Changes In Relative Rates Research Articles

Spatiotemporal variation in vegetation coverage and its driving factors in the Guanzhong Basin, NW China

Understanding vegetation changes caused by climate and human activities could benefit regional management. The responses of vegetation dynamics to climate change and human activities were analyzed at the pixel and regional scales in the Guanzhong Basin, Northwestern China, using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), land cover, and climate data for 2000–2020. Based on trend analysis and regression analysis, in this study, the temporal and spatial characteristics of the NDVI and the relationships between the vegetation and climatic factors in the Guanzhong Basin were investigated. Residual analysis trend methods were used to distinguish between human and climate–induced vegetation changes at the regional scale. The results show that the NDVI, precipitation, and temperature increased in the Guanzhong Basin during 2000–2020, with annual growth rates of 0.003 a−1, 5.210 mm/a, and 0.004 °C/a, respectively. The relative contribution rates of human activities and climate change to the vegetation changes were 66.78% and 33.22%, respectively. These results show that human activities played the dominant role in the Guanzhong Basin in 2000–2020. Extensive land use changes occurred from 2000 to 2020 in the Guanzhong Basin. The largest land use conversion type was farmland to urban and rural settlements, with 632.90 km2 of farmland converted to urban and rural settlements. During the study period, the farmland was the most important land use type, accounting for 74.86% (15,302 km2), 73.80% (15,084 km2), 73.56% (15,035 km2), 71.48% (14,611 km2), and 70.53% (14,617 km2) of the total Guanzhong Basin's area in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, respectively.

Dynamics and Drivers of Vegetation Phenology in Three-River Headwaters Region Based on the Google Earth Engine

Phenology shifts over time are known as the canary in the mine when studying the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. Plant phenology is a key factor controlling the productivity of terrestrial vegetation under climate change. Over the past several decades, the vegetation in the three-river headwaters region (TRHR) has been reported to have changed greatly owing to the warming climate and human activities. However, uncertainties related to the potential mechanism and influence of climatic and soil factors on the plant phenology of the TRHR are poorly understood. In this study, we used harmonic analysis of time series and the relative and absolute change rate on Google Earth Engine to calculate the start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (LOS) of the growing season based on MOD09A1 datasets; the results were verified by the observational data from phenological stations. Then, the spatiotemporal patterns of plant phenology for different types of terrain and basins were explored. Finally, the potential mechanism involved in the influence of climatic and soil factors on the phenology of plants in the TRHR were explored based on the structural equation model and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The results show the remotely sensed monitoring data of SOS (R2 = 0.84, p < 0.01), EOS (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.01), and LOS (R2 = 0.86, p < 0.01) were very similar to the observational data from phenological stations. The SOS and LOS of plants possessed significant trends toward becoming advanced (Slope < 0) and extended (Slope > 0), respectively, from 2001 to 2018. The SOS was the earliest and the LOS was the longest in the Lancang River Basin, while the EOS was the latest in the Yangtze River Basin owing to the impact of climate change and soil factors. Meanwhile, the spatial patterns of SOS, EOS, and LOS have strong spatial heterogeneity at different elevations, slopes, and aspects. In addition, the results show that the drivers of plant phenology have basin-wide and stage differences. Specifically, the influence of soil factors on plant phenology in the Yangtze River Basin was greater than that of climatic factors, but climatic factors were key functional indicators of LOS in the Yellow and Lancang river basins, which directly or indirectly affect plant LOS through soil factors. This study will be helpful for understanding the relationship between the plant phenology of the alpine wetland ecosystem and climate change and improving the level of environmental management.

A new mechanical and magnetic coupling model of magnetic memory

Magnetic memory testing is a new nondestructive testing technology, which can detect the early damage of ferromagnetic components such as stress concentration. In this paper, the coupling model between the stress of ferromagnetic material and its magnetic leakage field is established. In this model, the relative change rate of permeability of ferromagnetic material is proportional to the stress, the change of permeability and the saturation magnetic induction. The experimental results show that the model can well describe the relationship between stress and leakage magnetic field.

Spatiotemporal analysis and potential impact factors of vegetation variation in the karst region of Southwest China.

