Xiangranggounan is an intensively occupied settlement associated with the Kayue culture on the north-eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Excavations in 2022 and 2023 revealed five house types with clear stratigraphic relationships that help to expand current understanding of the evolution of prehistoric settlement patterns in harsh plateau environments.

We present 35 AMS 14C dates from 26 horizons on a 30-cm gravity core from Shira Lake in the republic of Khakassia, Central Russia. The chronology of the core is determined by 210Pb/137Cs dating results and interpretation of elemental geochemistry with historic documents, covering deposition since ca. 1870 CE. This study assesses the old carbon influence (OCI) on organic carbon 14C by comparison with the 210Pb/137Cs dates, sources of carbon, and lake conditions interpreted from elemental proxies. These include elemental concentrations in 0.5N HCl leaches and Aqua Regia dissolution fractions, as well as organic C, N and C/N measurements. From these data we establish a succession of the following six zones: I) (1870∼1900 CE) relatively fresh lake with high lake level, low productivity and high surface runoff (wet conditions); II) (1900∼1940 CE) a “white zone” reflected by high carbonate and low magnetic signal formed in a saline, oxidizing and holomictic lake stage; III) (1940∼1963 CE) reduced carbonate with elevated organic C, N, C/N, Mo and magnetic signal, indicating a stratified and anaerobic lake; IV) (1963∼1994 CE) increased salinity and productivity with the highest observed magnetic signal and elevated heavy metal and Mo contents, implying enhanced anoxic conditions and human impact; V) (1994∼2003 CE) high C/N, organic and carbonate contents suggesting meromictic and anaerobic lake conditions; VI) (2003∼2020 CE) decreased carbonate content with increased organic C and N, and heavy metals showing a deteriorating lake environment under human impact.

Research on female leadership has documented that female-led firms tend to engage in lower risk-taking activities than male-led firms and attributed it to females' higher propensity for risk aversion. Nevertheless, this claim and its associated findings have been increasingly challenged. In this article, we address the unclear pattern of females' risk preference in leadership by contextualizing the effect of chair gender on corporate acquisitions in the context of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China. Drawing on expectancy violation theory, we propose that female chairs are more inclined to take risks when they operate in contexts that encourage female agency. We further explore self-affirmation mechanisms through two moderators: gender stereotype threats and self-efficacy. An analysis of chairs of 1,265 publicly listed SOEs in China from 2008 to 2020 supports predictions that female chairs are more likely than male chairs to engage in firm acquisitions. The effects are amplified under low levels of female executive representation and high levels of political appointments held by female chairs. The study shows that context determines how extensively gender affects risk-taking. It offers new insights into when and why female leaders exhibit higher levels of risk-taking in Chinese SOEs.

The Northwest Tibet region is defined by several terranes, magmatic belts, basins and sutures, which were primarily shaped by the tectonic activities associated with Proto-, Palaeo- and Neo-Tethys Oceans. However, the basement nature and Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Northwest Tibet region, particularly within the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai terrane, remain largely unknown. The Hongliutan area, located in the northeastern part of the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai terrane, contains a critical sequence of Precambrian metamorphic rock strata. Detailed petrological, geochronological, and geochemical analyses of these metamorphic rocks – including plagioclase schist, quartz schist, amphibolite and nearby leucogranite – reveal the intricate processes of tectonic evolution within the Tianshuihai unit. Combining these findings with previous geochronological results is crucial for re-evaluating the nature of the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai basement and its Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai basement. Our results reveal the following: (1) the leucogranite and amphibolite, identified as Cambrian igneous rocks, display distinct geochemical signatures indicative of a continental arc origin. These include calc-alkaline characteristics, enrichment in Th, U, Pb, Zr and Hf and depletion in Ba, Nb, Sr and Ti. Their εNd(t) values, close to zero, further support this tectonic setting, with the leucogranite and amphibolite formed at 506 and 522 Ma, respectively. (2) The plagioclase schist and quartz schist are interpreted to be Neoproterozoic volcaniclastic rocks that formed in a rifted (passive) continental margin setting. The quartz schist is particularly rich in detrital zircons, displaying a broad spectrum of 207Pb/206Pb ages, ranging from 901 to 3364 Ma. (3) A significant subset of detrital zircons within the quartz schist exhibits oscillatory zoning, high Th/U ratios and sharp-edged, anhedral-to-subhedral crystal forms, suggesting a derivation from proximal or deep-seated terranes. The concordant U–Pb zircon ages of 2468 and 974 Ma from the quartz schist, along with the 978 Ma age from the inherited zircons in the amphibolite, and the 1.2–2.1 Ga T2DM(Nd) from leucogranite and metamorphic rocks, collectively suggest that the Tianshuihai unit is likely underpinned by a Palaeoproterozoic basement that indicates Neoproterozoic reworking.

