Smooth-walled open channel flow datasets, covering both the direct numerical simulation and experimental measurements with a friction Reynolds number ${\textit {Re}}_\tau$ at a low-to-moderate level of $550\sim 2400$, are adopted to investigate the contributions of different scale motions to the mean wall-shear stress in open channel flows (OCFs). The FIK identity decomposition method by Fukagata et al. (Phys. Fluids, vol. 14, 2002, L73) combined with a scale decomposition is chosen for this research. To see whether/how the contributions in OCFs differ with those in closed channel flows (CCFs), comparisons between the two flows are also made. The scale-decomposed ‘turbulent’ contribution results of present OCFs exhibit two dominant contribution modes (i.e. large-scale motions (LSMs) and very-large-scale motions (VLSMs)) at a streamwise wavelength $\lambda _x=1\sim 2h$ and $O(10h)$, where $h$ is the water depth. The large scales with $\lambda _x>3h$ and $\lambda _x>10h$ are demonstrated to contribute to over 40 % and 20 % of the mean wall-shear stress, respectively. Compared with CCFs, slightly higher and lower contributions in the $\lambda _x>O(10h)$ and $\lambda _x < O(10h)$ wavelength ranges are observed in OCFs, revealing the important free-surface effects in OCFs. Possible mechanisms are discussed to lend support for the observed differences between the two flows.

With further climate change still expected, it is predicted to increase the frequency with plants will be water stressed, which subsequently influences phytophagous insects, particularly Lepidoptera with limited mobility of larvae. Previous studies have indicated that oviposition preference and offspring performance of Lepidoptera insects are sensitive to drought separately. However, the integration of their two properties is not always seen. Here, we evaluated changes in oviposition selection and offspring fitness of a Lepidoptera insect under three water-stressed treatments using a model agroecosystem consisting of maize Zea mays, and Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis. Results found that female O. furnacalis preferred to laying their eggs on well-watered maize, and then their offspring tended to survive better, attained bigger larvae mass, and developed more pupae and adults on the preferred maize. Oviposition selection of O. furnacalis positively correlated with height and leaf traits of maize, and offspring fitness positively related with water content and phytochemical traits of hosts. Overall, these results suggest that oviposition choice performed by O. furnacalis reflects the maximization of offspring fitness, supporting preference–performance hypothesis. This finding further highlights that the importance of simultaneous evaluation of performance and performance for water driving forces should be involved, in order to accurately predict population size of O. furnacalis under altered precipitation pattern.

The current epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly affects human health worldwide. Activation of brown adipocytes and browning of white adipocytes are considered as a promising molecular target for T2DM treatment. Mulberry leaf, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been demonstrated to have multi-biological activities, including anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Our experiment results showed that mulberry leaf significantly alleviated the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM rats including reducing body weight (BW) gain, Lee’s index, food intake, inguinal white adipose tissue (IWAT) accumulation, blood lipid fasting insulin level and fasting blood glucose level, increasing the ratios of brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass to BW, and improving insulin sensitivity and liver function. In addition, mulberry leaf induced browning of IWAT by enhancing the expressions of brown-mark genes as well as beige-specific genes, including uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), PRD1-BF-1-RIZ1 homologous domain containing protein 16 (PRDM16), cell death inducing DFFA like effector A (Cidea), CD137 and transmembrane protein 26 (TMEM26). Mulberry leaf also activated BAT by increasing the expressions of brown-mark genes including UCP1, PGC-1α, PPARα, PRDM16 and Cidea. Moreover, mulberry leaf enhanced the expression of nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) genes that are responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis in IWAT and BAT. Importantly, mulberry leaf also increased the expression of UCP1 and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) protein in both IWAT and BAT via a mechanism involving Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and PGC-1α pathway. In conclusion, our findings identify the role of mulberry leaf in inducing adipose browning, indicating that mulberry leaf may be used as a candidate browning agent for the treatment of T2DM.

Frozen embryo transfer (FET) has been adopted by growing number of reproductive medicine centers due to the improved outcome compared with fresh embryo transfer. However, few studies have focused on the impact of embryo cryopreservation duration on pregnancy-related complications and neonatal birthweight. Thus, a retrospective cohort study including all FET cycles with livebirth deliveries in a university affiliated hospital from May 2010 to September 2017 was conducted. These deliveries were grouped by the cryopreservation duration of the transferred embryo (≤3 months, 4–6 months, 7–12 months, and >12 months). The associations between embryo cryopreservation duration and pregnancy-related complications were evaluated among the groups using multinomial logistic regression. Neonatal birthweight was compared according to the stratification of singletons and multiples using multinomial and multilevel logistic regression, respectively. Among all 12,158 FET cycles, a total of 3864 livebirth deliveries comprising 2995 singletons and 1739 multiples were included. Compared with those within 3 months, women undergoing FET after a cryopreservation time longer than 3 months did not show any increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, or preterm birth. Furthermore, the risk of lower birthweight, macrosomia, small-for-gestational-age, or large-for-gestational-age for either singletons or multiples was not affected by long-term cryopreservation. In summary, embryo cryopreservation duration does not have negative effects on pregnancy-related complications or birthweight after FET.

