Spatiotemporal variations of ozone exposure and its risks to vegetation and human health in Cyprus:an analysis across a gradient of altitudes

Ground-level ozone(O_(3)) aff ects vegetation and threatens environmental health when levels exceed critical values,above which adverse eff ects are expected.Cyprus is expected to be a hotspot for O_(3)concentrations due to its unique position in the eastern Mediterranean,receiving air masses from Europe,African,and Asian continents,and experiencing a warm Mediterranean climate.In Cyprus,the spatiotemporal features of O_(3) are poorly understood and the potential risks for forest health have not been explored.We evaluated O_(3) and nitrogen oxides(NO and NO 2)at four regional background stations at different altitudes over 2014−2016.O_(3) risks to vegetation and human health were estimated by calculating accumulated O_(3)exposure over a threshold of 40 nmol mol^(−1)(AOT40)and cumulative exposure to mixing ratios above 35 nmol mol^(−1)(SOMO35)indices.The data reveal that mean O_(3)concentrations follow a seasonal pattern,with higher levels in spring(51.8 nmol mol^(−1))and summer(53.2 nmol mol^(−1))and lower levels in autumn(46.9 nmol mol^(−1))and winter(43.3 nmol mol^(−1)).The highest mean O_(3)exposure(59.5 nmol mol^(−1)) in summer occurred at the high elevation station Mt.Troodos(1819 m a.s.l.).Increasing(decreasing)altitudinal gradients were found for O_(3)(NO x),driven by summer–winter diff erences.The diurnal patterns of O_(3) showed little variation.Only at the lowest altitude O_(3) displayed a typical O_(3) diurnal pattern,with hourly diff erences smaller than 15 nmol mol^(−1).Accumulated O_(3) exposures at all stations and in all years exceeded the European Union’s limits for the protection of vegetation,with average values of 3-month(limit:3000 nmol mol^(−1)h)and 6-month(limit:5000 nmol mol^(−1)h)AOT40 for crops and forests of 16,564 and 31,836 nmol mol^(−1)h,respectively.O_(3) exposures were considerably high for human health,with an average SOMO35 value of 7270 nmol mol^(−1) days across stations and years.The results indicate that O_(3) is a major environmental and public health issue in Cyprus,and policies must be adopted to mitigate O_(3) precursor emissions at local and regional scales.

Evaluating the Capabilities of Soil Enthalpy, Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature in Predicting Seasonal Precipitation

Soil enthalpy （H） contains the combined effects of both soil moisture （w） and soil temperature （T） in the land surface hydrothermal process. In this study, the sensitivities of H to w and T are investigated using the multi-linear regression method. Results indicate that T generally makes positive contributions to H, while w exhibits different （positive or negative） impacts due to soil ice effects. For example, w negatively contributes to H if soil contains more ice; however, after soil ice melts, w exerts positive contributions. In particular, due to lower w interannual variabilities in the deep soil layer （i.e., the fifth layer）, H is more sensitive to T than to w. Moreover, to compare the potential capabilities of H, w and T in precipitation （P） prediction, the Huanghe-Huaihe Basin （HHB） and Southeast China （SEC）, with similar sensitivities of H to w and T, are selected. Analyses show that, despite similar spatial distributions of H-P and T-P correlation coefficients, the former values are always higher than the latter ones. Furthermore, H provides the most effective signals for P prediction over HHB and SEC, i.e., a significant leading correlation between May H and early summer （June） P. In summary, H, which integrates the effects of T and w as an independent variable, has greater capabilities in monitoring land surface heating and improving seasonal P prediction relative to individual land surface factors （e.g., T and w）.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH WIND DISTRIBUTION IN CHINA'S COASTAL REGION AND THEIR CAUSES

