Branch Length Research Articles

Mechanistic phylodynamic models do not provide conclusive evidence that non-avian dinosaurs were in decline before their final extinction

Abstract Phylodynamic models can be used to estimate diversification trajectories from time-calibrated phylogenies. Here we apply two such models to phylogenies of non-avian dinosaurs, a clade whose evolutionary history has been widely debated. Although some authors have suggested that the clade experienced a decline in diversity, potentially starting millions of years before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, others have suggested that the group remained highly diverse right up until the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. Our results show that model assumptions, likely with respect to incomplete sampling, have a large impact on whether dinosaurs appear to have experienced a long-term decline or not. The results are also highly sensitive to the topology and branch lengths of the phylogeny used. Developing comprehensive models of sampling bias, and building larger and more accurate phylogenies, are likely to be necessary steps for us to determine whether dinosaur diversity was or was not in decline before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

Characterization of the length and the distance of insertion of the branches of apple trees

The current study focused on the branches Cherry Gala variety of apple in Azrouregion.The objective is to characterize the length and the insertion distance of different structures of apple trees based on nondestructive and exhaustive measurements of the branches. In total 2982 branches were identified and measured in the two stages (stage 1, stage 2) on different 6 levels present at each stage known as A, B, C, D, E, and F. The length of the branches in each stage and level was classified into 1 to 5 homogeneous classes. The length of vegetative branch variation was not significant between stages 1 and 2 but the insertion distance was significant for level D and not for levels A, B, and C. For five different length structures bearing fruit, the variation was significantly different for B, C, and D levels between stages 1 and 2 (length of fruiting spurs/ Dard/ Bourse; insertion distance of Dard and Bourse). The analysis showed that the length of the branches decreases while passing from one first stage to the second. The average branch length for stage 1 is 4,84 cm against 4,05 cm for stage 2. In each stage, the length decreases progressively while passing from one level to a higher level, except for level E of stage 1 and levels E and F of stage 2.

A New Perspective on Shape and Distribution: Branch Length Similarity Entropy Approach

A New Perspective on Shape and Distribution: Branch Length Similarity Entropy Approach

Prohexadione calcium as a tool to reduce winter pruning in peach tree cultivar Eragil

This work evaluated the efficiency and feasibility of applying calcium prohexadione (PCA) at different times to control the vegetative growth and qualitative aspects of the peach tree cultivar Eragil. The experiment was carried out in the 2021/2022 season in a commercial orchard in the municipality of Ipê, RS. Treatments consisted of applications of PCA at a fixed dose of 20 mL·100 L-1 at different stages of development, as shown: T1 – control (no application); T2 – application in petal fall; T3 – application at petal fall + application 30 DAA (days after the first application); T4 – application after green pruning; T5 – application after green pruning + application 30 DAA; T6 – application at petal fall + application 30 DAA + application 60 DAA. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications. Each plot consisted of four plants; the two central plants were considered useful. Effective fruiting increased in T3. In the evaluations of the number of pruned branches, length of branches, and weight of branches per plant, all results were smaller in T2. In the assessments of number of buds, internode length, and pruning time per hectare, there was also a significant difference, and in the number of buds, T6 had the smallest number. The internode length was the greatest in T3, and the shortest pruning time stood out in T4. Calcium prohexadione effectively controlled the vegetative growth of Eragil peach and can be directed to large areas of the peach crop when labor for pruning is scarce.

Theoretical study on photoinduced charge transfer in one-photon and two-photon absorption of branching oligofluorenes

Oligofluorenes have been identified as very promising two-photon absorption (TPA) materials and present great application potential for the fabrication of nonlinear optical devices, but the TPA mechanism and corresponding electron excitation properties have not been studied. Here, the photoinduced charge transfer characteristics of V-shaped and Y-shaped branching oligofluorenes that consist of two and three fluorene units in each branch during one-photon absorption (OPA) and TPA processes are analyzed theoretically using the density functional theory and visualization sum-over-states model. The calculated results show that the OPA intensity and TPA cross-section are significantly enhanced by increasing the branch length or changing the structure from V-shaped to Y-shaped. The long-distance charge transfer only occurs on the second transition of TPA at high excited states. Compared to Y-shaped molecules, V-shaped structures exhibit a stronger cooperative effect among the different branches.

