Exploring the interaction between the gut microbiota and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A signaling pathway:a potential therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases

The interaction between the gut microbiota and cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)-protein kinase A(PKA)signaling pathway in the host's central nervous system plays a crucial role in neurological diseases and enhances communication along the gut–brain axis.The gut microbiota influences the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway through its metabolites,which activates the vagus nerve and modulates the immune and neuroendocrine systems.Conversely,alterations in the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway can affect the composition of the gut microbiota,creating a dynamic network of microbial-host interactions.This reciprocal regulation affects neurodevelopment,neurotransmitter control,and behavioral traits,thus playing a role in the modulation of neurological diseases.The coordinated activity of the gut microbiota and the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway regulates processes such as amyloid-β protein aggregation,mitochondrial dysfunction,abnormal energy metabolism,microglial activation,oxidative stress,and neurotransmitter release,which collectively influence the onset and progression of neurological diseases.This study explores the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway,along with its implications for potential therapeutic interventions in neurological diseases.Recent pharmacological research has shown that restoring the balance between gut flora and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway may improve outcomes in neurodegenerative diseases and emotional disorders.This can be achieved through various methods such as dietary modifications,probiotic supplements,Chinese herbal extracts,combinations of Chinese herbs,and innovative dosage forms.These findings suggest that regulating the gut microbiota and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway may provide valuable evidence for developing novel therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases.

Effects of Spark Ignition Engine Operating Parameters on Its Cyclic Variation ——Modeling and Simulation

An engine cyclic variation model has been built by using the residual gas temperature for the n th cycle as the input of the model, through constant pressure intake process, adiabatic compression process, constant volume combustion process, adiabatic expansion process, adiabatic blow down process and constant pressure exhaust process to approximate the thermodynamic processes in the cylinder, finally the residual gas temperature for the ( n+1) th cycle can be estimated. Because of the adding of engine operating parameters such as engine speed, spark advance, equivalence ratio, intake air pressure, intake air temperature to the model, effects of these parameters on cyclic variation can be estimated quantitatively. Since residual gas temperature fluctuation between cycles reflects the circumstances of engine cyclic variation, parameters to which residual gas temperature is sensitive are most likely used as the means to control cyclic variation. Model simulation shows that for the nearly stiochiometric mixture, cyclic variation is not obvious or even quite stable, but for the lean mixture, under the circumstances of partial load and larger spark advances, engine cyclic variations occur chaotically or with bifurcation.

Diurnal variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with PM_(2.5) in Shanghai, China

Forty-eight daily time interval PM2.5 samples were collected from December 2006 to January 2008 in an urban site in Shanghai, China. Concentrations and compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） were analyzed with GC-MS to study the diurnal and seasonal variations and to identify the main emitting sources. The diurnal variation of the PAHs concentrations was greater in the late autumn and winter sampling days, and was greatly influenced by meteorological conditions such as wind speed and ambient temperature. The concentration of PAHs in the mornings （6：30–10：00） increased distinctly, and was high in the late autumn and winter sampling days, indicating the contribution from vehicle emissions during rush hours. The diurnal variation of the high molecular weight PAHs did not seem to be controlled by the shift of gas-particle partitioning due to temperature variation, instead, it could be indicative of the variation in the source. Statistical analyses showed that the concentrations of PAHs were negatively correlated with temperature and wind speed, and positively correlated with relative humidity. Diagnostic ratios of PAHs suggested mixed emission sources of petroleum and coal/biomass combustion for PAHs in the PM2.5 in Shanghai.

VECTORIAL EKELAND VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLE AND CYCLICALLY ANTIMONOTONE EQUILIBRIUM PROBLEMS

In this article, we extend the cyclic antimonotonicity from scalar bifunctions to vector bifunctions. We find out a cyclically antimonotone vector bifunction can be regarded as a family of cyclically antimonotone scalar bifunctions. Using a pre-order principle(see Qiu, 2014), we prove a new version of Ekeland variational principle(briefly, denoted by EVP), which is quite different from the previous ones, for the objective function consists of a family of scalar functions. From the new version, we deduce several vectorial EVPs for cyclically antimonotone equilibrium problems, which extend and improve the previous results. By developing the original method proposed by Castellani and Giuli, we deduce a number of existence results(no matter scalar-valued case,or vector-valued case), when the feasible set is a sequentially compact topological space or a countably compact topological space. Finally, we propose a general coercivity condition. Combining the general coercivity condition and the obtained existence results with compactness conditions, we obtain several existence results for equilibrium problems in noncompact settings.

