Search

Abstract Formulating a course of action (COA) before a combat is crucial for operational command. Research in command and control (C2) artificial intelligence is currently focused on using intelligent auxiliary decision-making methods to implement COA. This paper proposes a COA planning method based on line of operation (LOO) and uses planning domain definition language (PDDL) to describe combat scenarios and COA. Following the effect-based optimization (EBO) principle, an effect evaluation model for COA was constructed, and dynamic bayesian networks (DBNs) was used to determine the reasoning and calculate the results of the effect evaluation network. To further improve the execution efficiency of the effect evaluation model in practical applications, the network was optimized through a back propagation neural network (BPNN). Relevant experiments based on the coordinated distributed air defense and anti-missile scenario were carried out using the LOO model to complete the planning of COA. A BPNN evaluation model based on the DBNs evaluation model was built. After training and fine-tuning, it achieved similar evaluation results, with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of less than 0.02%. Compared with the DBNs model, the BPNN model achieved an efficiency improvement of no less than 65%, effectively reducing the consumption of computing resources. This research is the first time to realize the modeled description of COA planning, automatic evaluation, and calculation optimization of COA effects. It can support the development of decision support systems (DSS) and has the potential for practical application.

Considering the negative effects of wetland degradation, various measures have been implemented to restore wetland habitats for aquatic organisms, and their effectiveness levels must be assessed. To reduce the effects of aquaculture on aquatic communities, pen culture facilities, which are widely distributed in Yangtze-connected lakes, were removed in 2018. We surveyed and compared waterbird communities in Caizi Lake during the four months before (2017–2018) and after net pen removal (2021–2022) to evaluate their effect on the diversity and species composition of wintering waterbirds. After net pen removal, the richness and number of individual waterbird species increased, whereas the Shannon–Wiener diversity index did not change because the increase in the bird number throughout the year was mostly associated with a few species. The response of individual numbers of different guilds to the removal of net pens differed. The number of deep-water fish eaters, seed eaters, and tuber feeders increased, whereas that of invertebrate eaters decreased. The species composition also changed, particularly in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the lake. Differences in waterbird communities between the winters of 2017–2018 and 2021–2022 indicated that net pen removal had a positive impact on waterbird communities.

The influence of oblique currents in narrow and shallow channels causes the fluid flow around ships to become complex. To analyze the hydrodynamic characteristics of a ship in such channels, it is essential to examine the influence of oblique currents on the ship’s hydrodynamic characteristics. In this study, current direction, ship speed, current speed, and water depth were identified as determinants affecting the hydrodynamic characteristics of a ship. Numerical simulations were conducted on a large oil tanker to investigate the effects of these factors on the ship’s hydrodynamic characteristics. The viscous fluid flow was modeled using the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations in conjunction with the k-ε turbulence model. The URANS equations were discretized using the finite volume method. The numerical results indicate substantial differences in the hydrodynamic characteristics of ships under oblique current conditions compared to still-water conditions. At a current direction of β = −45°, the direction of the sway force is consistent with that of still water’s sway force, which is an attractive force. The yaw moment at β = −45° changes from a bow-out moment under still-water conditions to a bow-in moment. Conversely, at a current direction of β = 45°, the sway force shifts from an attractive force under still-water conditions to a repulsive force. The yaw moment acts as a bow-out moment, which is consistent with that observed in still-water conditions. Furthermore, the influence of hydrodynamic characteristics on a ship varies significantly with changes in ship speed, current speed, and water depth. To ensure the safe navigation of ships, it is essential to develop and apply comprehensive strategies and countermeasures that account for practical conditions.

Abstract Abnormal expression of myotubularin-related protein 2 (MTMR2) has been identified in certain types of cancer, leading to varying effects on tumor genesis and progression. However, the various biological significances of MTMR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been systematically and comprehensively studied. The aim of this study was to explore the role of MTMR2 in HCC. We obtained the raw data from Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Afterward, we analyzed the data using R and cBioPortal. We investigated the connection between MTMR2 and its expression, prognosis, clinical significance, methylation, genetic alterations, tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor mutation burden (TMB), and drug reactivity in HCC patients. MTMR2 expression levels in HCC cells were validated through western blotting and RT-qPCR. MTMR2 exhibits high levels of expression across a wide range of cancer types, including HCC. MTMR2 is diagnostically valuable in detecting HCC, with its up-regulated expression often being indicative of poor prognosis among HCC patients. The in vitro experiments confirmed elevated MTMR2 expression in HepG2, HUH-7, and MHCC-97H cells. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that MTMR2 was an independent prognostic factor in HCC patients. The cg20195272 site has the highest degree of methylation in MTMR2, and it is positively correlated with MTMR2 expression. Patients with high levels of methylation at the cg20195272 site show poor prognosis. Analysis of the TME indicates that high expression of MTMR2 is associated with elevated ESTIMATE score and that MTMR2 expression correlates positively with infiltration by resting memory CD4 T cells, activated dendritic cells, as well as several immune checkpoints. There is a negative correlation between MTMR2 expression and TMB, and drug sensitivity analyses have shown that higher MTMR2 expression is associated with lower IC50 values. This study indicates that increased expression of MTMR2 may play a crucial role in the occurrence, progression, diagnosis, prognostic prediction and drug therapy of HCC.

Background: Multiple types of RNA modifications are associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the overall mediating effect of RNA modifications on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the prognosis of patients with HCC is unclear. Methods: Thoroughly analyze the TME, biological processes, immune infiltration and patient prognosis based on RNA modification patterns and gene patterns. Construct a prognostic model (RNA modification score, RNAM-S) to predict the overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. Analyze the immune status, cancer stem cell (CSC), mutations and drug sensitivity of HCC patients in both the high and low RNAM-S groups. Verify the expression levels of the four characteristic genes of the prognostic RNAM-S using in vitro cell experiments. Results: Two modification patterns and two gene patterns were identified in this study. Both the high-expression modification pattern and the gene pattern exhibited worse OS. A prognostic RNAM-S model was constructed based on four featured genes (KIF20A, NR1I2, NR2F1 and PLOD2). Cellular experiments suggested significant dysregulation of the expression levels of these four genes. In addition, validation of the RNAM-S model using each data set showed good predictive performance of the model. The two groups of HCC patients (high and low RNAM-S groups) exhibited significant differences in immune status, CSC, mutation and drug sensitivity. Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrate the clinical value of RNA modifications, which provide new insights into the individualized treatment for patients with HCC.

