Dynamics of 18 (<i>Sophora japonica</i>) Tree Community’s Crown Volume along Elevation Gradient in <i>Ye County</i>

Applying plant community diversity techniques and SPSS statistic analysis, we quantified the relationship between crown volume of 18 (Sophora japonica) tree communities and elevation along different elevation gradient in Ye County in the study. We concluded that there was a significantly positive correlation between crown volume of 18 (Sophora japonica) tree communities and elevation gradient (P Sophora japonica) tree communities increased along elevation from 50 m to 200 m in Ye County in 2018. Therefore, understanding dynamic connecting crown volume of 18 (Sophora japonica) communities and elevation can be not just applied to preserve of (Sophora japonica) tree communities, but also applied to sustainable of biodiversity and processes of tree community’s crown volume along elevation.

Interfacial engineering through lead binding using crown ethers in perovskite solar cells

In the domain of perovskite solar cells(PSCs),the imperative to reconcile impressive photovoltaic performance with lead-related issue and environmental stability has driven innovative solutions.This study pioneers an approach that not only rectifies lead leakage but also places paramount importance on the attainment of rigorous interfacial passivation.Crown ethers,notably benzo-18-crown-6-ether(B18C6),were strategically integrated at the perovskite-hole transport material interface.Crown ethers exhibit a dual role:efficiently sequestering and immobilizing Pb^(2+)ions through host-guest complexation and simultaneously establishing a robust interfacial passivation layer.Selected crown ether candidates,guided by density functional theory(DFT)calculations,demonstrated proficiency in binding Pb2+ions and optimizing interfacial energetics.Photovoltaic devices incorporating these materials achieved exceptional power conversion efficiency(PCE),notably 21.7%for B18C6,underscoring their efficacy in lead binding and interfacial passivation.Analytical techniques,including time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry(ToF-SIMS),ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy(UPS),time-resolved photoluminescence(TRPL),and transient absorption spectroscopy(TAS),unequivocally affirmed Pb^(2+)ion capture and suppression of non-radiative recombination.Notably,these PSCs maintained efficiency even after enduring 300 h of exposure to 85%relative humidity.This research underscores the transformative potential of crown ethers,simultaneously addressing lead binding and stringent interfacial passivation for sustainable PSCs poised to commercialize and advance renewable energy applications.

Estimating Pinus palustris tree diameter and stem volume from tree height,crown area and stand-level parameters

Accurate and efficient estimation of forest growth and live biomass is a critical element in assessing potential responses to forest management and environmental change. The objective of this study was to develop models to predict longleaf pine tree diameter at breast height （dbh） and merchantable stem volume （V） using data obtained from field measurements. We used longleaf pine tree data from 3,376 planted trees on 127 permanent plots located in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain region to fit equations to predict dbh and V as functions of tree height （H） and crown area （CA）. Prediction of dbh as a function of H improved when CA was added as an additional independent variable. Similarly, predic- tions of V based on H improved when CA was included. Incorporation of additional stand variables such as age, site index, dominant height, and stand density were also evaluated but resulted in only small improvements in model performance. For model testing we used data from planted and naturally-regenerated trees located inside and outside the geographic area used for model fitting. Our results suggest that the models are a robust alternative for dbh and V estimations when H and CA are known on planted stands with potential for naturally-regenerated stands, across a wide range of ages. We discuss the importance of these models for use with metrics derived from remote sensing data.