Therefore, our findings suggest the presence of a continuous, northwest-southeast trending Palaeoproterozoic basement underlying the entire Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai terrane. An alternative scenario posits that the ancient basement, currently beneath the Tashikuergan terrane, could extend into the Tianshuihai region, potentially indicating a Cambrian continental margin arc interspersed with remnants of older terranes.

The rapid and efficient removal of weeds is currently a research hotspot. With the integration of robotics and automation technology into agricultural production, intelligent field weeding robots have emerged. The development status of weeding robots is overviewed based on bibliometric and scientific mapping methods. Secondly, the two key technologies of weeding robots are summarized. Then, the research progress of precision spraying weeding robots, mechanical weeding robots, and thermal weeding robots with laser devices, categorized by their weeding methods, is reviewed. Finally, a summary and an outlook on the future development trends of intelligent field weeding robots are provided, aiming to offer a reference for further promoting the development of weeding robots.

This paper presents a compact broad dual-band rectifier based on a transmission line matching network. This method improves the overall impedance matching performance over two bands, and improves bandwidth of the rectifier’s efficiency. A π-type direct current filter with excellent harmonic suppression performance is proposed. The multi-section transmission line used as the dual-band input impedance matching network is analyzed to achieve an arbitrary frequency ratio. A rectifier is designed and implemented using a three-stage transmission-line matching network. Simulation and experimental results show that a dual-band rectifier is successfully performed with the measured power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 75.7% and 76.3% at 0.915 and 2.45 GHz, respectively. Additionally, the rectifier exhibits bandwidths of 0.48 and 0.25 GHz when the PCE exceeds 70%. Significant enhancement of bandwidth over conventional rectifiers is demonstrated.

Although dietary factors have been examined as potential risk factors for liver cancer, the evidence is still inconclusive. Using a diet-wide association analysis, our research evaluated the associations of 126 foods and nutrients on the risk of liver cancer in a Chinese population. We obtained the diet consumption of 72,680 women in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study using baseline dietary questionnaires. The association between each food and nutrient and liver cancer risk was quantified by Cox regression model. A false discovery rate of 0.05 was used to determine the foods and nutrients which need to be verified. Totally 256 incident liver cancer cases were identified in 1,267,391 person-years during the follow-up duration. At the statistical significance level (P ≤ 0.05), higher intakes of cooked wheaten foods, pear, grape and copper were inversely associated with liver cancer risk, while spinach, leafy vegetables, eggplant and carrots showed the positive associations. After considering multiple comparisons, no dietary variable was associated with liver cancer risk. Similar findings were seen in the stratification, secondary and sensitivity analyses. Our findings observed no significant association between dietary factors and liver cancer risk after considering multiple comparisons in Chinese women. More evidence is needed to explore the associations between diet and female liver cancer occurrence.

A high-energy pulsed vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) solid-state laser at 177 nm with high peak power by the sixth harmonic of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) amplifier in a KBe2BO3F2 prism-coupled device was demonstrated. The ultraviolet (UV) pump laser is a 352 ps pulsed, spatial top-hat super-Gaussian beam at 355 nm. A high energy of a 7.12 mJ VUV laser at 177 nm is obtained with a pulse width of 255 ps, indicating a peak power of 28 MW, and the conversion efficiency is 9.42% from 355 to 177 nm. The measured results fitted well with the theoretical prediction. It is the highest pulse energy and highest peak power ever reported in the VUV range for any solid-state lasers. The high-energy, high-peak-power, and high-spatial-uniformity VUV laser is of great interest for ultra-fine machining and particle-size measurements using UV in-line Fraunhofer holography diagnostics.

