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Although advances in single-cell technologies have enabled the characterization of multiple omics profiles in individual cells, extracting functional and mechanistic insights from such information remains a major challenge. Here, we present scapGNN, a graph neural network (GNN)-based framework that creatively transforms sparse single-cell profile data into the stable gene–cell association network for inferring single-cell pathway activity scores and identifying cell phenotype–associated gene modules from single-cell multi-omics data. Systematic benchmarking demonstrated that scapGNN was more accurate, robust, and scalable than state-of-the-art methods in various downstream single-cell analyses such as cell denoising, batch effect removal, cell clustering, cell trajectory inference, and pathway or gene module identification. scapGNN was developed as a systematic R package that can be flexibly extended and enhanced for existing analysis processes. It provides a new analytical platform for studying single cells at the pathway and network levels. This study presents scapGNN, a single-cell data analysis toolkit that can quantify association networks in sparse single-cell profiles to integrate multi-omics data, calculate pathway activity scores, and identify cell phenotype-associated gene modules at single-cell resolution. Its rich functionality and visualization offer a comprehensive view of single-cell multi-omics data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-hand object pose estimation is challenging for humans and robots due to occlusion caused by the hand and object. This paper proposes a soft finger that integrates inner vision with kinesthetic sensing to estimate object pose inspired by human fingers. The soft finger has a flexible skeleton and skin that adapts to different objects, and the skeleton deformations during interaction provide contact information obtained by the image from the inner camera. The proposed framework is an end-to-end method that uses raw images from soft fingers to estimate in-hand object pose. It consists of an encoder for kinesthetic information processing and an object pose and category estimator. The framework was tested on seven objects, achieving an impressive error of 2.02 mm and 11.34 degrees for pose error and 99.05% for classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Raw starch-degrading α-amylase (RSDA) can hydrolyze raw starch at moderate temperatures, thus contributing to savings in starch processing costs. However, the low production level of RSDA limits its industrial application. Therefore, improving the extracellular expression of RSDA in Bacillus subtilis, a commonly used industrial expression host, has great value. Results: In this study, the extracellular production level of Pontibacillus sp. ZY raw starch-degrading α-amylase (AmyZ1) in B. subtilis was enhanced by expression regulatory element modification and fermentation optimization. As an important regulatory element of gene expression, the promoter, signal peptide, and ribosome binding site (RBS) sequences upstream of the amyZ1 gene were sequentially optimized. Initially, based on five single promoters, the dual-promoter Pveg-PylB was constructed by tandem promoter engineering. Afterward, the optimal signal peptide SPNucB was obtained by screening 173 B. subtilis signal peptides. Then, the RBS sequence was optimized using the RBS Calculator to obtain the optimal RBS1. The resulting recombinant strain WBZ-VY-B-R1 showed an extracellular AmyZ1 activity of 4824.2 and 41251.3 U/mL during shake-flask cultivation and 3-L fermenter fermentation, which were 2.6- and 2.5-fold greater than those of the original strain WBZ-Y, respectively. Finally, the extracellular AmyZ1 activity of WBZ-VY-B-R1 was increased to 5733.5 U/mL in shake flask by optimizing the type and concentration of carbon source, nitrogen source, and metal ions in the fermentation medium. On this basis, its extracellular AmyZ1 activity was increased to 49082.1 U/mL in 3-L fermenter by optimizing the basic medium components as well as the ratio of carbon and nitrogen sources in the feed solution. This is the highest production level reported to date for recombinant RSDA production. Conclusions: This study represents a report on the extracellular production of AmyZ1 using B. subtilis as a host strain, and achieved the current highest expression level. The results of this study will lay a foundation for the industrial application of RSDA. In addition, the strategies employed here also provide a promising way for improving other protein production in B. subtilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A three-dimensional coupled model is used to quantify seepage from lined canals. • The effects of cracks on the hydraulic conductivity of lining materials are evaluated. • A quantitative relationship between hydraulic conductivity and its factors is formed. • The accuracy of empirical formula and numerical model for canal seepage is improved. The equivalent saturated hydraulic conductivity of concrete lining (K sce) is a key parameter to estimate seepage loss, while few studies have quantified the effect of cracks on K sce , potentially leading to significant errors in canal seepage estimation. A three-dimensional numerical model is employed to simulate seepage loss from canals lined with concrete, and then to obtain the value of K sce by an equivalent method. A total of 58,400 scenarios are simulated for different concrete lining and crack conditions (e.g., crack length, crack width, crack location, hydraulic conductivity of concrete (K sc), and underlying soil (K soil)), and the corresponding K sce values are estimated. Results show that the K sce value determined by the equivalent method is reliable in calculating seepage loss from concrete lined canals. K sce increases linearly with crack length with a slope C k , and C k exhibits a power function relationship with crack width, reaching a maximum value when the crack width surpasses the critical threshold, which ranges from 0.424 to 0.435 mm. When the crack width follows a log-normal distribution, the logarithmic value of C k increases linearly with the mean value of the logarithmic crack width. The influence of crack location and K sc on K sce can be negligible. The maximum increment of K sce of a crack is proportional to K soil. Considering the variation of K sce with crack parameters and K soil , equations to determine the value of K sce are established by adding the increment of K sce caused by cracks to K sc. This study establishes a quantitative relationship between K sce and crack parameters, thereby enhancing the accuracy of seepage loss calculations in lined canal under different damage status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first report of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide. Due to the limited virus strains, few key mutations that would be very important with the evolutionary trends of virus genome were observed in early studies. Here, we downloaded 1809 sequence data of SARS-CoV-2 strains from GISAID before April 2020 to identify mutations and functional alterations caused by these mutations. Totally, we identified 1017 nonsynonymous and 512 synonymous mutations with alignment to reference genome NC_045512, none of which were observed in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. On average, each of the strains could have about 1.75 new mutations each month. The current mutations may have few impacts on antibodies. Although it shows the purifying selection in whole-genome, ORF3a, ORF8 and ORF10 were under positive selection. Only 36 mutations occurred in 1% and more virus strains were further analyzed to reveal linkage disequilibrium (LD) variants and dominant mutations. As a result, we observed five dominant mutations involving three nonsynonymous mutations C28144T, C14408T and A23403G and two synonymous mutations T8782C, and C3037T. These five mutations occurred in almost all strains in April 2020. Besides, we also observed two potential dominant nonsynonymous mutations C1059T and G25563T, which occurred in most of the strains in April 2020. Further functional analysis shows that these mutations decreased protein stability largely, which could lead to a significant reduction of virus virulence. In addition, the A23403G mutation increases the spike-ACE2 interaction and finally leads to the enhancement of its infectivity. All of these proved that the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is toward the enhancement of infectivity and reduction of virulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Cancer can be classified into various subtypes by its molecular, histological or clinical characteristics. Discovering cancer-subtype-specific drugs is a crucial step in personalized medicine. SubtypeDrug is a system biology R-based software package that enables the prioritization of subtype-specific drugs based on cancer expression data from samples of many subtypes. This provides a novel approach to identify the subtype-specific drug by considering biological functions regulated by drugs at the subpathway level. The operation modes include extraction of subpathways from biological pathways, identification of dysregulated subpathways induced by each drug, inference of sample-specific subpathway activity profiles, evaluation of drug-disease reverse association at the subpathways level, identification of cancer-subtype-specific drugs through subtype sample set enrichment analysis, and visualization of the results. Its capabilities enable SubtypeDrug to find subtype-specific drugs, which will fill the gaps in the recent tools which only identify the drugs for a particular cancer type. SubtypeDrug may help to facilitate the development of tailored treatment for patients with cancer.  Availability and implementation The package is implemented in R and available under GPL-2 license from the CRAN website (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=SubtypeDrug). Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein subcellular localization (PSL) is very important in order to understand its functions, and its movement between subcellular niches within cells plays fundamental roles in biological process regulation. Mass spectrometry–based spatio-temporal proteomics technologies can help provide new insights of protein translocation, but bring the challenge in identifying reliable protein translocation events due to the noise interference and insufficient data mining. We propose a semi-supervised graph convolution network (GCN)–based framework termed TransGCN that infers protein translocation events from spatio-temporal proteomics. Based on expanded multiple distance features and joint graph representations of proteins, TransGCN utilizes the semi-supervised GCN to enable effective knowledge transfer from proteins with known PSLs for predicting protein localization and translocation. Our results demonstrate that TransGCN outperforms current state-of-the-art methods in identifying protein translocations, especially in coping with batch effects. It also exhibited excellent predictive accuracy in PSL prediction. TransGCN is freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/XuejiangGuo/TransGCN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Catastrophic landslides occur frequently at large waste dumps, causing huge losses of lives and environmental degradation. In this study, Zhujiabaobao iron mine waste dump was surveyed and found to be unstable during a field investigation in April 2016. A failure potential assessment was undertaken for the waste dump; this is crucial for the prediction and mitigation of landslides hazards. Reconnaissance, geomorphological analysis, and laboratory experiments were carried out to provide basic data, and a three-dimensional waste dump model was constructed. To consider ground cracks in the waste dump and acquire information about potential sliding mass, an extended finite element model (XFEM) based on strength reduction technique was applied. An analysis shows that the factor of safety (FOS) of waste dump is 1.22, not very stable according to " The technical code for building slope engineering (GB50330-2013) " published by Chinese ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the potential failure volume is 45 × 104 m3. Then, the potential landslide and debris flow due to slope failure were simulated using the software SFLOW based on a free-surface shallow water model (SWM). The landslide simulation considers different water contents of sliding mass, reflected in parameter C v (sediment concentration by volume), whereas debris flow simulation was designed for 20, 50, 100, and 200-year return periods. The results show that with the decrease in C v , the speed of sliding mass increases, and the run-out distance of landslide increases. However, even the farthest influence distance does not reach downstream buildings. The debris flow can pile up in front of gully mouth and even run into the Jinsha River. Therefore, once a landslide has occurred or when a lot of loose material is present, corresponding management measures (such as cleaning the material or setting the retaining wall) and a forewarning system should be developed to prevent huge damage caused by debris flow. Highlights • A method combining FEM and SWM for assessing waste dump failure potential. • The cracks have been considered in the model of stability analysis via XFEM. • The numerical model can fully consider real topographical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Subpathways, which are defined as local gene subregions within a biological pathway, have been reported to be associated with the occurrence and development of cancer. The recent subpathway identification tools generally identify differentially expressed subpathways between normal and cancer samples. psSubpathway is a novel systems biology R-based software package that enables flexible identification of phenotype-specific subpathways in a cancer dataset with multiple categories (such as multiple subtypes and developmental stages of cancer). The operation modes include extraction of subpathways from pathway networks, inference with subpathway activities in the context of gene expression data, identification of subtype-specific subpathways, identification of dynamic-changed subpathways associated with the cancer developmental stage and visualization of subpathway activities of samples in different phenotypes. Its capabilities enable psSubpathway to find specific abnormal subpathways in the datasets with multi-phenotype categories and to fill the gaps in the recent tools. psSubpathway may identify more specific biomarkers to facilitate the development of tailored treatment for patients with cancer. Availability and implementation The package is implemented in R and available under GPL-2 license from the CRAN website (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/psSubpathway/). Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flows could cause large amounts of damage in the alluvial fan where many houses and transport infrastructures exist. Thus, runout analysis of potential debris flows in these areas is necessary for protecting human lives, houses and infrastructure. Currently, the numerical simulation method is an effective way to intuitively display the runout of a potential debris flow. In this paper, a well-balanced finite volume scheme over complex topography was employed for studying the runout of a potential debris flow in the Dongwopu gully. Through model testing and validation, the numerical model had a good potential to adapt to the complex topography and could reasonably simulate the runout of debris flow events. Then, runout distance and inundation path, as well as flow depths and flow velocities, for the potential debris flow were obtained using the model. The simulation results appropriately reflected the runout characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To simulate debris flow run-out, the governing equations for free-surface shallow flow are corrected by setting the basal flow resistance coefficients with the quadratic rheological friction model. A well-balanced numerical scheme is developed for its run-out simulation over irregular topography. A linear reconstruction is adopted for improving the spatial accuracy of the numerical scheme. Considering the complex friction terms of governing equations of debris flow, they are estimated with a full implicit scheme for ensuring stability of the numerical scheme. The validity check of run-out simulation is implemented based on general knowledge of fluid, and a well-studied case occurred in the Xiezi Gully in Yingxiu Town, Sichuan Province of China. For practical purpose, the present numerical scheme is used for run-out prediction of debris flow in Xiaojia Gully of Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province of China. Our work aims to present a well-balanced numerical scheme for debris flow run-out simulation prediction, which can be applied quite conveniently to solve other kinds of debris flow models and helpful to promote the development in debris flow numerical calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Combining biologically related traits in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) increases the power for genetic discovery. Given the established relationship between lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), and between the latter and levels of cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β 42 (CSF-Aβ42), we leveraged genetic predisposition for lower CSF-Aβ42 levels as a proxy phenotype for CAA to identify new genes associated with lobar ICH. Methods: We used publicly available GWAS data for CSF-Aβ42 levels (n = 3146) and for lobar ICH (n = 2094). First, we evaluated the association between lobar ICH risk and CSF-Aβ42 in lobar ICH patients using a polygenic risk score (PRS) for CSF-Aβ42. Next, we conducted multi-trait analysis of GWAS (MTAG) for pleiotropy analysis of lobar ICH and CSF-Aβ42. MTAG results were further tested using Expression Quantitative Trait Locus and Differential Gene Expression Analyses. Results: CSF-Aβ42 PRS was associated with lobar ICH risk (p = 0.04). MTAG analysis identified a novel association within CDH9 (rs1007589; minor allele frequency = 0.09; MTAG p = 5.4 × 10−8; lobar ICH odds ratio = 1.4 and p = 2.4 × 10−3; CSF-Aβ42 β = −0.03 and p = 4.5 × 10−6). rs1007589 was significantly associated with the expression levels of CDH9 in temporal and occipital cortices, regions known to preferentially accumulate microhemorrhages in CAA. Conclusion: Our pleiotropy analysis suggested a variant possibly implicated with lobar ICH driven by amyloid-related mechanisms in CDH9 and associated with differential expression in brain regions characteristically affected by CAA. CDH9 is one subtype of the cadherin superfamily, which regulates intercellular adhesion, is involved in blood-brain barrier integrity, and is elevated in Alzheimer's disease patients. Further analyses are warranted to understand the effects of the variant on the pathogenesis of ICH and its clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prompt oblique detonation wave (PODW) sustained by a finite-length wedge is investigated by numerical simulation. The numerical results show that it is possible to stabilize a PODW on a finite-length wedge shorter than the induction length of the mixture behind the inert shock by numerically imposing a premature initiation of combustion in the initial flow field. The fully coupled and the partially coupled PODWs are observed in the numerical results. For the fully coupled PODW, the upstream facing transverse waves (UF TW) are swept downstream and consequently a fully coupled PODW can persist. For the partially coupled PODW, the UF TWs propagate upstream and the downstream facing transverse waves are weakened by the expansion wave emanating from the corner. As a result, a partially coupled PODW forms. Further, it is found that the stability of the partially coupled PODW is weak. The configuration of the partially coupled PODW can be altered by local explosions occurring downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highlights the limitation of existing NFFA approaches in differentiating the mechanism of frequent versus rare flood quantiles. • Proposes a novel NRFFA approach to capture the variation of flood quantiles with different return periods in a changing climate. • Use regional information to ascertain the design flood quantiles and provide plausible changes in design flood extremes in the year 2100. There now exists clear evidence of the impact of climate change on flooding, creating need for new methodologies for design flood estimation that account for warming induced nonstationarity. Current alternatives for nonstationary flood frequency analysis require the specification of a nonstationary probability model (often with time-varying parameters) that requires sufficient data to be stable. Reliance on the trend in observed data often ignores the dissimilar behaviour of frequent and rare quantiles under a warming climate. This, in turn, results in the direction of change to be consistent across both rare and frequent projected flood quantiles. However, results of multiple recent studies suggest that rarer floods are likely to increase while more frequent floods may decrease in magnitude into the future. In this study, we highlight this limitation of existing nonstationary flood frequency approaches and propose a novel nonstationary regional flood frequency analysis approach that captures the differing behaviour of more frequent and rare flood quantiles under a warming climate. The need for longer flood data to model nonstationarity is accommodated by pooling regional information which makes the projections more precise. Data for 105 Australian catchments are used to validate our proposed approach. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in capturing the variation of flood quantiles with varying average recurrence intervals in a changing climate. Finally, a few important statistics of future projections are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highlights the limitation of existing NFFA approaches in differentiating the mechanism of frequent versus rare flood quantiles. • Proposes a novel NRFFA approach to capture the variation of flood quantiles with different return periods in a changing climate. • Use regional information to ascertain the design flood quantiles and provide plausible changes in design flood extremes in the year 2100. There now exists clear evidence of the impact of climate change on flooding, creating need for new methodologies for design flood estimation that account for warming induced nonstationarity. Current alternatives for nonstationary flood frequency analysis require the specification of a nonstationary probability model (often with time-varying parameters) that requires sufficient data to be stable. Reliance on the trend in observed data often ignores the dissimilar behaviour of frequent and rare quantiles under a warming climate. This, in turn, results in the direction of change to be consistent across both rare and frequent projected flood quantiles. However, results of multiple recent studies suggest that rarer floods are likely to increase while more frequent floods may decrease in magnitude into the future. In this study, we highlight this limitation of existing nonstationary flood frequency approaches and propose a novel nonstationary regional flood frequency analysis approach that captures the differing behaviour of more frequent and rare flood quantiles under a warming climate. The need for longer flood data to model nonstationarity is accommodated by pooling regional information which makes the projections more precise. Data for 105 Australian catchments are used to validate our proposed approach. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in capturing the variation of flood quantiles with varying average recurrence intervals in a changing climate. Finally, a few important statistics of future projections are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the discrete fracture network (DFN) probability models for estimating the discontinuities and fracture size distribution in rock mass. Among the models include fracture occurrence, fracture size and fracture location probability distribution models. The examined rock mass is located at Songta hydropower station's dam site in China.

• A fully coupled numerical model is used to quantify canal seepage from lined canal. • Effects of lining material and damage parameters on reduction factor are evaluated. • The main factors influencing seepage from canal with 3 lining materials are quantified. • Three empirical formulas are developed for the reduction factor of damaged lining. • The accuracy of empirical formula to calculate seepage from lined canal is improved. An increasing number of canals are designed with liners to decrease canal seepage. As the lining material and cracks or holes were previously considered equivalent porous media, few studies have quantified the effects of lining parameters on canal seepage, and the relationships between the reduction factor (β) of the lining and the crack width (d f) and hole density (h d) are not explicit, leading to large errors in the estimation of seepage loss. A three-dimensional numerical model is employed to simulate seepage loss from canals lined with concrete and geomembrane material in a total of 1159 scenarios, focusing on the crack locations, saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s) of concrete material and geomembrane material (K sc and K sg , respectively), thickness (T c), concrete lining d f , and geomembrane lining h d. For canals lined with concrete, d f is the main factor affecting canal seepage, followed by K sc and T c. Cracks with widths smaller than 0.02 mm have minimal influence on β, where β is reduced by a decrease in K sc or an increase in T c. When d f ranges from 0.02 to 0.2 mm, β increases gradually to a maximum value, while the impacts of K sc and T c weaken. For canals lined with geomembranes, β increases slightly with h d from 0 to 4.2 × 10−5, increases nearly linearly with log h d from 4.2 × 10−5 to 8.4 × 10−3, and then approaches 1.0. β is weakly influenced by K sg for particular h d values when K sg is smaller than 10−11 m/s, increases rapidly with K sg from 1 × 10−11 to 1 × 10−8 m/s, and then exceeds 0.938. For a canal lined with both concrete and a geomembrane, the trends in β with changes in d f and h d are identical to those of a canal with a single lining. Based on these results, the damage degree is proposed to evaluate the influence of cracks and holes on the lining effectiveness and as an intermediate variable for calculating β from d f and h d. Three empirical equations are proposed to calculate the β value of the concrete lining, geomembrane lining and combined lining with different d f and h d. The results show that the proposed equation improves the accuracy of the estimation of β compared with the multiplication model and can be further used for calculations of seepage loss from lined canals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A 3D numerical model for canal seepage is established based on finite element method. • The model is calibrated and validated by ponding tests with four lining conditions. • The model is accommodated to concrete and geomembrane lining with cracks and holes. • The main factors influencing canal seepage under different scenarios are quantified. Concrete and geomembranes are common materials used in canal linings to decrease canal seepage. Current numerical studies focus on concrete linings only by equivalent continuous models and seldom are about geomembrane and are suitable to quantify the seepage loss from canals with damaged linings. In this study, a new model is developed for the coupled numerical simulation of seepage through concrete with cracks and a geomembrane with holes in canal lining damage based on the finite element method. In this model, the porous media is discretized into solid elements, whereas discrete cracks and geomembranes are modelled by zero-thickness elements, with the Richards equation and cubic law applied to describe the water seepage process. The porous media and crack zones are implicitly coupled in time and space through the exchange flow between the concrete and the crack zones in that the heads are integrated in a single matrix equation. The domain area is divided into two subdomain areas by the geomembrane. For the two subdomain areas, the surfaces of both sides in the geomembrane are treated as two flux boundaries. The proposed model is calibrated and validated by the results of ponding tests conducted on a canal with four lining treatments and additional experiments, which showed that the model fit the experiments very well. The model is applied to sensitivity analyses by varying the model parameters. The model is shown to be capable of simulating the seepage of canals lined by concrete and geomembrane lining with different cracks and holes. The sensitivity analysis shows that canal seepage mainly depends on the lining characteristics, such as the crack width, hole density, saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s) of the geomembrane, K s of the concrete, and K s of the soil layers adjacent to the canal bottom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new basis for presenting illustrations of spatial dependence related to extreme rain. • Extreme rainfall spatial connectivity increases under ENSO phases. • RC weakens at warmer temperatures, with localized lower relative connectivity. The frequency and severity of extreme weather events have been noted to be changing in both time and space as a result of rising global temperatures. In this regard, the analysis of joint occurrences of extreme climate events has gained considerable importance for planning and emergency management as such events often result in system failures that extend beyond a single location in the region impacted. By their very definition, extremes cannot be sampled frequently, necessitating approaches that are robust and efficient and can take advantage of the Big Data movement we are now a part of. This study introduces a new concept for characterizing such dependence, termed relative connectivity, formulated using the theory of empirical copulas which represent a non-parametric method to describe the joint dependence of random variables. The spatial relative connectivity of extreme rainfall events across 2,708 rainfall stations in Australia is ascertained and conclusions drawn. The extreme rainfall events in Western Australia, southeast South Australia, and southwest Victoria exhibit higher relative connectivity than other regions, suggesting a stronger spatial dependence and higher possibility of concurrence when compared to