A recent study investigates the contrasting patterns of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation (ANF) along altitudinal gradients in subtropical forests. The research found that SNF rates declined with increasing altitude due to higher soil nitrogen availability and lower air temperatures, while ANF rates showed a hump-shaped pattern, influenced by soil properties at lower altitudes and climatic factors at higher altitudes. The study underscores the importance of distinguishing between SNF and ANF in ecological studies and Earth system models, providing valuable insights for improving global BNF estimates and refining model predictions.

The Vortex Particle Method (VPM) is a meshless vortex flow simulation approach gaining traction for its efficient simulation of unsteady vortex wakes evolution. However, traditional VPM has huge challenge on accurately simulating complex flows due to its poor numerical stability. Recently, a team of aviation researchers led by Min Chang from Northwestern Polytechnical University in China have developed a Stability-enhanced VPM (SEVPM). These advancements enable stable, high-fidelity simulations of complex flows. The researchers demonstrated that their SEVPM can accurately and stably simulate high Reynolds number flows and shear turbulence. The researchers plan to further validate and refine the Stability-enhanced VPM by applying it to more complex and realistic flow scenarios.

Aircraft conceptual design is a highly complex process involving multidisciplinary trade-offs and creative thinking. Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) provide promising opportunities to automate and augment this process. A new study, recently published in the Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, presents an AI-driven framework capable of generating aircraft configuration schemes based on design requirements, integrating aerodynamic knowledge and system constraints. This research fills a key gap in intelligent design methodology, offering a new tool to revolutionize the early stages of aircraft development.