Seedling potential of trees species along the elevational gradient in temperate hill forest of central Nepal

Regeneration status of tree species along elevation gradient in temperate hill forest was not understood greatly.Present research examined the tree diversity and its regeneration patterns along an elevation gradient in temperate hill forest,central Nepal.Data were collected from 300 sample plots within vertical elevation bands of 10,ranging from 1365 to 2450 m asl.A random sampling method was used for data collection in three seasons,winter,pre-monsoon and post monsoon seasons.Diameter at breast height(DBH)was used to broadly categorize the plant individual into trees,saplings and seedlings.The tree species richness ranged from 12 to 25 with density of 350 to 1200 individuals per hectare.Species richness of tree and sapling showed statistically significant unimodal pattern,which peaked at mid-elevation.Elevation showed a strong and positive linear correlation with the seedling density(Deviance=0.99,p<0.001)and a significant hump-shaped relationship with sapling density(Deviance=0.95,p<0.001).Similarly,elevations showed a statistically significant negative hump-shaped relationship with all trees,saplings and seedling stages(Deviances=0.89,0.87 and 0.57).The highest values of the Shannon-Wiener index and the lowest value of the Simpson index were found at mid-elevation for all growth forms.Nearly 92%of tree species were found at regenerating stage;49%in a good renewal regeneration status,32%in fair renewal regeneration,and 11%at a poor regenerating condition.Nevertheless,4%of tree species were reported as non-regenerating stages and 4%were newly introduced species.Hence,the regeneration status of the study area was considered fairly well since sapling(78.5%)>seedling(10.6%)≤mature(10.9%).Among tested environmental variables,elevation and annual mean rainfall were the most influential factors in the regeneration of tree species.

THE GRADIENT ESTIMATE OF SUBELLIPTIC HARMONIC MAPS WITH A POTENTIAL

In this paper,we investigate subelliptic harmonic maps with a potential from noncompact complete sub-Riemannian manifolds corresponding to totally geodesic Riemannian foliations.Under some suitable conditions,we give the gradient estimates of these maps and establish a Liouville type result.

Extreme Cold Events in North America and Eurasia in November-December 2022: A Potential Vorticity Gradient Perspective

From 17 November to 27 December 2022, extremely cold snowstorms frequently swept across North America and Eurasia. Diagnostic analysis reveals that these extreme cold events were closely related to the establishment of blocking circulations. Alaska Blocking(AB) and subsequent Ural Blocking(UB) episodes are linked to the phase transition of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) and represent the main atmospheric regimes in the Northern Hemisphere. The downstream dispersion and propagation of Rossby wave packets from Alaska to East Asia provide a large-scale connection between AB and UB episodes. Based on the nonlinear multi-scale interaction(NMI) model, we found that the meridional potential vorticity gradient(PVy) in November and December of 2022 was anomalously weak in the mid-high latitudes from North America to Eurasia and provided a favorable background for the prolonged maintenance of UB and AB events and the generation of associated severe extreme snowstorms. However, the difference in the UB in terms of its persistence,location, and strength between November and December is related to the positive(negative) NAO in November(December). During the La Ni?a winter of 2022, the UB and AB events are related to the downward propagation of stratospheric anomalies, in addition to contributions by La Ni?a and low Arctic sea ice concentrations as they pertain to reducing PVyin mid-latitudes.

Changes of plasma membrane ATPase activity, membrane potential and transmembrane proton gradient in Kandelia candel and Avicennia marina seedlings with various salinities

The salt-secreting mangrove, Avicennia marina, and non-salt-secreting mangrove, Kandelia candel were cultivated in sand with various salinities(0‰, 10‰, 20‰, 30‰, 40‰) for 60 d. Plasma membrane vesicles of high-purity in leaves and roots of A.marina and K. candel seedlings were obtained by two-phase partitioning. The function of the plasma membranes, the activity of ATPase, membrane potential and transmembrane proton gradient, at various salinities were investigated. The results showed that within a certain range of salinity(A. marina and roots of K. candel: 0—30‰; leaves of K.candel: 0—20‰), the activity of ATPase increased with increasing salinity, while high salinity(above 30‰ or 20‰) inhibited ATPase activity. In comparison with A. marina, K. candel appeared to be more sensitive to salinity. The dynamics of membrane potential and transmembrane proton gradient in leaves and roots of A. marina and K. candel seedlings were similar to that of ATPase. When treated directly by NaCl all the indexes were inhibited markedly: there was a little increase within 0—10‰(K. candel) or 0—20‰(A. marina) followed by sharp declining. It indicated that the structure and function of plasma membrane was damaged severely.

