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The field experiment to study, the role of farming systems and the rise of the mowing in the growth, output and quality of the green fodder qualities of Moringa oleifera Lam, was carried out during the 2021 autumn season in one of the fields of the Sharqat district of Salah Al-Din governorate. The experiment included the study of two important factors: Four transplant distances (10 × 20cm, 20 × 20cm, 20 × 30cm, 30 × 30cm) and three cutting levels. (5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm), took the first mowing after 70 days of planting, The results showed that the cultivation system exceeded 20 × 20cm and the cutting level was morally 15cm in the plant's height at 191.0cm in the first mowing and 78.50cm in the second mowing. The cultivation system exceeded 30x30cm in the highest branch number per plant at 5cm in the first mowing at 15.50 branches in the first mowing at 14.53cm in the second mowing at 80cm at 7cm Plant-1 agriculture system exceeds 10X20 cm and cutting level of 10 cm in total wet weight of vegetable total of 10.53 kg m2 in First Mowing, 6.83 kg m2 in Second Mowing, wet weight of leaves 4.13 kg m2 in First Mowing, 3.92 kg m2 in Second mowing, 6.22 kg m2 in First Mowing and 1.09 kg kg II Dry leaves 1.32 kg m2 in the first mowing and 0.98 kg m2 in the second mowing also exceed the paper area of 2557.7 cm2. The agriculture system exceeds 20X20 cm and the cut level of 10 cm in the paper area is 2386.9 cm in the second mowing and the cultivation system exceeds 10X20 cm and the cut level is 5 cm in the dry weight of stems 2.05 kg-2 in the first mowing and 0.71 kg-2 in the second mowing . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Third Artsakh war has dramatically transformed the security environment in the South Caucasus. Being a result and indicator of changing world order, it unleashed the parameters of the newly-developing formats of conflicts, confrontations, and wars, called hybrid warfare. From this perspective the paper studies the parameters of hybrid warfare against Artsakh launched by Azerbaijan. Application of hybrid warfare against Artsakh is not a new phenomenon and has being practiced by Azerbaijan at least during the last 10-15 years. However, the results of the 44-day war have provided new framework, opportunities, and instruments to intensify hybrid operations, striving to maximize the results. Hence, the paper discusses the Azerbaijani strategy of hybrid war against Artsakh by analyzing the main strategies, tactics, instruments and tools used by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, specifically, after 44-day war. The paper argues that after the Third Artsakh war of 2020 Azerbaijan has launched a full scale hybrid operation to provide ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and receive ‘Nagorno-Karabakh without Armenians’. The operation was based on the following components: information-psychological campaign/influence operations (against Armenians in Artsakh), economic and energy aspects, ecological issues, blockade, international campaigns, support to split Armenian power (in Armenia and Armenian Diaspora), sabotage against critical infrastructure and population, and so on. Concluding the paper launches, a discussion about Azerbaijani engagement with Armenia after the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh of Autumn of 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers directly coupled with a photovoltaic source. It proposes a method to increase the energy delivered to the electrolyzer by reconfiguring the electrical connection of the arrays according to solar radiation. Unlike the design criterion proposed by the literature, the suggested approach considers a source obtained by connecting arrays in parallel depending on solar radiation based on a fixed photovoltaic configuration. This method allows for the optimization of the operating point at medium or low solar radiation, where the fixed configuration gives poor results. The analysis is performed on a low-power plant (400 W). It is based on a commercial photovoltaic cell whose equivalent model is retrieved from data provided by the manufacturer. An equivalent model of the PEM electrolyzer is also derived. Two comparisons are proposed: the former considers a photovoltaic source designed according to the traditional approach, i.e., a fixed configuration; in the latter, a DC/DC converter as interface is adopted. The role of the converter is discussed to highlight the pros and cons. The optimal set point of the converter is calculated using an analytical equation that takes into account the electrolyzer model. In the proposed study, an increase of 17%, 62%, and 93% of the delivered energy has been obtained in three characteristic days, summer, spring/autumn, and winter, respectively, compared to the fixed PV configuration. These results are also better than those achieved using the converter. Results show that the proposed direct coupling technique applied to PEM electrolyzers in low-power plants is a good trade-off between a fixed photovoltaic source configuration and the use of a DC/DC converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Leaves often turn red during senescence, providing us with a colorful life. Anthocyanin accumulation is the main cause of the coloration and its biosynthesis during leaf senescence is an important biological process, which might contain different mechanisms from other tissues. It is essential to understand the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation during leaf senescence, which would provide new insight into leaf coloration and molecular breeding for more colorful plants in spring or autumn. In this review, we focused on leaf coloration during senescence. We emphatically discussed several networks linked to genetic, hormonal, environmental, and nutritional factors in regulating anthocyanin accumulation during leaf senescence. This paper aims to provide a regulatory model for leaf coloration and to put forward some prospects for future studies. Leaf senescence is the last stage of leaf development, and it is accompanied by a leaf color change. In some species, anthocyanins are accumulated during leaf senescence, which are vital indicators for both ornamental and commercial value. Therefore, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation during leaf senescence, which would provide new insight into autumn coloration and molecular breeding for more colorful plants. Anthocyanin accumulation is a surprisingly complex process, and significant advances have been made in the past decades. In this review, we focused on leaf coloration during senescence. We emphatically discussed several networks linked to genetic, hormonal, environmental, and nutritional factors in regulating anthocyanin accumulation during leaf senescence. This paper aims to provide a regulatory model for leaf coloration and to put forward some prospects for future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a daily gridded observation data across China from 1961 to 2022 were used to calculate daily potential evapotranspiration (PET). The observed variables included daily temperature, sunshine hours, average wind speed, and average relative humidity. PET was determined using the Penman-Monteith method recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The long-term trend of PET was investigated in six regions of China during different seasons. To further compressed the influence of various meteorological factors on the PET trend, the contribution of each meteorological element to the long-term trend of PET was analyzed. The results indicate the following: (1) PET reaches its peak during summer which values from 145 to 640 mm, while it is lowest during winter from 21 to 244 mm. (2) The spatial patterns of PET trend changes are relatively similar across the four seasons, characterized by a decrease in the eastern regions and an increase in the western regions. The reduction is most significant during the summer and the range of trend is from -2.04 to 1.48 mm/day, while the increase becomes more pronounced in the winter which trend is from -0.34 to 0.53 mm/day. (3) The contribution of factors varies significantly across different regions. In spring and autumn, RH and U have little difference in contribution from other factors. But tsun is varies different from regions, the contribution value is largest in the northwest and smallest in the northeast. However, during summer, tsun become the most significant contributor in the YZ and SE regions, while in winter, Tm emerges as the most significant contributor to the PET trend in all six subregions. In SW, the contribution