FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE DUNHUANG BLOCK

Dunhang Block is located between the North China and the Tarim Cratons (Figure). It is bounded by the Beishan Orogenic Belt to the north and Altyn Tagh Orogenic Belt to the south, respectively; in the west the Qiemo-Xingxingxia fault separates the block from Tarim Craton, and in the east the Altyn Tagh Fault separates it from the Alxa block of western part of the North China Craton. Although Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement rocks, which are referred to as Milan Complex, exposed along the Northern Altyn Tagh Orogenic Belt, some researchers suggested that their rock associations, metamorphisms and evolutionary history present obviously different with those of the Dunhuang Complex in Dunhuang region, Gansu Provence, thus the Milan Complex should be excluded from the Dunhuang Block, and is considered as basement rocks of the southwestern Tarim Craton.Dunhang Block is located between the North China and the Tarim Cratons (Figure). It is bounded by the Beishan Orogenic Belt to the north and Altyn Tagh Orogenic Belt to the south, respectively; in the west the Qiemo-Xingxingxia fault separates the block from Tarim Craton, and in the east the Altyn Tagh Fault separates it from the Alxa block of western part of the North China Craton. Although Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement rocks, which are referred to as Milan Complex, exposed along the Northern Altyn Tagh Orogenic Belt, some researchers suggested that their rock associations, metamorphisms and evolutionary history present obviously different with those of the Dunhuang Complex in Dunhuang region, Gansu Provence, thus the Milan Complex should be excluded from the Dunhuang Block, and is considered as basement rocks of the southwestern Tarim Craton

Principles and methods of scaling geospatial Earth science data

The properties of geographical phenomena vary with changes in the scale of measurement. The information observed at one scale often cannot be directly used as information at another scale. Scaling addresses these changes in properties in relation to the scale of measurement, and plays an important role in Earth sciences by providing information at the scale of interest, which may be required for a range of applications, and may be useful for inferring geographical patterns and processes. This paper presents a review of geospatial scaling methods for Earth science data. Based on spatial properties, we propose a methodological framework for scaling addressing upscaling, downscaling and side-scaling. This framework combines scale-independent and scale-dependent properties of geographical variables. It allows treatment of the varying spatial heterogeneity of geographical phenomena, combines spatial autocorrelation and heterogeneity, addresses scale-independent and scale-dependent factors, explores changes in information, incorporates geospatial Earth surface processes and uncertainties, and identifies the optimal scale(s) of models. This study shows that the classification of scaling methods according to various heterogeneities has great potential utility as an underpinning conceptual basis for advances in many Earth science research domains. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

miR-486-3p Influences the Neurotoxicity of a-Synuclein by Targeting the SIRT2 Gene and the Polymorphisms at Target Sites Contributing to Parkinson’s Disease

Background/Aims: Increasing evidence suggests the important role of sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the association between potential functional polymorphisms in the SIRT2 gene and PD still needs to be identified. Exploring the molecular mechanism underlying this potential association could also provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of this disorder. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis and screening were first performed to find potential microRNAs (miRNAs) that could target the SIRT2 gene, and molecular biology experiments were carried out to further identify the regulation between miRNA and SIRT2 and characterize the pivotal role of miRNA in PD models. Moreover, a clinical case-control study was performed with 304 PD patients and 312 healthy controls from the Chinese Han population to identify the possible association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the miRNA binding sites of SIRT2 with the risk of PD. Results: Here, we demonstrate that miR-486-3p binds to the 3’ UTR of SIRT2 and influences the translation of SIRT2. MiR-486-3p mimics can decrease the level of SIRT2 and reduce a-synuclein (α-syn)-induced aggregation and toxicity, which may contribute to the progression of PD. Interestingly, we find that a SNP, rs2241703, may disrupt miR-486-3p binding sites in the 3’ UTR of SIRT2, subsequently influencing the translation of SIRT2. Through the clinical case-control study, we further verify that rs2241703 is associated with PD risk in the Chinese Han population. Conclusion: The present study confirms that the rs2241703 polymorphism in the SIRT2 gene is associated with PD in the Chinese Han population, provides the potential mechanism of the susceptibility locus in determining PD risk and reveals a potential target of miRNA for the treatment and prevention of PD

FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE DUNHUANG BLOCK

Dunhang Block is located between the North China and the Tarim Cratons (Figure). It is bounded by the Beishan Orogenic Belt to the north and Altyn Tagh Orogenic Belt to the south, respectively; in the west the Qiemo-Xingxingxia fault separates the block from Tarim Craton, and in the east the Altyn Tagh Fault separates it from the Alxa block of western part of the North China Craton. Although Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement rocks, which are referred to as Milan Complex, exposed along the Northern Altyn Tagh Orogenic Belt, some researchers suggested that their rock associations, metamorphisms and evolutionary history present obviously different with those of the Dunhuang Complex in Dunhuang region, Gansu Provence, thus the Milan Complex should be excluded from the Dunhuang Block, and is considered as basement rocks of the southwestern Tarim Craton

Fatigue Characteristics of Long-Span Bridge-Double Block Ballastless Track System

