The discovery that blazars dominate the extra-galactic $\gamma$-ray sky is a triumph in the Fermi era. However, the exact location of $\gamma$-ray emission region still remains in debate. Low-synchrotron-peaked blazars (LSPs) are estimated to produce high-energy radiation through the external Compton process, thus their emission regions are closely related to the external photon fields. We employed the seed factor approach proposed by Georganopoulos et al. It directly matches the observed seed factor of each LSP with the characteristic seed factors of external photon fields to locate the $\gamma$-ray emission region. A sample of 1 138 LSPs with peak frequencies and peak luminosities was adopted to plot a histogram distribution of observed seed factors. We also collected some spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of historical flare states to investigate the variation of $\gamma$-ray emission region. Those SEDs were fitted by both quadratic and cubic functions using the Markov-chain Monte Carlo method. Furthermore, we derived some physical parameters of blazars and compared them with the constraint of internal $\gamma\gamma$-absorption. We find that dusty torus dominates the soft photon fields of LSPs and most $\gamma$-ray emission regions of LSPs are located at 1–10 pc. The soft photon fields could also transition from dusty torus to broad line region and cosmic microwave background in different flare states. Our results suggest that the cubic function is better than the quadratic function to fit the SEDs.

In this study, the excretory–secretory products (ESP) of the daughter sporocysts of Vesicocoelium solenophagum (Trematoda) and plasma proteins of its host, Sinonovacula constricta were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and gelatin-substrate gel analyses, and the relationships between them were analysed using immunoblotting. Proteinase activity was detected in the ESP from daughter sporocysts of V. solenophagum. Some polypeptides of the ESP were found to be recognized by antiserum, raised against plasma from non-infected S. constricta, suggesting that the ESP may mimic host molecules (molecular mimicry). In contrast, neither the obvious proteinase activity nor the binding to the antisera was observed for the soluble proteins of daughter sporocyst, indicating that the ESP may play a important role in the parasite–host relationship. Although the plasma of infected S. constricta contained polypeptides that were similar to the plasma of non-infected bivalves, increased quantities of proteins at >170 kDa, 15 kDa and decreased quantities at 60 kDa were observed in the plasma of infected bivalves. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that the plasma of infected bivalves had a faint reaction with both anti-non-infected plasma antisera and anti-sporocyst antisera. These results indicated that the structure and quantity of some polypeptides from the plasma of infected bivalves had changed because of the infection with V. solenophagum. The polypeptides between the plasma of bivalves from a non-epidemic area and that from an epidemic area were similar, but the former had more polypeptides of 170–220 kDa and much greater proteinase activity than the latter, suggesting that the increased polypeptides of 170–220 kDa and the high proteinase activity in plasma may be favourable for protecting the host from being invaded by the parasites.

We present the third data release from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project. The release contains observations of 32 pulsars obtained using the 64-m Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. The data span is up to 18 yr with a typical cadence of 3 weeks. This data release is formed by combining an updated version of our second data release with $\sim$3 yr of more recent data primarily obtained using an ultra-wide-bandwidth receiver system that operates between 704 and 4032 MHz. We provide calibrated pulse profiles, flux density dynamic spectra, pulse times of arrival, and initial pulsar timing models. We describe methods for processing such wide-bandwidth observations and compare this data release with our previous release.

The relationship between erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA and breast cancer risk is controversial. We aimed to examine the associations of erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA with odds of breast cancer among Chinese women by using a relatively large sample size. A case–control study was conducted including 853 newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed breast cancer cases and 892 frequency-matched controls (5-year interval). Erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA were measured by GC. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were used to quantify the association between erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA and odds of breast cancer. Erythrocyte membrane α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and total n-3 PUFA were inversely and non-linearly associated with odds of breast cancer. The OR values (95 % CI), comparing the highest with the lowest quartile (Q), were 0·57 (0·43, 0·76), 0·43 (0·32, 0·58) and 0·36 (0·27, 0·49) for ALA, DPA and total n-3 PUFA, respectively. Erythrocyte membrane EPA and DHA were linearly and inversely associated with odds of breast cancer ((EPA: ORQ4 v. Q1 (95 % CI) = 0·59 (0·45, 0·79); DHA: ORQ4 v. Q1 (95 % CI) = 0·50 (0·37, 0·67)). The inverse associations were observed between ALA and odds of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, and between DHA and oestrogen receptor+ breast cancer. This study showed that erythrocyte membrane total and individual n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with odds of breast cancer. Other factors, such as menopause and hormone receptor status, may warrant further investigation when examining the association between n-3 PUFA and odds of breast cancer.

