Lower Rate Of Increase Research Articles

New insights into the singlet oxygen-independent formation of TEMPO signals in electron paramagnetic resonance analysis

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is currently the most commonly used technique for measurement of singlet oxygen (1O2) in advanced oxidation processes. However, the characteristic EPR signal associated with 1O2 (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxide radical, TEMPO) can be generated via alternative pathways not involving 1O2, leading to misinterpreted results. In this study, in-situ EPR analysis was used to re-examine the interaction between peroxymonosulfate (PMS), a common oxidant, and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinol (TEMP), the spin-trapping agent of 1O2. It was found that TEMPO could be generated in TEMP/PMS system over a broad pH range (3.0–11.0). The pathway for TEMPO formation was the direct oxidation of TEMP by PMS, and 1O2 was not involved. Furthermore, the intensity of TEMPO (ITEMPO) followed a reverse parabolic pattern as the [TEMP]/[PMS] ratios changed across all pH values. Kinetic analysis unveiled three distinct patterns (continuous linear increase; linear increase followed by a lower rate of increase; increase followed by reaching a plateau) in ITEMPO. Finally, an electron transfer mechanism was proposed for the conversion of TEMP to TEMPO by PMS. The results from this study are expected to advance the understanding of 1O2-independent formation of TEMPO in TEMP/PMS and to mitigate the interference during the detection of 1O2 by EPR.

Large-scale physical simulation of injection and production of hot dry rock in Gonghe Basin, Qinghai Province, China

Based on the independently developed true triaxial multi-physical field large-scale physical simulation system of in-situ injection and production, we conducted physical simulation of long-term multi-well injection and production in the hot dry rocks of the Gonghe Basin, Qinghai Province, NW China. Through multi-well connectivity experiments, the spatial distribution characteristics of the natural fracture system in the rock samples and the connectivity between fracture and wellbore were clarified. The injection and production wells were selected to conduct the experiments, namely one injection well and two production wells, one injection well and one production well. The variation of several physical parameters in the production well was analyzed, such as flow rate, temperature, heat recovery rate and fluid recovery. The results show that under the combination of thermal shock and injection pressure, the fracture conductivity was enhanced, and the production temperature showed a downward trend. The larger the flow rate, the faster the decrease. When the local closed area of the fracture was gradually activated, new heat transfer areas were generated, resulting in a lower rate of increase or decrease in the mining temperature. The heat recovery rate was mainly controlled by the extraction flow rate and the temperature difference between injection and production fluid. As the conductivity of the leak-off channel increased, the fluid recovery of the production well rapidly decreased. The influence mechanisms of dominant channels and fluid leak-off on thermal recovery performance are different. The former limits the heat exchange area, while the latter affects the flow rate of the produced fluid. Both of them are important factors affecting the long-term and efficient development of hot dry rock.

Experimental study on the bond-slip behavior of steel tube-coal gangue concrete

This study investigated the bond-slip behavior at the interface between steel tubes and coal gangue concrete, considering the coal gangue coarse aggregate replacement rate, the strength grade of coal gangue concrete, and the bond length as variable parameters. Eleven groups of push out tests were conducted on steel tube coal gangue concrete specimens. The bond slip curve and the longitudinal strain distribution curve of the steel tubes were obtained, and the effects of these parameters on bond strength were analyzed. The results showed that the load-slip curves at both the loading and free ends of the specimens were similar, with slip occurring earlier at the loading end. The regularity of the test curves in repeated experiments indicated that interfacial bond stress was primarily determined by friction in the later stages. The longitudinal strain of steel tubes was approximately exponentially distributed along their length. The interfacial bond strength increased with the increase of coal gangue aggregate replacement rate and was more pronounced in specimens with higher strength coal gangue concrete. Longer bond lengths resulted in greater bond failure loads, with a lower rate of increase in higher strength coal gangue concrete specimens compared to those with lower strength. Based on the three stage bond stress-slip relationship for steel tube-concrete, a bond-slip constitutive model for steel tube-coal gangue concrete was established. This provided a reference for mechanical analysis and interface performance design of steel tube-coal gangue concrete.

