People from different ethnic minorities in the UK are experiencing a steeper increase in dementia diagnosis compared to their white counterparts but are more likely to have a higher risk of dementia, to be diagnosed at a younger age and to die earlier from the condition. These disparities suggest the need for urgent interventions to prevent and reduce dementia risk. Despite the significant presence of Chinese people in the UK, there has been little dementia research involving them, so this study is the first in the UK to focus on Chinese communities living in five major cities. Using a cultural adaptation theoretical framework, we adapted Alzheimer’s Research UK’s virtual dementia prevention campaign Think Brain Health to meet the needs of Chinese people. We used a mixed methods approach to evaluate knowledge of dementia and brain health activities, and intention regarding help-seeking. We performed descriptive, chi-square and thematic analysis; 54 Chinese people completed the intervention, with 85 per cent aged over 60 years. Over half (56%) could not speak, read or write in English. Our results showed significant improvements in knowledge of dementia and brain health, and an improved intention to seek help and information. All participants reported a positive experience of the culturally tailored intervention and valued working with dementia researchers who were able to deliver the intervention in Chinese languages. Future work involving Chinese communities in the UK will need to identify an appropriate but non-stigmatizing Chinese term for dementia.

Lift and drag forces on moving intruders in flowing granular materials are of fundamental interest but have not yet been fully characterized. Drag on an intruder in granular shear flow has been studied almost exclusively for the intruder moving across flow streamlines, and the few studies of the lift explore a relatively limited range of parameters. Here, we use discrete element method simulations to measure the lift force, $F_{{L}}$, and the drag force on a spherical intruder in a uniformly sheared bed of smaller spheres for a range of streamwise intruder slip velocities, $u_{{s}}$. The streamwise drag matches the previously characterized Stokes-like cross-flow drag. However, $F_{{L}}$ in granular shear flow acts in the opposite direction to the Saffman lift in a sheared fluid at low $u_{{s}}$, reaches a maximum value and then decreases with increasing $u_{{s}}$, eventually reversing direction. This non-monotonic response holds over a range of flow conditions, and the $F_{{L}}$ versus $u_{{s}}$ data collapse when both quantities are scaled using the particle size, shear rate and overburden pressure. Analogous fluid simulations demonstrate that the flow around the intruder particle is similar in the granular and fluid cases. However, the shear stress on the granular intruder is notably less than that in a fluid shear flow. This difference, combined with a void behind the intruder in granular flow in which the stresses are zero, significantly changes the lift-force-inducing stresses acting on the intruder between the granular and fluid cases.

The Hamiltonian shape invariant of a domain $X \subset \mathbb {R}^4$, as a subset of $\mathbb {R}^2$, describes the product Lagrangian tori which may be embedded in $X$. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions to determine whether or not a path in the shape invariant can lift, that is, be realized as a smooth family of embedded Lagrangian tori, when $X$ is a basic $4$-dimensional toric domain such as a ball $B^4(R)$, an ellipsoid $E(a,b)$ with ${b}/{a} \in \mathbb {N}_{\geq ~2}$, or a polydisk $P(c,d)$. As applications, via the path lifting, we can detect knotted embeddings of product Lagrangian tori in many toric $X$. We also obtain novel obstructions to symplectic embeddings between domains that are more general than toric concave or toric convex.

A continuous-wave (CW) single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) Raman laser at 1240 nm with power of up to 20.6 W was demonstrated in a free-running diamond Raman oscillator without any axial-mode selection elements. The SLM operation was achieved due to the spatial-hole-burning free nature of Raman gain and was maintained at the highest available pump power by suppressing the parasitic stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). A folded-cavity design was employed for reducing the perturbing effect of resonances at the pump frequency. At a pump power of 69 W, the maximum Stokes output reached 20.6 W, corresponding to a 30% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency from 1064 to 1240 nm. The result shows that parasitic SBS is the main physical process disturbing the SLM operation of Raman oscillator at higher power. In addition, for the first time, the spectral linewidth of a CW SLM diamond Raman laser was resolved using the long-delayed self-heterodyne interferometric method, which is 105 kHz at 20 W.

We present the third data release from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project. The release contains observations of 32 pulsars obtained using the 64-m Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. The data span is up to 18 yr with a typical cadence of 3 weeks. This data release is formed by combining an updated version of our second data release with $\sim$3 yr of more recent data primarily obtained using an ultra-wide-bandwidth receiver system that operates between 704 and 4032 MHz. We provide calibrated pulse profiles, flux density dynamic spectra, pulse times of arrival, and initial pulsar timing models. We describe methods for processing such wide-bandwidth observations and compare this data release with our previous release.

