Experimental Variant Slope Soil Tank for Measurements of Runoff and Soil Erosion

Rainfall-runoff processes and the related soil erosion are pivotal research regions in hydrology, soil science, and environment science. Thus, physics model experiments in laboratory scale on the aspect of measuring runoff and soil are one of the best tools in this field. This chapter aims to specify the experimental variant slope soil tank at home and in the USA. The developing of experimental soil tank of variant slopes with artificial simulating rainfall system will assist to understand soil water motivation, runoff yield, and nonpoint source pollution

Modelling the effect of land use change on hydrological model parameters via linearized calibration method in the upstream of Huaihe River Basin, China

Conceptual rainfall–runoff models have become a basic tool for evaluating effects of land use/cover changes on the hydrologic processes in small-scale as well as large watersheds. The runoff-producing mechanism is influenced by land use/cover changes. In this study, we analysed the effect of land use change on hydrological model parameters by calibrating the model parameters of different time periods with different land use via a linearized calibration method. The parameter calibration of a conceptual model usually involves the construction of objective function and optimization methods for good performance of observed data. However, the objective function of the minimum-sum-squared error will introduce an unrelated optimum solution for the parameter calibration problem of a conceptual model, which belongs to a highly complex nonlinear system. Thus, a linearized parameter calibration method, which searches for the optimal value on a parameter surface, is presented, based on the analysis of the problems of the objective function of the minimum-sum-squared error. Firstly, an ideal model is shown that illustrates the efficiency and applicability of this method. Secondly, the novel method is demonstrated for solving the Xinanjiang daily model parameter calibration. Finally, 50 years of data are divided into 4 different periods for parameter comparison, through which the effects of land use/cover changes on runoff in Dapoling watershed are evaluated. The results show that the linearized parameter calibration method is convergent, reasonable and effective. For example, the model parameter of evapotranspiration coefficient KC varied considerably, from 0.658 to 0.922, in response to land use/cover change within the watershed.Keywords: land use/cover change; parameter calibration; linearized; upper Huaihe River Basi

Dense matter with eXTP

In this White Paper we present the potential of the Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for determining the nature of dense matter; neutron star cores host an extreme density regime which cannot be replicated in a terrestrial laboratory. The tightest statistical constraints on the dense matter equation of state will come from pulse profile modelling of accretion-powered pulsars, burst oscillation sources, and rotation-powered pulsars. Additional constraints will derive from spin measurements, burst spectra, and properties of the accretion flows in the vicinity of the neutron star. Under development by an international Consortium led by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science, the eXTP mission is expected to be launched in the mid 2020s.Comment: Accepted for publication on Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (2019

Limit Cycles Bifurcated from Some Z

We study the number and distribution of limit cycles of some planar Z4-equivariant quintic near-Hamiltonian systems. By the theories of Hopf and heteroclinic bifurcation, it is proved that the perturbed system can have 24 limit cycles with some new distributions. The configurations of limit cycles obtained in this paper are new

Prenatal echocardiography diagnosis of a novel combination of bilateral ductus arteriosus and cardiovascular anomalies: a case report and literature review