from U2 is the smallest in all seasons, with RH and Tm being the two crucial factors determining the PET trend in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Milky Way's name and role in ancient Egyptian culture remain unclear. One suggestion is that the Milky Way may have been a celestial depiction of the sky goddess Nut. In this work, I test this association using an interdisciplinary approach. In the first part of this paper, I combine astronomical simulations of the ancient Egyptian night sky with primary Egyptian sources to map the goddess Nut onto the Milky Way. With her head and groin firmly associated by primary texts with the western and eastern horizons, respectively, I argue that the summer and winter orientations of the Milky Way could be construed as figurative markers of Nut's torso (or backbone) and her arms, respectively. In the second part of this paper, I situate Nut within the global, multicultural mythology of the Milky Way. Specifically, I show that Nut's roles in the afterlife and the autumn bird migration are consistent with similar roles attributed to the Milky Way by other cultures. Finally, I show that Nut's identification with the Milky Way may even have echoes in contemporary African conceptions of the Galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are produced by plants to overcome environmental challenges, both biotic and abiotic. We were interested in characterizing how autumn seasonality in temperate and subtropical climates affects overall PSM production in comparison to herbivory. Herbivory is commonly measured between spring to summer when plants have high resource availability and prioritize growth and reproduction. However, autumn seasonality also challenges plants as they cope with limited resources and prepare survival for winter. This suggests a potential gap in our understanding of how herbivory affects PSM production in autumn compared to spring/summer. Using meta‐analysis, we recorded overall production of 22 different PSM subgroups from 58 published papers to calculate effect sizes from herbivory studies (absence to presence) and temperate to subtropical seasonal studies (summer to autumn), while considering other variables (e.g., plant type, increase in time since herbivory, temperature, and precipitation). We also compared production of five phenolic PSM subgroups – hydroxybenzoic acids, flavan‐3‐ols, flavonols, hydrolysable tannins, and condensed tannins. We wanted to detect a shared response across all PSMs and found that herbivory increased overall PSM production in herbaceous plants. Herbivory was also found to have a positive effect on individual PSM subgroups, such as flavonol production, while autumn seasonality was found to have a positive effect on flavan‐3‐ol and condensed tannin production. We discuss how these responses might stem from plants producing some PSMs constitutively, whereas others are induced only after herbivory, and how plants produce metabolites with higher costs only during seasons when other resources for growth and reproduction are less available, while other phenolic PSM subgroups serve more than one function for plants and such functions can be season dependent. The outcome of our meta‐analysis is that autumn seasonality changes some PSM production differently from herbivory, and we see value in further investigating seasonality–herbivory interactions with plant chemical defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xinjiang is one of the most sensitive regions in China in terms of its response to climate change. Against the background of global warming, analyses and predictions using different scenarios for Xinjiang should be conducted. The spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and trends of future temperature and precipitation trends should be considered to provide a scientific basis for the government to respond to future climate change. In this paper, using the CN05.1 dataset and seven models from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, the delta downscaling method is used to predict the temperature and precipitation changes in Xinjiang Province from 2021 to 2050 under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. The results show that (1) most models of CMIP6 have a good effect on temperature simulation in Xinjiang, and the mean values as well as the trends of the temperatures expressed by the multi-model ensemble averaging are in good agreement with the observed data and have a high degree of confidence. The observed precipitation increase rate is significantly higher than that predicted by the model, and the simulation results of each model overestimate the precipitation. (2) The mean annual temperatures in the Xinjiang region increase at rates of 0.32°C/10 a, 0.46°C/10 a, 0.47°C/10 a and 0.67°C/10 a, respectively, under the four scenarios. The rates of temperature increase in the four seasons exhibit the following pattern: autumn > summer > spring > winter. (3) From 2021 to 2050, the average annual precipitation in Xinjiang will change at rates of 3.95 mm/10 a, 1.90 mm/10 a, 2.50 mm/10 a, and 8.67 mm/10 a, respectively, under the four scenarios. The precipitation amounts predicted under the different scenarios increase at the slowest rates in winter and at faster rates in spring. Spatially, the precipitation in the whole Xinjiang region under the four scenarios shows an increasing trend. Overall, except for the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the rates of increase in precipitation increase gradually in all seasons during the future period as the emission scenarios increase. Overall, the climate of the Xinjiang region will be characterized by warming and humidification from 2021 to 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damage caused by cloven-hoofed game and wild animals is a serious problem in Slovakia and neighboring countries. In 2022, the damage to forests in Slovakia was estimated at a level of almost EUR 2.9 million. Despite several implemented measures, the situation is so severe that successfully restoring some trees in some heavily attacked stands is impossible. This paper deals with the preventive elimination of damage caused by red deer in forest stands by the biological method of applying tannin-based mineral licks. Specifically, licks containing tannin obtained from the edible chestnut were used for testing. Several positive effects are attributed to tannins in developing livestock and animal fitness status. To date, however, the question of using tannins as biological agents for the possible protection of forest stands has not been addressed. Therefore, red deer damage was assessed at two localities with similar natural conditions in the central part of the Western Carpathians to explore such a possibility. After the initial sample measurement of the bark-stripping damage caused by the red deer in the autumn, mineral licks with tannin were placed in one selected study area over the winter. The levels of and differences in forest damage by deer between areas with the application of licks with tannin and without tannin were detected in spring of the following year. In the location treated with tannin, the number of damaged sample plots decreased, and the mean plot damage did not increase (no statistically significant differences were registered in mean plot damage between autumn and spring). Meanwhile, in the control location, the total amount of bark-stripped area doubled, mainly due to a statistically significant increase in mean plot damage between autumn and spring. Based on this, we conclude that tannin had a significant preventive effect and considerably reduced the extent of bark stripping. Such promising results indicate that tannin licks can effectively mitigate the problem of bark-stripping damage in areas heavily attacked by red deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to characterize the warm and dry compound events (WD days) in Poland during the period of 1966–2023, focusing on assessing the frequency and intensity of such events and their spatial and temporal variability, as well as on the driving factors of warm and dry compound events. WD days are those days that have a maximum temperature equal to or higher than the 90th percentile and the precipitation on that day and the 14 preceding days are equal to or less than the 25 percentile. During 1966–2023, the frequency of WD days increased significantly, mainly in April, the summer months, and December. Higher temperatures favored the occurrence of WD days from March to November, but, in winter months, the heat did not favor the occurrence of WD days. The exception was December, when high temperatures in the first part of the analyzed