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Study region: Poyang Lake Plain at the south bank of the middle Yangtze River Study focus: The dynamics of the groundwater budget, prominently driven by the surface water-groundwater interaction, present significant challenges for water resources and the eco-environment in extensive river-lake-floodplain systems. This research utilizes a groundwater flow model through the application of the MODFLOW-NWT numerical simulator, aiming to explore the patterns of exchange between surface water and groundwater due to intensive seasonal lake inundation, and its consequential impact on the annual and seasonal groundwater storage within the vast Poyang Lake floodplain, China. New hydrological insights for the region: Simulation results indicate that the change in groundwater storage during the dry year (i.e., –24.96×107 m3/yr in 2022) has decreased by 186.35×107 m3 compared to the wet year (i.e., 161.38×107 m3/yr in 2020). The contribution of surface water infiltration is approximately 45 % of the regional groundwater budget during wet seasons, and groundwater discharge into surface waterbodies accounts for over 60 % of the groundwater budget during dry seasons. The lake infiltration during wet years is approximately 3 times that in dry years, and the flow of infiltrated lake water into plain aquifers is approximately 5 times that in dry years. The present study contributes significant knowledge regarding the impact of intensifying seasonal inundation on variations in regional groundwater budget in large lake-aquifer system.

Abstract PRKN is a key gene involved in mitophagy in Parkinson’s disease. However, recent studies have demonstrated that it also plays a role in the development and metastasis of several types of cancers, both in a mitophagy-dependent and mitophagy-independent manner. Despite this, the potential effects and underlying mechanisms of Parkin on bladder cancer (BLCA) remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the expression of Parkin in various BLCA cohorts derived from human. Here we show that PRKN expression was low and that PRKN acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting the proliferation and migration of BLCA cells in a mitophagy-independent manner. We further identified Catalase as a binding partner and substrate of Parkin, which is an important antioxidant enzyme that regulates intracellular ROS levels during cancer progression. Our data showed that knockdown of CAT led to increased intracellular ROS levels, which suppressed cell proliferation and migration. Conversely, upregulation of Catalase decreased intracellular ROS levels, promoting cell growth and migration. Importantly, we found that Parkin upregulation partially restored these effects. Moreover, we discovered that USP30, a known Parkin substrate, could deubiquitinate and stabilize Catalase. Overall, our study reveals a novel function of Parkin and identifies a potential therapeutic target in BLCA.

Abstract As compared to the intuitive process that the electron emits straight to the continuum from its parent ion, there is an alternative route that the electron may transfer to and be trapped by a neighboring ionic core before the eventual release. Here, we demonstrate that electron tunnelling via the neighboring atomic core is a pronounced process in light-induced tunnelling ionization of molecules by absorbing multiple near-infrared photons. We devised a site-resolved tunnelling experiment using an Ar-Kr+ ion as a prototype system to track the electron tunnelling dynamics from the Ar atom towards the neighboring Kr+ by monitoring its transverse momentum distribution, which is temporally captured into the resonant excited states of the Ar-Kr+ before its eventual releasing. The influence of the Coulomb potential of neighboring ionic cores promises new insights into the understanding and controlling of tunnelling dynamics in complex molecules or environment.

The severe wildfires that have ravaged Guangdong province, China, present a significant threat to the local ecosystem, socio-economics, and public health. Effective risk assessment is essential for early warning and timely prevention in wildfire management, thereby mitigating disaster losses. In this study, we compiled a dataset comprising 11,507 historical wildfire incidents in Guangdong Province spanning a decade (2011–2021) and developed a deep learning-based model to predict the likelihood of wildfire occurrence in the region. In addition to analyzing risk characteristics throughout the year, we also trained separate models for different seasons and analyzed the discrepancies in the contribution of driven factors to wildfire occurrence across seasons. Furthermore, the performance of our deep learning-based model was compared with that of traditional machine learning algorithms. The experimental results revealed that: (1) Factors such as relative humidity, temperature, NDVI, and precipitation exerted significant influence on wildfire occurrence. (2) The impact of wildfire driving factors varied across different seasons. (3) Our deep learning model outperformed traditional machine learning models, achieving a superior performance with an AUC of 0.962.

