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This study aimed to develop and evaluate a deep learning-based model that could automatically measure anterior segment (AS) parameters on preoperative ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) images of implantable Collamer lens (ICL) surgery candidates. A total of 1164 panoramic UBM images were preoperatively obtained from 321 patients who received ICL surgery in the Eye Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) to develop an imaging database. First, the UNet++ network was utilized to segment AS tissues automatically, such as corneal lens and iris. In addition, image processing techniques and geometric localization algorithms were developed to automatically identify the anatomical landmarks (ALs) of pupil diameter (PD), anterior chamber depth (ACD), angle-to-angle distance (ATA), and sulcus-to-sulcus distance (STS). Based on the results of the latter two processes, PD, ACD, ATA, and STS can be measured. Meanwhile, an external dataset of 294 images from Huangshi Aier Eye Hospital was employed to further assess the model's performance in other center. Lastly, a subset of 100 random images from the external test set was chosen to compare the performance of the model with senior experts. Whether in the internal test dataset or external test dataset, using manual labeling as the reference standard, the models achieved a mean Dice coefficient exceeding 0.880. Additionally, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) of ALs' coordinates were all greater than 0.947, and the percentage of Euclidean distance distribution of ALs within 250 μm was over 95.24%.While the ICCs for PD, ACD, ATA, and STS were greater than 0.957, furthermore, the average relative error (ARE) of PD, ACD, ATA, and STS were below 2.41%. In terms of human versus machine performance, the ICCs between the measurements performed by the model and those by senior experts were all greater than 0.931. A deep learning-based model could measure AS parameters using UBM images of ICL candidates, and exhibited a performance similar to that of a senior ophthalmologist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological mechanism underlying nocturnal stomatal conductance (gsn) in C3 and C4 plants remains elusive. In this study, we proposed a 'coordinated leaf trait' hypothesis to explain gsn in rice plants. We conducted an open‐field experiment by applying drought, nutrient stress and the combined drought–nutrient stress. We found that gsn was neither strongly reduced by drought nor consistently increased by nutrient stress. With the aforementioned multiple abiotic stressors considered as random effects, gsn exhibited a strong positive correlation with dark respiration (Rn). Notably, gsn primed early morning (5:00–7:00) photosynthesis through faster stomatal response time. This photosynthesis priming effect diminished after mid‐morning (9:00). Leaves were cooled by gsn‐derived transpiration. However, our results clearly suggest that evaporative cooling did not reduce dark respiration cost. Our results indicate that gsn is more closely related to carbon respiration and assimilation than water and nutrient availability, and that dark respiration can explain considerable variation of gsn. Summary Statement: The nocturnal stomatal conductance in rice plants was not strongly affected by drought or macronutrient stress. Instead, it exhibited a strong positive correlation with dark respiration and played a role in priming early morning photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the work described here was to develop and assess a deep learning-based model that could automatically segment anterior chamber angle (ACA) tissues; classify iris curvature (I-Curv), iris root insertion (IRI), and angle closure (AC); automatically locate scleral spur; and measure ACA parameters in ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) images. A total of 11,006 UBM images were obtained from 1538 patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma who were admitted to the Eye Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) to develop an imaging database. The UNet++ network was used to segment ACA tissues automatically. In addition, two support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were developed to classify I-Curv and AC, and a logistic regression (LR) algorithm was developed to classify IRI. Meanwhile, an algorithm was developed to automatically locate the scleral spur and measure ACA parameters. An external data set of 1,658 images from Huangshi Aier Eye Hospital was used to evaluate the performance of the model under different conditions. An additional 439 images were collected to compare the performance of the model with experts. The model achieved accuracies of 95.2%, 88.9% and 85.6% in classification of AC, I-Curv and IRI, respectively. Compared with ophthalmologists, the model achieved an accuracy of 0.765 in classifying AC, I-Curv and IRI, indicating that its high accuracy was as high as that of the ophthalmologists (p > 0.05). The average relative errors (AREs) of ACA parameters were smaller than 15% in the internal data sets. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of all the angle-related parameters were greater than 0.911. ICC values of all iris thickness parameters were greater than 0.884. The accurate measurement of ACA parameters partly depended on accurate localization of the scleral spur (p < 0.001). The model could effectively and accurately evaluate the ACA automatically based on fully automated analysis of UBM images, and it can potentially be a promising tool to assist ophthalmologists. The present study suggested that the deep learning model can be extensively applied to the evaluation of ACA and AC-related biometric risk factors, and it may broaden the application of UBM imaging in the clinical research of primary angle-closure glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leak detection of an oil pipeline can prevent environmental and financial losses. A method for the cyber-physical system of pipeline leak detection is proposed based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and deep belief network (DBN). Experiment data are acquired from an oil pipeline company. The EMD is suitable for noise removal and signal reconstruction from raw pressure signals, and the reconstructed signals are used to establish a DBN model of pipeline leakage. Our proposed method obtains higher-recognition-accuracy results (98% accuracy) and can more effectively identify leak detection than the twin support vector machine (TWSVM), support vector machine (SVM), and back-propagation neural network (BPNN). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-objective optimization of rice production via Pareto fronts computed with NSGA-III. • Coupled with process model DNDC to calculate yield, water use, CH 4 and N 2 O emissions. • Increased rice yield is achievable with reduced irrigation and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable rice farming practices are urgently needed to meet increasing food demand, cope with water scarcity, and mitigate climate change. Traditional farming methods that prioritize a single objective, such as increasing crop yield, reducing irrigation water consumption, or minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, have proven to be insufficient. Simultaneously optimizing multiple competing rice farming objectives remains less explored. The present study aimed to increase current rice yield, reduce irrigation water consumption, and tackle the dilemma to reduce GHG (CH 4 and N 2 O) emissions at once. Using a heuristic and holistic method, we optimized farm management, focusing on irrigation regimes, sowing window, fertilization rate, tillage depth, and their interactions. We calibrated and validated the process-based DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) model with 5 years of eddy covariance observations in a rice paddy site. The DNDC model was integrated with a Pareto-based non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III) to solve the multi-objective optimization problem. Results show that current farm management practices have failed to achieve the potential yield and imposed high environmental costs in the form of water use (604–810 mm/yr) and GHG emissions (CH 4 : 186–220 kg C/ha/yr; N 2 O: 0.3–1.6 kg C/ha/yr). By contrast, our new approach suggested that the optimized management could maintain or even increase current crop yield to its potential (∼10 t/ha), while reducing irrigation demand and GHG emissions by >50 %. Our results suggest that earlier sowing, combined with improved irrigation practices, may play a crucial role in maximizing crop yield and potentially providing environmental benefits. We found that the optimal proportion of non-flooded days was around 54 % of the growing season length, and the optimal stage for non-flooding days was the vegetative stage. Our approach could further be applied to evaluate the environmental sustainability of farming systems under various climate and local conditions, and to guide policymaking and farming practices. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground reference data are an essential prerequisite for supervised crop mapping. The lack of a low-cost and efficient ground referencing method results in pervasively limited reference data and hinders crop classification. In this study, we apply a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to explore the efficacy of automatic ground truthing via Google Street View (GSV) images in two distinct farming regions: Illinois and the Central Valley in California. We demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of our new ground referencing technique by performing pixel-based crop mapping at the state level using the cloud-based Google Earth Engine platform. The mapping results are evaluated using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop data layer (CDL) products. From ~ 130,000 GSV images, the CNN model identified ~ 9,400 target crop images. These images are well classified into crop types, including alfalfa, almond, corn, cotton, grape, rice, soybean, and pistachio. The overall GSV image classification accuracy is 92% for the Central Valley and 97% for Illinois. Subsequently, we shifted the image geographical coordinates 2–3 times in a certain direction to produce 31,829 crop reference points: 17,358 in Illinois, and 14,471 in the Central Valley. Evaluation of the mapping results with CDL products revealed satisfactory coherence. GSV-derived mapping results capture the general pattern of crop type distributions for 2011–2019. The overall agreement between CDL products and our mapping results is indicated by R2 values of 0.44–0.99 for the Central Valley and 0.81–0.98 for Illinois. To show the applicational value of the proposed method in other countries, we further mapped rice paddy (2014–2018) in South Korea which yielded fairly well outcomes (R2 = 0.91). These results indicate that GSV images used with a deep learning model offer an efficient and cost-effective alternative method for ground referencing, in many regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of emerging porcine viruses, atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) was found in three continents since it emerged in 2015. It is now thought as the causative agent for congenital tremor type A‐II in piglets. At the end of 2017, two APPV strains were identified from piglets with congenital tremor in Guangxi and Yunnan, China. The genome of APPV GX04/2017 strain was so far determined to be 11,534 nucleotides (nt) in length and contains a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein comprising 3,635 amino acids. Comparative analysis of ORF, Npro, E2, and NS3 gene sequences revealed that the APPV GX04/2017 strain shares nucleotide sequence identities of 82.8%–92.8% with other APPV strains, while YN01/2017 strain is 79.4%–97.4% homology to the others. