Backshoring and nearshoring: An overview

Increasingly, economies that have traditionally benefited from offshoring are losing some of their strategical advantages, with a consequent increase in backshoring by developed economies. This paper describes the phenomenon and tries to shed light on the current challenges, trends, and debates in the area, and on the main determinants of backshoring. A new phenomenon known as nearshoring is also analysed—this consists of relocating some previously offshored manufacturing activities so that they are now close to previous core locations, but not so close as to suffer from disagglomeration effects. This combines the advantages of offshoring and backshoring.     

Spatial–temporal evolution of the port–hinterland relationship: A case study of the Midstream Yangtze River,China

Most scientific attention on port studies centers on deep sea ports, especially container ports. In this paper, in contrast, attention is focused on the spatial–temporal development of inland waterway ports on the Midstream Yangtze River from 2001 to 2013. The aim of this study is to assess two relevant and complementary questions of the hinterland evolution: its geographical extent and the coordination relationship with the inland port. To conduct the study, it was necessary to first identify the boundaries of the ports' hinterlands within the given timeframe. Then, the coupling coordination degree model was introduced to explore the underlying relationship between the port service and hinterland economy. Furthermore, to better depict the intricate economic characteristics of the hinterland, the development stage theory was applied in the models. The results highlight the emergence of a discontinuous hinterland at Wuhan Port and its reinforcement of primacy with respect to fierce hinterland rivalry. It also demonstrates that an interplay between major ports and their corresponding hinterlands evolves from the transitional stage, characterized by lagging port service, to the multi‐stage, wherein the supply of ports partly outstrips hinterland demand.     

The role of ear environment in postharvest susceptibility of maize to toxigenic Aspergillus flavus

A kernel screening assay (KSA) was used to assess the genetic and environmental effects on the vulnerability of maize to aflatoxin accumulation. Kernels of 26 inbred lines that had been grown in seven environments, and 190 lines of the Intermated B73xMo17 (IBM) population grown in one location in the United States, were inoculated with a toxigenic strain of A. flavus and incubated in the dark at 30°C for 6 days. Percent kernel colonization (PKC), sporulation and aflatoxin were influenced by the maize genotypes (G), the location (“ear environment” or E) and the GxE interactions. Overall, low broad‐sense heritabilities were observed for PKC, sporulation and aflatoxin. PKC was significantly correlated with sporulation in all environments. Aflatoxin was positively correlated with colonization for two and with sporulation for all ear environments. Higher grain sulphur or magnesium in IBM was associated with less colonization or aflatoxin. Postharvest susceptibility of maize to aflatoxin is thus influenced by factors that are modulated by the ear environment. In a KSA, sporulation could be a proxy test for aflatoxin accumulation.     

Development of colchicine‐induced tetraploid St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) lines

St. Augustinegrass is well suited for lawns and commercial landscapes. While many genotypes are cross‐fertile, all cultivars are propagated vegetatively in sod production. To ensure varietal purity, development of sterile triploid hybrids by crossing tetraploid and diploid genotypes has been successfully used in other warm‐season turfgrasses. Applying this model in St. Augustinegrass would be beneficial to sod producers and turf managers who require purity for certification and uniformity for performance, respectively. This study was conducted to develop colchicine‐induced tetraploid lines of St. Augustinegrass. Seeds of cultivar ‘Raleigh’ were treated with four colchicine concentrations at four exposure times. A non‐treated control was included among the treatments. Seedlings that germinated were screened for genome size changes using flow cytometry. Line DSA 13005 and two progeny lines derived through selfing, DSA 16001 and DSA 16016, were corroborated as tetraploids (2n = 4x = 36) through chromosome counts. These lines will be used in future breeding efforts to attempt development of sterile triploid cultivars of St. Augustinegrass.     

基于玻璃化转变的稻谷变温热风干燥工艺研究

为保证稻谷干燥后品质、提高干燥效率,基于不同含水率稻谷的玻璃化转变温度,提出变温热风干燥工艺。采用三因素五水平中心组合试验方法,以稻谷温度、初始含水率和热风风速为影响因素,以稻谷爆腰指数、整精米率和干燥时间为评价指标,研究稻谷玻璃化转变温度、恒温和变温干燥特性,模拟解析稻谷干燥过程中传热传质规律,以5、10、15℃的变温幅度进行变温干燥试验。结果表明,稻谷玻璃化转变温度与其含水率呈负相关,恒温干燥最佳工艺参数为稻谷温度47℃、初始含水率22.0%、热风风速0.50 m/s,干燥后稻谷爆腰指数70、整精米率57.67%、干燥时间195 min;与恒温干燥相比,以5℃和10℃为变温幅度的变温干燥工艺,干燥后稻谷爆腰指数分别降低了20和10,整精米率提高12.6、7.7个百分点,干燥时间缩短30 min和60 min。研究表明,基于玻璃化转变的稻谷变温热风干燥工艺明显改善了稻谷干燥后品质,提高了干燥效率。     

