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By referring to the two strongest earthquakes of the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequence, this paper presents a procedure to make shaking maps through empirical relationships between macroseismic intensity and ground-motion parameters. Hundreds of waveforms were processed to obtain instrumental ground-motion features which could be correlated with the potential damage intensities. To take into account peak value, frequency, duration, and energy content, which all contribute to damage, cumulative absolute velocity and Arias intensity were used to quantify the features of the ground motion. Once these parameters had been calculated at the recording sites, they were interpolated through geostatistical techniques on the whole struck area. Finally, empirical relationships were used for mapping intensities, i.e., potential effects on the built environment. The results referred to both earthquake scenarios that were analyzed and were also used for assessing the influence of the spatial coverage of the instrumental network. In fact, after the first events, the Italian seismic network was subjected to the addition and thickening of sensors in the epicentral area, especially. The results obtained by models only dependent on ground-motion parameters or even on the epicentral distance were compared with the official ShakeMaps and the observed intensities for assessing their reliability. Finally, some suggestions are proposed to improve the procedure that could be used for rapidly assessing ground shaking and mapping damage potential producing useful information for non-expert audience.

Low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) has significant potential as a non-invasive brain stimulation modality and novel technique for functional brain mapping, particularly with its advantage of greater spatial selectivity and depth penetration compared to existing non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. As previous studies, primarily carried out in small animals, have demonstrated that sonication parameters affect the stimulation efficiency, further investigation in large animals is necessary to translate this technique into clinical practice. In the present study, we examined the effects of sonication parameters on the transient modification of excitability of cortical and thalamic areas in an ovine model. Guided by anatomical and functional neuroimaging data specific to each animal, 250 kHz FUS was transcranially applied to the primary sensorimotor area associated with the right hind limb and its thalamic projection in sheep (n = 10) across multiple sessions using various combinations of sonication parameters. The degree of effect from FUS was assessed through electrophysiological responses, through analysis of electromyogram and electroencephalographic somatosensory evoked potentials for evaluation of excitatory and suppressive effects, respectively. We found that the modulatory effects were transient and reversible, with specific sonication parameters outperforming others in modulating regional brain activity. Magnetic resonance imaging and histological analysis conducted at different time points after the final sonication session, as well as behavioral observations, showed that repeated exposure to FUS did not damage the underlying brain tissue. Our results suggest that FUS-mediated, non-invasive, region-specific bimodal neuromodulation can be safely achieved in an ovine model, indicating its potential for translation into human studies.

The Genç District is located on the Bingöl Seismic Gap (BSG) of the Eastern Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ) with its ~ 34.000 residents. The Karlıova Triple Junction, where the EAFZ, the North Anatolian Fault Zone, and the Varto Fault Zone meet, is only 80 km NE of the Genç District. To make an earthquake disaster damage prediction of the Genç District, carrying a high risk of disaster, we have (1) prepared a new geological map, and (2) conducted a single-station microtremor survey. We defined that three SW-NE trending active faults of the sinistral Genç Fault Zone are cutting through the District. We have obtained dominant period (T) as < 0.2 s, the amplification factor (A) between 8 and 10, the average shear wave velocity for the first 30 m (Vs30) as < 300 m/s, and the seismic vulnerability index (Kg) as > 20, in the central part of the Genç District. We have also prepared damage prediction maps for three bedrock acceleration values (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 g). Our earthquake damage prediction scenarios evidenced that as the bedrock acceleration values increase, the area of soil plastic behavior expands linearly. Here we report that if the average expected peak ground acceleration value (0.55–0.625 g) is exceeded during an earthquake, significant damage would be inevitable for the central part of the Genç District where most of the schools, mosques, public buildings, and hospitals are settled-down.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds hold remarkable potential for controlling fungal decay in agro- and food products. Recently, we reported that linalool, the major volatile component of the Zanthoxylum schinifolium pericarp, showed great potential as a biofumigant to control Aspergillus flavus growth in postharvest grains. In this study, the inhibitory effects of linalool on A. flavus growth in stored grains and its underlying mechanism were investigated through transcriptomic and biochemical analyses. Linalool vapor at 800 μL/L can effectively prevent A. flavus growth in 22% moisture wheat grains. Linalool at 2 μL/mL completely inhibited the germination of A. flavus spores, and 10 μL/mL caused spore death. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that linalool treatment caused wrinkling and spore breakage. Transcriptomics showed that 3806 genes were significantly differentially expressed in A. flavus spores exposed to 2 μL/mL linalool, predominantly showing enrichment regarding the ribosome, DNA replication, glutathione metabolism, peroxisome, and MAPK signaling pathways. Flow cytometry showed that linalool treatment caused hyperpolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. 4,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole staining indicated that linalool caused DNA fragmentation in A. flavus spores, and monodansylcadaverine staining confirmed that linalool induced autophagy in A. flavus spores. We thus propose that linalool can damage the plasma membrane, cause mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage, and induce autophagy in A. flavus spores. These findings considerably improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of linalool on A. flavus , which is crucial regarding the development of applications to prevent postharvest grain spoilage due to A. flavus infestations. Key points • The inhibitory potency of linalool on A. flavus spore germination was determined. • Transcriptomic analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed genes of A. flavus exposed to linalool. • A functional mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of linalool on A. flavus spore germination is proposed.

