Climate change impact on China food security in 2050

Climate change is now affecting global agriculture and food production worldwide. Nonetheless the direct link between climate change and food security at the national scale is poorly understood. Here we simulated the effect of climate change on food security in China using the CERES crop models and the IPCC SRES A2 and B2 scenarios including CO2 fertilization effect. Models took into account population size, urbanization rate, cropland area, cropping intensity and technology development. Our results predict that food crop yield will increase +3-11 % under A2 scenario and +4 % under B2 scenario during 2030-2050, despite disparities among individual crops. As a consequence China will be able to achieve a production of 572 and 615 MT in 2030, then 635 and 646 MT in 2050 under A2 and B2 scenarios, respectively. In 2030 the food security index (FSI) will drop from +24 % in 2009 to -4.5 % and +10.2 % under A2 and B2 scenarios, respectively. In 2050, however, the FSI is predicted to increase to +7.1 % and +20.0 % under A2 and B2 scenarios, respectively, but this increase will be achieved only with the projected decrease of Chinese population. We conclude that 1) the proposed food security index is a simple yet powerful tool for food security analysis; (2) yield growth rate is a much better indicator of food security than yield per se; and (3) climate change only has a moderate positive effect on food security as compared to other factors such as cropland area, population growth, socio-economic pathway and technology development. Relevant policy options and research topics are suggested accordingly

Teaching Research on Urban Landscape Design in Chinese Institutions of Higher Education

As a comprehensive discipline of art and design intersecting crossing multiple disciplines, the urban landscape design in institutions of higher learning is an application discipline integrating art, science, engineering technology and many other disciplines, with main contents covering the art and design of various visual things in cities and spatial organization around cities. The discipline plays a positive role in promoting the improvement of urban environment, maintaining of ecological balance, and assurance of the sound and sustainable development of cities. In addition, the rapid development of information industry brings great changes to the development of teaching research, design ideas, engineering technology and other disciplines related to urban landscape design

Study on the Basic Constitution Form of Shandong Dwellings

With long history and rich connotation, Shandong dwelling is an organic component of Chinese traditional dwelling culture. However, influenced by factors such as geographical conditions, history, culture, manners and customs，Shandong dwellings have their different local cultural characteristics in structural layout, building materials and architectural style. This thesis studies the basic constitutional form of Shandong dwellings. And with rich materials gained from the field study and investigation, it systemizes, analyzes and studies the basic constitutional form of Shandong dwellings from the aspect of the village and messuage, gate and screen wall, living room and layout. This study is of great realistic significance for studying and protecting Shandong dwelling culture in different historical period

Application of Plants in Chinese Garden Landscape

Landscaping with plants as the basic materials creates an art space that is integrated with the surrounding environment through art processing and design techniques, giving full play to the beauty of the plants themselves and the beauty of rocks and water in form and function. Fully understanding the role of plants in creating the garden space landscape is the premise for good landscape designs. Rational use of plants as landscaping materials can bring about great landscaping effects in poetic and cultural prospect

Application of Traditional Chinese Gardening Elements in Modern Garden Design

With the deepening of China urbanization, continuing expansion of the urban area and increase of population density, people cling more to the natural environment and landscape, pursue harmony with nature and hope to beautify and improve their living environment by landscape planning and design. Culture and leisure needs and individual pursuit of gardens have become an important part of urban life. Traditional Chinese garden is the epitome and precipitation of traditional culture, and its functions and beauty are implemented and demonstrated through the flexible use of various elements of gardening. In modern garden design, how to use high-tech tools and new artistic handling of these elements of the traditional Chinese garden to achieve the harmony of the natural landscape and cultural landscape has become the focus of the Chinese government at all levels and the public’s concern. This paper outlines the gardening features of traditional Chinese garden and analyses the characteristics of four basic gardening elements of traditional Chinese garden: architecture, waterscape, plants and rocks. Based on the analysis, it discusses how to use the traditional elements in modern garden design to design modern garden scenery which conforms to city culture and scenery characteristics, which not only embody the cultural heritage but also interpret the modern scenery garden design concept that gets rids of the stale and brings forth the fresh