The karst region of Southwest China is one of the largest in the world. Due to the effects of human activities and climate change, rocky desertification has become the primary ecological disaster which has significantly hindered the economic growth in Southwest China. In recent decades, the Chinese government has carried out a number of ecological restoration projects in Southwest China. This study aims to analyze the changes in vegetation coverage and its main driving factors in the Southwest China and the karst region of Southwest China from 2001 to 2015 through trend analysis, Hurst index correlation analysis, correlation analysis, and residual analysis. The results showed that (1) both Southwest China and the karst region of Southwest China experienced significant increasing trends in annual fractional vegetation cover, at a rate of 0.0028 year-1 and 0.0029 year-1, respectively; (2) the NDVI of the Southwest China and the karst region of Southwest China was stable, and the vegetation coverage areas showed low to medium fluctuations, accounting for 97.17% and 98.32% respectively; (3) the NDVI of the Southwest China and the karst region of Southwest China had strong sustainability, and the sustainable and improved regions account for 74.79% and 75.77% respectively; and (4) climate change had little influence on vegetation restoration, and human activities had a great influence on vegetation restoration. The relative contribution rates of human activities and climate change to vegetation NDVI changes in the Southwest China were 86% and 14%, respectively, and 90% and 10% in karst regions of Southwest China. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of vegetation change in karst region and may provide scientific support for local vegetation restoration and conservation policies.

Fabrication of a type of silk/PEDOT conductive fibers for wearable sensor

Flexible high-conductivity fibers have attracted much attention due to their great potential in the field of wearable electronic devices. However, how to ensure high conductivity and flexibility is still a challenge. In this paper, the flexible silk fibers were used as the substrate, and manganese oxides were generated on the surface by potassium permanganate treatment. On this basis, the flexible high conductivity silk fibers with a resistivity of 1.47 Ω·cm were prepared by in-situ chemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene(EDOT) on the surface of silk fibers. The surface morphology and chemical composition of silk fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP). The results confirmed that a large amount of MnO 2 was synthesized and deposited on the surface of the silk fibers. The flexible conductive silk prepared by this method had good temperature sensitivity (- 0.47%/K), good stability and repeatability under cyclic tension, and the relative resistance change rate was 9.1%. Meanwhile, due to the binding force between the surface-active groups of the silk fibers and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), the conductive silk fibers exhibited good stability against water washing, demonstrating a broad application prospects in the field of wearable sensors.

IMerge: A phase 3 study to evaluate imetelstat in transfusion-dependent subjects with IPSS low or intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes that are relapsed/refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agent treatment.

TPS7056 Background: Current treatment options for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion-dependent (TD) patients (pts) with lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) relapsed after or refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have limited efficacy and durability; new approaches are needed. Imetelstat is a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor that targets cells with short telomeres and active telomerase, characteristics observed in MDS pts across all disease stages. IMerge (MDS3001) is a Phase 2/3 global study of imetelstat for TD pts with non-del(5q) LR MDS post ESA therapy. The results from Phase 2 part indicated that imetelstat achieved durable RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) and the most frequently reported adverse events were manageable and reversible grade ≥3 cytopenias. Among 38 pts with median follow-up of 24 months, 8-week, 24-week and 1-year TI rates were 42%, 32% and 29%, respectively; these responses were seen across different LR MDS subtypes. Median TI duration was 20 months and the longest TI was 2.7 years. A high and durable hematologic improvement-erythroid (HI-E) rate of 68% for a median duration of 21 months were also achieved. Reduction of variant allele frequency of mutations by imetelstat treatment was observed in some pts and correlated with clinical benefits (Platzbecker et al EHA 2020; Steensma et al JCO 2020). These results support the Phase 3 part of the trial. Methods: IMerge is two-part, Phase 2/3 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02598661). The Phase 3 part of the study is open for enrollment to adult pts with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low or intermediate-1 risk, non-del(5q) MDS who are TD, are relapsed after or refractory to ESAs, and have not received treatment with lenalidomide or hypomethylating agents. The study is a randomized (2:1) double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare efficacy of imetelstat vs placebo that will enroll approximately 170 pts and will be conducted at approximately 120 centers in North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East. Imetelstat is administered as 2-hour IV infusion every 4 weeks at 7.5 mg/kg. The primary endpoint of the study is to assess the rate of RBC-TI lasting ≥8 weeks. Secondary endpoints include safety, rate of RBC-TI ≥24 weeks, time to RBC-TI start, RBC-TI duration, rate of HI-E, the amount and relative change in RBC transfusions, rate of CR or PR, overall survival, progression of MDS, pharmacokinetics, and quality of life. Biomarkers relevant to the mechanism of action of imetelstat will be assessed to demonstrate target inhibition and their association with clinical responses. Cytogenetics and mutation analyses will be performed to evaluate the impact of imetelstat on reduction/depletion of malignant clones leading to disease modification. The study is currently recruiting pts. Clinical trial information: NCT02598661.

