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The information on land surface phenology (LSP) was extracted from remote sensing data in many studies. However, few studies have evaluated the impacts of satellite products with different spatial resolutions on LSP extraction over regions with a heterogeneous topography. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study took the Loess Plateau as an example region and employed four types of satellite data with different spatial resolutions (250, 500, and 1000 m MODIS NDVI during the period 2001–2020 and ~10 km GIMMS3g during the period 1982–2015) to investigate the LSP changes that took place. We used the correlation coefficient (r) and root mean square error (RMSE) to evaluate the performances of various satellite products and further analyzed the applicability of the four satellite products. Our results showed that the MODIS-based start of the growing season (SOS) and end of the growing season (EOS) were highly correlated with the ground-observed data with r values of 0.82 and 0.79, respectively (p < 0.01), while the GIMMS3g-based phenology signal performed badly (r < 0.50 and p > 0.05). Spatially, the LSP that was derived from the MODIS products produced more reasonable spatial distributions. The inter-annual averaged MODIS SOS and EOS presented overall advanced and delayed trends during the period 2001–2020, respectively. More than two-thirds of the SOS advances and EOS delays occurred in grasslands, which determined the overall phenological changes across the entire Loess Plateau. However, both inter-annual trends of SOS and EOS derived from the GIMMS3g data were opposite to those seen in the MODIS results. There were no significant differences among the three MODIS datasets (250, 500, and 1000 m) with regard to a bias lower than 2 days, RMSE lower than 1 day, and correlation coefficient greater than 0.95 (p < 0.01). Furthermore, it was found that the phenology that was derived from the data with a 1000 m spatial resolution in the heterogeneous topography regions was feasible. Yet, in forest ecosystems and areas with an accumulated temperature ≥10 °C, the differences in phenological phase between the MODIS products could be amplified.

Background Unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (UBE-LIF) has been successfully used to treat degenerative lumbar spinal diseases. Nevertheless, the duration of the UBE-LIF procedure notably exceeds that of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Mis-TLIF), increasing the potential for perioperative complications, particularly in elderly patients. Objective This retrospective study aimed to compare the results of robot assistance (RA) and non-assistance (NA) groups and to explore the benefits of UBE-LIF assisted by a Tianji robot in aged patients. Methods 60 patients were divided into two groups: 30 patients in the RA group and 30 in the NA group from January 2022 to June 2023. The surgical duration, estimated intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, length of hospital stays, and radiation exposure were examined and documented. Clinical assessments, including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog scale (VAS), modified MacNab criteria, postoperative complications, and interbody fusion rate, were also evaluated. Results No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of postoperative drainage, length of postoperative hospital stay, or fusion rate. However, the RA group exhibited lower perioperative complications, estimated intraoperative blood loss, and duration of radiation exposure than the NA group. The average total operation time in the RA group was 105.3 ± 25.8 min, which was significantly shorter than the NA group’s average of 130.5 ± 22.5 min (P < 0.001). Furthermore, both groups demonstrated improvements in all clinical outcomes at various postoperative time points, with no significant differences between them (P > 0.05). Conclusions Compared with the NA approach, robot-assisted UBE-LIF technology provides accurate intraoperative guidance and helps spinal surgeons achieve accurate decompression. Furthermore, it can reduce radiation exposure, operation time, blood loss, and surgical complications, thereby improving the surgical efficiency and safety.

As one of the major methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers in their early stages, the percutaneous puncture technique has bright prospect in biopsy, ablation, proximity radiotherapy, and drug delivery. Recent years, researchers found the flexible needle cannot realize feedback control during the puncture surgeries only by path planning. To solve this problem, the flexible needle is tried to achieve real-time detection in this paper. Compared with previous methods, the strain gauges glued on the needle surface rather than the medical imaging techniques is used to collect the information to reconstruct the needle curve, which is benefit to integrate the whole system and obtain a more simple and accurate closed-loop control. This paper presented the math model of curve fitting and analyzed the causes of curve fitting errors. To verify the feasibility of this method, an experiment setup was built. Results from the experiments validated the solution in this paper to be effective.

Limited by the current monitoring and collection methods of subsurface flow data, the characteristics of phosphorus (P) migration loss in different soil layers on sloping cropland under natural rainfall conditions need to be clarified. In this study, a reliable U-trough collection method was used to explore P migration losses in different purple soil layers (L 0 : surface, L 1 : 0–20 cm, L 2 : 20–40 cm, and L 3 : 40–60 cm) for purple soil sloping cropland during a field monitoring campaign spanning two calendar years under natural rainfall conditions. The results suggested that the annual surface P loss load was 1.08 kg*ha −1 *yr −1 , where 92.1% was particulate P. The annual leaching loss load of total P from the L 1 layer was 3.55 kg*ha −1 *yr −1 , where 74.2% and 10.5% were intercepted by the L 2 and L 3 layers, respectively, to increase the in situ soil P stocks. Only 15.3% of L 1 ’s annually leached P, and only half the surface P loss load (L 0 ), was lost to underground water. Heavy-rain events on the purple soils in the studied sloping cropland induced 43.9% of the annual surface P loss load. In contrast, 36.1%, 30.5%, and 30.3% of P’s eventual annual leached loss loads resulted from heavy, moderate, and torrential rain events, respectively. The maize season was the main period of surface and subsurface P migration loss. Due to the limitation of experimental conditions, the results of this experiment could not represent the soil phosphorus migration process in the natural purple slope farmland in nature, but it could partially represent the soil phosphorus migration in the newly cultivated purple sloping cropland in Chongqing.