Quantifying morphologies of developing neuronal cells using deep learning with imperfect annotations

The functionality of human intelligence relies on the interaction and health of neurons, hence, quantifying neuronal morphologies can be crucial for investigating the functionality of the human brain. This paper proposes a deep learning (DL) based method for segmenting and quantifying neuronal structures in fluorescence microscopy images of developing neuronal cells cultured in vitro. Compared to the majority of supervised DL-based segmentation methods that heavily rely on creating exact corresponding masks of neuronal structures for the preparation of training samples, the proposed approach allows for imperfect annotation of neurons, as it only requires tracing the centrelines of the neurites. This ability accelerates the preparation of training data by several folds. Our proposed framework is built on a modified version of PSPNet with an EfficientNet backbone pre-trained on the CityScapes dataset. To handle the imperfectness of training samples, we incorporated a weighted combination of two loss functions, namely the Dice loss and Lovász loss functions, into our network. We evaluated the proposed framework and several other state-of-the-art methods on a published dataset of approximately 900 manually quantified cultured mouse neurons. Our results indicate a close correlation between the proposed method and manual quantification in terms of neuron length and the number of branches while demonstrating improved analysis speed. Furthermore, the proposed method achieved high accuracy in neuron segmentation, as evidenced by the evaluation of the neurons’ length and number of branches.

A trait-based investigation into evergreen woody plants for traffic-related air pollution mitigation over time

This study investigated influences of leaf traits on particulate matter (PM) wash-off and (re)capture (i.e., net removal) over time. Leaf samples were taken before and after three rainfall events from a range of 10 evergreen woody plants (including five different leaf types), which were positioned with an optical particle counter alongside a busy road. Scanning electron microscopy was used to quantify the density (no./mm2), mass (μg/cm2), and elemental composition of deposited particles. To enable leaf area comparison between scale-like leaves and other leaf types, a novel metric (FSA: foliage surface area per unit branch length) was developed, which may be utilised by future research. Vehicle-related particles constituted 15 % of total deposition, and there was a notable 50 % decrease in the proportion of tyre wear particles after rainfall. T. baccata presented the lowest proportion (11.1 %) of vehicle-related particle deposition but the most consistent performance in terms of net PM removal. Only four of the 10 plant specimens (C. japonica, C. lawsoniana, J. chinensis, and T. baccata) presented effective PM wash-off across all particle size fractions and rainfall intensities, with a generally positive relationship observed between rainfall intensity and wash-off. Mass deposition was more significantly determined by particle size than number density. Interestingly, larger particles were also less easily washed off than smaller particles. Some traits typically considered to be advantageous (e.g., greater hairiness) may in fact hinder net removal over time due to retention under rainfall. Small leaf area is one trait that may promote both accumulation and wash-off. However, FSA was found to be the most influential trait, with an inverse relationship between FSA and wash-off efficacy. This finding poses trade-offs and opportunities for green infrastructure design, which are discussed. Finally, numerous areas for future research are recommended, underlining the importance of systems approaches in developing vegetation management frameworks.

Molecular mobility and thermal transitions study in renewable PLA-polyols star-like copolymers

The molecular dynamics mapping in poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based star-like copolymers is performed herein, employing dielectric spectroscopy techniques supplemented by calorimetry and other structure characterization methods. Next to the neat linear PLA, three star-like copolymers, with 3, 4 and 5 branches were synthesized via ring opening polymerization at the presence of, respectively, glycerol, pentaerythritol and sorbitol (initiators). When increasing the branch number, consequently, the overall molar mass drops, from 55 kg/mol (neat PLA) to 17k (PLA@glycerol), 25k (PLA@pentaerythritol), and 14k (PLA@sorbitol) and, thus, the branch length decreases to ∼6k, ∼6k, and ∼3 k g/mol in the stars. The latter leads to faster segmental mobility, documented by the accelerated α relaxation and the drop in the calorimetric and dielectric glass transition temperatures. Simultaneously, the cooperativity (chains’ fragility) drops. Together these results suggest possibly the increase in free volume, a factor that can potentially favour the physical biodegradability. Next to the segmental dynamics, the local beta relaxation is recorded to have a mild dependence on the type of star (mainly decelerates), while the rare case of Normal Mode relaxation is recorded here only in the stars, providing additional support for the quite short branches. The overall data suggest the co-implementation of two antagonistic effects on mobility, i.e., the chain length changes in parallel to the constraints imposed by the star-like structure. Moreover, the in general low crystallizability of linear PLA further drops in the stars in terms of both suppressed crystalline fraction and nucleation, as well as lower quality of crystals. The materials exhibit single thermal transitions, indicating a homogeneous character, whereas a variety of semicrystalline morphologies can be achieved via both the composition and the thermal treatment. This provides a tool for tuning various properties and, consequently, the manipulation of the macroscopic performance.

