Climate-change habitat shifts for the vulnerable endemic oak species(Quercus arkansana Sarg.)

Quercus arkansana(Arkansas oak)is at risk of becoming endangered,as the total known population size is represented by a few isolated populations.The potential impact of climate change on this species in the near future is high,yet knowledge of its predicted effects is limited.Our study utilized the biomod2 R package to develop habi-tat suitability ensemble models based on bioclimatic and topographic environmental variables and the known loca-tions of current distribution of Q.arkansana.We predicted suitable habitats across three climate change scenarios(SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,and SSP5-8.5)for 2050,2070,and 2090.Our findings reveal that the current suitable habitat for Q.arkansana is approximately 127,881 km^(2) across seven states(Texas,Arkansas,Alabama,Louisiana,Mississippi,Georgia,and Florida);approximately 9.5%is encompassed within state and federally managed protected areas.Our models predict that all current suitable habitats will disap-pear by 2050 due to climate change,resulting in a northward shift into new regions such as Tennessee and Kentucky.The large extent of suitable habitat outside protected areas sug-gests that a species-specific action plan incorporating pro-tected areas and other areas may be crucial for its conserva-tion.Moreover,protection of Q.arkansana habitat against climate change may require locally and regionally focused conservation policies,adaptive management strategies,and educational outreach among local people.

Behavior analysis and formative assessments in online oral medicine education during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND During the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,traditional teaching methods were disrupted and online teaching became a new topic in education reform and informatization.In this context,it is important to investigate the necessity and effectiveness of online teaching methods for medical students.This study explored stomatology education in China to evaluate the development and challenges facing the field using massive open online courses(MOOCs)for oral medicine education during the pandemic.AIM To investigate the current situation and challenges facing stomatology education in China,and to assess the necessity and effectiveness of online teaching methods among medical students.METHODS Online courses were developed and offered on personal computers and mobile terminals.Behavioral analysis and formative assessments were conducted to evaluate the learning status of students.RESULTS The results showed that most learners had already completed MOOCs and achieved better results.Course behavior analysis and student surveys indicated that students enjoyed the learning experience.However,the development of oral MOOCs during the COVID-19 pandemic faced significant challenges.CONCLUSION This study provides insights into the potential of using MOOCs to support online professional learning and future teaching innovation,but emphasizes the need for careful design and positive feedback to ensure their success.

Editor in Chief’s Note on the Green Hydrogen Fuel from Solar / Wind Power

Renewable and sustainable energy has an evolving story as the ongoing trade war in the word is influencing crude oil prices.Moreover,the global warming is an inevitable consequence of the worldwide increasing rate of fossil fuel utilization which has persuaded the governments to invest on the clean and sustainable energy resources.In recent years,the cost of green energy has tumbled,making the price of renewables competitive to the fossil fuels.Although,the hydrogen fuel is still extremely expensive compared to the crude oil price,investigations about clean hydrogen fuel production and utilization has been developed significantly which demonstrate the importance of the hydrogen fuel in the future.This article aims to scrutinize the importance of green hydrogen fuel production from solar/wind energy.

A correction technique for false topographic perception of remote-sensing images based on an inverse topographic correction techniqu

The false topographic perception phenomenon(FTPP)refers to the visual misperception in remote-sensing images that certain types of terrains are visually interpreted as other types in rugged lands,for example,valleys as ridges and troughs as peaks.For this reason,the FTPP can influence the visualization and interpretation of images to a great extent.To scrutinize this problem,the paper firstly reviews and tests the existing FTPP-correction techniques and identifies the inverse slope-matching technique as an effective approach to visually enhance remote-sensing images and retain the colour information.The paper then proposes an improved FTPP-correction procedure that incorporates other image-processing techniques(e.g.linear stretch,histogram matching,and flat-area replacement)to enhance the performance of this technique.A further evaluation of the proposed technique is conducted by applying the technique to various study areas and using different types of remote-sensing images.The result indicates the method is relatively robust and will be a significant extension to geovisual analytics in digital earth research.

Systematic analysis of artificial intelligence in the era of industry 4.0

Artificial Intelligence has been playing a profound role in the global economy,social progress,and people’s daily life.With the increasing capabilities and accuracy of AI,the application of AI will have more impacts on manufacturing and service areas in the era of industry 4.0.This study conducts a systematic literature review to study the state-of-the-art on AI in industry 4.0.This paper describes the development of industries and the evolution of AI.This paper also identifies that the development and application of AI will bring not only opportunities but also challenges to industry 4.0.The findings provide a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners through a multi-angle systematic analysis of AI.In the era of industry 4.0,AI system will become an innovative and revolutionary assistance to the whole industry.

Blockchain:a literature review

A blockchain consists of an ordered list with nodes and links where the nodes store information and are connected through links called chains.This technology supports the availability of a publicly maintained ledger of transactions,first gaining mainstream attraction with cryptocurrencies.A myriad of other applications have emerged ever since.There has been a steady growth in the number of research studies conducted in this field;as such,there is a need to review the research in this field.This paper conducts an extensive review on 76 journal publications in the field of blockchain from 2016 to 2018 available in Science Citation Index(SCI)and Social Science Citation Index(SSCI)database.The aim of this paper is to present scholars and practitioners with a detailed overview of the available research in the field of blockchain.The selected papers have been grouped into 14 categories.The contents of papers in each category are summarized and future research direction for each category is outlined.This overview indicates that the research in blockchain is becoming more prominent and requires more effort in developing new methodologies and framework to integrate blockchain.It is the need of today’s growing business that ventures into new technologies like cloud computing and Internet of Things(IoT).