Comparison of 20-Year Obesity-Associated Cancer Mortality Trends With Heart Disease Mortality Trends in the US

Heart disease and cancer are the 2 major diseases associated with mortality risk in the United States. Four decades of improvements in heart disease mortality slowed after 2011; this slowing has been associated with the obesity epidemic. The same pattern has not been observed for total cancer mortality. However, trends in total cancer mortality may obscure patterns specific to obesity-associated cancers. To investigate whether trends in obesity-associated cancer mortality mirror the slowed mortality improvements observed for heart disease associated with the obesity epidemic. This cross-sectional study compared US mortality trends for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision-defined cancer (total cancer, obesity-associated cancer, and cancer not associated with obesity) and heart disease deaths from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2018. Data were included on decedents with complete information on the underlying cause of death, age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Changes in age-adjusted cause-specific mortality rates between 1999-2011 and 2011-2018 were compared. Annual relative rates of change in age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) in the overall population and stratified by sex, race, and ethnicity were estimated using Poisson regression. Differences in AAMR annual relative rates of change before and after 2011 were evaluated using Wald tests. A total of 50 163 483 decedents met the inclusion criteria (50.1% female decedents, 79.9% non-Hispanic White decedents, and 11.7% non-Hispanic Black decedents; mean [SD] age, 72.8 [18.5] years). In contrast with heart disease mortality, for which improvements slowed between 1999-2011 and 2011-2018, decreases in total cancer AAMR relative change accelerated between 1999-2011 (-1.48 [95% CI, -1.43 to -1.52]) and 2011-2018 (-1.77 [95% CI, -1.67 to -1.86]) (P < .001). For obesity-associated cancer mortality, which accounted for approximately 33% of total cancer deaths annually, decreases in annual AAMR relative change decelerated from -1.19 (95% CI, -1.13 to -1.26) in 1999-2011 to -0.83 (95% CI, -0.70 to -0.96) in 2011-2018 (P < .001). The largest decelerations in obesity-associated cancer mortality were observed for female decedents (-1.45 [95% CI, -1.36 to -1.53] in 1999-2011 and -0.91 [95% CI, -0.75 to -1.07] in 2011-2018; P < .001) and non-Hispanic White individuals (-1.16 [95% CI, -1.09 to -1.22] in 1999-2011 and -0.68 [95% CI, -0.55 to -0.81] in 2011-2018; P < .001). Slowing improvements in obesity-associated cancer mortality were obscured when considering total cancer mortality. These findings potentially signal a changing profile of cancer-associated mortality that may parallel trends previously observed for heart disease as the consequences of the obesity epidemic are understood.

P157 Potential benefit of intravenous immunoglobulin in connective tissue disease associated interstitial lung diseases

