Longitudinal studies on the variations of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of K. pneumoniae across two decades are rare. We aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence factors for K. pneumoniae isolated from patients with bacteraemia or urinary tract infection (UTI) from 1999 to 2022. A total of 699 and 1,267 K. pneumoniae isolates were isolated from bacteraemia and UTI patients, respectively, and their susceptibility to twenty antibiotics was determined; PCR was used to identify capsular serotypes and virulence-associated genes. K64 and K1 serotypes were most frequently observed in UTI and bacteraemia, respectively, with an increasing frequency of K20, K47, and K64 observed in recent years. entB and wabG predominated across all isolates and serotypes; the least frequent virulence gene was htrA. Most isolates were susceptible to carbapenems, amikacin, tigecycline, and colistin, with the exception of K20, K47, and K64 where resistance was widespread. The highest average number of virulence genes was observed in K1, followed by K2, K20, and K5 isolates, which suggest their contribution to the high virulence of K1. In conclusion, we found that the distribution of antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence gene profiles, and capsular types of K. pneumoniae over two decades were associated with their clinical source.

In this paper, we study the hydrostatic approximation for the Navier-Stokes system in a thin domain. When we have convex initial data with Gevrey regularity of optimal index $\frac {3}{2}$ in the x variable and Sobolev regularity in the y variable, we justify the limit from the anisotropic Navier-Stokes system to the hydrostatic Navier-Stokes/Prandtl system. Due to our method in the paper being independent of $\varepsilon $, by the same argument, we also obtain the well-posedness of the hydrostatic Navier-Stokes/Prandtl system in the optimal Gevrey space. Our results improve upon the Gevrey index of $\frac {9}{8}$ found in [15, 35].

Turbulent plane-Couette flow suspended with finite-size spheroidal particles is studied using fully particle-resolved direct numerical simulations. The effects of particle aspect ratio on turbulent arguments and particle statistics are explored, leading to the same conclusions as the previous experimental findings (Wang et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 937, 2022, A15). By performing stress analysis, we find that the presence of particles introduces extra stresses to the system and accounts for the global drag increases. The particle-laden flow cases exhibit spectra that are consistent with the scalings $k^{-5/3}$ and $k^{-3}$ in the large and small scales, respectively. While the $k^{-3}$ scaling observed in the particle-laden flow is reminiscent of bubbly flow, an examination of the particle Reynolds number suggests that the mechanism responsible may not be attributable to the pseudo-turbulence induced by particles as in the case of bubbles. In the view of particle statistics, we observe that spherical and non-spherical particles cluster preferentially in the near-wall and the bulk region, respectively, and that the orientations of non-spherical particles are affected by their aspect ratios, especially in the near-wall region. The present numerical results, combined with previous experimental findings in Wang et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 937, 2022, A15), provide in-depth information on both the fluid and the particle phase, contributing to a better understanding of particle suspension in shear flows.

The effects of monolaurin (ML) on the health of piglets infected with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) have not been fully understood. This study aimed to investigate its role in blood biochemical profile, intestinal barrier function, antioxidant function and the expression of antiviral genes in piglets infected with PEDV. Thirty-two piglets were randomly divided into four groups: control group, ML group, PEDV group and ML + PEDV group. Piglets were orally administrated with ML at a dose of 100 mg/kg·BW for 7 d before PEDV infection. Results showed that PEDV infection significantly decreased D-xylose content and increased intestinal fatty acid-binding protein content, indicating that PEDV infection destroyed intestinal barrier and absorption function. While it could be repaired by ML administration. Moreover, ML administration significantly decreased plasma blood urea nitrogen and total protein content upon PEDV infection. These results suggested ML may increase protein utilisation efficiency. ML administration significantly decreased the number of large unstained cells and Hb and increased the number of leucocytes and eosinophils in the blood of PEDV-infected piglets, indicating ML could improve the immune defense function of the body. In the presence of PEDV infection, ML administration significantly increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in blood and colon, respectively, indicating ML could improve antioxidant capacity. Besides, ML administration reversed the expression of ISG15, IFIT3 and IL-29 throughout the small intestine and Mx1 in jejunum and ileum, indicating the body was in recovery from PEDV infection. This study suggests that ML could be used as a kind of feed additive to promote swine health upon PEDV infection.

