Search Results (1,018)

Togaviridae represents a candidate family for emerging public health emergencies of international concern. Among them, chikungunya virus (CHKIV) has caused recurrent epidemics in the temperate zone of most continents and represents a threat to the safety of blood supplies. The global expansion of vectors (i.e., Aedes mosquitoes) and increasing international travel have contributed to the growing epidemiological importance of this pathogen. In fact, CHIKV has been reported in more than 110 countries across the following four continents: Africa, Asia, Americas, and Europe. Consequently, public health authorities have emphasized the importance of surveillance, vector control programs, outbreak preparedness, and blood safety measures. The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge of CHIKV considering virology, molecular epidemiology, transmission mechanisms, clinical features, preventive strategies, and blood safety implications, with particular attention to issues relevant to transfusion services. Full article

Climate change drives shifts in forest vegetation zones, and the major tree species of warm–temperate evergreen broad-leaved forests in South Korea are also expected to undergo changes in their potential distributions under future climate conditions. This study applied a Committee Averaging (CA) ensemble species distribution model to Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, Quercus glauca, and Castanopsis sieboldii to project changes in their potential distributions under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) across two future periods (2050s and 2090s). To compare interspecific differences in response more clearly, we applied a two-tier threshold scheme that distinguished potential habitat (agreement ≥0.6) from highly suitable habitat (>0.8), and we concurrently conducted a Multivariate Environmental Similarity Surface (MESS) analysis to assess predictive uncertainty arising from extrapolation into future climates. The CA ensemble models showed excellent predictive performance (AUC 0.947–0.989; TSS 0.837–0.943). For Q. acuta, M. thunbergii, and Q. glauca, potential habitat expanded consistently across all SSP scenarios, and highly suitable habitat shifted northward into parts of the central and Gangwon regions. In contrast, both the potential habitat and the highly suitable habitat of C. sieboldii contracted under most future scenarios. These results demonstrate that even species belonging to the same warm–temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest community can respond differently to future climate. The two-tier threshold scheme applied in this study was effective not only for assessing whether distributions expand but also for delineating and evaluating climatically stable core habitats. Although our findings need to be interpreted in light of the uncertainty associated with extrapolation into future climates, they can serve as useful baseline data for establishing climate-change-adaptive forest conservation and species-specific management strategies. Full article

Akabane virus (AKAV) is a Culicoides-borne arbovirus that causes congenital malformations and reproductive losses in ruminants, resulting in substantial economic losses in livestock production. Because vector activity and virus transmission are strongly influenced by environmental conditions, defining climatic factors associated with AKAV distribution is critical for understanding its epidemiology. However, such relationships have not been systematically evaluated in East Asia. In this study, we applied the Köppen–Geiger climate classification to characterize regional climatic zones in South Korea and Japan and examined their associations with AKAV case counts. AKAV cases were predominantly observed in temperate climate zones (Cfa and Cwa). Temperature-related variables showed consistent positive associations with AKAV case counts, with a 1 °C increase in annual mean temperature associated with approximately 1.38–1.56-fold increases in reported cases. In contrast, precipitation variables exhibited weak or negative associations. These findings indicate that temperature is an important climatic factor associated with AKAV case counts, suggesting that climate-dependent modulation of vector dynamics may contribute to observed patterns of AKAV occurrence. This study provides a climate-based framework for understanding the spatial distribution of AKAV and supports the development of targeted surveillance and control strategies under changing environmental conditions. Full article