Variation of the uniaxial tensile behavior of ultrafine-grained pure aluminum after cyclic pre-deformation

To explore the influence of cyclic pre-deformation on the mechanical behavior of ultrafine-grained（UFG）materials with a high stacking fault energy（SFE）,UFG Al processed by equal-channel angular pressing（ECAP）was selected as a target material and its tensile behavior at different pre-cyclic levels D（D=N_i/N_f,where N_i and N_f are the applied cycles and fatigue life at a constant stress amplitude of 50 MPa,respectively）along with the corresponding microstructures and deformation features were systematically studied.The cyclic pre-deformation treatment on the ECAPed UFG Al led to a decrease in flow stress,and a stress quasi-plateau stage was observed after yielding for all of the different-state UFG Al samples.The yield strengths_（YS）,ultimate tensile strengths_（UTS）,and uniform straineexhibited a strong dependence on D when D≤20%;however,when D was in the range from 20%to 50%,no obvious change in mechanical properties was observed.The micro-mechanism for the effect of cyclic pre-deformation on the tensile properties of the ECAPed UFG Al was revealed and compared with that of ECAPed UFG Cu through the observations of deformation features and microstructures.

Three-Dimensional Models for Analyzing the Cyclic Variations in a Lean Burn CNG Engine

Three-dimensional models, consisting of the flame kernel formation model, flame kernel development model and natural gas single step reaction model, are used to analyze the contribution of cyclic equivalence ratio variations to cyclic variations in the compressed natural gas （CNG） lean burn spark ignition engine. Computational results including the contributions of equivalence ratio cyclic variations to each combustion stage and effects of engine speed to the extent of combustion variations are discussed. It is concluded that the equivalence ratio variations affect mostly the main stage of combustion and hardly influence initial kernel development stage.

Evaluation and Control of Cyclic Variation in Spark Ignited Engines by a Thermodynamic Model

An evaluation method of engine cyclic variation is proposed based on fuzzy mathematics concept. The degree of engine cyclic variation is divided into 4 levels: stable, slight variation, moderate variation and serious variation based on the statistic standard deviation of residual gas temperatures within the specified simulation cycles and the function of cyclic variation is also inducted for the cyclic variation control. Because the degree of engine cyclic variation can be estimated qualitatively, the effective control means can be applied to appease the undesired cyclic variation. Simulation result shows that for a very serious cyclic variation through the proper adjustment of the spark angle and the cyclic variation will disappear.

Influence of Contractility on Myocardial Ultrasonic Integrated Backscatter and Cyclic Variation in Integrated Backscatter

To evaluate the effects of left ventricular contractility on the changes of aver age image intensity (AII) of the myocardial integrated backscatter (IB) and cyclic variation in IB (CVIB), 7 adult mongrel dogs were studied. The magnitude of AII and CVIB were measured from myocardial IB carves before and after dobuta mine or propranolol infusion. Dobutamine or propranolol did not affect the magnitude of AII (13.8±0.7 vs 14.7±0.5, P >0.05 or 14.3±0.5 vs 14.2±0.4, P >0.05). However, dobutamine produced a significant increase in the magnitude of CVIB (6.8±0.3 vs 9.5±0.6, P <0.001) and propranolol induced significant decrease in the magnitude of CVIB (7.1±0.2 vs 5.2±0.3, P <0.001). The changes of the magnitude of AII and CVIB in the myocardium have been demonstrated to reflect different myocardial physiological and pathological changes respectively. The alteration of contractility did not affect the magnitude of AII but induced significant change in CVIB. The increase of left ventricular contractility res ulted in a significant rise of the magnitude of CVIB and the decrease of left ventricular contractility resulted in a significant fall of the magnitude of CVIB.

