A novel causal structure-based framework for comparing a basin-wide water–energy–food–ecology nexus applied to the data-limited Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins

The previous comparative studies on watersheds were mostly based on the comparison of dispersive characteristics, which lacked systemicity and causality. We proposed a causal structure-based framework for basin comparison based on the Bayesian network (BN) and focus on the basin-scale water–energy–food–ecology (WEFE) nexus. We applied it to the Syr Darya River basin (SDB) and the Amu Darya River basin (ADB), of which poor water management caused the Aral Sea disaster. The causality of the nexus was effectively compared and universality of this framework was discussed. In terms of changes in the nexus, the sensitive factor for the water supplied to the Aral Sea changed from the agricultural development during the Soviet Union period to the disputes in the WEFE nexus after the disintegration. The water–energy contradiction of the SDB is more severe than that of the ADB, partly due to the higher upstream reservoir interception capacity. It further made management of the winter surplus water downstream of the SDB more controversial. Due to this, the water–food–ecology conflict between downstream countries may escalate and turn into a long-term chronic problem. Reducing water inflow to depressions and improving the planting structure prove beneficial to the Aral Sea ecology, and this effect of the SDB is more significant. The construction of reservoirs on the Panj River of the upstream ADB should be cautious to avoid an intense water–energy conflict such as the SDB's. It is also necessary to promote the water-saving drip irrigation and to strengthen the cooperation

Inversion of shallow seabed structure and geoacoustic parameters with waveguide characteristic impedance based on Bayesian approach

Underwater acoustic technology is essential for ocean observation, exploration and exploitation, and its development is based on an accurate predication of underwater acoustic wave propagation. In shallow sea environments, the geoacoustic parameters, such as the seabed structure, the sound speeds, the densities, and the sound speed attenuations in seabed layers, would significantly affect the acoustic wave propagation characteristics. To obtain more accurate inversion results for these parameters, this study presents an inversion method using the waveguide characteristic impedance based on the Bayesian approach. In the inversion, the vertical waveguide characteristic impedance, which is the ratio of the pressure over the vertical particle velocity, is set as the matching object. The nonlinear Bayesian theory is used to invert the above geoacoustic parameters and analysis the uncertainty of the inversion results. The numerical studies and the sea experiment processing haven shown the validity of this inversion method. The numerical studies also proved that the vertical waveguide characteristic impedance is more sensitive to the geoacoustic parameters than that of single acoustic pressure or single vertical particle velocity, and the error of simulation inversion is within 3%. The sea experiment processing showed that the seabed layered structure and geoacoustic parameters can be accurately determined by this method. The root mean square between the vertical waveguide characteristic impedance and the measured impedance is 0.38dB, and the inversion results accurately represent the seabed characteristics in the experimental sea area

Genetic Evaluation of 114 Chinese Short Stature Children in the Next Generation Era: a Single Center Study

Background/Aims: The genetics of human height is a frequently studied and complex issue. However, there is limited genetic research of short stature. To uncover the subgroup of patients to have higher yield and to propose a simplified diagnostic algorithm in the next generation era. Methods: This study included 114 Chinese children with height SDS ≤ -2.5 and unknown etiology from 2014 to 2015. Target/whole exome sequencing (referred as NGS) and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were performed on the enrolled patients sequentially to identify potential genetic etiologies. The samples solved by NGS and CMA were retrospectively studied to evaluate the clinical pathway of the patients following a standard diagnostic algorithm. Results: In total, a potential genetic etiology was identified in 41 (36%) patients: 38 by NGS (33.3%), two by CMA (1.8%), and an additional one by both (0.9%). There were 46 different variants in 29 genes and 2 pathogenic CNVs identified. The diagnostic yield was significantly higher in patients with facial dysmorphism or skeletal abnormalities than those without the corresponding phenotype (P=0.006 and P=0.009, respectively, Pearson’s χ2 test). Retrospectively study the cohort indicate 83.3% patients eventually would be evaluated by NGS/CMA. Conclusion: This study confirms the utility of high-throughput molecular detection techniques for the etiological diagnosis of undiagnosed short stature and suggests that NGS could be used as a primary diagnostic strategy. Patients with facial dysmorphism and/or skeletal abnormalities are more likely to have a known genetic etiology. Moving NGS forward would simplified the diagnostic algorithm

Research and Analysis on Difference in Per Capita Net Income of Chinese Rural Residents

The study aims to understand the variation of difference in per capita net income of rural residents during China’s economic development in recent years. The writer studies and analyzes rural residents’ income gap between 1997 and 2008 with relevant theories of income difference and the calculation of absolute difference index as well as relative difference index and obtains the conclusion that absolute difference of Chinese rural residents’ income experienced an upward trend while relative difference generally remained constant with slight fluctuation and growth, which reflects that rural residents’ income gap is increasing gradually. The writer also puts forward some related proposals and countermeasures

Analysis and Countermeasures of Abnormal Operation of Unloading Circuit

Taking the two position two way valve unloading circuit, accumulator unloading circuit, double pump unloading circuit, liquid control sequence valve unloading circuit as examples, the paper analyses the reason of abnormal operation of several hydraulic unloading circuit, puts forward concrete measures, which provides basis for design and operation of hydraulic system

