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Gross primary production (GPP), a crucial component in the terrestrial carbon cycle, is strongly influenced by large-scale circulation patterns. This study explores the influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on China's GPP, utilizing long-term GPP data generated by the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS). Partial correlation coefficients between GPP and ENSO reveal substantial negative associations in most parts of western and northern China during the September–October–November (SON) period of ENSO development. These correlations shift to strongly positive over southern China in December–January–February (DJF) and then weaken in March–April–May (MAM) in the following year, eventually turning generally negative over southwestern and northeastern China in June–July–August (JJA). In contrast, the relationship between GPP and IOD basically exhibits opposite seasonal patterns. Composite analysis further confirms these seasonal GPP anomalous patterns. Mechanistically, these variations are predominantly controlled by soil moisture during ENSO events (except MAM) and by temperature during IOD events (except SON). Quantitatively, China's annual GPP demonstrates modest positive anomalies in La Niña and negative IOD years, in contrast to minor negative anomalies in El Niño and positive IOD years. This outcome is due to counterbalancing effects, with significantly larger GPP anomalies occurring in DJF and JJA. Additionally, the relative changes in total GPP anomalies at the provincial scale display an east–west pattern in annual variation, while the influence of IOD events on GPP presents an opposing north–south pattern. We believe that this study can significantly enhance our understanding of specific processes by which large-scale circulation influences climate conditions and, in turn, affects China's GPP.

Two-plasmon-decay instability (TPD) poses a critical target preheating risk in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. In this paper, TPD collectively driven by dual laser beams consisting of a normal-incidence laser beam (Beam-N) and a large-angle-incidence laser beam (Beam-L) is investigated via particle-in-cell simulations. It is found that significant TPD growth can develop in this regime at previously unexpected low laser intensities if the intensity of Beam-L exceeds the large-angle-incidence threshold. Both beams contribute to the growth of TPD in a “seed-amplification” manner in which the absolute instability driven by Beam-L provides the seeds that are convectively amplified by Beam-N, making TPD energetically important and causing significant pump depletion and hot-electron generation.

Current chemical transport models fail to reproduce both the concentrations and temporal variations of organic aerosol (OA), especially the secondary organic aerosol (SOA), hindering the identification of major contribution sources. The fact that precursors of intermediate-volatility and semivolatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) are not included in models has a significant impact on the performance of SOA simulation. Herein, we establish a high-resolution emission inventory of I/SVOCs and by incorporating it into the CMAQ model, concentrations, temporal variations, and spatial distributions of POA and SOA originating from different sources in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China were simulated. By incorporating I/SVOC emissions into the model, the modeled average SOA concentrations in the region increased by 148 %. Significant model improvements in the simulations of different OA components were demonstrated by comparison with comprehensive observation data. Furthermore, spatial and seasonal variations of different source contributions to OA production have been identified. We found that cooking emissions are predominant sources of POA in the densely populated urban area of the region. I/SVOC emissions from industrial sources are dominant contributors to the SOA formation, followed by those from mobile sources. Our results indicate that future control measures should be specifically tailored on an intraregional scale based on the different source characteristics to achieve the national goal of continuous improvement in air quality. In addition, local source profiles and emission factors of I/SVOCs, as well as SOA formation mechanisms in the model framework must urgently be updated to further improve the model performance and thus the accuracy of source identifications.

Aerosol acidity plays a key role in regulating the chemistry and toxicity of atmospheric aerosol particles. The trend of aerosol pH and its drivers is crucial in understanding the multiphase formation pathways of aerosols. Here, we reported the first trend analysis of aerosol pH from 2011 to 2019 in eastern China, calculated with the ISORROPIA model based on observed gas and aerosol compositions. The implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan led to −35.8 %, −37.6 %, −9.6 %, −81.0 % and 1.2 % changes of PM2.5, SO42-, NHx, non-volatile cations (NVCs) and NO3- in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region during this period. Different from the drastic changes of aerosol compositions due to the implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan, aerosol pH showed a minor change of −0.24 over the 9 years. Besides the multiphase buffer effect, the opposite effects from the changes of SO42- and non-volatile cations played key roles in determining this minor pH trend, contributing to a change of +0.38 and −0.35, respectively. Seasonal variations in aerosol pH were mainly driven by the temperature, while the diurnal variations were driven by both temperature and relative humidity. In the future, SO2, NOx and NH3 emissions are expected to be further reduced by 86.9 %, 74.9 % and 41.7 % in 2050 according to the best health effect pollution control scenario (SSP1-26-BHE). The corresponding aerosol pH in eastern China is estimated to increase by ∼0.19, resulting in 0.04 less NO3- and 0.12 less NH4+ partitioning ratios, which suggests that NH3 and NOx emission controls are effective in mitigating haze pollution in eastern China.

