Appropriate soil water and nitrogen (N) management strategies are critical for achieving sustainable agricultural development in drylands. Straw mulching has been used to improve crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE), but N management strategies may need to be adjusted from conventional practice. The current study investigated the interactive effects of N application rate (conventional and high N rate), N application frequencies (single, and split N in 2 – 3 applications) and seasonal conditions on wheat population density dynamics, yield, harvest index (HI), grain protein content, water- and N-use efficiency, and residual soil N under straw mulching on the Loess Plateau of China. Nitrogen rate had no effect on yield, HI, WUE and grain protein content, but high N rate resulted in lower grain weight and nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFPN), and higher soil N residue. Splitting N applications significantly improved grain yield (7%), HI (9%), grain protein content (5%), PFPN and N harvest index, along with a reduction in soil N residue, compared to single application. However, there was no difference in above traits between split-N in 2 and 3 applications. Conventional N rate (vs. high N rate) and split N application (vs. single application) both alleviated the negative correlation between grain yield and grain protein content, and split N application increased grain N removal per unit yield compared to single N application. It is concluded that conventional N rate combined with split application in two doses, is suitable for straw mulching in drylands of the Loess Plateau, China.

In the fields of meal-assisting robotics and human–robot interaction (HRI), real-time and accurate mouth pose estimation is critical for ensuring interaction safety and improving user experience. The complexity arises from the diverse opening degrees of mouths, variations in orientation, and external factors such as lighting conditions and occlusions, which pose significant challenges for real-time and accurate posture estimation of mouths. In response to the above-mentioned issues, this paper proposes a novel method for point cloud fitting and posture estimation of mouth opening degrees (FP-MODs). The proposed method leverages both RGB and depth images captured from a single viewpoint, integrating geometric modeling with advanced point cloud processing techniques to achieve robust and accurate mouth posture estimation. The innovation of this work lies in the hypothesis that different states of mouth openings can be effectively described by distinct geometric shapes: closed mouths are modeled by spatial quadratic surfaces, half-open mouths by spatial ellipses, and fully open mouths by spatial circles. Then, based on these hypotheses, we developed algorithms for fitting geometric models to point clouds obtained from mouth regions, respectively. Specifically, for the closed mouth state, we employ an algorithm based on least squares optimization to fit a spatial quadratic surface to the point cloud data. For the half-open or fully open mouth states, we combine inverse projection methods with least squares fitting to model the contour as a spatial ellipse and circle, respectively. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed FP-MODs method, extensive actual experiments were conducted under varying conditions, including different orientations and various types of mouths. The results demonstrate that the proposed FP-MODs method achieves high accuracy and robustness. This study can provide a theoretical foundation and technical support for improving HRI and food delivery safety in the field of robotics.

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), is an invasive pest known for its rapid migration, strong adaptability, and wide host range. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a specific class of Hsps associated with the molecular mechanisms of insect growth and development and the response to abiotic stresses, such as extreme temperatures, ultraviolet (UV) rays, and pesticides. Herein, six sHsps, SfsHsp11.2, SfsHsp15.8, SfsHsp20.2, SfsHsp21.4, SfsHsp22, and SfsHsp26.6, were successfully cloned and identified from FAW. The six SfsHsps all have an α-crystallin domain in their amino acid sequences. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of these six SfsHsps in different tissues and developmental stages of FAW using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Their expression levels in adult FAW were also analysed under extreme temperatures (36°C and 4°C) and UV-A stress for different durations (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min). Our findings revealed distinct expression profiles for the six SfsHsps in different FAW tissues and developmental stages. Notably, under temperature and UV-A stress, most SfsHsp genes were significantly upregulated in adults. Our findings strongly indicate that SfsHsps are crucial in the development and stress response of S. frugiperda.

Emission line galaxies (ELGs) are crucial for cosmological studies, particularly in understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe and the role of dark energy. ELGs form an essential component of the target catalogue for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a major astronomical survey. However, the accurate selection of ELGs for such surveys is challenging due to the inherent uncertainties in determining their redshifts with photometric data. In order to improve the accuracy of photometric redshift estimation for ELGs, we propose a novel approach CNN–MLP that combines convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with multilayer perceptrons (MLPs). This approach integrates both images and photometric data derived from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys Data Release 10. By leveraging the complementary strengths of CNNs (for image data processing) and MLPs (for photometric feature integration), the CNN–MLP model achieves a $\sigma_{\mathrm{NMAD}}$ (normalised median absolute deviation) of 0.0140 and an outlier fraction of 2.57%. Compared to other models, CNN–MLP demonstrates a significant improvement in the accuracy of ELG photometric redshift estimation, which directly benefits the target selection process for DESI. In addition, we explore the photometric redshifts of different galaxy types (Starforming, Starburst, AGN, and Broadline). Furthermore, this approach will contribute to more reliable photometric redshift estimation in ongoing and future large-scale sky surveys (e.g. LSST, CSST, and Euclid), enhancing the overall efficiency of cosmological research and galaxy surveys.