Abstract Background The aberrant formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) has been implicated in ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic recurrent intestinal inflammation. Cyclosporine A (CsA) is now applied as rescue therapy for acute severe UC. In addition, it has been certained that CsA inhibits the formation of NETs in vitro and the mechanism of which was still vague. The study aimed to explore the mechanism CsA inhibits the NETs formation of colitis in vivo and in vitro. Methods NETs enrichment in clinical samples was analyzed using databases from Gene Expression Omnibus and verified in our center. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis mice model was used to investigate the effect of CsA on NETs of colonic tissue expression. To clarify the mechanism, intracellular energy metabolites were examined by Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were examined by fluorescence intensity in neutrophils treated with CsA after LPS stimulation. The transcriptional level and activity of G6PD of neutrophils were also assessed using qRT-PCR and WST-8. RNA Sequencing was used to detect differentially expressed genes of neutrophils stimulated by LPS with or without CsA. The expression levels of related proteins were detected by western blot. Results NETs enrichment was especially elevated in moderate-to-severe UC patients compared to HC. NETs expression in the colon from DSS colitis was decreased after CsA treatment. Compared with neutrophils stimulated by LPS, NETs formation and cellular ROS levels were decreased in LPS + CsA group. Cellular ribulose 5-phosphate and NADPH/NADP + related to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) were reduced in LPS + CsA group. In addition, CsA could decrease G6PD activity in neutrophils stimulated with LPS, and the results were further verified by inhibiting G6PD activity. At last, P53 protein was highly expressed in LPS + CsA group compared with the LPS group. Intracellular G6PD activity, ROS level and NETs formation, which were downregulated by CsA, could be reversed by a P53 inhibitor. Conclusion Our results indicated CsA could alleviate the severity of colitis by decreasing the formation of NETs in vivo. In vitro, CsA reduced ROS-dependent NETs release via downregulating PPP and cellular ROS levels by decreasing G6PD activity directly by activating the P53 protein.

Abstract Background Frozen shoulder (FS) is a common condition that can cause severe pain and limited range of motion in the shoulder joint. While intra-articular steroid injection has been shown to be an effective treatment for FS, manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is an alternative treatment that has gained popularity in recent years. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of MUA on FS patients with concomitant rotator cuff injury or tear. Though a few studies have shown that MUA is not associated with rotator cuff tears, and will not exacerbate the injury, more high-quality studies with bigger sample sizes are needed. Therefore, the aim of this multi-center, single-blinded, randomized, parallel-group, superiority study is to compare the efficacy of MUA versus intra-articular steroid injection in the treatment of FS patients with a diagnosis of rotator cuff injury or tear by MRI. Methods A parallel, single-blinded, multi-center randomized controlled trial of 320 patients will be conducted at three hospitals of China. Eligible patients with frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injury or tear diagnosed by MRI will be randomly assigned to, in equal proportions, the manipulation under anesthesia group and the intra-articular steroid injection group via a central randomization system, undergoing a corresponding operation on day one and a sequent physical exercise for 14 days. The primary outcome is the comprehensive efficacy evaluation (total effective rate) and the change of Constant-Murley Score. Outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded, and participants will be asked not to reveal their allocation to assessors. Discussion This study aims to explore the superiority of manipulation under anesthesia in reducing pain and improving shoulder function in frozen shoulder patients accompanied with rotator cuff injury. To provide a scientific basis for the dissemination and application of manipulation under anesthesia, and a better knowledge for the role of MUA in the treatment of frozen shoulder accompanied with rotator cuff injury. Trial registration Chictr.org.cn ChiCTR2200067122 . Registered on 27 December 2022. ChiCTR is a primary registry of the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) network and includes all items from the WHO Trial Registration data set in Trial registration.

Under the background of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goal and the construction of a new power system with new energy as the main body, coal-fired power generation enterprises are facing a complex and severe business situation. Based on the current situation of coal procurement in power plants along the southeast coast of China, this paper constructs a coal procurement model that weighs imported coal and domestic coal, and simulates the impact of demand index, season and weather factors and other factors on the risk resistance capability of power plants. Taking the coal procurement data of H Group as the model parameter data to simulate, the model simulation results show that: flexible adjustment of imported coal proportion according to the seasonal change can effectively ensure the coal demand. It is a long way to go to develop new energy to replace coal. We can gradually establish a low-carbon energy consumption system by actively developing renewable energy. The fluctuation of domestic and foreign coal prices significantly affects the demand of coal, and the price and quality advantages of imported coal cannot be replaced.

