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Abstract Runoff and evapotranspiration (ET) are pivotal constituents of the water, energy, and carbon cycles. This research presents a 5-km monthly gridded runoff and ET dataset for 1998–2017, encompassing seven headwaters of Tibetan Plateau rivers (Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Brahmaputra, Ganges, and Indus) (hereinafter TPRED). The dataset was generated using the advanced cryosphere-hydrology model WEB-DHM, yielding a Nash coefficient ranging from 0.77 to 0.93 when compared to the observed discharges. The findings indicate that TPRED’s monthly runoff notably outperforms existing datasets in capturing hydrological patterns, as evidenced by robust metrics such as the correlation coefficient (CC) (0.944–0.995), Bias (−0.68-0.53), and Root Mean Square Error (5.50–15.59 mm). Additionally, TPRED’s monthly ET estimates closely align with expected seasonal fluctuations, as reflected by a CC ranging from 0.94 to 0.98 when contrasted with alternative ET products. Furthermore, TPRED’s annual values exhibit commendable concordance with operational products across multiple dimensions. Ultimately, the TPRED will have great application on hydrometeorology, carbon transport, water management, hydrological modeling, and sustainable development of water resources.

To enhance the phosphoric acid (PA) retention as well as maintain high proton conductivity of phosphoric acid doped proton exchange membranes at high temperature, we successfully design a series of phosphoric acid doped biobased composite membranes by incorporation of starch and graphene oxide (GO) into poly arylene ether ketones (PAEK). Proton transfer channels should be mainly built through dense hydrogen bonds formed from massive oxygen-containing groups of starch mainchain, which is confirmed by Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, FT-IR and XRD analysis. The dense hydrogen-bond structure could construct fast proton transfer channels with extreme low doping level (0.00484 molH3PO4). The excellent PA retention properties with almost unchanged proton conductivity at high temperature (200 °C) for 600 min indicates that PA molecules are firmly fixed into membranes. Thus, in this study, we suggest a novel strategy for stablizing proton conductivity at high temperature and improving PA retention properties of PA doped membranes, which is building dense hydrogen-bond structure with low PA doping level.Based on the results in this study and the Grotthuss proton transfer mechanism, dense hydrogen-bonds from oxygen-containing groups in polymer backbones should be more stable than hydrogen-bonds from massive H3PO4 molecules with high acid doping levels to promote proton conduction.

Objectives: Anastomotic leakage (AL) stands out as a prevalent and severe complication following gastric cancer surgery. It frequently precipitates additional serious complications, significantly influencing the overall survival time of patients. This study aims to enhance the risk-assessment strategy for AL following gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: This study included a derivation cohort and validation cohort. The derivation cohort included patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020. An evidence-based predictor questionnaire was crafted through extensive literature review and panel discussions. Based on the questionnaire, inpatient data were collected to form a model-derivation cohort. This cohort underwent both univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with AL events, and a logistic regression model with stepwise regression was developed. A 5-fold cross-validation ensured model reliability. The validation cohort included patients from August 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 at the same hospital. Using the same imputation method, we organized the validation-queue data. We then employed the risk-prediction model constructed in the earlier phase of the study to predict the risk of AL in the subjects included in the validation queue. We compared the predictions with the actual occurrence, and evaluated the external validation performance of the model using model-evaluation indicators such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), Brier score, and calibration curve. Results: The derivation cohort included 1377 patients, and the validation cohort included 131 patients. The independent predictors of AL after radical gastrectomy included age ≥65 y, preoperative albumin

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality on a global scale. Individuals who possess risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure (BP) and obesity, face an elevated risk of experiencing organ-specific pathophysiological changes. This damage includes pathophysiological changes in the heart and peripheral vascular systems, such as ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffening, and vascular narrowing and stenosis. Consequently, these damages are associated with an increased risk of developing severe cardiovascular outcomes including stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and coronary heart disease. Among all the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure emerges as the most prominent. However, conventional resting BP measurement methods such as auscultatory or oscillometric methods may fail to identify many individuals with asymptomatic high BP. Recently, exercise BP has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying real (high) blood pressure levels and assessing underlying cardiovascular risk, in addition to resting BP measurements in adults. Furthermore, numerous established factors, such as low cardiorespiratory fitness and high body fatness, have been confirmed to contribute to exercise BP and the associated cardiovascular risk. Modifying these factors may help reduce high exercise BP and, consequently, alleviate the burden of cardiovascular disease. A significant body of evidence has demonstrated cardiovascular disease in later life have their origins in early life. Children and adolescents with these cardiovascular risk factors also possess a greater propensity to develop cardiovascular diseases later in life. Nevertheless, the majority of previous studies on the clinical utility of exercise BP have been conducted in middle-to-older aged populations, often with pre-existing clinical conditions. Therefore, there is a need to investigate further of the factors influencing exercise BP in adolescence and its association with cardiovascular risk in early life. Our previously published work showed that exercise BP is a potential useful method to detect adolescents with increased cardiovascular risk. Children and adolescents with cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases later in life. However, previous studies on the clinical utility of exercise BP have largely focused on middle-to-older aged populations with pre-existing clinical conditions. Therefore, there is a need to investigate further the factors influencing exercise BP in adolescence and its association with future cardiovascular risk. Our previous studies, which focused on exercise BP measured at submaximal intensity, have shown that exercise BP is a potentially useful method for identifying adolescents at increased cardiovascular risk. Our previous findings suggest that improving cardio-respiratory fitness and reducing body fatness may help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and improve overall cardiovascular health. These findings have important implications for the development of effective prevention and early detection strategies, which can contribute to improved public health outcomes.

Background: Cryptosporidium and Giardia are well-known important intestinal zoonotic pathogens that can infect various hosts and cause diarrhoeal diseases. We aimed to determine the epidemiological prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium and Giardia species in Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana, class Marmota) in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area of Qinghai Province, Northwest China. Methods: Overall, 243 Himalayan marmot fecal samples were collected in 2017 and in 2019 and a two-step nested PCR technique was performed to amplify the fragments of the SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium and 18S ribosomal RNA gene of Giardia. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium was performed with the primary primers N-DIAGF2 and N-DIAGR2, the secondary primers CPB-DIAGF and CPB-DIAGR. Similarly, molecular characterization of Giardia was used the first primers Gia2029 and Gia2150c, the secondary primers RH11 and RH4. The positive PCR products were sequenced and the sequences were processed by Clustal Omega and BLAST. Phylogenetic analysis was achieved by NJ method in MEGA. Results: The infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis was 4.9% (12/243) and 0.8% (2/243) in M. himalayana, respectively. Cryptosporidium spp. are characterized as novel genotypes Cryptosporidium marmot genotype I (n=3) and Cryptosporidium marmot genotype II (n=9); G. duodenalis assemblage A (n=2) was found in M. himalayana. Conclusion: This is the first report of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis infections in M. himalayana in Qinghai of Northwest China. The results indicate the existence of Cryptosporidium species and G. duodenalis infections that may have a potential public health significance.