Influence and Improvement of Hydraulic Power on Spool Valve Reversing

This paper analysed the effect of steady-state flow force and transient flow force to sliding direction valve, and two examples were given to illustrate adverse consequences caused by excessive fluid power, put forward the compensation measures. The effect of flow force should be considered when designing the hydraulic system in order to make the hydraulic system work more stable

Time-Varying Wind Load Identification Based on Minimum-Variance Unbiased Estimation

A minimum-variance unbiased estimation method is developed to identify the time-varying wind load from measured responses. The formula derivation of recursive identification equations is obtained in state space. The new approach can simultaneously estimate the entire wind load and the unknown structural responses only with limited measurement of structural acceleration response. The fluctuating wind speed process is investigated by the autoregressive (AR) model method in time series analysis. The accuracy and feasibility of the inverse approach are numerically investigated by identifying the wind load on a twenty-story shear building structure. The influences of the number and location of accelerometers are examined and discussed. In order to study the stability of the proposed method, the effects of the errors in crucial factors such as natural frequency and damping ratio are discussed through detailed parametric analysis. It can be found from the identification results that the proposed method can identify the wind load from limited measurement of acceleration responses with good accuracy and stability, indicating that it is an effective approach for estimating wind load on building structures

Effect of the time interval between denudation and ICSI on fresh embryo transfer reproductive outcomes: a retrospective study

PurposeThis study aims to determine if the incubation after oocyte denudation before Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) affects the clinical pregnancy rate.MethodsThis was a retrospective, consecutive data analysis of 1370 patients who underwent ICSI cycles at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of West China Second University of Sichuan University (Chengdu, Sichuan) between January 2020 and July 2022. The primary outcome was the clinical pregnancy rate. The second outcome included fertilization rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, and miscarriage rates.ResultsA total of 1370 continuous fresh transferred ICSI cycles were analyzed. Multivariate linear regression and logistic regression analysis of factors related to clinical pregnancy rates revealed that clinical pregnancy rates were significantly associated with denudation (DEN)-ICSI time interval. Long DEN-ICSI intervals are associated with a higher clinical pregnancy rate during fresh embryo transfer.ConclusionThe DEN-ICSI time interval is an independent factor for clinical outcomes in fresh ICSI transfer cycles

The moisture absorption and retention abilities of carboxymethyl inulin and quaternized inulin

Two kinds of inlin derivatives, carboxymethyl inulin (CMI) and quaternized inulin (QI), were successfully synthesized. Their structural properties were characterized by FT-IR and their moisture absorption-retention ability were explored and compared with those of hyaluronic acid (HA), respectively. Carboxymethyl and quaternary ammonium salt groups are anionic and cationic groups, which are both hydrophilic Thereby, hydrogen bonds readily develop interactions between the derivatives' chains and water molecules. As a result, CMI and QI tended to hold more water molecules. Therefore, CMI and QI showed much stronger moisture absorption-retention ability than those of inulin. CMI should be further explored in cosmetic and clinical fields as HA substitute due to its more excellent moisture retention-absorption ability. © 2010 IEEE

Effect of electroacupuncture at distal–proximal acupoint combinations on spinal interleukin-1 beta in a rat model of neuropathic pain

Objective: Pain from herniated disc is a common type of neuropathic pain. This study investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at distal–proximal combinations of acupoints in the rat model of neuropathic pain modulates spinal interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) to induce acupuncture analgesia and possibly serve as a pain-relief modality for herniated disc. Methods: A rat model of neuropathic pain was established. Rats were randomly divided into normal, model, sham, EA 1, EA 2, and EA 3 groups. EA 1 rats were needled at bilateral Ex-B2, BL25, BL40, and BL60 acupoints. EA 2 rats were needled at bilateral BL40 and BL60. EA 3 rats were needled at bilateral L5 Ex-B2 and BL25. EA stimulation was administered once daily over 7 days. Mechanical withdrawal threshold from noxious mechanical stimulation was measured 1 day preoperatively and at 3, 5, and 7 days postoperatively. After 7 days of intervention, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify IL-1β in the spinal cord. Results: Mechanical withdrawal threshold of rats in the model group decreased at 3 days postoperatively when compared with the normal group (P < 0.01), lasting 7 days postoperatively. Mechanical withdrawal thresholds in the EA 1, EA 2, and EA 3 groups were elevated over the model group (P < 0.05; P < 0.01). No obvious differences were found between EA 1, EA 2, and EA 3 groups. ELISA demonstrated an increase in IL-1β in the spinal cord of rats in the model group compared with the normal group (P < 0.01). EA treatment attenuated the increase in spinal IL-1β in the model group. Expression of spinal IL-1β was significantly lower in EA 1, EA 2, and EA 3 groups. Conclusion: EA at distal + proximal acupoints, distal points, as well as proximal points attenuated upregulation of spinal IL-1β, alleviated the extent of neuropathic pain hypersensitivity, and promoted mechanical withdrawal threshold, resulting in EA analgesia