The mid-latitude Westerlies (MLW) are one of the most important atmospheric circulation systems in the Northern Hemisphere, exerting a huge influence on the climate of the region downwind, and thus on vegetation, water resources, and human wellbeing. However, the seasonal variation of the MLW during the Holocene is not yet been fully understood, especially when its contribution is the most important. Here, we used end-member (EM) modeling analysis of the grain-size distributions of a high-altitude aeolian sedimentary sequence (4452 m a.s.l.) from the Yarlung Zangbo River valley in the southern Tibetan Plateau to reveal variations in the winter MLW during the Holocene. Analysis of seasonal differences in modern atmospheric circulation suggests that the southern Tibetan Plateau was heavily influenced by the mid-latitude Westerlies at the 400, 500, and 600 hPa levels in winter, while it was seldom influenced at these levels in summer. Four grain-size end-members are identified, representing distinct aerodynamic environments, of which EM1 (modal grain size 8.1 μm) can be used as a proxy of the winter MLW. A reconstruction of the variation of the winter MLW during the Holocene based on EM1 revealed that a weaker winter MLW occurred during the Early to Middle Holocene, and a stronger winter MLW during the Middle to Late Holocene. Overall, we suggest that this change in the winter MLW was closely related to the insolation/temperature/pressure gradient between low and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.

This paper considers the task allocation problem under the requirement that the assignments of some critical tasks must be maximized when the network capacity cannot accommodate all tasks due to the limited capacity for each unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). To solve this problem, this paper proposes an extended performance impact algorithm with critical tasks (EPIAC) based on the traditional performance impact algorithm. A novel task list resizing phase is developed in EPIAC to deal with the constraint on the limited capacity of each UAV and maximize the assignments of critical tasks. Numerical simulations demonstrate the outstanding performance of EPIAC compared with other algorithms.

This paper proposes a novel method of error mitigation for stereo visual odometry (VO) applied in land vehicles. A non-holonomic constraint (NHC), which imposes physical constraint to the rightward velocity of a land vehicle, is implemented as an observation in an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to reduce the drift of stereo VO. The EKF state vector includes position errors in an Earth-centred, Earth-fixed (ECEF) frame, velocity errors in the camera frame, angular rate errors and attitude errors. All the related equations are described and presented in detail. In this approach, no additional sensors are used but NHC, namely velocity constraint in the right direction , is applied as an external measurement to improve the accuracy. Tests are conducted with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Toyota Technological Institute (KITTI) datasets. Results show that the relative horizontal positioning error improved from 0⋅63% to 0⋅22% on average with the application of the velocity constraints. The maximum and root mean square of the horizontal error with velocity constraints are both reduced to less than half of the error with stand-alone stereo VO.

A12-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the influences of thiamine ongrowth performance, and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of Megalobramaamblycephala fed a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet. Fish (24·73 (sem 0·45) g) were randomly assigned to one of four diets: two carbohydrate (CHO) levels (30 and 45 %) and two thiamine levels (0 and 1·5 mg/kg). HC diets significantly decreased DGC, GRMBW, FIMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, lipase, Na+, K+-ATPase, CK, complexes I, III and IV, intestinal ML, number of mitochondrial per field, ΔΨm, the P-AMPK: T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1β protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1β, mitochondrial transcription factor A, Opa-1, ND-1 and COX-1 and 2, while the opposite was true for ATP, AMP and reactive oxygen species, and the transcriptions of dynamin-related protein-1, fission-1 and mitochondrial fission factor. Dietarythiamine concentrations significantly increased DGC, GRMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, Na+, K+-ATPase, CK, complexes I and IV, intestinal ML, number of mitochondrial per field, ΔΨm, the P-AMPK:T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1β protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1β, Opa-1, ND-1, COX-1 and 2, SGLT-1 and GLUT-2. Furthermore, a significant interaction between dietary CHO and thiamine was observed in DGC, GRMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, CK, complexes I and IV, ΔΨm, the AMP:ATP ratio, the P-AMPK:T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1β protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1β, Opa-1, COX-1 and 2, SGLT-1 and GLUT-2. Overall, thiamine supplementation improved growth performance, and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of M. amblycephala fed HC diets.