The degradation and loss of natural wetlands has caused severe crises for wetland taxa. Meanwhile, constructed wetlands are expanding significantly and facing dramatic environmental changes. Exploring the responses of wetland organisms, particularly zooplankton, may have important implications for the management of wetlands. Environmental and zooplankton samples were collected from 34 subsidence wetlands created by underground coal mining across the North China Plain in August 2021. We used generalized linear models and redundancy analysis to test zooplankton responses to environmental variables, with the relative importance quantified by variation partitioning. We identified 91 species, divided into 7 functional groups, with the highest density of rotifer filter feeders (RF, 2243.4 ± 499.4 ind./L). Zooplankton species richness was negatively correlated with electrical conductivity (EC), chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus, and pH. The Shannon–Weiner and Pielou evenness indices were positively correlated with transparency and negatively correlated with the photovoltaic panel area (AS). Rotifer predators (RCs) and RF densities were positively correlated with cropland area and dissolved oxygen, but negatively correlated with AS. Small crustacean filter feeders positively correlated with AS, whereas medium crustacean feeders (MCFs) positively correlated with EC. AS was the most critical variable affecting the zooplankton community. Our study showed that the spatial pattern of zooplankton communities was shaped by environmental heterogeneity across the subsidence wetlands, providing implications for the management and conservation of these constructed wetlands.

Animal personality, which describes inter-individual differences and intra-individual consistency in behaviors across time and contexts, has been widely observed and has significance for both ecology and evolution. Morphological modifications, particularly during early life stages, may highly influence animal behavior in adulthood; thus, exploring this relationship can elucidate personality development throughout ontogeny. In this study, we reared juvenile crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) with different degrees of cheliped mutilation and explored their personality patterns, including exploration and aggression, when they reached sexual maturity. Male crayfish showed repeatability in exploration, and both sexes showed repeatability in aggression. We observed no significant correlation between the two behavioral traits, indicating the absence of behavioral syndromes. Moreover, exploration did not differ according to the type of mutilation, but crayfish with more intact chelipeds were more aggressive, and males were more aggressive than females. These results indicate that cheliped mutilation may modify the average levels of personality traits associated with competition or self-defense. Our study provides insights into how morphological modifications may shape animal personalities in adulthood.

Trace metal(loid) pollution from mining activities is a widespread environmental problem, which has stimulated restoration efforts over the world. Tongling is a non-ferrous metal mining area in China with a long history of mining activities. To restore the environment polluted by mining after the 1950 s, local government has implemented numerous measures since the 1990 s, but the effectiveness on wildlife remains largely unknown. In this study, we measured contents of metal(loid)s (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) in eggshells of little egrets Egretta garzetta collected near a restored mining wasteland in Tongling, and compared them to those collected in two control areas where there are no mining histories, i.e. Chizhou and Mingguang in Anhui Province. The contents of trace metal(loid)s and isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) in main food of little egrets were also measured to assess exposure risk of trace metal(loid)s for the species. Compared with the two control areas, Cd (0.005 μg/g) was lower but Cr (0.861 μg/g), Pb (0.585 μg/g) and Zn (3.420 μg/g) were higher in the eggshells in Tongling. Pb showed biomagnification (trophic magnification factor = 1.29) from food to eggshell; Cr and Cu showed biodilution, while As, Cd and Zn did not show transfer trends. The risk assessment indicated that little egrets faced lowered levels of exposure risks for most metal(loid)s after the environmental restoration, but they were still threatened by relatively high levels of Pb and Zn. Our findings suggested that the environmental restoration of mining wastelands in Tongling might significantly reduce the exposure risks of most metal(loid)s for waterbirds. The study provides important implications for restoration of metal(loid) pollution in polymetallic contaminated area.

Abstract Cuprotosis is a novel and unique form of cell death that is of great value in a variety of cancers. However, the prognostic role of cuprotosis-related genes (CRGs) in lung cancer remains undetermined. We compared the expression profile of CRGs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients, revealing the genetic alterations and inter-gene correlations of CRGs. Based on 13 CRGs, LUAD patients could be well differentiated into two molecular subgroups, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in these molecular subtypes were identified. Furthermore, 10 cuprotosis pattern-related DEGs with a significant prognostic value were obtained for constructing a prognostic model. Through validation in an external validation set, the prognostic model based on the CRGs-risk score showed the robust and effective predictive ability and served as an independent prognostic indicator for LUAD patients. Therefore, combining the CRGs-risk score with multiple factors such as clinicopathological characteristics, a quantitative nomogram was developed to predict the survival and prognosis of LUAD patients, improving the clinical application value of the CRGs-risk score. In the low CRGs-risk score group, the related immune cell infiltration was increased and the immune function was activated in LUAD patients. This study may add to the knowledge of CRGs in LUAD, partly contribute to evaluating the prognosis of LUAD patients, and provide direction for the development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

For more than a decade, R134a has been the most widely used refrigerant in automobile air conditioners in China. Although R134a does not damage the ozone layer, it contributes to the greenhouse effect. In 2021, China officially announced its decision to accept the Kigali Amendment, which mandates the gradual replacement of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants used in automobile air conditioners. Focusing on the replacement of R134a with R1234yf and R744 — two environment-friendly refrigerants that are currently popular in the industry — this study predicted how refrigerant replacement could impact China’s emissions under different scenarios in the future. The results showed that with automobile electrification in China, emissions from automobile air conditioners could peak in 2030 and drop to 58,300 tons of CO2 equivalents by 2045. Through relevant policy interventions, the emissions from automobile air conditioners could be reduced to 27,500 tons of CO2 equivalents by 2045 — a decrease of 52.8%. Thus, policy interventions could have a great impact on automobile air conditioner-related emissions. The research results of this study provide basic data for the subsequent formulation of relevant policies, so as to better promote the development of non-carbon greenhouse gas emission reduction in China.

