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To explore fatty acid metabolism-related genes and signature, which could predict survival outcomes of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) patients.Transcriptional and survival data of fatty acid genes in ccRCC patients were retrieved from UCSC Xena and Geo DataSets. We first performed Lasso Cox regression analysis to identify survival-related genes. These genes were then used to construct metabolic-related gene signature and risk score. Enrichment analysis and immune component and chemotherapy response prediction were also performed.In total, five survival-related genes were identified:We identified five survival-related genes (

The prevalence of low clouds significantly affects flight safety in Southwest China. However, relevant cloud parameters, especially low cloud-base height (LCBH), lack accurate forecasts. Based on the hourly atmospheric vertical profiles of ERA5 from 2008 to 2019, we developed a new algorithm for estimating LCBH by combining relative humidity (RH) threshold methods with convective condensation level (CCL) (RHs-CCL). To evaluate the performance of RHs-CCL, we use it to estimate the hourly LCBH of airports in Southwest China and compare the results with those based on the ground-based observations and the ERA5 CBH data. Using the observations as a ground truth, we compare the RHs-CCL algorithm with several existing algorithms with the following findings: 1) The correlation coefficient between RHs-CCL and observations reaches 0.5 on average, and the error of RHs-CCL is smaller than those of existing algorithms, with the minimum mean absolute error and root-mean-square error at the four airports studies being able to reach 243 and 321 m. 2) The bias score of RHs-CCL is 0.97 on average, and low clouds classification utilizing RHs-CCL attains the highest accuracy, up to 86%. 3) The errors of ERA5 CBH are the largest when compared with the others. 4) By implementing convective cloud occurrence condition and CCL, RHs-CCL has better applicability in regions of enhanced convective activity. These results suggest the potential of RHs-CCL as an algorithm moving forward for improvement of the LCBH estimates based upon high-resolution reanalysis products and for better predictions of the LCBH utilizing outputs from numerical weather prediction models. Significance Statement The new algorithm developed in this study can accurately estimate low cloud-base heights from vertical profiles of atmospheric variables. It provides us a much more computationally efficient approach for predicting low cloud-base height relative to running cloud models, which is critical for weather forecasting at locations lacking computational resources and/or cloud modeling capability. In areas such as Southwest China, low clouds are very common, and they pose major threats to aviation safety. The new algorithm has been successfully integrated into the daily operation at Guiyang Airport in Southwest China and demonstrated excellent skills in estimating cloud-base heights. The implementation of the algorithm in aviation forecasting over a broader region is on the horizon.

The China Earthquake Administration established a network for intensity rapid report and earthquake early warning (IRREEW) in 2016–2020, which consists of approximately 5000 conventional strong-motion and approximately 10,000 low-cost micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) seismometers. These seismographs, particularly MEMS stations, can provide a large amount of near-field waveform data suitable for rapid source inversion. Compared with conventional strong-motion data, MEMS recordings have rarely been used in the previous source inversions, because the MEMS technology is newly applied in earthquake monitoring, and the seismograph has a relatively lower signal-to-noise ratio and more severe baseline shifts. However, from waveform comparisons at collocated MEMS and strong-motion stations, we find that they are highly consistent with each other, particularly at frequencies above 0.04 Hz. To explore the application prospect of MEMS data to source inversion, we inverted both MEMS and strong-motion data for three strong earthquakes recorded by the IRREEW network during 2021–2022 to determine their rupture processes. In applications to the 2021 Mw 6.1 Yangbi earthquake, the 2022 Mw 6.6 Menyuan earthquake, and the 2022 Mw 6.6 Luding earthquake, the MEMS data equally well constrain the rupture model. The resulting source information, including the moment magnitude, rupture direction, and rupture dimension, are consistent with those obtained from the strong-motion inversions. Because the low-cost MEMS instruments can be deployed densely around seismically active regions, they can provide urgent waveform data for rapid determination of rupture process, which is crucial for simulation of strong ground motions, and assessments of earthquake and related disasters.

Temperature is one of the most important environmental factors that affect organisms, especially ectotherms, due to its effects on protein stability. Understanding the general rules that govern thermostability changes in proteins to adapt high-temperature environments is crucial. Here, we report the amino acid substitutions of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) related to thermostability in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia, Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). The PGI encoded by the most common allele in M. cinxia in the Chinese population (G3-PGI), which is more thermal-tolerant, is more stable under heat stress than that in the Finnish population (D1-PGI). There are five amino acid substitutions between G3-PGI and D1-PGI. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the combination of amino acid substitutions of H35Q, M49T and I64V may increase PGI thermostability. These substitutions alter the 3D structure to increase the interaction between two monomers of PGI. Through molecular dynamics simulations, it was found that the amino acid at site 421 is more stable in G3-PGI, confining the motion of the α-helix 420-441 and stabilizing the interaction between two PGI monomers. The strategy for high-temperature adaptation through these three amino acid substitutions is also adopted by other butterfly species (Boloria eunomia, Aglais urticae, Colias erate and Polycaena lua) concurrent with M. cinxia in the Tianshan Mountains of China, i.e., convergent evolution in butterflies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Two large landslides successively blocked the Jinsha River at the same location in Jiangda Village on October 10 and November 3, 2018, respectively. The dynamic processes and possible interactions of the two landslides need to be studied to better understand the physical processes involved, and to provide information on future disaster mitigation. We investigated their force histories and sliding directions by inverting regional broadband seismograms. The scale of the October landslide was approximately three times that of the November event. The October event revealed a particularly strong deceleration force, which may have been caused by a collision between the sliding mass and ground surface. In contrast, the November event had a relatively weaker deceleration force, indicating that it may have been gradually stopped by the landslide dam formed during the October landslide. The sliding directions of the two landslides differed significantly in terms of both horizontal and vertical directions, indicating a change in their sliding surfaces. We conclude that unconsolidated materials at the top of the October landslide continued sliding along a curved slope during the November event. From our seismic models of dynamic processes, both the October landslide and local background may have affected and even changed a subsequent landslide’s mechanism.

