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The role of environment in promoting happiness has been well known, but the impact of the government's ecological environment policy on residents' happiness remains to be explored. This paper uses the first batch of pilot policies for the construction of eco-civilized cities in China (Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guizhou) as a quasi-natural experiment to empirically study the impact of ecological civilization construction in China on residents' subjective well-being. Using the data from the China Household Finance Survey and difference in difference method, we find that Chinese ecological civilization construction has significantly improved the happiness of local residents. Mechanism analysis shows that the "happiness effect" mechanism of Chinese ecological civilization construction by improving household income, health level, and the living environment of residents. In addition, the "happiness effect" of Chinese ecological civilization construction shows group heterogeneity, and ecological civilization construction plays a larger role in promoting the well-being of residents of low-asset families, urban families, and families that own their own houses. Finally, the "happiness effect" of Chinese ecological civilization construction shows regional heterogeneity, and the construction of ecological civilization has a more striking effect on improving the well-being of residents in Jiangxi province and Guizhou province. According to the authors' knowledge, the present study is the first to study the impact of China's macroeconomic environmental policies on residents' happiness, and the present study contributes to the research on residents' happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technology has already permeated the production and operations of organizations, with many incorporating it into employee performance evaluations. However, there remains a research gap in identifying effective approaches to achieving digital performance. Furthermore, while scholars have often mentioned the differences in employee attitudes, and employee dynamic capability (EDC) in the dynamic digital market, empirical evidence supporting this notion is scarce. This paper investigates the influence of high-involvement human resource management practices (HI-HRMPs) on employee digital performance (EDP) within Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing on specific cultural regions in China. Using purposive sampling, four representative regions (Guangzhou, Shanghai, Guizhou, and Anhui) were selected for Survey. Structural equation modeling (AMOS) was employed to examine the relationships between HI-HRMPs as the independent variable and employee competitive attitudes, employee competitive behaviors, and employee dynamic capabilities as mediating variables, with a focus on their impact on employee digital performance. Contrary to direct effects, the study reveals that HI-HRMPs do not directly influence employee digital performance. Instead, employee competitive attitudes and behaviors, along with their dynamic capabilities, emerge as significant mediating variables in this relationship. Specifically, employee competitive attitudes and behaviors, as well as employee dynamic capabilities, play crucial roles in mediating the relationship between HI-HRMPs and employee digital performance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that employee dynamic capabilities exhibit greater influence on employee digital performance compared to employee competitive attitudes and behaviors, particularly in the context of a rapidly evolving digital marketplace. These results underscore the importance of fostering employee dynamic capabilities within SMEs to enhance digital performance in the ever-changing business landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the globalization trend, China's cultural heritage is in danger of gradually disappearing. The protection and inheritance of these precious cultural resources has become a critical task. This paper focuses on the Miao batik culture in Guizhou Province, China, and explores the application of knowledge graphs, natural language processing, and deep learning techniques in the promotion and protection of batik culture. We propose a dual-channel mechanism that integrates semantic and visual information, aiming to connect batik pattern features with cultural connotations. First, we use natural language processing techniques to automatically extract batik-related entities and relationships from the literature, and construct and visualize a structured batik pattern knowledge graph. Based on this knowledge graph, users can textually search and understand the images, meanings, taboos, and other cultural information of specific patterns. Second, for the batik pattern classification, we propose an improved ResNet34 model. By embedding average pooling and convolutional operations into the residual blocks and introducing long-range residual connections, the classification performance is enhanced. By inputting pattern images into this model, their categories can be accurately identified, and then the underlying cultural connotations can be understood. Experimental results show that our model outperforms other mainstream models in evaluation metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, achieving 94.46%, 94.47%, 93.62%, and 93.8%, respectively. This research provides new ideas for the digital protection of batik culture and demonstrates the great potential of artificial intelligence technology in cultural heritage protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to