This study aimed to develop a predictive tool for identifying individuals with high antibody titers crucial for recruiting COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) donors and to assess the quality and storage changes of CCP. A convenience sample of 110 plasma donors was recruited, of which 75 met the study criteria. Using univariate logistic regression and random forest, 6 significant factors were identified, leading to the development of a nomogram. Receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA) evaluated the nomogram’s discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. The nomogram indicated that females aged 18 to 26, blood type O, receiving 1 to 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses, experiencing 2 symptoms during infection, and donating plasma 41 to 150 days after symptom onset had higher likelihoods of high antibody titres. Nomogram’s AUC was 0.853 with good calibration. DCA showed clinical benefit within 9% ~ 90% thresholds. CCP quality was qualified, with stable antibody titres over 6 months (P > 0.05). These findings highlight developing predictive tools to identify suitable CCP donors and emphasize the stability of CCP quality over time, suggesting its potential for long-term storage.

Turbulent flow induced by elastorotational instability in viscoelastic Taylor–Couette flow (TCF) with Keplerian rotation is analogous to a turbulent accretion disk destabilized by magnetorotational instability. We examine this novel viscoelastic Keplerian turbulence via direct numerical simulations (DNS) for the shear Reynolds number ($Re$) ranging from $10^2$ to $10^4$. The observed characteristic flow structure consists of penetrating streamwise vortices with axial length scales much smaller than the gap width, distinct from the classic centrifugally induced Taylor vortices, which have axial lengths of the gap width. These intriguing vortices persist for the wide $Re$ range considered and give rise to intriguing scaling behaviour in key flow quantities. Specifically, the characteristic axial length of the penetrating vortices is shown to scale as $Re^{-0.22}$; the angular momentum transport scales as $Re^{0.42}$; the kinetic and elastic boundary-layer thicknesses based on angular velocity and hoop stress near the inner cylinder wall scale as $Re^{-0.48}$ and $Re^{-0.49}$, respectively. This implies that the viscoelastic Keplerian turbulence belongs to the classical turbulent regime of TCF with the Prandtl–Blasius-type boundary layer. Furthermore, we present an analytical relation between the viscous and elastic dissipation rates of kinetic energy and the angular momentum transport and in turn demonstrate its validity using our DNS data. This study has paved the way for future research to explore astrophysics-related Keplerian turbulence and angular momentum transport via the scaling relations of the analogous TCF of dilute polymeric solutions.

The influence of the SNP rs174575 (C/G) within the fatty acid desaturase 2 gene on the levels of long-chain PUFA was determined through statistical meta-analysis. Six databases were searched to retrieve the relevant literature. Original data were analysed using Stata 17·0, encompassing summary statistics, tests for heterogeneity, assessment of publication bias, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. A total of ten studies were identified and grouped into twelve trials. Our results showed that individuals who carried the minor G allele of rs174575 had significantly higher dihomo-γ-linolenic acid levels (P = 0·005) and lower arachidonic acid levels (P = 0·033) than individuals who were homozygous for the major allele. The subgroup analysis revealed that the G-allele carriers of rs174575 were significantly positively correlated with linoleic acid (P = 0·002) and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (P < 0·001) and negatively correlated with arachidonic acid (P = 0·004) in the European populations group. This particular SNP showed a potential association with higher concentrations of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (P = 0·050) and lower concentrations of arachidonic acid (P = 0·030) within the breast milk group. This meta-analysis has been registered in the PROSPERO database (ID: CRD42023470562).

Dietary restriction-influenced biological performance is found in many animal species. Pardosa pseudoannulata is a dominant spider species in agricultural fields and is important for controlling pests. In this study, three groups – a control group (CK group), a re-feeding group (RF group), and a dietary restriction group (RT group) – were used to explore development, mating, reproduction, and the expression levels of Vg (vitellogenin) and VgR (vitellogenin receptor) genes in the spider. The findings indicated that when subjected to dietary restriction, the carapace size, weight of the spiderlings, and weight of the adults exhibited a decrease. Furthermore, the preoviposition period and egg stage were observed to be prolonged, while the number of spiderlings decreased. It was also observed that re-feeding reduced cannibalism rates and extended the preoviposition period. Dietary restriction also affected the expression of the Vg-3 gene in the spider. These results will contribute to the understanding of the impact of dietary restriction in predators of pest control, as well as provide a theoretical foundation for the artificial rearing and utilisation of the dominant spider in the field.

High-elevation environments present harsh challenges for the pursuit of agropastoral subsistence strategies and relatively little is known about the mechanisms early communities employed to adapt to such locations successfully. This article presents the sequential carbon and oxygen analysis of archaeological caprine teeth from Bangga (c. 3000–2200 BP), which is approximately 3750masl on the Tibetan Plateau. Made visible through this method, intra-tooth variation in isotopic composition allows insights into herding strategies that possibly included the provisioning of livestock with groundwater and agricultural fodder and summer grazing in saline or marsh environments. Such intensive provisioning differs markedly from lower-elevation agropastoralism.