Orbital driven climate control on sedimentation produces regional, stratigraphically repetitive characters and so cyclostratigraphic correlation can improve correlation and identify stratigraphic trends in borehole sections. This concept is commonly used to correlate marine and lacustrine strata. However, in the alluvial domain, its use is more challenging because internal, local dynamics controlling sedimentation may interfere with the expression of cyclic climate forcing. Intervals of low net-to-gross may be important for successful application in this domain as they tend to better document regional changes. This study applies climate-based stratigraphic correlation concepts to improve well correlations, characterise vertical sand distribution, and identify potential reservoir targets in a generally low net-to-gross interval. Coarsening upward sedimentary repetitions (cyclothems) are identified and correlated with high certainty in nineteen well sections in the upper Carboniferous Westoe and Cleaver formations of the Silverpit Basin. Local sedimentary dynamics provide variability in the character of the cyclothems and several types of cyclothem are classified. Correlation of sections using cyclothems recognised on wireline logs is done twice: once manually and once semi-automatically. The semi-automated correlation is based on calculation of deviation curves which depict stratigraphic changes that are less dependent on absolute wireline values and follow vertical trends more clearly. The correlations provide composite stratigraphies that are analysed using vertical proportions curves. Both approaches yield similar results in terms of stratigraphic trends. However, for detailed correlation of wells, the manual correlation is better at accounting for any local variability within the system. The same two zones of higher net-to-gross ratios are found using both correlation methods. These are linked to palaeoclimatic changes driven by long eccentricity and the proposed climate stratigraphic model has predictive value for identifying sandstone occurrence. The climate-based stratigraphic correlation improves the assessment reservoir distribution and properties on small (10–20 m thickness) and large (100–200 m thickness) stratigraphical scales.

The Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola is one of the least known shorebird species, and its habitat associations are very poorly understood. Here we provide the first assessment of the habitat use of the Wood Snipe during the breeding season. Between May and July 2021 at a 4-km2 alpine meadow in Sichuan province, China, we conducted population surveys and behavioural observations to identify sites where breeding Wood Snipe occurred and foraged. We quantified the habitat characteristics and food resource availability of these sites and compared them with randomly selected “background” sites. Comparison between 34 occurrence sites and 25 background sites indicated that during the breeding season, Wood Snipes are not distributed evenly across alpine meadow habitats, but preferred habitats in the lower part (3,378–3,624 m) of the alpine meadow with intermediate levels of soil moisture. In addition, comparison between 17 foraging sites and 24 background sites showed that the Wood Snipe tended to forage at sites with higher soil fauna abundance. We found weak evidence for denser vegetation cover at its height and no evidence for other biotic habitat variables such as vegetation composition or other abiotic habitat variables such as slope, soil penetrability, or disturbance level to influence Wood Snipe habitat associations. Our results suggest that the actual distribution range of the Wood Snipe during the breeding season may be smaller than expected from the extent of apparently suitable habitat. We advise caution in evaluating the potential habitat availability and distribution of the Wood Snipe, and call for further research to better understand the ecology of this rare species to inform its conservation.

People often assess the reasonableness of another person’s judgments. When doing so, the evaluator should set aside knowledge that would not have been available to the evaluatee to assess whether the evaluatee made a reasonable decision, given the available information. But under what circumstances does the evaluator set aside information? On the one hand, if the evaluator fails to set aside prior information, not available to the evaluatee, they exhibit belief bias. But on the other hand, when Bayesian inference is called for, the evaluator should generally incorporate prior knowledge about relevant probabilities in decision making. The present research integrated these two perspectives in two experiments. Participants were asked to take the perspective of a fictitious evaluatee and to evaluate the reasonableness of the evaluatee’s decision. The participant was privy to information that the fictitious evaluatee did not have. Specifically, the participant knew whether the evaluatee’s decision judgment was factually correct. Participants’ judgments were biased (Experiments 1 and 2) by the factuality of the conclusion as they assessed the evaluatee’s reasonableness. We also found that the format of information presentation (Experiment 2) influenced the degree to which participants’ reasonableness ratings were responsive to the evaluatee’s Bayesian rationality. Specifically, responsivity was greater when the information was presented in an icon-based, graphical, natural-frequency format than when presented in either a numerical natural-frequency format or a probability format. We interpreted the effects of format to suggest that graphical presentation can help organize information into nested sets, which in turn enhances Bayesian rationality.

In the last five years, the number of periodic variable stars has increased by two million. We used the ZTF DR2 data to find and build a catalog that includes 780,000 periodic variable stars. These periodic variable stars were classified into 11 types, which greatly complemented the variable stars in Galactic disk. Based on the latest ZTF DR16 data, we found 2 million variable candidates. We trained a machine learner to classify variable stars, and the learner had a prediction accuracy of 94%. Using millions of variable stars, we carried out studies to optimize the period–luminosity relations and the Galactic structure and the extinction law. With the future China Space Station Telescope, millions of variable stars in the Local Group will be discovered. They help to study the structure of our Local Group and also to cross-check the distance ladders based on different variable stars.

