Amplitude Of Temperature Variation Research Articles

Performance of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in responses to different amplitudes of alternating temperatures across permissive warm temperature regimes.

Climate change involves changes in the pattern of temperature fluctuations and the frequency and magnitude of thermal extremes. It is essential to investigate how insects respond to increased temperature variations, especially for species that usually experience diel temperature variations extending to thermal performance limits. To explicitly elucidate the effects of sizes of amplitudes of temperature variations, we used daily alternating temperatures with an equivalent mean of 28 °C to investigate the impact of different fluctuation amplitudes (± 0 °C, ± 2 °C, ± 4 °C, and ± 6 °C) across permissive temperature regimes on the performance of Spodoptera litura FabriciusFabricius, a highly destructive polyphagous pest of crops and vegetables in tropical and temperate climates. Amplitudes of temperature fluctuations significantly affected developmental durations, adult life spans, pupal weights, fecundity, and fertility of S. litura. The survival rates from the egg stage to the adult eclosion did not differ significantly across different temperature treatments. The developmental durations of individual life cycles significantly increased with larger amplitudes in 3 fluctuating temperature treatments. The pupal weight was significantly lower and the adult life span was significantly shorter in the ± 6 °C treatment in all treatments. Fecundity and fertility were significantly reduced in the ± 6 °C treatment, making the continuation of generations nearly impossible. The results should provide critical information for understanding the ecology of this widespread pest under diel, seasonal, and global climate changes.

An experimental test of lignocellulosic fabrics for potential use in artificial habitat construction in deserts.

Climate change has profound effects on drylands, where vegetation like shrubs provide microclimatic refugia for animals. However, prolonged drought and higher temperatures are reducing the resilience of vegetation. Artificial habitat constructions, such as shelters, may function similarly to shrubs in providing climatic refuge. Natural fabrics, including lignocellulosic fabrics, have gained popularity in conservation due to their biodegradability, lightweight, and strength. In this study, we tested the effects of natural fabric canopies on key desert microclimatic variables, including temperature, relative humidity (RH), and light intensity/radiation to select the best-suited fabric for microclimatic amelioration of resident fauna in future field experiments. We used 0.45 m2 microsites of burlap, canvas, and nursery fabrics angled to the ground at three repetitions per fabric and paired them with data loggers for 30 days to record near-surface air temperature, RH, and radiation. We compared uncovered and similarly illuminated 0.45 m2 areas to serve as the control. We saw that the control was consistently the warmest microsite, while burlap and cotton canvas were the coolest. However, burlap offered a lower amplitude of temperature variation compared to cotton canvas. The lowest mean radiation was experienced under burlap and it functioned similarly to cotton canvas when controlling light regimes. We found that nursery fabric showed the highest humidity levels with the lowest variation, while cotton canvas had the lowest humidity and the highest variation. Yet, the high variation in temperature for nursery fabrics suggests it is not ideal for deployment in the field for sheltering resident fauna. Natural fabrics for small shelters could support conservation and management, as they can be deployed, are ecologically friendly, and serve as a stop-gap solution for early restoration efforts in sites while vegetation is re-established post-disturbance.

Study on Temperature Distribution Law of Tunnel Portal Section in Cold Region Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction

The design of tunnels in cold regions contributes greatly to the feasibility and sustainability of highways. Based on the heat transfer mechanism of the tunnel surrounding rock–lining–air, this paper uses FEPG software to carry out secondary excavation and development, then the air heat convection calculation model is established by using a three-dimensional extension of the characteristic-based operator-splitting (CBOS) finite-element method and the explicit characteristic–Galerkin method. By coupling with the heat conduction model of the tunnel lining and surrounding rock, the heat conduction-thermal convection fluid–structure interaction finite-element calculation model of tunnels in cold regions is established. Relying on the Qinghai Hekashan tunnel project, the temperature field of the tunnel portal section is calculated and studied by employing the fluid–structure interaction finite-element model and then compared with the field monitoring results. It is found that the calculated values are basically consistent with the measured values over time, which proves the reliability of the model. The calculation results are threefold: (1) The temperature of the air, lining, and surrounding rock in the tunnel changes sinusoidally with the ambient temperature. (2) The temperature of each layer gradually lags behind, and the temperature variation amplitude of the extreme value of the layer temperature gradually decreases with the increase in the radial distance of the lining. (3) In the vicinity of the tunnel entrance, the lining temperature of each layer remains unchanged, and the temperature gradually decreases or increases with the increase in the depth. The model can be used to study and analyze the temperature field distribution law of the lining and surrounding rock under different boundary conditions, and then provide a calculation model with both research and practical value for the study of the temperature distribution law of tunnels in cold regions in the future.

