Isotopic dependence of the yield ratios of light fragments from different projectiles and their unified neutron skin thicknesses

The yield ratios of neutron-proton(R(n/p))and^(3)H-^(3)He(R(^(3)H∕^(3)He))with reduced rapidity from 0 to 0.5 were simulated at 50 MeV/u even-even ^(36−56)Ca+^(40)Ca,even-even ^(48−78)Ni+^(58)Ni,and ^(100−139)Sn(every third isotopes)+112 Sn for full reduced impact parameters using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics(IQMD)model.The neutron and proton density distributions and root-mean-square radii of the reaction systems were obtained using the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model,which was used for the phase space initialization of the projectile and target in IQMD.We defined the unified neutron skin thickness asΔRnp=<r^(2)>^(1∕2) n−<r^(2)>^(1∕2)p,which was negative for neutron-deficient nuclei.The unifiedΔRnp values for nuclei with the same relative neutron excess from different isotopic chains were nearly equal,except for extreme neutron-rich isotopes,which is a type of scaling behavior.The yield ratios of the three isotopic chain-induced reactions,which depended on the reduced impact parameter and unified neutron skin thickness,were studied.The results showed that both R(n/p)and R(^(3)H∕^(3)He)decreased with a reduced impact parameter for extreme neutron-deficient isotopes;however,they increased with reduced impact parameters for extreme neutron-rich isotopes,and increased with theΔRnp of the projectiles for all reduced impact parameters.In addition,a scaling phenomenon was observed betweenΔR np and the yield ratios in peripheral colli-sions from different isotopic chain projectiles(except for extreme neutron-rich isotopes).Thus,R(n/p)and R(^(3)H∕^(3)He)from peripheral collisions were suggested as experimental probes for extracting the neutron or proton skin thicknesses of non-extreme neutron-rich nuclei from different isotopic chains.

Intercontinental comparison of phylogenetic relatedness in introduced plants at the transition from naturalization to invasion:A case study on the floras of South Africa and China

Invasive species may pose significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem structure and functioning.The number of introduced species that have become invasive is substantial and is rapidly increasing.Identifying potentially invasive species and preventing their expansion are of critical importance in invasion ecology.Phylogenetic relatedness between invasive and native species has been used in predicting invasion success.Previous studies on the phylogenetic relatedness of plants at the transition from naturalization to invasion have shown mixed results,which may be because different methods were used in different studies.Here,I use the same method to analyze two comprehensive data sets from South Africa and China,using two phylogenetic metrics reflecting deep and shallow evolutionary histories,to address the question whether the probability of becoming invasive is higher for naturalized species distantly related to the native flora.My study suggests that the probability of becoming invasive is higher for naturalized species closely related to the native flora.The finding of my study is consistent with Darwin's preadaptation hypothesis.

Intensities of human disturbance dictate the floral diversity in tropical forest:the case of a secondary forest in Benguet, Philippines

This study inventoried the floral diversity of a secondary forest in Tuba,Benguet,Philippines as affected by different intensities of human disturbance.This study is unique from other land use studies in Southeast Asia in having conventional farms as the most disturbed land use while other sites have oil palm plantations.A total of 267 species belonging to 222 genera and 78 families was documented.Results showed that the level of human disturbance is the major factor affecting the floral diversity while the effect of elevation is secondary.The level of human disturbance is significantly associated with species richness,species composition,dominant species and biodiversity indices.Greater human disturbance,as in the case of conventional farms,results in lower species richness,predominantly weed composition,dominant weed species and lower biodiversity indices.On the other hand,lesser human disturbance(as in the case of secondary forest)leads to higher species richness,greater native species composition,dominance of indigenous species,and higher diversity indices.The most disturbed land use experienced the greatest loss of species richness,change in floristic composition and vegetation structure,as well as a shift from native to alien-dominated plant communities.These results showed that the effect of land use change is not limited to species richness but also to species composition,dominant species and biodiversity indices.Locally,the study is an important baseline data for biodiversity conservation of the Marcos Highway Watershed Forest Reserve.