Cereal production is increasingly constrained by soil degradation, water scarcity, climate variability, and rising disease and weed pressure. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of regenerative agronomic practices in cereal production, with particular emphasis on soil health, plant disease management, water-use efficiency, and yield stability. Available evidence consistently indicates that the greatest benefits arise not from individual practices but from integrated systems combining reduced tillage, crop residue retention, diversified crop rotations including legumes, cover crops, organic fertilization, and biologically based pest management. Such practices can increase soil biological activity and its ability to limit disease by enriching functionally beneficial microbial communities and limiting pathogens through competition for resources and niches, antibiosis, hyperparasitism, and the induction of plant resistance. They can also improve soil structure, water infiltration, water retention, and crop resilience to drought stress and, under certain conditions, reduce erosion, nutrient losses, and yield variability. However, the effects of regenerative practices are strongly dependent on soil type, climate, nitrogen balance, pest pressure, and the extent of adoption of regenerative practices. Risks may arise during the transition period, including yield declines, nitrogen immobilization, weed infestation, and increased disease pressure. Evaluation of these systems should encompass not only yield but also the grain quality and phytosanitary status, soil organic carbon stocks throughout the soil profile, N₂O emissions, and production profitability. The review covers cereal systems from temperate, humid, arid and semi-arid zones, and the results were interpreted considering climate, soil quality, water availability, and agronomic practices, as the same practice can produce different effects in different agroecological zones. Further research should prioritize long-term, multifactorial experiments conducted across diverse agroecological environments that integrate agronomic performance, environmental sustainability, and crop quality. Full article

Greenhouses in subtropical and tropical regions must be designed as agricultural engineering systems adapted to local climates, rather than simply replicating the “insulation” models of temperate areas. Under extreme climatic conditions such as persistent high temperatures, intense solar radiation, high humidity, heavy rainfall, and frequent extreme winds, greenhouses transform from enclosed insulation layers into selective climate filters, mitigating crop stress while maintaining close contact with the outdoor environment. This paper summarizes how these climate drivers are reshaping the use, structure, and control concepts of greenhouses, emphasizing that the performance of warm-zone greenhouses depends primarily on heat dissipation, humidity management, and biohazard control, rather than heating and insulation. In this review, we analyze the climatic boundary conditions that define warm-climate conservation cultivation, including long-term overheating risk, high UV radiation, vapor pressure deficit, and suppressed condensation tendency, as well as storm-induced uplift and dynamic loads. These constraints necessitate unique structural forms: tall, lightweight, well-ventilated building types with large roof and side openings, roof geometries that facilitate rainwater runoff, sophisticated drainage systems, and corrosion-resistant materials suitable for humid and coastal environments. Because insect netting significantly reduces ventilation, pest control and temperature regulation become co-design issues, requiring oversized vents, optimized airflow paths, and hybrid roof–mesh structures. Ventilation is considered the primary climate-control mechanism, supplemented by passive cooling measures such as shading and radiation/optical management (e.g., diffuse films and near-infrared-selective films). Active evaporative cooling is considered a conditional measure due to humidity limitations and disease risks. This paper also integrates the impacts on specific crops (fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, and orchids). It highlights emerging trends: typhoon-resistant and adaptive geometries, computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based design, and sensor-rich IoT/digital twin control frameworks. These principles collectively establish a coherent design framework for achieving resilient, resource-efficient greenhouse production in warm climates. Full article

Resistance spot welding (RSW) is the primary joining technology for automotive advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs), where the inherent severe thermal cycles profoundly alter the heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure, leading to localized variations in mechanical properties. Characterizing the spatial gradients in microstructure and the resulting mechanical properties remains a major challenge in weld failure analysis due to the small size of the HAZ and its complex thermal history. In this study, the HAZ of two prominent AHSS grades, a first-generation press hardening steel (PHS1500) and a third-generation quenching and partitioning steel (Q&P1180), was physically simulated using a Gleeble^® 3180 thermomechanical simulator to achieve precise control over the localized thermal cycles. The investigation first evaluated the role of thermal cycle duration, governed by the welding time parameter (300 ms vs. 800 ms), on the microstructural evolution of the PHS1500 steel. Increasing the weld time from 300 ms to 800 ms reduced the cooling rate under the nominal 1400 °C condition from approximately 3000 K/s to 2500 K/s; however, no marked change was observed in the overall microstructural and hardness trends within the investigated range. Subsequently, using the 300 ms thermal profile as a reference baseline, a comparative metallurgical study was conducted between PHS1500 and Q&P1180. Under the same 300 ms thermal history, the maximum hardness reduction relative to the corresponding base material was approximately 42% for PHS1500 and 12% for Q&P1180. The hardness minima were located within FE-estimated temperature ranges close to the Ac₁ region for PHS1500 and around 600 °C for Q&P1180, respectively. This comparison highlighted the distinct microstructural responses of the two generations across the upper-critical (UCHAZ), inter-critical (ICHAZ), and sub-critical (SCHAZ) zones. Moreover, microhardness profiles were correlated with the microstructural findings, establishing a correlation among the simulated thermal history, the observed microstructural evolution, and localized mechanical performance. Full article

