Evidence on the association between coffee consumption timing patterns and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence remains limited. This cross-sectional study analysed data from 11 632 participants aged 20 years or older in eight National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (2003–2018), to examine how coffee consumption timing patterns and their combination with coffee amount relate to MetS. Coffee consumption timing patterns were identified using K-means clustering. Two timing patterns were identified: morning-concentrated and evenly distributed. Survey-weighted logistic regression was used to examine associations between timing patterns and MetS prevalence, adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle and dietary covariates. The morning-concentrated pattern was significantly associated with lower prevalence of MetS (OR: 0·80, 95 % CI: 0·68, 0·96) compared with non-drinkers, while the evenly distributed pattern showed no significant association. Results were robust across multiple sensitivity analyses. Combined analysis revealed that the morning-concentrated pattern was consistently associated with lower MetS prevalence across all intake levels. Stratified analyses showed stronger inverse associations among women, individuals with normal weight/underweight or overweight and those aged ≤ 40 years, with significant effect modification by BMI (P for interaction < 0·001) and age (P for interaction = 0·006) groups. These observational findings suggest that the timing of coffee consumption, particularly the morning-concentrated pattern, may be inversely associated with MetS prevalence.

Whether the Lambert–Amery glacial system (LAGS) will remain near mass balance this century while adjusting to geometric change remains an open question. We couple the ice-flow model Úa to the PICO sub-shelf melt parameterization for 2020–2100 under ten high-emissions scenarios, two control experiments and targeted pinning-point perturbations. By 2100, unperturbed absolute trajectories across the twelve applied forcings contribute $-11.4$ to $1.9$ mm to sea level relative to the common 2020-relaxed state; member-specific transient-minus-2020-constant diagnostics isolate the response to post-2020 forcing evolution, which spans $-3.84$ to $+4.66$ mm. With SMB held time-invariant over the model domain, using time-evolving rather than time-invariant 2020 basin-mean ocean conditions increases the 2100 contribution by $1.50$ mm. Minimizing the dynamic buttressing contribution of all pinning points adds an almost forcing-invariant $0.82$ mm. Across ten single-point experiments, the 2100 sea-level response is proportional to grounding-area loss. Paired perturbed–unperturbed simulations have nearly identical shelf-integrated basal melt but distinct sea-level contributions, showing that the additional response is driven primarily by reduced buttressing rather than melt-forcing changes. Overall, LAGS remains close to mass balance under the applied forcing protocol, while time-evolving ocean forcing and pinning-point weakening modulate the magnitude of the 2100 sea-level response. Dynamically important pinning points are priorities for long-term monitoring.

This study presents a systematic investigation of hydrodynamic forces on a stationary circular cylinder inside relatively wide and deep trapezoidal trenches in steady flows, representing subsea power cables laid in seabed valleys or artificial trenches, with particular emphasis on the role of Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) instability. Using high-fidelity three-dimensional (3-D) implicit large-eddy simulation (iLES), the influences of trench geometry and the incoming flows on hydrodynamic forces were examined. The parametric space includes the trench-width-to-cylinder-diameter ratio ($ W^{*}$ $\leq$ 20), trench-depth-to-cylinder-diameter ratio ($H^{*} \leq 5$), trench side slope ($15^{\circ}\leq \theta \leq 60^{\circ}$) and the streamwise offset of the cylinder centre from the trench centreline (${L}_{p}^{*}$). The large-scale cavity-type flows generated by trench geometry and K–H shear-layer dynamics originating at the leading edge of the trench are found to be the dominant mechanisms affecting hydrodynamic forces on the cylinder. Narrow, deep and steep-sided trenches are shown to provide a sheltering effect, reducing forces on the cylinder; whereas wide, shallow trenches promote the generation of strong K–H instabilities that interact directly with the cylinder, leading to periodic force fluctuations. Notably, when the cylinder is positioned downstream of the shear-layer reattachment point in a wide, shallow trench, the mean drag and/or lift forces can exceed those experienced over a flat seabed, accompanied by substantial fluctuations. Increasing Reynolds number (Re) from 500 to 3900, as defined based on the diameter of the cylinder, enhances fluctuations of hydrodynamic forces, primarily due to the upstream migration of the onset of K–H instability and the intensified interactions of shed vortices with the cylinder within the trench. A hydrodynamic regime map, constructed from mean force reduction factors and peak fluctuation intensities, is proposed to classify the flow into four distinct regimes: no interaction, transitional, interaction and strong interaction. These findings offer new physical insights and provide practical guidance for evaluating hydrodynamic responses on unburied subsea cables in complex seabed topographies.

