We systematically study the dissipative anomaly in compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence using direct numerical simulations, and show that the total dissipation remains finite as viscosity diminishes. The dimensionless dissipation rate $\mathcal {C}_{\varepsilon }$ fits well with the model $\mathcal {C}_{\varepsilon } = \mathcal {C}_{\varepsilon,\infty } + \mathcal {D}/R_L^-$ for all levels of flow compressibility considered here, where $R_L^-$ is the generalized large-scale Reynolds number. The asymptotic value $\mathcal {C}_{\varepsilon,\infty }$ describes the total energy transfer flux, and decreases with increase of the flow compressibility, indicating non-universality of the dimensionless dissipation rate in compressible MHD turbulence. After introducing an empirically modified dissipation rate, the data from compressible cases collapse to a form similar to the incompressible MHD case depending only on the modified Reynolds number.

The release of GNSS raw data on Android smartphones provides the potential for high-precision smartphone positioning using multi-constellation and multi-frequency signals. However, severe multipath and low observation quality in kinematic environments make double-differenced uncombined ambiguities difficult to resolve reliably. To address this, the paper proposes an improved wide-lane (WL) integer ambiguity resolution (IAR) method that combines integer rounding and the Least-Square AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment (LAMBDA) methods. The proposed method achieved fix rates of 57% to 70% in challenging environments, with an average improvement of 7 · 7% in horizontal positioning accuracy compared to the float solution. The traditional partial integer rounding method only improved accuracy by 1 · 1%.

Euwallacea interjectus, a recently discovered pest in poplar plantations, poses a significant economic threat due to its role in causing widespread tree mortality. This pest's cryptic behaviour has hindered research and control efforts, making laboratory rearing a valuable tool for studying its development and biology. We investigated the development period and biological characteristics of E. interjectus using artificial diets and fungal medium. Our findings revealed that the development time for eggs, larvae, and pupae averages approximately 6, 18, and 6 days, respectively. Notably, first and second instar larvae displayed peak moulting periods at 3.45 ± 0.64 SD and 7.92 ± 1.77 SD days, respectively. Furthermore, we measured head capsule widths of postmolt larvae, yielding values of 318.02 ± 7.38 SD μm for first-instar larvae, 403.01 ± 11.08 SD μm for second-instar larvae, and 549.54 ± 20.74 SD μm for third-instar larvae. Our research also uncovered a positive correlation between the number of progeny (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults) and the mean length of the gallery system. Interestingly, the haplodiploid reproductive strategy did not significantly affect the number of offspring produced by the foundress. Additionally, we observed that foundresses displayed higher fecundity when subjected to nutrient-rich diets as compared to nutrient-poor diets. Our results will deepen our understanding of the biology of E. interjectus and provide criteria for larval instar classification. Additionally, managing nutrient availability within the colony could be considered a viable approach to regulating population size.

Power scaling in conventional broad-area (BA) lasers often leads to the operation of higher-order lateral modes, resulting in a multiple-lobe far-field profile with large divergence. Here, we report an advanced sawtooth waveguide (ASW) structure integrated onto a wide ridge waveguide. It strategically enhances the loss difference between higher-order modes and the fundamental mode, thereby facilitating high-power narrow-beam emission. Both optical simulations and experimental results illustrate the significant increase in additional scattering loss of the higher-order modes. The optimized ASW lasers achieve an impressive output power of 1.1 W at 4.6 A at room temperature, accompanied by a minimal full width at half maximum lateral divergence angle of 4.91°. Notably, the far-field divergence is reduced from 19.61° to 11.39° at the saturation current, showcasing a remarkable 42% improvement compared to conventional BA lasers. Moreover, the current dependence of divergence has been effectively improved by 38%, further confirming the consistent and effective lateral mode control capability offered by our design.

Natural sepiolite has great potential for application in wound healing, haemostasis and medicines. This paper introduces a versatile solid-state sintering technique for preparing sepiolite-based nanocomposites with enhanced antibacterial properties, and the physical, structural, rheological and antibacterial properties of which were determined to be enhanced. The incorporation of nanosized Ag and metal oxides into sepiolite composites results in a notable improvement in their antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in comparison to the unmodified sepiolite. With a low silver content of just 5%, the sepiolite–Ag composite achieves an antibacterial rate of ~100%. Furthermore, the rheological properties exhibited by the sepiolite composites are noteworthy, suggesting their suitability for use in wound-dressing applications due to their exceptional workability. The methodology employed in this research has the potential to offer a viable substitute for the production of economical and effective natural antibacterial nanocomposites.