period did not favor the occurrence of a dry day, whereas, in the second part, it did. The strongest influence on the frequency of WD days had the East Atlantic pattern, where air flowed over Poland from the southwest. Warm and humid air flowing from the Atlantic Ocean must overcome the mountain barrier; therefore, it flows to Poland as warm and dry air. From spring to autumn, the WD days were related to an increase in the geopotential height in central Eastern Europe, and, in the winter, they were related with blocking over the Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transport, accumulation, and degradation of microplastics (MiPs) in the aquatic environment represent a significant concern to the researchers and policy-makers, due to the detrimental impact on biota and human health through food ingestion. Although consistent investigations and research data are available worldwide, comparing the results is still challenging due to the need for more regulations regarding the sampling methods, analysis, and results reporting. The European regulatory efforts include studies on the MiPs transport in the western basin of the Danube River developed with active nets-based multipoint sampling methods from suspended sediments and proposed for standardization. In this context, the present study aimed to address for the first time the transport of MiPs in the Romanian sector of the Danube, starting after entering the country (Moldova Veche) and before the formation of the Danube Delta (Isaccea). Results: The multipoint nets sampling procedure facilitated the collection of suspended sediments in the water columns as deep as 0.0–0.6 and 3.0–3.6 m depths and near riverbed sediments (autumn 2022 sampling) during an extensive spatio-temporal study from spring 2022 until spring 2023. The estimate of the maximum annual transport of 46–51 and 93–100 t·y−1 for MiPs and total (micro–meso–macroplastics) MPs at Moldova Veche was based on 135 collected and processed samples using 2021 water flow data. Polyethylene (58–69%) and polypropylene (21–33%) were the main polymer components in the separated fragments, foils, microfibers, and different colors spheroids of MiPs (< 5 mm), and the foils and fibers of meso–macroplastics (5–100 mm). Advanced investigations highlighted various microstructural degradations of the plastic fragments at the micro- and nanoscale and attached minerals (clays) and heavy metals. Conclusion: This paper presents the first comprehensive data set for microplastic annual transport in the "Low Danube", filling the need for a complete transport assessment in one of the most significant European rivers. 4–5 times lower values were measured before the entrance to the Danube Delta than those from Moldova Veche. The investigations should continue, including flooding events, and the sampling points should be expanded to deeper water column layers during all the campaigns for further validation. Highlights: The first comprehensive data set for microplastic transport in the Romanian Danube. Polyethylene and polypropylene are the main polymer components of the separated plastics. Maximum annual transport of 46-51 and 93-100 t·y-1 for MiPs and total plastics, respectively. 4-5 times lower transport values near the entrance to the Danube Delta than close to country entering. The investigations should continue for further validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first comprehensive study of a groundbreaking Vertically Mounted Bifacial Photovoltaic (VBPV) system, marking a significant innovation in solar energy technology. The VBPV system, characterized by its vertical orientation and the use of high-efficiency Heterojunction cells, introduces a novel concept diverging from traditional solar panel installations. Our empirical research, conducted over a full year at the University of York, UK, offers an inaugural assessment of this pioneering technology. The study reveals that the VBPV system significantly outperforms both a vertically mounted monofacial PV (VMPV) system and a conventional tilted monofacial PV (TMPV) system in energy output. Key findings include a daily power output increase of 7.12% and 10.12% over the VMPV system and an impressive 26.91% and 22.88% enhancement over the TMPV system during early morning and late afternoon hours, respectively. Seasonal analysis shows average power gains of 11.42% in spring, 8.13% in summer, 10.94% in autumn, and 12.45% in winter compared to the VMPV system. Against the TMPV system, these gains are even more substantial, peaking at 24.52% in winter. These results underscore the VBPV system's exceptional efficiency in harnessing solar energy across varied environmental conditions, establishing it as a promising and sustainable solution in solar energy technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-known public figure of the first Czechoslovak state, Ignác Schultz, who had emigrated from Hungary, was a representative of self-sacrificing activism. The political changes in the autumn of 1938 had an impact on his activities and living conditions as well. The present paper aims to provide some insights into Schultz's activities during the Second World War, which can still be best described in terms of activism. The paper also seeks to draw attention to the fact that Schultz tried to remain an activist after the Second World War, but that, in an ideological reversal, he committed himself to Zionism, in the face of unfavourable political events in Czechoslovakia, and remained committed to the idea until his death in 1954. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasingly warm winters of the last 20 years, the wintering of cultured carp is achieved with increasing numerical and weight losses. Water temperatures during the winter period reach 10-12oC, temperatures that intensify the metabolism and set the fish material in motion. Because these temperatures are for short periods, no natural food grows in the water. The paper presents the results of the research carried out in the cold seasons of 2020-2021, 2021- 2022, and 2022-2023 on cultured carp aged two summers, from the Research and Development Station for Fisheries Nucet. Wintering was done in earthen ponds, in two variants: variant V1 - without feed distribution and variant V2 - with feed distribution. In view of this study, somatic measurements were carried out, both in autumn and in spring, to assess the change in the values of the condition coefficient, survival percentages, as well as the decrease in weight and number, during the cold season period, in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of submesoscale ageostrophic motion is crucial for enhancing our comprehension of ocean dynamics. This paper employs global sea surface velocity reanalysis data and mixed layer depth data to examine the factors influencing submesoscale ageostrophic energy in the Kuroshio region as well as the energy transition between ageostrophic and geostrophic energy. The findings indicate that submesoscale ageostrophic kinetic energy in the Kuroshio region peaks during winter and spring. Mixed layer depth and geostrophic strain significantly boost ageostrophic kinetic energy, especially in strong current area. Analysis of kinetic energy spectral density reveals how energy distribution and transition scale vary across strong and slow current zones during different seasons, highlighting that submesoscale kinetic energy is susceptible to seasonal variations. In summer and autumn, the transition scale of kinetic energy is generally larger compared to those in spring and winter. Submesoscale ageostrophic motion predominantly gains kinetic energy from the release of available potential energy (APE) and horizontal shear production (HSP) while losing a small portion of its kinetic energy through vertical shear production (VSP) in the Kuroshio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore different prognostic methods to account for skin sea surface temperature diurnal variations in a coupled ocean–atmosphere regional model of the Mediterranean Sea. Our aim is to characterise the sensitivity of the considered methods with respect to the underlying assumption of how the solar radiation shapes the warm layer of the ocean. All existing prognostic methods truncate solar transmission coefficient at a warm-layer reference depth that is constant in space and time; instead, we implement a new scheme where this latter is estimated from a chlorophyll dataset as the e -folding depth of solar transmission, which thus allows it to vary in space and time depending on seawater's transparency conditions. Comparison against satellite data shows that our new scheme, compared to the one already implemented