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the APPV GX04/2017 and YN01/2017 are two novel APPV strains with the highest homology to each other, and relative high similarity to the APPV 000515 and JX‐JM01 strains in genome sequence. The current findings provide updated information about APPV epidemiology and divergence in China, which would certainly help to establish reliable diagnosis and surveillance programs for APPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During groundwater recharge with reclaimed water, pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) might contaminate the underground aquifers. In order to understand the effects of elevated sulfate concentrations on the biodegradation of BDE-99, lab-scale column experiments were performed to study the changes in bacterial and archaeal communities. The results confirmed that the biodegradation rate of BDE-99 improved significantly with the addition of sulfate. Oxygen was replaced by sulfate as the predominant electron acceptor, and the major biodebromination metabolites of BDE-99 were BDE-28 and BDE-47, respectively, The results from 454 pyrosequencing of 16s rRNA genes showed that the microbial community structure shifted toward communities with BDE-99 co-metabolism ability. At the bacterial genus level, Geothrix , Thiobacillus , Sphingomonas , Paenibacillus and Desulforhabdus were the five most abundant genera, wherein, Thiobacillus was able to treat the toxic products generated during polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) biodegradation. In the case of archaea at the genus level, Methanobrevibacter , Methanomethylovorans , DHVEG-6, Candidatus Nitrososphaera and Methanosphaera were the predominant groups, of which Methanobrevibacter and Methanosphaera showed good ability to metabolize BDE-99 with sulfate amendment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the rapid absorption capacity of coral sand soil for rainfall, a composite of carboxymethyl cellulose-g-poly (acrylic acid- co -acrylamide)/polyvinyl al co hol sponge (CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA) was designed and synthesized by coupling CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM) granules with a PVA sponge. The results showed that the rapid water absorption of CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA in distilled water in 1 h was 26.45 g/g, twice that of CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM) and the PVA sponge, which is suitable for short-term rainfall. In addition, the cation had a slight influence on the water absorption capacity of CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA, which were 29.5 and 18.9 g/g in 0.9 wt% NaCl and CaCl 2 solutions, respectively, indicating the great adaptability of CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA to high‑calcium coral sand. With the addition of 2 wt% CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA, the water interception ratio of the coral sand increased from 13.8 % to 23.7 %, and 54.6 % of the total interception water remained after 15-day evaporation. Moreover, pot experiments demonstrated that 2 wt% CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA in coral sand enhanced plant development under water scarcity, suggesting that CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA is a promising soil amendment for coral sand soils. • A fast water absorbent, (CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA), is synthesized to amend coral sand soil. • CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA is coupled with a superabsorbent resin and fast-absorbing sponge. • CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA is salt-tolerant with great repeated water absorbency. • Amended soil could remain at 54.6 % of water interception after 15-day evaporation. • CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA promotes the growth of water spinach under water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the rapid absorption capacity of coral sand soil for rainfall, a composite of carboxymethyl cellulose-g-poly (acrylic acid- co -acrylamide)/polyvinyl al co hol sponge (CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA) was designed and synthesized by coupling CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM) granules with a PVA sponge. The results showed that the rapid water absorption of CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA in distilled water in 1 h was 26.45 g/g, twice that of CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM) and the PVA sponge, which is suitable for short-term rainfall. In addition, the cation had a slight influence on the water absorption capacity of CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA, which were 29.5 and 18.9 g/g in 0.9 wt% NaCl and CaCl 2 solutions, respectively, indicating the great adaptability of CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA to high‑calcium coral sand. With the addition of 2 wt% CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA, the water interception ratio of the coral sand increased from 13.8 % to 23.7 %, and 54.6 % of the total interception water remained after 15-day evaporation. Moreover, pot experiments demonstrated that 2 wt% CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA in coral sand enhanced plant development under water scarcity, suggesting that CMC-g-P (AA-co-AM)/PVA is a promising soil amendment for coral sand soils. • A fast water absorbent, (CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA), is synthesized to amend coral sand soil. • CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA is coupled with a superabsorbent resin and fast-absorbing sponge. • CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA is salt-tolerant with great repeated water absorbency. • Amended soil could remain at 54.6 % of water interception after 15-day evaporation. • CMC-g-P(AA-co-AM)/PVA promotes the growth of water spinach under water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of tertiary-treated municipal wastewater for groundwater recharge through river utilization may cause pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) pollution, which poses a potential risk to groundwater aquifers. Elevated nitrate levels may change the structure of microbial communities, thus influencing the biodegradation of BDE-99. To investigate the influence of elevated nitrate levels on the changes in microbial communities and associated biodegradation of BDE-99 appropriately, a laboratory-scale column was designed to simulate the percolation process. The results showed that the attenuation rate of BDE-99 increased with nitrate concentrations. The lower-brominated ether congeners were the primary debrominated metabolites, while high-brominated diphenyl ethers and isomers of BDE-100 also emerged, and their concentrations decreased with reduced nitrate concentrations. The microbial community composition and structure significantly changed with elevated nitrate levels and relative abundance of nitrate-reducing bacteria with diverse metabolic capabilities increased. The