strengthen the improvement and optimization of eco-environment management in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the paper studies the use of KPCA to build a judgment model of eco-environment management capacity, and analyzes the factors affecting the governance capacity in combination with the panel data regression model, so as to propose strategies for improving the governance capacity. The research outcomes indicate that from 2012 to 2021, the environmental and ecological governance capacity of the Yangtze River Economic Belt maintained an upward trend, and the governance capacity of the lower reaches was the best, with Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang ranking the top three, and Yunnan and Guizhou ranking the worst. The regression coefficients of industrial development, urbanization, economic development and opening to the outside world are − 3.4896, − 3.7891, 2.3489 and 0.1148 respectively. It is required to strengthen environmental and ecological governance from four aspects of industrial transformation, urban construction, green economy and open communication, and improve the eco-environment management capacity and level of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating interplay between urbanization and carbon emissions is crucial for reaching carbon peak objective. This study employs a VAR model to examine correlation between the urbanization rate and carbon emissions specifically within Guizhou Province, VAR model has obvious advantages in studying the dynamic relationship between them. The findings indicate that: (1) In Guizhou Province, there is a nuanced interplay between the urbanization rate and carbon emissions, with the magnitude and direction of their influence varying across different time intervals. (2) Carbon emissions in Guizhou Province exhibit a notable self-propelling effect, while concurrently, the urbanization rate demonstrates an inertia effect, which also contributes to its own advancement. (3) The influence of the urbanization rate on carbon emissions in Guizhou Province experiences gradual rise before plateauing, suggesting that the high-quality advancement of new urbanization in the region facilitates the achievement of carbon reduction objectives. Finally, policy recommendations are put forward: (1) Conscientiously implement the central ecological environment zoning control policies, such as: Guizhou Province Ecological environment zoning control Plan and Guizhou Province Urban and Rural Construction Carbon peak Implementation Plan and other policies. (2) Pay attention to the quality of Guizhou's urbanization process. Solve the relationship between urbanization and carbon emissions, and realize the coordination and unification of urbanization and the carrying capacity of resources and environment. (3) Develop a new type of urbanization rich in Guizhou's mountainous characteristics and promote the construction of low-carbon cities. Give full play to the regional characteristics of Guizhou's mountainous areas, build a new type of urbanization with Guizhou's mountainous characteristics, promote the construction of low-carbon cities in the process of urbanization development, and strengthen the coordinated development of ecological environment construction and urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, well-being of older people measure (WOOP) was developed and validated in a Dutch population. Although WOOP was developed targeting the older people, it has the potential for use in a wider population. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between WOOP and EQ-5D-5L and compared their psychometric properties in a sample of patients, carers and healthy general public covering a wider age group. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Guizhou Province, China between July and August 2022. Data was collected using paper and pencil. We analysed and reported the acceptability, item response distribution, the Spearman correlation coefficients of all items, the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of all items, the known-group validity and the convergent validity of EQ-5D-5L utility and WOOP utility. A total of 322 participants completed the survey with 105 patients, 101 carers and 116 healthy general public. 9% of participants had at least one missing response. Three items of WOOP did not have any level 5 responses and EQ-5D-5L had more level 1 responses. The correlations were low between EQ-5D-5L and WOOP items and the three-factor EFA showed these two instruments had only one shared factor and the other two factors were only related to WOOP items. Younger people had lower missing response rate and a different response distribution for three items. WOOP measures a broader construct beyond health while EQ-5D-5L is a more sensitive instrument when health is considered alone. There is a potential of using WOOP in a wider population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst regions are exceptionally responsive to global change with their harsh natural environment, fragile ecology, and acute human-land conflicts. The reconstruction of cropland spatial pattern in karst areas during the historical period is typical for studying human-land relations in karst areas and has important practical significance for climate study. The ecological environment changes at regional and global scales, primarily to provide essential data and a theoretical basis for studying the inverse evolution of rock desertification in karst areas. Guizhou province, a typical karst area, was selected as the research area in 1820. Based on the correction of historical