以生物多樣性指標評估集水區崩塌地治理優選順序

The abundance of endemic species in Taiwan is a great natural treasure accomplished by a diverse altitude ranges due to violent tectonic activities and humid tropical weather conditions with ocean surrounded. With the characteristics of few flatlands, the slope lands are inevitable and have been developed for economic and social requirement gradually, which has caused habitation shrinking of animal and plant. Furthermore, Taiwan also suffers disasters such as striking of torrential rains and typhoons during summer season annually, and is vulnerable to landslide because of fragile geology which threats to the living things. Thus, to enhance the efficiency of vegetation recovery in landslide area can benefit the habitats of species. Typhoon Morakot induced landslides and vegetation recovery rate in Kao-Ping watershed can be quickly extracted and/or derived from the satellite images in this study. The biodiversity index established in the database of the watershed can then be applied to assess the treatment priority of landslides. The result shows that the highest landslide rate in Chi-Shan and Lao-Nong watersheds are Xiao-Lin and Ching-Shui Xi sub-watersheds respectively. For vegetation recovery rate, the downstream area is higher than upstream area. For treatment priority, the top 10 of sub-watersheds almost distribute in Lao-Nong watershed. It hopes that the result could provide the related authorities as the references of environmental restoration.台灣雖位處北回歸線，但因造山運動拱起4,000 公尺海拔落差，使台灣物種跨越熱帶、溫帶及寒帶，且四面環海及高溫多雨之島嶼氣候，孕育出許多台灣特有種生物，然台灣因高山多、平地少，在高人口密度下，居民為了生活不得不開發山坡地之原始森林，此舉壓縮了動、植物之生存空間，此外，台灣山高且地質破碎，夏季之暴雨或颱風易造成大規模之崩塌，除對當地居民造成威脅外，亦影響其他物種之生存環境，為此，如何加速崩塌地之植生復育，將有助於恢復各物種之棲地。本研究以莫拉克風災為事件，利用該事件前後期之衛星影像萃取集水區崩塌區位，另計算災後集水區植生復育良窳之熱點區位，最後以生物多樣性指數配合崩塌率及植生復育率評估集水區崩塌地治理之優選順序。研究結果顯示，旗山溪及荖濃溪集水區中崩塌率最高之子集水區分別為小林及清水溪；植生復育率則為下游高於上游區位；整體崩塌地治理優先順序中，得分最高之前10 處主要分布於荖濃溪集水區。期本研究之結果可作為相關生態保育單位於環境復育之參考

Stunting and soil-transmitted-helminth infections among school-age pupils in rural areas of southern China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stunting and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections including ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm remain major public health problems in school-age pupils in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of stunting for children and its association with three major soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in rural areas of southern China. The study also aims to determine risk factors for stunting and to provide guidance on the prevention and control of stunting and STH infections for future studies in this field.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the poor rural areas in Guangxi Autonomous Regional and Hainan Province where STH prevalence was higher between September and November 2009. Pupils were from 15 primary schools. All the school-age pupils aged between 9 and 12 years old (mean age 11.2 ± 3.2 years), from grades three to six took part in this study. Study contents include questionnaire surveys, physical examination and laboratory methods (stool checking for eggs of three major STH infections and haemoglobin determination was performed for the anaemia test). Finally 1031 school-age pupils took part in survey. The results showed that the overall prevalence of stunting (HAZ < 2SD) was 25.6%, based on the WHO Child Growth Standards (2007). Risk factors for stunting based on logistic regression analyses were: (1) STH moderate-to-heavy intensity infections (OR = 1.93;95%CI:1.19,3.11); (2) anaemia (OR = 3.26;95%CI: 2.02,5.27); (3) education level of mother (OR = 2.13; 95%CI: 1.39,3.25). The overall prevalence of major STH infections was 36.7%, STH moderate-to-heavy intensity infections was 16.7%. The overall prevalence of ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm and co-infection were 18.5%, 11.2%, 14.7% and 9.1% respectively. The prevalence of anaemic children (HB < 12 g/dl) was 13.1%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study showed that stunting was highly prevalent among the study population and STH infection is one of the important risk factors for stunting, with moderate-to-heavy intensity infections being the main predictor of stunting. Hence, additional interventions measures such as to promote de-worming treatment, to enhance health education and to improve hygiene and sanitation in order to reduce stunting in this population, are needed throughout the primary school age group.</p

Explainable AI Security: Exploring Robustness of Graph Neural Networks to Adversarial Attacks

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have achieved tremendous success, but recent studies have shown that GNNs are vulnerable to adversarial attacks, which significantly hinders their use in safety-critical scenarios. Therefore, the design of robust GNNs has attracted increasing attention. However, existing research has mainly been conducted via experimental trial and error, and thus far, there remains a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the vulnerability of GNNs. To address this limitation, we systematically investigate the adversarial robustness of GNNs by considering graph data patterns, model-specific factors, and the transferability of adversarial examples. Through extensive experiments, a set of principled guidelines is obtained for improving the adversarial robustness of GNNs, for example: (i) rather than highly regular graphs, the training graph data with diverse structural patterns is crucial for model robustness, which is consistent with the concept of adversarial training; (ii) the large model capacity of GNNs with sufficient training data has a positive effect on model robustness, and only a small percentage of neurons in GNNs are affected by adversarial attacks; (iii) adversarial transfer is not symmetric and the adversarial examples produced by the small-capacity model have stronger adversarial transferability. This work illuminates the vulnerabilities of GNNs and opens many promising avenues for designing robust GNNs

