A new type of closed square ring decoupling structure is proposed in this letter, which can effectively reduce the coupling of antennas. The designed antenna is composed of two elliptical monopoles and a common ground loaded with a broadband parasitic decoupling structure. Considering the impedance matching, each antenna element is changed from the original rectangular microstrip feed to a tapered microstrip feed and etched a circular slot on the elliptical monopole patch. By comparison with the original antenna without any decoupling structure, through loading the broadband decoupling structure on the ground, the antenna isolation is improved by 10 dB in most frequency bands. Comparing simulation and measurement results, the antenna achieves better than 25 dB isolation over the whole operating band (3.3–12 GHz). By manufacturing and testing the antenna designed in this article, the excellent performance parameters obtained also prove that the antenna can be used in portable devices.

A high-frequency short-pulsed stroboscopic micro-visual system was employed to capture the transient image sequences of a periodically in-plane working micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices. To demodulate the motion parameters of the devices from the images, we developed the feature point matching (FPM) algorithm based on Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF). A MEMS gyroscope, vibrating at a frequency of 8.189 kHz, was used as a testing sample to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Within the same processing time, the SURF-based FPM method demodulated the velocity of the in-plane motion with a precision of 10−5 pixels of the image, which was two orders of magnitude higher than the template-matching and frame-difference algorithms.

Hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance have been proposed to be associated with mortality risk, and diet can modulate insulin response. However, whether dietary patterns with high insulinaemic potential are associated with mortality remains unknown. We prospectively examined the associations between hyperinsulinaemic diets and the risk of total and cause-specific mortality in a large nationally representative population. Dietary factors were assessed by 24-h recalls. Two empirical dietary indices for hyperinsulinaemia (EDIH) and insulin resistance (EDIR) were developed to identify food groups most predictive of biomarkers for hyperinsulinaemia (C-peptide and insulin) and insulin resistance (homoeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance), respectively. Deaths from date of the first dietary interview until 31 December 2015 were identified by the National Death Index. Multivariable hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI were calculated using Cox regression models. During a median follow-up of 7·8 years, 4904 deaths were documented among 40 074 participants. For EDIH, the multivariable-adjusted HR (comparing extreme quintiles) were 1·20 (95 % CI 1·09, 1·32, P-trend<0·001) for overall mortality and 1·41 (95 % CI 1·15, 1·74, P-trend = 0·002) for CVD mortality. Similar associations were observed for EDIR with HR of 1·18 (95 % CI 1·07, 1·29, P-trend < 0·001) for total and 1·35 (95 % CI 1·09, 1·67, P-trend = 0·005) for CVD mortality. After further adjustments for BMI and diabetes, these positive associations were somewhat attenuated. Our findings suggested that diets with higher insulinaemic potential are associated with increased risk of overall and CVD-specific mortality.

The Linhe Depression is the largest tectonic unit in the Hetao Basin. The recently discovered commercial oil flow in the structural trap of wells JH2X and S5 has proved that the Meso-Cenozoic strata in the Linhe Depression have great exploration potential. Research on the kinematic model for the Mesozoic–Cenozoic Linhe Depression is important for analysing the geological conditions of hydrocarbon accumulation. In this study, field observations, seismic interpretation and scaled analogue modelling are performed. The results prove that the Linhe Depression experienced different stages of tectonic evolution, such as compressional depression (K1l), conversion from contraction to uniform subsidence (K1g), extensional rifting (E2–N2) and strike-slip deformation (Q), during the Mesozoic–Cenozoic eras. The kinematic model of negative inverted basins was first established with the early differential compression superimposed by the late extension. The seismic interpretation and analogue modelling results show that Jilantai Sag in the southern part of the Linhe Depression was subjected to compression from the Bayanwulashan fold–thrust belt on the NW side and the Helanshan fold–thrust belt on the SE side during Early Cretaceous time. Meanwhile, the Hanghou Sag in the northern part of the Linhe Depression was only compressed by the Langshan fold–thrust belt from the NW direction. The rifted structure generated by the extension from the SE direction during the Cenozoic Era resulted in the negative inversion of the pre-existing thrusts in different patterns. The intensity of negative inversion is controlled by several key factors, such as dip angle and the patterns of thrust faults, along with different basement textures. The morphological changes in the forebulge zone developed during Early Cretaceous time are responsible for the development of the segmented Central fault zones in the Hanghou Sag.

To investigate the intrinsic mechanism for mixing enhancement by variable-density (VD) behaviour, a canonical VD mixing extracted from a supersonic streamwise vortex protocol, a shock–bubble interaction (SBI), is numerically studied and compared with a counterpart of passive-scalar (PS) mixing. It is meaningful to observe that the maximum concentration decays much faster in a VD SBI than in a PS SBI regardless of the shock Mach number ($Ma=1.22 - 4$). The quasi-Lamb–Oseen-type velocity distribution in the PS SBI is found by analysing the azimuthal velocity that stretches the bubble. Meanwhile, for the VD SBI, an additional stretching enhanced by the secondary baroclinic vorticity (SBV) production contributes to the faster-mixing decay. The underlying mechanism of the SBV-enhanced stretching is further revealed through the density and velocity difference between the light shocked bubble and the heavy ambient air. By combining the SBV-accelerated stretching model and the initial shock compression, a novel mixing time estimation for VD SBI is theoretically proposed by solving the advection–diffusion equation under a deformation field of an axisymmetric vortex with the additional SBV-induced azimuthal velocity. Based on the mixing time model, a mixing enhancement number, defined by the ratio of VD and PS mixing time further, reveals the contribution from the VD effect, which implies a better control of the density distribution for mixing enhancement in a supersonic streamwise vortex.

