Climatology of Cloud-base Height from Long-term Radiosonde Measurements in China

Clouds are critical to the global radiation budget and hydrological cycle, but knowledge is still poor concerning the observed climatology of cloud-base height （CBH） in China. Based on fine-resolution sounding observations from the China Radiosonde Network （CRN）, the method used to estimate CBH was modified, and uncertainty analyses indicated that the CBH is good enough. The accuracy of CBH estimation is verified by the comparison between the sounding-derived CBHs and those estimated from the micro-pulse lidar and millimeter-wave cloud radar. As such, the CBH climatology was compiled for the period 2006-16. Overall, the CBH exhibits large geographic variability across China, at both 0800 Local Standard Time （LST） and 2000 LST, irrespective of season. In addition, the summertime cloud base tends to be elevated to higher altitudes in dry regions [i.e., Inner Mongolia and the North China Plain （NCP）]. By comparison, the Tibetan Plateau （TP）, Pearl River Delta （PRD） and Sichuan Basin （SCB） have relatively low CBHs （〈 2.4 km above ground level）. In terms of seasonality, the CBH reaches its maximum in summer and minimum in winter. A low cloud base tends to occur frequently （〉 70%） over the TP, PRD and SCB. In contrast, at most sites over the Yangtze River Delta （YRD） and the NCP, about half the cloud belongs to the high-cloud category. The CBH does not exhibit marked diurnal variation in summer, throughout all CRN sites, probably due to the persistent cloud coverage caused by the East Asia Summer Monsson. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first CBH climatology produced from sounding measurements in China, and provides a useful reference for obtaining observational cloud base information.

The Significant Role of Radiosonde-measured Cloud-base Height in the Estimation of Cloud Radiative Forcing

The satellite-based quantification of cloud radiative forcing remains poorly understood,due largely to the limitation or uncertainties in characterizing cloud-base height(CBH).Here,we use the CBH data from radiosonde measurements over China in combination with the collocated cloud-top height(CTH) and cloud properties from MODIS/Aqua to quantify the impact of CBH on shortwave cloud radiative forcing(SWCRF).The climatological mean SWCRF at the surface(SWCRFSUR),at the top of the atmosphere(SWCRFTOA),and in the atmosphere(SWCRFATM) are estimated to be-97.14,-84.35,and 12.79 W m^(-2),respectively for the summers spanning 2010 to 2018 over China.To illustrate the role of the cloud base,we assume four scenarios according to vertical profile patterns of cloud optical depth(COD).Using the CTH and cloud properties from MODIS alone results in large uncertainties for the estimation of SWCRFATM,compared with those under scenarios that consider the CBH.Furthermore,the biases of the CERES estimation of SWCRFATM tend to increase in the presence of thick clouds with low CBH.Additionally,the discrepancy of SWCRFATM relative to that calculated without consideration of CBH varies according to the vertical profile of COD.When a uniform COD vertical profile is assumed,the largest SWCRF discrepancies occur during the early morning or late afternoon.By comparison,the two-point COD vertical distribution assumption has the largest uncertainties occurring at noon when the solar irradiation peaks.These findings justify the urgent need to consider the cloud vertical structures when calculating the SWCRF which is otherwise neglected.

DADOS:A Cloud-based Data-driven Design Optimization System

This paper presents a cloud-based data-driven design optimization system,named DADOS,to help engineers and researchers improve a design or product easily and efficiently.DADOS has nearly 30 key algorithms,including the design of experiments,surrogate models,model validation and selection,prediction,optimization,and sensitivity analysis.Moreover,it also includes an exclusive ensemble surrogate modeling technique,the extended hybrid adaptive function,which can make use of the advantages of each surrogate and eliminate the effort of selecting the appropriate individual surrogate.To improve ease of use,DADOS provides a user-friendly graphical user interface and employed flow-based programming so that users can conduct design optimization just by dragging,dropping,and connecting algorithm blocks into a workflow instead of writing massive code.In addition,DADOS allows users to visualize the results to gain more insights into the design problems,allows multi-person collaborating on a project at the same time,and supports multi-disciplinary optimization.This paper also details the architecture and the user interface of DADOS.Two examples were employed to demonstrate how to use DADOS to conduct data-driven design optimization.Since DADOS is a cloud-based system,anyone can access DADOS at www.dados.com.cn using their web browser without the need for installation or powerful hardware.

