Studies on obesity and risk factors from a life-course perspective among residents in the Tibet Plateau with recent economic growth and increasing obesity are important and urgently needed. The birth cohort in this area provides a unique opportunity to examine the association between maternal dietary practice and neonatal obesity. The study aims to detect the prevalence of obesity among neonates, associated with maternal diet and other factors, supporting life-course strategies for obesity control. A cohort of pregnant women was enrolled in Tibet Plateau and followed till childbirth. Dietary practice during pregnancy was assessed using the Chinese FFQ – Tibet Plateau version, food items and other variables were associated with the risk for obesity of neonates followed by logistic regression, classification and regression trees (CART) and random forest. Of the total 1226 mother–neonate pairs, 40·5 % were Tibetan and 5·4 % of neonates with obesity. Consuming fruits as a protective factor for obesity of neonates with OR (95 % CI) = 0·61 (0·43, 0·87) from logistic regression; as well as OR = 0·20 (0·12, 0·35) for consuming fruits (≥ weekly) from CART. Removing fruit consumption to avoid overshadowing effects of other factors, the following were influential from CART: maternal education (more than middle school, OR = 0·22 (0·13, 0·37)) and consumption of Tibetan food (daily, OR = 3·44 (2·08, 5·69). Obesity among neonates is prevalent in the study population. Promoting healthy diets during pregnancy and strengthening maternal education should be part of the life-course strategies for obesity control.

This study conducts particle-resolved direct numerical simulations to analyse how finite-size spherical particles affect the decay rate of turbulent kinetic energy in non-sustained homogeneous isotropic turbulence. The decaying particle-laden homogeneous isotropic turbulence is generated with two set-ups, i.e. (1) releasing particles into a single-phase decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence and (2) switching off the driving force of a sustained particle-laden homogeneous isotropic turbulence. With both set-ups, the decay of turbulent kinetic energy follows a power-law when the flow is fully relaxed, similar to their single-phase counterparts. The dependence of the power-law decay exponent $n$ on the particle-to-fluid density ratio, particle size and volume fraction is also investigated, and a predictive model is developed. We find that the presence of heavier particles slows down the long-time power-law decay exponent.

The mean flow in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) deviates from the canonical law of the wall (LoW) when influenced by a pressure gradient. Consequently, LoW-based near-wall treatments are inadequate for such flows. Chen et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 970, 2023, A3) derived a Navier–Stokes-based velocity transformation that accurately describes the mean flow in TBLs with arbitrary pressure gradients. However, this transformation requires information on total shear stress, which is not always readily available, limiting its predictive power. In this work, we invert the transformation and develop a predictive near-wall model. Our model includes an additional transport equation that tracks the Lagrangian integration of the total shear stress. Particularly noteworthy is that the model introduces no new parameters and requires no calibration. We validate the developed model against experimental and computational data in the literature, and the results are favourable. Furthermore, we compare our model with equilibrium models. These equilibrium models inevitably fail when there are strong pressure gradients, but they prove to be sufficient for boundary layers subjected to weak, moderate and even moderately high pressure gradients. These results compel us to conclude that history effects in mean flow, which negatively impact the validity of equilibrium models, can largely be accounted for by the material time derivative term and the pressure gradient term, both of which require no additional modelling.

This paper proposes an air-filled substrate integrated waveguide (AFSIW) bandpass filter with a miniaturized non-resonant node (NRN). The NRN structure is introduced between the three resonators, and its size is smaller than the resonator size, which can realize the NRN structure’s miniaturization and reduce the model’s size. The NRN size of this filter is 41% of the NRN size of the existing AFSIW filter. This filter also introduces a transmission zero (TZ) above the passband. The measured results show that the filter’s center frequency is 20.73 GHz, and the bandwidth is 0.86 GHz. The insertion loss in the passband is 0.95 dB, and the return loss is better than 23 dB. Due to the TZ in the upper stopband, the AFSIW filter obtained good selectivity.

