Cool Weather Conditions Research Articles

Improving radiative cooling performance via strong solar reflection by dense Al2O3 particles in a polymeric film

Radiative cooling (RC) technology has attracted a lot of attention due to its spontaneity and sustainability for cold energy generation. One of the primary objectives of enhancing RC performance is to prevent the absorption of incoming radiation. In particular, absorbing solar irradiance on an RC surface is known as a hazardous obstruction of the radiative cooling effect of the surface. This paper proposes a polymer-based RC film with dense aluminum oxide (Al2O3) microparticles to achieve high solar reflection. We have developed a fabrication recipe for densely dispersing Al2O3 particles in the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) medium to utilize a scattering effect as much as possible. As a result, the fabricated film contains 36.2% of Al2O3 by volume, and the resulting solar reflection is more than 94%. Additionally, both theoretical and experimental investigations are done to determine the cooling power and temperature of the fabricated film. The calculated cooling power of the proposed RC film is about 90 W/m2 under a standardized weather condition. Especially, an outdoor experiment is demonstrated to measure the RC film's cooling temperature. Under cool weather conditions, the resulting temperature is measured to be approximately 3.5∘C, which is 6.3∘C cooler than a conventional white-colored surface.

Deciphering Winter Sprouting Potential of Erianthus procerus Derived Sugarcane Hybrids under Subtropical Climates.

Winter sprouting potential and red rot resistance are two key parameters for successful sugarcane breeding in the subtropics. However, the cultivated sugarcane hybrids had a narrow genetic base; hence, the present study was planned to evaluate the Erianthus procerus genome introgressed Saccharum hybrids for their ratooning potential under subtropical climates and red rot tolerance under tropical and subtropical climates. A set of 15 Erianthus procerus derived hybrids confirmed through the 5S rDNA marker, along with five check varieties, were evaluated for agro-morphological, quality, and physiological traits for two years (2018-2019 and 2019-2020) and winter sprouting potential for three years (2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021). The experimental material was also tested against the most prevalent isolates of the red rot pathogen in tropical (Cf671 and Cf671 + Cf9401) and subtropical regions (Cf08 and Cf09). The E. procerus hybrid GU 12-19 had the highest winter sprouting potential, with a winter sprouting index (WSI) of 10.6, followed by GU 12-22 with a WSI of 8.5. The other top-performing hybrids were as follows: GU 12-21 and GU 12-29 with a WSI of 7.2 and 6.9, respectively. A set of nine E. procerus-derived hybrids, i.e., GU04 (28) EO-2, GU12-19, GU12-21, GU12-22, GU12-23, GU12-26, GU12-27, GU12-30, and GU12-31, were resistant to the most prevalent isolates of red rot in both tropical and subtropical conditions. The association analysis revealed significant correlations between the various traits, particularly the fibre content, with a maximum number of associations, which indicates its multifaceted impact on sugarcane characteristics. Principal component analysis (PCA) summarised the data, explaining 57.6% of the total variation for the measured traits and genotypes, providing valuable insights into the performance and characteristics of the Erianthus procerus derived hybrids under subtropical climates. The anthocyanin content of Erianthus procerus hybrids was better than the check varieties, ranging from 0.123 to 0.179 (2018-2019) and 0.111 to 0.172 (2019-2020); anthocyanin plays a vital role in mitigating cold injury, acting as an antioxidant in cool weather conditions, particularly in sugarcane. Seven hybrids recorded a more than 22% fibre threshold, indicating their industrial potential. These hybrids could serve as potential donors for cold tolerance and a high ratooning ability, along with red rot resistance, under subtropical climates.

A prenatal acoustic signal of heat reduces a biomarker of chronic stress at adulthood across seasons.