Abstract Background/Aims Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) confers significant benefit in range of connective tissue diseases (CTD) including inflammatory myopathy (IM) of which interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a major complication. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of IVIg on pulmonary involvement in refractory active CTD including systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods All patients with CTD-ILD confirmed on HRCT either with IM or SSc overlap myositis who did not achieve satisfactory clinical response to standard immunosuppressive agents and subsequently received regular IVIg infusions for IM were retrospectively identified. Serial lung function tests and immunosuppressive treatment regimen 9-12 months prior and 9-12 months after repeat courses of IVIg were recorded. Progressive ILD was considered when, despite immunosuppressive treatment, a relative FVC decline≥10% and/or relative DLco decline ≥15% were identified during the 9-12 months preceding IVIg treatment. The significance of median DLco and FVC percentage relative change to IVIg treatment was assessed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results 22 patients (mean age 50.5±13.1 years old) with IM-ILD treated with IVIg were identified. ILD occurred in association with IM in 10 patients, overlap SSc myositis in another 11 patients, while one had mixed connective tissue disease with myositis. Lung function results were available for 19/22 (86%). Eight patients (42.1%) were found to have progressive ILD(four with IM and four with overlap SSc-myositis). The median change in FVC% predicted and DLco% predicted in the 9-12 months before and after IVIg treatment is presented in Table 1. There was a significant difference in the DLco% predicted rate of relative change before and after IVIg treatment (p = 0.035) for the overall cohort. However, no differences in lung function were observed in the rate of relative change between patients with IM and patients with SSc myositis overlap. Significant improvement in DLco% predicted values was identified in the subgroup analysis of patients with progressive ILD(p = 0.012). P157 Table 1:The median change in FVC and DLco% predicted values prior and after the IVIg treatmentPatients with myositis related ILD9-12 months before IVIg treatment (relative change)9-12 months after IVIg treatment (relative change)p-valueAll (n = 19)FVC % predicted-3.8 (-54.4 - 14.6)2.1 (-33 - 33.7)0.145DLco % predicted-9.2 (-60.7 - 9.2)-2.3 (-26 - 41.9)0.035PM/DM (n = 10)FVC % predicted-1.8 (-20.2 - 14.6)0.8 (-33 - 30.9)0.401DLco % predicted-9.6 (-60.7 - 9.2)-2.4 (-26 - 41.9)0.093SSc-PM/DM overlap (n = 11)FVC % predicted-6 (-54.4 - 10.6)3.4 (-19.9 - 33.7)0.139DLco % predicted-10.8 (-47.1 - 2.5)4.2 (-22.7 - 16.8)0.173Progressive ILD (n = 8)FVC % predicted-14.5 (-54.4 - 14.6)5.7 (-11.9 - 33.7)0.123DLco % predicted-25.3 (-60.6 - -14.1)12 (-2.3 - 41.9)0.012 Conclusion IVIg may be an effective rescue therapy in the prevention of further lung function decline in refractory myositis and SSc overlap in particular in subgroups with progressive ILD. Future studies to determine its role in CTD-ILD are warranted. Disclosure V. Kouranos: None. L.V. Host: None. C. Campochiaro: None. A. Wells: None. C.P. Denton: None. V.H. Ong: None. E. Renzoni: None.

The relationship between the hydrothermal response of yield stress and the formation of sandwich compressed wood

The effects of yield stress of poplar ( Poplar × euramericana cv. ‘Neva’) on temperature (60–210°C), moisture content (oven dry-30%) and grain response mechanism and as well as its role in the formation of sandwich compressed wood were studied in this paper. The results showed that the yield stress of wood was significantly affected by moisture content(MC), temperature and their interaction. Compared with temperature, the relative change rate of yield stress was nearly 10 times higher for each 1% increase in MC than for each 1°C increase in temperature. The experimental data revealed that the relative change rate of yield stress depended on the softening effect of wood by moisture and temperature. The asymmetry of yield stress in different grain direction also depended on wood hydrothermal softening effect. Raising the temperature or increasing the MC could make wood radial vs tangential asymmetry decrease and radial vs radial tangential asymmetry disappear. In the process of hydrothermal compression, the yield stress gradient caused by the hydrothermal softening inside the wood was the main reason for the formation of sandwich compressed wood, and provided a scientific basis for the controllability of the position and thickness of the compressed layer(s).