This work investigates the distribution of high winds above Beaufort scale 6 in the offshore zones of China using high-resolution satellite measurements.A numerical experiment is carried out in order to find out the effects of Taiwan Island on the formation of strong winds.The analysis indicates that the distribution of high wind occurrence is similar to that of the average wind velocity in winter.High winds tend to be anchored in special topographical regions,such as the Taiwan Strait,the Bashi Channel and the southeast coast of Vietnam.High winds occur much more frequently over the warmer than the colder flank of Kuroshio front as it meanders from Taiwan to Japan.The frequency of high winds decreases drastically in spring.The Taiwan Strait maintains the largest high wind occurrence.Besides,high winds remain frequent in the Bashi Channel,the southeast tip of Taiwan Island and the warmer flank of Kuroshio front.In summer,high winds generally occur infrequently except over a broad region off the southeast coast of Vietnam near 10°N and the frequency there decreases from southwest to northeast.High winds around Taiwan Island present near axisymmetric distribution with larger frequency along southeast-northwest direction and smaller frequency along southwest-northeast direction.The dominant direction of high winds exhibits a counterclockwise circulation surrounding the island.The frequency of high winds increases rapidly in autumn and almost repeats the distribution that appears in winter.The simulation results suggest that the effects of Taiwan Island topography on high winds vary with seasons.In winter,topography is the major cause of high winds in the surrounding oceanic zones.High winds in both Taiwan Strait and the southeast corner of the island disappear and the frequency decreases gradually from south to north when the terrain is removed.However,in summer,high wind frequency derived from two simulations with and without terrain is almost identical.We attribute this phenomenon to the factors which are responsible for the formation of high winds.

The rise and fall of photosynthesis:hormetic dose response in plants

The recent recognition that low doses of herbicides,human and veterinary antibiotics,metallic elements,micro/nano-plastics,and various other types of environmental pollutants widely enhance chlorophylls in the framework of hormesis created the need to further evaluate the response of photosynthetic pigments and gas exchange to low doses of stresses.An analysis of about 370 values of maximum stimulatory response(MAX;percentage of control response,%)of chlorophylls in higher plants,algae and duckweeds,and other photosynthesizing organisms,mined from published literatures,revealed a greater MAX for higher plants(median=139.2%)compared to algae and duckweeds(median=119.6%).However,an analysis of about 50 mined values of MAX of carotenoids revealed no signifi-cant difference in the median MAX between higher plants(median=133.0%)and algae-duckweeds(median=138.1%).About 70 mined values of MAX were also concentrated for photosynthetic rate(median MAX=129.2%)and stomatal conductance(median MAX=124.7%)in higher plants.Within higher plants,there was no significant difference in the median MAX among chlorophylls,carotenoids,photosynthetic rate,and stomatal conductance.Similarly,there was no significant difference in the median MAX between chlorophylls and carotenoids of pooled algae and duckweeds.The results suggest that the MAX is typically below 160%and as a rule below 200%of control response,and does not differ among chlorophylls,carotenoids,photosynthetic rate,and stomatal conductance.New research programs with improved experimental designs,in terms of number and spacing of doses within the“low-dose zone”of the hormetic dose–response relationship,are needed to study the molecular/genetic mechanisms underpinning the low-dose stimulation of photosynthesis and its ecological implications.

Effects of soil nutrient availability and ozone on container-grown Japanese larch seedlings and role of soil microbes

The interactive eff ects of ozone,soil nutrient availability and root microorganisms on physiological,growth,and productivity traits were studied for the fi rst time for Japanese larch(Larix kaempferi)seedlings grown in containers over a growing season,using a free air ozoneconcentration enrichment exposure system.High nutrient availability altered leaf and root nutrient dynamics and enhanced plant growth;however,it also enhanced seedling susceptibility to damping-off disease compared to low nutrient availability.Negative eff ects of elevated ozone,as compared with ambient ozone,on leaf gas exchange and plant stem form were neither off set nor exacerbated by soil nutrient availability and root colonizers.Such negative eff ects suggest that elevated ozone may have implications for ecological health even when plant vigor is limited by factors other than ozone.Inoculation of roots with ectomycorrhizae had negligible infl uence on the eff ects of either soil nutrient availability or ozone.However,this lack of eff ect may be upon impeded formation of complete mycorrhizal root tips due to factors other than the manipulated variables.B and Na appeared to have an important role in stress responses,so further studies to examine their link with physiological mechanisms as a function of time.This study provides an important perspective for designing forestry practices to enhance seedling health.

Effect size in papers published by the Journal of Forestry Research:A missing treasure?