The high overall plant-based diet index (PDI) is considered to protect against type 2 diabetes in the general population. However, whether the PDI affects gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk among pregnant women is still unclear. We evaluated the association between PDI and GDM risk based on a Chinese large prospective cohort – the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort. Dietary data were collected at 13–28 weeks of pregnancy by a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. The PDI was obtained by assigning plant food groups positive scores while assigning animal food groups reverse scores. GDM was diagnosed by a 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks of gestation. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate OR of GDM, with associated 95 % CI, comparing women in different PDI quartiles. Among the total 2099 participants, 169 (8·1 %) were diagnosed with GDM. The PDI ranged from 21·0 to 52·0 with a median of 36·0 (interquartile range (IQR) 33·0–39·0). After adjusting for social-demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors etc., the participants with the highest quartile of PDI were associated with 57 % reduced odds of GDM compared with women in the lowest quartile of PDI (adjusted OR 0·43; 95 % CI 0·24, 0·77; P for trend = 0·005). An IQR increment in PDI was associated with 29 % decreased odds of GDM (adjusted OR 0·71; 95 % CI 0·56, 0·90). Findings suggest that adopting a plant-based diet during pregnancy could reduce GDM risk among Chinese women, which may be valuable for dietary counselling during pregnancy.

A study was conducted to identify whether composted manure and straw amendments (replacement of a portion of chemical fertilizer [50% of the total nitrogen application] with composted pig manure, and straw return [all straw from the previous rice crop] combined with chemical fertilizer) compared with no fertilization and chemical fertilizer only would change the dominant species of wheat-associated weeds as well as influence their growth and seed yield in a rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation system. The study was initiated in 2010, and the treatment effects on the species, density, plant height, shoot biomass, seed yield of dominant weeds, and wheat yields were assessed in 2017 and 2018. Fertilization significantly increased the height, density, and yield of wheat, as well as the shoot biomass of wheat-associated weeds, but decreased the weed species number. A total of 17 and 14 weed species were recorded in the experimental wheat fields in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The most dominant weed species were American sloughgrass [Beckmannia syzigachne (Steud.) Fernald] and catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine L.), which made up more than 64% of the weed community in all treatments. When the chemical fertilizer application was amended with pig manure compost and straw return, the relative abundance of B. syzigachne significantly decreased, while the relative abundance of G. aparine significantly increased. The application of the chemical fertilizer-only treatment resulted in increases in the density, shoot biomass, and seed yield of B. syzigachne, while the composted manure and straw amendments applied together with chemical fertilizer led to significant increases in the density, shoot biomass, and seed yield of G. aparine. Consequently, further research on ways to promote greater cropping system diversity will be needed to prevent the selection of weed species that are adapted to a limited suite of crop management practices.

Recently, the quality of Maritime Education and Training (MET) has drawn more attention from employers of the shipping industry, because incompetent officers have frequently contributed to ship accidents. The authors intend to explore answers to three questions: (1) Is the quality of Chinese MET satisfactory to the maritime stakeholders? (2) What are the major factors affecting the quality of cadet training? (3) Are there feasible solutions to improve the quality of MET? The authors take China, a major seafarers supplying country, as empirical evidence to disclose the causes of the problems. By an exploratory factor analysis technique, this paper presents the findings of semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys and identifies four principal factors affecting the quality of MET in China. Shortage of skillful instructors, lack of onboard training, over-reliance on theoretical teaching, and limited funding sources are prominent factors in this context. Practical solutions are proposed for the purpose of improving the overall competence of Chinese cadets expected to become the dynamic workforce for the global shipping industry.