Natural infection by Trichinella sp. has been reported in humans and more than 150 species of animals, especially carnivorous and omnivorous mammals. Although the presence of Trichinella sp. infection in wild boars (Sus scrofa) has been documented worldwide, limited information is known about Trichinella circulation in farmed wild boars in China. This study intends to investigate the prevalence of Trichinella sp. in farmed wild boars in China. Seven hundred and sixty-one (761) muscle samples from farmed wild boars were collected in Jilin Province of China from 2017 to 2020. The diaphragm muscles were examined by artificial digestion method. The overall prevalence of Trichinella in farmed wild boars was 0.53% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51–0.55]. The average parasite loading was 0.076 ± 0.025 larvae per gram (lpg), and the highest burden was 0.21 lpg in a wild boar from Fusong city. Trichinella spiralis was the only species identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The 5S rDNA inter-genic spacer region of Trichinella was amplified and sequenced. The results showed that the obtained sequence (GenBank accession number: OQ725583) shared 100% identity with the T. spiralis HLJ isolate (GenBank accession number: MH289505). Since the consumption of farmed wild boars is expected to increase in the future, these findings highlight the significance of developing exclusive guidelines for the processing of slaughtered farmed wild boar meat in China.

Background: Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) in older people refers to a group of syndromes that are characterized primarily by clusters of neuropsychiatric symptoms without severe cognitive impairment, which is a high-risk population for dementia. Patients often experience a variety of symptoms and exhibit high heterogeneity in symptomatology across different individuals. Classifying the psychotic symptom characteristics of MBI patients aids in the implementation of precise interventions for the next steps.

Objectives: To explore the symptom characteristics of older people with MBI and to classify them based on their symptoms.

Methods: Using a multi-stage sampling Methods, the MBI-Checklist was employed to investigate symptom characteristics in 255 older people with MBI from 32 nursing homes in Fujian Province. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was then employed to categorize these individuals based on their symptom profiles.

Results: The neuropsychiatric symptoms clusters in older people with MBI often present as a combination of lack of motivation and emotional dysregulation, lack of motivation and impulse control disorders, or emotional dysregulation and impulse control disorders; presentation of a single symptom cluster is relatively less common, accounting for 45.49%. Older people with MBI can be divided into 2 latent classes (P < 0.05) based on symptom characteristics. According to the conditional probability of each class, they were named the “high- level group’’ [211 (82.69%)] and the “low-level group’’[44 (17.31%)].

Discussion: As individuals with MBI are at high risk for developing dementia, early intervention can effectively delay or reduce the occurrence of dementia. Future interventions should be personalized based on the specific symptom characteristics of this population.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify core and bridge symptoms between emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbance in dementia-risk older adults with depressive symptoms in nursing homes using network analysis, and to further compare the structural differences in symptom networks between subthreshold depressive and depressive groups.

Methods: A total of 853 older adults in nursing homes participated in this study. We used the Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess the severity of emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbances, respectively, and the analyses also generated a network model of the MBI-PSQI in the sample and examined subthreshold depressive and depressive groups’ potential differences between network structure and connectivity.

Results: The core symptom in the global MBI-PSQI network of older adults with depressive symptoms in nursing homes was MBI8’’ (Lack of pleasure experience: 8.340), and the bridge symptom was PSQI7’’ (Daytime Dysfunction: 3.894). The edges connecting the nodes MBI2’’ (Lost curiosity in usual interests) and MBI3’’ (Decreased social initiative) in the global MBI-PSQI network has the strongest weight (0.798). Compared to the global network, for participants in the depression group, MBI8’’ (7.647) remains the most core symptom, and PSQI7’’ (4.028) serves as a critical bridge symptom between emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbances. However, in the subthreshold depression group, the MBI-PSQI network structure exhibits distinct characteristics, with MBI2’’ (5.563) being revealed as the most significant symptom, closely followed by MBI8’’ (5.453). Furthermore, the bridge symptom connecting emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms to sleep disturbances shifts to PSQI4’’ (Sleep Efficiency: 1.386). Intriguingly, the strongest edge in both the global network and the subgroup network is MBI2-MBI3.