Plant–soil interactions have bottom–up and top–down effects within a plant community. Heavy metal pollution can change plant–soil interactions, directly influence bottom–up effects and indirectly affect herbivores within the community. In turn, herbivores can affect plant–soil interactions through top–down effects. However, the combined effects of heavy metals and herbivores on soil enzymes, plants and herbivores have rarely been reported. Therefore, the effects of lead (Pb), Spodoptera litura and their combined effects on soil enzyme activities, pakchoi nutrition, defence compounds and S. litura fitness were examined here. Results showed that Pb, S. litura and their combined effects significantly affected soil enzymes, pakchoi and S. litura. Specifically, exposure to double stress (Pb and S. litura) decreased soil urease, phosphatase and sucrase activities compared with controls. Furthermore, the soluble protein and sugar contents of pakchoi decreased, and the trypsin inhibitor content and antioxidant enzyme activity increased. Finally, the S. litura development period was extended, and survival, emergence rates and body weight decreased after exposure to double stress. The combined stress of Pb and S. litura significantly decreased soil enzyme activities. Heavy metal accumulation in plants may create a superposition or synergistic effect with heavy metal-mediated plant chemical defence, further suppressing herbivore development. Pb, S. litura and their combined effects inhibited soil enzyme activities, improved pakchoi resistance and reduced S. litura development. The results reveal details of soil–plant–herbivore interactions and provide a reference for crop pest control management in the presence of heavy metal pollution.

In confined multi-obstacle environments, generating feasible paths for continuum robots is challenging due to the need to avoid obstacles while considering the kinematic limitations of the robot. This paper deals with the path-planning algorithm for continuum robots in confined multi-obstacle environments to prevent their over-deformation. By modifying the tree expansion process of the Rapidly-exploring Random Tree Star (RRT*) algorithm, a path-planning algorithm called the continuum-RRT* algorithm herein is proposed to achieve fewer iterations and faster convergence as well as generating desired paths that adhere to the kinematic limitations of the continuum robots. Then path planning and path tracking are implemented on a tendon-driven four-section continuum robot to validate the effectiveness of the path-planning algorithm. The path-planning results show that the path generated by the algorithm indeed has fewer transitions, and the path generated by the algorithm is closer to the optimal path that satisfies the kinematic limitations of the continuum robot. Furthermore, path-tracking experiments validate the successful navigation of the continuum robot along the algorithm-generated path, exhibiting an error range of 2.51%–3.91%. This attests to the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in meeting the navigation requirements of continuum robots.

The management literature has extensively explored how firms respond to underperformance through innovation, with prior studies based on the behavioral theory of the firm and the threat-rigidity thesis producing inconsistent results. The shifting focus of attention model provides crucial insights to reconcile this contradiction. We extend this model by highlighting the temporal dimension of performance shortfall. Specifically, we argue that underperformance duration flattens the inverted U-shaped relationship by attenuating both the problemistic search and threat rigidity mechanisms. The empirical results from a sample of Chinese listed manufacturing firms between 2010 and 2019 support our predicted inverted U-relationship between underperformance intensity and research and development (R&D) investment, and the moderating effect of underperformance duration. Interestingly, the inverted U-shape flips to a U-shape if underperformance extends into the long term. We contribute to the literature on performance feedback by considering both underperformance intensity and duration, which conceptualizes their interaction and reconciles extant contradictory findings from a new perspective. We also add new insights into innovation research by theorizing and examining the overlooked boundary condition for the curvilinear relationship between performance shortfalls and R&D investments, which calls for future research to explore the dynamics of the relationship and account for temporal effects.

Various psychosocial and psychological interventions have been developed to reduce schizophrenia relapse prevention. A better understanding of these active interventions is important for clinical practice and for meaningful allocation of resources. However, no bibliometric analysis of this area has been conducted. Studies were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. The publication outputs and cooperation of institutions were visualized with Origin 2021. Global cooperation was visualized using ArcGIS Pro3.0. VOSviewer was used to generate visualizations of network of authors and keywords. The number of annual publications generally showed a fluctuating upward trend over the past 20 years. Germany published the most relevant articles (361, 26.76%). The Technical University of Munich was the most productive institution (70, 9.86%). Leucht Stefan published the most articles (46, 6.48%) and had the highest number of citations (4,375 citations). Schizophrenia Research published the most studies (39, 5.49%). Keywords were roughly classified into three clusters: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family interventions and family psychoeducation and other factors related to interventions. The findings provided the current status of research on psychosocial and psychological interventions for schizophrenia relapse prevention from a bibliometric perspective. Recent research has mainly focused on CBT, family interventions and family psychoeducation.