Multivariate statistics are commonly used to identify the factors that control the dynamics of runoff or sediment yields during hydrological processes. However, one issue with the use of conventional statistical methods to address relationships between variables and runoff or sediment yield is multicollinearity. The main objectives of this study were to apply a method for effectively identifying runoff and sediment control factors during hydrological processes and apply that method to a case study. The method combines the clustering approach and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. The case study was conducted in a mountainous watershed in the Three Gorges Area. A total of 29 flood events in three hydrological years in areas with different land uses were obtained. In total, fourteen related variables were separated from hydrographs using the classical hydrograph separation method. Twenty-nine rainfall events were classified into two rainfall regimes (heavy Rainfall Regime I and moderate Rainfall Regime II) based on rainfall characteristics and K-means clustering. Four separate PLSR models were constructed to identify the main variables that control runoff and sediment yield for the two rainfall regimes. For Rainfall Regime I, the dominant first-order factors affecting the changes in sediment yield in our study were all of the four rainfall-related variables, flood peak discharge, maximum flood suspended sediment concentration, runoff, and the percentages of forest and farmland. For Rainfall Regime II, antecedent condition-related variables have more effects on both runoff and sediment yield than in Rainfall Regime I. The results suggest that the different control factors of the two rainfall regimes are determined by the rainfall characteristics and thus different runoff mechanisms.

Whether in terms of social media platforms, mobile pay apps or an increasing acceptance of RFID chips in humans, technology has transformed everyday life for consumers. Social networks have experienced enormous growth as online personal networking media. Social exchange theory (for motivation and social reward) and theories of collective action can be applied in order to understand how an individual’s behavior may exert effects on or receive influences from other users with regard to the continuance usage intention of social apps. First, this study aims to examine behavioral characteristics of the Millennials, and takes flow and social reward systematically so as to explore SNS users’ continuance based on SNS characteristics. Targeting Millennials SNS users, this study empirically examines users’ continuance intention at individual level and simulates users’ continuance behavior at group level, which are expected to be influential as a next generation of purchasing group, focusing on social network services (SNS) usage. Second, this study tries to suggest strategic implications by identifying key factors that dominate SNS users’ behavior in the process of experiencing SNS. For the empirical purpose, this study analyzes the relationship between SNS characteristics (motivation to use, density, and centrality) and usage behavior (flow, social reward, and continuous intention to use). As a result, each construct of motivation to use SNS, SNS density, and SNS centrality are positively linked with flow. Motivation to use SNS and SNS centrality are positively associated with social reward, however, SNS density does not have a significant effect on social reward. In addition, flow and social reward turn out to have positive linkage with continuous intention to use respectively. The findings of this study are expected to provide implications for researchers and operators in related fields to identify various factors that explain the SNS usages of the Millennials, especially the major factors that sustain SNS involvement and activities. This study can enrich both SNS continuance theory, and help SNS operators to manipulate resources effectively to attract and retain users.

Abstract Sclerotinia stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the most important diseases of oilseed rape in the world. Because of the absence of resistant varieties and the disadvantages of chemical control, application of antifungal microbes has become an eco-friendly and effective measure to control this disease. In this study, Bacillus subtilis strain RSS-1, isolated from soil samples, was identified based on morphological, physiological and biochemical tests, and DNA gyrase subunit A (gyrA), gyrB, DNA-directed RNA polymerase subunit beta (rpoB) and rpoC gene sequence analysis. It significantly inhibited mycelial growth and sclerotial production of S. sclerotiorum in vitro. In greenhouse experiments, all three tested concentrations (106, 107, 108 cfu mL−1) of cell fermentation broth and culture filtrate significantly reduced the severity of sclerotinia stem rot on oilseed rape (P < 0.05). RSS-1 was more effective at reducing disease severity when applied 24 h before inoculation with S. sclerotiorum than at 24 h post inoculation, suggesting that RSS-1 should be applied as a prophylactic rather than a curative biological agent. Colonization tests indicated that the population density of RSS-1 on rapeseed leaves significantly decreased (P < 0.05) over 6 days. However, RSS-1 could stably colonize in rhizospheric soil of rapeseed over 30 days. Challenge inoculation tests showed that RSS-1 significantly inhibited the activities of polygalacturonase and cellulase and accumulation of oxalic acid during the S. sclerotiorum infection. These results suggest that RSS-1 was a potential biological agent for controlling sclerotinia stem rot caused by S. sclerotiorum on oilseed rape.