In mainland China, as the population ages, Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) is estimated to increase among Chinese older adults. Chinese older adults tend to hold stigmatising beliefs about ADRD that in turn affect their help-seeking behaviour and receipt of prevention and treatment. The Framework Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma provides a rationale for Chinese older adult's stigma about ADRD. Questionnaires were administered in person to 754 older adults (42% male, mean age = 69.54 years) from two urban communities in mainland China. We examined ADRD stigma and the associations with real-life exposure, knowledge of ADRD, health conditions and social networks. This study found that Chinese older adults who had good family quality, lower depression (as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and better cognitive health (as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment) were more likely to have lower perceived stigma. Conversely, those individuals who experienced neglect and had more ADRD knowledge exhibited higher levels of perceived stigma. Social networks moderated the associations between cognitive scores and perceived stigma. This research suggested that the quality of one's social networks is essential to reduce perceived stigma among Chinese older adults. Future research should continue to explore ADRD stigma among Chinese older adults to help guide relevant interventions, services and supports for this population.

Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) is an important target for discovering new herbicides that interfere with the synthesis of porphyrin. To discover new PPO inhibitors with improved biological activity, a series of new diphenyl ethers containing tetrahydrophthalimide were designed and synthesized. Among them, J6.1 (IC50 = 4.7 nM) and J6.3 (IC50 = 30.0 nM) show higher maize (Zea mays L.) PPO inhibitory activity than the commercial herbicides oxyfluorfen (IC50 = 117.9 nM) and flumioxazin (IC50 = 157.1 nM). The greenhouse herbicidal activity of J6.3 is comparable to that of oxyfluorfen, and it is greater than that of flumioxazin. Even at a dose of 300 g ai ha−1, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) show greater tolerance to J6.3, suggesting that J6.3 could be used for further development of new herbicide candidates in those fields. In addition, molecular docking has been used to further study the mechanism of action of J6.3. The results show that the introduction of a nitro group and tetrahydrophthalimide into the diphenyl ether structure is beneficial to biological activity.

Precise positioning with low-cost single-frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers has great potential in a wide range of applications because of its low price and improved accuracy. However, challenges remain in achieving reliable and accurate solutions using low-cost receivers. For instance, the successful ambiguity fixing rate could be low for real-time kinematic (RTK) while large errors may occur in precise point positioning (PPP) in some scenarios (e.g., trees along the road). To solve the problems, this paper proposes a method with the aid of additional lane-level digital map information to improve the accuracy and reliability of RTK and PPP solutions. In the method, a digital camera will be applied for lane recognition and the positioning solution from a low-cost receiver will be projected to the digital map lane link. With the projected point position as a constraint, the RTK ambiguity fixing rate and PPP performance can be enhanced. A field kinematic test was conducted to verify the improvement of the RTK and PPP solutions with the aid of map matching. The results show that the RTK ambiguity fixing rate can be increased and the PPP positioning error can be reduced by map matching.

Findings for the roles of dairy products, Ca and vitamin D on ovarian cancer risk remain controversial. We aimed to assess these associations by using an updated meta-analysis. Five electronic databases (e.g. PubMed and Embase) were searched from inception to 24 December 2019. Pooled relative risks (RR) with 95 % CI were calculated. A total of twenty-nine case–control or cohort studies were included. For comparisons of the highest v. lowest intakes, higher whole milk intake was associated with increased ovarian cancer risk (RR 1·35; 95 % CI 1·15, 1·59), whereas decreased risks were observed for higher intakes of low-fat milk (RR 0·84; 95 % CI 0·73, 0·96), dietary Ca (RR 0·71; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·84) and dietary vitamin D (RR 0·80; 95 % CI 0·67, 0·95). Additionally, for every 100 g/d increment, increased ovarian cancer risks were found for total dairy products (RR 1·03; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·04) and for whole milk (RR 1·07; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·11); however, decreased risks were found for 100 g/d increased intakes of low-fat milk (RR 0·95; 95 % CI 0·91, 0·99), cheese (RR 0·87; 95 % CI 0·76, 0·98), dietary Ca (RR 0·96; 95 % CI 0·95, 0·98), total Ca (RR 0·98; 95 % CI 0·97, 0·99), dietary vitamin D (RR 0·92; 95 % CI 0·87, 0·97) and increased levels of circulating vitamin D (RR 0·84; 95 % CI 0·72, 0·97). These results show that whole milk intake might contribute to a higher ovarian cancer risk, whereas low-fat milk, dietary Ca and dietary vitamin D might reduce the risk.