The Key Factors Controlling the Seasonality of Planetary Climate

AbstractSeveral different factors influence the seasonal cycle of a planet. This study uses a general circulation model and an energy balance model (EBM) to assess the parameters that govern the seasonal cycle. We define two metrics to describe the seasonal cycle, ϕs, the latitudinal shift of the maximum temperature, and ΔT, the maximum seasonal temperature variation amplitude. We show that alongside the expected dependence on the obliquity and orbital period, where seasonality generally strengthens with an increase in these parameters, the seasonality depends in a nontrivial way on the rotation rate. While the seasonal amplitude decreases as the rotation rate slows down, the latitudinal shift, ϕs, shifts poleward. A similar result occurs in a diffusive EBM with increasing diffusivity. These results suggest that the influence of the rotation rate on the seasonal cycle stems from the effect of the rotation rate on the atmospheric heat transport.

Multiscale oscillations of the annual course of temperature affect the spawning events of rudd (Scardinus erythrophthalmus)

Identifying climate impacts on ecosystems and their components requires observing time series of sufficient length to ensure adequate statistical power and reasonable coverage of the historical range of variability inherent in the system. The complexity of the hierarchy of climate effects reflected in temporal patterns in time series creates a need to be accurately modeled. The life cycle phenomena of living organisms, including fish spawning, have the character of one-time or time-limited events in time. An approach to finding the relationship between continuous components of time dynamics of environment properties and life cycle events of living organisms was proposed. This approach allowed us to evaluate the role of temperature patterns in the phenology of spawning rudd (Scardinus erythrophthalmus Linnaeus, 1758) in the Dnipro River basin water bodies. The atmospheric temperature time series may be decomposed into the following components: trend, annual cycle, episodic component, harmonic component, extreme events, and noise. Systematically low water temperatures at the beginning of the spawning period were observed in the Protoka River system and the Obukhov floodplain, and systematically elevated temperatures were recorded in the Dnipro River. The annual temperature dynamics was shown to be presented as a composition of oscillatory processes of different scale levels. The sinusoidal trend was previously extracted from the temperature series data. The average annual temperature, amplitude, and phase shift were calculated on the basis of the sinusoidal regression model. The residuals of the sinusoidal trend were processed by means of redundancy analysis with variables derived from symmetric distance-based Moran’s eigenvector maps as explanatory predictors. A set of 104 orthogonal dbMEM variables was extracted from the annual time series. These temporal variables were divided into the broad-, medium-, and fine-scale components. The parameters of temperature dynamics and biotope type are able to explain 51–72% of variability of spawning event. The time of spawning in water bodies corresponds to the time of spawning start: the earlier spawning starts, the earlier it ends. The duration of the spawning season is influenced by the patterns of different scale levels, as well as the amplitude and shift of phases. In this case, the duration of spawning in all water bodies does not differ. Spawning temperature depends on medium- and fine-scale temperature patterns, but does not depend on the characteristics of the sinusoidal annual trend. The annual temperature variation has been shown to be such that it can be decomposed into a sinusoidal trend, patterns of a multiscale nature, and a random fraction. Over the time range studied, the trend of increasing mean annual temperature was not statistically significant for spawning events. The sinusoidal trend explains 78.3–87.6% of the temperature variations and depends on the mean annual temperature, the amplitude of temperature variations during the year, and the earlier or later seasons of the year. Amplitude and phase shift play a role in describing spawning phenology. The residuals of the sinusoidal trend have been explained using dbMEM variables. This variation was decomposed into large-scale, medium-scale, and small-scale components. Winter and spring temperature fluctuations prior to spawning initiation had the greatest effect on spawning. Water temperature determines the lower possible limit for the start of spawning, but the actual start of spawning is determined by the preceding temperature dynamics. The results of the study have implications for understanding the dynamics of fish populations and assessing the influence of environmental conditions on the harmonization of the various components of ecosystems.