population data and cropland data, a reconstruction model of cropland spatial pattern in karst areas during the historical period was constructed by selecting factors such as elevation, slope, soil types, organic matter content, climatic productivity potential, distance to river and distance from settlements to reconstruct the spatial pattern distribution of cropland in 1820 of Guizhou. The results show that the data on cropland recorded in Guizhou during the Qing dynasty is too low, mainly due to Yin-Ni and the policy of Tu-Di-Mian-Ke. In 1820, the total area of revised cropland in Guizhou was 1,851,792 hm2, with the highest proportion of 14.32% in Dading Fu and the lowest in Songtao Ting at 1.6%. Only 30% of the grid in Guizhou has a cropland distribution. It is mainly concentrated in the central part of Qianzhong District (Anshun and Guiyang Fu), the southern part of Qianbei District (Pingyue Fu and southern Zunyi Fu), the western part of Qiandongnan District, the central and eastern parts of the Qiandongbei District. The overall average reclamation rate of land in Guizhou is 10.93%, the highest reclamation intensity in Qianzhong District, with 8.5% of grids ≥ 50%, and the smallest in Qianxinan District, with only 1.65% of grids ≥ 50%. The analysis is validated by comparing the reconstruction model and the reconstruction results. It can be seen that the reconstruction model and research results of this paper can more objectively reflect the distribution of cropland in karst areas during the historical period, and the reconstruction model is suitable for karst areas with low productivity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the 2D (two-dimensional) characterization analysis of mineral dissemination characteristics requires complex sample preparation, destroys the sample structure, and produces stereological errors, a new method for analyzing mineral dissemination characteristics in the ore in situ, non-destructively and stereoscopically, is required. The research object in this paper is a medium–low grade calcareous-magnesium phosphate ore in Guizhou, and XMT (X-ray microtomography) and BPMA (BGRIMM Process Mineralogy Analysis) are used to conduct a comparative study of 3D (three-dimensional) and 2D analysis of mineral dissemination characteristics. The results of grain size analysis show that fluorapatite and gangue minerals belong to equal-grain dissemination, with very little fine particle content. The results of 2D analysis are finer than those of 3D analysis, but 3D non-destructive analysis produces more accurate results. In addition to particle size analysis, the binding relationship between minerals analysis results show that, when compared to the 2D distribution of minerals, 3D visualization can more intuitively and stereoscopically observe the distribution of minerals inside the ore and the intergrowth relationship between minerals. Through comparative study, it can be seen that the application of 3D visualization has developed a new method for the study of mineral dissemination characteristics, which makes up for the shortcomings of 2D analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most severe natural hazards with a significant impact on water resources. Droughts affect the sustainability of water resources and may result in environmental degradation of a region. The appropriate drought index is playing an important role on drought assessment. This paper addresses the best-fitting distribution of monthly water balance (WB), and the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought in Guizhou Province, China, during 1960–2017. The best-fitting distribution of monthly WB calculated using three potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimation methods was determined based on the goodness-of-fit test. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at various timescales was computed based on the optimal distribution. The modified Mann-Kendall method, run theory, and inverse distance weight (IDW) interpolation method were used to investigate spatiotemporal evolution of drought. Over result revealed that the common log-logistic distribution was not the most suitable distribution for WB in Guizhou Province and the gen. extreme value distribution is optimum fit for the WB series calculated based on different methods for 76.47% of the stations. Moreover, different calculation methods seem to have little influence on the fitting results. The drought shows an upward trend in spring and autumn and a downward trend in summer and winter during 1960–2017; the increasing magnitude of summer and autumn drought was greater in the northeastern and northwestern Guizhou Province. The annual droughts are significantly increasing (p = 0.05) at Anshun and Panxian. The drought frequency showed a decreasing trend from light drought to severe drought in Guizhou Province, and the drought intensity was relatively more severe during 2010–2017 than other periods. These findings are helpful for water resource management in Guizhou Province and indicate that we should pay more attention to the drought mitigation of the higher-elevation regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-grade diasporic bauxite in central Guizhou Province, China, contains Li that can be exploited and utilized. In this paper, several methods were used to determine the main chemical components in low-grade diasporic bauxite, which were Al2O3, SiO2 and TiO2, and the main minerals were diaspore, boehmite, kaolinite, illite and anatase. Independent Li minerals were not found. According to chemical phase analysis, Al mainly exists in diaspore, boehmite, kaolinite, and