Habitat loss and degradation has become one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. To protect threatened species, it is essential to explore the spatial-temporal dynamics of its habitat suitability, i.e. the extent of how the habitat quality is suitable for the species. The Przewalski's gazelle Procapra przewalskii is a rare and endangered ungulate endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Its historical distribution range covered a large area of the western China, but had shrunk to several fragmented areas around the Qinghai Lake during the 20th century. Along with environment changes and economic development in its current range, the gazelle population size and habitat quality may undergo related changes, which should be studied based on rigorous comparisons. In this study, we conducted field surveys during two periods, from 2009 to 2011 and from 2020 to 2021, to quantify changes in population size of Przewalski’s gazelle, and used MaxEnt models to assess the change in its habitat suitability. We found that the overall population size of the species increased from 1544 to 4078, with declines in some subpopulations. The subpopulation changes could be generally related to changes in habitat suitability which exhibited an overall decline but improvement in areas on the northern side of the Qinghai Lake. Among the environmental variables, distance to nearest railways and highways, distance to nearest arable lands, NDVI, and DEM were the key factors affecting habitat suitability of the gazelle. To effectively protect the wild populations of Przewalski's gazelle, we suggest continuously monitoring the trends of all subpopulations and critical habitats, constructing ecological corridors, and improving the current conservation systems.

Q&P steel has good development prospects because of its excellent mechanical properties, but with the improvement in strength grade, hydrogen-induced delayed fracture (HIDF) is almost inevitable. In this paper, slow strain rate tensile tests and deep-drawn cup tests of Q&P980 steel under different hydrogen charging strengths and times were carried out, and the microstructure and fracture morphology were analysed by SEM. The results show that the plastic loss of Q&P980 steel was more obvious with increasing hydrogen charging intensity and hydrogen charging time, and a good elongation of 6.63% is still retained under the hydrogen content of 2.134 ppm. The deep-drawn cup samples were placed in acidic distilled water and alkaline and acidic solutions, and only a deep-drawn ratio of 1.9 showed HIDF in the three solutions. Specifically, 12 cracks were observed after soaking in HCl solution for two days. The main reason is that the martensite, austenite island and ferrite phase interface of Q&P980 steel increase stress during deformation and with the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect, resulting in hydrogen segregation at the phase interface and crack initiation leading to HIDF.

Agricultural cooperatives greatly influence agricultural and rural modernization in China. Based on 381 farmer samples in the arid Tarim River Basin, this empirical study aimed to construct an index system for the exploration of the relationship between cooperatives and farmers’ collective action by using the Socio-Ecological System framework. The results showed that agricultural cooperatives helped to empower farmers to act collectively. Agricultural cooperatives, with the mechanisms of collective decision making, institutional constraints, and internal supervision, could realize the integration of resources required for farmers’ collective action and promote the sharing of risks and benefits. By providing financing support and a platform for resource integration, cooperatives could reduce constrains induced by economic difference among farmers; enhance village leadership, organization, and coordination; and promote the accumulation of social capital and villagers’ sense of identity with the village. Particularly, cooperatives could support farmers to adopt water-saving irrigation technologies and reduce their over-dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilizers, thus promoting farmers’ collective action. Therefore, the development of agricultural cooperatives will help enhance farmers’ collective action, promote the modernization of rural governance, and realize rural revitalization.

Abstract Backgroud and purpose Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been considered a surrogate marker of insulin resistance. We investigated the association between TyG index and stroke recurrence and compared the effectiveness of TyG index with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in predicting stroke recurrence and death in nondiabetic acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods Nondiabetic acute ischemic stroke patients from the ACROSS-China (Abnormal Glucose Regulation in Patients with Acute Stroke across China) registry were included. TyG index was performed and classified into four groups by quartiles. The outcomes were stroke recurrence and death within 1 year. The association between TyG index and the risk of stroke recurrence and death were analyzed by Cox regression models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the prediction of TyG index and HOMA-IR for stroke recurrence and death. Delong test was used for comparing the differences between area under the curve (AUC) of TyG index and HOMA-IR. Results Among the 1226 patients included, the median (interquartile range) of TyG index was 5.8 (5.5–6.2). Both the third and fourth quartiles of TyG index were associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval 1.26–3.31; adjusted hazard ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.13–3.06). Patients with fourth quartiles of TyG index were associated with a higher mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.62–2.53). Regarding stroke recurrence within 1 year, the AUC (95% confidence interval) of the ROC curve for the TyG index was similar to that of the HOMA-IR[0.56 (0.52–0.61) vs 0.57 (0.52–0.61); P = 0.93]. Regarding death within 1 year, the AUCs (95% confidence interval) of the ROC curve for the TyG index and HOMA-IR were 0.55 (0.50–0.61) and 0.59 (0.53–0.64), respectively (P = 0.32). Conclusions Elevated TyG index was associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence and death. However, neither of TyG nor HOMA-IR can be a qualified predictor of stroke recurrence and death in nondiabetic acute ischemic stroke patients.

To study the source of different gelatins of donkey-hide gelatin lumps, four kinds of donkey-hide gelatin lumps were added with low content (1 mg/mL) of bovine gelatin and porcine gelatin respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) were chosen to identify the characteristic peptides of donkey-hide gelatin, bovine gelatin and porcine gelatin. The results showed that 18, 3 and 5 common characteristic peptides were accurately detected in the four kinds of donkey-hide gelatin lump for donkey-hide gelatin, bovine gelatin and porcine gelatin, respectively, with 10, 1 and 1 from the α1 chain and 8, 2 and 4 from the α2 chain. Meanwhile, the number of common characteristic peptides with hydroxylated modifications was 15, 2 and 4 respectively, while those without any modification groups were 3, 1 and 1. These common characteristic peptides would provide a basis for the HPLC-MS/MS traceable identification of the gelatin source in donkey-hide gelatin lump, which is of reference significance for the quality assurance of donkey-hide gelatin lump products.

