We investigate flow-induced choking in soft Hele-Shaw cells comprising a fluid-filled gap in between a rigid plate and a confined block of elastomer. Fluid injected from the centre of the circular rigid plate flows radially outwards, causing the elastomeric block to deform, before exiting through the cell rim. The pressure in the fluid deforms the elastomer, increasing the size of the gap near the inlet, and decreasing the gap near the cell rim, because of volume conservation of the solid. At a critical injection flow rate, the magnitude of the deformation becomes large enough that the flow is occluded entirely at the rim. Here, we explore the influence of elastomer geometry on flow-induced choking and, in particular, the case of a thick block with radius smaller than its depth. We show that choking can still occur with small-aspect-ratio elastomers, even though the confining influence of the back wall that bounds the elastomer becomes negligible; in this case, the deformation length scale is set by the radial size of the cell rather than the depth of the block. Additionally, we reveal a distinction between flow-induced choking in flow-rate-controlled flows and flow-rate-limiting behaviour in pressure-controlled flows.

In this work, we conduct particle-resolved direct numerical simulations to investigate the influence of particle inertia on the settling velocity of finite-size particles at low volume fraction in homogeneous isotropic turbulence across various settling numbers. Our results for finite-size particles show only reductions of settling velocity in turbulence compared to the corresponding laminar case. Although increased particle inertia significantly reduces the lateral motion of particles and fluctuations in settling velocity, its effect on the mean settling velocity is not pronounced, except when the settling effect is strong, where increased particle inertia leads to a noticeable reduction. Mechanistically, the nonlinear drag effect, which emphasises contributions from large turbulent scales, cannot fully account for the reduction in settling velocity. The influence of small-scale turbulence, particularly through interactions with the particle boundary layer, should not be overlooked. We also analyse the dependency of turbulence’s modification on particle settling velocity within a broader parameter space, encompassing both sub-Kolmogorov point particles and finite-size particles. Additionally, we develop a qualitative model to predict whether turbulence enhances or retards the settling velocity of particles.

Turbidity currents (TCs) are a common kind of particle-laden flow in underwater natural environments. This work employs a Eulerian–Lagrangian model to investigate the dynamic regimes of lock-exchange TC in a moderate flow Reynolds number range (${Re} = 1716-3836$) as well as the formation and evolution mechanisms of interfacial Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) billows composed of a fluid–particle mixture. The results demonstrate that a fluid streak with high stretching at the interface, which twists and takes on a braided structure, is the key to the onset of KH instability. An increase in ${\textit{Re}}$ results in a higher interfacial fluid velocity gradient that intensifies the shear instability, and an increase in the convergent fluid force acting on the particles. This provides an explanation for the significant increases both in quantity and strength of KH vortices as ${\textit{Re}}$ rises. The enhanced KH vortices contribute to particle suspension and streamwise transport at larger ${\textit{Re}}$, leading to an extension in the duration of the slumping stage, which exhibits a constant forward velocity regime. The spatially continuous braided structure in the vorticity sheet region is responsible for the intriguing merging phenomenon of interfacial vortices. Furthermore, TC kinetic energy increases with the increasing ${\textit{Re}}$, and the system dissipation rate decreases in the early and middle stages of the TC. This behaviour may be correlated to the reducing shear between the TC and ambient fluid by interfacial KH billows. Regarding the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation of interfacial vortices, normal strain predominates in the middle stage, while shear deformation is most prevalent in the early and later stages.

In this article, we focus on the systemic expected shortfall and marginal expected shortfall in a multivariate continuous-time risk model with a general càdlàg process. Additionally, we conduct our study under a mild moment condition that is easily satisfied when the general càdlàg process is determined by some important investment return processes. In the presence of heavy tails, we derive asymptotic formulas for the systemic expected shortfall and marginal expected shortfall under the framework that includes wide dependence structures among losses, covering pairwise strong quasi-asymptotic independence and multivariate regular variation. Our results quantify how the general càdlàg process, heavy-tailed property of losses, and dependence structures influence the systemic expected shortfall and marginal expected shortfall. To discuss the interplay of dependence structures and heavy-tailedness, we apply an explicit order 3.0 weak scheme to estimate the expectations related to the general càdlàg process. This enables us to validate the moment condition from a numerical perspective and perform numerical studies. Our numerical studies reveal that the asymptotic dependence structure has a significant impact on the systemic expected shortfall and marginal expected shortfall, but heavy-tailedness has a more pronounced effect than the asymptotic dependence structure.

