Zircon U-Pb ages in the Nuratau ophiolitic mélange in the southern Tianshan,Uzbekistan:Implication for the closure of Paleo-Asian Ocean

1.Objective The Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB),which is located between the European craton,Siberian craton,and Tarim-North China craton(Fig.1a),is the largest phanerozoic accretionary orogen in the world.It resulted from the longterm subduction and accretion of the Paleo-Asian Ocean(PAO).The PAO has been in existence since at least the late Mesoproterozoic(about 1020 Ma).However,there has been debate about the closing time of the PAO.

Persistent Variations in the East Asian Trough from March to April and the Possible Mechanism

The East Asian trough(EAT)profoundly influences the East Asian spring climate.In this study,the relationship of the EATs among the three spring months is investigated.Correlation analysis shows that the variation in March EAT is closely related to that of April EAT.Extended empirical orthogonal function(EEOF)analysis also confirms the co-variation of the March and April EATs.The positive/negative EEOF1 features the persistent strengthened/weakened EAT from March to April.Further investigation indicates that the variations in EEOF1 are related to a dipole sea surface temperature(SST)pattern over the North Atlantic and the SST anomaly over the tropical Indian Ocean.The dipole SST pattern over the North Atlantic,with one center east of Newfoundland Island and another east of Bermuda,could trigger a Rossby wave train to influence the EAT in March−April.The SST anomaly over the tropical Indian Ocean can change the Walker circulation and influence the atmospheric circulation over the tropical western Pacific,subsequently impacting the southern part of the EAT in March−April.Besides the SST factors,the Northeast Asian snow cover could change the regional thermal conditions and lead to persistent EAT anomalies from March to April.These three impact factors are generally independent of each other,jointly explaining large variations in the EAT EEOF1.Moreover,the signals of the three factors could be traced back to February,consequently providing a potential prediction source for the EAT variation in March and April.

Provenance of Conglomerate and Sandstone from Early Permian Shoushangou Formation in Xi Ujimqin,Inner Mongolia:Implications for Understanding Paleo-Asian Ocean Subduction

During the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian,a rift was formed by post-collisional extension after ocean closure or an island arc-related basin formed by Paleo-Asian Ocean(PAO)subduction in the Xi Ujimqin area.Nevertheless,the closure time of the PAO is still under debate.Thus,to identify the origin of the PAO,the geochemistry and U-Pb age of zircons were analyzed for the extra-large deep marine,polymict clastic boulders and sandstones in the Shoushangou Formation within the basin.The analyses revealed magmatic activity and tectonic evolution.The conglomerates include megaclasts of granite(298.8±9.1 Ma)and granodiorite porphyry(297.1±3.1 Ma),which were deposited by muddy debris flow.Results of this study demonstrated that the boulders of granitoids have the geochemistry of typical I-type granite,characterized by low Zr+Nb+Ce+Y and low Ga/Al values.The granitoid boulders were formed in island arc setting,indicating the presence of arc magmatism in the area that is composed of the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian subduction-related granitoid in southern Xi Ujimqin.Multiple diagrams for determining sedimentary provenance using major and trace elements indicate that Shoushangou sediments originated from continental island arc-related felsic rocks.Detrital zircon U-Pb age cluster of 330–280 Ma was obtained,indicating input from granite,ophiolite,Xilin Gol complex,and Carboniferous sources to the south.The basin was geographically developed behind the arc during the Early Permian period because the outcropped intrusive rocks in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian form a volcanic arc.The comprehensive analyses of source areas suggest that Shoushangou sediments developed in a backarc basin in response to the northward subduction of the PAO.The backarc basin and intrusive rocks,in addition to previously published Late Carboniferous to Early Permian magmatic rocks of arc unit in Xilin Gol,confirm the presence of an Early Permian trencharc-basin system in the region,represented by the Baolidao arc and Xi Ujimqin backarc basin.This study highlights the importance and potential of combined geochemical and geochronological studies of conglomerates and sandstone for reconstructing the geodynamic setting of a basin.

About Asian Agricultural Research

Asian Agricultural Research(ISSN 1943-9903),founded in 2009,is a monthly comprehensive agricultural academic journal published and approved by the Library of Congress of the United States of America.