Experiments have been performed to investigate laser-plasma instabilities (LPIs) relevant to the direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) conditions at the Shenguang-II Upgrade (SG-II UP) laser facility during the double-cone ignition (DCI) experimental campaigns, with the overlapped laser intensity ranging from $\,6 \times {10^{14}}\,{\text{W}}\,{\text{c}}{{\text{m}}^{ - 2}}\,$ to $1.8 \times {10^{15}}\,{\text{W}}\,{\text{c}}{{\text{m}}^{ - 2}}$ . An overall LPI scenario has been built from the collection and investigation of angularly distributed scattered light. Across broad ranges of laser and plasma parameters, relevant to the direct-drive ICF conditions, the dominance of the stimulated Raman side scattering (SRSS) was confirmed, and its coexistence with the two-plasmon decay (TPD) was also observed. Significant SRSS scattered light was observed across an extremely wide range of emission angles, concentrated at large angles, and demonstrated to be robust throughout the parameter space. Time-resolved spectral measurements show distinctly different SRSS behaviors along different angles and a slightly higher threshold compared to the TPD. The overall SRSS energy loss was measured, indicating a scattered light energy fraction of up to 6%. These results are of crucial importance for the precise assessment of the LPIs in the DCI as well as other laser directly driven ICF schemes.

We investigate the hot electrons generated from two-plasmon decay (TPD) instability driven by laser pulses with intensity modulated by a frequency Δ ω _m using theoretical and numerical approaches. Our primary focus lies on scenarios where Δ ω _m is on the same order of the TPD growth rate γ _0 ( $\Delta \omega_m \sim \gamma_0$ ), corresponding to moderate laser frequency bandwidths for TPD mitigation. With Δ ω _m conveniently modeled by a basic two-color scheme of the laser wave fields in fully-kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate that the energies of TPD modes and hot electrons exhibit intermittent evolution at the frequency Δ ω _m , particularly when $\Delta \omega_m \sim \gamma_0$ . With the dynamic TPD behavior, the overall ratio of hot electron energy to the incident laser energy, $f_\mathrm{hot}$ , changes significantly with Δ ω _m . While $f_\mathrm{hot}$ drops notably with increasing Δ ω _m at large Δ ω _m limit as expected, it goes anomalously beyond the hot electron energy ratio for a single-frequency incident laser pulse with the same average intensity when Δ ω _m falls below a specific threshold frequency Δ ω _c . This anomaly arises from the pronounced sensitivity of $f_\mathrm{hot}$ to variations in laser intensity. We find this threshold frequency Δ ω _c primarily depends on γ _0 and the collisional damping rate of plasma waves, with relatively lower sensitivity to the density scale length. We develop a scaling model characterizing the relation of Δ ω _c and laser plasma conditions, enabling the potential extention of our findings to more complex and realistic scenarios.

Ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability (ARTI) and nonlocal heat transport are the critical problems in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, while their coupling with each other is not completely understood yet. Here the ARTI in the presence of nonlocal heat transport is studied self-consistently for the first time theoretically and by using radiation hydrodynamic simulations. It is found that the nonlocal heat flux generated by the hot electron transport tends to attenuate the growth of instability, especially for short wavelength perturbations. A linear theory of the ARTI coupled with the nonlocal heat flux is developed, and a prominent stabilization of the ablation front via the nonlocal heat flux is found, in good agreement with numerical simulations. This effect becomes more significant as the laser intensity increases. Our results should have important references for the target designing for inertial confinement fusion.