During development, phenotype can be adaptively modulated by environmental conditions, sometimes in the long-term. However, with weather variability increasing under climate change, the potential for maladaptive long-term responses to environmental variations may increase. In the arid-adapted zebra finch, parents emit "heat-calls" when experiencing heat during incubation, which adaptively affects offspring growth in the heat, and adult heat tolerance. This suggests that heat-call exposure may adjust individual phenotype to hot conditions, potentially compromising individual sensitivity to cool weather conditions. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated individual prenatal acoustic and postnatal thermal experiences during development, and sought to assess subsequent chronic responses to thermal fluctuations at adulthood. We thus measured heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratios in adults, when held in outdoor aviaries during two summers and two winters. We found that birds exposed to heat-calls as embryos, had consistently lower H/L ratios than controls at adulthood, indicative of lower chronic stress, irrespective of the season. Nonetheless, in all birds, the H/L ratio did vary with short-term weather fluctuations (2, 5 or 7days), increasing at more extreme (low and high) air temperatures. In addition, the H/L ratio was higher in males than females. Overall, while H/L ratio may reflect how individuals were being impacted by temperature, heat-call exposed individuals did not show a stronger chronic response in winter, and instead appeared more resilient to thermal variability than control individuals. Our findings therefore suggest that heat-call exposure did not compromise individual sensitivity to low temperatures at adulthood. Our study also reveals that prenatal sound can lead to long-term differences in individual physiology or quality/condition, as reflected by H/L ratios, which are consistent with previously-demonstrated reproductive fitness differences.

Improving Skills and Knowledge of Healthy Drink Intake in PKK Cadres Sempu Village Wonokerto Turi Sleman

The temperature in Sempu, Village of Wonokerto Turi Sleman is cool on weekdays, while at dusk and dawn the temperature is cold because it is located on a medium-high plain. This cold condition requires warm and healthy intake, especially for elderly people. This is because Sleman Regency has the highest average of life expectancy (UHH) in Indonesia. The pre-elderly population (45-59 years) is 53,146 people and the elderly population (> 60 years) is 55,967 people out of a total population of 1,090,567 people. The large number of elderly population requires serious attention in the health sector so that it does not become a burden. Thus, a promotive preventive program is needed. The morbidity rate for the elderly is the proportion of health problems that interfere with daily activities. The morbidity rate of the elderly in rural areas tends to be higher than in urban areas. It is important for the elderly to maintain their health by consuming nutritious food and additional mineral intake which has high health benefits, considering that the elderly has experienced a decrease in the performance of their organs. There are many natural ingredients that have healthful properties for the body, especially for the elderly in rural areas, and they are easy to grow in Turi with cool weather conditions. Among those natural ingredients is ginger (Zingiber officinale). Phenol compounds are antioxidants, which are thought to protect cells from damage. Ginger has properties for treating impotence, coughs, aching rheumatic pain, headaches, rheumatism, back pain, and colds. Those health problems often affect the elderly. Not many people, especially PKK Dusun (Hamlet of) Sempu, know the benefits of ginger widely and how to process it as a healthy drink. So far, ginger is only used as cooking spice. The purpose of this service is to increase knowledge and skills in making ginger-based healthy drinks for the community and PKK in Sempu, Turi. The method used was the lecture and practice method. Conclusion: This activity was fully completed, and the community was enthusiastic and grateful. The result of this activity was an increase in knowledge and understanding of the benefits of ginger by 15.6%.

Prevalence of facial nerve palsy in the neuro-medicine private clinic

Background. Due to dysfunction of the facial nerve (CN VII), Bell’s palsy occurs which is a facial paralysis of unknown cause, but viral infection is suspected. The study aims to determine the prevalence of facial nerve palsy in a private clinic in Basrah. Methods. The study was conducted at a private clinic and involved sixty-five patients with facial nerve palsy. It was a cross-sectional study in which any patient who attended the clinic and exhibited signs and symptoms of lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy underwent an examination to confirm the diagnosis and, if confirmed, were included in the study. While patients with other neurological disorders were excluded. Data collection started between October 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023. A total of 65 patients from the private clinic—males and females—aged from 4 to 70 years old were confirmed as having lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy. Results. This study at a private clinic found that Bell’s palsy was the most common facial paralysis, affecting more males than females and most of the patients in the age range of 18-39 years, also affecting mostly the left side, with onset more frequent during hot and cool weather conditions. Diabetes was significantly related to the onset of Bell’s palsy and weather temperature at the time of the clinic visit. Conclusion. Bell’s palsy has a peak age prevalence in the second and third decades of life, and temperature variations have no effect on the occurrence of Bell’s Palsy. Further studies are needed for an accurate estimation of the number of cases, to assess the severity, impact, and efficacy of Bell’s palsy management.

