The three-dimensional flow over a low-aspect-ratio (low-$A\!R$) trapezoidal plate is investigated experimentally with a focus on how the tip effects impact the structure and dynamics of the separation bubble. The chord-based Reynolds number is $5800$, and the angle of attack varies from $4^\circ$ to $10^\circ$. Once the flow separates, the separation bubble emerges and features a swallow-tailed structure that shrinks near the midspan, which is first found for the flows over low-$A\!R$ plates. This structure develops into the conventional single-tailed structure as the angle of attack increases. Moreover, the vortex shedding within the swallow-tailed separation bubble is restored from multiple asynchronously measured local velocity fields. It is revealed that the leading-edge vortex undergoes the novel transformation from a C-shape vortex into an M-shape vortex. This vortex transformation stems from the mass transport of the near-wall spanwise flow, which affects the fluid motion on the windward side of the C-shape vortex head, strengthening and accelerating the vortex head. The strengthened vortex head facilitates the entrainment of high-momentum fluid from the outer flow. This is responsible for the formation of the swallow-tailed structure. These findings help to fill the gaps left by the downwash at low angles of attack for low-$A\!R$ wings, and are of value in improving the cruising and gliding performance of micro-air vehicles.

The new mineral tennantite-(Ni), Cu6(Cu4Ni2)As4S13, has been discovered from the Luobusa Chromitite, Tibet, southwestern China. Tennantite-(Ni) occurs as anhedral grains ranging from 2 to 20 μm in size. In reflected light microscopy, tennantite-(Ni) is isotropic and appears yellow-greenish grey. Reflectance data for Commission on Ore Mineralogy wavelengths in air for tennantite-(Ni) are: 31.0 (470 nm), 29.6 (546 nm), 29.6 (589 nm) and 29.3 (650 nm). Electron microprobe analysis for holotype material gave the empirical formula (on basis of total cations = 16 apfu): M(2)Cu6 M(1)[Cu4.00(Ni0.97Cu0.53Fe0.50)Σ2.00]Σ6.00X(3)(As2.94Sb1.06)Σ4S12.77. Tennantite-(Ni) is cubic, with space group I$\bar{ 4}$3m (#217), a =10.2957(9) Å, V = 1091.4(3) Å3 and Z = 2. By using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the crystal structure has been determined and refined to a final R1 = 0.0423 on the basis of 163 independent reflections [Fo > 4σ (Fo)]. The calculated seven strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 2.972 (100) (222), 1.820 (83) (440), 2.574 (28) (400), 1.552 (18) (622), 3.640 (10) (220), 1.880 (10) (521) and 1.287 (7) (800). Tennantite-(Ni) is isostructural with other tetrahedrite-group minerals, and nickel is hosted at the tetrahedrally coordinated M(1) site, along with Cu and minor Fe. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2021-018).

To contribute to the treatment decision and optimize coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) control programs, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance rates of coagulase-negative staphylococcus associated with bovine mastitis in China. Three databases (PubMed, Google scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database) were utilized to obtain relevant publications. A total of 18 publications were included in our research, and 3 of them included antimicrobial resistant (AMR) test. The pooled prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococcus was 17.28%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence was higher in South China than in North China, was higher in 2011–2020 than in 2000–2010 and was higher in clinical bovine mastitis cases than in subclinical cases. The pooled AMR were most resistant to β-lactams, followed by tetracyclines, quinolones, nitrofurans, lincosamides, sulfonamides, amphenicol and aminoglycosides. The pooled AMR rate of coagulase-negative staphylococcus was lower in 2011–2020 than in 2000–2010. Although the prevalence of CNS showed an increasing trend over 20 years, the AMR rate showed a decreasing trend, and the clinical type of mastitis was the most frequent and the prevalence was highest in South China. Finally, CNS was most resistant to β-lactams amongst the eight groups of antimicrobial agents.