Reliable determination of macro- and micronutrients in cereal plant tissues is essential for agronomic management, environmental monitoring, and interlaboratory data comparability. However, most existing plant certified reference materials (CRMs) are derived from temperate-region matrices and do not adequately represent cereals cultivated under semi-arid conditions, where differences in mineral composition may lead to matrix-related analytical bias. In this study, a new multi-element plant reference material, Cereal Plant Powder 2023 (CPP-23), was developed from composite wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) samples collected across major Moroccan agro-ecological zones. The material was processed, homogenized, and evaluated for homogeneity and stability in accordance with ISO 33405:2024, with no significant short- or long-term variability observed. Elemental characterization was performed using microwave-assisted acid digestion followed by ICP-OES for major and trace elements, while total nitrogen was determined using the Kjeldahl method. Method validation demonstrated satisfactory linearity (R² > 0.995), precision, and trueness against established reference materials. Certified values were assigned through an interlaboratory comparison involving eight ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories using robust statistical estimators (ISO 13528:2022). Expanded uncertainties (k = 2) were below 15% for all analytes. While these results indicate acceptable internal consistency, the relatively limited number of participating laboratories and the absence of independent analytical validation techniques represent important constraints. CPP-23 provides a matrix-representative material suitable for quality control and method validation in semi-arid agricultural systems. Nevertheless, its ability to reduce analytical bias relative to existing CRMs and its applicability to specific use cases require further experimental validation. Full article

Türkiye is one of the biologically richest regions of the temperate zone, yet the national-scale spatial structure of its biodiversity remains insufficiently quantified using formal spatial statistical approaches. In this study, province-level biodiversity indicators derived from the Noah’s Ark National Biodiversity Database were analysed to assess whether species richness and endemism exhibit non-random spatial patterns across the country. Global Moran’s I, Anselin Local Moran’s I, and Getis–Ord Gi* statistics were applied within a GIS framework to identify spatial clustering and biodiversity hotspots. The results indicate statistically significant positive spatial autocorrelation for seven of the nine biodiversity indicators, with the strongest values observed for the rate of endemism and the number of endemic taxa. Vascular plant richness shows marginal evidence of clustering at the 90% confidence level, whereas bird richness does not differ significantly from spatial randomness. High-value clusters are concentrated along the Mediterranean belt, the Eastern Black Sea region, and the Taurus mountain system, whereas comparatively lower biodiversity values occur in several inland provinces. These spatial patterns are interpreted in relation to Türkiye’s pronounced climatic, topographic, and land-use heterogeneity. Full article

Green roofs have emerged as a critical nature-based solution for urban climate mitigation, offering potential for carbon sequestration alongside thermal regulation and stormwater management. This literature review synthesizes recent research (2020–2025) on green roof carbon dynamics, with emphasis on temperate climate zones and methodological approaches relevant to environmental impact assessment. We systematically analyzed 47 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 through comprehensive database searches, focusing on substrate composition effects, vegetation type performance, seasonal variation patterns, and Life Cycle Assessment methodologies. Key findings from extensive systems in maritime and temperate–arid climates reveal that substrate organic carbon typically dominates total carbon storage, significantly exceeding plant biomass contributions. Extensive green roofs demonstrate a wide range of annual carbon fluxes—from initial net emissions of +20.2 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ during establishment phases to substantial net sequestration rates reaching up to −1762 g CO₂ m⁻² yr⁻¹ in mature systems—depending strongly on substrate age, vegetation type, and local climate conditions. Native grass and forb mixtures consistently outperform Sedum monocultures in long-term carbon storage through enhanced root biomass and substrate organic matter accumulation. Substrate depth, composition, and moisture retention capacity emerge as primary controls on carbon balance, with recycled waste materials showing promise for enhanced storage. Life cycle assessment studies indicate that indirect carbon savings from reduced building energy consumption frequently exceed direct biological sequestration by one to two orders of magnitude. However, significant methodological heterogeneity, limited long-term monitoring datasets, and geographic gaps—particularly for Central and Eastern European temperate zones—constrain robust comparative analysis and transferability of findings. This review identifies critical research priorities, including standardized carbon accounting frameworks, dynamic life cycle assessments incorporating temporal sequestration trajectories, multi-decadal monitoring programs, and region-specific validation studies for temperate continental climates similar to Romania’s Cfb/Dfb zones. Full article

