The selection of random sampling points is crucial for the path quality generated by probabilistic roadmap (PRM) algorithm. Increasing the number of sampling points can enhance path quality. However, it may also lead to extended convergence time and reduced computational efficiency. Therefore, an improved probabilistic roadmap algorithm (TL-PRM) is proposed based on topological discrimination and lazy collision. TL-PRM algorithm first generates a circular grid area among start and goal points. Then, it constructs topological nodes. Subsequently, elliptical sampling areas are created between each pair of adjacent topological nodes. Random sampling points are generated within these areas. These sampling points are interconnected using a layer connection strategy. An initial path is generated using a delayed collision strategy. The path is then adjusted by modifying the nodes on the convex outer edges to avoid obstacles. Finally, a reconnection strategy is employed to optimize the path. This reduces the number of path waypoints. In dynamic environments, TL-PRM algorithm employs pose adjustment strategies for semi-static and dynamic obstacles. It can use either the same or opposite pose adjustments to avoid dynamic obstacles. Experimental results indicate that TL-PRM algorithm reduces the average number of generated sampling points by 70.9% and average computation time by 62.1% compared with PRM* and PRM-Astar algorithms. In winding and narrow passage maps, TL-PRM algorithm significantly decreases the number of sampling points and shortens convergence time. In dynamic environments, the algorithm can adjust its pose orientation in real time. This allows it to safely reach the goal point. TL-PRM algorithm provides an effective solution for reducing the generation of sampling points in PRM algorithm.

With the widespread use of high-fat diets (HFDs) in aquaculture, the adverse effects of HFDs on farmed fish are becoming increasingly apparent. Creatine has shown potential as a green feed additive in farmed fish; however, the potential of dietary creatine to attenuate adverse effects caused by high fat diets remains poorly understood. To address such gaps, the present study was conducted to investigate the mitigating effect of dietary creatine on HFD-induced disturbance on growth performance, hepatic lipid metabolism, intestinal health, as well as muscle quality of juvenile largemouth bass. Three diets were formulated: a control diet (10.20% lipid), a high fat diet (HFD, 18.31% lipid), and HFD with 2% creatine (HFD + creatine). Juvenile largemouth bass (3.73±0.01g) were randomly assigned to three diets for 10 weeks. The key findings were: (1) The expression of muscle growth-related genes and proteins was stimulated by dietary creatine, which contribute to ameliorate the adverse effects of HFD on growth performance; (2) Dietary creatine alleviates HFD-induced adverse effects on intestinal health by improving intestinal health, which also enhances feed utilization efficiency; (3) Dietary creatine causes excessive lipid deposition, mainly via lipolysis and β-oxidation. Notably, the present study also reveal a previously undisclosed effect of creatine supplementation on improving muscle quality. Together, first time from a comprehensive multi-organ or tissue perspective, our study provides a feasible approach for developing appropriate nutritional strategies to alleviate the adverse effects of HFD on farmed fish, based on creatine supplementation.

Turbulent mixing driven by the reshocked Richtmyer–Meshkov (RM) instability plays a critical role in numerous natural phenomena and engineering applications. As the most fundamental physical quantity characterizing the mixing process, the mixing width transitions from linear to power-law growth following the initial shock. However, there is a notable absence of quantitative models for predicting the pronounced compression of initial interface perturbations or mixing regions at the moment of shock impact. This gap has restricted the development of integrated algebraic models to only the pre- and post-shock evolution stages. To address this limitation, the present study develops a predictive model for the compression of the mixing width induced by shocks. Based on the general principle of growth rate decomposition proposed by Li et al. (Phy. Rev. E, vol. 103, issue 5, 2021, 053109), two distinct types of shock-induced compression processes are identified, differentiated by the dominant mechanism governing their evolution: light–heavy and heavy–light shock-induced compression. For light–heavy interactions, both stretching (compression) and penetration mechanisms are influential, whereas heavy–light interactions are governed predominantly by the stretching (compression) mechanism. To characterize these mechanisms, the average velocity difference between the extremities of the mixing zone is quantified, and a physical model of RM mixing is utilized. A quantitative theoretical model is subsequently formulated through the independent algebraic modelling of these two mechanisms. The proposed model demonstrates excellent agreement with numerical simulations of reshocked RM mixing, offering valuable insights for the development of integrated algebraic models for mixing width evolution.