Continuous-cyclic variations in the b-value of the earthquake frequency-magnitude distribution

Seismicity of the Earth （M ≥ 4.5） was compiled from NEIC, IRIS and ISC catalogues and used to compute b-value based on various time windows. It is found that continuous cyclic b-variations occur on both long and short time scales, the latter being of much higher value and sometimes in excess of 0.7 of the absolute b-value. These variations occur not only yearly or monthly, but also daily. Before the occurrence of large earthquakes, b-values start increasing with variable gradients that are affected by foreshocks. In some cases, the gradient is reduced to zero or to a negative value a few days before the earthquake occurrence. In general, calculated b-values attain maxima 1 day before large earthquakes and minima soon after their occurrence. Both linear regression and maximum likelihood methods give correlatable, but variable results. It is found that an expanding time window technique from a fixed starting point is more effective in the study of b-variations. The calculated b-variations for the whole Earth, its hemispheres, quadrants and the epicentral regions of some large earthquakes are of both local and regional character, which may indicate that in such cases, the geodynamic processes acting within a certain region have a much regional effect within the Earth. The b-variations have long been known to vary with a number of local and regional factors including tectonic stresses. The results reported here indicate that geotectonic stress remains the most significant factor that controls b-variations. It is found that for earthquakes with Mw ≥ 7, an increase of about 0.20 in the b-value implies a stress increase that will result in an earthquake with a magnitude one unit higher.

Mechanical responses of anchoring structure under triaxial cyclic loading

Dynamic load on anchoring structures(AS)within deep roadways can result in cumulative damage and failure.This study develops an experimental device designed to test AS under triaxial loads.The device enables the investigation of the mechanical response,failure mode,instability assessment criteria,and anchorage effect of AS subjected to combined cyclic dynamic-static triaxial stress paths.The results show that the peak bearing strength is positively correlated with the anchoring matrix strength,anchorage length,and edgewise compressive strength.The bearing capacity decreases significantly when the anchorage direction is severely inclined.The free face failure modes are typically transverse cracking,concave fracturing,V-shaped slipping and detachment,and spallation detachment.Besides,when the anchoring matrix strength and the anchorage length decrease while the edgewise compressive strength,loading rate,and anchorage inclination angle increase,the failure intensity rises.Instability is determined by a negative tangent modulus of the displacement-strength curve or the continued deformation increase against the general downward trend.Under cyclic loads,the driving force that breaks the rock mass along the normal vector and the rigidity of the AS are the two factors that determine roadway stability.Finally,a control measure for surrounding rock stability is proposed to reduce the internal driving force via a pressure relief method and improve the rigidity of the AS by full-length anchorage and grouting modification.

Improvement of Cyclic Stability of Na_(0.67)Mn_(0.8)Ni_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2 )via Suppressing Lattice Variation

Strategies to prolong operational life are highly pursued to strengthen the advantage of cost-effectiveness on sodium-ion batteries(SIBs).We demonstrate the crucial influence of particles'internal mechanical strains on durability of cathode,which does not attract enough attentions from the community.Among the investigated samples,2%Ti-modified-Na_(0.67)Ni_(0.1)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.8)O_(2 )suppresses the c-axis lattice variation by 38%,attains the reversible capacity 86%higher after 200 cycles,and still keeps intact morphology.This approach indicates that the mechanical properties could tailor cyclic stability of cathode,which is particular important to further improve competitiveness for SIBs.

Associations of genome-wide structural variations with phenotypic differences in cross-bred Eurasian pigs