In response to the prevailing trend of an aging society and the increasing requirements of rehabilitation, this paper presents an approach involving brain-machine interaction (BMI) for a single-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) sit-to-stand transfer robot. Based on a 1-DOF rehabilitation robot, three experiment paradigms involving motor imagery (MI), action observation of motor imagery (AO-MI) and motor execution are designed using both electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG). To enhance motion intention recognition accuracy, a Gumbel-ResNet-KANs decoding model is established. The Gumbel-ResNet-KANs model integrates the Gumbel-Softmax method with the ResNet-KANs network module and demonstrates strong decoding capability, as demonstrated by comparative tests in this paper. To validate the effect of robotic assistance, EEG and EMG coherence are analyzed to assess the impact of robotic assistance on rehabilitation from a neuromuscular perspective in both assisted and unassisted conditions. We assessed the effect of robotics on rehabilitation from an emotional perspective by analyzing the difference between the differential entropy of the right and left brain. The proposed study also reveals that the movement-related cortical potentials in AO-MI are beneficial for promoting the performance of BMI in sit-to-stand training, which provides a possible approach for the development of new types of robots for lower limb rehabilitation.

Overnutrition during before and pregnancy can cause maternal obesity and raise the risk of maternal metabolic diseases during pregnancy, and in offspring. Lentinus edodes may prevent or reduce obesity. This study aimed to to assess Lentinus edodes fermented products effects on insulin sensitivity, glucose and lipid metabolism in maternal and offspring, and explore its action mechanism. A model of overnutrition during pregnancy and lactation was developed using a 60 % kcal high-fat diet in C57BL6/J female mice. Fermented Lentinus edodes (FLE) was added to the diet at concentrations of 1 %, 3 %, and 5 %. The results demonstrated that FLE to the gestation diet significantly reduced serum insulin levels and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in pregnant mice. FLE can regulate maternal lipid metabolism and reduce fat deposition. Meanwhile, the hepatic phosphoinositide-3-kinase-protein kinase (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway was significantly activated in the maternal mice. There is a significant negative correlation between maternal FLE supplementation doses and offspring body fat percentage and visceral fat content. Furthermore, FLE supplementation significantly increased offspring weaning litter weight, significantly reduced fasting glucose level, serum insulin level, HOMA-IR and serum glucose level, significantly activated liver PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in offspring, and upregulated the expression of liver lipolytic genes adipose triglyceride lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 mRNA. Overall, FLE supplementation can regulate maternal lipid metabolism and reduce fat deposition during pregnancy and lactation, and it may improve insulin sensitivity in pregnant mothers and offspring at weaning through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

We prove a criterion of when the dual character $\chi _{D}(x)$ of the flagged Weyl module associated a diagram D in the grid $[n]\times [n]$ is zero-one, that is, the coefficients of monomials in $\chi _{D}(x)$ are either 0 or 1. This settles a conjecture proposed by Mészáros–St. Dizier–Tanjaya. Since Schubert polynomials and key polynomials occur as special cases of dual flagged Weyl characters, our approach provides a new and unified proof of known criteria for zero-one Schubert/key polynomials due to Fink–Mészáros–St. Dizier and Hodges–Yong, respectively.

This paper proposes a new surface fitting method based on double model comparison to solve the aspherical surface parameters, allowing for the simultaneous extraction of the surface deviation and the optimal surface fitting parameters for the radio antenna’s main reflector. This method employs the laser tracker to obtain the 3D coordinates of the points on the antenna surface, which can be expressed in terms of Zernike polynomials. Then compare the Zernike polynomial description with the ideal aspherical equation description to establish a discrepancy model in the optical design software. Finally, by optimizing this model, the optimal surface parameters can be obtained. The simulation results show that the method is suitable for high-precision fitting of aspherical surfaces with cone coefficient K in the range of [−4, 0.3], with the maximum deviation percentage of the radius of curvature at 0.036% and the cone coefficient at 0.14%. Experimental research is conducted on the 3.2 m sector sub-aperture spliced radio antenna; the fitted radius of curvature is 2012.3204 mm, the conic coefficient is −1.0476, and the Root Mean Square (RMS) is 0.6232 mm, confirming the adaptability of this method.

