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Hybrid shell microcapsules have been incorporated into polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/aramid fabric composite liners to enhance the tribological behavior of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings. PAO40/polysulfone/SiO2 hybrid shell microcapsules were synthesized utilizing a combination of Pickering emulsification technology and solvent evaporation. The modified liner with 9 wt% microcapsules exhibited the highest reduction in the average friction coefficient and wear rate, which were 31.1% and 47.9% lower than the unmodified liner. Furthermore, the tribological behavior of modified liners was investigated under different loads and sliding speeds. The friction process of the modified liner and the formation process of the transfer film were analyzed. Investigations into the friction reduction mechanism revealed that the PAO-40# released from microcapsules transitioned the friction type from dry to mixed. SiO2 particles are conducive to forming a denser transfer film by the PTFE abrasive. The results of this study have important scientific significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haryana is primarily an agrarian state. The existing studies of earthworm diversity in Haryana are restricted mostly to the trans-Gangetic plains of eastern Haryana. To explore the diversity in central Haryana, the present study was conducted at six different sites of Tehsil Gohana of District Sonipat in Haryana, India. A total of eight species belonging to three different families were recorded from six different sites. Metaphire posthuma, Metaphire planta, Lampito mauritii and Perionyx excavatus belong to the family Megascolecidae. Three species viz., Eutyphoeus orientalis, Eutyphoeus incommodus, and Octochaetona beatrix, belong to the family Octochaetidae and Pontoscolex corethrurus belongs to the family Glossoscolecidae. Pontoscolex corethrurus, Perionynx excavitus and Eutyphoeus orientalis are the first record. Present findings reveal the first record of three species, namely, Pontoscolex corethrurus, Perionynx excavitus and Eutyphoeus orientalis, belonging to the family Glossoscolecidae, Megascolecidae and Octochaetidae, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the changes and fluctuations of precipitation in geographical areas can give a better view of the behavior of this phenomenon in the coming years. The purpose of this research is to investigate the precipitation situation in Ardabil Plain (Ardabil, Bileh-Daragh, and Kolour stations) and forecast it in the coming years based on the output of CMIP6 models by the CMhyd downscaling model. Then, using R2, MAE, MSE, RMSE, and Taylor diagram, the observational data of the base period were compared with the historical data of 5 GCM models from CMIP6, and the best model was selected for each studied station. The output of the top models was corrected for skewness by linear scaling method and based on SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585 scenarios, the precipitation of 2050-2023 for each station, forecast, and its trend were drawn with the Mann-Kendall statistic. The results showed that in the eastern and western areas of Ardabil Plain (leading to the heights of Talesh and Sablan mountains), the rainfall changes were increasing (2.80 mm). In the Ardabil station, the MIROC6 model with a correlation coefficient of 0.94%, and in Bileh-Daragh and Kolour stations, the MPIESM1-2-HR model with a correlation coefficient of 0.88% and 0.92%, respectively, have the highest accuracy in simulating the precipitation. Also, the results of the scenarios showed that the precipitation changes in Ardabil station in the future period compared to the base period under the SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585 scenarios will be 0.24, -6.36, and -2%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the solution of mechanisms in this study, Golbaf, Kuhbanan and Rafsanjan faults have a dominant right-lateral mechanism with a reverse component and Sarvestan fault has a pure reverse dominant mechanism. Earthquakes are mostly scattered around the city of Shiraz near the Sabzpooshan fault system and Borazjan fault. Solved mechanisms also show that earthquakes with a dominant right-lateral mechanism are related to the Karebas fault. Some earthquakes, which are related to the Sabzevaran fault are with the dominant mechanism of strike slip. Earthquakes of the Sabzpoushan fault are with the dominant mechanism of strike-slip right-lateral (N-S active plain). Mechanism of some earthquake is not compatible with any known faults in the range. In the interpretation of earthquakes in of all maps, the location error of the seismicity must also be considered. This error can reach up to ten kilometers (in some cases) due to the intermediate distance between the stations of the seismological networks. The mechanism of some of these faults, which were studied in previous works (geologically or seismologically), are consistent with the mechanism solved in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nullarbor Plain constitutes one of the main biogeographic barriers of Australia, and it has been suggested to have played a key role in the disjunct distribution of numerous southern Australian species. Although previous research has shown that the origin of this barrier coincides with the timing of the speciation events in some plant lineages, it is not clear whether the uplift of this barrier promoted divergence events in vertebrates. We addressed the role of the Nullarbor barrier and its fringing semiarid habitats as drivers of beta diversity in bird assemblages. Specifically, we determined the effect of distance from the Nullarbor barrier, environmental conditions, and isolation by distance on the composition of local communities on both sides of the plain. We measured beta diversity using taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional metrics of composition. The influence of precipitation, geographic distance, and distance to the Nullarbor barrier on these metrics was addressed using generalized dissimilarity models and a moving‐window approach. We also tested for differences in local extinction, dispersal and speciation rates, and lineage diversity between two regions, southeastern (SE) and southwestern (SW) Australia. Geological and orogenetic dynamics linked to the appearance of the Nullarbor Plain may have spurred speciation events in SE. However, evidence suggests that subsequent periods in which this region was wetter and forested favored dispersal, mainly from SE to SW. Accordingly, observed dissimilarity in species composition was lower than expected at random, suggesting the existence of considerable turnover between regions. Our results suggest that precipitation deficit (and the xeric vegetation that it promotes) was the most important predictor of beta diversity, whereas the distance to the barrier explained some variation in terms of phylogenetic composition. This study shows that the uplift of the Nullarbor barrier played a minor role in shaping present‐day bird diversity in southern Australia. Recent speciation events coupled with historical connectivity can explain the observed patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of two common heavy metals, Cd and Pb, in urban rivers in plains, and analyze the impact of weak hydrodynamics on the transport of heavy metals, and guide their ecological risk assessments in these regions. Materials and methods: Two field surveys (wet and dry seasons) were conducted at a total of 36 sites in the tributaries of Gehu Lake, located in a plain region in China. The European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) extraction method was employed to analyze the components of Cd and Pb. The Nemello index and ecological risk index were calculated to assess their pollution levels and ecological risks. Results and discussion: Cd primarily accumulated at the river mouths, while Pb was predominantly concentrated near the discharge sources. The mobile fractions of Cd were more likely to be released and migrate downstream, and thus the total Cd content demonstrated a significantly negative correlation with these mobile forms (p < 0.05). In contrast, although Pb had a greater proportion of mobile fractions, they were readily re-adsorbed onto particles and settled near the source. The source area displayed notable pollution with Pb, whereas the downstream river mouth area posed a high