Effect of Climate Variability on Green and Blue Water Resources in a Temperate Monsoon Watershed, Northeastern China

Over 80% of global grain production relies on green water, water from precipitation that is stored in unsaturated soil and supports plant growth. Blue water, precipitation that turns into surface water and groundwater, is also a vital surface water resource, and it can be directly utilized. The Tanghe River Basin is a typical temperate continental monsoon watershed in Northern China where residents and crops rely on blue and green water resources. In this study, the spatiotemporal distributions of water resources in the Tanghe River Basin were simulated using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model for the period between 1970 and 2015. The results demonstrate that the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and coefficient of determination were both higher than 0.64 during the calibration and validation periods at all hydrological stations, indicating high simulation accuracy. The average annual water resources of the Tanghe River Basin are 759.37 mm. Green and blue water account for 68% and 32% of the total water resources, respectively. The study period was divided into the reference period (1970–1976) and the variation period (1977–2015), to explore the impact of climate change on the green and blue water resources of the Tanghe River Basin water resources. Compared with the reference period, the average green and blue water resources in the variation period decreased by 78.48 and 35.94 mm/year, and their rate changes were −13.45% and −13.17%, respectively. The water resource relative change rates were high in the south and low in the north, and they were predominantly affected by precipitation. This study improves our understanding of the hydrological processes as well as the availability of blue and green water in the study region, and can prove beneficial in promoting the sustainable development of small basins and the integrated watershed management in areas with similar climatic conditions.

Eco-environmental impacts of dams in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Nearly half large dams of China have been built in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) and the eco-environmental impacts of existing dams remain elusive. Here we present a spatio-temporal approach to measuring the eco-environmental impacts of dams and its long-term changes. We also develop a new metric, the dam eco-environmental effect index (DEEI), that quickly identifies the eco-environmental impacts on dams over 36 years. Underlying the analysis are the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), the generalized boosted regression modeling (GBM), the generalized linear model (GLM), stepwise multiple regression, trend analysis, soil erosion and sediment yield balance equation, and sample entropy used to identify the eco-environmental impacts of dams on yearly timescales. We find that the accumulated negative environmental effects of constructed dams have increased significantly and has led to large-scale hydrophysical and human health risk affecting the Yangtze River Basins downstream (i.e. Jianghan-Lushui-Northeastern Hubei, Dongting Lake District, Yichang-Jianli, and Qingjiang) and reservoir areas (i.e. Wanxian-Miaohe, Miaohe-Huanglingmiao, and Huanglingmiao-Yichang). We also provide observational evidence that dam construction has reduced the complexity of short-term (1–12 months) in runoff and sediment loads. This spatial pattern seems to reflect a filtering effect of the dams on the temporal and spatial patterns of runoff and sediment. Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has a significant impact on the complexity of the runoff and sediment loads in the mainstream of the Yangtze River. This enhanced impact is attributed to the high trapping efficiency of the dam and its associated large reservoir. This assessment may underestimate the cumulative effect of the dam because it does not consider the future effects of the planned dam. Our study provides a quantitative methodology for finding the relative change rate of eco-environmental impact on dams, which is the first step towards addressing the extent, process, and magnitude of the dam-induced effects.

Comparison of safety and efficiency of corneal topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy and combined with crosslinking in myopic correction: An 18-month follow-up.

To compare the safety and efficiency of simple corneal topography-guided (T-CAT) photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and T-CAT PRK combined with crosslinking (CXL) to correct myopia with borderline suspicious tomography.Eyes with suspicious tomography (not classified as forme fruste keratoconus) underwent PRK combined with CXL. The suspicious tomography showed irregular posterior corneal morphology or maximum elevation value of the central 6 mm zone of the posterior surface (MEL) >15 μm, or Belin/Ambrósio Enhanced Ectasia Index (BAD-D) was >1.6. The PRK group was generated and matched within 2 μm for MEL, 0.3 for BAD-D value, and 0.5 D for manifest refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE) compared with the PRK-CXL group.PRK-CXL exhibited a larger MRSE (0.09 ± 0.22 D vs −0.03 ± 0.24 D, P = .02) and a larger sphere (0.14 ± 0.22 D vs 0.01 ± 0.21 D, P = .002) compared with PRK alone at 18 months postoperatively. The magnitude change and relative change rate of stiffness parameter A1 in the PRK-CXL were smaller than in the PRK group (−15.72 ± 14.56 vs −19.95 ± 14.37, P = .04, for magnitude change and −0.16 ± 0.15 vs −0.20 ± 0.14, P = .02, for relative change rate). In the PRK-CXL and PRK groups, 4.8% and 6.9% of eyes suffered grade 0.5 haze at postoperative 18-month. No cases of ectasia were reported in either group.PRK in combination with prophylactic crosslinking showed comparable safety and efficacy, but higher biomechanical stability compared to PRK alone, thus, the additional CXL plays a measurable role in reducing the change in corneal biomechanical properties after PRK in suspicious eyes.