Patterns of phylogenetic relatedness of non-native plants across the introduction-naturalization-invasion continuum in China

Human activities have caused the exchange of species among different parts of the world.When introduced species become naturalized and invasive,they may cause great negative impacts on the environment and human societies,and pose significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem structure.Knowledge on phylogenetic relatedness between native and non-native species and among non-native species at different stages of species invasion may help for better understanding the drivers of species invasion.Here,I analyze a comprehensive data set including both native and non-native angiosperm species in China to determine phylogenetic relatedness of introduced species across a full invasion continuum(from introduction through naturalization to invasion).This study found that(1) introduced plants are a phylogenetically clustered subset of overall(i.e.native plus non-native) angiosperm flora,(2) naturalized plants are a phylogenetically clustered subset of introduced plants,and(3) invasive plants are a phylogenetically clustered subset of naturalized plants.These patterns hold regardless of spatial scales examined(i.e.national versus provincial scale) and whether basal-or tip-weighted metric of phylogenetic relatedness is considered.These findings are consistent with Darwin's preadaptation hypothesis.

Avian malaria,haematocrit,and body condition in invasive wetland passerines settled in southwestern Spain

Avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites can negatively impact fitness in many songbirds.Research on the malaria infection and its physiological costs on their avian hosts is heavily skewed toward native passerines,with exotic species underrepresented.However,introduced species may carry on and spread new pathogens to native species,and play a role on parasite transmission cycle in invaded bird communities as pathogen reservoir.Here,we molecularly assess the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in three introduced wetland passerines(the Red Avadavat Amandava amandava,the Yellow-crowned Bishop Euplectes afer,and the Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild)captured during the same season in southwestern Spain.We also explored the relation between parasite infection,body condition,haematocrit,and uropygial gland volume.We detected an overall parasite prevalence of 3.55%,where Common Waxbills showed higher prevalence(6.94%)than Red Avadavats(1.51%).None Yellow-crowned Bishops were infected with haemosporidians.Almost 60%of infections were caused by Leucocytozoon,and about 40%by Plasmodium.We identified four unique lineages of Plasmodium and three of Leucocytozoon.Moreover,91%of the identified host-parasite interactions represented new host records for these haemosporidian parasites.Parasite infection was not related to body condition,haematocrit,and uropygial gland volume of the wetland passerines.Haematocrit values varied seasonally among bird species.Additionally,haematocrit was positively related to body condition in the Yellow-crowned Bishops,but not in the other species.Red Avadavats had higher haematocrit levels than Yellow-crowned Bishops,whereas Common Waxbills showed the lower haematocrit values.The uropygial gland volume was positively correlated with body condition in all bird species.Common Waxbills showed higher uropygial gland volumes related to their body size than birds from other two species.These outcomes highlight the importance of exotic invasive species in the transmission dynamics of haemosporidian parasites.

Effects of land-use types and the exotic species,Hypochaeris radicata,on plant diversity in human-transformed landscapes of the biosphere reserve,Jeju Island,Korea

Land-use and plant invasion influence biodiversity.Understanding the effects of land-use types and invasive plants on the ecosystem is crucial for better management and the development of strategic plans for increasing biodiversity in Jeju Island,Korea,a designated Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education,Scientific,and Cultural Organization.The effect of the most dominant invasive exotic species,Hypochaeris radicata,on the four land-use types of Jeju Island was investigated.Plant composition,soil characteristics,and plant diversity among four land-use types(cropland,green space,neglected land,and residential)were compared.Among the land-use types,croplands had the most diverse plant composition and the highest richness in exotic and native plant species.Croplands,such as tangerine orchards,which are widely distributed throughout Jeju Island,showed the highest plant diversity because of medium intensity disturbance caused by weed removal.The relative cover of H.radicata did not differ between land-use types.However,H.radicata invasion was negatively related with plant species richness,making this invasive species a threat to the biodiversity of native herbs present in land-use areas.H.radicata adapts to areas with a broad range of soil properties and a variety of land-use types.Therefore,it is crucial to monitor land-use types and patterns of plant invasion to guide the implementation of consistent management and conservation strategies for maintaining ecosystem integrity of the transformed habitat in Jeju Island.

Fine and hyperfine structures of pionic helium atoms

The fine and hyperfine structures of pionic helium metastable states is calculated within the formalism of the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian by using the variationally generated wave functions in Hylleraas coordinates.Our results not only verify the existing values of Hori et al.[Phys.Rev.A 89,042515(2014)]for the fine structure of π^(4)He^(+),but also determine the hyperfine structure of π^(3)He^(+).