order of the relative abundance of the largest five classes, as well as the relative abundances of the largest five families and genera, changed with increasing nitrate concentrations. The diversity of microorganisms with universal aromatics-degrading abilities related to nitrogen transformation played an important role in mitigating the infiltration of BDE-99 to groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) pollution can affect groundwater that has been recharged with treated municipal wastewater. To properly investigate the effect of biochar on the anaerobic degradation of BDE-99 by an archaeal community, we established three lab-scale percolation columns to simulate the recharge process. BDE-99 content decreased with increasing soil depth, especially in the biochar-amended column (BCA), which demonstrated high adsorption capacity and biodegradability. The essential biodegradation of BDE-99 by archaea was confirmed during the recharge process by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. The effect of biochar on the vertical distribution of typical archaea taxa associated with BDE-99 degradation in the river-based aquifer media was confirmed by 454 pyrosequencing the archaeal 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes. As well as affecting the concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, biochar improved the biodiversity of the archaea and had a critical influence on the majority of archaeal communities. We observed large populations of Nitrosopumilus , Nitrososphaera , and Methanomethylovorans , which are associated with the anaerobic degradation of BDE-99, and the populations of some novel archaea genera, such as Halorhabdus and Methanospirillum , increased markedly owing to the effect of biochar. We suggest that biochar could play a positive role in the anaerobic degradation of BDE-99, and could provide a cost-effective means of mitigating the migration of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When using treated municipal wastewater for recharging river-based natural groundwater, pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) pollution might be a potential threat to underground aquifers. Due to their strong affinity for black carbon (BC), the migration and bioavailability of PBDEs may be decreased in aquifer media with a high BC content. To properly examine the effect of black carbon on the migration and biodegradation of BDE-99, a lab-scale column was set up to simulate the recharge process. The filler media of the two columns mainly comprised silty clay (SC) and black carbon amendment silty clay (BCA). The results showed that the attenuation effect of BDE-99 was in the order of BCA > SC. The attenuation rate constants of BED-99 in the SC and BCA systems were 0.12 and 0.18 m − 1 , respectively, which followed first-order kinetics. The two turning points of the BDE-99 percentage with depth in the leachate were 0.15 m and 0.45 m due to fast sorption and biodegradation, respectively. The primary debrominated metabolites were not the only lower brominated ether congeners; high-brominated diphenyl ethers and isomers of BDE-99 were also produced during the biotransformation process. The accumulation of BDE-99 and PBDEs in the soil was higher in BCA soils than in the SC system. The bacterial community in the upper layer was more diverse than in the bottom layer. Five known bacterial classes ( Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Clostridia ) and seventeen known bacterial genera (three major genera: Halomonas, Pseudomonas and Shewanella ) were considered to be PBDE-degradation-associated bacteria. The bacterial community diversity and percentage of PBDE-degradation-associated bacteria in the BCA system were marginally greater than those in the SC system. The higher bacterial diversity and adsorption capacity in the BCA system were able mitigate the migration of BDE-99 into groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the effects of minerals inside char particles and bed materials, the process and mechanism of char combustion in a fluidized bed were studied using a Micro Fluidized Bed Reactor Analyzer. A demineralization procedure using HCl and HF was employed to remove the minerals from pyrolyzed char samples. Raman spectroscopy was used to study the carbon structure of the remaining solid char after demineralization at 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C. From the regular changes in band area ratio and full width at half maximum, it can be concluded that as pyrolysis temperature increases, the carbon structure becomes highly ordered, the plane lattice size gradually increases, and the reaction activity decreases from 0.245 s−1 to 0.138 s−1.Furthermore, minerals both within the char particle and in the external bed had marked catalytic activity on char combustion, and their combined catalysis was most notable. CaO and Fe 2 O 3 were the dominant active minerals components contributing to catalytic combustion of char in this study. The catalytic action of CaO was stronger than that of Fe 2 O 3. The activation energy of char combustion ranged from 57.70 kJ/mol to 91.53 kJ/mol, and it significantly decreased in the presence of the bed materials. • The contribution of the minerals in the char and the external material bed to the combustion of the char was studied. • The catalysis of oil shale ash in the external material bed is sometimes greater than the pyrolysis temperature. • CaO and Fe 2 O 3 have obvious catalytic activity. • CaO shows catalytic activity at both low and high temperature, whereas Fe 2 O 3 had strong activity only at low temperature. • The change of ordered carbon structure has a negative effect on the reaction rate of char combustion. • The catalytic mechanism of combustion is concluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most economically important pathogens for swine industry. The non-structural protein 2 (Nsp2) is considered to be one of the immunogenic proteins of PRRSV. In this study, the B-cell epitopes of the Nsp2 protein of a North American type Chinese strain PRRSV BJ-4 were identified on a prokaryotic expressed Nsp2 fragment (73–567aa). A total of six monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing different epitopes on the expressed protein were prepared. All six mAbs exhibited immunoreactivity with the denatured Nsp2 protein