High-carbon martensitic steels for bearing components are conventionally low-temperature tempered for stress relief, yet the influence of tempering temperature on compressive and fatigue wear resistance remains unclear, directly affecting the service life of bearing races and rollers. In this study, a high-carbon martensitic steel was tempered at 170 °C, 200 °C, and 230 °C. The microstructural evolution, compressive properties, and contact fatigue wear resistance were systematically investigated, along with the corresponding strengthening and wear mechanisms. After spheroidizing annealing and quenching, the microstructure consists of high-carbon martensite and retained austenite, with a high density of dislocations and fine twins. Tempering decomposes retained austenite into tempered martensite and promotes fine carbide precipitation, processes that become more pronounced at higher temperatures. Consequently, hardness decreases from 810 HV in the as-quenched state to 690 HV after 230 °C tempering, while compressive failure strain increases from 10.5% to 24.1%. More importantly, under cyclic contact stress, the 230 °C-tempered specimen exhibits approximately 33% lower wear mass loss than the 170 °C-tempered counterpart, despite its lower hardness. This unexpected improvement is attributed to the formation of a distinct plastic deformation zone in the near-surface region, which absorbs greater strain energy and delays fatigue spallation. The well-tempered martensitic matrix accommodates more long-range dislocation slip, enabling a transition from fatigue spallation to a more ductile failure mode. These findings provide new insights into the role of low-temperature tempering in balancing strength, ductility, and wear resistance, and offer practical guidance for optimizing heat treatment protocols to enhance the contact fatigue performance of bearing steels. Full article

As piston rods for excavator boom hydraulic cylinders shift from integral forging to welded assemblies of separately manufactured rod bodies and rod heads, joint reliability becomes critical to load-bearing performance. In this study, 60 mm diameter quenched-and-tempered/as-rolled 1045 steel joints were fabricated by continuous-drive friction welding under three coupled secondary-friction pressure–time conditions. Joints made with two quenched-and-tempered base metals were compared under the same high-pressure/short-time condition. Optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, microhardness testing, tensile testing, and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize microstructure and failure behavior. Fine, multi-oriented reconstructed microstructures formed in all weld zones, while a hardness valley developed in the heat-affected zone on the quenched-and-tempered side. As the machine-displayed secondary-friction pressure increased from 1.43 to 2.14 MPa, the actual secondary-friction time decreased from 57.3 to 37.5 s. Under the corresponding high-pressure/short-time condition, heat-affected-zone softening was slightly mitigated and tensile strength increased from 743.37 to 755.78 MPa. Different elongations were observed between the two joint types. All specimens fractured in the softened heat-affected zone on the quenched-and-tempered side and exhibited dimple-dominated fracture surfaces. Under the present tensile-testing conditions, the weld zone was not the fracture-controlling region. Full article

Against the backdrop of global climate change and urban sustainable development, botanical gardens, as key components of urban ecosystems, must incorporate regional climatic characteristics into their planning and construction. Taking Taiyuan Botanical Garden in Shanxi Province, China, as a case study, this research conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses based on climatic data, plant resource statistics, and field investigations. The results show that Taiyuan is characterized by a warm temperate continental monsoon climate, with an annual average temperature of approximately 10 °C, annual precipitation of about 400 mm, and more than 60% of rainfall concentrated in summer. The botanical garden covers approximately 182 ha and conserves 4501 species of vascular plants belonging to 1034 genera and 203 families. The existing 28 specialized gardens exhibit climate-adaptability deficiencies: species overlap rate in medicinal plant species between the two herb gardens reaches 35%; nearly 60% of specialized gardens enter dormancy in winter; and effective windbreak zones are lacking. Based on these findings, this study proposes optimization strategies from three aspects: climate-adaptive plant classification, functional integration, and habitat simulation, supported by technical and managerial safeguards. The study provides theoretical and practical references for climate-adaptive planning of specialized gardens in botanical gardens located in similar climatic regions and contributes to the conservation of urban plant diversity. Full article

