bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influencing factors, deformation mechanism and failure process prediction for reservoir rock landslides: Tanjiahe landslide, three gorges reservoir area
Authors: Chen Yushan , Zhang Yeming , Wang Li , Wang Shimei , Tian Dongfang , Zhang Lun
Published: September 2022

Compared with terrestrial rock landslides, reservoir rock landslides are also affected by the rise and fall of the reservoir water level, and these landslides are more threatening. High-speed debris flows may form once they lose stability, and once they enter the water a surge is formed. This endangers the safe operation of reservoirs. This study explored the deformation characteristics and influencing factors of the Tanjiahe reservoir rock landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir using field investigations, GPS surface displacement monitoring, and groundwater level monitoring. The discrete element system MatDEM was used to simulate failure motion, and predict the hazard area affected by the Tanjiahe landslide. The results show that within the reservoir water variation section (145–175 m), the Tanjiahe landslide mass was composed of surface soil (156–175 m) with low permeability and deep cataclastic rock (145–156 m) with high permeability. Due to the difference in permeability between the deep and surface layers, the response of landslide deformation to water level rise is not obvious. The high-level (175 m) operation of the reservoir and the decline in the reservoir water level (175–145 m) are key factors affecting the landslide deformation. Rainfall had a positive effect on landslide deformation. Under their combined action, the stability of the front gentle anti-sliding section of the landslide decreases, and the displacement of the middle and rear steeper sliding section increases under the driving force, which may lead to slope failure. The simulation results show that the upper part of the Tanjiahe landslide slides first and pushes the lower part to move, which is a typical of thrust load-caused failure. The speed of the sliding mass has three stages: rapid rise, rapid decline, and slow decline. The higher the slope angle, the higher the acceleration of the sliding mass in the direction parallel to the slope surface, the higher the speed peak value and the faster the sliding mass speed reaches the peak value. During the failure process, energy is transferred between sliding mass through collisions. Landslides can easily lead to debris flow. The maximum height of the first wave generated when the debris flow entered the water is 5.95 m, and the wave height that propagated to the opposite bank is 3.09 m. The landslide-induced waves propagated along the reservoir area for 30 km.
Layout method and numerical simulation study of reduced-hole blasting in large-section tunnels
Authors: Liu Xia , Tao Tiejun , Tian Xingchao , Lou Qianxing , Xie Caijin
Published: September 2022

The traditional tunnel-drilling and blasting parameter design is based on the small-section roadway and involves many boreholes and conditions that require slow operation progress and thus cannot meet the rapid operation requirements of a large-span tunnel. Taking the Baizhushan Tunnel as the engineering background, this article put forward a theoretical basis for a hole-reducing layout method for large-section tunnel blasting. These parameters of the rock statics and dynamics were obtained through core-drilling sampling in the field and the development of static and dynamic tests. LS-DYNA software was used to establish the numerical model of large-span tunnel blasting. The method was verified through three aspects, namely, cavity effect, effective stress, and surrounding rock damage and was implemented in the field application. The results showed the following: the scheme for reducing-hole numbers used 26 fewer blast holes per cycle footage and saved 0.7 h of drilling time; the average effective stress of the retained rock was 0.6 times that of the original blasting scheme, which reduced the damage to the remaining rock; the maximum over-excavation thickness control was within 50 cm, which reduced over-break; in the field test, the utilization rate of cutting holes was 81.9%, the utilization rate of other blasting holes was 91.2%, the unit consumption of explosives was 0.72 kg/m3, the average over-excavation thickness control was within 20 cm, and the smooth blasting effect was superior.
Study on the slope dynamic stability considering the progressive failure of the slip surface under earthquake
Authors: Ai Zubin , Zhang Huajin , Wu Shunchuan , Jiang Chuanbin , Yan Qiong , Ren Zijian
Published: September 2022

The strength of a rock-soil mass shows complex and obvious weakening characteristics under seismic dynamic load. The previous stability analysis methods of a seismic slope do not fully depict the attenuation law of geotechnical materials and cannot truly reflect the stable state of a slope under earthquake action. Based on the theoretical analysis of the progressive failure mechanism and the evolution law of a seismic slope, the adverse effect of progressive failure on slope stability is clarified. According to the progressive failure process of a slope under dynamic load, the strain-softening model and vibration deterioration model are introduced to represent the attenuation law of rock strength parameters, and a calculation method of seismic slope stability coupled with vibration disturbance and progressive failure is proposed. The method considers the strength parameter characteristics of a rock-soil mass in different stages and is combined with the vector sum method to obtain the time-history curve of the slope safety factor under earthquake action, which makes the evaluation result of slope stability more accurate and reliable. The numerical examples show that this method can effectively reflect the dynamic stability of seismic slopes, and solve the problem that the traditional calculation methods are difficult to characterize the strength attenuation characteristics of rock and soil mass. If these characteristics are not considered, the calculation results will be unsafe.
MIEAP and ATG5 are tumor suppressors in a mouse model of BRAFV600E-positive thyroid cancer
Authors: Hamada Koichiro , Kurashige Tomomi , Shimamura Mika , Arakawa Hirofumi , Nakamura Yasuyuki , Nagayama Yuji
Published: September 2022