GmSTF accumulation mediated by DELLA protein GmRGAs contributes to coordinating light and gibberellin signaling to reduce plant height in soybean

Plant height influences plant architecture,lodging resistance,and yield performance.It is modulated by gibberellic acid(GA)metabolism and signaling.DELLA proteins,acting as central repressors of GA signaling,integrate various environmental and hormonal signals to regulate plant growth and development in Arabidopsis.We examined the role of two DELLA proteins,GmRGAa and GmRGAb,in soybean plant height control.Knockout of these proteins led to longer internodes and increased plant height,primarily by increasing cell elongation.GmRGAs functioned under different light conditions,including red,blue,and far-red light,to repress plant height.Interaction studies revealed that GmRGAs interacted with the blue light receptor GmCRY1b.Consistent with this,GmCRY1b partially regulated plant height via GmRGAs.Additionally,DELLA proteins were found to stabilize the protein GmSTF1/2,a key positive regulator of photomorphogenesis.This stabilization led to increased transcription of GmGA2ox-7b and subsequent reduction in plant height.This study enhances our understanding of DELLA-mediated plant height control,offering Gmrgaab mutants for soybean structure and yield optimization.

The influence of inter-band rock on rib spalling in longwall panel with large mining height

In order to improve rib stability,failure criteria and instability mode of a thick coal seam with inter-band rock layer are analysed in this study.A three-dimensional mechanical model is established for the rib by considering the rock layer.A safety factor is defined foy the rib,and it is observed that the safety factor exhibits a positive correlation with the thickness and strength of the inter-band rock.A calculation method for determining critical parameters of the rock layer is presented to ensure the rib stability.It is revealed that incomplete propagation of the fracture at the hard rock constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring the rib stability.The influence of the position of the inter-band rock in the coal seam on failure mechanism of the rib was thoroughly investigated by developing a series of physical models for the rib at the face area.The best position for the inter-band rock in the coal seam is at a height of 1.5 m away from the roof line,which tends to provide a good stability state for the rib.For different inter-band rock positions,two ways of controlling rib by increasing supports stiffness and flexible grouting reinforcement are proposed.

Exact and heuristic formulae to compute the geodetic height from the ellipse equation

The conversion of the cartesian coordinates of a point to its geodetic equivalent coordinates in reference to the geodetic ellipsoid is one of the main challenges in geodesy.The ellipse equation in the meridian plane significantly influences the value of the geodetic coordinates.This research analyzes this influence and how it can contribute to their solutions.The study investigates the mathematical relation between them and presents an exact formula relating to the geodetic height and the ellipse equation.In addition,a heuristic formula for the relation between the geodetic height and the ellipse equation is proposed,which is independent of the geodetic latitude and has a relative accuracy better than 99.9 %.The calculation is stable,and the cost is low.

The effect of topographic density variations on the geoid and orthometric heights in Hong Kong

Utilizing the adopted average topographic density of 2670 kg/m^(3)in the reduction of gravity anomalies introduces errors attributed to topographic density variations,which consequently affect geoid modeling accuracy.Furthermore,the mean gravity along the plumbline within the topography in the definition of Helmert orthometric heights is computed approximately by applying the Poincar e-Prey gravity reduction where the topographic density variations are disregarded.The Helmert orthometric heights of benchmarks are then affected by errors.These errors could be random or systematic depending on the specific geological setting of the region where the leveling network is physically established and/or the geoid model is determined.An example of systematic errors in orthometric heights can be given for large regions characterized by sediment or volcanic deposits,the density of which is substantially lower than the adopted topographic density used in Helmert's definition of heights.The same applies to geoid modeling errors.In this study,we investigate these errors in the Hong Kong territory,where topographic density is about 20%lower than the density of 2670 kg/m^(3).We use the digital rock density model to estimate the effect of topographic density variations on the geoid and orthometric heights.Our results show that this effect on the geoid and Helmert orthometric heights reach maxima of about 2.1 and 0.5 cm,respectively.Both results provide clear evidence that rock density models are essential in physical geodesy applications involving gravimetric geoid modeling and orthometric height determination despite some criticism that could be raised regarding the reliability of these density models.However,in regions dominated by sedimentary and igneous rocks,the geological information is essential in these applications because topographic densities are substantially lower than the average density of 2670 kg/m^(3),thus introducing large systematic errors in geoid and orthometric heights.

