Using daily maximum temperature(Tmax)data from 516 observation stations in eastern China from 1981 to 2020,this study employed a relative threshold method to define short-and long-lived heat waves(HWs)by considering regional climate differences to investigate the spatial characteristics and evolution of large-scale circulation during summer HWs.The results demonstrated spatial disparities in the frequency distribution of HWs of different durations and differences in the magnitude of duration and intensity between short-and long-lived HWs.Empirical orthogonal function analysis revealed three dominant spatial modes for both short-and long-lived HWs.The first mode showed that short-lived HWs occur prominently in both northern and southern regions,whereas long-lived HWs mainly occur in the northern region.The second mode was characterized by a meridional dipole pattern in both cases.The third mode exhibited a quadrupole pattern for short-lived HWs and a tripole pattern for long-lived HWs.Differences in the center locations of anomalies in the 500-hPa geopotential height and 850-hPa wind fields significantly influenced the temperature and precipitation anomaly distribution of typical HWs by affecting the warm column in the lower troposphere,cloud distribution,and moisture transport.Moreover,the atmospheric circulation evolution processes of typical HWs associated with the different modes of long-and short-lived HWs were linked to distinct teleconnection patterns.During the three modes of long-lived(short-lived)HWs,there was stronger(weaker)wave flux activity with multiple(single)propagation paths.Stronger westward Atlantic wave train activity at 300 hPa triggered the synergistic action of meridional and zonal wave fluxes,favoring the strengthening and maintenance of positive anomalies in geopotential height of 500 hPa.This may have contributed to the formation of long-lived HWs.These findings provide valuable insights to enhance our understanding and prediction of summer HWs.
Termite queens and kings live longer than nonreproductive workers.Several molecular mechanisms contributing to their long lifespan have been investigated;however,the underlying biochemical explanation remains unclear.Coenzyme Q(CoQ),a component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain,plays an essential role in the lipophilic antioxidant defense system.Its beneficial effects on health and longevity have been well studied in several organisms.Herein,we demonstrated that long-lived termite queens have significantly higher levels of the lipophilic antioxidant CoQ_(10) than workers.Liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the levels of the reduced form of CoQ_(10) were 4 fold higher in the queen's body than in the worker's body.In addition,queens showed 7 fold higher levels of vitamin E,which plays a role in antilipid peroxidation along with CoQ,than workers.Furthermore,the oral administration of CoQ_(10) to termites increased the CoQ_(10) redox state in the body and their survival rate under oxidative stress.These findings suggest that CoQ_(10) acts as an efficient lipophilic antioxidant along with vitamin E in long-lived termite queens.This study provides essential biochemical and evolutionary insights into the relationship between CoQ_(10) concentrations and termite lifespan extension.
Bubbles,often seen as metaphors for transience due to their ephemeral nature,have fascinated artists,engineers,and scientists for centuries.Despite centuries of research,new and often surprising bubble physics and applications continue to emerge.In particular,bubble-oriented fluid dynamics has been shown to play an important role in various disciplines such as chemistry,colloidal science,catalysis,electrolysis,medicine,biology,geophysics,and many others.1,2 There has been a strong motivation for researchers to investigate and manipulate the lifetime of bubbles,which could help address important questions related to chemical engineering,food/cosmetics industry,and even geophysics.For instance,the lifetime of bubbles is linked to the stabilization of foams and the size of bubblebursting aerosols.To this end,as the recent discovery of Xiaoliang Ji and coworkers reveals,bubbles suspended in ultrasound could show extraordinary stability without any chemical stabilizers.3 With the bubble lifetime effectively prolonged by approximately two orders of magnitude,their work proposes a new method to produce a longlived bubble.