Toxic metal(loid)s in polymetallic mining areas are very prominent environmental stressors and may lead to undesirable oxidative stress responses in wild birds. Finding an effective nondestructive bioindicator to monitor the toxic effects of oxidative stress induced by metal(loid)s exposure is vital for bird conservation in these areas. In this study, the contents of six metal(loid)s (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr and As) in feathers and plasma and the levels of seven oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA, SOD, GST, GPX, CAT, GSH and GSSG) in plasma were measured and their correlations were investigated for three resident bird species (turtledove Streptopelia chinensis, sparrow Passer montanus and blackbird Turdus merula) in Tongling, a polymetallic contaminated mining area in eastern China. The contents of most metal(loid)s were high in our samples and they were positively correlated with each other in both feathers and plasma, except that the Cd content was negatively correlated with Zn in plasma. Also, the activity levels of oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA, SOD, GST, GPX and CAT) in plasma were positively correlated with each other. The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the first principal component of metal(loid)s in feathers was positively correlated with that in plasma. The canonical correlation analysis (CCA) indicated that the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers had positive correlations with the contents of As, Cr and Cd in feathers, and with the contents of As, Cr, Pb, and Zn in plasma. Compared with those in feathers, the metal(loid)s in plasma explained more of the total variance of the levels of oxidative stress and should be a good bioindicator. Due to the sampling convenience and no damages, we suggest that feathers may possibly be used as an auxiliary bioindicator for monitoring oxidative stress induced by metal(loid)s. This study supplements the information about selecting the bird-related nondestructive bioindicators as environment monitoring tool in polymetallic mining areas and provides a reference for bird conservation in similar areas.

In the context of global degradation and loss of natural wetlands, waterbirds have been increasingly using artificial wetlands as alternative habitats. However, waterbirds are facing various threats in these artificial wetlands, due to dramatic environmental changes induced by anthropogenic activities. Exploring the effects of these changes on the temporal dynamics of the waterbird communities can help understand how waterbirds adapt to environmental changes and thus formulate effective management and conservation plans. In this study, we carried out field surveys on waterbirds and environmental factors across 20 subsidence wetlands created by underground coal mining in the Huainan coal mining area in the breeding seasons of 2016 and 2021. We predicted that the waterbird assemblages (i.e., number of individuals, species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity, Pielou evenness and species composition) differed between the two years, and that these differences were correlated with the temporal changes in environmental factors. Across the surveyed wetlands, we recorded 26 waterbird species in 2016 and 23 in 2021. For individual wetlands, the number of waterbird individuals and species richness increased by 71.6% and 20.1%, respectively, over the five years, with no changes in Shannon–Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness. The overall increase in the number of bird individuals was mainly caused by an increase in vegetation gleaners and gulls that adapt well to anthropogenic activities. The species composition was significantly different between the two years, which was mainly caused by changes in the number of individuals of dominant species under influence of changes in human activities. For most wetlands, the temporal pairwise β-diversities could be explained by species turnover rather than nestedness, probably due to high mobility of waterbird species and dramatic changes in local environments. Our study suggests that waterbird communities could respond to environmental changes in subsidence wetlands, providing important implications for waterbird conservation in human-dominated artificial wetlands.

Land-use variation indicates the spatial differentiation of regional ecological risk. Landscape ecological risk assessment (LERA) has been used for the measurement and prediction of environmental quality. In the present study, the land-use dynamics of the Tarim River Basin from 2000 to 2020 were quantitatively analyzed using ENVI 5.6 software based on Landsat TM and ETM+ images (2000, 2010, and 2020). Moreover, the ecological risk level and its spatiotemporal differentiation features were explored using geostatistical methods based on landscape pattern indices. The results show that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the arable land area increased the most (12,130.272 km2), and the woodland, wetland, water bodies, and building-land areas increased by 2416.541 km2, 4103.789 km2, 3331.230 km2, and 2330.860 km2, respectively. However, the bare-land area decreased the most (18,933.943 km2). (2) From 2000 to 2020, a decrease was detected in the landscape ecological risk index (LERI) of the basin, and the very low-, low-, and moderate-risk areas had the largest decrease. In addition, the area of the low- and moderate-risk areas gradually increased, while that of the high-risk areas was reduced. (3) The conversion rate of low-risk areas to very low-risk areas was the largest (5144.0907 km2/a), followed by that of high-risk areas to moderate-risk areas (4994.4765 km2/a). Therefore, the overall landscape ecological risk (LER) of the basin was reduced from 2000 to 2020, but the ecological risk of some areas, especially that of the glaciers and permanent snow-covered areas, still needs close attention.

It is of great significance to study and analyze the surface water resources and their change trend in the groundwater overexploitation area of the North China Plain, which is of great significance to solve the shortage of water resources in the groundwater overexploitation area of the North China Plain, promote the exploitation of groundwater, and realize the sustainable development of water resources. This paper takes Minyou Irrigation District of Handan City, a typical overexploitation area in the North China Plain, as an example. Based on the measured rainfall and runoff data from 1957 to 2020, the Mann–Kendall trend test, cumulative anomaly method, double cumulative curve method, and Morlet wavelet transform were used to analyze and predict the trend of water resources in the irrigation area and the individual contribution of climate change and human activities to runoff change. The results show that the annual rainfall and annual runoff in the irrigation area have a significant downward trend and significant cyclical changes throughout the study period. In 1977, the annual runoff showed a sudden change, and the average contribution rates of climate change and human activities to its change were 40.55% and 59.46%, respectively. In the future (2020–2035), runoff will remain stable and rainfall will show an increasing trend. The research results can provide scientific reference for the development, utilization, and rational allocation of surface water resources in the groundwater overexploitation area of the North China Plain.