BnaC03.BIN2 regulates plant height by affecting the main inflorescence length and first effective branch height in Brassica napus L.

Rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)is one of the main oil crops in the world,and increasing its yield is of great significance for ensuring the safety of edible oil.Presently,improving rapeseed plant architecture is an effective way to increase rapeseed yield with higher planting density.However,the regulatory mechanism of rapeseed plant architecture is poorly understood.In this study,a dwarf rapeseed mutant dwarf08(df08)is obtained by ethyl methane sulfonate(EMS)-mutagenesis.The decrease in plant height of df08 is mainly caused by the reduction in main inflorescence length and first effective branch height and controlled by a single semi-dominant gene.The hybrid plants(F1)show a semi-dwarf phenotype.Through map-based cloning and transgenic assay,we confirm that the nonsynonymous single nucleotide variant(SNV)(C to T)in BnaC03.BIN2,which is homologous with Arabidopsis(Arabidopsis thaliana)BIN2,is responsible for the dwarfism of df08.BnaC03.BIN2 interacts with BnaBZR1/BES1 and involves in brassinosteroids(BRs)signal transduction.Proline to Leucine substitution in 284(P284L)enhances the protein stability of BnaC03.bin2-D,disrupts BRs signal transduction and affects the expression of genes regulating cell division,leading to dwarfism of df08.This study provides a new insight for the mechanism of rapeseed plant height regulation and creates an elite germplasm that can be used for genetic improvement of rapeseed architecture.

Influence of pier height on the safety of trains running on high-speed railway bridges during earthquakes

Sudden earthquakes pose a threat to the running safety of trains on high-speed railway bridges,and the stiffness of piers is one of the factors affecting the dynamic response of train-track-bridge system.In this paper,a experiment of a train running on a high-speed railway bridge is performed based on a dynamic experiment system,and the corresponding numerical model is established.The reliability of the numerical model is verified by experiments.Then,the experiment and numerical data are analyzed to reveal the pier height effects on the running safety of trains on bridges.The results show that when the pier height changes,the frequency of the bridge below the 30 m pier height changes greater;the increase of pier height causes the transverse fundamental frequency of the bridge close to that of the train,and the shaking angle and lateral displacement of the train are the largest for bridge with 50 m pier,which increases the risk of derailment;with the pier height increases from 8 m to 50 m,the derailment coefficient obtained by numerical simulations increases by 75% on average,and the spectral intensity obtained by experiments increases by 120% on average,two indicators exhibit logarithmic variation.

A Multi-Baseline PolInSAR Forest Height Inversion Method Taking into Account the Model Ill-posed Problem

Affected by the insufficient information of single baseline observation data,the three-stage method assumes the Ground-to-Volume Ratio(GVR)to be zero so as to invert the vegetation height.However,this assumption introduces much biases into the parameter estimates which greatly limits the accuracy of the vegetation height inversion.Multi-baseline observation can provide redundant information and is helpful for the inversion of GVR.Nevertheless,the similar model parameter values in a multi-baseline model often lead to ill-posed problems and reduce the inversion accuracy of conventional algorithm.To this end,we propose a new step-by-step inversion method applied to the multi-baseline observations.Firstly,an adjustment inversion model is constructed by using multi-baseline volume scattering dominant polarization data,and the regularized estimates of model parameters are obtained by regularization method.Then,the reliable estimates of GVR are determined by the MSE(mean square error)analysis of each regularized parameter estimation.Secondly,the estimated GVR is used to extracts the pure volume coherence,and then the vegetation height parameter is inverted from the pure volume coherence by least squares estimation.The experimental results show that the new method can improve the vegetation height inversion result effectively.The inversion accuracy is improved by 26%with respect to the three-stage method and the conventional solution of multi-baseline.All of these have demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the new method.