Three-dimensional effects of sidewalls on the low-frequency unsteadiness of the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SBLI) are of academic and practical importance but not yet well understood. Considerable attention has been paid to the viscous effect of sidewalls, whereas the potential inviscid confinement effect of sidewalls has received little attention. The present work provides experimental evidence of multiscale spanwise travelling waves crossing the separation front under the confinement of sidewalls. Global pressure measurements were made for a sidewall-confined 24$^\circ$ compression ramp interaction in Mach-2.83 flow using fast-responding pressure-sensitive paint. The unsteady pressure in a statistically two-dimensional intermittent region suggests that in addition to the canonical streamwise oscillation, the separation front exhibits significant low-frequency, multiscale spanwise distortion. Modal analysis further reveals that multiscale spanwise unsteadiness has higher intensity and frequency than the streamwise oscillation. Such strong spanwise unsteadiness calls attention to the low-frequency unsteadiness in previous sidewall-confined SBLI experiments and encourages further study on the mechanism of the confinement effect.

This paper explores the use of inkjet-printing technology for transparent transmitarrays, presenting a viable alternative to traditional copper microwire counterparts. The study focuses on achieving high-gain performance crucial for wireless communication systems, with a particular emphasis on the fifth-generation (5G) millimeter-wave communication. Transparent transmitarrays leverage transparent conducting films and conductive mesh structures, overcoming opacity limitations and seamlessly integrating with urban architecture. In this paper, the inkjet-printing process is detailed for fabricating transmitarray apertures, highlighting the flexibility and precision in depositing nanosilver particles onto a glass substrate. The design intricacies involve optimizing feeding characteristics, determining unit cell structures, and constructing transmitarrays of various sizes. To validate the proposed technique, three different apertures (15 × 15, 20 × 20, and 25 × 25 unit cells) are constructed. The antenna performances are evaluated in terms of reflection coefficients, radiation efficiency, realized gain, and patterns, demonstrating the effectiveness of inkjet-printed transmitarrays. Comparative analysis with copper microwire counterparts is also conducted, validating the inkjet-printing technology for similar gain performance with added advantages of flexibility, compatibility with transparent substrates, and cost-effective manufacturing.

A primary objective of integral methods, such as the momentum integral method, is to discern the physical processes contributing to skin friction. These methods encompass the momentum, kinetic energy and angular momentum integrals. This paper reformulates existing integrals based on the double-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, and extends their application to flows over rough walls. Our derivation yields distinct decompositions for the bottom-wall viscous friction coefficient, denoted as $C_S$, and the roughness element drag coefficient $C_R$. The decompositions comprise three terms: a viscous term, a turbulent term and a roughness (dispersive) term – regardless of the flow configuration, be it channel or boundary layer. Notably, when these integrals are evaluated for laminar flow scenarios, only the viscous term remains significant. In addition, we elucidate the spatial distributions of the terms within these decompositions. To demonstrate the practicality of our formulations, we apply them to analyse data from direct numerical simulations of turbulent half-channel flows. These flows feature aligned and staggered cubical roughness at various packing densities. Our analyses, based on kinetic-energy-oriented decompositions, reveal that when the surface coverage density $\lambda _p$ is small, the dominant terms within the decompositions are the viscous and turbulent terms. With increasing $\lambda _p$, the viscous dissipation term decreases, while the turbulent production term increases and then decreases. These variations arise from a subdued near-wall cycle and the development of a shear layer at the height of the cubes.

The assessment of seed quality and physiological potential is essential in seed production and crop breeding. In the process of rapid detection of seed viability using tetrazolium (TZ) staining, it is necessary to spend a lot of labour and material resources to explore the pretreatment and staining methods of hard and solid seeds with physical barriers. This study explores the TZ staining methods of six hard seeds (Tilia miqueliana, Tilia henryana, Sassafras tzumu, Prunus subhirtella, Prunus sibirica, and Juglans mandshurica) and summarizes the TZ staining conditions required for hard seeds by combining the difference in fat content between seeds and the kinship between species, thus providing a rapid viability test method for the protection of germplasm resources of endangered plants and the optimization of seed bank construction. The TZ staining of six species of hard seeds requires a staining temperature above 35 °C and a TZ solution concentration higher than 1%. Endospermic seeds require shorter staining times than exalbuminous seeds. The higher the fat content of the seeds, the lower the required incubation temperature and TZ concentration for staining, and the longer the staining time. And the closer the relationship between the two species, the more similar their staining conditions become. The TZ staining method of similar species can be predicted according to the genetic distance between the phylogenetic trees, and the viability of new species can be detected quickly.