Pyrophyllite is an important layered phyllosilicate material that is used in many fields due to its beneficial physicochemical and mechanical properties. Due to the presence of multiple defects in pyrophyllite, an in-depth investigation was conducted using density functional theory to explore the effects of Na(I), K(I), Mg(II), Ca(II) and Fe(II) doping on the atomic structure, electronic properties and mechanical characteristics of pyrophyllite. The results demonstrated that, among the studied defects, K(I) doping had the most pronounced effects on the lattice constants and bonding lengths of pyrophyllite, while the least significant effects were observed in the case of Fe(II) doping. Moreover, the partial and total densities of states and band structures of the five kinds of doped pyrophyllite also changed significantly due to the redistribution of electrons. Finally, the elastic constants of the doped pyrophyllite were lower than that of the undoped pyrophyllite. Doping with Na(I), K(I), Mg(II), Ca(II) and Fe(II) reduced the deformation resistance, stiffness and elastic wave velocity but increased the degree of anisotropy in pyrophyllite. The observed effects on the mechanical properties of pyrophyllite followed the order: Mg(II) > Fe(II) > Ca(II) >K(I) > Na(I).

Hypersonic flow on a V-shaped blunt leading edge (VSBLE) at Mach 12 is numerically investigated. A series of self-induced shock–shock interactions and shock wave/boundary layer interactions (SWBLIs) cause extremely high heat flux peaks on the crotch of the VSBLE. Based on these shock structures, a simplified model that divides the flow field into inviscid and viscous areas is constructed. This model can quickly solve the shock interactions and predict the heating/pressure peaks with high accuracy. Furthermore, a shock control bump (SCB) is placed on the SWBLI region to split the strong incident shock into a weaker multi-wave system. The mechanism study of the SCB shows that the inviscid effect significantly reduces the heating/pressure peaks, and the viscous effect suppresses the SWBLI-induced separation. Finally, a VSBLE with SCBs is numerically investigated. The heat flux peak is reduced by 66 % compared to that without the SCBs. The robustness of the SCB under various working conditions is also evaluated. This paper provides an idea for the simplified solution of complex shock interactions and extends the application of the SCB as a thermal protection device in hypersonic flow for the first time.

Candidemia is a life-threatening infectious disease that has varying incidences. Previous studies revealed the differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes between non-hospital-onset (NHO) and hospital-onset (HO) candidemia. This 4-year retrospective research included adult patients with candidemia in a tertiary medical centre in Taiwan, and cases were categorised as NHO and HO candidemia. Survival analysis and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models. The analysis included 339 patients, and the overall incidence was 1.50 per 1,000 admission person-year. Of the cases, 82 (24.18%) were NHO candidemia, and 57.52% (195/339) of patients were diagnosed with at least one malignancy. C. albicans was the most commonly isolated species, accounting for 52.21%. Patients with NHO candidemia had a higher proportion of C. glabrata but a lower ratio of C. tropicalis in comparison to the HO group. The all-cause in-hospital mortality rate was 55.75%. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models showed that NHO candidemia was a better outcome predictor (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.44). The administration of antifungal therapy within 2 days was a protective factor. In conclusion, NHO candidemia showed distinct microbiological characteristics and a better outcome than HO candidemia.

How do corporate political ties impact firm performance in a transition economy? This topic has attracted wide attention in the strategy field. Accordingly, our study replicates a highly influential study, ‘Managerial ties and firm performance in a transition economy: The nature of a micro-macro link’ (Peng & Luo, 2000). The original study found that managerial political ties greatly improve organizational performance, and that this ‘micro-macro’ link varies across ownership types, business sectors, firm sizes, and industry growth rates. This replication study offers a hierarchical view of political ties by extending it from the individual to the organizational level and explores the complex link between the two levels of corporate political ties and firm performance. The results of a staged quasi-replication exercise show some similarities with the original study in the mechanism of corporate political ties on firm performance but, more importantly, reveal some key differences in the effect size and contingent effects. Furthermore, an extended test shows that corporate political ties are multilevel, and different levels of political ties vary in their mechanisms and effects on firm performance. The findings reveal temporal and contextual sensitivities of political ties studies in transition economies.