Tungsten (W) erosion and edge transport are investigated for EAST L-mode discharges with different gas injection. It is found that W erosion can be suppressed or mitigated by Ne or D2 seeding when divertor detachment is achieved. Compared to edge D2 fueling, Ne seeding from the divertor target is favorable for full detachment condition and thus W erosion suppression. Increasing the upstream plasma density by edge D2 fueling can affect the divertor condition, which may lead to a W erosion mitigation. D2 puffing at divertor target is less effective on increasing the upstream plasma density than OMP D2 puffing, and thus it is less effective on reduction of W erosion rates. W gross erosion profiles with different amount of injected D2 at the divertor are reproduced by a mixed material W erosion model, which indicates that there exist a Li-C overlayer on the W surface of EAST divertor. Ne and D2 injection are also found to have different impact on the normalized core W density. For the attached divertor condition, divertor Ne seeding will increase W leakage, but a suitable D2 fueling from divertor target can strengthen the edge W screening. After the divertor detachment, although the W source is dramatically reduced, the W core density is kept in a high level for the Ne seeding discharges, and even increased for the D2 fueling discharges.

The neutral-induced material erosion is still an unsolved issue for ITER and future reactors, which influences the lifetime of the first wall material and tritium retention rate. A low energy neutral particle analyzer (LENPA) and a quartz crystal microbalance (QMB) were recently installed together on the equatorial port of sector H in EAST to study neutral-induced material erosion. The QMB can provide real-time and in-situ measurements on the erosion process of the wall material, while the neutral energy spectrum given by LENPA can help to calculate the material erosion rate for comparison with QMB results. In the 2021 EAST summer campaign, neutral-induced Al erosion was successfully studied with the two available diagnostics for the first time. In a series of long-pulse discharges, the average Al erosion rates measured by the QMB are consistent with the theoretical calculations using the LENPA data. Furthermore, the changes in plasma density, heating power and the real-time lithium powder injection result in different neutral flux and energy, which lead to changes in the neutral-induced material erosion rates.

The neutral energy spectrums with an energy range of 20–3000 eV was measured by the low energy neutral particle analyzer (LENPA) in the 2021 EAST summer campaign. The proportion of the neutral particles below 1000 eV measured by LENPA is more than 85 %. In the ohmic discharges, the integrated neutral flux increases with increasing the line-averaged density. However, the neural particles with higher energy (1000–3000 eV) are insensitive to the line-averaged density. In addition, the neutral flux in the energy range of 20–1000 eV of the discharges with supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) was lower than those without SMBI, which was different from neutrals in the range of 1000–3000 eV. The neutral flux increases with higher auxiliary heating power in all energy range. Compared to the ohmic discharges, the mean energy of neutral particles in auxiliary heated discharges is increased significantly.

Introduction Postpartum and peripartum depression are debilitating disorders that impact the mother and their ability to care for their children’s emotional, social, and physical needs. Current treatments include psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy. These treatments are moderately effective or come with side effects that can negatively impact mother and child. As a result, many mothers view some treatments as unacceptable while pregnant or breastfeeding. Over the last decade, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promise as an effective and safe treatment option for postpartum and peripartum depression. However, little is known regarding people’s knowledge and attitudes towards this emerging technology, with no research assessing this in Canada. Objectives We aim to identify gaps in knowledge and to assess attitudes toward rTMS as a treatment for postpartum and peripartum depression in mental health professionals, patients, and the general public living in Canada. Methods A mixed methods study design will be employed. The qualitative portion will consist of individual semi-structured interviews. An inductive thematic analysis will be completed. The quantitative portion will consist of an anonymous, self-administered survey shared through REDCap. Focus groups with rTMS experts will be conducted to inform survey creation. Results No resulst at this time. Conclusions Understanding gaps in knowledge and attitudes toward rTMS is the first step toward ensuring that everyone is well informed and able to access safe and effective treatments. With limited treatment options available to a postpartum and/or peripartum depression patients being well informed on all treatments is crucial towards accessing treatments that best suit their needs. Disclosure No significant relationships.

