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.

Motivated by new examples of functional Banach spaces over the unit disk, arising as the symbol spaces in the study of random analytic functions, for which the monomials $\{z^n\}_{n\geq 0}$ exhibit features of an unconditional basis yet they often don’t even form a Schauder basis, we introduce a notion called solid basis for Banach spaces and p-Banach spaces and study its properties. Besides justifying the rich existence of solid bases, we study their relationship with unconditional bases, the weak-star convergence of Taylor polynomials, the problem of a solid span and the curious roles played by c0. The two features of this work are as follows: (1) during the process, we are led to revisit the axioms satisfied by a typical Banach space of analytic functions over the unit disk, leading to a notion of $\mathcal{X}^\mathrm{max}$ (and $\mathcal{X}^\mathrm{min}$), as well as a number of related functorial constructions, which are of independent interests; (2) the main interests of solid basis lie in the case of non-separable (p-)Banach spaces, such as BMOA and the Bloch space instead of VMOA and the little Bloch space.

In this paper, we analyse Turing instability and bifurcations in a host–parasitoid model with nonlocal effect. For a ordinary differential equation model, we provide some preliminary analysis on Hopf bifurcation. For a reaction–diffusion model with local intraspecific prey competition, we first explore the Turing instability of spatially homogeneous steady states. Next, we show that the model can undergo Hopf bifurcation and Turing–Hopf bifurcation, and find that a pair of spatially nonhomogeneous periodic solutions is stable for a (8,0)-mode Turing–Hopf bifurcation and unstable for a (3,0)-mode Turing–Hopf bifurcation. For a reaction–diffusion model with nonlocal intraspecific prey competition, we study the existence of the Hopf bifurcation, double-Hopf bifurcation, Turing bifurcation, and Turing–Hopf bifurcation successively, and find that a spatially nonhomogeneous quasi-periodic solution is unstable for a (0,1)-mode double-Hopf bifurcation. Our results indicate that the model exhibits complex pattern formations, including transient states, monostability, bistability, and tristability. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to illustrate complex dynamics and verify our theoretical results.

The numerical investigation focuses on the flow patterns around a rectangular cylinder with three aspect ratios ($L/D=5$, $10$, $15$) at a Reynolds number of $1000$. The study delves into the dynamics of vortices, their associated frequencies, the evolution of the boundary layer and the decay of the wake. Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) vortices originate from the leading edge (LE) shear layer and transform into hairpin vortices. Specifically, at $L/D=5$, three KH vortices merge into a single LE vortex. However, at $L/D=10$ and $15$, two KH vortices combine to form a LE vortex, with the rapid formation of hairpin vortex packets. A fractional harmonic arises due to feedback from the split LE shear layer moving upstream, triggering interaction with the reverse flow. Trailing edge (TE) vortices shed, creating a Kármán-like street in the wake. The intensity of wake oscillation at $L/D=5$ surpasses that in the other two cases. Boundary layer transition occurs after the saturation of disturbance energy for $L/D=10$ and $15$, but not for $L/D=5$. The low-frequency disturbances are selected to generate streaks inside the boundary layer. The TE vortex shedding induces the formation of a favourable pressure gradient, accelerating the flow and fostering boundary layer relaminarization. The self-similarity of the velocity defect is observed in all three wakes, accompanied by the decay of disturbance energy. Importantly, the decrease in the shedding frequency of LE (TE) vortices significantly contributes to the overall decay of disturbance energy. This comprehensive exploration provides insights into complex flow phenomena and their underlying dynamics.

The domestication of rice increases the divergence between cultivated rice and its wild progenitor because of artificial selection. However, it remains unknown whether highly diverged loci in rice can be explained by neutral demographic scenarios alone. In this study, we genotyped 45 InDels (insertion/deletion) in two subspecies of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and Oryza sativa ssp. indica) and their wild progenitor (O. rufipogon/O. nivara). Among them, 17 loci are highly diverged (FST > 0.4) between rice cultivars and their ancestor. We performed coalescent-based simulations on neutral demographic scenarios and found that neutral demography alone could explain the polymorphic profiles on those highly diverged loci between cultivated and wild rice. Therefore, more signatures of selection should be considered when detecting artificial selection in rice.

