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A new glycoside hydrolase family 2 (GH2) β-galactosidase encoding gene galM was cloned from Microvirga sp. strain MC18 and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant β-galactosidase GalM showed optimal activity at pH 7.0 and 50 °C, with a stability at pH 6.0-9.0 and 20-40 °C, which are conditions suitable for the diary environment. The K

Ep type is an important morphological improvement (following dwarf breeding and ideal plant type) that has contributed to breeding super-high yielding, and shows a pleiotropic effect in increasing grain yield and also nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) in rice. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether Ep has adverse effects on eating quality and how it affects nitrogen uptake and assimilation. In this study, we developed a pair of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for panicle type (NIL-Ep, NIL-non Ep) in the Liaogeng 5 (LG5) and Akihikari (AKI) backgrounds. Rice plants of the NIL-Ep had higher grain numbers per panicle in the middle to bottom spike positions than plants of the NIL-non Ep. The increased grain number is not only is the key factor leading to increased yield but also is the reason for reduced the eating quality. The content of prolamin and glutelin was significantly higher in NIL-Ep, which resulted in higher hardness and worse viscosity of rice after cooking. In addition, the activity of several essential enzymes catalyzing nitrogen metabolism was higher in the NIL-Ep line grains than in the NIL-non Ep, especially from the mid to late grain filling stage. Based on these results, we conclude that Ep positively regulates grain protein accumulation, primarily through enhancing the activity of enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation and redistribution during the mid to late grain-filling stage, resulting in excessive accumulation of grain protein and decreased eating quality.

Background:Brace roots are an important part of the maize root system. Among brace root traits, brace root angle (BRA) and brace root diameter (BRD) are important components that affect plant growth and development. However, there are no reports on the genetic basis of maize BRA and BRD. Results:Here, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 508 associated populations with extensive natural variation. The broad heritability of BRA and BRD reached 0.91 and 0.82, respectively. The analysis of different subgroups showed that there were significant differences in BRA traits in different subgroups, whereas there was no significant difference in BRD. Evaluation of phenotypic diversity in three different environments showed that BRA and BRD exhibit a wide range of natural variability. In the GWAS, the BRA and BRD were combined with 55,8629 single nucleotide polymorphisms, and four candidate genes were found for BRA within the threshold of P < 1.78×10-6 that were significantly related to BRD). These genes may (1) participate in maize brace root cell wall synthesis through cell transport (GRMZM2G479243); (2) involve hormone signaling pathways in the horizontal expansion of brace root cells (GRMZM2G101928 and GRMZM2G174736); or (3) involve the PLETHORA (PLT1/2) gene (GRMZM2G151934) to promote stem cells and transport expanded cells to affect the growth of root meristems.Conclusions:These results provide theoretical information for understanding the genetic basis of brace root development. Further research on candidate genes will help clarify the molecular pathways regulating BRA and BRD in maize.

The loading of noble-metal cocatalysts on photocatalysts can significantly increase the energy conversion efficiency from light to hydrogen (H2). However, the high cost of noble metals limits their practical application. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore alternative catalysts based on noble-metal-free materials. Herein, FeNi intermetallic compound nanoparticles wrapped with N-doped graphitized carbon (FeNi@NGC) are prepared by a facile pyrolysis approach. The FeNi@NGC is used as a novel cocatalyst of host photocatalysts, such as g-C3N4, to boost their photogenerated charge separation. In an aqueous solution containing triethanolamine and under visible-light irradiation, the optimized FeNi@NGC/g-C3N4 (FNC15) composite photocatalyst exhibits significantly increased PC activity with a H2 production rate of 2.696 mmol g−1 h−1, which is over 283 times that of primary g-C3N4 and even higher than that of 1.0 wt% Pt/g-C3N4. Furthermore, the FNC15 showed excellent stability and reusability. The apparent quantum yield (AQY) of the FNC15 composite photocatalyst reaches 24.78% and 7.28% at 400 nm and 420 nm, respectively. Notably, the FNC15 can promote photocatalytic overall water splitting with an H2 evolution rate of about 0.167 mmol g−1 h−1. Experimental analysis and DFT calculations are performed to investigate the mechanism of excellent PC H2 evolution. It appears that the FeNi@NGC loading on the surface of host photocatalysts can (i) boost the charge carrier separation and transfer because of the secondary charge transfer in the FeNi intermetallic compound and (ii) ameliorate the kinetics of H2 evolution on the surface of the photocatalyst and achieve obviously enhanced H2 generation. This work provides a new strategy for preparing efficient noble-metal-free cocatalysts for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution.

