Land Use/Cover and Naturalness Changes for Watershed Environmental Management(Southeastern Brazil)

Driving forces on the landscape require regional management and/or local actions, together with other external factors. To operationalize this approach, this paper carried out a comparative analysis of the naturalness dynamics of the Jacaré-Gua&#231u and Jacaré-Pepira watershed, based on land use/cover changes and a structural indicator of the landscape, over the 10-year (2004-2014), as support opportunities for improving its environmental planning and management. Land use/cover dynamics were obtained based on screen digitizing of LandSat imagery, using polygon manual digitalization. Naturalness scenarios of the watersheds, over the 10-year (2004-2014), were obtained based on Urbanity Indicator, which evaluates how much the natural landscapes are dominated by altered systems. The total area of watersheds showed a predominantly scenario, induced by anthropogenic agricultural and non-agricultural expansion areas, mainly by conversion of other land use/cover types in sugarcane cultivation. Despite the increase in natural vegetation areas, over the 10-year (2004-2014), Jacaré-Gua&#231u and Jacaré-Pepira watersheds are far from a sustainable condition. However Jacaré-Gua&#231u watershed presents a scenario of more committed naturalness due to the increase in Urbanity Index values ≥ 0.7. The historical process of land use occupation for agricultural production remains the main driving force of naturalness changes, occupying more than 70% of the total area of watersheds. These results have significant implications for fast urbanizing municipalities in providing key information about long term land use impact on the watershed structure and function, making it possible for policy makers, scientists and stakeholders to identify land uses which are hindered or enhanced under various scenarios of land use change over the time, and making it possible to explore the trade-offs between them to improve watershed management.

Biomimetic natural biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine:new biosynthesis methods,recent advances,and emerging applications

Biomimetic materials have emerged as attractive and competitive alternatives for tissue engineering(TE)and regenerative medicine.In contrast to conventional biomaterials or synthetic materials,biomimetic scaffolds based on natural biomaterial can offer cells a broad spectrum of biochemical and biophysical cues that mimic the in vivo extracellular matrix(ECM).Additionally,such materials have mechanical adaptability,micro-structure interconnectivity,and inherent bioactivity,making them ideal for the design of living implants for specific applications in TE and regenerative medicine.This paper provides an overview for recent progress of biomimetic natural biomaterials(BNBMs),including advances in their preparation,functionality,potential applications and future challenges.We highlight recent advances in the fabrication of BNBMs and outline general strategies for functionalizing and tailoring the BNBMs with various biological and physicochemical characteristics of native ECM.Moreover,we offer an overview of recent key advances in the functionalization and applications of versatile BNBMs for TE applications.Finally,we conclude by offering our perspective on open challenges and future developments in this rapidly-evolving field.

Genetic and epigenetic targets of natural dietary compounds as anti-Alzheimer's agents

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia that principally affects older adults.Pathogenic factors,such as oxidative stress,an increase in acetylcholinesterase activity,mitochondrial dysfunction,genotoxicity,and neuroinflammation are present in this syndrome,which leads to neurodegeneration.Neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease are considered late-onset diseases caused by the complex combination of genetic,epigenetic,and environmental factors.There are two main types of Alzheimer’s disease,known as familial Alzheimer’s disease(onset<65 years)and late-onset or sporadic Alzheimer’s disease(onset≥65 years).Patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease inherit the disease due to rare mutations on the amyloid precursor protein(APP),presenilin 1 and 2(PSEN1 and PSEN2)genes in an autosomaldominantly fashion with closely 100%penetrance.In contrast,a different picture seems to emerge for sporadic Alzheimer’s disease,which exhibits numerous non-Mendelian anomalies suggesting an epigenetic component in its etiology.Importantly,the fundamental pathophysiological mechanisms driving Alzheimer’s disease are interfaced with epigenetic dysregulation.However,the dynamic nature of epigenetics seems to open up new avenues and hope in regenerative neurogenesis to improve brain repair in Alzheimer’s disease or following injury or stroke in humans.In recent years,there has been an increase in interest in using natural products for the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease.Through epigenetic mechanisms,such as DNA methylation,non-coding RNAs,histone modification,and chromatin conformation regulation,natural compounds appear to exert neuroprotective effects.While we do not purport to cover every in this work,we do attempt to illustrate how various phytochemical compounds regulate the epigenetic effects of a few Alzheimer’s disease-related genes.