Simultaneous time-resolved measurements of wall deformation and the 3-D velocity field in boundary layers over a compliant surface are performed by integrating Mach Zehnder interferometry with tomographic particle tracking velocimetry. The pressure is calculated by spatially integrating the material acceleration. Combining data obtained from several references, trends of the deformation r.m.s. scaled by the compliant wall thickness collapse when plotted vs pressure fluctuations scaled by the material shear modulus. For the present data, at all Reynolds numbers, the deformation waves travel at 53% of the free-stream velocity and have a preferred wavelength of three times the thickness. The latter is consistent with theoretical models. Adopting insight derived from atmospheric wind–wave interactions, the pressure–deformation correlations peak at or slightly above the ‘critical layer’, where the mean flow speed is equal to the surface wave speed. This layer is located within the log layer, and when expressed using inner variables, increases in elevation with increasing Reynolds number. For the entire region below the critical layer, wavenumber–frequency spectra of pressure and vertical velocity fluctuations indicate that the turbulence is phase locked and travels with the deformation, even for deformation amplitudes much smaller than a wall unit. In contrast, above the critical layer, the turbulence is advected at the local mean streamwise velocity, and its correlation with the deformation decays rapidly. These findings indicate that the height of the zone dominated by flow-deformation interactions is determined by the surface wave speed, and its variations are caused by deformation-induced modifications to the mean velocity profile.

LongYan kaolin has a large Fe content which affects the coloring. Bioleaching treatments to remove Fe impurities were conducted here using indigenous dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacteria. The factors that affect bioleaching efficiency include bioleaching time, carbon source, pH, temperature, pulp density, and inoculum density and these were examined. Environmental scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to examine any textural or mineralogical changes at the surface of the kaolin that may have occurred during the bioleaching. Iron impurities in the kaolin were reduced from 0.88% to 0.48% with an increase in the natural whiteness index from 60.8% to 81.5% after 7 days of bioleaching treatment. A granulometric analysis of dispersed kaolin demonstrated that the bioleaching resulted in a decrease in particle size. The results demonstrated that the bioleaching was very effective at improving the quality of the kaolin, where insoluble Fe(III), either adsorbed to the kaolin surfaces or admixed as amorphous forms, was leached out by micro-organisms as water-soluble Fe(II).

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver disorder, affecting approximately 25 % of the population. Coffee-drinking obese smokers exhibit lower body weights and decreased NAFLD rates, but the reasons behind this remain unclear. Additionally, the effect of nicotine, the main component of tobacco, on the development of NAFLD is still controversial. Our study aimed to explore the possible reasons that drinking coffee could alleviate NAFLD and gain weight and identify the real role of nicotine in NAFLD of obese smokers. A NAFLD model in mice was induced by administering nicotine and a high-fat diet (HFD). We recorded changes in body weight and daily food intake, measured the weights of the liver and visceral fat, and observed liver and adipose tissue histopathology. Lipid levels, liver function, liver malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum inflammatory cytokine levels and the expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Our results demonstrated that nicotine exacerbated the development of NAFLD and caffeine had a hepatoprotective effect on NAFLD. The administration of caffeine could ameliorate nicotine-plus-HFD-induced NAFLD by reducing lipid accumulation, regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, alleviating oxidative stress, attenuating inflammatory response and restoring hepatic functions. These results might explain why obese smokers with high coffee consumption exhibit the lower incidence rate of NAFLD and tend to be leaner. It is essential to emphasise that the detrimental impact of smoking on health is multifaceted. Smoking cessation remains the sole practical and effective strategy for averting the tobacco-related complications and reducing the risk of mortality.