This paper investigates the long-run nexus between wealth inequality and aggregate output using a DSGE model in which wealth inequality endogenously affects individual entrepreneurship incentives, thereby influencing aggregate output. Our model passes the indirect inference test against the UK data from 1870 to 2015. We find that shocks to aggregate TFP, entrepreneurial barriers, government grant support and general government spending played significant roles in shaping historical inequality dynamics in the UK. Directly removing entrepreneurial barriers or indirectly providing government grant support to the private sector such as through inclusive loan subsidies are effective means of reducing inequality and stimulating output growth.

Laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) diagnostics play a crucial role in understanding the complex physical processes governing ICF and enabling ignition. During the ICF process, the interaction between the high-power laser and ablation material leads to the formation of a plasma critical surface, which reflects a significant portion of the driving laser, reducing the efficiency of laser energy conversion into implosive kinetic energy. Effective diagnostic methods for the critical surface remain elusive. In this work, we propose a novel optical diagnostic approach to investigate the plasma critical surface. This method has been experimentally validated, providing new insights into the critical surface morphology and dynamics. This advancement represents a significant step forward in ICF diagnostic capabilities, with the potential to inform strategies for enhancing the uniformity of the driving laser and target surface, ultimately improving the efficiency of converting laser energy into implosion kinetic energy and enabling ignition.

Echinochloa crus-galli var. crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. (EC), Echinochloa crus-galli var. mitis (Pursh) Petermann (ECM), and Echinochloa glabrescens Munro ex Hook. f. (EG) are all serious rice (Oryza sativa L.) weeds that are usually treated as a single species in weed management practices. To determine interspecific and intraspecific differences in seed germination responding to different temperatures among the three Echinochloa weeds, we conducted field surveys and collected 66 EC, 141 ECM, and 120 EG populations from rice fields of East China in 2022; and tested their seed germination under 28/15 C (day/night), 30/20 C, and 35/25 C regimes, simulating temperatures of rice-planting periods for double-cropping early rice, single-cropping rice, and double-cropping late rice, respectively. In EC, ECM, and EG, seed percentage germination (cumulative percentage of germinated seed) and germination index (sum of the ratio of germinated seeds to the corresponding days) increased with increasing temperatures. At 28/15 C, the average percentage germination of EC populations (67.5%) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher compared with ECM (46.4%) and EG (43.7%); GD50 (duration for 50% total germination) for EC populations (5.2 d) was significantly shorter compared with ECM (5.9 d) and EG (5.8 d). At 35/25 C, the percentage germinations of EC (90.7%), ECM (80.5%), and EG (80.3%) were all significantly the highest among the three temperature treatments, respectively, and the GD50 values for EC (2.5 d), ECM (2.6 d), and EG (2.7 d) were all significantly the lowest. At 30/20 C and 35/25 C, the average germination percentages of populations collected from transplanted rice fields were significantly higher than those of populations collected from direct-seeded rice fields. Moreover, among EG populations, the longitudes and latitudes of collection locations were significantly correlated with seed percentage germination and germination indices. According to the interspecific differences and intraspecific variations of Echinochloa species, weed management strategies should also be customized according to the species and population characteristics in seed germination.

A high-energy pulsed vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) solid-state laser at 177 nm with high peak power by the sixth harmonic of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) amplifier in a KBe2BO3F2 prism-coupled device was demonstrated. The ultraviolet (UV) pump laser is a 352 ps pulsed, spatial top-hat super-Gaussian beam at 355 nm. A high energy of a 7.12 mJ VUV laser at 177 nm is obtained with a pulse width of 255 ps, indicating a peak power of 28 MW, and the conversion efficiency is 9.42% from 355 to 177 nm. The measured results fitted well with the theoretical prediction. It is the highest pulse energy and highest peak power ever reported in the VUV range for any solid-state lasers. The high-energy, high-peak-power, and high-spatial-uniformity VUV laser is of great interest for ultra-fine machining and particle-size measurements using UV in-line Fraunhofer holography diagnostics.