Fabrication of ZnO-based thick film varistors with high potential gradient

ZnO-based thick film varistors have been fabricated by Y203 doping and low-temperature sintering, of which the sample with the best electrical properties has a high potential gradient value of 3159.4 V/mm. The effects of Y2O3 doping concentration and sintering temperature on the potential gradient of the samples were systematically investigated. The results show that the sample with the best electrical properties can be obtained by doping 0.08 mol% Y2O3 and sintering at 725℃. Under these optimum preparation conditions, the leakage current and the nonlinear coefficient are found to be 36.4 gA and 13.1. The sample with the best electrical properties has a grain size of 1.290um, a single grain boundary voltage of 4.08 V, a barrier height of 0.81 eV, and a depletion layer width of 10.2 nm, which are determined by thermionic emission. Small grain size with good grain boundary characteristics is beneficial to improve the electrical properties of varistors and promote the potential gradient.

Effects of La^(3+)on H^+ Transmembrane Gradient and Membrane Potential in Rice Seedling Roots

The effects of LaCl 3 on membrane potential and transmembrane proton gradient for rice ( Oryza sativa ) seedling roots were studied. Highly purified plasma membrane was isolated by aqueous two phase partitioning method. Both the gradient of transmembrane proton and membrane potential were stimulated by certain low concentration of LaCl 3 and depressed by high concentration of LaCl 3. The optimal concentration of La 3+ is around 40～60 μmol·L -1 for transmembrane proton gradient and membrane potential. It shows that La 3+ can influence the generations and maintenances of membrane potential and transmembrane proton gradient in rice seedling roots.

From Gradient Elasticity to Gradient Interatomic Potentials: The Case-Study of Gradient London Potential

Motivated by the special theory of gradient elasticity (GradEla), a proposal is advanced for extending it to construct gradient models for interatomic potentials, commonly used in atomistic simulations. Our focus is on London’s quantum mechanical potential which is an analytical expression valid until a certain characteristic distance where “attractive” molecular interactions change character and become “repulsive” and cannot be described by the classical form of London’s potential. It turns out that the suggested internal length gradient (ILG) generalization of London’s potential generates both an “attractive” and a “repulsive” branch, and by adjusting the corresponding gradient parameters, the behavior of the empirical Lennard-Jones potentials is theoretically captured.

Two Dimensional Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Concentration Dependent Mobility and Gradient Dependent Potential

In this paper we consider the initial boundary value problem of Cahn-Hilliard equation with concentration dependent mobility and gradient dependent potential. By the L^P type estimates and the theory of Morrey spaces,we prove the Holder continuity of the solutions.Then we obtain the existence of global classical solutions.The present work can be viewed as an extension to the previous work on the Cahn-Hilliard equation with concentration dependent mobility and potential.

Direct evidence for dynamics of cell heterogeneity in watercored apples: turgor-associated metabolic modifications and within-fruit water potential gradient unveiled by single-cell analyses

Watercore is a physiological disorder in apple(Malus×domestica Borkh.)fruits that appears as water-soaked tissues adjacent to the vascular core,although there is little information on what exactly occurs at cell level in the watercored apples,particularly from the viewpoint of cell water relations.By combining picolitre pressure-probe electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry(picoPPESI-MS)with freezing point osmometry and vapor pressure osmometry,changes in cell water status and metabolisms were spatially assayed in the same fruit.In the watercored fruit,total soluble solid was lower in the watercore region than the normal outer parenchyma region,but there was no spatial difference in the osmotic potentials determined with freezing point osmometry.Importantly,a disagreement between the osmotic potentials determined with two methods has been observed in the watercore region,indicating the presence of significant volatile compounds in the cellular fluids collected.In the watercored fruit,cell turgor varied across flesh,and a steeper water potential gradient has been established from the normal outer parenchyma region to the watercore region,retaining the potential to transport water to the watercore region.Site-specific analysis using picoPPESI-MS revealed that together with a reduction in turgor,remarkable metabolic modifications through fermentation have occurred at the border,inducing greater production of watercore-related volatile compounds,such as alcohols and esters,compared with other regions.Because alcohols including ethanol have low reflection coefficients,it is very likely that these molecules would have rapidly penetrated membranes to accumulate in apoplast to fill.In addition to the water potential gradient detected here,this would physically contribute to the appearance with high tissue transparency and changes in colour differences.Therefore,it is concluded that these spatial changes in cell water relations are closely associated with watercore symptoms as well as with metabolic alterations.