We report VLBI monitoring observations of the 22 GHz H2O masers toward the Mira variable BX Cam. Data from 37 epochs spanning ∼3 stellar pulsation periods were obtained between May 2018 and June 2021 with a time interval of 3–4 weeks. In particular, the VERA dual-beam system was used to measure the kinematics and parallaxes of the H2O maser features. The obtained parallax, 1.79±0.08 mas, is consistent with Gaia EDR3 and previous VLBI measurements. The position of the central star was estimated relied on Gaia EDR3 data and the center position of the 43 GHz SiO maser ring imaged with KVN. Analysis of the 3D maser kinematics revealed an expanding circumstellar envelope with a velocity of 13±4 km s−1 and significant spatial and velocity asymmetries. The H2O maser animation achieved by our dense monitoring program manifests the propagation of shock waves in the circumstellar envelope of BX Cam.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care (LTC) has threatened to undo efforts to transform the culture of care from institutionalized to de-institutionalized models characterized by an orientation towards person- and relationship-centred care. Given the pandemic’s persistence, the sustainability of culture-change efforts has come under scrutiny. Drawing on seven culture-change models implemented in Canada, we identify organizational prerequisites, facilitatory mechanisms, and frontline changes relevant to culture change that can strengthen the COVID-19 pandemic response in LTC homes. We contend that a reversal to institutionalized care models to achieve public health goals of limiting COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks is detrimental to LTC residents, their families, and staff. Culture change and infection control need not be antithetical. Both strategies share common goals and approaches that can be integrated as LTC practitioners consider ongoing interventions to improve residents’ quality of life, while ensuring the well-being of staff and residents’ families.

Basal crevasses are macroscopic structural discontinuities at the base of ice sheets and glaciers that arise by fracture. Motivated by observations and by the mechanics of elastic fracture, we hypothesise that spatial variations in basal stress (in the presence of basal water pressure) can promote and localise basal crevassing. We quantify this process in the theoretical context of linear elastic fracture mechanics. We develop a model evaluating the effect of shear-stress variation on the growth of basal crevasses. Our results indicate that sticky patches promote the propagation of basal crevasses, increase their length of propagation into the ice and, under some conditions, give them curved trajectories that incline upstream. A detailed exploration of the parameter space is conducted to gain a better understanding of the conditions under which sticky-patch-induced basal crevassing is expected beneath ice sheets and glaciers.

Masturbation is a common sexual practice in men, and saliva is often used as a lubricant during masturbation by men who have sex with men. However, the role of saliva use during masturbation in the transmission of chlamydia is still unclear. We developed population-level, susceptible-infected-susceptible compartmental models to explore the role of saliva use during masturbation on the transmission of chlamydia at multiple anatomical sites. In this study, we simulated both solo masturbation and mutual masturbation. Our baseline model did not include masturbation but included transmission routes (anal sex, oral-penile sex, rimming, kissing and sequential sexual practices) we have previously validated (model 1). We added masturbation to model 1 to develop the second model (model 2). We calibrated the model to five clinical datasets separately to assess the effects of masturbation on the prevalence of site-specific infection. The inclusion of masturbation (model 2) significantly worsened the ability of the models to replicate the prevalence of C. trachomatis. Using model 2 and the five data sets, we estimated that saliva use during masturbation was responsible for between 3.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0–6.8] and 6.2% (95% CI 3.8–10.5) of incident chlamydia cases at all sites. Our models suggest that saliva use during masturbation is unlikely to play a major role in chlamydia transmission between men, and even if it does have a role, about one in seven cases of urethral chlamydia might arise from masturbation.

The feasibility of non-pharmacological public health interventions (NPIs) such as physical distancing or isolation at home to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in low-resource countries is unknown. Household survey data from 54 African countries were used to investigate the feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 NPIs in low-resource settings. Across the 54 countries, approximately 718 million people lived in households with ⩾6 individuals at home (median percentage of at-risk households 56% (95% confidence interval (CI), 51% to 60%)). Approximately 283 million people lived in households where ⩾3 people slept in a single room (median percentage of at-risk households 15% (95% CI, 13% to 19%)). An estimated 890 million Africans lack on-site water (71% (95% CI, 62% to 80%)), while 700 million people lacked in-home soap/washing facilities (56% (95% CI, 42% to 73%)). The median percentage of people without a refrigerator in the home was 79% (95% CI, 67% to 88%), while 45% (95% CI, 39% to 52%) shared toilet facilities with other households. Individuals in low-resource settings have substantial obstacles to implementing NPIs for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission. These populations urgently need to be prioritised for coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination to prevent disease and to contain the global pandemic.