A high-resolution air pollutant emission inventory for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region was updated for 2017 using emission factors and chemical speciation based mainly on local measurements in this study. The inventory included 424 non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and 43 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) species from 259 specific sources. The total emissions of SO2, NOx, CO, NMVOCs, PM10, PM2.5, and NH3 in the YRD region in 2017 were 1552, 3235, 38 507, 4875, 3770, 1597, and 2467 Gg, respectively. SO2 and CO emissions were mainly from boilers, accounting for 49 % and 73 % of the total. Mobile sources dominated NOx emissions, contributing 57 % of the total. NMVOC emissions, mainly from industrial sources, made up 61 % of the total. Dust sources accounted for 55 % and 28 % of PM10 and PM2.5 emissions, respectively. Agricultural sources accounted for 91 % of NH3 emissions. Major PM2.5 species were OC, Ca, Si, PSO4, and EC, accounting for 9.0 %, 7.0 %, 6.4 %, 4.6 %, and 4.3 % of total PM2.5 emissions, respectively. The main species of NMVOCs were aromatic hydrocarbons, making up 25.3 % of the total. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) contributed 21.9 % of the total NMVOC emissions. Toluene had the highest comprehensive contribution to ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potentials, while other NMVOCs included 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, propylene, ethene, o-xylene, and ethylbenzene. Industrial process and solvent-use sources were the main sources of O3 and SOA formation potential, followed by motor vehicles. Among industrial sources, chemical manufacturing, rubber and plastic manufacturing, appliance manufacturing, and textiles made significant contributions. This emission inventory should provide scientific guidance for future control of air pollutants in the YRD region of China.

Tungsten (W) is one of the most promising plasma-facing materials for future fusion devices. Although its melting point is the highest among all metals, it still has great risk of melting under extremely high plasma heat fluxes, which is a big concern for ITER and future reactors. Actively cooled W plasma-facing components (PFCs) with both monoblocks and flat-type structure have been successfully installed in the lower divertor of the EAST tokamak since 2021, and provide a good opportunity for direct comparison of the damage mechanism for the two types of PFCs. Various in situ melting phenomena on the lower divertor have been observed by CCD cameras, which have been further verified by post-mortem inspections. Severe melting and even exfoliation of the edge-beveled W plates were observed on some W/Cu flat-type components at horizontal outer targets. Many droplets were ejected during long-pulse operations, which induced a significant increase of W impurities and total irradiation in the core plasma, and thus greatly deteriorated the plasma performance and even caused disruptions. Two different shaping structures of flat-type PFCs show different positions of melting and the corresponding mechanisms. Slight melting was found on the sharp leading edges of W/Cu monoblocks between cassette modules (inter-CM) for horizontal targets with small droplet ejection, which was much improved compared to that observed on the upper W divertor, illustrating that the application of a large-sized bevel chamfer inter-CM was generally effective. In addition, an unexpected melting phenomenon on the dome plate was attributed to the extreme transient heat flux during disruption with runaway electrons. The application of both types of W/Cu PFCs for the divertor provides important experiences and lessons for the engineering design and optimization of divertor PFCs in future fusion devices.

Rapid sulfate formation is recognized as a key characteristic of severe winter haze in China. However, air quality models tend to underestimate sulfate formation during heavy haze periods, and heterogeneous formation pathways have been proposed as promising mechanisms to reduce gaps between observation and model simulation. In this study, we implemented a reactive SO2 uptake mechanism through the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions in the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) to improve simulation of sulfate formation in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Parameterization of the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions is based on observations in Beijing and considered both the impact of relative humidity and aerosol pH on sulfate formation. Ammonia is reported to be critical for the formation of secondary inorganic aerosols. Estimation of ammonia emissions is usually associated with large uncertainties and models tend to underestimate ammonia concentrations substantially. Sensitivity tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions as well as ammonia emissions on modeled sulfate concentrations during a period with several heavy haze episodes in the YRD region. Base case model results show large underestimation of sulfate concentrations by 36 % under polluted conditions in the YRD region. Adding the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions or doubling ammonia emissions alone leads to slight model improvement (∼6 %) on simulated sulfate concentrations in the YRD region. However, model performance significantly improved when both the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions and doubled ammonia emissions were included in the simulation: predicted sulfate concentrations during polluted periods increased from 23.1 µg m−3 in the base scenario to 29.1 µg m−3 (representing an increase of 26 %). Aerosol pH is crucial for the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions, and our calculated aerosol pH is always acidic and increased by 0.7 with doubled ammonia emissions. Modeling results also show that this reactive SO2 uptake mechanism enhanced sulfate simulations by 1 to 5 µg m−3 for the majority of the eastern and central parts of China, with more than 20 µg m−3 increase in sulfate concentrations over the northeastern plain. These findings suggest that the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions could be potentially important for sulfate formation in the YRD region as well as other parts of China. Further studies are needed to constrain the uncertainties associated with the parameterization of the SO2+NO2 heterogeneous reactions based on local data as well as to evaluate this mechanism in other regions. In addition, ammonia emissions were found to be a key driving variable of the spatial patterns of sulfate enhancement due to the new pathway. Substantial efforts are needed to improve the accuracy of the ammonia emission inventory.