Optimization of tree locations to reduce human heat stress in an urban park

Trees provide cooling benefits through shading and evapotranspiration; they are regarded as an important measure in heat-resilient urban planning and policies. Knowing where to plant trees for maximum cooling benefits, given practical and resource constraints, remains a challenge in both practice and research. Literature in the field of tree modeling and location optimization is limited, either by the incompleteness in accounting for tree shading, evapotranspiration, and the modifying effect of wind, or by the slow-running speed of the Computational Fluid Dynamics model, making them less applicable in practice. This paper describes a novel method to search for the optimal locations for trees to maximize their cooling benefits in an urban environment. A rapid simulation model was applied to assess on-site heat stress under the influences of trees, which was evaluated using field measurements conducted under hot, temperate, and cool weather conditions in an urban park in Hong Kong. It was then linked to a genetic algorithm in search of a near-optimal tree layout. The proposed method was tested in the same park, and it can automatically identify locations to plant new trees to minimize heat stress, subject to practical constraints such as avoiding existing buildings and utilities. It can also identify the optimal locations to rearrange the existing 55 trees, hypothetically, which can cool the park by up to 0.3 ℃ in on-site average equivalent temperature compared with the worse scenario. Trees can cool the most if they are concentrated on the leeward side of the park, rather than spread evenly. The proposed method runs significantly faster than existing approaches, and it can inform research and landscape design practices concerning park cooling as a goal.

Unprecedented decline in summertime surface ozone over eastern China in 2020 comparably attributable to anthropogenic emission reductions and meteorology

China’s nationwide monitoring network initiated in 2013 has witnessed continuous increases of urban summertime surface ozone to 2019 by about 5% year−1, among the fastest ozone trends in the recent decade reported in the Tropospheric ozone assessment report. Here we report that surface ozone levels averaged over cities in eastern China cities decrease by 5.5 ppbv in May–August 2020 compared to the 2019 levels, representing an unprecedented ozone reduction since 2013. We combine the high-resolution GEOS-Chem chemical model and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning model to quantify the drivers of this reduction. We estimate that changes in anthropogenic emissions alone decrease ozone by 3.2 (2.9–3.6) ppbv (57% of the total 5.5 ppbv reduction) averaged over cities in eastern China and by 2.5 ∼ 3.2 ppbv in the three key city clusters for ozone mitigation. These reductions appear to be driven by decreases in anthropogenic emissions of both nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and volatile organic compounds, likely reflecting the stringent emission control measures implemented by The Chinese Ministry of Environmental and Ecology in summer 2020, as supported by observed decline in tropospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) and nitrogen dioxides (NO2) from satellite and by bottom-up emission estimates. Comparable to the emission-driven ozone reduction, the wetter and cooler weather conditions in 2020 decrease ozone by 2.3 (1.9–2.6) ppbv (43%). Our analyses indicate that the current emission control strategies can be effective for ozone mitigation in China yet tracking future ozone changes is essential for further evaluation. Our study also reveals important potential to combine the mechanism-based, state-of-art atmospheric chemical models with machine learning model to improve the attribution of ozone drivers.

ATLAS: Software for analysing the relationship between urban microclimate and urban morphology in a tropical city

This research applied clustering to unsupervised learning of meteorological data and evaluated the impact of urban morphology on temperature in different weather. Air Temperature Learning Algorithms (ATLAS) was developed for the cluster analysis of urban meteorological data and regression analysis of urban morphology and outdoor air temperature. The case study experiment was conducted on the university campus. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) reduced K-means clustering, this study evaluated the characteristics of reference meteorological data, and local solar irradiance and air temperature. Three weather conditions were identified for the given reference meteorological data. Revised selection criteria for clear, hot, and calm weather in tropical climate were proposed. The mean Raintot shall be less than 0.01 mm, with 25th, 50th and 75th quartile to be 0 mm, respectively. The mean Wavg and its quartiles shall be less than 3 m/s. The mean, 50th and 75th quartile of Stot, Smax, and Savg shall be higher than 5000 Wh/m2, 800 W/m2 and 200 W/m2, respectively. The mean, 50th and 75th quartile of Tavg, Tmax and Tmin shall be higher than 29 °C, 32 °C and 26 °C, respectively. The hourly ground level air temperature models were established in different weather. The results indicate the ground level air temperature in rainy and cool weather conditions are more predictable than hot and dry weather conditions. The sky view factor, exterior wall area, and green plot ratio have a greater impact on air temperature in sunny days than rainy days.