BackgroundBilateral ductus arteriosus (BDA) is a relatively rare vascular malformation. According to the double arch theory, BDA is formed when the distal ends of the sixth pairs of primitive arches on the left and right sides have not regressed. We describe a fetus with prenatal echocardiographic findings of BDA and right aortic arch mirror-image branching (RAA-MIB) combined with congenital heart disease. Furthermore, to gain a deeper understanding of the embryological mechanism of BDA, we review the literature on all combinations of BDA present in 40 fetuses/infants.Case summaryA 22-year-old female patient underwent fetal echocardiography at 23 weeks of gestation. Both the two-dimensional (2D) grayscale image and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) revealed dextro-transposition of the great arteries combined with a ventricular septal defect and RAA-MIB. The following scan revealed a rare vascular ring, which was identified as BDA extending from the confluent of the left pulmonary artery and right pulmonary artery, completely encircling the trachea to form an “O”-shaped vascular ring before finally converging into the descending aorta. A persistent left superior vena cava was also observed. We subsequently used four-dimensional (4D) color Doppler imaging with the spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) HD live flow and STIC HD live flow silhouette mode to clearly display ventricular arterial connectivity and the direction of vessel travel. Adjusting the image quality and display angle is very important when applying STIC. The 4D images confirmed our diagnosis. After multidisciplinary counseling and discussion with her family, this female patient decided to terminate the pregnancy.ConclusionOur review of the literature summarized nine combinations classified into three types of BDA and aortic arch pathology. However, our case differs because it is a novel combination of intracardiac structural abnormalities and vascular rings in a fetus. Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of BDA is important and requires a combination of 2D grayscale, CDFI, and STIC images to assist in scanning

Testing a Conceptual Lumped Model in Karst Area, Southwest China

Karst aquifers are known for their heterogeneous physical properties and irregular complex flow patterns which make it a challenge to describe the hydrological behavior and to quantitatively define the distribution of river flow components using hydrologic models. In this paper, a conceptual lumped hydrologic model, Xin’anjiang model (XAJ), was applied in Sancha River, which is a karst basin in southwest China, for the simulation of streamflow. The performance of XAJ model was evaluated based on the model’s ability to reproduce the streamflow and baseflow. Percentage of bias (PBIAS), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and standard deviation (RSR) were calculated between the simulated and measured flow for both calibration and validation period. The low PBIAS and RSR (2.7% and 0.367 for calibration period, 1.3% and 0.376 for validation period) and the high NSE and R2 (0.866 and 0.866 for calibration period, 0.858 and 0.860 for validation period) indicate that the model structure and parameters are of reasonable validity. Furthermore, streamflow was separated to baseflow and surface flow using the “baseflow programme,” and the calculated results indicate that the model could also reproduce the response of baseflow in such karst system

Breaking Boundaries: Chronic Diseases and the Frontiers of Immune Microenvironments

The immune microenvironment includes immune cells, cytokines, extracellular matrix, vesicles, etc. The interactions between these components form a unique local immune microecology. Although immunity serves as the defense against external pathogens, aberrant immune activation often contributes to disease development. Chronic diseases, a broad category of noncommunicable conditions characterized by long latency and prolonged course, are increasingly recognized for their intricate relationship with the immune microenvironment. Herein, we comprehensively summarize how the immune microenvironment, through its complex regulatory network, influences the progression and manifestation of chronic diseases. We further explore the potential of targeting the immune microenvironment as a therapeutic strategy, aiming to provide new insights and directions for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases

Isotopic Characteristics of Precipitation and Origin of Moisture Sources in Hemuqiao Catchment, a Small Watershed in the Lower Reach of Yangtze River

The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in the water cycle have become a significant tool to study run-off formation, hydrograph separation, and the origin of precipitation. Precipitation assessment based on isotopic data has a potential implication for moisture sources. In the study, δD and δ18O of precipitation samples collected from six rainfall events were analyzed for stable isotope composition to provide implication of isotopic characteristics as well as moisture sources in Hemuqiao basin within Lake Tai drainage basin, eastern China. In these events, stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of precipitation had strong variations. Models of the meteoric water line and deuterium excess for different rainfall types (typhoon and plum rain, which is caused by precipitation along a persistent stationary front known as the Meiyu front for nearly two months during the late spring and early summer between eastern Russia, China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan) were established. Compared with plum rain, the moisture source of typhoon events had higher relative humidity and temperature. Moisture transport pathways were traced using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT Model, developed by NOAA, Washington DC, U.S.) to verify the linkage with isotopic composition and moisture source. The moisture sources of typhoon events mostly derived from tropical ocean air with higher isotopic value, while that of plum rain events came from near-source local air with lower isotopic value