illite, while Li mainly exists in clay minerals along with a small amount in diaspore and boehmite. Li is inferred to be mainly ionically connected to the external hydroxyl group of kaolinite and the interlayer of illite; and partially occupies the site of missing hydrion in the diaspore and boehmite crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new framework for characterizing landslide deformation. Here, the deformation of a landslide is interpreted as a summation of three components: rigid deformation, within-mass deformation, and residual deformation. On the basis of the monitored data of the landslide deformation, these three components may be characterized separately: the rigid deformation is simulated by a summation of a trend term and a periodic term, the within-mass deformation is simulated by a high-order polynomial model, and the residual deformation is simulated by a conditional random field model. In particular, the characterization of the residual deformation, the third component of the landslide deformation, with the random field allows for a probabilistic assessment of the landslide deformation in the face of geological uncertainties. With the proposed framework, the evolution of landslide deformation in both geometric and time domains may be established, which allows for an assessment of the sliding mechanism of the landslide. Further, evolution in the geometric domain may allow for an assessment of the serviceability of infrastructures in the landslide area. To illustrate this new landslide deformation characterization framework, a case study of the Yu-Kai highway landslide in Guizhou, China is presented, through which the effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notoginseng saponin R1; ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd; the sum of the five saponins; and underground-part fresh weight (UPFW) of single plants were used as quality evaluation indices for Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (P. notoginseng). Comprehensive evaluation of P. notoginseng samples from 30 production areas was performed using that MaxEnt model. Spatial pattern changes in suitable P. notoginseng habitats were predicted for current and future periods (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) using SSP126 and SSP585 models. The results revealed that temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were important environmental variables. Suitable habitats were located mainly in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan Provinces. The distribution core of P. notoginseng is predicted to shift southeast in the future. The saponin content decreased from the southeast to the northwest of Yunnan Province, which was contrary to the UPFW trend. This study provides the necessary information for the protection and sustainable utilization of P. notoginseng resources, and a theoretical reference for its application in the quality evaluation of Chinese medicinal products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, is characterized by its remarkable ethnical diversity, which necessitates whole genome variation data from multiple populations as crucial tools for advancing population genetics and precision medical research. However, there has been a scarcity of research concentrating on the whole genome of ethnic minority groups. To fill this gap, we developed the Guizhou Multi-ethnic Genome Database (GMGD). It comprises whole genome sequencing data from 476 healthy unrelated individuals spanning 11 ethnic minorities groups in Guizhou Province, Southwest China, including Bouyei, Dong, Miao, Yi, Bai, Gelo, Zhuang, Tujia, Yao, Hui, and Sui. The GMGD database comprises more than 16.33 million variants in GRCh38 and 16.20 million variants in GRCh37. Among these, approximately 11.9% (1,956,322) of the variants in GRCh38 and 18.5% (3,009,431) of the variants in GRCh37 are entirely new and do not exist in the dbSNP database. These novel variants shed light on the genetic diversity landscape across these populations, providing valuable insights with an average coverage of 5.5 ×. This makes GMGD the largest genome-wide database encompassing the most diverse ethnic groups to date. The GMGD interactive interface facilitates researchers with multi-dimensional mutation search methods and displays population frequency differences among global populations. Furthermore, GMGD is equipped with a genotype-imputation function, enabling enhanced capabilities for low-depth genomic research or targeted region capture studies. GMGD offers unique insights into the genomic variation landscape of different ethnic groups, which are freely accessible at https://db.cngb.org/pop/gmgd/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zikui (Camellia sinensis cv. Zikui) is a recently discovered cultivar of local purple tea in Guizhou, China. It is a purple leaf bud mutation material of Meitan Taicha (Camellia sinensis cv. 