Search Results (14,410)

Coniferous species are known for their ability to purify air from particulate matter (PM), yet particulates accumulated during cultivation, transport, and outdoor storage may be transferred indoors. This study assesses the particulate load, subsequent retention, and further accumulation/release of PM by commercially available Christmas trees—Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and Caucasian fir (Abies nordmanniana (Steven) Spach). Trees were examined in two commercial forms and maintained in six typical households (three with cut and potted P. abies, three with cut and potted A. nordmanianna) for 30 days. Measurements at four intervals included concentration dynamics of total PM, PM size fractions, as well as surface vs. in-wax PM ratios and epicuticular waxes on needles. Results showed that potted trees carried substantially higher initial PM loads than cut trees, with P. abies exceeding 200 µg·cm⁻², likely due to differences in production and handling. Potted P. abies and cut A. nordmanniana retained large PM fractions more effectively than cut P. abies. In contrast, the fine PM fraction, the most health-relevant, was best accumulated by cut P. abies. Wax-bound PM shares increased time in potted trees and decreased in the cut. Overall, the findings suggest that choosing a Christmas tree is not only an aesthetic preference but a decision with measurable implications for winter indoor air quality. Full article

Wind disturbance is one of the key factors affecting the high-precision pointing of large-aperture radio telescopes. Therefore, it is indispensable to monitor the wind environment of the site. This enables the acquisition of wind environment data, facilitating targeted wind-resistant design to maintain the observational performance of the radio telescope. A 60 m high wind tower is located within the QTT (QiTai Radio Telescope, 110 m) site. This study investigates the wind environment characteristics based on the wind data for the entire year of 2021. The analysis of anomalous data from the wind tower indicates that these are mainly caused by local freezing rain and snow conditions. The temporal variations and vertical distribution characteristics of the wind environment were analyzed. On an annual basis, winds predominantly originate from north–south, while those from east–west are relatively less frequent; 90% of the winds are less than 4 m/s; the maximum recorded wind speed is 22.29 m/s; the prevailing winds are from the SSE (south-southeast) direction. On a monthly basis, the distributions of wind direction and speed exhibit a distinct seasonal cycle, with wind speeds being relatively lower in winter. On a diurnal basis, the wind direction undergoes a reversal, with northerly winds prevailing during the day and southerly winds at night; the diurnal wind speed distribution shows that nocturnal wind speeds are relatively stable and lower. Daily wind speed statistics indicate that there were 79 days on which 90% of wind speeds throughout the day were less than or equal to 2 m/s. Compared to sites of other telescopes of a similar class, the wind environment at the QTT site is relatively favorable. Full article

Winter durum wheat combines the benefits of autumn sowing with high grain quality but remains poorly adapted to temperate regions due to low frost tolerance. To elucidate the genetic basis of winter hardiness and support breeding for improved cold adaptation, a segregating multi-family F₂ panel (n = 270) was developed from crosses among frost-tolerant and frost-susceptible lines. GWAS identified four loci significantly associated with winter survival on chromosomes 1B, 5A, 5B, and 7B, collectively explaining 7.6–21.5% of phenotypic variance. These loci jointly improved model performance (ΔMcFadden R² = 0.230, p-value = 4.76 × 10⁻¹⁷) without evidence of epistasis, indicating additive inheritance. Predicted survival increased nearly linearly with the number of favorable alleles, highlighting the potential for pyramiding through marker-assisted or genomic selection. Three significant SNPs were converted to KASP assays, providing validated molecular tools for breeding applications. Overall, the study broadens understanding of frost-tolerance genetics in winter durum wheat beyond canonical Fr regions and delivers practical markers for improving winter hardiness in breeding programs targeting continental climates. Full article