Mechanical Properties of Seawater Sea-Sand Concrete Exposed to Daily Temperature Variations

The durability of a concrete structure is affected by temperature cycles that occur during the structure’s service life. This paper presents an experimental and theoretical study of the mechanical properties of seawater sea-sand concrete when exposed to temperature variations. By using compressive tests on cylindrical concrete specimens, the effects of thermal cycling (e.g., the amplitude of temperature variations and cycling times) on the mechanical properties of seawater sea-sand concrete, such as failure modes, compressive strength, stress–strain relationship, Young’s modulus, ultimate strain, Poisson’s ratio and toughness are investigated. Microstructures of both unconditioned and conditioned concrete samples are examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the mechanisms behind the strength changes. Finally, the stress–strain model is proposed for seawater sea-sand concrete subjected to daily temperature variations, and the proposed model is verified by the experimental data.

Growth rate rather than temperature affects the B∕Ca ratio in the calcareous red alga <i>Lithothamnion corallioides</i>

Abstract. The B/Ca ratio in calcareous marine species is informative of past seawater CO32- concentrations, but scarce data exist on B/Ca in coralline algae. Recent studies suggest influences of temperature and growth rates on B/Ca, the effect of which could be critical for the reconstructions of surface ocean pH and atmospheric pCO2. In this paper, we present the first laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of Mg, Sr, Li, and B in the coralline alga Lithothamnion corallioides collected from different geographic settings and depths across the Mediterranean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean. We produced the first data on putative temperature proxies (Mg/Ca, Li/Ca, Sr/Ca, Mg/Li) and B/Ca in a coralline algal species grown in different basins from across the photic zone (12, 40, 45, and 66 m depth). We tested the B/Ca correlation with temperature proxies and growth rates in order to evaluate their possible effect on B incorporation. Our results suggested a growth rate influence on B/Ca, which was evident in the sample with the lowest growth rate of 0.10 mm yr−1 (Pontian Isl., Italy; 66 m depth) and in Elba (Italy; 45 m depth), where the algal growth rate was the highest (0.14 mm yr−1). At these two sites, the measured B/Ca was the lowest at 462.8 ± 49.2 µmol mol−1 and the highest at 757.7 ± 75.5 µmol mol−1, respectively. A positive correlation between B/Ca and temperature proxies was found only in the shallowest sample from Morlaix (Atlantic coast of France; 12 m depth), where the amplitude of temperature variation (ΔT) was the highest (8.9 ∘C). Still, fluctuations in B/Ca did not mirror yearly seasonal temperature oscillations as for Mg/Ca, Li/Ca, and Sr/Ca. We concluded that growth rates, triggered by the different ΔT and light availability across depth, affect the B incorporation in L. corallioides.

A simple numerical model for the variation of cubesat temperature along its orbit