Australian Wine is Coming Back to the Chinese Table

China's Ministry of Commerce announced the termination of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of wine originating in Australia from March 29.This means that Australian wine is finally returning to the Chinese market after three years of dormancy.In the past three years,the market has changed rapidly and China's local wine sector has also grown.What changes can we expect the return of Australian wine to bring to the market?

KCNQ1 rs2237895 gene polymorphism increases susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in Asian populations

BACKGROUND The association of single nucleotide polymorphism of KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is currently controversial.It is unknown whether this association can be gene realized across different populations.AIM To determine the association of KCNQ1 rs2237895 with T2DM and provide reliable evidence for genetic susceptibility to T2DM.METHODS We searched PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,Medline,Baidu Academic,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,China Biomedical Literature Database,and Wanfang to investigate the association between KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 and the risk of T2DM up to January 12,2022.Review Manager 5.4 was used to analyze the association of the KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 polymorphism with T2DM and to evaluate the publication bias of the selected literature.RESULTS Twelve case–control studies(including 11273 cases and 11654 controls)met our inclusion criteria.In the full population,allelic model[odds ratio(OR):1.19;95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.09–1.29;P<0.0001],recessive model(OR:1.20;95%CI:1.11–1.29;P<0.0001),dominant model(OR:1.27.95%CI:1.14–1.42;P<0.0001),and codominant model(OR:1.36;95%CI:1.15–1.60;P=0.0003)(OR:1.22;95%CI:1.10–1.36;P=0.0002)indicated that the KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 polymorphism was significantly correlated with susceptibility to T2DM.In stratified analysis,this association was confirmed in Asian populations:allelic model(OR:1.25;95%CI:1.13–1.37;P<0.0001),recessive model(OR:1.29;95%CI:1.11–1.49;P=0.0007),dominant model(OR:1.35;95%CI:1.20–1.52;P<0.0001),codominant model(OR:1.49;95%CI:1.22–1.81;P<0.0001)(OR:1.26;95%CI:1.16–1.36;P<0.0001).In non-Asian populations,this association was not significant:Allelic model(OR:1.06,95%CI:0.98–1.14;P=0.12),recessive model(OR:1.04;95%CI:0.75–1.42;P=0.83),dominant model(OR:1.06;95%CI:0.98–1.15;P=0.15),codominant model(OR:1.08;95%CI:0.82–1.42;P=0.60.OR:1.15;95%CI:0.95–1.39;P=0.14).CONCLUSION KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 was significantly associated with susceptibility to T2DM in an Asian population.Carriers of the C allele had a higher risk of T2DM.This association was not significant in non-Asian populations.

Molecular Phylogeny, Species Delimitation and Taxonomic Revision of the Australian Spider Wasp Genus Heterodontonyx Haupt, 1935 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Heterodontonyx (Pompilidae: Pepsinae) is an understudied genus with Australasiandistribution and most species are endemic to Australia. There have recently been sometaxonomic changes involving the genera Heterodontonyx and Cryptocheilus based on molecular and morphological evidence, however, phylogenetic relationships within Heterodontonyx, species delimitation and formal revision have not been conducted. Here, we construct a Maximum Likelihood phylogeny estimate of Heterodontonyx based on ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2 region of 30 samples representing seven Heterodontonyx morphospecies. bPTP species delimitation approach was employed and ultimately the taxonomic revision of the genus was carried out. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support the monophyly of Heterodontonyx and the species delimitation method recognizes eight species among which one new species is identified.

Revisiting East Asian monsoon change during the Last Glacial Maximum using PMIP4 simulations

利用PMIP4多模式试验数据,本文重新检查了末次冰盛期(距今约21000年)东亚季风变化.结果表明:相对于工业革命前期,所有5个模式一致模拟显示末次冰盛期东亚季风减弱,冬季和夏季减幅分别为1%-18%和2-32%;不同模式中东亚季风环流变化的空间分布存在差异,这主要源于该时期大尺度变冷和海平面气压梯度变化的空间分布不同;由于模式之间的差异和重建记录之间的不确定性,未来有待开展更多模拟和重建工作以更好地理解冰期东亚季风变化.

Research Suggests New Toolmaking Timeline for East Asian Hominins

Anew study from the Nihewan basin of China has revealed that hominins who possessed advanced knapping abilities equivalent to Mode 2 technological features occupied East Asia as early as 1.1 million years ago(Ma),which is 0.3 Ma earlier than the date associated with the first handaxes found in East Asia.This suggests that Mode 2 hominins dispersed into East Asia much earlier than previously thought.

