Search

The accurate and fast localization of key components on high-speed railways in operation serves is one of the foundations for fault diagnosis of high-speed railways. However, utilizing ordinary industrial cameras for data collection on operational high-speed railways often results in motion blur or misses key components. On the other hand, training object detection models with data collected by ultra-high-speed spike cameras encounters challenges, such as difficulties in data annotation and model training. To this end, this paper proposes a detection method for key components on high-speed railways that leverages reconstruction based on spike data. Firstly, based on the principle of spike triggering, the light intensity was restored at different points following the inter-spike interval. Then, local adjustments to light intensity were made through global light intensity calculations. The adjusted results were further filtered and locally enhanced to reconstruct high-resolution grayscale images. Subsequently, after data cleaning and annotation based on the reconstructed images, the annotated data were used to train the detection model for key components on high-speed railways. Finally, the trained model was accelerated using TensorRT. Experimental results showed that the accelerated model achieved an accuracy of 98.7% and a single-frame inference rate of 3.5 ms both on average. The study findings lay a foundation for the engineering applications of the proposed algorithm .

Wang Y, Wang Q, Zhang W, Wang N, Cong N, Kattel G, Qi Y, Yao W. 2024. Ecological perspectives of endemic fish species under cascade hydropower development. Lake Reserv Manag. 40:404–425. The upstream Lancang River basin (in Tibet) offers rich hydropower resources together with some of the most delicate freshwater fish species diversity in the world. However, a large dam construction scheme throughout the basin has threatened the fish species diversity and ecology. Our study focuses on the extent to which hydropower construction in the basin influences the river's ecological status, including the aquatic environment, fish migration, and fish spawning sites. We surveyed the water quality, fish distribution, and fish spawning sites and estimated the fish spawning capacity in the basin. Our results indicate that the water quality prior to dam construction would meet China's water standards. However, water quality would decline significantly following dam construction, exacerbating the rate of loss of 7 of the protected endemic fish species, as well as threatening the habitat of several other fish species. Our analysis shows a loss trend of fish populations and spawning capacity after damming the river. Cascade dams constructed in the upstream Lancang River basin would obstruct natural migration of fish and inundate their spawning sites, causing reproductive failure and population decline. Based on our analysis, and eco-hydraulic engineering principles, we recommend several ecological protection measures and management options in the upstream Lancang River basin, including the construction of artificial fish ladders, the implementation of ecological regulation, and a fish strategy that will reduce the negative effect of cascade dam constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much effort has been devoted to predicting fish migration routes to assist target species migration, and yet, fish migration science and practice remain imperfect. This study aimed to predict the migration paths of Gymnocypris przewalskii at the river confluence in the Qinghai Lake basin. The authors proposed an approach for fish migration route prediction, which involves a hydrodynamic module, a habitat model and a fish migration module. The TELEMAC‐MASCARET system was used to simulate hydrodynamic conditions and statistical analyses were carried out. During the flood season, G. przewalskii migrates downstream, whereas during the migratory season, they migrate upstream. The results indicate that flow velocity was the most significant hydrodynamic parameter affecting fish migration behaviour. The optimal flow velocity range for the target fish species was between 0.7 and 1.7 m/s. The impact of water depth was only observed in low discharge situations. Besides, the temperature plays a vital role in determining fish migration and abundance. However, the results reveal that in the morning hours, the temperature exhibits a range of 10°C to 16°C, and in the noon, the average temperature ranges from 16°C to 19°C, with a maximum temperature reaching 23°C. These temperature variations enable fish to migrate towards the tributary offering a more favourable water temperature during route selection at a river confluence. The study concludes that future research should consider incorporating the swimming capacity of the focal fish species to provide insights into fish migration patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goat milk is abundant in nutrients, particularly in milk fats, which confer health benefits to humans. Exploring the regulatory mechanism of fatty acid synthesis is highly important to understand milk composition manipulation. In this study, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) on goat mammary glands at different lactation stages which revealed a novel lactation regulatory factor: cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector B (CIDEB). RT-qPCR results revealed that CIDEB was significantly upregulated during lactation in dairy goats. CIDEB overexpression significantly increased the expression levels of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis (ACACA, SCD1, p < 0.05; ELOVL6, p < 0.01), lipid droplet formation (XDH, p < 0.05), and triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis (DGAT1, p < 0.05; GPAM, p < 0.01) in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs). The contents of lipid droplets, TAG, and cholesterol were increased (p < 0.05) in CIDEB-overexpressing GMECs, and knockdown of CIDEB led to the opposite results. In addition, CIDEB knockdown significantly decreased the proportion of C16:0 and total C18:2. Luciferase reporter assays indicated that X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) promoted CIDEB transcription via XBP1 binding sites located in the CIDEB promoter. Furthermore, CIDEB knockdown attenuated the stimulatory effect of XBP1 on lipid droplet accumulation. Collectively, these findings elucidate the critical regulatory roles of CIDEB in milk fat synthesis, thus providing new insights into improving the quality of goat milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a key upstream regulator of lipid metabolism; however, the molecular mechanisms by which SIRT1 regulates milk fat synthesis in dairy goats remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory roles of SIRT1 in modulating lipid metabolism in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) and its impact on the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) promoter activity using RNA interference (RNAi) and gene overexpression techniques. The results showed that SIRT1 is significantly upregulated during lactation compared to the dry period. Additionally, SIRT1 knockdown notably increased the expressions of genes related to fatty acid synthesis (SREBP1, SCD1, FASN, ELOVL6), triacylglycerol (TAG) production (DGAT2, AGPAT6), and lipid droplet formation (PLIN2). Consistent with the transcriptional changes, SIRT1 knockdown significantly increased the intracellular contents of TAG and cholesterol and the lipid droplet abundance in the GMECs, while SIRT1 overexpression had the opposite effects. Furthermore, the co-overexpression of SIRT1 and Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) led to a more pronounced increase in ATGL promoter activity, and the ability of SIRT1 to enhance ATGL promoter activity was nearly abolished when the FOXO1 binding sites (FKH1 and FKH2) were mutated, indicating that SIRT1 enhances the transcriptional activity of ATGL via the FKH element in the ATGL promoter. Collectively, our data reveal that SIRT1 enhances the transcriptional activity of ATGL through the FOXO1 binding sites located in the ATGL promoter, thereby regulating lipid metabolism. These findings provide novel insights into the role of SIRT1 in fatty acid metabolism in dairy goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Channel constructions significantly impact river hydrodynamics, subsequently influencing river ecosystems. To mitigate the negative influence of channel construction and protect fish habitat, it is essential to evaluate fish habitat suitability through the integration of hydrodynamic and habitat models. This study models channel constructions on both the left and right riverbanks to evaluate habitat suitability for Four Major Chinese Carps and the Chinese sturgeon. Initially, flow velocity, water depth and grain size are simulated, followed by an assessment of habitat conditions using the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for three distinct construction strategies. Results reveal that constructing channels on the left bank mitigates adverse effects on fish habitat, while constructions on the right bank and both riverbanks lead to habitat degradation. Long‐term effects on riverbed elevation and fish habitat suitability post‐construction were also investigated. Notably, the Four Major Chinese Carps consistently demonstrate greater suitability for the studied river, regardless of flow rate or construction strategies, in comparison to the Chinese sturgeon. These findings underscore diverse responses to channel construction, providing valuable insights for identifying critical habitat areas for endemic fish conservation. This research presents a robust framework for assessing fish ecology in river systems, offering support for conservation decision‐makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]