The transport phenomena of dust particles have been widely observed in fusion plasmas. In this article, we report the observations of dust fragmentations in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). A dust particle splits into two daughter particles and their motions are recorded before and after the breakup with a fast video camera. The trajectories of the daughter particles in the experiment are consistent with equation-of-motion simulations. The stability of a rotating charged particle in the plasma is briefly discussed.

Hong Kong presents a test case of China’s willingness to adapt Western liberal values of individual freedom and the rule of law in a corner of China. The Western model of governance, along with its common law system and capitalist economic system, has been permitted to operate side by side with the Chinese socialist system within the framework of Chinese sovereignty and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) political and legal system. The formation and implementation of the policy of ‘one country, two systems’ (OCTS) entail Chinese law-makers’ selective integration of international and Western rules of governance into the Hong Kong and China context to serve the interests of the PRC party regime. This article explores the approaches taken by the PRC to the governance of Hong Kong in light of the regime’s political and economic goals and how the Western concept of rule of law and autonomy is perceived and substantiated in terms of the communist ideology. The author argues that the intrinsic value of OCTS lies in seeking complementarity and coexistence between the Western liberal norms of governance and Chinese communist ideology, and that this intrinsic value should be upheld and remain in full force to serve as a normative consensus between China and the West.

Sea ice is crucial in many natural processes and human activities. Understanding the dynamical couplings between the inception, growth and equilibrium of sea ice and the rich fluid mechanical processes occurring at its interface and interior is of relevance in many domains, ranging from geophysics to marine engineering. Here we investigate experimentally the complete freezing process of water with dissolved salt in a standard natural convection system, i.e. the prototypical Rayleigh–Bénard cell. Due to the presence of a mushy phase, the studied system is considerably more complex than the freezing of fresh water in the same conditions (Wang et al., Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 118, issue 10, 2021, e2012870118). We measure the ice thickness and porosity at the dynamical equilibrium state for different initial salinities of the solution and temperature gaps across the cell. These observables are non-trivially related to the controlling parameters of the system as they depend on the heat transport mode across the cell. We identify in the experiments five out of the six possible modes of heat transport. We highlight the occurrence of brine convection through the mushy ice and of penetrative convection in stably stratified liquid underlying the ice. A one-dimensional multi-layer heat flux model built on the known scaling relations of global heat transport in natural convection systems in liquids and porous media is proposed. Given the measured porosity of the ice, it allows us to predict the corresponding ice thickness, in a unified framework.

Fat deposition and lipid metabolism are closely related to the morphology, structure and function of mitochondria. The morphology of mitochondria between fusion and fission processes is mainly regulated by protein posttranslational modification. Intermittent fasting (IF) promotes high expression of Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) and induces mitochondrial fusion in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. However, the mechanism by which Sirt3 participates in mitochondrial protein acetylation during IF to regulate mitochondrial fusion and fission dynamics remains unclear. This article demonstrates that IF promotes mitochondrial fusion and improves mitochondrial function in HFD mouse inguinal white adipose tissue. Proteomic sequencing revealed that IF increased protein deacetylation levels in HFD mice and significantly increased Sirt3 mRNA and protein expression. After transfecting with Sirt3 overexpression or interference vectors into adipocytes, we found that Sirt3 promoted adipocyte mitochondrial fusion and improved mitochondrial function. Furthermore, Sirt3 regulates the JNK-FIS1 pathway by deacetylating malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2) to promote mitochondrial fusion. In summary, our study indicates that IF promotes mitochondrial fusion and improves mitochondrial function by upregulating the high expression of Sirt3 in HFD mice, promoting deacetylation of MDH2 and inhibiting the JNK-FIS1 pathway. This research provides theoretical support for studies related to energy limitation and animal lipid metabolism.

Attosecond soft X-ray pulses are of great importance for the study of ultrafast electronic phenomena. In this paper, a feasible method is proposed to generate isolated fully coherent attosecond soft X-ray free electron laser via optical frequency beating. Two optical lasers with the opposite frequency chirps are used to induce a gradient frequency energy modulation, which helps to generate a gradually varied spacing electron pulse train. Subsequently, the undulator sections with electron beam delay lines are used to amplify the target ultra-short radiation. Numerical start-to-end simulations have been performed and the results demonstrate that an isolated soft X-ray pulse with the peak power of 330 GW and pulse duration of 620 as can be achieved by the proposed technique.