The Principal Role of Antimatter

In a previous paper, we proposed that ud~du~ exotic mesons, comprised of even number of quarks and antiquarks, form a QCD gas that fills space and further proposed a method to determine the QCD gas effective mass based on a pseudo-first order β decay reaction kinetics. In a second paper, we proposed a method to determine if the QCD gas density on black hole ergospheres grows in time and hence their ergoregions act as matter reactors that break matter and antimatter symmetry by trapping antimatter particles. In this paper, we suggest that quark and antiquark pair exchange reactions between particles and the QCD gas may accelerate or decelerate particles and that the quarks and antiquarks numbers are strictly conserved in these pair exchange reactions. We further suggest that antimatter plays a principal role in the universe and is inseparable from both matter, via Dirac’ spinors, and space, via the quarks and antiquarks pair exchange reactions with the QCD gas;however with a singular exception, black hole ergospheres separate and black hole ergoregions trap antimatter particles.

The Quantum Chromodynamics Gas Density Drop and the General Theory of Relativity Ether

β decay is one of the most fundamental and thoroughly studied nuclear decay. Surprisingly, the β decay rates were found to have a periodic time variability [1]. However, others argued that there is no evidence for such cyclic deviation from the exponential first order kinetics decay law [2]. Here we propose that the β decay is a pseudo-first order exchange reaction triggered by udd&utilde;exotic mesons and propose a QCD gas theory. In analogy to the atmospheric gas density, the proposed QCD gas density drops with elevation from the sun. Accordingly, we propose that the β decay rate periodic variability is due to the pseudo-first order exchange reaction kinetics and the QCD gas atmospheric density drop. The proposed QCD gas may be a possible candidate for Einstein’s general theory of relativity ether [3]. Our main results are the derived formulas for calculating the effective mass of the QCD gas and the cosmology perfect fluid equation of state dimensionless parameter, based on the measured ratio of the β decay rates at the earth trajectory aphelion and perihelion dates. .

Matter Reactors

In a previous paper, we proposed that a QCD gas that may be a possible candidate for the general theory of gravity (GR) ether may be comprised of ud~du~ exotic mesons. A method to determine the effective mass of the ud~du~ exotic meson and the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) metric scale factor equation of state dimensionless parameter, w, by measuring the pseudo-first order β decay rates expected to be inversely proportional to the QCD gas atmospheric density was given. Here, we propose to measure the β decay rate, t1/2, and the earth distance to the milky-way galaxy super massive black hole (SMBH), hSMBH, at the earth aphelion each year for several years, and fit the data with the linear curve: -lnt1/2 = ahSMBH + b. The slope parameter, a, and the free parameter, b, may be used to calculate the Kerr spin parameter and determine if the QCD gas density on the ergosphere remains constant in time, or alternatively, grows in time according to Corley and Jacobson’s proposed black hole laser process.

Weed Species Composition in Paddy Field of Usur Town,Bade Local Government,Yobe State,Nigeria

Farmers are eager to know the various types of weeds in paddy fields.This will help in choosing the best weed management practice for effective weed control as well as reducing rice yield losses.The objectives of the study are to identify the weeds species affecting the rice field,to assess the composition of weeds species,to classify the weed species into different families,genera,species,common names,Hausa names,lifecycles,life forms,native/exotic species,propagation and uses,and to determine the dominant weed species.Random vegetation surveys were conducted.Weeds observed were photographed,and prepared as herbarium specimens.Standard key manuals and checklists were utilized for weed identification and later organized using the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group(APG)classification system.A total number of 72 plants species distributed within 16 families and 50 genera were inventoried.The annuals(66.67%)were the dominant weed followed by perennials(33.33%)while biennials were the least.The broad leaves were the dominant weed(44.61%)identified followed by Poaceae(27.7%)and Sedges(11.11%).Results obtained from this study could be useful in choosing the best management practice and in making a decision on the choice of herbicides and directing research towards improved weed control measures.

椰子死亡类病毒及其传入中国的风险性分析

对椰子死亡类病毒(CCCVd)的国内外分布状况、潜在经济危害性、寄主植物经济重要性、传播扩散可能性和危险性管理难度等方面进行系统概述,运用多指标综合评价方法对其在我国的传播扩散风险进行评估。结果表明,CCCVd的风险性R值为2.29,属于高度危险入侵物种。提出了两种降低风险的备选方案,选择其中任何一种方案都能将CCCVd传入我国的风险降到最低。

埃塞俄比亚加里农业示范区生态恢复树种选择的思考(英文)

Environmental degradation and deforestation in Jari Demonstration Plot needed forestation and reforestation,and the plant species selection was a key issue in the ecological recovery.Ecological information was fully considered regarding each species in various agro-climatic zones,altitude ranges,specific niches in different landscapes,soil preference,drought resistance and certain other important ecological factors.The species selection model represents an idea of ecological recovery and soil erosion control in the demonstration plot.

