Dust storms are a unique form of high-Reynolds-number particle-laden turbulence associated with intense electrical activity. Using a wavelet-based analysis method on field measurement data, Zhang et al. (2023 J. Fluid Mech. 963, A15) found that wind velocity intermittency intensifies during dust storms, but it is weaker than both dust concentration and electric field. However, the linear and nonlinear multifield coupling characteristics, which significantly influence particle transport and turbulence modulation, remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we obtained high-fidelity datasets of wind velocity, dust concentration, and electric field at the Qingtu Lake Observation Array. By extending the wavelet-based data analysis method, we investigated localised linear and quadratic nonlinear coupling characteristics in strong turbulence–particle–electrostatics coupling regimes. Our findings reveal that linear coupling behaviour is largely dominated by the multifield intermittent components. At small scales, due to very high intermittency, no strong phase synchronisation can be formed, and the interphase linear coupling is weak and notably intermittent. At larger scales, however, perfect phase synchronisation emerges, and dust concentration and electric field exhibit strong, non-intermittent linear coupling, suggesting that large-scale coherent structures play a dominant role in driving the coupling. Importantly, the multifield spectra show well-developed $-1$ and $-5/3$ power-law regions, but the spectral breakpoints for dust concentration and electric field are two decades lower than that for streamwise wind velocity. This difference is due to the broader range and stronger intensity of quadratic nonlinear coupling in dust concentration and electric field, which leads to the broadening of Kolmogorov’s $-5/3$ power-law spectrum.

Based on a 4f system, a 0° reflector and a single laser diode side-pump amplifier, a new amplifier is designed to compensate the spherical aberration of the amplified laser generated by a single laser diode side-pump amplifier and enhance the power of the amplified laser. Furthermore, the role of the 4f system in the passive spherical aberration compensation and its effect on the amplified laser are discussed in detail. The results indicate that the amplification efficiency is enhanced by incorporating a 4f system in a double-pass amplifier and placing a 0° reflector only at the focal point of the single-pass amplified laser. This method also effectively uses the heat from the gain medium (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) of the amplifier to compensate the spherical aberration of the amplified laser.

The Northwest Tibet region is defined by several terranes, magmatic belts, basins and sutures, which were primarily shaped by the tectonic activities associated with Proto-, Palaeo- and Neo-Tethys Oceans. However, the basement nature and Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Northwest Tibet region, particularly within the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai terrane, remain largely unknown. The Hongliutan area, located in the northeastern part of the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai terrane, contains a critical sequence of Precambrian metamorphic rock strata. Detailed petrological, geochronological, and geochemical analyses of these metamorphic rocks – including plagioclase schist, quartz schist, amphibolite and nearby leucogranite – reveal the intricate processes of tectonic evolution within the Tianshuihai unit. Combining these findings with previous geochronological results is crucial for re-evaluating the nature of the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai basement and its Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai basement. Our results reveal the following: (1) the leucogranite and amphibolite, identified as Cambrian igneous rocks, display distinct geochemical signatures indicative of a continental arc origin. These include calc-alkaline characteristics, enrichment in Th, U, Pb, Zr and Hf and depletion in Ba, Nb, Sr and Ti. Their εNd(t) values, close to zero, further support this tectonic setting, with the leucogranite and amphibolite formed at 506 and 522 Ma, respectively. (2) The plagioclase schist and quartz schist are interpreted to be Neoproterozoic volcaniclastic rocks that formed in a rifted (passive) continental margin setting. The quartz schist is particularly rich in detrital zircons, displaying a broad spectrum of 207Pb/206Pb ages, ranging from 901 to 3364 Ma. (3) A significant subset of detrital zircons within the quartz schist exhibits oscillatory zoning, high Th/U ratios and sharp-edged, anhedral-to-subhedral crystal forms, suggesting a derivation from proximal or deep-seated terranes. The concordant U–Pb zircon ages of 2468 and 974 Ma from the quartz schist, along with the 978 Ma age from the inherited zircons in the amphibolite, and the 1.2–2.1 Ga T2DM(Nd) from leucogranite and metamorphic rocks, collectively suggest that the Tianshuihai unit is likely underpinned by a Palaeoproterozoic basement that indicates Neoproterozoic reworking.

