Western Zhou Dynasty (ca. 1046–771 BC) was established soon after conquering the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 BC) and brought about the earliest enfeoffment system in Chinese history. Yan was one of the vassal states of the same clan as Zhou. According to historical records, the capital of Yan state was located near Yan mountain, which is now known as the Liulihe site in the Fangshan District, Beijing. This study carries out the high-precision dating of two newly discovered Western Zhou Dynasty noble tombs at the Liulihe site. The man in tomb M1902 participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of Yan’s capital according to inscriptions on the bronze vessel found in this tomb. Samples of different materials, especially different parts of human skeletons from the tombs, were selected to form a sample series in chronological order. Wiggle-matching models were established in OxCal program based on the growth and development time of different teeth and bones of human skeletons. More accurate ages were acquired for the death of the individuals. The results indicate that the most probable distribution range of the death date of the individual in M1902 is about 1045–1010 BC. The radiocarbon dates of M1902 give important chronological information about the founding of Yan state, and they are very close to those of the year in which King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty.

The migration of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) poses a potential risk of outbreak for zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasite infections. This study aims to investigate the infection status of zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasites in these migratory Mongolian gazelles. We collected 120 fecal samples from Mongolian gazelles during their migration from Mongolia to China in December 2023. These samples were analysed using amplification and sequencing of partial SSU rRNA genes to detect the 4 presence of zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasites and characterize their genotypes. Our analysis revealed the presence of several zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasites in the sampled Mongolian gazelles. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected in 14.17% (17/120) of the samples, followed by Cystoisospora belli in 13.33% (16/120), Blastocystis sp. in 16.67% (20/120) and Cyclospora cayetanensis in 30.00% (36/120). Moreover, we identified novel host-adapted genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. and C. belli, as well as the presence of ST2 and ST13 Blastocystis sp. subtypes, while distinct genotypes were found in Blastocystis sp. and C. cayetanensis. This study revealed the status of 4 prevalent zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasite infections in Mongolian gazelles and provided crucial insights into their characteristics. The prevalence of these parasites in the population highlights the potential risk of cross-border transmission of infectious diseases associated with long-distance migration. Furthermore, the identification of novel genotypes contributes to our understanding of the genetic diversity and adaptation of these parasites. These findings can inform the development of protective measures to mitigate the impact of these infections on the health and survival of Mongolian gazelles.

Accurately converting satellite instantaneous evapotranspiration (λETi) over time to daily evapotranspiration (λETd) is crucial for estimating regional evapotranspiration from remote sensing satellites, which plays an important role in effective water resource management. In this study, four upscaling methods based on the principle of energy balance, including the evaporative fraction method (Eva-f method), revised evaporative fraction method (R-Eva-f method), crop coefficient method (Kc-ET0 method) and direct canopy resistance method (Direct-rc method), were validated based on the measured data of the Bowen ratio energy balance system (BREB) in maize fields in northwestern (NW) and northeastern (NE) China (semi-arid and semi-humid continental climate regions) from 2021 to 2023. Results indicated that Eva-f and R-Eva-f methods were superior to Kc-ET0 and Direct-rc methods in both climatic regions and performed better between 10:00 and 11:00, with mean absolute errors (MAE) and coefficient of efficiency (ɛ) reaching <10 W/m2 and > 0.91, respectively. Comprehensive evaluation of the optimal upscaling time using global performance indicators (GPI) showed that the Eva-f method had the highest GPI of 0.59 at 12:00 for the NW, while the R-Eva-f method had the highest GPI of 1.18 at 11:00 for the NE. As a result, the Eva-f approach is recommended as the best way for upscaling evapotranspiration in NW, with 12:00 being the ideal upscaling time. The R-Eva-f method is the optimum upscaling method for the Northeast area, with an ideal upscaling time of 11:00. The comprehensive results of this study could be useful for converting λETi to λETd.