Microstructure and mechanical properties stability of pre-hardening treatment in Al-Cu alloys for pre-hardening forming process

The stability of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the pre-hardened sheets during the pre-hardening forming(PHF)process directly determines the quality of the formed components.The microstructure stability of the pre-hardened sheets was in-vestigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS),while the mechanical properties and formability were analyzed through uniaxial tensile tests and formability tests.The results in-dicate that the mechanical properties of the pre-hardened alloys exhibited negligible changes after experiencing 1-month natural aging(NA).The deviations of ultimate tensile strength(UTS),yield strength(YS),and sheet formability(Erichsen value)are all less than 2%.Also,after different NA time(from 48 h to 1 month)is applied to alloys before pre-hardening treatment,the pre-hardened alloys possess stable microstructure and mechanical properties as well.Interestingly,with the extension of NA time before pre-hardening treatment from 48 h to 1 month,the contribution of NA to the pre-hardening treatment is limited.Only a yield strength increment of 20 MPa is achieved,with no loss in elongation.The limited enhancement is mainly attributed to the fact that only a limited number of clusters are transformed into Guinier-Preston(GP)zones at the early stage of pre-hardening treatment,and the formation ofθ''phase inhibits the nucleation and growth of GP zones as the precipitated phase evolves.

Drought events influence nutrient canopy exchanges and green leaf partitioning during senescence in a deciduous forest

The increase in the frequency and intensity of drought events expected in the coming decades in Western Europe may disturb forest biogeochemical cycles and create nutrient deficiencies in trees.One possible origin of nutrient deficiency is the disturbance of the partitioning of the green leaf pool during the leaf senescence period between resorption,foliar leaching and senesced leaves.However,the effects of drought events on this partitioning and the consequences for the maintenance of tree nutrition are poorly documented.An experiment in a beech forest in Meuse(France)was conducted to assess the effect of drought events on nutrient canopy exchanges and on the partitioning of the green leaf pool during the leaf senescence period.The aim was to identify potential nutritional consequences of droughts for trees.Monitoring nutrient dynamics,including resorption,chemistry of green and senesced leaves,foliar absorption and leaching in mature beech stands from 2012 to 2019 allowed us to compare the nutrient exchanges for three nondry and three dry years(i.e.,with an intense drought event during the growing season).During dry years,we observed a decrease by almost a third of the potassium(K)partitioning to resorption(i.e.resorption efficiency),thus reducing the K reserve in trees for the next growing season.This result suggests that with the increased drought frequency and intensity expected for the coming decades,there will be a risk of potassium deficiency in trees,as already observed in a rainfall exclusion experiment on the same study site.Reduced foliar leaching and higher parititioning to the senesced leaves for K and phosphorus(P)were also observed.In addition,a slight increase in nitrogen(N)resorption efficiency occurred during dry years which is more likely to improve tree nutrition.The calcium(Ca)negative resorption decreased,with no apparent consequence in our study site.Our results show that nutrient exchanges in the canopy and the partitioning of the green leaf pool can be modified by drought events,and may have consequences on tree nutrition.

