Periodic Discharges Research Articles

Mixing and partially non-conservative behavior of molybdenum, uranium and vanadium along the salinity gradients of the Amazon and Pará estuaries and associated plume

The Amazon and the Pará are two major rivers that carry dissolved and suspended particulate trace metals to the Atlantic Ocean. In the dynamic mixing zone of the estuary, competing processes of trace metal sorption and release play a role, which might affect transport to the open ocean. Here we investigate the behavior of dissolved (<0.2 μm), soluble (<0.015 μm) and truly dissolved (<10 kDa and < 1 kDa) molybdenum (Mo), uranium (U), and vanadium (V) during estuarine mixing between river water (S < 1) and seawater (S > 35) end members during the high discharge period, as well as during aging of the plume in its northward flow along the coast. Molybdenum behaved conservatively during estuarine mixing and showed no colloidal fraction, suggesting Mo is solely present in the soluble or even truly dissolved fraction. Uranium behaved mostly conservatively but showed removal in the low salinity range (ca. S < 9). This is potentially due to colloidal flocculation at low salinities, as indicated by colloidal (0.015–0.2 μm) fractions of up to 30% for U but decreasing with increasing salinity until no significant difference could be discerned at S > 10. Vanadium shows a general conservative mixing, but with more scatter in the data than for Mo and U and potential removal at low to mid-salinities. Removal of V to the sediments is also indicated by surface sediment data from the mid-salinity region of the estuary but no size fractionation in the dissolved phase could be observed. Hence, V seems to be predominantly present in the soluble or even truly dissolved phase and export to the sediments might take place through particles >0.2 μm. No considerable removal or release of Mo, U and V was observed in their water column depth profiles, indicating a conservative behavior in the water column of the estuaries studied here. Additionally, we present a comparison of differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry and inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry analyses for Mo and V, which showed excellent agreement within analytical uncertainty in this challenging sample material covering the full salinity range from freshwater to seawater.

Influence of operation of thermal and fast reactors of the Beloyarsk NPP on the radioecological situation in the cooling pond: Part II, Macrophytes and fish

The influence of waste technological waters of thermal and fast reactors of Beloyarsk NPP (Russia) on the accumulation of 60Co, 90Sr and 137Cs in macrophytes and ichthyofauna of the cooling pond has been studied. Critical radionuclides, routes of their entry into the ecosystem and periods of maximum discharge of radioisotopes into the cooling pond have been determined. It is shown that the technology of electricity generation at the Beloyarsk NPP, based on fast reactors, has a much smaller effect on the release of artificial radionuclides into the environment. Therefore, during the entire period of monitoring studies (1976–2019), the decrease in the specific activity of radionuclides of NPP origin in macrophytes was 13–25800 times, in ichthyofauna 1.5-44.5 times. The maximum discharge of artificial radionuclides into the Beloyarsk reservoir was noted during the period of restoration and decontamination work aimed at eliminating the emergencies at the AMB reactors of NPP. The factors influencing the accumulation of artificial radionuclides in the components of the freshwater ecosystem of the Beloyarsk cooling pond have been determined, including: the physicochemical nature of radioisotopes, their concentration in surface water, the temperature of the aquatic environment, the trophicity of the reservoir, the species of hydrobionts.

Experimental study on heat generation characteristics of lithium-ion batteries using a forced convection calorimetry method

This paper presents a forced convection calorimetry method, based on the lumped capacitance model, to measure the continuous noise-free heat generation rate of batteries. The method was verified via reference sample calibration. Battery test results indicated that the discharge current, ambient temperature, and cycle aging significantly affect the heat generation characteristics of batteries. A larger discharge current and lower ambient temperature of 20–45 °C caused a greater heat generation rate and faster temperature increase. The average heat generation rate over the discharge period exhibited a quadratic polynomial correlation with the discharge current and a negative quadratic polynomial correlation with the ambient temperature. The cycling process increased the heat generation rate, reflecting battery aging. The cycle charge rate had a significant impact on the battery life. Moreover, the two cells started to display different heat generation characteristics after being cycled by different currents even at a similar state of health, revealing that the cycling process and different cycle rates may aggravate the battery inconsistency.

Continuous EEG monitoring detects nonconvulsive seizure and Ictal-Interictal Continuum abnormalities in moderate to severe ICANS following systemic CAR-T therapy.