The key issues in designing ballastless track for high-speed railway bridges are to reduce maintenance and improve track smoothness by understanding fatigue damage characteristics. This paper is based on the principle of bridge-rail interaction and train-track-bridge coupling dynamics, the refined simulation model of bridge-CRTS I Bi-block ballastless track system is established by using the finite element method. The longitudinal force distribution law of CWR (Continuously Welded Rail) and the dynamic response characteristics of coupling systems are studied, based on the Miner rule and S-N curve. The fatigue characteristics of ballastless track system laying on long-span bridge under the dynamic train load and the effect of ballastless track system design parameters changes on fatigue characteristics are discussed. The results show that the extreme values of longitudinal force of CWR all appear in the middle of the bridge span or near the bridge bearing, and attention should be paid to the strength checking of CRW laying on long-span bridge. Under the dynamic train load, the fatigue life curve of rail on the bridge is relatively smooth and the minimum life of rail which is laying on continuous bridge decreases from 27.1 years to 17 years that which is laying on cable-stayed bridge. The life curve of track plate laying on continuous bridge is relatively smooth, and the life curve of track plate laying on cable-stayed bridge is related to the stiffness of elastic cushion, which decreases in a stepped manner, and there will be no fatigue failure on the track plate during service. The life curve of the baseplate is related to the type of bridge, the minimum life value of the baseplate appears near the bridge bearing, and there will be no fatigue failure on the baseplate during service. Increasing the stiffness of elastic cushion can effectively improve the fatigue life of track plate, and increasing the vertical stiffness of fasteners can enhance the connection between rail and track plate and improve the fatigue life of rail. The increase in train speed will increase the dynamic stress amplitude of track structure and reduce the fatigue life of the rail

Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Deep Excavation on Nearby Pile Foundation Building

In this paper, a numerical simulation is used to establish a three-dimensional model, which considers the height of buildings, the relative position between buildings, and foundation pits. These were studied in detail to investigate the changes in settlement of adjacent buildings and the displacement and internal force of piles caused by deep foundation pit excavation. The results indicate that the number of floors in the building, along with the angle and distance between the building and the excavation pit, have a significant impact on the settlement of the building and the deformation and internal force variation in the piles. For example, when D = 0.1 H, with the increase in the number of floors, the increase in the bending moment of pile 1 at the pile shaft is 62.63 kN·m, and the increase in the bending moment at the pile head is 224.72 kN·m. At this point, the maximum horizontal displacement of the pile shaft occurs at approximately 1.27 H. When θ = 45∘, the maximum difference between the maximum and minimum deformations of the building is 9.71 mm. When D ≤ 1.0 H, the majority of the building is in the primary influence range of surface settlement behind the wall, and the building undergoes a combined deformation of ‘upper convex’ and ‘concave’. When D > 1.0 H, the building predominantly resides in the secondary influence range, and the building undergoes a deformation of ‘upper convex’

Deriving temporally continuous soil moisture estimations at fine resolution by downscaling remotely sensed product

Land surface soil moisture (SSM) has important roles in the energy balance of the land surface and in the water cycle. Downscaling of coarse-resolution SSM remote sensing products is an efficient way for producing fine-resolution data. However, the downscaling methods used most widely require full-coverage visible/infrared satellite data as ancillary information. These methods are restricted to cloud-free days, making them unsuitable for continuous monitoring. The purpose of this study is to overcome this limitation to obtain temporally continuous fine-resolution SSM estimations. The local spatial heterogeneities of SSM and multiscale ancillary variables were considered in the downscaling process both to solve the problem of the strong variability of SSM and to benefit from the fusion of ancillary information. The generation of continuous downscaled remote sensing data was achieved via two principal steps. For cloud-free days, a stepwise hybrid geostatistical downscaling approach, based on geographically weighted area-to-area regression kriging (GWATARK), was employed by combining multiscale ancillary variables with passive microwave remote sensing data. Then, the GWATARK-estimated SSM and China Soil Moisture Dataset from Microwave Data Assimilation SSM data were combined to estimate fine-resolution data for cloudy days. The developed methodology was validated by application to the 25-km resolution daily AMSR-E SSM product to produce continuous SSM estimations at 1-km resolution over the Tibetan Plateau. In comparison with ground-based observations, the downscaled estimations showed correlation (R ≥ 0.7) for both ascending and descending overpasses. The analysis indicated the high potential of the proposed approach for producing a temporally continuous SSM product at fine spatial resolution.</p

Geographically weighted area-to-point regression kriging for spatial downscaling in remote sensing

Spatial downscaling of remotely sensed products is one of the main ways to obtain earth observations at fine resolution. Area-to-point (ATP) geostatistical techniques, in which regular fine grids of remote sensing products are regarded as points, have been applied widely for spatial downscaling. In spatial downscaling, it is common to use auxiliary information to explain some of the unknown spatial variation of the target geographic variable. Because of the ubiquitously spatial heterogeneities, the observed variables always exhibit uncontrolled variance. To overcome problems caused by local heterogeneity that cannot meet the stationarity requirement in ATP regression kriging, this paper proposes a hybrid spatial statistical method which incorporates geographically weighted regression and ATP kriging for spatial downscaling. The proposed geographically weighted ATP regression kriging (GWATPRK) combines fine spatial resolution auxiliary information and allows for non-stationarity in a downscaling model. The approach was verified using eight groups of four different 25 km-resolution surface soil moisture (SSM) remote sensing products to obtain 1 km SSM predictions in two experimental regions, in conjunction with the implementation of three benchmark methods. Analyses and comparisons of the different downscaled results showed GWATPRK obtained downscaled fine spatial resolution images with greater quality and an average loss with a root mean square error value of 17.5%. The analysis indicated the proposed method has high potential for spatial downscaling in remote sensing applications