Developing nonlinear additive tree crown width models based on decomposed competition index and tree variables

Crown development is closely related to the biomass and growth rate of the tree and its width(CW)is an important covariable in growth and yield models and in forest management.To date,various CW models have been proposed.However,limited studies have explicitly focused on additive and inherent correlation of crown components and total CW as well as the influence of competition on crown radius from the corresponding direction.In this study,two model systems were used,i.e.,aggregation method system(AMS)and disaggregation method system(DMS),to develop crown width additive model systems.For calculating spatially explicit competition index(CI),four neighbor tree selection methods were evaluated.CI was decomposed into four cardinal directions and added into the model systems.Results show that the power model form was more proper for our data to fit CW growth.For each crown radius and total CW,height to the diameter at breast height(HDR)and basal area of trees larger than the subject tree(BAL)significantly contributed to the increase of prediction accuracy.The 3-m fixed radius was optimal among the four neighborhoods selection ways.After adding decomposed competition Hegyi index into model systems AMS and DMS,the prediction accuracy improved.Of the model systems evaluated,AMS based on decomposed CI provided the best performance as well as the inherent correlation and additivity properties.Our study highlighted the importance of decomposed CI in tree CW modelling for additive model systems.This study focused on methodology and could be applied to other species or stands.

Prediction of tree crown width in natural mixed forests using deep learning algorithm

Crown width(CW)is one of the most important tree metrics,but obtaining CW data is laborious and timeconsuming,particularly in natural forests.The Deep Learning(DL)algorithm has been proposed as an alternative to traditional regression,but its performance in predicting CW in natural mixed forests is unclear.The aims of this study were to develop DL models for predicting tree CW of natural spruce-fir-broadleaf mixed forests in northeastern China,to analyse the contribution of tree size,tree species,site quality,stand structure,and competition to tree CW prediction,and to compare DL models with nonlinear mixed effects(NLME)models for their reliability.An amount of total 10,086 individual trees in 192 subplots were employed in this study.The results indicated that all deep neural network(DNN)models were free of overfitting and statistically stable within 10-fold cross-validation,and the best DNN model could explain 69%of the CW variation with no significant heteroskedasticity.In addition to diameter at breast height,stand structure,tree species,and competition showed significant effects on CW.The NLME model(R^(2)=0.63)outperformed the DNN model(R^(2)=0.54)in predicting CW when the six input variables were consistent,but the results were the opposite when the DNN model(R^(2)=0.69)included all 22 input variables.These results demonstrated the great potential of DL in tree CW prediction.

Changes in concentrations and transcripts of plant hormones in wheat seedling roots in response to Fusarium crown rot

Fusarium crown rot(FCR) is a soilborne disease causing severe yield losses in many wheat-growing areas of the world. Diseased plants show browning and necrosis of roots and stems causing white heads at maturity. Little is known about the molecular processes employed by wheat roots to respond to the disease. We characterized morphological, transcriptional and hormonal changes in wheat seedling roots following challenge with Fusarium pseudograminearum(Fp), the main pathogen of FCR. The pathogen inhibited root development to various extents depending on plants' resistance level. Many genes responsive to FCR infection in wheat roots were enriched in plant hormone pathways. The contents of compounds involved in biosynthesis and metabolism of jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, cytokinin and auxin were drastically changed in roots at five days post-inoculation. Presoaking seeds in methyl jasmonate for 24 h promoted FCR resistance, whereas presoaking with cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine made plants more susceptible. Overexpression of TaOPR3, a gene involved in jasmonic acid biosynthesis, enhanced plant resistance as well as root and shoot growth during infection.

Wave Force on the Crown Wall of Rubble Mound Breakwaters at Intermediate Depths

Rubble mound breakwaters with a crown wall are a common coastal engineering structure.The wave force on crown walls is an important parameter for the practice engineering design.Particularly,the wave force on crown walls under intermediate depths has been studied through physical model tests and numerical simulations.In this study,a three-dimensional numerical wave flume was developed to investigate monochromatic wave interactions in a rubble mound breakwater with a crown wall.Armor blocks were modeled in detail.The Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase incompressible flows,combined with shear stress transport k-ωturbulence model and volume of fluid method for tracking the free surface,were solved.A set of laboratory experiments were performed to validate the adopted model.Subsequently,a series of numerical simulations were implemented to examine the impacts of different hydrodynamic parameters(including wave height,incident wave period,and water depth)and the berm width on the wave force of the crown wall.Finally,a comparison of the experimental results and Martin method shows that the latter method is not suitable for this experimental scope.New empirical formulas are proposed to predict the wave force on crown walls under intermediate depth.The results can provide a basis for the design of crown wall of rubble mound breakwaters at intermediate depths.