Pomological traits and profitability of selected velvet apple germplasm

The research was accomplished during February to August, 2021 at Germplasm Center (GC), Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) and farmers’ homesteads in Patuakhali district to find out different characteristics, fruit yield and profitability of four velvet apple germplasm. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Results manifested that there were significant variations among the germplasm, where local red germplasm exhibited the highest plant height (5.54 m), plant diameter (16.23 cm), number of main branches (12.75), length of the largest branch (3.89 m), plant canopy (8.80 m2), leaf area (135.24 cm2) but those traits were minimum in PSTU Bilati gab-2. PSTU Bilati gab-2 emerged floral bud for the longest duration (32.25 days). The measured length of inflorescence before first flowering varied from 5.03 – 6.60 cm where it required 24 – 28.25 days for development. A range of flowers per inflorescence (7.75 – 11) and duration of flowering (46.5 – 59.25 days) were observed in all the studied germplasm. The percentage of fruit set (18.28 – 30.81) per plant with individual fruit weight 126.70 to 202.43 g. The highest pulp weight (103.85 g) was obtained from PSTU Bilati gab-2 and the lowest (69.25 g) from local yellow germplasm. PSTU Bilati gab-2 was completely seedless. So, it contained the highest edible portion (81.92%). The highest fruit yield (3.5 t/ha) was recorded in PSTU Bilati gab-1 but maximum net profit (251160 Tk/ha) was obtained from PSTU Bilati gab-2 with the highest benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 3.81. Considering percent fruit set, percent edible portion, fruit yield and profitability, PSTU Bilati gab-2 was found to be the best among the four germplasm. Bangladesh J. Agri. 2023, 48(2): 1-12

Hepatic portal vein branching patterns according to different liver assessment methods and classifications of branching type

BackgroundIt is known that there are varying frequencies of hepatic portal vein branching patterns found in the literature. Studies use different methods and classifications to evaluate the anatomy of the portal vein, which limits accurate comparison between studies and the determination of true frequency of branching patterns in different populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the intrahepatic branching of the portal vein in corrosive samples using different methods – somatoscopic and computed tomography (CT) and compare with similar studies as well as compare the reclassified data according to the most popular classifications used in the literature. MethodsA total of 105 liver corrosion specimens from the 1960–1980 period (51 male and 54 female individuals; min-max age variation – 21–90 y., M=59,46 y.) were investigated. The branching patterns of the hepatic portal vein (HPV), left (HPV-LB) and right branch of hepatic portal vein (HPV-RB), and their segmental branches were examined and scanned by CT. Standard HPV ramification was considered, when HPV divided into HPV-LB and HPV-RB, HPV-RB bifurcated to the anterior and posterior branches, and further segmental ramification into the superior and inferior branches was considered standard. We compared the HPV main branch length and diameter measurements between manual and CT method. A review of the literature was performed on portal vein branching variations. ResultsThe standard HPV ramification pattern was detected in 85.7% of the cases in both somatoscopic and CT evaluation. Variations related to the main branches were HPV trifurcation – 7.6%, posterior branch of right branch of hepatic portal vein from HPV – 4.8% and 5.7%, HPV quadrifurcation 1.9% and 1% respectively, in somatoscopic and CT evaluation. There was a significant difference between HPV-LB length and diameter in CT and manual measurements. According to the literature, more variations are seen using the CT method versus somatoscopic corrosion cast evaluation. The varying frequency in studies may be explained by a lack of one unanimous classification of branching patterns (some authors do not consider segmental variations as standard HPV ramification) and different evaluation methods. ConclusionSomatoscopic evaluation of the branching patterns of the hepatic portal vein in corroded specimens and their CT reconstructions did not differ significantly (which allows relatively accurate comparison of old specimens with newer data). However, the ability to evaluate the reconstructed 3D images of the specimens allowed a more accurate assessment of segmental branching and measurements of lengths and diameters. Standard HPV branching (according to a self-developed classification) in this study was 85.7%. Depending on the classification, the rate of standard branching in the same corrosive samples varied from 63.8% to 84.8% of all cases, indicating that the lack of a unified and stable classification makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies. Deviations from standard branching are very important in surgical procedures and liver transplantation.

