To explore molecular targets for regulating glucose metabolism in carnivorous fish, the glucose tolerance test (GTT) was carried out on the Paralichthys olivaceus. The concentration of glucose and insulin in serum were measured at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 24, and 48h after intraperitoneal (IP) injecting. The concentration of insulin was the lowest after 3h of glucose injection, and that of glucose reached the highest after 5h. Therefore, 0h (IP0) was chosen as control group, 3h (IP3) and 5h (IP5) were selected as experimental groups, which the liver samples in three time points were used to high-throughput sequencing. Although, there were no significant KEGG and GO functional enrichment, the differential genes including MAPK binding protein 1 (MAPKBP1), glycosyltransferase (FNG), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBP-α) were closely related to glucose metabolism, among which SOCS3 was worthy of further explore. The full-length cDNA sequence of SOCS3 gene was cloned and the open reading frame (ORF) of SOCS3 encoded 225 amino acids including conserved domains SH2 and SOCS3-box. The results of tissue differential expression showed that SOCS3 was highly expressed in liver and intestine. The SOCS3 was knocked down by specific siRNA in the primary hepatocyte of P. olivaceus. Results showed that the gene expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), protease B1 (AKT1), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), pyruvate kinase (PK) and glucokinase (GK) increased significantly after knocking down SOCS3. Meanwhile, the phosphatidylinositol-3-hydroxykinase (PI3K) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) decreased significantly. The results of this study indicated that siSOSC3 enhanced the sensitivity of the insulin signaling pathway to promote glucose transport, thereby affecting gluconeogenesis and glycolysis to maintain glucose homeostasis.

The paper revisits Fukuyama’s (Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity, 1995) work on the effect of social trust on economic development and considers further the relation between family and social entrepreneurship. Specifically focusing on social care services in Taiwan, the paper highlights the role of family in social entrepreneurship. With family as a starting point, social entrepreneurship is grounded, emerges, and evolves in distinctive contexts of each society even in a society with the paradox of ‘familism’. By exploring the evolution of a social entrepreneurship case in Taiwan, this paper, expanding on Fukuyama, concludes that it is possible for the societies traditionally characterized by the paradox of familism to become more inclusive with higher trust through social entrepreneurship.

We examine the dynamic interactions between the large-scale coherent motion and the small-scale turbulence in the passive scalar field of a circular cylinder wake, where the coherent motion exhibits strong periodicity. A combination of four X-wires and four cold wires was used to simultaneously measure the three velocity and temperature fluctuations at nominally the same location. Measurements were taken at $x/d=10$, 20 and 40 in the mean shear plane at Reynolds number 2500, based on the cylinder diameter $d$ and the free-stream velocity. The phase-averaging technique is used to distinguish the large-scale coherent motion from the stochastic motion, enabling the construction of phase-averaged structure functions of the passive scalar in the scale phase plane. The maximum of the coherent scalar $\tilde {\theta }$ closely aligns with the minima of the phase-averaged strain $\langle S \rangle$ and the vortex centre, suggesting that heat is contained within the interior of the vortex. The scale-by-scale distributions of the scalar variance and the streamwise velocity variance exhibit a similar phase dependence associated with the coherent motion. This dependence is perceptible even at the smallest scales. However, as the distance from the cylinder increases, the perceivable scale range decreases and eventually disappears. An expression is formulated to describe the time-averaged second-order structure function of coherent scalar and the time-averaged second-order mixed structure function between the coherent scalar and coherent streamwise velocity at $x/d= 10$ and 20, where the coherent motion is prominent. Furthermore, the scale-by-scale contribution of the coherent scalar variance to the total scalar variance is evaluated. Also, we derive the scale-by-scale scalar variance transport equations that account for the coherent motion in both general and isotropic formulations. Assuming local isotropy, it is found that the equation agrees approximately with the experimental data across all scales at $x/d= 40$. Finally, the differences between the scale-by-scale transport equation for the stochastic scalar variance and that for the stochastic turbulent kinetic energy are discussed.

Taiwan is regarded as the vanguard of LGBT+ rights in Asia. We conducted a scoping review to map research on LGBT+ inclusion in Taiwan, identify knowledge gaps and propose future directions for research and policy. Results indicate a predominant focus on health, with the over-representation of gay men and exclusion of lesbian and bisexual women and transgender/gender diverse people. Despite being the first Asian jurisdiction to legalise same-sex marriage, insufficient policy protections were evidenced concerning family formation, adoption, and parenting, with family systems that largely exclude LGBT+ people. Findings reveal pervasive discrimination and exclusion in education, an economic system that restricts LGBT+ people’s employment opportunities and advancement, and a healthcare system that lacks competencies in serving LGBT+ people. Future research on LGBT+ inclusion in Taiwan should address understudied populations, provide disaggregated data on LGBT+ individuals, and advance evidence to support policy protections in education, economic, family, health, and political domains.

The utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2) has garnered significant attention as a strategy to mitigate anthropogenic emissions. Within this field, the conversion processes of CO2 through photocatalytic systems have emerged as a particularly noteworthy area of research. This approach leverages solar energy for the reaction and is considered a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional thermally driven catalytic systems. This article aims to summarize recent advancements in several key photo-conversion pathways, including the synthesis of methane, methanol, C2 hydrocarbons, dimethyl carbonate, and glycerol carbonate. Additionally, potential configurations for the development of processes aimed at producing various chemicals will be proposed. Current insights indicate that the photocatalytic conversion of CO2 could be effectively integrated with chemical absorption methods, provided that appropriate separation and process intensification strategies are developed. From an economic perspective, the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 minimizes the reliance on green hydrogen as a hydrogen source, thereby significantly improving overall economic viability. Environmentally, it is essential to enhance the reaction conversion and product selectivity of the photocatalytic conversion processes to maximize their decarbonization potential. Overall, this paper is particularly suited for readers who are new to this field and are interested in transitioning from experimental work to process development.

Understanding the flow behaviour of wet granular materials is essential for comprehending the dynamics of numerous geological and physical phenomena, but remains a significant challenge, especially the transition of these flow regimes. In this study, we perform a series of rotating drum experiments to systematically investigate the dynamic observables and flow regimes of wet mono-dispersed particles. Two typical continuous flows including rolling and cascading regimes are identified and analysed, concentrating on the impact of fluid density and rotation speed. The probability density functions of surface angles, $\theta _{\textit{top}}$ and $\theta _{\textit{lo}w\textit{er}}$, reveal distinct patterns for these two flow regimes. A morphological parameter thus proposed, termed angle divergence, is used to characterise the rolling–cascading regime transition quantitatively. By integrating quantitative observables, we construct the flow phase diagram and flow curve to delineate the transition rules governing these regimes. Notably, the resulting nonlinear phase boundary demonstrates that higher fluid densities significantly enhance the likelihood of the system transitioning into the cascading regime. This finding is further supported by corresponding variations in flow fluctuations. Our results provide new insights into the fundamental dynamics of wet granular matter, offering valuable implications for understanding the complex rheology of underwater landslides and related phenomena.

With the increasing number and diversity of reptile species kept in zoological facilities and households, their welfare in captivity warrants structured and consistent evaluation. However, focused research on reptile welfare remains limited within the broader field of animal welfare science. Recognising such a gap, this study adopts an evidence-informed approach to review existing literature and proposes two conceptual welfare assessment frameworks — one for zoo settings and another for private keeping. We first identify the intended audiences for each framework and discuss common challenges reptile caretakers may face when conducting welfare assessments in different contexts. The frameworks are grounded in established principles from the Five Domains model and the European Welfare Quality® protocol, incorporating both resource- and animal-based indicators under the domains of Environment, Nutrition, Physical Health, and Behaviour. The design rationale is also explained to support future refinement. Finally, these conceptual frameworks are intended as a foundation for the development and validation of adaptable tools, capable of guiding improved husbandry practices and resource allocation for better welfare outcomes across a broad range of reptile taxa.

Wearable devices placed in or around the ear, often referred to as hearables, are gaining attention as alternative tools for pseudo-continuous health monitoring. Among their several capabilities, hearables are primarily useful for monitoring brain activity electronically via electroencephalography (EEG), enabling noninvasive, long-term recording of neural signals (e.g., from the ear canal). In addition to EEG, hearables can monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, and temperature, all while maintaining the comfort and discretion of everyday items like earplugs or headphones. This review explores recent progress in combining multiple sensors, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), and developing novel materials that make hearables more accurate, practical, and comfortable. On-device AI enables real-time, personalized insights that can support therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders like epilepsy. We seek further improvements in design and materials beyond this proof-of-concept, including three-dimensional printing with flexible electrodes while maintaining the unique property of monolithic circuit integration during system printing. That helps devices conform even better to the ear’s anatomy for enhanced comfort and signal quality, while the rigidity of the main structure ensures a highly durable and reliable product suitable for everyday life. In particular, personalization through additive manufacturing enables custom-fitted hearables based on each user’s unique ear canal features, supporting long-term wearability and reliable EEG acquisition. This review also addresses key challenges like motion artifacts and miniaturization, and current strategies to overcome them. Overall, this review highlights hearables as a key emerging technology, especially for EEG-based brain monitoring, offering a personalized, continuous, and noninvasive approach to future healthcare.

Accurate estimation of finger joint stiffness is important in assessing the hand condition of stroke patients and developing effective rehabilitation plans. Recent technological advances have enabled the efficient performance of hand therapy and assessment by estimating joint stiffness using soft actuators. While joint modular soft actuators have enabled cost-effective and personalized stiffness estimation, existing approaches face limitations. A corrective approach based on an analytical model suffers from actuator–finger and inter-actuator interactions, particularly in multi-joint systems. In contrast, a data-driven approach struggles with generalization due to limited availability of labeled data. In this study, we proposed a method for energy conservation-based online tuning of the analytical model using an artificial neural network (ANN) to address these challenges. By analyzing each term in the analytical model, we identified causes of estimation error and introduced correction parameters that satisfy energy balance within the actuator–finger complex. The ANN enhances the analytical model’s adaptability to measurement data, thereby improving estimation accuracy. The results show that our method outperforms the conventional corrective approach and exhibits better generalization potential than the purely data-driven approach. In addition, the method also proved effective in estimating stiffness in human subjects, where errors tend to be larger than in prototype experiments. This study is an essential step toward the realization of personalized rehabilitation.

The Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, but the development of effective conservation strategies is hindered by a lack of data on its distribution range and population dynamics. In addition, standardized survey and analysis methods are required to facilitate the sharing of results and maximize conservation effectiveness. To fill these knowledge and methodological gaps, we investigated the occurrence of pangolin burrows in the subtropical forest ecosystem of Fujian, China. We surveyed a total of 70 transects across five land-cover types within the Fujian Junzifeng National Nature Reserve and detected 87 burrows. The majority of burrows (87%) were located in mixed conifer and broadleaf forests. We used six environmental variables in a generalized linear model to examine the relationship between the occurrence of burrows and environmental factors. The average model results from the best model set showed that the distribution of burrows was significantly influenced by forest type. For effective pangolin conservation, we recommend that local conservation authorities prioritize the protection of mixed conifer and broadleaf forests. Our findings support the local conservation of the Chinese pangolin and the standardization of surveys and conservation efforts across the species’ range.

We introduce the mean topological dimension of random bundle transformations associated with an infinite countable discrete amenable group action and show that continuous bundle random dynamical systems for amenable groups with finite fibre topological entropy have zero mean topological dimensions.

Efficient local trajectory optimization of the coordinated manipulator is a bottleneck task in the narrow feeding scenario. To optimize the trajectory locally and generate collision-free trajectories with local support performance, the analytical reinforcement method is proposed. Firstly, multiple coordinated machines operating in the narrow space are transformed into decentralized dynamic constraints for the target manipulator. Combined with the circle envelope method in the dynamic constraint, the collision-free gradient optimization function determines the support region of the local optimal trajectory. Based on the forward kinematics and inverse kinematics method, the collision-prone pose of the target manipulator outside the support region is analytically optimized. And chi-square distribution further ensures the smooth interpolation of the variable-period trajectory outside the fixed-period support region. For the emergency collision avoidance of the coordinated manipulator in the flexible stamping line, the analytical reinforcement method is successfully verified by generating the collision-free and smooth trajectory. It provides an optimization direction for rapidly improving the work efficiency of multi-machine coordination in the narrow feeding scenario.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) shows spatiotemporal heterogeneity in China. A spatiotemporal filtering model was constructed and applied to HFMD data to explore the underlying spatiotemporal structure of the disease and determine the impact of different spatiotemporal weight matrices on the results. HFMD cases and covariate data in East China were collected between 2009 and 2015. The different spatiotemporal weight matrices formed by Rook, K-nearest neighbour (KNN; K = 1), distance, and second-order spatial weight matrices (SO-SWM) with first-order temporal weight matrices in contemporaneous and lagged forms were decomposed, and spatiotemporal filtering model was constructed by selecting eigenvectors according to MC and the AIC. We used MI, standard deviation of the regression coefficients, and five indices (AIC, BIC, DIC, R2, and MSE) to compare the spatiotemporal filtering model with a Bayesian spatiotemporal model. The eigenvectors effectively removed spatial correlation in the model residuals (Moran’s I < 0.2, p > 0.05). The Bayesian spatiotemporal model’s Rook weight matrix outperformed others. The spatiotemporal filtering model with SO-SWM was superior, as shown by lower AIC (92,029.60), BIC (92,681.20), and MSE (418,022.7) values, and higher R2 (0.56) value. All spatiotemporal contemporaneous structures outperformed the lagged structures. Additionally, eigenvector maps from the Rook and SO-SWM closely resembled incidence patterns of HFMD.

The interaction between planar incident shocks and cylindrical boundary layers is prevalent in missiles equipped with inverted inlets, which typically leads to substantial three-dimensional flow separation and the formation of vortical flow. This study utilizes wind-tunnel experiments and theoretical analysis to elucidate the shock structure, surface topology and pressure distributions induced by a planar shock with finite width impinging on a cylinder wall at Mach 2.0. In the central region, a refraction phenomenon occurs as the transmitted shock bends within the boundary layer, generating a series of compression waves that coalesce into a shock, forming a ‘shock triangle’ structure. As the incident shock propagates backward along both sides, it gradually evolves into a Mach stem, where the transmitted shock refracts the expansion wave. The incident shock interacts with the boundary layer, resulting in the formation of a highly swept separation region that yields a pair of counter-rotating horseshoe-like vortices above the separation lines. These vortices facilitate the accumulation of low-energy fluid on both sides. Although the interaction of the symmetry plane aligns with free-interaction-theory, the separation shock angle away from the centre significantly deviates from the predicted value owing to the accumulation of low-energy fluids. The primary separation line and pressure distribution jointly exhibit an elliptical similarity on the cylindrical surface. Furthermore, the potential unsteady behaviour is assessed, and the Strouhal number of the low-frequency oscillation is found to be 0.0094, which is insufficient to trigger significant alterations in the flow field structure.