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Identifying small-scale burn scars is critical for global carbon accounting, yet remains computationally challenging due to spectral complexity and ground truth scarcity in heterogeneous landscapes. Conventional deep learning models often fail to generalize in such environments, lacking both domain-specific priors and representative training distributions required for precise segmentation. Here, we show that optimizing the fine-tuning of the Prithvi Earth Foundation Model (EFM) via Multidimensional Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) establishes a robust framework for this task. Our comparative analysis reveals that the domain-adapted Prithvi model achieves a Mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 0.91, outperforming standard Vision Transformers (ViT) by 31.9% and significantly surpassing reconstruction-based architectures, such as Scale-MAE. We demonstrate that LHS is superior to Simple Random Sampling (SRS) for optimizing foundation models, as it ensures statistical fidelity with a Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) statistic below 0.1 and effectively captures the tail distributions of fire weather indices. Furthermore, our framework exhibited exceptional data efficiency, retaining 94.5% of its peak accuracy with only 100 training samples. These findings provide a scalable solution for monitoring small-scale disasters in data-constrained regions and validate the synergy between rigorous sampling strategies and EFMs.

As an important component of China’s conservation strategy, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park faces conflicts between environmental protection and community development. Taking the Hunchun area as a case study, here a choice experiment is employed to construct a policy-scenario model encompassing participation mechanisms, benefit-sharing models, and industrial development. Our analysis of farmers’ heterogeneous policy preferences reveals the following. (1) Farmers significantly prefer cooperative organization participation, ecological industry, and ecological compensation while showing less acceptance of agricultural deep processing. (2) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that middle-aged, educated, and low-income male farmers have stronger preferences for policy optimization. (3) Existing homogeneous policies do not satisfy diversified stakeholder demands. We propose a governance framework integrating ecology, industry, and institutions, suggesting practical pathways such as optimizing interest distribution mechanisms, innovating green industry models, and establishing cross-regional ecological compensation mechanisms. This study provides theoretical and practical support for reconciling conservation and development in protected areas.

A bstract In this paper, working in eikonal approximation, we present a proof for the exponentiation of the 2-body eikonal phase to all orders in the eikonal expansion , for scalar particles interacting electromagnetically or gravitationally. The proof is based on the worldline formalism, which is an alternative, first quantized method to the standard QFT calculation of the scattering amplitude. We show that in the worldline formalism the 2-body scattering amplitude written in impact parameter space naturally factorizes at each loop order. This factorization is responsible for the exponentiation of the eikonal phase, a result which was anticipated in the work of Mogull, Plefka, and Steinhoff [1].

Black phosphorus has been revisited recently as a new two-dimensional material showing potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Here we report the anisotropic in-plane thermal conductivity of suspended few-layer black phosphorus measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The armchair and zigzag thermal conductivities are ∼20 and ∼40 W m −1  K −1 for black phosphorus films thicker than 15 nm, respectively, and decrease to ∼10 and ∼20 W m −1  K −1 as the film thickness is reduced, exhibiting significant anisotropy. The thermal conductivity anisotropic ratio is found to be ∼2 for thick black phosphorus films and drops to ∼1.5 for the thinnest 9.5-nm-thick film. Theoretical modelling reveals that the observed anisotropy is primarily related to the anisotropic phonon dispersion, whereas the intrinsic phonon scattering rates are found to be similar along the armchair and zigzag directions. Surface scattering in the black phosphorus films is shown to strongly suppress the contribution of long mean-free-path acoustic phonons. The two-dimensional material black phosphorus could find uses in energy applications. Here, the authors study the difference in in-plane thermal conductivity along the armchair and zigzag directions in suspended few-layer black phosphorus, and show the dependence of this anisotropy on sample thickness.