This study presents a novel investigation into the vortex dynamics of flow around a near-wall rectangular cylinder based on direct numerical simulation at $Re=1000$, marking the first in-depth exploration of these phenomena. By varying aspect ratios ($L/D = 5$, $10$, $15$) and gap ratios ($G/D = 0.1$, $0.3$, $0.9$), the study reveals the vortex dynamics influenced by the near-wall effect, considering the incoming laminar boundary layer flow. Both $L/D$ and $G/D$ significantly influence vortex dynamics, leading to behaviours not observed in previous bluff body flows. As $G/D$ increases, the streamwise scale of the upper leading edge (ULE) recirculation grows, delaying flow reattachment. At smaller $G/D$, lower leading edge (LLE) recirculation is suppressed, with upper Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices merging to form the ULE vortex, followed by instability, differing from conventional flow dynamics. Larger $G/D$ promotes the formation of an LLE shear layer. An intriguing finding at $L/D = 5$ and $G/D = 0.1$ is the backward flow of fluid from the downstream region to the upper side of the cylinder. At $G/D = 0.3$, double-trailing-edge vortices emerge for larger $L/D$, with two distinct flow behaviours associated with two interactions between gap flow and wall recirculation. These interactions lead to different multiple flow separations. For $G/D = 0.9$, the secondary vortex (SV) from the plate wall induces the formation of a tertiary vortex from the lower side of the cylinder. Double-SVs are observed at $L/D = 5$. Frequency locking is observed in most cases, but is suppressed at $L/D = 10$ and $G/D = 0.9$, where competing shedding modes lead to two distinct evolutions of the SV.

This theoretical and empirical study describes and explains the patterns of changes in domestic illicit trade and related transnational illicit flows of goods, services and money during the extreme social crises based on the case of the war in Ukraine. Depending on the legal status of the civil circulation of items, illicit trade is categorized into two groups: illicit (criminal) trade outside the economic sphere; and illicit (illegal) trade within the economic sphere. Typical destructive practices and their peculiarities during the war are considered in each group of illicit trade with the use of quantitative and qualitative methods. In terms of the dichotomy “war as a cause and consequence of crime”, this article addresses significant transformations in established criminal activities outside the official economy, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking, while also highlighting newly emerging crimes, specifically the illegal movement of conscripts across national borders. Furthermore, the article explores illegal trade within the economy, focusing on the trade in excisable goods and the new growing issue of abuse of humanitarian aid. The authors discuss the main deficiencies in adequate counteraction related to both war circumstances and systematic problems of state institutions, in particular, the criminal justice system.

Two-dimensional simulations incorporating detailed chemistry are conducted for detonation initiation induced by dual hot spots in a hydrogen/oxygen/argon mixture. The objective is to examine the transient behaviour of detonation initiation as facilitated by dual hot spots, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Effects of hot spot pressure and distance on the detonation initiation process are assessed; and five typical initiation modes are identified. It is found that increasing the hot spot pressure promotes detonation initiation, but the impact of the distance between dual hot spots on detonation initiation is non-monotonic. During the initiation process, the initial hot spot autoignites, and forms the cylindrical shock waves. Then, the triple-shock structure, which is caused by wave collisions and consists of the longitudinal detonation wave, transverse detonation wave and cylindrical shock wave, dominates the detonation initiation behaviour. A simplified theoretical model is proposed to predict the triple-point path, whose curvature quantitatively indicates the diffraction intensity of transient detonation waves. The longitudinal detonation wave significantly diffracts when the curvature of the triple-point path is large, resulting in the failed detonation initiation. Conversely, when the curvature is small, slight diffraction effects fail to prevent the transient detonation wave from developing. The propagation of the transverse detonation wave is affected not only by the diffraction effects but also by the mixture reactivity. When the curvature of the triple-point trajectory is large, a strong cylindrical shock wave is required to compress the mixture, enhancing its reactivity to ensure the transverse detonation wave can propagate without decoupling.

In the present study, we investigate the modulation effects of particles on compressible turbulent boundary layers at a Mach number of 6, employing high-fidelity direct numerical simulations based on the Eulerian–Lagrangian point-particle approach. Our findings reveal that the mean and fluctuating velocities in particle-laden flows exhibit similarities to incompressible flows under compressibility transformations and semi-local viscous scaling. With increasing particle mass loading, the reduction in Reynolds shear stress and the increase in particle feedback force constitute competing effects, leading to a non-monotonic variation in skin friction, particularly in turbulence over cold walls. Furthermore, dilatational motions near the wall, manifested as travelling-wave structures, persist under the influence of particles. However, these structures are significantly weakened due to the suppression of solenoidal bursting events and the negative work exerted by the particle feedback force. These findings align with the insight of Yu et al. (J. Fluid. Mech., vol. 984, 2024, A44), who demonstrated that dilatational motions are generated by the vortices associated with intense bursting events, rather than acting as evolving perturbations beneath velocity streaks. The attenuation of travelling-wave structures at higher particle mass loadings also contributes to the reduction in the intensities of wall shear stress and heat flux fluctuations, as well as the probability of extreme events. These results highlight the potential of particle-laden flows to mitigate aerodynamic forces and thermal loads in high-speed vehicles.