This study aimed to investigate the optimal frozen embryo transfer (FET) strategy for recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients with three consecutive failed cleaved embryo implantations and no blastocyst preservation. This retrospective analysis was divided into three groups based on the FET strategy: thawed day 3 embryo transfer (D3 FET group); and extended culture of frozen–thawed day 3 embryos to day 5 blastocysts transfer (D3–D5 FET group); thawed blastocyst transfer (D5 FET group). Transplant cycle data were compared between the three groups. In total, 43.8% of vitrified–thawed cleavage embryos developed into blastocysts. Analysis of the three transplantation strategies showed that, compared with the D3 FET group, D3–D5 had a significantly better hCG-positivity rate and live-birth rate (P < 0.05). Pregnancy outcomes in the D3–D5 FET group and D5 FET group were similar regarding hCG-positivity rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and live-birth rate. Our findings propose two potentially valuable transfer strategies for patients experiencing repeated implantation failures. The D3–D5 FET approach presents a greater potential for selecting promising embryos in cases without blastocyst preservation; however, this strategy does entail the risk of cycle cancellation. Conversely, in instances where blastocyst preservation is an option, prioritizing consideration of the D5 FET strategy is recommended.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the clinical characteristics of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) PCR re-positivity after recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients (n = 1391) from Guangzhou, China, who had recovered from COVID-19 were recruited between 7 September 2021 and 11 March 2022. Data on epidemiology, symptoms, laboratory test results and treatment were analysed. In this study, 42.7% of recovered patients had re-positive result. Most re-positive patients were asymptomatic, did not have severe comorbidities, and were not contagious. The re-positivity rate was 39%, 46%, 11% and 25% in patients who had received inactivated, mRNA, adenovirus vector and recombinant subunit vaccines, respectively. Seven independent risk factors for testing re-positive were identified, and a predictive model was constructed using these variables. The predictors of re-positivity were COVID-19 vaccination status, previous SARs-CoV-12 infection prior to the most recent episode, renal function, SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibody levels and white blood cell count. The predictive model could benefit the control of the spread of COVID-19.

The Qieganbulake deposit associated with a mafic–ultramafic–carbonatite complex in the Kuluketage block is not only the world’s second-largest vermiculite deposit, but also a medium-size carbonatite-related phosphate deposit. Field observations, radiometric dating results and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes reveal that the parental magmas of the carbonatite and mafic–ultramafic rocks are cogenetic and formed synchronously at c. 810 Ma. Geochemical characteristics and Sr–Nd–Hf–S isotopes ((87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.70581–0.70710; ϵNd(t) = −0.20 to −11.80; ϵHf(t) = −7.5 to −10.3; δ34S = +0.7 ‰ to +3.0 ‰ (some sulfides with high δ34S values (+3.2 to +6.6) were formed by late hydrothermal sulfur)), in combination with mineral compositions and previous research, strongly indicate that the Qieganbulake mafic–ultramafic–carbonatite complex formed via extensive crystal fractionation/cumulation and liquid immiscibility of a carbonated tholeiitic magma, possibly derived from partial melting of an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle previously modified by slab-released fluids and sediment input in a continental rift setting. The coupled enriched Sr–Nd isotopic signatures, in combination with previous research, suggest that the enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle could have been metasomatized by asthenospheric mantle melts to different degrees. The Qieganbulake carbonatite-related phosphate ores were the products of normal fractional crystallization/cumulation of P–Fe3+ complex enriched carbonatite magma in high oxygen fugacity conditions, which was generated by liquid immiscibility of CO2–Fe–Ti–P-rich residual magma undergoing high differentiation.