Water changing conditions of a lake will affect the physical and hydrological conditions and ecology of the lake and groundwater. The unique "river-lake phase" transition of the Poyang Lake complicates the surface water-groundwater exchange process in the area. Therefore, this study uses Visual MODFLOW to build a 3D numerical model of groundwater transient flow and uses the LAK3 module to realize the dynamic simulation of the lake water area by inputting the runoff from five rivers into the lake and the Poyang Lake into the Yangtze River. The RMSE between the simulated and measured values of lake water level is 0.225 m, and between the simulated and measured values of groundwater level is 0.571 m. The month-on-month ratio variation of the Poyang Lake area simulated by the model ranges from −41% to 83%, consistent with the remote sensing images. This model reduces the constraint of lakes as boundary conditions, can effectively depict the frequently-changing water level and lake area, and accurately simulate the response of groundwater flow field and surface water-groundwater interaction relationship to the height dynamics of lake water. During the dry season, the lake is mainly recharged by groundwater, with an exchange flux ranging from 2.03×107 to 10.58×107 m3/mon. During the wet season, the lake water discharges into groundwater with an exchange flux ranging from 2.04×107 to 16.53×107 m3/mon, with the average groundwater level rise in the lake region and surrounding areas by 2~3 m compared to the dry season. The groundwater flows from the lake region to the surrounding areas. This study contributes an effective numerical simulation method for areas with dramatic changes in surface water bodies. The results can provide a basis for future water resources management and environmental assessment in the Poyang Lake Plain.

Wildfire is one of the most severe natural disasters globally, profoundly affecting natural ecology, economy, and health and safety. Precisely predicting the spread of wildfires has become an important research topic. Current fire spread prediction models depend on inputs from a variety of geographical and environmental variables. However, unlike the ideal conditions simulated in the laboratory, data gaps often occur in real wildfire scenarios, posing challenges to the accuracy and robustness of predictions. It is necessary to explore the extent to which different missing items affect prediction accuracy, thereby providing rational suggestions for emergency decision-making. In this paper, we tested how different conditions of missing data affect the prediction accuracy of existing wildfire spread models and quantified the corresponding errors. The final experimental results suggest that it is necessary to judge the potential impact of data gaps based on the geographical conditions of the study area appropriately, as there is no significant pattern of behavior yet identified. This study aims to simulate the impact of data scarcity on the accuracy of wildfire spread prediction models in real scenarios, thereby enabling researchers to better understand the priority of different environmental variables for the model and identify the acceptable degree of missing data and the indispensable data attributes. It offers new insights for developing spread prediction models applicable to real-world scenarios and rational assessment of the effectiveness of model outcomes.

Abstract In contemporary cities, road collapse is one of the most common disasters. This study proposed a framework for assessing the risk of urban road collapse. The framework first established a risk indicator system that combined environmental and anthropogenic factors, such as soil type, pipeline, and construction, as well as other indicators. Second, an oversampling technique was used to create the dataset. The framework then constructed and trained a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model for risk assessment. The experimental results show that the CNN model (accuracy: 0.97, average recall: 0.91) outperformed other models. The indicator contribution analysis revealed that the distance between the road and the construction site (contribution: 0.132) and the size of the construction (contribution: 0.144) are the most significant factors contributing to road collapse. According to the natural breaks, a road collapse risk map of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, was created, and the risk level was divided into five categories. Nearly 3% of the roads in the study area are at very high risk, and 6% are at high risk levels, with the high risk roads concentrated in the east and southeast. The risk map produced by this study can be utilized by local authorities and policymakers to help maintain road safety.