Immune Cell Effector Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) is common amongst patients receiving CD19 targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. The purpose of this study is to characterize the incidence of seizures and ictal-interictal continuum (IIC) abnormalities in patients with ICANS. Retrospective review of consecutive patients treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) for recurrent high-grade systemic lymphoma at Stanford Medical Center between 2/2016-6/2019. Electronic medical records (EMR) were reviewed for clinical features, treatment information, EEG data, CRS (cytokine release syndrome)/ICANS severity, and clinical outcomes. Fifty-six patients met inclusion criteria. 85.7% of patients developed CRS, and 58.9% developed ICANS. Twenty-eight patients had EEG monitoring, of whom 26 had ICANS. Median duration of EEG monitoring was 30 hours (range .5-126 hours). Four patients (7.1%) had seizures (1 patient had a clinical generalized seizure, 2 patients had clinical and nonconvulsive seizures, and 1 patient had an isolated non-convulsive seizure). Ictal-interictal continuum abnormalities were common, of which generalized periodic discharges (GPDs) with triphasic morphology and GPDs with epileptiform morphology were most frequently seen. Generalized periodic discharges with triphasic wave morphology were found across Grade 2-3 peak ICANS severity, however the majority (86%) of patients with epileptiform GPDs had Grade 3 peak ICANS severity. Among patients receiving axi-cel, seizure occurred in 7.1% of the total cohort, representing 12% of patients with ICANS. Ictal-interictal continuum abnormalities are also seen in patients with ICANS, most commonly GPDs. 75% of patients with seizures had nonconvulsive seizures supporting the use of continuous video EEG monitoring in this population.

Geochemistry of uranium in the Ganga (Hooghly) River estuary, India: The role of processes in the water column and below the sediment-water interface

In this study, we discuss the cycling of uranium (U) in the Ganga (Hooghly) River estuary through investigation of the composition of the water samples of six periods of contrasting water discharge, the bulk and exchangeable phases of the coexisting suspended particulate matter (SPM) and the bed sediments. In addition, we evaluate data on urban and industrial effluent waters that drain into the estuary. Similar U concentrations of freshwaters and effluent waters do not indicate the anthropogenic source to be an important contributor of U to the estuary. The removal of dissolved U in the low-salinity zones, observed for five of six study periods, is primarily linked to the cycling of the FeMn oxyhydroxide phases. The compositions of exchangeable phases of SPM provide supportive evidence for the removal of dissolved U. Mass balance calculations show that the degree of removal of dissolved U can be sustained by the observed enhancement of exchangeable U in the SPM. Loss of U from the bed sediments is inferred from the distributions of exchangeable U concentrations as a function of salinity. Multiple observations based on compositions of the exchangeable and bulk phases of bed sediments indicate mobilization and loss of both U and Mn through suboxic diagenesis in the sediment columns followed by tidally-induced sediment resuspension.We estimate that 40–60% of riverine U is removed in the low-salinity zone during the monsoon and post-monsoon periods. More importantly, the salinity range over which U removal occurs varies between the periods of similar water discharge. The estimated U flux from the estuary is ∼70% higher in 2012 than in 2013. A significant difference between the annual U fluxes, driven mainly by considerable variation in the magnitude of U removal, suggests that estimates of meaningful annual U fluxes would require data at higher temporal resolution. This study highlights the importance of processes operating in the water column and below the sediment-water interface in the cycling of U in the Hooghly River estuary, where the solute-particle interaction driven by high SPM load is known to influence the cycling of trace metals.

How to evaluate and assess the epileptogenic/seizure potential of periodic discharges along the ictal-interictal continuum?

AbstractThe ictal–interictal continuum (IIC) is a concept used for those particular EEG patterns that do not meet the strict criteria for status epilepticus but may be associated with neuronal injury. The aim of this article is to review equivocal periodic patterns and to discuss their clinical significance along the IIC. The risk of seizures increases when the frequency of periodic discharges exceeds 2 Hz and when the pattern has features of superimposed rhythmic, sharp, or fast activity (plus modifier). Lateralized periodic discharges (LPDs) are one of the best examples of the IIC. Criteria have been proposed for identifying patterns along the IIC that we called “peri-ictal” LPDs. There is ongoing debate about when to treat patients with these EEG patterns along this spectrum. The term IIC is only an EEG description, and does not in itself reflect a clinical diagnosis, hence management is based on EEG alone. The decision to intensify treatment is based on the combination of EEG, the underlying etiology, the level of consciousness, comorbidities, imaging, and other surrogates of “damage.”

