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What strategies do competitive authoritarian regimes use to target local-level opposition gains? How and why can these strategies vary subnationally? We analyse how national-level identity politics shapes regimes' repression calculus at the local level. We suggest permissive prejudice leads regimes to choose harsher strategies in localities governed by stigmatized minority groups than in majority-led localities. To study this phenomenon, we identify three strategies varying in degrees of severity and visibility, and present an original dataset of repressive events in Turkey's municipalities from 2016–2022. We argue anti-Kurdish prejudice explains the ruling AKP's use of a harsh strategy of leader replacement in 149 cases of Kurdish-led municipalities yet only one Turkish-led municipality. Supporting our claim, the AKP used behind-the-scenes hamstringing to obstruct opposition mayors in Turkish-led municipalities. Our findings highlight the permissive and restrictive roles that identity politics plays in shaping local-level repression and wider patterns of authoritarian consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree phenology, the timing of periodic biological events in trees, is highly sensitive to climate change. Previous studies have indicated that forest greening can impact the local climate by modifying the seasonal surface energy budget. However, the understanding of tree phenological responses to forest greening at large spatial scales remains limited. Utilizing satellite‐derived phenological and leaf area index data spanning from 2001 to 2021, herein we show that forest greening led to earlier spring and autumn phenology in both temperate and boreal forests. Our findings demonstrated that forest greening during winter and spring contributed to a reduction in surface albedo, resulting in biophysical warming and consequently advancing spring leaf phenology. Conversely, forest greening in summer and autumn induced biophysical cooling through increased evapotranspiration, leading to an earlier onset of autumn leaf phenology. Our findings highlight the significant impact of forest greening‐induced local seasonal climate changes on shaping tree phenology in temperate and boreal forests. It is crucial to consider these greening‐induced alterations in microclimate conditions when modeling changes in tree phenology under future climate warming scenarios. Plain Language Summary: Tree phenology, such as spring leaf‐out and autumn leaf senescence in trees, influences various biochemical processes and functions in forest ecosystems. Although forest greening‐induced local warming or cooling has been reported, potential effect of greening on tree phenology remains poorly understood. Here we show that forest greening could significantly alter tree phenology through biophysical warming and cooling. Our findings provide novel insights into understanding the drivers of the shifts in tree phenology under climate change. Key Points: Forest greening significantly influences tree phenology through seasonal biophysical warming and cooling in temperate and boreal forestsForest greening in winter and spring reduces surface albedo, resulting in biophysical warming and consequently advancing spring phenologyForest greening in summer and autumn induces biophysical cooling by enhancing evapotranspiration, resulting in earlier autumn phenology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon export driven by submesoscale, eddy‐associated vertical velocities ("eddy subduction"), and particularly its seasonality, remains understudied, leaving a gap in our understanding of ocean carbon sequestration. Here, we assess mechanisms controlling eddy subduction's spatial and seasonal patterns using 15 years of observations from BGC‐Argo floats in the Southern Ocean. We identify signatures of eddy subduction as subsurface anomalies in temperature‐salinity and oxygen. The anomalies are spatially concentrated near weakly stratified areas and regions with strong lateral buoyancy gradients diagnosed from satellite altimetry, particularly in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current's standing meanders. We use bio‐optical ratios, specifically the chlorophyll a to particulate backscatter ratio (Chl/bbp) to find that eddy subduction is most active in the spring and early summer, with freshly exported material associated with seasonally weak vertical stratification and increasing surface biomass. Climate change is increasing ocean stratification globally, which may weaken eddy subduction's carbon export potential. Plain Language Summary: Oceans play an important role in global climate by soaking up and sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Photosynthetic activity at the surface turns carbon dioxide into organic carbon, and if this carbon leaves the surface to the deep ocean, it can be locked away from the atmosphere. One way this occurs is through the physical circulation associated with swirling eddies, which can rapidly transport organic carbon‐rich surface waters and "inject" them into deep waters. However, we still don't fully understand the seasonal timing of this process, or what drives its spatial distribution. We investigated this in the Southern Ocean, which is very important to global climate, using data collected by drifting robots. We find that this process is the most active in regions where eddies drive strong surface stirring, and during the spring, when weak stratification allows injections to penetrate deep into the ocean. Because this process is poorly represented in climate models, these findings will improve our understanding of how the ocean absorbs carbon. Key Points: Eddy subduction in the Southern Ocean is observed as subsurface anomalies in spice and oxygen measured by autonomous profiling floatsSpatial distribution is controlled by weak stratification and strong lateral buoyancy gradients, diagnosed using satellite altimetryBio‐optical proxies suggest that eddy subduction is most active in spring/early summer, driven by weak vertical stratification [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strip tillage is an effective tillage technique, which included the strip seedbed tilled area (ST-IR) and the straw-covered area between the seedbeds (ST-BR). However, soil hydrothermal conditions and soil disturbance varies with strip tillage widths, which might affect crop growth and yields. Therefore, this study explored the effect of strip tillage width on the soil hydrothermal conditions and soil structure of ST-IR and ST-BR, to determine the optimal strip tillage width. A field experiment with three replicates was conducted to analyze soil moisture and soil temperature variation and to clarify the difference of soil structure in the IR and BR. Three strip tillage widths, 20 cm (ST20), 30 cm (ST30), and 40 cm (ST40), were examined in this study. Soil temperature in both the ST-IR and ST-BR increased as the strip tillage width increased, and the average soil temperature of ST30-IR and ST40-IR in the seedling stage was 2.11°C and 2.62°C higherthan that of ST20-IR, respectively. Moreover, the daily soil temperature range in both the IR and BR was greater for ST40 than for ST20 and ST30 in the seedling stage; soil temperature differences in other crop growth stages were small. No significant difference in soil temperature was observed between ST30-IR and ST40-IR. Conversely, soil moisture was greater in ST20-IR and ST30-IR than in ST40-IR; soil moisture was also greater in ST30-BR and ST40-BR than in ST20-BR during the monitoring period. Soil moisture in ST40-IR and ST20-BR increased and decreased more rapidly during rainfall events than in the other treatments. Moreover, soil temperature was higher in the ST-IR than in the ST-BR for all 3 strip tillage widths, and the opposite results were observed for soil moisture. In addition, strip tillage widths had no significant differences on soil structure. In conclusion, a 30 cm strip tillage width had higher soil temperature and remained more soil moisture than other strip tillage widths, so this strip tillage width is thus recommended for use by farmers in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taklamakan Desert (TD) is a major source of mineral dust emissions into the atmosphere. These dust particles have the ability to darken the surface of snow on the surrounding high mountains after deposition, significantly impacting the regional radiation balance. However, previous field measurements have been unable to capture the effects of severe dust storms accurately, and their representation on regional scales has been inadequate. In this study, we propose a modified remote-sensing approach that combines data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite and simulations from the Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative (SNICAR) model. This approach allows us to detect and analyze the substantial snow darkening resulting from dust storm deposition. We focus on three typical dust events originating from the Taklamakan Desert and observe significant snow darkening over an area of ∼ 2160, ∼ 610, and ∼ 640 km 2 in the Tien Shan, Kunlun, and Qilian mountains, respectively. Our findings reveal that the impact of dust storms extends beyond the local high mountains, reaching mountains located approximately 1000 km away from the source. Furthermore, we observe that dust storms not only darken the snowpack during the spring but also in the summer and autumn seasons, leading to increased absorption of solar radiation. Specifically, the snow albedo reduction (radiative forcing) triggered by severe dust deposition is up to 0.028–0.079 (11–31.5 W m -2), 0.088–0.136 (31–49 W m -2), and 0.092–0.153 (22–38 W m -2) across the Tien Shan, Kunlun, and Qilian mountains, respectively. This further contributes to the aging of the snow, as evidenced by the growth of snow grain size. Comparatively, the impact of persistent but relatively slow dust deposition over several months during non-event periods is significantly lower than