Abstract Background Multiple doses of dexamethasone and tranexamic acid can inhibit postoperative inflammation and reduce fibrinolysis and perioperative blood loss in total knee arthroplasty. In this single-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, the aim was to investigate whether applying a tourniquet to patients on dexamethasone and tranexamic acid could further reduce perioperative blood loss. Materials and methods Patients who underwent cemented total knee arthroplasty at our hospital were randomized to receive a tourniquet (n = 71) or not (n = 70) during the procedure. All patients received multiple doses of dexamethasone and tranexamic acid perioperatively. The primary outcome was perioperative blood loss, while secondary outcomes were surgery duration, postoperative laboratory indices of inflammation and fibrinolysis, range of knee motion, VAS pain score, knee circumference, knee swelling rate, homologous transfusion, albumin use, and complications. Results Using a tourniquet was associated with significantly lower intraoperative blood loss (P

Background: Ciprofol (HSK3486) is a novel gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor agonist that has attracted wide attention because of its lower injection pain and fewer adverse events. We summarized all available evidence and analyzed the efficacy and safety of ciprofol during procedural sedation and anesthesia induction. Methods: An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Data, and the VIP Chinese Journal Service platform was conducted from inception of databases to March 1, 2023. Risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) were used separately for binary categorical and continuous variables. We performed trial sequential analysis and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to judge the certainty of evidence. Results: Fifteen randomized controlled trials with 2441 patients were included in this study. Ciprofol showed similar advantages to propofol in terms of induction success rate (RR = 1, 95 % CI = 0.99, 1.01, moderate certainty) and induction time (MD = 3.31, 95 % CI = −0.34, 6.95, low certainty), but did not increase the incidence of adverse events (RR = 0.88, 95 % CI = 0.78, 1.00, very low certainty), such as bradycardia (RR = 0.96, 95 % CI = 0.77, 1.21, high certainty), hypoxia (RR = 0.79, 95 % CI = 0.46, 1.37, p = 0.40, moderate certainty) and other adverse events. Although it may be associated with a longer time to be fully alert (MD = 1.22, 95 % CI = 0.32, 2.12, very low certainty), ciprofol significantly reduced injection pain (RR = 0.15, 95 % CI 0.09, 0.24, low certainty) and may have reduced the incidence of hypotension (RR = 0.77, 95 % CI = 0.63, 0.94, low certainty) and respiratory depression (RR = 0.29, 95 % CI = 0.15, 0.56, moderate certainty). Conclusion: Ciprofol and propofol had similar effects on most outcomes. While the time to full alertness may be prolonged, injection pain was significantly reduced, and hypotension and respiratory depression may be reduced compared with propofol. We believe that ciprofol is an effective alternative to intravenous anesthetic agents.

Background The association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease has been demonstrated. However, the association between MPV and mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients remains unclear.Methods Patients catheterized at the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, between November 1, 2005, and August 31, 2019, were enrolled. The primary endpoints were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Patients were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value, which was determined using maximally selected rank statistics. The mortality hazard ratio was evaluated using Cox regression models.Results Among the 1322 PD patients enrolled, the mean age was 49.3 ± 14.5 years, 57.6% were men, and 18.8% had diabetes. During a median follow-up of 50 months (IQR: 30–80), 360 patients died; among these, 167 deaths were attributed to cardiovascular diseases. Survival analysis revealed that all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were lower in the higher-MPV group than in the lower-MPV group (p

BackgroundIndividuals suffering from short-term insomnia disorder (SID) experience difficulties in falling or staying asleep, often leading to daytime fatigue and impaired concentration. However, the underlying mechanisms of SID remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the alterations in brain activation patterns and functional connectivity in patients with SID.MethodsThe study enrolled a total of 31 adults diagnosed with SID and 31 healthy controls (HC). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was utilized to assess the concentrations of oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) and functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortex of each participant while performing the verbal fluency test (VFT) task.ResultsIn the VFT task, no significant difference was found between the SID group and the HC group in terms of integral values, centroid values, and mean Oxy-Hb variations. These findings suggest that both groups exhibit similar hemodynamic responses. However, the functional connectivity analysis revealed significant differences in inter-channel connectivity strength between the two groups. The SID group showed significantly lower average inter-channel connectivity strength compared to the HC group. Moreover, six channel pairs (right frontopolar cortex – left frontopolar cortex, left orbitofrontal cortex – left temporopolar cortex, left temporopolar cortex – left frontopolar cortex, left frontopolar cortex-Ch38, left frontopolar cortex – right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex, and left frontopolar cortex – right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) exhibited significantly higher connectivity strength in the HC group compared to the SID group (FDR corrected, p

Understanding the photoelectron emission time after the interaction of photon with atoms and molecules is of fundamental interest. Here the authors examine the role of partial waves to the photoionization phase shift of atoms using an attosecond clock and electron-ion coincidence spectroscopy.