Soft drink consumption has become a highly controversial public health issue. Given the pattern of consumption in China, sugar-sweetened beverage is the main type of soft drink consumed. Due to containing high levels of fructose, a soft drink may have a deleterious effect on handgrip strength (HGS) due to oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance. However, few studies show an association between soft drink consumption and HGS in adults. We aimed to investigate the association between soft drink consumption and longitudinal changes in HGS among a Chinese adult population. A longitudinal population-based cohort study (5-year follow-up, median: 3·66 years) was conducted in Tianjin, China. A total of 11 125 participants (56·7 % men) were enrolled. HGS was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer. Soft drink consumption (mainly sugar-containing carbonated beverages) was measured at baseline using a validated FFQ. ANCOVA was used to evaluate the association between soft drink consumption and annual change in HGS or weight-adjusted HGS. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the least square means (95 % CI) of annual change in HGS across soft drink consumption frequencies were −0·70 (–2·49, 1·09) for rarely drinks, −0·82 (–2·62, 0·97) for < 1 cup/week and −0·86 (–2·66, 0·93) for ≥ 1 cup/week (Pfor trend < 0·05). Likewise, a similar association was observed between soft drink consumption and annual change in weight-adjusted HGS. The results indicate that higher soft drink consumption was associated with faster HGS decline in Chinese adults.

Broomcorn millet and foxtail millet were first cultivated in Neolithic China then the process spread west across Asia during the Bronze Age. But the distinctive ceramic, and later bronze, vessels utilised in East Asian cuisines for boiling and steaming grains did not move west alongside these crops. Here, the authors use measurements of 3876 charred millet grains to evaluate regional variations and implications for food preparation. In contrast to wheat grains, which became smaller as their cultivation moved east, millet grains became larger as they spread from northern China into Inner Asia and Tibet. This indicates the decoupling of millets from associated cooking techniques as they reached geographical and cultural areas.

To meet the demands of laser-ion acceleration at a high repetition rate, we have developed a comprehensive diagnostic system for real-time and in situ monitoring of liquid sheet targets (LSTs). The spatially resolved rapid characterizations of an LST’s thickness, flatness, tilt angle and position are fulfilled by different subsystems with high accuracy. With the help of the diagnostic system, we reveal the dependence of thickness distribution on collision parameters and report the 238-nm liquid sheet generated by the collision of two liquid jets. Control methods for the flatness and tilt angle of LSTs have also been provided, which are essential for applications of laser-driven ion acceleration and others.

Physically compliant actuator brings significant benefits to robots in terms of environmental adaptability, human–robot interaction, and energy efficiency as the introduction of the inherent compliance. However, this inherent compliance also limits the force and position control performance of the actuator system due to the induced oscillations and decreased mechanical bandwidth. To solve this problem, we first investigate the dynamic effects of implementing variable physical damping into a compliant actuator. Following this, we propose a structural scheme that integrates a variable damping element in parallel to a conventional series elastic actuator. A damping regulation algorithm is then developed for the parallel spring-damping actuator (PSDA) to tune the dynamic performance of the system while remaining sufficient compliance. Experimental results show that the PSDA offers better stability and dynamic capability in the force and position control by generating appropriate damping levels.

The aim of the work was to study the effect of organo-montmorillonite (OMt) on the properties of hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR)/OMt nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were prepared by a melt intercalation method. The structure of the composites was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The behavior of stress-strain, aging resistance, solvent resistance, and the dynamic mechanical properties of HNBR/OMt nanocomposites were investigated. The TEM and XRD results showed that the OMt layers were dispersed homogeneously in the HNBR matrix. The HNBR/OMt nanocomposites showed excellent mechanical properties which were attributed to the nanometer scale dispersion and strong interaction between the HNBR and OMt. The composites possessed excellent aging resistance and oil resistance, which improved with OMt content. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the glass-transition temperature, Tg, of the HNBR/OMt nanocomposites was increased and the nanocomposites had a good rolling resistance in comparison to pure HNBR. The composites displayed better dynamic mechanical properties.

High-intensity vortex beams with tunable topological charges and low coherence are highly demanded in applications such as inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and optical communication. However, traditional optical vortices featuring nonuniform intensity distributions are dramatically restricted in application scenarios that require a high-intensity vortex beam owing to their ineffective amplification resulting from the intensity-dependent nonlinear effect. Here, a low-coherence perfect vortex beam (PVB) with a topological charge as high as 140 is realized based on the super-pixel wavefront-shaping technique. More importantly, a globally adaptive feedback algorithm (GAFA) is proposed to efficiently suppress the original intensity fluctuation and achieve a flat-top PVB with dramatically reduced beam speckle contrast. The GAFA-based flat-top PVB generation method can pave the way for high-intensity vortex beam generation, which is crucial for potential applications in ICF, laser processing, optical communication and optical trapping.

This study presents novel findings on stochastic electron heating via a random electron cyclotron wave (ECW) in a spherical tokamak. Hard x ray measurements demonstrate the time evolution of hard x ray counts at different energy bands, consistent with predictions from the stochastic heating model. The ECW heating rate shows a positive correlation with applied power, confirming the effectiveness of stochastic heating. Remarkably, the ECW-driven plasma current remains insensitive to ECW incidence angle, consistent with model predictions. The observed stochastic heating of electrons offers potential for exploring innovative non-inductive current drive modes in spherical tokamaks. This research contributes to the understanding of plasma behaviour and motivates the development of new models for non-inductive current drive in fusion devices.