Mitochondria-eating protein (MIEAP) is a molecule important for non-canonical mitophagy and thought to be a tumor suppressor. Our previous study found that MIEAP expression is defective in thyroid oncocytomas, irrespective of being benign or malignant, and also in non-oncocytic thyroid cancers. Thyroid oncocytomas are composed of large polygonal cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm that is rich in abnormal mitochondria. Thus, our data indicate that, together with increased mitochondrial biogenesis that compensates for the dysfunction of the mitochondria, MIEAP plays a critical role in the accumulation of mitochondria in thyroid oncocytic tumors, whereas a defective MIEAP expression alone is not sufficient for mitochondrial accumulation in non-oncocytic cancers with normal mitochondria. To clarify whether MIEAP is a tumor suppressor in the thyroids and whether MIEAP knockout (KO) alone is sufficient for the oncocytic phenotype and also to extend our effort toward canonical mitophagy (a selective autophagy), we here conducted mouse studies using genetically engineered mice. BrafCA/wt mice developed thyroid cancers 1 year after intrathyroidal injection of adenovirus expressing Cre, while cancer development was observed at 6 months in adenovirus-Cre-injected BrafCA/wt;MieapKO/KO and BrafCA/wt;Atg5flox/flox mice [where autophagy-related 5 (ATG5) is a component of autophagic machinery], although KO of either molecule alone was not sufficient for cancer development. These data demonstrate that MIEAP or ATG5 KO accelerated thyroid cancer development. However, cancers in adenovirus-Cre-injected BrafCA/wt;MieapKO/KO and BrafCA/wt;Atg5flox/flox mice were not oncocytic. In conclusion, we here show that MIEAP and ATG5 are both tumor suppressors in thyroid carcinogenesis, but as we have anticipated from our previous data, KO of either molecule does not confer the oncocytic phenotype to BRAFV600E-positive thyroid cancers. The combination of disruptive mitochondrial function and impaired mitochondrial quality control may be necessary to establish a mouse model of thyroid oncocytoma.
The potential role of lactulose pharmacotherapy in the treatment and prevention of diabetes
Authors: Chu Natural , Ling James , Jie He , Leung Kathy , Poon Emily
Published: September 2022

The non-absorbable disaccharide lactulose is mostly used in the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic constipation and hepatic encephalopathy. The mechanism of action of lactulose remains unclear, but it elicits more than osmotic laxative effects. As a prebiotic, lactulose may act as a bifidogenic factor with positive effects in preventing and controlling diabetes. In this review, we summarized the current evidence for the effect of lactulose on gut metabolism and type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention. Similar to acarbose, lactulose can also increase the abundance of the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium as well as suppress the potentially pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli. These bacterial activities have anti-inflammatory effects, nourishing the gut epithelial cells and providing a protective barrier from microorganism infection. Activation of peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) can influence secondary bile acids and reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxins. A low dose of lactulose with food delayed gastric emptying and increased the whole gut transit times, attenuating the hyperglycemic response without adverse gastrointestinal events. These findings suggest that lactulose may have a role as a pharmacotherapeutic agent in the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes via actions on the gut microbiota.
Reproductive endocrine characteristics and in vitro fertilization treatment of female patients with partial 17α-hydroxylase deficiency: Two pedigree investigations and a literature review
Authors: Jiang Shutian , Xu Yue , Qiao Jie , Wang Yao , Kuang Yanping
Published: September 2022

Background

17α-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase deficiency (17-OHD) is caused by the mutations of the CYP17A1 gene. The classical phenotype of 17-OHD includes hypertension, hypokalemia, and abnormal sexual development, with partial 17-OHD typically less severe than the complete deficiency. Infertility is always one of the main clinical manifestations of partial 17-OHD. However, to date, the pregnancy potentials of partial 17-OHD female patients have rarely been investigated, and few live-birth cases have been reported among them. Moreover, the reproductive endocrine characteristics of partial 17-OHD female patients have not been completely clarified and the treatment skills of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) have not been well summarized yet.