Femtosecond oscillators with gigahertz (GHz) repetition rate are appealing sources for spectroscopic applications benefiting from the individually accessible and high-power comb line. The mode mismatch between the potent pump laser diode (LD) and the incredibly small laser cavity, however, limits the average output power of existing GHz Kerr-lens mode-locked (KLM) oscillators to tens of milliwatts. Here, we present a novel method that solves the difficulty and permits high average power LD-pumped KLM oscillators at GHz repetition rate. We propose a numerical simulation method to guide the realization of Kerr-lens mode-locking and comprehend the dynamics of the Kerr-lens mode-locking process. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, an LD-pumped Yb:KGW oscillator with up to 6.17-W average power and 184-fs pulse duration at 1.6-GHz repetition rate is conducted. The simulation had a good agreement with the experimental results. The cost-effective, compact and powerful laser source opens up new possibilities for research and industrial applications.

Dietary n-3 PUFA may have potential benefits in preventing peptic ulcer disease (PUD). However, data from observational epidemiological studies are limited. Thus, we conducted a Mendelian randomisation analysis to reveal the causal impact of n-3 PUFA on PUD. Genetic variants strongly associated with plasma levels of total or individual n-3 PUFA including plant-derived α-linolenic acid and marine-derived EPA, DPA and DHA were enrolled as instrumental variables. Effect size estimates of the n-3 PUFA-associated genetic variants with PUD were evaluated using data from the UK biobank. Per one sd increase in the level of total n-3 PUFA in plasma was significantly associated with a lower risk of PUD (OR = 0·91; 95 % CI 0·85, 0·99; P = 0·020). The OR were 0·81 (95 % CI 0·67, 0·97) for EPA, 0·72 (95 % CI 0·58, 0·91) for DPA and 0·87 (95 % CI 0·80, 0·94) for DHA. Genetically predicted α-linolenic acid levels in plasma had no significant association with the risk of PUD (OR = 5·41; 95 % CI 0·70, 41·7). Genetically predicted plasma levels of n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with the risk of PUD, especially marine-based n-3 PUFA. Such findings may have offered an effective and feasible strategy for the primary prevention of PUD.

This study examines the pursuit-evasion game involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with a specific focus on the scenario of N-pursuers-one-escapee. The primary objective is to develop an optimal strategy for the escapee when the pursuers possess superior capabilities. To obtain this objective, we conduct the following study. Firstly, to enhance realism, a non-cooperative differential game model is formulated, incorporating multiple motion characteristics, including aerodynamics, overloading, and imposed constraints. Secondly, the end-value performance index is subsequently converted to an integral one, simplifying the solution process of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. An iterative method is utilised to determine the covariates using the Cauchy initial value problem, and its convergence and uniqueness are established. The optimal avoidance strategy is subsequently derived from the covariates. Finally, the superiority of the proposed strategy is validated through simulation experiments and compared to three advanced optimal avoidance strategies. A total of 1,000 anti-jamming simulation experiments are conducted to verify the robustness of the proposed strategy.

The absorption and distribution of radiocarbon-labeled urea at the ultratrace level were investigated with a 14C-AMS biotracer method. The radiopharmaceutical concentrations in the plasma, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, brain, bladder, muscle, testis, and fat of rats after oral administration of 14C urea at ultratrace doses were determined by AMS, and the concentration-time curves in plasma and tissues and pharmacokinetic distribution data were obtained. This study provides an analytical method for the pharmacokinetic parameters and tissue distribution of exogenous urea in rats at ultratrace doses and explores the feasibility of evaluation and long-term tracking of ultratrace doses of drugs with AMS.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a technique that directly injects a single sperm into the cytoplasm of mature oocytes. Here, we explored the safety of single-sperm cryopreservation applied in ICSI. This retrospective study enrolled 186 couples undergoing ICSI-assisted pregnancy. Subjects were allocated to the fresh sperm (group A)/single-sperm cryopreservation (group B) groups based on sperm type, with their clinical baseline/pathological data documented. We used ICSI-compliant sperm for subsequent in vitro fertilization and followed up on all subjects. The recovery rate/cryosurvival rate/sperm motility of both groups, the pregnancy/outcome of women receiving embryo transfer, and the delivery mode/neonatal-related information of women with successful deliveries were recorded. The clinical pregnancy rate, cumulative clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, premature delivery rate, live birth delivery rate, neonatal birth defect rate, and average birth weight were analyzed. The two groups showed no significant differences in age, body mass index, ovulation induction regimen, sex hormone [anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)/luteinizing hormone (LH)] levels, or oocyte retrieval cycles. The sperm recovery rate (51.72%-100.00%) and resuscitation rate (62.09% ± 16.67%) in group B were higher; the sperm motility in the two groups demonstrated no significant difference and met the ICSI requirements. Group B exhibited an increased fertilization rate, decreased abortion rate, and increased safety versus group A. Compared with fresh sperm, the application of single-sperm cryopreservation in ICSI sensibly improved the fertilization rate and reduced the abortion rate, showing higher safety.

