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.

This study examined the sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization through 2 conditions: ‘attainable’ (sweet lemons) and ‘unattainable’ (sour grapes), reflecting China’s 2019-nCoV vaccination strategy. The aim was to find ways to change people’s beliefs and preferences regarding vaccines by easing their safety concerns and encouraging more willingness to get vaccinated. An online survey was conducted from January 22 to 27, 2021, with 3,123 residents across 30 provinces and municipalities in the Chinese mainland. The direction of belief and preference changed in line with the sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization. Using hypothetical and real contrasts, we compared those for whom the vaccine was relatively unattainable (‘sour grapes’ condition) with those who could get the vaccine easily (‘sweet lemons’). Whether the vaccine was attainable was determined in the early stage of the vaccine roll-out by membership in a select group of workers that was supposed to be vaccinated to the greatest extent possible, or, by being in the second stage when the vaccine was available to all. The attainable conditions demonstrated higher evaluation in vaccine safety, higher willingness to be vaccinated, and lower willingness to wait and see. Hence, we propose that the manipulation of vaccine attainability, which formed the basis of the application of sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization, can be utilized as a means to manipulate the choice architecture to nudge individuals to ease vaccine safety concerns, reducing wait-and-see tendencies, and enhancing vaccination willingness. This approach can expedite universal vaccination and its associated benefits in future scenarios resembling the 2019-nCoV vaccine rollout.

With the over-use of tetracycline (TC) and its ultimate accumulation in aquatic systems, the demand for TC removal from contaminated water is increasing due to its severe threat to public health. Clay minerals have attracted great attention as low-cost adsorbents for controlling water pollution. The objective of the present study was to measure the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of TC on allophane, a nanosized clay mineral with a hollow spherical structure; to highlight the advantage of the allophane nanostructure, a further objective was to compare allophane with halloysite and montmorillonite, which have nanostructures that differ from allophane. Structural features and surface physicochemical properties were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, N2-physisorption, and acid–base titration. The adsorption data showed that TC adsorption followed the pseudo-second order and Langmuir models. The adsorption was pH dependent, as all three clay minerals performed better under neutral to weakly alkaline conditions and maintained high adsorption performance in the presence of co-existing Na+/K+/Ca2+/Mg2+ cations. Regeneration of the adsorbent was excellent, with efficiencies exceeding 75% after five recycles. By comparison, allophane always exhibited the greatest adsorption capacity, up to 796 mg g–1 at ~pH 9. The TC adsorption on allophane and halloysite was dominated by inner-sphere complexation, together with a small amount of electrostatic adsorption, while that on montmorillonite involved mainly interlayer cation exchange. The findings provide insights into the effects of nanostructures of clay minerals on their TC adsorption performance and highlight the huge potential of allophane as an efficient and inexpensive adsorbent for TC removal.

To investigate the associations between dietary patterns and biological ageing, identify the most recommended dietary pattern for ageing and explore the potential mediating role of gut microbiota in less-developed ethnic minority regions (LEMRs). This prospective cohort study included 8288 participants aged 30–79 years from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study. Anthropometric measurements and clinical biomarkers were utilised to construct biological age based on Klemera and Doubal’s method (KDM-BA) and KDM-BA acceleration (KDM-AA). Dietary information was obtained through the baseline FFQ. Six dietary patterns were constructed: plant-based diet index, healthful plant-based diet index, unhealthful plant-based diet index, healthy diet score, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and alternative Mediterranean diets. Follow-up adjusted for baseline analysis assessed the associations between dietary patterns and KDM-AA. Additionally, quantile G-computation identified significant beneficial and harmful food groups. In the subsample of 764 participants, we used causal mediation model to explore the mediating role of gut microbiota in these associations. The results showed that all dietary patterns were associated with KDM-AA, with DASH exhibiting the strongest negative association (β = −0·91, 95 % CI (–1·19, −0·63)). The component analyses revealed that beneficial food groups primarily included tea and soy products, whereas harmful groups mainly comprised salt and processed vegetables. In mediation analysis, the Synergistetes and Pyramidobacter possibly mediated the negative associations between plant-based diets and KDM-AA (5·61–9·19 %). Overall, healthy dietary patterns, especially DASH, are negatively associated with biological ageing in LEMRs, indicating that Synergistetes and Pyramidobacter may be potential mediators. Developing appropriate strategies may promote healthy ageing in LEMRs.