Sustainable, thermoplastic and hydrophobic coating from natural cellulose and cinnamon to fabricate eco-friendly catering packaging

Non-degradable polymers cause serious environmental pollution problem,such as the widely-used while unrecyclable coatings which significantly affect the overall degradation performance of products.It is imperative and attractive to develop biodegradable functional coatings.Herein,we proposed a novel strategy to successfully prepare biodegradable,thermoplastic and hydrophobic coatings with high transparence and biosafety by weakening the interchain interactions between cellulose chain.The natural cellulose and cinnamic acid were as raw materials.Via reducing the degree of polymerization(DP)of cellulose and regulating the degree of substitution(DS)of cinnamate moiety,the obtained cellulose cinnamate(CC)exhibited not only the thermalflow behavior but also good biodegradability,which solves the conflict between the thermoplasticity and biodegradability in cellulose-based materials.The glass transition temperature(T_(g))and thermalflow temperature(T_(f))of the CC could be adjusted in a range of 150–200℃ and 180–210℃,respectively.The CC with DS<1.2 and DP≤100 degraded more than 60%after an enzyme treatment for 7 days,and degraded more than 80%after a composting treatment for 42 days.Furthermore,CC had no toxicity to human epidermal cells even at a high concentration(0.5 mg mL^(-1)).In addition,CC could be easily fabricated into multifunctional coating with high hydrophobicity,thermal adhesion and high transparence.Therefore,after combining with cellophane and paperboard,CC coating with low DP and DS could be used to prepare fully-biodegradable heat-sealing packaging,art paper,paper cups,paper straws and food packaging boxes.

Modelling analysis embodies drastic transition among global potential natural vegetations in face of changing climate

Potential natural vegetation(PNV)is a valuable reference for ecosystem renovation and has garnered increasing attention worldwide.However,there is limited knowledge on the spatio-temporal distributions,transitional processes,and underlying mechanisms of global natural vegetation,particularly in the case of ongoing climate warming.In this study,we visualize the spatio-temporal pattern and inter-transition procedure of global PNV,analyse the shifting distances and directions of global PNV under the influence of climatic disturbance,and explore the mechanisms of global PNV in response to temperature and precipitation fluctuations.To achieve this,we utilize meteorological data,mainly temperature and precipitation,from six phases:the Last Inter-Glacial(LIG),the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM),the Mid Holocene(MH),the Present Day(PD),2030(20212040)and 2090(2081–2100),and employ a widely-accepted comprehensive and sequential classification sy–stem(CSCS)for global PNV classification.We find that the spatial patterns of five PNV groups(forest,shrubland,savanna,grassland and tundra)generally align with their respective ecotopes,although their distributions have shifted due to fluctuating temperature and precipitation.Notably,we observe an unexpected transition between tundra and savanna despite their geographical distance.The shifts in distance and direction of five PNV groups are mainly driven by temperature and precipitation,although there is heterogeneity among these shifts for each group.Indeed,the heterogeneity observed among different global PNV groups suggests that they may possess varying capacities to adjust to and withstand the impacts of changing climate.The spatio-temporal distributions,mutual transitions and shift tendencies of global PNV and its underlying mechanism in face of changing climate,as revealed in this study,can significantly contribute to the development of strategies for mitigating warming and promoting re-vegetation in degraded regions worldwide.

OSDA-free synthesis of FeZSM-22 zeolite from natural minerals for n-octane hydroisomerization

A seed-directed approach to synthesizing Fe ZSM-22 zeolite without organic structure directing agent(OSDA)was developed by using Fe-rich diatomite as all aluminum and iron sources.The Fe ZSM-22zeolite with optimal crystallinity and purity can be obtained by systematically adjusting feed composition and synthesis conditions.Characterizations show that Fe ZSM-22 zeolite synthesized with OSDA-free owns high crystallinity,obvious thin needle-shaped morphology and high Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio.Significantly,when used for n-octane hydroisomerization reaction,its derived catalyst exhibits the best catalytic performance reflected by the highest selectivity to C_(8)isomers compared to the two reference catalysts prepared based on a Fe-containing and a Fe-free ZSM-22 synthesized through an OSDA-directed route from natural diatomite and conventional chemicals,respectively.This work provides an alternative route to sustainably synthesizing heteroatomic zeolites with high performance.