Background: 7-Methylguanosine (m7G) is an important posttranscriptional modification that regulates gene expression and is involved in tumorigenesis and development. Tumor microenvironment has been proven to be highly involved in tumor progression and prognosis. However, how m7G-associated genes affect the tumor microenvironment of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains to be further clarified.Methods: The genetic alterations of m7G-associated genes and their associations with the prognosis and tumor microenvironment in LUAD patients were systemically analyzed. An m7G-Riskscore was established and analyzed for its performance in disease prognosis and association with patient response to immunotherapy. Expression of the model genes at the protein level was investigated through ex vivo experiments. A nomogram was finally obtained based on the m7G-Riskscore and several significant clinical pathological features.Results: m7G-Associated genes were obtained from five LUAD datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and their expression pattern was determined. Based on the m7G-associated genes, three LUAD clusters were defined. The differentially expressed genes from the three clusters were screened and used to further divide the LUAD patients into two gene clusters. It was demonstrated that the alterations of m7G-associated genes were associated with the clinical pathological features, prognosis, and tumor immune infiltration in LUAD patients. An m7G-Riskscore including CAND1, RRM2, and SLC2A1 was obtained with robust and accurate prognostic performance. WB and cell immunofluorescence also showed significant dysregulation of CAND1, RRM2, and SLC2A1 in LUAD. In addition, a nomogram was established to improve the clinical feasibility of the m7G-Riskscore. Correlation analysis revealed that patients with a lower m7G-Riskscore had higher immune and stromal scores, responded well to chemotherapeutics and multiple targeted drugs, and survived longer. Patients with a higher m7G-Riskscore tended to suffer from a higher tumor mutation burden. Furthermore, the m7G-Riskscore exhibited significant associations with immune cell infiltration and cancer stemness.Conclusion: This study systemically analyzed m7G-associated genes and identified their potential role in tumor microenvironment and prognosis in patients with LUAD. The findings of the present study may help better understand LUAD from the m7G perspective and also provide a new thought toward the prognosis and treatment of LUAD.

Abstract Background Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index was recently suggested to be a reliable surrogate marker of insulin resistance. We aim to investigate the associations between baseline and long-term TyG index with subsequent stroke and its subtypes in a community-based cohort. Methods A total of 97,653 participants free of history of stroke in the Kailuan Study were included. TyG index was calculated as ln (fasting triglyceride [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). Baseline TyG index was measured during 2006–2007. Updated cumulative average TyG index used all available TyG index from baseline to the outcome events of interest or the end of follow up. The outcome was the first occurrence of stroke, including ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The associations of TyG index with outcomes were explored with Cox regression. Results During a median of 11.02 years of follow-up, 5122 participants developed stroke of whom 4277 were ischemic stroke, 880 intracerebral hemorrhage, and 144 subarachnoid hemorrhage. After adjusting for confounding variables, compared with participants in the lowest quartile of baseline TyG index, those in the third and fourth quartile were associated with an increased risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–1.33, and adjusted HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.21–1.44, respectively, P for trend

When an entity contains one or more entities, these particular entities are referred to as nested entities. The Layered BiLSTM-CRF model can use multiple BiLSTM layers to identify nested entities. However, as the number of layers increases, the number of labels that the model can learn decreases, and it may not even predict any entities, thereby causing the model to stop stacking. Furthermore, the model will be constrained by the one-way propagation of information from the lower layer to the higher layer. The incorrect entities extracted by the outer layer will affect the performance of the inner layer. We propose a novel neural network for nested named entity recognition (NER) that dynamically stacks flat NER layers to address these issues. Each flat NER layer captures contextual information based on a pretrained model with more robust feature extraction capabilities. The model parameters of a flat NER layer and its input are entirely independent. The input of each layer is all of the word representations generated by the input sequence through the embedding layer. The independent input ensures that different flat NER layers will not be interfered with by other flat NER layers during model training and testing to reduce error propagation. Experiments show that our model obtains F1 scores of 76.9%, 78.1%, and 78.0% on the ACE2004, ACE2005, and GENIA datasets, respectively.

In recent years, many scholars have chosen to use word lexicons to incorporate word information into a model based on character input to improve the performance of Chinese relation extraction (RE). For example, Li et al. proposed the MG-Lattice model in 2019 and achieved state-of-the-art (SOTA) results. However, MG-Lattice still has the problem of information loss due to its model structure, which affects the performance of Chinese RE. This paper proposes an adaptive method to include word information at the embedding layer using a word lexicon to merge all words that match each character into a character input-based model to solve the information loss problem of MG-Lattice. The method can be combined with other general neural system networks and has transferability. Experimental studies on two benchmark Chinese RE datasets show that our method achieves an inference speed up to 12.9 times faster than the SOTA model, along with a better performance. The experimental results also show that this method combined with the BERT pretrained model can effectively supplement the information obtained from the pretrained model, further improving the performance of Chinese RE.

The performance of object detection methods plays an important role in the recognition of surgical tools, and is a key link in the automated evaluation of surgical skills. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for one-stage object detection based on a sample adaptive process controlled by reinforcement learning, which can maintain the speed advantage while maintaining higher accuracy than two-stage object detection methods. We use m2cai16-tool-locations and AJU-Set, two datasets covering seven surgical tools with spatial information collected from hospital gallbladder surgery videos to evaluate and verify the effectiveness of our proposed framework. The experiments show that our proposed framework can make the one-stage object detection method achieve 70.1% and 77.3% accuracy on m2cai16-tool-locations and AJU-Set, respectively. We further validated the effectiveness of our proposed framework by analyzing the usage patterns, motion trajectories, and mobile values of surgical tools.