Background During approximately 10,000 years of domestication and selection,a large number of structural variations(SVs)have emerged in the genome of pig breeds,profoundly influencing their phenotypes and the ability to adapt to the local environment.SVs(≥50 bp)are widely distributed in the genome,mainly in the form of insertion(INS),mobile element insertion(MEI),deletion(DEL),duplication(DUP),inversion(INV),and translocation(TRA).While studies have investigated the SVs in pig genomes,genome-wide association studies(GWAS)-based on SVs have been rarely conducted.Results Here,we obtained a high-quality SV map containing 123,151 SVs from 15 Large White and 15 Min pigs through integrating the power of several SV tools,with 53.95%of the SVs being reported for the first time.These high-quality SVs were used to recover the population genetic structure,confirming the accuracy of genotyping.Potential functional SV loci were then identified based on positional effects and breed stratification.Finally,GWAS were performed for 36 traits by genotyping the screened potential causal loci in the F2 population according to their corresponding genomic positions.We identified a large number of loci involved in 8 carcass traits and 6 skeletal traits on chromosome 7,with FKBP5 containing the most significant SV locus for almost all traits.In addition,we found several significant loci in intramuscular fat,abdominal circumference,heart weight,and liver weight,etc.Conclusions We constructed a high-quality SV map using high-coverage sequencing data and then analyzed them by performing GWAS for 25 carcass traits,7 skeletal traits,and 4 meat quality traits to determine that SVs may affect body size between European and Chinese pig breeds.

Experimental study of the damage characteristics of rocks containing non-penetrating cracks under cyclic loading

The damage evolution process of non-penetrating cracks often causes some unexpected engineering disasters.Gypsum specimens containing non-penetrating crack(s)are used to study the damage evolution and characteristics under cyclic loading.The results show that under cyclic loading,the relationship between the number of non-penetrating crack(s)and the characteristic parameters(cyclic number,peak stress,peak strain,failure stress,and failure strain)of the pre-cracked specimens can be represented by a decreasing linear function.The damage evolution equation is fitted by calibrating the accumulative plastic strain for each cycle,and the damage constitutive equation is proposed by the concept of effective stress.Additionally,non-penetrating cracks are more likely to cause uneven stress distribution,damage accumulation,and local failure of specimen.The local failure can change the stress distribution and relieve the inhibition of non-penetrating crack extension and eventually cause a dramatic destruction of the specimen.Therefore,the evolution process caused by non-penetrating cracks can be regarded as one of the important reasons for inducing rockburst.These results are expected to improve the understanding of the process of spalling formation and rockburst and can be used to analyze the stability of rocks or rock structures.

Insights into genetic diversity and phenotypic variations in domestic geese through comprehensive population and pan-genome analysis

Background Domestic goose breeds are descended from either the Swan goose(Anser cygnoides)or the Greylag goose(Anser anser),exhibiting variations in body size,reproductive performance,egg production,feather color,and other phenotypic traits.Constructing a pan-genome facilitates a thorough identification of genetic variations,thereby deepening our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic diversity and phenotypic variability.Results To comprehensively facilitate population genomic and pan-genomic analyses in geese,we embarked on the task of 659 geese whole genome resequencing data and compiling a database of 155 RNA-seq samples.By constructing the pan-genome for geese,we generated non-reference contigs totaling 612 Mb,unveiling a collection of 2,813 novel genes and pinpointing 15,567 core genes,1,324 softcore genes,2,734 shell genes,and 878 cloud genes in goose genomes.Furthermore,we detected an 81.97 Mb genomic region showing signs of genome selection,encompassing the TGFBR2 gene correlated with variations in body weight among geese.Genome-wide association studies utilizing single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)and presence-absence variation revealed significant genomic associations with various goose meat quality,reproductive,and body composition traits.For instance,a gene encoding the SVEP1 protein was linked to carcass oblique length,and a distinct gene-CDS haplotype of the SVEP1 gene exhibited an association with carcass oblique length.Notably,the pan-genome analysis revealed enrichment of variable genes in the“hair follicle maturation”Gene Ontology term,potentially linked to the selection of feather-related traits in geese.A gene presence-absence variation analysis suggested a reduced frequency of genes associated with“regulation of heart contraction”in domesticated geese compared to their wild counterparts.Our study provided novel insights into gene expression features and functions by integrating gene expression patterns across multiple organs and tissues in geese and analyzing population variation.Conclusion This accomplishment originates from the discernment of a multitude of selection signals and candidate genes associated with a wide array of traits,thereby markedly enhancing our understanding of the processes underlying domestication and breeding in geese.Moreover,assembling the pan-genome for geese has yielded a comprehensive apprehension of the goose genome,establishing it as an indispensable asset poised to offer innovative viewpoints and make substantial contributions to future geese breeding initiatives.