This study examines the relationship between filial piety (adult children's filial behaviours and attitudes as well as elderly mothers’ overall evaluation of children's filial piety) and elderly mothers’ reports of intergenerational ambivalence (positive feelings, negative feelings and combined ambivalence) in rural China. We analysed the data from a survey in 2016 covering 2,203 adult children and 802 elderly mothers in Sichuan Province using a two-level mixed-effects modelling analysis. The results indicate that most components of filial piety are associated with mothers’ ambivalence, in that less ambivalence was reported by mothers when their adult children provided more emotional support to, had less conflict with and were evaluated as more filial by their mothers. Interestingly, mothers demonstrated greater positive feelings when their children were more filial in behaviour and attitude, but they also reported greater negative feelings and ambivalence when their children were more obedient, implying that absolute obedience to elderly parents might no longer be accepted by people. These findings may provide further understanding about the correlation between the culture of filial piety and intergenerational relationships in rural China.

A bulk NbCr2 Laves phase matrix composite toughened with ductile Cr phase has been fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using pre-alloyed NbCr2 and Cr powders. The sintering behaviour and phase morphological evolution of the sintered alloy were investigated. The results show that a series of microstructure evolutions along the sintering temperature occurred: elongated Cr phase with uniform dispersion of fine NbCr2 and Cr phase → coarse Cr phase with matured fine NbCr2 and Cr → coarse Cr and Nb phases with lamellar eutectics. The microstructural evolution and phase transformation along the sintering temperature are analyzed by considering the inhomogenous temperature distribution and the accelerated atomic diffusion due to the pulsed electric current applied during SPS. The room temperature fracture toughness of the sintered samples is expected to be markedly improved due to the absence of lamellar or the occurrence of ductile Cr and Nb phases.

This Review describes the objectives and methodology of the DairyWater project as it aims to aid the Irish dairy processing industry in achieving sustainability as it expands. With the abolition of European milk quotas in March 2015, the Republic of Ireland saw a surge in milk production. The DairyWater project was established in anticipation of this expansion of the Irish dairy sector in order to develop innovative solutions for the efficient management of water consumption, wastewater treatment and the resulting energy use within the country's dairy processing industry. Therefore, the project can be divided into three main thematic areas: dairy wastewater treatment technologies and microbial analysis, water re-use and rainwater harvesting and environmental assessment. In order to ensure the project remains as relevant as possible to the industry, a project advisory board containing key industry stakeholders has been established. To date, a number of large scale studies, using data obtained directly from the Irish dairy industry, have been performed. Additionally, pilot-scale wastewater treatment (intermittently aerated sequencing batch reactor) and tertiary treatment (flow-through pulsed ultraviolet system) technologies have been demonstrated within the project. Further details on selected aspects of the project are discussed in greater detail in the subsequent cluster of research communications.

