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.

Sea-ice hazard causes serious harm to aquaculture, marine navigation, offshore oil production and other activities in the Bohai Sea, China. To study the spatial distribution characteristics of sea-ice-hazard risk in Bohai is therefore desirable. The thickness and area of sea ice in the Bohai Sea during the winters (December–March) of 1987–2011 were estimated using data from the NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) satellite. The sea-ice thickness was converted into a sea-ice-hazard index after defining this index, and the different sea-ice-hazard risk grades were classified. The occurrence probability of sea-ice hazard was also calculated using fuzzy risk theory, and the spatial distribution characteristics of sea-ice-hazard risk in the Bohai Sea were studied. The results show that the sea-ice-hazard risk for offshore aquaculture decreased as the offshore distance increased. All the oilfields in Liaodong Bay are influenced by sea-ice hazard, two of the fields in Bohai Bay are slightly affected and the remaining fields are not influenced. The risk for marine navigation is related to the location of the port and the distance from the port. The risk in the port area is the highest; it is reduced by more than 30% at distances 10 km away from the port.

The Endangered giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca is one of the most threatened mammals. The species has experienced declines in its population and habitat as a result of human disturbance. We investigated the influence of human disturbance on habitat use by giant pandas in the Daxiangling Mountains, in China's Sichuan Province. We mapped all signs of giant panda and all locations of seven types of human disturbance in the study area. We used correlation analysis, generalized linear models, and Akaike information criteria to analyse the influence of the various types of human disturbances on habitat use by the giant panda. Our results showed that habitat use was positively correlated with elevation and distance from roads, residences, hydropower stations and logging or tree-felling sites, but negatively correlated with distance from bamboo shoot collection sites and trap sites. We found that the road-effect zone spanned a distance of c. 1,200 m and that human residence could affect the intensity of habitat use by giant pandas at distances > 2,500 m. The effect of roads on habitat use was probably influenced by the association of roads with residences, hydropower stations and mines. In the area occupied by giant pandas, we recommend increased regulation to minimize the expansion and impact of roads, residences, hydropower stations and logging activities.

Two transmission curved crystal spectrometers are designed to measure the hard x-ray emission in the laser fusion experiment of Compton radiography of implosion target on ShenGuang-III laser facility in China. Cylindrically curved ${\it\alpha}$-quartz (10–11) crystals with curvature radii of 150 and 300 mm are used to cover spectral ranges of 10–56 and 17–100 keV, respectively. The distance between the crystal and the x-ray source can be changed over a broad distance from 200 to 1500 mm. The optical design, including the integral reflectivity of the curved crystal, the sensitivity, and the spectral resolution of the spectrometers, is discussed. We also provide mechanic design details and experimental results using a Mo anode x-ray source. High-quality spectra were obtained. We confirmed that the spectral resolution can be improved by increasing the working distance, which is the distance between the recording medium and the Rowland circle.

A defect in the intestinal barrier is one of the characteristics of Crohn's disease (CD). The tight junction (TJ) changes and death of epithelial cells caused by intestinal inflammation play an important role in the development of CD. DHA, a long-chain PUFA, has been shown to be helpful in treating inflammatory bowel disease in experimental models by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. The present study aimed at investigating the specific effect of DHA on the intestinal barrier function in IL-10-deficient mice. IL-10-deficient mice (IL-10− / −) at 16 weeks of age with established colitis were treated with DHA (i.g. 35·5 mg/kg per d) for 2 weeks. The severity of their colitis, levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, epithelial gene expression, the distributions of TJ proteins (occludin and zona occludens (ZO)-1), and epithelial apoptosis in the proximal colon were measured at the end of the experiment. DHA treatment attenuated the established colitis and was associated with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colonic mucosa, lower mean histological scores and decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-17, TNF-α and interferon-γ). Moreover, enhanced barrier function was observed in the DHA-treated mice that resulted from attenuated colonic permeability, rescued expression and corrected distributions of occludin and ZO-1. The results of the present study indicate that DHA therapy may ameliorate experimental colitis in IL-10− / − mice by improving the intestinal epithelial barrier function.

