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Abstract We report multi-differential measurements of strange hadron production ranging from mid- to target-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at a center-of-momentum energy per nucleon pair of s NN $$ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} $$ = 3 GeV with the STAR experiment at RHIC. K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ meson and Λ hyperon yields are measured via their weak decay channels. Collision centrality and rapidity dependences of the transverse momentum spectra and particle ratios are presented. Particle mass and centrality dependence of the average transverse momenta of Λ and K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ are compared with other strange particles, providing evidence of the development of hadronic rescattering in such collisions. The 4π yields of each of these strange hadrons show a consistent centrality dependence. Discussions on radial flow, the strange hadron production mechanism, and properties of the medium created in such collisions are presented together with results from hadronic transport and thermal model calculations.

CO2 storage (Fs) is the cumulation or depletion in CO2 amount over a period in an ecosystem. Along with the eddy covariance flux and wind-stream advection of CO2, it is a major term in the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) equation. The CO2 storage dominates the NEE equation under a stable atmospheric stratification when the equation is used for forest ecosystems over complex terrains. However, estimating Fs remains challenging due to the frequent gusts and random fluctuations in boundary-layer flows that lead to tremendous difficulties in capturing the true trend of CO2 changes for use in storage estimation from eddy covariance along with atmospheric profile techniques. Using measurements from Qingyuan Ker Towers equipped with NEE instrument systems separately covering mixed broad-leaved, oak, and larch forest towers in a mountain watershed, this study investigates gust periods and CO2 fluctuation magnitudes and examines their impact on Fs estimation in relation to the terrain complexity index (TCI). The gusts induce CO2 fluctuations for numerous periods of 1 to 10 min over 2 h. Diurnal, seasonal, and spatial differences (P < 0.01) in the maximum amplitude of CO2 fluctuations (Am) range from 1.6 to 136.7 ppm, and these differences range from 140 to 170 s in a period (Pm) at the same significance level. Am and Pm are significantly correlated to the magnitude of and random error in Fs with diurnal and seasonal differences. These correlations decrease as CO2 averaging time windows become longer. To minimize the uncertainties in Fs, a constant [CO2] averaging time window for the Fs estimates is not ideal. Dynamic averaging time windows and a decision-level fusion model can reduce the potential underestimation of Fs by 29 %–33 % for temperate forests in complex terrain. In our study, the relative contribution of Fs to the 30 min NEE observations ranged from 17 % to 82 % depending on turbulent mixing and the TCI. The study's approach is notable as it incorporates the TCI and utilizes three flux towers for replication, making the findings relevant to similar regions with a single tower.

We report on the charged-particle multiplicity dependence of net-proton cumulant ratios up to sixth order from s=200 GeV p+p collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The measured ratios C4/C2, C5/C1, and C6/C2 decrease with increased charged-particle multiplicity and rapidity acceptance. Neither the Skellam baselines nor PYTHIA8 calculations account for the observed multiplicity dependence. In addition, the ratios C5/C1 and C6/C2 approach negative values in the highest-multiplicity events, which implies that thermalized QCD matter may be formed in p+p collisions.

We report the first measurements of cumulants, up to 4th order, of deuteron number distributions and proton-deuteron correlations in Au+Au collisions recorded by the STAR experiment in phase-I of Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Deuteron cumulants, their ratios, and proton-deuteron mixed cumulants are presented for different collision centralities covering a range of center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN=7.7 to 200 GeV. It is found that the cumulant ratios at lower collision energies favor a canonical ensemble over a grand canonical ensemble in thermal models. An anti-correlation between proton and deuteron multiplicity is observed across all collision energies and centralities, consistent with the expectation from global baryon number conservation. The UrQMD model coupled with a phase-space coalescence mechanism qualitatively reproduces the collision-energy dependence of cumulant ratios and proton-deuteron correlations.

The chiral magnetic effect (CME) is a phenomenon that arises from the QCD anomaly in the presence of an external magnetic field. The experimental search for its evidence has been one of the key goals of the physics program of the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. The STAR Collaboration has previously presented the results of a blind analysis of isobar collisions (_{44}^{96}Ru+_{44}^{96}Ru, _{40}^{96}Zr+_{40}^{96}Zr) in the search for the CME. The isobar ratio (Y) of CME-sensitive observable, charge separation scaled by elliptic anisotropy, is close to but systematically larger than the inverse multiplicity ratio, the naive background baseline. This indicates the potential existence of a CME signal and the presence of remaining nonflow background due to two- and three-particle correlations, which are different between the isobars. In this postblind analysis, we estimate the contributions from those nonflow correlations as a background baseline to Y, utilizing the isobar data as well as Heavy Ion Jet Interaction Generator simulations. This baseline is found consistent with the isobar ratio measurement, and an upper limit of 10% at 95% confidence level is extracted for the CME fraction in the charge separation measurement in isobar collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV.