By optimizing the reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) reflection coefficients, the channel capacity of legitimate users can be increased, thereby enhancing the anti-jamming performance of communication systems. However, existing studies on RIS-assisted anti-jamming assume that there is no coupling between the RIS reflection coefficients and the incident angle of electromagnetic (EM) waves, which is quite unreasonable. Therefore, we consider the effect of the incident angle of EM waves on the reflection coefficients of the RIS and propose a communication anti-jamming scheme assisted by an RIS with angular response. Specifically, a problem is formulated to optimize the RIS reflection coefficients so that the legitimate signal is amplified, but the jamming signal is attenuated, thus enhancing the legitimate channel capacity. However, the coupling of the EM incident angle and the RIS reflection coefficients causes the problem to be non-convex. To tackle this problem, we equivalently transform the RIS reflection coefficients optimization problem into a quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) problem using the complex Taylor expansion and the multidimensional complex quadratic transform (MCQT) and solve it utilizing the alternating direction method of the multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. The simulation results reveal that, compared to other schemes supported by RIS without angular response, the proposed scheme is able to achieve a significant improvement in the anti-jamming performance.

BackgroundThe use of dexmedetomidine rather than midazolam may improve ICU outcomes. We summarized the available recent evidence to further verify this conclusion.MethodsAn electronic search of PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted. Risk ratios (RR) were used for binary categorical variables, and for continuous variables, weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated, the effect sizes are expressed as 95% confidence intervals (CI), and trial sequential analysis was performed.Results16 randomized controlled trials were enrolled 2035 patients in the study. Dexmedetomidine as opposed to midazolam achieved a shorter length of stay in ICU (MD = -2.25, 95%CI = -2.94, -1.57, pConclusionsCombined with recent evidence, compared with midazolam, dexmedetomidine decreased the risk of delirium, mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the ICU, as well as reduced patient costs. But dexmedetomidine could not reduce mortality and increased the risk of bradycardia.

The growing data volume and complexity of deep neural networks (DNNs) require new architectures to surpass the limitation of the von-Neumann bottleneck, with computing-in-memory (CIM) as a promising direction for implementing energy-efficient neural networks. However, CIM’s peripheral sensing circuits are usually power- and area-hungry components. We propose a time-multiplexing CIM architecture (TM-CIM) based on memristive analog computing to share the peripheral circuits and process one column at a time. The memristor array is arranged in a column-wise manner that avoids wasting power/energy on unselected columns. In addition, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) power and energy efficiency, which turns out to be an even greater overhead than analog-to-digital converter (ADC), can be fine-tuned in TM-CIM for significant improvement. For a 256*256 crossbar array with a typical setting, TM-CIM saves $18.4\times $ in energy with 0.136 pJ/MAC efficiency, and $19.9\times $ area for 1T1R case and $15.9\times $ for 2T2R case. Performance estimation on VGG-16 indicates that TM-CIM can save over $16\times $ area. A tradeoff between the chip area, peak power, and latency is also presented, with a proposed scheme to further reduce the latency on VGG-16, without significantly increasing chip area and peak power.

BackgroundEarly detection of mild cognitive impairment is crucial in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aims to explore the changes in gait and brain co-functional connectivity between cognitively healthy and cognitively impaired groups under dual-task walking through the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and gait analysis devices.MethodThis study used fNIRS device and gait analysis devices to collect the data of 54 older adults. According to the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scales, the older adults were cognitively healthy (control group) and cognitively impaired (experimental group), of which 38 were in the control group and 16 were in the experimental group. The experiment was divided into a total of three sets of task experiments: a walking-only experiment, a dual-task walking-easy (DTW-easy) experiment, and a dual-task walking-difficult (DTW-difficult) experiment.Main ResultFor the cognitively impaired and cognitively healthy populations, there were no significant differences in overall functional connectivity, region of interest (ROI) connection strength, and gait performance during single-task walking between the two groups.Whereas the performances of DTW differed significantly from the single-task walking in terms of between-group variability of functional connectivity strength change values, and ROI connection strength change values in relation to the dual-task cost of gait. Finally, the cognitively impaired group was significantly more affected by DTW-difficult tasks than the cognitively healthy group.ConclusionThis study provides a new approach to assist in the diagnosis of people with cognitive impairment and provides a new research pathway for the identification of cognitive impairment.