A refractive-index (RI) sensor based on photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. The influences induced by the changes of the diameter of gold nanowire, air-hole spacing, diameter of central hole and diameter of the air hole on both sides of central hole are investigated to analyze and optimize the performances of the SPR-PCF sensor. It is indicated that the proposed sensor is suitable for the detection of the RI of material in the range from 1.15 to 1.45. Moreover, the optimized RI sensitivity can reach −5893.9 nm/RIU and the optimized R2 can be larger than 0.999. Detections of the alcohol with different concentrations are carried out to demonstrate the performance of the SPR-PCF. The sensitivities in both polarization directions are −192 nm/% and −198 nm/% when the concentration is changed from 10% to 87%. Moreover, the sensitivities for RI-detection are −5900 nm/RIU and −6116 nm/RIU with the corresponding R2 larger than 0.9993 in both polarization-directions. Our detailed results will help to understand the SPR phenomenon in hexagonal PCF, and promote the realization and application of SPR-PCF sensors.

A highly sensitive hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) gas-sensing network based on intracavity absorption is designed and experimentally verified. The capacity of the multichannel sensing network is expanded by time division multiplexing and wavelength division multiplexing technology. The voltage gradient method is employed in the wavelength scanning process of Fabry–Perot (F-P) filter to enhance the detection efficiency up to six times. The proposed sensing network has 16 sensing points. Experimental results show that the minimum detection limit (MDL) of this sensing system is 25.91 ppm and 26.85 ppm at the acetylene gas absorption peaks of 1530.371 nm and 1531.588 nm, respectively. As far as we know, it is the first time to obtain an intracavity sensing network via the application of an optical switch and DWDM at the same time. The sensing network can be used for high-capacity, low-concentration dangerous gas detection. It has great potential in environmental monitoring, industrial manufacturing, safety inspection and similar occasions.

Spiking neural network (SNN) has emerged as one of the most powerful brain-inspired computing paradigms in complex pattern recognition tasks that can be enabled by neuromorphic hardware. However, owing to the fundamental architecture mismatch between biological and Boolean logic, CMOS implementation of SNN is energy inefficient. A low-power approach with novel “neuro-mimetic” devices offering a direct mapping to synaptic and neuronal functionalities is still an open area. In this paper, SNN constructed with novel magnetic skyrmion-based leaky-integrate-fire (LIF) spiking neuron and the skyrmionic synapse crossbar is proposed. We perform a systematic device-circuit-architecture co-design for pattern recognition to evaluate the feasibility of our proposal. The simulation results demonstrated that our device has superior lower switching voltage and high energy efficiency, two times lower programming energy efficiency in comparison with CMOS devices. This work paves a novel pathway for low-power hardware design using full-skyrmion SNN architecture, as well as promising avenues for implementing neuromorphic computing schemes.

Abstract DCLR-P was prepared by direct coal liquefaction residue (DCLR) with ash removal. In the present experiments, mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) were prepared by co-carbonization of coal tar pitch (CTP) and DCLR-P. With the increase of DCLR-P content, the yield of MCMBs increased from 47.8% to 56.8%. At the same time, the particle sizes distribution of MCMBs was narrowed, resulting in the decrease of D90/D10 ratio from 154.88 to 6.53. The results showed that DCLR-P had a positive effect on the preparation of MCMBs. 1H-NMR, FTIR, SEM and XRD were used to analyze the mechanisms and characteristics of MCMBs prepared by co-carbonization of CTP and DCLR-P. The results showed that the Proton Donor Quality Index (PDQI) of DCLR-P was 13.32, significantly higher than that of CTP (0.83). This indicated that DCLR-P had more naphthenic structure than CTP, which leads to hydrogen transferring in polycondensation reaction. The aliphatic structure of DCLR-P can improve the solubility and fusibility of mesophase, thereby making the structure of MCMBs more structured. The microstructure of the graphitized MCMBs had a substantially parallel carbon layer useful for its electrical performance. The performance of graphitized MCMBs as a negative electrode material for Li-ion batteries was tested. The particle sizes, tap density, specific surface area and initial charge–discharge efficiency of graphitized MCMBs met the requirements of CMB-I in GB/T-24533-2009. However, the initial discharge capacity of graphitized MCMB was only 296.3 mA h g−1 due to the low degree of graphitization of MCMBs.

Abstract Background Single acute infarction (SAI) usually had lower risk of stroke recurrence than multiple acute infarctions (MAIs) in minor stroke. To evaluate whether all SAI had lower risk of stroke recurrence than MAIs in minor stroke. Methods We derived data from the imaging subgroup of the Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial. Minor stroke were categorized into SAI and MAIs by infarction numbers in diffusion weighted imaging. SAI were classified as lacunar infarction and non-lacunar infarction. The outcome was stroke recurrence within one-year follow-up. We assessed the associations between infarction patterns and stroke recurrence using multivariable Cox regression models. Results Overall, 834 patients with minor stroke were included in this subgroup, 553 SAI (381 lacunar infarction, 172 non-lacunar infarction) and 281 MAIs. The rate of stroke recurrence was 7.6%, 15.1% and 15.3% in lacunar infarction of SAI, non-lacunar infarction of SAI and MAIs at one year, respectively. Compared with MAIs, lacunar infarction of SAI had lower risk of stroke recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.21–0.80, P = 0.009), but not in non-lacunar infarction of SAI (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.60–1.69, P = 0.98). Conclusions Lacunar infarction of SAI have lower risk of stroke recurrence than MAIs, while non-lacunar infarction of SAI might have similar risk as MAIs. Except for the number of infarctions, size and location should also be considered to stratify risk of stroke recurrence in minor stroke. Trial registration http://www.clinicaltrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT00979589. Date of registration: September 2009.