Growth and Productivity of Castor as Influenced by Millet Based Intercropping Systems

A field experiment was conducted during summer season of 2022 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the influence of millet based intercropping systems on growth and productivity of castor under irrigated situation. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design and replicated thrice. The treatment consist of nine cropping systems viz., castor + foxtail millet (1:3), castor + proso millet (1:3), castor + little millet (1:3), castor + kodo millet (1:3), paired row castor + foxtail millet (2:4), paired row castor + proso millet (2:4), paired row castor + little millet (2:4), paired row castor + kodo millet (2:4), sole castor. Experimental results revealed that the different millet based cropping systems significantly influenced growth and productivity of castor. Sole castor was recorded the highest growth, yield parameters and seed yield (20.98 q/ha). Among the millet based intercropping systems, maximum values of growth parameters viz., plant height (170.20 cm), number of branches/plant (7.90), stem girth (8.70 cm) and dry matter production (29.83 q/ha) were recorded in the paired row castor + proso millet (2:4) and it was on par with paired row castor + foxtail millet (2:4). Similarly, yield and yield attributing characters viz., number of spike/plant (28.2), number of capsule/ spike (55.8), highest length of primary branch (40.1 cm) and seed yield (20.03 q/ha) was obtained in paired row castor + proso millet (2:4) and it was comparable paired row castor + foxtail millet (2:4). The economic study revealed that the higher net return and benefit cost ratio was obtained from paired row castor + foxtail millet (2:4) (₹. 74,842.00 and 2.30) and paired row castor + proso millet (2:4) ((₹. 72,702.00 and 2.26). From this study, it was concluded that proso millet and foxtail millet were indentified to be compatible intercrops with castor for improved productivity.

Heat transfer performance enhancement and mechanism analysis of thermal energy storage unit designed by using a modified transient topology optimization model

The spatial layout of the highly conductive fin and phase change materials (PCM) and the thermophysical properties of PCM are important factors restricting the heat transfer rate of the latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES). The current fin design concentrates on the limited design space, and rarely adopts the optimizing form of unconstrained structure evolution in the process. So this study proposes a modified transient topology optimization (TO) model to seek the optimal distribution of the fins embedded into PCM subject to the constraints of fin area and specified time. This topology optimization problem is formulated using the density-based material design variable in governing equations, physical constraints, etc. The design freedom and procedural iterative solving of TO model allow for the free evolution of innovative fin structures and elucidate the interaction mechanism between the fin design and physical occurring processes. The double interpolation function, variable regularization, adjoint-based sensitivity analysis and GCMMA algorithm are established to further improve TO model to obtain high-precision solutions. Using above methods, the regular evolution mechanism of fins and physical performance parameters and the trade-off between performance and structure are analyzed. Then, the effects and reasons of pure paraffin (PW) and the adding carbon nanotubes (nPW) on changes in topology structure and performance parameters are also comparatively studied. Finally, by comparing TO-fins with conventional rectangular fins, the superiority of the established method is verified, and the performance improvement mechanism and extent of TO-fins are revealed. Results show that TO-fin LHTES with nPW can achieve better performance than TO-fin LHTES with PW under fewer branches and shorter branch length. The uniform distribution and multi-branch characteristics of TO-fins greatly shorten the heat conduction path, and its local segmentation of whole PCM enhances the local convection effect.

A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF THE MADAGASCAR-ENDEMIC GENUS BEMANGIDIA (SAPOTACEAE), WITH DESCRIPTION OF A SECOND SPECIES

Bemangidia L.Gaut. (Sapotaceae) is a genus endemic to a restricted area in the southeastern lowland moist evergreen forests of Madagascar. It was published in 2013 to accommodate an undescribed species, Bemangidia lowryi L.Gaut., which showed a combination of characters unique in the family Sapotaceae. At the time of description, three atypical collections from the same locality but growing on a ridge, slightly higher in altitude, were already known. Although matching well with the Bemangidia genus, they were phenotypically different from B. lowryi and were therefore not included in the species description. In the present study, we evaluate whether these specimens correspond to a new species, using a combination of morphological and genetic data based on 638 nuclear genes. The results show that Bemangidia contains two lineages, each one corresponding to a different morphology, with a genetic branch length similar to those observed among species pairs in other genera of Sapotaceae. We conclude that the genetic and morphological differences are sufficient to consider the two lineages as two distinct species. Consequently, the genus is here revised and a second species described.