Calcioancylite-(La), ideally (La,Ca)2(CO3)2(OH,H2O)2, has been discovered from nepheline syenite of the Gejiu alkaline complex in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The mineral occurs as aggregates of subhedral grains, and the size of single crystals varies between 5–20 μm. Calcioancylite-(La) is colourless to pale pinkish grey and has transparent to translucent lustre. It is brittle with a Mohs hardness of 4. The calculated density is 4.324 g/cm3. The mineral is biaxial (−), with α =1.662, β = 1.730, γ = 1.771, 2Vmeas. = 70°(1) and 2Vcalc. = 73°. Electron microprobe analysis for holotype material yielded an empirical formula of (La0.58Ce0.55Pr0.14Nd0.10Ca0.39Sr0.20K0.04)Σ2.00(CO3)2[(OH)1.25F0.06⋅0.69H2O]Σ2.00. Calcioancylite-(La) is orthorhombic, with space group Pmcn, a = 5.0253(3) Å, b = 8.5152(6) Å, c = 7.2717(6) Å, V = 311.17(4) Å3 and Z = 2. By using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the crystal structure has been determined and refined to a final R1 = 0.0652 on the basis of 347 independent reflections (I > 2σ). The seven strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 2.334 (100) (013), 2.970 (80) (121), 4.334 (75) (110), 3.678 (68) (111), 2.517 (55) (200), 2.647 (47) (031) and 2.077 (44) (221). Calcioancylite-(La) is the La-analogue of calcioancylite-(Ce) and is a new member of ancylite-group minerals. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2021-090).

The association between time to positivity (TTP) of blood culture and the clinical prognosis of patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection (BSI) remains unclear. A retrospective study of 148 inpatients with BSI caused by K. pneumoniae was performed at Shanghai Tongji Hospital, China, from October 2016–2020. The total in-hospital fatality rate was 32%. The median TTP was 11.0 (7.7–16.1) h and the optimal cutoff for prediction of in-hospital mortality was 9.4 h according to the ROC curve. Early TTP (<9.4 h) was a risk factor for in-hospital mortality by univariate analysis (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.0, P = 0.01), but not by multivariate analysis (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.0–7.4, P = 0.06). Old age, serum creatinine, white blood cells, and C-reactive protein values were risk factors for in-hospital mortality by multivariate analysis. Early TTP was not a risk factor for septic shock (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 0.6–5.1, P = 0.27) or ICU admission (OR = 1.0, 95% CI 1.0–1.0, P = 0.32). In conclusion, the in-hospital fatality rate of patients with K. pneumoniae BSI was relatively high and associated with an early TTP of blood cultures. However, no increased risk of mortality, septic shock or ICU admission was evident in early TTP patients.

This research communication aims to characterize the prevalence, molecular characterization and antimicrobial resistance profiling of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from clinical mastitis in China. A total of 140 Strep. agalactiae isolates were identified from 12 out of 201 farms in 6 provinces, overall herd prevalence was 18.6% and the MLST analysis showed clonal complexes (CC) 103 and CC 67 were present in these herds with CC 103 predominant, accounting for 97.9%. Isolates were mostly sensitive to the tested antimicrobials: penicillin, ceftiofur, amoxi/clav, cefquinome, and vancomycin (100%), followed by cefalexin (97.9%), oxacillin (96.4%), enrofloxacin (95.7%), erythromycin (89.3%), and clindamycin (88.6%). Only 19.3 and 0.7% of isolates were sensitive to tetracycline and daptomycin, respectively, and sequence type (ST) 103 was most resistant to antimicrobials. In conclusion, CC 103 was the predominant subgroup of bovine mastitis Strep. agalactiae in China, and most antimicrobials apart from tetracycline and daptomycin were effective.

Due to less light scattering and a better signal-to-noise ratio in deep imaging, two-photon fluorescence microscopy (TPFM) has been widely used in biomedical photonics since its advent. However, optical aberrations degrade the performance of TPFM in terms of the signal intensity and the imaging depth and therefore restrict its application. Here, we introduce adaptive optics based on the genetic algorithm to detect the distorted wavefront of the excitation laser beam and then perform aberration correction to optimize the performance of TPFM. By using a spatial light modulator as the wavefront controller, the correction phase is obtained through a signal feedback loop and a process of natural selection. The experimental results show that the signal intensity and imaging depth of TPFM are improved after aberration correction. Finally, the method was applied to two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging, which helps to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and the accuracy of lifetime analysis. Furthermore, the method can also be implemented in other experiments, such as three-photon microscopy, light-sheet microscopy, and super-resolution microscopy.