This paper retrospectively analysed the prevalence of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP) in some parts of China. Between January 2013 and December 2019, we collected 4,145 respiratory samples, including pharyngeal swabs and alveolar lavage fluid. The highest PCR-positive rate of M. pneumoniae was 74.5% in Beijing, the highest resistance rate was 100% in Shanghai, and Gansu was the lowest with 20%. The highest PCR-positive rate of M. pneumoniae was 74.5% in 2013, and the highest MRMP was 97.4% in 2019; the PCR-positive rate of M. pneumoniae for adults in Beijing was 17.9% and the MRMP was 10.48%. Among the children diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the PCR-positive and macrolide-resistant rates of M. pneumoniae were both higher in the severe ones. A2063G in domain V of 23S rRNA was the major macrolide-resistant mutation, accounting for more than 90%. The MIC values of all MRMP to erythromycin and azithromycin were ≥ 64 μg/ml, and the MICs of tetracycline and levofloxacin were ≤ 0.5 μg/ml and ≤ 1 μg/ml, respectively. The macrolide resistance varied in different regions and years. Among inpatients, the macrolide-resistant rate was higher in severe pneumonia. A2063G was the common mutation, and we found no resistance to tetracycline and levofloxacin.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a technique that directly injects a single sperm into the cytoplasm of mature oocytes. Here, we explored the safety of single-sperm cryopreservation applied in ICSI. This retrospective study enrolled 186 couples undergoing ICSI-assisted pregnancy. Subjects were allocated to the fresh sperm (group A)/single-sperm cryopreservation (group B) groups based on sperm type, with their clinical baseline/pathological data documented. We used ICSI-compliant sperm for subsequent in vitro fertilization and followed up on all subjects. The recovery rate/cryosurvival rate/sperm motility of both groups, the pregnancy/outcome of women receiving embryo transfer, and the delivery mode/neonatal-related information of women with successful deliveries were recorded. The clinical pregnancy rate, cumulative clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, premature delivery rate, live birth delivery rate, neonatal birth defect rate, and average birth weight were analyzed. The two groups showed no significant differences in age, body mass index, ovulation induction regimen, sex hormone [anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)/luteinizing hormone (LH)] levels, or oocyte retrieval cycles. The sperm recovery rate (51.72%-100.00%) and resuscitation rate (62.09% ± 16.67%) in group B were higher; the sperm motility in the two groups demonstrated no significant difference and met the ICSI requirements. Group B exhibited an increased fertilization rate, decreased abortion rate, and increased safety versus group A. Compared with fresh sperm, the application of single-sperm cryopreservation in ICSI sensibly improved the fertilization rate and reduced the abortion rate, showing higher safety.

We report an experimental study of the formation and evolution of laminar thermal structures generated by a small heat source, with a focus on their correlation to the thermal boundary layer and effects of heating time $t_{heat}$. The experiments are performed over the flux Rayleigh number ($Ra_f$) range $2.1\times 10^6 \leq Ra_f \leq 3.6\times 10^{7}$ and the Prandtl number ($Pr$) range $28.6 \leq Pr \leq 904.7$. The corresponding Rayleigh number ($Ra= t_{heat}\,Ra_{f}/\tau _0\,Pr$) range is $900 \leq Ra \leq 4\times 10^{4}$, where $\tau _0$ is a diffusion time scale. For thermal structures generated by continuous heating (i.e. starting plumes), their formation process exists three characteristic times that are well reflected by changes in the thermal boundary layer thickness. These characteristic times, denoted as $t_{emit}$, $t_{recover}$ and $t_{static}$, correspond to the moments when the plume emission begins and completes, and when the thermal boundary layer becomes quasi-static, respectively. Their $Ra_f$–$Pr$ dependencies are found to be $t_{emit}/\tau _0\sim Ra_f^{-0.41}\,Pr^{0.41}$, $t_{recover}/\tau _0\sim Ra_f^{-0.48}\,Pr^{0.48}$ and $t_{static}/\tau _0\sim Ra_f^{-0.49}\,Pr^{0.33}$, respectively. Thermal structures generated by finite $t_{heat}$ exhibit similar evolution dynamics once $t_{heat} \ge t_{emit}$, with the accelerating stage behaving like starting plumes and the decay stage like thermals (i.e. a finite amount of buoyant fluids). It is further found that their maximum rising velocity experiences a transition in the $Ra$-dependence from $Ra$ to $(Ra\ln Ra)^{0.5}$ at $Ra \simeq 6000$; and their maximum acceleration reaches the value of starting plumes at $t_{heat}\simeq t_{recover}$, and remains unchanged for larger $t_{heat}$. In particular, the maximum rising velocity for the cases with $t_{heat} = t_{recover}$ follows a scaling relation $Ra_f^{0.37}\,Pr^{-0.37}$, in contrast to the relation $Ra_f^{0.48}\,Pr^{-0.48}$ for starting plumes. This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of laminar thermal structures, which are relevant to a range of processes in nature and laboratory systems such as Rayleigh–Bénard convection.

