In contrast to the “lazy prices” phenomenon in the stock market, more 10-K textual changes lead to larger increases in volatility smirks—consistent with options traders buying more out-of-the-money put options based on negative information disclosed in textual changes. Moreover, the lazy-prices effect is mainly driven by stocks with tradable options, suggesting that limits to arbitrage lead to a delayed response of stock prices. Finally, the return predictability of textual changes is stronger for stocks with larger option volatility smirk changes. Sophisticated options traders, therefore, demonstrate superior skills at extracting relevant information from public filings.

The traditional design of laser drivers for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is highly dependent on coherent laser light fields, which have significant advantages in achieving harmonic conversion and enhancing amplification efficiency. However, they also bring the core challenge of achieving uniform irradiation. This paper investigates the dynamic evolution process of uniform irradiation of multi-mode spatiotemporal light fields and analyzes the influence mechanism of spatiotemporal coherence on irradiation uniformity with different integration times. By balancing the relationship between the spatiotemporal coherence of the light field and uniform irradiation, we explore a possible scheme to alleviate the beam smoothing problem while satisfying the basic requirements of laser amplification and high-efficiency harmonic conversion. Based on this scheme, the overall architecture of the ICF laser driver is constructed.

Weaning stress impacts piglet performance, prompting antimicrobial resistance concerns from antibiotic overuse. Clostridium butyricum-derived antimicrobial peptides (CBP) show potentials as a safe, effective antibiotic alternative. We initially characterized novel antimicrobial peptides within the CBP fraction, synthesizing and confirming their potent activity. This study evaluated CBP’s effects on intestinal health and growth performance of weaned piglets using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation model. Fifty weaned Jinhua piglets (45 days, 9.95 ± 2.03 kg) were randomly allocated to control group (CON) and CBP group (n = 25), with five replicates each. Piglets in the CBP group were orally administered 3 mL of CBP daily (145.59 mg of total peptide) for 21 days, while the CON group received sterile water. During this period, CBP significantly improved growth performance, evidenced by increased average daily gain (P = 0.047) and reduced feed conversion ratio (P = 0.015), alongside a decrease in diarrhea incidence (P < 0.05). To further investigate the mechanism, a subset of animals from each group was challenged with LPS on day 21 to induce intestinal inflammation. Mechanistically, CBP enhanced intestinal barrier functions by optimizing crypt architecture and upregulating tight junction proteins expression (P < 0.05). CBP also exerted a potent anti-inflammatory effect, substantially reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05) and suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Integrated microbiome and metabolomic analyses revealed CBP modulated the gut microbiota by increasing beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and Coprococcus (P < 0.05) and elevating protective metabolites, including butyrate and hyocholic acid (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that CBP supplementation effectively promotes piglet growth and alleviates intestinal injury by regulating the gut microbiota and associated metabolic profiles. These effects are mediated through enhanced intestinal barrier functions and suppressed inflammation via the GPR43-NLRP3 pathway. This study provides strong evidence for CBP as a promising, safe alternative to antibiotics.

We consider $L^q$-spectra of planar graph-directed self-affine measures generated by diagonal or anti-diagonal matrices. Assuming the directed graph is strongly connected and the system satisfies the rectangular open set condition, we obtain a general closed form expression for the $L^q$-spectra. Consequently, we obtain a closed form expression for box dimensions of associated planar graph-directed box-like self-affine sets. We also provide a precise answer to a question posed by Fraser [On the $L^q$-spectrum of planar self-affine measures. Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 368(8) (2016), 5579–5620] concerning the $L^q$-spectra of planar self-affine measures generated by diagonal matrices. An interesting observation of the closed form expression is that it is possible to calculate the $L^q$-spectrum of a measure without involving the exact $L^q$-spectra of its projections to the axes.

