Can system dynamics explain long-term hydrological behaviors? The role of endogenous linking structure

Hydrological models with conceptual tipping bucket and process-based evapotranspiration formulations are the most common tools in hydrology. However, these models consistently fail to replicate long-term and slow dynamics of a hydrological system, indicating the need for model augmentation and a shift in formulation approach. This study employed an entirely different approach – system dynamics – towards more realistic replication of the observed slow hydrological behaviors at inter-annual and inter-decadal scales. Using the headwaters of Baiyang Lake in China as a case study, the endogenous linking structure of the hydrological system was gradually unraveled from 1982 to 2015 through wavelet analysis, Granger's causality test, and a system dynamics model. The wavelet analysis and Granger's causality test identified a negatively correlated and bidirectional causal relationship between actual evapotranspiration and catchment water storage change across distinct climatic periodicities, and the system dynamics approach suggested a combined structure of a vegetation reinforcing feedback and a soil water–vegetation balancing feedback in the hydrological system. The system dynamics' structure successfully captured the slow hydrological behaviors under both natural and human-intervention scenarios, demonstrating a self-sustained oscillation arising within the system's boundary. Our results showed that the interaction between the vegetation structure and the soil-bound water dominates the hydrological process at an inter-annual scale, while the interaction between the climatic oscillation and the soil-water-holding capacity dominates the hydrological process at an inter-decadal scale. Conventional hydrological models, which typically employ physiological-based evapotranspiration formulations and assume invariable soil characteristics, ignore vegetation structure change at the inter-annual scale and soil-water-holding capacity change at the inter-decadal scale, leading to failure in predicting the observed long-term hydrological behaviors. The system dynamics model is in its early stage with applications primarily confined to water-stressed regions and long-term scales. However, the novel insights proposed in our study, including the different hierarchies corresponding to distinct mechanisms and timescales and the endogenous linking structure among stocks being a more important driver of the hydrological behaviors, offer potential solutions for better understanding a hydrological system and guidelines for improving the configuration and performance of conventional hydrological models.</p

„Až sem přijde Adenauer, tak vy budete viset jako první!“, aneb ke specifikům trestného činu výtržnictví v socialistickém Československu

In this article, attention is paid to the examination of the criminal law provisions that regulated the punishment of riotous acts in socialist Czechoslovakia, with an emphasis on the application of the criminal offence of rioting by the District Court for Prague 1. In addition to the common cases of rioting, cases with political overtones and the possibility of abusing the crime of rioting against people who were inconvenient to the regime (dissidents) are also included. The first chapters generally address the legal regulation of riotous offences since the fifties. The fifties are also supplemented with contemporary cases. The article’s core consists of subsequent chapters focusing on the regulation of rioting according to § 202, codified in the Criminal Code of 1961. For a better understanding of the legal regulation at that time, there are cases from the then-practice, which were handled by the District Court for Prague 1. The following part pays attention to riotous acts that accompanied the opposition to the regime at that time, and the last subchapter points out the misuse of the crime of rioting and the distortion of its factual essence by the then-state against its opponents

An electronic tongue system with automatic sample mixing function for long-term in-situ monitoring of chemical reactions

As technology advanced, the demand for automation and in-situ monitoring of chemical reactions soared. This article introduced a novel in-situ monitoring device that utilized an electronic tongue system. Comprising a centrifuge, experimental unit, microfluidic chip, and electronic tongue plug (or stopper), the device facilitated simultaneous sample mixing, stimulus signaling, and response signal collection. The chip, serving as the carrier for the samples, provided a stable and sealed environment, which was crucial for electronic tongue monitoring. Acting as the plug for the chip, the electronic tongue enabled in-situ monitoring of liquids. Proven effective in studying nucleotide selection and amino acid regulation during peptide formation, this device broadened the possibilities of automated monitoring designs and was deployed in the Wentian module of Tiangong space station, advancing the application prospects of the electronic tongue system in space chemistry

Electrochemical modification and analytical exploration of resazurin as a redox-active probe for electrochemical biosensors