in Western blotting and produced strong perinuclear staining in PRRSV infected MARC-145 cells in an immunofluorescence assay. Pepscan analysis revealed six distinct linear epitopes for the six mAbs, respectively, and of which four were identified to be novel linear Nsp2 B-cell epitopes: T73LPERVRPPDDWAT86, D385ELKDQMEED394, P452VPAPRRKVGSDCGS466, and P467VSLGGDVPNS477. All of the six mAb specific peptides could be recognized by porcine PRRSV antiserum, indicating that the epitopes involving these synthetic peptides were immunogenic and immunodominant during PRRSV infection in pigs. Our results provided valuable information for developing novel PRRSV vaccines using the Nsp2 epitopes as potential serological markers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The low-carbon economic operation of integrated energy systems (IES) cannot be separated from the carbon trading and green certificate trading market. Therefore, a low-carbon market mechanism and optimization method for IES is proposed. First, we establish a "green-carbon" offset mechanism to realize the conversion from tradable green certificate (TGC) to carbon quotas to offset system's carbon emissions. Second, considering the impact of market incentives and users' consumption behavior on IES, an energy management method of IES is put forward based on Stackelberg game. IES operators as leaders decide energy prices and trading strategies of carbon, TGC and multi-energy. Energy users as followers participate in the integrated demand response based on energy price. The game is solved by an improved adaptive catastrophic genetic algorithm and CPLEX solver. Finally, we take an industrial park in China as an example to analyze. The results show that the proposed method can significantly reduce the system's carbon emissions while improving the benefits for both IES and consumers. • A mechanism is proposed to offset system carbon emissions with green certificates. • An intelligent pricing and optimal method is proposed based on Stackelberg game. • Carbon capture and power-to-gas technology are used to reduce carbon emissions. • Key parameters sensitivity of the offset mechanism is analyzed for specific cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) forced by remote sensing observations have been a principal tool for providing benchmarks on global gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET). However, these models often estimate GPP and ET at coarse daily or monthly steps, hindering analysis of ecosystem dynamics at the diurnal (hourly) scales, and prescribe some essential parameters (i.e., the Ball–Berry slope (m) and the maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C (Vcmax25)) as constant, inducing uncertainties in the estimates of GPP and ET. In this study, we present hourly estimations of global GPP and ET datasets at a 0.25° resolution from 2001 to 2020 simulated with a widely used diagnostic TBM – the Biosphere–atmosphere Exchange Process Simulator (BEPS). We employed eddy covariance observations and machine learning approaches to derive and upscale the seasonally varied m and Vcmax25 for carbon and water fluxes. The estimated hourly GPP and ET are validated against flux observations, remote sensing, and machine learning-based estimates across multiple spatial and temporal scales. The correlation coefficients (R2) and slopes between hourly tower-measured and modeled fluxes are R2=0.83 , regression slope =0.92 for GPP, and R2=0.72 , regression slope =1.04 for ET. At the global scale, we estimated a global mean GPP of 137.78±3.22 Pg C yr -1 (mean ± 1 SD) with a positive trend of 0.53 Pg C yr -2 (p<0.001), and an ET of 89.03±0.82×103 km 3 yr -1 with a slight positive trend of 0.10×103 km 3 yr -2 (p<0.001) from 2001 to 2020. The spatial pattern of our estimates agrees well with other products, with R2=0.77 –0.85 and R2=0.74 –0.90 for GPP and ET, respectively. Overall, this new global hourly dataset serves as a "handshake" among process-based models, remote sensing, and the eddy covariance flux network, providing a reliable long-term estimate of global GPP and ET with diurnal patterns and facilitating studies related to ecosystem functional properties, global carbon, and water cycles. The hourly GPP and ET estimates are available at 10.57760/sciencedb.ecodb.00163 (Leng et al., 2023a) and the accumulated daily datasets are available at 10.57760/sciencedb.ecodb.00165 (Leng et al., 2023b). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hardware-in-loop real-time multi-simulation platform system is established based on data fusion approach, and the vehicle closed-loop control system is obtained based on "driver–central controller–motor drive system–vehicle dynamics," on which the control strategy of wheel-motor-driven multi-axle vehicle is verified. Data among the platform are transformed based on FlexRay bus. A simulation experiment of electrical vehicle dynamic performance is tested by real driver in real time to analyze whether vehicle dynamic performance is performed based on the multi-platform. The results indicate that the hardware-in-loop real-time simulation system can effectively verify the reliability of control strategy, and the data fusion of multi-simulation-platform works well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this long-term field study, to restore a dried river ecosystem, reclaimed water was used as a supplementary water source. The main aim of this study was to investigate the accumulation and migration potential of EDCs in groundwater during long-term utilization of reclaimed water and the changes in microbial community during the removal of EDCs. A long-term field study was conducted in order to ascertain the temporal and spatial distribution of four selected endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in an underground aquifer in the Chaobai watershed, where reclaimed water is the primary water source. Anew, the microbial community structure at different groundwater depths, along with related environmental factors were also determined. Based on the results obtained from this long-term study, it was found that the EDCs in the surface water of the Chaobai river have entered a depth of 80 m in the groundwater aquifers, within a distance of 360 m from the river. The vertical profiles of the concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), 4-nonylphenol (NP), estrone (E1), and estriol (E3) decreased significantly from the surface to different groundwater depths with first-order attenuation rates of 0.0416, 0.0343, 0.0498, and 0.0173 m-1. The aquifer depth, water temperature, conductivity, and coexisting anions correlated well with the distribution of EDCs in groundwater. • Spatiotemporal variation of 4 endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was ascertained. • Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to perform statistical analysis of the data. • EDCs in groundwater depends on aquifer depth, temperature, competing ions, etc. • Microbial communities and their clustering affected the degradation of EDCs. • Microorganisms affected by: temperature > depth > EDC concentration > pH > TOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epicardial progenitor cells (EpiCs) have a crucial role in cardiac development and vasculature formation. Here we detected the expression of Angiotensin II (Ang II) receptors AT1 and AT2 on EpiCs and demonstrated that AngII could increase the expression of smooth muscle specific markers, including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and myosin heavy chain 11 (Myh11) in EpiCs. Moreover, the expression of α-SMA and Myh11 induced by Ang II was blocked by pretreatment of EpiCs with the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, but not the AT2 receptor antagonist PD123319. We further showed that the AngII-induced cells showed significant contractile responses to carbachol. These results implied that AngII could effectively induce EpiCs to differentiate into vascular smooth muscle-like cells through the AT1 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a hybrid photovoltaic-wind-concentrated solar power renewable energy system and two cogeneration models are proposed. Evaluation criteria are employed, including the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and the loss of power supply probability (LPSP). The optimal configuration and dynamic dispatch strategy of the hybrid system are determined through multi-objective optimization using the natural resources of Xining City. The economic feasibility of the system is assessed through comparison and analysis. The findings reveal that both cogeneration modes of the system effectively meet the power output requirements and dynamic thermal load. In thermal energy storage tanks' heat production mode without a battery storage system, the system achieves a minimum LCOE of 0.0526$/kWh and a maximum LPSP of 6.86%. With a battery storage system in this mode, the system attains a minimum LPSP of 4.83% and a maximum LCOE of 0.160$/kWh. Additionally, in the turbine spent vapor recovery heat supply mode, the system exhibits an LCOE of 0.127$/kWh and an LPSP of 4.96%, the system has better flexibility and wind-solar complementarity in this mode. This study also analyzed the importance of affordable electric energy storage for stable energy supply in hybrid energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that can accumulate in eutrophic lakes and cause adverse health effects to people worldwide. However, the seasonal process and dynamic mechanism for As mobilization in eutrophic lake remains effectively unknown. Here we innovatively used the planar optodes (PO), high-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper) combined with fluorescence excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor (EEM-PARAFAC) analysis technologies. We synchronously investigate monthly O 2 , As, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and naturally occurring dissolved organic matter (DOM) changes in sediments of Lake Taihu at high resolution in field conditions. We find high As contamination from sediments with 61.88–327.07 μg m−2 d−1 release As fluxes during the algal bloom seasons from May to October 2021. Our results show that an increase in DOM, mainly for humic-like components, resulting in high electron transfer capacity (ETC), promoted the reductive dissolution of Fe and Mn oxides to release As. Partial least square-path modeling (PLS-PM) and random forest modeling analysis identified that Mn oxide reductive dissolution directly accelerated sediments As contamination, which is the crucial factor. Understanding crucial factor controlling As release is especially essential in areas of eutrophic lakes developing effective strategies to manage As-rich eutrophic lake sediments worldwide. [Display omitted] • Monthly monitoring revealed high sediment As pollution during algal bloom seasons. • High DOM triggers the Mn/Fe redox cycle by increasing sediment ETC to release As. • PLS-PM analysis identified Mn redox cycle accelerating sediment As contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, lanthanum carbonate (LC) was selected as a capping agent to examine its effectiveness in immobilizing sediment internal phosphorus (P), arsenic (As) and tungsten (W). With a 180-day incubation experiment, it was determined that LC capping efficiently reduced the concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP), soluble As and soluble W in pore water, with the highest reduction rate of 83.39%, 56.21% and 68.52%, respectively. The primary mechanisms involved in the adsorption of P, As and W by LC were precipitation reactions and ligand exchange. Additionally, P, As and W were immobilized by LC capping through the transformation of fractions from mobile and less stable forms to more stable forms. Furthermore, LC capping led to an increase in the Eh value, which promoted the oxidation of soluble Fe (Ⅱ) and soluble Mn. The significantly positive correlation and synchronized variations observed between SRP, soluble As, soluble W, and soluble Fe (II) indicated that the effects of LC on Fe redox played a crucial role in immobilizing sediment internal P, As and W. However, the oxidation of Mn, promoted by LC, played a more significant role in immobilizing sediment internal As than P and W. These effects resulted in LC capping achieving the highest reduction of SRP, soluble As and soluble W flux at 145.22, 22.19, and 0.58 μg m−2d−1. It is of note that LC capping did not lead to an elevated release hazard of Co, Ni, Cu, and Pb, barring Cd. Besides, LC capping did not modify the entire microbial communities in the sediment, but altered the proportional representation of specific microorganisms. Generally, LC has