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Abstract Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has emerged as a predominant liver disease worldwide, lacking approved drugs for clinical intervention at present. The composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) is used to assess the anti-inflammatory properties of diets, with higher CDAI indicating greater exposure to antioxidants. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the relationship between CDAI and MASLD in order to identify potential therapeutic approaches. We collected data from 12,286 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2017 to 2020 for analysis. The correlation between CDAI and MASLD status, controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) was evaluated by adjusting for confounding variables using weighted binary logistic regression model, linear regression model, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression. The median CDAI in this study was − 0.3055 (interquartile range [IQR], − 2.299 to 2.290). The CDAI was higher in the population characterized by being young, female, higher income, absence of diabetes, and non-MASLD. After multivariable adjustment, the results of the weighted linear regression model suggested that higher CDAI may be associated with a decrease in CAP values; the results of the RCS regression model indicated significant non-linear relationships between MASLD status, CAP, LSM, and CDAI. The CDAI corresponding to the inflection points of the relationship curves between MASLD status, CAP, LSM, and CDAI were 0.349, 0.699, and 0.174, respectively. After further stratification by gender, we found that the relationship between MASLD status, CAP, and CDAI was significantly linear for females, whereas for males, it was non-linear, and the CDAI values corresponding to the inflection points in the curves for males were 1.325 and 0.985, respectively. We found that higher CDAI may be associated with decreased CAP values, particularly significant in females, suggesting that the intake of complex dietary antioxidants may ameliorate hepatic steatosis and reduce the occurrence of MASLD. Therefore, promoting dietary patterns rich in antioxidants may be an appropriate strategy to reduce the incidence of MASLD.

Abstract Background Simulation models play an increasingly important role in tobacco control. Models examining the impact of nicotine vaping products (NVPs) and smoking tend to be highly specialized and inaccessible. We present the Smoking and Vaping Model (SAVM),a user-friendly cohort-based simulation model, adaptable to any country, that projects the public health impact of smokers switching to NVPs. Methods SAVM compares two scenarios. The No-NVP scenario projects smoking rates in the absence of NVPs using population projections, deaths rates, life expectancy, and smoking prevalence. The NVP scenario models vaping prevalence and its impact on smoking once NVPs became popular. NVP use impact is estimated as the difference in smoking- and vaping-attributable deaths (SVADs) and life-years lost (LYLs) between the No-NVP and NVP scenarios. We illustrate SAVM’s adaptation to the German adult ages 18+ population, the Germany-SAVM by adjusting the model using population, mortality, smoking and NVP use data. Results Assuming that the excess NVP mortality risk is 5% that of smoking, Germany-SAVM projected 4.7 million LYLs and almost 300,000 SVADs averted associated with NVP use from 2012 to 2060. Increasing the excess NVP mortality risk to 40% with other rates constant resulted in averted 2.8 million LYLs and 200,000 SVADs during the same period. Conclusions SAVM enables non-modelers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to analyze the potential population health effects of NVP use and public health interventions.

In recent years, pollution stemming from pharmaceuticals has garnered widespread global concern, which exacerbates the ecological risk to both surface and groundwater. In the current study, Fe and O co-embedded biochar (Fe-O-BC) was synthesized through a one-step pyrolysis procedure with corncob serving as the feedstock. The fabricated Fe-O-BC catalysts were characterized by various techniques and were employed for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade tetracycline (TC). TC was rapidly degraded within 40 min, with a degradation rate of 0.1225 min−1, which was much higher than those for O-BC/PMS (0.0228 min−1) and Fe-BC/PMS (0.0271 min−1) under the same conditions. The effects of PMS dosage, Fe-O-BC dose, initial pH value and coexisting anions for TC degradation were investigated. Finally, the mechanism of TC oxidation in the catalytic system was implored through experiments of determining the active sites and radical scavenging experiments. The C-O-Fe bond in the catalyst was confirmed to be the dominant active sites accelerating TC degradation. Free diffused HO•, the surface-bound HO• and SO4•− and O2•−participated in the reaction and absorbed SO4•−, and HO• predominantly contributed to TC degradation. This study provides an efficient and green alternative for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment by Fe and O co-doped catalyst-induced heterogeneous process.

Study region: The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, China. Study focus: Under the background of global warming, drought-flood abrupt alternation (DFAA) events are occurred frequently, with substantial impact on ecosystems and water resources. Therefore, this study calculated the Standard Weighted Average Precipitation (SWAP) based on daily precipitation to verify the applicability of SWAP in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin (MLRYRB). The response of Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) anomaly to DFAA events was determined based on lagged time correlation coefficients. Finally, based on Partial Wavelet Coherence (PWC), the impact of atmospheric circulation factors on the response relationship between DFAA events and vegetation was analyzed. New hydrological insights for the region: The results indicate that: (1) the evolutionary characteristics of DFAA events determined by SWAP were consistent with historical records. (2) the DFAA events frequency with most regions experiencing 8–11 events during 2001–2019, with intensity of 2–3, and in the northern and southwestern Jiangxi and southeastern Hubei regions were more intensive and frequently. (3) the stronger correlations were mainly in eastern Guizhou and eastern Jiangxi, with SIF anomaly more sensitive to SWAP at 2-month lag time. (4) The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and sunspots have a significant influence on the response relationship between DFAA events and vegetation anomaly. This research can provide a scientific basis for the integrated response to DFAA events and ecological management in the MLRYRB.

Recent studies revealed that the greening in China has difficulty crossing the Hu-Line. However, the greening pattern and its driving factors remain unclear. Therefore, we explored NDVI spatio-temporal pattern and their key driving forces between southeastern and northwestern of the Hu-line from 2000 to 2020 using GDM (the geographical detector model) and trend analysis method. The following results were obtained: (1) Overall, NDVI showed a fluctuating upward trend in China over the study period, indicating greening. Although vegetation had improved significantly (48.11%) on the southeastern region of the Hu-line, it had significantly degraded (24.71%) on the northwestern region. The degradation of vegetation cover on unused and construction land was larger than the proportion of improvement. (2) GDM could identify the effect of single-factors on the NDVI variables on both side regions of the Hu-line. P (precipitation), POP (population density), and DEM (Digital Elevation), dominated NDVI’s spatial pattern in China. ET (evapotranspiration), ST (soil types) and POP had the strongest influence on the southeastern region, whereas P was the dominant factor on the northwestern region. In addition, POP, GDP (gross domestic product) and TEM (temperature) dominated the overall trend of NDVI. (3) Seven factors influenced and verged vegetation NDVI spatial distribution and change trends of vegetation were enhanced by their interaction. Overall, China is becoming greener. For various land-use types, natural factors (such as P and DEM) dominated vegetation NDVI pattern. Nevertheless, anthropogenic factors governed NDVI pattern of construction land. Anthropogenic factors mainly controlled NDVI tendency variations. The findings could effectively explain greening on both side regions of the Hu-line, and provide information for decision-making on vegetation restoration and ecological protection.

Soil contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been an environmental issue worldwide, which aggravates the ecological risks faced by animals, plants, and humans. In this work, the composites of nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on carbonylated activated carbon (nZVI-CAC) were prepared and applied to activate persulfate (PS) for the degradation of PAHs in contaminated soil. The prepared nZVI-CAC catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the PS/nZVI-CAC system was superior for phenanthrene (PHE) oxidation than other processes using different oxidants (PS/nZVI-CAC > PMS/nZVI-CAC > H2O2/nZVI-CAC) and it was also efficient for the degradation of other six PAHs with different structures and molar weights. Under optimal conditions, the lowest and highest degradation efficiencies for the selected PAHs were 60.8% and 90.7%, respectively. Active SO4−• and HO• were found to be generated on the surface of the catalysts, and SO4−• was dominant for PHE oxidation through quenching experiments. The results demonstrated that the heterogeneous process using activated PS with nZVI-CAC was effective for PAH degradation, which could provide a theoretical basis for the remediation of PAH-polluted soil.