Based on 30 high-resolution U-Th dating controls, we reconstruct stalagmite δ18O records from 45 to 15 thousand years ago (ka B.P., before AD 1950) from the Shizhu Cave, which is located in southwestern China under the influence of both the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM). By integrating with the other stalagmite δ18O records in Asia during the middle to late last glacial, our results reveal two main moisture trajectories: one from the Indian Ocean, through the Shizhu Cave towards central China, and the other from the Pacific Ocean to central and northern China. The systematic decrease of the average values of stalagmite δ18O records from oceans to inland China reveals a spatial pattern of water vapour fractionation and moisture trajectory during the middle to late last glacial. In contrast, the variation amplitude, which is defined as the departures apart from the background δ18O records during Heinrich stadials 1 to 4 (HS1–HS4), show an increasing trend from the coastal oceans to mid-latitude inland China, presenting a ‘coastal-inland’ pattern, which can be interpreted by the enhanced East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) and the weakened EASM. More specifically, the enriched stalagmite δ18O records in the EASM region during HS1 to HS4 are caused by the decreased summer rainfall amount or/and the increased proportion of summer moisture resources from the Pacific Ocean. These new observations deepen our understanding of the complicated stalagmite δ18O records in the EASM region.

Reinforcement learning (RL) has been successfully applied to a wealth of robot manipulation tasks and continuous control problems. However, it is still limited to industrial applications and suffers from three major challenges: sample inefficiency, real data collection, and the gap between simulator and reality. In this paper, we focus on the practical application of RL for robot assembly in the real world. We apply enlightenment learning to improve the proximal policy optimization, an on-policy model-free actor-critic reinforcement learning algorithm, to train an agent in Cartesian space using the proprioceptive information. We introduce enlightenment learning incorporated via pretraining, which is beneficial to reduce the cost of policy training and improve the effectiveness of the policy. A human-like assembly trajectory is generated through a two-step method with segmenting objects by locations and iterative closest point for pretraining. We also design a sim-to-real controller to correct the error while transferring to reality. We set up the environment in the MuJoCo simulator and demonstrated the proposed method on the recently established The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) gear assembly benchmark. The paper introduces a unique framework that enables a robot to learn assembly tasks efficiently using limited real-world samples by leveraging simulations and visual demonstrations. The comparative experiment results indicate that our approach surpasses other baseline methods in terms of training speed, success rate, and efficiency.

The perturbation electron density and stopping power caused by the movement of charged particles above two-dimensional quantum electron gases (2DQEG) have been studied in numerous works using the quantum hydrodynamic (QHD) theory. In this paper, the QHD is modified by introducing the two-dimensional electron exchange-correlation potential at high density Vxc2DH and the pump wave modulations. Based on the modified QHD, the perturbation electron density and stopping power are calculated for pump waves with various parameters. The results show that the stopping power values are more accurate after considering Vxc2DH. Under the modulation of pump waves with the wavelength from 0.1nm to 0.1cm, the perturbation electron density of 2DQEG and the stopping power of charged particles show periodic changes. Under the modulation of pump waves with λ = 1.76 × 10−4 cm and ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_0=2\times {10}^{10}e/{\lambda }_f$, the average stopping power with respect to the time phase θ becomes negative, which means that the charged particles will gain energy and can be accelerated. This is a new phenomenon in the fields of 2DQEG and of great significance in surface physics and surface modification in nanoelectronic devices with beam matter interactions.