P values based on standard hypothesis testing are commonly reported in articles published by the Journal of Forestry Research(JFR).However,effect sizes are barely used and reported,even if they are of direct relevance to the primary questions of many of the published studies.The incorporation of effect sizes in studies published by JFR should be encouraged and promoted.Inclusion of effect sizes as a requirement in the journal guidelines will facilitate a major change in the way data are tested and interpreted,with the ultimate goal to exempt researchers from the custom of drawing conclusions merely based upon a dichotomous statistical result(P value).Such a policy can also lead to more informed decisions of whether identified effects are of practical relevance to the forestry.

Testing phaeophytinization as an index of ozone stress in trees

Ground-level ozone pollution is a menace for vegetation in the northern hemisphere,limiting photosynthetic pigments and suppressing photosynthesis in trees and other types of plants.Phaeophytinization is the process of converting chlorophylls into phaeophytins,for example by acidifi cation.Ozone is a highly oxidizing molecule and well known to degrade chlorophylls;however,the eff ect of ozone on phaeophytinization in leaves of higher plants is largely unknown.To reveal ozone eff ect on phaeophytinization and evaluate the potential of phaeophytinization as an index of ozone stress in trees,the absorbance at the optical density of 665 nm was measured before(OD_(665))and after(OD_(665a))acidifi cation in three independent experiments with nearly 30 conditions of ozone exposure.Both current ambient and elevated ozone widely aff ected phaeophytinization,as indicated by decreases or increases in the phaeophytinization quotient OD_(665)/OD_(665a).These eff ects were commonly moderate to large in magnitude and practically signifi cant,and occurred even in ozone-asymptomatic leaves.It emerges that the ozone eff ect on phaeophytinization is bimodal,likely depending on the intensity of ozone stress.These results indicate a promising feature of OD_(665)/OD_(665a)as a thorough index of ozone stress in the future,but further studies are needed to reveal the underlying biochemical mechanisms of the bimodal eff ect on phaeophytinization.

Molecular-level proton acceptor boosts oxygen evolution catalysis to enable efficient industrial-scale water splitting

Industrial water splitting has long been suppressed by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER),which requires a catalyst to be efficient.Herein,we propose a molecular-level proton acceptor strategy to produce an efficient OER catalyst that can boost industrial-scale water splitting.Molecular-level phosphate(-PO_(4))group is introduced to modify the surface of PrBa_(0.5)Ca_(0.5)Co_(2)O_(5)+δ(PBCC).The achieved catalyst(PO_(4)-PBCC)exhibits significantly enhanced catalytic performance in alkaline media.Based on the X-ray absorption spectroscopy results and density functional theory(DFT)calculations,the PO_(4)on the surface,which is regarded as the Lewis base,is the key factor to overcome the kinetic limitation of the proton transfer process during the OER.The use of the catalyst in a membrane electrode assembly(MEA)is further evaluated for industrial-scale water splitting,and it only needs a low voltage of 1.66 V to achieve a large current density of 1 A cm^(-2).This work provides a new molecular-level strategy to develop highly efficient OER electrocatalysts for industrial applications.

POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SOUTH CHINA SEA SSTA, SOIL MOISTURE ANOMALIES IN SOUTHWEST CHINA AND SUMMER PRECIPITATION IN EASTERN CHINA

By using 1958-2001 NOAA extended reconstructed sea surface temperature(SST) data, ERA40 reanalysis soil moisture data and precipitation data of 444 stations in China(east of 100°E), the possible relationships among South China Sea(SCS) SST anomaly(SSTA), soil moisture anomalies(SMA) and summer precipitation in eastern China as well as their possible physical processes are investigated. Results show that the SSTA of SCS bears an evidently negative correlation with spring soil moisture in the east part of Southwest China. More(less) precipitation happens in the Yangtze River basin and less(more) in the Southeast China in summer when the SSTA of SCS is higher(lower) than normal and the soil in the east part of Southwest China is dry(wet) in spring. Further analysis shows that when the SSTA of SCS is high(low), the southwesterly wind at low level is weak(strong), decreasing(increasing) the water vapor transport in South China, resulting in reduced(increased) spring precipitation in the east part of Southwest China and more(less) soil moisture in spring. Through the evaporation feedback mechanism, the dry(wet) soil makes the surface temperature higher(lower) in summer, causing the westward extension(eastward retreat) of the West Pacific Subtropical High, eventually leading to the summer precipitation anomalies.