that of individual dust events. This highlights the necessity of giving more attention to the influence of extreme events on the regional radiation balance. This study provides a deeper understanding of how a single dust event can affect the extensive snowpack and demonstrates the potential of employing satellite remote sensing to monitor large-scale snow darkening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sod culture (SC) and conventional agriculture (CA) represent two distinct field management approaches utilized in the cultivation of tea plants in Taiwan. In this study, we employed gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques to assess the impact of SC and CA methods on the photosynthetic machinery of Camellia sinensis cv. TTES No.12 (Jhinhsuan) in response to variable light intensities across different seasons. In spring, at photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) ranging from 800 to 2,000 μmol photon m-2 s-1, the net photosynthesis rate (Pn, 10.43 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1), stomatal conductance (Gs, 126.11 mmol H2O m-2 s-1), electron transport rate (ETR, 137.94), and ΔF/Fm' and Fv/Fm (50.37) values for plants grown using SC were comparatively higher than those cultivated under CA. Conversely, the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) values for SC-grown plants were relatively lower (3.11) compared to those grown under CA at 800 to 2,000 PPFD in spring. Additionally, when tea plants were exposed to PPFD levels below 1,500 μmol photon m− 2 s− 1, there was a concurrent increase in Pn, Gs, ETR, and NPQ. These photosynthetic parameters are crucial for devising models that optimize cultivation practices across varying seasons and specific tillage requirements, and for predicting photosynthetic and respiratory responses of tea plants to seasonally or artificially altered light irradiances. The observed positive impacts of SC on maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax), Fv/Fm, Gs, water-use efficiency (WUE), and ETR suggest that SC is advantageous for enhancing the productivity of tea plants, thereby offering a more adaptable management model for tea gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marketing & Menedzsment is the property of University of Pecs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The immature winter flush affects the flower bud differentiation, flowering and fruit of litchi, and then seriously reduces the yield of litchi. However, at present, the area estimation and growth process monitoring of winter flush still rely on manual judgment and operation, so it is impossible to accurately and effectively control flush. An efficient approach is proposed in this paper to detect the litchi flush from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remoting images of litchi crown and track winter flush growth of litchi tree. The proposed model is constructed based on U-Net network, of which the encoder is replaced by MobeilNetV3 backbone network to reduce model parameters and computation. Moreover, Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) is integrated and convolutional layer is added to enhance feature extraction ability, and transfer learning is adopted to solve the problem of small data volume. As a result, the Mean Pixel Accuracy (MPA) and Mean Intersection over Union (MIoU) on the flush dataset are increased from 90.95% and 83.3% to 93.4% and 85%, respectively. Moreover, the size of the proposed model is reduced by 15% from the original model. In addition, the segmentation model is applied to the tracking of winter flushes on the canopy of litchi trees and investigating the two growth processes of litchi flushes (late-autumn shoots growing into flushes and flushes growing into mature leaves). It is revealed that the growth processes of flushes in a particular branch region can be quantitatively analysed based on the UAV images and the proposed semantic segmentation model. The results also demonstrate that a sudden drop in temperature can promote the rapid transformation of late-autumn shoots into flushes. The method proposed in this paper provide a new technique for accuratemanagement of litchi flush and a possibility for the area estimation and growth process monitoring of winter flush, which can assist in the control operation and yield prediction of litchi orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a study of Daoist encounter with modernity. It reconstructs the history of Quanzhen Daoist monastic activism in late Qing educational and other modern reforms in Nanyang from the 1880s to the 1910s. Focusing on the life and career of the Quanzhen Daoist cleric Yao Aiyun (1845–1912), this study examines the intense Daoist activism carried out by prior Yao and the Monastery of Dark Mystery (Xuanmiao guan) in establishing three new schools from 1905 to 1908. Using evidence developed from new and previously underexplored primary sources, I show that prior Yao and his monastery paid for and operated three new schools to support the Qing state's push for modern education reforms in rural jurisdictions, and more importantly to meet the educational needs of the children in local communities in Nanyang. I further demonstrate that while the threat of temple expropriation by the late Qing state may have been a factor driving some Buddhist and Daoist temples to support to the state educational reforms, prior Yao and his monastery's efforts in establishing new schools must not be seen merely as self-serving or opportunistic instincts at times of crisis. Instead, I argue that they are best understood as a natural extension of the Quanzhen Daoist monastery's long and deep tradition of commitment and service to the local community in Nanyang. As I have shown elsewhere, these efforts trace their roots or origins to at least the early Qing re-construction of Nanyang in the mid-seventeenth century, and to the most recent valiant defense of the city against the Nian-Taiping rebels in the 1860s. I further argue that contrary to the Weberian thesis that religion would either wither under the impact of modernity or oppose the proliferation of science and knowledge, prior Yao's activism shows that Daoism rather willingly pioneered in efforts to establish new western-style schools for the sake of advancing modern education and science-based knowledge among the local population. In the process, prior Yao and his Quanzhen Daoist temple gained both official state recognition and popular respect, and grew stronger in both influence and power in local society in late Qing Nanyang. Indeed, the case of prior Yao also shows that Chinese traditional religions such as Daoism often found ingenious ways to not only adapt to and engage with forces of modernity, but they also evolved themselves and advanced their own interests by immersing themselves deeply in various new social and public institutions of the modernizing society in late Qing Nanyang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmissibility of the forced resonance for the nonlinear vibration isolation system (VIS) coupled with quasi-zero stiffness (QZS) and quadratic damping under base excitation are investigated. By utilizing the averaging method, the approximate analytical solutions of primary resonance (PR) and 1/3 subharmonic resonance (SR) for the nonlinear vibration isolator with QZS and quadratic damping are acquired. Employing Lyapunov's first method, the stability conditions of steady-state solutions for the nonlinear VIS with QZS and quadratic damping are determined. According to the derived conditions for the existence of subharmonic resonance, it is proved that when the considered nonlinear VIS has subharmonic resonance, it only exists within a certain excitation frequency range. The accuracy of the approximate analytical solutions for the amplitude-frequency response, force transmissibility, and relative displacement transmissibility of the PR and SR of the nonlinear VIS is confirmed by comparing them with the numerical results. The effects of QZS and quadratic damping on transmissibility of both force and relative displacement of nonlinear VIS have been discussed. The analysis results indicate that by choosing the appropriate QZS parameter or quadratic damping coefficient, the subharmonic resonance of the nonlinear VIS under a certain base excitation can be completely eliminated. When the amplitude of the base excitation increases to the extent that the system exhibits significant resonance behavior, for the same coefficient value, the nonlinear VIS coupled with QZS and quadratic damping can achieve smaller initial vibration isolation frequency and better amplitude suppression effect than that with linear damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automobile Technology & Material is the property of Automobile Technology & Material Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for tea plants, as it contributes significantly to tea yield and serves as the component of amino acids, which in turn affects the quality of tea produced. To achieve higher yields, excessive amounts of N fertilizers mainly in the form of urea have been applied in tea plantations where N fertilizer is prone to convert to nitrate and be lost by leaching in the acid soils. This usually results in elevated costs and environmental pollution. A comprehensive understanding of N metabolism in tea plants and the underlying mechanisms is necessary to identify the key regulators, characterize the functional phenotypes, and finally improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Tea plants absorb and utilize ammonium as the preferred N source, thus a large amount of nitrate remains activated in soils. The improvement of nitrate utilization by tea plants is going to be an alternative aspect for NUE with great potentiality. In the process of N assimilation, nitrate is reduced to ammonium and subsequently derived to the GS-GOGAT pathway, involving the participation of nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). Additionally, theanine, a unique amino acid