The differential cross section for Z0 production, measured as a function of the boson's transverse momentum (pT), provides important constraints on the evolution of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs). The transverse single spin asymmetry (TSSA) of the Z0 is sensitive to one of the polarized TMDs, the Sivers function, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in p+p →W/Z+X from that which enters in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering. In this Letter, the STAR Collaboration reports the first measurement of the Z0/γ⁎ differential cross section as a function of its pT in p+p collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 510 GeV, together with the Z0/γ⁎ total cross section. We also report the measurement of Z0/γ⁎ TSSA in transversely polarized p+p collisions at 510 GeV.

We report results on an elastic cross section measurement in proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy s=510 GeV, obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section is measured in the four-momentum transfer squared range 0.23≤−t≤0.67 GeV2. This is the only measurement of the proton-proton elastic cross section in this t range for collision energies above the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR) and below the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) colliders. We find that a constant slope B does not fit the data in the aforementioned t range, and we obtain a much better fit using a second-order polynomial for B(t). This is the first measurement below the LHC energies for which the non-constant behavior B(t) is observed. The t dependence of B is also determined using six subintervals of t in the STAR measured t range, and is in good agreement with the phenomenological models. The measured elastic differential cross section dσ/dt agrees well with the results obtained at s=540 GeV for proton–antiproton collisions by the UA4 experiment. We also determine that the integrated elastic cross section within the STAR t-range is σelfid=462.1±0.9(stat.)±1.1(syst.)±11.6(scale) μb.

Density fluctuations near the QCD critical point can be probed via an intermittency analysis in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We report the first measurement of intermittency in Au+Au collisions at sNN = 7.7-200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The scaled factorial moments of identified charged hadrons are analyzed at mid-rapidity and within the transverse momentum phase space. We observe a power-law behavior of scaled factorial moments in Au+Au collisions and a decrease in the extracted scaling exponent (ν) from peripheral to central collisions. The ν is consistent with a constant for different collisions energies in the mid-central (10-40%) collisions. Moreover, the ν in the 0-5% most central Au+Au collisions exhibits a non-monotonic energy dependence that reaches a minimum around sNN = 27 GeV. The physics implications on the QCD phase structure are discussed.

Ecosystem CO2–H2O data measured by infrared gas analyzers in open-path eddy-covariance (OPEC) systems have numerous applications, such as estimations of CO2 and H2O fluxes in the atmospheric boundary layer. To assess the applicability of the data for these estimations, data uncertainties from analyzer measurements are needed. The uncertainties are sourced from the analyzers in zero drift, gain drift, cross-sensitivity, and precision variability. These four uncertainty sources are individually specified for analyzer performance, but so far no methodology exists yet to combine these individual sources into a composite uncertainty for the specification of an overall accuracy, which is ultimately needed. Using the methodology for closed-path eddy-covariance systems, this overall accuracy for OPEC systems is determined from all individual uncertainties via an accuracy model and further formulated into CO2 and H2O accuracy equations. Based on atmospheric physics and the biological environment, for EC150 infrared CO2–H2O analyzers, these equations are used to evaluate CO2 accuracy (±1.22 mgCO2 m−3, relatively ±0.19 %) and H2O accuracy (±0.10 gH2O m−3, relatively ±0.18 % in saturated air at 35 ∘C and 101.325 kPa). Both accuracies are applied to conceptual models addressing their roles in uncertainty analyses for CO2 and H2O fluxes. For the high-frequency air temperature derived from H2O density along with sonic temperature and atmospheric pressure, the role of H2O accuracy in its uncertainty is similarly addressed. Among the four uncertainty sources, cross-sensitivity and precision variability are minor, although unavoidable, uncertainties, whereas zero drift and gain drift are major uncertainties but are minimizable via corresponding zero and span procedures during field maintenance. The accuracy equations provide rationales to assess and guide the procedures. For the atmospheric background CO2 concentration, CO2 zero and CO2 span procedures can narrow the CO2 accuracy range by 40 %, from ±1.22 to ±0.72 mgCO2 m−3. In hot and humid weather, H2O gain drift potentially adds more to the H2O measurement uncertainty, which requires more attention. If H2O zero and H2O span procedures can be performed practically from 5 to 35 ∘C, the H2O accuracy can be improved by at least 30 %: from ±0.10 to ±0.07 gH2O m−3. Under freezing conditions, the H2O span procedure is impractical but can be neglected because of its trivial contributions to the overall uncertainty. However, the zero procedure for H2O, along with CO2, is imperative as an operational and efficient option under these conditions to minimize H2O measurement uncertainty.

