This study examined global trends in influenza-associated lower respiratory infections (LRIs) deaths from 1990 to 2019 using data from the GBD 2019. The annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were used to analyze age-standardized death rates (ASDR). Globally, the ASDR of influenza-associated LRIs was 3.29/100,000 in 2019, which was higher in the African region (6.57/100,000) and among adults aged 70 years and older (29.88/100,000). The ASDR of influenza-associated LRIs decreased significantly from 1990 to 2019 (AAPC = −1.88%, P < 0.05). However, it was significantly increased among adults aged 70 years and older during 2017–2019 (APC = 2.31%, P < 0.05), especially in Western Pacific Region and South-East Asia Regions. The ratio of death rates between adults aged 70 years and older and children aged under 5 years increased globally from 1.63 in 1990 to 5.34 in 2019, and the Western Pacific Region experienced the most substantial increase, with the ratio soaring from 1.83 in 1990 to 12.98 in 2019. Despite a decline in the global ASDR of influenza-associated LRIs, it continues to impose a significant burden, particularly in the African, Western Pacific regions and among the elderly population.

Language control in the bilingual brain has remained in the limelight of research over the past decades. However, the mechanisms underlying bilingual language control may be more intricate than typically assumed due to the hierarchical nature of language. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of bilingual language control at the phonetic level. Participants, who were speakers of Chinese, English and German, named the letters of the alphabet in English (L2) or German (L3) following an alternating language-switching paradigm. Two sets of letters were selected, differing in the phonological similarity of their pronunciation across the two languages, thereby allowing the exploration of cross-language phonological influences. Each participant completed two sessions of letter-naming tasks. In one session, seven phonologically similar letters were randomly repeated either in single-language blocks or in alternate-language blocks. In the other session, seven phonologically dissimilar letters were similarly manipulated. The results indicated local inhibition, reflected by switch costs and global inhibition, reflected by mixing costs. Reversed language dominance, another indicator of global inhibition, was not observed. However, there was a tendency for larger global inhibition to be applied to the more dominant language. Moreover, there was significantly faster naming for phonologically similar letters compared to dissimilar ones, suggesting a facilitation effect for both English and German, irrespective of whether letter naming occurred in single- or alternate-language blocks. These findings provided evidence for the role of inhibitory and facilitative mechanisms at the phonetic level, suggesting language-specific control in the bilingual brain and underscoring the complexity and dynamics of managing language control across multiple levels of processing.

A recent study published in Oryx proposed that the extinct Javan tiger Panthera tigris sondaica may still survive on the Island of Java, Indonesia, based on mitochondrial DNA analysis of a single hair sample collected from a location where a tiger was reportedly encountered. However, upon reanalysing the genetic data presented in that study, we conclude that there is little support for this claim. The sequences of the putative tiger hair and Javan tiger museum specimens generated are not from tiger cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA but more likely the nuclear pseudogene copies of mitochondrial DNA. In addition, the number of mismatches between the two Javan tiger sequences is unusually high for homologous sequences that are both from tigers, suggesting potential issues with data reliability. The paper provides insufficient details on quality control measures, making it impossible to rule out the possibility that errors were introduced during the analysis. Consequently, it is inappropriate to use the sequences presented in that study to infer the existence of the Javan tiger.

Isolated multi-MeV $\gamma$-rays with attosecond duration, high collimation and beam angular momentum (BAM) may find many interesting applications in nuclear physics, astrophysics, etc. Here, we propose a scheme to generate such $\gamma$-rays via nonlinear Thomson scattering of a rotating relativistic electron sheet driven by a few-cycle twisted laser pulse interacting with a micro-droplet target. Our model clarifies the laser intensity threshold and carrier-envelope phase effect on the generation of the isolated electron sheet. Three-dimensional numerical simulations demonstrate the $\gamma$-ray emission with 320 attoseconds duration and peak brilliance of $9.3\times 10^{24}$ photons s${}^{-1}$ mrad${}^{-2}$ mm${}^{-2}$ per 0.1$\%$ bandwidth at 4.3 MeV. The $\gamma$-ray beam carries a large BAM of $2.8 \times 10^{16}\mathrm{\hslash}$, which arises from the efficient BAM transfer from the rotating electron sheet, subsequently leading to a unique angular distribution. This work should promote the experimental investigation of nonlinear Thomson scattering of rotating electron sheets in large laser facilities.

This study aimed to estimate the nationwide prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) among adults with underweight in the US general population. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2020), we estimated the age-standardised prevalence of dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, CVD and the presence of zero or at least two CMD. Multivariable Poisson regressions were used to compare CMD prevalence between subgroups, adjusting for age, sex and race/ethnicity. Among the 855 adults with underweight included, the weighted mean age was 40·8 years, with 68·1 % being women and 70·4 % non-Hispanic White. The estimated prevalence rates were 23·4 % for dyslipidemia (95 % CI 19·4 %, 27·5 %), 15·6 % for hypertension (95 % CI 13·3 %, 17·8 %), 2·5 % for diabetes (95 % CI 1·5 %, 3·5 %), 7·9 % for chronic kidney disease (95 % CI 6·9 %, 8·8 %) and 6·1 % for CVD (95 % CI 4·3 %, 7·9 %). The prevalence of having zero and at least two CMD was 50·6 % (95 % CI 44·1 %, 57·0 %) and 12·3 % (95 % CI 8·1 %, 16·4 %), respectively. Non-Hispanic Black adults had significantly higher prevalence of diabetes (adjusted prevalence ratio, 3·35; 95 % CI 1·35, 8·30) compared with non-Hispanic White adults. In conclusion, approximately half of the underweight adults had at least one CMD, and 12·3 % had at least two CMD. Prevention and management of CMD in underweight adults are critical yet neglected public health challenges.

Oncomelania hupensis (O. hupensis), the sole intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, greatly influence the prevalence and distribution of schistosomiasis japonica. The distribution area of O. hupensis has remained extensive for numerous years. This study aimed to establish a valid agent-based model of snail density and further explore the environmental conditions suitable for snail breeding. A marshland with O. hupensis was selected as a study site in Dongting Lake Region, and snail surveys were monthly conducted from 2007 to 2016. Combined with the data from historical literature, an agent-based model of snail density was constructed in NetLogo 6.2.0 and validated with the collected survey data. BehaviorSpace was used to identify the optimal ranges of soil temperature, pH, soil water content, and vegetation coverage for snail growth, development and reproduction. An agent-based model of snail density was constructed and showed a strong agreement with the monthly average snail density from the field surveys. As soil temperature increased, the snail density initially rose before declining, reaching its peak at around 21°C. There were similar variation patterns for other environmental factors. The findings from the model suggested that the optimum ranges of soil temperature, pH, soil water content and vegetation coverage were 19°C to 23 °C, 6.4 to 7.6, 42% to 75%, and 70% to 93%, respectively. A valid agent-based model of snail density was constructed, providing more objective information about the optimum ranges of environmental factors for snail growth, development and reproduction.

Charities play a pivotal role in engaging the public in emergency management efforts. They serve to complement governmental restrictions by leveraging social resources to aid in emergency management. The involvement of charities in emergency management is likely to shape public attitudes, thereby influencing their effectiveness in this sphere. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence public attitudes toward charities in emergency management is crucial. This study sought to identify these key factors and offer recommendations for charities to enhance their participation in emergency management. The data for this study were collected from messages and comments on two prominent instant messaging platforms, WeChat Public and Sina Weibo. Content Analysis was employed to categorize the data, and the Apriori algorithm was utilized to uncover association rules and key factors. Based on the key factors, it is recommended that charities focus on collaborating with celebrities and enterprises, prioritize establishing and upholding a positive reputation, and enhance their expertise in emergency management practices.

This study aimed to explore the potential causal association between PUFA and the risk of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) using Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis. A two-sample MR analysis was conducted utilising large-scale European-based genome-wide association studies summary databases. The primary MR analysis was carried out using the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method, complemented by other methods such as MR-egger, weighted-median and weighted mode. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to validate the robustness of the findings. Results indicated a 31 % reduced risk of ICP for every 1 standard deviation (sd) increase in n-3 fatty acids levels (OR = 0·69, 95 % CI: 0·54, 0·89, P = 0·004) and in the ratio of n-3 fatty acids to total fatty acids (OR = 0·69, 95 % CI: 0·53, 0·91, P = 0·008). Conversely, there was a 51 % increased risk of ICP for every 1 sd increase in the ratio of n-6 fatty acids to n-3 fatty acids (OR = 1·51, 95 % CI: 1·20, 1·91, P < 0·001) and a 138 % increased risk for every 1 sd increase in the ratio of linoleic fatty acids to total fatty acids (OR = 2·38, 95 % CI: 1·55, 3·66, P < 0·001). The findings suggest that n-3 fatty acids may have a protective effect against the risk of ICP, while n-6 fatty acids and linoleic fatty acids could be potential risk factors for ICP. The supplementation of n-3 fatty acids, as opposed to n-6 fatty acids, could be a promising strategy for the prevention and management of ICP.

Artificial sweeteners are generally used and recommended to alternate added sugar for health promotion. However, the health effects of artificial sweeteners remain unclear. In this study, we included 6371 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with artificial sweetener intake records. Logistic regression and Cox regression were applied to explore the associations between artificial sweeteners and risks of cardiometabolic disorders and mortality. Mendelian randomisation was performed to verify the causal associations. We observed that participants with higher consumption of artificial sweeteners were more likely to be female and older and have above medium socio-economic status. After multivariable adjustment, frequent consumers presented the OR (95 % CI) for hypertension (1·52 (1·29, 1·80)), hypercholesterolaemia (1·28 (1·10, 1·50)), diabetes (3·74 (3·06, 4·57)), obesity (1·52 (1·29, 1·80)), congestive heart failure (1·89 (1·35, 2·62)) and heart attack (1·51 (1·10, 2·04)). Mendelian randomisation confirmed the increased risks of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, an increased risk of diabetic mortality was identified in participants who had artificial sweeteners ≥ 1 daily (HR = 2·62 (1·46, 4·69), P = 0·001). Higher consumption of artificial sweeteners is associated with increased risks of cardiometabolic disorders and diabetic mortality. These results suggest that using artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes may not be beneficial.

Modern studies suggest that the upper ocean heat content (OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is a better qualitative predictor of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). But it is still unknown how the OHC is mechanically linked to ISMR and whether it can be applied to long-term climate changes. By analyzing reanalysis datasets across the 20th century, we illustrate that in contrast to those anomalies associated with stronger ISM westerlies, higher ISMR is accompanied with summer surface high pressure and east wind anomalies from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal (BOB), and is loosely related to increased western TIO OHC during decayed phases of positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and of El Niño. Except for 1944–1968 AD, this interannually lagged ISMR response to winter OHC is insignificant, probably suppressed by those simultaneous effects of positive IOD and El Niño on ISMR. In our paleoclimatic simulations, this modern observed lagged response is interrupted by seasonally reversed insolation anomalies at the 23,000-year precessional band. Our sensitivity experiments further prove that, the ISMR can be simultaneously reduced by positive IOD-like summer OHC anomalies both for modern and precessional situations. This damping effect is mainly contributed by the warmer western TIO that triggers anomalous surface high pressure, easterly winds, and drastically reduced rainfall from BOB to Arabian Peninsula, but with slightly increased rainfall in the northern ISM region. And the cooler southeastern TIO will only moderately increase rainfall in the southern ISM region.

The aim was to explore whether the time-lapse imaging system can help day-3 single cleavage embryo transfer to obtain comparative clinical outcomes to day-4 or 5. The data of 1237 patients who underwent single embryo transfer from January 1, 2018, to September 30, 2020, in our reproductive medicine centre were retrospectively analysed. They were divided into the day-3 single cleavage-stage embryo transfer (SCT) group (n = 357), day-4 single morula transfer (SMT) group (n = 129) and day-5 single blastocyst transfer (SBT) group (n = 751) according to the different embryo transfer stage. The clinical and perinatal outcomes of the three groups were analysed and compared. The clinical pregnancy rates of the patients in the day-3 SCT group, day-4 SMT group and day-5 SBT group were 68.07, 70.54 and 72.04%, respectively. The live birth rates were 56.86, 61.24 and 60.99%, respectively. The monozygotic twin (MZT) rate in the day-3 SCT group was significantly lower than that in the day-5 SBT group (P = 0.049). Regarding perinatal outcomes, only the secondary sex ratio had a significant difference (P < 0.05). After age stratification, no improvement was found in the pregnancy outcomes of patients >35 years of age receiving blastocyst transfer. Our findings suggest that for patients with multiple high-quality embryos on day-3, prolonging the culture time can improve the pregnancy outcome to some extent, but it will bring risks. For centres that have established morphodynamic models, day-3 SCT can also achieve an ideal pregnancy outcome and reduce the rate of monozygotic twins and sex ratio.

As the need for collaboration across multiple organizations to deal with complex social issues such as poverty, crime, and public health grows, Public–Private Partnership (PPP) is of increasing importance. However, little is known about when and why private firms engage in such partnerships. Drawing on upper-echelon theory and the information-processing perspective, we highlight the importance of institutional knowledge and information embedded in CEO cross-sector work experience. We argue that such tacit knowledge and information enables CEOs to better identify the potential risks associated with PPPs. Consequently, CEOs with cross-sector work experience tend to be more cautious in participating in such partnerships, especially in developing economies like China, where private actors face greater information incompleteness concerning post-collaboration hazards due to the government's selective disclosure. Moreover, we develop a multi-moderator framework in which regional marketization and political connection alter the main effect by serving as supplementary information channels for private actors. A panel dataset of Chinese private listed firms from 2013 to 2021 provides strong support for our hypotheses. This study contributes to our understanding of the micro-foundation of PPP formation and draws attention to CEOs’ prior career experiences in different organizational forms.

Three-dimensional effects of sidewalls on the low-frequency unsteadiness of the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SBLI) are of academic and practical importance but not yet well understood. Considerable attention has been paid to the viscous effect of sidewalls, whereas the potential inviscid confinement effect of sidewalls has received little attention. The present work provides experimental evidence of multiscale spanwise travelling waves crossing the separation front under the confinement of sidewalls. Global pressure measurements were made for a sidewall-confined 24$^\circ$ compression ramp interaction in Mach-2.83 flow using fast-responding pressure-sensitive paint. The unsteady pressure in a statistically two-dimensional intermittent region suggests that in addition to the canonical streamwise oscillation, the separation front exhibits significant low-frequency, multiscale spanwise distortion. Modal analysis further reveals that multiscale spanwise unsteadiness has higher intensity and frequency than the streamwise oscillation. Such strong spanwise unsteadiness calls attention to the low-frequency unsteadiness in previous sidewall-confined SBLI experiments and encourages further study on the mechanism of the confinement effect.

Exploiting the fact that hypertension is diagnosed when a person’s blood pressure reading exceeds a medically specified threshold (90 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure or 140 mmHg for systolic blood pressure), this study estimates the effect of a first-ever hypertension diagnosis on Chinese adults’ alcohol consumption using a two-dimensional regression discontinuity design. Analyzing data on 10,787 adults from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, our estimation reveals that hypertension diagnoses based on diastolic blood pressure readings exert a number of desirable effects. Hypertensive adults’ drinking frequency and the incidence of excessive drinking among them were reduced by 1.2 times/week and 17.9 percentage points, respectively, about three years after the diagnosis. Meanwhile, their beer and Chinese spirits (Baijiu) intakes were reduced by 518.6 ml/week and 194.8 ml/week, respectively. Interestingly, we also found modest evidence that hypertension diagnoses based on diastolic blood pressure readings increase Chinese adults’ wine intake, suggesting a substitution pattern upon hypertension diagnoses. In contrast, based on systolic blood pressure readings, no significant effects of hypertension diagnoses on alcohol consumption were found.

In preparation for an experiment with a laser-generated intense proton beam at the Laser Fusion Research Center at Mianyang to investigate the 11B(p,α)2α reaction, we performed a measurement at very low proton energy between 140 keV and 172 keV using the high-voltage platform at the Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou. The aim of the experiment was to test the ability to use CR-39 track detectors for cross-section measurements and to remeasure the cross-section of this reaction close to the first resonance using the thick target approach. We obtained the cross-section σ = 45.6 ± 12.5 mb near 156 keV. Our result confirms the feasibility of CR-39 type track detector for nuclear reaction measurement also in low-energy regions.