The article discusses the relationship between pleasure and the Good in Levinas’s ethics. Firstly, the paper points out that, for Levinas, pleasure and the Good are both essentially related to sensibility, except that pleasure is concerned with the self-affection of sensibility, and the Good is concerned with the hetero-affection of sensibility. The self-affection of pleasure and enjoyment enables the subject to locate and contract itself, and thus to establish an inner and separated self. Meanwhile, the Good is originated from the hetero-affection of the call of the transcendent Other, and is embodied in an involuntary suffering for the other’s suffering, weakness, and needs. Secondly, the paper argues that the relationship between pleasure and the Good is highly tensional. On the one hand, the Good does interrupt the egoism of life and its pleasure. On the other hand, pleasure actually constitutes a necessary condition for the Good, rather than something that must be rejected. The intersection of pleasure and the Good constitutes an insurmountable and irreducible tension within subjectivity. Finally, the paper places Levinas’s ethics in a dialogue with hedonism, virtue ethics, asceticism, and deontology, and regards Levinas’s ethics as a new paradigm for understanding the relationship between pleasure and the Good in the history of Western ethics.

Background: High plasma levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its precursor choline have been linked to stroke; however, their association with cerebral small vessel disease remains unclear. Here we evaluated the association of plasma levels of TMAO and choline with imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease, including white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, and cerebral microbleeds.Methods: We performed a baseline cross-sectional analysis of a multicenter hospital-based cohort study from 2015 to 2018. The data were collected from 30 hospitals in China and included 1,098 patients with ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack aged ≥18 years. White matter hyperintensities, lacunes, and cerebral microbleeds were evaluated with the patients' demographic, clinical, and laboratory information removed. White matter hyperintensities were rated using the Fazekas visual grading scale, while the degree of severity of the lacunes and cerebral microbleeds was defined by the number of lesions.Results: Increased TMAO levels were associated with severe white matter hyperintensities [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for the highest vs. lowest quartile, 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–2.1, p = 0.04]. High TMAO levels were more strongly associated with severe periventricular white matter hyperintensities (aOR for the highest vs. lowest quartile, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1–2.3, p = 0.009) than deep white matter hyperintensities (aOR for the highest vs. lowest quartile, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9–1.9, p = 0.16). No significant association was observed between TMAO and lacunes or cerebral microbleeds. Choline showed trends similar to that of TMAO in the association with cerebral small vessel disease.Conclusions: In patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, TMAO and choline appear to be associated with white matter hyperintensities, but not with lacunes or cerebral microbleeds; TMAO and choline were associated with increased risk of a greater periventricular, rather than deep, white matter hyperintensities burden.

Background: We aim to investigate the effects and safety of clopidogrel plus aspirin in patients with different types of single small subcortical infarction (SSSI) in the Clopidogrel in High-risk patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial.Methods: SSSI was defined as single DWI lesion of ≤2.0 cm. Patients with SSSI were divided into SSSI + PAD (parent artery disease) and SSSI – PAD, according to the stenosis of the parent artery. The efficacy outcome was stroke recurrence during 90-day follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models or logistic regression models were used to assess the interaction of the treatment effects of clopidogrel plus aspirin vs. aspirin alone among patients with and without PAD.Results: Among 338 patients with SSSI included in the subanalysis, 105 were with PAD and 233 without. The efficacy of clopidogrel plus aspirin compared with aspirin alone on any stroke was consistent between patients with [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.25–2.75] and without PAD (adjusted HR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.40–2.68, interaction P = 0.83). In patients with SSSI + PAD, the rate of stroke recurrence in those treated with dual antiplatelet therapy and mono antiplatelet therapy was not significantly different (10.9 vs. 13.6%, P = 0.77). The number of bleeding events was similar between the clopidogrel-aspirin group and aspirin group regardless of SSSI + PAD or SSSI – PAD.Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the efficacy of clopidogrel plus aspirin compared with aspirin alone between patients with SSSI + PAD and SSSI – PAD in the CHANCE trial. Studies in other populations and with adequate power are needed to further verify such findings.

Background and purpose The relationship of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and infarction numbers with the prognosis of stroke is uncertain. This study evaluated the association of different hs-CRP levels and infarction numbers with the prognosis of acute minor ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).Methods A subset of 807 patients with both hs-CRP measurement and baseline MRI was included from the Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events trial. The primary efficacy outcome was the occurrence of an ischaemic stroke at the 1-year follow-up. Infarction numbers were classified as multiple acute infarctions (MAIs), single acute infarction and no acute infarction (NAI). The association between different hs-CRP levels with different infarction numbers and the risk of any outcome was analysed using multivariable Cox regression models.Results Among the 807 patients, 84 (10.4%) patients had a recurrent ischaemic stroke within 1 year. After adjustment for conventional confounding factors, patients with both elevated hs-CRP levels and MAIs were associated with approximately 4.7-fold of risk of ischaemic stroke within 1 year (16.7% vs 3.5%, HR 4.68, 95% CI 1.54 to 14.23, p=0.007), compared with those with non-elevated hs-CRP levels and NAI. Similar results were observed for the composite events.Conclusions Combined elevated hs-CRP levels and MAIs may increase 1-year stroke risk stratification efficiency in patients with minor ischaemic stroke or TIA compared with using those markers alone, which indicated that the combination of inflammatory and imaging markers might improve the effectiveness of risk stratification concerning minor ischaemic stroke or TIA.ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT00979589).

The development of colorectal cancer (CRC) is often sporadic, but its etiology is multifactorial. Chemoresistance of CRC leads to tumor recurrence and poor prognosis in patients. The phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT) can activate metabolic reprogramming toward cellular glycolysis. Serine/threonine kinase 35 (STK35) regulates the cell cycle and is frequently associated with cancer progression, whereas little is known about its specific roles in CRC. In the current study, bioinformatics analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between STK35 and CRC prognosis. STK35 knockdown and overexpressing CRC cells were established to examine its functions in CRC. Fluorouracil (5-FU) was utilized to evaluate the effect of STK35 on CRC chemoresistance. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation was performed to explore the ubiquitination of STK35. STK35 was highly expressed in CRC, and its protein expression was negatively correlated with the survival of CRC patients. Furthermore, STK35 overexpression could promote glycolysis, suppress apoptosis, upregulate p-AKT, and counteract the antitumor functions of 5-FU and neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated gene 4-like (NEDD4L) in CRC cells. NEDD4L was associated with and could ubiquitinate STK35. STK35 could be a prognostic biomarker for CRC prognosis and has promotive effects on CRC cellular activities, partially through the AKT pathway. Moreover, STK35 also interferes with the chemosensitivity of CRC.