Paradoxical leadership is an emerging leadership style which describes leadership behaviours that are ostensibly contradictory but in reality are interrelated and address workplace demands simultaneously and over time. The present study is based on affective events theory (AET), which states that occurrences or events at work result in prompt positive or negative affect in employees. The purpose of the study is to examine the mediating role of positive affect on the relationship between paradoxical leadership and employee organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). We also examine the moderating role of procedural fairness on the relationship between employee positive affect and OCB. Data collected in two phases in small- and medium-sized Chinese companies indicate that positive affect fully mediates the relationship between paradoxical leadership and employee OCB, and this relationship was found to be stronger when procedural fairness was higher rather than lower. We provide theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Methomyl is a broad-spectrum carbamate insecticide that has a variety of toxic effects on humans and animals. However, there have been no studies on the toxicity of methomyl in female mammalian oocytes. This study investigated the toxic effects of environmental oestrogen methomyl exposure on mouse oocyte maturation and its possible mechanisms. Our results indicated that methomyl exposure inhibited polar body extrusion in mouse oocytes. Compared with that in the control group, in the methomyl treatment group, superoxide anion free radicals in oocytes were significantly increased. In addition, the mitochondrial membrane potential of metaphase II stage oocytes in the methomyl treatment group was significantly decreased, resulting in reduced mouse oocyte quality. After 8.5 h of exposure to methomyl, metaphase I stage mouse oocytes displayed an abnormal spindle morphology. mRNA expression of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Caspase-3 in methomyl-treated oocytes increased, which confirmed the apoptosis. Collectively, our results indicated that mouse oocyte maturation is defective after methomyl treatment at least through disruption of spindle morphology, mitochondrial function and by induction of oxidative stress.

Honeybees cannot synthesize arachidonic acid (ARA) themselves, only obtain it from food. Most pollen is deficient or contains a small amount of ARA. The necessity of supplementary ARA in bees’ diet has not been studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary ARA levels on the growth and immunity of Apis mellifera ligustica. A total of 25 honeybee colonies were randomly assigned to five dietary groups which were fed basic diets supplemented with 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% of ARA. The diet with 4% ARA improved the body weight of newly emerged worker bees compared with the control group. Supplement of ARA in honeybee diets changed the fatty acid composition of honeybee body. SFA and MUFA contents of bees’ body declined, and PUFA content rised in the ARA group. Compared with the control group, the supplement of ARA in honeybee diets increased the contents of ARA, C22:6n-3 (DHA) and C18:3n-6 in bees’ body significantly, but decreased the contents of C16:1 and C18:3n-3. The diet supplied with 4% ARA reduced the mortality rate of honeybee infected with Escherichia coli. The activity of immune enzymes (phenoloxidase, antitrypsin, and lysozyme) and the mRNA expression levels of immune genes (defensin-2, toll, myd88, and dorsal) were improved by ARA diets to varying degrees depending on the ARA levels, especially 4% ARA. These results suggested that dietary ARA could improve the growth, survival, and immune functions of honeybees. Supplement of ARA in bees’ diet would be valuable for the fitness of honeybees.

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a destructive pest that causes damage to rice crops worldwide. The olfactory system is critical for host or mate location by weevils, but only limited information about the molecular mechanism of olfaction-related behaviour has been reported in this insect. In this study, we conducted SMRT-seq transcriptome analysis and obtained 54,378 transcripts, 38,706 of which were annotated. Based on these annotations, we identified 40 candidate chemosensory genes, including 31 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), six chemosensory proteins (CSPs) and three sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). Phylogenetic analysis showed that LoryOBPs, LoryCSPs and LorySNMPs were distributed in various clades. The results of tissue expression patterns indicated that LoryOBPs were highly abundant in the antennae, whereas LoryCSPs were highly abundant not only in the antennae but also in the abdomen, head and wings. Our findings substantially expand the gene database of L. oryzophilus and may serve as a basis for identifying novel targets to disrupt key olfactory genes, potentially providing an eco-friendly strategy to control this pest in the future.

Chronic inflammation exerts pleiotropic effects in the aetiology and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Glucosamine is widely used in many countries and may have anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the association of regular glucosamine use with incident COPD risk and explore whether such association could be modified by smoking in the UK Biobank cohort, which recruited more than half a million participants aged 40–69 years from across the UK between 2006 and 2010. Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for potential confounding factors were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) as well as 95 % CI for the risk of incident COPD. During a median follow-up of 8·96 years (interquartile range 8·29–9·53 years), 9016 new-onset events of COPD were documented. We found that the regular use of glucosamine was associated with a significantly lower risk of incident COPD with multivariable adjusted HR of 0·80 (95 % CI, 0·75, 0·85; P < 0·001). When subgroup analyses were performed by smoking status, the adjusted HR for the association of regular glucosamine use with incident COPD were 0·84 (0·73, 0·96), 0·84 (0·77, 0·92) and 0·71 (0·62, 0·80) among never smokers, former smokers and current smokers, respectively. No significant interaction was observed between glucosamine use and smoking status (P for interaction = 0·078). Incident COPD could be reduced by 14 % to 84 % through a combination of regular glucosamine use and smoking cessation.