基于改进 abcd 模型的黄河源区径流变化与归因

为改进模型对高寒地区融雪径流模拟不足的缺陷，将融雪模块耦合到传统 abcd 模型。利用 1980—2018 年 逐月实测的径流数据和通过 AnuSpline 方法插值的格网气象要素，驱动改进后的abcd 模型，分析三江源生态保护 措施实施前后（1980—1999 年和 2000—2018 年）黄河源区径流的动态变化，并量化关键气象因素与人类活动对 径流变化的影响程度，即相对贡献。结果表明：耦合融雪模块的 abcd-snow 模型完善了高寒地区水文过程的模拟， 提高对径流的模拟性能，在黄河源区表现出较好的适用性；整个研究时段黄河源区的实测径流呈不显著减少趋势 （?0.80?mm/a，p>0.05），但 2000 年前径流则呈现显著下降趋势（?4.12?mm/a，p<0.05），2000 年后径流则呈显著增加 趋势（3.16?mm/a，p<0.05）；?归因分析表明气候变化是源区径流变化的主导因素。2000 年前，气候变化对径流减少 的相对贡献率为 62.8%，人类活动对径流的贡献为 37.2%；2000 年后，气候变化对径流增加的贡献率达到 120.0?%， 人类活动对径流的贡献为?20.0%。其中：降水的变化是决定径流变化主导因素；其他气候因素的相对贡献较小； 以人类活动为主的生态恢复可显著降低河川径流。本研究有助于理解气候变化和下垫面变化对黄河源区水资源 变化的系统驱动机理，并为流域水资源合理配置提供科学参考依据。     

Quantification of Dendritic Spines Remodeling under Physiological Stimuli and in Pathological Conditions

Numerous brain diseases are associated with abnormalities in morphology and density of dendritic spines, small membranous protrusions whose structural geometry correlates with the strength of synaptic connections. Thus, the quantitative analysis of dendritic spines remodeling in microscopic images is one of the key elements towards understanding mechanisms of structural neuronal plasticity and bases of brain pathology. In the following article, we review experimental approaches designed to assess quantitative features of dendritic spines under physiological stimuli and in pathological conditions. We compare various methodological pipelines of biological models, sample preparation, data analysis, image acquisition, sample size, and statistical analysis. The methodology and results of relevant experiments are systematically summarized in a tabular form. In particular, we focus on quantitative data regarding the number of animals, cells, dendritic spines, types of studied parameters, size of observed changes, and their statistical significance.     

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy in Novel Porcine Model of Diffuse Liver Damage Induced by Repeated Biliary Obstruction

In liver surgery, biliary obstruction can lead to secondary biliary cirrhosis, a life-threatening disease with liver transplantation as the only curative treatment option. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been shown to improve liver function in both acute and chronic liver disease models. This study evaluated the effect of allogenic MSC transplantation in a large animal model of repeated biliary obstruction followed by partial hepatectomy. MSC transplantation supported the growth of regenerated liver tissue after 14 days (MSC group, n = 10: from 1087 ± 108 (0 h) to 1243 ± 92 mL (14 days); control group, n = 11: from 1080 ± 95 (0 h) to 1100 ± 105 mL (14 days), p = 0.016), with a lower volume fraction of hepatocytes in regenerated liver tissue compared to resected liver tissue (59.5 ± 10.2% vs. 70.2 ± 5.6%, p < 0.05). Volume fraction of connective tissue, blood vessels and bile vessels in regenerated liver tissue, serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP and GGT) and liver metabolites (albumin, bilirubin, urea and creatinine), as well as plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and TGF-β, were not affected by MSC transplantation. In our novel, large animal (pig) model of repeated biliary obstruction followed by partial hepatectomy, MSC transplantation promoted growth of liver tissue without any effect on liver function. This study underscores the importance of translating results between small and large animal models as well as the careful translation of results from animal model into human medicine.     

Synthesis and properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ – Y2Ba4CuWO10.8 superconducting composites

YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) is a well-known high-temperature superconductor. However, its critical current density and thus maximum trapped magnetic field can be improved significantly by introducing the secondary phases (artificial pinning centers). In this contribution, we successfully prepared YBCO single-grain bulks with Y₂Ba₄CuWO_10.8 phase serving as a source of pinning centers. This phase was prepared by solid-state reaction and further refined by milling. In the next step single-grain YBCO bulks with homogeneously distributed Y₂Ba₄CuWO_10.8 were prepared by top-seeded melt growth. Precursors as well as the final product were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS. The phase composition of YBCO bulks containing Y₂Ba₄CuWO_10.8 was analyzed using Rietveld analysis. Thermal stability of YBCO bulk was studied by STA. Furthermore, PPMS was used to study electrical resistivity and critical current density. Bulk superconducting properties such as levitation force and trapped field ability were also measured.     