GIS-Mapping of Soil Available Plant Nutrients (Potentiality, Gradient, Anisotropy)

The research was elaborated in Kafr El-Dawar area (Egypt northern region) to study the availability of the soil plant nutrients. The research introduced three parameters to comprehensively and carefully describe the availability of the soil plant nutrients: potentiality, gradient and anisotropy. Potentiality defines the categories of soil ability to supply plant nutrients;meanwhile gradient expresses the increasing rate of the availability of the soil plant nutrients. The gradient anisotropy refers to the directions or orientation of the increasing rate of the availability of the soil plant nutrients. The introduced parameters enabled to spatially study the availability of the soil plant nutrients. Analytical data, of soil available phosphorus (P), indicated that P ranged from 0.2 ppm to 11.4 ppm to locate all studied soil samples into the low class of the soil nutritional P ability. This was not the case of available potassium (K), where the soil samples were distributed into three available K soil categories: medium, high, and very high. GIS map of soil P nutritional potentiality for plant (potato), displayed the soil studied area in one category, as low P soil nutritional potentiality to coincide with the analytical data classification. Contrary, the K map classified the soil studied area into three categories of soil K nutritional potentiality: medium, high and excessive. This obviously referred that the individual determination of soil K nutritional potentiality is misleading for interpretation of soil tests because it does care of the spatial distribution of soil available K. Nearly, all soil samples had high available micronutrients that they were located in the high category in both classification of analytical data and GIS maps. GIS gradient maps of the soil available plant nutrients referred that the soil plant nutrients, exception of K, had two gradients: non increasing-slight increasing and build up. Gradient of soil available potassium was classified into four classes: non increasing-slight increasing, build up, moderately increasing and hike. Regardless potassium case, the non increasing-slight increasing gradient class dominated the others. GIS maps of anisotropy soil availability of macronutrients (P and K) generally showed that their gradients mainly increased in two directions: north and south. The incasing directions of soil availability of micronutrients coincided with that of the macronutrients.

Structural Setting of the South-West Cameroon Using Satellite Potential Field Derived from SGG-UGM-2 Gravity Data

This study aims to improve knowledge of the structure of southwest Cameroon based on the analysis and interpretation of gravity data derived from the SGG-UGM-2 model. A residual anomaly map was first calculated from the Bouguer anomaly map, which is strongly affected by a regional gradient. The residual anomaly map generated provides information on the variation in subsurface density, but does not provide sufficient information, hence the interest in using filtering with the aim of highlighting the structures affecting the area of south-west Cameroon. Three interpretation methods were used: vertical gradient, horizontal gradient coupled with upward continuation and Euler deconvolution. The application of these treatments enabled us to map a large number of gravimetric lineaments materializing density discontinuities. These lineaments are organized along main preferential directions: NW-SE, NNE-SSW, ENE-WSW and secondary directions: NNW-SSE, NE-SW, NS and E-W. Euler solutions indicate depths of up to 7337 m. Thanks to the results of this research, significant information has been acquired, contributing to a deeper understanding of the structural composition of the study area. The resulting structural map vividly illustrates the major tectonic events that shaped the geological framework of the study area. It also serves as a guide for prospecting subsurface resources (water and hydrocarbons). .