The deconfined quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions enables the exploration of the fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions. Noncentral collisions can produce strong magnetic fields on the order of 10^{18} G, which offers a probe into the electrical conductivity of the QGP. In particular, quarks and antiquarks carry opposite charges and receive contrary electromagnetic forces that alter their momenta. This phenomenon can be manifested in the collective motion of final-state particles, specifically in the rapidity-odd directed flow, denoted as v_{1}(y). Here, we present the charge-dependent measurements of dv_{1}/dy near midrapidities for π^{±}, K^{±}, and p(p[over ¯]) in Au+Au and isobar (_{44}^{96}Ru+_{44}^{96}Ru and _{40}^{96}Zr+_{40}^{96}Zr) collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV, and in Au+Au collisions at 27 GeV, recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The combined dependence of the v_{1} signal on collision system, particle species, and collision centrality can be qualitatively and semiquantitatively understood as several effects on constituent quarks. While the results in central events can be explained by the u and d quarks transported from initial-state nuclei, those in peripheral events reveal the impacts of the electromagnetic field on the QGP. Our data put valuable constraints on the electrical conductivity of the QGP in theoretical calculations.

The Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings, also known as the Third Pole, play an important role in the global and regional climate and hydrological cycle. Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs), including black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC), can directly or indirectly absorb and scatter solar radiation and change the energy balance on the Earth. CAs, along with the other atmospheric pollutants (e.g., mercury), can be frequently transported over long distances into the inland Tibetan Plateau. During the last decades, a coordinated monitoring network and research program named “Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Changes” (APCC) has been gradually set up and continuously operated within the Third Pole regions to investigate the linkage between atmospheric pollutants and cryospheric changes. This paper presents a systematic dataset of BC, OC, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) from aerosols (20 stations), glaciers (17 glaciers, including samples from surface snow and ice, snow pits, and 2 ice cores), snow cover (2 stations continuously observed and 138 locations surveyed once), precipitation (6 stations), and lake sediment cores (7 lakes) collected across the Third Pole, based on the APCC program. These data were created based on online (in situ) and laboratory measurements. High-resolution (daily scale) atmospheric-equivalent BC concentrations were obtained by using an Aethalometer (AE-33) in the Mt. Everest (Qomolangma) region, which can provide new insight into the mechanism of BC transportation over the Himalayas. Spatial distributions of BC, OC, WSOC, and WIOC from aerosols, glaciers, snow cover, and precipitation indicated different features among the different regions of the Third Pole, which were mostly influenced by emission sources, transport pathways, and deposition processes. Historical records of BC from ice cores and lake sediment cores revealed the strength of the impacts of human activity since the Industrial Revolution. BC isotopes from glaciers and aerosols identified the relative contributions of biomass and fossil fuel combustion to BC deposition on the Third Pole. Mass absorption cross sections of BC and WSOC from aerosol, glaciers, snow cover, and precipitation samples were also provided. This updated dataset is released to the scientific communities focusing on atmospheric science, cryospheric science, hydrology, climatology, and environmental science. The related datasets are presented in the form of excel files. BC and OC datasets over the Third Pole are available to download from the National Cryosphere Desert Data Center (https://doi.org/10.12072/ncdc.NIEER.db0114.2021; Kang and Zhang, 2021).