The Effect of Training Data Series Length on the Performance of the Tank Model for Transforming Rainfall into Runoff Data Series

The Tank model by Sugawara is included in the lumped model category. As with other types of lumped models, the effectiveness of the application of the Tank model is largely determined by the parameter optimization method applied and the quantity of training data involved in the calibration process. This article proposes the Tank-DE model to transform rain data series into discharge in a watershed. The Tank-DE model is built from a combination of a simulation equation system based on the Tank model and a multi-parameter optimization equation system based on the Differential evolution (DE) Algorithm. This article also examines the sensitivity analysis of the model to study the effect of the length of the training data series involved in the calibration process on the predictive discharge quality generated by the Tank-DE model. Thus, the minimum length of the training data series can be recommended, related to the application of the model. The results of the analysis show that the Tank-DE model can present the relationship between rainfall data series and daily period discharge very well. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that there is an indication that the longer the training data series, the more quantitatively positive impact on the performance of the model. The calibration process involving a training data set for 1 year produces a very good value of the coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.94), but the indicator decreases drastically at the validation stage. The calibration process involving a relatively long training data series produces a more consistent value of the coefficient of determination. This indicates that the Tank-DE model can be an alternative solution to solve the problem of scarcity of discharge data series which is a classic problem in water resource development activities.

Addressing the critical parameters for overdamped underwater electrical explosion of wire

Experimental and magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulation results and analysis of a μs- and sub-μs-timescale overdamped underwater electrical explosion of copper wires having different lengths and diameters are presented. For these explosions, ∼80% of the energy stored in the pulse generator is deposited into the wire during a time comparable or shorter than a quarter period of the underdamped discharge. It was found that the threshold values of the deposited energy density, energy density rate, and energy density per unit area, which satisfy overdamped discharge, depend on the wire parameters and on the timescale of the explosion. It was shown that the mechanism responsible for this is the process during which the wire experiences phase transitions to a low-ionized plasma, the resistivity of which is determined by the electron–neutral collision rate, which, in turn, depends on the wire radial expansion velocity, current density, and temperature.

ANALISIS DEBIT BANJIR RANCANGAN DENGAN METODE HIDROGRAF SATUAN SINTETIS NAKAYASU DI SUB DAS KEDUANG (Analysis of planned flood discharge using the Nakayasu synthetic unit hydrograph in Keduang Sub Watershed)

Keduang Sub Watershed was an area prone to flooding. This happens because of the varied land cover followed by low forest cover. This circumstance leads to an increase in runoff which has the potential to become flooded. This study aims to analyze the planned flood discharge in the Keduang Sub Watershed with several return periods. The study was conducted using secondary data analysis in 2007-2018. Rainfall analysis was performed by several methods, namely normal method, normal log, pearson III log, and gumbel and tested with chi square and kolmogorov smirnov tests. Planned flood discharge analysis was using the Nakayasu synthetic unit hydrograph method. Results showed that the rainfall analysis chosen is normal method. The planned flood discharge obtained that the maximum discharge of the 2-yearly return period was 1,375.20 m3/s, the 5-yearly return period was 1,724.92 m3/s, the 10-yearly return period was 1,908.10 m3/s, the 20-yearly return period was 2,057.97 m3/s, the 25-yearly return period was 2,087 m3/s, the 50-yearly return period of 2,228.67 m3/s, the 100-yearly return period of 2,345.24 m3/s, and the 1000-yearly return period of 2,661.64 m3/s. Flood discharges are increasing in the larger return period, and the largest flood discharge occurred in the 1000-yearly return period. The results of this study are expected to be used in watershed planning and management for flood disaster mitigation in Keduang Sub Watershed.