within the ocean model, improves the spatially averaged diurnal signal, especially during winter, and the seasonally averaged one in spring and autumn, while showing a monthly basin-wide averaged bias smaller than 0.1 K year-round. In April, when most of the drifters' measurements are available, the new scheme mitigates the bias during nighttime, keeping it positive but smaller than 0.12 K during the rest of the monthly averaged day. The new scheme implemented within the ocean model improves the old one by about 0.1 K, particularly during June. All the methods considered here showed differences with respect to objectively analysed profiles confined between 0.5 K during winter and 1 K in summer for both the eastern and the western Mediterranean regions, especially over the uppermost 60 m. The new scheme reduces the RMSE on the top 15 m in the central Mediterranean for summertime months compared to the scheme already implemented within the ocean model. Overall, the surface net total heat flux shows that the use of a skin sea surface temperature (SST) parameterisation brings the budget about 1.5 Wm-2 closer to zero on an annual basis, despite all simulations showing an annual net heat loss from the ocean to the atmosphere. Our "chlorophyll-interactive" method proved to be an effective enhancement of existing methods, its strength relying on an improved physical consistency with the solar extinction implemented in the ocean component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although atmospheric CO2 concentrations collected by satellites play a crucial role in understanding global greenhouse gases, the sparse geographic distribution greatly affects their widespread application. In this paper, a hybrid CNN and spatiotemporal Kriging (CNN-STK) model is proposed to generate a monthly spatiotemporal continuous XCO2 dataset over China at 0.25° grid-scale from 2015 to 2020, utilizing OCO-2 XCO2 and geographic covariates. The validations against observation samples, CAMS XCO2 and TCCON measurements indicate the CNN-STK model is effective, robust, and reliable with high accuracy (validation set metrics: R2 = 0.936, RMSE = 1.3 ppm, MAE = 0.946 ppm; compared with TCCON: R2 = 0.954, RMSE = 0.898 ppm and MAE = 0.741 ppm). The accuracy of CNN-STK XCO2 exhibits spatial inhomogeneity, with higher accuracy in northern China during spring, autumn, and winter and lower accuracy in northeast China during summer. XCO2 in low-value-clustering areas is notably influenced by biological activities. Moreover, relatively high uncertainties are observed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Sichuan Basin. This study innovatively integrates deep learning with the geostatistical method, providing a stable and cost-effective approach for other countries and regions to obtain regional scales of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, thereby supporting policy formulation and actions to address climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Water Vapor Lidar Network Assimilation (WaLiNeAs) campaign, 8 lidars specifically designed to measure water vapor mixing ratio (WVMR) profiles were deployed on the western Mediterranean coast. The main objectives were to investigate the water vapor content during case studies of heavy precipitation events in the coastal Western Mediterranean and assess the impact of high spatio-temporal WVMR data on numerical weather prediction forecasts by means of state–of–the–art assimilation techniques. Given the increasing occurrence of extreme events due to climate change, WaLiNeAs is the first program in Europe to provide network–like, simultaneous and continuous water vapor profile measurements. This paper focuses on the WVMR profiling datasets obtained from three of the lidars managed by the French component of the WaLiNeAs team. These lidars were deployed in the towns of Coursan, Grau du Roi and Cannes. This measurement setup enabled monitoring of the water vapor content within the low troposphere along a period of three months over autumn – winter 2022 and four months in summer 2023. The lidars measured the WVMR profiles from the surface up to approximately 6–10 km at night, and 1–2 km during daytime; with a vertical resolution of 100 m and a time sampling between 15 – 30 min, selected to meet the needs of weather forecasting with an uncertainty lower than 0.4 g kg-1. The paper presents details about the instruments, the experimental strategy, as well as the datasets given in NETcdf format. The final dataset is divided in two datasets, the first with a time resolution of 15 min, which contains a total of 26 423 WVMR vertical profiles and the second with a time resolution of 30 min to improve the signal to noise ratio and signal altitude range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Since the 1990s, the golden cuttlefish (Sepia esculenta) has become the dominant cuttlefish fisheries target in the seas around China. In this paper, we aim to determine the current resource status and spatio-seasonal variation in the population in the East China Sea region. We found more juveniles at latitudes of 27.50–28.00° N and 29.00° N and more subadult individuals at 28.50° N in autumn, exhibiting different growth rates and resource densities. In addition, we found the majority of the catches were composed of parent groups in spring, while in autumn, the majority of the catches were composed of juvenile groups. We concluded that the subadult groups might have dispersed widely for feeding and growth along the latitude of 30.00° N and to the south in summer, and the southern area of the Yangtze River extending north was the spawning ground in spring. The groups of S. esculenta preferred to stay in areas with a stable water temperature of ~20.00 °C, and many S. esculenta juveniles might have adapted to endure the negative influence of the low oxygen content in summer. The depth range of the S. esculenta population was 10.00–133.00 m from spring to autumn, but this shrank to 66.00–107.00 m in winter. The golden cuttlefish (Sepia esculenta) is an important cephalopod species with a lifespan of approximately one year. The species plays a crucial role in marine ecological support services and is commercially valuable in fisheries. In the seas around China, this species has emerged as the main target for cuttlefish fisheries, replacing Sepiella maindroni since the 1990s. Variations in oceanographic conditions associated with global warming could significantly impact the temporal-spatial distribution of the species. In this study, we performed bottom trawling surveys with four cruises during 2018–2019 in the East China Sea region to determine the current resource status and seasonal-spatial variations in S. esculenta. We found that the average individual weight (AIW) values were 4.87 and 519.00 g/ind at stations located at 30.50° N, 124.00° E and 30.50° N, 124.50° E, respectively, with the aggregation of larvae and parent groups in spring. The species was not distributed north of 32.00° N in summer. The catch per unit effort by weight (CPUEw) value decreased in the order of 2772.50→2575.20→503.29→124.36 g/h, corresponding to latitudes of 34.50° N→34.00° N→33.50° N→32.50° N 121.50° E in autumn. The most suitable fishing areas were the south of the East China Sea region in spring; the south of the East China Sea region extending to the center and outer parts of the East China Sea region in summer; the south of the Yellow Sea close to the Haizhou Bay fishing ground and the forbidden fishing line region of the Lusi and Dasha fishing grounds in autumn; and the south and center of the East China Sea region in winter. The most suitable sea bottom temperature (SBT) values from spring to winter were 14.76–20.53 °C, 19.54–22.98 °C, 11.79–17.64 °C, and 16.94–20.36 °C, respectively. The most suitable sea bottom salinity (SBS) values were 31.53–34.80‰ in spring, 32.95–34.68‰ in summer, 31.51–34.77‰ in autumn, and 33.82–34.51‰ in winter. We concluded the following: (1) the southern and northern areas of the East China Sea region are spawning and nursery grounds, respectively, in spring; (2) the central distribution is located at a latitude of 28.00° N in autumn and winter; and (3) the southern area of the Yangtze River to the north is a spawning ground in spring, and the areas located at 29.00–34.50° N, 124.00–124.50° E, and 28.00–30.50° N, 125.50–126.50° E are nursery grounds. The results of this study provide useful guidance for appropriate fisheries management, thereby avoiding a collapse in the S. esculenta population, which has been experienced in other species in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial conditions of current numerical weather prediction systems insufficiently