First complete mitogenome of Massarineae and its contribution to phylogenetic implications in Pleosporales

Endophytic fungi play an important role in the growth and development of traditional Chinese medicine plants. We isolated a strain of Acrocalymma vagum from the endophytic fungi of the traditional Chinese plants Paris. To accurately identify this endophytic fungal species of interest, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of A. vagum, which is the first discovered mitochondrial genome in Massarineae. The A. vagum mitochondrial genome consists of a 35,079-bp closed circular DNA molecule containing 36 genes. Then, we compared the general sequence characteristics of A. vagum with those of Pleosporales, and the second structure of the 22 tRNAs was predicted. The phylogenetic relationship of A. vagum was constructed using two different data sets (protein-coding genes and amino acids). The phylogenetic tree shows that A. vagum is located at the root of Pleosporales. The analysis of introns shows that the number of introns increases with the increase in branch length. The results showed that monophyly was confirmed for all families in Pleosporales except for Pleosporaceae. A. vagum is an ancient species in the Pleosporales, and Pleosporaceae may require further revision. In Pleosporales, the number of introns is positively correlated with branch length, providing data for further study on the origin of introns.

SUITABLE SUBSTRATE VOLUMES AND CULTIVARS FOR ENHANCING GROWTH AND IN-CREASING YIELD OF YARD-LONG BEAN IN URBAN ECOSYSTEMS

Yard-long bean, a favored vegetable known for its taste and nutritional value, holds economic importance. Its climbing nature and environmental resilience make it ideal for urban cultivation in pots and climbing frames. This study, conducted in a limited urban space, aimed to determine optimal pot size and cultivars for yard-long bean cultivation, emphasizing growth and yield. Two pot sizes were used: a larger one (30 cm diameter x 37 cm height, M1) and a smaller one (30 cm diameter x 30 cm height, M2), alongside three commercial cultivars: Kanton Tavi (V1), Camellia (V2), and Arafi (V3). Results indicated that a larger pot size increased pod number and total pod weight per plant, facilitating root development, vine growth, and enhanced yield. The larger substrate volume retained moisture and boosted plant biomass. Cultivar treatment affected branch length and flowering time, with Camellia exhibiting the longest harvest period (14 harvests). Hence, for Camellia varieties, cultivation using larger pots (30 cm diameter x 37 cm height) is recommended.

Mitochondrial malfunction and atrophy of astrocytes in the aged human cerebral cortex

How aging affects cells of the human brain active milieu remains largely unknown. Here, we analyze astrocytes and neurons in the neocortical tissue of younger (22–50 years) and older (51–72 years) adults. Aging decreases the amount of reduced mitochondrial cytochromes in astrocytes but not neurons. The protein-to-lipid ratio decreases in astrocytes and increases in neurons. Aged astrocytes show morphological atrophy quantified by the decreased length of branches, decreased volume fraction of leaflets, and shrinkage of the anatomical domain. Atrophy correlates with the loss of gap junction coupling between astrocytes and increased input resistance. Aging is accompanied by the upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and downregulation of membrane-cytoskeleton linker ezrin associated with leaflets. No significant changes in neuronal excitability or spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic signaling is observed. Thus, brain aging is associated with the impaired morphological presence and mitochondrial malfunction of cortical astrocytes, but not neurons.

Effect of the source of the plant part and plant growth regulators on the establishment and multiplication of vegetative branches of Rosmarinus officinalis L. in vitro