Forest fires are a recurring issue in many parts of the world, including India. These fires can have various causes, including human activities (such as agricultural burning, campfires, or discarded cigarettes) and natural factors (such as lightning). The present study presents a comprehensive and advanced methodology for assessing wildfire susceptibility by integrating diverse environmental variables and leveraging cutting-edge machine learning techniques across Gujarat State, India. The primary goal of the study is to utilize Google Earth Engine to compare locations in Gujarat, India, before and after forest fires. High-resolution satellite data were used to assess the amount and types of changes caused by forest fires. The present study meticulously analyzes various environmental variables, i.e., slope orientation, elevation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), drainage density, precipitation, and temperature to understand landscape characteristics and assess wildfire susceptibility. In addition, a sophisticated random forest regression model is used to predict land surface temperature based on a set of environmental parameters. The maps that result depict the geographical distribution of normalized burn ratio and difference normalized burn ratio and land surface temperature forecasts, providing valuable insights into spatial patterns and trends. The findings of this work show that an automated temporal analysis utilizing Google Earth Engine may be used successfully over a wide range of land cover types, providing critical data for future monitoring of such threats. The impact of forest fires can be severe, leading to the loss of biodiversity, damage to ecosystems, and threats to human settlements.

The increasing frequency of earthquakes in Kuwait raises concerns regarding soil liquefaction. Currently, there is no soil liquefaction potential map for Kuwait, even for soil profiles along coastal shores, where the groundwater table is near the surface. To address this gap, investigations and assessments were carried out and ArcMap 10.8 was used to establish five soil liquefaction hazard potential maps for Kuwait for different earthquake scenarios based on available borehole logs. The popular methods for evaluating soil liquefaction hazard are the simplified approach proposed in the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research workshop, which is based on standard penetration tests (for determining the safety factor), and Luna and Frost’s (1998) method to assess the liquefaction potential index. Notably, standard penetration test blows were used to investigate the variations in the soil relative density below the surface, describe seismic sources, and estimate peak ground accelerations (calculated using Cornell’s equation and verified using ground-motion models). Southern Kuwait was highly vulnerable to soil liquefaction potential (local earthquake moment magnitude of 5.5); this was confirmed by the documented structural damage. Such maps can be used to identify the areas vulnerable to soil liquefaction and limit the risk to infrastructure.

Endogenous bioelectrical signaling coordinates cell behaviors toward correct anatomical outcomes. Lack of a model explaining spatialized dynamics of bioelectric states has hindered the understanding of the etiology of some birth defects and the development of predictive interventions. Nicotine, a known neuroteratogen, induces serious defects in brain patterning and learning. Our bio-realistic computational model explains nicotine’s effects via the disruption of endogenous bioelectrical gradients and predicts that exogenous HCN2 ion channels would restore the endogenous bioelectric prepatterns necessary for brain patterning. Voltage mapping in vivo confirms these predictions, and exogenous expression of the HCN2 ion channel rescues nicotine-exposed embryos, resulting in normal brain morphology and molecular marker expression, with near-normal learning capacity. By combining molecular embryology, electrophysiology, and computational modeling, we delineate a biophysical mechanism of developmental brain damage and its functional rescue. The authors have previously shown that membrane voltage can influence embryonic patterning during development. Here, the authors computationally model how nicotine disrupts Xenopus embryogenesis by perturbing voltage gradients, and rescue nicotine-inducted defects with HCN2 channel expression.