Abstract The discovery of magnetic order in atomically-thin van der Waals materials has strengthened the alliance between spintronics and two-dimensional materials. An important use of magnetic two-dimensional materials in spintronic devices, which has not yet been demonstrated, would be for coherent spin injection via the spin-pumping effect. Here, we report spin pumping from Cr2Ge2Te6 into Pt or W and detection of the spin current by inverse spin Hall effect. The magnetization dynamics of the hybrid Cr2Ge2Te6/Pt system are measured, and a magnetic damping constant of ~ 4–10 × 10−4 is obtained for thick Cr2Ge2Te6 flakes, a record low for ferromagnetic van der Waals materials. Moreover, a high interface spin transmission efficiency (a spin mixing conductance of 2.4 × 1019/m2) is directly extracted, which is instrumental in delivering spin-related quantities such as spin angular momentum and spin-orbit torque across an interface of the van der Waals system. The low magnetic damping that promotes efficient spin current generation together with high interfacial spin transmission efficiency suggests promising applications for integrating Cr2Ge2Te6 into low-temperature two-dimensional spintronic devices as the source of coherent spin or magnon current.

Abstract Physical reservoirs holding intrinsic nonlinearity, high dimensionality, and memory effects have attracted considerable interest regarding solving complex tasks efficiently. Particularly, spintronic and strain-mediated electronic physical reservoirs are appealing due to their high speed, multi-parameter fusion and low power consumption. Here, we experimentally realize a skyrmion-enhanced strain-mediated physical reservoir in a multiferroic heterostructure of Pt/Co/Gd multilayers on (001)-oriented 0.7PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3−0.3PbTiO3 (PMN-PT). The enhancement is coming from the fusion of magnetic skyrmions and electro resistivity tuned by strain simultaneously. The functionality of the strain-mediated RC system is successfully achieved via a sequential waveform classification task with the recognition rate of 99.3% for the last waveform, and a Mackey-Glass time series prediction task with normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 0.2 for a 20-step prediction. Our work lays the foundations for low-power neuromorphic computing systems with magneto-electro-ferroelastic tunability, representing a further step towards developing future strain-mediated spintronic applications.

ObjectiveThis study aimed (i) to evaluate the radiographic characteristics of patients with congenital thumb duplication (CTD) type C2 according to the classification of Wu et al., (ii) to describe the various subtypes of type C2 CTD, and (iii) to propose a classification system that allows the identification of different surgical strategies based on the radiographic anatomy of this specific subtype of duplication.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 92 patients (92 thumbs) with type C2 CTD according to the Wu et al. classification in our institution between August 2015 and April 2021. All CTDs were classified according to the interphalangeal joint alignment of the main thumb at the posteroanterior radiograph of the thumb before operation: type I (no deviation), type II (ulnar deviation), and type III (radial deviation).ResultsAll CTDs (n = 92) could be classified according to the proposed classification system: 76 (82.6%) were type I, 10 (10.9%) were type II, and six were type III (6.5%). According to the Kim system of subtype classification, there were 55 (59.8%) type 1, 24 (26.1%) type 2, and 13 (14.1%) type 3 cases.ConclusionsThe suggested classification completes the Wu et al. system and has the potential to guide surgical treatment in children with type C2 CTD.Level of evidenceIII.

Abstract Background Secondary bacterial pneumonia is an important complication of seasonal influenza, but little data is available about impact on death and risk factors. This study identified risk factors for all-cause in-hospital mortality and secondary bacterial pneumonia among hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired influenza. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed at a tertiary teaching hospital in southwest China. The study cohort included all adult hospitalized patients with a laboratory-confirmed, community-acquired influenza virus infection during three consecutive influenza seasons from 2017 to 2020. Cause-specific Cox regression was used to analyze risk factors for mortality and secondary bacterial pneumonia, respectively, accounting for competing events (discharge alive and discharge alive or death without secondary bacterial pneumonia, respectively). Results Among 174 patients enrolled in this study, 14.4% developed secondary bacterial pneumonia and 11.5% died during hospitalization. For all-cause in-hospital mortality, time-varying secondary bacterial pneumonia was a direct risk factor of death (cause-specific hazard ratio [csHR] 3.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25–9.17); underlying disease indirectly increased death risk through decreasing the hazard of being discharged alive (csHR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39–0.77). For secondary bacterial pneumonia, the final model only confirmed direct risk factors: age ≥ 65 years (csHR 2.90, 95% CI 1.27–6.62), male gender (csHR 3.78, 95% CI 1.12–12.84) and mechanical ventilation on admission (csHR 2.96, 95% CI 1.32–6.64). Conclusions Secondary bacterial pneumonia was a major risk factor for in-hospital mortality among adult hospitalized patients with community-acquired influenza. Prevention strategies for secondary bacterial pneumonia should target elderly male patients and critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation.

Hexagonal boron nitride is a promising host for single-photon quantum emitters, but irreversible loss of emission by photobleaching hinders its practical use. Here, the mechanistic investigation of hBN emitters reveals two distinct photobleaching lifetimes, suggesting a way to mitigate the shorter, environmentally sensitive, bleaching process.

(1) The Hoop Head Tenon-mortise Joint (HHTMJ) in the Tusi Manor in Tibetan areas in Yunnan, China, has a serious decay phenomenon. To understand the effect of decay on the seismic performance of HHTMJ, (2) the five groups of HHTMJ and small-size Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis wood mechanical property testing specimens were placed in an artificially set decay environment and cultivated together with wood decay fungi for 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 weeks, respectively. Low-cycle repeated loading tests were conducted to compare the failure mode, hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, and cumulative energy consumption of the HHTMJ under different decay cycles. (3) The results indicate that the failure mode of the HHTMJ is fractured at the tenon shoulder, and the deformation and failure of the tenon increase with the increase in decay. Compared with the non-decayed specimens, the ultimate bearing performance of the specimens after 6, 12, 18, and 24 weeks of decay decreased by 8.83%, 16.97%, 19.69%, and 30.22%, respectively. The cumulative energy consumption decreased by 21.6%, 27.4%, 33.2%, and 41.3%, respectively. (4) Decay primarily occurs on the exterior of the tenon, with minimal decay on the interior. The degradation of seismic performance in HHTMJ is relatively close to the degradation observed in small-size wood specimens during mechanical property testing.

The vegetation and ecosystem in the source region of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River (SRYY) are fragile. Affected by climate change, extreme droughts are frequent and permafrost degradation is serious in this area. It is very important to quantify the drought–vegetation interaction in this area under the influence of climate–permafrost coupling. In this study, based on the saturated vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil moisture (SM) that characterize atmospheric and soil drought, as well as the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) and solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) that characterize vegetation greenness and function, the evolution of regional vegetation productivity and drought were systematically identified. On this basis, the technical advantages of the causal discovery algorithm Peter–Clark Momentary Conditional Independence (PCMCI) were applied to distinguish the response of vegetation to VPD and SM. Furthermore, this study delves into the response mechanisms of NDVI and SIF to atmospheric and soil drought, considering different vegetation types and permafrost degradation areas. The findings indicated that low SM and high VPD were the limiting factors for vegetation growth. The positive and negative causal effects of VPD on NDVI accounted for 47.88% and 52.12% of the total area, respectively. Shrubs were the most sensitive to SM, and the response speed of grassland to SM was faster than that of forest land. The impact of SM on vegetation in the SRYY was stronger than that of VPD, and the effect in the frozen soil degradation area was more obvious. The average causal effects of NDVI and SIF on SM in the frozen soil degradation area were 0.21 and 0.41, respectively, which were twice as high as those in the whole area, and SM dominated NDVI (SIF) changes in 62.87% (76.60%) of the frozen soil degradation area. The research results can provide important scientific basis and theoretical support for the scientific assessment and adaptation of permafrost, vegetation, and climate change in the source area and provide reference for ecological protection in permafrost regions.