Methods

Two Chinese infertile female patients clinically diagnosed as partial 17-OHD were enrolled and their pedigree investigations were performed. Hormones were determined to depict the endocrine conditions of partial 17-OHD female patients. The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test was performed to evaluate the functions of the adrenal cortex. Genotype analysis was conducted by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing was used to verify the results. IVF-ET was performed for the treatment of their infertility. Specifically, the progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocol was chosen for the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) cycles, and the hormone replacement treatment (HRT) protocol was adopted for the endometrial preparation in frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

Results

Hormone assays revealed a reduced estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) level, and an elevated progesterone (P4) level. The classic ACTH stimulating test evidenced a suboptimal response of cortisol to ACTH. Genotype analysis demonstrated that the proband1 carried two variants: c.1459_1467del (p.Asp487_Phe489del)het and c.995T>C (p.lle332Thr)het. The proband2 was found to be a homozygote with the mutation of c.1358T>A (p.Phe453Ser)hom. The two female patients both succeeded in pregnancy and delivery of healthy babies through IVF-ET, with the usage of PPOS, HRT, and low-dose glucocorticoids.

Conclusions

Partial 17-OHD female patients manifested menstrual cycle disorders and infertility clinically; displayed high P4 and low E2 and T; showed sparse pubic hair in physical examinations; and revealed multiple ovarian cysts in ultrasonic visualization. Moreover, the pregnancy potentials of infertile partial 17-OHD women seemed to increase with the adoption of IVF-ET. Considering the sustained elevated P4 level, PPOS is a feasible protocol for them in COH.
Ubiquitination-mediated molecular pathway alterations in human lung squamous cell carcinomas identified by quantitative ubiquitinomics
Authors: Zhan Xianquan , Lu Miaolong , Yang Lamei , Yang Jingru , Zhan Xiaohan , Zheng Shu , Guo Yuna , Li Biao , Wen Siqi , Li Jiajia , Li Na
Published: September 2022

Abnormal ubiquitination is extensively associated with cancers. To investigate human lung cancer ubiquitination and its potential functions, quantitative ubiquitinomics was carried out between human lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and control tissues, which characterized a total of 627 ubiquitin-modified proteins (UPs) and 1209 ubiquitinated lysine sites. Those UPs were mainly involved in cell adhesion, signal transduction, and regulations of ribosome complex and proteasome complex. Thirty three UPs whose genes were also found in TCGA database were significantly related to overall survival of LSCC. Six significant networks and 234 hub molecules were obtained from the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of those 627 UPs. KEGG pathway analysis of those UPs revealed 47 statistically significant pathways, and most of which were tumor-associated pathways such as mTOR, HIF-1, PI3K-Akt, and Ras signaling pathways, and intracellular protein turnover-related pathways such as ribosome complex, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, ER protein processing, and proteasome complex pathways. Further, the relationship analysis of ubiquitination and differentially expressed proteins shows that ubiquitination regulates two aspects of protein turnover - synthesis and degradation. This study provided the first profile of UPs and molecular networks in LSCC tissue, which is the important resource to insight into new mechanisms, and to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets/drugs to treat LSCC.
CFD analysis of Fe transfer on roughened wall caused by turbulent lead-bismuth eutectic flow
Authors: Chen Xiaolin , Wan Tao
Published: September 2022

Structural material compatibility with lead bismuth eutectic is one of the main challenges for design and operation of the LBE-cooled nuclear systems. To better understand the mechanisms of stainless steel corrosion behavior in LBE flow, the iron mass transfer phenomenon on roughened walls under various LBE pipe flow conditions are numerically investigated in this study. CFD simulations are performed, by applying a low Reynolds number k-ε model, in a range of Reynolds number from 5 × 103 to 105. Meanwhile, various pipe wall roughness conditions are considered, which are simulated by crests with different depths and periodic lengths. Effects of roughness dimensions and Reynolds numbers on the near-wall mass transfer rate are investigated. Results showed that higher flow velocities and shorter crest length led to higher mass transfer coefficient. On the basis of the results, the mass transfer coefficients are proposed both for smooth wall and roughened walls. The mass transfer enhanced by wall roughness is characterized by the ratio of rough-to-smooth mass transfer coefficient, and this ratio is demonstrated by a regression equation, in which dimensionless roughness number, Reynolds number and geometrical ratio of the roughness are included. Moreover, it is found that the ratio of rough-to-smooth mass transfer coefficient is relatively more dependent on Reynolds number.
Multi-layer coordinated optimization of integrated energy system with electric vehicles based on feedback correction
Authors: Jia Shiduo , Kang Xiaoning , Cui Jinxu , Tian Bowen , Zhang Jiawei , Xiao Shuwen
Published: September 2022

The integrated energy system with electric vehicles can realize multi-energy coordination and complementarity, and effectively promote the realization of low-carbon environmental protection goals. However, the temporary change of vehicle travel plan will have an adverse impact on the system. Therefore, a multi-layer coordinated optimization strategy of electric-thermal-hydrogen integrated energy system including vehicle to grid (V2G) load feedback correction is proposed. The strategy is based on the coordination of three-level optimization. The electric vehicle charging and discharging management layer comprehensively considers the variance of load curve and the dissatisfaction of vehicle owners, and the charging and discharging plan is obtained through multi-objective improved sparrow search algorithm, which is transferred to the model predictive control rolling optimization layer. In the rolling optimization process, according to the actual situation, selectively enter the V2G load feedback correction layer to update V2G load, so as to eliminate the impact of temporary changes in electric vehicle travel plans. Simulation results show that the total operating cost with feedback correction is 4.19% lower than that without feedback correction and tracking situation of tie-line planned value is improved, which verifies the proposed strategy.
On the influence of multidirectional irregular waves on the PeWEC device
Authors: Cervelli Giulia , Battisti Beatrice , Mattiazzo Giuliana
Published: September 2022