Epileptiform abnormalities in the disconnected hemisphere are common in seizure-free patients after hemispherectomy

The spectrum of EEG abnormalities in the disconnected hemisphere in seizure-free patients after hemispherectomy has not been well characterized. Fifty consecutive patients who were seizure-free following hemispheric disconnection were identified. Data on preoperative clinical, EEG and neuroimaging findings and postoperative EEG findings and antiseizure medication status were collected. Forty-seven patients (94%) had functional hemispherectomy, and three (6%) had more extensive tissue resection of the posterior quadrant or frontal region along with hemispheric disconnection. Etiologies included: residual effects from vascular lesions including perinatal stroke in 35 patients, Rasmussen encephalitis in six, malformation of cortical development in seven, and Sturge-Weber syndrome in two. Pre-operative EEG showed focal epileptiform discharges in the affected hemisphere in 26 patients and in both hemispheres in 19. Eleven patients had diffuse bisynchronous epileptiform discharges. Postoperative EEGs at six to 12 months after surgery showed slowing and attenuation of physiological rhythms on the operated side in all patients. Thirty-four patients (68%) had epileptiform discharges exclusively from the operated hemisphere, six (12%) had bilateral independent epileptiform discharges, nine (18%) had no epileptiform discharges on either side, and one (2%) had epileptiform discharges from the contralateral hemisphere only. Lateralized periodic discharges from the operated hemisphere were noted in three patients (6%). EEG seizures from the operated hemisphere without clinical signs were noted in four patients (8%). After a median follow-up of three years, 30 patients (60%) were off all antiseizure medications, including 8/9 (89%) patients with no epileptiform discharges, 20/34 (59%) patients with postoperative epileptiform discharges from the operated hemisphere, and 2/7 (28%) patients with contralateral discharges. The majority of patients who are seizure-free after disconnective hemispherectomy will continue to show epileptiform discharges in the operated hemisphere. The presence of such discharges should not preclude tapering, nor prompt restarting of antiseizure medication in seizure-free patients.

Multiple stressors influencing the general eutrophication status of transitional waters of the Brazilian tropical coast: An approach utilizing the pressure, state, and response (PSR) framework

Modeling approaches are useful tools for assessing the general state of eutrophication and understanding the effects of multiple stressors on coastal ecosystems. Thus, we hypothesized that anthropogenic pressures and multiple stressors would increase the trophic state of macrotidal estuaries. Datasets from long-term (2012−2020) environmental and biological monitoring in the Itapecuru River estuary (IRE) were analyzed using the pressure-state-response (PSR) approach and nonlinear methods. Our results indicated a low dilution of nutrients and a moderate flushing potential of urban effluent (2150.94 ton year−1) in the estuary. The estuary was consequently classified as being in a high trophic state, being susceptible to and suffering high estuarine pressure to develop eutrophic symptoms. The Assessment of estuarine trophic status (ASSETS) model indicates that eutrophication is seasonal and depends on climatic variation. La Niña events (2019–2020) contributed to chlorophyll-a (>40 μg L−1) and orthophosphate (0.04 mg L−1) concentrations, principally during periods of low river discharge. According to the GAM's model, brackish waters (salinity>10) with high temperatures (> 30 °C) and high dissolved oxygen (>4 mg L−1) have more intense trophic conditions, especially in the mixing zone. The low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (DO<3 mg L−1) and high concentrations of chlorophyll-a in the seawater zone indicate that the lower portion of the estuary was the most susceptible. In addition, the random forest model selected salinity, DIP and Chl-a as the principal stressors that intensified eutrophication in the macrotidal systems. According to the ASSETS final ranking (worsen-high) for the next decade (2021−2031), the primary planned strategies should be to reduce anthropogenic contributions and improve trophic conditions in the IRE. From these results, the interactions and predictions of eco-hydrological effects could facilitate the characterization of future risks and the management of macrotidal estuarine systems.

