Rapid Increase Research Articles

X-Phishing-Writer: A Framework for Cross-lingual Phishing E-mail Generation

Cybercrime is projected to cause annual business losses of $10.5 trillion by 2025, a significant concern given that a majority of security breaches are due to human errors, especially through phishing attacks. The rapid increase in daily identified phishing sites over the past decade underscores the pressing need to enhance defenses against such attacks. Social Engineering Drills (SEDs) are essential in raising awareness about phishing yet face challenges in creating effective and diverse phishing e-mail content. These challenges are exacerbated by the limited availability of public datasets and concerns over using external language models like ChatGPT for phishing e-mail generation. To address these issues, this article introduces X-Phishing-Writer, a novel cross-lingual Few-shot phishing e-mail generation framework. X-Phishing-Writer allows for the generation of e-mails based on minimal user input, leverages single-language datasets for multilingual e-mail generation, and is designed for internal deployment using a lightweight, open-source language model. Incorporating Adapters into an Encoder–Decoder architecture, X-Phishing-Writer marks a significant advancement in the field, demonstrating superior performance in generating phishing e-mails across 25 languages when compared to baseline models. Experimental results and real-world drills involving 1,682 users showcase a 17.67% e-mail open rate and a 13.33% hyperlink click-through rate, affirming the framework’s effectiveness and practicality in enhancing phishing awareness and defense.

Investigation of flow and heat transfer characteristics around two tandem and side-by-side cylinders using double-distribution lattice Boltzmann method

This article describes a numerical investigation of the flow over two circular cylinders in tandem and side-by-side arrangements with different spacings at a Reynolds number of 100 using double-distribution lattice Boltzmann method. By comparing and analyzing the vorticity field, temperature field, phase diagram structure and St, the relationship between the typical flow pattern and heat transfer characteristics of the two cylinders in series and side-by-side arrangement is established. The numerical results reveal two distinct flow patterns in the tandem arrangement. In the co-shedding pattern, where the incoming flow condition of the downstream cylinder is the oscillating hot wake of the upstream cylinder. The Nusselt number of the upstream cylinder can rapidly increase to the value of a single cylinder, but the Nusselt number of the downstream cylinder can only increase to 80% of that of the upstream cylinder. Four flow patterns can be identified in the side-by-side arrangement. In the flip-flopping pattern, the interference of the gap flow with variable deflection angle on the near-wake region leads to a rapid increase of Nusselt number, but the flow and heat transfer characteristics appear to be chaotic. The appearance of the two coupled vortex streets in the two synchronized patterns further increases the Nusselt number. In addition, the variation of Nusselt number with spacing in the side-by-side arrangement is positively correlated with the vortex shedding frequency.

Epidemiology of marine turtle fibropapillomatosis and tumour-associated chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5; Scutavirus chelonidalpha5) in North-Western Mexico: a scoping review implementing the one health approach.

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) - tumour-associated chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5; Scutavirus chelonidalpha5) - is a disease that affect marine turtles around the world, and characterized by the formation of cutaneous tumours that can appear anywhere on the body. We carried out a thorough literature search (from 1990 to 2024) in the feeding sites of North-western Mexico, a region that hosts important habitats for feeding, development, and reproduction for five of the seven existing sea turtle species. We found 18 reports recording a total of 32 cases of FP and/or ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 in coastal and insular areas of North-western Mexico. Baja California Sur resulted with the highest number of cases (75%). While the first case of ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 infection was reported in 2004, the presence of FP tumours was reported in 2014 and became more frequent between 2019 and 2024. The affected species were black, Chelonia mydas (50%), olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea (46.8%) and loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta (3.2%). Tumours occurred mainly in anterior flippers (46.1%) and neck (22.5%), and most had a nodular and verrucous appearance with a rough surface. In the study region, there is a potential sign of the emergence of the ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 infections and FP disease during the last 20 years, with a rapid increase during the last 10 years. As long as infections by ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 and the prevalence of the FP disease may be potentially influenced by anthropogenic activities, a One Health approach is needed to understand and improve sea turtles' health.

