Large-scale Perspective Research Articles

Light-Induced Advanced Oxidation Processes as PFAS Remediation Methods: A Review

PFAS substances, which have been under investigation in recent years, are certainly some of the most critical emerging contaminants. Their presence in drinking water, correlated with diseases, is consistently being confirmed by scientific studies in the academic and health sectors. With the aim of developing new technologies to mitigate the water contamination problem, research activity based on advanced oxidation processes for PFAS dealkylation and subsequent mineralization is active. While UV radiation could be directly employed for decontamination, there are nevertheless considerable problems regarding its use, even from a large-scale perspective. In contrast, the use of cheap, robust, and green photocatalytic materials active under near UV-visible radiation shows interesting prospects. In this paper we take stock of the health problems related to PFAS, and then provide an update on strategies based on the use of photocatalysts and the latest findings regarding reaction mechanisms. Finally, we detail some brief considerations in relation to the economic aspects of possible solutions.

A full-scale study of nanofiltration: Separation and recovery of NaCl and Na2SO4 from coal chemical industry wastewater

This study focuses on the application of nanofiltration membrane in separating NaCl from Na2SO4 of a “zero discharge” process designed for a particular coal chemical wastewater (60 m3/h) in full scale. The front-end inlet water's residual chlorine content seriously affects the subsequent nanofiltration membrane's long-term efficiency. The nanofiltration membrane was oxidized when the front-end inlet residual chlorine exceeds 0.1 mg/L. In 1-year operation, the rejection rate of the nanofiltration membrane for chemical oxygen demand (COD) dropped from ~70% to ~50%, and the rejection rate for silica dropped from ~30% to ~20%; in the same period, the rejection rate for sodium sulfate dropped from 99.5% to ~88%. It was found that coconut shell activated carbon, a pre-treatment unit integrated in front of the nanofiltration membrane unit, could remove up to 98% of residual chlorine in the system. The chlorine concentration entering the nanofiltration unit was kept below 0.05 mg/L, thus maintaining the nanofiltration membrane's efficiency and extending its lifespan. This work provides a foundation for the nanofiltration in separation and resource of NaCl and Na2SO4 from a large-scale perspective and implication for the development of Nanofiltration membrane for coal chemical wastewaters.

Effect of unconventional water resources interventions on the management of Gaza coastal aquifer in Palestine

Abstract The non-conventional water resources of seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, and stormwater harvesting are promising water resources to enhance the water supply and to cope with the groundwater depletion of the Gaza coastal aquifer (GCA). In total, the current daily operation of the short-term low-volume (STLV) seawater desalination plants produces 36,000 m3 and, on the large-scale perspective, the seawater desalination capacity is planned to increase from 150,000 to 300,000 m3 per day by the years 2025 and 2035, respectively. The wastewater treatment and reuse activities are processed through three wastewater treatment plants with a total daily capacity of 130,000 m3 which is proposed to be increased to a capacity of 235,000 m3 by the beginning of 2025. Stormwater collecting and harvesting supply the water sector by about 550–820 cubic meters per day. The proposed stochastic and artificial intelligence model that was developed in this study to simulate the interactive conditions between the groundwater and the water intervention plan showed proper performance in terms of (r) = 0.95–0.99 and the root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.09–0.21. The model outputs reveal that the annual groundwater abstractions will reach 192 million cubic meters by 2040 with an annual increasing rate of +3%. By applying the model, the optimum utilization of the unconventional water resources contributes positively to the recovery of the GCA, which is experiencing a decline hot spot in the water level that reaches to −19 m below mean sea level (MSL) and is expected to drop to −28 m MSL by 2040. The impact of unconventional water resources interventions was investigated by simulating the water table trend using stochastic models and artificial neural networks (ANNs) through three scenarios. The first scenario, which addresses the non-intervention status, indicates that the groundwater table will decline by −1.5% in the northern governorates and by −51% in the southern governorates of the Gaza Strip within 2020–2040. The second scenario demonstrates the impact of the existing water interventions that revealed an interim recovery in the groundwater balance until 2025 in which the water consumption tended to increase rapidly. The third scenario illustrates the impact of applying the full water management intervention plan in which the depression cone in the groundwater level will be restored by about +10 m.