responsible for umami taste, is biosynthesized by the catalysis of theanine synthetase (TS). In this review, we summarize what is known about the regulation and functioning of the enzymes and transporters implicated in N acquisition and metabolism in tea plants and the current methods for assessing NUE in this species. The challenges and prospects to expand our knowledge on N metabolism and related molecular mechanisms in tea plants which could be a model for woody perennial plant used for vegetative harvest are also discussed to provide the theoretical basis for future research to assess NUE traits more precisely among the vast germplasm resources, thus achieving NUE improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Treatment with methyl jasmonate can slow down the healing of stem bark wounds in Norway spruce seedlings. In woody plants, healing of bark wounds is a tolerance trait involved in recovery from stem damage. Yet, little is known on how wound healing may be affected by plant protection treatments such as methyl jasmonate application (MeJA, a plant hormone triggering increased resistance to pests). Here, we examined if MeJA can affect healing of an existing and a subsequently inflicted stem wound on Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings, the effect of treatment on plant growth, and potential trade-offs between healing and resistance to insect damage. Seedlings from 18 full-sib families were mechanically wounded (or not) on the lower stem and treated with MeJA (or water) one week after. Two months later, another wound was inflicted and wound area was measured during six months. Growth of non-wounded and wounded seedlings were compared, and correlations between family estimates of healing rates and field insect damage were examined. We found that MeJA slowed down wound healing. For the first and second wound, respectively, MeJA-treated seedlings experienced 15% and 9% slower healing rates, and wounds remained 58% and 69% larger in size compared to water-treated seedlings. Stem wounding and MeJA together were more detrimental to seedling diameter than height growth, relative to each treatment alone. Finally, resistance to field insect damage and wound healing rates were not significantly correlated. We conclude that MeJA-mediated seedling protection may trade-off with bark wound healing, which may be negative for seedling vigor. However, further studies are needed to evaluate if such effects outweigh the benefits that MeJA provides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil freeze-thaw cycle in the permafrost regions has a significant impact on regional surface energy and water balance. Although increasing efforts have been made to understand the responses of spring thawing to climate change, the mechanisms controlling the global interannual variability of the start date of permafrost frozen (SOF) remain unclear. Using long-term SOF from the combinations of multiple satellite microwave sensors between 1979 and 2020, and analytical techniques, including partial correlation, ridge regression, path analysis, and machine learning, we explored the responses of SOF to multiple climate change factors, including warming (surface and air temperature), start date of permafrost thawing (SOT), soil properties (soil temperature and volume of water), and the snow depth water equivalent (SDWE). Overall, climate warming exhibited the maximum control on SOF, but SOT in spring was also an important driver of SOF variability; among the 65.9% significant SOT and SOF correlations, 79.3% were positive, indicating an overall earlier thawing would contribute to an earlier frozen in winter. The machine learning analysis also suggested that apart from warming, SOT ranked as the second most important determinant of SOF. Therefore, we identified the mechanism responsible for the SOT-SOF relationship using the SEM analysis, which revealed that soil temperature change exhibited the maximum effect on this relationship, irrespective of the permafrost type. Finally, we analyzed the temporal changes in these responses using the moving window approach and found increased effect of soil warming on SOF. In conclusion, these results provide important insights into understanding and predicting SOF variations with future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mature seed of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis (PPC) is morphophysiologically dormant and develops differently under warm and cold temperatures. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying temperature-dependent regulation of PPC seed dormancy and germination, we investigated the dynamic changes in PPC seed transcript levels under warm and cold temperature stratifications (WS and CS, respectively) by time-resolved RNA sequencing, focusing on genes related to hormone metabolism and signaling and cell wall remodeling (CWRM) and encoding transcription factors/regulators (TFs/TRs). A total of 48 765 and 47 836 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with WS and CS, respectively. Of these, 17 581 and 16 652 DEGs, respectively, unique to WS and CS, and 5 386 were common to both temperature stratifications across nine analyzed growth stages. The expression of hormone metabolism and signaling, TF/TR, and CWRM genes were closely associated with temperature. More genes related to gibberellin (GA), cytokinin, auxin, and brassinosteroid biosynthetic were upregulated in WS as compared to CS seeds, while genes related to dormancy release and germination were downregulated in WS seeds. However, only GA and abscisic acid levels were altered in PPC seeds breaking morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). Overall, 37 TF and five TR families were upregulated whereas 24 TF and 16 TR families were downregulated in WS as compared to CS seeds. Most CWRM families were highly expressed under WS as compared to CS, suggesting that they promote endosperm weakening and embryo growth of WS seeds and facilitate MPD release and germination. A coexpression analysis revealed positive correlations between TFs/TRs and DEGs involved in hormone metabolism and signaling and CWRM. These results provided a basis for investigating the interaction between the endosperm and underdeveloped embryo in the regulation of PPC seed germination and seedling emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist decision-making is based on the information available before visiting a destination. Although marketing content has a role to play, user-generated content (UGC) has gained momentum in recent years. This study considering the role of travel blogs and vlogs created by the user, aims to comprehend the role of these information sources in the decision-making of their consumers. The present research investigates the preference of travelers for UGC and its role in travel decision-making over other marketing information generated by destination marketing organisations (DMOs). The study is based on responses from 220 Indian tourists via an online web-based survey conducted using a structured questionnaire and applying multi-stage sampling. The study findings reveal a strengthened preference for blogs and vlogs among travelers compared to traditional DMO marketing content. The study provides implications for industry players that can help engage their visitors in UGC creation and dissemination for better marketing by suggesting suitable strategies for tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral dust affects health, climate, and ecosystems in various ways. East Asia is one of the major sources of mineral dust worldwide. This study examines the year-to-year variability of dust deposition over Japan in April from the perspective of large-scale atmospheric circulations using atmospheric and aerosol reanalysis datasets for the period from 2011 to 2017. The increased dust deposition in Japan is explained by the intensified dust transport from the Mongolian Plateau by the anomalous westerly winds associated with a deepened trough over the East Asian continent toward the northwest of the Japanese islands in the middle to lower troposphere. The enhanced dust emission over the Gobi Desert and the intensified extratropical cyclone activity are consistent with the largerthan-normal dust amount in East Asia. Comparing the dust depositions over western and northern Japan, it is suggested that the slightly different anomalous trough positions may determine whether or not a large amount of dust is carried. A further analysis using the long-term (1967 - 2022) observation data of dust in Japan supports the importance of the intensified trough over the East Asian continent. Dust flux decomposed into cyclonic and anticyclonic components showed that both vortices contribute to the eastward dust transport in East Asia. These results suggest that Japanese dust events and their variability are affected by the stationary circulation anomaly as well as the baroclinic instability waves including transient cyclones and anticyclones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought indices are frequently used to measure the intensity, start and end of droughts. However, the performances of these indices depend on regions and the type of droughts. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate whether these indices are applicable for a given region. This study evaluated the ability of the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI), the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), and the Standardized Moisture Anomaly Index (SZI) to describe the dry-wet conditions and drought events in the core zone of the "westerlies-dominated climatic regime". The results showed that the 12-month SZI (SZI12) and SPEI (SPEI12) have good correlations with precipitation and PET respectively, while the scPDSI can capture the changes in precipitation and soil moisture. In Xinjiang region of China, the SZI12 and scPDSI showed that this region gradually became wetter during 1961–2014, which was consistent with increased precipitation, decreased PET, and improved vegetation. However, the SPEI12 showed significant drying due to the strong influence of the PET, suggesting that this index exaggerated the drought conditions in this region. Precipitation in Kazakhstan and the southern Central Asian regions has increased slightly over the past 50 years, but the PET has greatly increased, altogether, all three indices suggested a drying trend in Central Asia. The evaluation of the ability of these drought indices to identify typical drought events in Xinjiang region of China suggested that the scPDSI can better detect the typical drought events compared with the SZI12. In conclusion, the scPDSI is the most suitable index for characterizing the long-term trend of hydroclimate conditions and drought events in the core zone of the "westerlies-dominated climatic regime". This study provides a theoretical basis for the rational utilization and improvement of the drought index, which is critical for monitoring, attributing, and predicting of drought events in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat yield has been constrained by stripe rust disease globally. A wheat landrace (Qishanmai, QSM) consistently showed lower stripe rust severities in multiple year studies than susceptible check varieties including Suwon11 (SW) at the adult plant stage. To detect QTL for reducing the severity in QSM, 1218 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were developed from SW x QSM. QTL detection was conducted firstly using 112 RILs selected for similarity in pheno- morphological characters. The 112 RILs were assessed for stripe rust severity at the 2nd leaf, 6th leaf and flag leaf stages under field and greenhouse conditions, and genotyping was done primarily with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. On the basis of these phenotypic and genotypic data, a major QTL (QYr.cau-1DL) was detected on chromosome 1D at the 6th leaf and flag leaf stages. Further mapping was conducted by genotyping 1218 RILs using new simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, which were developed by referring to the sequences of the wheat line Chinese Spring (IWGSC RefSeq v1.0). QYr.cau-lDL was mapped within a 0.5 cM (5.2 Mb) interval delimited by the SSR markers 1D- 320.58 and 1D-325.79. These markers were applied to select for QYr.cau-lDL by screening F2 or BC4F2 plants of the wheat crosses RL6058 x QSM, Lantian10 x QSM and Yannong21 x QSM. F2:3 or BC4F2:3 families derived from the selected plants were assessed for stripe rust resistance in the fields of two locations and in a greenhouse. Wheat plants carrying the resistant marker haplotype in homozygous state for QYr.cau-lDL showed lower stripe rust severities (by 44% to 48%) than plants lacking this QTL. The trial of RL6058 (a carrier of Yr18) x QSM also indicated that QYr.cau-lDL had larger effect than Yr18 on reducing severity; they acted synergistically, yielding an elevated level of stripe rust resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an interdecadal enhancement in the interannual relationship between spring extreme heat events (EHEs) over mid‐high latitude Eurasia and winter sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical central‐eastern Pacific (TECP) after the late 1990s. Comparative analyses of the two subperiods before and after the late 1990s show that the interdecadal changes in the winter TECP SST could be responsible for such changeable relationship. After the late 1990s, the winter TECP SST anomalies (SSTA) feature a central Pacific (CP)‐type pattern. The CP‐type SSTA cause an anticyclone anomaly over the North Atlantic through the Pacific‐North American‐like teleconnection, further leading to a dipole SST pattern over the tropical to mid‐latitude North Atlantic. The CP‐type SSTA and North Atlantic dipole SSTA persist well from winter to spring, and the North Atlantic dipole SSTA favor the propagation of the CP‐type SST‐excited Rossby wave train to Eurasia in spring. Therefore, the TCEP SSTA have a significant interannual relationship with the spring Eurasian atmospheric circulations and EHEs after the late 1990s. The above physical processes are further confirmed by the SSTA sensitivity numerical experiments. In contrast, before the late 1990s, the winter TECP SSTA show an eastern Pacific‐type pattern, which is related to weak and insignificant North Atlantic SSTA and spring Eurasian atmospheric circulations; consequently, the TCEP SSTA have a weak relationship with the EHEs variations during this period. The TCEP SSTA with one season leading can provide valuable information for the prediction of spring Eurasian EHEs variations in the recent two decades. Plain Language Summary: Frequent extreme heat events (EHEs) over Eurasia have resulted in ecological disruptions, economic losses, and population deaths. Therefore, understanding the mechanism for the variability of the Eurasian EHEs is of prodigious societal and scientific concerns. Most of previous studies have focused on the summer EHEs over Eurasia; however, limited attention has been paid to the spring Eurasian EHEs. In this study, we revealed that the winter sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the tropical central‐eastern Pacific (TECP) have an enhanced influence on the interannual variability of the spring EHEs over mid‐high latitude Eurasia after the late 1990s. Compared with the period before the late 1990s, the TCEP SST anomalies are located more westward over the tropical central Pacific after the late 1990s, which can lead to a dipole SST pattern over the tropical to mid‐latitude North Atlantic. Such a dipole SST pattern over the North Atlantic favors the TECP SST‐related Rossby wave train propagating further to mid‐high Eurasia, consequently influencing the variability of the spring EHEs over the region in recent two decades. The results in this study could not only deepen our understanding of the variability of the Eurasian spring EHEs but also provide prediction source for the EHEs. Key Points: Tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies can influence spring Eurasian extreme heat events (EHEs) after the late 1990sAfter the late 1990s, the central Pacific (CP) SST anomalies lead to a dipole SST pattern in tropical to mid‐latitude North AtlanticCombined effect of CP SST and North Atlantic SST anomalies is required to influence the spring Eurasian atmospheric circulations and EHEs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the cereal crops, wheat is an important food crop and acts as the staple food for more than half of the world's population. The genetic bottleneck of domestication and modernization has narrowed down the genetic base for different economically important traits in wheat. The involvement of wild species in the wheat hybridization program faced the difficulties of pre- and post-fertilization barriers and the presence of Ph1 locus. The distant crosses provide useful variation which is beneficial for wheat improvement programs. The wild relative species of wheat harbor several important genes for nutritional traits such as gluten protein, micronutrients (grain Fe and Zn), vitamins, and other minerals and play a significant role in end-use quality. The gluten strength relies upon the glutenin protein. The glutenin consists of two types, i.e., high molecular weight glutenins (HMW-GS) and low molecular weight glutenins (LMW-GS) which help in improving wheat processing quality. In wheat, gene transfer occurs as a consequence of direct cross, breeding protocols, and genetic recombination assisted by special manipulation techniques. Alien introgression from wild relatives is an important source of new allelic variation for the genetic enhancement of nutritional quality. The wild relative species such as Aegilops spp., T. boeoticum, and T. dicoccoides have been used in hybridization, and genes related to protein, and micronutrients have been transferred in the cultivated varieties. Through this review, an attempt has been made to compile comprehensive information on the potential of wild species for the improvement of nutritional and end-use quality traits through alien introgression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater mussels are one of the most diverse and endangered faunas worldwide. Owing to the continuing global biodiversity loss, it is essential to identify and protect populations that are not severely affected by human disturbances and ensure that natural genetic diversity is not inevitably lost. The generation of baseline genetic diversity data will help guide species conservation and restoration plans in the Yangtze River Basin where freshwater mussels are facing multiple threats and where strong declines have been observed.The genetic diversity of freshwater mussels was assessed using 818 mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), 565 28S rRNA and 509 COI + 28S datasets, and refuge areas in the Yangtze River floodplain were predicted using a Maxent habitat suitability model.The results showed that the genetic diversity of Aculamprotula spp., Sinosolenaia carinata, Cuneopsis rufescens, Lamprotula cornuumlunae, Lanceolaria lanceolata, Ptychorhynchus pfisteri, Schistodesmus spp. and Sinohyriopsis cumingii was lower than that of other freshwater mussels, which indicated that the conservation status of these species should be prioritized.The habitat suitability modelling showed that Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake basins (lakes and tributary rivers connected to the Yangtze River mainstem) present the most suitable habitats for freshwater mussels, indicating that lateral hydrological connectivity may be the most important factor in maintaining the genetic diversity of Chinese freshwater mussels. Consequently, Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake basins should be established as protected areas.This study provides valuable information for the conservation and management of freshwater mussel biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin, which will not only help conserve this vulnerable group but will also provide wider benefits to freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the variations in past ocean carbonate chemistry is critical to elucidating the role of the oceans in balancing the global carbon cycle. The fossil shells from marine calcifiers present in the sedimentary record are widely applied as past ocean carbon cycle proxies. However, the interpretation of these records can be challenging due to the complex physiological and ecological response to the carbonate system during an organisms' life cycle and the potential for preservation at the seafloor. Here we present a new dissolution proxy based on the morphological attributes of coccolithophores from the Noëlaerhabdaceae family (Emiliania huxleyi > 2 µ m, and small Gephyrocapsa spp.). To evaluate the influences of coccolithophore calcification and coccolith preservation on fossil morphology, we measured morphological attributes, mass, length, thickness, and shape factor (ks) of coccoliths in a laboratory dissolution experiment and surface sediment samples from the South China Sea. The coccolith morphological data in surface sediments were also analyzed with environment settings, namely surface temperature, nutrients, pH, chlorophyll a concentration, and carbonate saturation of bottom water by a redundancy analysis. Statistical analysis indicates that carbonate saturation of the deep ocean explains the highest proportion of variation in the morphological data instead of the environmental variables of the surface ocean. Moreover, the dissolution trajectory in the ks vs. length of coccoliths is comparable between natural samples and laboratory dissolution experiments, emphasizing the importance of carbonate saturation on fossil coccolith morphology. However, the mean ks alone cannot fully explain the main variations observed in our work. We propose that the normalized ks variation (σ/ks), which is the ratio between the standard deviation of ks (σ) and the mean ks, could reflect different degrees of dissolution and size-selective dissolution, influenced by the assemblage composition. Applied together with the σ/ks ratio, the ks factor of fossil coccoliths in deep ocean sediments could be a potential proxy for a quantitative reconstruction of past carbonate dissolution dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese American skater Nathan Chen and the Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu have demonstrated what we call a 'hyperathletic-artistic turn': recognizing an almost superhuman, quad-jumping ability along with an equally developed artistic side. This article closely analyses their 2018 Olympic season performances exploring costuming, music, dance choreography, and jumping ability. While Chen's balletic and dancerly choreography – a 'return of the dancer' aesthetic – maintains an individualistic maverick instead of commercially recognisable macho hypermasculinity, Hanyu's 'soft masculine queer turn' draws from the queer costuming and mannerisms of Johnny Weir and the confidence of Evgeni Plushenko. Through their performances and choreography, we argue that Chen and Hanyu importantly carve out emerging artistic forms of East Asian and Asian-American masculinities in the predominantly white sport of figure skating. These skaters are part of a driving force in an East Asian turn in men's figure skating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New particle formation (NPF) is an important source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), which affects Earth's radiative balance and global climate. The mechanism and CCN contribution of NPF at the high-altitude mountains, especially in the Tibetan Plateau (TP), was unclear due to lack of measurements. In this study, intensive measurements were conducted at the Nam Co station (4730 m a.s.l.) in the central TP during both the pre-monsoon and summer monsoon seasons. The frequencies of NPF events exhibited evident seasonal differences with 15 % in the pre-monsoon season and 80 % in the monsoon season. The comprehensive analysis of the measured condensation sink (CS), gaseous precursors and meteorological conditions, supplemented by the model simulations of SO 2 and volatile organic compound (VOC), points to the organic involved nucleation as the dominant mechanism. Condensation sink and gaseous sulfuric acid could have no significant effect on the occurrence of NPF events. The frequent NPF events in the summer monsoon season may result from the higher frequency of southerly and southwesterly air masses, which brought the organic precursors to participate in the NPF process. It had increased the aerosol number concentrations and CCN at supersaturation of 1.2 % by more than 2 and 0.6 times compared with those in the pre-monsoon season, respectively. Considering that the smaller particles formed by NPF may further grow and reach CCN size during the following days due to the low-level coagulation sink, the amount of potential CCN in the monsoon season could be much larger than our local measurement results. Our results emphasized the importance of considering the seasonal effect of NPF when simulating the amounts of aerosols and CCN in the high-altitude atmosphere. Long-term investigations with a full set of instrumentation are required for deeper scientific understanding of NPF process and its role in the global budget in the TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Running bamboos are a group of clonal plants exhibiting rapid and widespread expansion. They possess two root subsystems, arising from different shoot parts, culm roots and rhizome roots. To date, it remains unclear what the functional differences are between the two root subsystems and what their relation is to the remarkably competitive ability of running bamboos.A typical running bamboo, Phyllostachys glauca, which dominates in a highly heterogeneous habitat of limestone hills, was sampled to compare the morphology, architecture, anatomy, chemical composition, mechanics and nutrient acquisition of the two root subsystems to explore their differences in functional traits.Compared with rhizome roots, culm roots possessed greater tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, stele diameter to root diameter ratio, root tissue density, root length density, rooting depth, basal diameter of shoot‐borne roots and more lignified cells. Culm roots also had a higher phosphorus (P) concentration (>0.4 mg g−1), which was nearly twice that of rhizome roots. By contrast, rhizome roots exhibited a greater specific root area, specific root length, cortex thickness to root radius ratio, total branch order and greater P‐uptake capacity than culm roots.Our findings revealed distinct differences in functional traits between culm roots and rhizome roots in P. glauca. Culm roots are considered to primarily provide anchorage, but also function in resource acquisition and nutrient storage, while rhizome roots mainly play a role in resource acquisition. Except for the anchorage and resource acquisition of culm roots, the extra resource acquisition by rhizome roots and the high concentration of a limiting nutrient (P) in culm roots enhance the performance in a highly heterogeneous habitat which offers a physiological explanation for P. glauca dominating on limestone hills.The functional differentiation between culm roots and rhizome roots provides insight into the mechanism underpinning the remarkable expansion of running bamboos and offers a new perspective to explain the strong competitive ability of clonal plants with dimorphic roots. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern South China Sea (NSCS) is significantly influenced by the Kuroshio intrusion and the coastal currents. Our knowledge on the roles of both currents on phytoplankton spatial variations is still inadequate. Here, we investigated the concentrations of phytoplankton biomarkers and their proportions in surface suspended particles from 47 sites of the NSCS during summer of 2017 and 2019. Brassicasterol/epi-brassicasterol, dinosterol, and C37 alkenones were used as proxies of biomass for diatoms, dinoflagellates, and haptophytes, respectively, and their sum indicating total phytoplankton biomass. A three end-member mixing model was applied to quantitatively assess the influence extent of the Kuroshio intrusion and the coastal currents. Our results showed that the Kuroshio intrusion and the coastal currents contributed equally to the overall surface water masses in the study area; however, the two currents had distinct effects on the spatial distribution of phytoplankton. For phytoplankton biomass, the eutrophic coastal currents were likely to be the main controlling factors, while the impact of the Kuroshio intrusion was weak and stimulated significant increases in phytoplankton biomass only at certain boundary sites. For phytoplankton community structures, the Kuroshio and its intrusion were the main factors, resulting in an increase in the proportions of dinoflagellates and haptophytes. The proportion of diatoms slightly increased due to the influence of the coastal currents. Our study quantifies the effects of the Kuroshio and the coastal currents on phytoplankton in the NSCS in terms of hydrological parameters, providing an important basis for the understanding of ecological functions and biogeochemical cycles in marginal sea-open ocean boundary regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gear time-varying mesh stiffness (TVMS) plays an important role in the analysis accuracy of a gear transmission mechanism. In previous research, the TVMS of a modified straight bevel gear (SBG) was mainly obtained by the finite element method (FEM), whose computation time is usually long to ensure computational accuracy. By contrast, this work proposes a fast calculation method with high accuracy for the TVMS of a modified SBG. First, B-spline surfaces are introduced to reconstruct a modified SBG using discrete tooth surface points. Next, based on the tooth contact analysis and loaded tooth contact analysis, combined with energy conservation principle and infinitesimal method, a semi-analytical instantaneous single mesh