On the basis of Landau–de Gennes theory and the finite-difference iterative method, spontaneous chiral structures in cylinders with degenerate planar boundary conditions are investigated. A...

In photocatalytic field, it is a significant challenge to synthesize cocatalyst with high performance, noble-metal free and facile methods to recycle. Herein, carbon layer coated Fe3C (Fe3C@C) nanoparticles were prepared by one-step method and for the first time utilized as highly efficient cocatalysts for improving visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution activity of g-C3N4. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of optimal Fe3C@C/g-C3N4 was about 27.2 times of bare g-C3N4 samples. Furthermore, the Fe3C@C/g-C3N4 composite catalyst showed excellent stability and reusability. The apparent quantum yield (AQY) of the optimized FeC@C/g- C3N4 reaches 0.501% and 0.124% at 400 nm and 420 nm, respectively. The AQY of the FeC@C/g- C3N4 is 26.2 times higher than that of g-C3N4 at 400 nm Fe3C@C has an extraordinary cocatalytic effect for g-C3N4 photocatalytic hydrogen evolution mainly due to three aspects: Firstly, the Fe3C acts as a trap to lure electrons because of its lower Fermi energy level and higher conductivity, which can increase the hydrogen production activity by trapping the photogenerated electrons produced by g-C3N4; Secondly, the coated carbon layer can provide chemical protection for Fe3C nanoparticles and promote the transfer of photogenic electrons, thus further improving the efficiency and stability of photocatalytic hydrogen production; Thirdly, the strong magnetic property of Fe3C@C nanoparticles gives Fe3C@C/g-C3N4 photocatalysts the advantages of low cost and high recovery efficiency. It is believed that this work provides a new strategy and possibility for the application of photocatalytic hydrogen production.

Graphitied carbon-coated bimetallic FeCu nanoparticles (FeCu@C) are fabricated by one-step method for the first time. The FeCu@C as novel cocatalysts of g-C3N4 for improving visible-light photocatalystic hydrogen evolution. The FeCu@C as the cocatalyst of g-C3N4 (FeCu@C/g-C3N4) possess better photocatalyst activity (7.22 μmol h−1) than that of Fe@C (2.51 μmol h−1) and Cu@C (5.36 μmol h−1) nanoparticles. The highest photocatalytic activity of FeCu@C/g-C3N4 can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the binary metals and the graphitied carbon layer. The bimetallic cocatalyst is not a simple combination of two metals, but a special electronic effect formed by the interaction between two metals. The Fe acts the catalytic activity center to capture photogenerated carries produced by g-C3N4, and agglomerates on the surface of FeCu alloys. Simultaneously, the coating of graphitied carbon layer can effectively enhance the stability of FeCu alloy and accelerate electron transfer. It is predicted that this work can provide new ideas and insights for the improvement of photocatalytic activity of semiconductors by non-precious alloy nanoparticles.

The structural transition of asymmetric π cell under a certain voltage was investigated to understand the display mode and performance of flexible substrates. Nematic liquid crystals show a splay texture at ground state (off state) and bend texture at on state induced by electric field in planar π and coaxial cylinder π cells. Changes in the topological discontinuous transformation of liquid crystal directors can appear between on and off states, and the symmetric splay state can be directly transited to the bend state by order reconstruction under high voltage. This phenomenon cannot be explained by Frank theory. Thus, we used Landau–de Gennes theory to study the effects of curvature on order reconstruction and the splay–bend transition through the detailed process of time dynamics. Results show that bulk-order reconstruction appears in planar π cell, whereas surface-order reconstruction appears in coaxial cylinder π cell because of the existence of a finite curvature radius. Moreover, the results will not change when we exchange the inner and outer boundary conditions under coaxial cylinder π cell. By changing the setting of pretilt angle and comparing the results in planar π and coaxial cylinder π cells, we found that the position of order reconstruction is close to the boundary when the curvature is large.