other regions. The overall variation of relative connectivity is also examined under different low-frequency climatic anomalies (i.e. El Nino and La Nina events) and temperature states. We observe that spatial dependence across raingauges increases under both El Nino and La Nina periods, while it weakens at warmer temperatures, with localized lower relative connectivity at target raingauges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regenerative capacity of the adult mammalian heart is limited, while the neonatal heart is an organ with regenerative and proliferative ability. Activating adult cardiomyocytes (CMs) to re-enter the cell cycle is an effective therapeutic method for ischemic heart disease such as myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure. Here, we aimed to reveal the role and potential mechanisms of cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) in cardiac regeneration and repair after heart injury. CNBP is highly expressed within 7 days post-birth while decreases significantly with the loss of regenerative ability. In vitro , overexpression of CNBP promoted CM proliferation and survival, whereas knockdown of CNBP inhibited these processes. In vivo , knockdown of CNBP in CMs robustly hindered myocardial regeneration after apical resection in neonatal mice. In adult MI mice, CM-specific CNBP overexpression in the infarct border zone ameliorated myocardial injury in acute stage and facilitated CM proliferation and functional recovery in the long term. Quantitative proteomic analysis with TMT labeling showed that CNBP overexpression promoted the DNA replication, cell cycle progression, and cell division. Mechanically, CNBP overexpression increased the expression of β-catenin and its downstream target genes CCND1 and c-myc; Furthermore, Luciferase reporter and Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that CNBP could directly bind to the β-catenin promoter and promote its transcription. CNBP also upregulated the expression of G1/S-related cell cycle genes CCNE1, CDK2, and CDK4. Collectively, our study reveals the positive role of CNBP in promoting cardiac repair after injury, providing a new therapeutic option for the treatment of MI. [Display omitted] • CNBP is highly expressed in neonatal hearts while decreases significantly in adults with the loss of regenerative ability. • CNBP overexpression can facilitate cardiac repair by promoting cardiomyocyte CM proliferation and survival. • β-catenin plays an important role in the process of CNBP promoting cardiac regeneration. • CNBP can directly bind to the β-catenin promoter, activate the expression of β-catenin and its downstream genes in CMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yarlung Tsangpo river basin in the southeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau contains many maritime glaciers, where the massive debris flow formation caused by the glacial degradation leads to the issue of regional warming. It often forms a continuous geological disaster chain. In this study, the topographical features and debris flow deposits in the Peilong valley were investigated in November 2018. It was found that the geological conditions in the valley are complex and numerous unstable sources are existed. Field investigations, laboratory tests, and a geomorphological analysis were conducted to obtain relevant data for the valley. And comparison of Landsat images indicates that the rate of change of the glacial area is 51.62% from winter to summer. Discrete element software (PFC3D) is used to simulate glacial landslides on the left bank. The simulation results show that a dam with a height of 141 m was formed, creating a lake. The debris flow after the dam break is simulated for different peak discharge values and durations based on a free surface shallow flow (SFLOW) model, with a final accumulation depth of 21.6 m. The comprehensive results of numerical simulation show that the chain of geological disasters induced by glacial landslide poses a huge threat to residents and roads near Peilong valley. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the glacier activities in real time to enable forecasting of debris flows and reduce the property losses and prevent loss of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mapping unit is the smallest indivisible unit of landslide susceptibility mapping. The mapping unit considerably affects the effect of landslide susceptibility mapping. Among many mapping units, the slope unit is one of the most suitable units for landslide susceptibility mapping. The methods available for classifying slope unit are not uniform, and the dividing effects differ. In this study, the hydrological method and curvature watershed method were used to classify the slope units in the study area on the upper Jinsha River, south-western China. Lithology, slope angle, slope aspect, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land cover, rainfall, curvature, distance-to-river, distance-to-fault, were selected as the landslide conditioning factors. Support vector machine were applied to the landslide susceptibility modeling. Statistical indexes, 5-flod cross validation, Kappa coefficient, and AUC values were introduced to validate the prediction accuracy of the landslide susceptibility model. By comparing the shape characteristics of slope units classified by the two methods, we found that the slope unit classified based on curvature watershed method has a uniform size, shape between circle and equilateral triangle, and small internal terrain variation. As for the mean prediction accuracy, Kappa coefficient and AUC values of landslide susceptibility model, in the training stage, were 81.62%, 63.23%, and 89.72%, respectively, for the hydrological method, while 84.26%, 68.51%, and 90.80%, respectively, for the curvature watershed method; in the testing stage, were 80.70%, 61.40%, and 88.08%, respectively, for the hydrological method, while 83.24%, 66.49%, and 88.96%, respectively, for the curvature watershed method, which means that the curvature watershed method is more effective to produce landslide susceptibility map of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, biodiesel was used to upgrade bio-oil by extracting the high-quality fuel fractions in bio-oil through solvent extraction. After the extraction, the upper layer blends of biodiesel and the high-quality bio-oil components, also called the "extraction phase liquid", was obtained and denoted as EPBB. Firstly, Thermogravimetric (TG) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses indicated that the light components originally in bio-oil, such as alcohols, ethers, ketones and carboxylic acids were extracted from bio-oil to biodiesel and formed the EPBB. Then the fuel properties of EPBB were measured at different temperatures. The results showed that the density of EPBB was higher, while its viscosity, surface tension and lower heating value (LHV) were lower than those of biodiesel. Accordingly, EPBB revealed better atomization and evaporation characteristics as compared to biodiesel. Finally, the engine performance of EPBB was tested on an unmodified direct-injection diesel engine. When compared with biodiesel, the ignition delay of EPBB was longer, the premixed combustion duration was longer, while the total combustion duration was shorter. The fuel economy of EPBB was comparable to that of biodiesel, and the NOx, soot, CO and UHC emissions of EPBB were all lower than those of biodiesel. • The renewable extraction phase liquid of bio-oil/biodiesel blends (EPBB) is prepared. • EPBB is consisted of biodiesel and the best fuel fractions from bio-oil. • The fuel atomization and evaporation of EPBB are better than those of biodiesel. • EPBB has a comparable fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions than biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to produce a landslide susceptibility map along the rapidly uplifting section of the upper Jinsha River. Firstly, a total of 40 landslides were identified in the study area from the interpretation of remote sensing (RS) and field survey data. Following landslide identification, ten variables including slope angle, slope aspect, curvature, land use, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), rainfall, lithology, distance to river, distance to fault, and Strahler's integral value were selected as the influencing factors in landslide susceptibility mapping. All of the influencing factors were extracted by the slope unit. The Strahler's integral value was used to represent the relationship between the rate of uplift and rate of denudation in each slope unit. Furthermore, three methods, including logistic regression, a support vector machine, and an artificial neural network, were applied to landslide susceptibility modelling. Five-fold cross validation, a statistical analysis method, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used to compare the evaluation results of the three models. Finally, the variance-based method was used to find the key factors associated with landslides in the study area. The results show that the mean prediction accuracies of the logistic regression model, artificial neural network model, and support vector machine model were 80.47%, 87.30%, and 83.94% in the training stage, respectively, and 81.08%, 82.16%, and 83.51% in the validating stage, respectively. The mean AUCs of the three models were 88.16%, 93.96%, and 89.68% in the training stage, respectively, and 87.68%, 92.60%, and 89.88% in the validating stage, respectively. These results show that the artificial neural network model is the best model for evaluating landslide susceptibility in this study. The landslide susceptibility map produced by the artificial neural network model was divided into five classes, including very low, low, moderate, high, and very high, and the percentages of the areas of the five susceptibility classes were 17.23%, 28.32%, 22.73%, 16.73%, and 15.00%, respectively. Furthermore, the distance to river, slope aspect, lithology, and distance to fault are the most important influencing factors for landslide susceptibility mapping in the study area. Consequently, this study will be a useful guide for landslide prevention, mitigation, and future land planning in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Al3Zr/A356 particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites with 3% particle content were successfully prepared by in situ reaction. The effects of different welding parameters on the microstructure, microhardness and corrosion performance have been contrasted by controlled variables. The result shows when the pulse frequency is 15 kHz and the pulse peak current is 200 A, the welded seam is well-formed and the reinforcements are uniformly dispersed, which makes the hardness of the weld increase by 35% compared with the base metal. The electrochemical test combined with soak corrosion test exhibiting the corrosion mechanism is mainly pitting corrosion, supplemented by the comprehensive effect of stress corrosion and electrochemical corrosion. In addition, the corrosion mechanism of the welded joint of the composite was modeled according to the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to introduce a numerical technique for forecasting the hazard caused by the disaster chain of landslide blocking river-dam breach floods through an integration of the distinct element method (DEM) and a well-balanced finite volume type shallow water model (SFLOW). A toppling slope in a reservoir area, the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, was chosen for the study. Creep has been observed in the potential instability area, and a possible sliding surface was identified based on the data collected from adits and boreholes. Catastrophic rock avalanches may be triggered after reservoir impoundment, and the associated landslide disaster chain needed to be predicted. First, the landslide blocking river process was modeled by the DEM using the three-dimensional particle flow code (PFC 3D). The landslide duration, runout distance, and kinematic characteristics were obtained. In addition, the landslide dam and barrier lake were constructed. Then, the cascading dam breach flood propagation was simulated using the self-developed SFLOW. The flow velocity, inundation depth, and area were obtained. The hazard maps derived from the combined numerical technique provided a quantitative reference for risk mitigation. The influences of two involved parameters on the final hazard-affected area are discussed herein. It is expected that the presented model will be applied in more prediction cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucosal‐associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are important in antibacterial immune responses; however, during sepsis, they are few in number and exhibit highly activated phenotypes. The relationship between MAIT cells in peripheral blood and the prognosis of sepsis is not well understood. Thus, this study aimed to examine the levels and phenotypes of MAIT cells in early sepsis, evaluate their clinical relevance, and investigate their association with patient prognosis. This prospective observational study enrolled 72 septic patients defined according to the Sepsis 3.0 criteria and 21 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Their peripheral blood samples were used to assay the expression of immune activation (CD69 and HLA‐DR) and immune checkpoint (PD‐1 and PD‐L1) markers on MAIT cells. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II, and sequential organ failure assessment scores were recorded. Subsequently, the association between MAIT cell characteristics and clinical indicators was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis with a forward stepwise approach assessed independent risk factors for 28‐day mortality. We noted a decrease in the percentage of MAIT cells in the patients' peripheral blood, which exhibited an activated phenotype. Besides, HLA‐DR+ MAIT cell percentage and the APACHE II score were independently associated with the 28‐day mortality and, in combination, were the best indicators of mortality. Thus, the percentage of HLA‐DR+ MAIT cells in early sepsis serves as a novel prognostic biomarker for predicting mortality and improves the predictive capacity of the APACHE II score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sperm is formed through spermiogenesis, a highly complex process involving chromatin condensation that results in cessation of transcription. mRNAs required for spermiogenesis are transcribed at earlier stages and translated in a delayed fashion during spermatid formation. However, it remains unknown that how these repressed mRNAs are stabilized. Results: Here we report a Miwi-interacting testis-specific and spermiogenic arrest protein, Ck137956, which we rename Tssa. Deletion of Tssa led to male sterility and absence of sperm formation. The spermiogenesis arrested at the round spermatid stage and numerous spermiogenic mRNAs were down-regulated in Tssa−/− mice. Deletion of Tssa disrupted the localization of Miwi to chromatoid body, a specialized assembly of cytoplasmic messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) foci present in germ cells. We found that Tssa interacted with Miwi in repressed mRNPs and stabilized Miwi-interacting spermiogenesis-essential mRNAs. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that Tssa is indispensable in male fertility and has critical roles in post-transcriptional regulations by interacting with Miwi during spermiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the efficacy and safety of different doses of dexmedetomidine (DEX) for epidural labor analgesia (ELA). Methods. From June 2021 to June 2022, 147 parturients who underwent ELA in our hospital were selected and divided into low- (0.5 μg/kg DEX), medium- (0.75 μg/kg DEX), and high-dose (1.0 μg/kg DEX) groups (n = 49 for each) according to the random number table method. The analgesic effect was assessed using the Ramsay sedation score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the labor duration, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) before and after analgesia, vaginal bleeding within 2 h postpartum, and delivery outcomes (the cesarean section conversion rate and the neonatal Apgar score) were statistically analyzed. Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was calculated, and maternal satisfaction with delivery was investigated. Results. After analgesia, the the Ramsay and labor duration were higher in the high-dose group than those in the low- and medium-dose groups, and the VAS scores was lowerin the high-dose group than those in the low- and medium-dose groups P < 0.05 , while no difference was identified among the three groups in terms of the cesarean section conversion rate and the neonatal Apgar score P > 0.05 . The high-dose group had the greatest fluctuations in MAP and HR levels before and after analgesia than the other two groups, with a higher incidence of adverse reactions P < 0.05 . Finally, the survey of delivery satisfaction showed no significant difference in delivery satisfaction among the three groups P > 0.05 . Conclusion. DEX has excellent performance in ELA, which can effectively relieve the pain of puerperae and shorten the labor process. Among them, low-dose DEX has higher safety and is recommended as the first choice. Trial Registrations. This trial is registered with ML2021073. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affected by discontinuities, the properties of rock masses are characterized by strong scale dependency and anisotropy. Rock mass samples taken at any scale smaller than the representative elementary volume (REV) size could lead to an incorrect characterization and property upscaling. To better understand the sampling problem, numerical tests based on an outcrop-data-based discrete fracture network (DFN) model were conducted, trying to determine the REV size and its anisotropy. The model was validated and subsequently sampled to produce 455 rectangular samples with a width ranging from 0.05 to 21 m and a constant height-to-width ratio of 2. The samples were introduced into a 3D particle flow code model to create synthetic rock mass (SRM) samples. Numerical uniaxial compressive tests at different loading directions were performed to study the scale dependency and anisotropy of mechanical parameters. The results show that the mechanical REV sizes in different directions differ, changing between 7 and 19 m. The mechanical properties of rock mass samples in a REV size exhibit strong anisotropy, with the values of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and elastic modulus (E) varying from 5.6 to 10.3 MPa and 3.9 to 8.0 GPa, respectively. The simulated values of UCS were validated based on GSI and the Hoek–Brown failure criterion. The geometrical REV size based on the volumetric fracture intensity was calculated to be 7 m, equal to the minimum of the mechanical REV size; this suggests that the geometrical REV defines the lower bound of the REV size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is associated with advanced age as well as transactive response DNA-binding protein with 43 kDa (TDP-43) deposits. Both hippocampal sclerosis and TDP-43 proteinopathy have also been described in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease linked to exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI). However, the prevalence of HS in CTE, the pattern of TDP-43 pathology, and associations of HS and TDP-43 with RHI are unknown. A group of participants with a history of RHI and CTE at autopsy (n = 401) as well as a group with HS-aging without CTE (n = 33) was examined to determine the prevalence of HS and TDP-43 inclusions in CTE and to compare the clinical and pathological features of HS and TDP-43 inclusions in CTE to HS-aging. In CTE, HS was present in 23.4%, and TDP-43 inclusions were present in 43.3% of participants. HS in CTE occurred at a relatively young age (mean 77.0 years) and was associated with a greater number of years of RHI than CTE without HS adjusting for age (p = 0.029). In CTE, TDP-43 inclusions occurred frequently in the frontal cortex and occurred both with and without limbic TDP-43. Additionally, structural equation modeling demonstrated that RHI exposure years were associated with hippocampal TDP-43 inclusions (p < 0.001) through increased CTE stage (p < 0.001). Overall, RHI and the development of CTE pathology may contribute to TDP-43 deposition and hippocampal sclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel theory for tilted beam propagation is