With the ongoing impacts of global climate change, the cumulative stress effects of external disturbances on ecosystems are gradually strengthening. Therefore, it is very important to scientifically evaluate the stability of ecosystems. In the terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation serves as a link between the water, energy, and carbon cycles, and is an important index which allows for the measurement of ecosystem stability. In this study, two vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index and enhanced vegetation index), along with solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence data from 2001 to 2021, were used to determine the external disturbance events in the Minjiang river basin using a dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm. Analyses of the disturbance characteristics during this period, and quantification of the vegetation resistance, resilience, and vegetation regime shift rate were conducted. The results indicated the following. (1) The disturbance results monitored by the DTW algorithm were highly consistent with typical events, and it was feasible to monitor the disturbance of the Minjiang river basin using the DTW algorithm. (2) Disturbance intensity in the river basin increased slightly, while in urban areas it decreased. (3) The resistance of different types of vegetation varied greatly, with the resistance strongest in forests, next in croplands, and weakest in grasslands. In contrast, resilience was the strongest in croplands, next in grasslands, and weakest in forests. (4) The vegetation growth state of the river basin was more significantly affected by external disturbance in 2001–2021, with 58.75% of forest, 54.37% of grassland, and 37.21% of cropland having regime shift rates

Abstract The spin Hall effect and its inverse (SHE/ISHE), describing the charge‐to‐spin interconversion, are of critical importance to the fundamental physics involving spin‐orbit coupling and the application of spintronic devices. These phenomena in nonmagnetic materials are reasonably understood after extensive studies. In ferromagnetic metals, however, the fundamental issue of generation and transport of pure spin current, especially the interplay of charge‐to‐spin interconversion and magnetization, is as‐yet poorly understood. Here, direct experimental evidence for the sign change in ISHE by injecting a spin current from Y3Fe5O12 into a Fe film via a Cu spacer is reported. The sizable negative ISHE signal (VISHE) in nanometer‐thick Fe films reverses its sign with a comparable magnitude when Fe magnetization is varied from a longitudinal to transverse orientation with respect to spin current polarization. With decreasing Fe thickness, this negative longitudinal VISHE increases rapidly to a larger positive value in magnitude. The opposite spin Hall angles for longitudinally and transversely polarized spin currents are reproduced by first‐principles transport calculations and the sign change is attributed to the anisotropic contribution at the ferromagnetic interface. This work lays a firm foundation for manipulating spin‐to‐charge interconversion with an extra degree of freedom of magnetization orientation through ferromagnetic metals.

Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is an important indicator of the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to absorb carbon. For the purpose of developing adaptation and mitigation strategies, it is essential to investigate the effect of climatic changes and anthropogenic activities on NEP. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal properties of NEP in the Yangtze River and Yellow River Source Region (SRYY) using remote sensing images, climate variable data, and land use data. Then it was examined at how climatic change affected carbon sinks and sources and how changes in land use affected carbon storage. According to the results, the SRYY contributed a carbon sink worth 35.26 Tg C annually from 2001 to 2019 (1 Tg = 1012 g). Influenced by climate, soil and vegetation, NEP displayed regional differences in space. The spatial distribution of NEP gradually increased from Northwest to Southeast. In recent twenty years, the NEP of SRYY slightly increased with a rate of 3.24 Tg C per decade. The NEP with an increasing trend accounted for 78.9% of the whole study area, which were widely distributed and especially significant in the west, such as Tuotuo River Basin. The correlation analysis between NEP and climate variables suggested that temperature was the dominant control of NEP in the SRYY. About 54.4% of the NEP variance across the entire SRYY was contributed by temperature. However, there was no significant linear relationship between NEP and annual precipitation. In recent two decades, built-up land expansion and ecological degradation reduced carbon sink by 28.61 Gg C (1 Gg = 109 g) and 1.94 Tg C, respectively. Grassland degradation caused by rodent infestation and grazing was the main factor of carbon sink reduction in some areas. The restoration of vegetation and wetland areas resulted in a 0.75 Tg C increase in the carbon sink. It might be benefited from warmer climate condition and ecological protection measures.

Environmental factors such as climate change and human activities are the basic driving forces that affect the growth and distribution of vegetation. Based on the MODIS-EVI data from 2000 to 2019, this paper analyzed the interannual changes of vegetation activity in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (UYR), and examined their responses to climatic factors (effective precipitation, accumulative temperature and solar radiation) and anthropogenic factors (urbanization, afforestation). The results showed an increasing trend in EVI over the 20-year period, with an increasing rate of 0.021/10a. Contribution amount of effective precipitation, accumulative temperature, solar radiation and anthropogenic factors to EVI inter-annual variations in the UYR were 0.004/10a, 0.009/10a, 0.001/10a and 0.007/10a, respectively. Contribution rate of climate change and anthropogenic factors accounted for 67.8% and 32.2% of the total EVI changes respectively. In areas with significant changes in EVI, influence of anthropogenic factors is generally greater than that of climatic factors, especially in Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration, Wujiang River Basin and the middle and lower reaches of the Jinsha River. In alpine regions such as the source region of the Yangtze River, significant changes in EVI were dominated by climatic factors.

ObjectiveDisturbances in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) metabolic pathways can affect bone metabolism, which may rely on the particle function of apolipoprotein rather than HDL-c levels. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of serum HDL-c and apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) with bone metabolism in Chinese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodA total of 1,053 participants with complete data were enrolled and separated into three groups based on the HDL-c and APOA1 tertiles. The trained reviewer collected demographic and anthropometric information. Bone turnover markers (BTMs) were determined by standard methods. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 29.7%. Groups with higher APOA1 have a remarkably more elevated level of osteocalcin (OC), L1-L4 BMD, and T-score across the APOA1 tertiles. APOA1 presented a positive correlation with OC (r = 0.194, p

Water is a prerequisite for the formation of earth-biochemical-ecological systems. Differences in the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources are important factors in the formation of differences in the distribution of vegetation in terrestrial ecosystems and are key to the differences in vegetation productivity. Vegetation water use efficiency is calculated by the total amount of fixed biogenic carbon per unit mass of water consumed in photosynthesis and can be used to assess the intensity and capacity of an ecosystem to use water biomass. Based on remote satellite sensing data, this study proposes a new water use efficiency assessment model. The model was validated using flux site data, and we analyzed the relative contribution of climate factors to soil moisture use efficiency using a first-difference method. The results revealed the following: (1) The soil moisture use efficiencies (SUE) of remote sensing data inversions that were evaluated using flux site data based on correlation coefficients and Nash coefficients showed high reliability, and only the NMG (Inner Mongolia) station showed low correlation among the nine sites. (2) Among the nine agricultural sub-regions in China, only the SUE of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region showed a decreasing trend (−1.08 g C/m−2 kg H2O yr), while all other regions showed an increasing trend. (3) The highest vegetation soil moisture use efficiency (1.83 g C/m−2 kg H2O) was found in ferralisols, while the lowest vegetation SUE (0.17 g C/m−2 kg H2O) was found in arid soils. The SUE of different vegetation types showed the characteristics of forest > scrub > cultivated vegetation > wetland > grassland. (4) The relative contribution of gross primary productivity (GPP) to the change in SUE was 37.53%, while the relative contribution of soil moisture content to the change in SUE was −26.71%. Among the five climatic factors, temperature was the most dominant factor affecting the change in SUE, followed by precipitation, net radiation, leaf area index, and potential evapotranspiration. Revealing the relationship between terrestrial ecosystem GPP, soil moisture content, and their responses to climate factors is a prerequisite for understanding the adaptation strategies of regional terrestrial ecosystems to global climate change, which can help to inform decision-making for the sustainable development of ecosystems.