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of the employment of a tourniquet in the management of a posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCLR) surgery. We hypothesized that PCLR without tourniquet use would reduce postoperative joint swelling and tourniquet-related complications while maintaining comparable surgical outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed 108 consecutive patients who underwent PCLR surgery between March 2016 and July 2022. Exclusion criteria included osteoarthritis, meniscus injury requiring repair, history of peripheral neuropathy, pregnancy, lumbar radiculopathy, or prior knee surgery on the affected or contralateral knee. Patients were categorized into tourniquet and non-tourniquet groups according to their surgery dates. The outcomes were evaluated by quantifying pain levels using the visual analog scale (VAS) and assessing the range of motion. Duration of operation, arthroscopic visibility, complications, consumption of analgesic, and total bleeding from suction and drainage were recorded. Of the 108 patients, 55 patients received PCLR with the tourniquet between March 2016 and October 2019, and 53 patients received PCLR without a tourniquet between November 2019 and July 2022. No significant difference was found in sex, age, or body mass index (BMI). There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to intraoperatively arthroscopic visualization, operation time, total bleeding, pain score, consumption of analgesic, and range of motion. Both groups exhibited no instances of infection, wound complication, or venous thromboembolism (VTE). The rate of joint swelling was significantly higher in the tourniquet group than in the non-tourniquet group ( p  = 0.01). The tourniquet group also experienced a few instances of bruising and blister in the mid-thigh, while none occurred in the non-tourniquet group. Given the comparable outcomes in terms of arthroscopic visualization, operation time, bleeding, pain, function, and less joint swelling, we advocate discontinuing routine tourniquet use in PCL reconstruction. This approach significantly reduces swelling and local complications while maintaining surgical efficacy, aligning with modern minimally invasive principles.

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is an aggressive embryonal brain tumor among infants and young children. Two challenges exist for preclinical testing in ATRT. First, genetically quiet, ATRT is a difficult tumor to target molecularly. Tumor cells need to divide to propagate tumor growth—intercepting the common crossroads in cell cycle progression is a feasible strategy. KIF11 is needed for bipolar spindle formation in metaphase. We identified KIF11 as a universal target of all ATRT-molecular-subtypes. Ispinesib, a KIF11-inhibitor, effectively inhibited tumor proliferation in all seven cell lines. A second challenge—a major challenge in preclinical drug testing in-vivo among aggressive tumor models, is the narrow therapeutic window to administer drugs within the limited murine lifespan. Our most aggressive ATRT tumor model was lethal in all mice within ~ 1 month of tumor implantation. Such short-surviving mouse models are difficult to employ for preclinical drug testing due to the narrow time window to administer drugs. To overcome this time restriction, we developed a clinical staging system which allowed physically-fit mice to continue treatment, in contrast to the conventional method of fixed drug-dose-duration regimen in preclinical testing which will not be feasible in such short-surviving mouse models. We validated this approach in a second embryonal brain tumor, medulloblastoma. This is a clinically relevant, cost-efficient approach in preclinical testing for cancer and non-cancer disease phenotypes. Widely used preclinical mouse models are not the most accurate and lack the aggressive tumor spectrum found within a single tumor type. Mice bearing the most aggressive tumor spectrum progress rapidly in the limited murine life-span, resulting in a narrow therapeutic window to administer drugs, and are thus difficult to employ in preclinical testing. Our approach overcomes this challenge. We discovered ispinesib is efficacious against two embryonal brain tumor types.

The reliable production of two-dimensional (2D) crystals is essential for the development of new technologies based on 2D materials. However, current synthesis methods suffer from a variety of drawbacks, including limitations in crystal size and stability. Here, we report the fabrication of large-area, high-quality 2D tellurium (tellurene) using a substrate-free solution process. Our approach can create crystals with process-tunable thickness, from a monolayer to tens of nanometres, and with lateral sizes of up to 100 µm. The chiral-chain van der Waals structure of tellurene gives rise to strong in-plane anisotropic properties and large thickness-dependent shifts in Raman vibrational modes, which is not observed in other 2D layered materials. We also fabricate tellurene field-effect transistors, which exhibit air-stable performance at room temperature for over two months, on/off ratios on the order of 10 6 , and field-effect mobilities of about 700 cm 2  V −1  s −1 . Furthermore, by scaling down the channel length and integrating with high- k dielectrics, transistors with a significant on-state current density of 1 A mm −1 are demonstrated. A substrate-free solution process can create large-area two-dimensional tellurium crystals, which can be used to build field-effect transistors that exhibit air-stable performance at room temperature for over two months and high on-state current densities of 1 A mm –1 .