Deltacoronavirus, widely distributed among pigs and wild birds, pose a significant risk of cross-species transmission, including potential human epidemics. Metagenomic analysis of bird samples from Qinghai Lake, China in 2021 reported the presence of Deltacoronavirus. A specific gene fragment of Deltacoronavirus was detected in fecal samples from wild birds at a positive rate of 5.94% (6/101). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) identified a novel Deltacoronavirus strain, which was closely related to isolates from the United Arab Emirates (2018), China (2022), and Poland (2023). Subsequently the strain was named A/black-headed gull/Qinghai/2021(BHG-QH-2021) upon confirmation of the Cytochrome b gene of black-headed gull in the sample. All available genome sequences of avian Deltacoronavirus, including the newly identified BHG-QH-2021 and 5 representative strains of porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), were classified according to ICTV criteria. In contrast to Coronavirus HKU15, which infects both mammals and birds and shows the possibility of cross-species transmission from bird to mammal host, our analysis revealed that BHG-QH-2021 is classified as Putative species 4. Putative species 4 has been reported to infect 5 species of birds but not mammals, suggesting that cross-species transmission of Putative species 4 is more prevalent among birds. Recombination analysis traced BHG-QH-2021 origin to dut148cor1 and MW01_1o strains, with MW01_1o contributing the S gene. Surprisingly, SwissModle prediction showed that the optimal template for receptor-binding domain (RBD) of BHG-QH-2021 is derived from the human coronavirus 229E, a member of the Alphacoronavirus, rather than the anticipated RBD structure of PDCoV of Deltacoronavirus. Further molecular docking analysis revealed that substituting the loop 1–2 segments of HCoV-229E significantly enhanced the binding capability of BHG-QH-2021 with human Aminopeptidase N (hAPN), surpassing its native receptor-binding domain (RBD). Most importantly, this finding was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation experiment that loop 1–2 segments of HCoV-229E enable BHG-QH-2021 RBD binding to hAPN, indicating that the loop 1–2 segment of the RBD in Putative species 4 is a probable key determinant for the virus ability to spill over into humans. Our results summarize the phylogenetic relationships among known Deltacoronavirus, reveal an independent putative avian Deltacoronavirus species with inter-continental and inter-species transmission potential, and underscore the importance of continuous surveillance of wildlife Deltacoronavirus.

To address global warming, respond to international trade pressures (such as carbon tariffs) affecting China’s iron and steel industry, and help the steel industry achieve the goal of “carbon peak + carbon neutrality,” this paper examines the current carbon emissions landscape within China’s iron and steel industry and identifies the challenges encountered by steel enterprises in managing carbon emission. An innovative framework for leveraging digital technology to enhance the capabilities of the iron and steel industry is proposed. Drawing insights from notable instances of digital carbon management in the steel industry, key priorities at different stages of building a digital carbon management system are explored, and corresponding strategies are put forward. The framework of digital carbon emission management comprises four layers: infrastructure and data acquisition, data processing, business application, and user interface layers. The envisioned applications of digital carbon management in the steel industry encompass carbon accounting, carbon reporting, carbon mapping, carbon structure analysis, carbon comparisons, carbon trading, carbon consulting, energy–carbon synergy, low-carbon index, management of product carbon footprints along the supply chain, real-time tracking of product carbon footprints, digital carbon labeling, identification of energy-saving potential, and ecological design. By delving into representative case studies of digital carbon management within the steel industry, the potential for the application of digital carbon management technology in the steel industry is analyzed. A two-stage approach for implementing a digital carbon management system in China’s steel industry was proposed, contingent on whether the industry becomes part of the national carbon trading market. Government should play a leading role in guiding the development of the digital carbon management system. Simultaneously, we emphasize the need to enhance relevant standards and regulations in digital carbon management, invest in the training of professionals in this field, and establish strong connections with existing enterprise information systems. We advocate for a future trend of “six integration + multiplatform” digital carbon management within the steel industry, featuring a “one body + multiplatform” evaluation and certification system for low-carbon products. This vision for digital carbon management encompasses characteristics such as standardization, internationalization, integration, security, asset management, and localization. Integrating digital carbon management technology into the steel industry holds the potential to streamline carbon management processes, alleviate pain points experienced by enterprises, lower barriers to carbon management, increase operational efficiency, and safeguard carbon data during transmission.

Aptamer-based lateral flow analysis (Apt-LFAs) has promising applications in many fields. Nanozymes have demonstrated high potential in improving the performance of Apt-LFAs and have been increasingly utilized in recent studies. In this study, we developed a nanozyme-based Apt-LFA for the rapid and sensitive detection of kanamycin by using a novel dual-functionalized AuNPs@polyA-DNA/GpG-Cu2+ nanozyme as a nanoprobe. In the nanoprobe design, the polyA-cDNA strand can discriminate a kanamycin aptamer from the kanamycin/aptamer complex, and the GpG-Cu2+ complex can amplify the detection signal by catalyzing the chromogenic reaction. The nanozyme Apt-LFA can quantify kanamycin in the range of 1–250 ng/mL with an LOD of 0.08 ng/mL, which demonstrated a 4-fold sensitivity improvement and had a wider linear range than the conventional AuNP-based LFA. The Apt-LFA was successfully applied to the detection of kanamycin in honey with good recoveries. Our dual-functionalized AuNP nanoprobe is easily prepared and can be highly compatible with the conventional AuNP-DNA-based LFA platform; thus, it can be extended to the application of Apt-LFAs for other small molecules.

Abstract The water resources of the Third Pole (TP), highly sensitive to climate change and glacier melting, significantly impact the water and food security of millions in Asia. However, projecting future spatial‐temporal runoff changes for TP's mountainous basins remains a formidable challenge. Here, we've leveraged the long short‐term memory model (LSTM) to craft a grid‐scale artificial intelligence (AI) model named LSTM‐grid. This model has enabled the production of hydrological projections for the seven major river basins of TP. The LSTM‐grid model integrates monthly precipitation, air temperature, and total glacier mass changes (total_GMC) data at a 0.25‐degree model grid. Training the LSTM‐grid model employed gridded historical monthly runoff and evapotranspiration data sets generated by an observation‐constrained cryosphere‐hydrology model at the headwaters of seven TP river basins during 2000–2017. Our results demonstrate the LSTM grid's effectiveness and usefulness, exhibiting a Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency coefficient exceeding 0.92 during the verification periods (2013–2017). Moreover, river basins in the monsoon region exhibited a higher rate of runoff increase compared to those in the westerlies region. Intra‐annual projections indicated notable increases in spring runoff, especially in basins where glacier meltwater significantly contributes to runoff. Additionally, the LSTM‐grid model aptly captures the runoff changes before and after the turning points of glacier melting, highlighting the growing influence of precipitation on runoff after reaching the maximum total_GMC. Therefore, the LSTM‐grid model offers a fresh perspective for understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of water resources in high‐mountain glacial regions by tapping into AI's potential to drive scientific discovery and provide reliable data.