Interest Rates: Suggestions for Management

Last month’s RightRisk News discussed the significant economic pressures on the agricultural sector arising from persistently high borrowing costs over the last couple of years. While these costs are not historically high, the rapid increase in interest rates over the past two years has received significant attention. This month, we continue to address the issue of interest rates and interest expenses, offering suggestions for managers to explore.

Posteruptive Loss of Enamel Proteins Concurs with Gain in Enamel Hardness.

Tooth enamel maturation requires the removal of proteins from the mineralizing enamel matrix to allow for crystallite growth until full hardness is reached to meet the mechanical needs of mastication. While this process takes up to several years in humans before the tooth erupts, it is greatly accelerated in in the faster developing pig. As a result, pig teeth erupt with softer, protein-rich enamel that is similar to hypomineralized human enamel but continues to harden quickly after eruption.Proteins, such as albumin, that bind to enamel crystals and prevent crystal growth and enamel hardening have been suggested as cause for hypomineralized human enamel that does not naturally harden after eruption. However, albumin is abundant in pig enamel. It is unclear whether fast posteruptive enamel hardening in pigs occurs despite the high protein content or requires a facilitated protein loss to allow for crystal growth. This study asked how the protein content in porcine enamel changes after eruption in relation to saliva. Based on previous data demonstrating the high albumin content in erupted porcine enamel, we hypothesize that following pre-eruptive maturation, enamel and saliva derived enzymes facilitate protein removal from porcine enamel after eruption. We analyzed enamel and the saliva proteome at three critical timepoints: at the time of tooth eruption, 2 weeks after eruption, and enamel 6 weeks after eruption. We used only fourth deciduous premolars and saliva samples from animals sacrificed at the respective time points to determine the organic content in tooth enamel, saliva, and saliva proteins within enamel. We found a decrease in the number of proteins and their abundancy in enamel with posteruptive time, including a decrease in serum albumin within enamel. The rapid decrease in the first two weeks is in line with previously reported rapid increase in mineral density of porcine enamel after eruption. In addition to the enamel proteases KLK-4 and MMP-20, we identified serine-, cysteine-, aspartic-, and metalloproteases. Some of these were only identified in enamel, while almost half of the enzymes are in common with saliva at all timepoints. Our findings suggest that the fast posteruptive enamel maturation in the porcine model coincides with saliva exchange and influx of saliva enzymes into porous enamel.

A SWOT Analysis of the Green Hydrogen Market

Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has heavily depended on fossil fuels. Recognizing the negative environmental impacts of the unmoderated consumption of fossil fuels, including global warming and consequent climate change, new plans and initiatives have been established to implement renewable and sustainable energy sources worldwide. This has led to a rapid increase in the installed solar and wind energy capacity. However, considering the fluctuating nature of these renewable energy sources, green hydrogen has been proposed as a suitable energy carrier to improve the efficiency of energy production and storage. Thus, green hydrogen, produced by water electrolysis using renewable electricity, is a promising solution for the future energy market. Moreover, it has the potential to be used for the decarbonization of the heavy industry and transportation sectors. Research and development (R&D) on green hydrogen has grown considerably over the past few decades, aiming to maximize production and expand its market share. The present work uses a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to evaluate the current status of the green hydrogen market. The external and internal factors that affect its market position are assessed. The results show that green hydrogen is on the right track to becoming a competitive alternative to fossil fuels soon. Supported by environmental benefits, government incentives, and carbon taxes, roadmaps to position green hydrogen on the energy map have been outlined. Nevertheless, increased investments are required for further R&D, as costs must be reduced and policies enforced. These measures will gradually decrease global dependency on fossil fuels and ensure that roadmaps are followed through.

A case of early neonatal sepsis caused by <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>

The article presents a case of early neonatal sepsis in a premature neonate caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae with the development of purulent meningitis, describes the diagnostic possibilities and features of treatment, as well as the outcome of this condition in the child. In the presented case the rapid increase of symptoms of meningo-encephalitis, slow sanation of liquor, despite the adequacy of the conducted therapy, attracts attention.