A liquid–gas interface (LGI) on submerged microstructure surfaces has the potential to achieve large slip velocities, which is significant for underwater applications such as drag reduction. However, surfactants adsorbing on the LGI can cause surface tension gradient against the mainstream, which weakens the flow near the LGI and severely limits drag reduction. The mechanism of the effect of surfactants on two-dimensional flows has already been proposed, while the effect of surfactants on the three-dimensional flow near the LGI is still not clear. In our study, we specifically design an experimental system to directly observe a three-dimensional backflow at the LGI. The formation as well as the behaviour of the backflow are demonstrated to be significantly influenced by the surfactant. Combining experimental measurements, theoretical analyses and numerical simulations, we reveal the underlying mechanism of the backflow, which is a competition between the mainstream and the Marangoni flows generated by the interfacial concentration gradients of surfactant simultaneously in streamwise and spanwise directions, reflecting the three-dimensional feature of the backflow. In addition, a kinematic similarity is obtained to characterize the backflow. The current work provides a model system for investigating the three-dimensional backflow at the LGI with surfactants, which is significant for practical applications such as drag reduction and superhydrophobicity.

Witherite originates from the biochemical sedimentation of barium in sea water. Due to the complexity of the metallogenic environment, witherite appears in many morphologies. However, the relationship between its diverse morphologies and its mineralisation environment is not well understood. In this paper, Ca2+, a common substitute for Ba2+, and mixed protein (egg white) were used to simulate the inorganic and organic environments of witherite mineralisation, respectively. Comparison of samples prepared under different conditions showed that Ca2+ and egg white have relatively independent regulatory effects on the mineralisation of witherite particles. Egg white primarily limits the growth of the nanocrystals, while Ca2+ directs their non-isodiametric growth. Results shows that Ca2+ is distributed along a gradient in nanocrystalline witherite particles, with the Ca2+ content being proportional to the diameter of the nanocrystals. The results of this study shed light on the different roles of organic matter and inorganic ions in the formation of witherite and offer insight into the genesis of its various morphologies.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in ovo feeding (IOF) of vitamin C at embryonic age 11 (E11) on post-hatch performance, immune status and DNA methylation-related gene expression in broiler chickens. A total of 240 Arbor Acres breeder eggs (63 (sem 0·5) g) were randomly divided into two groups: normal saline and vitamin C (VC) groups. After incubation, newly hatched chicks from each group were randomly divided into six replicates with ten chicks per replicate. Hatchability, average daily feed intake (D21–42 and D1–42), and average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (D1–21) were improved by vitamin C treatment (P < 0·05). IOF of vitamin C increased vitamin C content (D1), total antioxidant capacity (D42), IgA (D1), IgM (D1 and D21), stimulation index for T lymphocyte (D35) and lysozyme activity (D21) in plasma (P < 0·05). On D21, vitamin C increased the splenic expression of IL-4 and DNMT1 and decreased IL-1β, Tet2, Tet3 and Gadd45β expression (P < 0·05). On D42, vitamin C increased the splenic expression of IL-4 and DNMT3A and decreased IFN-γ, Tet3, MBD4 and TDG expression (P < 0·05). In conclusion, the vitamin C via in ovo injection can be absorbed by broiler’s embryo and IOF of vitamin C at E11 improves the post-hatch performance and immune status and, to some extent, the antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens. The expression of enzyme-related DNA methylation and demethylation indicates that the level of DNA methylation may increase in spleen in the VC group and whether the fluctuating expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is related to DNA methylation change remained to be further investigated.

West Junggar in the southwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt is a critical area for the study of the Junggar oceanic basin and may also reveal tectonic evolutionary events before the final closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. The sedimentary formations and paragenetic associations of the Upper Carboniferous Chengjisihanshan Formation in southern West Junggar jointly reveal a back-arc basin setting with zircon U–Pb ages of 313–310 Ma for the basaltic rocks. Geochemically, the basaltic rocks are tholeiitic with low SiO2 (47.76–52.06 wt %) and K2O (0.05–0.74 wt %) but high MgO (6.55–7.68 wt %) contents and Mg no. (52.9–58.9) values. They display slightly flat rare earth element patterns with weak positive Eu anomalies, and show enrichments in large ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements with negative Nb and Ta anomalies, exhibiting both N-MORB-like and arc-like signatures, similar to the back-arc basin basalt from the Mariana Trough. The high positive zircon εHf(t) and bulk εNd(t) values as well as high initial Pb isotopes, together with relatively high Sm/Yb and slightly low Th/Ta ratios imply a depleted spinel lherzolitic mantle source metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. The field and geochemical data jointly suggest that the volcanic rocks within the Chengjisihanshan Formation were formed in an intra-oceanic back-arc basin above the northwestward subduction of the Junggar oceanic lithosphere in southern West Junggar. The confirmation of the Late Carboniferous back-arc basin basalts, together with other geological observations, indicate that an arc-basin evolutionary system still existed in southern West Junggar at c. 310 Ma, and the Junggar Ocean closed after Late Carboniferous time.