Heavy haze usually occurs in winter in eastern China. To control the severe air pollution during the season, comprehensive regional joint-control strategies were implemented throughout a campaign. To evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and to provide some insights into strengthening the regional joint-control mechanism, the influence of control measures on levels of air pollution was estimated with an integrated measurement-emission-modeling method. To determine the influence of meteorological conditions, and the control measures on the air quality, in a comprehensive study, the 2nd World Internet Conference was held during 16–18 December 2015 in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang province, in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. We first analyzed the air quality changes during four meteorological regimes and then compared the air pollutant concentrations before, during, and after the regulation under static meteorological conditions. Next, we conducted modeling scenarios to quantify the effects caused due to the air pollution control measures. We found that total emissions of SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Jiaxing were reduced by 56 %, 58 %, 64 %, and 80 %, respectively, while total emission reductions of SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and VOCs over the YRD region are estimated to be 10 %, 9 %, 10 %, and 11 %, respectively. Modeling results suggest that during the campaign from 8 to 18 December, PM2.5 daily average concentrations decreased by 10 µg m−3 with an average decrease of 14.6 %. Our implemented optimization analysis compared with previous studies also reveals that local emission reductions play a key role in air quality improvement, although it shall be supplemented by regional linkage. In terms of regional joint control, implementing pollution channel control 48 h before the event is of most benefit in getting similar results. Therefore, it is recommended that a synergistic emission reduction plan between adjacent areas with local pollution emission reductions as the core part should be established and strengthened, and emission reduction plans for different types of pollution through a stronger regional linkage should be reserved.

Two new quartz crystal microbalance (QMB) systems have been installed at different locations in the mid-plane of EAST to measure erosion and deposition of the first wall materials. The two QMBs with different distances from the plasma show complex and distinct erosion and deposition behavior. The QMB in the mid-plane H port closer to the plasma shows a relatively higher net erosion result with an average erosion rate of 1.34 ng/(cm2s). The normal discharges mainly contribute to the total net erosion and the maximum erosion amount reaches up to 110 ng/cm2. Contrarily, a slight net deposition of 0.11 ng/(cm2s) is obtained for the QMB in the mid-plane G port further away from the plasma and the erosion and deposition amount of most discharges are much lower due to lower particle flux. The disruptive discharges lead to a total net deposition rate of 0.48 ng/(cm2s). Measurement results by the QMBs are demonstrated by a good agreement with the post-mortem analysis by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS).

To evaluate the effect of temporary emission control measures on air quality during the 2016 G20 summit held in Hangzhou, China, an intensive field campaign was conducted with a focus on aerosol chemistry and gaseous precursors from 15 August to 12 September 2016. The concentrations of fine particles were reduced during the intense emission control stages, with the reduction of carbonaceous matter being mostly responsible for this observed decrease. This, in turn, was mainly ascribed to the decrease of secondary organic aerosols via the suppression of daytime peak secondary organic carbon (SOC)formation. Although the regional joint control was enacted extending to the Yangtze River Delta region, the effect of long-range transport on the air quality of Hangzhou was ubiquitous. Unexpectedly high NOx concentrations were observed during the control stage, when the strictest restriction on vehicles was implemented, owing to contributions from upstream populous regions such as Jiangsu and Shandong provinces. In addition, the continental outflow traveling over the ocean triggered a short pollution episode on the first day of the G20 summit, resulting in a significant enhancement of the nitrogen/sulfur oxidation rates. In the wake of the summit, all air pollutants evidently rebounded after the various control measures were lifted. Overall, the fraction of secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA; in this case sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium aerosols – SNA) in PM2.5 increased as relative humidity increased; however, the overall concentration of PM2.5 did not increase. Aerosol components that had distinctly different sources and formation mechanisms, e.g., sulfate/nitrate and elemental carbon, exclusively showed strong correlations during the regional/long-range transport episodes. The sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium to elemental carbon (SNA∕EC) ratio, which was used as a proxy for assessing the extent of secondary inorganic aerosol formation, was found to be significantly enhanced under transport conditions from northern China. This study highlighted that emission control strategies were beneficial for curbing particulate pollution, in addition to the fact that regional/long-range transport may offset local emission control effects to some extent.