In two-dimensional (2D) electron systems, the viscous flow is dominant when electron-electron collisions occur more frequently than the impurity or phonon scattering. In this work, a quantum hydrodynamic model, considering viscosity, is proposed to investigate the interaction of a charged particle moving above the two-dimensional viscous electron gas. The stopping power, perturbed electron gas density, and the spatial distribution of the velocity vector field have been theoretically analyzed and numerically calculated. The calculation results show that viscosity affects the spatial distribution and amplitude of the velocity field. The stopping power, which is an essential quantity for describing the interactions of ions with the 2D electron gas, is calculated, indicating that the incident particle will suffer less energy loss due to the weakening of the dynamic electron polarization and induced electric field in 2D electron gas with the viscosity. The values of the stopping power may be more accurate after considering the effect of viscosity. Our results may open up new possibilities to control the interaction of ions with 2D electron gas in the surface of metal or semiconductor heterostructure by variation of the viscosity.

The objective of this study was to explore the geological origin of glauconite, which is believed to precipitate and mature very slowly (~1 Myr) in neritic environments (shallow water, oceanic coastal zones, at water depths of 100–200 m) with very low sedimentation rates. A series of simulation experiments was designed and carried out in sealed tubes placed in an oven and heated to a constant temperature of 50°C (±2°C) for 60 or 150 d. The parent materials used for these experiments were two low-Fe montmorillonites with different crystallinities. The montmorillonites were introduced to solutions with concentrations of 0.02–0.1 mol/L Fe3+ and 0.05–0.2 mol/L K+ with various values of pH and Eh. The products were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The morphological changes from parent material to product were observed under SEM, which revealed the formation of a flaky mineral (e.g. a product formed in the interstitial spaces between montmorillonite crystals). The formation of a flaky mineral indicates that the product is a layer silicate. Qualitative analysis of XRD patterns revealed that the main product phase was a mica group mineral and the d060 value was consistent with the presence of glauconite (0.152 nm) and/or Fe-illite (0.150 nm). A glauconite and Fe-illite mineral assemblage formed in a weakly acidic solution, while Fe-illite, mixed-layer Fe-illite, and montmorillonite formed in neutral and alkaline solutions. Stretching vibrations of Fe(III)Fe(III)OH-AlFe(II)OH and/or MgFe(III)OH were observed in FTIR spectra (3550–3562 cm−1) of the products formed in acidic solutions, which along with the g = 1.978 ESR signal indicated that Fe(III) entered octahedral positions in the tetrahedral/octahedral/tetrahedral layer (TOT) platelets. The AlFe(II)OH-MgFe(III)OH (3550–3562 cm−1) and AlFe(III)OH (870 cm−1) vibrations were only observed in products formed in neutral and alkaline solutions. Analysis of the Mössbauer spectra showed that Fe(III) substituted for Al and Mg in the cis octahedral sites of montmorillonite. The simulation experiments demonstrated that the pH and redox conditions (Eh) of the environment controlled the nature of the product mineral species. Results of the present study revealed that glauconitization and illitization occurred under different conditions, where glauconitization preferentially occurred in an acidic environment and illitization preferentially occurred in a nearly neutral to alkaline environment.

Objective. The increase of hip fractures is related to the aging of the population, which has caused a huge medical burden in many countries. Hip replacement has been approved as a highly successful surgical intervention for the patients with hip fractures. Different anesthesia choices in the surgical intervention are associated with the prognosis of patients. This study focused on investigating the application of ultrasound-guided combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block in elderly patients with hip fractures. Methods. In this retrospective study, 62 elderly patients received combined spinal-epidural anesthesia and 58 elderly patients underwent ultrasound-guided combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block during the surgery. Hemodynamic monitoring including pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate and blood pressure, the assessment of pain intensity using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), cognitive function assessment through Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and biomarkers consisting of serum levels of neuron specific-enolase (NSE), S100 beta protein (S100-β), and amyloid beta protein (Aβ), as well as immune function by interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were detected in this study. Furthermore, length of hospital stay (LOS) and adverse reactions including hematoma, hypotension, nausea, and vomit were analyzed. Results. The findings indicated that comparing with the patients receiving combined spinal-epidural anesthesia, those undergoing ultrasound-guided combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block showed significantly lower level of heart rate, higher level of SpO2, and lower level of diastolic pressure and systolic pressure at 5 minutes and 30 minutes after anesthesia and after surgery (P < 0.05), indicated obviously lower VAS score at 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery (P < 0.05), and revealed higher MoCA score at 12 days after surgery (P < 0.05). A significantly higher level of NSE, S100β, Aβ, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and hs-CRP was revealed in the two groups receiving different anesthesia methods at 10 days after surgery compared with that before surgery (P < 0.05). However, the patients receiving ultrasound-guided combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block had obviously lower expression of NSE, S100β, Aβ, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and hs-CRP compared with the group accepting combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (P < 0.05). The two groups indicated no significant difference in incidence of hypotension and vomit, etc. (P < 0.05), but showed remarkable difference referring to total incidence of adverse reactions and LOS (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The application of ultrasound-guided combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block in hip replacement contributes to the stability of hemodynamics and alleviation of postoperative pain intensity. It can reduce cognitive and immune impairment of the elderly patients with hip fractures.