'Meitan-taicha') 'N61' strain, which is an important local germplasm resource in Guizhou. It is also a model plant for the study of anthocyanins, but the limited germplasm resources and the limitation of traditional reproduction hinder its application. Here, an efficient regeneration system is established by using hypocotyl as explants for the first time. Different plant growth regulators (PGRs) are evaluated during different regeneration processes including callus and root induction. According to our findings, using the optimal disinfection conditions, the seed embryo contamination rate is 17.58%. Additionally, the mortality rate is 9.69%, while the survival rate is measured as 72.73%. Moreover, the highest germination rate of 93.64% is observed under MS + 2.40 mg/L GA3 medium conditions. The optimal callus induction rate is 95.19%, while the optimal adventitious bud differentiation rate is 20.74%, Medium with 1.6 mg/L IBA achieved 68.6% rooting of the adventitious shoots. The survival rate is more than 65% after 6 days growth in the cultivated matrix. In summary, our research aims to establish a regeneration system for Zikui tea plants and design a transformation system for tea plant tissue seedlings. This will enable transfer of the target gene and ultimately facilitate the cultivation of new tea varieties with unique characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slopes are subjected to stress redistributions during underground mining activities, and this may eventually cause deformation or landslide. This paper takes Madaling landslide in Guizhou Province, China as a case study to investigate the failure mechanism and its run-out behaviours by using discrete element method. Previous qualitative analysis indicated that the slope experienced four stages of failure mechanisms: (1) development of tension cracks, (2) development of stepped-like creep cracks, (3) development of potential rupture surfaces, and (4) occurrence of the landslide. PFC2D program was employed to model the pre-failure deformation characteristics in order to verify the failure mechanisms quantitatively. Subsequently, the run-out behaviours of the landslide were analyzed by PFC3D program. The results indicated that the movement could be summarized into four stages: acceleration stage, constant movement stage, rapid movement stage, and deceleration and deposition stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulated evidence showed that thyroid diseases induced cognitive decline. However, the relationship between thyroid hormones (THs) and cognition in older euthyroid people is still unclear. Our study aimed to estimate the association between THs within the euthyroid range and cognition in community-dwelling older adults in China. Data were extracted from a cohort study on the health status of rural older adults from the Guizhou province in China (HSRO). Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were measured using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Linear regression and a binary logistic regression model were used to explore the relationship between THs and cognition in euthyroidism (TSH level of 0.27 ~ 4.20mIU/L). A total of 957 euthyroidism individuals were included in this study, with a mean (SD) age of 71.34 (6.35) years. In individuals with euthyroidism, serum TSH and FT3 levels were positively associated with cognition (TSH:β = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01 ~ 0.11, P = 0.03; FT3:β = 0.07, 95% CI 0.01 ~ 0.12, P = 0.01); and serum FT3 and TSH levels were significantly associated with cognitive domains (P < 0.05). Further, euthyroid individuals in the lowest serum FT3(OR = 1.96; 95% CI 1.27 ~ 3.03) quartile had a twofold increased risk of cognitive impairment compared to those in the highest quartile after adjusting for potential confounding factors. These findings suggested that low levels of FT3 could be an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment in older euthyroid adults. Additionally, a positive linear association exists between serum FT3 levels and cognitive domains (such as immediate memory, language, and attention). Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms and the community significance of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sources and nitrogen sources are two important groups of substances in analyses of the effects of exogenous additives on soil microorganisms. Glucose (present in soil) and urea (extensively used in agricultural production) are substances often used to study the specific effects of carbon and nitrogen addition on microorganisms. Azotobacter, a non-symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium, has been characterized in the laboratory and applied to soil in numerous studies. However, soil microorganisms display considerable diversity, and the effects of in exogenous substances stimulation on various microorganisms are uncertain. The potential effects of forced exogenous substance stimulation on Azotobacter are not well understood. Here, the effects of C and N application on Azotobacter growth and nitrogen cycle metabolism in farmland soil in central Guizhou, China, were studied through analysis of four treatment groups: control (CK), glucose treatment (C), urea treatment (N), and glucose + urea treatment (CN). The results showed that the relative abundances of the Azotobacter genus and relevant species were increased in group C, indicating promotion of Azotobacter growth (P < 0.001). The relative abundances of the Azotobacter genus and relevant species in group CN were significantly different from the abundances in group N and CK (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the relative abundances of nif genes (i.e., nifH, nifD, and nifK) and nirD were significantly increased in group C. However, the relative abundances of the aforementioned four nitrogen cycle-related genes did not significantly differ between group CN and groups CK and N. The main source species of the aforementioned four nitrogen cycle-related genes were Azotobacter species. The total nitrogen and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen contents in soil did not significantly differ in a comparison between group C and groups N and CN. Piecewise structural equation modeling analysis revealed that bacterial α-diversity, Azotobacter, and nitrogen cycle genes had significant direct