potential as a capping agent capable of simultaneously immobilizing sediment internal P, As and W. [Display omitted] • LC capping can simultaneously adsorbed SRP, soluble As and soluble W. • LC capping promoted the conversion of P, As and W fractions from mobile to stable. • LC capping increased the Eh values. • LC-affected Fe/Mn redox plays a key role in immobilizing sediment P, As and W. • LC capping did not result in an increased release risk of Co, Ni, Cu and Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main methods of treating oily sludge at home and abroad and the current research status of oily sludge pyrolysis technology are briefly described, and four commonly used catalysts are introduced: metals, metal compounds, molecular sieves, metal-supported molecular sieves, and biomass catalysts for oily sludge. The influence of pyrolysis, the pyrolysis mechanism, and the product composition of oily sludge with the addition of different catalysts are also discussed. Finally, the development direction of preparing new catalysts and the mixed use of multiple catalysts is proposed as a theory to provide for the efficient and reasonable utilization of oily sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the influence of lipid-lowering therapy on coronary plaque volume, and to identify the LDL and HDL targets for plaque regression to provide a comprehensive overview. The databases searched (from inception to 15 July 2020) to identify prospective studies investigating the impact of lipid-lowering therapy on coronary plaque volume and including quantitative measurement of plaque volume by intravascular ultrasound after treatment. Thirty-one studies that included 4997 patients were selected in the final analysis. Patients had significantly lower TAV (SMD: 0.123 mm3; 95% CI 0.059, 0.187; P = 0.000) and PAV (SMD: 0.123%; 95% CI 0.035, 0.212; P = 0.006) at follow-up. According to the subgroup analyses, TAV was significantly reduced in the LDL < 80 mg/dL and HDL > 45 mg/dL group (SMD: 0.163 mm3; 95% CI 0.092, 0.234; P = 0.000), and PAV was significantly reduced in the LDL < 90 mg/dL and HDL > 45 mg/dL group (SMD: 0.186%; 95% CI 0.081, 0.291; P = 0.001).Thirty-one studies that included 4997 patients were selected in the final analysis. Patients had significantly lower TAV (SMD: 0.123 mm3; 95% CI 0.059, 0.187; P = 0.000) and PAV (SMD: 0.123%; 95% CI 0.035, 0.212; P = 0.006) at follow-up. According to the subgroup analyses, TAV was significantly reduced in the LDL < 80 mg/dL and HDL > 45 mg/dL group (SMD: 0.163 mm3; 95% CI 0.092, 0.234; P = 0.000), and PAV was significantly reduced in the LDL < 90 mg/dL and HDL > 45 mg/dL group (SMD: 0.186%; 95% CI 0.081, 0.291; P = 0.001). Our meta-analysis suggests that not only should LDL be reduced to a target level of < 80 mg/dL, but HDL should be increased to a target level of > 45 mg/dL to regress coronary plaques. Trial Registration PROSPERO identifier: CRD42019146170. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent remote-sensing-based global carbon, water and energy budgets over land still include considerable uncertainties. Most existing flux products of terrestrial carbon, water and energy components were developed individually, despite the inherently coupled processes among them. In this study, we present a new set of global daily surface downwelling shortwave radiation (SW), net radiation (R net), evapotranspiration (ET), gross primary productivity (GPP), terrestrial ecosystem respiration (TER) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) datasets at 0.05° resolutions from 1982 to 2019, by improving a satellite-based and coupled-process model—the Breathing Earth System Simulator (BESS). The new version of BESS (v2.0) integrated a newly developed ecosystem respiration module, an optimality-based maximum carboxylation rate (V cmax) model, and extended the temporal coverage of flux datasets from 1982 to 2019. We evaluated BESS products against the FLUXNET2015 dataset at the site scale, and against several remote sensing and/or machine learning products on a global scale. At the site scale, BESS products agreed well with FLUXNET measurements, capturing 84%, 53%, 65%, 51% and 31% of daily variation in R net , ET, GPP, TER and NEE, respectively. Interannual variation in BESS NEE showed relatively low consistency with the FLUXNET measurements, while the rest fluxes explained approximately half of the interannual variation. On a global scale, we found marked discrepancies in spatio-temporal patterns between BESS and several benchmark products. Over the period 1982–2019, BESSv2.0 estimated the mean annual global R net , ET, GPP, TER and NEE to be 340.97 ± 5.22 ZJ yr−1 (mean ± 1 SD), 67.67 ± 0.71 103 km3 yr−1, 125.74 ± 5.95 Pg C yr−1, 109.30 ± 3.16 Pg C yr−1, and − 16.28 ± 2.95 Pg C yr−1, respectively, with significant annual linear trends (P < 0.01) by −0.05 103 km3 yr−2 for ET, by 0.52 Pg C yr−2 for GPP, by 0.28 Pg C yr−2 for TER, and by −0.25 Pg C yr−2 for NEE. We further evaluated various coupled processes derived by BESS in terms of functional properties (i.e., Budyko relation, carbon-use efficiency, water-use efficiency, and light-use efficiency), which agreed well with FLUXNET observations, unlike the benchmark products. Overall, BESSv2.0 can serve as a set of reliable and independent products from other global satellite products, facilitating studies related to global carbon, water and energy budgets in a coupled and comprehensive manner. • Generated a set of long-term radiation, energy and carbon flux products using BESSv2.0. • Agreed with FLUXNET and benchmark datasets. • Revealed functional relationships between water and carbon fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present report, a new BDA for Cu 2+ has been disclosed for the first time. The presence of Cu 2+ caused an obvious fluorescence enhancement at 407 nm upon excitation at 360 nm, which could be distinguished by the naked eye under a UV lamp. It was found to have acceptable detection limits (0.12 μM), high selectivity and reversibility/reusability. The photoluminescence measurement indicates that BDA with Cu 2+ presence, showed very strong blue emission bands with CIE chromaticity coordinates (0.1652, 0.0723). Besides, the designed probe has shown potential applications in the area of sample monitoring, photo-printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of