641. ALPORT SYNDROME WITH ESOPHAGEAL LEIOMYOMA TREATED WITH CONSERVATIVE DISTAL ROBOTIC MYOTOMY: AVOIDING ESOPHAGECTOMY?

Abstract Alport Syndrome manifests as dysmorphic hematuria associated or not with nephrotic syndrome, renal failure and visual and auditory impairment, in addition to family history. Leiomyoma is the most common benign neoplasm of the esophagus, but it is rare in childhood, and controversies persist as to the best option for its surgical treatment. We report the case of an 8-year-old female patient diagnosed with Alport syndrome and association with esophageal leiomyoma. An 8-year-old female had 3 episodes of pneumonia related to bronchoaspiration. During childhood, he presented pictures of retrosternal pain related to dysphagia, which had worsened in intensity in the last 2 years. She had a hypothesis of achalasia, she underwent an Endoscopic Poem Myotomy. During the procedure, a mass was observed in the distal esophagus and a biopsy showed that it was an esophageal leiomyoma. Given the close association of this tumor with Alport Syndrome, biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. She was then submitted to robotic surgery for possible esophagectomy, however, only partial resection of the Leiomyoma was performed avoiding esophagectomy. Due to young age and the morbidity of esophageactomy, only partial resection of the Leiomyoma was performed, with significant improvement in esophageal emptying for liquids and solids in the postoperative period and hospital discharge after 5 days. Considering leiomyomatosis a benign disease, partial resection was permitted since the histological aspects such as high rates of Ki67% and cellular morphological features were not found. The case in question presented a diagnosis due to the severe manifestations that were provided by the esophageal leiomyoma in a patient with atypical epidemiological characteristics, such as age group and sex. The conservative surgical strategy was chosen due to the patient's age and the surgical result was satisfactory, being suggested in similar cases.

Involvement of the Thalamus, Hippocampus, and Brainstem in Hypsarrhythmia of West Syndrome: Simultaneous Recordings of Electroencephalography and fMRI Study.

West syndrome is a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by epileptic spasms, neurodevelopmental regression, and a specific EEG pattern called hypsarrhythmia. Our aim was to investigate the brain activities related to hypsarrhythmia at onset and focal epileptiform discharges in the remote period in children with West syndrome using simultaneous electroencephalography and fMRI recordings. Fourteen children with West syndrome underwent simultaneous electroencephalography and fMRI at the onset of West syndrome. Statistically significant blood oxygen level-dependent responses related to hypsarrhythmia were analyzed using an event-related design of 4 hemodynamic response functions with peaks at 3, 5, 7, and 9 seconds after the onset of each event. Six of 14 children had focal epileptiform discharges after treatment and underwent simultaneous electroencephalography and fMRI from 12 to 25 months of age. At onset, positive blood oxygen level-dependent responses were seen in the brainstem (14/14 patients), thalami (13/14), basal ganglia (13/14), and hippocampi (13/14), in addition to multiple cerebral cortices. Group analysis using hemodynamic response functions with peaks at 3, 5, and 7 seconds showed positive blood oxygen level-dependent responses in the brainstem, thalamus, and hippocampus, while positive blood oxygen level-dependent responses in multiple cerebral cortices were seen using hemodynamic response functions with peaks at 5 and 7 seconds. In the remote period, 3 of 6 children had focal epileptiform discharge-related positive blood oxygen level-dependent responses in the thalamus, hippocampus, and brainstem. Positive blood oxygen level-dependent responses with hypsarrhythmia appeared in the brainstem, thalamus, and hippocampus on earlier hemodynamic response functions than the cerebral cortices, suggesting the propagation of epileptogenic activities from the deep brain structures to the neocortices. Activation of the hippocampus, thalamus, and brainstem was still seen in half of the patients with focal epileptiform discharges after adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy.

Paleolimnological records for tracking dam-induced changes in the composition and supply of sediment to middle Yangtze floodplain lakes

A global boom in dam construction has reduced sediment loading of large rivers, as well as their connected floodplains. In order to explore potential effects of hydrological regulation on floodplain ecosystems, this study presents concentrations of inorganic elements, organic matter content and grain size spectra in 210Pb-dated sediment cores of five lakes in the middle Yangtze River floodplain. These lakes had free hydrological connectivity with the Yangtze River before the operation of local sluice gates, and hence K-rich but Al-poor particulates from the upper Yangtze reaches can be transported into lakes during periods of high river discharge. After hydrological regulation, sedimentary K/Al ratios registered substantial decreases in the study lakes, probably due to the declining supply of fine-grained and K-enriched riverine particulates from the Yangtze River. In East Dongting Lake, a hydrologically open lake proximal to the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the sharp decrease in K/Al ratio after 2003 mainly responded to declining sediment supply from the Yangtze River after the TGD operation. In addition, prolonged water retention time probably promoted aquatic production and greater deposition of organic matter, as indicated by recent increases in organic matter content in the upper strata of the dammed lakes. Taken together, sedimentary K/Al ratios provide essential information on effects of past hydrological changes on sediment supply and aquatic productivity over multi-decadal timescales in these floodplain lakes with scarce monitoring data. The impacts of dam construction during recent decades on sediment composition in middle Yangtze floodplain lakes might be widespread in other similar floodplains worldwide. Thus sedimentary records can be utilized to inform and direct floodplain management.