Profile soil moisture (PSM), the soil water content in the whole soil layer, directly controls the major processes related to biological interaction, vegetation growth, and runoff generation. Its spatial heterogeneity, which refers to the uneven distribution and complexity in space, influences refined spatial management and decision-making in ecological, agricultural, and hydrological systems. Satellite instruments and hydrological models are two important sources of spatial information on PSM, but there is still a gap in understanding their potential mechanisms that affect spatial heterogeneity. This study is designed to identify the spatial heterogeneity and the driving factors of two PSM datasets; one is preprocessed from a satellite product (European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, ESA CCI), and the other is simulated from a distributed hydrological model (the DEM-based distributed rainfall-runoff model, DDRM). Three catchments with different climate conditions were chosen as the study area. By considering the scale dependence of spatial heterogeneity, the profile saturation degree (PSD) datasets from different sources (shown as ESA CCI PSD and DDRM PSD, respectively) during 2017 that are matched in terms of spatial scale and physical properties were acquired first based on the calibration data from 2014–2016, and then the spatial heterogeneity of the PSD from different sources was identified by using spatial statistical analysis and the semi-variogram method, followed by the geographic detector method, to investigate the driving factors. The results indicate that (1) ESA CCI and DDRM PSD are similar for seasonal changes and are overall consistent and locally different in terms of the spatial variations in catchment with different climate conditions; (2) based on spatial statistical analysis, the spatial heterogeneity of PSD reduces after spatial rescaling; at the same spatial scale, DDRM PSD shows higher spatial heterogeneity than ESA CCI PSD, and the low-flow period shows higher spatial heterogeneity than the high-flow period; (3) based on the semi-variogram method, both ESA CCI and DDRM PSD show strong spatial heterogeneity in most cases, in which the proportion of C/(C0 + C) is higher than 0.75, and the spatial data in the low-flow period mostly show larger spatial heterogeneity, in which the proportion is higher than 0.9; the spatial heterogeneity of PSD is higher in the semi-arid catchment; (4) the first three driving factors of the spatial heterogeneity of both ESA CCI and DDRM PSD are DEM, precipitation, and soil type in most cases, contributing more than 50% to spatial heterogeneity; (5) precipitation contributes most to ESA CCI PSD in the low-flow period, and there is no obvious high contribution of precipitation to DDRM PSD. The research provides insights into the spatial heterogeneity of PSM, which helps develop refined modeling and spatial management strategies for soil moisture in ecological, agricultural, and hydrological fields.

There are a lot of uncertainties in the water resources system, which makes the water allocation plan very risky. In order to analyze the risks of water resources allocation under uncertain conditions, a new methodology called the stochastic simulation-based risk assessment approach is developed in this paper. First, the main hydrological stochastic variable is fitted by a proper probability distribution. Second, suitable two-stage stochastic programming is constructed to obtain the expected benefit and optimized water allocation targets. Third, the Monte Carlo method is used to obtain a suitable stochastic sample of the hydrological variable. Fourth, a pre-allocated water optimization model is proposed to obtain optimized actual benefit. The methodology can give a way for risk analysis of water allocation plans obtained by uncertain optimization models, which provides reliable assistance to water managers in decision-making. The proposed methodology is applied to the Zhanghe Irrigation District and the risk of the water allocation plan obtained under the randomness of annual inflow is assessed. In addition, three different division methods of the annual inflow are applied in the first step, namely three levels, five levels and seven levels, respectively. From the results, the risk of the water allocation scheme obtained by the TSP model is 0.372–0.411 and decreases with the increase of the number of hydrological levels. Considering both the risk and model complexity, seven hydrological levels are recommended when using the TSP model to optimize water allocation under stochastic uncertainty. HIGHLIGHTS A stochastic simulation-based risk assessment method is proposed to analyze risks in water allocation plans obtained by uncertain models.; The suitable number of hydrological levels is revealed for using TSP model to optimize water allocation under stochastic uncertainty.;

Abstract There is increasing evidence that dysregulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is implicated in tumorigenesis and progression. We aim to explore the role of lncRNA MIR600HG in glycometabolism and cisplatin (DDP) resistance of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells via regulating microRNA-125a-5p (miR-125a-5p) and RING finger 44 (RNF44). Expression of MIR600HG, miR-125a-5p, and RNF44 in OSCC clinical samples, cell lines, and DDP-resistant OSCC cells (SCC-9/DDP) was determined. In SCC-9 cells, proliferation, IC50 value of DDP, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were detected; in SCC-9/DDP cells, proliferation, IC50 value of DDP, apoptosis, glucose consumption, and production of lactic acid and ATP were evaluated. The interaction of MR600HG, miR-125a-5p, and RNF44 was verified. MIR600HG and RNF44 were upregulated while miR-125a-5p was downregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines, and also in SCC-9/DDP cells. In SCC-9 cells, MIR600HG overexpression improved cell growth, metastasis, and inhibited cell susceptibility to DDP; in SCC-9/DDP cells, silencing of MIR600HG promoted apoptosis, improved DDP sensitivity, and inhibited cell glycolysis. Downregulation of miR-125a-5p showed the opposite effect to downregulation of MIR600HG. MIR600HG bound to miR-125a-5p and miR-125a-5p targeted RNF44. Downregulation of miR-125a-5p reversed the improvement of DDP sensitivity and the inhibition of cell glycolysis by downregulated MIR600HG on SCC-9/DDP cells. Downregulating RNF44 reversed the promotion of DDP resistance and cell glycolysis of SCC-9/DDP cells mediated by downregulation of miR-125a-5p. Collectively, our study addresses that MIR600HG downregulation elevates miR-125a-5p and reduces RNF44 expression, thereby improving DDP sensitivity and inhibiting glycolysis in DDP-resistant OSCC cells.

Based on hydrometeorological data and land-use data (from 1980 to 2015), the effects of water balance on landscape patterns in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were studied using water balance analysis, the landscape index method, and other methods. Eight appropriate landscape indices (NP, COHESION, LPI, AI, SHDI, CONTAG, SPLIT, and LS) were selected to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of landscape patterns. From 1980 to 2015, the precipitation in the study area decreased by 6.97%, and the annual precipitation of farmland was maintained at about 1,050 mm. The evapotranspiration (ET) had little change in general, but it varies greatly under different land-use types. Soil water storage variables showed a downward trend, and soil water storage variables of various land-use types changed dramatically during the study period. The total number of patches increased and the patch shape became more complex. At the level of landscape structure, SHDI and SPLIT increased, while CONTAG and COHESION decreased, and the degree of patch fragmentation and landscape heterogeneity improved. Correlation analysis showed that from a time perspective, LSI, SPLIT, and SHDI were significantly negatively correlated with ET, and CONTAG was significantly positively correlated with ET. There was a significant negative correlation between SPLIT and soil water (SW), and a significant positive correlation between COHESION and SW. These results indicated that with the decrease of ET and soil water storage variables, patches became more dispersed and landscape patterns became more fragmented. From the perspective of spatial distribution, the increase of SW increased landscape diversity and decreased landscape connectivity and contagion. The correlation coefficients between SW and the three groups of landscape pattern indexes (SHDI, CONTAG, and COHESION) were higher than those between ET and the three groups of landscape pattern indexes, which meant that soil water is more correlated with landscape pattern characteristics, and the effect of soil water change on landscape heterogeneity is more obvious. The study of the relationship between hydrological processes and landscape pattern characteristics in this paper enriches and expands the theoretical method system of ecological hydrology and ecological environmental protection in arid/semi-arid regions in our country. HIGHLIGHTS We evaluated the changes in hydrological regimes and the temporal and spatial characteristics of landscape patterns in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.; This study has revealed, for the first time, the influence mechanism of evapotranspiration and soil water storage variables on landscape patterns in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.;

The Hanjiang River, as a water donor basin, plays a fundamental role in supporting water supply security in northern China while maintaining the health and stability of ecosystems within the basin. However, the combined influence of climate change and anthropogenic interference has resulted in a significant change in the flow regime of the basin, challenging the sustainability of the river system. In order to understand the impact of the above factors on the river runoff, we analyzed the temporal and spatial pattern of runoff and climate factors in the basin and quantitatively assessed the contribution of climate change and human activities to the change in runoff using the elasticity coefficient method. Our results indicate that annual runoff has experienced a significant downward trend over the past 60 years, which is projected to continue into the future. It is also found that the temporal pattern of the runoff regime differed upstream and downstream of the Danjiangkou Reservoir due to the joint operation of the reservoir and China’s Middle Route Project of South-to-North Water Diversion (MRP-SNWD). A significant decrease in runoff was primarily attributed to human activities, followed by precipitation. In contrast, evapotranspiration had the least effect. In particular, the MRP-SNWD was a significant anthropogenic factor, contributing to about 20.3% of the total change in runoff. Our results highlighted the unfavorable effects of human activity on the hydrological system in the Hanjiang River and provided some constructive suggestions to turn vulnerability into resilience.