ATHENA PASHKO. UNUSUAL THOUGHTS ABOUT UNUSUAL WORLDVIEW AND POETRY OF PASSIONARY PERSONALITY

The proposed article outlines the multifold semiosphere of understanding the worldview and poetics of the bright creator of the figurative word of the second half of the 20th – early 21st century – Athena Pashko. In the universe of her personality, the deep rootedness in the whole worldview-aesthetic discourse is organically combined with the specific need and ability to actualize this discourse in the Ukrainian semiosphere. The images and poetic visions created by the poetess pave a unique bridge from the «past to the future» (D. Humenna’s statement). The actual dominant of the proposed study is the study in the phenomenon of Athena Pashko specific ancient union of artistic image-meaning with the universe of the author’s personality. This dichotomous unity is recorded in the reflections and memories of contemporaries about her extraordinary personality. Attention is paid to the musicality of A. Pashko’s works and their agreement with the musicality of P. Tychyna’s poetics. Such harmony is based on the medieval-baroque aesthetics of Ukrainian music by D. Bortnyanskyi, A. Wedel and large-scale perspectives in the 21st century. A special dominant of the article, which determines the worldview-poetic universals relevant for the present and prospects, is the discourse of concordances between spiritual-intellectual phenomena of V. Svidzinskyi, P. Tychyna, V. Stus and A. Pashko. The outlined multidimensional discourse is still terra incognita in philosophical-Ukrainian studies and in particular literary studies. The article notes that the world of ideas and actions of A. Pashko as a passionary person is an unknown perspective field in the context of understanding the prospects for the revival of the Ukrainian state and the semiosphere of state formation as its ideological basis. In conceptual connection, the ideological world of A. Pashko is studied, which appears in correspondence with her husband V. Chornovil, analytical memoirs of M. Kotsiubynska, S. Kyrychenko, where philosophical and state-building dominants of the «Sixtiers» are interpreted as sources of poetics of their work and worldview.

Cognition as a Mechanical Process

Cognition is often defined as a dual process of physical and non-physical mechanisms. This duality originated from past theory on the constituent parts of the natural world. Even though material causation is not an explanation for all natural processes, phenomena at the cellular level of life are modeled by physical causes. These phenomena include explanations for the function of organ systems, including the nervous system and information processing in the cerebrum. This review restricts the definition of cognition to a mechanistic process and enlists studies that support an abstract set of proximate mechanisms. Specifically, this process is approached from a large-scale perspective, the flow of information in a neural system. Study at this scale further constrains the possible explanations for cognition since the information flow is amenable to theory, unlike a lower-level approach where the problem becomes intractable. These possible hypotheses include stochastic processes for explaining the processes of cognition along with principles that support an abstract format for the encoded information.

Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) habitat in Romania – A landscape perspective revealed by Cold War spy satellite images

Long term analyses on habitat dynamics are challenging when data from the past is scarce. In addition, large scale perspectives are difficult to attain without proper modelling of habitat conditions. These drawbacks were overcome in the case of capercaillie in Romania with the help of satellite-based information and by finding relevant environmental variables which influence the species habitat. We used MaxEnt software with four variables (spruce distribution, elevation, precipitation and temperature in June) and 750 presence points. The model had a high predictive ability (area under the curve over 95%), elevation and spruce distribution being the most important variables. A separate set of 902 presence points was used for model crosschecking. Most of the crosscheck points (98.6%) fell inside the predicted habitat confirming the model performance. To detect habitat preferences the vegetation mosaic in 90 circles (3 km-radius) was analyzed using both historical (Cold War) and recent satellite information. The modelled habitat across the Romanian Carpathians was a mosaic of stands of different ages. Moreover, a similar structure was found inside and outside the analyzed circles: forests between 65 and 120 yr. dominated, followed by the younger classes (20–65 yr. and forests <20 yr.). The oldest class (> 120 yr.) was the least common. The majority (i.e., 90%) of the presence points used for model crosscheck fell within actively managed forests, including former large clearcuts (revealed by the Cold War spy-satellite images). This suggests that the species was tolerant to forest management and also able to recolonize areas when habitat became favorable again. Therefore, controlled forest management maintains the habitat favorability at very large scales in a shifting steady-state mosaic. This management-driven habitat together with the one produced by natural disturbances in natural forests provides favorable conditions for a habitat continuum along the Romanian Carpathians.