established in this paper. By setting the propagation direction of the tilted beam as the new optical axis, we establish a virtual optical system that is aligned with the new optical axis. Within the first order approximation of the tilt and off-axis, the propagation of the tilted beam is studied in the virtual system instead of the actual system. To achieve more accurate optical field distributions of tilted Gaussian beams, a complete diffraction integral for a misaligned optical system is derived by using the matrix theory with angular momentums. The theory demonstrates that a tilted TEM 00 Gaussian beam passing through an aligned optical element transforms into a decentered Gaussian beam along the propagation direction. The deviations between the peak intensity axis of the decentered Gaussian beam and the new optical axis have linear relationships with the misalignments in the virtual system. ZEMAX simulation of a tilted beam through a thick lens exposed to air shows that the errors between the simulation results and theoretical calculations of the position deviations are less than 2‰ when the misalignments ε x , ε y , ε x ', ε y ' are in the range of [−0.5, 0.5] mm and [−0.5, 0.5]°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been implicated as a risk factor for severe consequences from COVID-19. We evaluated the genetic architecture shared between AMD and COVID-19 (critical illness, hospitalization, and infections) using analyses of genetic correlations and pleiotropy (i.e., cross-phenotype meta-analysis) of AMD (n = 33,976) and COVID-19 (n ≥ 1,388,342) and subsequent analyses including expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL), differential gene expression, and Mendelian randomization (MR). We observed a significant genetic correlation between AMD and COVID-19 infection (rG = 0.10, p = 0.02) and identified novel genome-wide significant associations near PDGFB (best SNP: rs130651; p = 2.4 × 10−8) in the pleiotropy analysis of the two diseases. The disease-risk allele of rs130651 was significantly associated with increased gene expression levels of PDGFB in multiple tissues (best eQTL p = 1.8 × 10−11 in whole blood) and immune cells (best eQTL p = 7.1 × 10−20 in T-cells). PDGFB expression was observed to be higher in AMD cases than AMD controls {fold change (FC) = 1.02; p = 0.067}, as well as in the peak COVID-19 symptom stage (11–20 days after the symptom onset) compared to early/progressive stage (0–10 days) among COVID-19 patients over age 40 (FC = 2.17; p = 0.03) and age 50 (FC = 2.15; p = 0.04). Our MR analysis found that the liability of AMD risk derived from complement system dysfunction {OR (95% CI); hospitalization = 1.02 (1.01–1.03), infection = 1.02 (1.01–1.03) and increased levels of serum cytokine PDGF-BB {β (95% CI); critical illness = 0.07 (0.02–0.11)} are significantly associated with COVID-19 outcomes. Our study demonstrated that the liability of AMD is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, and PDGFB may be responsible for the severe COVID-19 outcomes among AMD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The proposed framework is proposed specifically for long narrow sampling windows. • The proposed framework is distribution-free and independent of sampled histograms. • The use of contained trace length is emphasized. • The proposed framework is applicable to curved-alignment sampling surfaces. • The fracture sampling strategy for long narrow sampling windows is suggested. Determining the fracture trace length distribution for a rock mass is an essential and difficult step in statistical fracture modeling. This requires the collection of representative mapping data, which for many large hydropower projects includes mapping in underground exploration tunnels resulting in long and narrow sampling windows. This limits the quality of the data collected using the long narrow sampling windows, and the traditional method for estimating true trace length distribution is challenged, especially for small samples. This paper presents a modified analysis framework for determining trace length distributions for long, narrow sampling windows. The proposed framework does not require the pre-selection of a distribution function and is independent of the sampled histogram. Instead, the distribution form is identified using L-moment ratio diagrams, and the corresponding distribution parameters are estimated using the L-moments. Two graphical tools and the average weighted orthogonal distance are introduced to assist in distribution selection on the L-moment ratio diagram. The multi-scanline method used to estimate the mean trace length is improved to make it applicable to curved tunnels (i.e., curved sampling surfaces). In addition, the proposed framework emphasizes the use of contained trace lengths to replace commonly used observed trace lengths for distribution inference and parameter estimation. Specifically, we assume that the true trace lengths have the same distribution form and coefficient of variation as the contained trace lengths. Guidance and recommendations are provided on the fracture sampling strategy. Validation of the proposed framework is performed by applying it to a synthetic data set with known characteristics. The application of the framework is demonstrated for a practical engineering case using mapping data collected from a hydropower project. The results show that the proposed framework is reliable and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geological conditions in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River on the southeastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are extremely complex. Many paleo-landslides and lacustrine sediments were formed in this area under the synergistic effect of tectonic activity and climate. The study of old deposits is helpful for understanding paleoenvironment, paleoclimate, and river geomorphology evolution. This study addressed the Wangdalong landslide damming event as the object and implemented a detailed on-site investigation. The geological characteristics of the landslide body, sliding surface, source area, and lacustrine deposits are determined. The 3D topographic restoration and the SFLOW software were used to simulate landslide dynamics, and the geomorphological evolution sequence of the Wangdalong landslide is proposed. Based on the landslide dating, the mineral analysis of lacustrine sediments, and the numerical simulation, the landslide was determined to be the product of the synergistic effect of climate and structure, and an earthquake or a heavy rainfall was the most probable triggering factor of the landslide. This study established a systematic analysis of the landslide damming event, which has reference significance for similar research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the dramatic increase of renewable energy and electric vehicle, a variety of customized power modules are rapidly designed and developed. However, it is necessary to expend a long time to examine the new power modules to ensure the reliability concerns via massive experiments, such as power cycling. The deformation characterization of the bare die has a grave impact on the failure of the power module. Therefore, to observe the weak point and presume the cycling lifetime of the power module package, the online characterization of deformation under the field application is significant. Besides, the outcomes can provide confident evidence for the finite element simulation model to conduct research on electrothermal-mechanical stress. In this letter, the mathematical model is created to understand the mechanical deformation induced by electrothermal coupling. To characterize the deformation of the power module in real-time for field application, a noninvasive confocal methodology is proposed. In addition, to confirm the feasibility of the proposed routine, an experimental setup is set up by using the front-to-front converter. The experiment results show that the maximal overall deformation occurs on the middle surface of the die while the edge of the bare die suffers minimal deformation, which corresponds to the simulation results. Besides, the overall and partial deformation errors between experimental and simulation results are within 5% and 7%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microtopography and vegetation cover of sloping farmland was measured using UAV. • Suitable tillage practice improved effect of crop cover in soil&water conservation. • Capacity of peanut in reducing runoff and sediment increased as peanut grew. • Connectivity indices well evaluated influences of microtopography and crop growth. Surface conditions such as vegetation cover and microtopography are main determinants of soil erosion, while their hydrological functions are not fully understood on tilled slopes. In this study, in-situ observations were carried out during four growth stages of peanut (seedling, needling, podding, and full fruiting stages) from 2021 to 2022 in Jiangxi Province on red soil slopes using three tillage practices, including flat planting (FP), flat planting with hedgerow intercropping (HG) and longitudinal ridge (LR), with bare land as the control (CK). The surface runoff and sediment yields were measured on runoff plots under 29 natural rainfall events during peanut growing season of 2021–2022. The digital elevation model (DEM) under different tillage practices, and vegetation cover maps at different growth stages were derived based on unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry, which were used to calculate microtopography parameters and hydrological connectivity indices (e.g., surface roughness, topographic wetness index, and Leakiness Index). Results showed that the total runoff yields for HG, FP, and LR plots were significantly reduced by 92.5 %, 85.8 %, and 56.8 % respectively compared with CK during the peanut growing season, and sediment yields were reduced by over 95.0 %. The crop cover reduced the runoff yield by 41.9 %, 86.2 %, 94.6 %, and 97.0 % at the seedling, needling, podding, and full fruiting stage respectively compared to CK, and reduced the sediment yield by above 95.0 % at each growth stage. The hydrological connectivity indices Flowlength (Flen) and Leakiness Index (LI) well represented the runoff transport capacity of sloping land and can be used to quantitatively assess the effects of microtopography and crop growth. This study provides further understanding of microtopography and vegetation cover patterns on soil erosion by using hydrological connectivity indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Forecasting the Landslide Blocking River Process and Cascading Dam Breach Flood Propagation by an Integrated Numerical Approach: A Reservoir Area Case Study" has been retracted by the journal Remote Sensing. The retraction was prompted by concerns raised by the authors themselves regarding the ownership of several figures in the article. An investigation confirmed that the ownership of these figures belonged to a third party and that appropriate permission had not been obtained. As a result, the article has been retracted in accordance with MDPI's retraction policy and the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics. The authors have agreed to this retraction. [Extracted from the article]