Considerations for reporting variants in novel candidate genes identified during clinical genomic testing.

Since the first novel gene discovery for a Mendelian condition was made via exome sequencing (ES), the rapid increase in the number of genes known to underlie Mendelian conditions coupled with the adoption of exome (and more recently, genome) sequencing by diagnostic testing labs has changed the landscape of genomic testing for rare disease. Specifically, many individuals suspected to have a Mendelian condition are now routinely offered clinical ES. This commonly results in a precise genetic diagnosis but frequently overlooks the identification of novel candidate genes. Such candidates are also less likely to be identified in the absence of large-scale gene discovery research programs. Accordingly, clinical laboratories have both the opportunity, and some might argue a responsibility, to contribute to novel gene discovery which should in turn increase the diagnostic yield for many conditions. However, clinical diagnostic laboratories must necessarily balance priorities for throughput, turnaround time, cost efficiency, clinician preferences, and regulatory constraints, and often do not have the infrastructure or resources to effectively participate in either clinical translational or basic genome science research efforts. For these and other reasons, many laboratories have historically refrained from broadly sharing potentially pathogenic variants in novel genes via networks like Matchmaker Exchange, much less reporting such results to ordering providers. Efforts to report such results are further complicated by a lack of guidelines for clinical reporting and interpretation of variants in novel candidate genes. Nevertheless, there are myriad benefits for many stakeholders, including patients/families, clinicians, researchers, if clinical laboratories systematically and routinely identify, share, and report novel candidate genes. To facilitate this change in practice, we developed criteria for triaging, sharing, and reporting novel candidate genes that are most likely to be promptly validated as underlying a Mendelian condition and translated to use in clinical settings.

Mendelian Randomization Analysis of Systemic Iron Status and Risk of Different Types of Kidney Disease.

With rapid increases in incidence, diverse subtypes, and complicated etiologies, kidney disease remains a global public health problem. Iron, as an essential trace element, has pleiotropic effects on renal function and the progression of kidney diseases. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was implemented to determine the potential causal effects between systemic iron status on different kidney diseases. Systemic iron status was represented by four iron-related biomarkers: serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TfSat), and total iron binding capacity (TIBC). For systemic iron status, 163,511, 246,139, 131,471, and 135,430 individuals were included in the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of serum iron, ferritin, TfSat, and TIBC, respectively. For kidney diseases, 653,143 individuals (15,658 cases and 637,485 controls), 657,076 individuals (8160 cases and 648,916 controls), and 659,320 individuals (10,404 cases and 648,916 controls) were included for immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), acute kidney disease (AKD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD), respectively. Our MR results showed that increased serum iron [odds ratio (OR): 1.10; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.04, 1.16; p < 0.0042], ferritin (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.48; p < 0.0042), and TfSat (OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.11; p < 0.0042)] and decreased TIBC (OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.97; p < 0.0042) were associated with elevated IgAN risk. However, no significant associations were found between systemic iron status and AKD or CKD. In our MR study, the genetic evidence supports elevated systemic iron status as a causal effect on IgAN, which suggests a potential protective effect of iron chelation on IgAN patients.

Electromechanical Performance and Figure of Merit Optimization for Flexible Lead-Free PDMS-BaTiO 3 Piezocomposites.

In the modern era of the Internet of Things, the potential role of flexible piezoelectric generators (PEG) reflects the rapid increase in self-powered devices and wearable technologies. In this study, a casting process to elaborate the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/barium titanate (BaTiO 3) composite has been presented. The addition of 15 wt % BaTiO 3 microparticles into the PDMS polymer greatly enhances the piezoelectric coefficient (d 31 = 24 pC N-1), leading to an increased output voltage of approximately 4 V under finger tapping force. The proposed flexible microgenerator yielded an excellent piezoelectric figure of merit (FoM 31 = 13.1 × 10-12 m2 N-1), significantly enhancing successfully the energy-harvesting performance (power density of 35 nW/cm2). Furthermore, the fabricated lead-free PEG exhibited an excellent flexibility figure of merit (fFoM) due to the low young modulus values (Maximum E = 3.4 MPa). These results indicate efficient energy conversion and demonstrate a favorable balance between the flexibility and piezoelectric properties of the composite, highlighting its potential for a wide range of applications in self-powered wearable sensors able to collect different human motions in applications such as gesture tracking and finger motion detection.