stiffness (SMS) model for the modified SBG is derived. Then, using the additional deformation compatibility condition and principle of force balance, the calculation method of the TVMS of the modified SBG is obtained. Finally, a comparison of the mesh stiffness calculation results between the method of this study and that of FEM is completed. The results show that the semi-analytical TVMS model used in this study can be accurately and quickly solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Under current global warming, the relationship between season changes of plants and environmental factors is focused on high-elevation and latitude regions. Due to the desynchronized growth of above- and below-ground and the buffering of soil, the driving factors in leaf and root show seasonal dynamics. Methods: We measured above- and below-ground intensity in the alpine steppe over the non-growing season (October-April) and growing season (May-September). Air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and soil temperature were used to analyze the correlation based on the growth rhythm. Results: Results showed that an earlier growth in spring and a delayed dormancy in autumn of root than leaf was observed. Our results strongly suggest that soil moisture plays a more important role in leaf unfolding while temperature is consistent with the withering of the shoots. Soil moisture comes from soil melt driving the spring phenology of roots, which derived from the storage of the subsoil layer in the last autumn. Discussion: Climate change will affect the strong seasonal patterns that characterized these precipitation-limited systems, especially in the spring and fall shoulder seasons. As seasonality changes in the alpine steppe, divergent responses of leaf and fine root would be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Science Technology & Engineering is the property of Chinese Society of Technology Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The presence of parametric excitation in dynamic structures, caused by friction, crack, varying compliance, electromagnetic field, etc. may generate unbounded responses. In the literature there exist several numerical analyses of systems affected by parametric excitation, while experimental studies are less frequent. Objective: The goal of the paper is to create a demonstrator of a parametrically excited system, whose stability can be modified through a controlled physical parameter. This work also investigates the applicability of the recently developed stability analysis method named Jacobian Based Approach (JBA). Methods: This paper studies a simple experimental set-up comprising of a cantilever beam mounted on a spring with time – varying stiffness, achieved through the use of an electromagnet. The test rig allows measuring directly the magnetic force without any preknowledge of the values of electrical parameters. Results obtained from the test rig are compared with numerical results obtained from the Finite Element model. In this study, Hill's method and JBA are employed to obtain the stability plot highlighting the regions of parametric instabilities. Results: Good agreement is found between experimental and numerical data and the presence of unstable behavior is verified through the use of the well – known Hill's method and the JBA. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the stability plot, highlighting the unstable regions, computed by JBA is in complete agreement with the one obtained by Hill's method. Conclusions: It is shown how the parametric instability can be triggered through the regulation of a simple physical parameter, i.e. the gap between the electromagnet and the beam. The numerical model analyzed by the ad – hoc technique proposed by the authors i.e. JBA has been proven to have predictive capabilities in studying a system under parametric excitation and could be a potential substitution for state-of-the-art stability analysis techniques such Hill's method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is severe in winter and causes vast premature deaths in north China. Many previous studies have concerned winter‐mean haze conditions and identified some useful climate factors. However, obvious differences in the number of haze days also existed between December and January (HDJ‐D) that lacked of understandings. The HDJ‐D maximum was 6.6 days, which occurred between December 2005 and January 2006, accounting for more than 45% of the monthly mean number of haze days in these 2 months. Differences of large‐scale atmospheric circulations were distributed like a Rossby wave pattern in mid‐troposphere, with centres in the west of Europe (+), the north to the Caspian Sea (−) and north China (+). Associated meteorological conditions in north China resulted in more adverse ventilation conditions and stronger chemical productions, and thus larger number of haze days in January than in December. In addition, significant relationships between HDJ‐D and three preceding climate factors during 1979–2018 were also revealed, including August–September–October sea ice over the Laptev Sea and the north of the Kara Sea (correlation coefficient = −0.53), November snow depth in eastern Europe and western Siberia (correlation coefficient = −0.44) and sea surface temperature over the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge (correlation coefficient = −0.48). Abundant analyses, basing on the observation data, large‐ensemble climate simulations and atmospheric chemical simulations, all reproduced the influences of each climate factor on large‐scale atmospheric circulations and local meteorological conditions associated with HDJ‐D changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both seed and bud banks play important roles in the recruitment and maintenance of macrophyte communities; however, few studies have investigated them simultaneously. We investigated the abundance, species composition, and seasonal patterns of seed and bud banks in two dominant macrophyte communities, Carex and Miscanthus, in the Dongting Lake wetlands. The seed densities of both communities were lower from November (after flooding) to March and increased dramatically before flooding (in May). The bud densities of the two dominant communities peaked in the coldest month of the year (January), decreased markedly in March, and were the lowest before flooding. The seed banks of the two macrophyte communities were mainly composed of annual species and a few perennial species, whereas the bud banks were composed of only dominant perennials. Furthermore, the perennial species present in bud banks did not occur in seed banks. Among the soil variables, the bud densities of both plant communities were negatively associated with soil bulk density, whereas the seed density of the Miscanthus community was positively associated with soil bulk density. Our results suggest that seed and bud banks are complementary in the potential recruitment of macrophyte communities; that is, bud banks regulate the demography of dominant perennials, and seed banks contribute to the recruitment and dispersal of annual species. Given the high abundance of annuals and near absence of the most dominant perennials in the seed bank, the bud banks of dominant perennial species should be more widely used in wetland restoration and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polishing plays an indispensable role in optical processing, especially for large-aperture optical reflective mirrors with freeform surfaces. Robotic polishing requires effective control of the contact force between the robot and the mirror during processing. In order to maintain a constant contact force during polishing, traditional polishing robots rely on closed-loop control of air cylinders, whose performances heavily rely on high-fidelity force sensing and real-time control. This paper proposes to employ a compliant constant-force mechanism in the end-effector of a polishing robot to passively maintain a constant force between the robot and the mirror, thus eliminating the requirement for force sensing and closed-loop control. The compliant constant force mechanism utilizing the second bending mode of fixed-guided compliant beams is adopted and elaborated for the passive end-effector. An end-effector providing a constant contact force of 40 N is designed and prototyped. The polishing experiment shows that the passive constant-force end-effector provides stable contact force between the robot and the mirror with fluctuation within 3.43 N, and achieves RMS (Root Mean Square) lower than λ/10 (λ = 632.8 nm) of the polished surface of the large-aperture optical reflective mirror. It is concluded that the constant-force compliant mechanism provides a low-cost and reliable solution for force control in robotic polishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a vibrating system where the pendulum and vibrators are coupled together, the relevant dynamic model and the corresponding synchronization problem are rarely studied, due to its complex dynamic coupling relationships. In this paper, a vibrator–pendulum coupling system is proposed to study its synchronization principle; here, the pendulum is driven by the synchronous motion of the two vibrators directly. By exploiting the system motion differential equations and their vibration responses, the synchronization criterion of the two vibrators is deduced via the average method. After that, the stability criterion for the synchronous states is presented according to the convergence and divergence characteristics of the perturbed differential equation in the balanced state. Based on the theoretical results, the synchronous stable states and motion characteristics of the system under different parameter conditions are discussed by numerical qualitative analyses, and the reasonable parameters matching principles in designing the real vibrating machine are provided. A series of numerical simulations and experiments are further given to examine the validity of the theoretical methods and the obtained results. The dynamic