Combining reproductive outcomes predictors and automated estrus alerts recorded during the voluntary waiting period identified subgroups of cows with different reproductive performance potential

The objective was to compare differences in reproductive performance for dairy cows grouped based on the combination of data for predictors available during the prepartum period and before the end of the voluntary waiting period (VWP), automated estrus alerts (AEA) during the VWP, and the combination of both factors. In a cohort study, data for AEA and potential predictors of the percentage of cows that receive AI at detected estrus (AIE), pregnancies per AI (P/AI) for first service, and the percentage of cows pregnant by 150 DIM (P150) were collected from -21 to 49 DIM for lactating Holstein cows (n = 886). The association between each reproductive outcome with calving season (cool, warm), calving-related events (yes, no), genomic daughter pregnancy rate (gDPR; high, medium, low), days in the close-up pen (ideal, not ideal), health disorder events (yes, no), rumination time (high or low CV prepartum and high or low increase rate postpartum), and milk yield (MY) by 49 DIM (high, medium, low) were evaluated in univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Individual predictors (health disorders, gDPR, and MY) associated with the 3 reproductive outcomes in all models were used to group cows based on risk factors (RF; yes, n = 535 or no, n = 351) for poor reproductive performance. Specifically, cows were included in the RF group if any of the following conditions were met: the cow was in the high MY group, had low gDPR, or had at least 1 health disorder recorded. Cows were grouped into estrus groups during the VWP based on records of AEA (estrus VWP [E-VWP], n = 476 or no estrus VWP [NE-VWP], n = 410). Finally, based on the combination of levels of AEA and RF, cows were grouped into an estrus and no RF (E-NoRF, n = 217), no estrus and RF (NE-RF, n = 276), no estrus and no RF (NE-NoRF, n = 134), and estrus and RF (E-RF, n = 259) groups. Cows received AIE up to 31 d after the end of the VWP, and if they did not receive AIE, they received timed AI after an Ovsynch plus progesterone protocol. Logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression compared differences in reproductive outcomes for different grouping strategies. The NoRF (AIE: 76.9%; P/AI: 53.1%; P150: 84.5%) and E-VWP (AIE: 86.8%; P/AI: 44.8%; P150: 82.3%) groups had more cows AIE and higher P/AI and P150 than the RF (AIE: 64.5%; P/AI: 34.9%; P150: 72.9%) and NE-VWP (AIE: 50.0%; P/AI: 38.9%; P150: 72.1%) groups, respectively. When both factors were combined, the largest and most consistent differences were between the E-NoRF (AIE: 91.3%; P/AI: 58.7%; P150: 88.5%) and NE-RF groups (AIE: 47.3%; P/AI: 35.8%; P150: 69.5%). Compared with the whole population of cows or cows grouped based on a single factor, the E-NoRF and NE-RF groups had the largest and most consistent differences with the whole cow cohort. The E-NoRF and NE-RF groups also had statistically significant differences of a large magnitude when compared with the remaining cow cohort after removal of the respective group. We conclude that combining data for AEA during the VWP with other predictors of reproductive performance could be used to identify groups of cows with larger differences in expected reproductive performance than if AEA and the predictors are used alone.

Unravelling the dynamics of mental health inequalities in England: A 12-year nationwide longitudinal spatial analysis of recorded depression prevalence