An electrochemical potential-assisted functionalization strategy is used to immobilize resazurin (AZ) on multiwalled carbon nanotube surfaces in a physiological buffer leading to the formation of a resorufin/dihydro resorufin (RR/DRR) redox couple. The electrochemical characterizations that reveal the modified surface are surface-confined behavior with an electron transfer rate constant of 4.4 s−1. Thus modified RR/DRR redox couple was found to modulate the interfacial characteristics to the benefits of bio-electrocatalysis since the redox molecule has sensitivity to pH, negative redox potential, and selectivity to analytes. The hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduction and sensing performance of the AZ-modified electrode surface were evaluated. The experimental results revealed the direct detection of high concentrations of H2O2 at the electrified interface before the oxygen reduction potential. Furthermore, the designed sensor exhibited high selectivity for H2O2 even in the presence of interfering molecules in the solution. In addition, for the demonstration, the glucose oxidase enzymes were immobilized on carbon nanotubes modified with an RR/DRR redox couple, and the electron tunneling behavior was investigated. The developed sensor could be used for the reagent-less electrochemical biosensing of glucose up to 30 mM. Thus, the AZ-based redox electrode catalysts can be applied in diverse biosensor applications

Triggers for Palliative Care consultation and its modalities in non-malignant mechanically ventilated patients in the Intensive Care Unit: A prospective observational study

Aim and objectives: To determine the triggers for palliative care consultation (PCC) in non-malignant mechanically ventilated (MV) patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and factors affecting modalities of palliative care (PC) delivery. Material and methods: Single-centre prospective observational study was conducted on 104 adult non-malignant patients on MV and received PC during the ICU stay. Withhold of life-sustaining treatment (WHLS) and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WDLS) were the two modalities of PC delivery. Results: Of 104 non- malignant ICU patients on MV, WDLS was opted in 56 (53 %) and WHLS in 48 (46 %) by the patients’ legally authorized representatives. Patients with neurological dysfunction (either with or without septic shock) formed most cases receiving PC 64 (61.5 %). The median (IQR) of the number of hospitalizations in the preceeding two years was 2.5 (1-4 ) in the WDLA compared to WHLS 1 (1-2) [p < 0.001]. APACHE II score ≥25 even after seven days of invasive mechanical ventilation and aggressive medical therapy in ICU, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score ≥5 and ≥2 hospitalizations in the preceding two years are triggers of PC consultation. In multivariate analysis, higher APACHE score, higher the number of hospitalisations in the last 2 years and lower CCI score appear to predict WDLS against WHLS. Conclusion: In our patient population of non-malignant patients admitted to ICU and receiving IMV (a) the neurological dysfunction comprised the largest group of non-malignant critically ill patients on IMV for PCC (b) Higher APACHE score and number of hospitalisations probably predicts the choice of WDLS (c) Further, large multicentred study with larger sample is required to generalise the study findings

On the role of knowledge graphs in AI-based scientific discovery

Research and the scientific activity are widely seen as an area where the current trends in AI, namely the development of deep learning models (including large language models), are having an increasing impact. Indeed, the ability of such models to extrapolate from data, seemingly finding unknown patterns relating implicit features of the objects under study to their properties can, at the very least, help accelerate and scale up those studies as demonstrated in fields such as molecular biology and chemistry. Knowledge graphs, on the other hand, have more traditionally been used to organize information around the scientific activity, keeping track of existing knowledge, of conducted experiments, of interactions within the research community, etc. However, for machine learning models to be truly used as a tool for scientific advancement, we have to find ways for the knowledge implicitly gained by these models from their training to be integrated with the explicitly represented knowledge captured through knowledge graphs. Based on our experience in ongoing projects in the domain of material science, in this position paper, we discuss the role that knowledge graphs can play in new methodologies for scientific discovery. These methodologies are based on the creation of large and opaque neural models. We therefore focus on the research challenges we need to address to support aligning such neural models to knowledge graphs for them to become a knowledge-level interface to those neural models

Characterization and dosimetric predictors for absolute lymphocyte count changes during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with or without pembrolizumab for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: an analysis of a prospective cohort