Therefore, our findings suggest the presence of a continuous, northwest-southeast trending Palaeoproterozoic basement underlying the entire Tashikuergan-Tianshuihai terrane. An alternative scenario posits that the ancient basement, currently beneath the Tashikuergan terrane, could extend into the Tianshuihai region, potentially indicating a Cambrian continental margin arc interspersed with remnants of older terranes.

A multifunctional optical diagnostic system, which includes an interferometer, a refractometer and a multi-frame shadowgraph, has been developed at the Shenguang-II upgrade laser facility to characterize underdense plasmas in experiments of the double-cone ignition scheme of inertial confinement fusion. The system employs a 266 nm laser as the probe to minimize the refraction effect and allows for flexible switching among three modes of the interferometer, refractometer and multi-frame shadowgraph. The multifunctional module comprises a pair of beam splitters that attenuate the laser, shield stray light and configure the multi-frame and interferometric modules. By adjusting the distance and angle between the beam splitters, the system can be easily adjusted and switched between the modes. Diagnostic results demonstrate that the interferometer can reconstruct electron density below 1019 cm–3, while the refractometer can diagnose density approximately up to 1020 cm–3. The multi-frame shadowgraph is used to qualitatively characterize the temporal evolution of plasmas in the cases in which the interferometer and refractometer become ineffective.

This paper proposes an online robust self-learning terminal sliding mode control (RS-TSMC) with stability guarantee for balancing control of reaction wheel bicycle robots (RWBR) under model uncertainties and disturbances, which improves the balancing control performance of RWBR by optimising the constrained output of TSMC. The TSMC is designed for a second-order mathematical model of RWBR. Then robust adaptive dynamic programming based on an actor-critic algorithm is used to optimise the TSMC only by data sampled online. The system closed-loop stability and convergence of the neural network weights are guaranteed based on the Lyapunov analysis. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through simulations and experiments.

The self-generated magnetic field in three-dimensional (3-D) single-mode ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability (ARTI) relevant to the acceleration phase of a direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosion is investigated. It is found that stronger magnetic fields up to a few thousand teslas can be generated by 3-D ARTI rather than by its two-dimensional (2-D) counterpart. The Nernst effects significantly alter the magnetic field convection and amplify the magnetic fields. The magnetic field of thousands of teslas yields the Hall parameter of the order of unity, leading to profound magnetized heat flux modification. While the magnetic field significantly accelerates the bubble growth in the short-wavelength 2-D modes through modifying the heat fluxes, the magnetic field mostly accelerates the spike growth but has little influence on the bubble growth in 3-D ARTI. The accelerated growth of spikes in 3-D ARTI is expected to enhance material mixing and degrade ICF implosion performance. This work is focused on a regime relevant to direct-drive ICF parameters at the National Ignition Facility, and it also covers a range of key parameters that are relevant to other ICF designs and hydrodynamic/astrophysical scenarios.

The incidence of obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) is rising worldwide with very limited treatment methods. Paralleled with the gut–kidney axis theory, the beneficial effects of butyrate, one of the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced by gut microbiota, on metabolism and certain kidney diseases have gained growing attention. However, the effects of butyrate on ORG and its underlying mechanism are largely unexplored. In this study, a mice model of ORG was established with a high-fat diet feeding for 16 weeks, and sodium butyrate treatment was initiated at the 8th week. Podocyte injury, oxidative stress and mitochondria function were evaluated in mice kidney and validated in vitro in palmitic acid-treated-mouse podocyte cell lines. Further, the molecular mechanisms of butyrate on podocytes were explored. Compared with controls, sodium butyrate treatment alleviated kidney injuries and renal oxidative stress in high-fat diet-fed mice. In mouse podocyte cell lines, butyrate ameliorated palmitic acid-induced podocyte damage and helped maintain the structure and function of the mitochondria. Moreover, the effects of butyrate on podocytes were mediated via the GPR43-Sirt3 signal pathway, as evidenced by the diminished effects of butyrate with the intervention of GPR43 or Sirt3 inhibitors. In summary, we conclude that butyrate has therapeutic potential for the treatment of ORG. It attenuates high-fat diet-induced ORG and podocyte injuries through the activation of the GPR43-Sirt3 signalling pathway.