risk of Cd pollution. Conclusions: The results indicated that the weak river hydrodynamics within plains amplify the impact of heavy metal mobility on their behaviors, producing a "screening effect" on Pb and Cd and resulting in distinct distribution patterns in sediments. These findings can guide the ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems within plains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization inevitably interfered with the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs), which has a crucial impact on the ESs balance. Scientific exploration and clarification of the coupling and decoupling relationship between them can effectively reveal the disturbance of urbanization to the ecosystem, which can help to reasonably manage and protect the ecosystem. Previous studies have paid more attention to the coupling relationship but less attention to the decoupling relationship. This study comprehensively reflected urbanization from the three aspects of construction land, population, and economy and used the evaluation matrix to measure ESs. On this basis, coupling and decoupling analyses were taken to fully clarify the complex relationship between urbanization and ESs balance in China, so as to provide a reference for the formulation of relevant policies. Coupling aspect, the coupling degrees between the proportion of construction land (CLP) and ESs balance index (ESBI) were higher only in the central and eastern plains. The coupling degrees between population density (PD) and ESBI, economic density (ED) and ESBI, and land development index (LDI) and ESBI were only lower in the central and eastern plains than in other regions. Decoupling aspect, strong, weak negative, weak, and strong negative decoupling were the main decoupling types between urbanization and ESs balance in China. Among them, the proportion of the strong decoupling type is much higher than other types, which proves the opposite relationship between the two. Weak decoupling can not only promote economic growth and social development but also protect the ecological environment and biodiversity, which is a type of sustainable development and an ideal state that urbanization should pursue. The results can provide scientific guidance for the formulation of differentiated ecosystem management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two low-cost (LC) monitoring networks, PurpleAir (instrumented by Plantower PMS5003 sensors) and AirQino (Novasense SDS011), were assessed in monitoring PM2.5 and PM10 daily concentrations in the Padana Plain (Northern Italy). A total of 19 LC stations for PM2.5 and 20 for PM10 concentrations were compared vs. regulatory-grade stations during a full "heating season" (15 October 2022–15 April 2023). Both LC sensor networks showed higher accuracy in fitting the magnitude of PM10 than PM2.5 reference observations, while lower accuracy was shown in terms of RMSE, MAE and R2. AirQino stations under-estimated both PM2.5 and PM10 reference concentrations (MB = −4.8 and −2.9 μg/m3, respectively), while PurpleAir stations over-estimated PM2.5 concentrations (MB = +5.4 μg/m3) and slightly under-estimated PM10 concentrations (MB = −0.4 μg/m3). PurpleAir stations were finer than AirQino at capturing the time variation of both PM2.5 and PM10 daily concentrations (R2 = 0.68–0.75 vs. 0.59–0.61). LC sensors from both monitoring networks failed to capture the magnitude and dynamics of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio, confirming their well-known issues in correctly discriminating the size of individual particles. These findings suggest the need for further efforts in the implementation of mass conversion algorithms within LC units to improve the tuning of PM2.5 vs. PM10 outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feedback of vegetation on cloud cover is an important link in the global water cycle. However, the relative importance of vegetation and related factors (surface properties, heat fluxes, and environmental conditions) on cloud cover in the context of greening remains unclear. Combining the Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) leaf area index (LAI) product and the fifth-generation reanalysis data of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5), we quantified the relative contribution of vegetation and related factors to total cloud cover (TCC) in typical regions (Eastern European Plain, Western Siberian Plain, Mongolian Plateau, and Northeastern China Plain) of Eurasia over 21 years, and investigated how vegetation moderated the contribution of the other factors. Here, we show that the relative contribution of different factors to TCC was closely related to the climate and vegetation characteristics. In energy-limited (moisture-limited) areas, temperature (relative humidity) was more likely to be the factor that strongly contributed to TCC variation. Except for sparsely vegetated ecosystems, the relative contribution of LAI to TCC was stable within a range of 8–13%. The case study also shows that vegetation significantly modulated the contribution of other factors on TCC, but the degree of the regulation varied among different ecosystems. Our results highlight the important influence of vegetation on cloud cover during greening, especially the moderating role of vegetation on the contribution of other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulties in establishing an analytical model for plain woven fabric composites (PWFC) and its implementation are well-accepted due to the complexity of yarn architecture, approximations assumed, and lack of experimental validations. In this paper, a practical engineering approach is proposed to predict the tensile properties of PWFC. The approach assumes PWFC as cross-ply, the undulation angle an elliptical shape. The approach tremendously simplifies the calculation keeping a close agreement with the tensile experimental results of PWFC. The approach is remarkably compatible with other theoretical models and experiments that existed in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study area is an alluvial plain consisting of fine clayey sand and coarse sand with mixed lithology. In September 2018, a water sampling campaign was carried out in 28 wells spread all over the plain. The interpretation of the results from the physicochemical analysis allows determination of the hydrogeochemical behaviour and quality of the groundwater sampled in this plain. The spatial distribution of physical and chemical parameters reveals a clear demarcation between the east and the west of the study area. Water samples from wells located in the western part of the plain show a high mineralisation with high electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. Water samples from the southern and eastern parts show intermediate to low mineralisation. Graphical representations of chemical analysis in the Piper diagrams reveal that the groundwater in the study area can be classified into five families. The evaluation of water quality shows that concentration values of some ions like Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, HCO3− and SO42− are generally high in the western part of the plain along the Rusizi River with very high values particularly observed in the Rusizi delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide some properties of k-potent elements in algebras obtained by the Cayley–Dickson process over Z p . Moreover, we find a structure of nonunitary ring over Fibonacci quaternions over Z 3 and we present a method to encrypt plain texts, by using invertible elements in some of these algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early stages, uncontrolled groundwater extraction led to the Hangjiahu (HJH) Plain becoming one of the areas with the most severe land subsidence in China. Since the beginning of this century, comprehensive measures have been taken to control the continuous aggravation of large land subsidence patterns in some areas; however, urban land subsidence issues, influenced by various factors, still persist and exhibit complex geographical distribution characteristics. In this study, we utilized Sentinel-1A images and the SBAS-InSAR technique to capture surface deformation over the HJH Plain in Zhejiang from 16 March 2017 to 20 January 2023. Through a comparative analysis with geological conditions, changes in surface mass loading, rainfall and groundwater, and land use types, we discussed the contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors to land subsidence. Augmented with optical remote sensing images and field investigations, we conducted a correlation analysis of the land subsidence status. The preliminary findings suggest that changes in surface mass loading and short-term heavy rainfall under extreme weather conditions can lead to periodic land subsidence changes in the region. Additionally, extensive infrastructure construction triggered by urbanization has resulted in significant and sustained land subsidence deformation. The research findings play an important guiding role in formulating scientifically effective strategies for land subsidence prevention and control, as well as urban planning and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to determine the optimal nitrogen application rate for strong-gluten wheat cultivation in the North China Plain. Employing Zhongmai 578, a strong-gluten wheat variety, a field experiment was conducted with the following four nitrogen levels: 0 kg/ha (N0), 150 kg/ha (N1), 210 kg/ha (N2), and 270 kg/ha (N3). The research focused on examining the impact of nitrogen application on the photosynthesis, yield, and quality of strong-gluten wheat. The findings revealed that the N2 treatment (210 kg/ha) yielded the highest results compared to the N0 treatment. Photosynthetic parameters, including chlorophyll content in wheat flag leaves, generally exhibited an increase followed by a decrease, peaking at 7 days after anthesis (except for the transpiration rate, which peaked at 14 days post-anthesis). In the first year, quality indices such as water absorption, capacity, sedimentation value, ductility, protein, and wet gluten initially increased and then decreased with rising nitrogen levels. Conversely, in the second year, these quality indices, including hardness, showed a progressive increase with elevated nitrogen application. These results indicate that enhanced nitrogen application can significantly improve the photosynthetic characteristics of strong-gluten wheat, thereby augmenting both yield and quality. Within the parameters of this experiment, an application of 210 kg/ha of nitrogen emerged as the optimal rate, promoting the superior yield and quality of strong-gluten wheat in the North China Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ossicular destruction is a common phenomenon in chronic otitis media due to an imbalance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Computed tomography helps us in the assessment of ossicular status, extent of pneumatization, and early identification of complications. This study aims to check the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography temporal bone for the detection of ossicular erosion in comparison with the surgical findings taken as a gold standard. The use of this investigation as an adjunct can prove to be helpful in planning mastoid exploration as well as a primary reconstruction surgery especially in mucosal and early squamosal diseases. It's a cross-sectional validation study done on 50 patients with chronic otitis media (both mucosal and squamous type) from July 2022 to November 2023. Patients underwent CT scanning of temporal bone and ossicular status was reported by the radiologist. Later on, mastoid surgery was carried out and per operative findings were documented. 2 × 2 tables were formed and diagnostic accuracy of CT temporal bone was checked in terms of sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value. The results revealed that CT temporal bone has a high diagnostic accuracy with a sensitivity of 92.5% and specificity of 100% for malleus (p value < 0.001). For incus and stapes, sensitivity came out to be 93.5% and 76% respectively and specificity values were 94.7% and 100% (p value < 0.001 for all) giving a verdict that the pre-operative use of this radiological investigation should be encouraged by otologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Carrizo Plain (California, USA) is a hotspot for rare and endangered species, little effort has been made to sample the lichen flora of the Plain. To assemble a preliminary checklist of lichens from the basin floor of Carrizo Plain, we sampled along a transect from the basin's alkali complex to its western edge, as well as from clay slickspots with high sodium content, and a rocky site in the eastern Plain. We document a substantial lichen flora on the Plain and note several collections that were the first record for a species in the region: five species were the first in San Luis Obispo County, and nine were the first for the San Joaquin Desert. We include notable collections and observations on potential ecological patterns and highlight Carrizo Plain as a promising hotspot for research on lichen ecology, particularly for species adapted to extreme environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himalaya – one of the pristine and ecologically fragile mountain ecosystem is highly vulnerable to any small changes in climatic system. Under changing climate conditions, assessing regional trends become more important owing to dependence of more than 1 billion people on Himalayas. To analyze the climatic trends and magnitude, this study utilized the long term meteorological data (1980–2022) for temperature and precipitation. Investigations were carried out for 11 meteorological stations located in different topographical zones of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh region. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall test was used for significance of trends in precipitation and temperature data on monthly, seasonal, and annual scales, while Sen's non-parametric estimator of the slope was used to estimate the magnitude of trend. For TMax, except Jammu plains (-0.018oC a− 1) all regions experienced increasing trend with annual rate of increase 0.018oC a− 1, 0.032oC a− 1 and 0.051oC a− 1 in Pir Panjal region, Kashmir valley and Ladakh region respectively. For annual TMin, all four geographical regions and individual stations have observed an increase. Ladakh region observed highest rate of increase (0.070oC a− 1) which was significant followed by Pir Panjal region (0.048oC a− 1), Kashmir valley (0.013oC a− 1) and the lowest rate was observed in Jammu Plains (0.006oC a− 1). Precipitation revealed a general decreasing trend with large inter annual variability. Seasonally, TMin has seen most significant changes across all topographical regions. Our results indicate that influence of Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) was more towards the Jammu plains and its impact reduced towards Pir Panjal and Kashmir valley with increasing influence of Western Disturbances (WDs). Jammu plains received 75.8% precipitation from ISM while Kashmir valley received 72.4% precipitation from WDs. Shift in climatic variables could have serious environmental and socio-economic implications which can alter the regional ecological stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation phenology models still rely on temperature as the primary limiting factor to growth. They generally do not recognize the importance of photoperiod and water availability, which can cause them to under-perform. Moreover, few models have used machine learning algorithms to find relationships in the data. In this paper, four Vegetation Indexes (VIs), namely the green chromatic coordinate (GCC), the vegetation contrast index (VCI), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the two-band enhanced vegetation index (EVI2), are predicted for the North American Great Plains. This is possible by using six PhenoCams, Daily Surface Weather and Climatological Summaries (DAYMET), processing them with the machine learning algorithm XGBoost (XGB) and comparing them with seven phenophase stages throughout a growth cycle. Examining the results, GCC was the best fitting model with an R2 of 0.946, while EVI2 was the poorest with an R2 of 0.895. Also, the results indicate that changing temperature and precipitation patterns are driving a significant change in phenology of the grasslands. We developed a model capable of explaining 90 to 93% of the variability in four VIs across six grassland PhenoCam sites over the growing season using the XGB regression. Our model demonstrates the importance of including photoperiod, temperature, and precipitation information when modeling vegetation phenology. Finally, we were able to construct a 38-year phenology record at each PhenoCam location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate change assessment in the context of urban areas is very crucial for policy making regarding hazard mitigation and citizen's health, especially for the smart cities. The past climate assessment and present climate monitoring is somewhere easy, but the projection of future climate at city level is very difficult as most climate models fail to resolve the cities spatially. Over the highly populated areas like the region of Gangetic Plains the precise city specific climate projection becomes more important. The present study aims to project the future temperature, covering both minimum temperature (Tmin) and maximum temperature (Tmax) and analyse the extreme indices over smart cities in the Gangetic Plains, as one of the pioneer works using CMIP6 model's downscaled outputs using SDSM model. The study reveals that these smart cities are likely to experience warmer and more extreme temperatures in the upcoming decades. The future temperature projections were generated under two emission scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585), and for near future (2030–2065) and far future (2066–2100) periods. The drastic change in minimum temperature (Tmin) was observed over New Delhi, Prayagraj, Kolkata, and Lucknow by the end of the century under SSP585. Four extreme temperature indices were also analyzed for future time series: (1) TXgt40(No. of days Tmax > 40ºC); (2) TNlt10(No. of days when Tmin < 10ºC); (3) TX90p (Percentage of days when Tmax > 90th percentile); and (4) TN10P (Percentage of days when Tmin < 10th percentile). The increasing trend of warm temperature Indices and decreasing trend of cool temperature indices were observed over all the stations. The drastic change in extreme temperature indices may have a significant effect on urban climate, it could impact public health by increasing the incidence of heat-related illnesses such as heat stress or heat exhaustion. The present study can be also utilized as a probable baseline for assessing the extreme climate conditions in the future. As this study is one of the very first attempts under the aspect of smart cities and thus it may help in developing early warning systems for smart cities in the Gangetic Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bumble bees are integral pollinators of native and cultivated plant communities, but species are undergoing significant changes in range and abundance on a global scale. Climate change and land cover alteration are key drivers in pollinator declines; however, limited research has evaluated the cumulative effects of these factors on bumble bee assemblages. This study tests bumble bee assemblage (calculated as richness and abundance) responses to climate and land use by modeling species‐specific habitat requirements, and assemblage‐level responses across geographic regions. We integrated species richness, abundance, and distribution data for 18 bumble bee species with site‐specific bioclimatic, landscape composition, and landscape configuration data to evaluate the effects of multiple environmental stressors on bumble bee assemblages throughout 433 agricultural fields in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia from 2018 to 2020. Distinct east versus west groupings emerged when evaluating species‐specific habitat associations, prompting a detailed evaluation of bumble bee assemblages by geographic region. Maximum temperature of warmest month and precipitation of driest month had a positive impact on bumble bee assemblages in the Corn Belt/Appalachian/northeast, southeast, and northern plains regions, but a negative impact on the mountain region. Further, forest land cover surrounding agricultural fields was highlighted as supporting more rich and abundant bumble bee assemblages. Overall, climate and land use combine to drive bumble bee assemblages, but how those processes operate is idiosyncratic and spatially contingent across regions. From these findings, we suggested regionally specific management practices to best support rich and abundant bumble bee assemblages in agroecosystems. Results from this study contribute to a better understanding of climate and landscape factors affecting bumble bees and their habitats throughout the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important way to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development to guide rural settlement transition (RST) in an appropriate way. This paper uses actor network theory (ANT) to construct a theoretical framework for the study of RST. Taking two typical villages with different transition paths in rural areas of North China Plain as examples, this paper reveals the mechanism of RST and makes a comparative analysis. The results show that: 1) after identifying problems and obligatory passage point, key actors recruit heterogeneous actors into the actor network by entrusting them with common interests, and realize RST under the system operation. 2) Rural settlements under different transition paths have similarities in the problems to be solved, collective actions and policy factors, but there are differences in the transition process, mechanism and effect. The actor network and mechanism of RST through the path of new rural community construction are more complex and the transition effect is more thorough. In contrast, the degree of RST of retention development path is limited if there is no resource and location advantage. 3) Based on the applicable conditions of different paths, this paper designs a logical framework of 'Situation-Structure-Behavior-Result' to scientifically guide the identification of RST paths under the background of rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately characterizing rainfall runoff processes in plain farmland, especially at the plot scale with significant micro-topographic features, has presented challenges. Integrated surface–subsurface flow models with high-precision surface flow modules are appropriate tools, yet open-source versions are rare. To address this gap, we proposed an open-source integrated surface–subsurface flow model called the FullSWOF-Plain model, in which the one-dimensional subsurface module Hydrus-1D was integrated with a modified two-dimensional surface water flow module (FullSWOF-2D) using the sequential head method. Various experimental scenarios were simulated to validate the model's performance, including two outflow cases (i.e., 1D and 2D) without infiltration, a classical one-dimensional infiltration case, and two typical rainfall events at the experimental field. The results demonstrate the accuracy of this proposed model, with the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of the simulated discharge exceeding 0.90 in the experimental field case and the root mean squared error (RMSE) values for soil moisture at five depths consistently below 0.03 cm3/cm3. However, we observed a lag in the simulated response time of soil moisture due to the neglect of preferential flow. The micro-topography significantly influenced ponding time and ponding areas. Lower local terrain normally experienced earlier surface ponding. Scattered surface ponding water first occurred in the ditch and followed in the relatively low areas in the main field. The concentration process of surface runoff exhibited hierarchical characteristics, with the drainage ditch contributing the most discharge initially, followed by the connection of scattered puddles in the main field, draining excess surface water to the ditch through rills. This quantitative study sheds light on the impact of micro-topography on surface runoff in plain farmland areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muşallā Plain has always been a renowned appellation in historical and literary texts associated with Shīrāz. However, the two historical structures in this city, known as the Muşallā mansion (a space used for praying in Islam), have received less attention and have not played a significant role in the local architectural historiography. The objective of this current research is to explore the Muşallā plain and analyze its transformations over time based on historical data. Subsequently, the focus will be on studying and documenting the mansions known as Muşallā (or Qorbāngāh) using written and visual records. This research aims to answer several questions regarding the location and function of Muşallā in Shīrāz, considering its historical, geographical, and natural characteristics. Additionally, it seeks to identify the geometric and architectural features and similarities