A simple model for the variation of CubeSat temperature along its orbit is presented. First, an analytic solution for the satellite temperature variation with time when subjected to a bistable heat source: two segments with piece-wise constant power, such as orbits with an eclipsed segment when the Sun is not directly visible, is considered. The model assumes that at a given time a single temperature applies to the entire satellite body. Discussion is focused on CubeSat satellites in low-Earth orbits, the uncertainties in predicted temperatures due to uncertain input parameters, and it emphasizes the importance of the satellite thermal inertia in setting the amplitude of the temperature variation along the orbit. This simplified “spherical cow" model is suitable for studying the relative effects of surfaces with different emissivities, the effects of small changes in the solar flux between June and December, the impact of thermal inertia, and as a “sanity check" for the results obtained with numerical thermal models that utilize detailed geometrical and thermal descriptions of all satellite components. It was found that the mean satellite temperature depends on the extreme values of steady-state equilibrium temperatures for eclipsed and non-eclipsed parts of the orbit, and the duration of the eclipse relative to the orbital period; in contrast, the amplitude of temperature variation around the mean temperature is by and large controlled by the satellite thermal inertia. A numerical model with arbitrary time dependence of the heating power is also developed, including its dependence on the satellite temperature, and validated it using analytic solution for a bistable heat source. Analysis of a typical 2U CubeSat shows that low temperatures are more worrisome than high temperatures, and that low temperatures can be mitigated by active temperature control such as releasing heat when the satellite is in eclipse using electrical energy stored in batteries that are charged during non-eclipsed portion of the orbit.

Different climate factors contributing for runoff increases in the high glacierized tributaries of Tarim River Basin, China

Study regionThe headwaters of Tarim River. Study focusThe Tarim River basin is the largest arid inland river basin in China and recently only Aksu, Yarkant and Hotan Rivers have natural hydraulic connections with it. With climate changing, the runoff from the headwaters of Tarim River basin has undergone obvious changes that significantly affected downstream areas. It is necessary to quantitatively attribute the impact of climate changes on runoff. However, the previous researches mostly focused on the Aksu River basin, and the attribution of runoff changes in the Yarkant and Hotan River basins was nearly blank. This paper is dedicated to reveal the dominated climate factors for the runoff changes in all the three tributaries with large glacier coverage, by combining the glacier-enhanced SWAT model with the original and detrended precipitation and temperature inputs. New hydrological insights for the regionIt was recognized that the rising temperature respectively contributed 94 % and 66 % to streamflow increases in the Hotan and Aksu River basins with slower glacier shrinking during 1965−2007. Meanwhile, the increased precipitation contributed 87 % to streamflow increase in the Yarkant River basin with a larger glacier area retreating ratio. It is not as widely believed that the runoff changes in high glacierized basins are more correlated with temperature changes. The respective variation amplitude of temperature and precipitation should be concerned in every catchment.

Evaluation of multidecadal and longer-term temperature changes since 850 CE based on Northern Hemisphere proxy-based reconstructions and model simulations

The temperature variability over multidecadal and longer timescales (e.g., the cold epochs in the late 15th, 17th, and early 19th centuries) is significant and dominant in the millennium-long, large-scale reconstructions and model simulations; however, their temporal patterns in the reconstructed and simulated temperature series are not well understood and require a detailed assessment and comparison. Here, we compare the reconstructed and simulated temperature series for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) at multidecadal and longer-term timescales (> 30 years) by evaluating their covariance, climate sensitivity and amplitude of temperature changes. We found that covariances between different reconstructions or between reconstructions and simulations are generally high for the whole period of 850–1999 CE, due to their similar long-term temporal patterns. However, covariances between different reconstructions or between reconstructions and simulations steadily decline as time series extends further back in time, becoming particularly small during Medieval times. This is related to the large uncetainties in the reconstructions caused by the decreased number of proxy records and sample duplication during the pre-instrumental periods. Reconstructions based solely on tree-ring data show higher skill than multiproxy reconstructions in capturing the amplitude of volcanic cooling simulated by models. Meanwhile, climate models have a shorter recovery (i.e., lag) in response to the cooling caused by volcanic eruptions and solar activity minima, implying the lack of some important feedback mechanisms between external forcing and internal climate processes in climate models. Amplitudes of temperature variations in the latest published tree-ring reconstructions are comparable to those of the multiproxy reconstructions. We found that the temperature difference between the Medieval Climate Anomaly (950–1250 CE) and the Little Ice Age (1450–1850 CE) is generally larger in proxy-based reconstructions than in model simulations, but the reason is unclear.