A class of asymptotic solution for the time delay wind field model of an ocean

A time delay model of a two-layer barotropic ocean with Rayleigh dissipation is built. Using the improved perturba- tion method, an analytic asymptotic solution of a better approximate degree is obtained in the mid-latitude wind field, and the physical meaning of the corresponding solution is also discussed.

thylenediurea(EDU)effects on Japanese larch:an one growing season experiment with simulated regenerating communities and a four growing season application to individual saplings

Japanese larch(Larix kaempferi(Lamb.)Carr.)and its hybrid are economically important coniferous trees widely grown in the Northern Hemisphere.Ground-level ozone(O_(3))concentrations have increased since the preindustrial era,and research projects showed that Japanese larch is susceptible to elevated O_(3)exposures.Therefore,methodologies are needed to(1)protect Japanese larch against O_(3)damage and(2)conduct biomonitoring of O_(3)in Japanese larch forests and,thus,monitor O_(3)risks to Japanese larch.For the first time,this study evaluates whether the synthetic chemical ethylenediurea(EDU)can protect Japanese larch against O_(3)damage,in two independent experiments.In the first experiment,seedling communities,simulating natural regeneration,were treated with EDU(0,100,200,and 400 mg L^(-1))and exposed to either ambient or elevated O_(3)in a growing season.In the second experiment,individually-grown saplings were treated with EDU(0,200 and 400 mg L-1)and exposed to ambient O_(3)in two growing seasons and to elevated O_(3)in the succeeding two growing seasons.The two experiments revealed that EDU concentrations of 200-400 mg L^(-1)could protect Japanese larch seedling communities and individual saplings against O_(3)-induced inhibition of growth and productivity.However,EDU concentrations≤200 mg L^(-1)did offer only partial protection when seedling communities were coping with higher level of O_(3)-induced stress,and only 400 mg EDU L^(-1)fully protected communities under higher stress.Therefore,we conclude that among the concentrations tested the concentration offering maximum protection to Japanese larch plants under high competition and O_(3)-induced stress is that of 400 mg EDU L^(-1).The results of this study can provide a valuable resource of information for applied forestry in an O_(3)-polluted world.

Recent advances in bismuth-based multimetal oxide photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water splitting:Competitiveness,challenges,and future perspectives

The efficient utilization of photocatalytic technology is essential for clean energy.Bismuth-based multimetal oxides(Bi_(2)WO_(6),Bi_(2)MoO_(6),BiVO_(4)and Bi_(4)Ti_(3)O_(12))have aroused widespread attention as a visible light responsive photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution due to their low cost,nontoxicity,modifiable morphology,and outstanding optical and chemical properties.Nevertheless,the photocatalytic activities of pure materials are unsatisfactory because of their relative small specific surface area,poor quantum yield,and the rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers.Therefore,some modification strategies,including morphological control,semiconductor combination,doping,and defect engineering,have been systematically studied to enhance photocatalytic H_(2)evolution activity in the past few years.Herein,we summarize the recent research progress on bismuth-based photocatalysts,pointing out the prospects,opportunities and challenges of bismuth-based photocatalysts.Eventually,we aims to put forward valuable suggestions for designing of bismuth-based photocatalysts applied in hydrogen production on the premise of consolidating the existing theoretical basis of photocatalysis.

Six statistical issues in scientific writing that might lead to rejection of a manuscript

Communication plays an important role in advancing scientific fields and disciplines,defining what knowledge is made accessible to the public,and guiding policymaking and regulation of public authorities for the benefit of the environment and society.Hence,what is finally published is of great importance for scientific advancement,social development,environmental and public health,and economic agendas.In recognition of these,the goal of a researcher is to communicate research findings to the scientific community and ultimately,to the public.However,this may often be challenging due to competition for publication space,although to a lesser extent nowadays that online-only publications have expanded.This editorial introduces six statistics-related issues in scientific writing that you should be aware of.These issues can lead to desk rejection or rejection following a peer review,but even if papers containing such issues are published,they may prevent cumulative science,undermine scientific advancement,mislead the public,and result in incorrect or weak policies and regulations.Therefore,addressing these issues from the early research stages can facilitate scientific advancement and prevent rejection of your paper.