With the development of the economy and society, the importance of a secure and stable electricity supply continues to increase. However, the power grid is facing the test of excess installed capacity, the waste of renewable energy, and a low comprehensive utilization rate. This problem stems from the inconsistent peak–valley differences between power production and consumption, and the lack of clear electricity price signals, which disrupts the safe and stable operation of the power market. This paper combines the interactive transactions among clean energy power generation companies, users, and energy storage, explores how the system optimization model can be reflected in the power market through regulatory measures, and formulates the optimal output scheme of the system under the constraints of clean energy power generation forecast data, user base load forecast data, demand-side resource regulation ability, and energy storage system regulation ability to achieve the goals of comprehensive clean energy power consumption and minimum cost for users. A comprehensive analysis of the proposed model was conducted using actual data from a certain province in China, the results show that the consumption of clean energy will increase by 3% to full consumption and the total cost of users will be 32% lower than that of time-of-use (TOU) power prices, which proves the potential of the proposed joint optimization model in absorbing clean energy and the effectiveness of the market mechanism.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is considered to be a microsporidial species of humans and animals in the worldwide. Limited data have been reported on the prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi in livestock and wild animals around Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area, which shares water sources, grasslands, and harsh climate with high altitudes. In this study, fecal samples from 110 Tibetan sheep, 128 yaks, 227 wild birds, 96 blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and 268 Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) around Qinghai Lake were collected, and then tested for E. bieneusi by PCR and sequencing analysis based on the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer. Among them, ten (9.09%) samples from Tibetan sheep, five (3.91%) from yaks, five (2.20%) from wild birds, one (1.04%) from wild blue sheep and two (0.75%) from Przewalski's gazelle were positive for E. bieneusi. Among sheep, there were nine E. bieneusi genotypes, including two known genotypes (BEB6 and J), and seven novel genotypes (named CHS18-CHS24). From yaks, four genotypes were identified, including two known ones (BEB4 and J) and two novel genotypes (named CHN15 and CHN16). While in wild animals, eight genotypes were found, including five different genotypes from wild bids, with three known genotypes (EbpC, J and NCF2), two novel genotypes (named CHWB1 and CHS24), and two genotypes from Przewalski's gazelle, with one known genotype J and one novel genotype CHWPG1, and one novel genotype CHWBS1 from blue sheep. According to the phylogenetic analysis, five isolates belonged to group 1, and the others were clustered into group 2. This study provides unique data on the epidemiological reports and potential risk factors for E. bieneusi in both domesticated livestock and wild animals around Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area; it is important to better understand the molecular epidemiology and zoonotic potential of E. bieneusi in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area.

Ischemic stroke is one of the most common public diseases that increase mortality. In the ischemic brain, blood flow restoration can cause the generation of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). Endogenous anti-oxidases in the living system, including catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), can consume the excess ROS by catalysis to regulate inflammation. However, these natural enzymes are difficult to be widely used in the treatment of stroke. Taking advantages of high stability, low cost, and long-term storage, antioxidative nanozymes-mediated treatments have been proven as a promising method against ischemic stroke. To highlight the progress, we summarize the advances in nanozymes with the antioxidative ability for treating ischemic stroke. It is believed that such a promising therapeutic strategy of antioxidative nanozymes will significantly contribute to the field of ischemic stroke. We expect that antioxidative nanozymes will play significant roles in both basic research and clinical applications.

Study region: The Upper Indus River Basin (UIB). Study focus: The UIB has experienced marked runoff change due to the accelerated glacier melting under climate warming. Nonetheless, the glacio-hydrological regime in the UIB remains unclear due to considerable uncertainties in precipitation data and glacio-hydrology modeling. Here, we used a state-of-the-art water and energy budget-based distributed glacio-hydrology model (WEB-DHM-S) that employed an energy-balance glacier module for both clean and debris-covered glaciers to analyze the hydrological regimes within the UIB during 2001–2020, particularly the spatial heterogeneity among the Himalaya-Karakoram-Hindu-Kush mountains. New hydrological insights for the region: Results indicated that the high-resolution ERA5-Land precipitation data showed the most reliable estimate (∼750 mm/yr) among available products, which was the model’s forcing data. Our results showed that the mean contributions of snow, glaciers, rainfall, and baseflow to total runoff in the UIB were 41.5%, 23.3%, 34.7%, and 0.5%, respectively. Glacial melting made the largest contribution to total runoff in the Karakoram (35.3%), while the smallest contribution was made in the Hindu Kush (15.9%). Further, we showed that glacial melting was highly sensitive to changes in air temperature and solar radiation inputs. In particular, fluctuating solar radiation could change the magnitude and timing of annual flood peaks in ice melting, which emphasized the crucial role of energy-related forcing data (besides the traditional precipitation and air temperature inputs) in glacio-hydrology modeling.

EDA variants are associated with X-linked hypohidrotic dysplasia. Here, the authors report the crystal structure of the human EDA-EDAR complex, reveal the important role of this complex in ectodermal development and uncover the structural mechanism of disease-related mutations in EDA.

As the Chinese population aged, the number of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients is gradually increased. Epidemiological studies have shown that tea consumption can help reduce the risk of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. It may be due to the ability of functional components contained in tea to regulate the main pathogenic factors of AD. In this article, the effects of tea functional components such as tea polyphenols, theanine, caffeine, theaflavin and tea saponin on the main pathogenic factors of AD are systematically summarized. The multi-target mechanism of tea functional components from aspects of β-amyloid, Tau protein, acetylcholine, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, etc., to effectively prevent AD is clarified. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for daily tea drinking to prevent AD and the development of tea functional ingredients.

Rainfall erosivity, which signifies the inherent susceptibility of soil erosion induced by precipitation, plays a fundamental role in formulating a comprehensive soil loss equation (RUSLE). It stands as a crucial determinant among the foundational factors considered in a comprehensive soil loss equation’s establishment. Nonetheless, the prediction and quantification of future alterations in rainfall erosivity under the influence of global warming have been relatively limited. In this study, climate change was widely evaluated and 10 preferred global climate models in the Loess Plateau were selected by using the data sets of 27 models simulating climate change and the CN05.1 data set provided by the latest CMIP6. The monthly precipitation forecast data were obtained by using the delta downscaling method. Combined with trend analysis, significance test, and coefficient of variation, the annual rainfall erosivity during 1961–2100 under four SSP scenarios was analyzed and predicted. Among the 27 GCM models used in this paper, the most suitable climate models for simulating monthly precipitation in the Loess Plateau were CMCC-CM2-SR5, CMCC-ESM2, TaiESM1, EC-Earth3, EC-Earth-Veg-LR, INM-CM4-8, CAS-ESM2-0, EC-Earth-Veg, ACCESS-ESM1-5, and IPSL-CM6A-LR. In comparison to the base period (1961–1990), during the historical period (1961–2014), the average annual rainfall erosivity on the Loess Plateau amounted to 1259.64 MJ·mm·hm−2·h−1·a−1, showing an insignificant downward trend. In the northwest of Ningxia, Yulin City and Yanan City showed a significant upward trend. In the future period (2015–2100), the annual rainfall erosivity continues to constantly change and increase. The potential average increase in rainfall erosivity is about 13.48–25.86%. In terms of spatial distribution, most areas showed an increasing trend. Among these regions, the majority of encompassed areas within Shanxi Province, central Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia increased greatly, which was not conducive to soil and water conservation and ecological environment construction. This study offers a scientific reference for the projected future erosivity characteristics of the Loess Plateau.