Hydroclimatic and cultural instability in northeastern North America during the last millennium.

Long-term, large-scale perspectives are necessary for understanding climate variability and its effects on ecosystems and cultures. Tree ring records of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and Little Ice Age (LIA) have documented major hydroclimatic variability during the last millennium in the American West, but fewer continuous, high-resolution hydroclimate records of the MCA-LIA period are available for eastern North America, particularly during the transition from the MCA to the LIA (ca. A.D. 1250–1400). Diatoms (micro-algae with silica cell walls) in sediment cores from three Adirondack (NY, USA) lakes and a hiatus in a wetland peat deposit in the Adirondack uplands provide novel insights into the late Holocene hydroclimate history of the Northeast. These records demonstrate that two of the region’s most extreme decadal-scale droughts of the last millennium occurred ca. A.D. 1260–1330 and ca. A.D. 1360–1390 during a dry-wet-dry (DWD) oscillation in the Adirondacks that contributed to forest fires and desiccation of wetlands in New York and Maine. The bimodal drying was probably related to more extreme droughts farther west and coincided with major events in Iroquoian and Abenaki cultural history. Although the causes of the DWD oscillation in the Adirondacks remain uncertain, changing sea-surface temperatures and solar variability are likely to have played a role.

Will Public Environmental Concerns Foster Green Innovation in China’s Automotive Industry? An Empirical Study Based on Multi-Sourced Data Streams

This study explores the impact of public concerns on green innovation in China’s automotive industry and examines whether the effect varies based on firm size, ownership, and time phase. The study investigates 151 automobile enterprises and provides a novel, large-scale, and data-based perspective and estimation method for exploring critical factors of green innovation. By applying transition probabilities matrix (TPM) model, this paper finds that for different-sizes automotive enterprises there are significant differences in innovation sustainability, non-innovation sustainability, and liquidity between innovation and non-innovation, and such differences also exist for state-owned and non-state-owned enterprises. Then, based on the dynamic panel random probit (DPRP) model, the paper further analyzes the possible reasons for these differences, and particularly focuses on exploring the impact of public environmental concern on the environmental technology innovation. The empirical results show: 1) public concerns encourages green innovation emerging in all automotive firms, but only affects innovation persistence in medium and large companies. 2) public concerns encourages non-innovator state-owned companies to become innovators and motivates them to maintain continuous innovation. 3) the impact of public concerns changes over time. In the periods of 2002–2007 and 2012–2013, the role of public concerns is not significant. However, in the 2007–2012 period, public concerns significantly stimulate enterprises to move from non-innovators to innovators and promotes continuous innovation.

Protection effect of overwintering water bird habitat and defining the conservation priority area in Poyang Lake wetland, China

Biodiversity conservation is one of the most important objectives of protected areas. Most biodiversity assessment-related studies use the change in species abundance data to measure the level of biodiversity conservation. Yet for many areas, long-term species data are not available and thus it is necessary to use biodiversity indices to monitor the effect of land use (LU) changes or the impact of protected area establishment. Poyang Lake wetland is one of the most important wintering sites for migratory water birds on the East Asian–Australasian flyway. To protect this habitat, 14 nature reserves were created in the region between 1997 and 2003. This paper aims to assess the effect of nature reserve creation on the status of habitat for overwintering water birds in Poyang Lake wetland by analysing LU and land cover data from 1995, 2005 and 2015. We developed a composite biodiversity index to search for current biodiversity hotspots (conservation priority) in the study area. An integrated approach consisting of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs model, GIS, fragment analysis and hotspot analysis was used to realize our objective. Our results showed that the creation of the nature reserve had positive effects on overwintering water bird habitat. However, tremendous changes (such as change of habitat area, quality and fragmentation) within and outside the nature reserve showed that the role of protected area still needs to be further discussed. Moreover, regional synthesis LU management plans such as ecological restoration should be carried out. The results of the habitat assessment also indicate that a comprehensive biodiversity index framework based on net primary productivity, habitat connectivity and habitat quality could be more efficient in assessing biodiversity and defining a reasonable protected area, from data obtain in large scale perspective.

