Method to measure tree-ring width,density,elemental composition,and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes using one sample

Tree-ring width(RW),density,elemental com-position,and stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)are widely used as proxies to assess climate change,ecology,and environmental pollution;however,a specific pretreat-ment has been needed for each proxy.Here,we developed a method by which each proxy can be measured in the same sample.First,the sample is polished for ring width meas-urement.After obtaining the ring width data,the sample is cut to form a 1-mm-thick wood plate.The sample is then mounted in a vertical sample holder,and gradually scanned by an X-ray beam.Simultaneously,the count rates of the fluorescent photons of elements(for chemical characteriza-tion)and a radiographic grayscale image(for wood density)are obtained,i.e.the density and the element content are obtained.Then,cellulose is isolated from the 1-mm wood plate by removal of lignin,and hemicellulose.After producing this cellulose plate,cellulose subsamples are separated by knife under the microscope for inter-annual and intra-annual stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)analysis.Based on this method,RW,density,elemental composition,δ^(13)C,and δ^(18)O can be measured from the same sample,which reduces sample amount and treatment time,and is helpful for multi-proxy comparison and combination research.

January to August temperature variability since 1776 inferred from tree-ring width of Pinus tabulaeformis in Helan Mountain

Tree-ring standardized chronologies are developed by 78 cores collected from the eastern and western Helan Mountain. Statistical analysis shows that both the STD and RES chronologies correlate negatively with the temperature of different periods of early half year, especially with January to August mean （JA） temperature, which means that JA temperature is one of the predominant limiting factors of tree growth in the Helan Mountain. Based on this analysis, we reconstructed JA temperature, and the explained variance is 43.3% （F=21.422, p〈0.001 ）. The comparatively high temperature periods in the reconstruction were： 1805-1818 1828-1857, 1899-1907, 1919-1931 and 1968-1995; and the comparatively low temperatu re periods happened in 1858-1872, 1883-1895 and 1935-1953. Ten-year moving average curve shows three slow uplifting trends： 1766-1853, 1862-1931 and 1944-1995. Each temperature increase was followed by a sudden temperature decrease about 10 years, that is to say, the JA temperature in the Helan Mountain is characterized by slow increase and sudden decrease. The 70- and 10.77-year periodicities detected in the temperature series correspond to the Gleissberg （80-year） and Schwabe （11-year） periodicities of solar activity respectively, the 2.11-2.62 years cycles are considered to be influenced by QBO （Quasi-Biennial-Oscillation） and the local environmental change.

Reconstructing the annual precipitation variation since 1899 based on tree-ring width in the western Hedong sandy land of Ningxia

Based on the analysis of the correlation between the tree-ring width of Pinus tabulaeformis and the climate factors in the western Hedong sandy land of Ningxia, a conversion equation between the annual precipitation and the tree-ring width since 1899 was reconstructed. The results of cross verification indicated that the conversion equation is stable and the reconstructed results are reliable. The result of reconstructed annual precipitation showed the remarkable fluctuation of precipitation and dry-to-wet variation before the 1940s. The smaller fluctuation and high frequent changes of precipitation occurred during the period of 1940s-1980s and after the 1980s the change trend of the precipitation became high periodic extent and low frequent. The study found that there were some coincidences with the climate change in Changling Mountains, Helan Mountains and the east of Qilian Mountains. The relatively dry periods in the beginning of 20th century, 1920s to 1930s, the end of the 20th century and 2004 to 2006 in the western Hedong sandy land of Ningxia accelerated the desertification, while the relatively humid period during the periods of the 1910s-1920s, 1930s-1940s and 1990s is favorable to prevent and control the desertification, and to weaken the climate warming and drying. The periods of annual precipitation variation in the western Hedong sandy land of Ningxia since 1899 are approximately 2-4 years, 5-7 years and 10 years.