Determination of uncertainties of geomechanical parameters of metamorphic rocks using petrographic analyses

Geomechanical parameters of intact metamorphic rocks determined from laboratory testing remain highly uncertain because of the great intrinsic variability associated with the degrees of metamorphism.The aim of this paper is to develop a proper methodology to analyze the uncertainties of geomechanical characteristics by focusing on three domains,i.e.data treatment process,schistosity angle,and mineralogy.First,the variabilities of the geomechanical laboratory data of Westwood Mine(Quebec,Canada)were examined statistically by applying different data treatment techniques,through which the most suitable outlier methods were selected for each parameter using multiple decision-making criteria and engineering judgment.Results indicated that some methods exhibited better performance in identifying the possible outliers,although several others were unsuccessful because of their limitation in large sample size.The well-known boxplot method might not be the best outlier method for most geomechanical parameters because its calculated confidence range was not acceptable according to engineering judgment.However,several approaches,including adjusted boxplot,2MADe,and 2SD,worked very well in the detection of true outliers.Also,the statistical tests indicate that the best-fitting probability distribution function for geomechanical intact parameters might not be the normal distribution,unlike what is assumed in most geomechanical studies.Moreover,the negative effects of schistosity angle on the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)variabilities were reduced by excluding the samples within a specific angle range where the UCS data present the highest variation.Finally,a petrographic analysis was conducted to assess the associated uncertainties such that a logical link was found between the dispersion and the variabilities of hard and soft minerals.

How topography and neighbor shape the fate of trees in subtropical forest restoration:Environmental filtering and resource competition drive natural regeneration

The structure of plant communities at local scales depends on both the spatial heterogeneity of abiotic environmental factors and the biotic interactions within the community.However,although environmental filtering due to microtopographic heterogeneity and resource competition among plants caused by spatial variation in tree density and size are considered to be very important in explaining the mechanisms of community assembly,their effects on the processes of individual mortality and recruitment in natural forest regeneration,as well as their relative contributions,are still poorly understood.To address this,we established a 12-ha permanent plot in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest area and measured microtopographic variables such as elevation,slope,aspect,and terrain position index(TPI)using a total station.We monitored the individual mortality and recruitment in forest natural regeneration through repeated surveys at 5-year intervals.We fitted spatial covariance models to jointly use multiple factors from three groups of variables(microtopographic effect,neighborhood density effects,neighborhood size effects)as explanatory variables to analyze their roles in driving the mortality and recruitment of all individual and 12 dominant species in forest natural regeneration at the neighborhood scale.Our results show that:(1)In the crucial early stages of secondary forest restoration,natural regeneration is influenced by a synergy of environmental filtering,due to microtopographic heterogeneity,and resource competition among plants.(2)For distinct species responses,evergreen dominant species'mortality is largely explained by neighborhood effects,while deciduous species are more affected by topographic factors.Furthermore,the adverse effects of larger conspecific trees on younger trees indicate a pattern of competitive pressure leading to mortality among regenerating trees,such pattern emphasis the influence of parent trees on natural regeneration.(3)As trees grow,their interaction with these stressors evolves,suggesting a shift in their resource acquisition strategies and response to neighborhood effects and environmental factors.Despite these changes,the relative importance of topographic factors in determining survival and recruitment success remains constant.This research highlights the importance of considering both environmental and neighborhood effects in forest management,particularly in early secondary forest restoration.

Facile synthesis of hierarchical NaX zeolite from natural kaolinite for efficient Knoevenagel condensation

Zeolite catalysts have found extensive applications in the synthesis of various fine chemicals.However,the micropores of zeolites impose diffusion limitations on bulky molecules,greatly reducing the catalytic efficiency.Herein,we explore an economic and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing hierarchical NaX zeolite that exhibits improved catalytic performance in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction for producing the useful fine chemical 2-cyano-3-phenylacrylate.The synthesis was achieved via a low-temperature activation of kaolinite and subsequent in-situ transformation strategy without any template or seed.Systematic characterizations reveal that the synthesized NaX zeolite has both intercrystalline and intra-crystalline mesopores,smaller crystal size,and larger external specific surface area compared to commercial NaX zeolite.Detailed mechanism investigations show that the inter-crystalline mesopores are generated by stacking smaller crystals formed from in-situ crystallization of the depolymerized kaolinite,and the intra-crystalline mesopores are inherited from the pores in the depolymerized kaolinite.This synthesis strategy provides an energy-saving and effective way to construct hierarchical zeolites,which may gain wide applications in fine chemical manufacturing.