Everyone faces uncertainty on a daily basis. Two kinds of probability expressions, verbal and numerical, have been used to characterize the uncertainty that we face. Because our cognitive concept of living things differs from that of non-living things, and distinguishing cognitive concepts might have linguistic markers, we designed four studies to test whether people use different probability expressions when faced with animate or inanimate uncertainty. We found that verbal probability is the preferred way to express animate uncertainty, whereas numerical probability is the preferred way to express inanimate uncertainty. The “verbal-animate” and “numerical-inanimate” associations were robust enough to persist when tested with forced-choice response patterns regardless of the information (e.g., equally likely outcomes, frequencies, or personal beliefs) used to construct probabilities of events. When the response pattern was changed to free-responses, the associations were evident unless the subjects were asked to write their own probability predictions for vague uncertainty. Given that the world around us consists of both animate (i.e., living) and inanimate (i.e., non-living) things, “verbal-animate” and “numerical-inanimate” associations may play a major role in risk communication and may otherwise be useful for practitioners and consultants.

Copy number variation (CNV) is a very common type of gene variation with high frequency. In recent years, CNV has been paid more attention in various fields, especially in livestock and poultry breeding, which has promoted the progress of breeding. WW domain binding protein 1-like (WBP1L) is a protein coding gene, which plays an important role in cattle populations, and its function has been extensively studied, but it is not clear whether the copy number of the gene can affect the growth and development of cattle populations. In this study, CNV of WBP1L gene was detected in 732 cattle of seven breeds (Qinchuan cattle, QC; Pinan cattle, PN; Yuengling cattle, YL; Xianan cattle, XN; Jiaxian cattle, JX; natural Guyuan cattle, NGY; Jian cattle, JA). In addition, the relationship between CNV and growth phenotype of cattle was studied. The experimental data indicate that the copy number of WBP1L was obviously correlated with heart girth of PN cattle (**P < 0.01), rump length (RL) and body weight (BW) of PN cattle (*P < 0.05), withers height (WH), RL, body length, chest depth and BW of JX cattle (*P < 0.05), WH of NGY cattle (*P < 0.05) and WH of JA cattle (*P < 0.05). It was proved that CNV of WBP1L gene could be used as molecular marker locus for genetic breeding of the above four cattle breeds.

The great demographic pressure brings tremendous volume of beef demand. The key to solve this problem is the growth and development of Chinese cattle. In order to find molecular markers conducive to the growth and development of Chinese cattle, sequencing was used to determine the position of copy number variations (CNVs), bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the function of ZNF146 gene, real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used for CNV genotyping and one-way analysis of variance was used for association analysis. The results showed that there exists CNV in Chr 18: 47225201-47229600 (5.0.1 version) of ZNF146 gene through the early sequencing results in the laboratory and predicted ZNF146 gene was expressed in liver, skeletal muscle and breast cells, and was amplified or overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, which promoted the development of tumour through bioinformatics. Therefore, it is predicted that ZNF146 gene affects the proliferation of muscle cells, and then affects the growth and development of cattle. Furthermore, CNV genotyping of ZNF146 gene was three types (deletion type, normal type and duplication type) by Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR). The association analysis results showed that ZNF146-CNV was significantly correlated with rump length of Qinchuan cattle, hucklebone width of Jiaxian red cattle and heart girth of Yunling cattle. From the above results, ZNF146-CNV had a significant effect on growth traits, which provided an important candidate molecular marker for growth and development of Chinese cattle.

The $\chi $ -stability index $\mathrm {es}_{\chi }(G)$ of a graph G is the minimum number of its edges whose removal results in a graph with chromatic number smaller than that of G. We consider three open problems from Akbari et al. [‘Nordhaus–Gaddum and other bounds for the chromatic edge-stability number’, European J. Combin. 84 (2020), Article no. 103042]. We show by examples that a known characterisation of k-regular ( $k\le 5$ ) graphs G with $\mathrm {es}_{\chi }(G) = 1$ does not extend to $k\ge 6$ , and we characterise graphs G with $\chi (G)=3$ for which $\mathrm { es}_{\chi }(G)+\mathrm {es}_{\chi }(\overline {G}) = 2$ . We derive necessary conditions on graphs G which attain a known upper bound on $\mathrm { es}_{\chi }(G)$ in terms of the order and the chromatic number of G and show that the conditions are sufficient when $n\equiv 2 \pmod 3$ and $\chi (G)=3$ .

The wheat aphid Sitobion miscanthi (CWA) is an important harmful pest in wheat fields. Insecticide application is the main method to effectively control wheat aphids. However, CWA has developed resistance to some insecticides due to its extensive application, and understanding resistance mechanisms is crucial for the management of CWA. In our study, a new P450 gene, CYP4CJ6, was identified from CWA and showed a positive response to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. Transcription of CYP4CJ6 was significantly induced by both imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, and overexpression of CYP4CJ6 in the imidacloprid-resistant strain was also observed. The sensitivity of CWA to these two insecticides was increased after the knockdown of CYP4CJ6. These results indicated that CYP4CJ6 could be associated with CWA resistance to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. Subsequently, the posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism was assessed, and miR-316 was confirmed to participate in the posttranscriptional regulation of CYP4CJ6. These results are crucial for clarifying the roles of P450 in the resistance of CWA to insecticides.

The Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation is a typical tight gas reservoir in which natural fractures determine the migration, accumulation and production capacity of tight gas. In this study, we focused on the influences of natural fractures on the tight gas migration and production. We clarified characteristics and attributes (i.e. dips, apertures, filling degree and cross-cutting relationships) of the fractures based on image logging interpretations and core descriptions. Previous studies of electron spin resonance, carbon and oxygen isotopes, homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions analysis and basin simulation were considered. This study also analysed the fracture sequences, source of fracture fillings, diagenetic sequences and tight gas enrichment stages. We obtained insight into the relationship between fracture evolution and hydrocarbon charging, particularly the effect of the apertures and intensity of natural fractures on tight gas production. We reveal that the bedding fractures are short horizontal migration channels of tight gas. The tectonic fractures with middle, high and nearly vertical angles are beneficial to tight gas vertical migration. The apertures of fractures are controlled by the direction of maximum principal stress and fracture angle. The initial gas production of the vertical wells presents a positive correlation with the fracture abundance, and the intensity and aperture of fractures are the fundamental factors that determine the tight gas production. With these findings, this study is expected to guide the future exploration and development of tight gas with similar geological backgrounds.

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), which was originally designed for near-incompressible Navier–Stokes flows, has been extended to rarefied gas flows with high-order quadrature in recent years. Although the ability of the high-order LBM to capture rarefaction effects has been demonstrated by many authors, its accuracy and efficiency are often undermined by numerical dissipation introduced by the off-lattice abscissas in Gauss–Hermite quadrature. Here, using the spontaneous Rayleigh–Brillouin scattering problem as the benchmark, we assess the accuracy and efficiency of the high-order LBM with on-lattice quadrature rules up to 39th order. The numerical error comprises two parts, one due to the rarefaction effect and the other due to temporal-spatial discretization, and we find that the former depends not only on the number of discrete velocities, but also on their distribution in velocity space. With a quadrature of 29th order, the error between the LBM and the discrete velocity method is found to be below 1 % up to $Kn=2.0$. Compared with a finite-volume Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook solver using Gauss–Hermite quadrature, the on-lattice LBM has a numerical dissipation several orders of magnitude lower, and achieves the same accuracy with fewer discrete velocities.

TLR3 and IL-10 play a crucial role in antiviral defence. However, there is a controversy between TLR3 rs3775291 and IL-10 rs1800871 polymorphisms and the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the two single nucleotide mutations and the risk of HBV infection by meta-analysis. Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, China Wanfang database were searched for the case-control studies on the relationship between TLR3 rs3775291 and IL-10 rs1800871 polymorphism and susceptibility to HBV, updated to June 2020. The data were analysed by Stata 15.0 software. A total of 22 articles were included. The results showed that in the analysis of IL10 rs1800871 polymorphism and the risk of HBV infection, the pooled OR was 1.21 (95% CI 1.06–1.37), 1.28 (95% CI 1.04–1.56) and 1.20 (95% CI 1.06–1.37) and 1.40 (95% CI 1.07–1.83) in the allele model (C vs. T), dominant model (CC+CT vs. TT), recessive model (CC vs. CT+TT) and homozygous model (CC vs. TT), respectively. There was no statistical significance in the heterozygote model. A subgroup analysis of the Asian population showed similar results. The analysis of TLR3 rs3775291 polymorphism and the risk of HBV showed that in the allele model (T vs. C), the pooled OR was 1.30 (95% CI 1.05–1.61). Except for the recessive model, no significances were found in other genetic models. In conclusion, TLR3 rs3775291 and IL-10 rs1800871 polymorphisms are associated with the risk of HBV. Allele C and genotype CC at IL10 rs1800871 loci, as well as allele T and genotype TT at TLR rs3775291 loci, may increase susceptibility to Hepatitis B infection.

The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines recommend the Royal Free Hospital-Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT) to identify malnutrition risk in patients with liver disease. However, little is known about the application of the RFH-NPT to screen for the risk of malnutrition in China, where patients primarily suffer from hepatitis virus-related cirrhosis. A total of 155 cirrhosis patients without liver cancer or uncontrolled co-morbid illness were enrolled in this prospective study. We administered the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), RFH-NPT, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Liver Disease Undernutrition Screening Tool (LDUST) to the patients within 24 h after admission and performed follow-up observations for 1·5 years. The RFH-NPT and NRS-2002 had higher sensitivities (64·8 and 52·4 %) and specificities (60 and 70 %) than the other tools with regard to screening for malnutrition risk in cirrhotic patients. The prevalence of nutritional risk was higher under the use of the RFH-NPT against the NRS-2002 (63 v. 51 %). The RFH-NPT tended more easily to detect malnutrition risk in patients with advanced Child–Pugh classes (B and C) and lower Model for End-stage Liver Disease scores (<15) compared with NRS-2002. RFH-NPT score was an independent predictive factor for mortality. Patients identified as being at high malnutrition risk with the RFH-NPT had a higher mortality rate than those at low risk; the same result was not obtained with the NRS-2002. Therefore, we suggest that using the RFH-NPT improves the ability of clinicians to predict malnutrition risk in patients with cirrhosis primarily caused by hepatitis virus infection at an earlier stage.