Comfortable climatic conditions for human on the territory of Ukraine for the period 1991—2020

The ecological state of the environment, climatic conditions with pronounced seasonality, variability, anomaly summer heat and regional manifestations of climate change, have a certain negative impact onwell-being, health and comfort of life of the population. To assess climatic comfort of a person, a bioclimatic index (equivalent-effective temperature) was used, which allows to evaluate thermal sensation of a person under a certain combination of meteorological parameters. In this study we used daily observation data (surface temperature, air humidity and wind velocity) at 34 meteorological stations in Ukraine for the period 1990—2020. Analysis and ranging of data, which characterize the thermal bioclimatic conditions, were done.
 It was found that the weather conditions with apparent temperature of very cold—cold—cool—slightly cool compose about 268 ± 9 (73 %) days per year. Thus, the population of Ukraine experience conditions of physiologically cold stress during the prevalent time of the year. Weather conditions that fall into gradations very cold –(30 ... 23) and cold –(23 ... 12) represent 6 ± 5 (~2 %) and 42 ± 17 (~12 %) days per year respectively. They can consequently cause extreme cold and strong cold stress and have a tendency towards decreasing repeatability.
 The largest number of days on average across the country have such gradations as slightly cool 0 ... 12 and cool –(12 ... 0), 113 ± 10 (31 %) and 107 ± 8 (29 %) days per year respectively. Slightly cool weather conditions are typical for the warm period of the year, mainly autumn and spring, and partially winter, while cool –(12 ... 0) is more prevalent in winter, autumn and spring seasons.
 Comfortable and subcomfortable thermal conditions for human with apparent temperature of slightly warm and warm compose on average 96 ± 8 (~26 %) days per year. Comfortable thermal conditions for human on the territory of Ukraine represent about 47 ± 13 (13 %) days per year and are typical for the warm period from April to October, with maximal values in summer: June 10 ± 3, July 17 ± 4 and August 15 ± 4 days per month. A number of days with subcomfortable thermal conditions for human on the territory of Ukraine compose also 48 ± 3 (13 %) days per year. Moreover, for May—September it has almost an equal number of days per month from 7 to 12 with minimal values in April, October and November, about 1—2 days. There is a tendency to increase in the number of days with comfortable thermal conditions for human in summer by 0.2—0.3 days per month for the period 1991—2020. The trend is 0.83 days per year (on average 25—30 days were added each year) for the period 1991—2020. Thus, comfortable climatic conditions for the local population in Ukraine increase during the warm season.
 However, the frequency of hot apparent temperatures (23 ... 30) has increased, especially during summer period, which can subsequently cause strong and extreme heat stress for humans. In particular years, it was recorded up to 5—19 days per year.
 For that reason, the climatic conditions of Ukraine have a certain potentially comfortable climatic resource(in June—August): Western region has a minimal climatic resource (23—40 %); Northern region has a sufficient climatic resource (36—53 %); Central region has an optimal climatic resource (40—60 %); Southern region has an optimal climatic resource (40—67 %).

Continuous Monitoring of the Thermoregulatory Response in Endurance Horses and Trotter Horses During Field Exercise: Baselining for Future Hot Weather Studies.

Establishing proper policies regarding the recognition and prevention of equine heat stress becomes increasingly important, especially in the face of global warming. To assist this, a detailed view of the variability of equine thermoregulation during field exercise and recovery is essential. 13 endurance horses and 12 trotter horses were equipped with continuous monitoring devices [gastrointestinal (GI) pill, heartrate (HR) monitor, and global positioning system] and monitored under cool weather conditions during four endurance rides over a total of 80 km (40 km loops) and intense trotter track-based exercise over 1,540 m. Recordings included GI temperature (Tc), speed, HR and pre- and post-exercise blood values. A temperature time profile curve of Tc was constructed, and a net area under the curve was calculated using the trapezoidal method. Metabolic heat production and oxygen cost of transport were also calculated in endurance horses. Maximum Tc was compared using an independent samples t-test. Endurance horses (mean speed 14.1 ± 1.7 km h–1) reached mean maximum Tc (39.0 ± 0.4°C; 2 × 40 km in 8 horses) during exercise at 75% of completion of Tc exercise and Tc returned to baseline within 60 min into recovery. However, the mean Tc was still 38.8 ± 0.4°C at a HR of 60 bpm which currently governs “fit to continue” competition decisions. Trotters (40.0 ± 2.9 km h–1) reached a comparable mean max Tc (38.8 ± 0.5°C; 12 horses) always during recovery. In 30% of trotters, Tc was still >39°C at the end of recovery (40 ± 32 min). The study shows that horses are individuals and thermoregulation monitoring should reflect this, no matter what type of exercise is performed. Caution is advised when using HR cut-off values to monitor thermal welfare in horses since we have demonstrated how Tc can peak quite some time after finishing exercise. These findings have implications for training and management of performance horses to safeguard equine welfare and to maximize performance.