Air temperature (T) plays a fundamental role in many aspects of the flux exchanges between the atmosphere and ecosystems. Additionally, knowing where (in relation to other essential measurements) and at what frequency T must be measured is critical to accurately describing such exchanges. In closed-path eddy-covariance (CPEC) flux systems, T can be computed from the sonic temperature (Ts) and water vapor mixing ratio that are measured by the fast-response sensors of a three-dimensional sonic anemometer and infrared CO2–H2O analyzer, respectively. T is then computed by use of either T=Ts1+0.51q-1, where q is specific humidity, or T=Ts1+0.32e/P-1, where e is water vapor pressure and P is atmospheric pressure. Converting q and e/P into the same water vapor mixing ratio analytically reveals the difference between these two equations. This difference in a CPEC system could reach ±0.18 K, bringing an uncertainty into the accuracy of T from both equations and raising the question of which equation is better. To clarify the uncertainty and to answer this question, the derivation of T equations in terms of Ts and H2O-related variables is thoroughly studied. The two equations above were developed with approximations; therefore, neither of their accuracies was evaluated, nor was the question answered. Based on first principles, this study derives the T equation in terms of Ts and the water vapor molar mixing ratio (χH2O) without any assumption and approximation. Thus, this equation inherently lacks error, and the accuracy in T from this equation (equation-computed T) depends solely on the measurement accuracies of Ts and χH2O. Based on current specifications for Ts and χH2O in the CPEC300 series, and given their maximized measurement uncertainties, the accuracy in equation-computed T is specified within ±1.01 K. This accuracy uncertainty is propagated mainly (±1.00 K) from the uncertainty in Ts measurements and a little (±0.02 K) from the uncertainty in χH2O measurements. An improvement in measurement technologies, particularly for Ts, would be a key to narrowing this accuracy range. Under normal sensor and weather conditions, the specified accuracy range is overestimated, and actual accuracy is better. Equation-computed T has a frequency response equivalent to high-frequency Ts and is insensitive to solar contamination during measurements. Synchronized at a temporal scale of the measurement frequency and matched at a spatial scale of measurement volume with all aerodynamic and thermodynamic variables, this T has advanced merits in boundary-layer meteorology and applied meteorology.

The spatiotemporal variability of rainfall in the dry (October–March) and wet (April–September) seasons over eastern China is examined from 1901–2016 based on the gridded rainfall dataset from the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. Principal component analysis is employed to identify the dominant variability modes, wavelet coherence is utilized to investigate the spectral features of the leading modes of precipitation and their coherences with the large-scale modes of climate variability, and the Bayesian dynamical linear model is adopted to quantify the time-varying correlations between climate variability modes and rainfall in the dry and wet seasons. Results show that first and second principal components (PCs) account for 34.2 % (16.1 %) and 13.4 % (13.9 %) of the variance in the dry (wet) season, and their variations are roughly coincident with phase shifts of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in both seasons. The anomalous moisture fluxes responsible for the occurrence of precipitation events in eastern China exhibit an asymmetry between high and light rainfall years in the dry (wet) season. The ENSO has a 4- to 8-year signal of the statistically positive (negative) association with rainfall during the dry (wet) season over eastern China. The statistically significant positive (negative) associations between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and precipitation are found with a 9- to 15-year (4- to 7-year) signal. The impacts of the PDO on rainfall in eastern China exhibit multiple timescales as compared to the ENSO episodes, while the PDO triggers a stronger effect on precipitation in the wet season than the dry half year. The interannual and interdecadal variations in rainfall over eastern China are substantially modulated by drivers originated from the Pacific Ocean. During the wet season, the ENSO exerted a gradually weakening effect on eastern China rainfall from 1901 to 2016, while the effects of the PDO decreased before the 1980s, and then shifted into increases after the 2000s. The finding provides a metric for assessing the capability of climate models and guidance of seasonal prediction.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of suction and curettage (SC), with and without preprocessing, as a therapeutic strategy for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 257 patients with CSP who received ultrasound-guided SC. Patients were grouped into the direct SC group (122 cases) and the preprocessing SC group (135 cases). The preprocessing SC group was further divided into four subgroups based on the different preprocessing methods (methotrexate injection, oral mifepristone, methotrexate with mifepristone, and uterine artery embolization/chemoembolization). Results: There was no significant difference in success rates between the preprocessing SC group and the direct SC group (94.07% vs. 97.54%, p > 0.05). The preprocessing SC group had increased intraoperative bleeding, longer operation times, prolonged hospital stays, and increased in-hospital costs (all p values < 0.05, compared with the direct SC group). Among the preprocessing SC group, the in-hospital cost for the uterine artery embolization/chemoembolization subgroup was significantly higher than that for the other subgroups. Conclusions: Preprocessing steps may do not increase the success rate of SC for CSP under certain conditions. Optimization of the preprocessing step requires further research. Content: The effectiveness of suction and curettage and other methods in treating cesarean scar pregnancy has been evaluated.