Li^(+)-ion bound crown ether functionalization enables dual promotion of dynamics and thermodynamics for ambient ammonia synthesis

Electrosynthesis of ammonia from the reduction of nitrogen is still confronted with the limited supply of gas reactant in dynamics as well as high activation barrier in thermodynamics.Unfortunately,despite tremendous efforts devoted to electrocatalysts themselves,they still fail to tackle the above two challenges simultaneously.Herein,we employ a heterogeneous catalyst adlayer-composed of crown ethers associated with Li^(+)ions-to achieve the dual promotion of dynamics and thermodynamics for ambient ammonia synthesis.Dynamically,the bound Li^(+)ions interact with the strong quadrupole moment of nitrogen,and trigger considerable reactant flux toward the catalyst.Thermodynamically,Li^(+)associated with the oxygen of crown ether achieves a higher density of states at the Fermi level for the catalyst,enabling effortless electron transfer from the catalysts to nitrogen and thus greatly reducing the activation barrier.As expected,the proof-of-concept system achieves an ammonia yield rate of 168.5μg h^(-1)mg^(-1)and a Faradaic efficiency of 75.3%at-0.3 V vs.RHE.This system-level approach opens up pathways for tackling the two key challenges that have limited the field of ammonia synthesis.

Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Responses of Bis(15-crown-5)-stilbenes Binding to One-or Two-Alkali Metal Cation(Li^(+),Na^(+)and K^(+))

Bis(15-crown-5)-stilbenes containing crown ether parts have been widely used in a variety of chemical applications,such as cation detectors,because of their ability to selectively bind to alkali metal cations,Bis(15-crown-5)-stilbenes and its derivatives with complexation of one-or two-alkali metal cation(Li^(+),Na^(+)and K^(+))have been theoretically investigat-ed by quantum chemistry methods.The coordination of alkali cations results in partial shrinkage of crown ethers,which directly affected natural distribution analysis charges and molecular orbital energy levels.The number of alkali metal ions has significant effects on absorption spectra and mean second hyperpolarizability.When one alkali metal ion was added to the anticonformer of bis(15-crown-5)-stilbene,the absorption spectra were obvious-ly redshifted and the mean second hyperpolarizability values were slightly increased;while two alkali metal ions were added to bis(15-crown-5)-stilbene,the absorption spectra were ob-viously blue shifted and the mean second hyperpolarizability values decreased.On the other hand,as the radius of the alkali ions increased,the mean second hyperpolarizability values of the compounds increased gradually.It is indicated that the mean second hyperpolarizability value is sensitive to the number and radius of the alkali metal cations,thus the third order nonlinear optical response can be used as a signal to detect the number and type of alkali met-al ions.

Replacement of Unesthetic Posterior Metal Crowns with Monolithic Zirconia Crowns: A Case Report

Advances in metal-free materials and the popularization of Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) have led to the wide clinical use of all-ceramic crowns for esthetic restorations. A 72-year-old woman presented to our hospital with unesthetic restorations on the right upper and lower posterior teeth. Intraoral examination revealed poorly fitting metal crown margins. Defective prostheses were removed, and provisional restorations were provided to stabilize the mandibular position. Optical impressions and the maxillomandibular relationship were recorded using an intraoral scanner, and monolithic zirconia crowns were fabricated using CAD/CAM technology for complete veneer crown restorative treatment. Occlusal examination revealed an improvement in occlusal force distribution at initial examination (right side: 33.5%, left side: 66.5%) after placement of the zirconia crowns (right side: 54.9%, left side: 45.1%). Occlusal force and occlusal force distribution area also showed an increasing trend. The Oral Health Impact Profile short form (OHIP-14) score decreased from 7 points at initial examination to 0 points after prosthodontic treatment. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment planning contributed to the increased occlusal force and balanced occlusal force distribution. Therefore, the present case indicates the potential of monolithic zirconia crowns to achieve both esthetic and stable functional outcomes.