Land expropriation, where peasants’ property rights are encroached by the state, has been recognized as a primary source of social dissension in rural China. Since the end of the last century, the Administrative Litigation Law (ALL) has provided people with a legal weapon to defend themselves against violations by state power. Drawing on the theory of relative deprivation, this paper proposes that peasants are more likely to sue the state when they feel deprived. To examine this hypothesis, we first present a case study to depict the causal process and then use quantitative research to improve the external validity of our findings. We created a novel and unique database of prefecture-level administrative litigations and relative deprivation for Poisson regression analysis. The quantitative results prove that the more peasants feel relatively deprived, the more likely they are to sue the state. Furthermore, the positive effect of relative deprivation on administrative litigations has become more significant over time, implying peasants’ growing awareness of legal resistance. This paper concludes that a critical step towards eliminating social inequity and maintaining social stability in rural China is to reduce the relative deprivation of peasants by, for example, allowing them to share in land value appreciation in the process of urbanization.

Ebselen is a well-known synthetic compound mimicking glutathione peroxidase (GPx), which catalyses some vital reactions that protect against oxidative damage. Based on a large number of in vivo and in vitro studies, various mechanisms have been proposed to explain its actions on multiple targets. It targets thiol-related compounds, including cysteine, glutathione, and thiol proteins (e.g., thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase). Owing to this, ebselen is a unique multifunctional agent with important effects on inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, cell differentiation, immune regulation and neurodegenerative disease, with anti-microbial, detoxifying and anti-tumour activity. This review summarises the current understanding of the multiple biological processes and molecules targeted by ebselen, and its pharmacological applications.

A new fast-growing mycobacterium, designated strain QGD101T, was isolated from the sputum of an 84-year-old man suspected of tuberculosis in Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, Hubei, China. This strain was a gram-staining-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming and catalase-positive bacterium, which was further identified as the NTM by PNB and TCH tests. The moxifloxacin and levofloxacin exhibited strong suppressing function against QGD101T with MIC values of 0.06 and 0.125 µg/ml after drug susceptibility testing of six main antimicrobial agents on mycobacteria. Based on the sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, rpoB, hsp65 and 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer, the strain QGD101T could not be identified to a species level. Mycobacterium moriokaense ATCC43059T that shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (98%) with strain QGD101T was actually different in genomes average nucleotide identity (78.74%). In addition, the major cellular fatty acids of QGD101T were determined as C18:1ω9c, C16:0 and C18:2ω6c. The DNA G + C content was 64.9% measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Therefore, the phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of this strain led us to the conclusion that it represents a novel species of mycobacteria, for which the name Mycobacterium hubeiense sp. nov. (type strain QGD101T = CCTCCAA 2017003T = KCTC39927T) was proposed. Thus, the results of this study are very significant for the clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis and future personalised medicine.

Evaluation of Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Se in humans is challenged by the potentially high within-individual variability of these elements in biological specimens, which are poorly characterised. This study aimed to evaluate their within-day, between-day and between-month variability in spot samples, first-morning voids and 24-h collections. A total of 529 spot urine samples (including eighty-eight first-morning voids and 24-h collections) were collected from eleven Chinese adult men on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 30, 60 and 90 and analysed for these five elements using inductively coupled plasma-MS. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were utilised to characterise the reproducibility, and their sensitivity and specificity were analysed to assess how well a single measurement classified individuals’ 3-month average exposures. Serial measurements of Zn in spot samples exhibited fair to good reproducibility (creatinine-adjusted ICC = 0·47) over five consecutive days, which became poor when the samples were gathered months apart (creatinine-adjusted ICC = 0·33). The reproducibility of Cr, Mn, Fe and Se in spot samples was poor over periods ranging from days to months (creatinine-adjusted ICC = 0·01–0·12). Two spot samples were sufficient for classifying 60 % of the men who truly had the highest (top 33 %) 3-month average Zn concentrations; for Cr, Mn, Fe and Se, however, at least three specimens were required to achieve similar sensitivities. In conclusion, urinary Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Se concentrations showed a strong within-individual variability, and a single measurement is not enough to efficiently characterise individuals’ long-term exposures.