Trauma is a significant health issue that not only leads to immediate death in many cases but also causes severe complications, such as sepsis, thrombosis, haemorrhage, acute respiratory distress syndrome and traumatic brain injury, among trauma patients. Target protein identification technology is a vital technique in the field of biomedical research, enabling the study of biomolecular interactions, drug discovery and disease treatment. It plays a crucial role in identifying key protein targets associated with specific diseases or biological processes, facilitating further research, drug design and the development of treatment strategies. The application of target protein technology in biomarker detection enables the timely identification of newly emerging infections and complications in trauma patients, facilitating expeditious medical interventions and leading to reduced post-trauma mortality rates and improved patient prognoses. This review provides an overview of the current applications of target protein identification technology in trauma-related complications and provides a brief overview of the current target protein identification technology, with the aim of reducing post-trauma mortality, improving diagnostic efficiency and prognostic outcomes for patients.

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.

Clay minerals are effective adsorbents for the remediation of pesticides in wastewater due to their large superficial areas and excellent cation-exchange capabilities. However, this adsorption effect can be reduced by the accumulation of adsorbents on clay minerals, amongst other problems. Therefore, in this study, montmorillonite (Mnt) modified by layered double hydroxide (LDH) with different loading amounts was successfully prepared using an in situ method. The results from X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that LDH structures were successfully combined with the Mnt layer and formed a porous structure. However, excess LDH still caused the aggregation and accumulation of layers. The adsorption performance of LDH@Mnt for atrazine (ATZ) and paraquat (PQ) was investigated, and the removal efficiency of the LDH@Mnt composite was higher than those of Mnt and LDH alone. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption process fitted the pseudo-second-order model and internal diffusion model, and 3-LDH@Mnt had the greatest absorbability efficiency for both ATZ and PQ, indicating the adsorption process was controlled by the number of active sites of the adsorbent. The generalized Langmuir model accurately characterized the adsorption process of ATZ and PQ elimination in the adsorption isotherm investigation, indicating that the adsorption energies of the active sites on the adsorbents were different. 3-LDH@Mnt had better absorbability performance for ATZ/PQ, and the sorption capacities were 7.03 and 91.9 mg g–1, respectively. According to site energy distribution theory, the amount of sorption sites of the composite adsorbent was large and the average adsorption energy was high, both of which being beneficial for the adsorption of ATZ and PQ. The effects of pH, coexisting anions and reuse experiments were also tested, indicating that the LDH@Mnt composite possessed high adsorption stability. This excellent removal performance represents a promising strategy for the remediation and elimination of pesticide contaminations from the environment.

The preference for particles to accumulate at specific regions in the near-wall part is a widely observed phenomenon in wall-bounded turbulence. Unlike small particles more frequently found in low-speed streaks, finite-size particles can accumulate in either low-speed or high-speed streaks. However, mechanisms and influencing factors leading to the different preferential concentration locations still need to be clarified. The present study conducts particle-resolved direct numerical simulations of particle-laden turbulent channel flows to provide a better understanding of this seemingly puzzling behaviour of preferential accumulation. These simulations cover different particle-to-fluid density ratios, particle volume fractions, particle sizes and degrees of sedimentation intensity. We find that the large particle size is the crucial factor that results in particles accumulating in high-speed streaks. Large particles not only are difficult to be conveyed by the quasi-streamwise vortices to low-speed streaks but also can escape from the near-wall region before moving spanwisely out from high-speed streaks. The sedimentation effect allows particles to gather closer to the channel wall and stay longer in the near-wall regions, reinforcing the sweeping mechanism of quasi-streamwise vortices that transport particles from high- to low-speed streaks. As a result, sedimenting particles tend to accumulate in the low-speed streaks.

Let H be the Hermite operator $-\Delta +|x|^2$ on $\mathbb {R}^n$. We prove a weighted $L^2$ estimate of the maximal commutator operator $\sup _{R>0}|[b, S_R^\lambda (H)](f)|$, where $ [b, S_R^\lambda (H)](f) = bS_R^\lambda (H) f - S_R^\lambda (H)(bf) $ is the commutator of a BMO function b and the Bochner–Riesz means $S_R^\lambda (H)$ for the Hermite operator H. As an application, we obtain the almost everywhere convergence of $[b, S_R^\lambda (H)](f)$ for large $\lambda $ and $f\in L^p(\mathbb {R}^n)$.