This study examined the sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization through 2 conditions: ‘attainable’ (sweet lemons) and ‘unattainable’ (sour grapes), reflecting China’s 2019-nCoV vaccination strategy. The aim was to find ways to change people’s beliefs and preferences regarding vaccines by easing their safety concerns and encouraging more willingness to get vaccinated. An online survey was conducted from January 22 to 27, 2021, with 3,123 residents across 30 provinces and municipalities in the Chinese mainland. The direction of belief and preference changed in line with the sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization. Using hypothetical and real contrasts, we compared those for whom the vaccine was relatively unattainable (‘sour grapes’ condition) with those who could get the vaccine easily (‘sweet lemons’). Whether the vaccine was attainable was determined in the early stage of the vaccine roll-out by membership in a select group of workers that was supposed to be vaccinated to the greatest extent possible, or, by being in the second stage when the vaccine was available to all. The attainable conditions demonstrated higher evaluation in vaccine safety, higher willingness to be vaccinated, and lower willingness to wait and see. Hence, we propose that the manipulation of vaccine attainability, which formed the basis of the application of sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization, can be utilized as a means to manipulate the choice architecture to nudge individuals to ease vaccine safety concerns, reducing wait-and-see tendencies, and enhancing vaccination willingness. This approach can expedite universal vaccination and its associated benefits in future scenarios resembling the 2019-nCoV vaccine rollout.

This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise combined with vitamin D supplementation on skeletal muscle health in older individuals. We implemented a systematic search of electronic databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase, which was conducted from the time of library construction to January 2024. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials including men and women aged ≥ 65 years or mean age ≥ 65 years; exercise training and vitamin D supplementation; outcomes of muscular strength, function, muscular power, body composition and quality of life; and results compared with those of exercise intervention alone. The results showed thirteen studies including 1483 participants were identified. The proportions of male and female sex were 22·05 and 77·95 %, respectively. Exercise intervention methods included resistance exercises and multimodal exercise training. All vitamin D interventions involved supplementation with vitamin D3. A significant increase was identified in short physical performance battery and stair climbing but not in skeletal muscle mass, skeletal strength, the timed up and go test and gait speed in older adults after exercise combined with vitamin D supplementation. In conclusion, exercise combined with vitamin D supplementation has additive health effects on short physical performance battery and stair climbing. Furthermore, when vitamin D was deficient at baseline, the combined effect of exercise and vitamin D intervention significantly increased the timed up and go test and gait speed in older adults. In future randomised controlled trials on this topic, baseline vitamin D nutritional status, health condition and sex should be considered.

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 disassembly of end-of-life lithium–ion batteries (EOL-LIBs) is inherently complex, owing to their multi-state and multi-type characteristics. To mitigate these challenges, a human–robot collaboration disassembly (HRCD) model is developed. This model capitalizes on the cognitive abilities of humans combined with the advanced automation capabilities of robots, thereby substantially improving the disassembly process’s flexibility and efficiency. Consequently, this method has become the benchmark for disassembling EOL-LIBs, given its enhanced ability to manage intricate and adaptable disassembly tasks. Furthermore, effective disassembly sequence planning (DSP) for components is crucial for guiding the entire disassembly process. Therefore, this research proposes an approach for the generation of HRCD sequences for EOL-LIBs based on knowledge graph, providing assistance to individuals lacking relevant knowledge to complete disassembly tasks. Firstly, a well-defined disassembly process knowledge graph integrates structural information from CAD models and disassembly operating procedure. Based on the acquired information, DSP is conducted to generate a disassembly sequence knowledge graph (DSKG), which serves as a repository in graphical form. Subsequently, knowledge graph matching is employed to align nodes in the existing DSKG, thereby reusing node sequence knowledge and completing the sequence information for the target disassembly task. Finally, the proposed method is validated using retired power LIBs as a case study product.