Discussion on Road Landscape Design of Shandong Urban and Rural Tourist Areas: Taking Jinan City as an Example

The road landscape plays an important role in planning and construction of urban and rural tourist areas. The direct feeling of people about the tourist areas comes from the planning and design of roads in the landscape areas. Thus, design of the road landscapes in the tourist areas has a great influence on sightseeing in the tourist areas. The research and discussion are made from these aspects including design of tourist routes, design of the road landscape and future development direction etc. of the tourist areas based on the urban and rural culture of Jinan and the existing problems in design of road landscapes in tourist areas of Jinan in this paper. On the basis of paying attention to the functionality, this paper stresses the rationality and beauty of the road landscape design in the tourist areas; this paper proposes to optimize and perfect various functions of the tourist areas, promote the grade of the road landscapes in the tourist areas by artistic design of the road landscape spaces to make regional characteristics of urban and rural tourist areas of Jinan demonstrated fully and thereby promoting the sound development of the road landscapes design of Shandong urban and rural tourist areas and propelling the sound development of the urban and rural tourism industry in Shandong Province

Research on Beautiful Countryside Construction in China: Taking Shandong Province as an Example

With the rapid development of China’s urbanization, some problems needing to be taken seriously occur, one of which is that poor protection of traditional village culture and traditional architectural culture and lack of regional characteristics in some countryside constructions. Taking the beautiful countryside construction in Shandong Province as an example, this paper analyzes and summarizes the relationship between the countryside dwellings in Shandong Province and various influence factors from the perspectives of history and current status of countryside dwellings in various places of Shandong Province, proposes a more scientific division method for distribution areas of countryside dwellings in Shandong Province, summarizes different regional characteristics of countryside dwellings in various places of Shandong Province and comes up with the new idea about the beautiful and livable countryside construction in various places of Shandong Province as per geographical environment and cultural custom. Aimed at the regional characteristics of various places in Shandong Province, this paper points out that how to carry out the principle of “ecological civilization, green and low-carbon, cultural inheritance and characteristics demonstration” in the process of beautiful and livable countryside construction and puts forward the feasible planning, construction and protective measures. All abovementioned contents proposed in this paper have the important application value and practical significance for researching and protecting the regional characteristics in the countryside of Shandong Province and promoting the beautiful countryside construction. In the meantime, all abovementioned contents provide the basis for research and protection of regional characteristics of the countryside and dwellings in Shandong Province and the new thought for inheritance of urban and rural traditional culture and beautiful countryside construction in China

Contextual interactions determine whether the Drosophila homeodomain protein, Vnd, acts as a repressor or activator

At the molecular level, members of the NKx2.2 family of transcription factors establish neural compartment boundaries by repressing the expression of homeobox genes specific for adjacent domains [Muhr et al. (2001) Cell, 104, 861–873; Weiss et al. (1998) Genes Dev., 12, 3591–3602]. The Drosophila homologue, vnd, interacts genetically with the high-mobility group protein, Dichaete, in a manner suggesting co-operative activation [Zhao and Skeath (2002) Development, 129, 1165–1174]. However, evidence for direct interactions and transcriptional activation is lacking. Here, we present molecular evidence for the interaction of Vnd and Dichaete that leads to the activation of target gene expression. Two-hybrid interaction assays indicate that Dichaete binds the Vnd homeodomain, and additional Vnd sequences stabilize this interaction. In addition, Vnd has two activation domains that are typically masked in the intact protein. Whether vnd can activate or repress transcription is context-dependent. Full-length Vnd, when expressed as a Gal4 fusion protein, acts as a repressor containing multiple repression domains. A divergent domain in the N-terminus, not found in vertebrate Vnd-like proteins, causes the strongest repression. The co-repressor, Groucho, enhances Vnd repression, and these two proteins physically interact. The data presented indicate that the activation and repression domains of Vnd are complex, and whether Vnd functions as a transcriptional repressor or activator depends on both intra- and inter-molecular interactions