Neurofeedback cognitive training is a promising tool used to promote cognitive functions effectively and efficiently. In this study, we investigated a novel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based frontoparietal functional connectivity (FC) neurofeedback training paradigm related to working memory, involving healthy adults. Compared with conventional cognitive training studies, we chose the frontoparietal network, a key brain region for cognitive function modulation, as neurofeedback, yielding a strong targeting effect. In the experiment, 10 participants (test group) received three cognitive training sessions of 15 min using fNIRS-based frontoparietal FC as neurofeedback, and another 10 participants served as the control group. Frontoparietal FC was significantly increased in the test group ( $p =0.03$ ), and the cognitive functions (memory and attention) were significantly promoted compared with the control group (accuracy of 3-back test: $p =0.0005$ , reaction time of 3-back test: $p =0.0009$ ). After additional validations on long-term training effect and on different patient populations, the proposed method exhibited considerable potential to be developed as a fast, effective, and widespread training approach for cognitive function enhancement.

Using data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), which was a nationally representative sample of junior high school students, this study examined the association of internal migration with depression among migrant and left-behind children, while exploring the moderating effect of gender difference and the mediating effects of social relationships. The results showed that migrant children had a significantly lower level of depression than left-behind children. Further, the difference in mental health between migrant children and left-behind children was more prominent for boys than girls. The mechanism analyses indicated that compared to left-behind children, internal migration positively predicted parent–child relationships and peer relationships of migrant children, which in turn reduced their depressive symptoms. Although migrant children suffered from a higher level of teacher discrimination than their left-behind counterparts, it had no significant relationship with depression after controlling for children’s social relationships with parents and peers. Our findings suggested that migrating with parents was helpful to reduce children’s depressive symptoms in comparison with being left behind. Therefore, actions should be implemented to reduce the occurrence of involuntary parent–child separation and the prevalence of children’s depressive disorders due to institutional constraints. In addition, necessary treatments are needed to improve the psychological wellbeing of disadvantaged children, especially among left-behind children with mental illness.

The wildfire prediction model is crucial for accurate rescue and rapid evacuation. Existing models mainly adopt regular grids or fire perimeters to describe the wildfire landscape. However, these models have difficulty in explicitly demonstrating the local spread details, especially in a complex landscape. In this paper, we propose a wildfire spread model with an irregular graph network (IGN). This model implemented an IGN generation algorithm to characterize the wildland landscape with a variable scale, adaptively encoding complex regions with dense nodes and simple regions with sparse nodes. Then, a deep learning-based spread model is designed to calculate the spread duration of each graph edge under variable environmental conditions. Comparative experiments between the IGN model and widely used fire simulation models were conducted on a real wildfire in Getty, California, USA. The results show that the IGN model can accurately and explicitly describe the spatiotemporal characteristics of the wildfire spread in a novel graph form while maintaining competitive simulation refinement and computational efficiency (Jaccard: 0.587, SM: 0.740, OA: 0.800).

Abstract Kisspeptin and its G protein-coupled receptor KISS1R play key roles in mammalian reproduction due to their involvement in the onset of puberty and control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, recent studies have indicated a potential role of extra-hypothalamic kisspeptin in reproductive function. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the physiological significance of kisspeptin/KISS1R in the peripheral reproductive system (including the ovary, testis, uterus, and placenta) and the potential role of kisspeptin/KISS1R in reproductive diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the expression, function, and potential molecular mechanisms of kisspeptin/KISS1R in the peripheral reproductive system will contribute to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of reproductive diseases.