High performance, low cost and sustainable photocatalytic evolution of hydrogen is a promising energy supply alternative for modern society to resolve the depletion crisis of fossil fuel. The design of multi-heterojunction visible-light photocatalysts combined with electrochemical means is considered one of the most attractive options in recent years. In this work, a photoanode composed of top-opened ZnO/CdS/PbS nanotube arrays (ZnO/CdS/PbS ONTs) with multi-heterojunctions was synthesized via a three-step process, i.e. hydrothermal treatment, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR). This as-prepared photoanode exhibited remarkable photoelectrochemical activity under visible light irradiation. The photocurrent density and photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution efficiency of the optimized ZnO/CdS/PbS ONTs reached up to 14.2 mA cm−2 and 5.5 mL cm−2 h−1 at 0.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl, respectively. The efficiency was 3.1 times that of top-closed ZnO/CdS nanotubes (1.8 mL cm−2 h−1). The experimental results suggest that the high photoelectrochemical activity can be ascribed to the inherent advantages of the structural and successive energy level relays design: on the one hand, the top-opened nanotube structure significantly enlarges surface area of the nanostructure, which facilitates efficient light absorption and rapid mass transport; on the other hand, the well-matched band energy edge of the multi-heterojunction interfaces literally build efficient electron highways to deliver electrons to reaction sites and reduce the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers.

The fast urban development leads to many complex problems. A smart city aims to solve these problems using scientific approaches. Urban Green Space (UGS) is a fundamental component of urban infrastructure. It needs to be upgraded simultaneously with the concept of the smart city. Methods of smart UGS planning and sustainable landscape design help integrate ecological performance and other functions of UGS. Smart UGS planning is a technical management tool and a human-centered smart application. A novel UGS classification method based on function combinations is proposed in the present work. Five types of UGS (Scenic UGS, Residential UGS, Commercial UGS, Office UGS, and Road UGS) in Baqiao District of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, are selected as sample sites. Interviewees’ socio-economic attributes, visiting frequencies, and differences in demands are investigated. Eventually, the UGSs researched in this work are optimized based on public preferences and the current conditions of the sites. Results demonstrate the following. (1) The public’s preference for different types of UGS is different considerably. (2) Based on the public’s preference, Scenic UGS is improved in terms of quantity, function, and management; Residential UGS is upgraded regarding quantity and accessibility; and Commercial UGS, Office UGS, and Road UGS are improved in terms of quality. The results could provide methodological references for planning different types of UGS and innovative insights for smart UGS planning and sustainable landscape design.

Based on the geometry of UAV(Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle)array, a three dimensional (3-D) geometric channel model is proposed for air-to-ground(A2G) communication environments. For the UAV scatterers, based on multipath clusters and assumptions about the distribution of scattering points, a multipath cluster-coruscate model is established. Under the condition that the coruscating points obey the normal uniform distribution, the probability density function of time delay, azimuth angle and elevation angle are derived. A simulation platform is also built to flexibly model the channel characteristic parameters of the UAV in various array formations and flight states. The simulation results have a good correspondence with the geometry of the array, and the channel characteristics can be effectively obtained by observing the simulation results. For 104 uniformly and normally distributed scattering points, the good matching is observed between simulation and analytical results.

Channel modeling is crucial to the development and evaluation of modern wireless communication systems including satellite communication system, since there might be critical safty-of-life applications. Also, the channel model is of great importance to the performance evaluation of mobile communication systems. In recent years, encouraged by the widely application of unmanned aerial vehicles, the research on channel modeling for aerial and aeronautical communications attract lots of interests. In the published articles, stationary and non-stationary channel models have been developed for air-to-ground communications based on regular shaped geometry-based stochastic model (RS-GBSM). The modeling of air-to-air or satellite-to-aircraft (S2A) communication is still quite simple or completely lacking. For obtaining more precise model of S2A channel, this paper presents an analytical non-stationary S2A channel mode based on RS-GBSM with considerations on line-of-sight path, specular reflection path, and ground scattering path. Analytical expressions of the channel impulse responses, the transfer functions, the auto-correlation functions, and the Doppler power spectrum density based on 3-path model are derived and simulated. Also, the distributions of the path antennation, the path delay, and the normalized Doppler shift based on uniform distribution of the scatterers are derived, simulated and fitted.