This search was carried out in the plant tissue culture laboratory at the College of Agriculture at the University of Kerbala from 2021 to 2022. The study included the use of in vitro technology in the use of plant parts and different combinations in the emergence and multiplication of farms vegetative branches of rosemary, the study was carried out in two stages after performing the sterilization process: the first included the emergence of vegetative farms by planting the growing tops and side nodes on the MS nutrient medium with different concentrations (0 , 1, 2, 3 mg.L-1) BA, and the second stage was carried out by cultivating the growths resulting from the nodes grown in the previous stage on the (MS) media, that was prepared with various concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3 mg.L-1) BA and ( 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4mg.L-1) NAA, The results of the study showed the superiority of the apical, as it achieved a response rate of 57.5% compared to the lateral shoots, which recorded a response rate of 37.5%, and the con. of 1 mg.l-1 BA was superior and achieved a response rate of 80% comparison with the neutral treat that earn a response rate It reached 15%, and the results showed that the same concentration of benzyl adenine at a concentration of 2 mg.l-1 achieved of higher average in the number and length of branches (4.74 branches.plantlet-1, 4.12 cm), while the concentration achieved 3 mg .l- 1 of it had the higher rate of leaves number and the Fresh and Dry weight of the branches (15.24 leaves.plantlet-1, 2986 mg and 1823 mg), respectively, comparison with the neutral treat that achieved the lower average, and the concentration 0.2 mg.L-1 NAA exceeded in achieving The highest average number of branches, leaves, fresh &dry weight of branches was (4.16 branches.plantlet-1 and 14.21 leaves.plantlet-1, 2606 mg and 1594 mg) respectively, while the concentration exceeded 0.4 mg.L-1 NAA in achieving the highest rate The length of the branches reached 3.74 cm. All experiments were carried out using CRD (utterly randomized design). Keywords: explants type ; plant growth regulators ; micro propagation ; rosemary ; tissue culture

Microstructure and Thermal and Rheological Properties of Low-Molecular-Mass Ethylene–Vinyl Acetate Copolymer

The microstructure of low-molecular-mass ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers was studied by 1Н and 13С NMR spectroscopy. The vinyl acetate mole fraction, chain branching, and mean lengths of ethylene and vinyl acetate blocks were determined. The thermal properties of ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, and the crystalline characteristics, by X-ray diffraction analysis. The degree of crystallinity of the copolymer decreases with an increase in the fraction of the polar comonomer. Rheological studies show that ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers at room temperature tend to microphase segregation and form a microphase structural network.

Reduced Bergmann glial process terminations and lateral appendages in essential tremor.

Postmortem examination of the essential tremor cerebellum has revealed a variety of pathological changes centered in and around Purkinje cells. Studies have predominantly focused on cerebellar neuronal connections. Bergmann glial morphology has not yet been studied in essential tremor. Among their many roles, Bergmann glia in the cerebellar cortex ensheath Purkinje cell synapses and provide neuroprotection. Specifically, the complex radial processes and lateral appendages of Bergmann glia are structural domains that modulate Purkinje cell synaptic transmission. In this study, we investigate whether Bergmann glia morphology is altered in the essential tremor cerebellum. We applied the Golgi-Kopsch method and used computerized three-dimensional cell reconstruction to visualize Bergmann glia in the postmortem cerebellum of 34 cases and 17 controls. We quantified morphology of terminal structures (number of terminations and lateral appendage density) and morphology of radial processes (total process length, branch length, branch order, and branch volume) in each glial cell. We quantified number of branches and volume as well. Essential tremor cases had a 31.9% decrease in process terminations and a 35.7% decrease in lateral appendage density in Bergmann glia. Total process length and branch length did not differ between essential tremor cases and controls. We found also a reduction in number of secondary and tertiary branches and tertiary branches volume. These findings suggest that Bergmann glia in essential tremor cases have more alterations in their terminal structures, with a relative preservation of radial processes, and highlight a potential role for these astrocytes in the disease pathophysiology.

Differences in the permeability assessment of the fractured reservoir rocks using the conventional and the rough discrete fracture network modeling

Permeability assessment of naturally fractured rocks and fractured rocks after fracturing is critical to the development of oil and gas resources. In this paper, based on the discrete fracture network (DFN) modeling method, the conventional discrete fracture network (C-DFN) and the rough discrete fracture network (R-DFN) models are established. Through the seepage numerical simulation of the fractured rocks under different DFN, the differences in permeability of the fractured rocks under different parameters and their parameter sensitivity are analyzed and discussed. The results show that unconnected and independent fractures in the fracture network may weaken the seepage capacity of the fractured rocks. The fractured rock permeability increases with increase in connectivity and porosity and decreases with increase in maximum branch length and fracture dip. The use of C-DFN to equate the fracture network in the fractured rocks may underestimate the connectivity of the fracture network. For the more realistic R-DFN, the promotion of gas flow by connectivity is dominant when connectivity is high, and the hindrance of gas flow by fracture roughness is dominant when connectivity is low or when it is a single fracture. The permeability of the fractured rocks with R-DFN is more sensitive to the parameters than that of the fractured rocks with C-DFN. The higher the connectivity and porosity of the fractured rocks, the more obvious the difference between the permeability of the fractured rocks evaluated by C-DFN and R-DFN.