Temperature Response of Planktonic Microbiota in Remote Alpine Lakes.

Alpine lakes are considered pristine freshwater ecosystems and sensitive to direct and indirect changes in water temperature as induced by climate change. The bacterial plankton constitutes a key component in the water column and bacterial metabolic activity has direct consequences for water quality. In order to understand bacterial response to global temperature rise in five alpine lakes located in the Austrian Alps (1700–2188 m a.S.L.) water temperature was compared within a decadal period. Depth-integrated samples were characterized in community composition by 16S rDNA deep-amplicon sequencing early [56 ± 16 (SD) days after ice break up] and later (88 ± 16 days) in the growing season. Within the 10 years period, temperature rise was observed through reduced ice cover duration and increased average water temperature. During the early growing season, the average water temperature recorded between circulation in spring until sampling date (WAS), and the day of autumn circulation, as well as chemical composition including dissolved organic carbon influenced bacterial community composition. In contrast, only nutrients (such as nitrate) were found influential later in the growing season. Metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) was applied to explain the dependence of taxonomic richness on WAS in mathematical terms. The calculated activation energy exceeded the frequently reported prediction emphasizing the role of WAS during early growing season. Accordingly, the relative abundance of predicted metabolism related genes increased with WAS. Thus, the dominant influence of temperature after ice break up could be explained by overall climate change effects, such as a more intense warming in spring and an overall higher amplitude of temperature variation.

Temperature analysis of CFG pile composite foundation in high latitudes and low altitude island permafrost

PurposeCement fly ash gravel (CFG) pile composite foundation is an effective and economic foundation treatment approach, which is significant to build foundation, subgrade construction, and so forth. The purpose of this paper is to present a research on the temperature behaviours of high-latitude and low-altitude island permafrost under CFG pile composite foundation treatment.Design/methodology/approachIn the process of CFG pile construction, the temperature of permafrost and pile body was monitored using the temperature sensors. The influence of subgrade height and atmospheric temperature cycle on permafrost temperature was analysed by finite element simulation.FindingsIn the process of CFG pile construction, the change curve of pile temperature and the temperature of permafrost beside pile following time can be divided into six stages, and the duration of these stages is at least one month. The temperature variation of permafrost while constructing subgrade in FEM has a good agreement with the results of field temperature monitoring. The height of subgrade not only affects the maximum temperature increase of permafrost and the re-frozen time of permafrost after the construction of CFG pile composite foundation, but also affects the temperature variation amplitude of permafrost during atmospheric temperature cycle.Originality/valueThe research will provide a reference for the design on the CFG pile composite foundation used for island permafrost and guarantee the stability of the structure; thus, it has an important significance.

Continuous selection pressure to improve temperature acclimation of Tisochrysis lutea.

Temperature plays a key role in outdoor industrial cultivation of microalgae. Improving the thermal tolerance of microalgae to both daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations can thus contribute to increase their annual productivity. A long term selection experiment was carried out to increase the thermal niche (temperature range for which the growth is possible) of a neutral lipid overproducing strain of Tisochrysis lutea. The experimental protocol consisted to submit cells to daily variations of temperature for 7 months. The stress intensity, defined as the amplitude of daily temperature variations, was progressively increased along successive selection cycles. Only the amplitude of the temperature variations were increased, the daily average temperature was kept constant along the experiment. This protocol resulted in a thermal niche increase by 3°C (+16.5%), with an enhancement by 9% of the maximal growth rate. The selection process also affected T. lutea physiology, with a feature generally observed for ‘cold-temperature’ type of adaptation. The amount of total and neutral lipids was significantly increased, and eventually productivity was increased by 34%. This seven month selection experiment, carried out in a highly dynamic environment, challenges some of the hypotheses classically advanced to explain the temperature response of microalgae.