Heat stress influences rumen fermentative processes with effects on the physiology and production of dairy cows. However, the underlying relationship between rumen microbiota and its associated metabolism with heat tolerance in cows have not been extensively described yet. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate differential heat resistance in Holstein cows using rumen bacterial and metabolome analyses. We performed both principal component analysis and membership function analysis to select seven heat-tolerant (HT) and seven heat-sensitive (HS) cows. Under heat stress conditions, the HT cows had a significantly (P

There are several studies of the ichthyofauna of the East China Sea, however, the knowledge of fishes from this region still remains incomplete. This report confirms the occurrence of Chinese fanray, Platyrhina sinensis (Bloch et Schneider, 1801), in the seawaters of Zhoushan by analysing nine specimens of the Chinese fanray obtained in Zhujiajian from May 2017 to December 2017. The morphometric measurements and meristic counts were taken. The principal characters that are conclusive for the species were consistent with P. sinensis and were sufficient for separation of the examined specimens from other Platyrhina species. In addition, the fragment of 12S rRNA was also sequenced for the purpose of classification. The mean genetic distance within P. sinensis group was 0.71%, group mean distance between P. sinensis and other Platyrhina species ranged from 6.01% to 7.71%. Species were also separated from each other at the genetic level. Given the Chinese fanray has not been reported to exist in this region, our findings represent the first record from Zhoushan and extend the distribution range of this species into the north of the East China Sea. The reason behind the observed northward migration of some P. sinensis individuals from their southern habitat might be global warming. Collection of many additional specimens is needed to better define the geographic limits of the Chinese fanray.

Abstract Thunderstorm identification from weather radar data remains a fundamental problem in lightning nowcasting. In this study, a novel thunderstorm identification method combining the area of graupel distribution region and weather radar reflectivity is proposed. To optimize identification parameters of the identification method, the radar echoes with 312 thunderstorms in 17 weather processes in Nanjing area, China, from 2014 to 2015 were identified and tested to obtain the optimal identification parameters. The results indicate that the optimal parameter combination is to set the storm region identification reflectivity threshold at 0°C isothermal level to 30 dBZ and set the area of graupel distribution region to 2 km2. With such a parameter combination, the optimal identification results with the probability of detection of 91%, false alarm rate of 6.9%, and critical success index of 85.3% could be obtained. Moreover, the proposed thunderstorm identification method can also provide effective means for thunderstorm nowcasting.

A sonic anemometer reports three-dimensional (3-D) wind and sonic temperature (Ts) by measuring the time of ultrasonic signals transmitting along each of its three sonic paths, whose geometry of lengths and angles in the anemometer coordinate system was precisely determined through production calibrations and the geometry data were embedded into the sonic anemometer operating system (OS) for internal computations. If this geometry is deformed, although correctly measuring the time, the sonic anemometer continues to use its embedded geometry data for internal computations, resulting in incorrect output of 3-D wind and Ts data. However, if the geometry is remeasured (i.e., recalibrated) and to update the OS, the sonic anemometer can resume outputting correct data. In some cases, where immediate recalibration is not possible, a deformed sonic anemometer can be used because the ultrasonic signal-transmitting time is still correctly measured and the correct time can be used to recover the data through post processing. For example, in 2015, a sonic anemometer was geometrically deformed during transportation to Antarctica. Immediate deployment was critical, so the deformed sonic anemometer was used until a replacement arrived in 2016. Equations and algorithms were developed and implemented into the post-processing software to recover wind data with and without transducer-shadow correction and Ts data with crosswind correction. Post-processing used two geometric datasets, production calibration and recalibration, to recover the wind and Ts data from May 2015 to January 2016. The recovery reduced the difference of 9.60 to 8.93 °C between measured and calculated Ts to 0.81 to −0.45 °C, which is within the expected range, due to normal measurement errors. The recovered data were further processed to derive fluxes. As data reacquisition is time-consuming and expensive, this data-recovery approach is a cost-effective and time-saving option for similar cases. The equation development can be a reference for related topics.

The mechanism for exciton-polariton condensation in the presence of an incoherent reservoir has been long debated. Here the authors demonstrate the role of the spatial hole burning in condensation of long‐lived exciton polaritons by imaging the condensates in a single-shot excitation regime.