Quantification of Erosion and Uplift in a Rising Orogen—A Large-Scale Perspective (Late Tortonian to Present): The Case of the Gibraltar Arc, Betic Cordillera, Southern Spain

The present study deals with the morphometric quantification of erosion and illustrates the uplift component triggered by denudation (isostasy) in the growth and evolution of a rising orogeny by the application of Airy isostasy concepts. The Gibraltar Arc, located in the Western–Central sector of the Betic Cordillera, developed an exceptional geological scenario during the Messinian Salinity Crisis since the thin emerged fringe of the uprising Cordillera disconnected the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins, generating a relevant misbalance and asymmetry in the fluvial erosion between the two slopes of the emergent orogeny. Our analysis was applied to 50 individual drainage basins (spatial isostatic units) in the Western–Central Betic Cordillera, allowing us to obtain individual and bulk estimates for these isostatic parameters. GIS-based numerical estimations were obtained using LiDAR Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) provided by the Spanish Geographical Institute and reconstructed pre-incision surface models obtained from proxy paleo-elevation data, estimated from stratigraphic and geomorphological littoral to shallow marine markers. The obtained values for geophysical relief, denudation plates, erosion/uplift rates and computed accumulated uplift (245–407 ±20 m) are higher for the ancient Mediterranean slope of the orogen. On the contrary, the Atlantic slope presents an accumulated uplift of only 138–236 ±20 m, indicating the strong control of the ancient Messinian Atlantic–Mediterranean water divide. The temporal study of erosion indicates that most of the difference in uplift in the Mediterranean slope was achieved during or soon after the Messinian Salinity Crisis, resulting in mean uplift rates of 0.21 mm/y, but practically null (0.01 mm/y) for the Atlantic slope. The comparison of the geophysical relief models with proxy paleo-elevation data allowed us to assess the current state of the denudation process in the range. The results indicate that, towards the west of the range denudation compensated elevation, and is actively back-feeding isostatic rebound. Therefore, the contribution of external processes to mountain range elevation through isostasy is quantitatively estimated using elevation data. In this case, a relevant part of the surface uplift (50-55%) is undertaken by the orogen. Ultimately, the Messinian Salinity Crisis-related isostatic response to differential denudation may be behind the quaternary westward tilting of Iberia, causing more than 70% of the Peninsula to drain towards the Atlantic.

To what degree do spatial and limnological predictors explain the occurrence of a submerged macrophyte species in lotic and semi-lotic/lentic environments of a dammed river?

Insufficient knowledge about ecology of weed macrophytes from a large-scale perspective narrows the necessary decision-making for biodiversity conservation. The present study aimed to assess the occurrence frequency of Egeria densa in lotic and lentic/semi-lotic environments from a Brazilian dammed river, as well as to quantify the attributed explanation (pure or combined) by limnological and spatial variables on species occurrence frequency. Between 2006 and 2010, we repeatedly visited sample points classified as lotic (45) or lentic/semi-lotic environments (23) to collect data on species occurrence and limnological variables. We also generated spatial variables derived from latitude and longitude of sample points. E. densa showed a recurrent occurrence in the sample points classified as lentic/semi-lotic. Both spatial variables (16) and limnological variables (total phosphorus, nitrate, nitrite, transparency and turbidity) significantly contributed to explaining the species occurrence frequency. Forty-nine percent of the occurrence frequency variation was accounted purely by spatial variables. However, less than five percent of occurrence frequency variation was accounted purely by limnological variables. The several dams placed along the river determined the lentic/semi-lotic environments formation and regulated the dispersion processes of individuals of E. densa, consequently causing a recurrent occurrence of this species in particular environmental classes.

Acupuncture Modulates Disrupted Whole-Brain Network after Ischemic Stroke: Evidence Based on Graph Theory Analysis.

