Analysis of Vegetation Coverage Evolution and Degradation under Coal Mine Construction in Permafrost Region

The ecological environment in permafrost regions is very sensitive to climate change and human activities. The effects of coal mining on the vegetation in permafrost regions have been poorly studied. Herein, on the basis of a field survey in the Juhugen mining area of Qilian Mountain, China, we investigated and quantified the influence of open-pit coal mining on vegetation coverage degradation in permafrost areas. According to the NDVI and field survey, the vegetation coverage was divided into five levels from low to high in the Arc GIS platform. Compared with the area not affected by coal mining, vegetation degradation was significant in the coal-mining-affected area, especially in the high-vegetation-coverage area. The vegetation coverage in Level 5 decreased from 51.99% to 21.35%. According to the conversion matrix, the transfer-out area in high coverage was larger, while the transfer-in area in low vegetation coverage was larger. The transfer-out area of five levels was significant in levels 2–5, accounting for 36.1% to 62.8% of the total area. The transfer-in area of five levels was significant in levels 1–4, accounting for 55.2% to 75.0% of the total area. Moreover, the ground surface temperature and water change were monitored in the vegetation degradation area. The results showed that the above degradation was related to an increase in the ground surface temperature and a decrease in the ground surface moisture

Analysis of Vegetation Coverage Evolution and Degradation under Coal Mine Construction in Permafrost Region

The ecological environment in permafrost regions is very sensitive to climate change and human activities. The effects of coal mining on the vegetation in permafrost regions have been poorly studied. Herein, on the basis of a field survey in the Juhugen mining area of Qilian Mountain, China, we investigated and quantified the influence of open-pit coal mining on vegetation coverage degradation in permafrost areas. According to the NDVI and field survey, the vegetation coverage was divided into five levels from low to high in the Arc GIS platform. Compared with the area not affected by coal mining, vegetation degradation was significant in the coal-mining-affected area, especially in the high-vegetation-coverage area. The vegetation coverage in Level 5 decreased from 51.99% to 21.35%. According to the conversion matrix, the transfer-out area in high coverage was larger, while the transfer-in area in low vegetation coverage was larger. The transfer-out area of five levels was significant in levels 2–5, accounting for 36.1% to 62.8% of the total area. The transfer-in area of five levels was significant in levels 1–4, accounting for 55.2% to 75.0% of the total area. Moreover, the ground surface temperature and water change were monitored in the vegetation degradation area. The results showed that the above degradation was related to an increase in the ground surface temperature and a decrease in the ground surface moisture

Overlapping Autoimmune Syndromes in Patients With Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Antibodies

BackgroundGlial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy, an autoimmune central nervous system disorder with a specific GFAP-IgG, often coexists with other antibodies.ObjectiveThe aim of this article was to study overlapping syndromes in autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy.MethodsAntibody was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Patient data were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsThirty patients with positive GFAP-IgG were included, of whom 10 were defined as overlapping syndrome. Four patients with positive aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG, two with N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-IgG, three with unknown neuronal antibodies, and one with double AQP4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG were identified. GFAP-IgG and other specific antibodies occurred simultaneously at the initial attack in eight patients. The main symptoms included fever, headache, ataxia, psychosis, hypersomnia, dyskinesia, dementia, seizure, myelitis, and optical symptoms. Brain magnetic resonance imaging in four patients revealed characteristic radial enhancing patterns in the white matter. Cortical abnormalities were found in four patients. Other brain abnormalities occurred in the hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, cerebellum, and meninges. Six patients exhibited lesions in the spinal cord. In a subgroup study, patients with overlapping syndrome were younger at onset than those with non-overlapping syndrome.ConclusionOverlapping antibodies are common in GFAP astrocytopathy