BackgroundDepression is one of the most significant public health issues, but evidence of geographic patterns and trends of depression is limited. We aimed to examine the spatio-temporal patterns and trends of depression prevalence among adults in a nationwide longitudinal spatial study in England and evaluate the influence of neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation in explaining patterns. MethodsInformation on recorded depression prevalence was obtained from the indicator Quality and Outcomes Framework: Depression prevalence that measured the annual percentage of adults diagnosed with depression for Lower Super Output Areas (LSOA) from 2011 to 2022. We applied Cluster and Outlier Analysis using the Local Moran’s I algorithm. Local effects of deprivation on depression in 2020 examined with Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). Inequalities in recorded prevalence were presented using Prevalence Rate Ratios (PRR). ResultsThe North West Region of England had the highest concentration of High-High clusters of depression, with 17.4% of the area having high values surrounded by high values in both space and time and the greatest percentage of areas with a high rate of increase (43.1%). Inequalities widened among areas with a high rate of increase in prevalence compared to those with a lower rate of increase, with the PRR increasing from 1.66 (99% CI 1.61–1.70) in 2011 to 1.81 (99% CI 1.76–1.85) by 2022. Deprivation explained 3%–39% of the variance in depression in 2020 across the country. ConclusionsIt is crucial to monitor depression's spatial patterns and trends and investigate mechanisms of mental health inequalities. Our findings can help identify priority areas and target prevention and intervention strategies in England. Evaluating mental health interventions in different geographic contexts can provide valuable insights to policymakers on the most effective and context-sensitive strategies, enabling them to allocate resources towards preventing the worsening of mental health inequalities.

3D printed phantom with 12 000 submillimeter lesions to improve efficiency in CT detectability assessment.

The detectability performance of a CT scanner is difficult to precisely quantify when nonlinearities are present in reconstruction. An efficient detectability assessment method that is sensitive to small effects of dose and scanner settings is desirable. We previously proposed a method using a search challenge instrument: a phantom is embedded with hundreds of lesions at random locations, and a model observer is used to detect lesions. Preliminary tests in simulation and a prototype showed promising results. In this work, we fabricated a full-size search challenge phantom with design updates, including changes to lesion size, contrast, and number, and studied our implementation by comparing the lesion detectability from a nonprewhitening (NPW) model observer between different reconstructions at different exposure levels, and by estimating the instrument sensitivity to detect changes in dose. Designed to fit into QRM anthropomorphic phantoms, our search challenge phantom is a cylindrical insert 10cm wide and 4cm thick, embedded with 12 000 lesions (nominal width of 0.6mm, height of 0.8mm, and contrast of -350 HU), and was fabricated using PixelPrint, a 3D printing technique. The insert was scanned alone at a high dose to assess printing accuracy. To evaluate lesion detectability, the insert was placed in a QRM thorax phantom and scanned from 50 to 625 mAs with increments of 25 mAs, once per exposure level, and the average of all exposure levels was used as high-dose reference. Scans were reconstructed with three different settings: filtered-backprojection (FBP) with Br40 and Br59, and Sinogram Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction (SAFIRE) with strength level 5 and Br59 kernel. An NPW model observer was used to search for lesions, and detection performance of different settings were compared using area under the exponential transform of free response ROC curve (AUC). Using propagation of uncertainty, the sensitivity to changes in dose was estimated by the percent change in exposure due to one standard deviation of AUC, measured from 5 repeat scans at 100, 200, 300, and 400 mAs. The printed insert lesions had an average position error of 0.20mm compared to printing reference. As the exposure level increases from 50 mAs to 625 mAs, the lesion detectability AUCs increase from 0.38 to 0.92, 0.42 to 0.98, and 0.41 to 0.97 for FBP Br40, FBP Br59, and SAFIRE Br59, respectively, with a lower rate of increase at higher exposure level. FBP Br59 performed best with AUC 0.01 higher than SAFIRE Br59 on average and 0.07 higher than FBP Br40 (all P<0.001). The standard deviation of AUC was less than 0.006, and the sensitivity to detect changes in mAs was within 2% for FBP Br59. Our 3D-printed search challenge phantom with 12 000 submillimeter lesions, together with an NPW model observer, provide an efficient CT detectability assessment method that is sensitive to subtle effects in reconstruction and is sensitive to small changes in dose.

