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Geological conditions along the Karakorum Highway (KKH) promote the occurrence of frequent natural disasters, which pose a serious threat to its normal operation. Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) provides a basis for analyzing and evaluating the degree of landslide susceptibility of an area. However, there has been limited analysis of actual landslide activity processes in real-time. The SBAS-InSAR (Small Baseline Subsets-Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) method can fully consider the current landslide susceptibility situation and, thus, it can be used to optimize the results of LSM. In this study, we compared the results of LSM using logistic regression and Random Forest models along the KKH. Both approaches produced a classification in terms of very low, low, moderate, high, and very high landslide susceptibility. The evaluation results of the two models revealed a high susceptibility of land sliding in the Gaizi Valley and the Tashkurgan Valley. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve and historical landslide verification points were used to compare the evaluation accuracy of the two models. The Area under Curve (AUC) value of the Random Forest model was 0.981, and 98.79% of the historical landslide points in the verification points fell within the range of high and very high landslide susceptibility degrees. The Random Forest evaluation results were found to be superior to those of the logistic regression and they were combined with the SBAS-InSAR results to conduct a new LSM. The results showed an increase in the landslide susceptibility degree for 2808 cells. We conclude that this optimized landslide susceptibility mapping can provide valuable decision support for disaster prevention and it also provides theoretical guidance for the maintenance and normal operation of KKH.

Global assessments of landslide impact on critical communication infrastructure have become urgent because of rising occurrences related to human activities and climate change. The landslide and glacial slide susceptibility along the Karakoram Highway poses a significant threat to the infrastructure ecosystem, local communities, and the critical China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. This research paper utilized the Small Baseline Subset InSAR technique to monitor the deformation patterns over the past 5 years, yielding high-resolution insights into the terrain instability in this geologically active region. The SBAS time series results reveal that the substantial cumulative deformation in our study area ranges from 203 mm to −486 mm, with annual deformation rates spanning from 62 mm/year to −104 mm/year. Notably, the deformation that occurred is mainly concentrated in the northern section of our study area. The slope’s aspect is responsible for the maximum deformed material flow towards the Karakoram Highway via steep slopes, lost glacial formations, and the climate variations that cause the instability of the terrain. The given pattern suggests that the northern area of the Karakoram Highway is exposed to a greater risk from the combined influence of glacial slides, landslides, and climatic shifts, which call for the increased monitoring of the Karakoram Highway. The SBAS-InSAR method is first-rate in deformation monitoring, and it provides a scientific basis for developing real-time landslide monitoring systems. The line of sight limitations and the complexity and imprecision of weather-induced signal degradation should be balanced through additional data sources, such as field surveys to conduct large slide and glacial slide susceptibility evaluations. These research results support proactive hazard mitigation and infrastructure planning along the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor by incorporating SBAS-InSAR monitoring into the original planning. The country’s trade policymakers and national level engineers can enhance transport resilience, efficiently manage the landslide and glacial slide risks, and guarantee safer infrastructure along this strategic trade route.

For a preliminary geoheritage assessment, we conducted the first detailed characterization and quantification of outcrops exposed along the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and parts of Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP). This assessment was based on multiple pieces of evidence, including a detailed literature review, fieldwork, the lithology of the selected rocks exposed along the traverses, and the potential for geoconservation. These are the types of geosites we've come up with: complex geosites (CGs), economic geosites (EGs), geomorphological geosites (GGs), tectonic geosites (TGs), geo-tourism geosites (GTs), and geo-archaeological geosites (GAs). In line with this, we implement the modified model of Ghosh (2021) to assess and quantify GS1–GS13. Five important criteria, i.e., scientific (intrinsic) values (SV), educational values (EV), economical values (EcV), geoconservation values (GVs), and added (cultural, ecological, and aesthetic) values (AAV), of Ghosh are considered. The result reveals that all thirteen proposed geosites (GS1–GS13) have acquired more than 50% of their total assigned values, except geoconservation values (GVs), which stand at the lowest in all the geosites. All geosites exhibit outstanding scientific values (SV) with an average score of 83.7%, securing the highest score in the evaluation, as demonstrated by the spider and related histogram representation. When it comes to EV values, also known as \"educational values,\" all geosites achieve values greater than 50%, with an average value of 62.5, indicating high EV values. All other values, like Total EcV and Total AAV, hold about 50%, which signifies that the sites are perfect for these indicators. In the same way, the total GVs show that 37.5% have the lowest values. This is likely because there is a high risk of degradation (both natural and human) at or near the site, which can damage the geosites and make the site less stable due to natural or human impact.

Background The true diploid frog, Xenopus tropicalis ( X. tropicalis ) is an excellent genetic model organism. To date, the CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing methods established in this species are mostly based on SpCas9 that requires the stringent NGG protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) for target recognition, which limits its genome editing scope. Thus, it is highly desirable to circumvent this limitation. Results Through one-cell stage injection of Cas/gRNAs into X. tropicalis embryos, we evaluated the mutagenic efficiency of 8 different Cas variants using T7EI assay, Sanger DNA sequencing, or deep sequencing. Our data indicate that SaCas9 and KKH SaCas9 are highly effective in frogs, which could be used for direct phenotyping in G0 embryos. In contrast, VQR Cas9, xCas9 3.7, SpG Cas9, and SpRY Cas9 were ineffective in X. tropicalis embryos and no activity was detected for iSpyMac Cas9. We also found that LbCas12a/crRNA RNP complexes with paired crRNAs efficiently induced small fragment deletions in X. tropicalis embryos. Conclusion SaCas9 and KKH SaCas9 are robust genome editing tools in X. tropicalis embryos. LbCas12a/crRNA RNP complexes are useful for inducing DNA fragment deletions in frog embryos. These tools expand the CRISPR/Cas genome editing scope in X. tropicalis and increase the flexibility for various genome editing applications in frogs .

The type II CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used widely for genome editing in zebrafish. However, the requirement for the 5′-NGG-3′ protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) of Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) limits its targeting sequences. Here, we report that a Cas9 ortholog from Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9), and its KKH variant, successfully induced targeted mutagenesis with high frequency in zebrafish. Confirming previous findings, the SpCas9 variant, VQR, can also induce targeted mutations in zebrafish. Bioinformatics analysis of these new Cas targets suggests that the number of available target sites in the zebrafish genome can be greatly expanded. Collectively, the expanded target repertoire of Cas9 in zebrafish should further facilitate the utility of this organism for genetic studies of vertebrate biology.

Glacial debris flows along International Karakorum Highway (KKH) connecting northern Pakistan with China, are always causing so extreme threats to a majority of bridges built along KKH. So the improvement project of KKH has been being carried out by China Road & Bridge Corporation in 2008. However it is necessary to collect the detailed data about the damages to bridges and obtain the most dangerous key position. The series of field investigations from 2008 to 2011 demonstrate that the damages are classified into four categories: deposition under bridge, abrasive erosion, impact on piers or abutment and collapse due to buoyancy. Statistics indicate deposition under bridge is the most dominant damage whereas the most serious damage is the impact on piers or abutments. Therefore a case study on key point is made for the typical bridge subjected to impact from Ghulkin glacial debris flow. Finally prevention measures are given.