In order to verify the reliability and engineering applicability of the AE-CMT welding technology for magnesium alloy joining, AE-CMT welding experiments were conducted at welding speeds ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 m/min on 1.5 mm-thick H24-temper AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets using imported 1.2 mm-diameter WE-33M welding wire. Within the welding speed range of 0.5–3.0 m/min, increasing the welding speed progressively reduces heat input, thereby refining grains and homogenizing the microstructure. The welding heat input of the AE-CMT process ranges from 0.47 KJ/mm to 1.07 KJ/mm, and the grain sizes of the weld zone and HAZ are 9.61–14.18 μm and 6.35–12.22 μm, respectively. In the range of 0.5–2.0 m/min welding speed, increasing welding speed progressively enhances the tensile strength of the welded joint. Notably, joints fabricated at a welding speed of 2.0 m/min deliver the maximum tensile strength, equivalent to 98.0% of the base metal. Well-defined dimples are also detected on the corresponding fracture surfaces. A further increase in welding speed leads to a gradual reduction in the tensile strength of the welded joint. It is demonstrated that welding speed acts as a critical process parameter for tailoring the microstructure and mechanical properties of AE-CMT-welded AZ31B magnesium alloy joints. Full article

Al-Li alloys present significant challenges for conventional fusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) due to their low evaporation temperature and high reactivity with oxygen. As a solid-state process, friction stir additive manufacturing (FSAM) is expected to eliminate melting and solidification during processing, thereby overcoming these limitations. This study investigates the FSAM of 2195 Al-Li alloy through temperature measurements and numerical simulations. The research focuses on the temperature at the center of the deposited region and the phase evolution before and after FSAM. The results indicate that during FSAM, the temperature at the center of the deposited zone ranges from 458 to 497 °C. In terms of phase constitution, the T3-tempered alloy primarily consists of an α-Al matrix and the δ’ (Al₃Li) phase. The T8-tempered alloy contains α-Al, θ’ (Al₂Cu), and T₁ (Al₂CuLi) phases. In the nugget zone (NZ), the peak temperature exceeds 450 °C. As a result, the T₁ and θ’ phases dissolve, leaving only a small amount of δ’/β’ precipitates. This study presents a preliminary investigation based on a single-layer FSAM process. These findings provide a foundation for optimizing FSAM process parameters for Al-Li alloys. Full article

The bean bug, Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius), and the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), are important pod-sucking pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Their feeding on pods and developing seeds induces soybean staygreen symptoms and causes severe yield losses. To assess their future damage risk, we integrated MaxEnt, PCA env and a phenological matching index (PMI) using global occurrence records, bioclimatic variables and soybean phenology data. Under current climatic conditions, R. pedestris exhibited a predominantly temperate East Asian distribution, with suitable areas extending farther north and northeast. By contrast, N. viridula showed a more southerly and spatially continuous distribution across South and Southeast Asia, with suitability declining markedly toward northern and northeastern Asia. By the 2090s under SSP5-8.5, suitable areas decreased by 26.7% for N. viridula but increased by 34.0% for R. pedestris, and the co-suitable area declined from 9.460 to 7.350 million km². PCA env indicated low to moderate niche overlap (Schoener’s D = 0.278) with significant niche differentiation. Under fixed soybean calendars, mean PMI generally increased for both pests, although the increase plateaued for R. pedestris under high emission scenarios by the late 21st century. Collectively, these findings indicate that Asian soybean production regions currently face overlapping damage risk, that the potential damage zone of R. pedestris is likely to expand further, and that the temporal overlap between the soybean sensitive period and adult activity windows of both pests will generally increase—despite the projected contraction in the potential damage distribution of N. viridula. Full article