3,400 research outputs found

    Migration patterns and winter population dynamics of rice planthoppers in Indochina: New perspectives from field surveys and atmospheric trajectories

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    This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier Masson via the DOI in this record.Rice planthoppers (RPH) are the most serious insect pests of rice production in East Asia, frequently out-breaking in China, Korea and Japan each summer. They are unable to overwinter in temperate East Asia, and summer populations arise anew each year via northward spring migration from south-east Asia. The annual migration cycle is generally believed to be a closed loop with mass returns to south-east Asia in the autumn, but this leg of the journey and the overwintering dynamics are much less studied than the spring immigrations. Previous studies have indicated that the north-central Vietnam (NCV) region is a key location for both the spring colonisation of China and for receiving return migrants from southern China each autumn. However, NCV experiences a three-month rice-free fallow period during mid-winter, and so it cannot be the principal over-wintering region for RPH populations. In this study, the continental-scale migration patterns of RPH in East Asia were explored using data from light trap catches, field surveys and atmospheric trajectory simulations. Our results confirmed that large numbers of return migrants arrive in NCV from southern China each autumn, but that they are unable to survive there over winter. The NCV region is recolonised in the early-spring (mid-February to mid-March) of each year by migrants from winter rice-growing regions in north-east Thailand, southern Laos and south-central coastal Vietnam, which are transported on favourable high-altitude synoptic winds. The following generation initiates the colonisation of East Asia from a large source population in NCV. Our results provide a new perspective on RPH migration patterns and over-wintering dynamics in East Asia, which is governed by crop production, environmental conditions and synoptic wind patterns at a continental scale.National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu ProvinceBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC

    Numerical Study of Flow Past Two Transversely Oscillating Triangular Cylinders in Tandem at Low Reynolds Number

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    Flow past two tandem triangular cylinders forced to oscillate transversely in a uniform flow, is numerically investigated at a Reynolds number Re = 100. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation are solved by four-step fractional finite element method. The two cylinders are oscillated in phase and their motions are limited to low amplitudes with a wide frequency range. This study focuses on two typical spacings between the two cylinders, corresponding to vortex suppression (VS) regime and vortex formation (VF) regime respectively for flow past two stationary cylinders. Numerical results show that the response characteristics of two cylinders are significantly affected by the spacing, oscillation amplitude and frequency. For the VS spacing, both cylinders have a wider lock-on region, especially at relatively larger amplitude and higher frequency; the downstream wake patterns are mainly 2S and a combination of 2S* and 2S. However, for the VF spacing, the lock-on frequency range of the cylinders is even slightly narrower than that of a single oscillating cylinder; the wake field is more complex since it may comprises 2S, P+S and 2S* structures at some higher frequencies. Additionally, the hydrodynamic forces are also discussed in terms of mean and root mean square quantities, and reveal large differences between oscillating and stationary cylinders

    ā“ā°Ar/Ā³ā¹Ar geochronology, fluid inclusions, and oreā€grade distribution of the Jiawula Agā€“Pbā€“Zn deposit, NE China: implications for deposit genesis and exploration

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    The Jiawula Agā€“Pbā€“Zn deposit is located in the northern part of the Great Xing'an Range metallogenic belt within the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Here, we report results from muscovite ā“ā°Ar/Ā³ā¹Ar geochronology and fluid inclusion study and formulate a vertical projection map of the ore grade in this deposit. The muscovite from the Jiawula deposit yields a plateau age of 133.27 Ā± 0.66 Ma and a ā“ā°Ar/Ā³ā¹Ar isochron age of 131.88 Ā± 0.83 Ma. The muscovite ā“ā°Ar/Ā³ā¹Ar data indicate a discrete second hydrothermal event postdating the mineralization, which we correlate with postā€collisional extension after the subduction direction of the Palaeoā€Pacific Plate changed. Lowā€salinity aqueous fluid inclusions in quartz from the Jiawula deposit represent meteoric water or groundwater. Based on the fluid inclusion study, the fluids were trapped during cooling and decompression, which may have resulted in metal precipitation. We envisage that the copper precipitated from a highā€temperature fluid in the southern domain whereas lead, zinc, and silver precipitated at a lower temperature in the north. The spatial distribution of the oreā€forming elements, therefore, reflects the ore fluid migrationā€cooling path from the south to north