model and research results presented in this paper can be applied to design a new kind of vibrating jaw crusher; in this case, the pendulum is served as the moving jaw and can work with its swing motion trajectory under the premise of the stable zero-phase difference between the two vibrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic resistance, which can be succeeded by combining several resistance genes, is the most helpful technique for controlling stripe rust disease (Puccinia striiformis). Nineteen wheat commercial cultivars were assessed for stripe rust resistance and the existence of four resistance genes were validated. Yr5 gene was found in all the studied genotypes in different sizes ranged from 467 bp to 581 bp, while Yr18 appeared only in four studied genotypes. The potential of thymol and carvacrol as bioactive compounds was investigated against stripe rust disease. Using real-time PCR, the regulation of defense genes expression was assessed. The findings of the present investigation indicated that both thymol and carvacrol had protective effects against stripe rust. Treatments with thymol and carvacrol boosted the incubation and latent periods of the disease. Additionally, in both treatments, the level of infection was lower than the control group. A significant upregulation of the defense genes in wheat (PR5, PR6, PR8 and PR12) was recorded after treatment with thymol (100 mg/l) for 0, 1, 3, 4, 8 and 14 days after inoculation (DAI) and the fold change was close to the transcription of PR genes in the resistance monogenic line Yr15. After inoculation, carvacrol (100 mg/l) induced a significant up-regulation in the expression of PR genes at all days, except at 3 DAI (for PR6 and PR8) and 4 DAI (for PR6 and PR12). These results suggest that thymol and carvacrol may be utilized as elicitors of systemic resistance to stripe rust in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shanghai has gained much attention in terms of air quality research owing to its importance to economic capital and its huge population. This study utilizes ground-based remote sensing instrument observations, namely by Multiple AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS), and in situ measurements from the national air quality monitoring platform for various atmospheric trace gases including Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3), Formaldehyde (HCHO), and Particulate Matter (PM; PM10: diameter ≤ 10 µm, and PM2.5: diameter ≤ 2.5 µm) over Shanghai from June 2020 to May 2021. The results depict definite diurnal patterns and strong seasonality in HCHO, NO2, and SO2 concentrations with maximum concentrations during winter for NO2 and SO2 and in summer for HCHO. The impact of meteorology and biogenic emissions on pollutant concentrations was also studied. HCHO emissions are positively correlated with temperature, relative humidity, and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), while both NO2 and SO2 depicted a negative correlation to all these parameters. The results from diurnal to seasonal cycles consistently suggest the mainly anthropogenic origin of NO2 and SO2, while the secondary formation from the photo-oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and substantial contribution of biogenic emissions for HCHO. Further, the sensitivity of O3 formation to its precursor species (NOx and VOCs) was also determined by employing HCHO and NO2 as tracers. The sensitivity analysis depicted that O3 formation in Shanghai is predominantly VOC-limited except for summer, where a significant percentage of O3 formation lies in the transition regime. It is worth mentioning that seasonal variation of O3 is also categorized by maxima in summer. The interdependence of criteria pollutants (O3, SO2, NO2, and PM) was studied by employing the Pearson's correlation coefficient, and the results suggested complex interdependence among the pollutant species in different seasons. Lastly, potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis was performed to have an understanding of the contribution of different source areas towards atmospheric pollution. PSCF analysis indicated a strong contribution of local sources on Shanghai's air quality compared to regional sources. This study will help policymakers and stakeholders understand the complex interactions among the atmospheric pollutants and provide a baseline for designing effective control strategies to combat air pollution in Shanghai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Landscape Architecture Frontiers is the property of Higher Education Press Limited Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The moisture sources of precipitation in the Tianshan Mountains, one of the regions with the highest precipitation in Central Asia during 1979–2017 are comprehensively and quantitatively summarized by using a Lagrangian moisture source detection technique. Continental sources provide about 93.2% of the moisture for precipitation in the Tianshan Mountain, while moisture directly from the ocean is very limited, averaging only 6.8%. Central Asia plays a dominant role in providing moisture for all sub‐regions of the Tianshan Mountains. For the Western Tianshan, moisture from April to October comes mainly from Central Asia (41.4%), while moisture from November to March is derived primarily from Western Asia (45.7%). Nearly 13.0% of moisture to precipitation for Eastern Tianshan in summer originates from East and South Asia, and the Siberia region. There is a significant decreasing trend in the moisture contribution of local evaporation and Central Asia in the Eastern Tianshan during winter. The contribution of moisture from Europe to summer precipitation in the Central and Eastern Tianshan and the contribution of the North Atlantic Ocean to summer precipitation in the Northern, Central, and Eastern Tianshan also exhibit a decreasing trend. The largest increase in moisture in Western Tianshan stems from West Asia during extreme winter precipitation months. Europe is also an important contributor to extreme precipitation in the Northern Tianshan. The moisture from East and South Asia and Siberia during extreme precipitation months in both winter and summer is significantly enhanced in the Eastern Tianshan. Key Points: Local evaporation and Central Asia play a leading role in providing moisture for all sub‐regions of the Tianshan MountainsThe largest moisture component during the months of extreme winter precipitation for Western Tianshan derives from western AsiaMoisture from East and South Asia and Siberia during extreme precipitation months is significantly enhanced in the Eastern Tianshan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new data set of seasonal stable water isotopes (δD and δ18O) and temperature‐salinity profiles was applied to improve our understanding of water mass distributions and their impact on the environment of the Beibu Gulf (BG). Our study revealed that the coastal current (CC), West‐Guangdong coastal current (WGCC), and South China Sea water (SCSW) were the three dominant water masses in the BG, and their influence was exhibited in seasonal variations. The CC was the dominant contributor to the BG water during summer (43%) and fall (45%), while it changed to the intrusion of SCSW with higher salinity in winter (57%). The contribution of WGCC to the BG was relatively stable during the three seasons (24%–31%). In addition, the nutrients in the BG were greatly affected by different water mixing occurring in the gulf. The nutrients mainly originated from the CC in summer (52%–68%) and fall (32%–69%), while the dominant source shifted to the WGCC in winter (36%–69%). Moreover, the contribution of SCSW to the nutrients loading (15%–49%) in the BG was relatively high due to its high contribution (57%) to the BG water during winter. These indicated that the BG has a stable input of external nutrients from different water masses to sustain primary production in the BG. Our study uses dual water isotopes to quantify the seasonal intrusion of water masses and their impact on nutrients, providing a new method to study the impact of the distribution of water masses on nutrients in the gulf. Plain Language Summary: The distributions of water masses play a significant role in the transportation and distribution of marine material, thereby affecting the local marine environment and global climate system. Dual water isotopes are tracers in water, and their combination with traditional methods is considered an ideal proxy for studying the distribution of water masses. Here, three water masses, coastal current (CC), West‐Guangdong coastal current (WGCC), and South China Sea water (SCSW), were identified, and their seasonally impact on the seawater of the Beibu Gulf (BG) were studied. The seawater in the BG mainly originated from the CC in summer (43%) and fall (45%), while it changed to the intrusion of SCSW in winter (57%). Correspondingly, the dominant nutrient sources in the BG were from the CC during summer (52%–68%) and fall (32%–69%), while they changed to the WGCC (36%–69%) and SCSW (15%–49%) in winter, indicating that the BG has a stable external nutrient input from different water masses to maintain the marine production. Our results highlights that using dual water isotopes to study water mass distributions and their impact on the environment can provide new insights into the cycle of elements in the gulf. Key Points: A new method is presented to study the impact of the processes of water mass on nutrients in the gulfThe seawater in the gulf mainly originated from coastal current in summer and fall, while it changed to the South China Sea Water in winterThe nutrient in the gulf was mainly from coastal current in summer and fall, while it shifted to West‐Guangdong coastal current in winter [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), the cause of wheat stripe rust, is a biotrophic and heteroecious rust fungus with five spore types. Cool and humid climatic conditions are conducive for the development of wheat stripe rust, and in turn, temperatures above 