This study aimed to explore the mediation effects of one-carbon metabolism (OCM) related nutrients on the association between MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphism and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine (Hcy) were measured in the serum of 1254 pregnant women. Linear and logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations of OCM nutrients and MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphism with blood glucose levels and GDM risk. Mediation analysis was applied to test the mediation effects of folate, vitamin B12 and Hcy on the association of MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphism with blood glucose concentrations and GDM. Pregnant women with MTHFR rs1801133 CC genotype had higher serum folate (10·75 v. 8·90 and 9·40 ng/ml) and lower serum Hcy (4·84 v. 4·93 and 5·20 μmol/l) than those with CT and TT genotypes. Folate concentrations were positively associated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 1-h plasma glucose (1-h PG), 2-h plasma glucose (2-h PG) and GDM risk. Vitamin B12 levels were negatively correlated with FPG and GDM. Although no direct association was found between MTHFR rs1801133 genotypes and GDM, there were significant indirect effects of MTHFR rs1801133 CC genotype on FPG (β: 0·005; 95 % CI: 0·001, 0·013), 1-h PG (β: 0·006; 95 % CI: 0·001, 0·014), 2-h PG (β: 0·007; 95 % CI: 0·001, 0·015) and GDM (β: 0·006; 95 % CI: 0·001, 0·014) via folate. In conclusion, serum folate mediates the effect of MTHFR rs1801133 on blood glucose levels and GDM. Our findings potentially provide a feasible GDM prevention strategy via individualised folate supplementation according to the MTHFR genotypes.

The Palaeo-Mesozoic geodynamic evolution of the Tangjia–Sumdo accretionary complex belt, which separates the North and South Lhasa Terrane, remains controversial. Moreover, the lack of geological records restricts the understanding of the evolution of the Sumdo Palaeo-Tethys Ocean from the middle Permian until the middle Triassic. Here we present zircon U–Pb geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions of the Yeqing gabbro. Zircon U–Pb geochronology yields ages from 254 ± 1 to 249 ± 1 Ma. In situ Hf isotopic analyses yield ϵ Hf(t) values of −0.2 to +6.3. These samples have high TiO2 (3.69 wt %) and P2O5 (0.78 wt %) contents, with typical patterns like ocean island basalt (OIB). Besides, they are classified as high-Nb basalts (HNBs) based on the high content of Nb (45.3–113.5 ppm). Whole-rock Sr–Nd isotopic compositions are similar to OIB, with initial 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7047–0.7054, 143Nd/144Nd of 0.512526–0.512647 and ϵ Nd(t) of 0.3–2.7. These signatures suggest that the Yeqing gabbro is mainly derived from low-degree melting of the garnet lherzolite mantle. Based on field observations of HNBs intruding into the continental margin and their geochemical characteristics, we infer that the Yeqing gabbro was generated in a subduction environment. Combined with the regional geology of the subduction environment and the evolution of oceanic islands in the Sumdo Palaeo-Tethys Ocean, we propose that the Yeqing gabbro may represent a product of the asthenosphere upwelling through a slab window produced by subduction of seismic ridge in the Sumdo Palaeo-Tethys Ocean, called plume – subduction-zone interaction, during the late Permian to early Triassic.

We firstly report a 2-μm all-fiber nonlinear pulse compressor based on two pieces of normal dispersion fiber (NDF), which enables a high-power scaling ability of watt-level and a high pulse compression ratio of 13.7. With the NDF-based all-fiber nonlinear pulse compressor, the 450-fs laser pulses with a repetition rate of 101.4 MHz are compressed to 35.1 fs, corresponding to a 5.2 optical oscillation cycle at the 2-μm wavelength region. The output average power reaches 1.28 W, which is believed to be the highest value never achieved from the previous 2-μm all-fiber nonlinear pulse compressors with a high pulse repetition rate above 100 MHz. The dynamic evolution of the ultrafast pulse inside the all-fiber nonlinear pulse compressor is numerically analyzed, matching well with the experimental results.