Investigating the propagation and influencing mechanism that transitions a meteorological drought to a hydrological drought in a changing environment is crucial for understanding the formation process and mechanism of hydrological drought. Furthermore, it is essential to establish an effective hydrological drought warning system based on meteorological drought. To assess the dynamic changes in the spread of meteorological drought to hydrological drought during various seasons, this study employs the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Runoff Index (SRI), and Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) to represent meteorological, hydrological, and vegetation droughts, respectively, in the Ganjiang River Basin (GRB) from 2002 to 2020. Considering that meteorological drought can be caused not only by insufficient precipitation but also by excessive evaporation, an additional index, namely the Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI), is constructed to quantify meteorological drought resulting from evaporation factors. The article analyzes the characteristics of the spatiotemporal evolution of meteorological, hydrological, and vegetation drought. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient is employed to calculate the propagation time of different seasons from meteorological drought to hydrological/vegetation drought and from hydrological drought to vegetation drought. Furthermore, we examine the propagation relationship among meteorological, hydrological, and vegetation drought in the time-frequency domain through cross-wavelet analysis and explore the key factors and physical mechanisms that influence the propagation of drought in various seasons. The result shows: The propagation time from meteorological to hydrological drought (SPI-SRI) is shortest in spring, extended during summer and autumn, and longest in winter. The meteorological drought arising from excessive evapotranspiration in autumn has the most substantial impact on hydrological drought. Vegetation drought and meteorological/hydrological drought exhibit significant intermittent resonance periods in 0~6 months and significant stable resonance periods in 7~15 months.

Objective: The study aimed to analyze the formation process of submandibular stones based on the theory of biological mineralization and inorganic crystal structure variation. Study design: From January 2021 to December 2021, patients with submandibular stones treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, China) were selected. According to the criterion of maximum transverse diameter ≥3 mm, a total of five submandibular stones meeting the requirement were included. After the surface of sample stones were washed, they were cut along the maximum transverse diameter. Next, the study employed Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and polycrystalline X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to analyze the composition and structure of submandibular stones. Results: Five submandibular stones were included. The organic and inorganic compounds showed a rhythmic or irregular distribution. Submandibular stones were highly occupied with carbon (C), oxygen (O), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P). Hydroxyapatite (HAP) was the primary inorganic component. In addition, the precursor of HAP, namely Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (ACP), was also found. Tetrahedral Substitution Index (TSI) and Ca/P ratio reflected the degree of structural variation in HAP crystal, which fluctuated from 5.62-90.71 and 1.10–1.35, respectively. Conclusions: The development of submandibular stones was influenced by inorganic crystals’ chemical and structural variation as well as the organics’ regulation towards the inorganic. The isomorphic substitution was accompanied by the occurrence of inorganic crystals, resulting in the crystal structure change. Organics might influence the appearance, aggregation, and mineralization of HAP during its formation.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate epidemiological and anatomical characteristics of children with congenital thumb duplication (CTD).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 2108 children with CTD. Data regarding sex, age at the surgery, laterality, uni- or bilateral involvement, and dominant side were retrieved from the medical charts. Plain radiographs were used to classify all CTD according to Wassel-Flatt, Rotterdam and Chung classification systems and to evaluate the patho-anatomy of the duplication as well as the presence of associated anomaly.ResultsA total of 796 girls and 1,312 boys with CTD (n = 2,300 thumbs) met the inclusion criteria. The male to female and unilateral to bilateral ratio were 1.6:1 and 10:1, respectively. Associated anomaly was found in 238/2108 patients (11.3%), and the middle phalanx deformity of the 5th finger was the most common one. A dominant thumb, larger and more developed, was on the ulnar side in 2270/2,300 cases (98.7%).According to the Wassel-Flatt classification, type IV (40.2%) was the most common deformity and the extra thumb was connected to the main thumb by a joint in most cases (437/780); overall, 15.7% of thumbs (n = 360) did not fit the Wassel-Flatt classification.According to the Rotterdam classification, type IV (51.3%) was the most common form; in most cases (363/1180) the thumb was hypoplastic or floating. Overall, 3/2,300 thumbs (0.1%) could not be classified according to Rotterdam classification.According to the Chung classification, type A was the most common subtype (44.1%); in most cases (716/1015) the duplication was at the level of the metacarpal bone. Overall, 2/2,300 thumbs (0.1%) did not fit the Chung classification.ConclusionsIn patients from southern China, CTD shows male and right-sided predominance with ulnar-dominant thumb. Abnormalities of the middle phalanx of the 5th finger are more frequent in patients with associated anomaly. The development of a simple and comprehensive classification system is needed to guide treatment and to adequately assess the epidemiological characteristics of patients with CTD in order to facilitate comparison between different patients' populations.Level of evidenceIII

Holt–Oram syndrome (HOS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by skeletal abnormalities of the upper limbs and often cardiac malformations. We investigated a Chinese family with clinical features suggestive of HOS. Clinical examinations revealed that both the proband and his father had anomalies in the upper limbs and heart. The proband had a rare common atrium. Whole exome sequencing detected a novel small–insertion mutation (c.680_681insCTGAGAATAAT; p.Ile227fs∗) in TBX5 gene, the known disease gene for HOS. The mutation cosegregated with HOS phenotypes in the family and was predicted to cause frameshift, resulting in a truncated protein. In this study, we described a rare HOS case with common atrium. A novel small–insertion in TBX5 coding sequence was identified and speculated to be the disease–causing genetic variant in the family. Our finding expands the clinical feature spectrum and genetic aetiology spectrum of HOS.

We present the constraints on the axial-vector and pseudo-scalar mediated WIMP-nucleus interactions from the PandaX-4T experiment, using the data set corresponding to a total exposure of 0.63 tonne⋅year. No significant signal excess is observed, and the most stringent constraints to date on the mediator mass are set for the axial-vector and pseudo-scalar simplified models. The maximum excluded mass of an axial-vector mediator is 825 GeV/c2 and that of a pseudo-scalar mediator is 106 GeV/c2. In addition, the upper limits on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-section for conventional neutron-only and proton-only interactions are derived.

Abstract Analog arithmetic operations are the most fundamental mathematical operations used in image and signal processing as well as artificial intelligence (AI). In‐memory computing (IMC) offers a high performance and energy‐efficient computing paradigm. To date, in‐memory analog arithmetic operations with emerging nonvolatile devices are usually implemented using discrete components, which limits the scalability and blocks large scale integration. Here, a prototypical implementation of in‐memory analog arithmetic operations (summation, subtraction and multiplication) is experimentally demonstrated, based on in‐memory electrical current sensing units using spin‐orbit torque (SOT) devices. The proposed structures for analog arithmetic operations are smaller than the state‐of‐the‐art complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) counterparts by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, data to be processed and computing results can be locally stored, or the analog computing can be done in the nonvolatile SOT devices, which are exploited to experimentally implement the image edge detection and signal amplitude modulation with a simple structure. Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) with SOT devices based synapses is constructed to realize pattern recognition with high accuracy of ≈95%.