The pronounced phase noise issue in millimeter-wave (mm-wave) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) has motivated a wider loop bandwidth in integer-N phase-locked loops (PLLs). In this work, we introduce a quadrature-phase spurious-tone-canceling phase detector (QSC-PD) that decouples the inherent trade-off between PLL loop bandwidth and spurious tone suppression. By incorporating an auxiliary sampling phase detection path, the spurious signals produced by the primary path are effectively canceled without extra power overhead or compromising loop stability. Owing to its high gain, the QSC-PD reduces its own jitter contribution within the loop bandwidth. Furthermore, the QSC-PD facilitates both frequency acquisition and VCO lock detection. Implemented in 0.13 μm SiGe bipolar CMOS technology, the mm-wave PLL attains a spurious tone of −84.5 dBc, a phase noise of −112 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, and a minimum integrated jitter of 57.9 fsrms (1 kHz–300 MHz) at 15.6 GHz. The entire circuit consumes 39.6–44.5 mW.

We present an experimental study of proton acceleration driven by femtosecond multi-PW lasers of three different prepulse parameters with the peak laser intensity of 1.2 × 1021 W/cm2 irradiating micrometre-thick metal foils. For 4-μm-thick copper foils, the highest-energy proton beam of 58.9 MeV is generated with the moderate-contrast laser, while the low-contrast or high-contrast lasers result in the lower proton cutoff energies. The one-dimensional hydrodynamic and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the front preplasma of foils induced by the laser prepulse can enhance electron acceleration and in turn improve proton acceleration, while the rear preplasma will weaken the sheath field and be unfavourable for accelerating ions. For the case of the moderate contrast, the scale length of the front preplasma is long enough to generate high-temperature electrons compared to the high-contrast case, and the scale length of the rear preplasma is so short that the sheath field still remains strong compared with the low-contrast case, which is advantageous for generating high-energy protons. Meanwhile, a concrete map is theoretically given for accelerating higher-energy protons. This work extends the concept of the prepulse effect on target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) to a wider range of laser parameters (multi-PW, 1021 W/cm2), representing an important step towards potential applications of TNSA-driven proton sources, especially considering that PW and even 10 PW laser facilities exist all around the world.

Green water loads on prismatic obstacles (representing topside structures) mounted on the raised deck of a simplified vessel are investigated using computational fluid dynamics simulations and physical model testing with emphasis on examining different structure shapes, orientation angles and relative structure size. For each scenario investigated, several flow features are identified that characterize the green water interaction with the structure and influence loads, namely delayed flow diversion, formation of a vertical jet, scattered wave formation and the development of complex wake patterns. Comparing across structures, these interactions are more pronounced for blunt objects, and the associated force impulse is larger. For example, a cube with flow at normal incidence is found to experience approximately twice the force impulse of a circular cylinder of the same projected area. Equally, rotation of the cube leads to reduced run-up height and streamwise force on the structure. To explain these trends, a theoretical model based on Newtonian flow theory is adopted. This model provides an estimate of the streamwise force exerted on obstacles in high-Froude-number flows and shows good agreement with the numerical results when the flow is supercritical, shallow (small water depth relative to structure width) and the structure is tall (large structure height relative to water depth). Despite some limitations, the model should provide an efficient force prediction tool for practical use in design.