In this paper, we tried to reveal the characteristics of the crustal deformation in both the horizontal and vertical directions in Beijing using InSAR and GNSS observations. Regarding the serious land subsidence in Beijing plain, we also analysed the mechanism of the occurrence and development of the subsidence in combination with the tectonic settings. The GNSS results reveal that the crust in Beijing shows a significant left-lateral trend movement in the horizontal direction, while the vertical direction shows a gentle rise in the mountainous region and a significant subsidence in the plain area. The INSAR results shows a detailed subsidence area and the deformation characteristics were analyzed considering the fault activity. The foundation of geological structure dominates the subsiding in the Beijing Plain. The exploitation of groundwater exacerbates the level of subsidence and has new development. The active faults controlled the development of the subsiding in present days.

Abstract On 25 August 2018, the China Seismo‐Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) encountered the first intense geomagnetic storm event since its launch on 2 February 2018. The main purpose of this work is to check in‐flight performance of the assembled payloads onboard CSES, as well as to investigate the ionosphere perturbations induced by this geomagnetic storm. The study shows that all investigated parameters simultaneously respond to the different phases of the geomagnetic storm, verifying the measuring capabilities of the assembled payloads onboard CSES. Specifically, the magnetic field obtained from the high‐precision magnetometer fits well with that obtained by the Swarm satellite, clearly demonstrating the development phase of the storm; joint analysis using the Langmuir probe, plasma analyzer, electric field detector, and GNSS occultation receiver data demonstrate that this is a positive storm event and that electric field penetration is the possible mechanism for the disturbance in the ionosphere. During this storm event, some significant ELF/VLF waves are also excited and there is enhancement of the energetic electron flux (of energy

Soil nitrogen (N) cycling is an important factor in terrestrial ecosystems, including grasslands. Understanding the effects of grazing on nitrogen cycling in grassland ecosystems is critical for better management and for improving knowledge of the mechanisms underlying grassland degradation and can provide basic information for sustainable development in grassland ecosystems. In this study, in situ incubation in intact soil cores was used to measure seasonal changes in soil nitrogen mineralization and nitrification in the meadow steppe of the Hulunber grasslands of northeastern China. Soil plots were subjected to varying intensities of cattle grazing, and soil characteristics including several aspects of the nitrogen cycle were analysed. The findings demonstrate that soil inorganic N pools and nitrogen mineralization peaked in August and that moderate grazing intensity produced higher seasonal mean net N mineralization (Amin); net nitrogen mineralization rate (Rmin); net ammonification rate (Ramm) and net nitrification rate (Rnit). Seasonal mean net mineralization rate was increased by 6-15% in the lightly and moderately grazed plots (0.34-0.46 AU cow/ha) and by 4-5% in the heavily grazed plots (0.69-0.92 AU cow/ha). Also it was found that soil moisture was significantly positively correlated with inorganic N, Amin, Ramm and Rmin and significantly negatively correlated with Rnit, while soil temperature exhibited the opposite effect. The obtained results demonstrated net nitrogen mineralization and ammonium rates, which were strongly linked to grazing intensity, soil temperature and soil moisture.

Jatropha curcas L. embryos were germinated and grown in vitro under nickel concentrations of 100, 200, 400 and 800 μmol to observe the effects of high nickel concentrations on seedling growth. Observed biological makers included biomass, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in the cotyledons. The fresh weight of cotyledons in all the tested nickel concentrations was lower than that of the control, but dry weight of cotyledons increased with increasing nickel concentrations up to 200 μmol. SOD activity increased significantly up to 400 μmol and then decreased at 800 μmol nickel. POD activities were induced remarkably at 100 and 200 μmol, but the activity decreased with increasing nickel concentrations. Similarly, a negative link between CAT activity and nickel concentrations was observed in this experiment. PAL activity had a positive correlation to nickel concentrations, and the highest activity was found at 400 μmol nickel. Electrophoresis analysis suggested that a significant correlation between nickel concentrations and isoenzyme patterns of SOD and POD was observed, and these results were consistent with the changes of the activity assayed in solutions.