New semi-analytical approach for ice lens heaving during artificial freezing of fine-grained material

The calculation of frost heaving with ice lens formation is still not standard for construction projects using artificial ground freezing(AGF).In fine-grained material,ice lenses may initiate and lead to significant heaving at the ground surface,which should be considered in advance.However,the complex processes during ice lens formation are still not fully understood and difficult to capture in a simple approach.In the past,the semi-analytical approach of Konrad and Morgenstern used one soil constant,the“segregation potential(SP)”.It has been mainly and most successfully applied to the heave calculation of natural-induced soil freezing in cold regions.Its application to AGF has been so far unsuccessful.To solve this,a new semi-analytical approach is presented in this paper.It includes AGF conditions such as bottom-up freezing,temperature gradients to reach great freezing velocities,and a distinction between two freezing states.One is the freezing-up state until a certain frost body thickness is reached(thermal transient state),and the other is a holding phase where the frost body thickness is kept constant(thermal quasi-steady state).To test its ability,the results are applied to another freezing direction,the top-down freezing.The new approach is validated using two different frost-susceptible soils and,in total,50 frost heave tests.In the thermal transient region,where the SP is applicable,the two semi-analytical approaches are compared,showing improved performance of the current method by about 15%.

Gradient Transformation of Momentum and Single-Valued Vector Potential in Nonrelativistic Dynamics

A vector potential of a magnetic field in Lagrangian is defined as the necessary partial solution of a inhomogeneous differential equation. The ＂gradient transformation＂ is an addition of arbitrary general solution of the corresponding homogeneous equation that does not change the Lagrange equations. When dynamics is described by momenta and coordinates, this transformation is not the vector potential modification, which does not change expressions for other physical quantities, but a canonical transformation of momentum, which changes expressions for all fimctions of momentum, not changing the Poisson brackets, and, hence, the integrals of motion. The generating function of this transformation must reverse sign under the time-charge reversal. In quantum mechanics the unitary transformation corresponds to this canonical transformation. It also does not change the commutation relations. The phase of this unitary operator also must reverse sign under the time-charge reversal. Examples of necessary vector potentials for some magnetic fields are presented.

INFLUENCES OF MICROSCOPE SIZE EFFECT OF MATRIX ON PLASTIC POTENTIAL AND VOID GROWTH OF POROUS MATERIALS

Based on approximate theoretical analyses on a typical spherical cellcontaining a spherical rnicrovoid, the influences of matrix materials' microscopic scale on themacroscopic constitutive potential theory of porous material and microvoid growth have beeninvestigated in detail. By assuming that the plastic: deformation behavior of matrix materialsfollows the strain gradient (SG) plastic theory involving the stretch and rotation gradients , theratio (λ = l/a) of the matrix materials' intrinsic characteristic length l to the micro-void radiusa is introduced into the plastic constitutive potential and the void growth law. The presentresults indicate that, when the radius a of microvoids is comparable with the intrinsiccharacteristic length l of the matrix materials, the influence of microscopic size effect on neitherthe constitutive potential nor the micro-void evolution predicted can be ignored. And when the voidradius a is much lager than the intrinsic characteristic length l of the matrix materials, thepresent model can retrogress automatically to the improved Gur-son model that takes into account thestrain hardening effect of matrix materials.

Macroscopic Frost Heave Model Based on Segregation Potential Theory

A macroscopic frost heave model with more clear parameters was established. Based on a porosity rate frost heave model and segregation potential theory, a porosity rate function was deduced and introduced into the stress-strain relationship. Numerical simulation was conducted and verified by frost heave tests. Results show that the porosity rate within the frozen fringe is proportional to the square of temperature gradient and current porosity, and is also proportional to the exponential function of applied pressure. The relative errors between the calculated and measured results of frost depth and frost heave are within 3% and 15% respectively, demonstrating that the temperature gradient, applied pressure and current porosity are the main influencing factors, while temperature is just the constraint of frozen fringe. The improved model have meaningful and accessible parameters, which can be used in engineering with good accuracy.

Closed-form solution of mid-potential between two parallel charged plates with more extensive application

Efficient calculation of the electrostatic interactions including repulsive force between charged molecules in a biomolecule system or charged particles in a colloidal system is necessary for the molecular scale or particle scale mechanical analyses of these systems. The electrostatic repulsive force depends on the mid-plane potential between two charged particles. Previous analytical solutions of the mid-plane potential, including those based on simplified assumptions and modern mathematic methods, are reviewed. It is shown that none of these solutions applies to wide ranges of interparticle distance from 0 to 10 and surface potential from 1 to 10. Three previous analytical solutions are chosen to develop a semi-analytical solution which is proven to have more extensive applications. Furthermore, an empirical closed-form expression of mid-plane potential is proposed based on plenty of numerical solutions. This empirical solution has extensive applications, as well as high computational efficiency.