The northwestern region of China, known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Area (QTPA), is characterized by unique climate conditions that support the breeding of various highly-adapted livestock species. Tick vectors play a significant role in transmitting Babesia and Theileria species, posing serious risks to animal health as well as the economy of animal husbandry in QTPA. A total of 366 blood samples were collected from Tibetan sheep (n = 51), goats (n = 67), yaks (n = 43), cattle (n = 49), Bactrian camels (n = 50), horses (n = 65), and donkeys (n = 40). These samples were examined using conventional and nested PCR techniques to detect Theileria and Babesia species. The overall infection rates were 0.3% (1/366) for Babesia spp. and 38.2% (140/366) for Theileria spp. Notably, neither Babesia nor Theileria species were detected in donkeys and yaks. The infection rates of Babesia and Theileria species among animals in different prefectures were significantly different (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. caballi, and B. ovis were not detected in the current study. To our knowledge, this is the first documented detection of Theileria luwenshuni infection in Bactrian camels and goats, as well as T. sinesis in cattle and T. equi in horses on the Qinghai plateau. These novel findings shed light on the distribution of Babesia and Theileria species among livestock species in QTPA.

The South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) exerts a profound influence on South Asia and the southern Tibetan Plateau. The timing of its onset and withdrawal significantly impacts regional rainfall, a critical water source for agriculture and the economy. Various SASM indices, employing different variables, have been employed to gauge monsoon onset and withdrawal, each demonstrating distinct characteristics. This study provides a comprehensive comparison of prominent SASM indices related to onset and withdrawal, revealing similar timing but varying magnitudes. Across nearly all indices, a consistent pattern emerges, indicating a trend towards earlier onset and delayed retreat during 1979–2018, marked by pronounced interdecadal variability, with a notable turning point around 1997. The earlier onset and later retreat are likely to enhance rainfall and potential water resources for South Asia and the Tibetan Plateau. Delving into the mechanisms revealed a delayed connection between the SASM onset to the large-scale sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies characterized by the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) in the preceding spring, but a simultaneous connection between SASM withdrawl and ONI in autumn. Current index definitions, relying on single or dual variables, may fall short in accurately depicting monsoon onset and withdrawal. To address this, we introduce a novel monsoon index derived from multiple large-scale circulation variables, offering improved trend capture and enhanced representation of interannual variability in SASM onset and withdrawal. This study advances our understanding of SASM indices and their correlation with monsoon rainfall, providing insights into the dynamics of SASM onset and withdrawal.

The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau area (QTPA) features a unique environment that has witnessed the selective breeding of diverse breeds of domestic livestock exhibiting remarkable adaptability. Nevertheless, Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. represent tick-borne bacterial pathogens that pose a global threat and have substantial impacts on both human and animal health, as well as on the economy of animal husbandry within the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau area. In this study, a total of 428 samples were systematically collected from 20 distinct areas within the Qinghai Plateau. The samples included 62 ticks and 366 blood samples obtained from diverse animal species to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. The prevalence of infection in this study was determined as follows: Anaplasma bovis accounted for 16.4% (70/428), A. capra for 4.7% (20/428), A. ovis for 5.8% (25/428), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato for 6.3% (27/428), Coxiella burnetii for 0.7% (3/428), and Rickettsia spp. for 0.5% (2/428). Notably, no cases of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections were observed in this study. The findings revealed an elevated presence of these pathogens in Tibetan sheep and goats, with no infections detected in yaks, Bactrian camels, donkeys, and horses. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation of tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting goats, cattle, horses, and donkeys within the Qinghai Plateau of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau area. Consequently, our findings contribute valuable insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. within China.

Abstract A single‐layer reflective metasurface is proposed in this study to generate dual‐mode dual‐polarized high‐order Bessel vortex beams with equal divergence angle in Ka‐band. The metasurface consists of two different subwavelength elements with different polarisations, which are located in the inner disk region and the outer ring region respectively. The inner element, composed of a square ring and a regular octagon, is proposed to achieve a phase response of 360°. The outer element, which consists of a microstrip line and a double W‐shaped line, is designed to achieve the phase compensation and polarization conversion simultaneously. Equal divergence angle of different orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes is achieved by theoretically calculating the radii of the inner and outer regions. The metasurface prototype is fabricated and tested at 29 GHz, and the results show that the high‐order Bessel beams with +1 mode of x‐polarization and +2 mode of y‐polarization are successfully generated. This work provides a simple and practical method to generate dual‐mode dual‐polarized high‐order Bessel vortex beams for high‐capacity OAM communications.

Abstract Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite, causing one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in the world. In the present study water sources of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), China, where the hygienic infrastructure is still developing, were investigated. A total of 214 water samples of 10 L volume, were collected from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a slaughterhouse and rivers. The samples were filtered and then analysed using real-time PCR and multilocus genotyping. T. gondii DNA was found in four (1.9%) samples representing T. gondii type I; in one of them T. gondii-like oocysts were also confirmed microscopically. The approximate level of contamination of positive samples ranged between 30 and 2300 T. gondii sporozoites. The results of this study confirmed that T. gondii is present in wastewater in the greater metropolitan area of Xining and a neighbouring county. Contamination of wastewater at this level constitutes rather a moderate source of Toxoplasma infections in humans and animals. It suggests, however, a link between environmental exposure of animals, meat processing facilities and WWTPs. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation describing T. gondii detection in wastewater and environmental water samples collected from the territory of P.R. China using sensitive molecular tools.

Abstract Aged microglia display augmented inflammatory activity after neural injury. Although aging is a risk factor for poor outcome after brain insults, the precise impact of aging-related alterations in microglia on neural injury remains poorly understood. Microglia can be eliminated via pharmacological inhibition of the colony–stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R). Upon withdrawal of CSF1R inhibitors, microglia rapidly repopulate the entire brain, leading to replacement of the microglial compartment. In this study, we investigated the impact of microglial replacement in the aged brain on neural injury using a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) induced by collagenase injection. We found that replacement of microglia in the aged brain reduced neurological deficits and brain edema after ICH. Microglial replacement-induced attenuation of ICH injury was accompanied with alleviated blood-brain barrier disruption and leukocyte infiltration. Notably, newly repopulated microglia had reduced expression of IL-1β, TNF-α and CD86, and upregulation of CD206 in response to ICH. Our findings suggest that replacement of microglia in the aged brain restricts neuroinflammation and brain injury following ICH.

Abstract A pole‐converging X‐band low‐noise amplifier (LNA) using 130 nm CMOS technology is proposed. An on‐chip pole‐converging capacitor CPC is added between the gate and drain node of the common‐gate (CG) stage. The capacitor CPC combines with a noise‐reducing inductor L1 to converge poles into the desired band, which results in a pole‐converging effect and wideband performance. The proposed modified broadband simultaneous noise and input‐matching technique is adopted in triple‐cascode configuration to realize good input matching and a low noise figure (NF). Measurement results exhibit a flat maximum power gain of 17.6 dB from 8 to 12 GHz and a reverse isolation over 60 dB within the desired bandwidth along with an NF ranging from 1.5 to 3.6 dB. The LNA core dissipates 17 mW from 2.4 V supply, and the chip size occupies 1.1 × 0.9 mm2 including all pads. The simulated and measured results show good agreement from 8 to 12 GHz.