The evolution of the flow structure around an impulsively stopped sphere is investigated in an incompressible viscous fluid under a transverse magnetic field. The study focuses on the wake structure and drag force over the range of Reynolds numbers $60 \leqslant {\textit{Re}}_{\!D} \leqslant 300$ and $ {\textit{Re}}_{\!D}=1000$, with the interaction parameters $0 \leqslant N \leqslant 10$, where $N$ characterises the strength of the magnetic field. The wake is fully developed before the impulsive stop, after which it moves downstream and interacts with the sphere under the influence of a transverse magnetic field. The complex flow structures are characterised by skin friction lines on the downstream side of the sphere and categorised into five regimes in the $\{N, {\textit{Re}}_{\!D}\}$ phase diagram based on nearly 200 cases. The drag force generally decays over time following the impulsive stop. A drag decomposition model based on the vorticity diffusion scale is proposed, attributing the drag decay to three components: the original Stokes contribution, an inertia correction at high Reynolds numbers and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) correction, where the inertia and MHD effects both contribute a temporal power-law decay with an exponent of $-1/6$. Temporal scaling laws of the drag decay are derived by coupling these three different effects, considering flow structures at short and long time scales, as well as the dependence on ${\textit{Re}}_{\!D}$ and $N$. The prediction results are consistent with present simulations. Furthermore, the proposed drag decomposition model is successfully extended to complex vortex flow past a sphere at ${\textit{Re}}_{\!D}=1000$, to an anisotropic ellipsoidal particle and to different magnetic field orientations.

With the eastward expansion of the Western Zhou c. 1050 BC, the Jiaodong Peninsula on the north-east coast of modern-day China became part of a large polity. Excavations at Qianzhongzitou, located on this peninsula, are revealing how political control over local populations took place. Here, the authors focus on a sequence of Zhou-period, non-residential platforms, the construction of which signifies new forms of ritual spaces. These types of spaces, also found elsewhere in the region, arguably aided in the state assimilation of local deities, illustrating the critical role that ritual played in political unification of early Chinese states and dynasties.

Nutrition intervention is an effective way to improve flesh qualities of fish. The effect of feed supplementation with glutamate (Glu) on flesh quality of gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) was investigated. In trial 1, the fish (initial weight: 37.49 ± 0.08 g) were fed two practical diets with 0 and 2% Glu supplementation. In trial 2, the fish (37.26 ± 0.04 g) were fed two purified diets with 0 and 3% Glu supplementation. The results after feeding trials showed that dietary Glu supplementation increased the hardness and springiness of muscle, whether using practical or purified diets. Glu-supplemented diets increased the thickness and density of myofibres and collagen content between myofibres. Furthermore, Glu promoted muscle protein deposition by regulating the IGF-1-AKT-mTOR signalling pathway, and enhanced the myofibre hypertrophy by upregulating genes related to myofibre growth and development (mef2a, mef2d, myod, myf5, mlc, tpi and pax7α). The protein deposition and myofibre hypertrophy in turn improved the flesh texture. In addition, IMP content in flesh increased when supplementing Glu whether to practical or to purified diet. Metabolomics confirmed that Glu promoted the deposition of muscle-flavoured substances and purine metabolic pathway most functioned, echoed by the upregulation of key genes (ampd, ppat and adsl) in purine metabolism. The sensory test also clarified that dietary Glu improved the flesh quality by enhancing the muscle texture and flavour. Conclusively, dietary Glu supplementation can improve the flesh quality in this fish, which can further support evidence from other studies more generally that improve flesh quality of cultured fish.

An actively controllable cascaded proton acceleration driven by a separate 0.8 picosecond (ps) laser is demonstrated in proof-of-principle experiments. MeV protons, initially driven by a femtosecond laser, are further accelerated and focused into a dot structure by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) on the solenoid, which can be tuned into a ring structure by increasing the ps laser energy. An electrodynamics model is carried out to explain the experimental results and show that the dot-structured proton beam is formed when the outer part of the incident proton beam is optimally focused by the EMP force on the solenoid; otherwise, it is overfocused into a ring structure by a larger EMP. Such a separately controlled mechanism allows precise tuning of the proton beam structures for various applications, such as edge-enhanced proton radiography, proton therapy and pre-injection in traditional accelerators.

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.