Study on the Promotion of Digital Trade to Northeast Asian Regional Economy

Society is currently transitioning from the era of informatization and digitization to the era of intelligence.Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence,the Internet of Things,and big data are permeating every aspect of production and life.This penetration presents a rare opportunity for the development of digital trade and catalyzes innovation in traditional trade patterns.This paper first analyzes the inevitability of digital trade development in Northeast Asia.Secondly,it delves into the challenges faced by digital trade development and explores in-depth the promotion strategy for digital trade’s impact on the economic development of the Northeast Asia region,providing insights from various perspectives for reference.

Discourse Analysis of the Belt and Road Initiative From the Perspective of Central Asian Countries: A Case Study of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This study employs Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA)three-dimensional model,using the Republic of Kazakhstan as a case study,to delve into the discourse construction of China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)in Central Asian countries.Through detailed analysis of policy documents,media reports,and public discussions in Central Asian countries,this paper reveals how the BRI constructs specific social practices,discourse events,and textual meanings within these nations.The findings indicate that through this global development strategy,China has not only strengthened its economic ties with Central Asian countries but has also exerted profound influences on political,cultural,and social levels.

Evaluation of FY-3B Reprocessed OLR Data in the Asian–Australian Monsoon Region during 2011–2019:Comparison with NOAA OLR

The present study evaluates spatial and temporal characteristics of the Fengyun-3 B(FY-3 B)’s outgoing longwave radiation(OLR)data based on NOAA OLR data and the GPCP(Global Precipitation Climatology Project)precipitation data over the Asian-Australian region during 2011-2019.In terms of climatological distribution patterns and interannual standard deviation,FY-3 BOLR are quite consistent with NOAA OLR,with annual and seasonal pattern correlation coefficients all exceeding 0.93.There are some discrepancies in the OLR magnitude between FY-3 B and NOAA,especially for the OLR climatology;the climatological OLR from FY-3 B are systematically larger than those from NOAA over the whole study region.In addition,examination of the temporal correlation coefficients between OLR and precipitation over the Asian-Australian monsoon(AAM)region reveals that both of the OLR datasets have captured the widespread negative correlation with precipitation,and FY-3 BOLR exhibits a stronger relationship to precipitation over land.Moreover,FY-3 BOLR exhibits better responses to the precipitation anomalies over India during the extreme El Nino and La Nina events.These results suggest that the FY-3 B OLR dataset is of high quality and worthy of further global application.

Characteristics of the Onset of the Asian Summer Monsoon and the Importance of Asian-Australian "Land Bridge"

Based on summarizing previous achievements and characteristics of Asian summer monsoon and the role using data as long and new as possible, the onset of Asian-Australian ＂land bridge＂ in the onset of summer monsoon are further discussed. In particular, the earliest onset area of Asian summer monsoon is comparatively analyzed, and the sudden and progressive characteristics of the onset of summer monsoon in different regions are discussed, Furthermore, the relationships among such critical events during the onset of Asian summer monsoon as the splitting of subtropical high belt over the Bay of Bengal （BOB）, the initiation of convection over Indo-China Peninsula, the westward advance, reestablishment of South Asian High, and the rapid northward progression of convection originated from Sumatra in early summer are studied. The important impact of the proper collocation of she latent heating over Indo-China Peninsula and the sensible heating over Indian Peninsula on the splitting of the subtropical high belt, the deepening of BOB trough, the activating of Sri Lanka vortex （twin vortexes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres）, and the subsequent onset of South China Sea summer monsoon are emphasized.

Seasonal Transition Features of Large-Scale Moisture Transport in the Asian-Australian Monsoon Region

Using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for the period of 1957-2001, the climatological seasonal transition features of large-scale vertically integrated moisture transport （VIMT） in the Asian-Australian monsoon region are investigated in this paper. The basic features of the seasonal transition of VIMT from winter to summer are the establishment of the summertime ＂great moisture river＂ pattern （named the GMR pattern） and its eastward expansion, associated with a series of climatological events which occurred in some ＂key periods＂, which include the occurrence of the notable southerly VIMT over the Indochina Peninsula in mid March, the activity of the low VIMT vortex around Sri Lanka in late April, and the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon in mid May, among others. However, during the transition from summer to winter, the characteristics are mainly exhibited by the establishment of the easterly VIMT belt located in the tropical area, accompanied by some events occurring in ＂key periods＂. Further analyses disclose a great difference between the Indian and East Asian monsoon regions when viewed from the meridional migration of the westerly VIMT during the seasonal change process, according to which the Asian monsoon region can be easily divided into two parts along the western side of the Indochina Peninsula and it may also denote different formation mechanisms between the two regions.