Carbon-coated Cu-TiO2 nanocomposite (Cu-TiO2@C) was constructed using one-step method of thermal reduction. Their photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from methanol aqueous solution was investigated. Under UV–vis light irradiation, the hydrogen yield of the 10 mg optimal Cu-TiO2@C reached 269.1 μmol h−1, which was very close to that of Pt@TiO2 (290.8 μmol h−1). The Cu-TiO2@C also displayed much higher photocatalytic stability in comparison with Cu-TiO2 without coated carbon layer. The nano-Cu as photocatalytic active site improve the efficiency of photoinduced carrier separation. The carbon layer with the ability to transfer photogenerated electrons faster and to adsorb hydroxyl radicals more easily, leading to a very significant increase the reaction rate. In addition, the carbon layer can also provide a chemical protection to the Cu nanoparticles and increase the stability of the photocatalysts. The Cu-TiO2@C photocatalyst with the low cost, enhanced photostability and photocatalytic activity is expected to be an excellent nanocomposite t in reforming of biomass or bio-derivatives field.

Sanidine is an important crustal mineral whose high-pressure phase, liebermannite, can be carried down to the mantle transition zone by the subducting slab. Owing to the characteristic channel structure of liebermannite, which can provide a pathway for K+ along the [001] direction, it can serve as a highly conductive phase. In this study, we measured the electrical conductivity of natural sanidine at pressures of up to 11 GPa. The results show that electrical conductivity decreased during the phase transition of sanidine to a mixture of K2Si4O9 wadeite, kyanite, and coesite at 8 GPa, and further to liebermannite at 11 GPa. Accordingly, the activation enthalpy increased from 1.24 to 1.39 eV, and further to 1.47 eV during the phase transitions. Polycrystalline liebermannite with a high concentration of K+ vacancies (35%) did not exhibit highly conductive behavior when the lattice-preferred orientation was not developed. Compared with the theoretically calculated conductivity of liebermannite with a K+ vacancy of 25% along the [001] direction, the single-crystal liebermannite was highly anisotropic (given simply by the difference between logσmax and logσmin), at least higher than 4. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of polycrystalline liebermannite was approximately one order of magnitude lower than that measured by geophysical observations (0.1 S/m) in the transition zone beneath Northeastern (NE) China and the Philippine Sea, and could not be used to interpret high-conductivity anomalies without a preferred orientation along the [001] direction.

Hydrous minerals within the subducting oceanic slab are important hosts for water. Clarification of the stability field of hydrous minerals helps to understand transport and distribution of water from the surface to the Earth’s interior. We investigated the stability of brucite, a prototype of hydrous minerals, by means of electrical conductivity measurements in both open and closed systems at 3 GPa and temperatures up to 1300 K. Dramatic increase of conductivity in association with characteristic impedance spectra suggests that partial dehydration of single-crystal brucite in the open system with a low water fugacity occurs at 950 K, which is about 300 K lower than those previously defined by phase equilibrium experiments in the closed system. By contrast, brucite completely dehydrates at 1300 K in the closed system, consistent with previous studies. Partial dehydration may generate a highly defective structure but does not lead to the breakdown of brucite to periclase and water immediately. Water activity plays a key role in the stability of hydrous minerals. Low water activity (aH2O) caused by the high wetting behavior of the subducted oceanic slab at the transition zone depth may cause the partial dehydration of the dense hydrous magnesium silicates (DHMSs), which significantly reduces the temperature stability of DHMS (this mechanism has been confirmed by previous study on super hydrous phase B). As a result, the transition zone may serve as a ‘dead zone’ for DHMSs, and most water will be stored in wadsleyite and ringwoodite in the transition zone.

In recent years, Canada–China relations have drawn extensive public attention in Canada. To better understand this trend, this article examines the coverage of China in the “alternative public sphe...

The Idle No More (INM) movement entered public view in November 2012 as a grassroots response to Canadian federal legislation Bill C-45, an omnibus bill that reduced environmental protection of lan...

