of insufficient total energy intake, the intake of dairy products during the second trimester pregnancy in women with GDM might be related to the decrease of neonatal birth weight.

Bronze mou vessels appear in Shu tombs in south-west China during the Eastern Zhou period (c. 771–256 BC). Examination of these vessels reveals major changes in the supply of metal and alloying technology in the Shu State, throwing new light on the social impact of the Qin conquest and later unification of China.

The previous study indicated that ubiquitination is involved in the freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. Parthenolide (PN), inducing the ubiquitination of MDM2, an E3 ring-finger ubiquitin ligase, adversely affects the freezing tolerance of hydrated lettuce seeds. Therefore, a proteomics analysis was conducted to identify PN's targets in hydrated seeds exposed to cooling conditions. Several pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation (KEGG00190), amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism (KEGG00520), and biosynthesis of nucleotide sugars (KEGG01250), were enriched in the PN treatment under slow-cooling conditions (3°C h−1, P < 0.05). Among the proteins in oxidative phosphorylation, the expression of NADH dehydrogenases and ATP synthases (ATPsyn) decreased in PN treatment. In contrast, uncoupling proteins increased after PN treatment, which led to the dissociation of the electron transport chain from ATP synthesis. Treatments with rotenone, dicoumarol, and oligomycin (i.e., oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors) decreased the survival rate of hydrated seeds under freezing conditions, which indicated that energy metabolism was related to the freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. The predicted interactions between PN and MDM2-like proteins of Lactuca indicated that LsMDM2-5 forms two potential hydrogen bonds with PN. Furthermore, based on AlphaFold predictions and yeast 2-hybrid results, MDM2-5 might interact directly with NADH2. The knockdown of MDM2-5 by RNAi caused a higher level of NADH2 and ATPsyn and a higher freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. This indicated that MDM2 played negative roles in regulating ATP synthesis and freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds.

Rhopalosiphum padi is an important grain pest, causing severe losses during crop production. As a systemic insecticide, flonicamid can control piercing-sucking pests efficiently. In our study, the lethal effects of flonicamid on the biological traits of R. padi were investigated via a life table approach. Flonicamid is highly efficiently toxic to R. padi, with an LC50 of 9.068 mg L−1. The adult longevity and fecundity of the R. padi F0 generation were markedly reduced under the LC25 and LC50 concentrations of flonicamid exposure. In addition, negative transgenerational effects on R. padi were observed under exposure to lethal concentrations of flonicamid, with noticeable decreases in the reproductive period, adult longevity, total longevity, and total fecundity of the F1 generation under the LC25 concentration of flonicamid. Furthermore, the third nymph stage (N3), preadult stage, duration of the adult pre-reproductive period, duration of the total pre-reproductive period, reproductive period, adult longevity, total longevity, and total fecundity of the F1 generation were significantly lower under treatment with the LC50 concentration of flonicamid. The life table parameters were subsequently analysed, revealing that the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and the net reproductive rate (R0) were significantly lower but that the finite rate of increase (λ) and the mean generation time (T) were not significantly different under the LC25 and LC50 concentrations of flonicamid. These data are beneficial for grain aphid control and are critical for exploring the role of flonicamid in the integrated management of this key pest.

Palygorskite (Pal) shows great potential for physical, chemical and biological uses due to its colloidal, catalytic and adsorption properties. Pal mines, however, are facing the challenge of low-grade materials (5–15%), making it difficult to use Pal in emerging fields such as new materials, environmental protection and health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient method for separating and purifying Pal to obtain high purity levels. Hence, we have developed a dispersant-assisted rotating liquid film reactor separation strategy based on sodium hexametaphosphate as the dispersant. This strategy utilizes the double electron layer of Pal and the density difference between impurities to achieve effective disaggregation and purification of Pal bundles through the promotion of repulsive driving effects. Under optimal conditions, the purity of Pal can be increased from less than 10% to over 80%. This research presents a novel approach to the efficient refining of low-grade Pal. The crudely purified Pal’s adsorption capacity for methylene blue increased from 84.2 to 256.4 mg g–1.

This study aimed to demonstrate the utilization value of 1PN embryos. The 1PN zygotes collected from December 2021 to September 2022 were included in this study. The embryo development, the pronuclear characteristics, and the genetic constitutions were investigated. The overall blastocyst formation and good-quality blastocyst rates in 1PN zygotes were 22.94 and 16.24%, significantly lower than those of 2PN zygotes (63.25 and 50.23%, respectively, P = 0.000). The pronuclear characteristics were found to be correlated with the developmental potential. When comparing 1PN zygotes that developed into blastocysts to those that arrested, the former exhibited a significantly larger area (749.49 ± 142.77 vs. 634.00 ± 119.05, P = 0.000), a longer diameter of pronuclear (29.81 ± 3.08 vs. 27.30 ± 3.00, P = 0.000), and a greater number of nucleolar precursor body (NPB) (11.56 ± 3.84 vs. 7.19 ± 2.73, P = 0.000). Among the tested embryos, the diploidy euploidy rate was significantly higher in blastocysts in comparison with the arrested embryos (66.67 vs. 11.76%, P = 0.000), which was also significantly higher in IVF-1PN blastocysts than in ICSI-1PN blastocysts (75.44 vs. 25.00%, P = 0.001). However, the pronuclear characteristics were not found to be linked to the chromosomal ploidy once they formed blastocysts.

In summary, while the developmental potential of 1PN zygotes is reduced, our study shows that, in addition to the reported pronuclear area and diameter, the number of NPB is also associated with their developmental potential. The 1PN blastocysts exhibit a high diploidy euploidy rate, are recommend to be clinically used post genetic testing, especially for patients who do not have other 2PN embryos available.

We report a high-power ultra-narrow fiber-coupled diode laser using a Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) as an external cavity element. An external cavity suitable for both the fiber-coupled package and FADOF configuration has been proposed. Using a 87Rb-based FADOF as the frequency-selective element, we realized a 103 W continuous laser output with a uniform circular beam. The center wavelength was precisely locked at the D2 line of the Rb resonance, and the bandwidth was narrowed from 1.8 nm (free-running, full width at half maximum (FWHM)) to 0.013 nm (6.9 GHz, FWHM). The side mode suppression ratio reached 31 dB. Such diode lasers with precise wavelength and high spectral brightness have critical applications in many fields, such as high-energy gas laser pumping, spin-exchange optical pumping, Raman spectroscopy and nonlinear optics.