Since the photocatalytic effect of a single conventional photocatalyst is often not ideal, it is particularly important to design and construct an efficient and stable photocatalyst in a compound way. In this study, we exploited the sol–gel method to combine BiOCl and TiO2 and gave full play to their respective advantages to prepare BiOCl/TiO2 composite materials. Then, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization techniques were utilized to study important indicators of composites—composition, morphology, and structure. In the photodegradation experiment of methyl orange (MO), it was found that the photocatalytic performance of 10BTO (the molar ratio of TiO2 to BiOCl is 10:1) was the best among all the composite photocatalysts, and almost complete degradation of MO was realized. Besides, repeated experiments and recyclability tests on composite materials display favorable stability. Through ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS), photoluminescence (PL), transient photocurrent response, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electron spin resonance (ESR), a possible degradation mechanism is proposed. Given that there are serious environmental pollution problems in our country, we sincerely hope this research will do its best to degrade organic pollutants in wastewater.

Parents’ comparisons of siblings have been understudied among sibling research, especially in Chinese societies where the government recently relaxed its one-child policy. This study, using a two-wave longitudinal design, explored how parents’ comparisons of siblings were associated with adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems. Study participants were 260 Chinese adolescents who had siblings and completed questionnaires that assessed their internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as their perceptions of parents’ critical comparisons of siblings. Cross-lagged modeling analysis showed that parents’ comparisons of siblings predicted more internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents 6 months later. Moreover, adolescents’ externalizing problems but not internalizing problems predicted more parents’ comparisons of siblings over time. These findings underscore the importance of reciprocal relations between parents’ comparisons of siblings and adolescents’ externalizing problems and the implication of cultural context in understanding associations between parental practices and adolescents’ adjustment.

Post-testicular maturation of spermatozoa is crucial for attaining the morphological and functional capabilities needed for successful fertilization. Epididymal epithelia offer a favorable environment for spermatozoa that are stored long term in the turtle epididymis; however, sperm–epithelial interactions during storage, which are enormously important for sperm functional and morphological maturation, are still largely unknown in turtles. The present study examined the epididymis during the sperm-storage period (November–April) in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). Light and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the cellular features of each epididymal segment (caput, corpus, and cauda) and their epithelial interactions with the spermatozoa. Spermatozoa were mainly located in the lumena of caput, corpus, and cauda epididymides. Numerous spermatozoa were bound to apical surfaces of the epithelia, and several were even embedded in the epithelial cytoplasm of the caput and corpus epididymides. No embedded spermatozoa were found in the cauda epididymis. In all epididymal segments, principal and clear cells showed the synthetic activity, evidenced by a well-developed endoplasmic reticulum network and high and low electron-dense secretory materials, respectively. Principal and clear cells in the caput and corpus segments showed embedded spermatozoa in electron-dense secretions and in the lipid droplets within the cytoplasm. No lysosomes were observed around the embedded spermatozoa. The lumena of the caput and corpus segments showed few apocrine and low electron density secretions. In the lumen of the cauda epididymidis, different secretions, such as holocrine with low and high electron density and their fragmentation, apocrine, and dictyosome, were found and are summarized. Altogether, sperm physical interactions with secretions either in the cytoplasm of epithelium or in the lumen may support the viability, morphological maintenance, and transfer of various proteins involved in long-term sperm storage in the turtle. This interaction could help us to understand the mechanisms of long-term sperm storage and provide more insights into the reproductive strategies of turtle sperm preservation.