As one of the most typical ancient cultural relics in southern China's minority regions near Changsha in Hunan province, the magnificent Laosicheng ruins excavated recently have been included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List. Urgent conservation of excavated Laosicheng ruins brings about the need for a study of the formulation and properties of construction materials used, including earth, stone, mortar, and brick. In the present study, comprehensive analyses were carried out to determine their raw material compositions, mineralogical, and microstructural properties using sheet polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer, thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Special attention was paid to mortars, which were the most widely used in building the Laosicheng. Results show that mortar used as external render of the city wall is mainly built up from inorganic CaCO3 and MgCO3 based hybrid materials produced by the carbonation of Ca(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2 with a small amount of sticky rice. In contrast, mortar used to bond stones of the city walls is a traditional mortar that does not contain sticky rice. This study is a part of a huge interdisciplinary project aimed to clarify the role of organics in ancient China’s organic-inorganic hybrid mortar, which can be considered as one of the greatest invention in construction material history. The results provide valuable basic data and restoration strategies that can be used in the conservation of the ruins as well.

This paper describes the results of a protocol study exploring problem–solution coevolution in a parametric design environment (PDE). The study involved eight participants who completed a defined architectural design task using Rhino and Grasshopper software: a typical PDE. The method of protocol analysis was employed to study the cognitive behaviors that occurred while these designers were working in the PDE. By analyzing the way in which the designers shifted between “problem” and “solution” spaces in the PDE, characteristics of the coevolutionary design process are identified and discussed. Results of this research include two potentially significant observations. First, the coevolution process occurs frequently within the design knowledge level (i.e., when using Rhino) and within the rule algorithm level (i.e., when using Grasshopper) of the parametric design process. Second, the designers’ coevolution process was focused on the design knowledge level at the beginning of the design session, while they focused more on the rule algorithm level toward the end of the design session. These results support an improved understanding of the design process that occurs in PDEs.

Recent evidence shows that excess nicotinamide can cause epigenetic changes in developing rats. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of maternal nicotinamide supplementation on the fetus. Female rats were randomised into four groups fed a standard chow diet (control group) or diets supplemented with 1 g/kg of nicotinamide (low-dose group), 4 g/kg of nicotinamide (high-dose group) or 4 g/kg of nicotinamide plus 2 g/kg of betaine (betaine group) for 14–16 d before mating and throughout the study. Fetal tissue samples were collected on the 20th day of pregnancy. Compared with the control group, the high-dose group had a higher fetal death rate, and the average fetal body weight was higher in the low-dose group but lower in the high-dose group. Nicotinamide supplementation led to a decrease in placental and fetal hepatic genomic DNA methylation and genomic uracil contents (a factor modifying DNA for diversity) in the placenta and fetal liver and brain, which could be completely or partially prevented by betaine. Moreover, nicotinamide supplementation induced tissue-specific alterations in the mRNA expression of the genes encoding nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, DNA methyltransferase 1, catalase and tumour protein p53 in the placenta and fetal liver. High-dose nicotinamide supplementation increased fetal hepatic α-fetoprotein mRNA level, which was prevented by betaine supplementation. It is concluded that maternal nicotinamide supplementation can induce changes in fetal epigenetic modification and DNA base composition. The present study raises the concern that maternal nicotinamide supplementation may play a role in the development of epigenetic-related diseases in the offspring.

Approximately 50 % of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from anaemia, with Fe deficiency being the most common cause. CD52 monoclonal antibody (mAb) targets the cell surface CD52 and is effective in depleting lymphocytes through cytolytic effects in vivo. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of anti-mouse CD52 mAb on Fe-deficient anaemia in IBD. IL-10 knockout mice (IL-10− / −) of 12 weeks with established colitis were treated with anti-mouse CD52 mAb once per week for 2 weeks. Severity of colitis, blood T lymphocytes, blood Hb, haematocrit, plasma erythropoietin (EPO), serum Fe concentration, transferrin saturation, splenic Fe stores, expression of liver hepcidin mRNA, Western blotting of the phosphorylated form of Smad1/5/8 and total Smad1 were measured at the end of the experiment. IL-10− / − mice treated with CD52 mAb showed a reduction in the percentage of CD4+ and CD4+CD45+ T cells in blood and weight loss typically associated with colonic inflammation, serum levels of EPO, the expression of liver hepcidin mRNA and total Smad1 protein, while they showed an increase in Hb concentrations, haematocrit, levels of serum Fe, transferrin saturation and splenic Fe stores. The present results indicated that anti-CD52 therapy may ameliorate Fe-deficient anaemia by reducing colonic inflammation. These findings may open novel horizons in the treatment of patients with IBD by resetting of immunological homeostasis in the gut by depleting the activated T cells in the gut mucosa.

Based on the field velocity method, a novel approach for simulating unsteady pitching and plunging motion of an airfoil is presented in this paper. Responses to pitching and plunging motions of the airfoil are simulated under different conditions. The obtained results are compared with those of moving grid method and good agreement is achieved. In the conventional field velocity method, the Euler solver is usually used to simulate the movement of the airfoil. However, when viscous effect is considered, unsteady Navier-Stokes equations have to be solved and the viscous flux correction must be taken into account. In this work, the viscous flux correction is introduced into the conventional field velocity method when non-uniform grid speed distribution is occurred. Numerical experiments for the flow around NACA0012 airfoil showed that the proposed approach can well simulate viscous moving boundary flow problems.