three-dimensional (3D) transperineal ultrasound on the observation of paravaginal support in nulliparous and postpartum women.Methods: Volume datasets were acquired in 50 nulliparous and 100 postpartum women using 3D transperineal ultrasound. Paravaginal supports were observed by studying the vaginal cross-sectional morphology. The extent of paravaginal support in specific level were evaluated by counting out at a 2 mm interval in tomographic ultrasound imaging mode in all subjects. The Mann-Whitney U test were applied to establish comparisons between the two groups.Results: Three representative manifestations of vaginal cross-sectional morphology corresponding to different paravaginal support were presented from the dorsal side to the caudal side, both in nulliparous women and postpartum women. The extent of paravaginal support in middle vagina was 11 slices (range 9-12) in nulliparous women and 7 slices (range 4-10) in postpartum women (P < 0.05).Conclusion: This pilot study confirmed that it was feasible to indirectly study paravaginal support by observing the vaginal cross-sectional morphology using 3D transperineal ultrasound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submerged plants and lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) have important applications for the remediation of contaminated sediments; however, their combined effect on arsenic (As) removal has not been comprehensively evaluated. In this study, the physicochemical properties and changes in soluble As in sediments treated with LMB, Vallisneria spiralis (V. spiralis), and LMB + V. spiralis were observed at three time points (days 15, 35, and 66), and the changes in microbial and As species in sediments on day 66 were analyzed. LMB + V. spiralis treatment was the most effective for As removal. On day 66, the average concentrations of soluble As at a depth of 0–100 mm decreased by 12.71%, 48.81%, and 59.73% following treatment with LMB, V. spiralis , and LMB + V. spiralis , respectively. Further analysis showed that LMB is more effective at removing As(V) than V. spiralis , while V. spiralis is more effective at removing As(III), and the combination of LMB + V. spiralis is more effective for removing both As(III) and As(V) than individual LMB and V. spiralis treatments. LMB + V. spiralis enhanced the transformation of mobile As to Fe 2 O 3 /oxyhydroxide–bound As in sediments and the activity of As-oxidizing microorganisms. LMB promoted the growth of V. spiralis and enhanced the removal of As. This study indicates that this combination is an effective method for removing mobile As from sediments, and could effectively inhibit the release of As from sediments to overlying water. • V. spiralis had better immobilization effect on As(Ⅲ) compared with LMB. • Combined LMB and V. spiralis could reduce the flux of As. • V. spiralis enhanced arsenic uptake via LMB for growth promotion. • Combined LMB and V. spiralis had great removal effect on As(Ⅲ) and As(Ⅴ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When using reclaimed water for the river-based artificial groundwater recharge, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) pollution is believed to be a potential threat to the drinking water supplies in Beijing, China. Lab-scale column experiments simulating recharge were conducted to study the migration and transformation of three selected EDCs, namely ethinylestradiol (EE2), 4-n-Nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA). The filler media of the two columns mainly consisted of fine sand (FS) in the middle section and less-permeable silty clay (SC) in the southern section, all representative soil vadose zone media from Chaobai river in Beijing. The results showed that the attenuation effect of EDCs was in the order of NP > EE2 > BPA and all of them followed a first-order kinetics, while the migration capacity was in the reverse order. The residual EDCs in different depths of SC were much higher than those in FS, suggesting that the SC soil has a significantly higher adsorption capacity. The attenuation effect of NP and BPA by unit mass was better in FS than that in SC, indicating that the biodegradation was the main attenuation mechanism. The bacterial biomass and community diversity decreased with depth in SC, while the changes in FS were unobvious. According to the DGGE fingerprints, the bacterial community in the middle layer was more diverse than in the upper layer, which was related to the EDCs concentrations and transformation products in the water-soil system. The dominant group was found to be proteobacteria, including Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, suggesting that these microbes might play an important role in EDC transformation. The described process provides a potential pathway for improving the removal of EDCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epicardial fat tissue (EFT) is the visceral fat distributed along the coronary arteries between the pericardium and the myocardium. Increases in EFT are closely related to the occurrence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease. To further understand the link between EFT and DM, we conducted a meta-analysis of the relevant literature. Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases for studies on EFT performed in DM patients and published up to 30 September 2018. We included data on EFT in a DM patient group and a non-DM control group. We then assessed the effect of DM on EFT by meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA). All statistical analyses were performed using Stata 12.0 and TSA software. Results: A total of 13 studies (n = 1102 patients) were included in the final analysis. Compared with the control group, DM patients had significantly higher EFT (SMD: 1.23; 95% CI 0.98, 1.48; P = 0.000; TSA-adjusted 95% CI 0.91, 2.13; P < 0.0001). The TSA indicated that the available samples were sufficient and confirmed that firm evidence was reached. According to the regression analysis and subgroup analyses, DM typing, EFT ultrasound measurements, total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were confounding factors that significantly affected our results. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that the amount of EFT is significantly higher in DM patients than in non-DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]