Study on the current situation and influencing factors of corn import trade in China – based on the trade gravity model

Abstract With the rapid development of China’s economy and society, the income level of Chinese residents is increasing day by day, and the dietary consumption structure of domestic residents is constantly optimized and upgraded. The consumption demand for livestock products such as meat, eggs and milk, and corn starch industrial products is increasing day by day. Therefore, as the main raw material of feed industry and deep processing owners, the consumption scale of China corn market is constantly expanding. However, the corresponding domestic corn production scale has not expanded, and the domestic corn production presents an obvious problem of insufficient supply scale, which leads to a sharp and rapid increase in the number of corn imports in China, which seriously impacts the domestic corn market and affects China’s healthy development of corn industry. In recent years, the continuous spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has seriously affected the global grain production and trade. The fierce military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the two major grain exporting countries, has once again brought a serious adverse impact on the supply and price of the global grain market, resulting in an increase in the import cost of corn in China and a change in the import pattern of corn in China. In this regard, this study analyzes the current situation of corn production and import trade in China, and based on the relevant trade data between China and major corn importing countries from 2013 to 2022, establishes a trade gravity model to quantitatively evaluate the main factors affecting China’s corn import trade, and analyzes the trade potential of sample countries. It was found that in 2022, China’s import and export trade volume and trade value were 20.62 million tons and 7.11 billion US dollars, respectively, compared with 2013, trade volume and trade volume increased by 6.3 times. Statistics on the potential types of various trading countries showed that the proportion of potential countries was 14.2%, and Brazil had the greatest potential in China’s corn import trade. The proportion of potential expanding countries is about 71.4%, and Laos is a mature country with less opportunities for further development. In order to promote the benign development of the domestic corn industry and the development of China’s corn import trade, this paper puts forward a series of countermeasure suggestions based on the above research.

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitor prescriptions in Chinese hospitalized chronic kidney disease patients

BACKGROUND Many guidelines have recommended renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) as the first-line treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We studied RASI prescription trends from 2010 to 2019, and analyzed the characteristics associated with RASI prescription in Chinese hospitalized CKD patients. AIM To study the prescription of renin angiotensin system inhibitors in hospitalized patients with CKD in China. METHODS It was retrospectively, cross-sectional reviewed RASI prescriptions in hospitalized CKD patients in China from 2010 to 2019. RASI prescribing trends were analyzed from 2010 to 2019, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify characteristics associated with RASI prescription. RESULTS A total of 35090 CKD patients were included, with 10043 (28.6%) RASI prescriptions. Among these patients, 18919 (53.9%) met the criteria for RASI treatments based on the 2012 kidney disease: Improving global outcomes guidelines. Of these, 7246 (38.3%) patients received RASI prescriptions. RASI prescriptions showed an initial rapid increase from 2011 to 2012, reached its peak around 2015 and 2016, and then exhibited a subsequent slight decreasing trend. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that several characteristics, including the male gender, age &lt; 60-year-old, nephrology department admission, lower CKD stage, history of hypertension or diabetes, proteinuria, glomerulonephritis as the CKD etiology, and non-acute kidney injury were associated with RASI prescriptions. CONCLUSION The frequency of RASI prescriptions showed an initial increase but a slight decreasing trend in more recent years. CKD patients with certain characteristics such as elderly age, advanced disease stage, surgery department admission, or acute kidney injury were less likely to receive RASI prescriptions. In the application of RASI in hospitalized CKD patients is insufficient. The actual clinical practice needs to be improved. The development of related research is helpful to guide the correct choice of clinical treatment strategy.