Relative foraging intensity of various honey bee species on Brassica juncea (L.) czern & coss

Foraging preference of various species of honey bees on Brassica juncea (var. RLC-1) blooms was recorded consecutively for two years at University Seed Farm, Ladhowal (Ludhiana, Punjab, India) during the blooming period i.e. January and February months. The mean foraging intensity of Apis cerana (2.7 bees/m2/min) was only marginally higher than the foraging intensity of Apis mellifera (2.6 bees/m2/min). Among the wild honey bees, Apis florea was not recorded on the crop, while the foraging intensity of Apis dorsata was comparatively lower (1.4 bees/m2/min). The maximum foraging intensity was recorded during the fourth week of initiation of flowering when the crop was in full bloom. Improvement in sunshine hours and the mean maximum temperature during this period also favoured the foraging intensity. Cool weather conditions affected the timings of initiation and cessation of foraging activity; the peak activity of all the recorded honey bees was registered at 1200 h, though the bee activity on the crop was recorded during 1000-1600h. Owing to the maximum honey bees’ intensity during noon, the chemical control of insect pests should not be executed during noon hours towards pollinators’ conservation and consequent yield enhancement.

Ambient temperature provides an adaptive explanation for seasonal reproduction in a tropical mammal

AbstractUnderstanding how reproductive timing has evolved to reflect climatic conditions is increasingly important as the climate changes, influencing species persistence and ecosystem dynamics. Among endotherms, seasonal reproduction is often linked to natural selection for reproducing when biotic conditions (e.g. food availability) are most favourable. In contrast, we present evidence that direct effects of an abiotic factor have selected for seasonal reproduction in a tropical mammal. We have shown previously that the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), a diurnally active coursing predator, has lower reproductive success at high ambient temperatures, when its hunting activity is constrained. We therefore hypothesized that natural selection would favour reproduction during cool weather conditions, in locations where such conditions occur predictably. We show that, as predicted, wild dogs reproduce seasonally at latitudes from 7 to 25°S, such that their pup‐rearing periods coincide with the coolest (but not the driest) weeks of the year. Wild dog reproduction is aseasonal at latitudes ≤2°. As the climate warms, some temperate‐zone species have tracked optimal conditions through altered phenology. However, in seasonally breeding wild dog populations, any alteration in phenology would require breeding in hotter weather, probably reducing reproductive success. This endangered species may thus have a limited ability to adapt to climate change. Seasonal reproduction might be a trait indicating climate change vulnerability among tropical species.

Extreme Diversity of Mycoviruses Present in Isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2 LP From Zoysia japonica From Brazil.

Zoysia japonica, in Brazil, is commonly infected by Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) in humid and cool weather conditions. Eight isolates of R. solani, previously identified as belonging to the AG2-2 LP anastomosis group, isolated from samples from large path symptoms, were collected from three counties in São Paulo state (Brazil) and investigated for the presence of mycoviruses. After detection of double-strand RNA (dsRNA) in all samples, RNA_Seq analysis of ribosomal RNA-depleted total RNA from in vitro cultivated mycelia was performed. Forty-seven partial or complete viral unique RNA dependent-RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequences were obtained with a high prevalence of positive sense ssRNA viruses. Sequences were sufficiently different from the first match in BLAST searches suggesting that they all qualify as possible new viral species, except for one sequence showing an almost complete match with Rhizoctonia solani dsRNA virus 2, an alphapartitivirus. Surprisingly four large contigs of putative viral RNA could not be assigned to any existing clade of viruses present in the databases, but no DNA was detected corresponding to these fragments confirming their viral replicative nature. This is the first report on the occurrence of mycoviruses in R. solani AG2-2 LP in South America.