Introduction: the predictive value for survival outcomes and mechanisms of the CXCL gene family in kidney Clear Cell Carcinoma (KIRC).Objective: We evaluated the predictive value for survival outcomes and mechanisms of the CXCL gene family in Kidney Clear Cell Carcinoma (KIRC). Methods: Transcriptional and survival data of CXCL genes in KIRC patients were retrieved from Oncomine and GEPIA databases to assess their functions. Mutations’ data were downloaded from the cBioPortal, while immune cell components data were obtained from TIMER databases. Enrichment analysis was performed using the STRING database. In vitro assays were performed to validate our findings. Results: A total of 8 CXCL (CXCL2/5/9/10/11/12/13/16) genes were found to be differentially expressed in KIRC tissues. Among them, only CXCL2 and CXCL5 had survival values. In vitro assays revealed that upregulated CXCL2 promotes renal cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Additionally, CXCL2 exhibited an effect on three KIRC immune cell components (B cells, CD4 T cells, and Neutrophils). After evaluating the miRNA sequences upstream of CXCL2, it was established that hsa-miR-532-5p/CXCL2 pathways are potentially involved in the regulatory mechanisms. Finally, we established a prospective signature (CXCL1/5/13) for improved survival outcomes among KIRC patients.Conclusion: Among KIRC patients, 8 CXCL genes were differentially expressed, however, only CXCL2 and CXCL5 exhibited a significant survival value. Upregulated CXCL2 promotes renal cancer cell progression.

Knowledge of lithospheric rheology can provide fundamental insights into crustal deformation near the Longmen Shan fault (LMSF). Based on viscoelastic deformation models constrained by interseismic geodetic observations, we obtain an optimal crustal shortening rate of 4.8 ± 0.4 mm/a across the LMSF and an upper mantle viscosity of 5.0 × 1020−21 Pa · s beneath eastern Tibet. More importantly, we find a high-viscosity zone (>1021 Pa · s) in the lower crust beneath the LMSF, where the steady-state viscosity is significantly higher than the transient viscosity derived from postseismic deformation. Further investigations with a power-law rheology suggest that, due to the stress loading of the Wenchuan earthquake and the relaxation afterwards, the effective lower crustal viscosity decreases to ∼1018 Pa · s immediately after the earthquake and finally recovers to interseismic level (∼1021 Pa · s). Our results highlight the stress-dependent behavior and the viscoelastic effect of rheological structure beneath the LMSF during the earthquake cycle.

Objective. Regarding the imperfect mechanism of occurrence and development of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD), this study investigated mRNA-modified FUS/NRF2 signalling to inhibit ferroptosis and promote prostate adenocarcinoma growth. Methods. Bioinformatics analysis was used to obtain the expression of FUS and its mRNA modification in PRAD. The expression of FUS in prostate cells (CRPC) and the level of m6A methylation modification, ferroptosis (P53 and GPX4), apoptosis (Caspase3), ferroptosis (P53 and GPX4), and apoptosis (Caspase3) in CRPC after ferroptosis inducer Erastin, ferroptosis inhibitor, and FUS knockdown were detected. Autophagy (LC3B), oxidative stress (GSH and ROS), and expression of NRF2/HO-1 pathway are indicators. Results. FUS was highly expressed in PRAD and phenomenally reduced the survival rate of patients. After knocking down FUS, the level of m6A methylation was significantly reduced, and the expressions of ferroptosis markers P53 and GPX4 were phenomenally reduced, while the levels of apoptosis and autophagy markers Caspase3 and LC3B remained unchanged. Upregulated and NRF2/HO-1 pathway indicators were upregulated. It shows that m6A methylation modification is reduced when FUS is the low expression, inhibits the expression of P53 and GPX4, downregulates GSH, upregulates ROS, activates the NRF2/HO-1 pathway, and promotes ferroptosis to inhibit the occurrence of RPAD. Conclusions. The increase of m6A methylation modification can increase the expression of FUS, thereby promoting the expression of P53 and GPX4, upregulating GSH, downregulating ROS, inhibiting the NRF2/HO-1 pathway, inhibiting ferroptosis, and promoting the growth of PRAD.