Wave energy is a promising renewable resource for its reliability and power density, and many technological milestones have been achieved. Significant efforts are made to design and optimize Wave Energy Converters (WECs); however, analyses are often limited to simplified conditions. Among such restrictive assumptions, waves are frequently described utilizing monodirectional spectra, thus leading to approximate evaluations, also in terms of absorbed power. In real sea conditions, the waves are multidirectional, and the analysis as a 2D superposition of multiple wave components should be investigated. In particular, linear waves can be analyzed as a sum of sine waves characterized by different amplitudes, frequencies, phases and directions. The case study device analyzed in this paper is PeWEC (Pendulum Wave Energy Converter), a rotating mass device that converts energy based on pitch motion, moored through a spread catenary mooring system. The sea states investigated are those of the island of Cyprus. The spectrum is defined as the combination between the JONSWAP frequency spectrum and the cos-2s directional spectrum. To compute the sea elevation components the Deterministic Amplitude Scheme (DAS) method is used. The forcing acting on the device, the mooring loads and the device motions are examined and compared to quantify the error produced by the monodirectional approximations. The time domain solver OrcaFlex is employed to investigate the interaction of the waves with the moored hull. Compared with the multidirectional analysis, the monodirectional approximation generates an overestimation of the pitch by 5% and of the surge by 3%, highlighting the importance of taking spreading into account if the device is directional.
Conceptual design and techno-economic analysis of biomass to liquid processes
Authors: Pandey Umesh , Putta Koteswara R. , Rout Kumar R. , Rytter Erling , Blekkan Edd A. , Hillestad Magne
Published: September 2022

Advanced biofuels are produced by upgrading the syncrude from biomass gasification and subsequent Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. The technology is termed biomass to liquid process (BtL) and can be categorized into conventional BtL and novel BtL processes. The conventional BtL utilizes a water gas shift reaction, while novel BtL utilizes an external energy source to meet H2 demand in FT synthesis. Six different process routes, two based on the conventional BtL and four based on novel BtL with solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) integration, are developed and evaluated based on the process performance and economic viability. The results show that the novel BtL technology can retain up to 96% of carbon in the biomass (up from 46% in the conventional BtL process), and syncrude production is increased by a factor of 2.4 compared to the conventional BtL process. The economic analysis shows that SOEC costs and electricity prices are critical for the viability of the novel BtL plants. For current electrical power and SOEC cost, optimizing the conventional BtL process offers the best process route for producing advanced biofuels (minimum selling price of syncrude (MSP): $1.73/L). Further improvement in SOEC technology could see a dramatic drop in SOEC costs. With a reduced SOEC installation cost of $230/kW, directly adding SOEC-H2 in FT synthesis and recycling excess CO2 offers the best route for syncrude production. For this SOEC cost, the MSP is estimated to be $1.38/L, 20% lower than the MSP for the optimized conventional BtL process.
Mutual effects of CO2 emission reduction and air pollution control policies in beijing-tianjin-hebei region
Authors: Wu Kai , Liu Xiaorui , Dai Hancheng , Zhang Silu , Zhou Ziqiao , Ma Teng , Guo Chaoyi , He Xiaojia , Fang Yan Ru
Published: September 2022

To meet the carbon neutrality target and Beautiful China goal, the co-control strategy of carbon emission and air pollution is crucial. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is a prominent cooperative development zone, which faces dual challenges of CO2 emission reduction and air pollution control. This study aims to find the co-benefit pathway for achieving both targets in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. Based on an innovative and integrated framework by linking the computable general equilibrium model, atmospheric environment analysis model and health impact assessment model, we analyze the mutual co-benefits of carbon reduction and air quality improvement by climate and environmental policies. The results show significant mutual effects of CO2 emission mitigation and air pollution reduction. From the regional view, air pollutants control and CO2 mitigation policies have a relatively higher synergistic emission reduction effect in Beijing and Tianjin than in Hebei. From the sector perspective, the energy supply and transport sectors have much higher co-effects with CO2 reduction, while climate change mitigation policies have the best co-effects with air pollution reduction in the energy supply and residential sectors. Moreover, the health benefits in the air pollution control scenario (6.0 BUSD) are higher than in the decarbonization scenario (5.7 BUSD). In addition, climate mitigation policies could have tremendous synergistic air pollution reductions, even the health benefits (5.7 BUSD) may be insufficient to offset the cost (18.7 BUSD) of climate policy in the current situation. In order to better achieve the dual climate and air quality targets at lower costs, two types of policies should be better coordinated in the decision-making process.
TripleConvTransformer: A deep learning vessel trajectory prediction method fusing discretized meteorological data
Authors: Huang Peng , Chen Qiong , Wang Dong , Wang Mingqing , Wu Xi , Huang Xiaomeng
Published: September 2022