Along the French-English Channel coast, fibre flax is traditionally cultivated in spring during a short window from March to July. However, increasingly frequent and severe spring droughts, driven by climate change, cast doubt on the sustainability of this practice. One possible adaptation, inspired by the winter cultivation of oilseed flax and tested over several years, involves extending the growing cycle by cultivating fibre flax in winter. In this system, seeds are sown in autumn, and the crop is harvested in early June. After four consecutive years of monitoring yield and fibre mechanical properties, a selected spring flax variety was grown both in winter 2022/2023 and in spring 2023 for direct comparison. This period included a mild winter favourable for winter crops, and a spring drought that severely impacted spring crops. Plants from the winter crop produced twice as many fibres at mid-stem height as the spring crop, but the mechanical properties of the elementary fibres remained similar in both. However, the elementary fibres in the lower stems of the winter crop averaged only 15 mm in length, compared to 33 mm for the spring crop, which benefited from higher temperatures. Regarding biochemical composition, lignin content in winter flax scutched fibres was significantly higher than in spring flax, at 4.2% versus 2.7%. Cultivating a spring flax variety in winter is thus feasible under favourable conditions, but the resulting fibres are shorter and more lignified, which may pose technical challenges during spinning and could require separating fibres from the lower stems of winter plants to ensure consistent fibre quality. In the final section of the paper, strategies to adapt flax cultivation to climate change are proposed, drawing on the experimental results and current meteorological projections, providing guidance for optimizing crop performance. Full article

The sensitivity of model outputs to parameter variations is crucial for effective model calibration and application. This study assessed the sensitivity of N₂O and CH₄ emissions to varying weather conditions and fertilization practices in a winter wheat–rice cropping system. Using the Sobol first-order sensitivity index within the SPACSYS model, key parameters and input variables influencing gas emissions were identified. The results showed that the index effectively detected highly sensitive parameters, particularly those related to soil water content, oxygen dynamics and microbial processes. Both N₂O and CH₄ emissions were sensitive to carbon availability and soil oxygen levels. For N₂O emissions, microbial process parameters and soil water content had substantial impacts, whereas CH₄ emissions were more responsive to methane consumption, oxygen levels, and carbon substrates. Fertilization, rainfall and temperature showed high sensitivity for N₂O emissions, while temperature emerged as the dominant factor controlling CH₄ emissions. The identified parameters offer valuable insights for improving model performance and informing strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Full article

Generative AI has rapidly entered college writing classrooms, raising practical questions about how student texts are changing and what that means for instruction. This study analyzes 255 final-draft analytical essays written in first-year writing classes across three instructional contexts—pre-Gen-AI (Winter/Spring 2022), AI-prohibited, and AI-permitted with specified uses (Winter/Spring 2024). We combined holistic quality ratings of essays with Coh-Metrix indices of writing volume, lexicality, referential cohesion, and syntax. Analytically, we estimated a regression of essay quality on class type and demographics, and MANCOVAs (with essay score and demographics as covariates) for the four linguistic constructs. Essay quality did not differ by AI policy. However, compared to 2022, essays of AI-permitted classes were organized into fewer but shorter paragraphs; displayed greater lexical diversity and used less frequent, less familiar vocabulary; showed lower local and global anaphor overlap (other cohesion indices were stable); and exhibited lower verb-phrase, passive, and negation densities but higher gerund density. We interpret these as selective redistributions of linguistic resources rather than uniform gains or losses. For instructors, the actionable implication is two-fold: leverage AI-era gains in lexical precision while explicitly teaching referential continuity and clause-level strategies that sustain argumentative coherence. Full article

Leaf area index (LAI) is essential for understanding vegetation dynamics, ecosystem processes, and land–atmosphere interactions. Various measurement methods exist, but gap-fraction-based indirect methods are preferred due to their reduced labor and field survey time in comparison to direct methods. However, gap-fraction-based field observations, often referred to as plant area index (PAI), frequently overestimate LAI because they include woody components. To mitigate this issue, the woody-to-total-area ratio (α) can be utilized to exclude these woody components from PAI, yielding more accurate LAI estimates (hereafter referred to as LAI_adjusted). In this study, we demonstrate a novel method to estimate α using Sentinel-2-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and time-series PAI measurements. The α estimates effectively reduce the influence of woody components in PAI within deciduous broadleaf forests (DBF). Moreover, LAI_adjusted shows good agreement with the Sentinel-2 LAI, which represents effective LAI derived from the PROSAIL model. Notably, the spatial distribution of α effectively captured the expected seasonal dynamics across various forest types. In DBF, α values increased during winter due to leaf fall when compared to the growing season, while seasonal variations were relatively small in evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF). We further confirmed that our method demonstrates greater robustness with NDVI than with other vegetation indices that are more susceptible to topographic variation. Ultimately, this framework presents a promising pathway to mitigate biases in most gap-fraction-based PAI measurements, thereby enhancing the accuracy of vegetation structural assessments and supporting broader ecological and climate-related applications. Full article