The recent work of Siegelman & Young (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 120, issue 44, 2023, e2308018120) revealed two extreme states reached by the evolution of unforced and weakly damped two-dimensional turbulence above random rough topography, separated by a critical kinetic energy $E_\#$. The low- and high-energy solutions correspond to topographically locked and roaming vortices, surrounded by non-uniform and homogeneous background potential vorticity (PV), respectively. However, we found that these phenomena are restricted to the particular intermediate length scale where the energy was initially injected into the system. Through simulations initialized by injecting the energy at larger and smaller length scales, we found that the long-term state of topographic turbulence is also dependent on the initial length scale and thus the initial enstrophy. If the initial length scale is comparable to the domain size, the long-term flow field resembles the minimum-enstrophy state proposed by Bretherton & Haidvogel (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 78, issue 1, 1976, pp. 129–154), with very few topographically locked vortices; the long-term enstrophy is quite close to the minimum value, especially when the energy is no larger than $E_\#$. As the initial length scale becomes smaller, more vortices nucleate and become more mobile; the long-term enstrophy increasingly deviates from the minimum value. Simultaneously, the background PV tends to homogenization, even if the energy is below $E_\#$. These results complement the phenomenology of topographic turbulence documented by Siegelman & Young, by showing that the minimum-enstrophy and background PV homogenization states can be adequately approached by large- and small-scale initial fields, respectively, with relatively arbitrary energy.

Genes involved in melanin production directly impact insect pigmentation and can affect diverse physiology and behaviours. The role these genes have on sex behaviour, however, is unclear. In the present study, the crucial melanin pigment gene black was functionally characterised in an urban pest, the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. RNAi knockdown of B. germanica black (Bgblack) had no effect on survival, but did result in black pigmentation of the thoraxes, abdomens, heads, wings, legs, antennae, and cerci due to cuticular accumulation of melanin. Sex-specific variation in the pigmentation pattern was apparent, with females exhibiting darker coloration on the abdomen and thorax than males. Bgblack knockdown also resulted in wing deformation and negatively impacted the contact sex pheromone-based courtship behaviour of males. This study provides evidence for black function in multiple aspects of B. germanica biology and opens new avenues of exploration for novel pest control strategies.

The production and industrial use of asbestos cement and other asbestos-containing materials have been restricted in most countries because of the potential detrimental effects on human health and the environment. Chrysotile is the most common form of asbestos and investigations into how to recycle this serpentine phyllosilicate mineral have attracted extensive attention. Chrysotile asbestos tailings can be transformed thermally, at high temperature, by in situ carbothermal reduction (CR). The CR method aims to maximize use of the chrysotile available and uses high temperatures and carbon to change the mineral form and structure of the chrysotile asbestos tailings. When chrysotile asbestos is employed as the raw material and coke (carbon) powder is used as the reducing agent for CR transformation, stable, high-temperature composites consisting of forsterite, stishovite, and silicon carbide are formed. Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) was the most abundant crystalline phase formed in samples heat treated below 1500ºC. At 1600ºC, forsterite was exhausted through decomposition and β-SiC formed by reduction of stishovite. A larger proportion of β-SiC was generated as the carbon content was increased. This research revealed that both temperature and carbon addition play key roles in the transformation of chrysotile asbestos tailings.

The efficient separation of hexane isomers from the light naphtha fraction is a significant challenge in the petrochemical industry. 5A zeolite adsorbent is used commercially to sieve alkane isomers. In this study, 5A zeolites were synthesized using a low-cost natural clay mineral precursor, i.e. palygorskite (PAL), with the addition of crystallization directing agent (CDA). By varying the mass ratio of CDA/deionized water, 5A zeolites were obtained as CDA-5%, CDA-7.5%, and CDA-10%. All products were submicron particles with an average particle size of 400–800 nm. A sieving test of CDA-induced 5A zeolites was carried out on hexane adsorbates including n-hexane (nHEX), 2-methylpentane (2MP), and 3-methylpentane (3MP). According to vapor-phase batch adsorption experiments, a significant equilibrium amount (0.149 g/g) of nHEX and only 0.0321 g/g 2MP and 0.0416 g/g 3MP were adsorbed on the 5A zeolite product with CDA-5%. The dynamic adsorption performance of 5A zeolite (CDA-5%) was evaluated by breakthrough curves of binary mixtures of nHEX/2MP and nHEX/3MP. Palygorskite 5A (PAL 5A) zeolite achieved maximum dynamic adsorption capacities of nHEX (0.16 g/g in both cases) at 200°C and 1.2 MPa total pressure. This work provided an economic alternative for the synthesis of 5A zeolites using natural clay minerals instead of chemical raw materials.