The shipping industry is increasingly threatened by global climate change. Reliable trajectory prediction can be used to perceive potential risks and ensure navigation efficiency. However, many existing studies have not fully considered the impact of complex ocean environmental factors and have only focused on local regions, which are difficult to extend to a global scale. To this end, we propose a deep learning vessel trajectory prediction method fusing discretized meteorological data (TripleConvTransformer). First, we clean the automatic identification system data to form a high-quality spatiotemporal trajectory dataset. Then, we fuse the trajectory data with the meteorological data after feature discretization to deeply mine the motion information of ocean-going ships. Finally, we design three modules, the global convolution, local convolution, and trend convolution modules, based on the simplified transformer model to capture multiscale features. We compare TripleConvTransformer with state-of-the-art prediction models. The experimental results show that in the prediction of the trajectory points in the next 90 min, the smallest root mean square error in terms of longitude and latitude and the highest overall prediction accuracy are achieved using TripleConvTransformer. Our method not only fully considers the influence of meteorological factors in the ocean-going process but also effectively extracts the important information hidden in the data, thus achieving accurate trajectory prediction on a global scale.
Contamination characteristics, coexistence relationships and health risk assessment of dioxins and metals in topsoil around municipal solid waste incinerator in Hainan, China
Authors: Tang Ling , Guo Jing , Li Ling , Wan Ruxing , Cui Lei , Liu Aimin , Lu Yong
Published: September 2022

Highly toxic pollutants such as dioxins and metals emitted from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration have caused a serious not-in-my-backyard social phenomenon. However, relatively few studies have comprehensively analyzed the contaminant characteristics, coexistence relationships and potential health risks of dioxins and metals in soils near MSW incinerator. Therefore, this study monitors 17 dioxin homologues and 13 metals in soils around MSW incinerator to evaluate their contaminant and coexistence characteristics as well as associated potential health risks. The empirical study focused on Hainan Province, a relatively pure area with no heavy industry and low population density in southern China. The contamination characteristics analysis shows that the total International Toxic Equivalence Quantity (I-TEQ) concentrations of dioxins are comparatively lower than the risk control standards and that in previous studies, whereas the concentrations of specific metals (e.g., Ni, Cu, Cd and Cr) are higher than the risk control standards. To explore the coexistence relationships, the statistical analysis is conducted and indicates that Sb, Cd, Zn and Pb metals (extracted as principal components, with a variance contribution rate of 30.89%) and most dioxin homologues (accounting for 82.83% of the total I-TEQ values) are clustered into one group, suggesting that they may have similar distribution characteristics and origins. Furthermore, the health risk analysis of two toxic pollutants reveals that the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of dioxins and most metals (except for Ni and Cr) are all below the acceptable levels, implying that the studied incinerator posed no obvious health effect to the surrounding residents.
Evolution of land surface feedbacks on extreme heat: Adapting existing coupling metrics to a changing climate
Authors: Dirmeyer Paul A. , Sridhar Mantripragada Rama Sesha , Gay Bradley A. , Klein David K. D.
Published: September 2022

Episodes of extreme heat are increasing globally, and dry land surface states have been implicated as an amplifying factor in several recent heat waves. Metrics used to quantify land-heat coupling in the current climate, relating sensible heat fluxes to near-surface air temperature, are applied to multimodel simulations of the past, present, and future climate to investigate the evolving role of land–atmosphere feedbacks in cases of extreme heat. Two related metrics are used: one that describes the climatological state of land-heat coupling and one that gives an episodic estimate of land feedbacks, here defined as the metric’s value at the 90th percentile of monthly mean temperatures. To provide robust statistics, seasonal multimodel medians are calculated, with the significance of changes determined by the degree of model consensus on the sign of the change. The climatological land-heat coupling mirrors other metrics of land–atmosphere interaction, peaking in transition regions between arid and humid climates. Changes from preindustrial to recent historical conditions are dominated by decreased land surface controls on extreme heat, mainly over the broad areas that have experienced expanded or intensified agriculture over the last 150 years. Future projections for increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations show a waning of areas of weakened land-heat feedbacks, while areas of increasing feedbacks expand over monsoon regions and much of the midlatitudes. The episodic land-heat metric is based on anomalies, which creates a quandary: how should anomalies be defined in a nonstationary climate? When the episodic coupling is defined relative to the means and variances for each period, a broadly similar evolution to the climatological metric is found, with historically dominant decreases giving way to widespread moderate increases in future climate scenarios. Basing all statistics on preindustrial norms results in huge increases in the coupling metric, showing its sensitivity to the definition of anomalies. When the metric is reformulated to isolate the impact of changing land and temperature variability, the tropics and Western Europe emerge as regions with enhanced land feedbacks on heatwaves, while desert areas and much of the remainder of the midlatitudes show reduced land-heat coupling.
Efficiency measures and influencing factors for rural land outsourcing: Evidence from China, 2003–2015
Authors: Wang Mengdi , Wang Changzheng , Peng Xiaobing
Published: September 2022