Low-frequency seismic energy whose spectrum is centered at certain narrow bands has been detected after violent volcano eruptions. Normal-mode analysis related this signal to the resonances between the atmosphere and the solid earth.After the powerful eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on Jan. 15, 2022, this low-frequency signal is found on long period and very long period seismometers worldwide. The amplitude spectrum of the signal for this eruption consists of three clear peaks locating at 3.72, 4.61 and 6.07 mHz, instead of two distinct bands for previous cases. The spectrogram analysis shows that this low-frequency energy lasts for several hour and is independent of air wave arrival, while the cross-correlation result confirms that the signal travels as Rayleigh waves with a speed of 3.68 km/s. In this study, we summarize our findings on the observation, and show our synthetic waveforms to provide a possible explanation for the source of this signal. We suggest that the atmospheric oscillations near the volcano excited by the eruption act as an enduring external force on the surface of the solid earth, and produce Rayleigh waves propagating all over the world.

A period of intense seismicity started more than a year prior to the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption in Iceland. During the same period, repeated cycles of surface uplift and subsidence were observed in the Svartsengi and Krýsuvík high-temperature (HT) fields, about 8-10 km west and east of the eruption site in Fagradalsfjall, respectively. Such an uplift has never been observed during 40 years of surface deformation monitoring of the exploited Svartsengi HT field. However, cycles of uplift followed by subsidence have been observed earlier at the unexploited Krýsuvík HT field.Shortly after the start of the unrest, a group of scientists from GFZ-Potsdam and ÍSOR installed additional seismometers, used an optical telecommunication cable to monitor the seismicity and performed gravity measurements in the unrest area.The data was used for multidisciplinary modelling of the pre-eruption processes (see Flóvenz et al, 2022. Cyclical geothermal unrest as a precursor to Iceland's 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption. Nature Geoscience (in revision)). It included a poroelastic model that explains the repeated uplift and subsidence cycles at the Svartsengi HT field, by cyclic fluid intrusions into a permeable aquifer at 4 km depth at the observed brittle-ductile transition (BDT). The model gives a total injected volume of 0.11±0.05 km3. Constraining the intruded material jointly by the deformation and gravity data results in a density of 850±350 kg/m3. A high-resolution seismic catalogue of 39,500 events using the optical cable recordings was created, and the poroelastic model explains very well the observed spatiotemporal seismicity.The geodetic, gravity, and seismic data are explained by ingression of magmatic CO2 into the aquifer. To explain the behaviour of cyclic fluid injections, a physical feeder-channel model is proposed.The poroelastic model and the feeder-channel model are combined into a conceptual model that is consistent with the geochemical signature of the erupted magma. It explains the pre-eruption processes and gives estimates of the amount of magma involved.The conceptual model incorporates a magmatic reservoir at 15-20 km depth, fed by slowly upwelling currents of mantle derived magma. Volatiles released from inflowing enriched magma into the sub-Moho reservoir migrated upwards. The volatiles were possibly trapped for weeks or months at the BDT at ~7 km depth beneath Fagradalsfjall, generating overpressure, but not high enough to lift the overburden (~220 MPa) and cause surface deformation. After reaching a certain limiting overpressure, or when a certain volume had accumulated, the magmatic volatiles were diverted upwards, just below the BDT towards the hydrostatic pressurized aquifer (~ 40 MPa) at 4 km depth at the bottom of the convective HT fields. They passed through the BDT and increased the pressure sufficiently (>110 MPa) to cause the uplift.The lessons learned enlighten the most important factors to help detect precursory volcanic processes on the Reykjanes Peninsula; including detailed monitoring of seismicity, surface deformation, gravity changes and gas content in geothermal fluids. Furthermore, geophysical exploration of the deeper crust by seismic and resistivity measurements are crucial to map possible melt and possible pathways towards the surface.

Purpose. Recent research has indicated that the calcium-binding protein S100A16 promotes carcinogenesis and tumor growth in several forms of cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between S100A16 and renal cell cancer. Methods. By using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the differentially expressed gene S100A16 was identified, and its appearance and link to the prognosis of persons with renal cancer were confirmed. Cox regression was used in multivariate analysis, and a nomogram was developed for internal validation. The correlation between S100A16 and immune cells was analyzed in the TIMER database. Moreover, the potential mechanism of action was investigated utilizing GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis were investigated in vitro, and the involvement of S100A16 in the undesirable biological events of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was further explored. Results. S100A16 was the differentially expressed molecule identified through database screening. Malignant tissues showed higher S100A16 expression than noncancerous tissues, and S100A16 expression was mostly localized in the cytoplasm. According to the TCGA and KM-plotter datasets, patients with RCC and low S100A16 expression had superior OS, PFI, and DSS. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.754 (0.726–0.782), and the accuracy of the prediction model was high. The TIMER database shows that the expression of S100A16 is associated with immune infiltration and may play an important role in promoting tumor cell immune escape in the RCC tumor microenvironment. S100A16 may influence the biological processes of RCC via the VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling route and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and through P53 alteration and cell cycle according to the gene enrichment technique. In vitro cytological experiments demonstrated that S100A16 knockdown can inhibit the proliferation and migration of renal cancer cells and the expression levels of VEGF, VEGFR2, and phosphorylated AKT within renal cancer cells, thereby inhibiting angiogenesis in renal cancer cells and resulting in a poor prognosis of RCC. Conclusion. A decrease in S100A16 expression may dramatically increase the OS, PFI, and DSS of patients with RCC and may thus be used as a biomarker for predicting RCC. It may be associated with the immune infiltration of RCC and play a crucial role in the immune evasion of tumor cells within the RCC microenvironment. Intervention of s100a16 can promote the progression and angiogenesis of renal cell carcinoma through the VEGF/VEGFR2 signal transduction pathway and lead to poor prognosis of renal cell carcinoma. These findings suggest a potential target for the development of anticancer strategies for renal cancer.