Background Stroke can lead to disruption of the whole-brain network in patients. Acupuncture can modulate the functional network on a large-scale level in healthy individuals. However, whether and how acupuncture can make a potential impact on the disrupted whole-brain network after ischemic stroke remains elusive. Methods 26 stroke patients with a right hemispheric subcortical infarct were recruited. We gathered the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from patients with stroke and healthy controls in the resting state and after acupuncture intervention, to investigate the instant alterations of the large-scale functional networks. The graph theory analysis was applied using the GRETNA and SPM12 software to construct the whole-brain network and yield the small-world parameters and network efficiency. Results Compared with the healthy subjects, the stroke patients had a decreased normalized small-worldness (σ), global efficiency (Eg), and the mean local efficiency (Eloc) of the whole-brain network in the resting state. There was a correlation between the duration after stroke onset and Eloc. Acupuncture improved the patients' clustering coefficient (Cp) and Eloc but did not make a significant impact on the σ and Eg. The postacupuncture variables of the whole-brain network had no association with the time of onset. Conclusion The poststroke whole-brain network tended to a random network with reduced network efficiency. Acupuncture was able to modulate the disrupted patterns of the whole-brain network following the subcortical ischemic stroke. Our findings shed light on the potential mechanisms of the functional reorganization on poststroke brain networks involving acupuncture intervention from a large-scale perspective.

Utilization of green reductant Thuja Orientalis for reduction of GO to RGO

It is well known that graphene (G), graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxides (RGO) are materials of today with immense application potentials. However, to realize the same large scale, reproducible, sustainable synthesis techniques such as greener methods which avoid utilization of toxic chemicals for synthesis, must be adopted. It is in this context, that here we report the reduction of GO to RGO by the extract of Thuja Orientalis (TO) seeds. As such, TO is a well-known bio-resource for medicinal and various other biotechnological applications as it contains Alpha Tocopherol, the major constituent of vitamin E. To the best of our knowledge, despite the wealth of literature, the current work makes a pioneering effort in applying TO seeds extract for reduction of GO to RGO. Thus, the reduction of GO, synthesized by the well-known modified Hummer's method to RGO by TO extract, is confirmed from the results obtained by ultra-violet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and especially, gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GCMS) techniques. Furthermore, the GCMS study is used to identify the compound Alpha Tocopherol responsible for reduction of GO to RGO. Based on current experimental evidences and literature views, the possible mechanism of reduction is suggested. Finally, the implications of present studies in the perspective of large scale, sustainable synthesis of RGO for various technological applications are discussed.

The First Out-of-Sequence-Fracturing Field Test in North America: Key Learnings from Operation, Petrophysical Analysis, Fracture Modeling, and Production History Matching

Summary One of the considerations in out-of-sequence-fracturing treatment is creating fracture complexity through reducing the in-situ differential stress to enhance hydraulic-fracture connectivity by activating natural fractures, fissures, faults, and cleats within the formation to create secondary or branch fractures (induced-stress-relief fractures) and connect them to the main biwing hydraulic fractures. In out-of-sequence fracturing, this is achieved by beginning fracturing Stage 1 at the toe of the well and then moving toward the heel and fracturing Stage 3 so that there is a degree of interference between the two fractures, followed by placing Stage 2 between the previously fractured Stages 1 and 3. Out-of-sequence fracturing in this mode ensures that the fracture in Stage 2 (center fracture) takes advantage of the altered stress in the rock and connects to the stress-relief fractures from the previous Stages 1 and 3 (outside fractures), thus enhancing the connectivity of the fracture network. The first successful field trial of out-of-sequence fracturing was executed by Lukoil in treating eight wells in western Siberia in 2014. The first case of out-of-sequence fracturing in North America was later conducted in western Canada in 2017, with eight more trials followed in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In this work, a 3D hydraulic-fracture-extension simulator is rigorously calibrated by history matching the observed treatment pressures from the out-of-sequence-fracturing field treatment in western Canada to reliably quantify the effective fracture geometries. Then, a separate set of fracture modeling is conducted to predict the hydraulic-fracture geometries in a conventional (sequential-fracturing) treatment of the same candidate well. Finally, production forecasting is used to assess the production potential from the candidate well according to each set of the generated fracture geometries from each of the scenarios (out-of-sequence fracturing vs. conventional sequential fracturing). The results of coupling the rigorously calibrated fracture modeling and production forecasting indicate noticeable production-uplift potential from a carefully designed out-of-sequence-fracturing vs. sequential-fracturing treatment. Besides, the discovered characteristic trends in fracture geometries in out-of-sequence fracturing confirm some of the findings obtained in a previous sensitivity analysis of out-of-sequence fracturing. The previous sensitivity study entailed analyzing nearly 200 fracture-modeling scenarios using a variety of geomechanical properties and treatment-design variables. These characteristic trends render unique opportunities and advantages for the optimization of fracturing treatments and field development. This work is the first attempt in comparative evaluation of the effect of out-of-sequence fracturing by incorporating the actual field data into fracture modeling coupled with production forecasting. The learnings from this multifaceted study are worth sharing with the industry and could be used to guide future successful designs of the out-of-sequence fracturing for completion optimization in both unconventional and conventional reservoirs. From a large-scale field-development perspective, when conducted in multiple wells, optimized out-of-sequence fracturing has the potential of rendering full-length interference effect and optimizing the stress shadowing while reducing the risk of well bashing.

