A Study on the Assessment and Integration of Multi-Source Evapotranspiration Products over the Tibetan Plateau

Evapotranspiration(ET)is a crucial variable in the terrestrial water,carbon,and energy cycles.At present,a large number of multi source ET products exist.Due to sparse observations,however,great challenges exist in the evaluation and integration of ET products in remote and complex areas such as the Tibetan Plateau(TP).In this paper,the applicability of the multiple collocation(MC)method over the TP is evaluated for the first time,and the uncertainty of multisource ET products(based on reanalysis,remote sensing,and land surface models)is further analyzed,which provides a theoretical basis for ET data fusion.The results show that 1)ET uncertainties quantified via the MC method are lower in RS-based ET products(5.95 vs.7.06 mm month^(-1))than in LSM ET products(10.22 vs.17.97 mm month^(-1))and reanalysis ET estimates(7.27 vs.12.26 mm month-1).2)A multisource evapotranspiration(MET)dataset is generated at a monthly temporal scale with a spatial resolution of 0.25°across the TP during 2005-15.MET has better performance than any individual product.3)Based on the fusion product,the total ET amount over the TP and its patterns of spatiotemporal variability are clearly identified.The annual total ET over the entire TP is approximately 380.60 mm.Additionally,an increasing trend of 1.59±0.85 mm yr^(-1)over the TP is shown during 2005-15.This study provides a basis for future studies on water and energy cycles and water resource management over the TP and surrounding regions.

An epidemiologic study of mitochondrial membrane transporter protein gene polymorphism and risk factors for neural tube defects in Shanxi, China

The present study involved a questionnaire survey of 156 mothers that gave birth to children with neural tube defects or had a history of pregnancy resulting in children with neural tube defects （case group） and 156 control mothers with concurrent healthy children （control group） as well as detection of mitochondrial membrane transporter protein gene [uncoupling protein 2 （UCP2）] polymorphism. The maternal UCP2 3＇ untranslated region （UTR） D/D genotype and D allele frequency were significantly higher in the case group compared with the control group （odds ratio （OR） 3.233; 95% confidence interval （C/） 1.103 9.476; P= 0.040; OR： 3.484; 95% CI： for neural tube defects 2.109 5.753; P 〈 0.001）. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of risk factors for neural tube defects showed that a matemal UCP2 3＇ UTR D/D genotype was negatively interacted with the mothers＇ consumption of frequent fresh fruit and vegetables （S = 0.007）, positively interacted with the mothers＇ frequency of germinated potato consumption （S = 2.15） and positively interacted with the mothers＇ body mass index （S = 3.50）. These findings suggest that maternal UCP2 3＇ UTR gene polymorphism, pregnancy time, consumption of germinated potatoes and body mass index are associated with an increased risk for neural tube defects in children from mothers living in Shanxi province, China. Moreover, there is an apparent gene-environment interaction involved in the development of neural tube defects in offspring.

Dynamics of plasma bullets by nanosecond pulsed micro-hollow cathode discharge within air

In this paper,the air plasma jet produced by micro-hollow cathode discharge(MHCD)is investigated.The discharge is powered by a positive nanosecond pulse high voltage supply.The waveforms of the discharge,the images of the jet,the evolution of the plasma bullet and the reactive species are obtained to analyze the characteristics of the MHCD plasma jet.It is found that the length of the plasma jet is almost proportional to the air flow rate of 2–6 slm.Two plasma bullets appear one after another during a single period of the voltage waveform,and both of the two plasma bullets are formed during the positive pulse voltage off.The propagation velocity of the two plasma bullets is on the order of several hundred m/s,which is approximate to that of the air flow.These results indicate that the gas flow has an important influence on the formation of this MHCD plasma jet.