Based on a viscoelastic earthquake-cycle deformation model, we revisit the fault locking of the central Himalayan thrust using geodetic data acquired in the past three decades. By incorporating the viscoelastic relaxation effect induced by stress buildup and release, our viscoelastic model is capable of explaining the far-field observation with similar fault locking width obtained in previous studies. Elastic models underestimate the far-field deformation and consequently underestimate the fault slip rate by attributing the far-field deformation to stable intraplate deformation. A steady-state viscosity of ∼1019 Pa·s is required for the lower crust beneath south Tibet to best fit the crustal velocity. The optimal slip rate and locking width of the central Main Himalayan Thrust are estimated to 18.8 ± 1.6 mm/a and 85 ± 2.1 km, respectively. The inferred fault locking width, along with the down-dip rupture extension of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, agrees well with the identified mid-crustal ramp, which leads to an interpretation that the fault geometry of the central Himalayan thrust plays an important role on fault kinematics. Our results highlight that viscoelastic relaxation during the earthquake cycle should be incorporated for robust estimation of fault locking parameters and reasonable data fitting.

Understanding and constraining the source of geodetic deformation in volcanic areas is an important component of hazard assessment. Here, we analyse deformation and seismicity for one year before the March 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption in Iceland. We generate a high-resolution catalogue of 39,500 earthquakes using optical cable recordings and develop a poroelastic model to describe three pre-eruptional uplift and subsidence cycles at the Svartsengi geothermal field, 8 km west of the eruption site. We find the observed deformation is best explained by cyclic intrusions into a permeable aquifer by a fluid injected at 4 km depth below the geothermal field, with a total volume of 0.11 ± 0.05 km3 and a density of 850 ± 350 kg m–3. We therefore suggest that ingression of magmatic CO2 can explain the geodetic, gravity and seismic data, although some contribution of magma cannot be excluded.

SUMMARY The Earth's inner core is solidifying from the liquid outer core, where convection currents power the geodynamo. Constraining properties of the inner core is fundamentally important, yet seismic models do not reconcile body wave and normal mode attenuation properties. Here, we analyse high signal-to-noise ratio core-refracted (PKIKP) and core-reflected (PKiKP) waves generated by earthquakes recorded globally between 1987 and 2021. These phases are excellent indicators of uppermost inner core (UIC) properties due to their low angular separation at the core–mantle boundary and similar ray paths. We analyse their amplitude ratios (ARs) and time delays (DTs) relative to synthetic waveforms and estimate the required attenuation perturbations in a linearized attenuation tomography. The UIC is cylindrically isotropic and heterogeneous in both seismic velocity and attenuation. Contrary to the paradigm that the inner core is seismically hemispherical, we find more complex patterns of attenuation that correlate with seismic velocities, according to both Akaike criterion and Student's t-test. The UIC beneath NE Asia is weakly attenuating and seismically slower, in contrast to the expected properties associated with the quasi-Eastern Hemisphere. Beneath South America, where the core is thought to grow fastest, AR values are more diverse, possibly reflecting interdendritic melt inclusions, and DTs show an E–W gradient. The UIC is seismically slow and weakly attenuating beneath the Atlantic, but strong anomalies emerge near West Africa. Attenuation slightly changes with depth conceivably implying an increase in melt degree or a change in inner core growth rate with time. These 3-D heterogeneities are inconsistent with simple models of core translation or lopsided growth, indicating that more intricate processes are needed to explain inner core structure and evolution.

To determine survival rates and the underlying mechanism of genes in the TRIM family in Kidney Clear Cell Carcinoma (KIRC).Transcriptional and survival data of TRIM genes in KIRC patients were retrieved from the UCSC Xena, and GEPIA databases. The function of TRIM genes in KIRC was investigated, focusing on potential ubiquitination, miRNAs regulation, and enrichment analysis. Next, TRIM gene survival values were determined, followed by the development of a survival-related signature.Only TRIM26 was down expressed in the carcinoma tissue and had a survival value in KIRC relative to control tissues, which was supplied by vitro experiment. The patients with lower expression of TRIM26 would have the chance to live a shorter time. SNRPB, which also plays a role in ubiquitination, directly interacted with TRIM26. Moreover, two miRNAs (hsa-let-7i-5p, and hsa-miR-1228-5p) that regulated levels of TRIM26 expression were also identified. Next, we constructed a signature (TRIM4/7/27/58/65/72) and found that high-risk scores of the signature were associated with poor survival rates in KIRC patients. while its resultant risk scores were correlated with immune cell components and markers.TRIM26 was differentially expressed between KIRC and normal tissues and had a survival value in the KIRC. hsa-let-7i-5p/hsa-miR-1228-5p-TRIM26-SNRPB was a potential mechanism axis that may play a role on the KIRC cells. A survival signature (TRIM4/7/27/58/65/72) was successfully established to predict the survival of KIRC patients.