Mesangial cells of lupus-prone mice are sensitive to chemokine production

Infectious antigens may be triggers for the exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus. The underlying mechanism causing acceleration and exacerbation of lupus nephritis (LN) is largely unknown. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is capable of inducing an accelerated model of LN in NZB/W mice, featuring diffuse proliferation of glomerular resident cells. We hypothesized that mesangial cells (MCs) from LN subjects are more responsive to LPS than normal subjects. Cultured primary NZB/W and DBA/W (nonautoimmune disease-prone strain with MHC class II molecules identical to those of NZB/W) MCs were used. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and osteopontin (OPN) expressions either in the baseline (normal culture) condition or in the presence of LPS were evaluated by real-time PCR, ELISA, or western blot analysis. NF-κB was detected by ELISA, electrophoresis mobility-shift assay, and immunofluorescence. First, either in the baseline condition or in the presence of LPS, NZB/W MCs produced significantly higher levels of MCP-1 and OPN than the DBA/W MC controls. Second, NZB/W MCs expressed significantly higher levels of Toll-like receptor 4, myeloid differentiation factor 88, and NF-κB than the DBA/W MC controls, both receiving exactly the same LPS treatment. In conclusion, NZB/W MCs are significantly more sensitive than their normal control DBA/W MCs in producing both MCP-1 and OPN. With LPS treatment, the significantly elevated levels of both chemokines produced by NZB/W MCs are more likely due to a significantly greater activation of the Toll-like receptor 4-myeloid differentiation factor 88-associated NF-κB pathway. The observed abnormal molecular events provide an intrarenal pathogenic pathway involved in an accelerated type of LN, which is potentially infection triggered

Discovery of serum biomarkers of alcoholic fatty liver in a rodent model: C-reactive protein

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Excessive consumption of alcohol contributes to alcoholic liver disease. Fatty liver is the early stage of alcohol-related liver disease. The aim of this study was to search for specific serological biomarkers of alcoholic fatty liver (AFL) compared to healthy controls, non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and liver fibrosis in a rodent model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum samples derived from animals with AFL, NAFL, or liver fibrosis were characterized and compared using two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis. A matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight tandem mass spectrometer in conjunction with mascot software was used for protein identification. Subsequently, Western blotting and flexible multi-analyte profiling were used to measure the expressions of the putative biomarkers present in the serum of animals and clinical patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eight differential putative biomarkers were identified, and the two most differentiated proteins, including upregulated C-reactive protein (CRP) and downregulated haptoglobin (Hp), were further investigated. Western blotting validated that CRP was dramatically higher in the serum of AFL compared to healthy controls and other animals with liver disease of NAFL or liver fibrosis (<it>p </it>< 0.05). Moreover, we found that CRP and Hp were both lower in liver fibrosis of TAA-induced rats and clinical hepatitis C virus-infected patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that increased levels of CRP are an early sign of AFL in rats. The abnormally elevated CRP induced by ethanol can be used as a biomarker to distinguish AFL from normal or otherwise diseased livers.</p

Protective Effects of Morus Root Extract (MRE) Against Lipopolysaccharide-Activated RAW264.7 Cells and CCl4-Induced Mouse Hepatic Damage

Background/Aims: Inflammation is one of the main contributors to chronic diseases such as cancer. It is of great value to identify the potential activity of various medicinal plants for regulating or blocking uncontrolled chronic inflammation. We investigated whether the root extract of Morus australis possesses antiinflammatory and antioxidative stress potential and hepatic protective activity. Methods: The microwave-assisted extractionwere was used to prepare the ethanol extract from the dried root of Morus australis (MRE), including polyphenolic and flavonoid contents. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was examined the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potential of MRE. CCl4-induced mouse hepatic damage were performed to detect the hepatic protective potential in vivo. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot assays were used to detect target proteins. Results: MRE contained approximately 23% phenolic compounds and 3% flavonoids. The major flavonoid component of MRE was morusin. MRE and morusin inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitrite and prostaglandin E2 in RAW264.7 cells. MRE and morusin also suppressed the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and the expression of iNOS and COX-2. In an in vivo study, a thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay showed that MRE inhibited CCl4-induced oxidative stress and expression of nitrotyrosine. MRE also decreased CCl4-induced hepatic iNOS and COX-2 expression, as well as CCl4-induced hepatic inflammation and necrosis in mice. Conclusion: MRE exhibited antiinflammatory and hepatic protective activity

Identification and experimental validation of programmed cell death- and mitochondria-associated biomarkers in osteoporosis and immune microenvironment