22 °C limit or even cease the disease. The survival of Pst during summer after wheat harvest is responsible for the infection on autumn-sown wheat to maintain disease cycle all the year round. Teliospores formed at late stage of wheat growth are essential for initiating sexual reproduction in spring. Although Chinese native grasses have been experimentally testified as susceptible hosts for Pst and teliospores produced on wheat have been shown to be potential inoculum sources causing infection on alternate hosts (mainly Berberis) in spring, the roles of grass hosts in harboring the survival of urediospores and teliospores of Pst and promoting the emergence of diverse races under field conditions in China have not been known. Herein, Gansu, as a hotspot and an important oversummering region for Pst, was exemplified to demonstrate these roles of grass hosts. As a result, 63 Pst isolates, derived from 2184 uredial samples collected from grass hosts during harvesting period (from mid-June to mid-to-late July) and seeding period (mid to late September) in 2012 and 2013, were identified as 52 diverse phenotypes (82.5%) on the Chinese differential hosts. Subsequently, after inoculation of barberry, 52 Pst isolates with high infection type, 20 known races and 32 new races, were recovered from 1,712 single aecium, which are derived from 35 telial samples of grass hosts. Our experiments showed that Pst urediospores can oversummer on grass species in Gansu or other oversummering regions with similar ecological and climatic conditions. Pst teliospores, which are produced on these grass hosts, are important inoculum source for barberry infection in spring. Therefore, treatment of grasses hosts should be taken into consideration in management of wheat stripe rust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how the fundamental desire for control affects product acquisition. The authors propose that consumers compensate for a loss of perceived control by buying utilitarian products (e.g., household cleaning agents) because of these products‘ association with problem solving, a quality that promotes a sense of control. Study 1 demonstrates this basic effect in a field setting involving real purchases, while studies 2 and 3 show that framing a product as utilitarian (vs. hedonic) moderates the effect of control on purchase intentions. Study 4 shows that a generalized problem-solving tendency mediates the effect of control on eagerness to pursue utilitarian consumption. Given the pervasiveness and ease of using product acquisition as a means to cope with psychological threat, this research has important implications for theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the influence of the North Pacific Victoria mode (VM) on the persistence of the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Both observational data and outputs from phases 5 and 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project show that VM events can enhance the persistence of ENSO SSTAs and reduce the intensity of the spring persistence barrier (SPB) of ENSO SSTAs. The possible reasons for these phenomena are that the SSTAs develop (decay) slowly and do not experience a rapid sign reversal during their decaying phase, indicating a relatively weak ENSO SPB occurs in the spring for strong VM cases. However, during weak VM cases, they transit quickly from positive (negative) SSTAs into negative (positive) SSTAs. The amplitudes of the SSTAs during weak VM cases are relatively greater in the mature phase than those during strong VM cases, resulting in a relatively strong ENSO SPB. Furthermore, VM events can affect the strength of the westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific. The magnitude of the westerly wind anomalies is weaker when a strong ENSO co‐occurs with a strong VM event than when it is associated with a weak VM event. In addition, the subsurface water during the strong VM case transits slowly from positive to negative while that transits relatively fast during weak VM cases, which are consistent with the evolutions of SSTAs. Thus, they together affect the recharge/discharge oscillation process of ENSO, which eventually lead to a strong or a weak ENSO SPB phenomenon occurring in the spring during strong or weak VM cases, respectively. The findings offer a new sight for studying the persistence of ENSO SSTAs. Key Points: VM events have a robust impact on the persistence of ENSO SSTAsStrong VM events can extend the duration of ENSO SSTAs and decrease the intensity of the ENSO SPBStrong VM events are closely linked with two‐winter ENSO events [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Females Papilio polytes Linnaeus, 1758 (Papilionidae), the common Mormon butterfly, exhibit two distinct forms: one resembles conspecific males; the other resembles an unpalatable model, Pachliopta aristolochia (Fabricius, 1775) (Papilionidae), to which P. polytes females are often assumed to be Batesian mimics. Although females P. polytes carrying the gene for mimicry have a greater chance of avoiding predation, the mimetic gene is accompanied by trade-offs such as the number of eggs laid, hatching rate, larval survival rate, and adult lifespan. Based on 400 P. polytes larvae reared under captivity on Citrus limon (Linnaeus) Osbeck (Rutaceae), the mimetic form develops faster and some of its instars are longer than their non-mimetic counterparts. Also, the number of offspring (larvae and pupae) from mimetic females is lower (although not statistically significant) than the number from non-mimetic females. Hence, the retention of the mimetic gene in wild populations is consistent with the hypothesis that the benefit of adult mimicry outweighs the physiological maladies that could be manifested in the larvae and/or pupae of mimetic P. polytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral dust affects global and regional climates through radiative forcing. Herein the relationship between convective mixed layers and dust weather over arid and semi‐arid regions in East Asia is statistically analysed using operational surface‐station observation data and the lifting condensation level (LCL) height as a substitute for the mixed layer height. We divided the East Asia area into five regions (west/east Taklamakan Desert, west/east Gobi Desert and northeast China) and classified dust weather into three categories (floating dust, blowing dust and dust storm). Floating dust is the most frequent in the west Taklamakan Desert. All dust weather types are observed in the Taklamakan Desert even at low wind speeds but are seldom observed if the daily maximum LCL height is less than about 1,000 m. The floating dust events observed inside the Tarim basin seem to spread widely. In the Gobi Desert, when the maximum LCL height reaches about 3,000 m, all the dust weather types spread within the region. In all regions, the daily maximum LCL heights are higher in dust weather categories than in the no‐dust weather category. When a severe dust weather is observed in the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts, the daily maximum LCL height reaches around 4,000–5,000 m above the mean sea level under higher wind conditions, suggesting that dust particles are easily raised from the boundary layer into the free troposphere during dust events in well‐developed mixed layer conditions. In the Gobi region, the frequency and areal extent of the blowing dust and the dust storm are higher than those of the floating dust. Therefore, the role of the deep mixed layers in the Gobi Desert is more important than that in the Taklamakan Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on 12 years (March 2000–February 2012) of monthly data from Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System energy balanced and filled (CERES-EBAF), this study systematically evaluates the applicability of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and second Along-Track Scanning Radiometer and advanced ATSR (AATSR) flux products at the top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA), and the ability of atmosphere-only simulations of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase6 (CMIP6/AMIP) model in reproducing the observed spatial–temporal patterns of TOA cloud radiative effect (CRE) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Results show that TOA radiative fluxes from AVHRR and AATSR can be used to analyze their spatial/temporal characteristics over TP region, especially for AVHRR, but none of them can capture the observed CRE trend since 2000. In particular, when using AATSR TOA radiative flux in clear-sky of TP, the large bias of SW flux (regional mean about 30.48 Wm−2) compared with CERES-EBAF must be taken seriously. The multimodel ensemble mean (MEM) can sufficiently reproduce the temporal changes of CREs, particularly the shortwave CRE. Regarding the geographical pattern of CREs of MEM, the annual mean deviations of longwave CRE are very small, while obvious underestimations can be found in the southeastern TP for shortwave CRE. Additionally, the spatial distribution of CREs is difficult to reproduce for many individual models due to albedo and temperature biases of surface. Our results also demonstrated that MEM still has evident difficulties to capture realistic CRE trends in TP due to poor simulations in surface and cloud properties (particularly cloud fraction). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an annotated checklist of all known lycophytes and ferns in the Solomon Islands following an updated classification. It comprises two classes, 12 orders, 3 families, 122 genera, 9 species, and six infraspecific taxa, including 1 new species described here and 18 species newly recorded for the country. In addition, we make six new nomenclatural combinations as well as 53 lectotypifications. We include a discussion of type status, taxonomic uncertainty, and recent molecular phylogenetic research when relevant. The life forms and phytogeographic affinities of all species are presented and briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]