The electric field-induced structural transition of domain walls in nanoconfined nematic liquid crystal systems was investigated on the basis of Landau–de Gennes theory. Two models of nanoconfined domain wall systems were established as splay–bend and twist wall systems under Freedericksz transitions with two different rotation directions under the effect of electric field E/E0. Results showed that two structural transition processes occur in both models. Pincement transition occurs under a critical external field Ec1/E0. In pincement transition, walls change into two squeezed symmetric surface defects with opposite charges. Surface defects spread along the direction of the substrates and attain surface order reconstruction states as E/E0 is enhanced to Ec2/E0. The increment in cell gap d from the nanoscale to the microscale will not affect Ec2/E0 in both models.

The Department of Linguistics at University of Victoria (UVic) in Canada has a long-standing tradition of empirical approaches to the study of theoretical and applied linguistics. As part of the Faculty of Humanities, the department caters to students with a wide range of backgrounds and interests, and provides crucial language teaching support in collaboration with other teaching units at UVic. Accordingly, some applied linguistics studies concern language teaching and learning, some of which are conducted in classroom settings. In this article, we provide a brief overview of recent corrective feedback research conducted by UVic Applied Linguistics Research Group.

Elastic wave velocities of polycrystalline tantalum have been measured up to 13.6 GPa at room temperature using ultrasonic interferometry technique in a multi-anvil apparatus. The bulk and shear moduli, as well as their pressure derivatives are obtained using Eulerian 3rd order finite strain equations, yielding KS0 = 193.9(29) GPa, G0 = 69.3(10) GPa, KS0′ = 3.18(5) and G0′ = 0.88(1). The Steinberg-Guinan yield stress model is examined using the current shear modulus and its pressure derivative, where a slightly lower A0 = 0.0127 GPa−1 compared to previous studies is obtained. First-principles calculations on the elasticity of tantalum have also been performed up to 200 GPa. Anomalous softening of the elastic shear constant C44 and shear wave velocity VS is observed between 80– 180 GPa, whereas the anisotropy shows a softening-stiffening behavior with increasing pressure and reaches a minimum at around 150 GPa. Such anomalies might commonly originate from the nesting of Fermi surface for Group VB metals.

Beijing’s smog hazard is one of the most urgent issues on China’s public agenda. Drawing on the recently developed dynamic discourse coalition (DDC) approach, this article examines the ways in whic...

Promoting the feasibility of thermoelectric (TE) devices toward wearable power generator application has sparked extensive interest for next-generation electronics. However, the lack of air-stable and high-performance n-type TE materials , which lag far behind those of p-type TE materials, and the deficiency of reasonable device structure design have always restricted the development of wearable thermoelectrics. Herein, we prepare a high-performance and air-stable n-type carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF) by multistep treatment and design a three-dimensional (3D) wavy-structured TE device to address the mentioned challenges. The multistep treatment including oleylamine (OA) doping followed by annealing process (250 °C) can contribute to an enhanced Seebeck coefficient of ~ −80 μV K −1 and an increased power factor of ~545 μW m−1 K−2. Notably, it is found that the n-type CNTF prepared by this multistep treatment shows good air stability, which effectively diminishes the malignant effects of conventional annealing process on the air stability. Based on the optimized TE performance of an alternately p/n doped CNTF, the prepared wavy-structured generator integrated with two p-n couples can sustainably yield a stable amplitude of ~1.3 mV in voltage response during multiple fingering cycles and output a maximum power of ~8 nW under a temperature difference of ~5.7 K when the top of the device comes into contact with fingers. This paper provides a new insight into developing high-performance/air-stable n-type carbon nanotubes (CNTs) materials and designing reasonable device structure toward wearable applications.

Environmental disputes have surged in China over the past few years. For many scholars, this trend indicates the proliferation of “Not In My Back Yard” resistance among ordinary Chinese citizens. Y...

Nanostructured silicon has been intensively investigated as a high capacity Li-ion battery anode. However, the commercial introduction still requires advances in the scalable synthesis of sophisticated Si nanomaterials and electrodes. Moreover, the electrode degradation due to volume changes upon de-/lithiation, low areal electrode capacity, and application of large amounts of advanced conductive additives are some of the challenging aspects. Here we report a Si electrode, prepared from direct deposition of Si nanoparticles on a current collector without any binder or conducting additives, that addresses all of the above issues. It exhibits an excellent cycling stability and a high capacity retention taking advantages of what appears to be a locally protective, yolk-shell reminiscent, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. Cycling an electrode with a Si nanoparticle loading of 2.2 mg cm−2 achieved an unrivalled areal capacity retention, specifically, up to 4.2 mAh cm−2 and ~ 1.5 mAh cm−2 at 0.8 mA cm−2 and 1.6 mA cm−2, respectively.