Assessment of Cork Oak Decline Using Digital Multispectral Imagery in Relation with in Situ Crown Condition

Cork oak in Maamora forest is experiencing the dieback phenomenon. The evaluation of the latter in this forest has gained the importance over time and with the solicitation of managers to objectify its phytosanitary situation. Aiming at prioritizing management actions, remote sensing seems to be an effective tool to inquire about stands’ health conditions and their evolution. To this end, this study aims at mapping and validating health status of cork oak stands in Maamora. Sentinel 2 images in 2015 and 2020 were processed to calculate the differential normalized difference water index (NDWI), revealing vegetation moisture variation caused by drought. A statistical method based on thresholds was used to map cork oak dieback stands, those with no changes and those recovered. Results have shown that 54.63% of cork oak in Maamora forest have not changed in terms of phytosanitary situation between 2015 and 2020, 31.10% of oak stands are afflicted by a slight decline and 12.97% by a severe decline. Areas with slight or strong recovery remain minimal and represent 1.04% and 0.25% respectively. Ground data indicated that the map generated displayed a good distinction between stands severely and slightly declined with a global accuracy of 66.66%. Therefore, further research elaborating an advanced vegetation index reflecting the various factors of dieback would be of much importance.

Rainfall interception by sand-stabilizing shrubs related to crown structure

On the edge of the Tengger Desert in northern China,revegetation has changed the landscape from moving dunes to stabilized dunes covered by shrubs,which further modifies the pattern of rainfall redistribution.To study rainfall interception loss by shrubs and its relationship to rainfall properties and crown structure,throughfalls passing through crowns of Artemisia ordosica Krash.and Caragana korshinskii Kom.were measured using nine PVC cups under the canopy of each of the two shrubs during 73 rain events over a three-year period,with total rainfall of 260.9 mm.Interception losses of gross rainfall by A.ordosica and C.korshinskii account for 15% and 27% of the total on a crown area basis,and 6% and 11% on a ground area basis,respectively.Individual throughfall(T) and interception(I) were significantly related to rainfall amount(Pg),duration(D),and intensity(R).Ratios of throughfall to rainfall(T/Pg) and interception to rainfall(I/Pg) were not only significantly related to Pg,D,and R,but also to shrub species,and interactions of species with crown volume(CV) and leaf area index(LAI).Under most rain events,interceptions by C.korshinskii with greater CV and LAI were significantly higher than those by A.ordosica,and more rainfall interception occurred at locations closer to the stems of the two shrubs.For C.korshinskii,I/Pg had a significant positive linear relation with CV and LAI,while T/Pg had a significant negative linear relation with them.CV has a greater influence on T/Pg and I/Pg than does LAI.Using a regression method,canopy water storage capacities are estimated to be 0.52 and 0.68 mm,and free throughfall coefficient to be 0.62 and 0.47 for A.ordosica and C.korshinskii,respectively.

Calix[4]Crowns类化合物在分离铯中的应用

Calix[4]Crowns类化合物作为超分子识别材料能够有效地分离铯,并能很好地应用在溶剂萃取、液膜萃取、色谱分离等领域。介绍了Calix[4]Crowns类化合物及其复合超分子材料对铯离子的识别和分离效果,为寻求对Cs(Ⅰ)有优异配合能力的Calix[4]Crowns类有机配体结构及相应的功能材料提供参考。

基于WindowsCE和CROWN集群技术的DTVSP模式

摘 要：基于嵌入式操作系统技术、多媒体数据文件切片方案及网络电视、数字电视标准等提出了基于WindowsCE与Linux集群的DTVSP架构模型，并针对DTVSP模式中客户端功能的实现进行探索，使网络功能、（未来）用户个性化功能与安全性都予以充分的体现；同时使分布式DTVSP的整体功能与事件的管理成为可能。