Modulation instabilities in randomly birefringent two-mode optical fibers

Modulation instabilities in the randomly birefringent two-mode optical fibers （RB-TMFs） are analyzed in detail by accounting the effects of the differential mode group delay （DMGD） and group velocity dispersion （GVD） ratio between the two modes, both of which are absent in the randomly birefringent single-mode optical fibers （RB-SMFs）. New MI characteristics are found in both normal and anomalous dispersion regimes. For the normal dispersion, without DMGD, no MI exists. With DMGD, a completely new MI band is generated as long as the total power is smaller than a critical total power value, named by Per, which increases significantly with the increment of DMGD, and reduces dramatically as GVD ratio and power ratio between the two modes increases. For the anomalous dispersion, there is one MI band without DMGD. In the presence of DMGD, the MI gain is reduced generally. On the other hand, there also exists a critical total power （Per）, which increases （decreases） distinctly with the increment of DMGD （GVD ratio of the two modes） but varies complicatedly with the power ratio between the two modes. Two MI bands are present for total power smaller than Per, and the dominant band can be switched between the low and high frequency bands by adjusting the power ratio between the two modes. The M1 analysis in this paper is verified by numerical simulation.

NEW DEFINITION FOR NORTH HUAIHE RIVER RAINY SEASON AND ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION CHARACTERISTICS IN PRECIPITATION ANOMALY YEARS

In this article, a new definition for the North Huaihe River rainy season (NHRS) is presented using summer daily precipitation in East China and subtropical high ridge axis at 500 hPa. By calculating the annual precipitation amounts in the NHRS and Meiyu of the Yangtze-Huaihe Rivers basin (YHMY) from 1961 to 2009, the dates of precipitation beginning and ending as well as the duration of the two rainy seasons in the 49 years are analyzed. Atmospheric circulation characteristics in positive and negative precipitation anomaly years during the NHRS are also studied. Results are shown as follows. (1) The new definition for the NHRS is much easier to use. It involves only two meteorological factors, making its application more practical. It can also distinguish two rainy periods of the NHRS more objectively. (2) The average duration of the NHRS is similar to that of the YHMY, except that its average dates of beginning and ending are about one week later than those of the YHMY. The average precipitation of the NHRS is slightly less than that of the YHMY, and the yearly precipitation variation of the two rainy seasons are similar to each other with no obvious increasing or decreasing trend in the 49 years, but with distinguished decadal and inter-annual variations. (3) In positive precipitation anomaly years, the South Asian high moves more northward and more eastward, the western Pacific subtropical high is located more northward and westward, and the summer monsoon is stronger than normal, resulting in the convergence of the warm and moist southwesterly airflow from the west side of the subtropical high and the cold air from the north side of the northeast trough in North Huaihe River basin.

Entrainment-mixing parameterization in shallow cumuli and effects of secondary mixing events

Parameterization of entrainment-mixing processes in cumulus clouds is critical to improve cloud parameterization in models,but is still at its infancy.For this purpose,we have lately developed a formulation to represent a microphysical measure defined as homogeneous mixing degree in terms of a dynamical measure defined as transition scale numbers,and demonstrated the formulation with measurements from stratocumulus clouds.Here,we extend the previous work by examining data from observed cumulus clouds and find positive correlations between the homogeneous mixing degree and transition scale numbers.These results are similar to those in the stratocumulus clouds,but proved valid for the first time in observed cumulus clouds.The empirical relationships can be used to parameterize entrainmentmixing processes in two-moment microphysical schemes.Further examined are the effects of secondary mixing events on the relationships between homogeneous mixing degree and transition scale numbers with the explicit mixing parcel model.The secondary mixing events are found to be at least partially responsible for the larger scatter in the above positive correlations based on observations than that in the previous results based on numerical simulations without considering secondary mixing events.