A shape resonance emerges during the light absorption in many molecules with a gigantic burst amplitude and a lifetime of hundreds of attoseconds. Recent advances in attosecond metrology revealed the attosecond lifetime of the shape resonance. For a heteronuclear molecule, the asymmetric initial state and landscape of the molecular potential would lead to an asymmetric shape resonance, whose effect, however, has not been characterized yet. Here, we employ an attosecond interferometer to investigate the molecular-frame photoionization time delay in the vicinity of the shape resonance of the NO molecule. Driven by photons with energy ranging from 23.8 eV to 36.5 eV, a 150 attosecond difference in the time delay is observed between photoemission from the N/O end. Our quantum scattering theoretical simulations reproduce well our experimental findings. It illustrates that the asymmetric time delay originates from the interference between resonant and nonresonant photoionization pathways.

Background: Cognitive impairments in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients has been described as a chronically progressive feature of the disease. However, how severe recurrent seizures modify neuronal circuits in the human brain and subsequently degrade cognitive function, remains largely unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate longitudinal alterations by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in TLE patients and to assess how those alterations are related to cognitive function performance.Methods: Sixteen TLE patients and 20 normal controls (NCs) were recruited for a study to observe longitudinal alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) and to estimate alertness, orientation, and executive function both at baseline and at a follow-up time ~3 years later.Results: TLE patients, compared with NCs, showed impaired executive function, intrinsic alertness, and phasic alertness and exhibited lengthened reaction time (RT) in the spatial cue and center cue conditions at baseline. The orienting function of TLE patients was declined at follow-up compared to the baseline. Cross-sectional analysis demonstrated that TLE patients displayed significantly greater positive correlation than NCs between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG). Furthermore, among TLE patients, the longitudinal study revealed a decrease in correlation between the right DLPFC and the right SFG compared to the baseline. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between the longitudinal change in FC and the change in orienting function in TLE subjects.Conclusions: Abnormal connectivity between the DLPFC and the SFG suggests the potential of longitudinal resting-state fMRI to delineate regions relevant to cognitive dysfunction for disease progression.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a widely used perfluorinated compound and known to cause developmental toxicity which includes the increase of resorbed embryo, decrease of fetal survival, and fetal growth retardation. Nevertheless, whether it is associated with alteration of placental development remains unknown. Pregnant mice were gavaged with 0, 2.5, 5, 10 mg PFOA /kg/day from pregnancy day (PD) 1 to PD 13. Results showed that PFOA exposure markedly decreased the placental weight and caused interstitial edema of placenta. Laminin staining indicated that blood sinusoids area was shrunken in placenta of PFOA-exposed mice. Furthermore, PFOA treatment significantly reduced numbers of uNK cells. Western blot analysis revealed that levels of Bax and cleaved-caspase 3 proteins were markedly up-regulated in PFOA-treated groups. In addition, TEM examination showed that PFOA treatment caused rupture of nuclear membrane and nuclear pyknosis and fragmentation. Thus, our results suggested that gestational PFOA exposure significantly inhibited development of early placenta through shrinkage of labyrinth vessels and downregulation of uNK cells and apoptosis induction, which may result in adverse gestational outcomes.

Abstract Background To date, no functional MRI (fMRI) studies have focused on brain entropy in right temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE) patients. Here, we characterized brain entropy (BEN) alterations in patients with rTLE using resting‐state functional MRI(rs‐fMRI) and explored the relationship between BEN and alertness. Method Thirty‐one rTLE patients and 33 controls underwent MRI scanning to investigate differences in BEN and resting‐state functional connectivity (rs‐FC) in regions of interest (ROIs) between patients and controls. Correlation analyses were performed to examine relationships between the BEN of each ROI and alertness reaction times (RTs) in rTLE patients. Results Compared with controls, the BEN of rTLE patients was significantly increased in the right middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and other regions of the left hemisphere and significantly decreased in the right middle frontal gyrus and left supplementary motor area (p

Sulfate erosion is a threat to durability and sustainability of pavement structure. In this work, the performance degradation of asphalt binder under internal sulfate erosion was investigated. Different dosages of Na2SO4 (0 wt.%, 2.5 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 10 wt.%) samples were prepared to investigate the effect of sulfate on the performance of the asphalt binder. The surface tension test and low-temperature rheological property test were carried out to evaluate the adhesion of sulfate-incorporated asphalt mastic. Rapid freezing and thawing test with different concentrations of sulfate solution was conducted to explore the effect of sulfate concentrations and freeze-thaw cycles on the softening point and force ductility of matrix asphalt. Phases of the asphalt binder were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results show that sulfate has a negative impact on the road performance of the asphalt binder. Internal sulfate erosion decreased the adhesion of the asphalt binder. Also, the low-temperature rheological property of asphalt binder was deteriorated. After the freeze-thaw cycles of external sulfate erosion, softening point and tensile force peak of matrix asphalt increased and the low-temperature ductility decreased. The main reason of performance deterioration of the asphalt binder is the “salt aging” effect causing by sulfate erosion. The research results can provide useful reference for the durability design of asphalt mixture in sulfate-enriched regions.