Stabilizing perovskite precursors with the reductive natural amino acid for printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells

Solution processability significantly advances the development of highly-efficient perovskite solar cells.However,the precursor solution tends to undergo irreversible degradation reactions,impairing the device performance and reproducibility.Here,we utilize a reductive natural amino acid,Nacetylcysteine(NALC),to stabilize the precursor solution for printable carbon-based hole-conductorfree mesoscopic perovskite solar cells.We find that I_(2) can be generated in the aged solution containing methylammonium iodide(MI) in an inert atmosphere and speed up the MA-FA^(+)(formamidinium) reaction which produces large-size cations and hinders the formation of perovskite phase.NALC effectively stabilizes the precursor via its sulfhydryl group which reduces I_(2) back to I^(-)and provides H^(+).The NALC-stabilized precursor which is aged for 1440 h leads to devices with a power conversion efficiency equivalent to 98% of that for devices prepared with the fresh precursor.Furthermore,NALC improves the device power conversion efficiency from 16.16% to 18.41% along with enhanced stability under atmospheric conditions by modifying grain boundaries in perovskite films and reducing associated defects.

Drivers of spatial structure in thinned forests

Background:As is widely known,an increasing number of forest areas were managed to preserve and enhance the health of forest ecosystems.However,previous research on forest management has often overlooked the importance of structure-based.Aims:Our objectives were to define the direction of structure-based forest management.Subsequently,we investigated the relationships between forest structure and the regeneration,growth,and mortality of trees under different thinning treatments.Ultimately,the drivers of forest structural change were explored.Methods:On the basis of 92 sites selected from northeastern China,with different recovery time (from 1 to 15years) and different thinning intensities (0–59.9%) since the last thinning.Principal component analysis (PCA)identified relationships among factors determining forest spatial structure.The structural equation model (SEM)was used to analyze the driving factors behind the changes in forest spatial structure after thinning.Results:Light thinning (0–20%trees removed) promoted forest regeneration,and heavy thinning (over 35% of trees removed) facilitated forest growth.However,only moderate thinning (20%–35%trees removed) created a reasonable spatial structure.While dead trees were clustered,and they were hardly affected by thinning intensity.Additionally,thinning intensity,recovery time,and altitude indirectly improve the spatial structure of the forest by influencing diameter at breast height (DBH) and canopy area.Conclusion:Creating larger DBH and canopy area through thinning will promote the formation of complex forest structures,which cultivates healthy and stable forests.

Effect of phosphorus content on interfacial heat transfer and film deposition behavior during the high-temperature simulation of strip casting

The interfacial wettability and heat transfer behavior are crucial in the strip casting of high phosphorus-containing steel.A hightemperature simulation of strip casting was conducted using the droplet solidification technique with the aims to reveal the effects of phosphorus content on interfacial wettability,deposited film,and interfacial heat transfer behavior.Results showed that when the phosphorus content increased from 0.014wt%to 0.406wt%,the mushy zone enlarged,the complete solidification temperature delayed from1518.3 to 1459.4°C,the final contact angle decreased from 118.4°to 102.8°,indicating improved interfacial contact,and the maximum heat flux increased from 6.9 to 9.2 MW/m2.Increasing the phosphorus content from 0.081wt%to 0.406wt%also accelerated the film deposition rate from 1.57 to 1.73μm per test,resulting in a thickened naturally deposited film with increased thermal resistance that advanced the transition point of heat transfer from the fifth experiment to the third experiment.