The August 15, 1945 announcement by the Japanese Emperor declaring Japan's intention to accept the Allied forces' terms of unconditional surrender sent Koreans throughout the empire into the streets in celebration. For the first time in decades they could freely associate with their fellow countrymen, communicate in their native language, and wave their national flag (taegeukgi) as Koreans without fear of punishment.[1]

Wall turbulence consists of various sizes of vortical structures that induce flow circulation around a wide range of closed Eulerian loops. Here we investigate the multiscale properties of circulation around such loops in statistically homogeneous planes parallel to the wall. Using a high-resolution direct numerical simulation database of turbulent channels at Reynolds numbers of $Re_\tau =180$, 550, 1000 and 5200, circulation statistics are obtained in planes at different wall-normal heights. Intermittency of circulation in the planes of the outer flow ($y^+ \gtrsim 0.1Re_\tau$) takes the form of universal bifractality as in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence. The bifractal character simplifies to space-filling character close to the wall, with scaling exponents that are linear in the moment order, and lower than those given by the Kolmogorov paradigm. The probability density functions of circulation are long-tailed in the outer bifractal region, with evidence showing their invariance with respect to the loop aspect ratio, while those in the inner region are closely Gaussian. The unifractality near the wall implies that the circulation there is not intermittent in character.

The Resistance War of 1937-1945 is the centerpiece of contemporary Chinese nationalism and contention over war memory has long exacerbated China-Japan frictions. The present blogged article by the dissident Christian writer Yu Jie, building on an earlier statement by literary critic Ge Hongbing, is both a rare challenge to the Chinese Communist Party's nationalist orthodoxy on the war by a China-based author, and a plea for Chinese reconciliation with Japan. Who are the victims, and who the assailants in the Resistance War? Specifically, were Chinese alone victims? And what is the relationship between representations of the Resistance War and questions of Chinese nationalism and free speech? Yu Jie and Ge Hongbing offer controversial answers to these and other questions. Looking beyond the Japanese government's failure to repent for its war crimes, Yu insists that reconciliation need not require repentance and underlines instead both the shared nationalism of the two parties to the war and the importance of reconciliation for both nations. This is part of a continuing Japan Focus series on reconciliation and community in Northeast Asia of which the most recent contribution is Mel Gurtov's Reconciling Japan and China MS

Can Chinese companies innovate in cutting-edge technology? It is a question many have been asking in the last few years as the size and dynamism of China's economy become apparent. This article focuses on the development of Chinese companies in the information and telecommunication sectors of industry, conventionally known as “Information Communication Technology” (ICT), among the most dynamic, profitable and globalized industries.

Old Kashgar is not long for this world. Quake fear, anxiety over ethnic unrest, and pursuit of development have spurred the authorities to launch a large-scale plan to demolish and redevelop 85% of the Old City.

There has been considerable criticism of the project among Kashgar residents and in the world world media, but it has done little to stop the project. This month's Phoenix Weekly contains an interesting cover feature on life in the Old City and how it may change in the future. The story is a little oversold based on the coverline: “The Shadow of ‘East Turkestan’ on China's Strategic Anti-Terrorism City,” as most of the feature is about everyday life as opposed to terrorism.

This paper presents a millimeter-wave end-fire dual-polarized (DP) array antenna with symmetrical radiation patterns and high isolation. The DP radiation element is formed by integrating a quasi-Yagi antenna (providing horizontal polarization) into a pyramidal horn antenna (providing vertical polarization), resulting in a DP radiation element with a symmetrical radiation aperture. To efficiently feed the DP element while maintaining high isolation, a mode-composite full-corporate-feed network is employed, comprising substrate-integrated waveguide supporting the TE10 mode and substrate-integrated coaxial line supporting the TEM mode. This design eliminates the need for additional transition structures, achieving excellent mode isolation and a reduced substrate layer number. A 1 × 4-element DP array prototype operating at 26.5–29.5 GHz using low temperature co-fired ceramic technology was designed, fabricated, and measured. The test results indicate that the prototype achieves an average gain exceeding 10 dBi for both polarizations within the operating band. Thanks to the symmetrical DP radiation element and mode-composite full-corporate-feed network, symmetrical radiation patterns for both polarizations are observed in both the horizontal and vertical planes, along with a high cross-polarization discrimination of 22 dB and polarization port isolation of 35 dB.