Nitrogen (N) and water are key resources for crop production and improving the efficiency with which they are used remains a major global challenge in intensive cropping systems. Here, we report how crop yield, N and water use efficiency, N surplus, and economic benefits can be improved from optimized management and crop rotations. A conventional winter wheat–summer maize double cropping (CN/WM) rotation in a three-year field experiment in the North China Plain is compared with alternative optimized rotations. The first three optimized treatments were wheat–summer maize rotation with optimized N and irrigation rates, tillage and straw management (ON/WM), and partial manure substitution (ONM/WM) or biochar addition (ONB/WM); the fourth optimized treatment was winter wheat–summer maize–spring maize producing three harvests in two years (ON/WMM); and the last was spring maize incorporating green manure during the fallow season for one harvest per year (ON/GM). The results showed that the ON/WM, ONM/WM, and ONB/WM had comparable yields to CN/WM, but significantly increased N use efficiency by 19–41% and water use efficiency by 13–20% and reduced N surplus to 353–531 kg N ha⁻¹ 2yr⁻¹. From these three optimized treatments, the ONM/WM performed better, with a comprehensive evaluation index of 0.66 and the highest economic benefits. The ON/WMM and ON/GM treatments also significantly increased N and water use efficiency but resulted in relatively low crop yields and profits; nevertheless, they significantly reduced water use and are suitable for water saving cropping systems. We concluded that optimized management-combined manure with synthetic N fertilization in wheat–summer maize rotations can achieve high crop productivity, environmental, and economic benefits, which contribute to a more sustainable crop production. Full article

This study conducted an intensive air quality model evaluation as a response to the urgent need to understand the reliability, consistency, and uncertainty of air quality models supporting the implementation of the PM_2.5 Air Pollution Control Action Plan in China. Five regional air quality models of CMAQ version 5.02, CMAQ version 5.3.2, CAMx version 6.2, CAMx version 7.1, and NAQPMS have been evaluated for the CO, SO₂, NO₂, O₃, PM₁₀, and PM_2.5 concentration and components. A unified statistical method and the same observational data set of 2017, comprising 17 air pollution episodes collected from four super monitoring stations in the regions of Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu–Chongqing in China, have been used for the evaluation. All the participating models performed well in simulating the mean PM_2.5 concentrations, with an NMB ranging from −0.29 to −0.04, showing that the participating models are basically suitable for simulation and as evaluation tools for PM_2.5 in regulatory applications. However, the participating models showed a great variability for PM_2.5 components, with the NME ranging from 0.48 to 0.53. The models performed reasonably well in simulating the mean sulfate, nitrate, BC, and NH₄⁺ concentration in PM_2.5, while they were diversified in simulating the mean OC concentrations. The participating models also consistently performed well in simulating the concentration of NO₂, CO, and O₃. However, the models generally overestimated SO₂ concentrations, and to some extent underestimated PM₁₀ concentrations, which is likely attributable to uncertainties in emission sources and the rapid implementation of strict control policies for SO₂. The evaluation work of this study shows that there remains significant potential for further enhancement. Updating and improving the emission inventory should be prioritized to achieve better results, and further investigations into the uncertainties associated with the meteorological simulations, chemical mechanisms, and physical parameterization options of air quality models should also be conducted in future work. Full article