Well integrity for CO2 injection from ships: Simulation of the effect of flow and material parameters on thermal stresses

Ships have been shown to be the most cost-effective way to transport CO2 from many sources in the Nordic region to offshore storage sites. Injection from ships introduces new challenges for the integrity of CO2 injection wells. The low temperature and the intermittency of CO2 injected from ships give rise to large temperature variations in the well. Such variations may lead to thermal stresses that exceed the limits of the well construction method and materials.In this paper we present a coupled flow and heat conduction model for CO2 wells. The model is used to conduct a parameter study and determine the parameters’ effect on the temperature variations in the well during injection from ships. The parameters varied are injection rate, injection time, injection temperature and time between injections. The resulting temperature variations are used as input for a 2D thermoelastic finite-element model in ABAQUS to determine the thermal stresses. Our results show that the amplitude of temperature variations downhole is mainly increased by longer pauses between injections, and by lower injection temperature. In the worst-case scenario considered in this paper, the thermal stresses may be large enough to induce debonding at the casing–cement interface.

Comparison of paleotemperature reconstructions using microbial tetraether thermometers of the Chinese loess-paleosol sequence for the past 350000 years

The recently proposed global and local calibrations for the mean annual air temperature (MAT) reconstruction on the basis of 5- and 6-methyl brGDGTs have rarely been applied to the Chinese LPS yet, leaving the applicability of these calibrations unclear. Here, we used the improved chromatography method to analyze 198 loess-paleosol samples from the Weinan section in the southern CLP for the past 350 kyr. The 6-methyl brGDGTs comprise a major proportion of total brGDGTs, pointing to alkaline conditions for most soil samples from the Weinan LPS. The decoupled profile variation of MBT′6ME and MBT′5ME suggests their response to different enviromental factors, possibly soil pH (or soil moisture) and temperature, respectively. This discrimination further corraborates that temperature and monsoonal precipitation were not in phase during the last four deglaciations on the CLP. Temperature estimates for the six calibrations tested show similar trends but remarkably differ in amplitudes. The soil moisture appears to affect the global MBT′/CBT calibration, the global MATmr calibration (a calibration based on the multiple linear regression) and the Chinese local SSM (Stepwise Selection Method) calibration, resulting in a significant underestimation of late Holocene temperature. In contrast, the dry climate has no effect on the global MBT′5ME calibration. Of the six calibrations, only the Chinese local SSM calibration and global MATmr calibration produce temperature variation amplitude over the past 350 ka that is consistent with other independent proxy data. The recently proposed local calibrations based on 5- and 6-methyl brGDGTs for North China yield the amplitude of temperature changes that is much larger than the results determined by other approaches. All the six calibrations have their own weakness in the MAT reconstruction, due partly to the inconsistency between the brGDGT distribution in the Weinan LPS and the modern soils used to establish these calibrations.

Australasian Temperature Reconstructions Spanning the Last Millennium

Abstract Multiproxy warm season (September–February) temperature reconstructions are presented for the combined land–ocean region of Australasia (0°–50°S, 110°E–180°) covering 1000–2001. Using between 2 (R2) and 28 (R28) paleoclimate records, four 1000-member ensemble reconstructions of regional temperature are developed using four statistical methods: principal component regression (PCR), composite plus scale (CPS), Bayesian hierarchical models (LNA), and pairwise comparison (PaiCo). The reconstructions are then compared with a three-member ensemble of GISS-E2-R climate model simulations and independent paleoclimate records. Decadal fluctuations in Australasian temperatures are remarkably similar between the four reconstruction methods. There are, however, differences in the amplitude of temperature variations between the different statistical methods and proxy networks. When the R28 network is used, the warmest 30-yr periods occur after 1950 in 77% of ensemble members over all methods. However, reconstructions based on only the longest records (R2 and R3 networks) indicate that single 30- and 10-yr periods of similar or slightly higher temperatures than in the late twentieth century may have occurred during the first half of the millennium. Regardless, the most recent instrumental temperatures (1985–2014) are above the 90th percentile of all 12 reconstruction ensembles (four reconstruction methods based on three proxy networks—R28, R3, and R2). The reconstructed twentieth-century warming cannot be explained by natural variability alone using GISS-E2-R. In this climate model, anthropogenic forcing is required to produce the rate and magnitude of post-1950 warming observed in the Australasian region. These paleoclimate results are consistent with other studies that attribute the post-1950 warming in Australian temperature records to increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

Influence of water temperature on the economic value of growth rate in fish farming: The case of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) cage farming in the Mediterranean

In sea cage farming, fish are exposed to seasonal variations of water temperature, and these variations can differ from one location to another. A small increase in water temperature does not only stimulate growth of the fish (until an optimal level) but also lowers dissolved oxygen concentration in water. Dissolved oxygen may then become a rearing constraint during the production cycle if the oxygen requirement of fish is higher than the supply. The impact of this constraint on production parameters (stocking density of cages and/or batch rotation) and thus on economic profit of a farm will depend on both local thermal regime and growth potential of the fish. Increased growth is one of the most important traits in a breeding objective to increase production capacity and profitability. We used a bioeconomic model of seabass reared in cages to calculate the economic value (EV) of increasing thermal growth coefficient (TGC) by selection in different conditions of average temperature (Tm) and amplitude of temperature variation (Ta). Tm and Ta values were taken from different locations in the eastern and western Mediterranean. Results show that increasing TGC has two consequences: (i) fast growing fish reach harvest weight earlier, which increases the number of batches that can be produced per year, and (ii) fast growing fish have higher daily feed intake and, consequently, higher daily oxygen consumption. To balance the oxygen demand and availability in a cage, a farmer might have to reduce the average stocking density, resulting in fewer fish produced per batch. Consequently, EV of TGC is positive when Tm is 19.5°C or 21°C, when an increase in number of batches produced compensates for the decrease in stocking density. EV of TGC is negative or null in areas where Tm is closer to 18°C because the increase in number of batches produced cannot compensate for the decrease in stocking density. Our results show, for the first time, the importance of variation in ambient temperatures for breeding programs in fish. Statement of relevanceThe economic impact of improving growth rate in sea cage farming system depends on temperature. This result is important for the development of breeding objectives maximizing economic return in fish breeding programs.

Robustness to chronic heat stress in laying hens: a meta-analysis

Chronic heat is a major stress factor in laying hens and many studies on the effect of heat stress have been published. It remains difficult, however, to draw general conclusions about the effect of chronic heat stress on performance and its relationship with genetic and environmental factors, as these studies have been done under varying experimental conditions and using various experimental designs. A meta-analysis enabled us to make a quantitative review of the results from 131 published papers. The relative effects of four factors (genotype, age, group size, and amplitude of temperature variation) and their interactions with temperature were analyzed for 13 traits. After pre-correcting the data for a random study effect, the best model for each trait was selected in a stepwise procedure based on its residual sum of squares. Shell strength, daily feed intake, egg mass, and hen-day egg production were found to be more sensitive to heat stress than the other traits as they dropped by 9.0 to 22.6% between thermo-neutrality (15 to 20°C) and heat stress (30 to 35°C) while yolk and albumen proportions or Haugh units showed nearly no variation with temperature (<1.2% between thermo-neutrality and heat stress). Many interactions (17) were found between temperature and one or more factors in the 13 traits studied here, which reinforces the interest of using a meta-analysis to summarize data from the literature. This study highlighted that the impact of heat stress in laying hens depends on the genotype, age, and group size, some of which have rarely been investigated.