Human Anti-Oxidation Protein A1M—A Potential Kidney Protection Agent in Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been in clinical use for 15 years to treat metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. PRRT is limited by reabsorption and retention of the administered radiolabeled somatostatin analogues in the proximal tubule. Consequently, it is essential to develop and employ methods to protect the kidneys during PRRT. Today, infusion of positively charged amino acids is the standard method of kidney protection. Other methods, such as administration of amifostine, are still under evaluation and show promising results. α₁-microglobulin (A1M) is a reductase and radical scavenging protein ubiquitously present in plasma and extravascular tissue. Human A1M has antioxidation properties and has been shown to prevent radiation-induced in vitro cell damage and protect non-irradiated surrounding cells. It has recently been shown in mice that exogenously infused A1M and the somatostatin analogue octreotide are co-localized in proximal tubules of the kidney after intravenous infusion. In this review we describe the current situation of kidney protection during PRRT, discuss the necessity and implications of more precise dosimetry and present A1M as a new, potential candidate for renal protection during PRRT and related targeted radionuclide therapies.     

Unsupervised Segmentation of Stereoscopic Video Objects: Constrained Segmentation Fusion Versus Greedy Active Contours

In this paper, we present a novel memory access reduction scheme (MARS) for two-dimension fast cosine transform (2-D FCT). It targets programmable DSPs with high memory-access latency. It reduces the number of memory accesses by: 1) reducing the number of weighting factors and 2) combining butterflies in vector-radix 2-D FCT pruning diagram from two stages to one stage with an efficient structure. Hardware platform based on general purpose processor is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method for vector-radix 2-D FCT pruning implementation. Experimental results validate the benefits of the proposed method with reduced memory access, less clock cycle and fewer memory space compared with the conventional implementation.     

New Insights to Clathrin and Adaptor Protein 2 for the Design and Development of Therapeutic Strategies

The Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) has been extensively studied for its role as the precursor of the β-amyloid protein (Aβ) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, our understanding of the normal function of APP is still patchy. Emerging evidence indicates that a dysfunction in APP trafficking and degradation can be responsible for neuronal deficits and progressive degeneration in humans. We recently reported that the Y₆₈₂ mutation in the ₆₈₂YENPTY₆₈₇ domain of APP affects its binding to specific adaptor proteins and leads to its anomalous trafficking, to defects in the autophagy machinery and to neuronal degeneration. In order to identify adaptors that influence APP function, we performed pull-down experiments followed by quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) on hippocampal tissue extracts of three month-old mice incubated with either the ₆₈₂YENPTY₆₈₇ peptide, its mutated form, ₆₈₂GENPTY₆₈₇ or its phosphorylated form, ₆₈₂pYENPTY₆₈₇. Our experiments resulted in the identification of two proteins involved in APP internalization and trafficking: Clathrin heavy chain (hc) and its Adaptor Protein 2 (AP-2). Overall our results consolidate and refine the importance of Y₆₈₂ in APP normal functions from an animal model of premature aging and dementia. Additionally, they open the perspective to consider Clathrin hc and AP-2 as potential targets for the design and development of new therapeutic strategies.     

Beyond graph neural networks with lifted relational neural networks

Machine Learning - We introduce a declarative differentiable programming framework, based on the language of Lifted Relational Neural Networks, where small parameterized logic programs are used to...     

Allyl Isothiocyanate Inhibits Actin-Dependent Intracellular Transport in Arabidopsis thaliana

Volatile allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) derives from the biodegradation of the glucosinolate sinigrin and has been associated with growth inhibition in several plants, including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms of this feature remain scarcely investigated in plants. In this study, we present evidence of an AITC-induced inhibition of actin-dependent intracellular transport in A. thaliana. A transgenic line of A. thaliana expressing yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-tagged actin filaments was used to show attenuation of actin filament movement by AITC. This appeared gradually in a time- and dose-dependent manner and resulted in actin filaments appearing close to static. Further, we employed four transgenic lines with YFP-fusion proteins labeling the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vacuoles and peroxisomes to demonstrate an AITC-induced inhibition of actin-dependent intracellular transport of or, in these structures, consistent with the decline in actin filament movement. Furthermore, the morphologies of actin filaments, ER and vacuoles appeared aberrant following AITC-exposure. However, AITC-treated seedlings of all transgenic lines tested displayed morphologies and intracellular movements similar to that of the corresponding untreated and control-treated plants, following overnight incubation in an AITC-absent environment, indicating that AITC-induced decline in actin-related movements is a reversible process. These findings provide novel insights into the cellular events in plant cells following exposure to AITC, which may further expose clues to the physiological significance of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system.