Damage evolution of rock-encased-backfill structure under stepwise cyclic triaxial loading

Rock-encased-backfill(RB)structures are common in underground mining,for example in the cut-andfill and stoping methods.To understand the effects of cyclic excavation and blasting activities on the damage of these RB structures,a series of triaxial stepwise-increasing-amplitude cyclic loading experiments was conducted with cylindrical RB specimens(rock on outside,backfill on inside)with different volume fractions of rock(VF=0.48,0.61,0.73,and 0.84),confining pressures(0,6,9,and 12 MPa),and cyclic loading rates(200,300,400,and 500 N/s).The damage evolution and meso-crack formation during the cyclic tests were analyzed with results from stress-strain hysteresis loops,acoustic emission events,and post-failure X-ray 3D fracture morphology.The results showed significant differences between cyclic and monotonic loadings of RB specimens,particularly with regard to the generation of shear microcracks,the development of stress memory and strain hardening,and the contact forces and associated friction that develops along the rock-backfill interface.One important finding is that as a function of the number of cycles,the elastic strain increases linearly and the dissipated energy increases exponentially.Also,compared with monotonic loading,the cyclic strain hardening characteristics are more sensitive to rising confining pressures during the initial compaction stage.Another finding is that compared with monotonic loading,more shear microcracks are generated during every reloading stage,but these microcracks tend to be dispersed and lessen the likelihood of large shear fracture formation.The transition from elastic to plastic behavior varies depending on the parameters of each test(confinement,volume fraction,and cyclic rate),and an interesting finding was that the transformation to plastic behavior is significantly lower under the conditions of 0.73 rock volume fraction,400 N/s cyclic loading rate,and 9 MPa confinement.All the findings have important practical implications on the ability of backfill to support underground excavations.

Liquefaction susceptibility and deformation characteristics of saturated coral sandy soils subjected to cyclic loadings-a critical review

Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and responses of these soils subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings have been a subject of intense interest among the geotechnical and earthquake engineering communities.This paper critically reviews the progress of experimental investigations on the undrained behavior of coral sandy soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings over the last three decades.The focus of coverage includes the contractive-dilative behavior,the pattern of excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)generation and the liquefaction mechanism and liquefaction resistance,the small-strain shear modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus and damping,the cyclic softening feature,and the anisotropic characteristics of undrained responses of saturated coral sandy soils.In particular,the advances made in the past decades are reviewed from the following aspects:(1)the characterization of factors that impact the mechanism and patterns of EPWP build-up;(2)the identification of liquefaction triggering in terms of the apparent viscosity and the average flow coefficient;(3)the establishment of the invariable form of strain-based,stress-based,or energy-based EPWP ratio formulas and the unique relationship between the new proxy of liquefaction resistance and the number of cycles required to reach liquefaction;(4)the establishment of the invariable form of the predictive formulas of small strain modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus;and(5)the investigation on the effects of stress-induced anisotropy on liquefaction susceptibility and dynamic deformation characteristics.Insights gained through the critical review of these advances in the past decades offer a perspective for future research to further resolve the fundamental issues concerning the liquefaction mechanism and responses of coral sandy sites subjected to cyclic loadings associated with seismic events in marine environments.

Cyclic shear behavior of en-echelon joints under constant normal stiffness conditions

To reveal the mechanism of shear failure of en-echelon joints under cyclic loading,such as during earthquakes,we conducted a series of cyclic shear tests of en-echelon joints under constant normal stiffness(CNS)conditions.We analyzed the evolution of shear stress,normal stress,stress path,dilatancy characteristics,and friction coefficient and revealed the failure mechanisms of en-echelon joints at different angles.The results show that the cyclic shear behavior of the en-echelon joints is closely related to the joint angle,with the shear strength at a positive angle exceeding that at a negative angle during shear cycles.As the number of cycles increases,the shear strength decreases rapidly,and the difference between the varying angles gradually decreases.Dilation occurs in the early shear cycles(1 and 2),while contraction is the main feature in later cycles(310).The friction coefficient decreases with the number of cycles and exhibits a more significant sensitivity to joint angles than shear cycles.The joint angle determines the asperities on the rupture surfaces and the block size,and thus determines the subsequent shear failure mode(block crushing and asperity degradation).At positive angles,block size is more greater and asperities on the rupture surface are smaller than at nonpositive angles.Therefore,the cyclic shear behavior is controlled by block crushing at positive angles and asperity degradation at negative angles.