    Nanowires Framework Supported Porous Lotus-Carbon Anode Boosts Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Batteries

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    The novel design of carbon materials with stable nanoarchitecture and optimized electrical properties featuring simultaneous intercalation of lithium ions (Li+) and sodium ions (Na+) is of great significance for the superb lithiumā€“sodium storage capacities. Biomass-derived carbon materials with affluent porosity have been widely studied as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, it remains unexplored to further enhance the stability and utilization of the porous carbon skeleton during cycles. Here, a lotus stems derived porous carbon (LPC) with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and intrinsic carbon nanowires framework (CNF) is successfully fabricated by a self-template method. The LPC anodes show remarkable Li+ and Na+ storage performance with ultrahigh capacity (738Ā mAĀ hĀ gāˆ’1 for LIBs and 460Ā mAĀ hĀ gāˆ’1 for SIBs at 0.2 C after 300 cycles, 1Cā‰ˆ372Ā mAĀ hĀ gāˆ’1) and excellent long-term stability. Structural analysis indicates that the CNFs-supported porous structure and internal GQDs with excellent electrical conductivity contribute significantly to the dominant capacitive storage mechanism in LPC. This work provides new perspectives for developing advanced carbon-based materials for multifunctional batteries with improved stability and utilization of porous carbon frameworks during cycles

    Spin-filtering and charge- and spin-switching effects in a quantum wire with periodically attached stubs

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    Spin-dependent electron transport in a periodically stubbed quantum wire in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is studied via the nonequilibrium Green's function method combined with the Landauer-Buttiker formalism. The coexistence of spin filtering, charge and spin switching are found in the considered system. The mechanism of these transport properties is revealed by analyzing the total charge density and spin-polarized density distributions in the stubbed quantum wire. Furthermore, periodic spin-density islands with high polarization are also found inside the stubs, owing to the interaction between the charge density islands and the Rashba SOI-induced effective magnetic field. The proposed nanostructure may be utilized to devise an all-electrical multifunctional spintronic device.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

    A novel heptasegmented positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus from the phytopathogenic fungus colletotrichum fructicola

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    In this study, a novel positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) mycovirus, tentatively named Colletotrichum fructicola RNA virus 1 (CfRV1), was identified in the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum fructicola. CfRV1 has seven genomic components, encoding seven proteins from open reading frames (ORFs) flanked by highly conserved untranslated regions (UTRs). Proteins encoded by ORFs 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are more similar to the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), hypothetical protein (P2), methyltransferase, and two hypothetical proteins of Hadaka virus 1 (HadV1), a capsidless 10- or 11-segmented +ssRNA virus, while proteins encoded by ORFs 4 and 7 showed no detectable similarity to any known proteins. Notably, proteins encoded by ORFs 1 to 3 also share considerably high similarity with the corresponding proteins of polymycoviruses. Phylogenetic analysis conducted based on the amino acid sequence of CfRV1 RdRp and related viruses placed CfRV1 and HadV1 together in the same clade, close to polymycoviruses and astroviruses. CfRV1-infected C. fructicola strains demonstrate a moderately attenuated growth rate and virulence compared to uninfected isolates. CfRV1 is capsidless and potentially encapsulated in vesicles inside fungal cells, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. CfRV1 and HadV1 are +ssRNA mycoviruses closely related to polymycoviruses and astroviruses, represent a new linkage between +ssRNA viruses and the intermediate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) polymycoviruses, and expand our understanding of virus diversity, taxonomy, evolution, and biological traits. IMPORTANCE A scenario proposing that dsRNA viruses evolved from +ssRNA viruses is still considered controversial due to intergroup knowledge gaps in virus diversity. Recently, polymycoviruses and hadakaviruses were found as intermediate dsRNA and +ssRNA stages, respectively, between +ssRNA and dsRNA viruses. Here, we identified a novel +ssRNA mycovirus, Colletotrichum fructicola RNA virus 1 (CfRV1), isolated from Colletotrichum fructicola in China. CfRV1 is phylogenetically related to the 10- or 11-segmented Hadaka virus 1 (HadV1) but consists of only seven genomic segments encoding two novel proteins. CfRV1 is naked and may be encapsulated in vesicles inside fungal cells, representing a potential novel lifestyle for multisegmented RNA viruses. CfRV1 and HadV1 are intermediate +ssRNA mycoviruses in the linkage between +ssRNA viruses and the intermediate dsRNA polymycoviruses and expand our understanding of virus diversity, taxonomy, and evolution

    Dynamic Evolution Model of Isothermal Voids and Shocks

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    We explore self-similar hydrodynamic evolution of central voids embedded in an isothermal gas of spherical symmetry under the self-gravity. More specifically, we study voids expanding at constant radial speeds in an isothermal gas and construct all types of possible void solutions without or with shocks in surrounding envelopes. We examine properties of void boundaries and outer envelopes. Voids without shocks are all bounded by overdense shells and either inflows or outflows in the outer envelope may occur. These solutions, referred to as type X\mathcal{X} void solutions, are further divided into subtypes XI\mathcal{X}_{\rm I} and XII\mathcal{X}_{\rm II} according to their characteristic behaviours across the sonic critical line (SCL). Void solutions with shocks in envelopes are referred to as type Z\mathcal{Z} voids and can have both dense and quasi-smooth edges. Asymptotically, outflows, breezes, inflows, accretions and static outer envelopes may all surround such type Z\mathcal{Z} voids. Both cases of constant and varying temperatures across isothermal shock fronts are analyzed; they are referred to as types ZI\mathcal{Z}_{\rm I} and ZII\mathcal{Z}_{\rm II} void shock solutions. We apply the `phase net matching procedure' to construct various self-similar void solutions. We also present analysis on void generation mechanisms and describe several astrophysical applications. By including self-gravity, gas pressure and shocks, our isothermal self-similar void (ISSV) model is adaptable to various astrophysical systems such as planetary nebulae, hot bubbles and superbubbles in the interstellar medium as well as supernova remnants.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figuers, accepted by ApS

    Coexistence of Itinerant Electrons and Local Moments in Iron-Based Superconductors

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    In view of the recent experimental facts in the iron-pnictides, we make a proposal that the itinerant electrons and local moments are simultaneously present in such multiband materials. We study a minimal model composed of coupled itinerant electrons and local moments to illustrate how a consistent explanation of the experimental measurements can be obtained in the leading order approximation. In this mean-field approach, the spin-density-wave (SDW) order and superconducting pairing of the itinerant electrons are not directly driven by the Fermi surface nesting, but are mainly induced by their coupling to the local moments. The presence of the local moments as independent degrees of freedom naturally provides strong pairing strength for superconductivity and also explains the normal-state linear-temperature magnetic susceptibility above the SDW transition temperature. We show that this simple model is supported by various anomalous magnetic properties and isotope effect which are in quantitative agreement with experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; an expanded versio

    In situ interface engineering for probing the limit of quantum dot photovoltaic devices.

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    Quantum dot (QD) photovoltaic devices are attractive for their low-cost synthesis, tunable band gap and potentially high power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the experimentally achieved efficiency to date remains far from ideal. Here, we report an in-situ fabrication and investigation of single TiO2-nanowire/CdSe-QD heterojunction solar cell (QDHSC) using a custom-designed photoelectric transmission electron microscope (TEM) holder. A mobile counter electrode is used to precisely tune the interface area for in situ photoelectrical measurements, which reveals a strong interface area dependent PCE. Theoretical simulations show that the simplified single nanowire solar cell structure can minimize the interface area and associated charge scattering to enable an efficient charge collection. Additionally, the optical antenna effect of nanowire-based QDHSCs can further enhance the absorption and boost the PCE. This study establishes a robust 'nanolab' platform in a TEM for in situ photoelectrical studies and provides valuable insight into the interfacial effects in nanoscale solar cells
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