Prediction of the Asian-Australian Monsoon Interannual Variations with the Grid-Point Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG(GAMIL)

Seasonal prediction of Asian-Australian monsoon （A-AM） precipitation is one of the most important and challenging tasks in climate prediction. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of Grid Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG （GAMIL） on retrospective prediction of the A-AM interannual variation （IAV）, and determine to what extent GAMIL can capture the two major observed modes of A-AM rainfall IAV for the period 1979-2003. The first mode is associated with the turnabout of warming （cooling） in the Nifio 3.4 region, whereas the second mode leads the warming/cooling by about one year, signaling precursory conditions for ENSO. We show that the GAMIL one-month lead prediction of the seasonal precipitation anomalies is primarily able to capture major features of the two observed leading modes of the IAV, with the first mode better predicted than the second. It also depicts the relationship between the first mode and ENSO rather well. On the other hand, the GAMIL has deficiencies in capturing the relationship between the second mode and ENSO. We conclude： （1） successful reproduction of the E1 Nifio-excited monsoon-ocean interaction and E1 Nifio forcing may be critical for the seasonal prediction of the A-AM rainfall IAV with the GAMIL; （2） more efforts are needed to improve the simulation not only in the Nifio 3.4 region but also in the joining area of Asia and the Indian-Pacific Ocean; （3） the selection of a one-tier system may improve the ultimate prediction of the A-AM rainfall IAV. These results offer some references for improvement of the GAMIL and associated seasonal prediction skill.

T_(BB) DATA-REVEALED FEATURES OF ASIAN-AUSTRALIAN MONSOON SEASONAL TRANSITION AND ASIAN SUMMER MONSOOM ESTABLISHMENT

Based on TBB data from Meteorological Institute Research of Japan, study is carried out of the features of seasonal transition of Asian-Australian monsoons and Asian summer monsoon establishment,indicating that the transition begins as early as in April, followed by abrupt change in May-June; the Asian summer monsoon situation is fully established in June. The winter convective center in Sumatra moved steadily northwestward across the "land bridge" of the maritime continent and the Indo-China Peninsula as time goes from winter to summer, thus giving rise to the change in large scale circulations that is responsible for the summer monsoon establishment over SE Asia and India; the South China Sea to the western Pacific summer monsoon onset bears a close relation to the active convection in the Indo China Peninsula and steady eastward retreat of the subtropical TBB high-value band,corresponding to the western Pacific subtropical high.

THE TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MOISTURE BUDGETS OVER ASIAN AND AUSTRALIAN MONSOON REGIONS

Apparent moisture sink and water vapor transport flux are calculated by using NCAR/NCEP reanalyzed daily data for water vapor and wind fields at various levels from 1980 to 1989.With the aid of EOF analysis method,temporal and spatial characteristics of moisture budgets over Asian and Australian monsoon regions are studied.The results show that there is apparent seasonal transition of moistrue sink and water vapor transport between Asian monsoon region and Australian monsoon region.In winter,the Asian monsoon region is a moisture source,in which three cross-equatorial water vapor transport channels in the 'continent bridge',at 80°E and 40°E～50° transport water vapor to the Australian monsoon region and southern Indian Ocean which are moistrue sinks.In summer,Australian Monsoon region anmd southern Indian Ocean are moistrue sources and by the three cross-equatorial transport channels water vapor is transport to the Asian monsoon region which is a moisture sink.In spring and autumn,ITCZ is the main moisture sink and there is no apparent water vapor transport between Asian monsoon region and Australian monsoon region.