In order to ensure the safety of traffic, asphalt pavement is commonly required to utilize aggregates with excellent anti-abrasion property. This results in the lack of high-quality aggregates. The incorporation of solid waste in the aggregates is regarded as a high potential alternative for solving this problem. Since its material properties, such as rough surface, high Polished Stone Value (PSV) and the excellent adhesion property of asphalt, Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) slag can effectively improve the skid resistance of asphalt mixtures. First, the material properties of BOF slag are reviewed in this study. Then, the skid resistance of asphalt mixtures and aggregates are commendably evaluated by the Polished Stone Value test, Wehner/Schulze Tester, Aachen Polishing Machine, British Pendulum Test and Sand Patch test. The physical and mechanical properties of BOF slag play a key role in asphalt mixtures. This review found that the skid resistance mechanism of the BOF slag asphalt mixture is governed by factors such as BOF slag properties, incorporation methods and gradation types. Finally, the economic and environmental benefits of BOF slag asphalt mixtures were discussed. In addition, the function of gas catalysis and the melting of ice and snow can be added to the BOF slag asphalt mixture for a cleaner development in engineering. Furthermore, the existing problems, research directions and corresponding measures in this field are directed towards more durable and functional asphalt pavement construction.

The performance of an asphalt mixture will deteriorate under the condition of salt erosion, but there are different opinions on the mechanism of deterioration. Few studies have focused on the relation between the change of void characteristics and performance deterioration of an asphalt mixture exposed to salt erosion. To explore the relation between the air voids characteristics of an asphalt mixture and mechanical damage under salt erosion, the mechanical damage in an asphalt mixture was measured by splitting strength. The asphalt mixture specimens, immersion solutions, asphalt mortar, and aggregate were scanned with CT technology. To segment the voids, the Otsu method was used over asphalt mortar and solution range of CT values. A three-dimensional reconstruction of the CT image was performed with Mimics 20 software to calculate the asphalt mixture’s void characteristics. On this basis, the relationships between the change in void characteristics and splitting strength were analyzed. The results showed that the ideal calculated void fraction can be obtained by threshold segmentation of the image void/asphalt mortar interface with the local CT value Otsu method. Under the salt corrosion environment, the increase of open voids of an asphalt mixture is linearly correlated with the decrease of splitting strength, while salts’ crystallization in the open voids produces crystallization pressure, accelerating the volume growth of open voids. The early damage of an asphalt mixture suffered from the salt may be mainly physical damage. These results can provide a useful reference for the performance of damage research on asphalt mixtures in salt enrichment areas.

Previous studies have shown that temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) involves abnormal structural or functional connectivity in specific brain areas. However, limited comprehensive studies have been conducted on TLE associated changes in the topological organization of structural and functional networks. Additionally, epilepsy is associated with impairment in alertness, a fundamental component of attention. In this study, structural networks were constructed using diffusion tensor imaging tractography, and functional networks were obtained from resting-state functional MRI temporal series correlations in 20 right temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE) patients and 19 healthy controls. Global network properties were computed by graph theoretical analysis, and correlations were assessed between global network properties and alertness. The results from these analyses showed that rTLE patients exhibit abnormal small-world attributes in structural and functional networks. Structural networks shifted toward more regular attributes, but functional networks trended toward more random attributes. After controlling for the influence of the disease duration, negative correlations were found between alertness, small-worldness, and the cluster coefficient. However, alertness did not correlate with either the characteristic path length or global efficiency in rTLE patients. Our findings show that disruptions of the topological construction of brain structural and functional networks as well as small-world property bias are associated with deficits in alertness in rTLE patients. These data suggest that reorganization of brain networks develops as a mechanism to compensate for altered structural and functional brain function during disease progression.