Patients with cirrhosis experience worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and attempts are warranted further exploration of modifiable factors to improve HRQoL. Data on the impact of malnutrition risk on HRQoL among cirrhosis are limited; thus, we aimed to strengthen understanding by clarifying the relationship between nutritional status and low HRQoL in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Consecutive inpatients with cirrhosis attending our department within a tertiary hospital were studied. Generic health profiles and malnutrition risk were evaluated by the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and Royal Free Hospital-Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT) score, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine association of malnutrition risk with low HRQoL. In this cohort of 364 patients with median age of 64 years and 49·5 % male, 55·5 % of the study population reported impairment pertinent to HRQoL in at least one dimension in terms of the EQ-5D. Moreover, malnutrition risk (RFH-NPT score: β coefficient = −0·114, P = 0·038) was proved to be independently associated with poor HRQoL in multiple analysis, after adjustment for significant variables like age, BMI and markers of decompensation. Notably, we found that health dimensions representing physical function (i.e. mobility, self-care and usual activities) are substantially affected, while malnourished patients reported less frequencies of complaints in other domain such as anxiety/depression. In conclusion, the risk of malnutrition assessed by the RFH-NPT score is independently associated with low HRQoL. It is operational to improve HRQoL by identifying patients at high malnutrition risk and providing timely nutrition treatment.

The dispersed phase in turbulence can vary from almost inviscid fluid to highly viscous fluid. By changing the viscosity of the dispersed droplet phase, we experimentally investigate how the deformability of dispersed droplets affects the global transport quantity of the turbulent emulsion. Different kinds of silicone oil are employed to result in the viscosity ratio, $\zeta$, ranging from $0.53$ to $8.02$. The droplet volume fraction, $\phi$, is varied from 0 % to 10 % with a spacing of 2 %. The global transport quantity, quantified by the normalized friction coefficient $c_{f,\phi }/c_{f,\phi =0}$, shows a weak dependence on the turbulent intensity due to the vanishing finite-size effect of the droplets. The interesting fact is that, with increasing $\zeta$, $c_{f,\phi }/c_{f,\phi =0}$ first increases and then saturates to a plateau value which is similar to that of the rigid particle suspension. By performing image analysis, this drag modification is interpreted from the point of view of droplet deformability, which is responsible for the breakup and coalescence effect of the droplets. The statistics of the droplet size distribution show that, with increasing $\zeta$, the stabilizing effect induced by interfacial tension becomes substantial and the pure inertial breakup process becomes dominant. The measurement of the droplet distribution along the radial direction of the system shows a bulk-clustering effect, which can be attributed to the non-negligible coalescence effect of the droplet. It is found that the droplet coalescence effect could be suppressed as $\zeta$ increases, thereby affecting the contribution of interfacial tension to the total stress, and accounting for the observed emulsion rheology.

By varying the oil volume fraction, the microscopic droplet size and the macroscopic rheology of emulsions are investigated in a Taylor–Couette turbulent shear flow. Although here oil and water in the emulsions have almost the same physical properties (density and viscosity), unexpectedly, we find that oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions have very distinct hydrodynamic behaviours, i.e. the system is clearly asymmetric. By looking at the micro-scales, the average droplet diameter hardly changes with the oil volume fraction for O/W or for W/O. However, for W/O it is about $50\,\%$ larger than that of O/W. At the macro-scales, the effective viscosity of O/W is higher when compared to that of W/O. These asymmetric behaviours are expected to be caused by the presence of surface-active contaminants from the walls of the system. By introducing an oil-soluble surfactant at high concentration, remarkably, we recover the symmetry (droplet size and effective viscosity) between O/W and W/O emulsions. Based on this, we suggest a possible mechanism responsible for the initial asymmetry and reach conclusions on emulsions where interfaces are fully covered by the surfactant. Next, we discuss what sets the droplet size in turbulent emulsions. We uncover a $-6/5$ scaling dependence of the droplet size on the Reynolds number of the flow. Combining the scaling dependence and the droplet Weber number, we conclude that the droplet fragmentation, which determines the droplet size, occurs within the boundary layer and is controlled by the dynamic pressure caused by the gradient of the mean flow, as proposed by Levich (Physicochemical Hydrodynamics, Prentice-Hall, 1962), instead of the dynamic pressure due to turbulent fluctuations, as proposed by Kolmogorov (Dokl. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, vol. 66, 1949, pp. 825–828). The present findings provide an understanding of both the microscopic droplet formation and the macroscopic rheological behaviours in dynamic emulsification, and connects them.