represent the sharp vertical gradients across the midlatitude tropopause. Data assimilation may provide a means to improve tropopause structure by correcting the erroneous background forecast towards the observations. In this paper, the influence of assimilating radiosonde observations on tropopause structure, i.e., the sharpness and altitude, is investigated in the ECMWF's Integrated Forecasting System. We evaluate 9729 midlatitude radiosondes launched during 1 month in autumn 2016. About 500 of these radiosondes, launched on request during the North Atlantic Waveguide Downstream Impact Experiment (NAWDEX) field campaign, are used to set up an observing system experiment (OSE) that comprises two assimilation forecast experiments, one run with and one without the non-operational soundings. The influence on the tropopause is assessed in a statistical, tropopause-relative evaluation of observation departures of temperature, static stability (N2), wind speed, and wind shear from the background forecast and the analysis. Temperature is overestimated by the background at the tropopause (warm bias, ∼ 1 K) and underestimated in the lower stratosphere (cold bias, - 0.3 K) leading to an underestimation of the abrupt increase in N2 at the tropopause. The increments (differences in analysis and background) reduce these background biases and improve tropopause sharpness. Profiles with sharper tropopause exhibit stronger background biases but also an increased positive influence of the observations on temperature and N2 in the analysis. Wind speed is underestimated in the background, especially in the upper troposphere (∼ 1 m s -1), but the assimilation improves the wind profile. For the strongest winds the background bias is roughly halved. The positive influence on the analysis wind profile is associated with an improved vertical distribution of wind shear, particularly in the lower stratosphere. We furthermore detect a shift in the analysis tropopause altitude towards the observations. The evaluation of the OSE highlights that the diagnosed tropopause sharpening can be primarily attributed to the radiosondes. This study shows that data assimilation improves wind and temperature gradients across the tropopause, but the sharpening is small compared with the model biases. Hence, the analysis still systematically underestimates tropopause sharpness which may negatively impact weather and climate forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual maxima of daily precipitation sums can be typically described well with a stationary generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. In many regions of the world, such a description does also work well for monthly maxima for a given month of the year. However, the description of seasonal and interannual variations requires the use of non-stationary models. Therefore, in this paper we propose a non-stationary modeling strategy applied to long time series from rain gauges in Germany. Seasonal variations in the GEV parameters are modeled with a series of harmonic functions and interannual variations with higher-order orthogonal polynomials. By including interactions between the terms, we allow for the seasonal cycle to change with time. Frequently, the shape parameter ξ of the GEV is estimated as a constant value also in otherwise instationary models. Here, we allow for seasonal–interannual variations and find that this is beneficial. A suitable model for each time series is selected with a stepwise forward regression method using the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). A cross-validated verification with the quantile skill score (QSS) and its decomposition reveals a performance gain of seasonally–interannually varying return levels with respect to a model allowing for seasonal variations only. Some evidence can be found that the impact of climate change on extreme precipitation in Germany can be detected, whereas changes are regionally very different. In general, an increase in return levels is more prevalent than a decrease. The median of the extreme precipitation distribution (2-year return level) generally increases during spring and autumn and is shifted to later times in the year; heavy precipitation (100-year return level) rises mainly in summer and occurs earlier in the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important hydrological ecosystem component, the glacier basin has great significance for climate and environment, and it is also linked to regional water sustainability. In this paper, the sampling and isotope analysis of glacial ice, ice-melt water, river water (river midstream and river downstream), groundwater (spring), and precipitation were carried out in a hydrological year of the Mingyong Glacier basin, which is located at the Meili Snow Mountains, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau. At the same time, the hydrograph separation of the recharge sources of the lower mountain pass is studied. The results show that the range of δD, δ18O, and d-excess (deuterium excess) in natural water bodies are significantly different, and the precipitation is the most obvious. The high values of δD and δ18O in the water samples all appeared in spring and summer, and the low values appeared in autumn and winter, while glacial ice showed opposite trends. Meanwhile, the local meteoric water line (LMWL) of the Mingyong Glacier basin is δD = 8.04δ18O + 13.06. The End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) was adopted to determine the sources proportion of river water (river downstream) according to the δD, δ18O, and d-excess ratio relationships. The results showed that the proportion of ice-melt water, groundwater, and precipitation in the ablation period was 80.6%, 17.2%, and 2.2% as well as 19.2%, 73.1%, and 7.7% in the accumulation period, respectively. Ice-melt water has a higher conversion recharge rate to groundwater and indirectly recharges river water, especially in nonmonsoon seasons. In other words, the main recharge source of river water in the lower reaches of the Mingyong Glacier basin during the ablation period is ice-melt water. In the accumulation period, the main recharge source of river water in the lower reaches of the Mingyong Glacier basin is groundwater, while nearly half of the recharge of groundwater comes from ice-melt water. Therefore, regardless of the ablation period or the accumulation period, ice-melt water is sustainable and important to this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes represent crops with multiple values at the farm level, from an economic and ecological point of view. The study evaluated the variation of biological yield, grain production and some productivity elements in field peas. The research took place in ARDS Lovrin, Romania. The experiment was organized under the conditions of a cambic chernoziom type soil, in a non-irrigated system. The 'Boxer' pea cultivar was cultivated. Fertilization was done with phosphorus, applied in autumn, in five concentrations (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha-1 a.s.; a.s. - active substance). On each phosphorus level, nitrogen was applied in spring in five doses (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 kg ha-1 a.s.). The combination of the two fertilizers resulted in 25 experimental variants, in four repetitions. Biological yield recorded values BY=0.800 - 1.640±0.046 kg m-2. Pea grains production recorded values PgP=0.091 - 0.604±0.031 kg m-2. Pea stalks varied between PS=0.584 - 1.026±0.026 kg m-2. Secondary pea production varied between PsP=0.659 - 1.127±0.027 kg m-2. Correlation of variable intensity was recorded between determined parameters. Based on PCA, PC1 explained 72.664% of variance, and PC2 explained 27.217% of variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bumble bees are known to be amongst the most efficient natural pollinators and their increased scarcity in the ecosystem has led us to study their habitat and ethological preferences, so that future efforts can be designed for their restoration under the natural habitat. The present investigation explores the natural nest architecture, structural features of nest habitat, location of the nest, environmental parameters, population dynamics, emergence of drones, gynes, and variation in the sex ratio of Bombus haemorrhodalis. A total of ten natural nests were excavated at different altitudes ranging from 473.05 to 1258.52 m from different sites in two locations Nauni and Gandhal. The species inhabited the underground abandoned rodent's cavities as nests at a depth of 15 cm to 140 cm with 1–2 external hidden entrances or below ground covered with involucrum made of small dried grass, leaves, pine