One year of deformation and seismicity prior to a volcanic eruption in March 2021 at an oblique plate boundary in Iceland created a unique opportunity to study the interaction between upwelling magma and geothermal processes. We apply poroelastic modelling to explain satellite geodetic data showing three uplift and subsidence cycles at the Svartsengi geothermal field and use gravity data to constrain the density of intruded material. We use recordings on optical cable to generate a high-resolution earthquake catalogue and developed new waveform stacking and migration methods to detect and locate 39,500 earthquakes. The resulting model explains the geodetic, gravity, and seismic data by magmatic derived gas intruded into a horizontal sealed aquifer at 4 km depth in the roots of the geothermal field at the top of up-doming brittle-ductile boundary. The total injected volume is estimated 9.5·107m3 with optimal density of 840 kg/m3. Our results suggest upward migration of three packages of volcanic gas along the brittle-ductile boundary from a subcrustal magmatic source 8–10 km east of the geothermal field, with important implications for the dynamics leading to the eruption.

Objective: The aim of this research was to verify the efficacy and complication of flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser incision for simple renal cysts (SRCs). Patients and Methods: We ret...

Immune-related genes are important factors in tumor progression. The main aim of this study was to identify the immune-related genes in Kidney papillary cell carcinoma (pRCC) patients. We downloaded RNAseq data and clinical information of pRCC patients from the TCGA database and retrieved the immune-related genes list from Immport. From the data, we mined out 2468 differential expression genes (DEGs) and 183 immune-related DEGs. Four hub DEGs (NTS, BIRC5, ELN, and CHGA) were identified after conducting Cox analysis and LASSO analysis. Moreover, the prognostic value of the signature based on 4 hub DEGs was verified using Kaplan-Meier analysis (P=0.0041 in the training set and p=0.021 in the test set) and ROC analysis (AUC: 0.957 in 1 year, 0.965 in 2 years, and 0.901 in 3 years in the training set, and 0.963 in 1 year, 0.898 in 2 years, and 0.742 in 3 years in the test set). Furthermore, we found that the high-risk score group had a higher percentage of B cells in the immune component, a higher expression of immune-related genes (CTLA4, LAG3, PDCD1LG2, and TIGIT), and a better immunotherapy response.

The fast inversion of reliable centroid moment tensor and kinematic rupture parameters of earthquakes occurring near coastal margins is a key for the assessment of the tsunamigenic potential and early tsunami warning (TEW). In recent years, more and more multi-channel seismic and geodetic online station networks have been built-up to improve the TEW, for instance the GNSS and strong motion networks in Italy, Greece, and Turkey, additionally to the broadband seismological monitoring. Inclusion of such data for the fast kinematic source inversion can improve the resolution and robustness of its’ solutions. However, methods have to be further developed and tested to fully exploit the potential of such rich joint dataset.In this frame, we compare and test two in-house developed, kinematic / dynamic rupture inversion methods which are based on completely different approaches. The IDS (Iterative Deconvolution and Stacking, Zhang et al., 2014) combines an iterative seismic network inversion with back projection techniques to retrieve subfault source time functions. The pseudo dynamic rupture model (Dahm et al., in review) links the rupture front propagation estimate based on the Eikonal equation with the dislocation derived from a boundary element method to model dislocation snapshots. We used the latter in both a fast rupture estimate and a fully probabilistic source inversion.We use some Mw > 6.3 earthquakes that occurred in the coastal range of the Aegean Sea as an example for comparison: the Mw 6.3 Lesbos earthquake (12 June 2017), the Mw 6.6 Bodrum earthquake (20 July 2017), and the recent Mw 7.0 earthquake which occurred at Samos on 30 October 2020. The latter earthquake and the resulting tsunami caused fatalities and severe damage at the shorelines of Samos and around the city of Izmir, Turkey.The fast estimates are based on only little data and/or prior information obtained from the regional seismicity catalogue and available active fault information. The large number of seismic (broadband, strong motion) and geodetic (high-rate GNSS) stations in local and regional distance from the earthquake with good azimuthal coverage jointly inverted with InSAR data allows for robust inversion results. These, and other solutions, are used as a reference for the comparison of our fast source estimates.Preliminary results of the slip distribution and the source time function are in good agreement with modelling results from other authors.We present our insights into the kinematics of the chosen earthquakes investigated by means of joint inversions. Finally, the accuracy of our first fast source estimates, which could be of potential use in tsunami early warning, will be discussed.