Increased temperature and surface wear of high-speed and heavy-load gears are inevitable. Thermal deformation and surface wear modify the position of the action line of the tooth surface and thus influence the dynamic characteristics of the gear mesh. In this study, the elastic modulus and tooth profile thermal deformation were calculated when the tooth contact temperature (TCT) increased. A dynamic wear calculation method was used to combine the dynamic mesh force and dynamic wear coefficient caused by the dynamic mesh force obtained in the nonlinear dynamics model with the quasi-static wear model to obtain the cumulative wear depth. The changed elastic modulus, the tooth profile thermal deformation and the wear depth are considered when calculating the mesh stiffness using the energy method. A nonlinear dynamics model was established by considering the effects of TCT and dynamic wear on the internal dynamic excitation of the gear transmission system. The effects of internal excitation variations such as mesh stiffness, STE and backlash on gear dynamics are analyzed, and the study showed their complex effects on gear dynamics. Comparing the bifurcation diagrams with or without considering TCT and dynamic wear reveals that the system enters chaos earlier after considering TCT and dynamic wear.

To address the issues that arise when auto-leveling the vehicle body of a hillside tractor under complex working conditions, an auto-leveling control system was developed based on a newly developed hillside tractor and four-point body leveling mechanism. In this approach, leveling accuracy and stability were improved by adopting a sliding mode variable structure control algorithm based on fuzzy switching gain adjustment to achieve real-time dynamic auto-leveling control. To obtain curves of front and rear axle leveling displacement, speed, flow, pressure and body tilting angle during the leveling process, AMEsim/Simulink co-simulation was used to simulate and analyze the control system. The simulation results revealed that the tractor achieves a good leveling effect under complex working conditions in hilly and mountainous areas; the tractor can remain within a ±2° tilting angle range during the leveling process and can return to 0° after leveling, demonstrating good dynamic stability. To further assess the algorithm, a model of the system was submitted to live-testing on a custom-built auto-leveling test bench. Comparison of the test and simulation results revealed a close agreement between the two, indicating that the self-leveling control system and control algorithm developed in this study have high leveling accuracies. The results reported in this paper could provide assistance with or in reference to obtaining solutions to the problems of tractor body leveling in hilly and mountainous areas.

In recent years, when planning and determining a travel destination, residents often make the best of Internet techniques to access extensive travel information. Search engines undeniably reveal visitors' real-time preferences when planning to visit a destination. More and more researchers have adopted tourism-related search engine data in the field of tourism prediction. However, few studies use search engine data to conduct cluster analysis to identify residents' choice toward a tourism destination. In the present study, 146 keywords related to “Beijing tourism” are obtained from Baidu index and principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to reduce the dimensionality of keywords obtained by Baidu index. Modified affinity propagation (MAP) clustering algorithm is used to classify provinces into several groups to identify the choice of residents to travel to Beijing. The result shows that residents in Hebei province are most likely to travel to Beijing. The cluster result also shows that PCA–MAP performs better than other clustering methods such as K-means, linkage, and Affinity Propogation (AP) in terms of silhouette coefficient and Calinski–Harabaz index. We also distinguish the difference of residents’ choice to travel to Beijing during the peak tourist season and off-season. The residents of Tianjing are inclined to travel to Beijing during the peak tourist season. The residents of Guangdong, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shanghai, Shandong, and Zhejiang have high attention to travel to Beijing during both seasons.

It is the research hotspot in the field of hydrology to apply the climate model and its downscaling data into hydrological simulations, and it is very important to evaluate the accuracy of its data. In this study, the accuracy of Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) was evaluated from two perspectives: statistical evaluation and hydrological evaluation. In the hydrological evaluation, the applicability of CFSR in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model of the Yellow River source area was studied. The results show that CFSR temperature data at the source of the Yellow River is consistent with the measured temperature data, and CFSR precipitation data overestimates precipitation. In the Yellow River source runoff simulation, the SWAT model driven by CFSR can obtain satisfactory simulation results. It does not reduce the simulation accuracy at the total outlet of the basin under the multi-outlet calibration method. It also considers the spatial differences of hydrological characteristics of each sub-basin and improve the simulation accuracy of the sub-basin simulation. HIGHLIGHTS Simulation effect of SWAT model was evaluated.; Accuracy of precipitation and temperature data of CFSR data set was evaluated.; Simulation effects of SWAT model and multi-outlet calibration method were compared.; The CFSR data did not achieve good simulation effect.; The spatial difference of the sub-basin was taken into account in the multi-outlet calibration method.;

ObjectiveIncreasing evidence highlighted that chronic inflammation involved in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This prospective study was aimed to assess the association between MetS and novel pro-inflammatory indicators like monocyte–to–high-density lipoprotein and monocyte–to–apolipoprotein A1 ratios (MHR and MAR) in Chinese newly diagnosed T2DM.MethodA total of 605 Chinese newly diagnosed T2DM with complete and available data were enrolled in this study. Demographic and anthropometric information were collected. Laboratory assessments were determined by standard methods. MetS was based on the Chinese Diabetes Society definition. Multiple binomial logistic regression model was used to estimate the independent variables of MHR and MAR for MetS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to assess the optimal cutoff value of MHR and MAR in identifying MetS.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of MetS was 60.2%. The correlation analysis showed that MHR and MAR were closely correlated with metabolic risk factors like body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, uric acid, and insulin resistance. MHR and MAR were also significantly associated with higher odds of MetS after adjustment for other confounders, the odds ratios (ORs) (95%CI) were 1.50 (1.14–1.97) and 2.26(1.79–2.87) respectively. Furthermore, MHR and MAR were also seemed to have higher area under the curve (AUC) for MetS than ApoA1 and monocyte alone from the ROC curve analysis (P < 0.05). The AUCs of MHR and MAR identifying MetS were 0.804 (95% CI: 0.768–0.839) and 0.840 (95% CI: 0.806–0.873) respectively (P < 0.001). The optimal cutoff values of MHR and MAR were 3.57 × 108/mmol (sensitivity: 76.1%, specificity: 73.4%) and 3.95 × 108/g (sensitivity: 79.7%, specificity: 84.6%), respectively.ConclusionsMHR and MAR were significantly associated with MetS. These two novel pro-inflammatory indicators may be useful markers for MetS in Chinese newly diagnosed T2DM.

Abstract Background Nicotine vaping products (NVPs) are increasingly popular worldwide. They may provide public health benefits if used as a substitute for smoking, but may create public health harms if used as a gateway to smoking or to discourage smoking cessation. This paper presents the Smoking and Vaping Model (SAVM), a user-friendly model which estimates the public health implications of NVPs in the USA. Methods SAVM adopts a cohort approach. We derive public health implications by comparing smoking- and NVP-attributable deaths and life-years lost under a No-NVP and an NVP Scenario. The No-NVP Scenario projects current, former, and never smoking rates via smoking initiation and cessation rates, with their respective mortality rates. The NVP Scenario allows for smoking- and NVP-specific mortality rates, switching from cigarette to NVP use, separate NVP and smoking initiation rates, and separate NVP and smoking cessation rates. After validating the model against recent US survey data, we present the base model with extensive sensitivity analyses. Results The SAVM projects that under current patterns of US NVP use and substitution, NVP use will translate into 1.8 million premature smoking- and vaping-attributable deaths avoided and 38.9 million life-years gained between 2013 and 2060. When the NVP relative risk is set to 5%, the results are sensitive to the level of switching and smoking cessation rates and to a lesser extent smoking initiation rates. When the NVP relative risk is raised to 40%, the public health gains in terms of averted deaths and LYL are reduced by 42% in the base case, and the results become much more sensitive to variations in the base case parameters. Discussion Policymakers, researchers, and other public health stakeholders can apply the SAVM to estimate the potential public health impact of NVPs in their country or region using their own data sources. In developing new simulation models involving NVPs, it will be important to conduct extensive sensitivity analysis and continually update and validate with new data. Conclusion The SAVM indicates the potential benefits of NVP use. However, given the uncertainty surrounding model parameters, extensive sensitivity analysis becomes particularly important.