Dynamics of moisture regime and its reconstruction from a tree-ring width chronology of Pinus sylvestris in the downstream basin of the Selenga River, Russia

Regional tree-ring width chronology of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was constructed from 8 sites in the forest-steppe belt situated in the foothills of the Selenga River basin, Russia. Moisture information contained in tree-ring width chronology was obtained through linear regression reconstruction models of annual August–July precipitation and annual water discharge of the Selenga River during the period 1767–2015. Comparison of the smoothed series allowed estimating long-term variation component of these moisture regime parameters with a high precision. At the same time, regional drought indices are less correlated with pine radial growth, because they have contribution of the other environmental variables, which are much less reflected in the tree-ring of the investigated pine forest stands. Reconstructed dynamic of the moisture regime parameters is supported by documental evident of many socially significant events in the regional history, such as crop failures caused by both droughts and floods, and catastrophic fire in the Irkutsk City in 1879. Also, dependence of the amount of precipitation in the study area on the atmospheric circulation in Central Asia is revealed to have a similar pattern with other regions, i.e., a negative relationship of precipitation with the development of large high atmospheric pressure area within its center in the Altai and Tianshan mountains.

Climatic response of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica tree-ring width and precipitation reconstruction for the northern Greater Higgnan Mountains, China, since 1720

August-June precipitation has been reconstructed back to AD 1720 for the northern Greater Higgnan Mountains, China, by use ofPinus sylvestris var. mongolica tree-ring width. The reconstruction explains the variance of 39% in observed precipitation from 1973 to 2008. Some extremely dry/wet signals in historical documents and other precipitation reconstructions in previous studies are precisely captured in our reconstruction. Wet periods occurred during the periods of 1730 to 1746, 1789 to 1812, 1844 to 1903, 1920 to 1930, 1942 to 1961, and 1985 to 1998; while periods of 1747 to 1788, 1813 to 1843, 1904 to 1919, 1931 to 1941, and 1962 to 1984 were relatively dry. Power spectral and wavelet analyses demon- strated the existence of significant 24-year, 12-year, and 2-year cycles of variability.

Relationships between tree-ring width index and NDVI of grassland in Delingha

Using five well-replicated Qilian juniper (Sabina przewalskii Kom.) tree-ring width index se- ries, monthly normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of grassland, and climatic data from 1982 to 2001, the relationships between tree-ring width index, NDVI of grassland, and climatic data were analyzed firstly. Then, the relationship between tree-ring width index and NDVI of grassland was explored. The re- sults showed that: (1) Temperature and precipitation in June influenced tree-ring width index and NDVI of grassland deeply in Delingha. (2) There were sig- nificant relationships between five tree-ring width index series (DLH1-DLH5) and monthly NDVI of grassland from June to September, with the most significant relationship being between tree-ring width index series and NDVI of grassland in August. (3) The PC1 (the first principal component derived from DLH1-DLH5 series) exhibited good agreement with monthly NDVI of grassland in the grass growth sea- son (from June to September) and the averaged NDVI in the growth season, which was attributed to their common responses to water-supply limit in Delingha. This study may allow an increase in studying the past dynamics of grassland in Delingha in that the variation of grassland NDVI during the last millennium has been reconstructed from PC1.

Response of tree-ring width to rainfall gradient along the Tianshan Mountains of northwestern China