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has central roles enabling learning and memory, particularly via serotonin receptor 2A (5-HT 2A R) signaling. Drosophila Fragile X syndrome model ( dfmr1 null mutant) studies reveal impaired learning and memory, which may reflect serotonergic signaling deficits. Here, we use classical olfactory T-maze conditioning to assess behavior, combined with imaging to assess 5-HT and 5-HT 2A R levels within the underlying Mushroom Body (MB) brain circuitry. Null dfmr1 mutants exhibit learning and memory deficits that are corrected by elevating 5-HT signaling via 1) overexpression of the serotonin biosynthetic enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (Trhn) or 2) knockdown of the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT). Direct comparisons reveal both Trhn and SERT manipulations equally restore learning and memory in dfmr1 null mutants. 5-HT 2A R levels in the MB circuit are reduced relative to controls in dfmr1 mutants, and 5-HT 2A R RNAi phenocopies dfmr1 null behavioral deficits, suggesting these phenotypes are primarily caused by the loss of 5-HT 2A R signaling. Consistently, 5-HT 2A R overexpression in dfmr1 nulls restores normal learning and memory compared to controls. These findings suggest loss of 5-HT 2A R signaling causes learning and memory deficits in this Fragile X syndrome model, and that rectifying this signaling impairment can restore learning and memory, providing a framework for serotonergic intervention strategies.

BackgroundThis study explored the relationship between school-level built environment factors (building density and height) and myopia prevalence.MethodsIn all 16 districts of Shanghai, students from public schools and kindergartens underwent visual acuity testing and non-cycloplegic refraction between 2019 and 2023. Building density and height within 500-metre and 1,000-metre buffers around the schools were obtained using GIS (Geographic Information System)-based spatial and network analyses from the Tianditu database. Demographic and behavioural covariates, such as age, gender, outdoor activity time and near-work time, were collected through questionnaires. Logistic mixed-effect models were used to analyse the association between the building environment and myopia, adjusting for relevant demographic and behavioural factors.ResultsData from 8 647 375 participants were analysed, with 1 116 851 followed consistently. The myopia rate among students was significantly higher during 2020–2021 compared with 2019, 2022 and 2023 (p<0.05). Myopia was more prevalent in students aged 6 to 12, with a higher average age for myopic individuals (8.13 vs 6.64 years). The average building density was higher at schools of myopic students (15.70%) versus non-myopic students (14.90%) (p<0.001). Building density near schools was negatively correlated with spherical equivalent (p<0.05), while no significant association was found with building height. The risk of myopia increased with higher building density (OR: 1.143–1.202, p<0.05), particularly in boys over 12 years old. A stronger association was observed in inner suburban areas (p<0.001).ConclusionsProlonged exposure to high building density may accelerate myopia progression. Urban planning should consider vision health, with regulations on building density near schools to reduce myopia risk.

The friction and wear between a 45 steel pin and 316L stainless steel were studied on the FTM M30 controlled friction wear machine, the effect of loads and reciprocating frequencies on friction vibration was studied, and the Archard wear model equation was modified. The experimental results show that with the increase of contact load and reciprocating frequency, the amplitude of frictional vibration and the fluctuation degree of curve are more obvious, and the vibration displacement generated by frictional vibration increases with the rise of load and reciprocating frequency. Compared with the traditional Archard model, the modified Archard model reduces the prediction error of the wear loss of 316L stainless steel from approximately 80.78% to 14.29%, achieving an accuracy improvement of about 66.49%.