Ice flow velocity over long time series in East Antarctica plays a vital role in estimating and predicting the mass balance of Antarctic Ice Sheet and its contribution to global sea level rise. However, there is no Antarctic ice velocity product with large space scale available showing the East Antarctic ice flow velocity pattern before the 1990s. We proposed three methods including parallax decomposition, grid-based NCC image matching, feature and gird-based image matching with constraints for estimation of surface velocity in East Antarctica based on ARGON KH-5 and LANDSAT imagery, showing the feasibility of using historical optical imagery to obtain Antarctic ice motion. Based on these previous studies, we presented a set of systematic method for developing ice surface velocity product for the entire East Antarctica from the 1960s to the 1980s in this paper.

Russia-China relations have been flourishing and spreading to new spheres and regions. China has been interested in the collaboration with Russia on the extraction of natural resources which principal reserves are located in the High North. However, in the view of strategic importance of the Arctic for the both states, the relationship agenda has been increasingly shifting from individual investment projects to the integral collaboration on the development of economic, transport, and logistics corridors and adjacent territories in the Russian Arctic. The paper discusses the directions of collaboration between the two countries in the Arctic in the format of development zones, as well as evaluates the opportunities of convergence of zone-based investment projects and the inclusion of theArctic to the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s participation in the establishment of the Arctic Blue Economic Corridor.

Snow cover plays a key role for sustaining ecology and society in mountainous regions. Light-absorbing particulates (including black carbon, organic carbon, and mineral dust) deposited on snow can reduce surface albedo and contribute to the near-worldwide melting of snow and ice. This study focused on understanding the role of black carbon and other water-insoluble light-absorbing particulates in the snow cover of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The results found that the black carbon, organic carbon, and dust concentrations in snow cover generally ranged from 202 to 17 468 ng g−1, 491 to 13 880 ng g−1, and 22 to 846 µg g−1, respectively, with higher concentrations in the central to northern areas of the TP. Back trajectory analysis suggested that the northern TP was influenced mainly by air masses from Central Asia with some Eurasian influence, and air masses in the central and Himalayan region originated mainly from Central and South Asia. The relative biomass-burning-sourced black carbon contributions decreased from ∼ 50 % in the southern TP to ∼ 30 % in the northern TP. The relative contribution of black carbon and dust to snow albedo reduction reached approximately 37 and 15 %, respectively. The effect of black carbon and dust reduced the snow cover duration by 3.1 ± 0.1 to 4.4 ± 0.2 days. Meanwhile, the black carbon and dust had important implications for snowmelt water loss over the TP. The findings indicate that the impacts of black carbon and mineral dust need to be properly accounted for in future regional climate projections, particularly in the high-altitude cryosphere.

In ovo feeding (IOF) of l-arginine (Arg) can affect growth performance of broilers, but the response of IOF of Arg on breast muscle growth is unclear, and the mechanism involved in protein deposition remains unknown. Hense, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of IOF of Arg on breast muscle growth and protein-deposited signalling in post-hatch broilers. A total of 720 fertile eggs were collected from 34-week-old Arbor Acres breeder hens and distributed to three treatments: (1) non-injected control group; (2) 7.5 g/l (w/v) NaCl diluent-injected control group; (3) 0.6 mg Arg/egg solution-injected group. At 17.5 days of incubation, fertile eggs were injected 0.6 ml solutions into the amnion of the injected groups. Upon hatching, 80 male chicks were randomly assigned to eight replicates of 10 birds each and fed ad libitum for 21 days. The results indicated that IOF of Arg increased relative breast muscle weight compared with those of control groups at hatch, 3-, 7- and 21-day post-hatch (P

This study attempted to classify three coniferous and ten broadleaved tree species by combining airborne laser scanning (ALS) data and multispectral images. The study area, located in Nagano, central Japan, is within the broadleaved forests of the Afan Woodland area. A total of 235 trees were surveyed in 2016, and we recorded the species, DBH, and tree height. The geographical position of each tree was collected using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) device. Tree crowns were manually detected using GNSS position data, field photographs, true-color orthoimages with three bands (red-green-blue, RGB), 3D point clouds, and a canopy height model derived from ALS data. Then a total of 69 features, including 27 image-based and 42 point-based features, were extracted from the RGB images and the ALS data to classify tree species. Finally, the detected tree crowns were classified into two classes for the first level (coniferous and broadleaved trees), four classes for the second level (Pinus densiflora, Larix kaempferi, Cryptomeria japonica, and broadleaved trees), and 13 classes for the third level (three coniferous and ten broadleaved species), using the 27 image-based features, 42 point-based features, all 69 features, and the best combination of features identified using a neighborhood component analysis algorithm, respectively. The overall classification accuracies reached 90 % at the first and second levels but less than 60 % at the third level. The classifications using the best combinations of features had higher accuracies than those using the image-based and point-based features and the combination of all of the 69 features.