Recent Advances in Understanding Multi-scale Climate Variability of the Asian Monsoon

Studies of the multi-scale climate variability of the Asian monsoon are essential to an advanced understanding of the physical processes of the global climate system.In this paper,the progress achieved in this field is systematically reviewed,with a focus on the past several years.The achievements are summarized into the following topics:(1)the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon;(2)the East Asian summer monsoon;(3)the East Asian winter monsoon;and(4)the Indian summer monsoon.Specifically,new results are highlighted,including the advanced or delayed local monsoon onset tending to be synchronized over the Arabian Sea,Bay of Bengal,Indochina Peninsula,and South China Sea;the basic features of the record-breaking mei-yu in 2020,which have been extensively investigated with an emphasis on the role of multi-scale processes;the recovery of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity after the early 2000s in the presence of continuing greenhouse gas emissions,which is believed to have been dominated by internal climate variability(mostly the Arctic Oscillation);and the accelerated warming over South Asia,which exceeded the tropical Indian Ocean warming,is considered to be the main driver of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall recovery since 1999.A brief summary is provided in the final section along with some further discussion on future research directions regarding our understanding of the Asian monsoon variability.

Efficacy and safety of atropine at different concentrations in prevention of myopia progression in Asian children: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

AIM:To assess the efficacy versus the adverse effects of various concentrations of atropine in the prevention of myopia in Asian children.METHODS:Databases(PubMed,EMBASE,the Cochrane Library and Web of science)were comprehensively searched from inception to April 2022.Types of studies included were randomized clinical trials(RCTs).The published languages were limited to English.Two researchers assessed the quality of included studies independently using Cochrane risk of bias tool based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.Funnel plots and Egger’s test were used for detection of publication bias.Meta-analyses were conducted using STATA(version 15.0;StataCorp).RESULTS:A total of 15 RCTs involving 2268 patients were included in the study.In the atropine group,spherical equivalent progressed at a significantly lower rate[weighted mean difference(WMD)=0.39,95%confidence interval(CI):0.23,0.54]than in the control group.A WMD of 0.15 mm was associated with less axial elongation(95%CI-0.19,-0.10).Different doses showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05)and an improved effect could result from a higher concentration.Changes in photopic pupil size and mesopic pupil size in atropine group is 0.70 mm(95%CI:0.33,1.06)and 0.38 mm(95%CI:0.22,0.54)more than the control group.In the present Meta-analysis,no changes in accommodative amplitude(AA)were associated with atropine administration.Atropine administration increased the risk of adverse effects by 1.37 times.CONCLUSION:Concentrations of less than 1%atropine are able to effectively retard diopter and axis growth of myopia in Asian children in a dose-dependent manner.Meanwhile,it caused pupil enlargement,but induced no change in the AA within this range.Further study is required to determine the dosage needed to achieve maximum efficacy and minimal side effects.

Analysis of sex pheromone production and field trapping of the Asian corn borer(Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée)in Xinjiang,China

Identifying the sex pheromone systems of local pest populations facilitates their management,especially for moth species that show significant geographic variation in sex pheromone communication.We investigated the pheromone production and behavioral responses of the Asian corn borer(Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée;ACB)in Xinjiang,China.The ACB produces three compounds:(Z)-12-tetradecenyl acetate(Z12-14:Ac)and(E)-12-tetradecenyl acetate(E12-14:Ac)which are two sex pheromone compounds,and n-tetradecyl acetate(14:Ac)which has variable roles in mediating behavioral responses.The ratios of these three compounds produced in female gland are geographically distinct among different populations.Quantitative analysis of pheromone production showed that the proportions of Z12-14:Ac in the E/Z isomers(i.e.,Z and E12-14:Ac)and the proportions of 14:Ac in the ternary blend respectively averaged 60.46%(SD=5.26)and 25.00%(SD=7.37),with their probabilities normally or near-normally distributed.Trapping experiments in a cornfield indicated that deploying the E/Z isomers and the three compounds in rubber septa close to their gland ratios yielded the most captured males,while other ratios that deviated from the gland ratios showed reduced field captures.The ternary blend was significantly more attractive to males than the E/Z isomers in the field,indicating a functional role of 14:Ac as the third pheromone component used by the local population.Additionally,the dose-response test demonstrated that the application of the three compounds at dosages between 200 and 350μg attracted significantly more males compared to other dosages.Therefore,the characterization of this local ACB pheromone system provides additional information about its geographic variation and serves as a basis for optimizing the pheromone-mediated control of this pest in Xinjiang.