Discrepancies in iodised salt coverage rate (ISCR) between household salt and that used in catering establishments may significantly compromise the accuracy of dietary iodine intake assessments. To evaluate this impact, we analysed data from the 2023 Shanghai Diet and Health Survey, a cross-sectional study involving 2920 adults. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-h dietary recalls and an FFQ, while condiment intake was collected using the weighed inventory method. Additionally, salt samples from 960 canteens and restaurants were tested to determine the ISCR in dining establishments. Results showed that the ISCR was 85·9 % in dining establishments, markedly higher than the 53·3 % observed in households. Among employed participants in Shanghai, 51·7 %, 56·1 % and 18·7 % reported consuming breakfast, lunch and dinner outside the home at least once during the 3-d study period, respectively. The estimated daily iodine intake was 101 μg/d when dining-out salt was assumed to have the same ISCR as household salt, but it increased to 118 μg/d after accounting for the ISCR discrepancy. In conclusion, the rising prevalence of eating out has reshaped residents’ dietary habits, rendering traditional household-centric survey methods inadequate for iodine intake estimation in Shanghai. Incorporating ISCR differences between household and dining settings is essential for more accurate dietary iodine assessments.

Biomphalaria straminea (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) and Physa acuta (Gastropoda: Physidae), both invasive species in southern China, are important vectors for zoonotic diseases. However, the lack of information on the infection dynamics of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in these snails leaves gaps in understanding the compatibility mechanisms between the snails and the parasite. This study aims to reveal differences in A. cantonensis infection between B. straminea and P. acuta from Guangdong, southern China, and to investigate the potential interaction mechanisms between A. cantonensis and P. acuta. We found that both phenotypic color variants of B. straminea snails were highly susceptible to A. cantonensis (100%). The load of the L3 larvae ranged from 243 to 765 per snail, and it was positively correlated with the infection dosage. Based on the comparison of third-stage larvae quantities, B. straminea is more suitable than P. acuta for establishing the life cycle of A. cantonensis in the laboratory. In contrast, geographic isolates of P. acuta exhibited variable susceptibility (13–91%) and markedly lower parasite loads, with 6–32 third-stage larvae per snail. Diverse strains of P. acuta exhibit distinct immune responses to A. cantonensis, characterized by varied expression patterns of immune-related genes such as TEP1, HSP70, FREP2, Cu-Zn_SOD1, Fe-Mn_SOD2, MIF and Galectin. Our findings establish B. straminea as both a high-risk vector and a laboratory model for studying the life cycle of A. cantonensis, while highlighting P. acuta as a model for investigating parasite-snail interactions, thereby enhancing our understanding of snail-parasite dynamics in southern China.

We demonstrate a Yb:CaGdAlO4 (Yb:CALGO) bulk regenerative amplifier (RA) capable of delivering a peak power of 0.112 TW at a 1 kHz repetition rate. By integrating a home-built ultrabroadband nonlinear polarization evolution (NPE) mode-locked fiber oscillator, a set of custom-designed spectral shapers and the broad emission bandwidth Yb:CALGO gain medium, an amplified bandwidth of 18.2 nm and an output pulse duration of 137 fs are achieved. Thanks to the thermally insensitive dual-crystal cavity design and the quasi-continuous pumping thermal management scheme, the RA achieves a maximum pulse energy output of 21.01 mJ. Under the constraint of avoiding crystal damage, the compressed pulse energy reaches 17.6 mJ. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the highest pulse energy and peak power ever achieved from a Yb:CALGO RA. The power stability over 30 minutes is measured to be 0.506%, and the beam quality factor M2 is 1.16 × 1.12.

As international exploration of the Meso-Neoproterozoic continues, these layers have become a key target for deep oil and gas field exploration. The Ordos Basin exhibits considerable sedimentary thicknesses within the Meso-Neoproterozoic. However, significant hydrocarbon discoveries have not been forthcoming, primarily due to the complex tectonic evolution. This paper focuses on the southern Ordos Basin, utilizing logging-seismic calibration to interpret seismic data and elucidate Meso-Neoproterozoic tectonic features. By comparing ancient and modern tectonic patterns, based on palaeotectonic maps retrieved through the impression method and combining these with tectonic evolution profiles, the study clarifies the history of tectonic modification. Under the control of two fracture systems – basin-controlling fractures at the margin and trough-controlling fractures – the Changchengian exhibits two categories (single-fault and double-fault) and five sub-categories of fault depression combinations. The study highlights significant differences between ancient and modern tectonics in the Meso-Neoproterozoic, which are attributed to various tectonic stages, including the trough-uplift depositional differentiation stage during the early rift-late depression of the Changchengian, the basin-margin subsidence stage of the southwestern depression of the Jixianian, the uplift and denudation stage of the Sinian basin’s main body and the four-stage tectonic remodelling stage of differential uplift-subsidence in the Palaeoproterozoic. This study employs the ancient-present tectonic pattern as a point of departure, thereby enhancing the theoretical understanding of deep-seated tectonics in the Ordos Basin. It offers novel insights into the exploration of Meso-Neoproterozoic gas reservoirs from a tectonic remodelling perspective.