Alternative Oxidase Capacity of Mitochondria in Microsporophylls May Function in Cycad Thermogenesis.

Cone thermogenesis is a widespread phenomenon in cycads and may function to promote volatile emissions that affect pollinator behavior. Given their large population size and intense and durable heat-producing effects, cycads are important organisms for comprehensive studies of plant thermogenesis. However, knowledge of mitochondrial morphology and function in cone thermogenesis is limited. Therefore, we investigated these mitochondrial properties in the thermogenic cycad species Cycas revoluta Male cones generated heat even in cool weather conditions. Female cones produced heat, but to a lesser extent than male cones. Ultrastructural analyses of the two major tissues of male cones, microsporophylls and microsporangia, revealed the existence of a population of mitochondria with a distinct morphology in the microsporophylls. In these cells, we observed large mitochondria (cross-sectional area of 2 μm2 or more) with a uniform matrix density that occupied >10% of the total mitochondrial volume. Despite the size difference, many nonlarge mitochondria (cross-sectional area <2 μm2) also exhibited a shape and a matrix density similar to those of large mitochondria. Alternative oxidase (AOX) capacity and expression levels in microsporophylls were much higher than those in microsporangia. The AOX genes expressed in male cones revealed two different AOX complementary DNA sequences: CrAOX1 and CrAOX2 The expression level of CrAOX1 mRNA in the microsporophylls was 100 times greater than that of CrAOX2 mRNA. Collectively, these results suggest that distinctive mitochondrial morphology and CrAOX1-mediated respiration in microsporophylls might play a role in cycad cone thermogenesis.

Corn Emergence and Yield Response to Row-unit Depth and Downforce for Varying Field Conditions

Abstract. Optimum row-crop planter seeding depth performance is required to place seeds within proper soil conditions to ensure quick germination and maximize the likelihood of uniform emergence. Seeding depth is adjusted prior to planting by selecting a row-unit depth, followed by the adjustment of a row-unit downforce for proper seed-soil contact. Optimum row-unit depth and downforce settings required to maintain a consistent seeding depth are variable. The objective of this study was to evaluate corn ( L) emergence and yield response to row-unit depth and downforce in changing field conditions between sites and growing seasons. Corn was planted with a 6-row John Deere MaxEmerge Plus planter equipped with heavy duty downforce springs. The experiment was conducted in 2014 and 2015 in Central Alabama for non-irrigated corn. Two fields, three row-unit depths (4.4, 7.0, and 9.5 cm), and three row-unit downforce settings (0.0, 1.1, and 1.8 kN) were evaluated. Emergence was measured at 75 and 100 Growing Degree Days (GDDs). Yield was measured using a yield monitor installed on the combine harvester. Corn emergence was mainly affected by changes in weather conditions. Row-unit depth and downforce did not affect corn emergence in warmer weather conditions but the 4.4 cm row-unit depth resulted in more emergence than the other row-unit depth settings in cooler weather conditions. Yield ranged from 8,000 to 13,000 kg ha-1 across treatments and yield was mostly affected by changing growing conditions between fields and growing seasons. Plant population significantly varied with treatments, but lower plant populations did not always result in lower corn yields. These findings provided a better understanding of corn emergence and yield response to row-unit depth and downforce in varying field conditions. Keywords: Corn, Depth, Downforce, Emergence, Maize, Planter, Yield.

Theoretical models for wall solar chimney under cooling and heating modes considering room configuration

Under the fact that previous studies have usually ignored the influences of room configuration, wall solar chimney under both cooling and heating modes were analysed theoretically to fill the research gap. Solar chimney performance is dependent on the airflow rate and its temperature, where theoretical models were developed in this study to predict the performance of four typical types, including fresh-air cooling, fresh-air heating through chimney cavity and room, and sealed heating (without any fresh-air supply). It is known that the room configuration shows considerable influences on solar chimney performance, where a coefficient is proposed to address this. Different from the cooling mode, airflow rate under heating mode was found not only dependent on cavity height, but also the opening height of the room. To heat a typical room, fresh-air heating through the cavity shows the highest airflow rate but with the lowest temperature, which can be applied to regularly occupied building under cool weather conditions. Fresh-air heating through the room shows an opposite way, which is suitable for regularly occupied buildings under cold weather conditions. The performance of sealed heating is between these two, which can be used for non-regularly occupied buildings as there is no fresh air supply.