Integrating electrochemical fuel cells and internal combustion engines can enhance the total efficiency and sustainability of power systems. This study presents a promising solution by integrating a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) with a mini gas turbine, forming a hybrid system called the “Oya System.” This approach aims to mitigate the efficiency losses of gas turbines during high ambient temperatures. The hybrid model was designed using Aspen Plus for modelling and the EES simulation program for solving mathematical equations. The primary objective of this research is to enhance the efficiency of gas turbine systems, particularly under elevated ambient temperatures. The results demonstrate a notable increase in efficiency, rising from 37.97% to 43.06% at 10 °C (winter) and from 31.98% to 40.33% at 40 °C (summer). This improvement, ranging from 5.09% in winter to 8.35% in summer, represents a significant achievement aligned with the goals of the Oya System. Furthermore, integrating PEMFC contributes to environmental sustainability by utilising hydrogen, a clean energy source, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The system also enhances efficiency through waste heat recovery, further optimising performance and reducing energy losses. This research highlights the critical role of interface engineering in the hybrid system, particularly the interaction between the PEMFC and the gas turbine. Integrating these two systems involves complex interfaces that facilitate the transfer of electrochemistry, energy, and materials, optimising the overall performance. This aligns with the conference session’s focus on green technologies and resource efficiency. The Oya System exemplifies how innovative hybrid systems can enhance performance while promoting environmentally friendly processes. Full article

Nitrogen fertilization is extensively applied in agricultural activities to improve food production. However, the applied dose of nitrogen is often higher than that required for the desired productivity level of a given crop. Thus, research on methods that could increase the uptake of nitrogen supplied with fertilizers by plants is of high significance. One way to achieve this goal is to employ a hybrid fertilization technique (a combination of the application of solid fertilizers in the first dose with foliar application of liquid fertilizers in the second and third doses), using reduced doses of nitrogen fertilizers as well as fertilizers enriched with 10% sulfur in the form of thiosulfate. The aim of our study was to assess the productivity resulting from different fertilization treatments and the stability of the resulting yield based on interactions between the method of fertilizer application and environmental conditions. To determine interaction patterns, an additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model was employed. The key finding is that sulfur-enriched fertilizers can significantly increase yield, but at the expense of reduced stability. However, yield stability was more strongly related to meteorological conditions. Understanding of such interactions can help increase the efficiency of selection and accuracy of recommendations for new technologies of crop cultivation. Full article

Submesoscale dynamics are critical modulators of upper-ocean biogeochemistry, yet their net influence on chlorophyll concentrations across seasonal to interannual timescales, particularly within productive regions like the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME), remains poorly understood. This study quantifies these complex relationships by analyzing 22 years (2001–2022) of physical and biological data. We examined the link between surface chlorophyll (CHL) and key physical drivers: sea level anomaly (SLA) and submesoscale intensity, quantified by the Rossby number (Ro). Using both cross-correlation analysis and Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), our analyses reveal a multi-scale set of spatially dependent and time-lagged biogeochemical responses. At the basin scale, a key finding from cross-correlation is a significant positive correlation where high SLA precedes a rise in CHL by approximately six months, indicating a delayed ecosystem response to large-scale physical forcing. At the event scale, GLMs show the specific impact of eddies is critical: short-lived cyclonic eddies correlate with a significant increase in CHL (~4.6%) in the southern zone, while anticyclonic eddies are associated with a pronounced decrease in CHL (~97.7%) in the central zone during the austral winter. These findings demonstrate that both large-scale preconditions and localized submesoscale features are essential drivers of vertical nutrient transport and the distribution of primary productivity within the BCLME. Full article