It is my great pleasure to write 2019’s Year-End Editorial for CJSDW/R. This year has witnessed a notable increase of publishing activities at the journal: we managed to publish a total of 15 articles, along with a record number of submissions at various stages in the editorial pipeline. The sheer number of article submissions suggests that now many researchers consider CJSDW/R a desirable venue for sharing their work. Building upon such momentum, this editorial provides a brief review of this year’s publications and their shared concerns regarding discourse and writing studies in Canada.

Oxygen functional groups are often overlooked in most carbon coated co-catalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, and its influences on proton reduction are not been well considered. In this work, a noble-metal-free co-catalyst CuNi alloy nanoparticle wrapped in a carbon layer containing oxygen-containing functional groups (CuNi@C O) was designed and synthesized. Under visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of CuNi@C O/g-C3N4 was 2.36 mmol g−1 h−1, which was higher than that of Pt co-catalyst at the same conditions. Density functional theory calculations and mechanistic studies indicate that the H adsorption free energy on the CuNi@C O was more suitable for hydrogen evolution than that of Pt, where the C O groups on the carbon layer surface modulated the work function of CuNi alloy. It is believed that the understanding the function of surface C O group can broaden the research directions of photocatalyst modification and improve the activity of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Pressure effect on the electrical conductivity of San Carlos olivine was investigated by the newly installed electrical conductivity measurement system at China University of Geosciences. Electrical conductivity of San Carlos olivine aggregates was measured up to 12 GPa and 1475 K using the Walker-type multi-anvil apparatus equipped with eight WC cubes as the second-stage anvils. The pressure generation against applied load for the experimental assemblage was examined by phase transition of Bi, quartz, forsterite under different P-T conditions. To check the data validity of this new system, electrical conductivities of the serpentinites and talc samples were measured. The results are consistent with the published data of the same samples. Electrical conductivity (σ) of the San Carlos olivine aggregates and temperature (T) satisfy the Arrhenian formula: σ=σ 0exp[−(ΔE+PΔV)/kT]. The pre-exponential factor (σ 0), activation energy (ΔE) and activation volume (ΔV) yield value of 7.74 S/m, 0.85 eV and 0.94 cm3/mol, respectively. Electrical conductivities of the San Carlos olivine aggregates decline with increasing pressure at same temperatures. The negative pressure effect can be interpreted by strain energy model of defect energy together with the lattice deformation. In addition, the electrical conductivity-depth 1-D profile of the upper mantle was constructed based on our results and some assumptions. The calculated profile is concordant with the geophysical observation at the depth of 180–350 km beneath Europe, which indicates that the upper mantle beneath Europe might be dry.

Despite the substantial advance of environmental communication research over the past decade, studies on green marketing discourse in non-Western contexts have been relatively sparse. To address this research gap, this article examines the multimodal discursive means through which the concept of “nature” is constructed in recent automobile advertisements in China. Following the analytical framework of multimodal critical discourse analysis, the article analyzes a total of 24 advertisements that were produced between 2013 and 2014 by four top-selling automobile brands in China. The data analysis reveals a consistent ideological separation between nature and human society in the analyzed advertisements: “nature” is constantly framed as either a valuable commodity for human consumption or an added value for high-end car models that in fact have low energy efficiency (e.g. luxury SUVs and sedans). Implicitly, these advertisements also appropriate the growing public concern on China׳s deteriorating environment through green consumerism. The above findings not only deconstruct the operations of specific advertisements and how they contribute to problematic environmental narratives; they also situate China׳s deepening ecological crisis within the broader context of neoliberalism, the ubiquitous doctrine underlying today׳s global economy. Overall, this article invites readers to consider the irresolvable contradiction of green capitalism and market-based environmentalism: the benefit offered by technological innovation is often offset by the endless pursuit of material consumption growth.