Effects of solid nanolayers embedded in a near-critical density plasma on the laser-driven collisionless shock acceleration are investigated by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Due to the interaction of nanolayers and the incident laser, an additional number of hot electrons are generated and an inhomogeneous magnetic field is induced. As a result, the collisionless shock is reinforced within the nanolayer gaps compared to the target without the structured nanolayers. When the laser intensity is 9.8 × 1019 W/cm2, the amplitude of the electrostatic field is increased by 30% and the shock velocity is increased from 0.079c to 0.091c, leading to an enhancement of the peak energy and the cutoff energy of accelerated protons, from 6.9 MeV to 9.1 MeV and 12.2 MeV to 20.0 MeV, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of the width of the nanolayer gaps are studied, by adjusting the gap width of nanolayers, and optimal nanolayer setups for collisionless shock acceleration can be acquired.

Loess is a large-scale deposit which is easy to mine and widely distributed on the epipedon. The clay fraction of loess, also known as ‘loessial clay’, is a very important component of loess which affects its properties and performance. From a ‘materials’ perspective, the clay fraction of loess has been ignored. Recently, loess particles have attracted interest because of their potential applications. The focus in the current review is on the methods of modifying loess particles and their application as functional materials. The major components of loess particles are clays, calcite, and quartz, with the clays including kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, and chlorite. Loess has a range of particle sizes, types, and dispersibilities. The particles agglomerate readily, mainly because cementation occurs readily in the clay fraction. Loess particles can be modified and their properties can be improved by compaction, separation, purification, acidification, calcination, surfactant modification, geopolymerization, and polymer modification. Loess-based functional materials have been used as sorbents, eco-friendly superabsorbents, soil and water conservation materials, humidity-regulating materials, and building materials. Separated and purified loess particles can adsorb metal ions and harmful elements directly. Surfactant-modified loess particles can remove organic compounds effectively. After modification with polymers, loess particles exhibit greater capacity for the removal of environmental pollutants such as harmful metal ions and dyes. As a superabsorbent, modified loess shows excellent thermal stability and swelling behavior. Calcined loess could be utilized as an energy-saving building material with good humidity-regulating performance, and geological polymerization has further expanded the scope of applications of loess in architecture. In summary, loess-based functional materials, which are inexpensive and ecologically friendly, deserve more attention and further development.

The objective of the present study was to investigate changes in the structural, textural, and surface properties of tubular halloysite under heating, which are significant in the applications of halloysite as functional materials but have received scant attention in comparison with kaolinite. Samples of a purified halloysite were heated at various temperatures up to 1400°C, and then characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and nitrogen adsorption. The thermal decomposition of halloysite involved three major steps. During dehydroxylation at 500–900°C, the silica and alumina originally in the tetrahedral and octahedral sheets, respectively, were increasingly separated, resulting in a loss of long-range order. Nanosized (5–40 nm) γ-Al2O3 was formed in the second step at 1000–1100°C. The third step was the formation of a mullite-like phase from 1200 to 1400°C and cristobalite at 1400°C. The rough tubular morphology and the mesoporosity of halloysite remained largely intact as long as the heating temperature was <900°C. Calcination at 1000°C led to distortion of the tubular nanoparticles. Calcination at higher temperatures caused further distortion and then destruction of the tubular structure. The formation of hydroxyl groups on the outer surfaces of the tubes during the disconnection and disordering of the original tetrahedral and octahedral sheets was revealed for the first time. These hydroxyl groups were active for grafting modification by an organosilane (γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane), pointing to some very promising potential uses of halloysite for ceramic materials or as fillers for novel clay-polymer nanocomposites.

Multilayer dielectric gratings (MLDGs) are crucial for pulse compression in picosecond–petawatt laser systems. Bulged nodular defects, embedded in coating stacks during multilayer deposition, influence the lithographic process and performance of the final MLDG products. In this study, the integration of nanosecond laser conditioning (NLC) into different manufacturing stages of MLDGs was proposed for the first time on multilayer dielectric films (MLDFs) and final grating products to improve laser-induced damage performance. The results suggest that the remaining nodular ejection pits introduced by the two protocols exhibit a high nanosecond laser damage resistance, which remains stable when the irradiated laser fluence is more than twice the nanosecond-laser-induced damage threshold (nanosecond-LIDT) of the unconditioned MLDGs. Furthermore, the picosecond-LIDT of the nodular ejection pit conditioned on the MLDFs was approximately 40% higher than that of the nodular defects, and the loss of the grating structure surrounding the nodular defects was avoided. Therefore, NLC is an effective strategy for improving the laser damage resistance of MLDGs.

SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spreads among humans via social networks, with social mixing and network characteristics potentially facilitating transmission. However, limited data on topological structural features has hindered in-depth studies. Existing research is based on snapshot analyses, preventing temporal investigations of network changes. Comparing network characteristics over time offers additional insights into transmission dynamics. We examined confirmed COVID-19 patients from an eastern Chinese province, analyzing social mixing and network characteristics using transmission network topology before and after widespread interventions. Between the two time periods, the percentage of singleton networks increased from 38.9$ \% $ to 62.8$ \% $$ (p<0.001) $; the average shortest path length decreased from 1.53 to 1.14 $ (p<0.001) $; the average betweenness reduced from 0.65 to 0.11$ (p<0.001) $; the average cluster size dropped from 4.05 to 2.72 $ (p=0.004) $; and the out-degree had a slight but nonsignificant decline from 0.75 to 0.63 $ (p=0.099). $ Results show that nonpharmaceutical interventions effectively disrupted transmission networks, preventing further disease spread. Additionally, we found that the networks’ dynamic structure provided more information than solely examining infection curves after applying descriptive and agent-based modeling approaches. In summary, we investigated social mixing and network characteristics of COVID-19 patients during different pandemic stages, revealing transmission network heterogeneities.

The discharged capillary plasma channel has been extensively studied as a high-gradient particle acceleration and transmission medium. A novel measurement method of plasma channel density profiles has been employed, where the role of plasma channels guiding the advantages of lasers has shown strong appeal. Here, we have studied the high-order transverse plasma density profile distribution using a channel-guided laser, and made detailed measurements of its evolution under various parameters. The paraxial wave equation in a plasma channel with high-order density profile components is analyzed, and the approximate propagation process based on the Gaussian profile laser is obtained on this basis, which agrees well with the simulation under phase conditions. In the experiments, by measuring the integrated transverse laser intensities at the outlet of the channels, the radial quartic density profiles of the plasma channels have been obtained. By precisely synchronizing the detection laser pulses and the plasma channels at various moments, the reconstructed density profile shows an evolution from the radial quartic profile to the quasi-parabolic profile, and the high-order component is indicated as an exponential decline tendency over time. Factors affecting the evolution rate were investigated by varying the incentive source and capillary parameters. It can be found that the discharge voltages and currents are positive factors quickening the evolution, while the electron-ion heating, capillary radii and pressures are negative ones. One plausible explanation is that quartic profile contributions may be linked to plasma heating. This work helps one to understand the mechanisms of the formation, the evolutions of the guiding channel electron-density profiles and their dependences on the external controllable parameters. It provides support and reflection for physical research on discharged capillary plasma and optimizing plasma channels in various applications.

My 5 moments (M5M) was used less frequently among cleaning staff members, suggesting that a poor compliance score in this group may not indicate deficient handwashing. This quasi-experimental study compared hand hygiene compliance (HHC), hand hygiene (HH) moments, and HH time distribution in the control group (no HH intervention; n = 21), case group 1 (normal M5M intervention; n = 26), case group 2 (extensive novel six moments (NSM) training; n = 24), and case group 3 (refined NSM training; n = 18). The intervention’s effect was evaluated after 3 months. The HHC gap among the four groups gradually increased in the second intervention month (control group, 31.43%; case group 1, 38.74%; case group 2, 40.19%; case group 3, 52.21%; p < 0.05). After the intervention period, the HHC of case groups 2 and 3 improved significantly from the baseline (23.85% vs. 59.22%, 27.41% vs. 83.62%, respectively; p < 0.05). ‘After transferring medical waste from the site’ had the highest HHC in case group 3, 90.72% (95% confidence interval, 0.1926–0.3967). HH peak hours were from 6 AM to 9 AM and 2 PM to 3 PM. The study showed that the implementation of an NSM practice can serve as an HHC monitoring indicator and direct relevant training interventions to improve HH among hospital cleaning staff.

A new approach to target development for laboratory astrophysics experiments at high-power laser facilities is presented. With the dawn of high-power lasers, laboratory astrophysics has emerged as a field, bringing insight into physical processes in astrophysical objects, such as the formation of stars. An important factor for success in these experiments is targetry. To date, targets have mainly relied on expensive and challenging microfabrication methods. The design presented incorporates replaceable machined parts that assemble into a structure that defines the experimental geometry. This can make targets cheaper and faster to manufacture, while maintaining robustness and reproducibility. The platform is intended for experiments on plasma flows, but it is flexible and may be adapted to the constraints of other experimental setups. Examples of targets used in experimental campaigns are shown, including a design for insertion in a high magnetic field coil. Experimental results are included, demonstrating the performance of the targets.