The resistance to fenoxaprop-P-ethyl, a herbicide that inhibits acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), has emerged in shortawn foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis Sobol.) since the 1990s, presenting a considerable challenge to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in China. One of the primary mechanisms responsible for this high-level resistance is the presence of mutations at codons 1781, 2041, and 2078 in the ACCase gene. However, the conventional methods used to detect these mutations, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing, are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address this issue and enable the prompt and effective detection of these common ACCase mutations in A. aequalis, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) strategy was developed. The LAMP assay specifically targets the Ile-1781-Leu and Asp-2078-Gly mutations within the ACCase gene of A. aequalis. Through the optimization of primers, systems, and conditions, the LAMP assay enables rapid differentiation between wild-type individuals and mutants of A. aequalis carrying either of these two mutations. Including SYBR Green I dye in the final reaction mixtures enables detection of the target mutation through a noticeable color change that can be observed with the naked eye. It is noteworthy that the sensitivity of the LAMP assay was approximately 104-fold greater than that of conventional PCR methods. Additionally, a derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) assay was established for each mutation to distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous mutants. Overall, the developed LAMP assay could efficiently detect the Ile-1781-Leu and Asp-2078-Gly mutations in the ACCase gene of A. aequalis, offering significant advantages for the monitoring and management of fenoxaprop-P-ethyl resistance.

As an important component of prehistoric subsistence, an understanding of bone-working is essential for interpreting the evolution of early complex societies, yet worked bones are rarely systematically collected in China. Here, the authors apply multiple analytical methods to worked bones from the Longshan site of Pingliangtai, in central China, showing that Neolithic bone-working in this area, with cervid as the main raw material, was mature but localised, household-based and self-sufficient. The introduction of cattle in the Late Neolithic precipitated a shift in bone-working traditions but it was only later, in the Bronze Age, that cattle bones were utilised in a specialised fashion and dedicated bone-working industries emerged in urban centres.

Oxidative stress is a risk factor for mammary health, resulting in decreased milk yield and milk quality. Application of exogenous bioactive compounds has been a research focus of antioxidation of animals in the mammary gland. Quercetin is a flavonoid extracted from vegetables, fruits and tea and has been shown to have a variety of biological activities, but the effect of quercetin on redox imbalance in mammary epithelial cells is unclear. In this study, cells of HC11, a mouse mammary epithelial cell line, were treated with quercetin, and the effects and molecular mechanisms of quercetin protection on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress were studied. Results showed that 20 μΜ quercetin attenuated hydrogen peroxide-induced lactate dehydrogenase release and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and alleviated the reduction of cell viability and antioxidant capacity. Quercetin significantly restored the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways induced by hydrogen peroxide. Importantly, the inhibitors of p38 MAPK and extracellular regulated protein pathways affected the activation of Nrf2 pathway. All inhibitors of MAPK and Nrf2 pathways reduced the protective effects of quercetin on cell proliferation, the activity of catalase and the expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit. Meanwhile, the effects of quercetin on the production of ROS and expression of glutamate/cystine reverse transporter light chain were mainly dependent on Nrf2 pathway. In summary, the protective effect of quercetin in mammary epithelial cells was mediated via MAPK and Nrf2 pathways.

Lymph node tuberculosis is particularly common in regions with a high tuberculosis burden, and it has a great risk of rupture. This study aims to investigate the utility of ultrasound multimodal imaging in predicting the rupture of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTL). 128 patients with unruptured CTL confirmed by pathology or laboratory tests were included. Various ultrasonic image features, including long-to-short-axis ratio (L/S), margin, internal echotexture, coarse calcification, Color Doppler Flow Imaging (CDFI), perinodal echogenicity, elastography score, and non-enhanced area proportion in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), were analyzed to determine their predictive value for CTL rupture within a one-year follow-up period. As a result, L/S (P < 0.001), margin (P < 0.001), internal echotexture (P < 0.001), coarse calcification (P < 0.001), perinodal echogenicity (P < 0.001), and the area of non-enhancement in CEUS (P < 0.001) were identified as significant imaging features for predicting CTL rupture. The prognostic prediction showed a sensitivity of 89.29%, specificity of 100%, accuracy of 95.31%, respectively. Imaging findings such as L/S < 2, unclear margin, heterogeneous internal echotexture, perinodal echogenicity changed, and non-enhancement area in CEUS > 1/2, are indicative of CTL rupture, while coarse calcification in the lymph nodes is associated with a favorable prognosis.