shared by these two historical buildings, known as Muşallā or Qorbāngāh. The research method is primarily historical, utilizing travelogues, local histories, literary and geographical sources, as well as archival documents and visual materials such as drawings, photographs, and maps. The findings of this study reveal that Muşallā is a vast plain that has witnessed various phases of development and decline over a span of more than eleven centuries. These phases could be categorized into five distinct periods as follows: a. foundation and formation; b. prosperity and development; c. dignity and prestige; d. stabilization and continuity; and e. erosion. The earliest known Muşallā mansion was likely a grand brick Iwan constructed during the reign of Shāh Ţamasb II with the efforts of Mohammad Ali Khān, the son of Aşlān Khān Qollār-Āqāsī. The ruins of this structure were documented by two Englishmen named Sir William Ouseley and Joseph D'Arcy more than eight decades later, and later by John Rogers Herbert. In 1878, Farhād Mirzā Mo'tamed al-Dowleh, the uncle of Nāser al-Din Shāh, erected a new building with a similar centrally-based Iwan, but with two smaller rooms at each side, which was still standing until 1964. In Shīrāz popular culture, the name "Qorbāngāh" was adopted for this building as a result of the tradition of sacrifice during the Nāser al-Din Shāh era and its importance as a court tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a critical foundation for the development of large-scale complex and urban societies. Sanxingdui, located on the Chengdu Plain in western Sichuan and linked with the ancient Chinese Shu Kingdom, is one of the most distinctive archaeological sites in the world. However, despite its importance, the agricultural economy of the Sanxingdui culture and the Chengdu Plain remains poorly understood and heavily debated. This study synthesizes recent archaeological and historical evidence concerning the agricultural economy underpinning the increasing scale and social complexity at Sanxingdui and the greater Chengdu Plain prior to 2200 BP. Our analysis finds a mixed rice and dry-land millet farming economy, in conjunction with pig and chicken husbandry, during the Sanxingdui culture (3700–3100 BP). This integrated agricultural system likely began with the Baodun culture (4500–3700 BP), passing to the Sanxingdui culture (3700–3100 BP), Shierqiao culture (3100–2600 BP) and later, the Shu culture (2600–2300 BP). In addition, although gathering, hunting, and fishing accounted for relatively low proportions of the overall subsistence, the ancient peoples at Sanxingdui and across the Chengdu Plain continued these practices, supporting a diverse agricultural and food system. Understanding the subsistence at Sanxingdui offers key insights into the development of complex societies in southwest China, the contributions to Chinese culture, and the role of agriculture worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content and distribution of fluorine in two soil catenas located in the basins of the Burla and Kulunda rivers on the territory of the Kulunda Plain have been studied. The use of the catena method makes it possible to compare the content of fluorine in soils of different geochemical positions of the relief, in zonal and intrazonal soils. It is not just the presence of fluorine in soils that matters, but its concentration, which underlies the dual nature of its biological role, positive or negative, and this requires sanitary and hygienic standards for its content. In the studied soils, the total content of fluorine varies from 13.9 to 711.03 mg/kg; the water-soluble form varies from 0 to 34.65 mg/kg. It is found that, in saline solonetzes developing in superaquatic landscapes, the content of total and water-soluble fluorine have, respectively, ecologically critical and unacceptable concentrations; therefore, the use of these soils in agricultural production is associated with the risk of accumulation of excess amounts of fluorine in the body of animals and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater serves crucial roles in resource preservation, ecological maintenance, and geological security in addition to being a significant component of water supplies. This work meticulously summarized data on the growth and consumption of water resources, hydrogeological survey, and groundwater inquiry and evaluation since 1959 to 2021 to estimate the evolution of the recharge, discharge, and storage of groundwater in the Hami Basin. The results suggest that: 1) Human activities primarily influenced the evolution of the groundwater recharge and discharge factor in the Hami Basin, and the abrupt changes in recharge and discharge were consistent with the implementation of policies such as reform and opening up and western development, which is a key factor in controlling human activities; 2) Total groundwater recharge fell from 8.22 × 108 m3/a in 1959 to 4.08 × 108 m3/a in 2021. The discharge of groundwater has reduced from 8.21 × 108 in 1959 to 5.67 × 108 m3/a in 2021; and 3) The equilibrium between groundwater recharge and discharge was disrupted in 1975, and ever since then, the discharge has always been greater than the recharge, indicating a negative equilibrium state. The total amount of storage over the last 45 years was –71.3 × 108 m3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a method to predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of plain bearings operating under stationary, wear-critical conditions. In this method, the transient wear data of a coupled elastohydrodynamic lubrication (mixed-EHL) and wear simulation approach is used to parametrize a statistical, linear degradation model. The method incorporates Bayesian inference to update the linear degradation model throughout the runtime and thereby consider the transient, system-dependent wear progression within the RUL prediction. A case study is used to show the suitability of the proposed method. The results show that the method can be applied to three distinct types of post-wearing-in behavior: wearing-in with subsequent hydrodynamic, stationary wear, and progressive wear operation. While hydrodynamic operation leads to an infinite lifetime, the method is successfully applied to predict RUL in cases with stationary and progressive wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automatisierungstechnik is the property of De Gruyter 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 Preboreal (11.75–10.70 ka BP) is still the least paleogeographically studied time interval in the central part of the East European Plain. High-resolution multi-proxy studies of lacustrine sediments at the Seltso site located in the Desna River floodplain (Dnieper River basin) were conducted. Radiocarbon dating, loss-on-ignition determination, sedimentological and palynological studies and identification of Non-Pollen Palynomorphs in lacustrine sediments allow us to reconstruct changes in vegetation caused by rapid warming at the Younger Dryas–Holocene boundary, short-term climatic fluctuations within the Preboreal and subsequent resumption of warming. Initial Preboreal warming reached its maximum at about 11.5 ka BP when a relatively dry continental climate existed. Between 11.4 and 11.2 ka BP, a short-term cooling corresponding to the Preboreal Oscillation in Greenland occurred, as indicated by a significant reduction of woody vegetation and expansion of open plant communities. In the Late Preboreal, approximately 11.2–10.7 ka BP, warming resumed, which was accompanied by a decrease in the climate continentality. Comparison with high-resolution lithological and palynological data from eight reliably dated sections of the central East European Plain indicates that in northwestern and central Europe, the impact of the Preboreal Oscillation cooling on the vegetation and the lake ecosystems' development was probably somewhat stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Drought is a significant abiotic stress affecting agricultural production in many regions of China. This study investigates the spatiotemporal variations in drought during the growing seasons of summer maize in the Huaibei Plain. [Method] The analysis was based on the drought severity index (DSI) from 2010 to 2019 calculated using metrological data measured from weather stations across the region. We focused on the top 0-10 cm soil layer and the root zone from the soil surface to the depth of 50 cm. The M-K test and the Kriging spatial