Mountain is called the water towers of the world. Due to high sensitivity and vulnerability to climate change, more attention is paid to the change of water resources in mountain regions, where provide water for environmental and human demands downstream. Mountains glacier, as one of the most important components of terrestrial water storage (TWS), effectively regulates and stabilizes surface water resources. TWS appears to be trending below previous ranges in recent years, and glacier retreating is becoming the primary cause of TWS depletion in mountain regions. However, how much mountain glacier changes contribute to TWS changes around mountain regions is unknown. Here, we combine multi-source datasets to quantify the contribution rate over high-elevation mountain regions. On a global scale, the glacial melting is equivalent to about 49% of the total TWS decline during 2006–2015. TWS and glacier show decreasing trends in most of mountain regions and watersheds of the Third Pole and surroundings (TPs), but the contribution ranges from −23% to 728% in mountain regions and −21% to 99% in watersheds of TPs. There are larger contributions in regions with more glaciers, while smaller in less glacier-covered regions. Glacier together with other storage components play diverse roles across different mountain regions and watersheds, but factors with great influence are glacier, groundwater, soil water, reservoirs and lakes.

Study region: The Yellow River Basin in China. Study focus: The discharge in the lowlands of a watershed is susceptible to the variations in its high-altitude headwaters in terms of climate, land cover/use and anthropogenic interference. This study not only focuses on the key role of the high-altitude headwaters of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) on the water supply in its droughty downstream lowlands, but also analyzes the contributions of the headwaters’ changes to affect the variations of discharge in the entire basin especially in the early 21st century compared to the last half of the 20th century. New hydrological insights for the region: The results indicated that more than 1/3 of the actual flow out of the headwaters of the YRB supported the excessive water demand (mainly for irrigation) downstream. The observed discharge (QObs) increased by 44.07% in the YRB as a whole before and after the mutation year 2002 during 1986–2019, and 76.45% of the discharge increment derived from the headwaters. The increasing precipitation in the headwaters dominated the discharge recovery of the YRB, and resulted in a relative increase of 36.28% in the QObs of the entire YRB; whereas the variations of the headwaters in terms of potential evapotranspiration, land cover and water use for human activities have decreased the QObs of the entire YRB by 4.68%, 2.07% and 5.10%, respectively.

Abstract The authors propose a 4 × 4 circularly polarized (CP) antenna array with wide impedance bandwidth and axial‐ratio (AR) bandwidth and design the same for 60‐GHz applications. The overall structure of the proposed antenna array consists of a cavity‐back circular patch array and two layer feed‐networks. The upper feed‐network is with four TE340 high‐order mode substrate integrated cavities (SIC). Fed with SIC, circular patches with a pair of 42°‐inclined slits can achieve circular polarization. In order to improve the AR bandwidth and gain performance, the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) sequential rotation feeding technique is utilized in the lower feed‐network. For proof of concept, the 4 × 4 array is fabricated and measured. Measured results show that −10‐dB impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna array is 27.2% from 52 to 68.4 GHz and 3‐dB AR bandwidth is 18.9% from 55.7 to 67.3 GHz. Furthermore, the 3‐dB gain bandwidth is 26.2% from 53 to 69 GHz with a peak gain reaching 19.3 dBic at 62 GHz.

Air pollution, an influencing factor for decision-making behavior, is closely related to company risk-taking, which affects high-quality economic development. Based on a fixed effect model, using the panel data of non-financial listed companies from China’s A-share markets from 2011 to 2019, this study empirically analyzes the influence of air pollution on company risk-taking and the moderating role of digital finance. The benchmark regression results reveal that air pollution has a significantly negative impact on company risk-taking. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital finance that is not “green development-oriented” can strengthen such relationship. The results of the heterogeneity analysis demonstrate that the negative impact of air pollution on risk-taking is more significant within private companies and those located in the eastern and central regions. Digital finance impacts companies with strict financing constraints more significantly. This study provides a reference for reducing the negative impact of air pollution on high-quality economic development.

In this paper, an octagonal shorted annular ring (OSAR) antenna array is presented based on 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology without any post-processes. The OSAR antenna consists of annular ring patch, an array of shorted pins and ground which is formed a cavity to enhance the gain and reduce surface waves. The 1 x 2 OSAR antenna array is designed and fabricated with the die area of 550 x 1100μm2. The measured -10-dB impedance bandwidth is more than 17 GHz (303-320 GHz). The proposed on-chip antenna array is achieved a measurement perk gain of 4.1 dBi at 320 GHz and the simulated radiation efficiency of 38 %.

In this paper, the harmonic multiple loop detection (HMLD) algorithm for heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (RR) estimation with impulse radio ultrawideband (IR-UWB) radar is introduced. The algorithm includes two parts: one is the harmonic multiple discriminant principle and the other is the cyclic spectrum updating process. The harmonic multiple discriminant principle is used to detect whether the peak point in the fundamental frequency band is the true vital sign signal. The cyclic spectrum updating process can remove the error peak point according to the results obtained from the part one. In this algorithm, threshold setting is not needed and the estimation error caused by the erroneous threshold can be reduced. Only the fundamental and second harmonic frequencies are needed for HR and RR estimation, so the algorithm has strong environmental robustness and low requirement of radar hardwares. Compared with other algorithms, HMLD algorithm provides reasonable average error rates (4.95% and 5.06%) compared to real data from the oximeter in RR and HR detection. The real-time vital signs detection experiment shows that HMLD algorithm can not only detect the vital signs rate and record the historical curve in real time, but also detect the location information, which proves the validity of HMLD algorithm in real-time vital signs detection.

The Wilson-Cowan model can emulate gamma oscillations, and thus is extensively used to research the generation of gamma oscillations closely related to cognitive functions. Previous studies have revealed that excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the model can modulate its gamma oscillations. Inhibitory and excitatory self-feedback loops are important structural features of the model, however, its functional role in the regulation of gamma oscillations in the model is still unclear. In the present study, bifurcation analysis and spectrum analysis are employed to elucidate the regulating mechanism of gamma oscillations underlined by the inhibitory and excitatory self-feedback loops, especially how the two self-feedback loops cooperate to generate the gamma oscillations and regulate the oscillation frequency. The present results reveal that, on one hand, the inhibitory self-feedback loop is not conducive to the generation of gamma oscillations, and increased inhibitory self-feedback strength facilitates the enhancement of the oscillation frequency. On the other hand, the excitatory self-feedback loop promotes the generation of gamma oscillations, and increased excitatory self-feedback strength leads to the decrease of oscillation frequency. Finally, theoretical analysis is conducted to provide explain on how the two self-feedback loops play a crucial role in the generation and regulation of neural oscillations in the model. To sum up, Inhibitory and excitatory self-feedback loops play a complementary role in generating and regulating the gamma oscillation in Wilson-Cowan model, and cooperate to bidirectionally regulate the gamma-oscillation frequency in a more flexible manner. These results might provide testable hypotheses for future experimental research.