Given that floods continue to cause yearly significant worldwide human and material damages, flood risk mitigation is a key issue and a permanent challenge in developing policies and strategies at various spatial scales. Therefore, a basic phase is elaborating hazard and flood risk maps, documents which are an essential support for flood risk management. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach that allows for the identification of flash-flood and flood-prone susceptible areas based on computing and mapping of two indices: FFPI (Flash-Flood Potential Index) and FPI (Flooding Potential Index). These indices are obtained by integrating in a GIS environment several geographical variables which control runoff (in the case of the FFPI) and favour flooding (in the case of the FPI). The methodology was applied in the upper (mountainous) and middle (hilly) catchment of the Prahova River, a densely populated and socioeconomically well-developed area which has been affected repeatedly by water-related hazards over the past decades. The resulting maps showing the spatialization of the FFPI and FPI allow for the identification of areas with high susceptibility to flash-floods and flooding. This approach can provide useful mapped information, especially for areas (generally large) where there are no flood/hazard risk maps. Moreover, the FFPI and FPI maps can constitute a preliminary step for flood risk and vulnerability assessment.

Neuroplastic changes appear in people with visual impairment (VI) and they show greater tactile abilities. Improvements in performance could be associated with the development of enhanced early attentional processes based on neuroplasticity. Currently, the various early attentional and cortical remapping strategies that are utilized by people with early (EB) and late-onset blindness (LB) remain unclear. Thus, more research is required to develop effective rehabilitation programs and substitution devices. Our objective was to explore the differences in spatial tactile brain processing in adults with EB, LB and a sighted control group (CG). In this cross-sectional study 27 participants with VI were categorized into EB (n = 14) and LB (n = 13) groups. They were then compared with a CG (n = 15). A vibrotactile device and event-related potentials (ERPs) were utilized while participants performed a spatial tactile line recognition task. The P100 latency and cortical areas of maximal activity were analyzed during the task. The three groups had no statistical differences in P100 latency (p>0.05). All subjects showed significant activation in the right superior frontal areas. Only individuals with VI activated the left superior frontal regions. In EB subjects, a higher activation was found in the mid-frontal and occipital areas. A higher activation of the mid-frontal, anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal zones was observed in LB participants. Compared to the CG, LB individuals showed greater activity in the left orbitofrontal zone, while EB exhibited greater activity in the right superior parietal cortex. The EB had greater activity in the left orbitofrontal region compared to the LB. People with VI may not have faster early attentional processing. EB subjects activate the occipital lobe and right superior parietal cortex during tactile stimulation because of an early lack of visual stimuli and a multimodal information processing. In individuals with LB and EB the orbitofrontal area is activated, suggesting greater emotional processing.

During summer 2020, the most catastrophic flood in the 21st century attacked the Poyang Lake region, one of the flood-prone areas in China. To explore the occurrence mechanism and evolution patterns of this drought-converted flood better, a full lifecycle model is developed in this article. Employing Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, with the advantages of high spatial–temporal resolution and all-day and all-weather working capacity, a bimodal threshold was applied to efficiently extract flood inundation mapping. Thus, 61 Sentinel-1 SAR images in 2020 were used to establish inundation sequences for full lifecycle monitoring. This flood presented an abrupt transformation from drought, a long duration, and the slow receding of water, and its area exceeded 3000 km2 from July to early October. In addition, inundation models that reflect the lake area and water level relationship were introduced to assist near-real-time monitoring. Through hydrological and meteorological analysis, compared with results of previous years (from 2010 to 2019), this study found that the water level from July to October in 2020 was at least 17% higher than the mean level at the same period in history and water volume had increased about 44.13 billion m3 during the flooding period. Similarly, the average precipitation from June to September was significantly higher than the same period of previous years. It was the abnormal sustained heavy precipitation and sharp rising of the water level that caused this catastrophic flood. In particular, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) increased from −1.02 in April to 1.31 in July, indicating that the flood was abruptly converted from drought. The inundated areas of several land types during different periods of the full lifecycle were calculated for damage assessment. It was found that cropland was the most heavily impaired with a maximum inundated area of 1375.67 km2, while other land types including forest, grassland, wetland, and impervious surface were relatively less damaged. The study results demonstrate that flood full lifecycle monitoring based on SAR data is helpful to explore the patterns of flood evolution, analyze causes, and assess damage. Simultaneously, focusing on drought-converted floods contributes to the understanding of flood patterns, which provides relevant management departments with decision support for disaster prevention and mitigation.