Estimating Key Phenological Dates of Multiple Rice Accessions Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Plant Height Dynamics for Breeding

Efficient and high-quality estimation of key phenological dates in rice is of great significance in breeding work. Plant height(PH) dynamics are valuable for estimating phenological dates. However, research on estimating the key phenological dates of multiple rice accessions based on PH dynamics has been limited. In 2022, field traits were collected using unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)-based images across 435 plots, including 364 rice varieties. PH, dates of initial heading(IH) and full heading(FH), and panicle initiation(PI), and growth period after transplanting(GPAT) were collected during the rice growth stage. PHs were extracted using a digital surface model(DSM) and fitted using Fourier and logistic models. Machine learning algorithms, including multiple linear regression, random forest(RF), support vector regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and elastic net regression, were employed to estimate phenological dates. Results indicated that the optimal percentile of the DSM for extracting rice PH was the 95th(R^(2) = 0.934, RMSE = 0.056 m). The Fourier model provided a better fit for PH dynamics compared with the logistic models. Additionally, curve features(CF) and GPAT were significantly associated with PI, IH, and FH. The combination of CF and GPAT outperformed the use of CF alone, with RF demonstrating the best performance among the algorithms. Specifically, the combination of CF extracted from the logistic models, GPAT, and RF yielded the best performance for estimating PI(R^(2) = 0.834, RMSE = 4.344 d), IH(R^(2) = 0.877, RMSE = 2.721 d), and FH(R^(2) = 0.883, RMSE = 2.694 d). Overall, UAV-based rice PH dynamics combined with machine learning effectively estimated the key phenological dates of multiple rice accessions, providing a novel approach for investigating key phenological dates in breeding work.

Hepatic Morphometric Correlation with Biophysical Profiling of Height

Introduction: Clinical assessment of hepatic span is usually subjective. And is based on the experience of the clinician. This is what has led to this study in using Biophysical profiling of Heights, Weights, and Body mass index to find the normal hepatic span of every individual. This study was conducted at HMG Hospital Limited, Abonnema in Rivers State in affiliation with the University of Port Harcourt. Methodology: The biophysical sampling method was instituted to select respondents. At the same time, a radiological formula was used to calculate the sample size, and subjects’ weight, height and hepatic span where measured while the BMI was calculated and the data was analyzed using python programming language for data science. Results: The data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation coefficient. P value greater than or equal to 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. The respondents were mainly aged 30 to 63 years. Conclusion: The null hypothesis was rejected;hence this research has stated the law known as Belema’s Law of hepatic-height correlation, which states that the hepatic span of an individual is directly proportional to the height of that individual except in disease conditions affecting the liver directly or indirectly.

Improving Satellite-Retrieved Cloud Base Height with Ground-Based Cloud Radar Measurements

Cloud base height(CBH) is a crucial parameter for cloud radiative effect estimates, climate change simulations, and aviation guidance. However, due to the limited information on cloud vertical structures included in passive satellite radiometer observations, few operational satellite CBH products are currently available. This study presents a new method for retrieving CBH from satellite radiometers. The method first uses the combined measurements of satellite radiometers and ground-based cloud radars to develop a lookup table(LUT) of effective cloud water content(ECWC), representing the vertically varying cloud water content. This LUT allows for the conversion of cloud water path to cloud geometric thickness(CGT), enabling the estimation of CBH as the difference between cloud top height and CGT. Detailed comparative analysis of CBH estimates from the state-of-the-art ECWC LUT are conducted against four ground-based millimeter-wave cloud radar(MMCR) measurements, and results show that the mean bias(correlation coefficient) is0.18±1.79 km(0.73), which is lower(higher) than 0.23±2.11 km(0.67) as derived from the combined measurements of satellite radiometers and satellite radar-lidar(i.e., Cloud Sat and CALIPSO). Furthermore, the percentages of the CBH biases within 250 m increase by 5% to 10%, which varies by location. This indicates that the CBH estimates from our algorithm are more consistent with ground-based MMCR measurements. Therefore, this algorithm shows great potential for further improvement of the CBH retrievals as ground-based MMCR are being increasingly included in global surface meteorological observing networks, and the improved CBH retrievals will contribute to better cloud radiative effect estimates.