In the context of China’s vigorous promotion of its rural revitalization and land transfer policy, land outsourcing is a perspective worthy of attention to understand China’s rural land production and agricultural development. Based on rural land outsourcing in China from 2003 to 2015, this study adopts DEA efficiency analysis and Tobit regression analysis to measure the efficiency of rural land outsourcing in China as well as discuss its influencing factors. The results show that 1) from 2003 to 2015, the efficiency of rural land outsourcing in China has risen, especially in the eastern region, where the efficiency has the best performance. Overall, technical efficiency has hindered the improvement of rural land outsourcing efficiency. 2) The development of rural land outsourcing is restricted by factors such as the newly increased arable land area in rural areas, the foreign labor force, and rural managers, while land outsourcing income cannot significantly promote the expansion of land outsourcing. 3) Large rural agricultural enterprises or cooperatives enhance the efficiency of land outsourcing. Under the food security policy, realizing the technological increment of land outsourcing and land economy can effectively promote the scale and production efficiency of land outsourcing.
Bringing soil chemistry to environmental health science to tackle soil contaminants
Authors: Duckworth Owen W. , Polizzotto Matthew L. , Thompson Aaron
Published: September 2022

With an estimated five million sites worldwide, soil contamination is a global-scale threat to environmental and human health. Humans continuously interact with soil, both directly and indirectly, making soils potentially significant sources of exposure to contaminants. Soil chemists are thus a potentially dynamic part of a collaborative cohort attacking environmental health science problems, yet collaborations between soil chemists and environmental heath scientists remain infrequent. In this commentary, we discuss the unique properties of soils that influence contaminants, as well as ways that soil chemists can contribute to environmental health research. Additionally, we describe barriers to, and needs for, the integration of soil chemistry expertise in environmental health science research with a focus on the future.
Do regional government green innovation preferences promote industrial structure upgradation in China? Econometric assessment based on the environmental regulation threshold effect model
Authors: Khattak Shoukat Iqbal , Khan Aarif Mohammad , Khan Muhammad Kamran , Li Chen , Liu Jiating , Pi Zhuojie
Published: September 2022

China has been upgrading the industrial structure (ISU) at the regional level through innovation to achieve socioeconomic progress, but there is less known about the complex intermediary mechanisms regulating the government’s green innovation preference (GGIP)-ISU nexus from a regional perspective in China. Experts agree that varying environmental regulations (ER) intensity alters the relationship dynamics between innovation and ISU. Thus, using regional panel data (2005–2019), the paper develops an ER-based threshold regression model to assess the GGIP-ISU nexus under various ER levels in China. Following the statistically acceptable stationarity test outcomes, the regression corroborated the GGIP had disrupted ISU in China. Second, the ER-threshold model depicted that GGIP flexibility and ER rigidity were found interconnected, while the GGIP-ISU connection was characterized by a U-shaped relationship in which ER acted as a threshold variable. Third, the region-based heterogeneity test reflected that there was significant disparity in the inhibitory effect of GGIP on ISU between resource and non-resource-based regions, i.e., GGIP had a more significant inhibitory influence on the ISU in the non-resource-based regions than in the resource-based regions. The paper recommends critical policy implications for the enhancement of ISU in China.
A method for quick and efficient identification of cichlid species by high resolution DNA melting analysis of minibarcodes
Authors: Tadmor-Levi Roni , Cummings David , Borovski Tomer , Shapira Rachel , Marcos-Hadad Evgeniya , David Lior
Published: September 2022

Freshwater bodies are key in supporting aquatic and terrestrial life. Ecological balance of freshwater habitats is very vulnerable, hence, often significantly disrupted by climatic changes and anthropogenic acts. In Israel, due to its relatively arid climate, many freshwater resources have been disrupted and still are under great pressure. The Sea of Galilee is the largest surface freshwater body in the Middle East and a habitat to unique populations of several fishes, including six cichlid species. Studies on the ecology of these fish and their conservation require effective monitoring tools. In this study, a simple and efficient molecular method was developed to identify the species of these lake cichlids using high resolution melting analysis of mini DNA barcodes. The species of an individual sample can be identified by a single tube PCR reaction. This assay successfully identified sequence differences both among and within species. Here, this method identified the species for 279 small cichlid fry that could not be morphologically identified, allowing to estimate relative species abundance and map their distribution in time and location. The results are key to understand not only the ecology of young stages but also their recruitment potential to adult fish populations and their sustainability. This method can be readily implemented in further ecological studies and surveys related to these species, in the lake and its surroundings, as a tool to enhance understanding and protection of these species.
Are degraded karst tiankengs coupled with microclimatic underground forests the refugia of surface flora? Evidence from China’s Yunnan
Authors: Shui Wei , Liu Yuanmeng , Jiang Cong , Sun Xiang , Jian Xiaomei , Guo Pingping , Li Hui , Zhu Sufeng , Zong Sili , Ma Meiqi
Published: September 2022