Ice flow velocity is a vital parameter for estimating the ice mass balance of glaciers in Antarctica. Especially long time serial observation of the surface velocity is of great significance to assessing the relationship between Antarctic ice materials and global climate change. However, the existing research on Antarctic ice velocity based on remote sensing data since 1970s due to the harsh climate in Antarctica. This paper presents an ice flow velocity estimating method includes image pre-processing, geometric model reconstruction, image ortho-rectification and feature matching by using ARGON images token in 1963 and Landsat images collected form 1973 to 1989.Considering the temporal-spatial distributions of ARGON images and Landsat images in Antarctica, two different methods respectively based on ortho-photos pair and Non-Ortho photos are adopted in this paper. More specifically, when there exist two stereo pairs taken in different time in the glacier region, after being ortho-rectified, the stereo pairs can be used to calculate ice flow velocity based on feature matching method. Otherwise, a parallax decomposition method that separates the effect of the terrain relief from the ice flow motion is applied when there only exists one stereo pair with a certain time interval. With this method, glacier surface velocity is available in the glacier region lacked enough stereo pairs. The methods mentioned above for estimating ice flow velocity are applied in Totten, Amery and Fimbul, etc. in eastern Antarctica. Furthermore, a 1960-80s ice flow speed map in the main glaciers of East Antarctica is produced for the first time.

The effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of creatine pyruvate (CrPyr) on the hatchability, growth performance and energy status of embryos and broilers (Arbor Acres) were investigated. Five treatments were arranged as non-injected treatment (Control), 0.6 ml physiological saline (0.75%) injected treatment (Saline), and IOF treatments injected with 0.6 ml physiological saline (0.75%) containing 3, 6 or 12 mg CrPyr (CrPyr3, CrPyr6 or CrPyr12) into the amnion per fertile egg on day 17.5 of incubation. After hatching, 80 male chicks from each treatment with similar weight close to the average BW of their pooled group were selected and randomly assigned into eight replicates of 10 chicks each. The results showed that the hatchability was not affected among groups, whereas the hatching weight of broilers in CrPyr12 was significantly higher than the control and saline groups (P0.05). Irrespective of dosage, the concentrations of creatine and phosphocreatine, and activities of creatine kinase in embryos were enhanced in CrPyr treatments at 19 E when compared with the control and saline groups (P

A total of 320 male Arbor Acres broiler chickens (28 days old) were randomly allotted to one of the three experimental diets supplemented with 0 (160 birds), 600 (80 birds) or 1200 mg/kg (80 birds) creatine monohydrate (CMH) for 14 days. On the morning of 42 day, after an 8-h fast, the birds of CMH-free group were divided into two equal groups, and all birds of these four groups were transported according to the follow protocol: 0.75-h transport without CMH supplementation (as a lower stress control group), 3-h transport without CMH supplementation, 3-h transport with 600 or 1200 mg/kg CMH supplementation. Each treatment group was composed of 8 replicates with 10 birds each. The results showed that supplementation of CMH for 14 days before slaughter did not affect the overall growth performance and carcass traits of stressed broilers (P>0.05). A 3-h transport decreased plasma glucose concentration, elevated plasma corticosterone concentration, increased bird live weight loss, breakdown of muscle glycogen, as well as the accumulation of muscle lactate (P

The original PDF version of this Article had an incorrect Published online date of 25 December 2018; it should have been 9 August 2018. This has been corrected in the PDF version of the Article. The HTML version was correct from the time of publication.