Climate changes and vegetation conditions are key factors affecting the hydrothermal processes of frozen soil in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Due to the complex relationship between climate factors, vegetation conditions and hydrothermal processes, few studies analyze the individual influences of climate changes and vegetation conditions on hydrothermal processes. Compared to changes in climate, it is easier to control other influential factors of vegetation change, especially human activities. Thus, it is necessary to analyze the possible influence of vegetation change on hydrothermal processes in specific climate conditions; this analysis could provide technical support to inform future human activities on frozen soil. This study uses a vertical hydrothermal process model, the SHAW model, based on meteorological and soil observation data from 2020 to 2021, to model the influence of vegetation changes on the soil temperature and moisture simulations at each layer of frozen soil by changing the key input values that represent vegetation conditions from −100% to 100% at 10% intervals. The results show that: (1) the simulated values have a certain credibility since the simulated soil temperature and moisture are basically consistent with the observed values over time; (2) the performance of soil temperature simulations in the deep layer is better than that in the shallow layer, while the performances of both soil temperature and moisture simulations in the warm season are better than those in the cold season; (3) among the LAI, dry biomass and surface albedo, the LAI is the main vegetation factor that affects the soil temperature and moisture simulations of the SHAW model in the frozen soil; (4) both the soil temperature and moisture simulations show declining trends when the LAI decreases by a large extent (larger than 60%) or increases, and show increasing trends when the LAI decreases by a small extent (smaller than 50%); (5) the warm period and the freeze–thaw alternating period are, respectively, the key periods when the soil temperature and moisture are affected by vegetation changes. The results of this study can provide theoretical supports for the prediction of the hydrothermal processes of frozen soil under a changing vegetation environment in the future.

On-chip arbitrary-elliptical-polarization converter plays a key role in optical information processing. However, the traditional method of manually adjusting parameters for designing devices is limited in function. In this letter, on-chip ultra-small arbitrary-elliptical-polarization converters are realized through optimization algorithms based on genetic algorithm (GA) combined with finite element method (FEM). The converters can realize the function of arbitrary ellipticity angle conversion of full polarization states. The size of the core device is only 1 µm × 1 µm, which is very conducive to high-density integration. The difference between the ideal output ellipticity angle and the actual output ellipticity angle of each device is no more than 2 degrees. In addition, it is proved that the use of optimization algorithms can easily design arbitrary-elliptical-polarization converters with different materials, different structures and different wavelengths, and the design of three-dimensional arbitrary-elliptical-polarization converters is also verified by using the optimization algorithm. This work provides an efficient design method for arbitrary polarization state conversion, showing its significance in improving the information capacity in optical communication.

Cascaded nanophotonic devices play a vital role in all-optical connection, all-optical computation and all-optical network. However, there is almost no effective method for the direct design of on-chip cascaded nanophotonic devices, since current study of nanophotonic devices mostly focuses on single device. Here, on-chip cascaded nanophotonic devices are designed based on an intelligent algorithm by combining genetic algorithm, simulated annealing algorithm and finite element method for the first time, and verified experimentally by using silicon-based planar structures. The cascaded devices consist of a bandpass filter and a wavelength router operating in optical communication range. The operation bandwidth of the bandpass filter is 408 nm with transmission more than 80%, within which the communication wavelengths of 1,300 nm and 1,550 nm are routed into different output ports through the wavelength router component. The footprint is only 3.62 μm2 for the bandpass filter and only 2.56 μm2 for the wavelength router, which are easy for integration with planar structures and ultrasmall size. This work provides a highly-efficient scheme for the realization of on-chip cascaded nanophotonic devices on the same chip, and lays a foundation for the realization of photonic chip based on intelligent algorithm.

Abstract The ecosystem of the Source Region of Yangtze River (SRYR) is highly susceptible to climate change. In this study, the spatial–temporal variation of NPP from 2000 to 2014 was analyzed, using outputs of Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach model. Then the correlation characteristics of NPP and climatic factors were evaluated. The results indicate that: (1) The average NPP in the SRYR is 100.0 gC/m2 from 2000 to 2014, and it shows an increasing trend from northwest to southeast. The responses of NPP to altitude varied among the regions with the altitude below 3500 m, between 3500 to 4500 m and above 4500 m, which could be attributed to the altitude associated variations of climatic factors and vegetation types; (2) The total NPP of SRYR increased by 0.18 TgC per year in the context of the warmer and wetter climate during 2000–2014. The NPP was significantly and positively correlated with annual temperature and precipitation at interannual time scales. Temperature in February, March, May and September make greater contribution to NPP than that in other months. And precipitation in July played a more crucial role in influencing NPP than that in other months; (3) Climatic factors caused the NPP to increase in most of the SRYR. Impacts of human activities were concentrated mainly in downstream region and is the primary reason for declines in NPP.

Chronic active Epstein–Barr virus (CAEBV) infection is a rare and progressive systemic lymphoproliferative disorder often beginning as an infectious mononucleosis (IM)-like illness. It manifests with fever, splenomegaly, hepatitis, lymphadenopathy, and occasionally cytopenias, pneumonitis, and vasculitis. We report a 23-year-old woman with fever and subcutaneous nodules first appearing on the limbs and then spreading to the body. Peripheral blood EBV antibodies were elevated and EBV-DNA loads significantly increased. A skin and lymph node biopsy identified T cell-based lymphocyte infiltration and EBV-encoded RNA positivity (EBER+). CAEBV was finally diagnosed. During the illness, her disease progressed to hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS). The patient then successfully received an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at 6 months. Current follow-up at 2 years indicated a stable condition and six negative EBV-DNA tests, and we reviewed the clinical manifestations, mechanism, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of CAEBV. Finally, subcutaneous nodules may occur when CAEBV invades the skin; therefore, clinicians must identify the cause of these nodules early. HSCT is effective but its timing must be appropriate.

Abstract Background Studies on risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection have provided inconsistent results, partly due to the choice of the control group. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the risk factors for CRKP infection by comparing CRKP-infected patients with two types of controls: patients infected with carbapenem-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae (comparison 1) or patients not infected with CRKP (comparison 2). Methods Data on potentially relevant risk factors for CRKP infection were extracted from studies indexed in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science or EBSCO databases from January 1996 to April 2019, and meta-analyzed based on the outcomes for each type of comparison. Results The meta-analysis included 18 studies for comparison 1 and 14 studies for comparison 2. The following eight risk factors were common to both comparisons: admission to intensive care unit (ICU; odds ratio, ORcomparison 1 = 3.20, ORcomparison 2 = 4.44), central venous catheter use (2.62, 3.85), mechanical ventilation (2.70, 4.78), tracheostomy (2.11, 8.48), urinary catheter use (1.99, 0.27), prior use of antibiotic (6.07, 1.61), exposure to carbapenems (4.16, 3.84) and exposure to aminoglycosides (1.85, 1.80). Another 10 risk factors were unique to comparison 1: longer length of hospital stay (OR = 15.28); prior hospitalization (within the previous 6 months) (OR = 1.91); renal dysfunction (OR = 2.17); neurological disorders (OR = 1.52); nasogastric tube use (OR = 2.62); dialysis (OR = 3.56); and exposure to quinolones (OR = 2.11), fluoroquinolones (OR = 2.03), glycopeptides (OR = 3.70) and vancomycin (OR = 2.82). Conclusions Eighteen factors may increase the risk of carbapenem resistance in K. pneumoniae infection; eight factors may be associated with both K. pneumoniae infections in general and CRKP in particular. The eight shared factors are likely to be ‘true’ risk factors for CRKP infection. Evaluation of risk factors in different situations may be helpful for empirical treatment and prevention of CRKP infections.

Precise measurement of two-neutrino double beta decay (DBD) half-life is an important step for the searches of Majorana neutrinos with neutrinoless double beta decay. We report the measurement of DBD half-life of 136Xe using the PandaX-4T dual-phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with 3.7-tonne natural xenon and the first 94.9-day physics data release. The background model in the fiducial volume is well constrained in situ by events in the outer active region. With a 136Xe exposure of 15.5 kg-year, we establish the half-life as 2.27±0.03stat.±0.10syst.×1021 years. This is the first DBD half-life measurement with natural xenon and demonstrates the physics capability of a large-scale liquid xenon TPC in the field of rare event searches.

Inspired by the human brain, the spike-based neuromorphic system has attracted strong research enthusiasm because of the high energy efficiency and powerful computational capability, in which the spiking neurons and plastic synapses are two fundamental building blocks. Recently, two-terminal threshold switching (TS) devices have been regarded as promising candidates for building spiking neurons in hardware. However, how circuit parameters affect the spiking behavior of TS-based neurons is still an open question. Here, based on a leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron circuit, we systematically study the effect of both the extrinsic and intrinsic factors of NbOx -based TS neurons on their spiking behaviors. The extrinsic influence factors contain input intensities, connected synaptic weights, and parallel capacitances. To illustrate the effect of intrinsic factors, including the threshold voltage, holding voltage, and high/low resistance states of NbOx devices, we propose an empirical model of the fabricated NbOx devices, fitting well with the experimental results. The results indicate that with enhancing the input intensity, the spiking frequency increases first then decreases after reaching a peak value. Except for the connected synaptic weights, all other parameters can modulate the spiking peak frequency under high enough input intensity. Also, the relationship between energy consumption per spike and frequency of the neuron cell is further studied, leading guidance to design neuron circuits in a system to obtain the lowest energy consumption. At last, to demonstrate the practical applications of TS-based neurons, we construct a spiking neural network (SNN) to control the cart-pole using reinforcement learning, obtaining a reward score up to 450. This work provides valuable guidance on building compact LIF neurons based on TS devices and further bolsters the construction of high-efficiency neuromorphic systems.

Traditional artificial intelligence implemented in software is usually executed on accurate digital computers. Nevertheless, the nanoscale devices for the implementation of neuromorphic computing may not be ideally identical, and the performance is reduced by nonuniform devices. In biological brains, information is usually encoded by a cluster of neurons such that the variability of nerve cells does not influence the accuracy of human cognition and movement. Here, we introduce the population encoding strategy in neuromorphic computing and demonstrate that this strategy can overcome the problems caused by nonuniform devices. Using magnetic memristor device based on current-induced domain-wall motion as an example, we show that imperfect storage devices can be applied in a hardware network to perform principal component analysis (PCA), and the accuracy of unsupervised classification is comparable to that of conventional PCA using ideally accurate synaptic weights. Our results pave the way for hardware implementation of neuromorphic computing and lower the criteria for the uniformity of nanoscale devices.

Monitoring runoff is critical for water resources management. Remote sensing can be an effective technique to investigate changes in runoff on data-scarce regions. This study used Calibrated Passive Microwave Daily EASE-Grid 2.0 Brightness Temperature Earth System Data Record (CETB) and M/C signal method to simulate runoff in Lhasa River Basin. This satellite-derived runoff was compared with gauge observations and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model simulations. The results show that (1) the well-correlated satellite-derived M/C signals are able to detect the runoff process in the selected river channels. For most gauges, the runoff generated by M/C signals fit well with observation, giving a Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.9, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient greater than 0.8, and relative error less than 15%; (2) When compared to the SWAT model, the M/C signal method has advantages in flood season runoff simulation. These two simulation methods are nearly equal for the entire runoff process; (3) For runoff simulation influenced by the underlying surface and the shape of the river channel, the M/C signal method is better suited in areas with a low fraction vegetation cover and channels with a typical inverted trapezoid shape. Overall, we conclude that M/C signal method simulation is a valuable source of surface water information and could be used for runoff monitoring in data-scarce areas.

Due to their special geographical locations and environments, plateau lakes play a key role in maintaining regional water balance, but lake water storage changes are upsetting this balance. Based on data from lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), this study used the Spatial Processes in Hydrology (SPHY) model to simulate the runoff process in the Siling Co basin from 2000 to 2016 and estimated the changes in water storage of Siling Co and the contribution of each component of runoff into the lake. The results showed that the water storage capacity of Siling Co has increased by 1.2 billion m3/yr, and the lake area continues to expand; declines in precipitation have significantly reduced baseflow (BF), rainfall runoff (RR), and snow runoff (SR), while temperature increases have raised glacier runoff (GR). The simulated average runoff showed that BF, GF, RR, and SR contribute 24%, 22%, 16%, and 38%, respectively, of the flow into Siling Co. Based on hypothetical climate change scenarios and two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6 and SSP3-7.0) from the MRI-ESM2-0 GCMs, this study estimated that a 10% increase in precipitation could lead to a 28% increase in total runoff, while a 1 °C increase in temperature could lead to a 10% decrease in runoff. The average runoff depth of the basin is expected to increase by 30–39 mm, since the temperature and precipitation may increase significantly from 2020 to 2050. The intensification of glacial melting caused by the increase in temperature continues, posing a greater challenge to many water resources management problems caused by the expansion of lakes.

Among the various natural disasters encountered by cities, rainstorm waterlogging has become a serious disaster, affecting the sustainable development of cities. Taking Guangzhou as the research object, based on disaster system theory and risk triangle theory, the evaluation framework “risk of hazard causing factors—sensitivity of disaster environment—vulnerability of hazard bearing body” was selected to construct the waterlogging risk assessment model of Guangzhou. The weighted comprehensive evaluation method (AHP) was used to determine the index weight, and the rainfall runoff inundation range under different rainstorm scenarios was deduced through a Soil Conservation Service (SCS) runoff generation model and GIS local equal volume passive inundation simulation. The results show that when the precipitation in 2 h is less than 100 mm, the inundation range increases by 3.4 km2 for every 10 mm increase in precipitation; When the precipitation in 2 h is greater than 100 mm, the inundation range will increase by 18 km2 for every 10 mm increase in precipitation. The total area of medium and high flood risk in Guangzhou is 441.3 km2, mainly concentrated in Yuexiu District, Liwan District, Haizhu District and Tianhe District.

AbstractLoss of the vast majority of heat and steam is an unavoidable problem encountered during conventional steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) in extraheavy oil reservoirs. The noncondensate gas coinjection technique of reducing energy consumption and enhancing oil recovery can effectively solve this problem. Aiming at extraheavy oil with a high initial viscosity, the influence of noncondensate gases in multithermal fluids on the physical parameters of extraheavy oil was experimentally studied; the production characteristics and mechanism of multithermal fluid-assisted SAGD were studied through numerical simulation. A comparative investigation of the conventional SAGD and multithermal fluid-assisted SAGD injection schemes was conducted. The characteristics and mechanism of the steam chamber during the production processes were analyzed. The results show that a steam-gas-oil system forms in the steam chamber in the case of multithermal fluids. The steam chamber can be partitioned into four zones, and the flow of the oil mainly occurs in the steam condensation zone and the oil drainage zone. The injected multithermal fluids increase the horizontal expansion of the steam chamber, while the dissolved carbon dioxide reduces the residual oil saturation. Moreover, the nitrogen injection significantly reduces the heat loss and increases the heat utilization for multithermal fluid-assisted SAGD in developing extraheavy oil reservoirs.