needles, paper infused on/with wax, etc. The shape of the nest varied from circular to oval with an average size of about 3.88 cubic decimeters. The colony strength of all excavated nests ranged between 15 and 113 individuals, with average internal ambient temperature and relative humidity of the nest cavity varying from 20.9–29.7 °C and 24.6–79.3 percent, respectively. The honey storage (length x width; 16.02 × 15.74 mm), queen (15.02 × 14.60 mm), worker (13.25 × 12.58 mm) and drone cells (11.13 mm × 10.45 mm) varied in dimensions and were constructed by the workers with colony development. As a potential natural strategy to ensure survival, the gynes emerged earlier and higher in number than drones in late summer to early autumn and this progeny survived until the end of autumn. The current study exploring the natural environment of B. haemorrhoidalis helps understand and correlate the natural nest characteristics with laboratory-reared colonies for year-round rearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediculus capitis infests the human scalp, affecting people in all nations and having worldwide distribution. There are no studies on global P. capitis infestation and trends related to parameters of gender, years, seasons, months, hemispheres, continents, and countries among preschool and primary school students and the community. Therefore, based on the selected parameters, this global-scale evidence review looked at the levels of P. capitis infestation in the target population. Among the papers reviewed, 436 were selected because they contained information that suited the study objectives. The levels of P. capitis infestation in the target population related to gender, years, seasons, the world hemispheres and tropical regions, continents, and countries were the parameters used for comparison. Irrespective of the variations in the above conditions, the global P. capitis infestation levels among selected parameters were around 25% or rarely above in the target population. Due to environmental, epidemiological, or cultural conditions, P. capitis infestation levels in the target population in the southern hemisphere and tropical regions had a significantly higher infestation rate than in the northern hemisphere. The global trends of seasonal and monthly P. capitis infestation in the target population have been relatively constant over the past decades, with a slight increase or decrease. In terms of temporal, spatial and climatic conditions, the observations indicated that the countries often located in the tropical regions of North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia are at greater risk of infestation. Significantly, the increased risk of infestation is adjusted by gender (girl as a risk factor) and season (summer as a risk factor and autumn and winter as the protecting factors). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Eupatorium japonicum Thunb. (Compositae: Eupatorieae: Eupatoriinae) is described and illustrated. The current synonymy is provided, together with type citations for each of the names and statements of the located type material, together with appropriate notes and comments on this material, including lectotypifications if present in the literature. A selection of verified illustrations of the species in the literature is provided. Statements of the species' distribution, habitat and ecological preferences, phenology, conservation status, and the etymology of both generic and specific epithets are given, along with an impressive array of vernacular names, reflecting its relatively wide distribution and long cultivation. Cultivation, propagation, and availability notes are provided. The probability of this plant having been 'exported' to China many centuries ago both for its scent and festival significance almost mirrors that of the Chrysanthemum, that came in the opposite direction a few centuries earlier. The author citation for this well‐known Japanese endemic is discussed, as is the long‐standing confusion between E. chinense L., E. japonicum and the separation of E. fortunei Turcz. in many references. Comments on Robert Fortune's Chinese collections relevant to the type material of Eupatorium fortunei are also provided. Included within the synonymy of E. fortunei is E. stoechadosmum Hance, published in a short paper, Manipulus ..., in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles, the Monitum, is dated '7 kal. Februar. 1863', suggesting publication of Cahier 4 post that date when it was published. Hance's novelties (some collected as late as November 1862), and those of Triana & Planchon in their Prodromus florae Novo‐Granatensis ... (from Cahier 5) are listed in major databases as having been published in 1862; there is no other internal evidence in the relevant papers to suggest, or confirm, this is true. Any suggestion that Hance's Manipulis was published in early 1862 is similarly incorrect. Hance's plant supports other records, including the publication of E. fortunei Turcz., that E. japonicum had been long in cultivation in China, but never known to grow in the wild. Eupatorium japonicum, now with E. fortunei (fujibakama) in synonymy, is one of the seven plants, from the Festival of Seven Flowers or Herbs (nanakusa no sekku) that takes place in the autumn – the Autumn's Seven Flowers or Herbs (aki no nanakusa). The autumn tradition, dating back over a millennium, mirrors the spring festival (haru no nanakusa) – when a seven‐herb rice porridge is eaten – but in autumn the simplicity of the flowers is just for visual enjoyment, not eating. The herbal and medicinal uses of this species also have a long history, are wide‐ranging, and clearly have great potential in a number of fields, not least in preventing insect predation, as an insecticide, or as an ovicide, together with antifungal and antimicrobial activity, as well as showing good anti‐inflammatory and cytotoxic activity. The plant's Lavender‐like smell is akin to that produced in sakuramochi (Prunus speciosa (Koidz.) Ingram, of cherry blossom fame), but is based on coumarin and its derivatives, not linalool and related volatiles in Lavandula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northward expansion of peanut cultivation in China is limited by the availability of heat resources, and frost poses a significant challenge to peanut planting in Northeast China. Peanut is the 3rd largest crop in Liaoning province, which is an important exporter of peanuts in China. This paper studied the hazard of frost to peanut cultivation from a disaster-causing perspective, which is of great significance for ensuring the area stability and production safety of oil crops in emerging production areas. Based on the daily minimum temperature data of 56 meteorological stations in Liaoning from 1961 to 2020, the number of spring and autumn frost days were identified, as well as the first and last frost dates during the peanut growing season. The risks of spring frost and autumn frost in peanut cultivation were evaluated and the adaptability of current sowing and harvesting periods in reducing the frost risk in Liaoning was assessed. The results showed that the risk of autumn frost increased from southwest to northeast in Liaoning, while the risk of spring frost increased from south to north. The probability of daily frost occurrence exhibited an "S" shape during autumn and an inverse "S" shape during spring. It took approximately two months for the probability to increase from 0% to 100% and vice versa. The safe growth period for peanuts in Northeast China can be defined as the time between the corresponding date of the sowing lower limit temperature and the date of first frost. Autumn frost has a greater impact on peanut cultivation in Liaoning compared to spring frost. To avoid autumn freezing damage in the highest risk areas such as Fuxin city, the north-central part of Shenyang city and Tieling city, which are the main peanut-producing regions in Liaoning, it is necessary to postpone the harvesting date. While spring freezing damage in most major peanut-producing regions in Liaoning can be avoided by postponing the sowing date, the impact on the harvesting date must also be considered. Frost and wet soil during the autumn harvesting period may pose new challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health monitoring systems based on the internet of things (IoT) improve patient well-being and reduce mortality risks. Machine learning techniques are most helpful in early fall prediction and detection. In this paper, fall prediction analysis and decision-making are done with existing benchmark clinical records. Classification techniques are incorporated to track the consistency and