Topographical and geological variation of effective rainfall for debris-flow occurrence from a large-scale perspective

Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of the debris-flow rainfall threshold is meaningful for regional warning systems. However, regional topographical and geological impacts have not been well quantified. Using the Hengduan Mountains with distinct climatic, topographical, and geological settings as a typical study area, this study focused on the geological and topographical variations of effective rainfall for debris-flow occurrence from a large-scale perspective. Results showed that the probability of debris-flow occurrence was smallest in the cold-arid zone and largest in the humid zone. The mean dimensionless effective rainfall (the ratio of effective rainfall to mean annual precipitation) was about 5.2% for an initial warning and 7.7% for serious warnings. The contributions to the differences are regional climate, geomorphology, and geology, in sequence of importance. The zone with more complex terrain, thicker soil, and higher sand content would be more beneficial to debris-flow formation. Multiple regression analysis suggested that the geologically-related aspects may have a slightly greater effect than topographical factors on effective rainfall. In general, this work could be in favor of other similar regional, national, and even global work for debris-flow early warning.

High-throughput sequencing for community analysis: the promise of DNA barcoding to uncover diversity, relatedness, abundances and interactions in spider communities

Large-scale studies on community ecology are highly desirable but often difficult to accomplish due to the considerable investment of time, labor and, money required to characterize richness, abundance, relatedness, and interactions. Nonetheless, such large-scale perspectives are necessary for understanding the composition, dynamics, and resilience of biological communities. Small invertebrates play a central role in ecosystems, occupying critical positions in the food web and performing a broad variety of ecological functions. However, it has been particularly difficult to adequately characterize communities of these animals because of their exceptionally high diversity and abundance. Spiders in particular fulfill key roles as both predator and prey in terrestrial food webs and are hence an important focus of ecological studies. In recent years, large-scale community analyses have benefitted tremendously from advances in DNA barcoding technology. High-throughput sequencing (HTS), particularly DNA metabarcoding, enables community-wide analyses of diversity and interactions at unprecedented scales and at a fraction of the cost that was previously possible. Here, we review the current state of the application of these technologies to the analysis of spider communities. We discuss amplicon-based DNA barcoding and metabarcoding for the analysis of community diversity and molecular gut content analysis for assessing predator-prey relationships. We also highlight applications of the third generation sequencing technology for long read and portable DNA barcoding. We then address the development of theoretical frameworks for community-level studies, and finally highlight critical gaps and future directions for DNA analysis of spider communities.

Deep Neural Network Cloud-Type Classification (DeepCTC) Model and Its Application in Evaluating PERSIANN-CCS

Satellite remote sensing plays a pivotal role in characterizing hydrometeorological components including cloud types and their associated precipitation. The Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) on the Polar Orbiting CloudSat satellite has provided a unique dataset to characterize cloud types. However, data from this nadir-looking radar offers limited capability for estimating precipitation because of the narrow satellite swath coverage and low temporal frequency. We use these high-quality observations to build a Deep Neural Network Cloud-Type Classification (DeepCTC) model to estimate cloud types from multispectral data from the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard the GOES-16 platform. The DeepCTC model is trained and tested using coincident data from both CloudSat and ABI over the CONUS region. Evaluations of DeepCTC indicate that the model performs well for a variety of cloud types including Altostratus, Altocumulus, Cumulus, Nimbostratus, Deep Convective and High clouds. However, capturing low-level clouds remains a challenge for the model. Results from simulated GOES-16 ABI imageries of the Hurricane Harvey event show a large-scale perspective of the rapid and consistent cloud-type monitoring is possible using the DeepCTC model. Additionally, assessments using half-hourly Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS) precipitation rate data (for Hurricane Harvey as a case study) show the ability of DeepCTC in identifying rainy clouds, including Deep Convective and Nimbostratus and their precipitation potential. We also use DeepCTC to evaluate the performance of the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Cloud Classification System (PERSIANN-CCS) product over different cloud types with respect to MRMS referenced at a half-hourly time scale for July 2018. Our analysis suggests that DeepCTC provides supplementary insights into the variability of cloud types to diagnose the weakness and strength of near real-time GEO-based precipitation retrievals. With additional training and testing, we believe DeepCTC has the potential to augment the widely used PERSIANN-CCS algorithm for estimating precipitation.