The large-scale circulation, Indian summer monsoon (ISM), has a strong influence on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) since its onset and intensity have profound impacts on regional precipitation, which then can supply water for glaciers, lakes, rivers and social demands. Weakening monsoon intensity and longer monsoon duration seem contradictory, as a weaker monsoon tends to produce less precipitation, while a longer duration increases the probability of precipitation. Past research has focused on how ISM’s intensity affects precipitation, with little consideration of the impacts of ISM duration. Here, we investigate the long-term (1979–2100) variability in the ISM’s duration and intensity. We find a prolonged ISM from 1979 to 2018, accompanied by monsoon weakening. Different combinations of duration and intensity have resulted in different spatial patterns of precipitation across the southeastern TP. Weakening and prolonged ISM is helpful to produce more precipitation around the southeastern TP, with intensity acting as a dominant control. Afterwards, an obvious impact can be found on potential water availability. Climate projections suggest that the ISM will weaken and lengthen until 2100, thereby increasing precipitation and potential water availability across the southeastern TP. This long-term trend should receive more attentions as increased regional extreme precipitation will increase the probability of flood risks until the end of this century.

In this paper, a TE340-mode substrate-integrated cavity (SIC) excited 2 x 2 slot antenna subarray with two TE210-mode SICs' loading is presented at 140 GHz in low-temperature co-fired ceramic. By using the TE340-mode SIC, the number of vias used in the feeding network and the area of the feeding network can be reduced compared to the feeding network composed of conventional TE10/TE20-mode SIW power dividers. The proposed simplified and miniaturized high-order mode SIC-based feeding network leads to lower transmission loss and fabrication cost and reduces the fabrication difficulty. Each pair of radiating slots is loaded by a TE210-mode SIC to improve the impedance bandwidth and the gain performance. For the proof of concept, an 8 x 8 antenna array is further designed and measured. The measured impedance bandwidth of the proposed 8 x 8 antenna array is 10.7% from 130.3 to 145 GHz for |S11| ≤ -10 dB. The measured peak gain is 20.5 dBi. The measured radiation efficiency is 59.2%.

In this paper, high-order orbital angular momentum (OAM) vortex beams (OAMVBs) are generated using reflective metasurface. Generating high-order OAMVBs using traditional reflective metasurface methods deteriorates the radiation performance that affects the mode purity of OAMVBs. A reflective metasurface is proposed to generate the OAMVBs with l = 4 mode at the designed frequency of 6 GHz. It is revealed that the radiation performance has been improved and mode purity for l = 4 is increased 12.6% by using quarter wavelength unit cell and circular aperture metasurface as compared to the conventional metasurface at the designed frequency. Moreover, the reflective metasurface can generate the OAMVBs with l = 4 mode from 5 GHz to 7.5 GHz. The measured gain is 17.93 dBi which agrees well with the simulated gain.

The tripolarized MIMO system can provide one more degree of freedom and have a more compacted size over a dual-polarized MIMO system, which is attractive for high-capacity wireless communication systems. In this paper, we analyze and model channel properties for tripolarized MIMO systems based on experimental channel measurements in typical indoor and outdoor scenarios. Firstly, channel measurement campaigns in the laboratory and the Urban Micro (UMi) scenarios on sub-6 GHz bands are presented. Then, based on measured data, path loss, delay spread (DS), and cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) for 9 polarization combinations are analyzed and modeled in a statistical way. Statistical results of these channel properties are also given. It is observed that channel properties of both large-scale fading and small-scale fading depend strongly on the polarization direction. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance of tripolarized MIMO systems by analyzing the Demmel condition number and channel capacity gain (CG). For both the indoor and the outdoor scenarios, it is found that colocated tripolarized antenna can bring a nearly threefold CG with respect to the unipolarized one. These results can give good insights into the design and evaluation of tripolarized MIMO systems.

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a fatal subtype of stroke that lacks effective therapy. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage is a hallmark of ICH-induced brain injury that leads to edema formation, leukocytes infiltration, influx of blood components into the perihematomal (PHE) region, and eventually brain injury. Astrocytes are essential for the formation and maintenance of the BBB by providing secreted molecules that contribute to the association between these cells. Sonic hedgehog (SHH) derived from astrocytes promotes the maturity and integrity of the BBB by upregulating tight junctions (TJs) in brain capillary endothelial cells (ECs). However, the effect of SHH on BBB in ICH has not been investigated.Methods: Cyclopamine (CYC) is a potent, selective inhibitor that specifically blocks the SHH signaling pathway. Here, we used pharmacological inhibitions (CYC and its derivatives) to determine a critical role of the SHH signaling pathway in promoting BBB integrity after ICH by mechanisms of regulating the TJ proteins in vivo and in vitro.Results: The expression of astrocytic SHH was upregulated in mouse brains after ICH. Compared with the vehicle-treated group, inhibition of the SHH signaling pathway with CYC and its derivatives treatments aggravated neurological function deficits, brain edema, hematoma volume, and BBB impairment by downregulating TJs in ECs through the SHH-Gli-1 axis in vivo and in vitro.Conclusions: SHH signaling pathway at the level of the BBB provides a barrier-promoting effect, suggesting that the SHH signaling pathway may function as a potential therapeutic target for restoring BBB function in ICH.

This study aimed to investigate the presence of L-lysine (Lys) on the solubility and structures of myofibrillar proteins (MFPs) at different ionic strengths. Porcine MFPs were incubated at 4 °C with various levels of ionic strengths (0.15, 0.3, or 0.6 M NaCl) with or without the presence of 20 or 40 mM Lys. After 24 h of incubation, MFP solubility and turbidity were determined, and the particle size distribution, circular dichroism spectra, and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of MFP were analyzed to obtain their secondary and tertiary structure. Results showed that the solubilization effects of Lys on MFPs are dependent on the ionic strength. Particularly, the presence of Lys could improve MFP solubility at 0.3 M, which resembles salt-reducing processing conditions. Concomitantly, the secondary and tertiary structures were observed to change as a result of the varying ionic strengths and the addition of Lys, including myofibril swelling, dissociation of myosin filaments, uncoiling of α-helix, and unfolding of the tertiary structure. The possible mechanisms underlying the solubilization effects of Lys on MFPs at low ionic strengths are discussed from the perspective of protein structural changes.