Smart Crown轧辊轧制钨板过程有限元分析

针对传统轧制工艺轧制钨板过程中,轧辊易损坏、钨板轧废严重等现象,基于有限元分析软件,研究利用Smart Crown轧辊轴向移动轧制钨板,根据要求设计了一款Smart Crown轧辊。从辊形、应力、应变以及磨损方面,分析钨板轧制情况,发现同等轧制条件下,Smart Crown轧辊轴向移动轧制钨板的新工艺优于传统钨板轧制工艺。

The Eighth Steamed Bread-Like Willow

The husband was a geologist,a profession in which it’s common to be away on official business for extended periods of time.He always threw his haversack on his back and left home.The wife never bothered to see him off.When he went downstairs and exited the building,he never looked back.The husband was ready to get away,again.When the door banged shut behind him,she was clearing the dishes from the table,as if nothing were on her mind.But shortly afterwards,she put down what she was holding,ran toward the balcony,and looked down.Below the balcony was a road,on one side of which grew a row of steamed bread-like willows.Each willow had a very big and green crown,but,from upstairs,it looked more like a tent than steamed bread.Habitually,she looked down at the area where the eighth steamed bread-like willow from the east stood below the balcony.She was waiting,knowing that in five or six minutes,the figure of her husband would appear under the eighth willow.The door to the residential building opened to the opposite side of the balcony.

Change Point Analysis to Detect the Effect of Pruning Severity on Tree Growth

The effect of pruning severity on tree growth was analyzed by change point detection using segmented regression. The present study applied this analysis to a well-known published data set including diameter growth response, tree age, pruning severity and pretreatment crown size. First, multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of tree age, pruning severity and pretreatment crown size on diameter growth response. Next, segmented regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of pruning severity on diameter growth response. The results of the multiple regression showed that diameter growth response was significantly influenced by pruning severity and pretreatment crown size. The results of the segmented regression showed that in the whole data set, an abrupt change toward a decrease in diameter growth response was detected at 25% of the live crown removed. However, in the group of fully crowned and open-grown, diameter growth response continuously decreased with increasing pruning severity with no significant abrupt change, whereas in the group of 70% - 90% live crown, diameter growth response did not significantly decrease up to the break point (53% crown removed) and then abruptly decreased. This may be the first study to show the numerical evaluation of the effect of pruning severity on tree growth by change point analysis.

Prospects of 3D Printing Technology in Dental Medicine

With the continuous advancement of technology,the application of 3D printing technology in the field of dental medicine is becoming increasingly widespread.This article aims to explore the current applications and future potential of 3D printing technology in dental medicine and to analyze its benefits and challenges.It first introduces the current state of 3D printing technology in dental implants,crowns,bridges,orthodontics,and maxillofacial surgery.It then discusses the potential applications of 3D printing technology in oral tissue engineering,drug delivery systems,personalized dental prosthetics,and surgical planning.Finally,it analyzes the benefits of 3D printing technology in dental medicine,such as improving treatment accuracy and patient comfort,and shortening treatment times,while also highlighting the challenges faced,such as costs,material choices,and technical limitations.This article aims to provide a reference for professionals in the field of dental medicine and to promote the further application and development of 3D printing technology in this area.

罐装饮料的别样风情——访CROWN Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd．总裁约瑟夫·萨拉兹先生

金属包装是中国包装工业的重要组成部分，其产值约占包装工业总产值的10％，其中铝质二片饮料罐在金属包装制品中占重要的地位。金属包装罐迄今已有70多年的历史。20世纪30年代初，美国就已经开始生产啤酒金属罐了，这种三片罐是用马口铁皮制作的，罐体上部呈圆锥状，最上面是冕状罐盖。

新一代CROWN 63节能型散货船

为了应对日益严格的排放标准和环保方面的要求,在严峻的经济环境和残酷的市场中保持竞争力。太平洋造船集团在全球性金融危机爆发之前,就展开了前瞻性的布局,加快了富有竞争力船型的自主研发设计进程。日前,由太平洋造船集团自主研发的CROWN63节能型散货船再传捷报,