Long-term trends in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias deaths with high body mass index in China from 1990 to 2019, and projections up to 2042

BackgroundIn China, the rising prevalence of high Body Mass Index (BMI) is linked to increasing health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study analyzes mortality trends related to AD and other dementias associated with high BMI from 1990 to 2019, considering age, period, and birth cohort effects, and forecasts future trends.MethodsWe analyzed mortality data for AD and other dementias linked to high BMI in Chinese residents from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database. Using Joinpoint regression, we examined age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) trends and calculated annual and average annual percentage changes (APC and AAPC). Age-period-cohort models provided deeper insights, with Bayesian models used to project future ASMR trends to 2042.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2019, the ASMR for AD and other dementias associated with high BMI in China showed an overall increasing trend. Females had a lower increase rate than males, yet their overall levels remained higher. Specifically, the ASMR for males increased by an average of 2.70% per year, peaking between 2006 and 2010, while for females, it increased by an average of 2.29% per year, also peaking in the same period. Age-period-cohort analysis revealed increasing mortality relative risk with age and period, but a decrease with birth cohort. Projections suggest a continued rise in ASMR by 2042, with rates for males and females expected to be 2.48/100,000 and 2.94/100,000, respectively.ConclusionThe increasing mortality trend from AD and other dementias associated with high BMI highlights the urgent need for policy interventions focused on overweight prevention, particularly vital for addressing the health challenges in China’s aging population.

Advanced Torque Sharing Function Strategy With Sliding Mode Control for Switched Reluctance Motors

In this paper, an improved torque sharing function control (TSF) using sliding mode control (SMC) is proposed for switched reluctance motor (SRM). First, as for TSF control strategy, due to low increase rate of inductance in the commutation interval, the latter phase is compensated with torque error for torque ripple reduction. Second, SMC is applied in design of speed controller and disturbance observer for better comprehensive performance. Regarding speed controller, the novel sliding mode reaching law is proposed to further suppress the torque ripple and accelerate approaching speed. With respect to the disturbance observer, a modified super-twisting algorithm is employed to enhance the anti-interference ability. Finally, the simulation and experiments are carried out, which verify that the proposed control method behaves better in aspects of the dynamic response and torque ripple suppression, and anti-interference ability.

Projections of maternal mortality ratios in Bangladesh.

The objective of this study was to predict when Bangladesh would achieve Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.1, which is to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100 000 live births. We used secondary data from the 1993 to 2017 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys and other sources to project the MMR until 2060 under several scenario assumptions using an autoregressive moving average model with exogenous variables (ARMAX). Explanatory variables were selected based on the three delays model, and a reference forecast and four practical scenarios were simulated: Scenario 1 assumed a 4% annual increase in institutional deliveries, Scenario 2 followed the national goals, the reference forecast and Scenario 3 varied in terms of district-wise increase rates (Scenario 3 had a lower rate of increase), and Scenario 4 assumed minimal changes in institutional deliveries. Scenario 1 was the earliest, with an MMR of <70 per 100 000 live births in 2026. Scenario 2 would meet the target of <70 per 100 000 live births in 2029. The reference forecast had the third lowest MMR, with 69.78 per 100 000 live births (95% prediction intervals (PI) = 32.44 to 107.11) in 2049. Although the MMR for Scenario 3 decreased slowly, it would not reduce below 70 per 100 000 live births by 2060. Scenario 4, which had the highest MMR, also resulted in the MMR not reducing below 70 per 100 000 live births by 2060. To increase the institutional delivery rate and reduce the MMR, as in Scenarios 1 and 2, it is necessary to improve the institutional delivery rate in regions with low institutional delivery rates. Additionally, health facilities need to provide appropriate quality medical care to increase the institutional delivery rate and contribute to a decrease in the MMR, as shown by the results of this study.

Effect of Prewarming on Skin Temperature Changes After Spinal Anesthesia in Transurethral Resection of the Bladder