Karst tiankengs, as one of the most magnificent negative topographies, are capable of forming a bank for species diversity conservation easily. More than 300 karst tiankengs have been discovered and identified worldwide. Given its treacherous terrain, although original karst tiankeng were identified as species refuges, the broader distribution of degraded karst tiankeng has not been systematically studied. Our study area comprised the degraded karst tiankeng cluster immersed in the fragmented karst forests of Yunnan, China. Fifty-eight plant samples were selected from karst tiankengs and surface. We compared species composition, and analyzed diversity indices and similarity coefficients to verify the isolation effect of karst tiankengs on floras. The results indicated that: (1) In the degraded karst tiankeng, there were 24 families, 37 genera and 48 species in the tree layer and 27 families, 43 genera and 49 species in the shrub layer. Outside the degraded karst tiankengs, 20 families, 31 genera and 39 species were in the tree layer, and the shrub layer included 26 families, 44 genera and 55 species. (2) The species composition reached significant differences within and outside degraded karst tiankeng (p < 0.05) based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA). (3) In the degraded karst tiankeng, species richness/diversity in trees were higher than those in the shrub layer, while at the surface, shrubs had higher richness and lower diversity than trees by Alpha-diversity index. And for Beta-diversity index, species similarity among degraded karst tiankengs (0.215) was extremely dissimilar, which was even lower than the contrast within and outside the degraded karst tiankengs (0.272). (4) Shared species ranged from 1 to 5 among the four habitats, with high variability in plant species across the habitat matrices. Through a comparative analysis of systematic biodiversity methods, we found that the degraded karst tiankengs, an independent type of karst tiankeng, are the unreported refugia. Species records in degraded karst tiankeng cluster will contribute to plant diversity conservation and resource management, and to the linkage with broader China’s karst floras. Karst tiankeng botanical habitats possess not only biodiversity value for in situ conservation, but will further support the ecological recovery of surface flora. While its mechanism needs to be further revealed.
Climate and vegetation and their impact on stable C and N isotope ratios in bat guano
Authors: Reid Rachel E. B. , Waples James T. , Jensen David A. , Edwards Christine E. , Liu Xinyi
Published: September 2022

Cave guano deposits represent a relatively untapped paleoecological archive that can provide information about past vegetation, climate, and bat diet over several millennia. Recent research suggests that carbon isotope values (δ13C) measured in guano accumulations from insectivorous bats reflect the relative abundance of C3 and C4 plants on the landscape while nitrogen isotope values (δ15N) may reflect precipitation amount. Together, these proxies can provide useful information for restoration practitioners seeking to understand how plant species composition has changed over time in relation to climate and land use. To better calibrate these proxies for use in restoration, we compared instrumental records of precipitation and satellite imagery of vegetation with isotope values measured in modern bat guano from Mary Lawson Cave, a large limestone cavern located in central Missouri. Mary Lawson Cave hosts a maternity colony of insectivorous gray bats (Myotis grisescens), and as such, contains significant guano accumulations. In the fall of 2018, we collected a 60 cm long guano core that dates to 1999 cal AD at its base. Guano core δ13C values decrease from the base toward the surface (from ~-26 to -27‰) whereas δ15N values increase toward the surface even after accounting for ammonia volatilization (from ~3 to 5‰). Presently, the landscape around Mary Lawson Cave is dominated by a deciduous forest and pasture. Given that the land cover has changed very little over this period, the decline in δ13C values toward the present likely reflects a shift in land management on farms and/or increases in invasive C3 species. Rainfall amounts from nearby Lebanon, Missouri, are significantly positively correlated with guano δ15N values, a relationship that is notably opposite that observed previously in soil and plants. We argue that heavy fertilizer application and significant grazing intensity could lead to the accumulation of large pools of excess labile nitrogen which would be vulnerable to leaching during precipitation events. The relationship between guano δ15N values and precipitation may differ for materials from less agriculturally impacted locations or periods and should be extended into the past with caution.
Forests at the fringe: Comparing observed change to projected climate change impacts for five tree species in the Pacific Northwest, United States
Authors: Kralicek Karin , Barrett Tara M. , Ver Hoef Jay M. , Temesgen Hailemariam
Published: September 2022