Background: Prior research has demonstrated that programmed cell death (PCD) and mitochondria assume pivotal roles in controlling cellular metabolism and maintaining bone cell equilibrium. Nonetheless, the comprehensive elucidation of their mode of operation in osteoporosis (OP) warrants further investigation. Therefore, this study aimed at analyzing the role of genes associated with PCD (PCD-RGs) and mitochondria (mortality factor-related genes; MRGs) in OP.Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by subjecting the GSE56815 dataset obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to differential expression analysis and comparing OP patients with healthy individuals. The genes of interest were ascertained through the intersection of DEGs, MRGs, and PCD-RGs; these genes were filtered using machine learning methodologies to discover potential biomarkers. The prospective biomarkers displaying uniform patterns and statistically meaningful variances were identified by evaluating their levels in the GSE56815 dataset and conducting quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction-based assessments. Moreover, the functional mechanisms of these biomarkers were further delineated by constructing a nomogram, which conducted gene set enrichment analysis, explored immune infiltration, generated regulatory networks, predicted drug responses, and performed molecular docking analyses.Results: Eighteen candidate genes were documented contingent upon the intersection between 2,354 DEGs, 1,136 MRGs, and 1,548 PCD-RGs. The biomarkers DAP3, BIK, and ACAA2 were upregulated in OP and were linked to oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, the predictive ability of the nomogram designed based on the OP biomarkers exhibited a certain degree of accuracy. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between CD56dim natural killer cells and ACAA2 and a significant negative correlation between central memory CD4+ T cells and DAP3. DAP3, BIK, and ACAA2 were regulated by multiple factors; specifically, SETDB1 and ZNF281 modulated ACAA2 and DAP3, whereas TP63 and TFAP2C governed DAP3 and BIK. Additionally, a stable binding force was observed between the drugs (estradiol, valproic acid, and CGP52608) and the biomarkers.Conclusion: This investigation evidenced that the biomarkers DAP3, BIK, and ACAA2 are associated with PCD and mitochondria in OP, potentially facilitate the diagnosis of OP in clinical settings

Exohedrally stabilized C-70 isomer with adjacent pentagons characterized by crystallography

NSFC [21031004, U1205111, 21021061]All C-70 isomers other than the well-known D-5h-symmetric C-70 (#8149) are highly elusive due to their defiance of the isolated pentagon rule (IPR), and, in turn, have long been underrated for years. Here we show a non-IPR hollow C-70 (#8064) with C-2-symmetry stabilized by exohedral chlorination as (C70Cl10)-C-#8064. Its connectivity with two pairs of fused pentagons was determined unambiguously by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Based on the geometric criterion in terms of the pyramidalization angle as well as theoretical computations on the Kekule structure and the negative nucleus independent chemical shift, the exohedral stabilization of the labile C-#8064(70) is rationalized by releasing the local strain relevant to the fused pentagons and achieving the aromaticity of the remaining sp(2)-hybridized carbon framework in the exohedral derivative of C-#8064(70). This new entrant in the C-70 family, in addition to two previously reported non-IPR isomers (by Yang, Dunsch et al. for Sc3N@C-#7854(70) and by Echegoyen et al. for Sc2S@C-#7892(70)), provides valuable opportunities for experimental and theoretical research involving non-IPR isomers of C-70 beyond the common D-5h-C-70

Versatile fabrication of aligned SnO2 nanotube arrays by using various ZnO arrays as sacrificial templates

通讯作者地址: Xie, ZX (通讯作者), Xiamen Univ, State Key Lab Phys Chem Solid Surfaces, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 地址: 1. Xiamen Univ, State Key Lab Phys Chem Solid Surfaces, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 2. Xiamen Univ, Dept Chem, Coll Chem & Chem Engn, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R China 电子邮件地址: [email protected] this paper, we describe an effective two-step method for fabricating aligned SnO2 nanotube arrays by using various pre-synthesized ZnO nanorod arrays as sacrificial templates. The composition and structure of as-synthesized SnO2 nanotube arrays were analyzed in detail by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Because there is a special epitaxial relation between the SnO2 walls and ZnO templates, the walls building the SnO2 nanotubes are highly orientated and nearly single-crystalline. Our present study provides an opportunity to investigate related physical and chemical properties and potential applications of such aligned SnO2 nanotubes with nearly single-crystalline nature.National Natural Science Foundation of China 20725310,20721001 ,20673085,20801045 National Basic Research Program of China 2007CB815303 2009CB939804 Key Scientific Project of Fujian Province of China 2005HZ01-

From Graphene Sheets to Boron Nitride Nanotubes via a Carbon-Thermal Substitution Reaction

通讯作者地址: Xie,SY(通讯作者),Xiamen Univ, Coll Chem & Chem Engn, State Key Lab Phys Chem Solid Surfaces, 422 Si Ming Rd, Xiamen 361005, Peoples R ChinaNSFC,21031004,21021061,973 Projects 2007CB815301 2011CB93590