Conclusions: There is an association between emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbance in dementia-risk older adults with depressive symptoms in nursing homes. In addition, heterogeneity in the network structure of subthreshold depression and depression, with shifts in core and bridge symptoms, providing directions for designing novel and targeted interventions.

This paper presents a compact and ultra-wideband high-efficiency microwave rectifier for wireless power transmission (WPT) applications. The input-matching-network utilizes a compact asymmetric coupled transmission line structure, contributing to wideband performance. The rectifier adopts a voltage-doubler topology, resulting in a smooth input impedance across a wide bandwidth. The working principle of the asymmetric coupled transmission line matching network is analyzed. Simulation and measurement are conducted on the proposed rectifier. The fabricated prototype demonstrates a wide bandwidth of 162.5% (0.3–2.9 GHz with the power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 60% at an input power of 18 dBm. Even at an input power of 10 dBm, the measured PCE remains above 50% over the working band. The proposed ultra-wideband rectifier shows promising potential for WPT applications including wireless powering of low-power electronic devices and sensors.

We consider linear-fractional branching processes (one-type and two-type) with immigration in varying environments. For $n\ge0$, let $Z_n$ count the number of individuals of the nth generation, which excludes the immigrant who enters the system at time n. We call n a regeneration time if $Z_n=0$. For both the one-type and two-type cases, we give criteria for the finiteness or infiniteness of the number of regeneration times. We then construct some concrete examples to exhibit the strange phenomena caused by the so-called varying environments. For example, it may happen that the process is extinct, but there are only finitely many regeneration times. We also study the asymptotics of the number of regeneration times of the model in the example.

EXOSC10 is an exosome-associated ribonuclease that degrades and processes a wide range of transcripts in the nucleus. The initial segment (IS) of the epididymis is crucial for sperm transport and maturation in mice by affecting the absorption and secretion that is required for male fertility. However, the role of EXOSC10 ribonuclease-mediated RNA metabolism within the IS in the regulation of gene expression and sperm maturation remains unknown. Herein, we established an Exosc10 conditional knockout (Exosc10 cKO) mouse model by crossing Exosc10F/F mice with Lcn9-Cre mice which expressed recombinase in the principal cells of IS as early as post-natal day 17. Morphological and histological analyses revealed that Exosc10 cKO males had normal spermatogenesis and development of IS. Moreover, the sperm concentration, morphology, motility, and frequency of acrosome reactions in the cauda epididymides of Exosc10 cKO mice were comparable with those of control mice. Thus, Exosc10 cKO males had normal fertility. Collectively, our genetic mouse model and findings demonstrate that loss of EXOSC10 in the IS of epididymis is dispensable for sperm maturation and male fertility.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of low-carbohydrate diet, balanced dietary guidance and pharmacotherapy on weight loss among individuals with overweight or obesity over a period of 3 months. The study involves 339 individuals with overweight or obesity and received weight loss treatment at the Department of Clinical Nutrition at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2023. The primary outcome is the percentage weight loss. Among the studied patients, the majority chose low-carbohydrate diet as their primary treatment (168 (49·56 %)), followed by balanced dietary guidance (139 (41·00 %)) and pharmacotherapy (32 (9·44 %)). The total percentage weight loss for patients who were followed up for 1 month, 2 months and 3 months was 4·98 (3·04, 6·29) %, 7·93 (5·42, 7·93) % and 10·71 (7·74, 13·83) %, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified low-carbohydrate diet as an independent factor associated with percentage weight loss of ≥ 3 % and ≥ 5 % at 1 month (OR = 0·461, P < 0·05; OR = 0·349, P < 0·001). The results showed that a low-carbohydrate diet was an effective weight loss strategy in the short term. However, its long-term effects were comparable to those observed with balanced dietary guidance and pharmacotherapy.