Abstract With the increasing pressure from population growth and economic development, northern China (NC) faces a grand challenge of water scarcity, which can be further exacerbated by climatic and societal changes. The South‐to‐North Water Diversion (SNWD) project is designed to mitigate the water scarcity in NC. However, few studies have quantified the impact of the SNWD on water scarcity within the context of climatic and societal changes and its potential effects on economic and agricultural food in the region. We used water supply stress index (WaSSI) to quantify water scarcity within the context of environmental change in NC and developed a method to estimate the economic and agricultural impacts of the SNWD. Focuses were put on alleviating the water supply shortage and economic and agricultural benefits for the water‐receiving NC. We find that societal changes, especially economic growth, are the major contributors to water scarcity in NC during 2009–2099. To completely mitigate the water scarcity of NC, at least an additional water supply of 13 billion m3/year (comparable to the annual diversion water by SNWD Central Route) will be necessary. Although SNWD alone cannot provide the full solution to NC's water shortage in next few decades, it can significantly alleviate the water supply stress in NC (particularly Beijing), considerably increasing the agricultural production (more than 115 Tcal/year) and bringing economic benefits (more than 51 billion RMB/year) through supplying industrial and domestic water use. Additionally, the transfer project could have impacts on the ecological environment in the exporting regions.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver condition characterized by a significant accumulation of lipids in the liver without excessive alcohol consumption. Accumulating evidence suggests a significantly increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in NAFLD patients. However, it remains poorly understood whether and how NAFLD affects the outcome of hemorrhagic brain injury. Here, we examined the effects of diet-induce NAFLD on ICH injury and neuroinflammation in mice.Methods: NAFLD was induced in C57BL/6 mice by feeding with a methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks. Collagenase and autologous blood models were used to evaluate the effects of NAFLD on ICH injury and neuroinflammation.Results: MCD diet for 4 weeks induces NAFLD and hyperlipidemia in mice. Mice receiving the MCD diet have aggravated neurological deficits and brain edema after ICH. The augmentation of ICH injury was accompanied by brain infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes and increased production of pro-inflammatory factors. Before ICH, MCD diet-induced mobilization of neutrophils and monocytes in the periphery. Notably, the detrimental effects of NAFLD on ICH injury was ablated in mice receiving antibody depletion of neutrophils and monocytes.Conclusions: These results suggest that NAFLD exacerbates neuroinflammation and ICH injury.

Since the 20th century, due to global warming, permafrost areas have undergone significant changes. The degradation of permafrost has complicated water cycle processes. Taking the upper Yellow River basin (UYRB) as a demonstration, this study discusses the long-term (1960–2019) changes in frozen ground and their hydrological effects with a cryosphere-hydrology model, in particular a permafrost version of the water and energy budget-based distributed hydrological model. The permafrost at the UYRB, with thickening active layer and lengthening thawing duration, has degraded by 10.8%. The seasonally frozen ground has a more pronounced intra-annual regulation that replenishes surface runoff in the warm season, while the degradation of permafrost leads to a runoff increase. The occurrence of extreme events at the UYRB has gradually decreased with the degradation of frozen ground, but spring droughts and autumn floods become more serious. The results may help better understand the hydrological impacts of permafrost degradation in the Tibetan Plateau.

Abstract Background Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporters, which exist widely in plants, function as crucial regulators in plant resistance to aluminum (Al) toxicity by inducing citrate efflux. However, the functions of most MATE family members in soybean (Glycine soja) remain to be elucidated. Results Expression pattern analysis showed that GsMATE was constitutively expressed in different soybean organs, with the highest level in root compared with those in stem, leaf and cotyledon. In addition, Al stress induced expression of GsMATE in soybean. Temporal analysis indicated that GsMATE expression was greatly enhanced by increasing concentrations of aluminum [Al3+] after short exposure, reaching the high levels detected in the BW69 (Al-resistant) and the JW81 (Al-sensitive) lines of Glycine soja of wild soybean at 6 h and 8 h, respectively. Furthermore, transient GsMATE expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that GsMATE protein localized to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of GsMATE on an Arabidopsis columbia-0 (Col-0) background resulted in increased Al tolerance in transgenic plants. Analysis of hematoxylin staining showed that the roots of GsMATE transgenic lines were stained less intensely than those of the wild-type exposured to the same AlCl3 concentrations. Therefore, GsMATE enhanced the resistance of transgenic plants to Al toxicity by reducing Al accumulation in Arabidopsis roots. Conclusions In summary, our results indicate that GsMATE is responsive to aluminum stress and may participate in the regulation of sensitivity to Al toxicity in Arabidopsis. In addition, the GsMATE protein is an Al-induced citrate transporter of the MATE family and exerts an essential role in Al tolerance in Glycine soja.

A broadband and high-gain substrate integrated waveguide (SIW)-fed antenna array is demonstrated for 5G applications. Aperture coupling is adopted as the interconnecting method in the twolayer SIW feeding network. Two pairs of metallic posts act as dipoles and are surrounded by an air-filled cavity. The height of the cavity is designed to be higher than that of the posts to broaden the bandwidth. The measured impedance bandwidth of the proposed 8×8 antenna array is 16.3% from 35.4 to 41.7 GHz for |S11| ≤ -10 dB, and the measured peak gain is 26.7 dBi at 40 GHz. The measured radiation efficiency of the antenna array is 83.2% at 40 GHz. The proposed antenna array which is suitable for 5G applications at 37 and 39 GHz bands shows stable radiation patterns, high gain, and broad bandwidth.

Cigarette smoke is a major preventable risk factor of ischemic stroke. Cigarette smoke induces a significant increase in circulating leukocytes. However, it remains unclear to what extent and by what mechanisms smoke priming influences stroke severity. Here we report that exposure to cigarette smoke exacerbated ischemic brain injury in mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The augmentation of neurodeficits and brain infarction was accompanied by increased production of pro-inflammatory factors and brain infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes. Prior to brain ischemia, exposure to cigarette smoke induced mobilization of peripheral neutrophils, and monocytes. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of smoke priming on ischemic brain injury were abolished either by pharmacological inhibition of the recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes or by blockade of the NLRP3 inflammasome, an effector protein of neutrophils and monocytes. Our findings suggest that cigarette smoke-induced mobilization of peripheral neutrophils and monocytes augments ischemic brain injury.

Allocation of biomass to different organs is a fundamental aspect of plant responses and adaptations to changing environmental conditions, but how it responds to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability remains poorly addressed. Here we conducted greenhouse fertilization experiments using Arabidopsis thaliana, with five levels of N and P additions and eight repeat experiments, to ascertain the effects of N and P availability on biomass allocation patterns. N addition increased leaf and stem allocation, but decreased root and fruit allocation. P addition increased stem and fruit allocation, but decreased root and leaf allocation. Pooled data of the five levels of N addition relative to P addition resulted in lower scaling exponents of stem mass against leaf mass (0.983 vs. 1.226; p = 0.000), fruit mass against vegetative mass (0.875 vs. 1.028; p = 0.000), and shoot mass against root mass (1.069 vs. 1.324; p = 0.001). This suggested that N addition relative to P addition induced slower increase in stem mass with increasing leaf mass, slower increase in reproductive mass with increasing vegetative mass, and slower increase in shoot mass with increasing root mass. Further, the levels of N or P addition did not significantly affect the allometric relationships of stem mass vs. leaf mass, and fruit mass vs. vegetative mass. In contrast, increasing levels of N addition increased the scaling exponent of shoot to root mass, whereas increasing levels of P addition exerted the opposite influence on the scaling exponent. This result suggests that increasing levels of N addition promote allocation to shoot mass, whereas the increasing levels of P addition promote allocation to root mass. Our findings highlight that biomass allocation of A. thaliana exhibits a contrasting response to N and P availability, which has profound implications for forecasting the biomass allocation strategies in plants to human-induced nutrient enrichment.