Objectives. Accumulating evidence indicates that the expression and/or variants of several genes play an essential role in the progress of colorectal cancer (CRC). The current study is a meta-analysis undertaken to estimate the prognosis and survival associated with CTNNB1/β-catenin, APC, Wnt, SMAD3/4, TP53, and Cyclin D1 genes among CRC patients. Methods. The authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Science Direct for relevant reports published between 2000 and 2020 and analyzed them to determine any relationship between the (immunohistochemically/sequencing-detected) gene expression and variants of the selected genes and the survival of CRC patients. Results. The analysis included 34,074 patients from 64 studies. To evaluate association, hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated for overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS), with a 95% confidence interval (CIs). Pooled results showed that β-catenin overexpression, APC mutation, SMAD-3 or 4 loss of expression, TP53 mutations, and Cyclin D1 expression were associated with shorter OS. β-Catenin overexpression (HR: 0.137 (95% CI: 0.131–0.406)), loss of expression of SMAD3 or 4 (HR: 0.449 (95% CI: 0.146–0.753)), the mutations of TP53 (HR: 0.179 (95% CI: 0.126–0.485)), and Cyclin D1 expression (HR: 0.485 (95% CI: 0.772–0.198)) also presented risk for shorter DFS. Conclusions. The present meta-analysis indicates that overexpression or underexpression and variants of CTNNB1/β-catenin, APC, SMAD3/4, TP53, and Cyclin D1 genes potentially acted as unfavorable biomarkers for the prognosis of CRC. The Wnt gene was not associated with prognosis.

Compliant interaction between robots and the environment is crucial for completing contact-rich tasks. However, obtaining and implementing optimal interaction behavior in complex unknown environments remains a challenge. This article develops a hybrid impedance and admittance control (HIAC) scheme for robots subjected to the second-order unknown environment. To obtain the second-order target impedance model that represents the optimal interaction behavior without the accurate environment dynamics and acceleration feedback, an impedance adaptation method with virtual inertia is proposed. Since impedance control and admittance control have complementary structures and result in unsatisfactory performance in a wide range of environmental stiffness due to their fixed causality, a hybrid system framework suitable for the second-order environment is proposed to generate a series of intermediate controllers which interpolate between the responses of impedance and admittance controls by using a switching controller and adjusting its switching duty cycle. In addition, the optimal intermediate controller is selected using a mapping of the optimal duty cycle to provide the optimal implementation performance for the target impedance model. The proposed HIAC scheme can achieve the desired interaction and impedance implementation performance while ensuring system stability. Simulation and experimental studies are performed to verify the effectiveness of our scheme with a 2-DOF manipulator and a 7-DOF Franka EMIKA panda robot, respectively.

As frontline workers, pharmacists often face significant work stress, especially in psychiatric settings. A multicenter cross-sectional design was conducted in 41 psychiatric hospitals. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21) was used to measure the mental health of 636 pharmacists. We also collected demographic data and work-related variables. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 20.60%, 22.96% and 8.96%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression showed that several common factors were associated with depression, anxiety and stress, including professional identity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.132, 0.381 and 0.352) and verbal violence (OR = 2.068, 2.615 and 2.490). Those who were satisfied with their job were less likely to develop depression (OR = 0.234) or anxiety (OR = 0.328). We found specific factors associated with mental health. Older age (OR = 1.038) and perceived negative impact (OR = 2.398) of COVID-19 on medical work were associated with anxiety, and those with frontline experience with COVID-19 patients (OR = 2.306) were more likely to experience stress. More than one-fifth of pharmacists in psychiatric hospitals experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety during the pandemic, highlighting the need for policy change to improve workplace conditions and psychological well-being for this professional group.