The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a highly damaging invasive omnivorous pest that has developed varying degrees of resistance to commonly used insecticides. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of tolerance to tetraniliprole, spinetoram, and emamectin benzoate, the enzyme activity, synergistic effect, and RNA interference were implemented in S. frugiperda. The functions of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) in the tolerance to tetraniliprole, spinetoram, and emamectin benzoate in S. frugiperda was determined by analysing changes in detoxification metabolic enzyme activity and the effects of enzyme inhibitors on susceptibility to the three insecticides. 102 P450 genes were screened via transcriptome and genome, of which 67 P450 genes were differentially expressed in response to tetraniliprole, spinetoram, and emamectin benzoate and validated by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression patterns of CYP9A75, CYP340AA4, CYP340AX8v2, CYP340L16, CYP341B15v2, and CYP341B17v2 were analysed in different tissues and at different developmental stages in S. frugiperda. Silencing CYP340L16 significantly increased the susceptibility of S. frugiperda to tetraniliprole, spinetoram, and emamectin benzoate. Furthermore, knockdown of CYP340AX8v2, CYP9A75, and CYP341B17v2 significantly increased the sensitivity of S. frugiperda to tetraniliprole. Knockdown of CYP340AX8v2 and CYP340AA4 significantly increased mortality of S. frugiperda to spinetoram. Knockdown of CYP9A75 and CYP341B15v2 significantly increased the susceptibility of S. frugiperda to emamectin benzoate. These results may help to elucidate the mechanisms of tolerance to tetraniliprole, spinetoram and emamectin benzoate in S. frugiperda.

The development of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) is progressing rapidly within the maritime industry. Degree Two of MASS (MASS-DoA2), balancing human oversight and autonomous efficiency, will likely gain regulatory approval and industry acceptance. MASS-DoA2 possesses different control modes to adapt to various scenarios. However, the control-switching mechanisms among operators at shore control centres, autonomous navigation systems and number of seafarers onboard remain ambiguous, which poses a new risk that may significantly influence navigation safety. This study focuses on MASS-DoA2 and carries out a systematic review of autonomous ship guidelines. A questionnaire was designed based on the review findings, and a survey was carried out among captains and researchers in related fields. The review identified 11 control-switching scenarios with suggested takeover agents and the switching process and outlined the priority relationship between various takeover agents. Finally, a control-switching framework for MASS – DoA2 is proposed. It can serve as a theoretical framework for research on MASS's dynamic degree of autonomy and provide a reference for maritime regulatory authorities in establishing MASS – DoA2 control-switching mechanisms.

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.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver disorder, affecting approximately 25 % of the population. Coffee-drinking obese smokers exhibit lower body weights and decreased NAFLD rates, but the reasons behind this remain unclear. Additionally, the effect of nicotine, the main component of tobacco, on the development of NAFLD is still controversial. Our study aimed to explore the possible reasons that drinking coffee could alleviate NAFLD and gain weight and identify the real role of nicotine in NAFLD of obese smokers. A NAFLD model in mice was induced by administering nicotine and a high-fat diet (HFD). We recorded changes in body weight and daily food intake, measured the weights of the liver and visceral fat, and observed liver and adipose tissue histopathology. Lipid levels, liver function, liver malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum inflammatory cytokine levels and the expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Our results demonstrated that nicotine exacerbated the development of NAFLD and caffeine had a hepatoprotective effect on NAFLD. The administration of caffeine could ameliorate nicotine-plus-HFD-induced NAFLD by reducing lipid accumulation, regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, alleviating oxidative stress, attenuating inflammatory response and restoring hepatic functions. These results might explain why obese smokers with high coffee consumption exhibit the lower incidence rate of NAFLD and tend to be leaner. It is essential to emphasise that the detrimental impact of smoking on health is multifaceted. Smoking cessation remains the sole practical and effective strategy for averting the tobacco-related complications and reducing the risk of mortality.