PurposeMonitoring of peripheral skin temperature changes is an objective and rapid method to evaluate the success of neuraxial block after spinal anesthesia. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of prewarming on peripheral temperature changes after the administration of spinal anesthesia. DesignRandomized, prospective, single-blind study. MethodsIn this study, patients scheduled for transurethral resection of the bladder surgery under spinal anesthesia were divided into two groups: those with active prewarming and those without active prewarming. The groups were compared in core and skin temperature changes after administration of spinal anesthesia, length of stay in the postanesthesia care unit, shivering score, and the thermal comfort scale. FindingsA statistically significant difference was found between the groups on time for a 1 °C increase in ankle and toe skin temperatures (P < .001). There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in core temperature measurements (P < .001). When thermal comfort was compared between the groups, a statistically significant difference was found (P < .001). Patients' shivering score (P = .704), and length of stay in the postanesthesia care unit (P = .059) between the groups were similar. ConclusionsSkin temperature changes in the prewarming group were lower, and this group had a lower rate of increase than the nonprewarming group. Therefore, skin temperature changes in the lower extremity can be used to determine the success of spinal anesthesia in patients who are prewarmed, with the awareness of these differences.

Effects of different winter paddock management of Thoroughbred weanlings and yearlings in the cold region of Japan on physiological function, endocrine function and growth.

Effects of different winter paddock management of Thoroughbred weanlings and yearlings in Hokkaido, Japan, which is extremely cold in winter, on physiological function, endocrine function and growth were investigated. They were divided into two groups; those kept outdoors for 22 hr in the paddock (22hr group) and those kept outdoors for 7 hr in daytime with walking exercise for 1 hr using the horse-walker (7hr+W group), and the changes in daily distance travelled, body temperature (BT), heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), endocrine function and growth parameters were compared between the two groups from November at the year of birth to January at 1 year of age. The 7hr+W group could travel almost the same distance as the 22hr group by using the horse-walker. The 22hr group had a lower rate of increase in body weight than the 7hr+W group in January. In addition, lower in BT and HR were observed, and HRV analysis showed an increase in high frequency power spectral density, indicating that parasympathetic nervous activity was dominant. And also, changes in circulating cortisol and thyroxine were not observed despite cold environment. On the other hand, the 7hr+W group had higher prolactin and insulin like growth factor than the 22hr group in January, and cortisol and thyroxine were also increased. Physiological and endocrinological findings from the present study indicate that the management of the 7hr+W group is effective in promoting growth and maintaining metabolism during the winter season.

Strength properties of soils treated with calcium-based flocculants and their impact on vacuum preloading

In this study, a series of unconfined compressive strength tests were conducted to investigate the effect of calcium-based flocculants on the strength and deformation properties of slurry. The test results indicated that the presence of calcium-based flocculants [Ca(OH)2 or CaCl2] significantly enhanced the unconfined compressive strength (qu) of soil. A non-linear relationship was observed between qu and CaCl2 content, revealing that the maximum value of qu is obtained at a CaCl2 concentration of 24.8%. qu exhibited a high increase rate at early curing time in the presence of Ca(OH)2, with a lower increase rate after a longer curing time and high Ca(OH)2 content. The deformation modulus E50 showed an increasing trend with increasing CaCl2 content at 3 and 7 d, followed by a decreasing trend with increasing CaCl2 content at 14 and 28 d. However, the failure strain εf for CaCl2-treated soil ranges from 2.4% to 4.8%, showing no relation with qu. A significant increase in E50 for Ca(OH)2-treated soil in the early curing stages (3 and 7 d) was observed because of the increase in qu. After 14 d of curing, E50 tended to decrease with increasing Ca(OH)2 content. A positive relationship between the degree of vacuum and qu in the presence of calcium-based flocculants was proposed, indicating that a higher qu of treated soil leads to a lower water content after vacuum treatment for the same preloading period, emphasizing that the vacuum treatment efficiency increases with an increase in the qu of calcium-based flocculant-treated soil.

Association of clinical characteristics and vaccines with risk of persistently viral clearance in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Shanghai, China