Time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements were performed in smooth-walled open channels to investigate the contributions of very large-scale motions (VLSMs) to the turbulence characteristics in open channel flows. The focal point is to clarify the free surface effects on the characteristics of VLSMs and the contributions of VLSMs to the unique statistical features in open channel flows (i.e., the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) redistribution and smaller wake strength of the mean velocity profile). The resulting wavelength of VLSMs in present smooth-walled open channels is approximately $20h$ ( $h$ is water depth), which is comparable to that in pipe and closed channels while smaller than that in rough-walled open channels, and they are shown to make a great contribution to turbulence statistics with over 50 % of streamwise turbulence intensity, Reynolds shear stress and negative net force coming from VLSMs in the outer layer. Compared with other wall-bounded flows, VLSMs maintain higher strength in the outer layer of open channel flows with non-negligible strength even in the near surface region ( $y\sim >0.8h$ ), indicating that the free surface seems to sustain/promote VLSMs. This strength difference of VLSMs closely relates to the TKE redistribution and smaller wake strength of the mean velocity in the outer layer of open channel flows. The higher streamwise turbulence intensity is mainly contributed from the higher strength of VLSMs therein. The decelerating role of VLSMs combining with their higher strength is vital for shaping the mean velocity profile, which therefore is speculated to make a great contribution to the smaller wake strength phenomenon.

As an epigenetic modification, DNA methylation may reflect the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the development of schizophrenia (SCZ). Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is a promising candidate gene of SCZ. In the present study, we investigate the association of COMT methylation with the risk of SCZ using bisulfite pyrosequencing technology. Significant association between DNA methylation of COMT and the risk of SCZ is identified (P = 1.618e−007). A breakdown analysis by gender shows that the significance is driven by males (P = 3.310e−009), but not by females. DNA methylation of COMT is not significantly associated with SCZ clinical phenotypes, including p300 and cysteine level. No interaction is found between COMT genotypes and the percent methylation of this gene. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve shows that DNA methylation of COMT is able to predict the SCZ risk in males (area under curve [AUC] = 0.802, P = 1.91e−007). The current study indicates the clinical value of COMT methylation as a potential male-specific biomarker in SCZ diagnosis.

The development of digestive organs and the establishment of gut microbiota in pullets play an important role throughout life. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis (BS) on growth performance, intestinal function and gut microbiota in pullets from 0 to 6 weeks of age. Hy-line Brown laying hens (1-day-old, n = 504) were randomly allotted into four diets with a 2 × 2 factorial design: (1) basal diet group (control); (2) antibiotics group (AGP), the basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg Bacitracin Zinc and 4 mg/kg Colistin Sulphate; (3) BS group, the basal diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg BS and (4) mixed group, the basal diet supplemented with both AGP and BS. As a result, when BS was considered the main effect, BS addition (1) reduced the feed conversion ratio at 4 to 6 weeks (P < 0.05); (2) decreased duodenal and jejunal crypt depth at 3 weeks; (3) increased the villus height : crypt depth (V : C) ratio in the duodenum at 3 weeks and jejunal villus height at 6 weeks and (4) increased sucrase mRNA expression in the duodenum at 3 weeks as well as the jejunum at 6 weeks, and jejunal maltase and aminopeptidase expression at 3 weeks. When AGP was considered the main effect, AGP supplementation (1) increased the V : C ratio in the ileum at 3 weeks of age; (2) increased sucrase mRNA expression in the duodenum at 3 weeks as well as the ileum at 6 weeks, and increased maltase expression in the ileum. The BS × AGP interaction was observed to affect average daily feed intake at 4 to 6 weeks, and duodenal sucrase and jejunal maltase expression at 3 weeks. Furthermore, dietary BS or AGP addition improved caecal microbial diversity at 3 weeks, and a BS × AGP interaction was observed (P < 0.05) for the Shannon and Simpson indexes. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was found to be higher in the mixed group at 3 weeks and in the BS group at 6 weeks. Moreover, Anaerostipes, Dehalobacterium and Oscillospira were also found to be dominant genera in pullets with dietary BS addition. In conclusion, BS could improve intestinal morphology and change digestive enzyme relative expression and caecum microbiota, thereby increasing the efficiency of nutrient utilization. Our findings suggested that BS might have more beneficial effects than AGP in the study, which would provide theoretical evidence and new insight into BS application in layer pullets.