Study of the Effects of Glucocorticoid on Growth and Adult Final Height in Children with Primary Nephrotic Syndrome

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of growth, as well as factors associated with growth retardation in children with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS), and to investigate the effect of glucocorticoid (GC) use duration on growth retardation in these children. Methods: Clinical and laboratory data of 353 PNS children treated at our hospital from July 2014 to June 2015 were collected through the medical record management system. Height, weight, and GC usage were recorded. Follow-up assessments were conducted in August 2022 for the original group, recording height, weight, and GC usage. Height and weight were evaluated using standard deviation scores (SDS). Categorical data were analyzed using chi-square test while continuous measurement data were analyzed using t-test or rank-sum test. Linear regression was used to assess the association between two single independent variables, and logistic regression analysis was used to screen for risk factors related to growth retardation in children with PNS. Results: Among the 353 PNS children enrolled in this study, male-to-female ratio of 2.64:1 (256 males vs 97 females). A total of 119 children exhibited growth retardation, incidence rate of 33.71%. The duration of GC usage among those with growth retardation was significantly longer compared to those without it (762.81 ± 934.50 days vs 263.77 ± 420.49 days;p Conclusion: PNS children treated with GC have a high incidence of growth retardation, and a high proportion of short stature in adulthood, especially in children with growth retardation in childhood, most of them have short stature after grown up. Time of GC usage is a risk factor for growth retardation in children with PNS.

Suitable region of dynamic optimal interpolation for efficiently altimetry sea surface height mapping

The dynamic optimal interpolation(DOI)method is a technique based on quasi-geostrophic dynamics for merging multi-satellite altimeter along-track observations to generate gridded absolute dynamic topography(ADT).Compared with the linear optimal interpolation(LOI)method,the DOI method can improve the accuracy of gridded ADT locally but with low computational efficiency.Consequently,considering both computational efficiency and accuracy,the DOI method is more suitable to be used only for regional applications.In this study,we propose to evaluate the suitable region for applying the DOI method based on the correlation between the absolute value of the Jacobian operator of the geostrophic stream function and the improvement achieved by the DOI method.After verifying the LOI and DOI methods,the suitable region was investigated in three typical areas:the Gulf Stream(25°N-50°N,55°W-80°W),the Japanese Kuroshio(25°N-45°N,135°E-155°E),and the South China Sea(5°N-25°N,100°E-125°E).We propose to use the DOI method only in regions outside the equatorial region and where the absolute value of the Jacobian operator of the geostrophic stream function is higher than1×10^(-11).

A Fine-grained Building Height Control Method for Heritage Areas from the Perspective of Visual Integrity

This study proposes a refined methodology for controlling building heights in heritage areas.In order to protect the visual integrity of the heritage area,buildings should not obstruct the view from important site points and viewpoints to the periphery.By calculating the building height thresholds that buildings should not obscure the view from each viewpoint,the results of which are weighted and superimposed,and the values are extracted to each building unit as a refined building height control guideline.This study takes the Zhoukoudian area as a case study,applies the refined building height control criterion to the Zhoukoudian Site,and relies on this refined criterion to assess the visual integrity of the Zhoukoudian area,so as to realize the scientific planning and monitoring of the Zhoukoudian area.The refined building height control method can be applied to building height planning and visual landscape protection in large heritage areas.

Factors influencing further vertebral height loss following percutaneous vertebroplasty in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures:A 1-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCFs)contribute to back pain and functional limitations in older individuals,with percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP)emerging as a minimally invasive treatment.However,further height loss post-PVP prompts investigation into contributing factors.AIM To investigate the factors associated with further height loss following PVP with cement augmentation in OVCF patients.METHODS A total of 200 OVCF patients who underwent successful PVP between January 2021 and December 2022 were included in this study.“Further height loss”during 1 year of follow-up in OVCF patients with bone edema was defined as a vertical height loss of≥4 mm.The study population was divided into two groups for analysis:The“No Further Height Loss group(n=179)”and the“Further Height Loss group(n=21).”RESULTS In comparing two distinct groups of patients,significant differences existed in bone mineral density(BMD),vertebral compression degree,prevalence of intravertebral cleft(IVF),type of bone cement used,and cement distribution patterns.Results from binary univariate regression analysis revealed that lower BMD,the presence of IVF,cleft distribution of bone cement,and higher vertebral compression degree were all significantly associated with further height loss.Notably,the use of mineralized collagen modified-poly(methyl methacrylate)bone cement was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of further height loss.In multivariate regression analysis,lower BMD and the presence of IVF remained significantly associated with further height loss.CONCLUSION Further height loss following PVP in OVCF patients is influenced by a complex interplay of factors,especially lower BMD and the presence of IVF.These findings underscore the importance of assessing and managing these factors when addressing height loss following PVP in OVCF patients.