Assessment of prevalence and risk factors of helicobacter pylori infection in an oilfield Community in Hebei, China

BackgroundOnly a paucity of large-scale perspective and cross-sectional studies on H. pylori infection in China have been published. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for H. pylori infection among residents of Jidong community located in Hebei Province of China.MethodsA perspective, cross-sectional study was conducted in Jidong community. Questionnaires and 13C-urea breath test were performed, and 10-ml blood samples were obtained for laboratory tests.ResultsFour thousand seven hundred ninety-six subjects were enrolled in this study, and 2506 (52.25%) were H. pylori positive. There was no difference in prevalence between both sexes (P = 0.5974). Age (P = 0.004) and education level (P = 0.0128) were significantly associated with H. pylori infection, and there were statistical trends in the prevalence across five age subgroups (χ2 test for trend = 23.5; P < 0.001) and education levels (χ2 test for trend = 19.50; P < 0.001). H. pylori infection was also associated with marital status (P = 0.0243), source of drinking water (P = 0.0433), frequency of eating raw garlic (P = 0.0310), alcohol drinking (P = 0.0207), knowledge about H. pylori transmission route (P = 0.0125) and related diseases (P = 0.0257). Age, alcohol drinking and knowledge about transmission route were found to be independent predictors of H. pylori infection.ConclusionsMore than half of the population was infected with H. pylori in Jidong community. The socio-demographic profiles, socio-economic factors and lifestyle are worthy taking into consideration to prevent diseases associated with H. pylori infection. Understanding the prevalence and risk patterns for H. pylori infection in China will help in prioritizing public health efforts to better manage the H. pylori infection.

Large-scale dynamics of tropical cyclone formation associated with ITCZ breakdown

Abstract. This study examines the formation of tropical cyclones (TCs) from the large-scale perspective. Using the nonlinear dynamical transition framework recently developed by Ma and Wang, it is shown that the large-scale formation of TCs can be understood as a result of the principle of exchange of stabilities in the barotropic model for the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Analyses of the transition dynamics at the critical point reveal that the maximum number of TC disturbances that the Earth's tropical atmosphere can support at any instant of time has an upper bound of ∼12 for current atmospheric conditions. Additional numerical estimation of the transition structure on the central manifold at the critical point of the ITCZ model confirms this important finding, which offers an explanation for a fundamental question of why the Earth's atmosphere can support a limited number of TCs globally each year.

Aberrant topological organization of the default mode network in temporal lobe epilepsy revealed by graph-theoretical analysis

Numerous neuroimaging studies have reported aberrant functional activities of the default mode network (DMN) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, the alteration on topological organization within the DMN has not been clearly illuminated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the topological abnormalities within the DMN from a larger-scale perspective. Twenty three patients with TLE and 23 age, gender, and education matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study. All participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning and completed the Attention Network Test (ANT) for executive function assessment. Specific subregions in the DMN were extracted for network construction according to the automated anatomical labelling atlas. Network properties, including global properties, nodal properties and edge analyses, were assessed using graph theory. Correlation analyses were performed between significantly different topological properties and clinical factors in patients. The ANT tests showed that executive function was impaired in the patients with TLE compared with the HCs. Furthermore, the TLE group showed decreased nodal strength in the left medial orbital superior frontal gyrus and increased nodal strength in the right inferior parietal gyrus in the DMN. Significantly increased functional connectivities between subregions in the DMN were primarily located in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, precuneus, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Moreover, the degree centrality of the right inferior parietal gyrus was positively correlated with disease duration. In conclusion, this study indicated that there existed a disrupted topological reorganization within the DMN in patients with TLE, which may further contribute to executive deficits and, to some extent, play a compensatory role.