Collecting in situ observations from remote, high mountain rivers presents major challenges, yet real-time, high temporal resolution (e.g., daily) discharge data are critical for flood hazard mitigation and river management. In this study, we propose a method for estimating daily river discharge (RD) based on free, operational remote sensing precipitation data (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), since 2001). In this method, an exponential filter was implemented to produce a new precipitation time series from daily basin-averaged precipitation data to model the time lag of precipitation in supplying RD, and a linear-regression relationship was constructed between the filtered precipitation time series and observed discharge records. Because of different time lags in the wet season (rainfall-dominant) and dry season (snowfall-dominant), the precipitation data were processed in a segmented way (from June to October and from November to May). The method was evaluated at two hydrological gauging stations in the Upper Brahmaputra (UB) river basin, where Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) coefficients for Nuxia (>0.85) and Yangcun (>0.80) indicate good performance. By using the degree-day method to estimate the snowmelt and acquire the time series of new active precipitation (rainfall plus snowmelt) in the target basins, the discharge estimations were improved (NSE > 0.9 for Nuxia) compared to the original data. This makes the method applicable for most rivers on the Tibetan Plateau, which are fed mainly by precipitation (including snowfall) and are subject to limited human interference. The method also performs well for reanalysis precipitation data (Chinese Meteorological Forcing Dataset (CMFD), 1980–2000). The real-time or historical discharges can be derived from satellite precipitation data (or reanalysis data for earlier historical years) by using our method.

Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have changed dramatically as a result of climate change during recent decades. Studying the changes in long-term lake water storage (LWS) is of great importance for regional water security and ecosystems. Nam Co Lake is the second largest lake in the central TP. To investigate the long-term changes in LWS, a distributed cryosphere-hydrology model (WEB-DHM) driven by multi-source data was evaluated and then applied to simulate hydrological processes across the whole Nam Co Lake basin from 1980 to 2016. Firstly, a comparison of runoff (lake inflow), land surface temperature, and snow depth between the model simulations and observations or remote sensing products showed that WEB-DHM could accurately simulate hydrological processes in the basin. Meanwhile, the simulated daily LWS was in good agreement with satellite-derived data during 2000–2016. Secondly, long-term simulations showed that LWS increased by 9.26 km3 during 1980–2016, reaching a maximum in 2010 that was 10.25 km3 greater than that in 1980. During this period, LWS firstly decreased (1980–1987), then increased (1988–2008), and decreased again (2009–2016). Thirdly, the contributions of precipitation runoff, melt-water runoff, lake surface precipitation, and lake evaporation to Nam Co LWS were 71%, 33%, 24%, and -28%, respectively. Snow and glacier melting have significantly intensified during recent decades (2.96 m3 s−1/decade on average), contributing a mean proportion of 22% of lake inflows. These findings are consistent with the significant increasing trends of annual precipitation and temperature in the lake basin (25 mm/decade and 0.4 K/decade, respectively). We conclude that long-term variations in Nam Co LWS during 1980–2016 were largely controlled by precipitation; however, the contribution of precipitation runoff to total lake inflow has decreased while the contribution from warming-induced snow and glacier melting has significantly increased.

Reliable information about river discharge plays a key role in sustainably managing water resources and better understanding of hydrological systems. Therefore, river discharge estimation using remote sensing techniques is an ongoing research goal, especially in small, headwater catchments which are mostly ungauged due to environmental or financial limitations. Here, a novel method for river discharge estimation based entirely on remote sensing-derived parameters is presented. The model inputs include average river width, estimated from Landsat imagery by using the modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) approach; average depth and velocity, based on empirical equations with inputs from remote sensing; channel slope from a high resolution shuttle radar topography mission digital elevation model (SRTM DEM); and channel roughness coefficient via further analysis and classification of Landsat images with support of previously published values. The discharge of the Lhasa River was then estimated based on these derived parameters and by using either the Manning equation (Model 1) or Bjerklie equation (Model 2). In general, both of the two models tend to overestimate discharge at moderate and high flows, and underestimate discharge at low flows. The overall performances of both models at the Lhasa gauge were satisfactory: comparisons with the observations yielded Nash−Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) and R2 values ≥ 0.886. Both models also performed well at the upper gauge (Tanggya) of the Lhasa River (NSE ≥ 0.950) indicating the transferability of the methodology to river cross-sections with different morphologies, thus demonstrating the potential to quantify streamflow entirely from remote sensing data in poorly-gauged or ungauged rivers on the Tibetan Plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area (QTPA) is a plateau with the highest average altitude, located in Northwestern China. There is a risk for interspecies disease transmission, such as spotted fever rickettsioses. However, information on the molecular characteristics of the spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. in the area is limited. This study performed screenings, and detected the DNA of human pathogen, SFG Rickettsia spp., with 11.3% (25/222) infection rates in yaks (Bos grunniens). BLASTn analysis revealed that the Rickettsia sequences obtained shared 94.3–100% identity with isolates of Rickettsia spp. from ticks in China. One Rickettsia sequence (MN536161) had 100% nucleotide identity to two R. raoultii isolates from Chinese Homo sapiens, and one isolate from Qinghai Dermacentor silvarum. Meanwhile, another Rickettsia sequence (MN536157) shared 99.1–99.5% identity to one isolate from Dermacentor spp. in China. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis of SFG Rickettsia spp. ompA gene revealed that these two sequences obtained from yaks in the present study grouped with the R. slovaca and R. raoultii clades with isolates identified from Dermacentor spp. and Homo sapiens. Our findings showed the first evidence of human pathogen DNA, SFG Rickettsia spp., from animals, in the QTPA.

Originating from the southern slope of Himalaya, the Karnali River poses a high flood risk at downstream regions during the monsoon season (June to September). This paper presents comprehensive hazard mapping and risk assessments in the downstream region of the Karnali River basin for different return-period floods, with the aid of the HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System). The assessment was conducted on a ~38 km segment of the Karnali River from Chisapani to the Nepal−India border. To perform hydrodynamic simulations, a long-term time series of instantaneous peak discharge records from the Chisapani gauging station was collected. Flooding conditions representing 2-, 5-, 10-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 1000-year return periods (YRPs) were determined using Gumbel’s distribution. With an estimated peak discharge of up to 29,910 m3/s and the flood depths up to 23 m in the 1000-YRP, the area vulnerable to flooding in the study domain extends into regions on both the east and west banks of the Karnali River. Such flooding in agricultural land poses a high risk to food security, which directly impacts on residents’ livelihoods. Furthermore, the simulated flood in 2014 (equivalent to a 100-YRP) showed a high level of impact on physical infrastructure, affecting 51 schools, 14 health facilities, 2 bus-stops, and an airport. A total of 132 km of rural−urban roads and 22 km of highways were inundated during the flood. In summary, this study can support in future planning and decision-making for improved water resources management and development of flood control plans on the southern slope of Himalaya.