Characterization of regrowing forests is vital for understanding forest dynamics to assess the impacts on carbon stocks and to support sustainable forest management. Although remote sensing is a key ...tool for understanding and monitoring forest dynamics, the use of exclusively remotely sensed data to explore the effects of different variables on regrowing forests across all biomes in Brazil has rarely been investigated. Here, we analyzed how environmental and human factors affect regrowing forests. Based on Brazil's secondary forest age map, 3060 locations disturbed between 1984 and 2018 were sampled, interpreted and analyzed in different biomes. We interpreted the time since disturbance for the sampled pixels in Google Earth Engine. Elevation, slope, climatic water deficit (CWD), the total Nitrogen of soil, cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soil, surrounding tree cover, distance to roads, distance to settlements and fire frequency were analyzed in their importance for predicting aboveground biomass (AGB) and tree cover derived from global forest aboveground biomass map and tree cover map, respectively. Results show that time since disturbance interpreted from satellite time series is the most important predictor for characterizing AGB and tree cover of regrowing forests. AGB increased with increasing time since disturbance, surrounding tree cover, soil total N, slope, distance to roads, distance to settlements and decreased with larger fire frequency, CWD and CEC of soil. Tree cover increased with larger time since disturbance, soil total N, surrounding tree cover, distance to roads, distance to settlements, slope and decreased with increasing elevation and CWD. These results emphasize the importance of remotely sensing products as key opportunities to improve the characterization of forest regrowth and to reduce data gaps and uncertainties related to forest carbon sink estimation. Our results provide a better understanding of regional forest dynamics, toward developing and assessing effective forest‐related restoration and climatic mitigation strategies.
Characterizing regrowing forests is vital for understanding forest dynamics to assess the impacts on carbon stocks and to support sustainable forest management. In this study, aboveground biomass (AGB) and tree cover of regrowing forests in Brazil were analyzed using mixed‐effect models, to discover how environmental and human factors affect regrowing forests. The results show that time since disturbance interpreted from satellite time series is the most important predictor for characterizing AGB and tree cover of regrowing forests and emphasize the importance of remotely sensing products as key opportunities to improve the characterization of forest regrowth.
To predict the early identification of recurrence based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients.
The clinical and MRI data of 215 patients with local recurrent NPC ...were retrospectively reviewed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to distinguish the independent risk factors for the short-term (less than 24 months) local recurrence of NPC. The predictive score model was based on the regression coefficients of significant independent variables.
Residual disease in the nasopharyngeal cavity (NC), masticator space invasion (MSI), skull base bone erosion (SBBE), and MRI-detected cranial nerve invasion (MDCNI) were all significant independent risk factors for the short-term recurrence of NPC (p < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the total score had a maximal AUC (area under the curve) value of 0.897, with a cutoff point of 10.50. The sensitivity and specificity were 79.4% and 80.5%, respectively.
Residual lesions in NC, MSI, SBBE, and MDCNI are independent risk factors in predicting the short-term recurrence of NPC. The authors' findings suggest that patients with a score of more than 10.50 points should be hypervigilant regarding the possibility of short-term recurrence.
Recently, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been shown to influence tumor progression and immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the underlying role of ER ...stress-related gene patterns in colorectal cancer (CRC) development remains unclear. We analyzed the ER stress-related gene patterns in 884 patients with CRC from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and evaluated the cell-infiltrating patterns in the TME. Two ER stress-related patterns were identified in patients with CRC that had distinct cell-infiltrating patterns in the TME and clinical characteristics. A risk score and nomogram based on 14 screened prognosis-correlated genes was built and validated to predict patient survival. Patients with a higher risk score were shown to have an unfavorable prognosis, and the risk score was associated with cell infiltration and drug sensitivity. Furthermore, spatial transcriptomics data were utilized to explore ER stress-related gene patterns in CRC tissues, and it was shown that ER stress phenotype involves in the formation of the immunosuppressive TME. This study demonstrated that ER stress-related gene patterns play a role in influencing the TME and predicting prognosis. These analyses of ER stress in the TME of CRC might deepen our understanding of CRC progression and immune escape and provide novel insights into therapeutic strategies.
(
) is an estuarine bacterium that is capable of causing rapidly fatal infection in humans. Proper polarization and bactericidal activity of macrophages play essential roles in defending against ...invading pathogens. How macrophages limit
infection remains not well understood. Here we report that tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) is crucial for the regulation of
-induced macrophage polarization, bacterial clearance, and cell death. Mice with myeloid-specific deletion of TSC1 exhibit a significant reduction of survival time after
infection.
infection induces both M1 and M2 polarization. However, TSC1 deficient macrophages show enhanced M1 response to
infection. Interestedly, the absence of TSC1 in myeloid cells results in impaired bacterial clearance both
and
after
infection. Inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity significantly reverses
-induced hypersensitive M1 response and resistant bactericidal activity both in wild-type and TSC1-deficient macrophages. Moreover,
infection causes cell death of macrophages, possibly contributes to defective of bacterial clearance, which also exhibits in a mTORC1-dependent manner. These findings highlight an essential role for the TSC1-mTOR signaling in the regulation of innate immunity against
infection.