Relationship of genetic polymorphisms in cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) with susceptibility to viral hepatitis was already investigated by many association studies. The aim of this study was to more comprehensively analyse associations between genetic polymorphisms in CTLA-4/IL-18 and viral hepatitis by combing the results of all relevant association studies. We searched Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and CNKI for eligible studies. We used Review Manager to combine the results of eligible studies. Thirty-seven studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. Combined results demonstrated that CTLA-4 rs231775 (recessive comparison: OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11–1.55), IL-18 rs1946518 (dominant comparison: OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75–0.90; recessive comparison: OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11–1.50; allele comparison: OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68–0.86) and IL-18 rs187238 (dominant comparison: OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03–1.52; allele comparison: OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.05–1.37) polymorphisms were all significantly associated with viral hepatitis in the general population. Further subgroup analyses revealed that CTLA-4 rs231775, IL-18 rs1946518 and IL-18 rs187238 polymorphisms were significantly associated with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus (HBV), especially among East Asians. Moreover, CTLA-4 rs5742909, IL-18 rs1946518 and IL-18 rs187238 polymorphisms were also significantly associated with susceptibility to hepatitis C virus (HCV), especially among South Asians. So to conclude, this meta-analysis demonstrated that CTLA-4 rs231775, IL-18 rs1946518 and IL-18 rs187238 polymorphisms may confer susceptibility to HBV in East Asians, while CTLA-4 rs5742909, IL-18 rs1946518 and IL-18 rs187238 polymorphisms may confer susceptibility to HCV in South Asians.

Small luminescent Y2O3:Eu3+ particles were prepared by a hydrothermal method first, and then, Y2O3:Eu3+/C3N4 nanocomposites were further prepared by a chemisorption method. The luminescent Y2O3:Eu3+/C3N4 nanocomposites are not only a promising down-conversion luminescent material, but also it could be used to improve the efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Especially, the morphology of Y2O3:Eu3+ has great influence on the performance of DSSCs. Compared with Y2O3:Eu3+ nanorods, the introduction of small Y2O3:Eu3+ particles into the cells is conducive to the improvement of cell efficiency. The efficiencies of TiO2-Y2O3:Eu3+–C3N4 composite cells were not only higher than those of pure TiO2 cells but also higher than those of TiO2-Y2O3:Eu3+ or TiO2-C3N4 composite cells, resulting in the enhancement of the average efficiency of the TiO2-Y2O3:Eu3+–C3N4 composite cell from 7.16% to 8.14%, with 14% improvement over the pure TiO2 cell. The enhancement of the efficiency can be attributed to the synergetic effect of small Y2O3:Eu3+ particles and C3N4.

The influence of the content of trifluoroacetate (TFA), in the precursor solution, on the critical current density (Jc) of YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) superconducting films was investigated. We found that a TFA/Ba ratio of 0.68 is optimal to obtain high-performance YBCO films. Using this optimal solution, we then developed an ultraviolet (UV) light soaking technique to prepare YBCO films. This resulted in the constituent elements being uniformly distributed in the films, and this then enabled enhanced Jc. The addition of water vapor during the UV soaking process decreased the content of carbon residue in the films, and further increased the Jc of the resulting YBCO films.

Defects arise when nematic liquid crystals are under topological constraints at the boundary. Recently the study of defects has drawn a lot of attention because of the growing theoretical and practical significance. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between two-dimensional defects and three-dimensional defects within nematic liquid crystals confined in a shell. A highly accurate spectral method is used to solve the Landau-de Gennes model to get the detailed static structures of defects. Interestingly, the solution is radial-invariant when the thickness of the shell is sufficiently small. As the shell thickness increases, the solution undergoes symmetry break to reconfigure the disclination lines. We study this three-dimensional reconfiguration of disclination lines in detail under different boundary conditions. In particular, we find that the temperature plays an important role in deciding whether the transition between two-dimensional defects and three-dimensional defects is continuous or discontinuous for the shell with planar anchoring condition on both inner and outer surfaces. We also discuss the characterization of defects in two- and three-dimensional spaces within the tensor model.

Defects in liquid crystals are of great practical importance and theoretical interest. Despite tremendous efforts, predicting the location and transition of defects under various topological constraint and external field remains to be a challenge. We investigate defect patterns of nematic liquid crystals confined in three-dimensional spherical droplet and two-dimensional disk under different boundary conditions, within the Landau-de Gennes model. We implement a spectral method that numerically solves the Landau-de Gennes model with high accuracy, which allows us to study the detailed static structure of defects. We observe five types of defect structures. Among them the 1/2-disclination lines are the most stable structure at low temperature. Inspired by numerical results, we obtain the profile of disclination lines analytically. Moreover, the connection and difference between defect patterns under the Landau-de Gennes model and the Oseen-Frank model are discussed. Finally, three conjectures are made to summarize some important characteristics of defects in the Landau-de Gennes theory. This work is a continuing effort to deepen our understanding on defect patterns in nematic liquid crystals.