Application of a noise reduction method combining AVMD and SVD in natural gas pipeline leakage signal

Due to the large amount of noise in pipeline leakage signal, the accuracy of the leakage detection device's judgment will be reduced by direct leakage detection. Therefore, the noise reduction of pipeline leakage signal is critical for preprocessing technology of pipeline leakage detection. A denoising method combining adaptive variational mode decomposition (AVMD) and singular value decomposition (SVD) is proposed in this paper. First, the mode number and the penalty factor of VMD are searched automatically by AVMD. The AVMD algorithm is coupled to a fitness function based on improved refine composite multiscale dispersion entropy (RCMDE). Subsequently, a time–frequency matrix which obtains time–frequency subspace after SVD is constructed for all mode components decomposed by VMD, and the number of effective time–frequency subspaces is determined by the relative change rate of singular values, thereby the denoised signal is achieved. Finally, the experimental results show that the AVMD-SVD method proposed in this paper has the significant denoising effect and strong robustness.

Analysis of Temporal and Spatial Evolution and Influence Factors of Cultivated Land in Pearl River Delta Based on GIS

In order to better explore the characteristics of the spatiotemporal changes of cultivated land, this paper comprehensively considers the utilization change of cultivated land in the Pearl River Delta from the multiple dimensions of the dynamic degree of cultivated land quantity change, location entropy, flow change, relative change rate of utilization, center of gravity, spatial characteristics of change rate, etc. from 2000 to 2014, in order to manage land use better and provide references for the protection of cultivated land, food security and sustainable use of land resources. The results show that the cultivated land and per capita cultivated land area in the Pearl River Delta region both showed a rapid decline and decreasing trend at the beginning, and then gradually eased. The degree of arable land use continues to increase and has developed from extensive to intensive. From the perspective of space, the rapid economic development areas such as Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan and Zhongshan have suffered serious loss of cultivated land. The demand for various types of construction land is constantly expanding. The adjustment of agricultural structure has exacerbated the non-agriculturalization of cultivated land. On the whole, the use of cultivated land in the Pearl River Delta has a tendency toward the south.

Revisiting Vertical Land Motion and Sea Level Trends in the Northeastern Adriatic Sea Using Satellite Altimetry and Tide Gauge Data

We propose a revisited approach to estimating sea level change trends based on the integration of two measuring systems: satellite altimetry and tide gauge (TG) time series of absolute and relative sea level height. Quantitative information on vertical crustal motion trends at six TG stations of the Adriatic Sea are derived by solving a constrained linear inverse problem. The results are verified against Global Positioning System (GPS) estimates at some locations. Constraints on the linear problem are represented by estimates of relative vertical land motion between TG couples. The solution of the linear inverse problem is valid as long as the same rates of absolute sea level rise are observed at the TG stations used to constrain the system. This requirement limits the applicability of the method with variable absolute sea level trends. The novelty of this study is that we tried to overcome such limitations, subtracting the absolute sea level change estimates observed by the altimeter from all relevant time series, but retaining the original short-term variability and associated errors. The vertical land motion (VLM) solution is compared to GPS estimates at three of the six TGs. The results show that there is reasonable agreement between the VLM rates derived from altimetry and TGs, and from GPS, considering the different periods used for the processing of VLM estimates from GPS. The solution found for the VLM rates is optimal in the least square sense, and no longer depends on the altimetric absolute sea level trend at the TGs. Values for the six TGs’ location in the Adriatic Sea during the period 1993–2018 vary from −1.41 ± 0.47 mm y−1 (National Research Council offshore oceanographic tower in Venice) to 0.93 ± 0.37 mm y−1 (Rovinj), while GPS solutions range from −1.59 ± 0.65 (Venice) to 0.10 ± 0.64 (Split) mm y−1. The absolute sea level rise, calculated as the sum of relative sea level change rate at the TGs and the VLM values estimated in this study, has a mean of 2.43 mm y−1 in the period 1974–2018 across the six TGs, a mean standard error of 0.80 mm y−1, and a sample dispersion of 0.18 mm y−1.