This paper proposes a new surface fitting method based on double model comparison to solve the aspherical surface parameters, allowing for the simultaneous extraction of the surface deviation and the optimal surface fitting parameters for the radio antenna’s main reflector. This method employs the laser tracker to obtain the 3D coordinates of the points on the antenna surface, which can be expressed in terms of Zernike polynomials. Then compare the Zernike polynomial description with the ideal aspherical equation description to establish a discrepancy model in the optical design software. Finally, by optimizing this model, the optimal surface parameters can be obtained. The simulation results show that the method is suitable for high-precision fitting of aspherical surfaces with cone coefficient K in the range of [−4, 0.3], with the maximum deviation percentage of the radius of curvature at 0.036% and the cone coefficient at 0.14%. Experimental research is conducted on the 3.2 m sector sub-aperture spliced radio antenna; the fitted radius of curvature is 2012.3204 mm, the conic coefficient is −1.0476, and the Root Mean Square (RMS) is 0.6232 mm, confirming the adaptability of this method.

Ultra-thin liquid sheets generated by impinging two liquid jets are crucial high-repetition-rate targets for laser ion acceleration and ultra-fast physics, and serve widely as barrier-free samples for structural biochemistry. The impact of liquid viscosity on sheet thickness should be comprehended fully to exploit its potential. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that viscosity significantly influences thickness distribution, while surface tension primarily governs shape. We propose a thickness model based on momentum exchange and mass transport within the radial flow, which agrees well with the experiments. These results provide deeper insights into the behaviour of liquid sheets and enable accurate thickness control for various applications, including atomization nozzles and laser-driven particle sources.

High-power laser systems require thin films with extremely low absorption. Ultra-low-absorption films are often fabricated via ion beam sputtering, which is costly and slow. This study analyzes the impact of doping titanium and annealing on the absorption characteristics of thin films, focusing on composition and structure. The results indicate that the primary factor influencing absorption is composition. Suppressing the presence of electrons or holes that do not form stable chemical bonds can significantly reduce absorption; for amorphous thin films, the structural influence on absorption is relatively minor. Thus, composition control is crucial for fabricating ultra-low-absorption films, while the deposition method is secondary. Ion beam-assisted electron-beam evaporation, which is relatively seldom used for fabricating low-absorption films, was employed to produce high-reflectivity films. After annealing, the absorption at 1064 nm reached 1.70 parts per million. This method offers a cost-effective and rapid approach for fabricating ultra-low-absorption films.

We demonstrate the post-compression of the GW-level femtosecond pulse in a solid-state multi-pass cell (MPC) by the pre-chirp management method. When the laser pulse is positively pre-chirped, the 200 μJ 170 fs input pulse is compressed to 163 μJ 44 fs at the output, corresponding to a transmission of 81% and a pulse shortening factor of 3.86. When the laser pulse is negatively pre-chirped, the spectral evolution, as the pulse propagates in the MPC, is characterized and, eventually, the pulse duration is compressed to 51 fs, corresponding to a pulse shortening factor of 3.3. After the driving laser goes through the pre-chirp managed MPC device, the power stability and beam quality are almost preserved. The experimental results offer a viable path toward the post-compression of high-peak-power laser pulses.

The flexible flat cable (FFC) assembly task is a prime challenge in electronic manufacturing. Its characteristics of being prone to deformation under external force, tiny assembly tolerance, and fragility impede the application of robotic assembly in this field. To achieve reliable and stable robotic automation assembly of FFC, an efficient assembly skill acquisition strategy is presented by combining a parallel robot skill learning algorithm with adaptive impedance control. The parallel robot skill learning algorithm is proposed to enhance the efficiency of FFC assembly skill acquisition, which reduces the risk of damaging FFC and tackles the uncertain influence resulting from deformation during the assembly process. Moreover, FFC assembly is also a complex contact-rich manipulation task. An adaptive impedance controller is designed to implement force tracking during the assembly process without precise environment information, and the stability is also analyzed based on the Lyapunov function. Experiments of FFC assembly are conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust and efficient.