Origin of the presence/absence variation of the LTIA1/LTIA2 mini-ribonucleaseⅢgenes required for low-temperature growth in rice

A rice low temperature-induced albino variant was determined by the recessive ltia1 and ltia2 genes.LTIA1 and LTIA2 encode highly conserved mini-ribonucleasesⅢlocated in chloroplasts and expressed in aerial parts of the plant.At low temperature,LTIA1 and LTIA2 redundantly affect chlorophyll levels,non-photochemical quenching,photosynthetic quantum yield of PSⅡand seedling growth.LTIA1 and LTIA2 proteins are involved in splicing of atp F and the biogenesis of 16S and 23S rRNA in chloroplasts.Presence/absence variation of LTIA1,the ancestral copy,was found only in japonica but that of LTIA2 in all rice subgroups.Accessions with LTIA2 presence tended to be distributed more remote from the equator compared to those with LTIA2 absence.LTIA2 duplicated from LTIA1 at the early stage of divergence of the AA genome Oryza species but deleted againin O.nivara.In cultivated rice,absence of LTIA2 is derived from O.nivara.LTIA1 absence occurred more recently in japonica.

Spatial Variation in CO_(2) Concentration Improves the Simulated Surface Air Temperature Increase in the Northern Hemisphere

The increasing concentration of atmospheric CO_(2) since the Industrial Revolution has affected surface air temperature.However,the impact of the spatial distribution of atmospheric CO_(2) concentration on surface air temperature biases remains highly unclear.By incorporating the spatial distribution of satellite-derived atmospheric CO_(2) concentration in the Beijing Normal University Earth System Model,this study investigated the increase in surface air temperature since the Industrial Revolution in the Northern Hemisphere(NH) under historical conditions from 1976-2005.In comparison with the increase in surface temperature simulated using a uniform distribution of CO_(2),simulation with a nonuniform distribution of CO_(2)produced better agreement with the Climatic Research Unit(CRU) data in the NH under the historical condition relative to the baseline over the period 1901-30.Hemispheric June-July-August(JJA) surface air temperature increased by 1.28℃ ±0.29℃ in simulations with a uniform distribution of CO_(2),by 1.00℃±0.24℃ in simulations with a non-uniform distribution of CO_(2),and by 0.24℃ in the CRU data.The decrease in downward shortwave radiation in the non-uniform CO_(2) simulation was primarily attributable to reduced warming in Eurasia,combined with feedbacks resulting from increased leaf area index(LAI) and latent heat fluxes.These effects were more pronounced in the non-uniform CO_(2)simulation compared to the uniform CO_(2) simulation.Results indicate that consideration of the spatial distribution of CO_(2)concentration can reduce the overestimated increase in surface air temperature simulated by Earth system models.

Variations in evaporation from water surfaces along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert over nearly 60 years and influencing factors

Based on meteorological data collected over nearly 60 years(1960-2017)from four national meteorological stations along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert,this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in evaporation from water surfaces and identified the dominant controlling factors.Methods used included linear trend analysis,linear tendency estimation,the departure method,the rank correlation coefficient-based method,and Multiple Linear Regression(MLR).Results indicate notable spatiotemporal differences in evaporation distribution and evolution.Spatially,average annual evaporation exhibited a pronounced altitude effect,decreasing at a rate of about 8.23 mm/m from east to west with increasing altitude.Temporally,annual evaporation showed significant upward trends after 1996 at the northeastern(Guaizi Lake)and western(Dingxin)margins,with rates of 132 mm/10a and 105 mm/10a,respectively.Conversely,along the northwestern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins of the desert,an evaporation paradox was observed,with annual evaporation trending downward at rates of 162 mm/10a and 187 mm/10a,respectively,especially after 1987.The dominant factors controlling evaporation varied spatially:Average annual temperature and relative humidity influended the western margin(Dingxin),average annual temperature was the key factor for the northeastern margin(Guaizi Lake),and average wind speed was crucial for the northern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins.