Using longitudinal data on teams and quality competition results, this study examines the impact of team and task familiarity on brewing excellence in the Japanese sake industry from 1956 to 2018. Sake production involves teamwork at every stage, but while some teams work together long term, others experience high turnover. The study highlights two factors: team familiarity, the collective experience of working together, and task familiarity, the individual experience of the task. High familiarity can strengthen team bonds and improve teamwork, but it can also limit the inflow of new knowledge and thus hinder innovation. This study uses data from national quality competitions and brewer lists, and considers the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 as an external shock to address endogeneity and estimate the causal relationship between familiarity and competition outcomes. The empirical results show that increases in both team and task familiarity are negatively associated with quality superiority.

We consider the range inclusion and the diagonalization in the Jordan algebra $\mathcal {S}_C$ of C-symmetric operators, that are, bounded linear operators T satisfying $CTC =T^{*}$, where C is a conjugation on a separable complex Hilbert space $\mathcal H$. For $T\in \mathcal {S}_C$, we aim to describe the set $C_{\mathcal {R}(T)}$ of those operators $A\in \mathcal {S}_C$ satisfying the range inclusion $\mathcal {R}(A)\subset \mathcal {R}(T)$. It is proved that (i) $C_{\mathcal {R}(T)}=T\mathcal {S}_C T$ if and only if $\mathcal {R}(T)$ is closed, (ii) $\overline {C_{\mathcal {R}(T)}}=\overline {T\mathcal {S}_C T}$, and (iii) $C_{\overline {\mathcal {R}(T)}}$ is the closure of $C_{\mathcal {R}(T)}$ in the strong operator topology. Also, we extend the classical Weyl–von Neumann Theorem to $\mathcal {S}_C$, showing that every self-adjoint operator in $\mathcal {S}_C$ is the sum of a diagonal operator in $\mathcal {S}_C$ and a compact operator with arbitrarily small Schatten p-norm for $p\in (1,\infty )$.

Achieving the high-precision control of cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) is complex because of their structural properties. In this paper, a quintessential redundant CDPR is designed as the research subject, and a continuous switching sliding mode controller based on workspace vision is implemented to enhance the accuracy and stability of trajectory tracking. In addition, a virtual prototype of the CDPR with uncertainties is created in the simulation analysis software ADAMS, and co-simulation is performed with the control system designed in Simulink to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. Furthermore, a CDPR platform is established for trajectory tracking experiments using the visual-based position feedback method. The trajectory tracking performance with the three control schemes is then evaluated. The experimental results show that the continuous switching sliding mode control algorithm can significantly decrease trajectory tracking errors and exhibit superior trajectory tracking performance compared to the other control strategies.

Numerous animal models and epidemiological and observational studies have demonstrated that enterovirus (EV) infection could be involved in the development of clinical type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), but its aetiology is not fully understood. Therefore, we reviewed the association between EV infection and clinical T1DM. We searched PubMed and Embase from inception to April 2021 and reference lists of included studies without any language restrictions in only human studies. The correlation between EV infection and clinical T1DM was calculated as the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), analysed using random-effects models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the associations. A total of 25 articles (22 case–control studies and three nested case–control studies) met the inclusion criterion including 4854 participants (2948 cases and 1906 controls) with a high level of statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 80%, P < 0.001) mainly attributable to methods of EV detection, study type, age distribution, source of EV sample and control subjects. Meta-analysis showed a significant association between EV infection and clinical T1DM (OR 5.75, 95% CI 3.61–9.61). There is a clinically significant association between clinical T1DM and EV infection.

Mo, Zr, and Y with low diffusion coefficients in Al matrix were used to improve the high-temperature properties of the Al–5.8Cu–0.3Mn–0.2Mg alloy. The effects of these microalloying elements on the microstructures of the Al–5.8Cu–0.3Mn–0.2Mg alloy were investigated with the aid of optical microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The HRTEM images and selected area electron diffraction patterns indicated that L12-Al3(Zr, Y), Al3Zr, Al3Y, and Al12Mo could precipitate in the process of solid solution treatment after adding Mo, Zr, and Y. These Mo-, Zr-, and Y-containing precipitates were stable at high temperatures and could slow the coarsening rate of θ′ precipitates at high temperatures. The tensile strength of the Al–5.8Cu–0.3Mn–0.2Mg alloy modified by Mo, Zr, and Y microalloying elements was improved significantly at both room and high temperatures. The strengthening mechanisms were discussed in detail.

It has been well established that better educated individuals enjoy better health and longevity. In theory, the educational gradients in health could be flattening if diminishing returns to improved average education levels and the influence of earlier population health interventions outweigh the gradient-steepening effects of new medical and health technologies. This paper documents how the gradients are evolving in China, a rapidly developing country, about which little is known on this topic. Based on recent mortality data and nationally representative health surveys, we find large and, in some cases, steepening educational gradients. We also find that the gradients vary by cohort, gender and region. Further, we find that the gradients can only partially be accounted for by economic factors. These patterns highlight the double disadvantage of those with low education, and suggest the importance of policy interventions that foster both aspects of human capital for them.

An energy measurement system in a Large-aperture high power laser experiment platform is introduced. The entire measurement system includes five calorimeters, which carry out the energy measurement of the fundamental frequency before the frequency conversion unit, remaining fundamental frequency, remain second-harmonics, third harmonics, as well as the energy balance measurement after the frequency conversion unit. Combinational indirect calibration and direct calibration are employed to calibrate the sampling coefficients of the calorimeters. The analysis of the data showed that, regarding the energy balance coefficients, combinational calibration approach gives a higher precision, and leads to an energy balance with 1%; and regarding the energy sampling coefficients for the various wavelengths after the frequency conversion, the results from direct and combinational calibration are consistent. The uncertainties for all energy sampling coefficients are within 3%, which guarantees the reliability of the energy measurement for the laser facility.

Two strains of E-Coli K-12, viz, RP437, MG1655 and B/r (E. coli B derivative, not a K-12 strain) were grown on various surfaces to study bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation. We observed biofilm and large colonies on cover slides, beads made of soda lime or borosilicate glasses, on plasma treated PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane), on Tissue Culture (TC) polystyrene, and observed some clusters on plasma treated ZnTi cover slide; but no evidence of biofilm on untreated-PDMS and ZnTi glass cover slides. From contact angle measurements, we conclude that the hydrophobic nature of untreated PDMS prevent bacterial adhesion for these three strains.

Gene expression profiles between submergence rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica) varieties, tolerant FR13A and sensitive IR39595-503-2-1-2, under submergence stress were identified using differential display reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). A total of 1428 bands were amplified with 40 pairs of primers, of which 102 were significantly different between the two lines. The differential display ratio was 7.1%. Among 42 differential display bands derived from the submergence tolerant variety, the expression of seven fragments was confirmed by Northern blot analysis. The analysis of their sequences indicated that four of them showed high homology with genes related to a water stress response: genes encoding ATP-binding protein, isocitrate dehydrogenase, NADH dehydrogenase and terminal acetyltransferase, respectively. The remaining three fragments were novel cDNA fragments.

A trivalent vector containing genes of Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) coat protein (CP), and replicase genes of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), was constructed for transformation of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) plants, mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The integrated foreign genes were identified in the regenerated progenies by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blots. The transformation efficiency was about 1.7‰. Resistance to virus infection was determined by mechanical inoculation in the greenhouse and by field trials. The transgenic watermelon lines showed different phenotypes of susceptible, resistant, immune or recovery from virus infections in the late growth stage. A relatively high level of resistance was shown by T3 plants of the line BH1-7. This result indicates the possibility of creating, by transgenic protocols, new varieties of watermelon resistant to viral infection.

Electron microscopy was used to investigate microstructures of diamond single crystals prepared at high temperature and high pressure (HPHT) from the Fe–Ni–C system. Analysis through selected-area electron diffraction pattern suggests that the crystal structure of the HPHT-grown diamond is cubic; polycrystalline diamonds are contained in the diamond. Etch pits on the (111) surface of the diamond by scanning electron microscopy revealed the dislocation motion under the action of applied stress. An array of parallel dislocation lines taken with reflection of [110] was observed directly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fringe distortions and concentric dislocation loops were examined by rotation moiré images, which arose from two overlapping (111) close-packed planes rotated with respect to each other at a 5° angle. The parallel dislocation lines, distorted fringes, and concentric dislocation loops might have derived from the micro-inclusions. The parallel layers with growth cellular interface by TEM provided direct evidence that the diamond grew from solution of carbon in the molten catalyst at HPHT and the growth interface diamond was not stable.