Surface evolution caused by curvature driven forces based on natural exponential pair potential

Based on the natural exponential pair potential, the interaction potential between curved surface body and on surface particle is studied. Firstly, the interaction potential is written as a function of curvatures through the differential geometry. Secondly, idealized numerical experiments are designed to test the accuracy of curvature-based potential. Then, the driving forces induced by curvatures are analyzed, which confirms that micro/nano curved surface body can induce driving forces, curvatures and the gradient of curvatures are the essential elements forming the driving forces. Finally, by combing with the curvature based potential and driving forces, the movements of on surface particles and the evolution of surface morphology of curved surface body are predicted.

A semi-analytical solution for frost heave prediction of clay soil

Frost heave is one of the main freezing problems for construction in permafrost regions.The Konrad-Morgenstern segregation potential（SP） model is being used in practice for frost heave using numerical techniques.However,the heat release from in-situ and migrated water in the freezing zone could result in some numerical instability,so the simulation of frost fringe is not ideal.In this study,a semi-analytical solution is developed for frost heave prediction of clay soil.The prediction results to the two tests with different freezing mode with clay soil agree well with the tested behavior,which indicates the feasibility of the solution.

3-Dimensional Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Concentration Dependent Mobility and Gradient Dependent Potential

In this paper we investigate the initial boundary value problem of Cahn-Hilliard equation with concentration dependent mobility and gradient dependent potential.By the energy method and the theory of Campanato spaces,we prove the existence and the uniqueness of classical solutions in 3-dimensional space.

Distribution pattern of Caragana species under the influence of climate gradient in the Inner Mongolia region, China

There is a strong climate gradient in the Inner Mongolia region, China, with solar radiation and air temperature increasing but precipitation decreasing gradually from the northeast to the southwest. Sixteen Cara- gana species exist in the Inner Mongolia region. These Caragana species exhibit a distribution pattern across moisture zones and form a geographical replacement series. In order to examine the mechanisms responsible for Caragana species distribution pattern, we selected 12 Caragana species that exhibit a distinct distribution pattern across multiple moisture zones in the Inner Mongolia region, and determined the relationships between the leaf ecological and physiological traits of these Caragana species and the aridity index and solar radiation. Along with the climatic drought gradient and the solar radiation intensification from the northeast to the southwest, leaf eco- logical characteristics of Caragana species changed drastically, i.e. the leaf shape gradually turned from flat into tegular or tubbish; the leaf hair became denser, longer and lighter in color; the leaf area, leaf biomass and specific leaf area （SLA） decreased significantly; the leaf thickness and the ratio of leaf thickness to leaf area increased sig- nificantly; and the leaf chlorophyll content decreased significantly. As the climatic drought stress increased, osmotic potentials of the main osmotic adjustment substances and the cytoplasmic ion concentration of Caragana species increased significantly. Meanwhile, the total and free water contents and water potential of leaves decreased sig- nificantly; the ratio of bound to free water increased significantly; the stomatal conductance and transpiration rate reduced significantly; and the water use efficiency （WUE） increased significantly. In addition, with the intensification of climatic drought stress, peroxidase （POD） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activities in leaves increased significantly. As a result, the malondialdehyde （MDA） content increased while the oxygen free radical content decreased. Our results showed that most of the leaf ecological and physiological traits of the 12 Caragana species varied in accordance with the climatic drought gradient in the Inner Mongolia region, which reflected the adaptation of the Caragana species to the local climate conditions. With relatively more active metabolism and faster growth, the Caragana species in the northeast had strong competitive abilities; on the other hand, with stronger resistance to climatic drought stress, the Caragana species in the southwest could survive in harsh environments. Based on our results, we con- cluded that both the environmental gradients and the adaptive responses of Caragana species to their environments played important roles in the formation of the Caragana species distribution pattern across the Inner Mongolia region.