To apply hydrotalcites more effectively to the problem of dye wastewater, the effects of divalent metal ions on the structure and stability of hydrotalcites, especially on their photocatalytic activity, were compared. In the present study, M/Cr hydrotalcites (M3Cr-CO3-LDHs) (in which M = Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn), where the M/Cr molar ratio was 3, were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The structures and properties were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS). The results showed that five kinds of M3Cr-CO3-LDHs were synthesized successfully, and the layered structure of the samples obtained was regular and the crystal phase was single. When methylene blue (MB) solution was exposed to ZnCr-CO3-LDHs, H2O2, and visible light irradiation, more than 90.67% of the methylene blue (MB) was removed after 140 min. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was in the order: Co3Cr-CO3-LDHs > Mg3Cr-CO3-LDHs > Cu3Cr-CO3-LDHs > Zn3Cr-CO3-LDHs > Ni3Cr-CO3-LDHs. The results of a catalytic mechanism study showed that photocatalytic degradation of MB involved a demethylation reaction, with the reactive species containing •O2-, •OH, and h+.

Zearalenone (ZEA), a common contaminant in food and feedstuffs, threatens human and animal health. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of modified palygorskite (MPal), a ZEA-targeted adsorbent, on broilers (young chickens) fed a ZEA-contaminated diet. Broilers were subjected to one of three treatments for a period of 42 days: a basal diet (control group), a ZEA- contaminated diet, and a ZEA-contaminated diet supplemented with 1 g/kg of MPal. Blood was collected for serum metabolite assay, and liver and kidney were sampled to determine ZEA residue and antioxidant-related parameters, using commercial spectrophotometric kits. Compared with the basal diet, the ZEA- contaminated diet resulted in compromised growth performance (reduced daily gain and feed intake during finisher period), disordered relative liver weight (decreased at 21 days but increased at 42 days), increased ZEA residue in liver and kidney, abnormal serum metabolites (decreased total protein content but increased alanine aminotransferase activity at 21 and 42 days, reduced albumin content at 21 days, and elevated aspartate aminotransferase activity at 42 days), and disrupted antioxidant capacities of broilers (increased total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity in liver at 21 and 42 days, decreased T-SOD activity in kidney at 21 and 42 days, and in serum at 42 days, greater malondialdehyde accumulation in liver and kidney at 42 days, and lower glutathione content in kidney at 21 days). The adverse consequences resulting from the ZEA-contaminated diet were relieved by the supplementation of MPal (except albumin concentration in serum and T-SOD activity in liver at 21 days), with the values of growth-performance parameters, liver weight, renal ZEA accumulation, total protein content, transaminase activity at 42 days, and antioxidant indexes being similar to those in the control group. These results suggested that MPal supplementation could promote growth performance, attenuate liver damage, and improve the antioxidant abilities of broilers fed ZEA-contaminated diet by reducing ZEA accumulation.

It is now generally believed that elderly may have slightly higher dietary protein requirements than those of the young-middle-aged adults. We have previously conducted related studies by the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique, but more research data are needed to revise the protein requirements of the elderly. The main objective was to reevaluate the dietary protein requirements of healthy Chinese adults (65–80 years) without sarcopenia by using the IAAO technique. Nine healthy adult men and seven healthy adult women participated in the study, with protein intakes ranging from 0·1 to 1·8 g/(kg·d). Diets that delivered energy at a 1·5 resting energy expenditure were isocaloric. The amounts of phenylalanine and tyrosine needed to remain constant for each protein dosage. By applying a nonlinear mixed-effects model analysis on the F13CO2 data, which revealed a breakpoint in F13CO2 in response to graded protein intakes, the mean protein requirement was calculated. The mean estimated average requirement (EAR) for healthy elderly Chinese adults without sarcopenia was determined to be 0·94 g/(kg·d). The protein recommended nutrient intake (RNI) determined using various derivation approaches ranged from 1·13 to 1·36 g/(kg·d). The EAR for Chinese adults without sarcopenia aged 65–80 years in this study is 6·8 % higher than the current recommended EAR (0·88 g/(kg·d)). The RNI derived using various derivation approaches are all greater than the current RNI (0·98 g/(kg·d)). This trial was registered with the Chinese clinical trial registry as ChiCTR2200061382.