The highly productive high temperature geothermal fields in Iceland are located within active volcanic systems on the plate boundaries. When an earthquake swarm or an unusual surface uplift or subsidence occur, it is important to assess the hazards and whether the unrest is triggered or controlled by volcanic or anthropogenic processes, or a combination of both.On January 22nd, 2020, a rapid, large-scale uplift (14 km x 12 km) started at the Svartsengi geothermal field on the plate boundary of the Reykjanes Peninsula, along with an intense earthquake swarm that began simultaneously about 3 km east of the centre of uplift. The centre of uplift was located about 1 km west of Mt. Thorbjörn, in the middle of the Svartsengi geothermal field, close to the reinjection wells. Over a period of 6 months, three such uplift cycles occurred, each lasting for several weeks and followed by periods of relatively rapid subsidence. The duration and timing of the uplift-subsidence cycles appears to follow a clear trend where the successive inflation episodes lasted longer but with lower inflation rate.The centres of uplift and the deflation cycles are the same and remained stationary. The accompanied intense earthquake swarms migrated along the 40 km long oblique plate boundary of the Reykjanes Peninsula, demonstrating a major plate tectonic event. The maximum depth of earthquakes was close to 4.5 km directly above the centre of uplift but extending to 6-7 km in the surroundings where the maximum magnitudes reached MW 4.8.A few weeks after the onset of the unrest, nine additional seismic stations were deployed to densify the local seismic network in place. In addition, complimentary data from an existing 21 km long fibre optics cable were used to monitor high-frequency linear strain rates. Both measures led to a significant improvement in the earthquake detection and location which predominantly occurred in swarms. Likewise, InSAR data analysis of temporal uplift cycles was performed, repeated gravity measurements at permanent sites were performed, and resistivity was remeasured at chosen sites. Multiple different elementary models were developed and tested to explain the cyclic excitation of the uplift, subsidence, and seismicity. While the individual unrest episodes might be controlled by possible magma intrusions into the lower crust, our favoured model explains the spatio-temporal pattern of ground uplift by the rise and diffusion of pore pressure in a 4-5 km deep geothermal aquifer. To distinguish between different models, we use multi-disciplinary geophysical datasets, such as deformation, seismicity, and gravity.

Studying transient postseismic deformation is one of the key approaches to probe fault kinematics and rheological behavior of rocks surrounding tectonic faults. Previous studies have shown that transient postseismic deformation is dominantly induced by afterslip and postseismic viscoelastic relaxation. However, effects of these two mechanisms are generally overlapped in space and time, making the analysis of the observations challenging. Here, we investigate the overlapping effects of afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake based on the first 4-years’ Global Positioning System observations and finite element models. Separated mechanisms either fail to explain the observations or lead to unreasonable model parameters. A combined model that incorporates stress-driven afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation can overcome the limitations of separated mechanisms. Our results indicate that only short-term (

SUMMARY Natural gas can be temporarily stored in a variety of underground facilities, such as depleted gas and oil fields, natural aquifers and caverns in salt rocks. Being extensively monitored during operations, these systems provide a favourable opportunity to investigate how pressure varies in time and space and possibly induces/triggers earthquakes on nearby faults. Elaborate and detailed numerical modelling techniques are often applied to study gas reservoirs. Here we show the possibilities and discuss the limitations of a flexible and easily formulated tool that can be straightforwardly applied to simulate temporal pore-pressure variations and study the relation with recorded microseismic events. We use the software POEL (POroELastic diffusion and deformation) which computes the poroelastic response to fluid injection/extraction in a horizontally layered poroelastic structure. We further develop its application to address the presence of vertical impermeable faults bounding the reservoir and of multiple injection/extraction sources. Exploiting available information on the reservoir geometry and physical parameters, and records of injection/extraction rates for a gas reservoir in southern Europe, we perform an extensive parametric study considering different model configurations. Comparing modelled spatiotemporal pore-pressure variations with in situ measurements, we show that the inclusion of vertical impermeable faults provides an improvement in reproducing the observations and results in pore-pressure accumulation near the faults and in a variation of the temporal pore-pressure diffusion pattern. To study the relation between gas storage activity and recorded local microseismicity, we applied different seismicity models based on the estimated pore-pressure distribution. This analysis helps to understand the spatial distribution of seismicity and its temporal modulation. The results show that the observed microseismicity could be partly linked to the storage activity, but the contribution of tectonic background seismicity cannot be excluded.

The present study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser incision with flexible ureteroscopic 1470-nm diode laser incision for the treatment of parapelvic renal cysts. The current study collected and analysing the clinical data of 90 independent renal cysts cases retrospectively, including 43 renal cysts cases that received holmium laser surgery (holmium laser group) and 47 renal cysts cases that received 1470-nm diode laser surgery (1470-nm diode laser group). Each group was divided into a thin-walled cyst subgroup and thick-walled cyst subgroup according to cyst wall thickness. Intracapsular hematoma was significantly lower in the 1470-nm diode laser group compared with the holmium laser group (0/47 vs. 4/43; P=0.048). The incision diameter in the 1470-nm diode laser group was significantly larger than the holmium laser group in the thick-walled parapelvic renal cysts subgroup [1.70(1.50,1.90) vs. 1.30(1.25,1.70) cm; P=0.007]. The renal cystic diameter of the two groups was markedly reduced one and six months after surgery. The difference was non-significant in the diameter of the renal cyst in the thin-walled cysts subgroups between the two laser groups 6 months after surgery (1.01±0.38 vs. 1.03±0.53 cm; P=0.454). However, the diameter of the renal cyst in the thick-walled cysts subgroup treated with the 1470-nm diode laser was significantly lower compared with the thick-walled cysts subgroup treated with the holmium laser 6 months after surgery (1.21±0.57 vs. 1.88±0.94 cm; P=0.002). The results demonstrated that the use of a 1470-nm diode laser or holmium laser surgery under a flexible ureteroscope is a safe and effective treatment for parapelvic renal cysts. For thick-walled parapelvic renal cysts, the 1470-nm diode laser appears to exhibit a lower postoperative recurrence rate and better long-term postoperative effects due to its improved haemostatic effect and larger intraoperative incision diameter.