In this paper, on–off switching digitization of a W-band variable gain power amplifier (VGPA) with above 60 dB dynamic range is introduced for large-scale phased array. Digitization techniques of on–off switching modified stacking transistors with partition are proposed to optimize configuration of control sub-cells. By the proposed techniques, gain control of a radio frequency variable gain amplifier (VGA) could be highly customized for both coarse and fine switching requirements instead of using additional digital-to-analog converters to tune the overall amplifier bias. The designed VGA in 130 nm SiGe has achieved switchable gain range from −46.4 to 20.6 dB and power range from −25.0 to 15.7 dBm at W band. The chip size of the fabricated VGPA is about 0.31 mm × 0.1 mm.

An investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections in Canada was initiated in July 2020. Cases were identified across several provinces through whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Exposure data were gathered through case interviews. Traceback investigations were conducted using receipts, invoices, import documentation, and menus. A total of 515 cases were identified in seven provinces, related by 0–6 whole-genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST) allele differences. The median age of cases was 40 (range 1–100), 54% were female, 19% were hospitalized, and three deaths were reported. Forty-eight location-specific case sub-clusters were identified in restaurants, grocery stores, and congregate living facilities. Of the 414 cases with exposure information available, 71% (295) had reported eating onions the week prior to becoming ill, and 80% of those cases who reported eating onions, reported red onion specifically. The traceback investigation identified red onions from Grower A in California, USA, as the likely source of the outbreak, and the first of many food recall warnings was issued on 30 July 2020. Salmonella was not detected in any tested food or environmental samples. This paper summarizes the collaborative efforts undertaken to investigate and control the largest Salmonella outbreak in Canada in over 20 years.

Previous work suggests that the arrangement of elements in an obstruction may influence the bulk flow velocity through the obstruction, but the physical mechanisms for this influence are not yet clear. This is the motivation for this study, where direct numerical simulation is used to investigate flow through an array of cylinders at a resolution sufficient to observe interactions between wakes of individual elements. The arrangement is altered by varying the gap ratio $G/d$ (1.2 – 18, G is the distance between two adjacent cylinders, d is the cylinder diameter), array-to-element diameter ratio $D/d$ (3.6 – 200, D is the array diameter), and incident flow angle ($0^{\circ} - 30^{\circ}$). Depending on the element arrangement, it is found that the average root-mean-square lift and drag coefficients can vary by an order of magnitude, whilst the average time-mean drag coefficient of individual cylinders ($\overline{C_{d}}$), and the bulk velocity are found to vary by up to $50\,\%$ and a factor of 2, respectively. These arrangement effects are a consequence of the variation in flow and drag characteristics of individual cylinders within the array. The arrangement effects become most critical in the intermediate range of flow blockage parameter $\mathit{\Gamma_{D}^{\prime}} = 0.5-1.5$ ($\mathit{\Gamma_{D}^{\prime}}=\overline{C_{d}}aD/(1-\phi)$, where a is frontal element area per unit volume, and $\phi$ is solid volume fraction), due to the high variability in element-scale flow characteristics. Across the full range of arrangements modelled, it is confirmed that the bulk velocity is governed by flow blockage parameter but only if the drag coefficient incorporates arrangement effects. Using these results, this paper proposes a framework for describing and predicting flow through an array across a variety of arrangements.

China is still among the 30 high-burden tuberculosis (TB) countries in the world. Few studies have described the spatial epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary TB (PTB) in Jiangsu Province. The registered incidence data of PTB patients in 95 counties of Jiangsu Province from 2011 to 2021 were collected from the Tuberculosis Management Information System. Three-dimensional spatial trends, spatial autocorrelation, and spatial–temporal scan analysis were conducted to explore the spatial clustering pattern of PTB. From 2011 to 2021, a total of 347,495 newly diagnosed PTB cases were registered. The registered incidence rate of PTB decreased from 49.78/100,000 in 2011 to 26.49/100,000 in 2021, exhibiting a steady downward trend (χ2 = 414.22, P < 0.001). The average annual registered incidence rate of PTB was higher in the central and northern regions. Moran’s I indices of the registered incidence of PTB were all >0 (P< 0.05) except in 2016, indicating a positive spatial correlation overall. Local autocorrelation analysis showed that ‘high–high’ clusters were mainly distributed in northern Jiangsu, and ‘low–low’ clusters were mainly concentrated in southern Jiangsu. The results of this study assist in identifying settings and locations of high TB risk and inform policy-making for PTB control and prevention.