effects on the alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen content in soil and had negligible direct effects on the total nitrogen content in soil. These findings improve the broader understanding of Azotobacter and provide theoretical support for reduced Azotobacter utilization in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strip structure filling mining technology is suggested in response to the environmental issues such as surface subsidence and landslides brought on by the mining of 11,071 working faces in a mine in Guizhou. The mining technology system is studied through indoor testing, numerical simulation, and engineering monitoring. According to theoretical study, the filling strip can be steadily loaded and its value doesn't exceed 10 m when the width of the filling strip and the width of the filling interval are set to be equal. According to laboratory testing, fly ash can replace some of the cement in the cement mixture as a binder to maintain strength while cutting costs. The degree of crystallization gradually distributed into the network in the filling paste of various ages corresponds to its strength when combined with the findings of scanning electron microscopy; The numerical simulation results show that the maximum subsidence of the immediate roof is reduced from 340 to 3 mm from the filling rate of 0 to 100%, the filling effect is remarkable, and the shape of the settlement curve is changed from 'U' to 'basin', then to 'W'; during the local filling mining, the settlement curve of the immediate roof presents a 'wave' shape, and the stress curve of the immediate roof in the middle of the stope is also changed. The peak tension of the coal wall falls synchronously with filling spacing on both sides of the stope. The overall vertical stress below the mountain is larger, and the vertical stress at the top of the filling body eventually shifts from a "saddle" shape to a "inverted U" shape without zero support stress. In conjunction with the plastic zone, it is discovered that the stable bearing of the "filling strip-direct roof" composite structure increases with decreasing tensile and shear damage range of the hollow roof area and both sides of the top of the "filling 3 m interval 3 m" scheme; engineering measurement also reveals that the higher the position of the survey line is, the smaller the displacement is. However, the overall displacement of the strata directly above is negligible, and the greatest displacement is only 10.9 mm, which is consistent with the numerical simulation. At the same time, the displacement beneath the mountain area is too great. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas content and permeability of coal reservoirs are the main factors affecting the productivity of coalbed methane. To explore the law of gas content and permeability of coal reservoirs in the Zhijin area of Guizhou, taking No.16, No.27 and No.30 coal seams in Wenjiaba mining area of Guizhou as the engineering background, based on the relevant data of coalbed methane exploration in Wenjiaba block, the geological structure, coal seam thickness, coal quality characteristics,coal seam gas content and permeability of the area were studied utilizing geological exploration, analysis of coal components and methane adsorption test. The results show that the average thickness of coal seams in this area is between 1.32 and 1.85 m; the average buried depth of the coal seam is in the range of 301.3–384.2 m; the gas content of No.16 and No.27 coal seams is higher in the syncline core. The gas content of the No.30 coal seam forms a gas-rich center in the south of the mining area. The buried depth and gas content of coal seams in the study area show a strong positive correlation. Under the same pressure conditions, the adsorption capacity of dry ash-free basis is significantly higher than that of air-dried coal. The permeability decreases exponentially with the horizontal maximum principal stress and the horizontal minimum principal stress. The horizontal maximum primary stress and the flat minimum prominent stress increase with the increase of the buried depth of the coal seam. The permeability and coal seam burial depth decrease exponentially. This work can provide engineering reference and theoretical support for selecting high-yield target areas for CBM enrichment in the block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice–rape rotation is a widely practiced cropping system in China. However, changes in soil properties and management could change the bioavailability of Cd, In order to explore the occurrence state, transportation and transformation characteristics of heavy metals Cd and Zn in rice-rape rotation system in Guizhou karst area with high background value of Cd. In the karst rice–rape rotation area, the physical and chemical properties of soil, chemical specifications and activities of Cd and Zn at different soil depths and during various crop growth stages, and the bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn in different tissues of rice and rape were studied by field experiment and laboratory analysis. The bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn and the effects of physical and chemical soil properties on the activities and bioavailabilities of Cd and Zn during rice–rape rotation were explored. The findings revealed that soil particle size, composition, pH, redox potential, soil organic matter, and Cd and Zn contents varied dramatically, especially in deep soils. The physical and chemical properties of the deep and surface soils were significantly related to the bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn. Cd