Molecular Composition of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) – Imprints of Anthropogenic Impact

Understanding the biogeochemical transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) across fluvial networks will ultimately help to predict anthropogenic influences. To date, few studies have evaluated the anthropogenic impact on the spatial and temporal changes of DOM composition in large river systems. Here, FT-ICR-MS combined with excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) and biomarkers were applied to resolve chemical differences of DOM collected from the Changjiang basin at different hydrological and environmental conditions. PCA and cluster analysis illustrated that samples collected from lake systems and northern and southern tributaries differed from the two batches of main stream samples, particularly due to higher contribution of nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds. Correlation of land-use information along the tributaries with different PCA loadings indicated that agricultural, forest and wetland areas and wastewater discharge control the composition of DOM within these subregions. Higher heteroatom content (especially CHONx) in the low discharge period (2009) may be contributed by paddy soil leaching into groundwater. The relative peak magnitude of sulfur containing formulas was elevated during flood season (2010), which may be related to pollutions in areas of high population density. In addition, lignin phenol concentrations were higher in the flood season because of elevated soil erosion. Consequently, land use and human activities can strongly alter the quality and composition of DOM in watersheds flowing through densely populated regions, which may also impact or influence the riverine carbon flux in anthropogenically disturbed river systems.

How Robust Is a Multi-Model Ensemble Mean of Conceptual Hydrological Models to Climate Change?

It is a grand challenge to realize robust rainfall-runoff prediction for a changing climate through conceptual hydrological models. Although multi-model ensemble (MME) is considered useful in improving the robustness of hydrological prediction, it has yet to be thoroughly evaluated. We evaluated the robustness of MME by 44 conceptual hydrological models in 582 river basins. We found that MME was more accurate and robust than each individual model alone. Although the performance of MME degrades in the validation period, the extent of degradation is smaller for MME than for individual models, especially when the climatology of river discharge in the validation period is greatly different from that in the calibration period. This implies the robustness of MME to climate change. It was found to be difficult to quantify the robustness of MME when the number of basins and models is small, which implies the importance of the large number of models and watersheds to evaluate the robustness and uncertainty in hydrological prediction.

Treating performance of a commercial-scale constructed wetland system for aquaculture effluents from intensive inland Micropterus salmoides farm

In intensive inland fish farming, discharge of untreated effluents adversely affects adjacent water bodies and causes water pollution. Thus, it is highly necessary to treat the effluents from inland fish farm. In this study, we built a commercial-scale integrated constructed wetland (CW) system with vertical subsurface flow, and monitored the purifying effect. During fish farming and discharge of effluents periods, the water samples were collected to detected the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) and chemical oxygen demand (CODMn). Results showed that the system was stable and significantly improved water quality from fish pond. During the fish farming period, the removal efficiency for TN, TP, NH4+-N, NO3--N, NO2--N, and COD was 24.93–43.72%, 61.92–72.18%, 56.29–68.63%, 56.66–64.81%, 56.42–64.19% and 28.37–42.79%, respectively. Similarly, these parameters were also markedly decreased by the integrated CW system during sewage discharge period, and the average total removal rate for TN, TP, NH4+-N, NO3--N, NO2--N, and COD was 50.24%, 64.48%, 61.36%, 62.65%, 56.16% and 37.32%, respectively. It was worth noting that three key parameters for effluents detection TN, TP and COD values were below the threshold values of water quality of Class II in freshwater sewage discharge standard of China (SCT9101-2007). In conclusion, this study evidently demonstrated that application of CW system was an environmental sustainable sewage treatment strategy in intensive inland fish farming.

Differences in functional network between focal onset nonconvulsive status epilepticus and toxic metabolic encephalopathy: application to machine learning models for differential diagnosis.