Beyond Gender Perspectives:A More Comprehensive Examination of Yang Yi’s Translation of Wuthering Heights

The renowned translator Yang Yi passed away in 2023.Many scholars argue that,influenced by their biological gender,female translators often employ translation methods in adherence to feminist translation or reflect characteristics typical of female translators.This study examines the translation of Wuthering Heights by Yang Yi,focusing on whether there is a definite influence of gender on translator behavior.While existing literature primarily analyzes Yang Yi’s work through a feminist lens,this research takes a broader approach.By considering the translator’s social background and translation practice,this paper challenges the assumption that her work strictly aligns with feminist translation theories.Instead,this study emphasizes the importance of considering diverse factors when interpreting translated works,moving beyond a singular gender-based standpoint.

Extended finite element-based cohesive zone method for modeling simultaneous hydraulic fracture height growth in layered reservoirs

In this study,a fully coupled hydromechanical model within the extended finite element method(XFEM)-based cohesive zone method(CZM)is employed to investigate the simultaneous height growth behavior of multi-cluster hydraulic fractures in layered porous reservoirs with modulus contrast.The coupled hydromechanical model is first verified against an analytical solution and a laboratory experiment.Then,the fracture geometry(e.g.height,aperture,and area)and fluid pressure evolutions of multiple hydraulic fractures placed in a porous reservoir interbedded with alternating stiff and soft layers are investigated using the model.The stress and pore pressure distributions within the layered reservoir during fluid injection are also presented.The simulation results reveal that stress umbrellas are easily to form among multiple hydraulic fractures’tips when propagating in soft layers,which impedes the simultaneous height growth.It is also observed that the impediment effect of soft layer is much more significant in the fractures suppressed by the preferential growth of adjoining fractures.After that,the combined effect of in situ stress ratio and fracturing spacing on the multi-fracture height growth is presented,and the results elucidate the influence of in situ stress ratio on the height growth behavior depending on the fracture spacing.Finally,it is found that the inclusion of soft layers changes the aperture distribution of outmost and interior hydraulic fractures.The results obtained from this study may provide some insights on the understanding of hydraulic fracture height containment observed in filed.

An approach to estimate tree height using PolInSAR data constructed by the Sentinel-1 dual-pol SAR data and RVoG model

We estimate tree heights using polarimetric interferometric synthetic aperture radar(PolInSAR)data constructed by the dual-polarization(dual-pol)SAR data and random volume over the ground(RVoG)model.Considering the Sentinel-1 SAR dual-pol(SVV,vertically transmitted and vertically received and SVH,vertically transmitted and horizontally received)configuration,one notes that S_(HH),the horizontally transmitted and horizontally received scattering element,is unavailable.The S_(HH)data were constructed using the SVH data,and polarimetric SAR(PolSAR)data were obtained.The proposed approach was first verified in simulation with satisfactory results.It was next applied to construct PolInSAR data by a pair of dual-pol Sentinel-1A data at Duke Forest,North Carolina,USA.According to local observations and forest descriptions,the range of estimated tree heights was overall reasonable.Comparing the heights with the ICESat-2 tree heights at 23 sampling locations,relative errors of 5 points were within±30%.Errors of 8 points ranged from 30%to 40%,but errors of the remaining 10 points were>40%.The results should be encouraged as error reduction is possible.For instance,the construction of PolSAR data should not be limited to using SVH,and a combination of SVH and SVV should be explored.Also,an ensemble of tree heights derived from multiple PolInSAR data can be considered since tree heights do not vary much with time frame in months or one season.