The Tibetan Plateau and the adjacent high mountain regions of the Himalayas play an important role in the global climate dynamic through its impact on the Asian monsoon system, which in turn is impacting the water resources of this extremely vulnerable region. To provide further knowledge about the changing impact of rainfall patterns, spatial and temporal variability of snow cover contribution, amount of snow and ice melt runoff, evapotranspiration as well as dynamics of wetlands and permafrost water balance studies are required. This is of particular importance in terms of global climate change because of a severe gap in the knowledge of the short, mid and long term implications on the hydrological system. This study concentrates on the macroscale catchment of the lake Nam Co, located at 4718 m a.s.l. at the foot of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains in central Tibet (30° N, 90° E). The water balance of the Nam Co basin is dominated by semi-arid climate, snow and ice melt runoff and high evaporation rates due to the high radiation input and the low air humidity. The observed temperature rise, glacier retreat, permafrost decay and lake level increase indicate significant system changes and the high sensitivity of the Tibetan Plateau on global warming. The development of a suitable water balance model and its preliminary application was the main objective of this study. The development was done with the Jena Adaptable Modelling System JAMS along with existing scientific process components of the J2000 module library which were partly further developed to reflect the specific conditions of the high elevation Nam Co basin. The preliminary modelling exercise based on gridded data from a downscaled ECHAM5 data set provided reasonable estimates about the important hydrological water balance components of the Nam Co basin. With the modelling results the observed lake level rise could be reproduced and it could be shown that the runoff from the glaciered areas seems to be the most important component to explain the increasing amount of lake water.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to secrete a variety of cytokines and growth factors acting as trophic suppliers, but little is known regarding the effects of conditioned medium (CM) of MSCs isolated from femurs and tibias of mouse on the artificial activation of mouse oocytes and on the developmental competence of the parthenotes. In the current study, we investigated the effect of CM on the events of mouse oocyte activation, namely oscillations of cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca²+]i), meiosis resumption, pronucleus formation, and parthenogenetic development. The surface markers of MSCs were identified with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The dynamic changes of the spindle and formation of pronuclei were examined by laser-scanning confocal microscopy. Exposure of cumulus-oocyte complexes to CM for 40 min was optimal for inducing oocyte parthenogenetic activation and evoking [Ca²+]i oscillations similar to those evoked by sperm (95 vs 100%; P > 0.05). Parthenogenetically activated oocytes immediately treated with 7.5 µg/mL cytochalasin B (CB), which inhibited spindle rotation and second polar body extrusion, were mostly diploid (93 vs 6%, P < 0.01) while CB-untreated oocytes were mostly haploid (5 vs 83%, P < 0.01). Consequently, the blastocyst rate was higher in the CB-treated than in the CB-untreated oocytes. There was no significant difference in developmental rate between oocytes activated with CM and 7% ethanol (62 vs 62%, P > 0.05), but the developmental competence of the fertilized oocytes was superior to that of the parthenotes (88 vs 62%, P < 0.05). The present results demonstrate that CM can effectively activate mouse oocytes, as judged by the generation of [Ca²+]i oscillations, completion of meiosis and parthenogenetic development.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete a variety of cytokines and growth factors in addition to self-renewal and multiple forms of differentiation. Some of these secreted bioactive factors could improve meiotic maturation in vitro and subsequent embryo developmental potential. The aim of the present study was to determine whether in vitro maturation (IVM) of mouse oocyte with or without cumulus cells could be improved by contact with conditioned medium (CM) of MSCs as well as the efficiency of CM to support follicular growth and oocyte maturation in the ovarian organ of mice cultured on soft agar. The developmental potential of matured oocyte was assessed by blastocyst formation after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Germinal vesicle stage oocytes with or without cumulus cells were subjected to IVM in either CM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), α-minimum essential medium (α-MEM) or human tubal fluid (HTF). Approximately 120 oocytes were studied for each medium. CM produced a higher maturation rate (91.2%) than DMEM (54.7%), α-MEM (63.5%) and HTF (27.1%). Moreover, CM improved embryo development to blastocyst stage significantly more than DMEM and HTF (85 vs 7% and 41.7%, respectively) but there was no significant difference compared with α-MEM (85 vs 80.3%). The behavior of cortical granules of IVM oocytes cultured in CM revealed cytoplasmic maturation. Moreover, CM also supported preantral follicles growth well in organotypic culture on soft agar resulting in the maturation of 60% of them to developmentally competent oocytes. The production of estrogen progressively increased approximately 1-fold every other day during organ culture, while a dramatic 10-fold increase in progesterone was observed 17 h after human chorionic gonadotropin stimulus at the end of culture. Thus, CM is an effective medium for preantral follicle growth, oocyte maturation, and sequential embryo development.