Although ascarid nematodes are important parasites of wild animals of public health concern, few species of ascarids from wild animals have been studied at the molecular level so far. Here, the classification and phylogenetic relationships of roundworms from 21 species of captive wild animals have been studied by sequencing and analysis of parts of the ribosomal 18S and 28S genes and the mitochondrial (mt) 12S gene. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred by 3 methods (NJ/MP/ML) based on the data of single gene sequences and concatenated sequences. Homology analysis indicated that the 18S sequences were conserved among roundworms from all 21 species and that 28S showed interspecies variability. Divergence levels displayed in 12S suggested that 12S appears to be either intra- or interspecifically variable. Evolutionary trees indicated that the ascarids split into 2 families, 4 genera and 7 species, with high bootstrap support for each clade. Combined trees suggested that Baylisascaris ailuri is more closely related to B. transfuga than to B. schroederi. This study provides useful molecular markers for the classification, phylogenetic analysis and epidemiological investigation of roundworms from wild animals.

Health is a multidimensional and continual concept. Traditional latent analytic approaches have inherent deficits in capturing the complex nature of the concept; however, the Grade of Membership (GoM) model is well suited for this problem. We applied the GoM method to a set of 31 indicators to construct ideal profiles of health status based on physical, mental and social support items among 848 adult twins from Qingdao, China. Four profiles were identified: healthy individuals (pure type I), individuals with personality disorders (pure type II), individuals with mental impairments (pure type III) and individuals with physical impairments (pure type IV). The most frequently occurring combination in this population was profiles I, II, IV (14.74%), followed by profiles I, II, III, IV (13.44%), and then type I (11.08%). Only 13.56% of subjects fell completely into one single pure type, most individuals exhibited some of the characteristics of two or more pure types. Our results indicated that, compared to conventional statistical methods, the GoM model was more suited to capture the complex concept of health, reflecting its multidimensionality and continuity, while also exhibiting preferable reliability. This study also made an important contribution to research on GoM application in non-independent samples.

Hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) or incoherent second-order light scattering technique has been used to investigate the second-order optical nonlinearities of nanoparticles and seems sensitive to nanoparticle aggregation. In the present work, CdS and ZnS nanoparticle colloids are prepared by the method of colloidal chemistry. From absorption spectra their average diameters are determined to be 5.0 nm for CdS and 2.5 nm for ZnS. Composite CdS-ZnS colloids are obtained by mixing the two colloids at different concentration ratio. The formation of the composites is confirmed by fluorescence measurement. The reduction of emission intensity of the ZnS colloid at 428 nm is observed with increasing CdS concentration, due to fluorescence quenching of the ZnS colloid after forming CdS-ZnS composites. The apparent combining constant of the two nanoparticles is determined to be 8.1×104 mol−1.L by fitting the relative fluorescence intensity of F0/F vs. the added CdS concentration. Upon 1064 nm laser pulse excitation, HRS signal is determined at frequency-doubling wavelength (532 nm) using photomultiplier tube (PMT). HRS experiments show that the composite CdS-ZnS colloids exhibit stronger HRS signal than both CdS and ZnS colloids, and a maximum of HRS signal appears at concentration ratio of [CdS]/[ZnS]=1. This is attributed to that the composite CdS-ZnS nanoparticles have lower symmetry which contributes substantially to the second-order optical nonlinearity of nanoparticles in the electric dipole approximation.

A new method of epitaxial growth of CoSi2 film on Si substrate by ternary solid state interaction is investigated. XRD, RBS and TEM show that single-crystalline CoSi2 can be formed on both Si (111) and (100) substrates by using Co/Ti/Si or TiN/Co/Ti/Si multilayer. The evolution of multilayer structure and its resistivity is studied and epitaxy mechanism is discussed. Experimental results indicate strong affinity between Co and Si. During the ternary interaction the epitaxial CoSi2 can be grown directly on Si and its growth may behave as a diffusion controlled process. The thickness of Ti layer and the annealing procedure have important effect on CoSi2 epitaxial growth.

In performing compression-expansion-recompression process during preparation of diacetylene (DA) monolayer, the change in colour of polydiacetylene (PDA) LB films was observed and more ordered structure of the films was achieved. The effect on optical properties could be ascribed to better arrangement of DA monomer which favoured the formation of PDA films in blue-form in polymerization.