Objective: We demonstrated the potential clinical utility of the indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation system for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in the case of complex renal clear cell carcinoma (R.E.N.A.L score ≥7). Methods: Compared with the general laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and ICG fluorescence laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, a series of indicators were analyzed: the basic information like age, sex, and the tumor location; the operative information like the time of renal ischemia, the blood loss, and the complications; and other important indexes like the renal function, the volume of the tumor, and the weight of the specimens. Results: 60 patients were included in this study. 21 patients in the group of fluorescence laparoscopy, and 39 patients in the group of general laparoscopy. There was no statistical difference for most indexes except the renal function. Preoperative serum creatinine was close (82.4±11.7 vs. 77.5±12.7, mmol/l, p=0.15). However, the patients in the group of fluorescence laparoscopy got a smaller serum creatinine growth degree (12.9±5.3 vs. 17.9±7.3, mmol/l, p=0.008), and a less decreasing level of GFR (16.5±6.4 vs. 24.4±9.8, mL/(min*1.73m2), p=0.001) after the operation. In addition, the average volume of the tumor (28.8±9.8 vs. 26.9±8.2, cm3, p=0.43) and the weight of the specimens (32.3±10.4 vs. 33.9±8.9, g, p=0.52) were no statistical difference. But the group of fluorescence laparoscopy had a smaller ratio of the weight/ the volume (1.13±0.06 vs. 1.28±0.10, g/cm3, p

Automatic and rapid imaging of earthquake rupture process is a difficult task but critical for postearthquake response and possible tsunami early warning. We have developed an automatic system for finite‐fault inversion based on the iterative deconvolution and stacking (IDS) approach, in which we screen the waveforms and update the fault size automatically. Strong‐motion seismograms are used in offline tests to invert for the rupture processes of 34 significant earthquakes in 2008–2017 in and around Japan with magnitudes MW ≥ 6.0 occurred onshore and MW ≥ 6.5 offshore. Rupture model of an earthquake, including moment magnitude, source time function, slip distribution, rupture velocity, and stress drop, is obtained in ~1.5 min on a desktop PC. The moment magnitudes we obtained are consistent with those published by other agencies. The slip distributions, rupture directions, and velocities also agree well with those released by the Japan Meteorological Agency. In all test cases, our results show that the automatic inversion of strong‐motion data can provide reliable major source parameters without manual revision, which demonstrates great potential for emergency response and tsunami early warning purposes. The automatic inversion system developed in this work can also be used to build catalogs of finite‐fault models for moderate to strong earthquakes in other areas where the moment tensor solutions and near‐field waveform data are available.

Within the framework of the SECURE project, we test modeling techniques used for natural geothermal and volcanic reservoirs and apply them to anthropic underground gas storage facilities. These systems indeed share similar mechanics and physical properties, however gas reservoirs are often extensively monitored, and better imaged. In order to manage fluctuations between gas supply and demand, natural gas can be temporarily stored in different underground storage facilities, such as depleted gas/oil fields, natural aquifers, and salt cavern formations. When properly monitored during storage and withdrawal (production) of gas, these systems provide a unique opportunity to investigate how reservoirs evolve at different time scales, modify the surrounding stress state, produce deformation coupled with diffusion processes, and possibly induce/trigger earthquakes on nearby faults.In the first case study we addressed within the framework of SECURE project, we take advantage of well constrained reservoir geometry and physical parameters, records of gas injection/production rates, pore pressure variations, and a local seismic catalog at a gas reservoir in Spain. We implement a poro-elastic model to simulate pressure temporal variations, estimate related stress-state variations, and study eventual relationship with small recorded seismic events. The model is based the software POEL by Wang et al., (2003), a semi-analytical physics-based numerical scheme which allows the computation of transient and steady-state solutions in response to pore-pressure variations. Being 2D axisymmetric, POEL drastically simplify the geometry of the reservoir, but it is particularly suitable to link observables such as pressure variations within the reservoir with the physical/mechanical processes occurring in the surroundings.In the second case study we address the stability condition for salt caverns which has been excavated for salt mining purposes. We make use of 2D discrete-element geomechanical models to compare numerical simulation results with field observations in terms of surface subsidence. With this numerical model we consider different pressure conditions for the fluid (brine) filling the cavity, and return different scenarios for the stability of a salt cavern. Such modeling effort aims at improving our understanding of middle-to-long term stability conditions, for those cavities that have been dismissed after anthropic operations such as salt extraction, but also seasonal gas storage.