ImportanceThe global COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to end in the near future. Currently, limited data are available on the risk factors for delayed viral clearance in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association of clinical characteristics and vaccination with prolonged viral clearance. MethodsThis retrospective cohort included 16,985 patients who had contracted the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant between April 5 and May 30, 2022, in Shanghai, China, and had mild or no symptoms. The patients were admitted to the quarantine venue at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. ResultsOf the 16,985 participants, the occurrence of viral clearance was ≤8 and > 8 days in 11,009 (64.8 %) and 5976 (35.2 %) participants, respectively. Risk factors related to patients who remained persistently polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive were sex (Male, odds ratio [OR] 1.221, p < 0.001), older age (35–49, OR 1.389, p < 0.001; 50–64, OR 1.659, p < 0.001; ≥65, OR 2.139, p < 0.001), presence of symptoms (OR 1.093, p = 0.030), number of vaccinations (two doses, OR 0.753, p < 0.001; three doses, OR 0.797, p < 0.001; four doses, OR 0.543, p < 0.001), and cycle threshold (Ct) value for ORF1ab gene at diagnosis (25–35, OR 0.235, p < 0.001; >35, OR 0.079, p < 0.001). The lower rates of increase in Ct values were observed in the later viral shedding group than in the early viral shedding group for ORF1ab (β = −0.791, p < 0.001) and N genes (β = −0.825, p < 0.001). ConclusionProlonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection and higher viral concentrations were associated with factors such as male sex, older age, symptomatic status, and fewer doses of vaccination in patients admitted to Shanghai Makeshift Hospital between April 5 and May 30, 2022.

Risk Assessment of Freezing–Thawing Hazards in the Daxing’anling Forest Region

The Daxing’anling forest region represents a crucial forestry hub in China and confronts some of the nation’s most severe freezing–thawing hazards. This study delved into the temporal trends and spatial distributions of various parameters related to freezing and thawing, including air temperature, ground surface temperature, freezing index, thawing index, and freezing–thawing frequency. Furthermore, this study assessed and delineated freezing–thawing hazards within the research area. The findings revealed a rapid increase in air temperature and ground surface temperature within the Daxing’anling forest region yet a lower rate of increase in ground surface temperature compared to Northeast China. Latitude had the strongest influence on mean annual air temperature, mean annual ground surface temperature, air freezing index, air thawing index, ground surface freezing index, ground surface thawing index, air freezing–thawing frequency, and ground surface freezing–thawing frequency, followed by longitude and elevation. Overall, freezing index, and air freezing–thawing frequency increased from south to north, whereas mean annual air temperature, mean annual ground surface temperature, air thawing index, ground surface thawing index, and ground surface freezing–thawing frequency decreased from south to north. The assessment outcomes underscore the importance of closely monitoring freezing–thawing hazards in regions north of the 50th parallel.

Cryosphere changes and their impacts on regional water resources in the Chinese Altai Mountains from 2000 to 2021

The cryosphere has an important impact on regional water resources and ecosystems in the Chinese Altai Mountains and its piedmont zone. Using the latest remote-sensing datasets of cryosphere changes and combining with in-situ observation data from glacier monitoring stations and snow cover surveys, the main cryosphere elements including glaciers, snow cover, and permafrost are investigated with emphasis on their changes since 2000 and the current situation. Their water resource effects are also discussed. The results indicate that although the glaciers in the region have experienced continuous and intensive melting, mass loss has slowed because both glacier area shrinkage and thickness reduction were larger during 2000–2010 than during 2010–2021. Snow-cover water equivalent (w.e.) has increased due to obvious increases in snow depth, although snow-cover area has decreased slightly. Permafrost has been degrading. Overall, cryosphere contributions to the regional water resource are approximately 40.9% since 2000, among which snow-cover melting is the largest, contributing 37.1% to water resources in the Irtysh River Basin and significantly more in the mountainous sub-basins with increased snowfall. Glacier melting contributes 2.9%∼3.4%, lower than earlier estimations of 3.4%∼3.6% for the late 20th century. Permafrost thaw caused by active layer thickening contributes approximately 0.59%. Meteorological data shows a warming and wetting trend, but summer temperature has a much lower increase rate and a slowing increase trend after 2013. Moreover, snowfall frequency has increased. In the future, glacier water resource contribution will continue to decrease, but the water resource effects of snow-cover melting and permafrost degradation would increase.

Drought resistance index screening and evaluation of lettuce under water deficit conditions on the basis of morphological and physiological differences.