and Zn are activated during crop rotation. Cd was easier to be enriched in rice, while Zn was easier to be enriched in rape. The correlation between Cd and Zn contents in Brassica campestris L and their enrichment abilities were not significant, but that in Oryza sativa L were significant. During rice-rape rotation, the chemical speciations and activities of Cd and Zn changed with the changes of soil properties and waterlogging environment. This study had important basic guiding significance for the evaluation, prevention and control of heavy metal pollution, and improving soil quality in different rotation systems in karst areas, and was conducive to promoting the safe production of rape and rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economic development is closely related to oil and gas resources, and the country is investing heavily in pipeline construction. Slope geological hazards seriously affect the long-term safe operation of buried pipelines, usually causing pipeline leakage, property and environmental losses, and adverse social impacts. To ensure the safety of pipelines and reduce the probability of pipeline disasters, it is necessary to predict and quantitatively evaluate slope hazards. While there has been much research focus in recent years on the evaluation of pipeline slope disasters and the stress calculation of pipelines under hazards, existing methods only provide information on the occurrence probability of slope events, not whether a slope disaster will lead to pipeline damage. Taking the 2015 Xinzhan landslide in Guizhou Province, China, as an example, this study used discrete elements to simulate landslide events and determine the risk level and scope for pipeline damage, and then established a pipe-soil coupling model to quantitatively evaluate the impact of landslide hazards for pipelines in medium- and high-risk areas. The results provide a reference for future pipeline disaster prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a province inhabited by ethnic minorities in southwest China, Guizhou is rich in tourism and ICH (intangible cultural heritage) resources. The spatial distribution of ICH and the utilization of tourism and ICH resources in Guizhou worth studying, which is better for understanding the tourism competition situation and the tourism utilization of ICH. This research uses GIS tools for spatial analysis, mathematical formulas for calculating the abundance of ICH and tourism resources, as well as the matrix analysis for ICH and tourism competition, to identify the spatial distribution and tourism competition situation of ICH in Guizhou Province in 2019. The results show that: (1) in terms of the structural characteristics of the number and types of ICH in Guizhou Province, folk custom, traditional craftsmanship and traditional music have the highest number and proportion, while Quyi has the lowest. (2) Grade A scenic spots are mainly located in Zunyi City, while ICH scenic spots are mainly in Southeast Guizhou, Zunyi City, South Guizhou and Southwest Guizhou. Zunyi City ranks first in the abundance of tourism resources, and Liupanshui City ranks last. Southeast Guizhou has the highest ICH resources abundance, while Liupanshui City has the lowest. (3) Both the distribution of national-level and provincial-level ICH in Guizhou are aggregated. The national-level ICH are clustered in a large core area in geographical space, which is located in the southeast of Guizhou. The provincial-level ICH sites form a belt extending from southwest to southeast of the province, which is distributed at the junction of southeast of Guizhou, Guiyang and Anshun. (4) The provincial-level ICH in Guizhou has formed a belt-like high-density zone extending from southwest to southeast and three high-density core areas. (5) Through the analysis of a tourism competition matrix, we found that there are three types of development in nine cities in Guizhou Province. Zunyi City and Southeast Guizhou show the development characteristics of "tourism prosperity-ICH tourism prosperity". Guiyang, Bijie, Anshun, Southwest Guizhou, Liupanshui and Tongren City show the development characteristics of "tourism depression-ICH tourism depression". South Guizhou shows "tourism depression-ICH tourism prosperity". These findings and methods will help cities determine their own strengths and weaknesses according to their resources, and narrow the regional development gap through formulating cultural and tourism development plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of fissures and permeability associated with mining of the upper protective layer of the coal seam is crucial for pressure relief gas drainage of the underlying seam. To understand the influence of mining the upper protective layer on gas drainage within the underlying coal seam, this study utilized the M16 and M18 seams in the Qinglong Coal Mine in Guizhou. Theoretical analysis, discrete element numerical simulation, and field tests were used to characterize the evolution of fractures associated with mining of the upper protective layer and the effects of pressure relief gas drainage within the protected coal seam. The results show that mining-related stress changes controlled the development of fractures, altering the permeability values of coals. An analysis of the crack development in the coal mass caused by mining of the upper protective layer shows that during the initial stage of mining, the produced cracks exhibited a butterfly shape network. Yet, with further development of the mining, these cracks and the stress changes gradually produced an inverted butterfly shape network. According