狗头枣GSTU基因的克隆及其序列分析

为探索红枣GSTU类基因在红枣抗逆中的分子作用机制,本研究以狗头枣枣树叶片的DNA为模板,根据枣GSTU基因的序列(HM345954.1)设计引物,采用PCR方法获得GSTU基因序列,并利用生物信息学手段对其所对应蛋白的结构域、功能域、理化特性、跨膜区、二级结构及亚细胞定位等进行分析。结果表明:克隆到的DNA序列全长838 bp,具有2个外显子和1个内含子,内含子在292~460 bp碱基处,该序列与GenBank中枣的GSTU核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列的同源性分别为99.85%和100%,表明成功的克隆了狗头枣的GSTU基因。该序列编码222个氨基酸,分子量为25.268 kD,理论等电点(pI)为6.10;亲水性的平均数为-0.242,表明该蛋白是亲水性蛋白。二级结构主要以α-螺旋为主,其次是无规则卷曲,不存在信号肽,表明该蛋白可能为非分泌性蛋白,该蛋白可能位于内质网(膜)和质膜上。本研究获得的狗头枣GSTU基因在基因结构上含有1个内含子,在核酸序列及氨基酸序列上与GenBank中枣的GSTU基因同源性高,并对其理化性质、结构等进行了预测与分析,为进一步研究红枣抗逆分子机制提供理论基础,同时为红枣品种的选育提供理论支持。     

运用机载LiDAR数据对橡胶林地上生物量估测的采样尺度效应分析

气候变化下,森林生物量遥感监测是当前研究的热点,机载LiDAR作为重要的遥感信息源,其采样大小对生物量估测精度有着一定的影响。以机载LiDAR数据为信息源,以44块30m×30m的方形橡胶林实测样地数据为基础,对机载激光雷达数据进行不同尺寸采样(共21个采样尺寸,边长从10m至30m,间隔为1m),提取不同采样尺寸下的激光雷达参数,并与橡胶林地上生物量建立PLSR模型,就机载激光雷达采样大小对橡胶林地上生物量估测精度的影响进行研究。研究表明:当采样尺寸小于18m时,估测精度随着采样尺寸的增大而增大;而当采样尺寸大于18m时,估测精度随着采样尺寸的增大而减小,进而趋于平缓。结果虽然呈现出一定的规律性,但是差异并不是很明显。当采样尺寸为18m时估测效果最佳,模型决定系数(R^2)为0.718,均方根误差(RMSE)为17.830 t/hm^2;交叉验证精度P和RMSEcv分别为82.741%和18.874t/hm^2。相较于实际样地(30m)尺寸下的估测结果,18m采样尺寸下的R^2提高了1.989%,RMSEcv降低了2.611%。因此,生物量的估测精度受机载激光雷达数据采样尺寸大小的影响,在生物量估测过程中需结合研究对象和研究区的实际情况对采样尺寸进行选择,从而提高生物量估测精度。     

汽车变速器齿轮修形仿真分析

汽车变速器的关键部件齿轮因其加工和装配质量的影响,工作时容易引起振动噪声大及承载能力降低等问题,而齿轮修形是解决这些问题的有效方法,且成本较低。针对某款汽车变速器,利用Romax对齿轮进行修形分析。结果表明,修形后减小了齿轮的传动误差和最大接触应力,齿面载荷分布更加合理。有效改善了齿轮的传动性能,增加了齿轮寿命。     

The efficiency of nitrogen in cattle manures when applied to a double‐annual forage cropping system

The use of cattle manure (CM) for fertilization presents challenges for optimizing nitrogen (N) use. Our work aimed to assess N efficiencies, in a 6‐year experiment with three biennial rotations of four crops: oat–sorghum (first year) and ryegrass–maize (second year) in a rainfed humid Mediterranean area of Spain. Fertilization treatments included the following: control (no N), 250 kg mineral N ha^?1 year^?1 (250MN), three CM rates (supplying 170, 250 and 500 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) and four treatments where the two lowest CM rates were complemented with either 80 or 160 kg mineral N ha^?1 year^?1. Treatments were distributed randomly in each of three blocks. Maximum dry‐matter yield (~44–49 t ha^?1 rotation^?1) was achieved in the third rotation, and only the control and the 170CM yielded significantly less. Within the limitations of the EU Nitrate Directive, the N steady state supply of 170CM always requires a complement of mineral N (80 kg N ha^?1) to maximize N agronomic efficiency. The maximum N‐fertilizer replacement value (250CM vs. 250MN) was 0·67, without significant differences between the two treatments in other N‐related efficiency indexes, which indicates that plants took advantage of residual‐N effects. Nitrogen losses by leaching in the 250CM treatment were around 5–7% of the N applied. This reinforces the sustainability of manure recycling in long cropping seasons.     

Getting cosy in freshwater: Assumed to be brackish pike are not so brackish after all

Pike (Esox lucius) occupy coastal streams and rivers of the Baltic Sea, where they attain large sizes (>5 kg). These large sizes are perhaps due to the fact that they can tolerate relatively high salinities and can thus forage in the nearby more productive brackish environments. In an attempt to quantify the extent to which pike utilise brackish environments, and to provide some insight into the underlying causes for brackish water migrations, we tagged 30 pike from a western Baltic river with acoustic transmitters and were able to track 21 individuals for 1 year. Based on experienced from local anglers, this population was assumed to be brackish in nature, where individuals underwent freshwater migrations to spawn. Our findings however suggest that the smallest and most active individuals make short exits into brackish waters and do so on rare occasions. Our results further indicate that neither sex nor size is related to activity level. We suggest that these patterns reflect two distinct behaviours—active and passive—and that large pike can be supported by the food availability in the river, without the need to venture into coastal zones, thus defying the conventional view that Baltic pike are all brackish in nature.