The proton-boron (p 11 B) reaction is regarded as the holy grail of advanced fusion fuels, where the primary reaction produces 3 energetic α particles. However, due to the high nuclear bounding energy and bremsstrahlung energy losses, energy gain from the p 11 B fusion is hard to achieve in thermal fusion conditions. Owing to advances in intense laser technology, the p11 B fusion has drawn renewed attention by using an intense laser-accelerated proton beam to impact a boron-11 target. As one of the most influential works in this field, Labaune et al. first experimentally found that states of boron (solid or plasma) play an important role in the yield of α particles. This exciting experimental finding rouses an attempt to measure the nuclear fusion cross section in a plasma environment. However, up to now, there is still no quantitative explanation. Based on large-scale, fully kinetic computer simulations, the inner physical mechanism of yield increment is uncovered, and a quantitative explanation is given. Our results indicate the yield increment is attributed to the reduced energy loss of the protons under the synergetic influences of degeneracy effects and collective electromagnetic effects. Our work may serve as a reference for not only analyzing or improving further experiments of the p 11 B fusion but also investigating other beam-plasma systems, such as ion-driven inertial confinement fusions.

The characterization of energetic protons generated in the ShenGuang-II UP petawatt laser interactions with foil targets has been systematically studied. The proton energy spectra and angular distributions are measured with a radiochromic film stack. It shows that the proton energy spectra have a Boltzmann distribution with temperature of about 2.8 MeV and cutoff energy of about 20 MeV. The divergence angles of protons vary from 10° to 60°, dependent on the proton energy. The proton source size and location are investigated via the proton point-projection mesh imaging. The proton virtual sources are found to locate tens to hundreds of microns in front of the foil target, depending on the proton energies. A Monte Carlo simulation estimates the diameter of the virtual proton source to be about 12 μm for the protons with energy of 16.8 MeV, which is much smaller than the laser focus size of about 50 μm. The spatial resolution of the 16.8 MeV proton imaging is quantified with the point spread function to be about 15 μm, which is consistent with the proton virtual source size. These results will be important for the users conducting experiments with the protons as a backlighting source on the ShenGuang-II UP petawatt laser.

The comparisons among 126 14C dates of Carex samples including separated leaf and root parts with acid (A)-treatment and acid-base-acid (ABA)-treatment, and 48 published 14C dates of bulk peat plants on a 92-cm core from Jinchuan Mire in NE China, indicate old carbon influence (OCI) on the 14C dates. The OCI varies with plant species, pretreatment and peat depth. In vascular peat plants such as Carex, humin fractions (remains after ABA treatment) and humic acids are representative of the original plant precursor, while fulvic acids are regarded as the secondary mobile product which should be removed for 14C dating. ABA- treatment removes both fulvic acids and humic acids, whereas A-treatment gets rid of only fulvic acids. Carex roots uptake more dissolved CO2 in peat water. Carex leaves may use more CO2 (involving degassing CO2) above the peat surface. By removing humic acids throughout ABA treatment, the OCI may vary differently over depth (time). ABA treatment cannot eliminate the fixed OCI in humin fractions of vascular peat plants, instead, this treatment may enhance OCI by removing humic acid which may represent the true age of the plants. In addition, Bacon model results on this core could not show rapid changes in accumulation rate.

Galls function as provide shelter for gall inducers, guarding them against their natural enemies. Previous research has illuminated the interactions between galls, gall inducers, and their corresponding parasitoids within various caltrop plants. However, less is known about these relationships within Nitraria sibirica, particularly regarding the efficacy of parasitism. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the morphometric relationships among the swollen galls, gall inducers, and their parasitoids. Two species of gall inducers and three species of parasitoids were obtained from the swollen galls of N. sibirica. The correlations of the parasitization indexes, the lifespan of gall inhabitants, and temperature and the morphometric relationships between the galls and their inhabitants were analyzed. The dominant gall inducer identified was Contarinia sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Furthermore, it was observed that three solitary parasitoids attacked Contarinia sp. in the swollen galls, with only Eupelmus gelechiphagus acting as an idiobiont ectoparasitoid. The dominant parasitoids were Platygaster sp. and Cheiloneurus elegans at sites 1 and 2, respectively, with Platygaster sp. displaying greater abundance than C. elegans in the swollen galls. The lifespan of the gall inhabitants shortened gradually as the temperature increased. Moreover, the optimal number of gall chambers ranged from two to four per swollen gall with maximized fitness, which can be considered the optimal population density for the gall inducer Contarinia sp. Morphometric analysis exhibited a strong linear correlation between gall size and chamber number or the number of gall inhabitants, as well as a weak correlation between gall size and body size of the primary inhabitants of swollen galls. Our results highlight the importance of the biological investigation of parasitoids and gall inducers living in closed galls with multiple chambers and may pave the way for potential application in biological control.