Long-term monitoring revealed fish assemblage zonation in the Three Gorges Reservoir

Reservoirs are important artificial ecosystems that modify the hydrological and ecological characteristics of a river. Knowledge of the basic characteristics of fish assemblages in reservoirs is a first step toward the development of effective conservation policies. We used the information collected over a 10-year period (2006-2015) to assess the structure of the fish assemblages in the Three Gorge Reservoir (TGR) in a river-dam gradient. Three fish zones were detected in TGR. Species richness was the highest in the upper zone and lowest in the lower zone. The riverine zones were dominated by rheophilic species Coreius guichenoti and Pelteobagrus vachelli. The transitional zones were dominated by Coreius heterodon and Rhinogobio cylindricus. The lacustrine zones were dominated by eurytopic species Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Aristichthys nobilis, Hemiculter bleekeri and Cyprinus carpio. For the functional characteristics, fish assemblages in riverine and transitional zones were dominated by insectivorous species, equilibrium strategists and rheophilic species (e.g., Coreius heterodon and Coreius guichenoti). In lacustrine zones, the fish assemblage was dominated by habitat generalists common to lakes and reservoirs (e.g., Hemiculter bleekeri, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Aristichthys nobilis). Moreover, 18 exotic species (e.g., Protosalanx hyalocranius, Ictalurus punctatus, Megalobrama amblycephala, Tilapia) were collected in TGR, most of which only existed in the lacustrine zone. The results highlight the importance of freely flowing riverine reaches for conserving native fish in the upper Changjiang River and adaptive management strategies for fisheries in TGR.

First proof-of-principle experiment with the post-accelerated isotope separator on-line beam at BRIF:measurement of the angular distribution of ^(23)Na+^(40)Ca elastic scattering

The reaction dynamics of exotic nuclei near the drip line is one of the main research topics of current interest.Elastic scattering is a useful probe for investigating the size and surface diffuseness of exotic nuclei.The development of rare isotope accelerators offers opportunities for such studies.To date,many relevant measurements have been performed at accelerators using the projectile fragmentation technique,while the measurements at accelerators using isotope separator on-line(ISOL)systems are still quite scarce.In this work,we present the first proof-of-principle experiment with a post-accelerated ISOL beam at the Beijing Radioactive Ion Beam Facility(BRIF)by measuring the angular distribution of elastic scattering for the stable nucleus^(23)Na from the doubly magic nucleus^(40)Ca at energies above the Coulomb barrier.The angular distribution measured by a silicon strip detector array in a scattering chamber using the ISOL beam at BRIF is in good agreement with that measured by the high-precision Q3 D magnetic spectrograph using the nonISOL beam at nearly the same energy.This work provides useful background for making BRIF a powerful tool for the investigation of the reaction dynamics of exotic nuclei.

Differences in leaf functional traits between exotic and native Compositae plant species

This study aims to determine the differences in leaf functional traits and phenotypic plasticity of leaf functional traits between exotic and native Compositae plant species. Leaf width of exotic plants was significantly lower than that of native species. Leaf length, specific leaf area(SLA), single-leaf wet and dry weights, leaf moisture, and leaf thickness of exotic plants were also lower than those of native species but not significantly. The leaf shape index of exotic plants was higher than that of native species but not significantly. This implies that the relatively low leaf construction cost for exotic plants may play an important role in the success of their invasions. The higher leaf shape index and lower leaf width of exotic plants can enhance the efficiency of resource capture(especially sunlight capture) via adjustments to leaf shape and size, thereby increasing the survival of exotic plants. The plasticity indices of single-leaf wet weight and leaf thickness of exotic plants were significantly lower than those of native species. The lower phenotypic plasticity of single-leaf wet weight and leaf thickness of exotic plants may be the result of a cost to plasticity. That is, if the plasticity is too high, the fitness of plant species might be reduced sharply under unfavorable environments. Thus, lower plasticity of leaf functional traits may compensate for the negative impact of adverse environments and stabilize leaf construction costs for exotic plants. Moreover, reduced phenotypic plasticity might be one of the key competitive strategies by which exotic plants successfully invade new habitats. Overall, exotic plants did not always exhibit higher values of leaf functional traits or increased phenotypic plasticity of leaf functional traits compared with native species.