Rapid climate change over the coming century will impact suitable habitat for many tree species. In response to these changes in climate, areas that become unsuitable will see higher mortality and lower growth and recruitment. Therefore, early detection of demographic trends is critical for effective forest management. Recent 10-year remeasurement data from the United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program’s national annual inventory of forest land provides an ideal data set for analyzing such trends over large areas. However, failure to distinguish between areas of future habitat contraction and expansion or persistence when estimating demographic trends may mask species’ shifts. We used remeasurement data to compare observed tree demographic rates with projected impacts of climate change for five important tree species in the Pacific Northwest. Projected impacts were based on spatial-Bayesian hierarchical models of species distributions, which were used to project areas where habitat would persist (remain climatically suitable), expand (become suitable), or contract (become unsuitable) under four future climate scenarios for the 2080s. We compared estimates of mortality and net-growth between these areas of shifting suitability and a naïve division of habitat based on elevation and latitude. Within these regions, we assessed the sustainability of mortality and determined that observational data suggest that climate change impacts were already being felt in some areas by some species. While there is an extensive literature on bioclimatic species distribution models, this work demonstrates they can be adapted to the practical problem of detecting early climate-related trends using national forest inventory data. Of the species examined, California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) had the most notable instances of observed data suggesting population declines in the core of its current range.
NanoCoV19: An analytical pipeline for rapid detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Authors: Lang Jidong
Published: September 2022

Nanopore sequencing technology (NST) has become a rapid and cost-effective method for the diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Compared with short-read sequencing platforms (e.g., Illumina’s), nanopore long-read sequencing platforms effectively shorten the time required to complete the detection process. However, due to the principles and data characteristics of NST, the accuracy of sequencing data has been reduced, thereby limiting monitoring and lineage analysis of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we developed an analytical pipeline for SARS-CoV-2 rapid detection and lineage identification that integrates phylogenetic-tree and hotspot mutation analysis, which we have named NanoCoV19. This method not only can distinguish and trace the lineages contained in the alpha, beta, delta, gamma, lambda, and omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 but is also rapid and efficient, completing overall analysis within 1 h. We hope that NanoCoV19 can be used as an auxiliary tool for rapid subtyping and lineage analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and, more importantly, that it can promote further applications of NST in public-health and -safety plans similar to those formulated to address the COVID-19 outbreak.
Development and validation of a TRP-related gene signature for overall survival prediction in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: He Min , Wu Gujie , Wang Ziheng , Ren Kuan , Yang Zheng , Xue Qun
Published: September 2022

The transient receptor potential (TRP) channel is a type of channel protein widely distributed in peripheral and central nervous systems. Genes encoding TRP can be regulated by natural aromatic substances and serve as a therapeutic target for many diseases. However, the role of TRP-related genes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. In this study, we used data from TCGA to screen and identify 17 TRP-related genes that are differentially expressed between LUAD and normal lung tissues. Based on these differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we classified all patients with LUAD into two subtypes. Significant differences in prognosis, clinical features, and immune cell infiltration characteristics were observed between the two subtypes. Subsequently, a prognostic signature with 12 genes was established by applying the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression method, and all patients with LUAD were classified into low- and high-risk groups. Patients with LUAD in the low-risk group had a significantly longer survival time than those in the high-risk group (p < 0.001), which was confirmed by LUAD data from the GSE72094 and GSE68571 validation datasets. Combined with clinical characteristics, the risk score was found to be an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) in patients with LUAD. Additionally, patients with high TRP scores exhibited poorer clinical characteristics and immune status while showing a sensitive response to chemotherapeutic agents. In conclusion, the TRP score is a promising biomarker for determining the prognosis, molecular subtype, tumor microenvironment, and guiding personalized treatment in patients with LUAD.
STS-BN: An efficient Bayesian network method for detecting causal SNPs
Authors: Ma Yanran , Fa Botao , Yuan Xin , Zhang Yue , Yu Zhangsheng
Published: September 2022

Background: The identification of the causal SNPs of complex diseases in large-scale genome-wide association analysis is beneficial to the studies of pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. However, existing applicable methods for large-scale data suffer from low accuracy. Developing powerful and accurate methods for detecting SNPs associated with complex diseases is highly desired.

Results: We propose a score-based two-stage Bayesian network method to identify causal SNPs of complex diseases for case-control designs. This method combines the ideas of constraint-based methods and score-and-search methods to learn the structure of the disease-centered local Bayesian network. Simulation experiments are conducted to compare this new algorithm with several common methods that can achieve the same function. The results show that our method improves the accuracy and stability compared to several common methods. Our method based on Bayesian network theory results in lower false-positive rates when all correct loci are detected. Besides, real-world data application suggests that our algorithm has good performance when handling genome-wide association data.

Conclusion: The proposed method is designed to identify the SNPs related to complex diseases, and is more accurate than other methods which can also be adapted to large-scale genome-wide analysis studies data.