Natural variation of GmFNSII-2 contributes to drought resistance by modulating enzyme activity in soybean

As an essential crop that provides vegetable oil and protein,soybean(Glycine max(L.)Merr.)is widely planted all over the world.However,the scarcity of water resources worldwide has seriously impacted on the quality and yield of soybean.To address this,exploring excellent genes for improving drought resistance in soybean is crucial.In this study,we identified natural variations of GmFNSII-2(flavone synthase II)significantly affect the drought resistance of soybeans.Through sequence analysis of GmFNSII-2 in 632 cultivated and 44 wild soybeans nine haplotypes were identified.The full-length allele GmFNSII-2^(C),but not the truncated allele GmFNSII-2^(A) possessing a nonsense nucleotide variation,increased enzyme activity.Further research found that GmDREB3,known to increase soybean drought resistance,bound to the promoter region of GmFNSII-2^(C).GmDREB3 positively regulated the expression of GmFNSII-2^(C),increased flavone synthase abundance and improved the drought resistance.Furthermore,a singlebase mutation in the GmFNSII-2^(C) promoter generated an additional drought response element(CCCCT),which had stronger interaction strength with GmDREB3 and increased its transcriptional activity under drought conditions.The frequency of drought-resistant soybean varieties with Hap 1(Pro:GmFNSII-2^(C))has increased,suggesting that this haplotype may be selected during soybean breeding.In summary,GmFNSII-2^(C) could be used for molecular breeding of drought-tolerant soybean.

Simulation of the Ecosystem Productivity Responses to Aerosol Diffuse Radiation Fertilization Effects over the Pan-Arctic during 2001–19

The pan-Arctic is confronted with air pollution transported from lower latitudes.Observations have shown that aerosols help increase plant photosynthesis through the diffuse radiation fertilization effects(DRFEs).While such DRFEs have been explored at low to middle latitudes,the aerosol impacts on pan-Arctic ecosystems and the contributions by anthropogenic and natural emission sources remain less quantified.Here,we perform regional simulations at 0.2o×0.2ousing a well-validated vegetation model(Yale Interactive terrestrial Biosphere,YIBs)in combination with multi-source of observations to quantify the impacts of aerosol DRFEs on the net primary productivity(NPP)in the pan-Arctic during 2001-19.Results show that aerosol DRFEs increase pan-Arctic NPP by 2.19 Pg C(12.8%)yr^(-1)under clear-sky conditions,in which natural and anthropogenic sources contribute to 8.9% and 3.9%,respectively.Under all-sky conditions,such DRFEs are largely dampened by cloud to only 0.26 Pg C(1.24%)yr^(-1),with contributions of 0.65% by natural and 0.59% by anthropogenic species.Natural aerosols cause a positive NPP trend of 0.022% yr^(-1)following the increased fire activities in the pan-Arctic.In contrast,anthropogenic aerosols induce a negative trend of-0.01% yr^(-1)due to reduced emissions from the middle latitudes.Such trends in aerosol DRFEs show a turning point in the year of 2007 with more positive NPP trends by natural aerosols but negative NPP trends by anthropogenic aerosols thereafter.Though affected by modeling uncertainties,this study suggests a likely increasing impact of aerosols on terrestrial ecosystems in the pan-Arctic under global warming.

Formation of Natural Melanin/TiO_(2) Nanostructure Hybrids with Enhanced Optical,Thermal and Magnetic Properties as a Soft Material

The natural Melanin/TiO_(2) was synthesized by the use of ultrasonication under UV radiation.The influence of natural melanin on the structural,optical and thermal properties of TiO_(2) nanoparticles was investigated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy.It was observed that incorporating natural melanin on TiO_(2) nanoparticles(TiO_(2)-Mel)occurred at 2.01 eV with a low value of Urbach energy around 100 meV indicating improvement in the crystalline structure.Magnetic measurement at room temperature showed diamagnetic behavior.Furthermore,thermal results showed that TiO_(2)-Mel is stable even at temperatures up to 400℃.According to the results obtained by the thermal stability of melanin with titanium dioxide,it can be a good candidate in many applications such as solar cells and optoelectronics.

