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In this study, a centroid-based type-2 fuzzy-probabilistic programming (CT2FP) approach is developed for supporting conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater under multiple uncertainties. CT2FP can not only tackle uncertainties expressed as type-2 fuzzy sets (in both objective function and constraints) but also address complexity with characteristic of randomness and two-layer fuzziness (i.e., type-2 fuzzy random variables). Solution method based on α -plane theory, enhanced Karnik–Mendel algorithm (EKM) and interactive algorithm are proposed to transform type-2 fuzzy-probabilistic constraints into their deterministic equivalents. A case study in Zhangweinan River Basin (China) is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach. Scenarios associated with different constraint-violation risk levels are examined to generate applicable cropping patterns and water-allocation schemes. The amount of groundwater used for irrigation can be determined (i.e., more than [462.84, 495.78] × 10 6 m 3 in dry season and no more than [470.83, 537.19] × 10 6 m 3 in wet season, respectively) to address the conflict between food security and ecological protection. The relationship among crop area, water allocation, and economic benefit can be reflected to enhance the agricultural sustainable development for the study basin.

An integrated simulation-optimization (ISO) approach is developed for assessing climate change impacts on water resources. In the ISO, uncertainties presented as both interval numbers and probability distributions can be reflected. Moreover, ISO permits in-depth analyses of various policy scenarios that are associated with different levels of economic consequences when the promised water-allocation targets are violated. A snowmelt-precipitation-driven watershed (Kaidu watershed) in northwest China is selected as the study case for demonstrating the applicability of the proposed method. Results of meteorological projections disclose that the incremental trend of temperature (e.g., minimum and maximum values) and precipitation exist. Results also reveal that (i) the system uncertainties would significantly affect water resources allocation pattern (including target and shortage); (ii) water shortage would be enhanced from 2016 to 2070; and (iii) the more the inflow amount decreases, the higher estimated water shortage rates are. The ISO method is useful for evaluating climate change impacts within a watershed system with complicated uncertainties and helping identify appropriate water resources management strategies hedging against drought.

In this study, a Monte Carlo simulation based dual-interval stochastic programming (MC-DSP) method is developed for assessment of uncertainty effects on crop planning and irrigation water supply associated with multiple uncertainties expressed as dual intervals and probability distributions. MC-DSP can permit in-depth analyses of various policies that are associated with different levels of economic consequences (due to uncertain water inflow) when the pre-regulated irrigation targets are violated. The developed method is applied to crop planning and water allocation for the Zhangweinan River Basin in China. Solutions of crop planning and irrigation-water allocation under different probability distributions and plausibility degrees are generated. Results reveal that surface water availabilities associated with different probability distributions can lead to changed system benefits and irrigation shortages. Moreover, water is insufficient to satisfy the requirement for wheat due to its high requirement for irrigation, which may lead to the risk of food supply. Each subarea of farmland would suffer water deficit under all scenarios (particularly for subareas of Daming county and Neihuang county) when inflow level range from very-low to high. The conflicts between economic development and agricultural sustainability would be a challenged issue that would enforce the local authority to adjust the current food security policy.

Properly regulated angiogenesis and arteriogenesis are essential for effective wound healing. Tissue injury induces robust new vessel formation and subsequent vessel maturation, which involves vessel regression and remodeling. Although formation of functional vasculature is essential for healing, alterations in vascular structure over the time course of skin wound healing are not well understood. Here, using high-resolution ex vivo X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT), we describe the vascular network during healing of skin excisional wounds with highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed images and associated quantitative analysis. We found that relative vessel volume, surface area and branching number are significantly decreased in wounds from day 7 to day 14 and 21. Segmentation and skeletonization analysis of selected branches from high-resolution images as small as 2.5 μm voxel size show that branching orders are decreased in the wound vessels during healing. In histological analysis, we found that the contrast agent fills mainly arterioles, but not small capillaries nor large veins. In summary, high-resolution microCT revealed dynamic alterations of vessel structures during wound healing. This technique may be useful as a key tool in the study of the formation and regression of wound vessels.

Deep surface rolling can introduce deep compressive residual stresses into the surface of aircraft metallic structure to extend its fatigue life. To develop cost-effective aircraft structural repair technologies such as laser cladding, deep surface rolling was considered as an advanced post-repair surface enhancement technology. In this study, aluminium alloy 7075-T651 specimens with a blend-out region were first repaired using laser cladding technology. The surface of the laser cladding region was then treated by deep surface rolling. Fatigue testing was subsequently conducted for the laser clad, deep surface rolled and post-heat treated laser clad specimens. It was found that deep surface rolling can significantly improve the fatigue life in comparison with the laser clad baseline repair. In addition, three dimensional residual stresses were measured using neutron diffraction techniques. The results demonstrate that beneficial compressive residual stresses induced by deep surface rolling can reach considerable depths (more than 1.0 mm) below the laser clad surface.

Background NRG1 fusions are potentially actionable genomic events seen in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and there are reports of therapeutic efficacy with agents that target Erb-B2/Erb-B3, while little is known about NRG1 fusions association with outcomes of afatinib. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of afatinib in patients with advanced NRG1 fusion NSCLC. Methods A multicenter study in China was initiated from February 2014, and NSCLC patients have been enrolled as of December 2018. To determine the frequency of the NRG1 fusions in NSCLC and other tumors, we analyzed data from 2743 clinical NSCLC cases, each of which had results from next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based 381 genes panel assay, analogous to the index patient. Results Of this entire cohort, only one (0.04%) patient was identified with a CD74-NRG1 fusion. The patient was a 55-year-old never smoking male, who was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma from biopsies obtained, CD74-NRG1 fusion was found by NGS, the genes co-altered with NRG1 fusion was no concurrent with KRAS, EGFR, ALK, ROS1, RET, or other known drivers were identified in the study cohort cases, and NRG1 fusion driven NSCLC responding to afatinib will be presented. The patient was considered to have a partial response (PR) to afatinib, and he was alive up to now. Conclusions NRG1 fusions were detected at a low incidence (0.04%) in Chinese patients. Patients with advanced NRG1 fusion NSCLC showed a good outcome of afatinib compared to those with ALK/ROS1 fusion which response to crizotinib, which will influence the development of strategies to detect these events on a large scale. Legal entity responsible for the study Xingliang Li. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.