First Report of Sclerotinia Boll Rot and Stem Blight of Cotton in Arizona

Upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and Pima (G. barbadense L.) cotton are economically important throughout the southwestern United States. In August 2017, canopy wilting and boll rot symptoms were observed on upland cultivar Dyna-Gro 3109B2XF planted in Cochise County, Arizona. The affected field area was 8 ha with approximately 10% incidence of the disease. Limbs in proximity to the soil appeared to die first, and the infection rapidly progressed toward the upper canopy. Infected limb tips remained green and healthy for several days before wilting became evident. When the canopy was parted, bleached stems and the white cottony growth of a fungus were visible. Infections were observed on stems, bolls, and leaves. Diseased bolls appeared soft and rotted, and they were covered with white mycelium and large black irregularly shaped sclerotia. The bleached stems were surface sterilized, placed on potato dextrose agar amended with streptomycin (0.25 mg/liter). The inoculated dishes were incubated at 27°C for 3 days. The colony appearance of four isolates was identical, with white fluffy mycelium that turned gray after 7 days. Black irregularly shaped sclerotia were formed along the edge of the Petri dish, measuring 3 to 5.8 mm in length, 2.3 to 10.7 mm in width, and 0.9 to 5.3 mm in thickness. Based on these morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Kohn 1979). Genomic DNA was extracted from the mycelia of four isolates. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with primers ITS5/ITS4, and the resulting four sequences of 586 bp were deposited in GenBank (MG249966 to MG249969). A BLASTn search revealed a 100% match with several sequences of S. sclerotiorum with a query coverage at 100% (e.g., KY750530.1, HQ833447.1, and JQ618848.1). To fulfill Koch’s postulates, pathogenicity tests were conducted using detached limbs with three bolls. Both limbs and bolls were first wounded with a sterile needle and inoculated by placing a mycelial plug (8 mm in diameter) from an actively growing region. Four limbs with 12 bolls were inoculated for each isolate. Twelve limbs with bolls were inoculated with plain agar plugs as a control. All inoculated limbs were incubated in a plastic container with over 90% relative humidity at room temperature. Symptoms similar to those observed in the field started to appear 3 days after inoculation. Sclerotia with similar size and shape were observed by the end of the second week. No symptoms were observed on control limbs or bolls. S. sclerotiorum was consistently reisolated from symptomatic plants. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice with similar results. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Sclerotinia boll rot and stem blight of cotton in Arizona. S. sclerotiorum has a wide host range, including many economically important plant species (Bolton et al. 2006). In Arizona, S. sclerotiorum can cause yield losses on lettuce and pinto bean. Due to wet and cool weather conditions during the “monsoon” season, cotton fields with a history of pinto bean production will have an increased risk of cotton boll rot and stem blight.

Extending Class A pan evaporation for a shallow lake to simulate the impact of littoral sediment and submerged macrophytes: a case study for Keszthely Bay (Lake Balaton, Hungary)