precision of data acquired by the IoT-based remote health monitoring for elderly people, especially those who are living alone. This work undertakes two approaches to early predicting a patient’s acute illness. The first approach has analyzed the existing benchmark patient activity data with different features. This approach builds the classification model for fall incidence with the help of machine learning models. In second approach, we collect real-time sensor data such as blood pressure and heart rate from IoT sensor gadgets which are transmitted to the prediction model for early prediction. Experimental results prove that the random forest (RF) classifiers and XGBoost provides the maximum accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In early 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK called for research on the safety and immunogenicity of concomitant administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. Co-administration of these vaccines would facilitate uptake and reduce the number of healthcare visits required. The ComFluCOV trial was designed to deliver the necessary evidence in time to inform the autumn (September–November) 2021 vaccination policy. This paper presents the statistical methodology applied to help successfully deliver the trial results in 6 months. Methods: ComFluCOV was a parallel-group multicentre randomised controlled trial managed by the Bristol Trials Centre. Two study statisticians, supported by a senior statistician, worked together on all statistical tasks. Tools were developed to aid the pre-screening process. Automated data monitoring reports of clinic data and electronic diaries were produced daily and reviewed by the trial team and feedback provided to sites. Analyses were performed independently in parallel, and derivations and results of all outcomes were compared. Results: Set-up was achieved in less than a month, and 679 participants were recruited over 8 weeks. A total of 537 [at least] daily reports outlining recruitment, protocol adherence, and data quality, and 695 daily reports of participant electronic diaries identifying any missed diary entries and adverse events were produced over a period of 16 weeks. A preliminary primary outcome analysis of validated data was reported to the Department of Health and Social Care in May 2021. The database was locked 6 weeks after the final participant follow-up and final analyses completed 3 weeks later. A pre-print publication was submitted within 14 days of the results being made available. The results were reported 6 months after first discussions about the trial. Conclusion: The statistical methodologies implemented in ComFluCOV helped to deliver the study in the timescale set. Working in a new clinical area to tight timescales was challenging. Having two statisticians working together on the study provided a quality assurance process that enabled analyses to be completed efficiently and ensured data were interpreted correctly. Processes developed could be applied to other studies to maximise quality, reduce the risk of errors, and overall provide enhanced validation methods. Trial registration: ISRCTN14391248, registered on 30 March 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a highly photochemically reactive gas, has a lifetime of only a few hours, and at high concentrations is harmful to human beings. Therefore, it is important to monitor NO2 with high-precision, time-resolved instruments. To this end, a Pandora spectrometer has been installed on the roof of the laboratory building of the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Olympic Park, Beijing, China. The concentrations of trace gases (including NO2 , HCHO , O3) measured with Pandora are made available through the open-access Pandora database (https://data.pandonia-global-network.org/Beijing-RADI/Pandora171s1/ , last access: 11 July 2023). In this paper, an overview is presented of the Pandora total and tropospheric NO2 vertical column densities (VCDs) and surface concentrations collected during the first year of operation, i.e., from August 2021 to July 2022. The data show that NO2 concentrations were high in the winter and low in the summer, with a diurnal cycle where the concentrations reached a minimum during the daytime. The concentrations were significantly lower during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, showing the effectiveness of the emission control measures during that period. The Pandora observations show that during northerly winds, clean air is transported to Beijing with low NO2 concentrations, whereas during southerly winds, pollution from surrounding areas is transported to Beijing and NO2 concentrations are high. The contribution of tropospheric NO2 to the total NO2 VCD varies significantly on daily to seasonal timescales; i.e., monthly averages vary between 50 % and 60 % in the winter and between 60 % and 70 % in the spring and autumn. A comparison of Pandora-measured surface concentrations with collocated in situ measurements using a Thermo Scientific 42i-TL analyzer shows that the Pandora data are low and that the relationship between Pandora-derived surface concentrations and in situ measurements is different for low and high NO2 concentrations. Explanations for these differences are offered in terms of measurement techniques and physical (transport) phenomena. The use of Pandora total and tropospheric NO2 VCDs for validation of collocated TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) data, resampled to 100 m × 100 m , shows that although on average the TROPOMI VCDs are slightly lower, they are well within the expected error for TROPOMI of 0.5 Pmolec.cm-2 + (0.2 to 0.5) ⋅ VCDtrop (1 Pmolec.cm-2 = 1 × 10 15 moleccm-2). The location of the Pandora instrument within a sub-orbital TROPOMI pixel of 3.5 km × 5.5 km may result in an error in the TROPOMI-derived tropospheric NO2 VCD between 0.223 and 0.282 Pmolec.cm-2 , i.e., between 1.7 % and 2 %. In addition, the data also show that the Pandora observations at the Beijing-RADI site are representative of an area with a radius of 10 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discussed the experimental results of the performance of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system with an ultra-low temperature heat source. The low boiling point working medium R134a was adopted in the system. The simulated heat source temperature (SHST) in this work was set from 39.51°C to 48.60°C by the simulated heat source module. The influence of load percentage of simulated heat source (LPSHS) between 50% and 70%, the rotary valve opening (RVO) between 20% and 100%, the resistive load between 36 Ω and 180 Ω or the no-load of the generator, as well as the autumn and winter ambient temperature on the system performance were studied. The results showed that the stability of the system was promoted when the generator had a resistive load. The power generation (PG) and generator speed (GS) of the system in autumn were better than in winter, but the expander pressure ratio (EPR) was lower than in winter. Keep RVO unchanged, the SHST, the mass flow rate (MFR) of the working medium, GS, and the PG of the system increased with the increasing of LPSHS for different generator resistance load values. When the RVO was 60%, LPSHS was 70%, the SHST was 44.15°C and the resistive load was 72 Ω, the highest PG reached 15.11 W. Finally, a simulation formula was obtained for LPSHS, resistance load, and PG, and its correlation coefficient was between 0.9818 and 0.9901. The formula can accurately predict the PG. The experimental results showed that the standard deviation between the experimental and simulated values was below 0.0792, and the relative error was within ±5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the study of nutrition and ichthyopathological analysis of naked osman from the Charyn River, which is located on the territory of the Charyn State National Natural Park in the Almaty region. The naked osman belongs to the carp family. The fish does not have any scales on other part of the body exept the lateral line. The naked osman currently dwells in Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, India, Nepal and other Asian countries. The purpose of the work is to determine the Charyn River’s food base and water condition by studying the food spectrum, fish pathology. To carry out the given study the fish were caught in the autumn in 2021. Only 15 samples of the caught fish were taken for the analysis. According to the ichthyological analysis results, the absolute length of 15 samples of the fish ranged from 8.3 cm to 12.7 cm, and their mass was from 4.81 g to 17.60 g. The standard quantitative – weight method