Oded Löwenheim, The Politics of the Trail: Reflexive Mountain Biking along the Frontier of Jerusalem (Heidi Morrison)Judith Madera, Black Atlas: Geography and Flow in Nineteenth-Century African American Literature (James S. Finley)Jane Carey and Jane Lydon, eds., Indigenous Networks: Mobility, Connections and Exchange (Daniel Owen Spence)Gijs Mom, Atlantic Automobilism: Emergence and Persistence of the Car, 1895–1940 (Aaron Hatley)Nicole Starosielski, The Undersea Network (Rachael Squire)Sarah Jane Cervenak, Wandering: Philosophical Performances of Racial and Sexual Freedom (Michael Ra-shon Hall)Yasmine Abbas, Le néo-nomadisme: mobilités, partage, transformations identitaires et urbaines (Stéphanie Vincent-Geslin)Suzan Ilcan, Mobilities, Knowledge, and Social Justice (Sibo Chen)Lesley Murray and Sara Upstone, eds., Researching and Representing Mobilities: Transdisciplinary Encounters (Tawny Andersen)Novel Review Michel Houellebecq, Soumission (Stéphanie Ponsavady)

In recent years, GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) has developed rapidly and has played an important role in many fields. As a key part of GPR, the antenna directly affects system performance. A suitable antenna can greatly improve the detection results. To this end, this paper introduces the design of GPR tripod-shaped ultra-wideband antenna based on bow tie antenna. The working bandwidth of the antenna is widened by means of structural loading with truncation as the main part and circular slot at the end of the antenna. Antenna optimization and simulation were performed using ANSYS HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator), and the effects of antenna arm truncation length on antenna performance were discussed. Simulation results show that the designed antenna has an operation bandwidth of 700MHz ~ 2GHz and good directionality. It is a miniaturized ultra-wideband antenna suitable for shallow underground pipeline detection.

Research Highlights: To demonstrate the effectiveness of configuration modes and tree types in regulating local microclimate. Background and Objectives: Urban trees play an essential role in reducing the city&rsquo, s heat load. However, the influence of urban trees with different configurations on the urban thermal environment has not received enough attention. Herein we show how spatial arrangement and foliage longevity, deciduous versus evergreen, affect transpiration and the urban microclimate. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the differences between physiological parameters (transpiration rate, stomatal conductance) and meteorological parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit) of 10 different species of urban trees (five evergreen and five deciduous tree species), each of which had been planted in three configuration modes in a park and the campus green space in Xi&rsquo, an. By manipulating physiological parameters, crown morphology, and plant configurations, we explored how local urban microclimate could be altered. Results: (1) Microclimate regulation capacity: group planting (GP) &gt, linear planting (LP) &gt, individual planting (IP). (2) Deciduous trees (DT) regulated microclimate better than evergreen trees (ET). Significant differences between all planting configurations during 8 to 16 h were noted for evergreen trees whereas for deciduous trees, all measurement times were significantly different. (3) Transpiration characteristics: GP &gt, LP &gt, IP. The transpiration rate (E) and stomatal conductance (Gs) of GP were the highest. Total daily transpiration was ranked as group planting of deciduous (DGP) &gt, linear planting of deciduous (DLP) &gt, group planting of evergreen (EGP) &gt, linear planting of evergreen (ELP) &gt, isolated planting of deciduous (DIP) &gt, isolated planting of evergreen (EIP). (4) The microclimate effects of different tree species and configuration modes were positively correlated with E, Gs, and three dimensional green quantity (3DGQ), but weakly correlated with vapor pressure deficit (VpdL). (5) A microclimate regulation capability model of urban trees was developed. E, Gs, and 3DGQ could explain 93% variation of cooling effect, while E, Gs, VpdL, and 3DGQ could explain 85% variation of humidifying effect. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the urban heat island could be mitigated by selecting deciduous broadleaf tree species and planting them in groups.

• This study is the first quantitative meta-analysis of ecolinguistics from the perspective of journal publications.

This paper presents an exploratory study that investigates the latent motives in the public reasoning and rhetoric of hydraulic fracturing expansion offered by the current government of British Columbia. A pentadic analysis was conducted on a policy strategy report titled British Columbia’s Natural Gas Strategy. The results of the analysis demonstrate how rhetorical devices are applied for legitimizing the exploitation of the natural gas resources in BC.