Enhancing transboundary natural tourism resources governance:unveiling the spatial pattern and its influencing factors

Tourism resources that span provincial boundaries in China play a pivotal role in regional development,yet effective governance poses persistent challenges.This study addresses this issue by constructing a comprehensive database of transboundary natural tourism resources(TNTR)through amalgamation of diverse data sources.Utilizing the Getis-Ord Gi^(*),kernel density estimation,and geographical detectors,we scrutinize the spatial patterns of TNTR,focusing on both named and unnamed entities,while exploring the influencing factors.Our findings reveal 7883 identified TNTR in China,with mountain tourism resources emerging as the predominant type.Among provinces,Hunan boasts the highest count,while Shanghai exhibits the lowest.Southern China demonstrates a pronounced clustering trend in TNTR distribution,with the spatial arrangement of biological landscapes appearing more random compared to geological and water landscapes.Western China,characterized by intricate terrain,exhibits fewer TNTR,concurrently unveiling a significant presence of unnamed natural tourism resources.Crucially,administrative segmentation influences TNTR development,generating disparities in regional goals,developmental stages and intensities,and management approaches.In response to these variations,we advocate for strengthening the naming of the unnamed transboundary tourism resources,constructing a geographic database of TNTR for government and establishing a collaborative management mechanism based on TNTR database.Our research contributes to elucidating the intricate landscape of TNTR,offering insights for tailored governance strategies in the realm of cross-provincial tourism resource management.

Automatic Generation of Artificial Space Weather Forecast Product Based on Sequence-to-sequence Model

Both analyzing a large amount of space weather observed data and alleviating personal experience bias are significant challenges in generating artificial space weather forecast products.With the use of natural language generation methods based on the sequence-to-sequence model,space weather forecast texts can be automatically generated.To conduct our generation tasks at a fine-grained level,a taxonomy of space weather phenomena based on descriptions is presented.Then,our MDH(Multi-Domain Hybrid)model is proposed for generating space weather summaries in two stages.This model is composed of three sequence-to-sequence-based deep neural network sub-models(one Bidirectional Auto-Regressive Transformers pre-trained model and two Transformer models).Then,to evaluate how well MDH performs,quality evaluation metrics based on two prevalent automatic metrics and our innovative human metric are presented.The comprehensive scores of the three summaries generating tasks on testing datasets are 70.87,93.50,and 92.69,respectively.The results suggest that MDH can generate space weather summaries with high accuracy and coherence,as well as suitable length,which can assist forecasters in generating high-quality space weather forecast products,despite the data being starved.

Audio-visual keyword transformer for unconstrained sentence-level keyword spotting

As one of the most effective methods to improve the accuracy and robustness of speech tasks,the audio-visual fusion approach has recently been introduced into the field of Keyword Spotting(KWS).However,existing audio-visual keyword spotting models are limited to detecting isolated words,while keyword spotting for unconstrained speech is still a challenging problem.To this end,an Audio-Visual Keyword Transformer(AVKT)network is proposed to spot keywords in unconstrained video clips.The authors present a transformer classifier with learnable CLS tokens to extract distinctive keyword features from the variable-length audio and visual inputs.The outputs of audio and visual branches are combined in a decision fusion module.As humans can easily notice whether a keyword appears in a sentence or not,our AVKT network can detect whether a video clip with a spoken sentence contains a pre-specified keyword.Moreover,the position of the keyword is localised in the attention map without additional position labels.Exper-imental results on the LRS2-KWS dataset and our newly collected PKU-KWS dataset show that the accuracy of AVKT exceeded 99%in clean scenes and 85%in extremely noisy conditions.The code is available at https://github.com/jialeren/AVKT.