This article sheds light on a series of Xinjiang maps created by order of imperial Japan’s General Staff Headquarters in 1943. These maps, seventeen in all, offered panoramic views on Xinjiang’s topography, geological and meteorological conditions, ethnic composition, major cities, riverine systems, aviation ports, roads for motorized vehicles, wireless and postal systems, and various resources. Those maps invite the heretofore little-studied question of how Xinjiang figured in imperial Japan’s geostrategy. This article contextualizes imperial Japan’s heightened strategic interest in Xinjiang during World War II, particularly after the closure of the Burma Road, which paradoxically revitalized Chongqing’s Republican regime. These sources inform the argument that the place of Xinjiang in imperial Japan’s geostrategic thinking must be understood beyond the narrow lens of Sino-Japanese enmity. It warrants a world historical perspective. The article examines said maps and uncovers the multiplicity of Xinjiang’s toponyms and ethnonyms that encapsulated parallel and oftentimes contested temporalities. Tokyo’s attentiveness to ethnological understandings of the region’s indigenous populations reflects an aspiration to construct a political demography that tethered indigenous sovereignty to the authority of the colonial state, bypassing the domination of the Chinese Republic in Chongqing.

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 whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is economically one of the most threatening pests in tomato cultivation, which not only causes direct damage but also transmits many viruses. Breeding whitefly-resistant tomato varieties is a promising and environmentally friendly method to control whitefly populations in the field. Accumulating evidence from tomato and other model systems demonstrates that flavonoids contribute to plant resistance to herbivorous insects. Previously, we found that high flavonoid-producing tomato line deterred whitefly oviposition and settling behaviours, and was more resistant to whiteflies compared to the near-isogenic low flavonoid-producing tomato line. The objective of the current work is to describe in detail different aspects of the interaction between the whitefly and two tomato lines, including biochemical processes involved. Electrical penetration graph recordings showed that high flavonoid-producing tomato reduced whitefly probing and phloem-feeding efficiency. We also studied constitutive and induced plant defence responses and found that whitefly induced stronger reactive oxygen species accumulation through NADPH oxidase in high flavonoid-producing tomato than in low flavonoid-producing tomato. Moreover, whitefly feeding induced the expression of callose synthase genes and resulted in callose deposition in the sieve elements in high flavonoid-producing tomato but not in low flavonoid-producing tomato. As a consequence, whitefly feeding on high flavonoid-producing tomato significantly decreased uptake of phloem and reduced its performance when compared to low flavonoid-producing tomato. These results indicate that high flavonoid-producing tomato provides phloem-based resistance against whitefly infestation and that the breeding of such resistance in new varieties could enhance whitefly management.

The composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) has been identified as a critical factor in the pathogenesis of certain inflammatory diseases. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between CDAI and Helicobacter pylori infection using cross-sectional design. In this study, participants from the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analysed using logistic and Cox regression analyses to assess the associations between H. pylori infection and CDAI, encompassing vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene, Zn, Se and Cu. The results demonstrated a negative correlation between CDAI scores and H. pylori infection, revealing a non-linear relationship between the odds of H. pylori infection and CDAI as a continuous variable. Subsequently, a two-sample Mendelian randomisation study was conducted utilising genome-wide association study summary statistics to explore the causal relationship between antioxidant levels and H. pylori infection. We found that the intake of Cu was a protective factor in the occurrence of H. pylori infection but did not support a causal association between circulating Cu levels and H. pylori infection. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was found to be elevated among individuals of older age, lower education levels, limited socio-economic status, smokers, diabetes and those with hypertension. The study suggests that higher CDAI is linked to decreased odds of H. pylori infection, and further prospective studies are needed to confirm the association. Our findings may have significant implications for the prevention and management of H. pylori-related diseases.