Invasive Spartina alterniflora-induced factors affecting epibenthos distribution in coastal salt marsh, China

Artificially introduced cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, rapidly colonized the intertidal flats of the Jiangsu coast, eastern China. The epibenthos on an intertidal flat invaded by S. alterniflorawere studied, to identify how local epibenthos species react to an altered environment. Epibenthic samples and surficial sediment samples were collected along a shore-normal profile in 50 quadrats at ten stations across the Spartina salt marsh; and five control quadrats for a station located on the barren sandy-mud flat. The grain size param- eters of the surficial sediments show that S. alterniflora altered the grain size gradient along the profile of the intertidal zone by trapping fine-grained sediments. Spartina alterniflora could inhabit lower elevation- s than indigenous salt marsh vegetation, thus creating larger areas of finer surficial sediments, which was suitable for not only native epibenthic species but also species which do not exist on the barren sandy-mud flat. Correlation analyses show that the epibenthos were sensitive to sediment grain size and type, on the invaded S. alterniflora salt marsh. Further, there was an interspecific relationship affecting the distribution of epibenthos. The results show that epibenthos preferred ecological niches, within the Spartina salt marsh, even in the same sampling station.

Recent progress in two-proton radioactivity

During the last few decades,rare isotope beam facilities have provided unique data for studying the properties of nuclides located far from the beta-stability line.Such nuclei are often accompanied by exotic structures and radioactive modes,which represent the forefront of nuclear research.Among them,two-proton(2p)radioactivity is a rare decay mode found in a few highly proton-rich isotopes.The 2p decay lifetimes and properties of emitted protons hold invaluable information regarding the nuclear structures in the presence of a low-lying proton continuum;as such,they have attracted considerable research attention.In this review,we present some of the recent experimental and theoretical progress regarding the 2p decay,including technical innovations for measuring nucleon-nucleon correlations and developments in the models that connect their structural aspects with their decay properties.This impressive progress should play a significant role in elucidating the mechanism of these exotic decays,probing the corresponding components inside nuclei,and providing deep insights into the open quantum nature of dripline systems.

Spatial dynamic patterns of saltmarsh vegetation in southern Hangzhou Bay:Exotic and native species

A saltmarsh has developed rapidly on the mudflat of Andong Shoal,in southern Hangzhou Bay,over the last decade since embankment.The saltmarsh vegetation changes are driven by both sediment dynamic conditions and the competition between the exotic species Spartina alterniflora(S.alterniflora) and the native species Scirpus mariqueter(S.mariqueter).This study attempted to investigate large-scale spatial variations in the exotic and native species,by analyzing and interpreting a time series(2016-2018) of high-resolution(less than 1 m) remote sensing images.The total area of the saltmarsh increased at a rate of 1.07 km^2/year,due to the accretion of the whole tidal flat.The spatial patterns revealed a new bimodal pattern for S.alterniflora invasion.S.alterniflora expanded over the upper to middle saltmarsh at a rate of1.68 km2/year.However,the S.alterniflora patches at the seaward edge expanded at a negative rate of-0.005 km^2/year,indicating a different pattern in competition:S.alterniflora had more advantages in the upper saltmarsh,while S.mariqueter had more advantages in the pioneer zone with low elevation.Consequently,S.alterniflora mainly established new habitats by invading S.mariqueter in the middle saltmarsh,but S.mariqueter occupied the bare mudflat for tradeoff.Our results aindicated that the interspecific competition result between S.alterniflora and S.mariqueter depended on elevation,and low elevation might create a favorable environment for S.mariqueter to win the competition with exotic species.This finding could be applied to future invasive species control and saltmarsh management.

Genome-wide prediction for hybrids between parents with distinguished difference on exotic introgressions in Brassica napus

Extensive exotic introgression could significantly enlarge the genetic distance of hybrid parental populations to promote strong heterosis.The goal of this study was to investigate whether genome-wide prediction can support pre-breeding in populations with exotic introgressions.We evaluated seed yield,seed yield related traits and seed quality traits of 363 hybrids of Brassica napus (AACC) derived from two parental populations divergent on massive exotic introgression of related species in three environments.The hybrids presented strong heterosis on seed yield,which was much higher than other investigated traits.Five genomic best linear unbiased prediction models considering the exotic introgression and different marker effects (additive,dominance,and epistatic effects) were constructed to test the prediction ability for different traits of the hybrids.The analysis showed that the trait complexity,exotic introgression,genetic relationship between the training set and testing set,training set size,and environments affected the prediction ability.The models with best prediction ability for different traits varied.However,relatively high prediction ability (e.g.,0.728 for seed yield) was also observed when the simplest models were used,excluding the effects of the special exotic introgression and epistasis effect by5-fold cross validation,which would simplify the prediction for the trait with complex architecture for hybrids with exotic introgression.The results provide novel insights and strategies for genome-wide prediction of hybrids between genetically distinct parent groups with exotic introgressions.