Class A pan evaporation rate, Ep with sediment cover (S) and submerged aquatic macrophytes (Ps) was analysed in a temperate freshwater shallow lake at Keszthely (Hungary), over three growing seasons between 2014 and 2016. The aim was to identify the importance of this water body’s natural components (S and Ps) on Ep. Measured Ep together with reference E of Shuttleworth (E0) and the FAO-56 equation ET were also derived. Pan coefficient, Ka for filled in pans with S and Ps were computed as the ratio of Ep of the planted pan (Ps/S) and Ep. Ka values determined on-site were tested in the estimation of E for an open water body, namely Keszthely Bay of Lake Balaton. Overall seasonal mean evaporation rate was lower for Ep (3.2 ± 1.05 mm day−1) than the seasonal daily average Ep of S (3.7 ± 1.16 mm day−1) and the Ep of Ps (4.0 ± 1.28 mm day−1). Interannual variation of Ep was controlled by variations in seasonal air temperature, Ta. Data of the wet 2014 season showed a significant suppression of Ep, and this was related to humid and cooler weather conditions causing late emergence and early senescence of the submerged macrophytes (Potamogeton perfoliatus L., Myriophyllum spicatum L. and Najas marina L.) at Keszthely Bay. Overall seasonal mean Ka was greater than 1.0 as determined for the three-season time period in pans with S and Ps (Kas: 1.14 ± 0.04; Kap: 1.20 ± 0.05). Except for a previous study from our group (Anda et al., 2016, J Hydrol 542: 615–626) over a two-season period, no such ratio or coefficients have been published, until now. The dominant component of the energy balance was latent heat flux, which accounted for more than 60% of net radiation in Keszthely Bay, depending on Class A pan filling (S and Ps). Diurnal variation in heat storage of the pan also changed due to the occurrence of sediment cover and macrophytes inside the evaporimeters. The most important daily meteorological variables were used to develop the Ep model and to validate S and Ps. Our results show that linear models, even with more input variables, performed better than tree-based models with respect to mean absolute errors (MAE), root mean square errors (RMSE) and determination coefficient (R2) in predicting daily Ep of S and Ps. The use of pan coefficients Kas and Kap increased seasonal E of Keszthely Bay by 4.2, 14.4 and 17.1% during the 2014–2016 seasons, respectively. Total seasonal increments for Keszthely Bay (surface area is about 39 km2) accounted for 0.97, 4.31 and 3.91 million m3 throughout 2014–2016, respectively. In the warmer seasons, an increasing trend in the growth of Keszthely Bay’s E was detected. These results indicate that Class A pan Ep rates need to be modified to take into account sediment cover and submerged macrophytes to derive open water E. This approximation may lend additional credit to the estimation of E in lakes. Given that appropriate estimation of E can effectively impact the management of an ecologically functional lake’s water, maintaining the proper water level and quality can contribute to the sustainability of lakes in the long run.

Temporary Communal Brooding in Northern Bobwhite and Scaled Quail Broods

Abstract. Communal brooding, which can occur as a result of brood amalgamation or communal parental care, is a common alternative brooding strategy observed in many precocial bird species. Although the occurrence of long-term communal brooding has been documented in numerous waterfowl species, and to a lesser extent in gallinaceous species, the occurrence and mechanisms facilitating temporary or short-term communal broods is less understood. During the 2013 and 2014 breeding seasons, we anecdotally observed temporary communal brooding in 3 Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) broods and one Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) brood. We present 3 mechanisms that may explain the occurrences of temporary communal brooding: (1) cool weather conditions observed at intermittent intervals throughout the breeding season, (2) predator avoidance behavior, and (3) a random proximity mechanism that triggers communal brooding in these highly gregarious bird species. It is our hope that these observations will facili...

Automatic irrigation scheduling of apple trees using theoretical crop water stress index with an innovative dynamic threshold

An adaptive scheduling algorithm relying on a theoretical crop water stress index (CWSI) was developed to automatically irrigate apple trees. Unlike the traditional CWSI algorithm where the threshold is a constant value, in the present approach the threshold is dynamically determined by following the CWSI trend. A previous work on the energy budget analysis of a single apple leaf provided the base for calculating lower and upper boundaries of CWSI. To test the feasibility of the algorithm, it was applied to the thermal and meteorological data collected during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. A computer-based wireless control system was also developed to automatically schedule irrigations in three plots of apple trees in the 2013 growing season. In a small scale field experiment, two treatments were compared: (1) automatic irrigation using the new algorithm (CWSI-DT) and (2) irrigation scheduling based on weekly readings of neutron probe (NP). The soil water deficit under the CWSI-DT treatment was maintained within the well-watered range with no signs of over or under irrigation. This was better than the results in the NP treatment where there were occasions of under irrigation. Midday canopy and air temperature difference (ΔTm) exhibited a close agreement with midday stem water potential (Ψstem; R2=0.63, p<0.01). Normalizing ΔTm in the form of CWSI resulted in a much higher correlation between midday CWSI and midday Ψstem (R2=0.91, p<0.0001) suggesting CWSI as a reliable indicator of apple trees water status. The automatic control system running the new CWSI-DT algorithm was able to avoid over-irrigation under humid and cool weather conditions, and adapted itself to the changing conditions of the apple trees. The results of this study were promising in terms of using ground-based thermal sensing for automatic irrigation scheduling of sparse, discontinuous apple trees.