By comparing the long-term tree-ring growths at various geographic scales, we can make clear the effects of environmental variations on tree growth, and get an understanding of the responses of forest ecosystems to the possible changes in global and regional climate. Radial tree-ring growth of Picea schrenkiana and its relationship to air temperature and precipitation were investigated across longi- tude transects on the north slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in northwestern China. Tree-ring samples were collected and residual chronologies were developed for three different regions along a gradient of decreasing precipitation from west to east. Response-function analysis was conducted to quantify the relationships between tree-ring chronologies and climate variables, such as monthly mean temperature and monthly precipitation from 1961 to 1998, using the PRECON software program. The statistical characteristics of the chronologies showed that the three chronologies constructed in this study con- tained significant environmental signals and were well suitable to reveal the impacts of climatic change on tree growth and forest productivity. Annual ring-width variations were similar among the three sites, but the variability was greatest in the east. This research showed that the growth trends of Picea schrenkiana in the Tianshan Mountains have not followed a uniform pattern. Response-function analy- sis indicated that there were significant correlations between tree growth and climatic factors in all the three regions, among which precipitation was the principal. With decreasing precipitation, the response of tree-ring widths to increasing temperature changed from a positive to a negative correlation. As for precipitation, the positive relationship to tree-ring width always dominates. It could be expected that with increased temperature and decreased precipitation, the importance of precipitation to tree growth would increase, and the response of tree growth to environmental changes would also increase. This study emphasizes the importance of regional-scale investigations into the biosphere-climate interac- tions. The results of this research indicated a substantial increment of tree-ring radial growth as a re- sult of warmer and wetter climate in the eastern regions. However, climate change will have less effect on forest growth and primary production in the western regions.

Silver fir tree-ring fluctuations decrease from north to south latitude—total solar irradiance and NAO are indicated as the main influencing factors

Silver fir(Abies alba Mill.)is a flexible European tree species,mainly vegetating within the mountainous regions of Europe,but its growth responses across its latitudinal and longitudinal range have not yet been satisfactorily verified under changing environmental conditions.This study describes the tree-ring increment of silver fir in research plots across a latitudinal gradient from the northern range in Czechia(CZ),through Croatia(HR)to the southernmost range in Italy(IT).The research aims to analyze in detail the dynamics and cyclicity of the ringwidth index(RWI)and how it relates to climatic factors(temperature and precipitation),the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO),and total solar irradiance(TSI),including the determination of latitude.The results show that the main drivers affecting fir growth are the seasonal NAO index and TSI.Monthly temperatures affect RWI early in the vegetation season,while lack of precipitation during the summer is a limiting factor for fir growth,especially in July.Seasonal temperatures and temperatures in June and July negatively impact,while seasonal precipitation totals in the same months positively influence the RWI in all research plots across meridian.The longest growth cycles in fir RWI were recorded in the northernmost studied plots in CZ.These cyclical fluctuations recede approaching the south.The cyclic increase in RWI is related to the TSI,which decreases its effect from north to south.The TSI's effects vary,positively impacting CZ but negatively influencing HR while remaining relatively neutral in IT.On the other hand,seasonal NAO tends to negatively affect silver fir growth in HR and CZ but has a mildly positive effect in IT.In conclusion,the TSI and the influence of the seasonal NAO index are prevalent in the fir RWI and are accompanied by a greater cyclicity of RWI in Central Europe(temperature optimum)than in the Italian Mediterranean region,where this tree species is limited by climatic conditions,especially lack of precipitation.