Gas-kinetic unified algorithm for hypersonic aerothermodynamics covering various flow regimes solving Boltzmann model equation

How to solve hypersonic aerothermodynamics and complex flow mechanism covering various flow regimes from high rarefied free-molecular flow of outer-layer space to continuum flow of near-ground is one of the frontier basic problems in the field of fluid physics. In this work, the unified Boltzmann model equation based on the molecular velocity distribution function is presented for describing complex hypersonic flow transport phenomena covering all flow regimes by physics analysis and model processing of the collision integral to the Boltzmann equation. The discrete velocity ordinate method is developed to simulate complex flows from low Mach numbers to hypersonic flight, and the gas-kinetic coupling-iteration numerical scheme is constructed directly to solve the evolution and updating of the molecular velocity distribution function by employing the unsteady time-splitting method and the NND finite-difference technique. Then, the gas-kinetic unified algorithm (GKUA) is presented to~simulate the three-dimensional hypersonic aerothermodynamics and flow problems around space vehicles covering various flow regimes from free-molecule to continuum. To verify the accuracy and reliability of the present GKUA and simulate gas thermodynamic transport phenomena covering various flow regimes, firstly, the two-dimensional supersonic flows around a circular cylinder are simulated in the continuum regime of Kn= 0.0001 and in the high rarefied regime of Kn= 0.3 through the comparison between the Navier-Stokes (N-S) solution and the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) result, respectively. It is indicated that the GKUA can exactly converge to the N-S solution in the continuum flow regime, and the computed results of the GKUA are consistent with the DSMC simulation with a small deviation of 0.45% in the high rarefied flow regime. Then, the three-dimensional complex hypersonic flows around reusable satellite shape are studied as one of the engineering applications of the GKUA with a wide range 0.002 Kn 1.618 of the free-stream Knudsen numbers and different Mach numbers during re-entering Earth atmosphere with the flying altitudes of 110-70~km. The computed results are found to be in high resolution of the flow fields and in good agreement in a deviation range of 0.27%-8.56% by comparison among the relevant reference data, DSMC and theoretical predictions. The complex flow mechanism, flow phenomena and changing laws of hypersonic aerothermodynamics are revealed for spacecraft re-entry into the atmosphere, and the effects of rarefied gas and wall temperature on the aerothermodynamics characteristics of re-entry satellite shape are compared and analysed with different Knudsen numbers and wall temperature ratios of Tw/T = 1.6, 10 and 15.6. It is validated that the non-dimensional heat flux coefficient in the rarefied transitional flow regime is higher than that of the continuum and near-continuum flow regimes, the high wall temperature results in the enlarging amplitude of temperature variation on the stagnation line and the serious effect on the heat flux of the stagnation point, and wall temperature becomes lower, the heat flux coefficient of wall surface becomes bigger, and the friction force and pressure coefficients decrease. The non-equilibrium level of flow velocity slip and temperature jump on the surface of space vehicle becomes severer, and the stronger heat transfer effect between the space vehicle and the gas flow is produced as the Mach number or Knudsen number of the free-stream flow increases. It can be realized from this study that the gas-kinetic unified algorithm directly solving the Boltzmann model velocity distribution function equation may provide an important and feasible way that complex hypersonic aerothermodynamic problems and flow mechanisms from high rarefied free-molecule to continuum flow regimes can be solved effectively and reliably.

Exploration of road temperature-adjustment material in asphalt mixture

Road temperature-adjustment material (RTM) was studied in this research to adjust the working temperature for asphalt mixture. The RTM is constituted from the solid–liquid phase change material (PCM) as the main component of unsaturated organic acid and the polypropylene carrier. The effect of RTM on the working temperature of asphalt mixture was analysed by monotonic cooling test, cooling–heating cycle test and field simulation cycle test. Results of monotonic cooling and cooling–heating cycle tests indicated that RTM mixed into asphalt mixture helped to reduce the amplitude of temperature variation in the cooling and heating process, and also postponed the extreme temperature appearance time. Results of field simulation test showed that RTM helped to decrease the highest temperature during the heating process and increase the lowest temperature during the cooling process, which reduced the temperature adverse impact on asphalt mixture. Test results indicated that asphalt mixture with RTM actively adjusted the working temperature with damping effect, and also enhanced the temperature resistance capacity for asphalt mixture as well as improved asphalt mixture's adaptability to the changing environment. Therefore, RTM is an inspiration and new method to solve the worldwide problems of low-temperature cracking and high-temperature deformation of asphalt pavement in the future.