Parvalbumin interneuron activity induces slow cerebrovascular fluctuations in awake mice.

Neuronal regulation of cerebrovasculature underlies brain imaging techniques reliant on cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes. However, interpreting these signals requires understanding their neural correlates. Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are crucial in network activity, but their impact on CBF is not fully understood. Optogenetic studies show that stimulating cortical PV interneurons induces diverse CBF responses, including rapid increases, decreases, and slower delayed increases. To clarify this relationship, we measured hemodynamic and neural responses to optogenetic stimulation of PV interneurons expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 during evoked and ongoing resting-state activity in the somatosensory cortex of awake mice. Two-photon microscopy (2P) Ca2+ imaging showed robust activation of PV-positive (PV+) cells and inhibition of PV-negative (PV-) cells. Prolonged PV+ cell stimulation led to a delayed, slow CBF increase, resembling a secondary peak in the CBF response to whisker stimulation. 2P vessel diameter measurements revealed that PV+ cell stimulation induced rapid arterial vasodilation in superficial layers and delayed vasodilation in deeper layers. Ongoing activity recordings indicated that both PV+ and PV- cell populations modulate arterial fluctuations at rest, with PV+ cells having a greater impact. These findings show that PV interneurons generate a complex depth-dependent vascular response, dominated by slow vascular changes in deeper layers.

Contemporary and Future Secondary Copper Reserves of Vietnam

As ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, approach the living standards of developed countries, their copper demand is set to rise. This study investigates Vietnam’s copper stock and flow from 1995 to 2050, employing dynamic material flow analysis and five socioeconomic pathway scenarios (SSPs). Based on this, the secondary copper reserves of Vietnam were assessed. The results showed that the domestic copper demand is expected to grow to 526–1062 kt, resulting in a rapid increase in scrap generation. In 2022, Vietnam’s secondary copper reserves stood at 2.2 Mt and are projected to reach 6.8–8.6 Mt by 2050 under the SSP2 scenario. This corresponds to 3.6–4.6 times the 1.8 Mt primary copper reserve of Vietnam. However, these primary and secondary reserves cannot meet the cumulated demand by 2050. On the other hand, a large amount of copper, 8.9 Mt to 10 Mt, will become difficult-to-recover resources, such as waste in landfill sites, dissipated materials, or mixed metal loss. To promote the sustainable use of copper in Vietnam, we recommend increased geological expedition and mining investment, and improved waste management systems related to secondary resources.

Sued, Subpoenaed or Sworn in: Use of a Flipped-Classroom Style Medicolegal Workshop for Emergency Medicine Residents.

It is an unfortunate truth that Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians will, at some point, have contact with the medicolegal system. However, most EM residency training programs lack education on the legal system in their curriculum, leaving EM physicians unprepared for litigation. To fill this gap, we designed a high-yield and succinct medical legal workshop highlighting legal issues commonly encountered by EM physicians. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of this curriculum by measuring pre and post knowledge questions. A two-hour session included a case-based discussion of common misconceptions held by physicians about the legal system, proper steps when interacting with the legal system and review of legal documents. This session was developed with the involvement of our hospital legal counsel and discussed real encounters. The effectiveness of the session was determined using pre- and post-session surveys assessing participant knowledge and comfort approaching the scenarios. A total of 34 EM residents had the opportunity to complete this workshop as a part of their conference curriculum. A total of 26 participants completed the pre-survey and 19 participants completed the post-survey. No participants had previous training in the legal aspects of medicine, including handling a subpoena, serving as a witness, or giving a deposition. The pre-survey demonstrated that there was significant uncertainty surrounding the processes, definitions, and the legal system interaction. Many participants stated they would not know what to do if they received a subpoena (85.71%), were called as a witness in a trial (96.43%) or receive correspondence from a lawyer (96.43%). The post survey revealed an increased knowledge base and confidence following the session. 100% of residents reported knowing what to do after receiving a subpoena, being called as a witness and understanding the process involved in giving a deposition. All residents reported that the session was beneficial and provided crucial information. EM residents have limited baseline understanding of how to approach common legal scenarios. Educational materials available for this curriculum topic are limited. Based on the rapid knowledge increase observed in our residents, we believe our workshop could be adapted for use at other residency programs.