Accurate estimation of seepage losses in large-scale canal systems and identification of their impact factors are important for improving water conveyance efficiency in agricultural districts. However, seepage losses can vary widely across different regions and periods, making it difficult to obtain a complete understanding of the variation process based solely on local scale studies. In addition, although there are currently some complex numerical models available for large-canal systems in agricultural districts, they are rarely used in practice due to their complexity. This study evaluated the regional-scale spatio-temporal seepage processes of the Zaohuo canal, a 55 km's sub-main earthen canal located in the Hetao Irrigation District, China, under current and future water-saving conditions using MODFLOW-SWR. In addition, a pre-processing tool was developed to process spatial geographic data and spatial topology between different canals. Furthermore, the sensitivity of different influencing factors, such as the permeability of canal bed sediments, surface and groundwater level, and local lining, was also investigated. The optimal relationship between lining areas when partial lining is used and seepage losses was also investigated. The calculated water conveyance efficiency coefficient is 0.7871, which fits well with the reported results and proves the reliability of the simulation. In addition, it was found that seepage losses are most sensitive to the surface water level of the canal, followed by the permeability of canal bed sediments and then the groundwater level. Moreover, new hybrid lining can reduce the seepage losses by about 92.02%, but ongoing maintenance is vital. When lining the key portion of the canal, the seepage losses will be significantly reduced with the increase of lining area. The seepage losses reduction factor increases by 5.8% for every 1 × 105 m2 increase in lining area when the lining area is below 1 × 106 m2, while the effect is not significant when that limitation is exceeded. This study can support decision-making for water-saving projects in large water conveyance canals in regional-scale agriculture districts. • The regional-scale spatio-temporal seepage losses in large canal have been evaluated. • Seepage losses were calculated based on surface-subsurface model MODFLOW-SWR. • Seepage losses are more sensitive to surface water levels than groundwater levels. • Lining can reduce seepage losses substantially, but ongoing maintenance is vital. • The optimal relationship between lining areas and seepage losses is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic metamaterials represent an innovative approach to creating synthetic structures that combine desired material characteristics with embodied intelligence, blurring the boundaries between materials and machinery. Inspired by the functional qualities of biological skin, integrating tactile intelligence into these materials has gained significant interest for research and practical applications. This study introduces a Soft Robotic Metamaterial (SRM) design featuring omnidirectional adaptability and superior tactile sensing, combining vision-based motion tracking and machine learning. The study compares two sensory integration methods to a state-of-the-art motion tracking system and force/torque sensor baseline: an internal-vision design with high frame rates and an external-vision design offering cost-effectiveness. The results demonstrate the internal-vision SRM design achieving an impressive tactile accuracy of 98.96%, enabling soft and adaptive tactile interactions, especially beneficial for dexterous robotic grasping. The external-vision design offers similar performance at a reduced cost and can be adapted for portability, enhancing material science education and robotic learning. This research significantly advances tactile sensing using vision-based motion tracking in soft robotic metamaterials, and the open-source availability on GitHub fosters collaboration and further exploration of this innovative technology (https://github.com/bionicdl-sustech/SoftRoboticTongs). • Introducing Soft Robotic Metamaterials (SRM) with vision-based tactile sensing using machine learning. • Proposed and compared two sensory integration methods: internal-vision and external-vision designs. • Impressive tactile accuracy of 98.96% achieved by internal-vision SRM design. • Cost-effective and portable external-vision SRM design for shareable and reproducible robotic learning. • Demonstrated application for robotic teleoperation and the creation of portable teaching tools for robot learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life-threatening clinical condition associated with critically ill patients, and the construction of potential microRNA (miRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory networks will help to fully elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. First, we screened fifteen upregulated differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and six downregulated DE-miRNAs from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, the predicted target genes of the upregulated and downregulated DE-miRNAs were identified from the miRNet database. Subsequently, differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) were identified from the GEO database and subjected to combined analysis with the predicted DE-miRNA target genes. Eleven target genes of the upregulated DE-miRNAs and one target gene of the downregulated DE-miRNAs were screened out. To further validate the prediction results, we randomly selected a dataset for subsequent analysis and found some accurate potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes, including mmu-mir-7b-5p-Gria1, mmu-mir-486a-5p-Shc4 and mmu-mir-486b-5p-Shc4 pairs. Finally, mir-7b and its target gene Gria1 and mir-486b and its target gene Shc4 were further validated in a bleomycin-induced ALI mouse model. We established a potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of ALI in mice, which may provide a basis for basic and clinical research on ALI and advance the available treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• EA could alleviate EAE mice model. • EA could correct CD4+ T cell subsets imbalance. • MiR-155 mimic reversed the therapeutic effect of EA on EAE. • MiR-155 mimic could inhibit the expression of POMC in vivo and vitro. • EA alleviated the pathogenesis of EAE by inhibiting miR-155 and promoting POMC. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative and demyelinating autoimmune disease mediated by autoreactive T cells that affects the central nervous system (CNS). Electroacupuncture (EA) has emerged as an alternative or supplemental treatment for MS, but the mechanism by which EA may alleviate MS symptoms is unresolved. Here, we examined the effects of EA at the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint on mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the predominant animal model of MS. The effects of EA on EAE emergence, inflammatory cell levels, proinflammatory cytokines, and spinal cord pathology were examined. EA treatment attenuated the EAE clinical score and associated spinal cord demyelination, while reducing the presence of proinflammatory cytokines in mononuclear cells (MNCs), downregulating microRNA (miR)-155, and upregulating the opioid peptide precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the CNS. Experiments in which cultured neurons were transfected with a miR-155 mimic or a miR-155 inhibitor further showed that the direct modulation of miR-155 levels could regulate POMC levels in neurons. In conclusion, the alleviation of EAE by EA is characterized by reduced proportions of Th1/Th17 cells and increased proportions of Th2 cells, POMC upregulation, and miR-155 downregulation, while miR-155 itself can suppress POMC expression. These results, support the hypothesis that the effects of EA on EAE may involve the downregulation of miR-155. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive models used in debris flow runout simulations are two-dimensional with many limitations. Considering these limitations, a new three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code based on the finite difference method (FDM) was introduced to simulate debris flow runouts. The unique fractional area-volume obstacle representation (FAVOR), true-volume of fluid (Tru-VOF), and the renormalized group (RNG) model in the 3D CFD code were used to tackle mesh processing, free surface tracking, and turbulence, respectively. The RNG model has great performance in describing low-intensity flows and flows with strong shear regions. In addition, the 3D CFD modeling considers the vertical mobility of debris flow, which offers higher simulation accuracy compared to 2D approaches. Through simulating a case and a mesh size study, the accuracy of the model was validated and the optimal mesh size of Xiaojia Gully debris flow model was obtained, respectively. The affected areas, runout distances, deposition depths, and velocities of potential debris flows in Xiaojia Gully were acquired by adopting the present model. The simulation results show that debris flows with return periods of 50 years, 100 years, and 200 years will threaten the lives and safety of residents and their property in Xiaojia Gully. A sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the influences of rheological parameters on this model, further verifying the rationality of the selected parameters. In general, the present model can scientifically and accurately simulate debris flows on irregular terrain and can be employed for similar risk management and engineering designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports that the geometrical representative elementary volume (REV) of fractured rock masses is anisotropic, and the geometric shape of an REV is of a complex, irregular geometry. A 3D fracture network model of 98 m × 80 m × 80 m was created using the field information collected from tunnel PD254 at the Maji dam site in China. One hundred random cubes of various sizes with the same sampling direction were selected to assess the volumetric fracture intensity (P32). Changing the sampling direction along the dip direction and dip angle at a 10° increment, the REV size of each sampling direction was inferred using the Wald–Wolfowitz runs test and P32 values. The REV sizes of entire rock masses and each fracture set were calculated, and the results indicated that the REV sizes varied with the different sampling directions. The anisotropy ratio and standard deviation were employed to quantify the degree of the anisotropy of REVs. Based on the results, the anisotropy of REVs for fracture set 2 is the most significant, and that of fracture set 3 is the worst. The relationship between the anisotropy of REVs and fracture sets was discussed; one fracture set, two fracture sets, and three fracture sets were selected randomly from these simulated rock masses to evaluate the characteristics of the anisotropy of REVs. The mean value and the anisotropy of REVs increased with the number of fracture sets. The maximum REV size with a sampling direction was selected as an REV for each fracture set. Four cubes with different directions and different sizes were assembled into an irregular geometry. This geometry can represent the geometric shape of the REV of entire rock masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of COVID-19. It infects multiple organs including the respiratory tract and gut. Dynamic changes of regional microbiomes in infected adults are largely unknown. Here, we performed longitudinal analyses of throat and anal swabs from 35 COVID-19 and 19 healthy adult controls, as well as 10 non-COVID-19 patients with other diseases, by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed a partitioning of the patients into 3-4 categories based on microbial community types (I-IV) in both sites. The bacterial diversity was lower in COVID-19 patients than healthy controls and decreased gradually from community type I to III/IV. Although the dynamic change of microbiome was complex during COVID-19, a synchronous restoration of both the upper respiratory and gut microbiomes from early dysbiosis towards late more diverse status was observed in 6/8 mild COVID-19 adult patients. These findings reveal previously unknown interactions between upper respiratory and gut microbiomes during COVID-19. Rong Xu, Renfei Lu, Tao Zhang, Qunfu Wu, and colleagues perform a longitudinal analysis of throat and gut microbiomes on adult COVID-19 patients. They find initially lower bacterial diversity in COVID-19 patients, but demonstrate a restoration of microbiome diversity throughout disease progression for patients with mild forms of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Up to 92% of ball-milled chitin was liquefied by liquefaction technique. • Waste shrimp shells were directly liquefied and first used to modify the polymer materials. • LBMC and LBMS obviously enhanced the mechanical property, thermal stability and antibacterial activity of blend membranes. • The properties of LBMS/PVA blend membranes were comparable to those of LBMC/PVA blend membranes. Abstract Ball-milled chitin was liquefied with an optimal yield of 92% under sulfuric acid in diethylene glycol (DEG) at 160 °C for 120 min. The resulting liquid mixture was roughly separated into two portions: the real products of the reaction (liquefied ball-milled chitin, LBMC) and the remaining unreacted DEG. LBMC was further mingled with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to prepare LBMC/PVA blend membranes. To promote the direct utilization of shellfishery waste, raw shrimp shells were used to replace chitin for the liquefaction and membrane preparation operations. Liquefied ball-milled shrimp shells (LBMS) and the corresponding LBMS/PVA blend membranes were obtained. After adding LBMC or LBMS, the mechanical, thermal, water content and antibacterial performance of blend membranes were significantly improved compared to pure PVA membrane. Surprisingly, all the measured properties of LBMC/PVA and LBMS/PVA blend membranes were comparable, and even some properties of the latter were slightly superior than those of the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) plays a critical role in irrigation planning and is also important for hydrological cycle, environmental, and other studies. Thus, this research examined the trends in ET0 on seasonal and annual timescales in Hubei Province, China. ET0 was estimated using the Penman Monteith method (P-M) at 16 meteorological stations located in different areas of Hubei Province during the period 1960-2014. The trends in seasonal and annual ET0 were investigated using the Mann-Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator. The periodicities of ET0 in different regions were investigated using wavelet analysis. The major meteorological factors affecting ET0 were investigated using partial correlation analysis and the contribution rate method. The results showed, on a seasonal timescale, that in spring, ET0 increased in all geographic zones. In summer, ET0 decreased in all geographic zones. In autumn and winter, ET0 displayed no significant changes in any of the geographic zones. On an annual timescale, ET0 decreased in all geographic zones, and the magnitudes of the negative trend in annual ET0 were 2.58-10.04 mm 10a−1. In the five geographic zones, the periodic characteristics of ET0 were identical; the significant wavelet power spectra of ET0 had 3-7, 13-17, and 24-32-year modulations in variation. Among the meteorological factors, sunshine hours were the major climate element that influenced the variability in ET0. The results will provide important references for scientific planning for agriculture, water resource allocation, and water-saving irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on environmental exposures during pregnancy commonly use maternal residence at time of delivery, which may result in exposure misclassification and biased estimates of exposure and disease association. Studies on residential mobility during pregnancy are needed in various populations to aid studies of the environmental exposure and birth outcomes. However, there is still a lack of studies investigating residential mobility patterns in Asian populations.Methods: We analyzed data from 10,542 pregnant women enrolled in a birth cohort study in Lanzhou, China (2010-2012), a major industrial city. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate residential mobility patterns in relation to maternal complications and birth outcomes.Results: Of the participants, 546 (5.2%) moved during pregnancy; among those who moved, 40.5%, 34.8%, and 24.7% moved during the first, second, and third trimester, respectively. Most movers (97.3%) moved once with a mean distance of 3.75 km (range: 1-109 km). More than half (66.1%) of the movers moved within 3 km, 13.9% moved 3-10 km, and 20.0% moved > 10 km. Pregnant women who were > 30 years or multiparous, or who had maternal complications were less likely to have moved during pregnancy. In addition, movers were less likely to deliver infants with birth defects, preterm births, and low birth weight.Conclusions: Residential mobility was significantly associated with several maternal characteristics and complications during pregnancy. The study also showed a lower likelihood of adverse birth outcomes among movers than non-movers, suggesting that moving might be related to reduce exposure to environmental hazards. These results confirm the hypothesis that residential mobility may be important with respect to exposure misclassification and that this misclassification may vary by subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of exchange transfusion in patients with severe imported falciparum malaria. Twelve patients who met the diagnostic criteria for severe malaria were treated with exchange transfusion 14 times according to a conventional anti-malarial treatment. This study evaluated the efficacy of exchange transfusion for severe imported falciparum malaria. Methods: Clinical data of severe imported falciparum malaria patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Nantong Third People's Hospital from January 2007 to December 2016 were investigated in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into the intervention group, which received exchange transfusion, and the control group. This study assessed parasite clearance and outcomes of the two groups, and levels of erythrocytes, haemoglobin, platelets, coagulation, liver function, lactate, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin, before and after exchange transfusion in the intervention group. Results: There was no significant difference in the severity of admitted patients. Exchange transfusion was successfully applied 14 times in the intervention group. Differences in the levels of erythrocytes, haemoglobin and platelets did not reach statistical significance. Exchange transfusion improved coagulation, liver function, lactic acid, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin. No differences were observed in parasite clearance, ICU and hospital length of stay, inhospital mortality, and costs of hospitalization between the two groups. Conclusion: Exchange transfusion as adjunctive therapy for severe malaria was observed to be safe in this setting. Exchange transfusion can improve liver function and coagulation and reduce inflammation, but it failed to improve parasite clearance and the outcomes of severe imported falciparum malaria in this case series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]