was used for ichthyotrophological research. The special histological method was employed for ichthyopathological study. According to the ichthyotrophological study, the fullness index was about 10.75%00, and insect larvae were an essential food. Histological studies did not reveal an obvious pathology. As a result, the nutrient reserves in the reservoir were found to be at a good level and the external environment was found not to produce a negative effect on the fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the study of the mesothermal temperature maximum layer (MTML) in Lake Baikal, which is observed during the period of winter stratification. On the one hand, this is a rather well-known phenomenon; on the other hand, it is not sufficiently studied, although it has a significant impact on the thermal regime in winter and water dynamics during the periods of formation and breakdown of inverse temperature stratification. Our work presents the results of analyzing the spatial and temporal variability of the main MTML parameters and their dependence on hydrometeorological factors. For this purpose, CTD soundings and mooring data obtained in the western part of the southern basin of Lake Baikal in 2000–2022 were analyzed in comparison to ERA5-Land reanalysis. The MTML parameters have noticeable within-season and interannual spatial and temporal variability. This is obviously related to the influence of the processes of vertical turbulent mixing, internal wave action, and current patterns. The analysis of interannual differences revealed four types of behavior of the maximum MTML temperature during the ice season. The influence of wind conditions on the main MTML parameters (maximum MTML temperature, depth of its occurrence, and depth of the upper MTML boundary) was shown not only in the fall, but also in the summer period, when heat accumulation in the Baikal water column takes place. With the increased wind activity in the late fall, the MTML is formed deeper and has lower maximum temperature values. At lower wind activity in the fall, the MTML is closer to the surface and the values of the maximum MTML temperature are higher. A change in wind activity in the summer leads to the opposite effect. In spite of the essential trends over the study period in the dates of the occurrence of hydrological events, no noticeable trends were registered for the maximum MTML temperature, its depth, and the depth of the upper boundary of the MTML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Reproductive strategies vary widely among bats, even within the same species. The molossid Tadarida teniotis has an intermediate latitudinal distribution between tropical bats and those of temperate zones. There are still some uncertainties about its migratory behaviour and reproductive mode that are not yet fully understood. Some authors believe that this species breeds in spring and is sedentary, while others propose a bimodal breeding cycle with occasional or partial migration. In this paper, these contradictory approaches are exposed, providing more data to help solving this controversy. The results of the species monitoring for several years verified the existence of harems in spring and summer-autumn in at least one location of its range (Valladolid, central Spain). In both periods and during several months, males were observed performing patrols and displaying aggressive behaviour towards male intruders. This may have been facilitated by the peaks in migratory moth abundance. For the late parturitions occurring in autumn/winter and in case of absence of deferred reproduction mechanisms, a sex-biased migration is necessary for, at least, the females who got pregnant during the autumn mating. Thus, the species appears to show greater reproductive and migratory complexity than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with an analysis of total arsenic concentration using ICP-MS/MS and an analysis of concentration of several arsenic species, arsenite (AsIII), arsenate (AsV), monomethylarsonate (MMA), dimethylarsenite (DMA), and trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), using HPLC-ICP-MS/MS in the PM10 fraction of airborne urban aerosol. The samples were collected during two campaigns, in the autumn of 2022 and in the winter of 2023, at three locations within the central European city of Brno, with the aim to evaluate the seasonal and spatial variations in the PM10 composition. The results confirmed only the seasonal variability in the content of the methylated arsenic species in PM10 influenced by biomethylation processes. To gain better understanding of the possible arsenic origin, a supplementary analysis of the total arsenic concentrations was performed in samples of different size fractions of particulate matter collected using ELPI +. Local emissions, including industrial activities and heating during the winter season, were suggested as the most likely predominant source contributing to the total As content in PM10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the biological and economic effects of simultaneous artificial regeneration of mixtures of pioneers (birch – Betula pendula Roth or aspen – Populus tremula L.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) with plots of monospecific beech. During the period of two years, the height of young beech trees, their mortality, and the regeneration cost were analysed in the following treatments: monospecific beech (9 000 pcs·ha−1), monospecific beech (5 000 pcs·ha−1), beech/birch (5 000/2 500 pcs·ha−1) and beech/aspen (5 000/2 500 pcs·ha−1). Four plots (differing in soil and altitude) were established in the region of the Czech Republic in autumn 2021. The positive biological effect of these pioneers was detected only in the treatments where the initial planting stock of the pioneers was substantially higher than in that of beech (on average 39 cm vs. 100 cm, respectively). However, the expenses of simultaneous regeneration were about 15% lower compared to plots with monospecific beech in densities like 9 000 pcs·ha−1, and around 35% higher than in the monospecific beech plots with a density of 5 000 pcs·ha−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sijie ji ... (The Four Seasons) is a set of four plays believed to have been composed in the mid-Ming. Each of these four plays is based on an episode related to a season in the lives of four famous literati: Du Fu (spring), Xie An (summer), Su Shi (autumn), and Tao Gu (winter). The full texts of these plays are no longer extant, but because they were widely popular during the Ming dynasty, excerpts of various shapes and forms can be found in more than twenty qu anthologies dating from as early as 1553. In other words, Sijie ji is a lost work, of which only certain parts are preserved, and exclusively so, through anthologies. How, for a work whose partial survival is closely connected to anthologies, do we approach this body of disparate, anthologized drama parts that all appear to be associated with Sijie ji? This paper explores the significance of reading these segments of Sijie ji not necessarily as parts of an elusive whole but instead as individual, meaningful textual units belonging to more than one textual system; it also considers the role of anthologies in textual relations and the circulation of knowledge within qu texts and across various genres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using ERA5 reanalysis data, this paper combined existing research definitions of gale processes to analyze the variation characteristics of gale processes occurring in the South China Sea region, and to study the response of the gale process to East Pacific sea surface temperature. The results indicate that the gale process shows the significant annual variation and the most frequent in winter and least frequent in summer. While there is no significant trend in the frequency of gale processes in each season. There is a significant negative correlation between the frequency of gale process and the East Pacific sea surface temperature in spring, autumn, and winter. When the sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific rises abnormally, the frequency of gale processes in the South China Sea decreases. When abnormally high, the frequency of gale process in the South China Sea increases. In summer, this relationship is the opposite. When sea surface temperature is abnormal, the anomalous anticyclone triggered in the western Pacific, and has a weakening effect on the prevailing winds in the South China Sea, leading to a reduction in high wind speed and gale events, thereby reducing the frequency of gale process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]