High-capacity three-party quantum secret sharing with superdense coding

This paper presents a scheme for high-capacity three-party quantum secret sharing with quantum superdense coding, following some ideas in the work by Liuet al （2002 Phys. Rev. A 65 022304） and the quantum secret sharing scheme by Deng et al （2008 Phys. Lett. A 372 1957）. Instead of using two sets of nonorthogonal states, the boss Alice needs only to prepare a sequence of Einstei^Podolsky-l^osen pairs in d-dimension. The two agents Bob and Charlie encode their information with dense coding unitary operations, and security is checked by inserting decoy photons. The scheme has a high capacity and intrinsic efficiency as each pair can carry 21bd bits of information, and almost all the pairs can be used for carrying useful information.

Mastering the scientific peer review process:tips for young authors from a young senior editor

Are you a student at a higher institution or an early-career researcher who is striving to understand and master the peer review process so to increase the odds of getting a paper published in the Journal of Forestry Research or another reputable,peer-reviewed,scientific journal?In this paper,a young,senior editor provides a handbook of the peer review process based on his decadal experience in scientific publishing.He covers major information you need to know during the entire process,from selecting journals to completing the proofing of your accepted paper.He introduces key points for consideration,such as avoidance of predatory journals,dubious research practices and ethics,interaction with peers,reviewers,and editors,and the pursuit of aretê.Finally,he points out some common statistical errors and misconceptions,such as P hacking and incorrect effect size inference.He hopes that this paper will enhance your understanding and knowledge of the peer-review process.

Ethylenediurea(EDU)effects on hybrid larch saplings exposed to ambient or elevated ozone over three growing seasons

Ground-level ozone(O_(3))pollution is a persistent environmental issue that can lead to adverse effects on trees and wood production,thus indicating a need for forestry interventions to mediate O_(3) effects.We treated hybrid larch(Larix gmelinii var.japonica×L.kaempferi)saplings grown in nutrient-poor soils with 0 or 400 mg L^(-1) water solutions of the antiozonant ethylenediurea(EDU0,EDU400)and exposed them to ambient O_(3)(AOZ;08:00-18:00≈30 nmol mol^(-1)) or elevated O_(3)(EOZ;08:00-18:00≈60 nmol mol^(-1))over three growing seasons.We found that EDU400 protected saplings against most effects of EOZ,which included extensive visible foliar injury,premature senescence,decreased photosynthetic pigment contents and altered balance between pigments,suppressed gas exchange and biomass production,and impaired leaf litter decay.While EOZ had limited effects on plant growth(suppressed stem diameter),it decreased the total number of buds per plant,an effect that was not observed in the first growing season.These results indicate that responses to EOZ might have implications to plant competitiveness,in the long term,as a result of decreased potential for vegetative growth.However,when buds were standardized per unit of branches biomass,EOZ significantly increased the number of buds per unit of biomass,suggesting a potentially increased investment to bud development,in an effort to enhance growth potential and competitiveness in the next growing season.EDU400 minimized most of these effects of EOZ,significantly enhancing plant health under O_(3)-induced stress.The effect of EDU was attributed mainly to a biochemical mode of action.Therefore,hybrid larch,which is superior to its parents,can be significantly improved by EDU under long-term elevated O_(3) exposure,providing a perspective for enhancing afforestation practices.

Bias characterization of ATMS low-level channels under clearsky and cloudy conditions

The Advanced Technology Microwave Soun? der (ATMS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership satellite is a cross-track scanning instrument containing 22 sounding channels in total.In this study,the bias characteristics of channels 1-6,which could have significant cloud contamination in heavy precipitation,are first analyzed based on the differences between ATMS observations (O) and model simulations (B) under clearsky conditions over oceans.Latitudinal dependencies of the biases of window channels 1-3 are greater than those of channels 4-6.Biases of all nadir-only observations examined in different latitudinal bands[μ1(φ)]are positive and no more than 7.0 K.Biases at higher latitudes are larger.Channels 1-5 have a generally symmetric scan bias pattern [μ2(α)].The global distributions of brightness temperature differences after subtracting the biases,i.e.,O-B-μ1(φ)-μ2(α),for channels 3-6 spatially match the liquid water path distributions.Excluding ice-affected observations,channel 3-6 O-B differences systematically increase as the liquid water path increases under cloudy conditions.Further investigation is needed to apply these findings for ATMS data assimilation under both clear-sky and cloudy conditions.