Compared with nitrogen and argon, helium is lighter and can better reduce the beam loss caused by angular scattering during beam transmission. The molecular dissociation cross-section in helium is high and stable at low energies, which makes helium the prevalent stripping gas in low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). To study the stripping behavior of 14C ions in helium at low energies, the charge state distributions of carbon ion beams with −1, +1, +2, +3, and +4 charge states were measured at energies of 70–220 keV with a compact 14C-AMS at Guangxi Normal University (GXNU). The experimental data were used to analyze the stripping characteristics of C-He in the energy range of 70–220 keV, and new charge state yields and exchange cross-sections in C-He were obtained at energies of 70–220 keV.

Shortawn foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis Sobol.) is an obligate wetland plant that is widely distributed throughout Europe, temperate Asia, and North America. In China, it is widespread in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River as a noxious weed in winter cropping fields with a rice (Oryza sativa L.) rotation. The acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide mesosulfuron-methyl has been widely used to control annual grass and broadleaf weeds, including A. aequalis, in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields, leading to the selection of herbicide-resistant weeds. In this study, an A. aequalis population, AHFT-4, that survived mesosulfuron-methyl at the field-recommended rate (9 g ai ha−1) was collected in Anhui Province. Single-dose testing confirmed that the suspected resistant AHFT-4 had evolved resistance to mesosulfuron-methyl. Target gene sequencing revealed a resistance mutation of Pro-197-Ala in ALS1 of the resistant plants, and a derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker was developed to specifically detect the mutation. A relative expression assay showed no significant difference in ALS expression between AHFT-4 and a susceptible population without or with mesosulfuron-methyl treatment. Whole-plant dose–response bioassays indicated that AHFT-4 had evolved broad-spectrum cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides of all five chemical families tested, with GR50 resistance index (RI) values ranging from 21 to 206. However, it remained susceptible to the photosystem II inhibitor isoproturon. Pretreatment with the cytochrome P450 inhibitor malathion or the glutathione S-transferase inhibitor 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzoxadiazole had no significant effects on the resistance of AHFT-4 to mesosulfuron-methyl. To our knowledge, this study reports for the first time the ALS gene Pro-197-Ala substitution conferring broad-spectrum cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in A. aequalis.

A new system for preparing 14C samples was established for a compact accelerator mass spectrometer (GXNU-AMS) at Guangxi Normal University. This sample preparation system consists of three units: a vacuum maintenance unit, a CO2 purification unit, and a CO2 reduction unit, all of which were made of quartz glass. A series of radiocarbon (14C) preparation experiments were conducted to verify the reliability of the system. The recovery rate of graphite obtained was more than 80%. The carbon content in the commercial toner and wood sample was linearly fitted to the CO2 pressure in the measurement unit of the system. The results showed a good linear relationship, indicating that the reliability of the sample preparation system. AMS measurements were conducted on a batch of standard, wood, and dead graphite samples prepared using this system. The results showed that the beam current of 12C- for each sample was more than 40 μA, the carbon contamination introduced during the sample preparation process was ∼ 2 × 10–15, and that the new sample preparation system is compact, low-contamination, and efficient and meets the GXNU-AMS requirements for 14C samples.

Many waterflooding oil fields, injecting water into an oil-bearing reservoir for pressure maintenance, are in their middle to late stages of development. To explore the geological conditions and improve oilfield recovery of the most important well group of the Hu 136 block, located on the border areas of three provinces (Henan, Shandong, and Hebei), Zhongyuan Oilfield, Sinopec, central China, a 14C cross-well tracer monitoring technology was developed and applied in monitoring the development status and recognize the heterogeneity of oil reservoirs. The tracer response in the production well was tracked, and the water drive speed, swept volume of the injection fluid were obtained. Finally, the reservoir heterogeneity characteristics, such as the dilution coefficient, porosity, permeability, and average pore-throat radius, were fitted according to the mathematical model of the heterogeneous multi-layer inter-well theory. The 14C-AMS technique developed in this work is expected to be a potential analytical method for evaluating underground reservoir characteristics and providing crucial scientific guidance for the mid to late oil field recovery process.

This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations of adenovirus infections and identify potential risk factors for co-infection with chlamydia, viruses and bacteria in hospitalised children from Hangzhou, China. From January to December 2019, the characteristics of hospitalised children infected with adenovirus at Hangzhou Children's Hospital and Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital were collected. The clinical factors related to co-infection with chlamydia, viruses and bacteria were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. A total of 5989 children were infected with adenovirus, of which 573 were hospitalised for adenovirus infection. The severity of adenovirus respiratory infection was categorised as follows: mild (bronchiolitis, 73.6%), moderate (bronchopneumonia, 17.6%) or severe (pneumonia, 8.8%). Of the 573 children who were hospitalised, 280 presented with co-infection of chlamydia, viruses or bacteria, while the remaining 293 had only adenovirus infection. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analyses indicated that elevated ferritin was associated with an increased risk of chlamydia co-infection (odds ratio (OR) 6.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.56–27.11; P = 0.010). However, increased white blood cell (WBC) count was associated with a reduced risk of viral co-infection (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.75–0.95; P = 0.006). The study indicated that co-infection with chlamydia could be affected by elevated ferritin levels. WBC levels could affect viral co-infection in hospitalised children infected with adenovirus.

Different from developed countries, there is a paucity of research examining how the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diets relate to lipids in less-developed ethnic minority regions (LEMR). A total of 83 081 participants from seven ethnic groups were retrieved from the baseline data of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study, which was conducted in less-developed Southwest China between May 2018 and September 2019. Multivariable linear regression models were then used to examine the associations of the DASH and alternative Mediterranean diet (AMED) scores, assessed by modified DASH score and AMED, as well as their components with total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, TAG and TC/HDL-cholesterol. The DASH scores were negatively associated with TC, HDL-cholesterol and TAG. Comparing the highest quintiles with the lowest DASH scores, TC decreased 0·0708 (95 % CI −0·0923, −0·0493) mmol/l, HDL-cholesterol decreased 0·0380 (95 % CI −0·0462, −0·0299) mmol/l and TAG decreased 0·0668 (95 % CI −0·0994, −0·0341) mmol/l. The AMED scores were negatively associated with TC, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Comparing the highest quintiles with the lowest AMED scores, TC decreased 0·0816 (95 % CI −0·1035, −0·0597) mmol/l, LDL-cholesterol decreased 0·0297 (95 % CI −0·0477, −0·0118) mmol/l and HDL-cholesterol decreased 0·0275 (95 % CI −0·0358, −0·0192) mmol/l. Although both the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet were negatively associated with blood lipids, those associations showed different patterns in LEMR, particularly for TAG and HDL-cholesterol.

A compact coplanar waveguide-fed monopole antenna is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna is composed of three monopole branches. In order to achieve the miniaturization, the longest branch was bent. The antenna is printed on an FR4 dielectric substrate, having a compact size of 0.144λ0 × 0.105λ0 × 0.003λ0 at its lowest resonant frequency of 900 MHz. The multiband antenna covers five frequency bands: 820–990 MHz, 1.87–2.08 GHz, 2.37–2.93 GHz, 3.98–4.27 GHz, and 5.47–8.9 GHz, which covers the entire radio frequency identification bands (860–960 MHz, 2.4–2.48 GHz, and 5.725–5.875 GHz), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bands (890–960 MHz and 1.850–1.990 GHz), WLAN bands (2.4–2.484 GHz and 5.725–5.825 GHz), WiMAX band (2.5–2.69 GHz), X-band satellite communication systems (7.25–7.75 GHz and 7.9–8.4 GHz), and sub 6 GHz in 5G mobile communication system (3.3–4.2 GHz and 4.4–5.0 GHz). Also, the antenna has good radiation characteristics in the operating band, which is nearly omnidirectional. Both the simulated and experimental results are presented and compared and a good agreement is established. The proposed antenna operates in five frequency bands with high gain and good radiation characteristics, which make it a suitable candidate in terminal devices with multiple communication standards.