The demand for separating and analysing rare target cells is increasing dramatically for vital applications such as cancer treatment and cell-based therapies. However, there remains a grand challenge for high-throughput and label-free segregation of lesion cells with similar sizes. Cancer cells with different invasiveness usually manifest distinct deformability. In this work, we employ a hydrogel microparticle system with similar sizes but varied stiffness to mimic cancer cells and examine in situ their deformation and focusing under microfluidic flow. We first demonstrate the similar focusing behaviour of hydrogel microparticles and cancer cells in confined flow that is dominated by deformability-induced lateral migration. The deformation, orientation and focusing position of hydrogel microparticles in microfluidic flow under different Reynolds numbers are then systematically observed and measured using a high-speed camera. Linear correlations of the Taylor deformation and tilt angle of hydrogel microparticles with the capillary number are revealed, consistent with theoretical predictions. Detailed analysis of the dependence of particle focusing on the flow rate and particle stiffness enables us to identify a linear scaling between the equilibrium focusing position and the major axis of the deformed microparticles, which is uniquely determined by the capillary number. Our findings provide insights into the focusing and dynamics of soft beads, such as cells and hydrogel microparticles, under confined flow, and pave the way for applications including the separation and identification of circulating tumour cells, drug delivery and controlled drug release.

This paper provides an overview of the current status of ultrafast and ultra-intense lasers with peak powers exceeding 100 TW and examines the research activities in high-energy-density physics within China. Currently, 10 high-intensity lasers with powers over 100 TW are operational, and about 10 additional lasers are being constructed at various institutes and universities. These facilities operate either independently or are combined with one another, thereby offering substantial support for both Chinese and international research and development efforts in high-energy-density physics.

The multi-colour complete light curves and low-resolution spectra of two short period eclipsing Am binaries V404 Aur and GW Gem are presented. The stellar atmospheric parameters of the primary stars were derived through the spectra fitting. The observed and TESS-based light curves of them were analysed by using the Wilson-Devinney code. The photometric solutions suggest that both V404 Aur and GW Gem are semi-detached systems with the secondary component filling its critical Roche Lobe, while the former should be a marginal contact binary. The $O-C$ analysis found that the period of V404 Aur is decreasing at a rate of $dP/dt=-1.06(\pm0.01)\times 10^{-7}\,\mathrm{d}\,\mathrm{ yr}^{-1}$, while the period of GW Gem is increasing at $dP/dt=+2.41(\pm0.01)\times 10^{-8} \mathrm{d}\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. The period decrease of V404 Aur may mainly be caused by the combined effects of the angular momentum loss (AML) via an enhanced stellar wind of the more evolved secondary star and mass transfer between two components. The period increase of GW Gem supports the mass transfer from the secondary to the primary. Both targets may be in the broken contact stage predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillations theory and will eventually evolve to the contact stage. We have collected about 54 well-known eclipsing Am binaries with absolute parameters from the literature. The relations of these parameters are summarised. There are some components that have a higher degree of evolution. The majority of their hydrogen shell may have been stripped away and the stellar internal layer exposed. The accretion processes from such evolved components may be very important for the formation of Am peculiarity in binaries.

This paper first discusses the relationship between Kullback–Leibler information (KL) and Fisher information in the context of multi-dimensional item response theory and is further interpreted for the two-dimensional case, from a geometric perspective. This explication should allow for a better understanding of the various item selection methods in multi-dimensional adaptive tests (MAT) which are based on these two information measures. The KL information index (KI) method is then discussed and two theorems are derived to quantify the relationship between KI and item parameters. Due to the fact that most of the existing item selection algorithms for MAT bear severe computational complexity, which substantially lowers the applicability of MAT, two versions of simplified KL index (SKI), built from the analytical results, are proposed to mimic the behavior of KI, while reducing the overall computational intensity.

Statisticians typically estimate the parameters of latent class and latent profile models using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm. This paper proposes an alternative two-stage approach to model fitting. The first stage uses the modified k-means and hierarchical clustering algorithms to identify the latent classes that best satisfy the conditional independence assumption underlying the latent variable model. The second stage then uses mixture modeling treating the class membership as known. The proposed approach is theoretically justifiable, directly checks the conditional independence assumption, and converges much faster than the full likelihood approach when analyzing high-dimensional data. This paper also develops a new classification rule based on latent variable models. The proposed classification procedure reduces the dimensionality of measured data and explicitly recognizes the heterogeneous nature of the complex disease, which makes it perfect for analyzing high-throughput genomic data. Simulation studies and real data analysis demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method.