Aphis spiraecola Patch is one of the most economically important tree fruit pests worldwide. The pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin is commonly used to control A. spiraecola. In this 2-year study, we quantified the resistance level of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin in different regions of the Shaanxi province, China. The results showed that A. spiraecola had reached extremely high resistance levels with a 174-fold resistance ratio (RR) found in the Xunyi region. In addition, we compared the enzymatic activity and expression level of P450 genes among eight A. spiraecola populations. The P450 activity of A. spiraecola was significantly increased in five regions (Xunyi, Liquan, Fengxiang, Luochuan, and Xinping) compared to susceptible strain (SS). The expression levels of CYP6CY7, CYP6CY14, CYP6CY22, P4504C1-like, P4506a13, CYP4CZ1, CYP380C47, and CYP4CJ2 genes were significantly increased under lambda-cyhalothrin treatment and in the resistant field populations. A L1014F mutation in the sodium channel gene was found and the mutation rate was positively correlated with the LC50 of lambda-cyhalothrin. In conclusion, the levels of lambda-cyhalothrin resistance of A. spiraecola field populations were associated with P450s and L1014F mutations. Our combined findings provide evidence on the resistance mechanism of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin and give a theoretical basis for rational and effective control of this pest species.

Here, we report the generation of MeV alpha-particles from H-11B fusion initiated by laser-accelerated boron ions. Boron ions with maximum energy of 6 MeV and fluence of 109/MeV/sr@5 MeV were generated from 60 nm-thick self-supporting boron nanofoils irradiated by 1 J femtosecond pulses at an intensity of 1019 W/cm2. By bombarding secondary hydrogenous targets with the boron ions, 3 × 105/sr alpha-particles from H-11B fusion were registered, which is consistent with the theoretical yield calculated from the measured boron energy spectra. Our results demonstrated an alternative way toward ultrashort MeV alpha-particle sources employing compact femtosecond lasers. The ion acceleration and product measurement scheme are referential for the studies on the ion stopping power and cross section of the H-11B reaction in solid or plasma.

Landfill leachate is one of the most difficult effluents with which to deal from an environmental perspective because of its concentration and complex composition, including refractory and toxic components such as heavy metals or xenobiotic organic compounds. The objective of the present study was to use organically modified bentonite (OMB) to dispose of landfill leachate >10 y old. The OMB was synthesized using a new method, which removed four steps (filtering, washing, drying, and grinding) from the traditional process. After treatment using OMB, the chemical oxygen demand concentration (COD concentration, an index of the organic pollutants in the landfill leachate, was determined using the potassium dichromate method) of the landfill leachate sample decreased from 2400 to 245 mg/L in 5 h, i.e. the organic pollutants reduction efficiency was as high as 90%. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results indicated that most of the organic compounds were removed during the process. The modified and unmodified bentonite contained in the OMB deal with the hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic pollutants, respectively, resulting in significant degradation of the leachate. The study results have provided a new cost-effective method for treatment of landfill leachate.

Backgrounds. Solute carrier 39A1 (SLC39A1) is an indirect zinc transporter which showed diverse tumor-related functions in different malignancies. Here, we aimed to investigate its expression and role in gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods. A retrospective gastric adenocarcinoma cohort (n = 154) was collected from our hospital to test their tissue expression of SLC39A1 through immunohistochemical staining method. After SLC39A1 overexpression or knockdown, proliferation and invasion assays were conducted for proliferation and invasion estimation, respectively. Xenograft in nude mice was used as the in vivo strategy to validate in vitro findings. Results. Compared with adjacent stomach tissues, gastric adenocarcinoma tissues showed significantly higher SLC39A1 on both mRNA and protein levels. Higher SLC39A1 was observed in patients with larger tumor size (P = 0.003) and advanced tumor stages (P < 0.001). Univariate (P = 0.001) and multivariate analyses (P = 0.035) confirmed the independent prognostic significance of SLC39A1 on gastric adenocarcinoma outcomes. The median survival time was 22.0 months in patients with high-SLC39A1 expression, while up to 57.0 months in those with low-SLC39A1 (P = 0.001). In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that overexpressing SLC39A1 could promote gastric cancer growth and invasion, while silencing SLC39A1 led to opposite effects. Conclusions. Aberrant high-SLC39A1 expression can serve as an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for gastric adenocarcinoma. High SLC39A1 is critical for a more aggressive tumor phenotype by promoting cell proliferation and invasion. Therefore, targeting SLC39A1 may provide novel therapeutic insights.