Relationship between Inter Canine Width and Inter Alar Width, Inter Commissural Width, and Inter Canthal Distance: A Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between inter canine width (ICW) and inter alar width (IAW), inter commissural width (ICoW), and inter canthal distance (ICaD) in Bantu population. Materials and Methods: It was a pilot study included all participants who were aged at least 18 years, without a history of orthodontics treatment from Prosthodontics Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Kinshasa. The Ethics committee of the National Center of Research for Dental Sciences in DR Congo approved the study protocol (CNRSB 1504.218). The participants medical records were obtained from the interview and dental examination. Nature of the study was explained with participant information sheet, and an informed consent of all participants was obtained. The inclusion criteria were no missing maxillary and mandibular teeth, no diastema, and no anterior restorations, 18 years old before enrollment in the study. The exclusion criteria were inability to meet the above requirements, pregnancy, and refusal to participate in the study. The inter-canine width (ICW), inter alar width (IAW), inter canthal distance (ICaD) and inter-commissural width (ICoW) of each participant were measured with a digital Vernier caliper (Mitutoyo, UK Ltd.,) (0.01 mm) three times and the average value was recorded. The inter canthal distance (ICaD) was measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the medial angle. The inter alar width (IAW) was marked with a fine marked pencil on the widest outer surface of the alae of the nose on either side or width. Those two points were measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the outer surface. The participant was told to stop breathing shortly to avoid any change in shape of the nose. The inter-commissural width (ICoW) was determined by measuring the maxillary lip vermilion from commissure to commissure without the application of pressure on the tissue in the relaxed state. The inter-canine width (ICW) was measured indirectly using a dental floss. A dental floss was marked on one end prior to placement in the mouth. Using that point as reference, the dental floss was circumference along the curvature of the anterior dentition such that it passed along the contact point of all the teeth. The distal end of the canine teeth on both sides was then marked on the floss while it was stretched in the patients mouth. Floss was marked on both sides with the marker pencil. The distance between the two proximal contact points was measured and recorded. Data, analysis and validation were performed by the SPSS software (version 22.0, IBM SPSS Statistics, Chicago, IL, USA). Unpaired t-test was used, of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to test for comparability between socio-demographic characteristics dental measurements. Pearsons correlation coefficients test was calculated to determine the relationship between facial and dental parameters. Significance was set at P 0.01. Results: Of 314 participants enrolled, 202 were included. The age ranged from 18 to 68 years, with a mean age of 40.62 12.99 years. Although the Pearsons correlation coefficients were negative. Ninety-three participants (46%) were men and one hundred and nine (54%) were women. The overall mean age was 40.62 12.99 years. Facial and dental measurements were greater in women than men with significant differences for ICW (p = 0.04). However, no significant difference was seen between men and women for IAW, ICaD and ICoW (p = 0.44, p = 0.23, p = 0.31 respectively). The correlation including Pearsons correlation coefficient and P-values for all participants is not demonstrated. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that IAW, ICaD and ICoW cannot be used as a preliminary method for determining the width of the maxillary for anterior teeth for edentulous patients.

Red cell distribution width/platelet ratio estimates the 3-year risk of decompensation in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease-induced cirrhosis

BACKGROUND For compensated advanced chronic liver disease(cACLD)patients,the first decompensation represents a dramatically worsening prognostic event.Based on the first decompensation event(DE),the transition to decompensated advanced chronic liver disease(dACLD)can occur through two modalities referred to as acute decompensation(AD)and non-AD(NAD),respectively.Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension(CSPH)is considered the strongest predictor of decompensation in these patients.However,due to its invasiveness and costs,CSPH is almost never evaluated in clinical practice.Therefore,recognizing noninvasively predicting tools still have more appeal across healthcare systems.The red cell distribution width to platelet ratio(RPR)has been reported to be an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease(MASLD).However,its predictive role for the decompensation has never been explored.AIM In this observational study,we investigated the clinical usage of RPR in predicting DEs in MASLD-related cACLD patients.METHODS Fourty controls and 150 MASLD-cACLD patients were consecutively enrolled and followed up(FUP)semiannually for 3 years.At baseline,biochemical,clinical,and Liver Stiffness Measurement(LSM),Child-Pugh(CP),Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD),aspartate aminotransferase/platelet count ratio index(APRI),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),Albumin-Bilirubin(ALBI),ALBI-FIB-4,and RPR were collected.During FUP,DEs(timing and modaities)were recorded.CSPH was assessed at the baseline and on DE occurrence according to the available Clinical Practice Guidelines.RESULTS Of 150 MASLD-related cACLD patients,43(28.6%)progressed to dACLD at a median time of 28.9 months(29 NAD and 14 AD).Baseline RPR values were significantly higher in cACLD in comparison to controls,as well as MELD,CP,APRI,FIB-4,ALBI,ALBI-FIB-4,and LSM in dACLD-progressing compared to cACLD individuals[all P<0.0001,except for FIB-4(P:0.007)and ALBI(P:0.011)].Receiving operator curve analysis revealed RPR>0.472 and>0.894 as the best cut-offs in the prediction respectively of 3-year first DE,as well as its superiority compared to the other non-invasive tools examined.RPR(P:0.02)and the presence of baseline-CSPH(P:0.04)were significantly and independently associated with the DE.Patients presenting baseline-CSPH and RPR>0.472 showed higher risk of decompensation(P:0.0023).CONCLUSION Altogether these findings suggest the RPR as a valid and potentially applicable non-invasive tool in the prediction of timing and modalities of decompensation in MASLD-related cACLD patients.