Implementation of various injection rate shapes in an ammonia/diesel dual-fuel engine with special emphasis on combustion and emissions characteristics

As the problem of global warming continues to intensify, carbon-free fuel ammonia is crucial for internal combustion engines, and a potential ammonia combustion route is dual-fuel mode. The impact of various injection rate shapes (trapezoid, wedge, slope, triangle, and rectangle) on engine combustion and emissions performance with 0 %, 20 %, and 40 % ammonia energy fractions were estimated. Under the identical ratio of the ammonia-doped schemes, the fuel injection gross mass and fuel injection duration are the same. The results indicate that the triangle injection rate shape can make the mixture of diesel and ammonia gas more uniform, leading to combustion in the combustion chamber closer to homogeneous combustion. When the injection shape is the triangle, the indicated mean effective pressure in the cylinder is the highest at 10.29 bar, which is 4.04 % higher than that of the pure diesel original injection shape. The triangle injection shape makes the ammonia-diesel dual fuel burn more concentrated, resulting in lower unburned ammonia loss and higher thermal efficiency. Under the 40 % ammonia energy fraction and triangle injection shape, the highest thermal efficiency reaches 40.57 %, 1.58 % higher than the pure diesel original injection shape. Additionally, it significantly reduces unburned ammonia emissions. The injection rate shapes have a minor impact on CO2 emissions. The rapid increase in-cylinder average temperature can substantially reduce N2O emissions, thereby lowering total greenhouse gas emissions. Among them, the total greenhouse gas emissions of 40 % ammonia energy fraction and triangle injection shape are the lowest, at 81619 ppm, which is 11.3 % lower than that of pure diesel original injection shape. On the contrary, it will increase NOx emissions. Conversely, the slopes exhibit the lowest NOx emissions at 220.8 ppm, representing an 88 % reduction compared to the pure diesel original injection shape.

Assessing the land use dynamics and thermal environment using geospatial techniques in the industrial city of Chotanagpur Plateau Region, India.

The phenomenon of urban heat island (UHI) is characterized by industrial, economic development, unplanned and unregulated land use as well as a rapid increase in urban population, resulting a warmer inner core in contrast to the surrounding natural environment, thus requiring immediate attention for a sustainable urban environment. This study examined the land use/land cover (LULC) change, pattern of spectral indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI; Normalized Difference Water Index, NDWI; Normalized Difference Built-up Index, NDBI and Normalized Difference Bareness Index, NDBaI), retrieval of land surface temperature (LST) and Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) as well as identification of UHI from 2000 to 2022. The relationship among LST and LULC spectral indices was estimated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The Landsat-5 (TM) and Landsat-8 (OLI/TIRS) satellite data have been used, and all tasks were completed through various geospatial tools like ArcGIS 10.8, Google Earth Engine (GEE), Erdas Imagine 2014 and R-Programming. The result of this study depicts over the period that built-up area and water bodies increased by 119.78 and 35.70%, respectively. On the contrary, fallow and barren decreased by 55.33 and 32.31% respectively over the period. The mean and maximum LST increased by 3.61 °C and 2.62 °C, and the study reveals that a high concentration of UTFVI and UHI in industrial areas, coal mining sites and their surroundings, but the core urban area has observed low LST and intensity of UHI than the peripheral areas due to maintained vegetation cover and water bodies. An inverse relationship has been found among LST, NDVI and NDWI, while adverse relationships were observed among LST, NDBI and NDBaI throughout the period. Sustainable environment planning is needful for the urban area, as well as the periphery region and plantation is one of the controlling measures of LST and UHI increment. This work provides the scientific base for the study of the thermal environment which can be one of the variables for planning of Asansol City and likewise other cities of the country as well as the world.