We aimed to compare network properties between focal-onset nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) and toxic/metabolic encephalopathy (TME) during periods of periodic discharge using graph theoretical analysis, and to evaluate the applicability of graph measures as markers for the differential diagnosis between focal-onset NCSE and TME, using machine learning algorithms. Electroencephalography (EEG) data from 50 focal-onset NCSE and 44 TMEs were analyzed. Epochs with nonictal periodic discharges were selected, and the coherence in each frequency band was analyzed. Graph theoretical analysis was performed to compare brain network properties between the groups. Eight different traditional machine learning methods were implemented to evaluate the utility of graph theoretical measures as input features to discriminate between the two conditions. The average degree (in delta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands), strength (in delta band), global efficiency (in delta and alpha bands), local efficiency (in delta band), clustering coefficient (in delta band), and transitivity (in delta band) were higher in TME than in NCSE. TME showed lower modularity (in delta band) and assortativity (in alpha, beta, and gamma bands) than NCSE. Machine learning algorithms based on EEG global graph measures classified NCSE and TME with high accuracy, and gradient boosting was the most accurate classification model with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.904. Our findings on differences in network properties may provide novel insights that graph measures reflecting the network properties could be quantitative markers for the differential diagnosis between focal-onset NCSE and TME.

Arctic biogeochemical and optical properties of dissolved organic matter across river to sea gradients

Arctic landscapes are warming and becoming wetter due to changes in precipitation and the timing of snowmelt which consequently alters seasonal runoff and river discharge patterns. These changes in hydrology lead to increased mobilization and transport of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) to Arctic coastal seas where significant impacts on biogeochemical cycling can occur. Here, we present measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chromophoric DOM (CDOM) in the Yukon River-to-Bering Sea system and two river plumes on the Alaska North Slope which flow into the Beaufort Sea. Our sampling characterized optical and biogeochemical properties of DOM during high and low river discharge periods for the Yukon River-Bering Sea system. The average DOC concentration at the multiple Yukon River mouths ranged from a high of 10.36 mg C L-1 during the ascending limb of the 2019 freshet (late May), 6.4 mg C L-1 during the descending limb of the 2019 freshet (late June), and a low of 3.86 mg C L-1 during low river discharge in August 2018. CDOM absorption coefficient at 412 nm (aCDOM(412)) averaged 8.23 m-1, 5.07 m-1, and 1.9 m-1, respectively. Several approaches to model DOC concentration based on its relationship with CDOM properties demonstrated cross-system seasonal and spatial robustness for these Arctic coastal systems despite spanning an order of magnitude decrease in DOC concentration from the lower Yukon River to the Northern Bering Sea as well as the North Slope systems. “Snapshot” fluxes of DOC and CDOM across the Yukon River Delta to Norton Sound were calculated from our measurements and modeled water fluxes forced with upstream USGS river gauge data. Our findings suggest that during high river flow, DOM reaches the delta largely unaltered by inputs or physical and biogeochemical processing and that the transformations of Yukon River DOM largely occur in the plume. However, during low summer discharge, multiple processes including local precipitation events, microbial decomposition, photochemistry, and likely others can alter the DOM properties within the lower Yukon River and Delta prior to flowing into Norton Sound.

Transition dynamics and optogenetic control of epileptiform activity in a modified mean filed model of human cortex

Physiological experiments have shown that inhibitory interneurons can induce and maintain epileptiform activities, and different interneuron subtypes may be responsible for different types of seizures. Here we aim to link these electrophysiological experimental phenomena with theoretical dynamic mechanisms based on an improved Liley mean field model. Fascinatingly, the number of synapses between inhibitory neural populations can induce a rich state transition. Typically, the system will experience normal rhythm discharges, multispike discharges, spike wave discharges (SWD), generalized periodic discharges (GPD), the beta band oscillation, and eventually return to the normal state. Interestingly, the transition process can also be reversed. Meanwhile, disinhibition circuits can cause more epileptiform activities after taking into account the delay of synaptic information transmission. Furthermore, we are committed to designing different control strategies for epileptiform activities. As we expected, both deep brain stimulation and optogenetic technology can destroy or even eliminate pathological waves. It is need to emphasis that the cell type specificity of optogenetic regulation allows it to precisely target inhibitory neural populations, which is agree with experiment. Particularly, three different optogenetic regulatory strategies targeting inhibitory neural populations are modeled and proposed, of which the intermittent is designed to save energy. These modeling results reproduce the experimental phenomena and more significantly, help understand the mechanism of epilepsy to guide the clinical practice.