As global climate change intensifies, research on low-carbon practices has become a critical component of sustainable tourism development. The carbon emission profile of ski tourism differs significantly from other tourism sectors. Ski resorts have a mountainous terrain and typically maintain relatively high levels of vegetation, endowing them with inherent advantages for pioneering low-carbon and sustainable tourism practices. However, the substantial energy demands associated with artificial snowmaking systems and advanced infrastructure pose significant challenges to reducing carbon emissions in ski resort operations. This study gathers first-hand data on sustainable tourism development in the Chongli ski resort—the region that hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics—through field investigations and interviews with key industry stakeholders. It develops a comprehensive framework accounting for carbon emissions in ski resorts by integrating input–output analysis with enterprise-level data, focusing on four core operational sectors: catering, skiing, wholesale and retail, and leasing and business services. Furthermore, this study examines the coupling relationship between carbon emissions and operating revenue. Using correlation and regression analyses, this study identifies the key drivers of carbon emissions across these operational departments within the ski tourism sector. The results indicate that carbon emissions from these four sectors in the Chongli ski resort exhibit periodic fluctuations with an overall upward trend year by year. Nevertheless, progress in low-carbon development is evident, suggesting that the resort is on a trajectory toward achieving peak carbon emissions and eventual carbon neutrality. The inclusion of natural endowments, market-scale effects, festival and special events, and capital investment in ski tourism collectively serve as crucial drivers for low-carbon sustainability in Chongli. Based on these findings, this study proposes targeted recommendations to support low-carbon sustainable development, offering scientific insights for similar Winter Olympics host cities. This study integrates top-down input–output analysis with bottom-up enterprise data, taking Chongli, the host city of the Winter Olympics, as a timely case study. It constructs a four-dimensional low-carbon development model based on the identification of key natural, social, and economic driving factors, and strengthens the reliability of the conclusion by relying on first-hand field research and operator interview data. Our study provides an analysis of methodological innovation, framework integrity, and solid empirical evidence that accounts for micro-scale carbon emissions in ski resorts. Full article

High-resolution in situ field measurements capturing seasonal 3D mixing dynamics at river confluences are scarce, yet this understanding is essential for effective water-quality management and pollutant-transport prediction in river–lake systems. To address this gap, this study investigates the confluence of the North and South Han Rivers in the Paldang Reservoir. We introduce and apply a novel mixing proximity index (MPI) to quantify the degree of mixing and water-mass origin based on 3D electrical conductivity and temperature data. Seasonal field campaigns, conducted with an acoustic Doppler current profiler and multi-parameter sensors, revealed distinct hydrodynamic behaviors: strong summer stratification suppressed vertical mixing; winter momentum asymmetry induced persistent flow separation despite minimal temperature differences; and spring conditions fostered rapid mixing, barring some residual unmixed deep layers. The MPI effectively delineated shear layers and identified unmixed water zones, providing an enhanced understanding of mixing dynamics beyond the capabilities of traditional tracer- or statistics-based metrics. These findings highlight the combined influence of density differences, tributary momentum, and dam operations on confluence mixing, offering practical insights for water-resource management and improving 3D hydrodynamic model validation. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to investigate annual and seasonal trends, as well as regional differences, in female breast cancer mortality in Hungary between 2004 and 2023. Methods: Data on cancer mortality were obtained from the publicly available nationwide population register. Poisson and quasi-Poisson regression models were applied to investigate the annual trend in breast cancer mortality rates. Cyclic trends in mortality were analysed using the Walter–Elwood method, and regional differences in age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) were evaluated across Hungarian regions. Results: Over the two decades studied, a total of 42,779 deaths from breast cancer were recorded. A significant declining trend in annual ASMRs for female breast cancer was observed during the study period (IRR = 0.996; 95% CI [0.993–0.998]; p = 0.002). Seasonal analysis revealed a significant cyclic pattern, with the highest number of deaths occurring during the winter months, peaking in December. The highest age-standardised breast cancer mortality rate (43.9 ± 0.2 per 100,000 female persons per year) was observed in the Capital region (Budapest), while the lowest ASMR (36.2 ± 0.25 per 100,000 female persons per year) was found in the Northern Great Plain region (p = 0.028). Conclusions: Although Hungary has implemented a free national breast cancer screening programme, this study demonstrates that breast cancer mortality remains high in the country. Additionally, breast cancer mortality exhibits significant regional and seasonal variation. These findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions and optimised resource allocation to improve outcomes. Full article