Imerge: A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Imetelstat in Transfusion-Dependent Subjects with IPSS Low or Intermediate-1 Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) That Is Relapsed/Refractory to Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent (ESA) Treatment

Background: Current treatment options for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion-dependent (TD) patients with lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) relapsed after or refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have limited efficacy and durability; new approaches are needed. Imetelstat is a 13-mer lipid-conjugated oligonucleotide that targets the RNA template of human telomerase and is a competitive inhibitor of telomerase enzymatic activity (Asai et al, Cancer Res 2003; Herbert et al, Oncogene 2005). Preclinical, in vivo xenograft models (Dikmen et al, Cancer Res 2005; Hochreiter et al, Clin Cancer Res 2006) and preliminary clinical data from a pilot study (Tefferi et al, Blood Cancer J 2016) supported initiation of a study in TD LR MDS patients. The Phase 2 part of IMerge demonstrated an 8-week RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) rate of 42%, 24-week RBC-TI rate of 32%, with median duration of TI being 88 weeks. The responses were seen across different subtypes of LR MDS (Platzbecker et al, EHA 2020, S183). No new safety signal was identified. These results support the Phase 3 part of the trial. Methods: IMerge is two-part, Phase 2/3 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02598661). The Phase 2 portion of the study described above is closed for enrolment. The Phase 3 portion of the study is open for enrollment of adult patients with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low or intermediate-1 risk, non-del(5q) MDS, who are TD, are relapsed after or refractory to ESAs, and have not received treatment with lenalidomide or hypomethylating agents. The study is a randomized (2:1) double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare efficacy of imetelstat vs. placebo that will enroll approximately 170 patients and will be conducted at approximately 130 centers in North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East. Imetelstat will be administered as 2-hour IV infusion every 4 weeks at 7.5 mg/kg. The primary endpoint of the study is to assess the rate of RBC-TI lasting ≥8 weeks. Secondary endpoints include safety, rate of RBC-TI ≥24 weeks, time to RBC-TI start, RBC-TI duration, rate of hematologic improvement-erythroid (HI-E), the amount and relative change in RBC transfusions, rate of complete response or partial response, overall survival, progression of MDS, pharmacokinetics, and effect of treatment on quality of life. Biomarkers relevant to the mechanism of action of imetelstat will be assessed to demonstrate target inhibition and their association with clinical responses. Cytogenetics and mutation analyses will be performed to evaluate the impact of imetelstat on reduction/depletion of malignant clones leading to disease modification. Disclosures Platzbecker: AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Geron: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Fenaux:Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz: Honoraria, Research Funding. Steensma:CRISPR: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Aprea Therapeutics: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy; Onconova: Consultancy; Arena: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; H3 Biosciences: Research Funding; Astex Pharmaceuticals, Otsuka: Consultancy; Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Font:Abbvie: Other: Travel, accommodations, expenses; Menarini: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accommodations, expenses, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accommodations, expenses; Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Diez-Campelo:Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Thepot:astellas: Honoraria; novartis: Honoraria; sanofi: Honoraria; celgene: Honoraria. Jang:Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Sherman:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Dougherty:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Sun:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Huang:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wan:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Rizo:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Berry:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Feller:Geron Corp: Current Employment, Current equity holder in private company. Santini:Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acceleron: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Menarini: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Johnson &amp; Johnson: Honoraria.

Impacts of the COVID-19 event on the NOx emissions of key polluting enterprises in China

The unprecedented cessation of human activities during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected China's industrial production and NOx emissions. Quantifying the changes in NOx emissions resulting from COVID-19 and associated governmental control measures is crucial to understanding its impacts on the environment. Here, we divided the research timeframe into three periods: the normal operation period (P1), the Spring Festival period (P2), and the epidemic period following the Spring Festival (P3). We then calculated the NOx operating vent numbers and emission concentrations of key polluting enterprises in 29 provinces and 20 industrial sectors and compared the data for the same periods in 2020 and 2019 to obtain the impacts of COVID-19 on industrial NOx emissions. We found that spatially, from P1 to P2 in 2020, the operating NOx vent numbers in North China changed the most, with a relative change rate of –33.84%. Comparing the operating vent numbers in P1 and P3, East China experienced the largest decrease, approximately –32.72%. Among all industrial sectors, the mining industry, manufacturing industry, power, heat, gas, and water production and supply industry, and the wholesale and retail industry, were the most heavily influenced. In general, the operating vent numbers of key polluting enterprises in China decreased by 24.68%, and the standardized NOx (w)5-day decreased by an average of −9.54 ± −6.00 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that COVID-19 significantly reduced the NOx emission levels of the key polluting enterprises in China.