Climatic implications in earlywood and latewood width indices of Chinese pine in north central China

Latewood width(LWW)indices of trees are considered a reliable proxy of summer precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere.However,the strong coupling and high correlation between earlywood width(EWW)and LWW indices often prevent registration of climate signals of the LWW index.In this study,328-year-long earlywood width and latewood width chronologies were developed from Chinese pine at two sites in the Hasi Mountains,north central China.The climate responses of these chronologies were analyzed and the LWW index used to derive sum-mer precipitation signals.Correlation analyses showed that LWW was particularly influenced by earlywood growth and recorded stronger climate signals of the previous year as EWW,rather than those of the current year with infrequent summer climate signals.However,after removing the effect of earlywood growth using a simple regression model,the adjusted LWW chronology(LWW_(adj))showed a strong relationship with July precipitation in dry years.This suggests that the LWW_(adj) chronology has the potential to be used to investigate long-term variability in summer precipitation in drought-limited regions.

April-September minimum temperature reconstruction based on Sabina tibetica ring-width chronology in the central eastern Tibetan Plateau,China

Minimum temperatures have remarkable impacts on tree growth at high-elevation sites on the Tibetan Plateau,but the shortage of long-term and high-resolution paleoclimate records inhibits understanding of recent minimum temperature anomalies.In this study,a warm season(April–September)reconstruction is presented for the past 467 years(1550–2016)based on Sabina tibetica ring-width chronology on the Lianbaoyeze Mountain of the central eastern Tibetan Plateau.Eight warm periods and eight cold periods were identified.Long-term minimum temperature variations revealed a high degree of coherence with nearby reconstructions.Spatial correlations between our reconstruction and global sea surface temperatures suggest that warm season minimum temperature anomalies in the central eastern Tibetan Plateau were strongly influenced by large-scale ocean atmospheric circulations,such as the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.

A mechanically coupled MEMS filter with high-Q width extensional mode resonators

This work presents a novel radio frequency(RF)narrowband Si micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS)filter based on capacitively transduced slotted width extensional mode(WEM)resonators.The flexibility of the plate leads to multiple modes near the target frequency.The high Q-factor resonators of around 100000 enable narrow bandwidth filters with small size and simplified design.The 1-wavelength and 2-wavelength WEMs were first developed as a pair of coupled modes to form a passband.To reduce bandwidth,two plates are coupled with aλ-length coupling beam.The 79.69 MHz coupled plate filter(CPF)achieved a narrow bandwidth of 8.8 kHz,corresponding to a tiny 0.011%.The CPF exhibits an impressive 34.84 dB stopband rejection and 7.82 dB insertion loss with near-zero passband ripple.In summary,the RF MEMS filter presented in this work shows promising potential for application in RF transceiver front-ends.

Predictive value of red blood cell distribution width and hematocrit for short-term outcomes and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients undergoing radical surgery

BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that low hematocrit levels indicate poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer,the prognostic value of hematocrit for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients has not been determined.The prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width(RDW)for CRC patients was controversial.AIM To investigate the impact of RDW and hematocrit on the short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis of CRC patients who underwent radical surgery.METHODS Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent radical CRC resection between January 2011 and January 2020 at a single clinical center were included.The short-term outcomes,overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)were compared among the different groups.Cox analysis was also conducted to identify independent risk factors for OS and DFS.RESULTS There were 4258 CRC patients who underwent radical surgery included in our study.A total of 1573 patients were in the lower RDW group and 2685 patients were in the higher RDW group.There were 2166 and 2092 patients in the higher hematocrit group and lower hematocrit group,respectively.Patients in the higher RDW group had more intraoperative blood loss(P<0.01)and more overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the lower RDW group.Similarly,patients in the lower hematocrit group had more intraoperative blood loss(P=0.012),longer hospital stay(P=0.016)and overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the higher hematocrit group.The higher RDW group had a worse OS and DFS than did the lower RDW group for tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage I(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage II(OS,P=0.004;DFS,P=0.01)than the lower RDW group;the lower hematocrit group had worse OS and DFS for TNM stage II(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage III(OS,P=0.001;DFS,P=0.001)than did the higher hematocrit group.Preoperative hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS[P=0.017,hazard ratio(HR)=1.256,95%confidence interval(CI):1.041-1.515]and DFS(P=0.035,HR=1.194,95%CI:1.013-1.408).CONCLUSION A higher preoperative RDW and lower hematocrit were associated with more postoperative complications.However,only hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in CRC patients who underwent radical surgery,while RDW was not.

OsDA1 positively regulates grain width in rice

The size and shape of rice grains influence their yield and commercial value.We investigated the role of OsDA1,a rice homolog of the Arabidopsis DA1 gene,in regulating grain size and shape.OsDA1 was highly expressed in young spikelets and glumes.Its overexpression led to enlarged seeds with increased width and decreased length/width ratio(LWR)and knocking out OsDA1 reduced grain width and increased grain length and LWR.A R310K point mutation in the DA1-like domain is a potential target for breeding for increased grain width and length.OsDA1 interacted with TCP gene-family proteins to regulate grain size and shape.Our findings deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying grain size regulation and provide useful information for improving grain yield.

Application of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and red blood cell distribution width in diabetes mellitus complicated with heart failure

BACKGROUND Accumulating clinical evidence has shown that diabetes mellitus(DM)is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and an important factor for adverse cardiovascular events.AIM To explore the value of the combined determination of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)in the early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of DM complicated with heart failure(HF).METHODS We retrospectively analyzed clinical data on 65 patients with type 2 DM(T2DM)complicated with HF(research group,Res)and 60 concurrent patients with uncomplicated T2DM(control group,Con)diagnosed at Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021.The NLR and RDW values were determined and comparatively analyzed,and their levels in T2DM+HF patients with different cardiac function grades were recorded.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to determine the NLR and RDW values(alone and in combination)for the early diagnosis of HF.The correlation between NLR and RDW with the presence or absence of cardiac events was also investigated.RESULTS Higher NLR and RDW levels were identified in the Res vs the Con groups(P<0.05).The NLR and RDW increased gradually and synchronously with the deterioration of cardiac function in the Res group,with marked differences in their levels among patients with grade II,III,and IV HF(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that NLR combined with RDW detection had an area under the curve of 0.915,a sensitivity of 76.9%,and a specificity of 100%for the early diagnosis of HF.Furthermore,HF patients with cardiac events showed higher NLR and RDW values compared with HF patients without cardiac events.CONCLUSION NLR and RDW were useful laboratory indicators for the early diagnosis of DM complicated with HF,and their joint detection was beneficial for improving diagnostic efficiency.Additionally,NLR and RDW values were directly proportional to patient outcomes.

Enhancing predictive accuracy in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis:Role of red cell distribution width and prospective studies

This letter addresses the study titled“Red cell distribution width:A predictor of the severity of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis”by Lv et al published in the World Journal of Experimental Medicine.The study offers a valuable analysis of red cell distribution width(RDW)as a predictive marker for persistent organ failure in patients with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis.The study results suggest that RDW,combined with the Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis score,could enhance the predictive accuracy for severe outcomes.Further investigation into the role of RDW in different severities of acute pancreatitis is recommended.Additionally,the need for large-scale and multicenter prospective studies to validate these findings is emphasized.