Dietary restriction-influenced biological performance is found in many animal species. Pardosa pseudoannulata is a dominant spider species in agricultural fields and is important for controlling pests. In this study, three groups – a control group (CK group), a re-feeding group (RF group), and a dietary restriction group (RT group) – were used to explore development, mating, reproduction, and the expression levels of Vg (vitellogenin) and VgR (vitellogenin receptor) genes in the spider. The findings indicated that when subjected to dietary restriction, the carapace size, weight of the spiderlings, and weight of the adults exhibited a decrease. Furthermore, the preoviposition period and egg stage were observed to be prolonged, while the number of spiderlings decreased. It was also observed that re-feeding reduced cannibalism rates and extended the preoviposition period. Dietary restriction also affected the expression of the Vg-3 gene in the spider. These results will contribute to the understanding of the impact of dietary restriction in predators of pest control, as well as provide a theoretical foundation for the artificial rearing and utilisation of the dominant spider in the field.

This paper extends the work of Tamano & Morinishi (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 548, 2006, pp. 361–373) by simulating supersonic turbulent channel flow with asymmetric thermal walls using a larger computational domain and a finer mesh. Direct numerical simulation is carried out for four cases with different thermal wall boundaries at the top wall at fixed $Ma=1.5$, $Re=6000$ and $Pr=0.72$, while the bottom wall is maintained at a constant temperature of $T_L$ equal to the reference temperature. These cases are referred to as the adiabatic case TAd, where the top wall is adiabatic; the pseudo-adiabatic case T32, where the top wall is isothermal with temperature $T_{w,t}=T_A$; the sub-adiabatic case T25, with $T_{w,t}=0.77T_A$; and the super-adiabatic case T40, with $T_{w,t}=1.24T_A$. Here, $T_A=3.234$ is the mean temperature at the adiabatic wall in the TAd case. The objective of this study is to compare and contrast the TAd case with its corresponding T32 case, and to investigate the effect of the wall temperature difference between the two isothermal walls. Comparisons of the basic turbulent statistics, the heat transfer between the Favre-averaged mean-flow kinetic energy, the Favre-averaged turbulent kinetic energy and the Favre-averaged mean internal energy, as well as the wall heat transfer properties, indicate that the TAd case and its corresponding T32 case are generally equivalent. The only discernible difference is in the region very close to the top wall for the temperature-fluctuation-related quantities. The analysis reveals that the asymmetry of the thermal walls causes asymmetry in the flow and thermal fields. In addition, the transfer of the heat generated by the pressure dilatation and the viscous stress is facilitated by the turbulent heat flux term and the mean molecular heat flux term.

To meet the demands of laser-ion acceleration at a high repetition rate, we have developed a comprehensive diagnostic system for real-time and in situ monitoring of liquid sheet targets (LSTs). The spatially resolved rapid characterizations of an LST’s thickness, flatness, tilt angle and position are fulfilled by different subsystems with high accuracy. With the help of the diagnostic system, we reveal the dependence of thickness distribution on collision parameters and report the 238-nm liquid sheet generated by the collision of two liquid jets. Control methods for the flatness and tilt angle of LSTs have also been provided, which are essential for applications of laser-driven ion acceleration and others.

This study presents novel findings on stochastic electron heating via a random electron cyclotron wave (ECW) in a spherical tokamak. Hard x ray measurements demonstrate the time evolution of hard x ray counts at different energy bands, consistent with predictions from the stochastic heating model. The ECW heating rate shows a positive correlation with applied power, confirming the effectiveness of stochastic heating. Remarkably, the ECW-driven plasma current remains insensitive to ECW incidence angle, consistent with model predictions. The observed stochastic heating of electrons offers potential for exploring innovative non-inductive current drive modes in spherical tokamaks. This research contributes to the understanding of plasma behaviour and motivates the development of new models for non-inductive current drive in fusion devices.

Post-acceleration of protons in helical coil targets driven by intense, ultrashort laser pulses can enhance ion energy by utilizing the transient current from the targets’ self-discharge. The acceleration length of protons can exceed a few millimeters, and the acceleration gradient is of the order of GeV/m. How to ensure the synchronization between the accelerating electric field and the protons is a crucial problem for efficient post-acceleration. In this paper, we study how the electric field mismatch induced by current dispersion affects the synchronous acceleration of protons. We propose a scheme using a two-stage helical coil to control the current dispersion. With optimized parameters, the energy gain of protons is increased by four times. Proton energy is expected to reach 45 MeV using a hundreds-of-terawatts laser, or more than 100 MeV using a petawatt laser, by controlling the current dispersion.

Drawing on social exchange theory, our study aims to examine how age-inclusive human resource (HR) practices affect work engagement by shaping the age-diversity climate and perceived organizational support (POS). We hypothesize that diversity beliefs play a moderating role in the relationship between age-inclusive HR practices and POS. Our analysis of a sample of 983 employees from 48 organizations in China highlights the direct impact of age-inclusive HR practices on work engagement. Moreover, age-diversity climate and POS mediate the association between age-inclusive HR practices and work engagement. We further demonstrate that diversity beliefs play a moderating role in the association between age-inclusive HR practices and POS. Our findings not only contribute to the literature but also provide practical implications for managing an aging workforce.