Leveraging Limited Resources Through Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing: Influences on Breastfeeding Rates

Cross-jurisdictional sharing is gaining traction as an option for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of public health services in local health departments. Assess whether breastfeeding initiation among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children changed with the addition of a trained breastfeeding specialist funded by cross-jurisdictional integration. A longitudinal retrospective comparative difference in difference design using state-based program data, pre- and post-integration was undertaken. Three local county health departments (n = 5) that fully integrated into one Community Health Board during January 2015, and four neighboring Community Health Boards (n = 4) that did not integrate, were included. Controlling for confounders and interactions, the relative rate of change over time in breastfeeding initiation rates was greater in the integrated jurisdiction than neighboring Community Health Boards, but not statistically significant. When the integrated Community Health Board's original three local health departments were considered separately, the relative rate of change over time in breastfeeding rates was greater for one local health department in comparison to three neighbor Community Health Boards (p = .037, .048, and .034, respectively). The addition of a specialized breastfeeding nutritionist led to improved breastfeeding initiation rates. The increase was significant only in the largest original local health department, which also had the lowest breastfeeding initiation rate pre-merger. The greatest positive change was seen in this local health department where the specialist staff was physically located. Public health staff specialization can lead to increases in economic efficiency and in improved delivery of public health services.

СОСТОЯНИЕ РЕСУРСОВ ЗАЙЦА-БЕЛЯКА (LEPUS TIMIDUS L.) В РЯЗАНСКОЙ И ТУЛЬСКОЙ ОБЛАСТЯХ

The Arctic hare is a traditional favorite hunting object in Russia. One of the main tasks of ecology is the study of populations. The most important quantitative parameter for a biological community is the change in the number of its specimen. On the basis of official data on animal counts over the past 25 years, we have established some characteristics that provide information on the state of the Arctic hare resources in the Ryazan and Tula regions. The aim of this work was to carry out a population analysis of the Arctic hare resources in the south of the Moscow region in the Ryazan and Tula regions over the past 25 years. The population analysis included studying static (the number and density of the hare population, the volume of prey, as well as the long-term average value of the number) and dynamic (the dynamics of the number and volume of prey, the absolute and relative rate of change in the population size) indicators. Primary data on the population of hares were collected using the winter route accounting method. The population density of hares was determined on the total territory of the hunting grounds in the corresponding territory. Basing on the data obtained, it was revealed that over the past quarter of a century, the number of Arctic hares in the Ryazan region has a tendency to decrease. The population density of Arctic hares in 1995 and 2019 in the Tula region remained practically at the same level. The indicator of the Arctic hare kill in both Ryazan and Tula regions tends to decrease.

Permeability Spectral Analysis and Determination of Microstructural Parameters for Mn0.7+xZn0.3SixFe2-2xO4 Series

In this communication, the compositional dependence of the real part (μ′) and an imaginary part (μ″) of complex permeability for polycrystalline compositions of ferrite series, Mn0.7+xZn0.3SixFe2-2xO4 (x = 0.1–0.3), over the wide frequency and temperature ranges has been discussed. The μ′ decrease with Mn-Si concentration (x) is mainly due to the reduction in saturation magnetization (Ms) and average grain size (D). The D decreases due to smaller solid solubility in the spinel structure and segregation of SiO2 at grain boundaries. The μ′(f) plots at 300 K show a relaxed type of spectra. The observed maximum in the vicinity of Neel temperature in μ′(T) curves is due to the relative rate of change of anisotropy constant and Ms values, whereas in μ″(T) plots it is because of the domain wall damping. The derived microstructural parameters related to grain structure have been discussed in a systematic manner.