Water is one of the important factors affecting the yield of leafy vegetables. Lettuce, as a widely planted vegetable, requires frequent irrigation due to its shallow taproot and high leaf evaporation rate. Therefore, screening drought-resistant genotypes is of great significance for lettuce production. In the present study, significant variations were observed among 13 morphological and physiological traits of 42 lettuce genotypes under normal irrigation and water-deficient conditions. Frequency analysis showed that soluble protein (SP) was evenly distributed across six intervals. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to transform the 13 indexes into four independent comprehensive indicators with a cumulative contribution ratio of 94.83%. The stepwise regression analysis showed that root surface area (RSA), root volume (RV), belowground dry weight (BDW), soluble sugar (SS), SP, and leaf relative water content (RWC) could be used to evaluate and predict the drought resistance of lettuce genotypes. Furthermore, the drought resistance ranks of the genotypes were similar according to the drought resistance comprehensive evaluation value (D value), comprehensive drought resistance coefficient (CDC), and weight drought resistance coefficient (WDC). The cluster analysis enabled the division of the 42 genotypes into five drought resistance groups; among them, variety Yidali151 was divided into group I as a strongly drought-resistant variety, group II included 6 drought-resistant genotypes, group III included 16 moderately drought-resistant genotypes, group IV included 12 drought-sensitive genotypes, and group V included 7 highly drought-sensitive genotypes. Moreover, a representative lettuce variety was selected from each of the five groups to verify its water resistance ability under water deficit conditions. In the drought-resistant variety, it was observed that stomatal density, superoxide anion (O2.-wfi2) production rate, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited a low increase rate, while catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and that peroxidase (POD) activity exhibited a higher increase than in the drought-sensitive variety. In summary, the identified genotypes are important because their drought-resistant traits can be used in future drought-resistant lettuce breeding programs and water-efficient cultivation.

Increasing NH3 Emissions in High Emission Seasons and Its Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics during 1850–2060

Ammonia (NH3) is a crucial alkaline component in the atmosphere, with significant impacts on environmental and ecosystem health. However, our understanding of the long-term variability characteristics of NH3 emissions is still limited due to the scarcity of long-term continuous NH3 emission observation data. In this study, we investigated the global NH3 emission evolution pattern during the high-emission season (March–August) in historical (1850–2014) and future (2015–2060) periods, based on the simulated global NH3 emission and temperature data using the CESM2-WACCM model from CMIP6. We utilized cluster analysis, KNN regression simulation, and transfer matrix analysis to explore the emission characteristics. In the historical period, the analysis revealed that the high NH3 emission season is March–August, accounting for about 60% of annual emissions, with a significant increasing trend of NH3 emissions. The global average NH3 emissions in the last 164 years were about four times higher (28.06 mg m−2) than those in 1850 (5.52 mg m−2). Moreover, on the intercontinental scale, NH3 emissions from 1850 to 2014 March–August exhibited dynamic increases characterized differently across continents. Europe showed an increasing and then decreasing trend, Asia demonstrated a rapid increase, while South America, North America, and Africa exhibited medium increases, and Australia showed low increases. The global NH3 emissions experienced three distinct periods of low (1850–1964, slope = 0.059 mg m−2 y−1), high (1965–1988, slope = 0.389 mg m−2 y−1), and medium (1989–2014, slope = 0.180 mg m−2 y−1) rates of increase. Starting from the high rate of increase period, the hotspots of global NH3 emissions gradually shifted from Europe to East and South Asia. Looking ahead, our findings suggest that the global NH3 emission rate will tend to slow down under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 warming scenarios. However, compared with the medium-rate increasing period, the moderate and heavy NH3 emission areas under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios will show a tendency to expand by 2060, with the proportion of area covered by heavy emissions increasing by 0.55% and 0.56%, respectively. In conclusion, our study highlights that NH3 pollution remains a significant environmental challenge in the future period, with Asia and Europe being the key areas requiring attention for NH3 emission reduction.

Exploring Future Signals of COVID-19 and Response to Information Diffusion Using Social Media Big Data.