This study explores the relationship between spatial form and inner vitality, and discusses the impact of three morphological variables on spatial vitality and spatial cognition of residents and tourists. The purpose of this study is to investigate the internal relationship between spatial morphological characteristics, spatial vitality, and people’s spatial cognition. In China, the over-commercialization of tourism has led to changes in the historical spaces of many traditional villages, and the problems of homogenization and commercialization have become increasingly obvious. To address this, this study will use a combination of space syntax and cognitive imagery to understand the historical street space. Space syntax theory quantifies the division of spatial scales and studies the relationship between spatial form and human behavior. The concept of cognitive imagery reproduces the user’s spatial cognition through imagery, and explores the relationship between spatial elements and cognition. Combining these two theories can provide a better understanding of the laws of spatial form and behavioral cognition. This study investigates the historical streets in Hongcun village, a World Cultural Heritage Site located in China. The research sample consists of 51 tourists who have been traveled to Hongcun, and 49 villagers who still reside in the study area. Spatial analysis was performed using DepthmapX software. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the degree of integration, intelligibility, and optionality of traditional street space, the vitality of the space, and people’s cognition. However, residents and tourists have different perceptions of the same traditional street space due to their different identities and awareness. When formulating protection and utilization plans, the needs of residents and tourists should be considered comprehensively to achieve a reasonable allocation of village spaces. The study’s results provide a reference for policymakers to better understand the relationship between the spatial form and inner vitality of traditional villages.

The combined role of ground cover management in controlling soil erosion and nutrient loss from new orchards is still less understood. In this study, four ground cover management practices, orchard with grass cover (OG), orchard with interplant cover (OI), orchard with straw cover (OS), and orchard with bare ground (OB), were designed to identify their impacts on soil erosion and associated carbon–nitrogen-phosphorus loss in new orchards by rainfall simulation tests with rainfall intensities of 60, 90, and 120 mm h −1 and 90 min rainfall duration. The results showed that OS had the lowest surface flow coefficient (6.6%) and highest subsurface flow coefficient (32.5%). The highest soil loss rate occurred in the OB plot (65.4 g m −2  min −1 ), and the lowest soil loss rate occurred in the OS plot (0.5 g m −2  min −1 ). OS plot showed better effectiveness in improving soil erosion. However, the increased infiltration capacity was facilitated in terms of causing non-point source pollution. The C-N-P ratios of surface flow in different cover measures (OB, OI, OG, and OS) were 1.4:1.2:0.9:1, 1.8:1.7:1.2:1, and 2.3:1.9:1.2:1, respectively. The ratios of sediment in different cover measures were 7.3:9:2.3:1, 2:1.5:1.2:1, and 1.2:1:0.8:0.7, respectively. Cover management plots play an active role in reducing nutrient loss in surface flow and sediment, but the increased infiltration in covered management plots is associated with the risk of groundwater contamination in subsurface flow. The C-N-P ratios of subsurface flow in OB and covered managed plots (OI, OG, and OS) were 1:3.3:1.6:2.7, 1:1.5:2.2:2.4 and 1:1.2:1.5:1.3, respectively. Therefore, when managing the phenomenon of soil erosion through ground cover measures, attention should also be focused on the function of cover measures in regulating non-point source pollution underground, such as subsurface flow. This research recommends a combination of cover management measures to further mitigate erosion and the risk of groundwater contamination.

PURPOSE: This paper aims to use the composite fingerprinting method to reconstruct the environmental history after the Grain-for-Green Project and to provide effective sediment management and soil erosion-control strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used a composite fingerprinting method based on 45 geochemical properties and a mixing model to investigate sediment core changes in the sediment source in an agricultural catchment with little native vegetation. The samples consisted of 77 source samples (i.e., gully, grassland, forest, cropland, and fallow land) and five sediment cores. Genetic algorithm (GA) optimization has been recently used to find the best optimum source contribution to sediments. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results demonstrate that gully is the main sediment source in this catchment, constituting 34.7 %, followed by cropland (28.2 %), forest (21.5 %), grassland (12.7 %), and fallow land (2.9 %). However, the relative contribution of each source type was variable in all five sediment cores. The sediment that derived from grassland was relatively stable in the five cores. The relative contribution of forest was higher in the downstream portion of the check dam and lower in the upstream portion and gradually increased in the direction of the runoff pathway. As the forest matured, the sediment that derived from the forest gradually decreased. Changes in the hydro-ecological environment would lead to the leaf litter and understory being poorly developed and the soil being bare in the forest, making it more vulnerable to erosion. CONCLUSIONS: Reforestation and fallow are the key ecological strategies for reducing soil erosion. However, at the beginning of the Grain-for-Green Project, the young forest contributed 21.5 % of the sediment, indicating that natural fallow may be a better-designed sediment management and soil erosion-control strategy.