The effects of different concentrations of copper (0-800 μmol) on growth, protein contents, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in Jatropha curcas L. seedlings were assessed by means of pot experiments. Results suggested that increased copper concentrations lead to decreased shoot elongation and seedling biomass. Protein content in the leaves and roots reached their highest levels at the copper concentrations of 400 μmol, while the highest protein content in the stem was observed at 800 μmol copper. POD activity in leaves and stems was unaffected at low copper concentrations, but showed a considerable variation at high copper concentrations. In roots, the highest POD activity was observed at 200 μmol copper. Under copper stress, SOD activity in leaves increased concomitantly with increasing copper up to 400 μmol, and SOD activity in stems and roots showed a slight increase. Catalase activity significantly elevated in leaves and roots but showed no significant changes in stems of the seedlings exposed to copper. A gradual increase of PAL activity in leaves and roots at the copper concentration of 400 and 200 μmol was observed, while PAL activity remained unchanged in stems.

The paper presents a study on static compression and dynamic impact properties of Cu–W interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) with cubic and bio-inspired W skeletons. Strength, failure mechanism, and energy absorption of Cu–W IPCs are investigated. The results show that the energy absorption of Cu–W IPCs for both quasi-static and dynamic compression is significantly improved by the addition of Cu. The shape of W skeleton has significant effects on the mechanical properties and failure mechanism of Cu–W IPCs. The cubic W skeleton bears a higher stress than the bio-inspired skeleton. Cracking of the W skeleton and interfacial cracking between the Cu and W skeleton are more likely to occur. The bio-inspired structure Cu–W IPCs exhibit a lower strength but higher energy-absorbing levels for both quasi-static and dynamic compression.

Abstract Backfat thickness is an important economic trait that affects pork quality and flavor. The Lijiang pig (LJP), a local breed in Yunnan province, China, exhibits variations in growth and body composition. However, the molecular basis for these variations is unclear. This study aimed to analyze transcriptome profiles of backfat at different growth stages in LJP with discrepant body size: two months (M2), four months, and six months. Firstly, we analyzed the gene expression differences and discovered a significantly highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the M2 stage. Secondly, we identified four gene profiles with reverse expression trends in LJP populations with different body sizes, and the related genes mainly associated with immune response functionality. Thirdly, we observed a lower correlation in LJP with large body size at the M2 stage, with a specific enrichment of DEGs with high genetic differentiation related to neural activity. Finally, we correlated transcriptome profiles of muscle and backfat and discovered the lowest correlation at the M2 stage. Highly correlated genes exhibited more significant differences and were prominently enriched for immune response processes. This study unveils candidate genes linked to backfat growth in LJP, emphasizing the specificity of the early growth stage of backfat.

Study RegionKachemak Bay is a fjord-type estuary in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Water quality and habitat characteristics are strongly influenced by freshwater and sediment input from multiple glacierized catchments.Study FocusWe present a new method combining imaging spectroscopy from an airborne survey with Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery to map water surface turbidity originating from glacial runoff based on spectral abundance. We compare the spectral characteristics of turbid glacial water to clear water and generate a high resolution reference map of glacial turbidity in Kachemak Bay. This informs the subsequent analysis of a homogenized, Rayleigh corrected time series of Landsat and Sentinel-2 images and seasonal patterns of turbidity.New Hydrological Insights for the RegionOur results provide the most comprehensive data set on water surface turbidity in Kachemak Bay to date and improve understanding of spatial and seasonal variability of glacial turbidity in a data sparse region. July and August have the largest plumes with median sizes around 150 km2, or around a quarter of Kachemak Bay. Plume sizes typically decrease with decreasing glacier runoff in September and October. We show that imaging spectroscopy aids assessments of turbid water in glacial marine catchments across scales. Leveraging high resolution spectral information allows for water color analyses that are customized to local conditions and catchment characteristics as well as scalable to wider regions.