Although there is a range of approaches for classifying the wake structure behind an array of obstacles, these approaches provide inconsistent results across different array systems. This motivates the present study to integrate and reconcile these approaches into one that is consistent across different systems. This new, transferable classification approach is based on the dimensionless flow blockage of the array and the wake stability parameter. To demonstrate this approach, a series of laboratory experiments was conducted to characterise the wake structure behind an array of emergent cylinders across a practically relevant parameter space that has not previously been explored. Two arrays with the same values of flow blockage and wake stability parameters but different sizes display the same wake structure, demonstrating the controlling influence of these two parameters on the wake structure. This approach classifies four different wake structures, which are distinct in that they display differences in instantaneous and time-averaged flow fields, temporal velocity oscillations, shear layer growth and the length of the steady wake region. The dependence of the wake structure on the two parameters is a consequence of (i) the controlling influence of blockage on the fraction of incident flow passing through the array and (ii) the ability of shallowness to suppress wake instabilities and, to a lesser extent, also influence the velocity through the array. This paper provides a predictive framework for the wake structure based on knowledge of the array geometry, and the depth and velocity of incident flow across the entire relevant practical parameter space.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a large group of mycobacteria other than the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium leprae. Epidemiological investigations have found that the incidence of NTM infections is increasing in China, and it is naturally resistant to many antibiotics. Therefore, studies of NTM species in clinical isolates are useful for understanding the epidemiology of NTM infections. The present study aimed to investigate the incidence of NTM infections and types of NTM species. Of the 420 samples collected, 285 were positive for M. tuberculosis, 62 samples were negative, and the remaining 73 samples contained NTM, including 35 (8.3%) only NTM and 38 (9%) mixed (M. tuberculosis and NTM). The most prevalent NTM species were Mycobacterium intracellulare (30.1%), followed by Mycobacterium abscessus (15%) and M. triviale (12%). M. gordonae infection was detected in 9.5% of total NTM-positive cases. Moreover, this study reports the presence of Mycobacterium nonchromogenicum infection and a high prevalence of M. triviale for the first time in Henan. M. intracellulare is the most prevalent, accompanied by some emerging NTM species, including M. nonchromogenicum and a high prevalence of M. triviale in Henan Province. Monitoring NTM transmission and epidemiology could enhance mycobacteriosis management in future.

The flow-induced vibrations (FIVs) of two identical tandem square cylinders with mass ratio m* = 3.5 at Reynolds number Re = 150 are investigated through two-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS) and linear stability analysis over a parameter range of spacing ratio 1.5 ≤ L* ≤ 5 and reduced velocity 3 ≤ Ur ≤ 34. Three kinds of FIV responses, namely vortex-induced vibration (VIV), biased oscillation (BO) and galloping (GA), are identified. The FIVs are then further classified into the branches of initial VIV (IV), resonant VIV (RV and RV′), flutter-induced VIV (FV), desynchronized VIV (DV), VIV developing from GA (GV), transitional state between VIV and GA (TR), BO and GA based on the characteristics of the vibration responses. The transitions among different FIV branches are examined by combining the DNS with linear stability analysis, where the transition boundaries among the VIV, BO and GA branches over the concerned parameters are identified on the branch maps. The transition from IV to RV or RV′ is found to be related to the unstable wake mode, while the FV, transiting from RV or RV′, is induced by the unstable structural factor in the wake-structure mode. The structural instability is considered as the physical origin of GA, whereas the mode competition between unstable wake and structure leads to DV, GV and TR, and thus delays the appearance of GA. The transition from DV to BO with biased equilibrium position, accompanied by the even-order harmonic frequencies, is essentially induced by the symmetry breaking bifurcation.