ExMove: An open-source toolkit for processing and exploring animal-tracking data in R.

Ongoing technological advances have led to a rapid increase in the number, type and scope of animal-tracking studies. In response, many software tools have been developed to analyse animal movement data. These tools generally focus on movement modelling, but the steps required to clean raw data files from different tracking devices have been largely ignored. Such pre-processing steps are often time-consuming and involve a steep learning curve but are crucial for the creation of high-quality, standardised and shareable data. Moreover, decisions made at this early stage can substantially influence subsequent analyses, and in the current age of reproducibility crisis, the transparency of this process is vital. Here we present an open-access, reproducible toolkit written in the programming language R for processing raw data files into a single cleaned data set for analyses and upload to online tracking databases (found here: https://github.com/ExMove/ExMove). The toolkit comprises well-documented and flexible code to facilitate data processing and user understanding, both of which can increase user confidence and improve the uptake of sharing open and reproducible code. Additionally, we provide an overview website (found here: https://exmove.github.io/) and a Shiny app to help users visualise tracking data and assist with parameter determination during data cleaning. The toolkit is generalisable to different data formats and device types, uses modern 'tidy coding' practices, and relies on a few well-maintained packages. Among these, we perform spatial manipulations using the package sf. Overall, by collating all required steps from data collection to archiving on open access databases into a single, robust pipeline, our toolkit provides a valuable resource for anyone conducting animal movement analyses and represents an important step towards increased standardisation and reproducibility in animal movement ecology.

Recent rapid initiation and growth of retrogressive thaw slumps in the Hoh Xil region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

With persistent climate warming, a rapid increase in retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) activity has been observed in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, the initiation and growth dynamics of these RTSs have not yet been fully investigated. In this study, annual RTS observations from 2013 to 2021 within the Hoh Xil region (HXR), based on field investigations and satellite imagery interpretations, are presented. The total number and affected areas of RTSs in the HXR significantly increased during the last 8 years, and such an increase mainly occurred in 2016 when an anomalously high air temperature appeared during the thawing season, which induced the massive occurrence of active layer detachment slides. The mean headwall retreat rate of RTSs in the HXR ranged from 2.4–3.2 m/y from 2013, or their initialization, to 2021, and the highest headwall retreat occurred in the first 2–3 years after RTS initiation. In addition, the headwall retreat rate of RTSs in the study region was significantly affected by the climatic factors, including average daily air temperature, thawing degree days, and cumulative precipitation and also controlled by the ratio of slump floor slope to undisturbed terrain slope, the headwall height, and permafrost conditions. The study’s findings can serve as a reference for hazard mitigation and regional carbon cycle assessment of the QTP.

Numerical study on the filtration characteristics of fine particles in granular bed filter at high temperature

Granular bed filter (GBF) has become one of the current research hot topics due to its excellent performance in removing fine particles. In this paper, a three-dimensional fixed bed GBF filtration model was established and its accuracy was verified. Then, the GBF filtration performance at high temperature were studied. The results demonstrate that elevating the temperature diminishes the filtration efficiency, albeit to a limited extent. The increasing of inlet gas velocity can significantly improve pressure drop for GBF and the filtration efficiency for fine particles of sizes larger than 5 μm. As the diameter of stacked granular particle diameter grows, the filtration efficiency and pressure drop drops. The density of fine particles almost does not affect the filtration efficiency for fine particles of 1∼7 μm, but a higher density leads to a higher filtration efficiency for fine particles of sizes bigger than 9 μm. Additionally, as the fine particles size increases, the change of the filtration efficiency roughly goes through three stages: Stage 1: the filtration efficiency is basically unchanged; Stage 2: the filtration efficiency increases rapidly; Stage 3: the filtration efficiency increases steadily, but the rate of increase slows down. With the increase of the fine particles Stokes number, the filtration efficiency of GBF will pass through two phases of stabilization and rapid increase.