The studies described in the Research Communication aimed to describe the feasibility of using coal fly ash to synthesize nano-zeolite, and the ammonium and phosphate adsorption efficiencies of the nanomaterial in dairy wastewater. Chemical treatment of coal fly ash was conducted and changes observed. Samples treated with NaOH had an increased cation exchange capacity and P sorption index compared to the initial fly ash, due to particle modification from smooth surface to plate- and rod-shape crystals, referred to as nano-zeolite. Batch experiments were conducted by mixing coal fly ash and nano-zeolite with synthesized wastewater to study the effect of sorption time, pH values and dosage of nano-zeolite on ammonium and phosphate removal efficiency. The adsorption process reached equilibrium in a very short time (less than 60 min), which suggests a potential for fast immobilization of pollutants. The concentration of ammonium decreased from 118 to 35 mg/l (71% removal) while the concentration of phosphate decreased from 52 to 45 mg/l. The removal efficiency of ammonium was 36·6, 51·8 and 70·9% at pH 3, 7 and 10, respectively whilst that of phosphate increased dramatically with decreased slurry pH (92·1, 47·3 and 12·3% at pH 3, 7 and 10, respectively). Nano-zeolite could be a potential absorbent for fast immobilization of ammonium but not phosphate. Surface modification of nano-zeolite could be introduced in order to enhance the pollutants removal efficiency.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is considered as a promising heterogeneous catalyst for photocatalytic H2 evolution from water under visible light illustration, and its photocatalytic performance could be controlled through its texture and optical/electronic properties. Herein, we present a facile one-step heating method for the synthesis of B/P/F doped g-C3N4 photocatalysts (BCN, PCN, and FCN). The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-vis absorption, FTIR, BET, XPS, PL, and photocurrent measurement. The results show that the B/P/F doping increased the interplanar stacking distance of g-C3N4, enlarged the optical absorption range, and improved the photocatalytic activity of H2 evolution. FCN exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, followed by BCN, and PCN that has the lowest performance. This work studies the doping effects of the nonmetal elements on the photocatalytic activities, the electronic structures as well as the band gaps of g-C3N4, to provide a feasible modification pathway to design and synthesize highly efficient photocatalysts.

Tight integration of inertial sensors and stereo visual odometry to bridge Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal outages in challenging environments has drawn increasing attention. However, the details of how feature pixel coordinates from visual odometry can be directly used to limit the quick drift of inertial sensors in a tight integration implementation have rarely been provided in previous works. For instance, a key challenge in tight integration of inertial and stereo visual datasets is how to correct inertial sensor errors using the pixel measurements from visual odometry, however this has not been clearly demonstrated in existing literature. As a result, this would also affect the proper implementation of the integration algorithms and their performance assessment. This work develops and implements the tight integration of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and stereo cameras in a local-level frame. The results of the integrated solutions are also provided and analysed. Land vehicle testing results show that not only the position accuracy is improved, but also better azimuth and velocity estimation can be achieved, when compared to stand-alone INS or stereo visual odometry solutions.

Classical molecular dynamics (MD), along with a bond-order potential for GaAs, has been used to study threshold displacement energies (E d) of Ga and As recoils. Considering the crystallographic symmetry of GaAs, recoil events are confined in four unit stereographic triangles. To investigate the displacement energy’s dependence on crystallographic orientation, more than 3600 recoil events were simulated to uniformly sample values of E d. Various defect configurations produced at these low energy recoils and the separation distances of Frenkel pairs were quantified and outlined. For both Ga and As, the minimum, $E_{\rm{d}}^{{\rm{min}}}$ , is found to be 8 eV, but the maxima, $E_{\rm{d}}^{{\rm{max}}}$ , are 22 and 28 eV for Ga and As, respectively. The distribution of E d within unit stereographic triangles indicates that E d shows a weak dependence on the recoil directions, in contrast to other semiconductors. The average threshold displacement energy is 13 ± 1 eV, which is in excellent agreement with available experiments.

We propose a motor-driven capsule robot based on a sliding clamper (MCRSC), a device to explore the partially collapsed and winding intestinal tract. The MCRSC is powered by wireless power transmission based on near-field inductive coupling. It comprises a novel locomotion unit, a camera, and a three-dimensional receiving coil, all installed at both ends of the locomotion unit. The novel locomotion unit comprises a linear motion mechanism and a sliding clamper. The former adopts a pair of lead-screw and nut to obtain linear motion, whereas the latter anchors the MCRSC to a specific point of the intestinal tract by expanding its arc-shaped legs. The MCRSC is capable of two-way locomotion, which is activated by alternately executing linear motion and anchoring action. Ex vivo experiments have shown that the MCRSC is able to inspect the colon within a time frame of standard colonoscopy.