interpolation were used to analyze the spatiotemporal variation in droughts over the region at different time scales. [Result] ① Since 2016, the severity and frequency of droughts have both significantly increased in the areas of Dangshan, Mengcheng, and Qiaocheng, while decreased in the area of Fuyang. In Suzhou, droughts mainly occurred in 2010-2012 and 2019. Compared to seasonal scale, some drought events exhibited greater severity and higher frequency at the ten-day scale with unpredictable onset. ② The highest average annual drought index and frequency both occurred during the sowing-emergence stage, reaching moderate level or above, with the frequencies exceeding 40%. Severe droughts or worse at both timescales occurred in northern Dangshan and central Mengcheng and Suzhou. The frequency of the 0-10 cm soil-layer droughts was higher in the southwest, while the frequency of 0-50 cm soil-layer droughts was higher in the east and north than in other areas. ③ At the ten-day scale, the periods with the highest drought severity in each growing season mostly started in the early stage of sowing - emergence, emergence - jointing, and the mid-stage of jointing - tasseling. Severe droughts occurred primarily in August and September. [Conclusion] Since 2016, there has been a significant increase in drought severity and frequency for summer maize in the Huaibei Plain, particularly during the sowing seedling stage. Severe droughts were observed at uncertain ten-day scales, with increased drought frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nineveh Plain region of Northern Iraq is a site of ecological and cultural diversity. Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh, severely disrupted the region, resulting in community displacement, particularly for members of ethnic minority groups. This article highlights an ongoing multinational, multidisciplinary collaboration between botanists, ecologists, mental and public health specialists, sociologists, and anthropologists to foster cultural and ecological restoration among the Christian, Yezidi, Shabak, Turkman, and Kaka'i minority groups of the Plains. Members of these groups identified wild plant collection as an important cultural and economic practice and expressed a shared concern over the decreased access to wild plant resources. Researchers are partnering with local communities using engaged, decolonial methodologies to bring communities together around this shared interest in wild plants. Project activities include producing videos highlighting local plant knowledge, hosting workshops on using wild plants for art and textile design, offering trainings on herbal medicine, collecting recipes for a wild plant cookbook, and increasing awareness of the sustainable use of wild plants. Through collaborative knowledge production, this partnership aims to bring diverse stakeholders together around an interest in wild plants to promote cultural understanding and exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse patterns of climate and edaphic factors challenge detection of soil property change in the US Great Plains. Because detectable soil change can take decades, insights into the trajectory of soil properties frequently require long‐term site monitoring and, where available, associated soil archives to enable comparisons with initial or baseline states. Unfortunately, few multi‐decadal soil change investigations have been conducted in this region. Here, we document effects of dryland cropping on a suite of soil properties by comparing matched historic (1947) and contemporary (2018) soil samples from the Haas Soil Archive at three sites in the US Great Plains: Moccasin, MT, Akron, CO, and Big Spring, TX. Current analytical methods were used to provide insight into changes in soil texture, pH, carbon, and micronutrients at 0‐ to 15.2‐cm and 15.2‐ to 30.5‐cm depths. Changes in direction and magnitude of soil properties over 71 years were site specific. Changes in textural class occurred at all sites, with Moccasin and Akron transitioning from loam to clay loam and Big Spring from sandy clay loam to sandy loam. The soil pH reaction class changed from slightly alkaline to moderately acid at Akron and slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline at Big Spring. At 0–15.2 cm, soil organic carbon decreased by 15% and 36% at Moccasin and Big Spring, respectively, but increased by 15% at Akron. Soil micronutrients generally declined at all sites. Weather‐related variables derived from air temperature and precipitation records were not correlated with soil change. Inferred factors contributing to soil change included on‐site management, inherent soil features, weather metrics not evaluated, or a combination thereof. Core Ideas: Soil change under dryland cropping was documented over 71 years in the US Great Plains.Changes in the direction and magnitude of texture, pH, and soil organic carbon were site specific.Soil micronutrients generally declined at all sites.Soil archives are essential for documenting long‐term soil change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was designed in a factorial randomized block with 16 treatment combinations, including four concentrations of GA3 (G0-control or water spray, G1 at 200 ppm, G2 at 300 ppm, and G3 at 400 ppm) and four levels of pinching (no pinching, pinching at 25 days after transplanting, pinching at 40 days after transplanting, and double pinching at 25 and 40 days after transplanting), and replicated three times. The results showed that the G2P2 treatment had greater effects on the number of primary branches (46.3), the number of leaves (135.8), the number of flowers (107.5), the Flower diameter (6.93 cm), the Weight of flowers per plant (287.1 g) and the Flower yield per ha. (15.7 t). Pinching and plant growth regulators can either induce or decrease plant height and spread, ultimately affecting yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Great Plains Forts" provides a review of a book by Jay H. Buckley and Jeffery D. Nokes that explores the history of forts in the Great Plains region. The book takes a transnational approach, covering forts from Texas to central Canada, and examines not only military posts but also fortifications built by Indigenous peoples and for trade. The authors argue that forts served as cultural crossroads where diverse people interacted. While the book offers valuable insights, it is criticized for its lack of citations, limited bibliography, and insufficient visuals. Despite these shortcomings, it remains a useful resource for those interested in the history of forts in the Great Plains. [Extracted from the article]

We provide new two-round multiparty secure computation (MPC) protocols in the dishonest majority setting assuming the minimal assumption that two-round oblivious transfer (OT) exists. If the assumed two-round OT protocol is secure against semi-honest adversaries (in the plain model) then so is our two-round MPC protocol. Similarly, if the assumed two-round OT protocol is secure against malicious adversaries (in the common random/reference string model) then so is our two-round MPC protocol. Previously, two-round MPC protocols were only known under relatively stronger computational assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymptotic homogenization method (AHM) is used to perform multiscale structural analysis for plain weave composite plates (PWCPs). First, AHM is used to obtain the effective elastic properties of yarns. Then, the effective plate properties of PWCPs are predicted using AHM. Finally, an equivalent plate model is established to perform the macroscale structure analysis, and recover the mesoscale fields. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the multiscale structural analysis are verified by comparing the results with those of direct numerical simulation. Furthermore, the influences of the geometrical parameters and laying angle of yarns on the equivalent plate stiffness are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the result of an archaeological survey of what remains of the Romanesque chambers and staircases found within the west front of Lincoln Cathedral. It provides evidence, for the first time, that Remigius had begun to build a symmetrically planned west front, complementing the three arched bays to the west and the arch to the south, with a further one on the north west elevation, not the plain wall and low arch we see today. It is argued that, rather than an example of an early fortified church or lord's tower, as proposed by some scholars, the Romanesque west front of Lincoln Cathedral has within it evidence of a liturgical architectural form which was to be developed fully in thirteenth century west fronts, most famously at Wells and Salisbury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice–crayfish co-culture system, a representative of Agri-aqua food systems, has emerged worldwide as an effective strategy for enhancing agricultural land use efficiency and boosting sustainability, particularly in China and Southeast Asia. Despite its widespread adoption in China's Jianghan Plain, the exact spatiotemporal dynamics and factors influencing this practice in this region are yet to be clarified. Therefore, understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and influencing factors of the rice–crayfish fields (RCFs) is crucial for promoting the rice–crayfish co-culture system, and optimizing land use policies. In this study, we identified the spatial distribution of RCF using Sentinel-2 images and land use spatiotemporal data to analyze its spatiotemporal dynamics during the period of 2016–2020. Additionally, we used the Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression model to explore the key factors influencing RCF's spatiotemporal changes. Our findings reveal that (1). the RCF area in Jianghan Plain expanded from 1216.04 km2 to 2429.76 km2 between 2016 and 2020, marking a 99.81% increase. (2). RCF in Jianghan Plain evolved toward a more contiguous and clustered spatial pattern, suggesting a clear industrial agglomeration in this area. (3). The expansion of the RCFs was majorly influenced by its landscape and local agricultural conditions. Significantly, the Aggregation and Landscape Shape Indexes positively impacted this expansion, whereas proximity to rural areas and towns had a negative impact. This study provides a solid foundation for promoting the rice–crayfish co-culture system and sustainably developing related industries. To ensure the sustainable development of rice–crayfish co-culture industries in Jianghan Plain, we recommend that local governments optimize the spatial layout of rural settlements, improve transportation infrastructure, and enhance regional agricultural water sources and irrigation system construction, all in line with the national strategy of rural revitalization and village planning. Additionally, promoting the concentration and contiguity of RCF through land consolidation can achieve efficient development of these industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the stress function of the orthotropic plane strain problems in the modified couple stress theory (MCST) is first proposed and its polynomial analytical solutions are derived. Then, the stress function is used for developing a new 4-node membrane element for the MCST in that the C1 continuity requirement is satisfied in weak sense using the penalty function method. In the element formulation, the stress function is adopted as the primary parameter for designing element's stress and couple stress trial functions instead of assuming them directly. Therefore, the deduced stress and couple stress trial functions can satisfy both the equilibrium equations and deformation compatibility equations of the relevant problems a priori. Several numerical tests are examined and the results show that the element has good numerical accuracy and mesh distortion tolerance in simulating the size-dependent behaviors of small-scale orthotropic materials, proving that the usage of analytic trial function in the finite element implementation of the MCST can effectively improve element's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of extreme events is increasing on a global scale due to various factors, accounting for natural disasters such as landslides, floods, and droughts. The Heilongjiang province, which is agriculturally important for China, has suffered from several extreme rainfall events in the past as a high-latitude plain region. Analysis of historical rainfall characteristics of the Heilongjiang region helps to understand and predict the behavior of extreme rainfall events and provides a reference for reducing agricultural economic losses. Precipitation data from 1974 to 2017 is selected to estimate whether rainfall series in Heilongjiang obey the Gumbel-Logistic Model. We compared the Gumbel-Logistic Model based on the data length of 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years with the original 44-year data to determine the appropriate data partition length and explore the reasons for errors. Combining the empirical frequency and KS test, this paper concludes that the proposed model is appropriate for the representation of the joint distribution of monthly extreme rainfall and annual rainfall. The proposed model improves the rainfall assessment of these two positively correlated variables in Heilongjiang. Univariate and bivariate return periods and correlation coefficients are derived as the basis for assessing the risk of extreme rainfall. The proposed model obtained from the 5-year data length has the largest error, while the distribution curve is progressively smoother as the data length increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) are the main components that indicate the coverage of land and its use. Kosova Plain, a flat and gentle plain with an altitude between 450-600 m, is one of the central plains in Kosova, where the human impact and environmental changes are very high. As a terrain with land with high-quality soils, it was one of the main areas of agricultural production in the past. With the industrialization of Kosova especially with coal surface mining, began an era of employment in other sectors rather than in agriculture, and its consequences were population migration inside Kosova, which is shown by the rising urban population and extension of artificial surfaces towards agricultural areas. Population migration inside Kosova is made mostly towards plain areas where most of the settlements are found, but also where high capability land is found. The article analyzes natural conditions of agricultural land in Kosova Plain and spatial and temporal changes in land cover as one of the consequences of pressure on the environment, especially in soil resources, where with GIS/RS analysis was made possible to use topographic maps and aerial images of different years, to analysis these changes. In 1990, the total area of artificial surfaces in Kosova Plain was 7,157 ha, while in 2020, it was increased to 15,881 hectares. There is an increase of artificial surfaces in urban fabric, mineral extraction sites, and road infrastructure, mostly done on agricultural land. Agriculture areas experienced a decrease of 8.76%. The extension of artificial surfaces was primarily made in an unplanned way. The results show that in the future, zoning of built-up areas is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint attention, the ability for interlocuters to coordinate their attentional state on an aspect of the environment or behaviour of mutual interest, is considered one of the key capacities underlying human cooperation. Originally considered unique to primates, emerging evidence in diverse taxa now suggests it may have convergently evolved in response to similar socioecological pressures. Here, we examine a previously undescribed visual signal in the plains zebra, Equus quagga : the 'headbob'. Headbobs are flexibly produced in two major contexts: initiating joint travel and initiating social behaviour between partners. We investigated whether this signal meets three key criteria used to infer joint attention in nonhuman animals: first-order intentional communication, sensitivity to receiver attentional state and common ground. In response to a headbob, receivers modified their behaviour to facilitate joint engagement in a coordinated act. We found that behaviour was more synchronized between social partners following a headbob and that travel initiations were more likely to result in coordinated travel than those without a headbob. These preliminary findings suggest this behaviour may serve as a joint attention mechanism, warranting further and more detailed investigation. This study illuminates the importance of including understudied taxa, such as ungulates, in the study of advanced sociocognitive and communicative capabilities. • We examined whether zebras use a visual signal, the headbob, to achieve joint attention. • Headbobs showed