Epidemiological data for Toxoplasma gondii regarding malignancy have gained increasing attention; however, the information about T. gondii infection among children with malignant lymphoma (ML) in China is unclear. Therefore, 314 children with lymphoma and 314 healthy children, age- and gender-matched, were recruited to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in the participants and identify the risk factors of infection. Blood samples from all participants were collected and examined for T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using ELISA. The results showed that the overall seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies (including IgG and/or IgM) in ML patients and healthy controls was 19.8% and 9.9%, respectively. Contact with the cats, consumption of oysters and history of chemotherapy were estimated to be the risk factors for T. gondii infection in children with lymphoma by multivariable logistic regression analysis, whereas in healthy children, contact with cats and consumption of oysters were the risk factors. Moreover, among various histological types of lymphoma, individuals with NK/T-cell lymphoma, B-small lymphocytic lymphoma, marginal zone B-lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma had a higher seroprevalence than healthy controls (P < 0.05). These findings indicated the high prevalence of T. gondii infection in children with lymphoma, and hence, efforts should be performed to evaluate the effect of the infection further in lymphoma patients.

Maternal supraphysiological estradiol (E2) environment during pregnancy leads to adverse perinatal outcomes. However, the influence of oocyte exposure to high E2 levels on perinatal outcomes remains unknown. Thus, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to explore the effect of high E2 level induced by controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) on further outcomes after frozen embryo transfer (FET). The study included all FET cycles (n = 10,581) between 2014 and 2017. All cycles were categorized into three groups according to the E2 level on the day of the human Chorionic Gonadotropin trigger. Odds ratios (ORs) and their confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the association between E2 level during COH and pregnancy outcomes and subsequent neonatal outcomes. From our findings, higher E2 level was associated with lower percentage of chemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth as well as increased frequency of early miscarriage. Preterm births were more common among singletons in women with higher E2 level during COH (aOR1 = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.22–3.06; aOR2 = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.33–3.06). Incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) was more common in both singletons (aOR1 = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.30–3.11; aOR2 = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.69–3.74) and multiples (aOR1 = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.03–2.45; aOR2 = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.05–3.84) among women with relatively higher E2 level. No association was found between high E2 level during COH and the percentage of macrosomia or large for gestational age. In summary, oocyte exposure to high E2 level during COH should be brought to our attention, since the pregnancy rate decreasing and the risk of preterm birth and SGA increasing following FET.

The experimental study on thermocapillary convection in liquid bridges of large Prandtl number has been carried out on Tiangong-2 in space. The purpose of these experiments is to study the oscillation instability of thermocapillary convection, and to discover and recognize the mechanism of destabilization of thermocapillary convection in the microgravity environment in space. In this paper, the geometry of a half-floating-zone liquid bridge is featured by the aspect ratio Ar and volume ratio Vr, and its influence on critical conditions of oscillatory thermocapillary convection is studied. More than 700 sets of space experiments have been finished. The critical conditions and oscillation characteristics of thermocapillary convection instability in the Ar–Vr parameter space have been fully obtained under microgravity conditions for the first time. It is found that the Ar–Vr parameter space can be divided into two regions of different critical conditions and oscillation characteristics: the region of low frequency oscillation, and the region of high frequency oscillation. More importantly, we obtain the complete configuration of these two stability neutral curves, and find that the low frequency mode is a ‘’ type curve. Based on this, we discuss the influence of heating rate on the oscillation mode. It is found that the heating rate affects the selection of critical mode, which results in a jump change of critical temperature difference. The findings of this study are helpful to better understand the critical modes and transition processes of thermocapillary convection in liquid bridges with different configurations.

It is urgent to develop new antimalarial drugs with good therapeutic effects to address the emergence of drug resistance. Here, the artelinic acid-choline derivative (AD) was synthesized by dehydration reaction and esterification reaction, aimed to avoid the emergence of drug resistance by synergistic effect of artemisinins and choline derivative, which could compete with choline for rate-limiting enzymes in the phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthetic pathway. AD was formulated into liposomes (ADLs) by the thin-film hydration method. Efficacy of ADLs was evaluated by Peters 4-day suppression test. The suppression percentage against Plasmodium yoelii BY265 (PyBY265) in ADLs group was higher than those of positive control groups (dihydroartemisinin liposomes, P < 0.05) and other control groups (P ⩽ 0.05) at the doses of 4.4, 8.8, 17.6 µmol (kg·d)−1, respectively. The negative conversion fraction, recrudescence fraction and survival fraction of ADLs group were superior to other control groups. Pharmacokinetics in rats after intravenous injection suggested that ADLs exhibited higher exposure levels (indexed by area under concentration-time curve) than that of AD solution, artelinic acid liposomes or artelinic acid solution (P < 0.01). Taken together, ADLs exhibited promising antimalarial efficacy and pharmacokinetic characteristics.