The complexity of the cellular medium can affect proteins’ properties, and, therefore, in-cell characterization of proteins is essential. We explored the stability and conformation of the first ...baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domain of X chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), BIR1, as a model for a homodimer protein in human HeLa cells. We employed double electron–electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy and labeling with redox stable and rigid Gd3+ spin labels at three representative protein residues, C12 (flexible region), E22C, and N28C (part of helical residues 26 to 31) in the N-terminal region. In contrast to predictions by excluded-volume crowding theory, the dimer–monomer dissociation constant KD was markedly higher in cells than in solution and dilute cell lysate. As expected, this increase was partially recapitulated under conditions of high salt concentrations, given that conserved salt bridges at the dimer interface are critically required for association. Unexpectedly, however, also the addition of the crowding agent Ficoll destabilized the dimer while the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme, often used to represent interaction with charged macromolecules, had no effect. Our results highlight the potential of DEER for in-cell study of proteins as well as the complexities of the effects of the cellular milieu on protein structures and stability.
Public wireless local-area networks (PWLANs) based on IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standards are growing rapidly. Thus, it is critical to understand aggregated traffic statistics and network performance at and ...around PWLAN service areas. This paper presents measured PWLAN traffic statistics and application-level throughput at four hotspots that provide free Internet access. The four hotspots, located in Austin, Texas and owned by Schlotzsky's Inc., a national restaurant chain, used standard IEEE 802.11b equipment. This measurement campaign provided approximately 16 million PWLAN packets and several hundred throughput and SNR measurements. Throughput prediction models are developed based upon the measured data. These analysis results and throughput prediction models may facilitate the design and development of IEEE 802.11 e/n standards and implementations. Moreover, the results provide insights into the required provisioning for PWLANs and autonomous control approaches for future broadband wireless access and real-time wireless voice/video services
Objective
To describe clinicoradiological features and outcomes of reversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES) in children.
Methods
Data from 23 children (25 RESLES episodes; two patients had ...recurring episodes) was retrospectively reviewed at the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Shandong University, China. Primary disease, central nervous system manifestations, treatments, outcomes, and laboratory examination, electroencephalogram, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results were assessed.
Results
Fourteen boys and nine girls (23 patients; 8 months to 11 years old) with 25 RESLES episodes (20 type-1, 5 type-2) were enrolled. Epileptic seizure and infection were the most common pathogenesis. Prominent clinical manifestations were disturbance of consciousness and visual disturbance. Cranial MRI of 20 RESLES type-1 episodes showed oval lesions in the splenium of corpus callosum (SCC), and five RESLES type-2 episodes showed lesions in the entire corpus callosum that were associated with the symmetric cerebral white matter. Lesions were hyperintense on diffusion-weighed images (DWI) and disappeared when later reviewed (range, 4–30 days).
Conclusions
RESLES etiology in children is complex, and its clinical manifestations are nonspecific. Diagnosis mainly depends on cranial MRI, especially DWI, showing highly intense lesions on SCC. RESLES has a good prognosis and excessive treatment should be avoided.
Hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs), which allow the membership degree of an element to a set represented by several possible values, can be considered as a powerful tool to express uncertain information in ...the process of group decision making. We derive some correlation coefficient formulas for HFSs and apply them to clustering analysis under hesitant fuzzy environments. Two real world examples, i.e. software evaluation and classification as well as the assessment of business failure risk, are employed to illustrate the actual need of the clustering algorithm based on HFSs, which can incorporate the difference of evaluation information provided by different experts in clustering processes. In order to extend the application domain of the clustering algorithm in the framework of HFSs, we develop the interval-valued HFSs and the corresponding correlation coefficient formulas, and then demonstrate their application in clustering with interval-valued hesitant fuzzy information through a specific numerical example.
The health of radiation workers has always been our focus. Epidemiological investigation shows that long-term exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation can affect human health, especially cancer and ...cardiovascular disease, and there are many studies on it. However, up to now, there have been few reports on the research of blood and biological samples from radiation workers. In this study, radiation workers and healthy control groups were strictly screened, and the transcriptome of mRNA and circRNA was sequenced by extracting their peripheral venous blood. At the same time, appropriate data sets were selected in the GEO database for bioinformatics analysis, and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed. We identified 9 different circular ribonucleic acids, 3 tiny ribonucleic acids, and 2 central genes (NOD 2 and IRF 7). These differentially expressed genes and non-coding RNA are closely related to ionizing radiation damage, and play an important role as biological markers. In conclusion, this study may provide new insights into the role of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in the health of radiation workers, and provides a new strategy for the future study of radiation biology.
Background:
There are many methods to diagnose diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN); however, often, the various methods do not provide consistent results. Even the two methods recommended by the ...American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, Ewing's test and heart rate variability (HRV), sometimes give conflicting results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of agreement of the results of the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score 31 (COMPASS-31), skin sympathetic reaction (SSR) test, Ewing's test, and HRV in diagnosing DAN.
Methods:
Patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited and each received the COMPASS-31, SSR, Ewing's test, and HRV for the diagnosis of DAN. Patients were categorized as DAN(+) and DAN(–) by each of the tests. Kappa consistency tests were used to evaluate the agreement of diagnosing DAN between any two methods. Spearman's correlation test was used to evaluate the correlations of the severity of DAN between any two methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic value and the cutoff value of each method.
Results:
A total of 126 type 2 diabetic patients were included in the study. The percentages of DAN(+) results by HRV, Ewing's test, COMPASS-31, and SSR were 61, 40, 35, and 33%, respectively. COMPASS-31 and Ewing's test had the best agreement for diagnosing DAN (κ = 0.512,
p
< 0.001). COMPASS-31 and Ewing's test also had the best correlation with respect to the severity of DAN (
r
= 0.587,
p
< 0.001). Ewing's test and COMPASS-31 had relatively good diagnostic values (AUC = 0.703 and 0.630, respectively) in the ROC analyses.
Conclusions:
COMPASS-31 and Ewing's test exhibit good diagnostic consistency and severity correlation for the diagnosis of DAN. Either test is suitable for the diagnosis of DAN and treatment follow-up.
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