intentional communication and sensitivity to receiver attentional state. • Headbobs caused receiver response to the signal. • Headbobs were more likely to result in coordinated travel. • Our results show that joint attention is not limited to the primate lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study experimentally evaluated the mixing augmentation of twin tabs mounted along a diameter at the outlet of a convergent-divergent Mach 1.62 circular nozzle. The usefulness of the plain and grooved tabs is examined at various expansion levels prevailing at nozzle outlet. The tab's performance is assessed through pitot pressure distribution measured along and perpendicular to the jet centerline at different nozzle pressure ratios (NPRs). The shadowgraph technique visualized the shocks and expansion fans in uncontrolled and controlled jets. With the introduction of uncorrugated or plain tabs at the nozzle outlet operating under overexpanded conditions corresponding to NPR 4, the supersonic length (SL) was decreased only by 35.4%. On the other hand, the corrugated or grooved tabs under similar conditions decreased the SL substantially. Interestingly, the performance of grooved tabs was best at underexpanded conditions associated with NPR 6, where the SL was reduced by about 88%. The pressure profiles also established the superiority of tabs with grooved edges in mixing augmentation without introducing any significant asymmetry to the flow field. In addition, the Shadowgraph images also confirmed the weakening of shock strength and reduction of shock-cell length in the case of grooved tabs at the nozzle exit compared to the plain nozzle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of chemicals in the groundwater chemical values in the Piedmont Po Plain (NW Italy) show significant temporal variability and need to be characterised due to the lack of regional-scale assessments. The aim of this study was to analyse the trends (period 2000–2020) in the main physicochemical parameters and main ions in 227 wells in the shallow aquifer and to identify the potential causes. The identification of change points (points of sudden change) and comparisons with groundwater level variations were also performed. Results highlight general increasing trends for Na, Cl and HCO3, decreasing trends for SO4 and NO3, stationary conditions for pH and heterogeneous behaviours for electrolytic conductivity, Ca and Mg. Change points occurred in at least 50% of the monitoring wells, mainly during the 2008–2011 period. The comparison between groundwater levels and chemistry highlights a direct proportionality. Superimposed processes that induce an absence of proportionality are shown. The comparison of results with those of previous studies conducted under similar conditions revealed similar variations.. In conclusion, the potential responsible factors (e.g., road-salt dissolution and agricultural practices) and the relevant role of groundwater level variation were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use change is an important factor affecting terrestrial carbon balance, and it is crucial to explore the response of terrestrial carbon stocks to land-use change, especially in the Songnen Plain, which faces a fierce conflict between the rapid growth of production activities and ecosystem degradation. In this study, we measured soil organic carbon and vegetation biocarbon stocks in the Songnen Plain based on IPCC-recommended methodologies, and explored the characteristics of carbon stock changes in land-use trajectories, land-use drivers, and specific land-use change scenarios (cropland cultivation, returning cropland to forests, the expansion of land for construction, deforestation, greening, and land degradation). The results showed that soil organic carbon stock in the Songnen Plain decreased by 1.63 × 105 t, and vegetation biocarbon stock increased by 2.10 × 107 t from 2005 to 2020. Human factors and natural factors jointly contributed to the land-use change, but the extent of the role of human factors was greater than that of natural factors. The increase in land-use trajectory led to the decrease in soil organic carbon stock and the increase in vegetation biocarbon stock. There was no difference in the effects of human-induced and natural-induced land-use changes on vegetation biocarbon stocks, but the effects on soil organic carbon stocks were diametrically opposite, increasing by 43.27 t/km2 and decreasing by 182.02 t/km2, respectively. The reclamation of arable land, returning cropland to forests, and greening led to a net increase in terrestrial carbon stocks (+813,291.84 t), whereas land degradation, deforestation, and land-use expansion led to a decrease in terrestrial carbon stocks (−460,710.2 t). The results of this study can provide a reference for the adjustment of land-use structure and the increase in terrestrial carbon stock in the Songnen Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slowly establishing salt‐tolerant perennial grasses reduced nitrous oxide (N2O‐N) emissions from saline/sodic soil compared to barren areas. Other salt‐tolerant species may accelerate vegetative establishment and reduce N2O‐N emissions. In a greenhouse study, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), Florida broadleaf mustard (Brassica juncea L.), and Kernza intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D. R. Dewey] were grown for 63 days to compare shoot biomass and chemical composition, N2O‐N emissions, and the soil microbiome between saline/sodic and productive (non‐salt impacted) soils. Emissions were measured six times daily from 1 to 22 and 42 to 63 days after planting (DAP). Shoot and soil microbial biomass and communities were quantified 63 DAP. N2O‐N emissions were 87% greater from no‐plant saline/sodic than no‐plant productive soil (p < 0.05). N2O‐N emissions were reduced from planted treatments soon after plant emergence. N2O‐N emissions reductions from saline/sodic soil during the first 22 DAP were 84%, 76%, and 61% for barley, mustard, and Kernza, respectively. Barley had the greatest shoot biomass and impact on the soil microbial community, increasing the fungi to bacteria ratio from 0.063 to 0.094 in the productive soil and from 0.056 to 0.076 in the saline/sodic soil. Plant‐induced changes to the soil microbiome, and decreased soil inorganic N and water, contributed to N2O‐N emission reductions. Archived field samples from grass‐established saline/sodic soil areas had a fourfold increase in nos‐Z gene copy number compared to no‐plant controls, which may, in part, explain decreased N2O‐N emissions. Establishing these vigorous species may aid in restoring multiple ecosystem services to saline/sodic areas. Core Ideas: Barren Northern Great Plains saline/sodic soils provide few ecosystem services.Barley, Florida broadleaf mustard, and Kernza wheatgrass reduced N2O‐N emissions from saline/sodic soil soon after emergence.N2O‐N emission reductions were attributed to plants decreasing soil water and N and changing the soil microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LA hybrid lilium cv. 'Masai' bulbs were grown over two consecutive growth seasons in a net house to enhance the yield of high-quality bulbs and bulblets, utilizing both organic and inorganic nutrients. The experiment tested five levels of organic manure (FYM) (0, 10, 15, 20, and 25 t ha-1) and inorganic fertilizers (0, 40+30+25, 80+60+50, 120+90+75, and 160+120+100 N+P2O5+K2O kg ha-1). It assessed both individual and combined effects of nutrient sources, concluding that their combined application was most beneficial. Treatment T24, comprising 25 t FYM with 160 kg N, 120 kg P2O5, and 100 kg K2O ha-1, proved to be the most effective. The study revealed that treatment T24 resulted in the largest bulb circumference, the highest number of bulblets per plant, the greatest bulblet circumference, and the highest fresh and dry weights of both bulbs and bulblets per plant. It also led to the best relative growth rate (RGR) of the bulb, as well as the most efÏcient partitioning rates at both the flowering and harvest stages. Treatment T23 notably influenced the fresh and dry weights of the bulblets. The data suggest that T24 produces bulbs and bulblets of superior quality compared to other treatments, making it a viable choice for the commercial cultivation of quality LA hybrid lilium bulbs and bulblets in the plains of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus 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.)