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AbstractUnderstanding how urban recreational amenities are agglomerated and clustered with each other is crucial. This paper attempts to reveal the features of such spatial agglomeration patterns by innovatively developing a model termed as spatial agglomeration mining. Based on the case of Greater Bay Area in China, it achieves three conclusions. First, recreational amenities are highly agglomerated rather than evenly distributed at both regional and urban scales. Second, the regional and urban agglomeration patterns are similar in the sense that the agglomeration core is mainly composed of convenience-service amenities, while the periphery is mainly composed of leisure and entertainment amenities. Third, cities with similar size and economic functions share a similar structure, whereas amenities with a larger number do not guarantee a more central position in the clusters. This study sheds light on the general principle’s relativeness among amenities for urban investors and managers to make better decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to uncover the molecular response of juvenile Sebastes schlegelii to air exposure stress by identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may underlie their anti-stress mechanisms. Juvenile Sebastes schlegelii were subjected to varying durations of air exposure stress. The total RNA was extracted from whole tissues and sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. The transcriptome data were analyzed to identify DEGs through pairwise comparisons across a control group and two experimental groups exposed to air for 40 s and 2 min 30 s, respectively. The comparative DEG analysis revealed a significant number of transcripts responding to air exposure stress. Specifically, 5173 DEGs were identified in the 40 s exposure group (BS) compared to the control (BC), 6742 DEGs in the 2 min 30 s exposure group (BD) compared to the control (BC), and 2653 DEGs when comparing the BD to the BS group. Notably, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed an enrichment of DEGs associated with peptidase activity and extracellular regions, suggesting a role in the organism's stress response. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis pointed to the involvement of metabolic pathways, which are crucial for energy management under stress. The upregulation of protein digestion and absorption pathways may indicate a physiological adaptation to nutrient scarcity during stress. Additionally, the identification of antibiotic biosynthesis pathways implies a potential role in combating stress-induced infections or damage. The identified DEGs and enriched pathways provide insights into the complex anti-stress response mechanisms in juvenile Sebastes schlegelii. The enrichment of peptidase activity and extracellular region-related genes may reflect the initiation of tissue repair and immune response following air exposure. The connection between protein digestion and absorption pathways and anti-stress capabilities could be interpreted as a metabolic readjustment to prioritize energy-efficient processes and nutrient assimilation during stress. The role of antibiotic biosynthesis pathways suggests a defensive mechanism against oxidative stress or microbial invasion that might occur with air exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Snoring may cause a number of problems such as tiredness, obesity, and even severe diseases, but the correlation between snoring and insulin secretion, which has important clinical significance, has rarely been studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between snoring frequency and insulin secretion and discuss the potential mechanisms, thereby estimating the health condition of β-cells of individuals who snore. Methods: The analyses used data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2015 to 2018. A regression analysis was performed for snoring frequency and insulin concentration, and then multiple regression analyses excluded various factors related to insulin secretion, including age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), factors indicating patients' nutritional condition, and symptoms possibly implying obstructive sleep apnea. Subsequently, three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were carried out respectively based on sex, race, and BMI. Results: After adjusting for confounding variables, snoring frequency was correlated with insulin concentration especially when snoring was at relatively high frequencies (e.g., more than 5 nights per week) (β = 1.77, 95%CI = 0.42–3.13, P = 0.010). The stratification analyses showed that high snoring frequency increased insulin secretion among women (β = 1.83, 95%CI = 0.05–3.62, P = 0.044), Hispanics (β = 3.28, 95%CI = 0.05–6.51, P = 0.047), and participants with BMI in the range > 30 kg/m2 (β = 3.77, 95%CI = 0.52–7.03, P = 0.023). Conclusion: Our results suggest that snoring is likely to relate to an increase in insulin when severe, especially in women, Hispanics, and people with a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational utilization of groundwater resources is the key to achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, strengthening the comprehensive control of karst rock desertification and soil erosion in the ecological environment. On the southern wing of Tongmaling anticline in southeast Chongqing, Longtan trough valley--a part of Wuling Mountain area--is located in Youyang county, Chongqing City, China. The karst development is strong in the trough valley area, and the distribution of groundwater is extensive. At the same time, the problem of rocky desertification is severe in this area, so the efficient utilization of water resources and ecological restoration are especially important. The objective of this study is to explore the flow characteristics of karst spring and structure types of aquifer medium, and to further analyze the variation characteristics of inorganic carbon flux in the ecological restoration area of rock desertification control. In this study, the flow attenuation equation and hydrochemical runoff method are used to estimate and analyze attenuation process and inorganic carbon flux of Laoquan spring based on the re-vegetation in a karst rocky desertification area in Longtan trough valley in Youyang county, Chongqing City, Southwest China. The results show that: (1) The flow attenuation process of Laoquan spring is divided into two sub-dynamics with attenuation coefficients of 0.0892 and 0.0196, respectively. The attenuation process of this spring mainly occurs on the first sub-dynamics. In the aquifer medium of groundwater system, the ratio of pipeline to fissure is significant. The strong water conduction effect of aquifer medium leads to the weak capacity of Laoquan spring to regulate and store rainfall infiltration water. (2) The variation process of the carbon flux of Laoquan spring during the rainstorm period is divided into four stages, and the carbon flux has obvious variation characteristics with the flow. The carbon flux during the rainstorm period is 97.64 kg⋅km-2⋅d-1. In the summer drought period (from the end of July to the end of August), the carbon flux of Laoquan spring has obvious diurnal variation characteristics, low at night and high in the day. The soil CO2 concentration, water CO2 concentration and carbon flux of Laoquan spring are synchronized in the diurnal variation, and the carbon flux in the summer drought period is 18.23 kg⋅km-2⋅d-1. (3) The climate instability can affect the carbon flux of Laoquan spring. The precipitation of this spring in summer is positively correlated with the carbon flux (R=0.78), and the evaporation is negatively correlated with the carbon flux (R=-0.36). The change of land use mode has a significant effect on the carbon flux of Laoquan spring. The correlation coefficient between HCO3-1 concentration and soil CO2 concentration based on the monthly mean value of Laoquan spring is 0.64, indicating that HCO3-1 in Laoquan spring sensitively responds to the change of soil CO2. The correlation coefficient between the annual spring carbon flux and the annual soil CO2 concentration is 0.90, and the average annual δ13CDIC shows an obvious negative trend, indicating that land use change (Vegetation Restoration) is conducive to the increasing of soil CO2 concentration and carbon flux. (4) From 2018 to 2021, the carbon flux in Laoquan spring was 11.66, 10.33, 21.31 and 16.9 t⋅km-2⋅a-1, respectively, showing an increasing trend with fluctuation. The annual inorganic carbon flux is 15.05 t⋅km-2⋅a-1 (CO2). The carbon sink capacity should be enhanced by the improvement of comprehensive control measures of rocky desertification. Therefore, in the process of rocky desertification control, it is necessary to make scientific use of karst water resources and heighten the awareness of karst environment protection, especially the scientific use and management of water resources in summer rainstorm and summer drought. In addition, it is necessary to boost regional carbon sink capacity by restoring natural dominant vegetation in rocky desertification control areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]