COVID-19 is a respiratory infectious disease that first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. With COVID-19 spreading to patients worldwide, the WHO declared it a pandemic on 11 March 2020. This study collected 1,746,347 tweets from the Korean-language version of Twitter between February and May 2020 to explore future signals of COVID-19 and present response strategies for information diffusion. To explore future signals, we analyzed the term frequency and document frequency of key factors occurring in the tweets, analyzing the degree of visibility and degree of diffusion. Depression, digestive symptoms, inspection, diagnosis kits, and stay home obesity had high frequencies. The increase in the degree of visibility was higher than the median value, indicating that the signal became stronger with time. The degree of visibility of the mean word frequency was high for disinfectant, healthcare, and mask. However, the increase in the degree of visibility was lower than the median value, indicating that the signal grew weaker with time. Infodemic had a higher degree of diffusion mean word frequency. However, the mean degree of diffusion increase rate was lower than the median value, indicating that the signal grew weaker over time. As the general flow of signal progression is latent signal → weak signal → strong signal → strong signal with lower increase rate, it is necessary to obtain active response strategies for stay home, inspection, obesity, digestive symptoms, online shopping, and asymptomatic.

Fish swimming mode and body morphology affect the energetics of swimming in a wave-surge water flow.

Fish swimming modes and the shape of both the fins and body are expected to affect their swimming ability under different flow conditions. These swimming strategies and body morphologies often correspond to distributional patterns of distinct functional groups exposed to natural and variable water flows. In this study, we used a swimming-respirometer to measure energetic costs during prolonged, steady swimming and while station holding in a range of simulated oscillatory wave-surge water flows, within the natural range of flow speeds and wave frequencies on coral reefs. We quantified the net cost of swimming (NCOS, metabolic costs above resting) for four reef fish species with differences in swimming mode and morphologies of the fin and body: a body and caudal fin (BCF) swimmer, the Hawaiian flagtail, Kuhlia xenura, and three pectoral fin swimmers, the kole tang, Ctenochaetus strigosus, the saddle wrasse, Thalassoma duperrey, and the Indo-Pacific sergeant major, Abudefduf vaigiensis. We found that the BCF swimmer had the highest rates of increase in NCOS with increasing wave frequency (i.e. increased turning frequency) compared with the pectoral fin swimmers. The wrasse, with a more streamlined, higher body fineness, had lower rates of increase in NCOS with increasing swimming speeds than the low body fineness species, but overall had the highest swimming NCOS, which may be a result of a higher aerobic swimming capacity. The deep-bodied (low fineness) pectoral fin swimmers (A. vaigiensis and C. strigosus) were the most efficient at station holding in oscillating, wave-surge water flows.

Impact of Cancer Care Regionalization on Patient Volume.

Cancer centers are regionalizing care to expand patient access, but the effects on patient volume are unknown. This study aimed to compare patient volumes before and after the establishment of head and neck regional care centers (HNRCCs). This study analyzed 35,394 unique new patient visits at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) before and after the creation of HNRCCs. Univariate regression estimated the rate of increase in new patient appointments. Geospatial analysis evaluated patient origin and distribution. The mean new patients per year in 2006-2011 versus 2012-2017 was 2735 ± 156 patients versus 3155 ± 207 patients, including 464 ± 78 patients at HNRCCs, reflecting a 38.4 % increase in overall patient volumes. The rate of increase in new patient appointments did not differ significantly before and after HNRCCs (121.9 vs 95.8 patients/year; P = 0.519). The patients from counties near HNRCCs, showed a 210.8 % increase in appointments overall, 33.8 % of which were at an HNRCC. At the main campus exclusively, the shift in regional patients to HNRCCs coincided with a lower rate of increase in patients from the MDACC service area (33.7 vs. 11.0 patients/year; P = 0.035), but the trend was toward a greater increase in out-of-state patients (25.7 vs. 40.3 patients/year; P = 0.299). The creation of HNRCCs coincided with stable increases in new patient volume, and a sizeable minority of patients sought care at regional centers. Regional patients shifted to the HNRCCs, and out-of-state patient volume increased at the main campus, optimizing access for both local and out-of-state patients.