Abstract Solvent extraction phenol from coal tar were carried out with novel composite YH-3 as extraction agent, and the high flux centrifugal extractor was used as extraction device. Under the premise of high phenol extraction rate, composite YH-3 extraction agent reduces π–π interaction between phenolic compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons, thus decreasing the entrainment of neutral oil. The optimization of operation conditions, such as the diameter of heavy phase weir HWD, the flow ratio, the total flow rate and the rotation speed, are necessary. For single stage extraction experiment, the mass transfer efficiency was up to 84% while the rate of extraction agent loss was lower than 0.28% with the operation conditions of 29 mm of the heavy phase weir diameter (HWD), 1:1–1.4:1 of the flow ratio range, 160–200 mL/min of the total flow rate and the rotation speed varied from 2200 to 2600 r/min. For three stage counter-current test, the mass transfer efficiency reached up to 92.6% with the optimum operation condition of 29 mm of the HWD, 1:1 of the flow ratio, 200 mL/min of the total flow rate and 2400 r/min of the rotation speed. The results indicated that phenol could be extracted effectively from coal tar in the process of multistage continuous count current centrifugal extraction.

Many systems for field-based, high-throughput phenotyping (FB-HTP) quantify and characterize the reflected radiation from the crop canopy to derive phenotypes, as well as infer plant function and health status. However, given the technology's nascent status, it remains unknown how biophysical and physiological properties of the plant canopy impact downstream interpretation and application of canopy reflectance data. In that light, we assessed relationships between leaf thickness and several canopy-associated traits, including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which was collected via active reflectance sensors carried on a mobile FB-HTP system, carbon isotope discrimination (CID), and chlorophyll content. To investigate the relationships among traits, two distinct cotton populations, an upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of 95 lines and a Pima (G. barbadense L.) population composed of 25 diverse cultivars, were evaluated under contrasting irrigation regimes, water-limited (WL) and well-watered (WW) conditions, across 3 years. We detected four quantitative trait loci (QTL) and significant variation in both populations for leaf thickness among genotypes as well as high estimates of broad-sense heritability (on average, above 0.7 for both populations), indicating a strong genetic basis for leaf thickness. Strong phenotypic correlations (maximum r = −0.73) were observed between leaf thickness and NDVI in the Pima population, but not the RIL population. Additionally, estimated genotypic correlations within the RIL population for leaf thickness with CID, chlorophyll content, and nitrogen discrimination (r^gij = −0.32, 0.48, and 0.40, respectively) were all significant under WW but not WL conditions. Economically important fiber quality traits did not exhibit significant phenotypic or genotypic correlations with canopy traits. Overall, our results support considering variation in leaf thickness as a potential contributing factor to variation in NDVI or other canopy traits measured via proximal sensing, and as a trait that impacts fundamental physiological responses of plants.

The effects of crude polysaccharide from Purslane (CPP) on body weight (bw), blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), triglyceride (TG) and serum insulin levels were studied in diabetes mellitus mice. CPP treatment (200, 400 mg/kg bw) for 28 days resulted in a significant decrease in the concentrations of fasting blood glucose (FBG), TC and TG. Furthermore, CPP significantly increased the concentration of HDL-c, body weight and serum insulin level in the mice. In addition, according to acute toxicity studies and single cell gel electrophoresis analysis, CPP did not produce any physical or behavioral signs of toxicity. More significantly, our data demonstrated CPP exhibited the best effects at the dose of 400 mg/kg bw. The above results suggest that CPP can control blood glucose and modulate the metabolism of glucose and blood lipids in diabetes mellitus mice, so we conclude that CPP should be evaluated as a candidate for future studies on diabetes mellitus.

The importation of Chinese porcelain and celadon into Europe has long been thought to have first begun around the thirteenth century AD. A unique group of Chinese ceramic sherds from archaeological contexts in Spain dated to between the ninth and eleventh centuries, however, now represents the earliest Chinese wares identified in Europe. Such an unexpectedly early presence on high-status sites in Western Europe probably reflects changing patterns of commerce in the Indian Ocean and the giving of prestigious gifts at the very highest levels of social and political power across the Islamic Mediterranean world. Keywords: Spain, medieval, material culture, porcelain, celadon, Islamic Empire, Introduction This article introduces the earliest Chinese porcelain and celadon so far found in Europe, dating to the ninth to eleventh centuries AD. Both of these types of ceramic are [...]

The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients in animals. To address the challenge of conservation, many endangered wildlife are kept in captive or semi-captive conditions. Numerous studies have been conducted on the intestinal microbiota of captive animals, but little information is available on the intestinal microbiota of semicaptive animals, such as Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii), which is an endangered ungulate species only distributed around Qinghai Lake in China. In this study, we used highthroughput sequencing methods to analyze the gut bacterial community of semi-captive Przewalski's gazelles during summer and winter. There were differences in the gut bacterial community composition between the 2 seasons, with higher bacterial diversity in winter. Deterministic processes dominated the bacterial community assembly in both seasons. There was a greater influence of heterogeneous selection in winter compared to summer, suggesting that there was more intestinal environmental filtering and selection on shaping the gut bacterial community during winter. There were more potential probiotic bacteria and fewer potential pathogens in winter compared to summer. Overall, stronger heterogeneous selection in winter might enhance gut selection for potential probiotic bacteria and filter out potential pathogens in Przewalski's gazelles, allowing them to adapt to the harsh living conditions in winter. Our study clarified that seasonal fluctuations trigger shifts in bacterial communities, which have potential benefits for Przewalski's gazelles. These results could provide valuable information for managing semi-captive populations and for future wild releases of Przewalski's gazelles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]