Crack Width Comparison between ACI 318, Eurocode 2 and GB 50010 for Flexural RC Members

Comparative research on different countries’ structural design codes holds great importance and can gain valuable insights: Awareness of Design Levels, Identifying Code Deficiencies and Optimizing Designs. The crack width of concrete structure is an important design aspect of the civil design. The four highly recognized and widely used crack width theories are systematically summarized. Based on the mentioned theories and project practices, American code ACI system, Eurocode 2 1992-1 and Chinese code GB 50010 have different crack width control requirement and calculation methods. The crack width control method based on ACI system code has evolved from the Z-factor method to the steel bar spacing control method which is simple and easy to be adopted for engineering. Meanwhile, the ACI 224.1R also gives a direct crack width calculation method consistent with the steel bar spacing control method. The Eurocode 2 and GB 50010 based on the bond-slip & no-slip theory consider much more affecting factors than ACI for predicting crack width. Taking the crack width calculation of Tunnel 5 intake as an example, the crack widths of the structure are calculated according to ACI system code, Eurocode 2 and GB 50010 respectively, the results show that the crack width results in various codes are not much different. The EN 1992-1 and GB 50010 results are almost the same which are less than the ACI 224.1Rresults.

The Prognostic Value of Red Cell Distribution Width in Critically Ill Cerebral Infarction Patients:A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective:Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)has been utilized as a prognostic indicator for mortality risk assessment in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients.Nevertheless,the prognostic significance of RDW in critically ill patients with cerebral infarction is yet to be investigated.The objective of this study is to examine the association between RDW and the risk of all-cause mortality in cerebral infarction patients admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU).Method:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV 2.2(MIMIC-IV)intensive care dataset for data analysis.The main results were the all-cause mortality rates at 3 and 12 months of follow-up.Cumulative curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method,and Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to examine the relationship between RDW and mortality rates in critically ill cerebral infarction patients.Results:The findings indicate that RDW serves as a significant prognostic factor for mortality risk in critically ill stroke patients,specifically at the 3 and 12-month follow-up periods.The observed correlation between increasing RDW levels and higher mortality rates among cerebral infarction patients further supports the potential utility of RDW as a predictive indicator.Conclusion:RDW emerges as an independent predictor of mortality risk during the 3 and 12-month follow-up periods for critically ill patients with cerebral infarction.

Reconstruction of hydrological changes based on tree-ring data of the Haba River, northwestern China

Reconstructing the hydrological change based on dendrohydrological data has important implications for understanding the dynamic distribution and evolution pattern of a given river. The widespread, long-living coniferous forests on the Altay Mountains provide a good example for carrying out the dendrohydrological studies. In this study, a regional composite tree-ring width chronology developed by Lariat sibirica Ledeb. and Picea obovata Ledeb. was used to reconstruct a 301-year annual （from preceding July to succeeding June） streamflow for the Haba River, which originates in the southern Altay Mountains, Xinjiang, China. Results indicated that the reconstructed streamflow series and the observations were fitting well, and explained 47.5% of the variation in the observed streamflow of 1957-2008. Moreover, floods and droughts in 1949-2000 were precisely captured by the streamflow reconstruction. Based on the frequencies of the wettest/driest years and decades, we identified the 19th century as the century with the largest occurrence of hydrological fluctuations for the last 300 years. After applying a 21-year moving average, we found five wet （1724-1758, 1780-1810, 1822-1853, 1931-1967, and 1986-2004） and four dry （1759-1779, 1811-1821, 1854-1930, and 1968-1985） periods in the streamflow reconstruction. Furthermore, four periods （1770-1796, 1816-1836, 1884-1949, and 1973-1997） identified by the streamflow series had an obvious increasing trend. The increasing trend of streamflow since the 1970s was the biggest in the last 300 years and coincided with the recent warming-wetting trend in northwestern China. A significant correlation between streamflow and precipitation in the Altay Mountains indicated that the streamflow reconstruction contained not only local, but also broad-scale, hydro-climatic signals. The 24-year, 12-year, and 2.2-4.5-year cycles of the reconstruction revealed that the streamflow variability of the Haba River may be influenced by solar activity and the atmosphere-ocean system.