Abstract Aim To characterize the differences of dynamic changes for absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) among esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) with or without pembrolizumab, as well as to investigate the clinical and lymphocyte-related organs dosimetric parameters that would impact ALC nadir during nCRT. Materials and methods A total of 216 ESCC patients who received nCRT (with pembrolizumab 144; without pembrolizumab: 72) were identified from a prospective cohort. Weekly and 1-month post-nCRT ALC were identified. lymphocyte-related organs at risk (LOARs) were delineated. linear and logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between G4 lymphopenia/lymphopenia nadir and clinical/DVHs factors. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to derive optimal dosimetric planning constraints. Grade 4 (G4) lymphopenia was defined as ALC < 0.2 × 109/L during nCRT. Results G4 lymphopenia was observed in 35 ESCC patients (16.2%) during neoadjuvant treatment. Compared to nCRT alone, the addition of pembrolizumab to nCRT significantly improve lymphopenia recovery in the 1-months after nCRT (p = 0.0003), but the ALC at other time point during nCRT and ALC nadir was comparable between the two groups. A total of 198 patients finally received surgery. Of them, 98 patients archived pCR (49.5%), with 50.4% (68/135 patients) in nCRT with pembrolizumab and 47.6% (30/63) in nCRT alone(p = 0.94), respectively. The mean ALC nadir in the pCR group was significantly higher than those without (p = 0.0003). Multivariable linear and logistic regression analysis indicated that TVB mean dose, TVB V5, TVB V10, TVB V20, mean cardiopulmonary dose, mean ribs dose, mean whole body dose, mean spleen dose, V5, V10, and V20 of spleen dose were significantly associated with developing grade 4 lymphopenia. Dosimetric analysis showed that lymphocyte-sparing photon or proton irradiation was feasible while did not compromise clinically acceptable objectives. Conclusion The addition of pembrolizumab to nCRT improved lymphopenia recovery for ESCC after trimodality therapy. ALC nadir was significantly associated with pCR and RFS after nCRT. Sparing of LOARs using advanced radiation techniques might reduce the risk of developing lymphopenia and improve treatment response in the era of immunotherapy

A network analysis of depression and anxiety symptoms among Chinese elderly living alone: based on the 2017–2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS)

Abstract Background Elderly individuals living alone represent a vulnerable group with limited family support, making them more susceptible to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. This study aims to construct a network model of depression and anxiety symptoms among older adults living alone, exploring the correlations and centrality of different symptoms. The goal is to identify core and bridging symptoms to inform clinical interventions. Methods Using data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this study constructed a network model of depression and anxiety symptoms among elderly individuals living alone. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10 (CESD-10) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), respectively. A Gaussian Graphical Model (GGM) was employed to build the symptom network, and the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm was used for visualization, with the thickness and color of the edges representing partial correlations between symptoms. To minimize spurious correlations, the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method was applied for regularization, and the optimal regularization parameters were selected using the Extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC). We further calculated Expected Influence (EI) and Bridge Expected Influence (Bridge EI) to evaluate the importance of symptoms. Non-parametric bootstrap methods were used to assess the stability and accuracy of the network. Results The Network centrality analysis revealed that GAD2 (Uncontrollable worry) and GAD4 (Trouble relaxing) exhibited the highest strength centrality (1.128 and 1.102, respectively), indicating their significant direct associations with other symptoms and their roles as core nodes in the anxiety symptom network. Other highly central nodes, such as GAD1 (Nervousness or anxiety) and GAD3 (Generalized worry), further underscore the dominance of anxiety symptoms in the overall network. Betweenness centrality results highlighted GAD1 (Nervousness or anxiety) and GAD2 (Uncontrollable worry) as critical bridge nodes facilitating information flow between different symptoms, while CESD3 (Feeling depressed) demonstrated a bridging role across modules. Weighted analyses further confirmed the central importance of GAD2 (Uncontrollable worry) and GAD4 (Trouble relaxing). Additionally, the analysis showed gender differences in the depression-anxiety networks of elderly individuals living alone. Conclusion This study, through network analysis, uncovered the complex relationships between depression and anxiety symptoms among elderly individuals living alone, identifying GAD2 (Uncontrollable worry) and GAD4 (Trouble relaxing) as core symptoms. These findings provide essential insights for targeted interventions. Future research should explore intervention strategies for these symptoms to improve the mental health of elderly individuals living alone