An earthquake causes a sudden rock-mass redistribution through fault rupture and generates seismic waves that cause bulk density variations propagating with them. For a large earthquake, both processes can induce global gravity perturbations, whose signals propagate with the speed of light and therefore can arrive at remote stations earlier than the fastest elastic P wave. In turn, the gravity perturbations generate secondary seismic sources overall within the earth, a part of which can cause ground motion prior to the direct P wave arrival, too. Recently, these prompt elasto-gravity signals (Vallée et al. 2017) for large earthquakes like Tohoku 2011 Mw 9.1 have been detected in records of broadband seismometers and superconducting gravimeters. Though the physics of the PEGS has been well understood, the tools used so far for a realistic modelling of them are complicated and computationally intensive. In this study, we present a new and rather simple approach that solves the full-coupled elasto-gravitational boundary-value problem more accurately, but no more complicated than to compute synthetic seismograms in a conventional way. Using the new tool, we simulate the PEGS of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in both temporal and spatial scales, based on a realistic kinematic finite-fault source model. The temporal results show clearly how the ground motion is inspired by the gravity change in short- and long-term as well as how the combined PEGS behave at different epicentral distances from 400 to 3000 km. The spatial patterns of PEGS, especially that of gravity change, reveal the relationship between the PEGS and the focal mechanism. We also compare our simulation results with the predictions made before and with the observed waveforms and find a good agreement. Furthermore, we show particularly that the moment magnitude, rupture duration and focal mechanism of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake can be estimated robustly using the PEGS measured at a dozen selected stations, which could be helpful for the earthquake and tsunami early warning in the future.

The fault geometry closely controls earthquake rupture process. Previous seismic inversion of the fault geometry is to derive the multiple-point moment tensor solutions. Because of the trade-off between the moment tensor and rupture velocity, the inversion has high instabilities. In contrast, geodetic inversion has less unknowns, since there is no need to solve for rupture velocity. But from the elastic dislocation theory, the relations between the surface deformation and sub-fault parameters (i.e. strike, dip and rake) are nonlinear. In this study, we develop a linear technique to invert geodetic data for sub-fault moment tensors. From the sub-fault moment tensor solutions, the strike, dip, rake, and their spatial variations can be estimated, which provide valuable information for assessing the complexities in fault geometry. We applied this technique to several significant earthquakes, i.e., the 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, the 2015 Mw7.8 Gorkha earthquake, and the 2017 Mw6.5 Jiuzhaigou earthquake. The results of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake suggest that the strike, dip and rake are all variable from southwest to northeast, which are well consistent with the aftershock distributions and mechanisms. The dip variations of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake suggest the earthquake has ruptured a listric fault (dep decreases with depth). Particularly, a dip anomaly appears in the northeast corner of the rupture area, indicating a geometric barrier accounting for the slip gap between the mainshock and largest Mw7.3 aftershock. For the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, two right-stepping and left-lateral strike-slip segments were distinguished. Accordingly, a compressional step-over was identified between the two segments.

An earthquake causes a sudden rock-mass redistribution through fault rupture and generates seismic waves that cause bulk density variations propagating with them. Both processes induce gravity perturbations whose signals propagate with the speed of light and therefore can arrive at remote stations earlier than the fastest elastic P wave. In turn, the gravity perturbations generate secondary seismic sources everywhere within the earth, a part of which around the observation locations can cause ground motion prior to the direct P wave arrival there, too. Recently, these so-called prompt elasto-gravity signals (PEGS) of large seismic events like the 2011 Mw 9.1 Tohoku earthquake have been detected using the data recorded by broadband seismometers and superconducting gravimeters. Though the physics of the PEGS has been well understood, the tools used so far for a realistic modelling of them are complicated and computationally intensive. In this study, we present a new and straightforward approach that solves the full-coupled elasto-gravitational boundary-value problem more accurately, but no more complicated than to compute synthetic seismograms in a conventional way. Using the new tool, we simulate the complete PEGS of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake based on a realistic kinematic finite-fault source model. Furthermore, we present a comprehensive investigation of potential uses of PEGS in modern seismology. As an example, we show particularly that the major source parameters like the moment magnitude, the rupture duration and the focal mechanism of a megathrust earthquake like the 2011 Tohoku earthquake can be estimated robustly using the measured PEGS data.

We computed the stress-change tensor around the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake with two different rupture models: a simple uniformly dipping model and a complex ramp-flat-ramp-flat fault-slip model. In general, the Coulomb failure stress changes (ΔCFS) computed on the optimally orientated faults based on a ramp-flat-ramp-flat fault-slip model showed the best spatial correlation with the aftershock seismicity. This close relationship was further verified by the focal mechanism solutions of 17 intermediate-size aftershocks. The ΔCFS calculated from the known focal mechanisms of most events were close to the values computed from the optimal fault planes and slip directions using the complex slip model with a nonplanar rupture along the Main Himalaya thrust. We further computed the stress accumulation in the seismic gap regions located around the Gorkha earthquake and between the 1505 and 1934 Mw 8+ historical earthquakes. We found a significant increase of the Coulomb failure stress by 0.2–0.5 MPa caused by the three earthquakes, especially at the shallow ramp of the seismic gap, which indicates an enhanced seismic risk around the Kathmandu area.