to simulations, the areas of maximum deformation via expansion in the protected coal seam were located near the open cut and the mining end line of the working face. The maximum deformation values were 29.06 and 26.68 mm, respectively, and the corresponding deformation rates were 9.37‰ and 8.61‰, which are greater than the required 3‰. The findings of this study provide a new reference for gas control in pressure relief coal seams under similar working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst is a common engineering environment in the process of tunnel construction, which poses a serious threat to the construction and operation, and the theory on calculating the settlement without the assumption of semi-infinite half-space is lack. Meanwhile, due to the limitation of test conditions or field measurement, the settlement of high-speed railway tunnel in Karst region is difficult to control and predict effectively. In this study, a novel intelligent displacement prediction model, following the machine learning (ML) incorporated with the finite difference method, is developed to evaluate the settlement of the tunnel floor. A back propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm and a random forest (RF) algorithm are used herein, while the Bayesian regularization is applied to improve the BPNN and the Bayesian optimization is adopted for tuning the hyperparameters of RF. The newly proposed model is employed to predict the settlement of Changqingpo tunnel floor, located in the southeast of Yunnan Guizhou Plateau, China. Numerical simulations have been performed on the Changqingpo tunnel in terms of variety of karst size, and locations. Validations of the numerical simulations have been validated by the field data. A data set of 456 samples based on the numerical results is constructed to evaluate the accuracy of models' predictions. The correlation coefficients of the optimum BPNN and BR model in testing set are 0.987 and 0.925, respectively, indicating that the proposed BPNN model has more great potential to predict the settlement of tunnels located in karst areas. The case study of Changqingpo tunnel in karst region has demonstrated capability of the intelligent displacement prediction model to well predict the settlement of tunnel floor in Karst region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wangmo red ball Camellia oleifera is the main Camellia species cultivated for oil in the low-heat valley of Guizhou, China. In this study, we evaluated the comprehensive nutritional value of Wangmo C. oleifera seed oil through fatty acid and nutritional component analyses. Twenty excellent Wangmo C. oleifera plants with stable yield and disease resistance were selected from the Camellia oleifera germplasm resource garden in the low-heat valley site of Guizhou University. The unit crown yield, fatty acid content of the seed oil, fatty acid composition and functional nutrients were determined, and the oil quality was comprehensively evaluated using principal component analysis. The fatty acid content of C. oleifera seed oil was 35.03–53.47%, suggesting likely popularization and wide application prospects. The fatty acids included SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs, and the oleic acid content was 80%, indicating a highly stable and nutritious oil. The oil was also rich in carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, β-sitosterol, squalene and α-Ve, with average content of 7.404 mg/kg, 16.062 mg/kg, 0.401 g/100 g, 265.087 mg/kg, 129.315 mg/kg and 21.505 mg/100 g, respectively. However, the correlations among the nutritional indices were weak. PCA showed that germplasms GH7, GH43, GH28, GH8 and GH31 exhibited the top five nutritional qualities. The rankings in this study provide data for identifying excellent Wangmo C. oleifera plants with high nutritional quality. Additionally, this study provides a valuable reference for the research and development of high-end edible oil and a theoretical basis for the development of economic forest species in low-heat valley areas across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale gas reservoir is a fine-grained sedimentary rock with component of clastic particles and organic matters, and the accumulation of the organic matters would determine the effective development of shale gas. The paleoclimate, detrital influx, redox of the water and paleoproductivity are effective geochemical indicators that could help to find the favorable shale gas reservoir stratum. In this study, the shale samples collected from Niutitang Formation (Northern Guizhou, China) were launched the measurements of the content of major elements and trace elements, and the characteristics of geochemical indicators were analyzed, which can be used to discuss the accumulation model of organic matters. Besides, the pore structure of shale sample controlled by the enrichment of organic matters is also discussed. The paleoclimate is dominant cold and dry, and it changes to warm and humid at the later Niutitang period, and the detrital influx also increased at the later Niutitang period; the water environment of Niutitang Formation shale presents as reductive, and the paleoproductivity of the Niutitang Formation shale is commonly high. The enrichment of organic matters in the Niutitang Formation is dominantly controlled by the redox of the water, while the hydrothermal activity and the paleoproductivity lead to the difference enrichment of organic matters in the Niutitang Formation shale. The accumulation model of organic matters also influences the characteristics of pore structure from the Niutitang Formation shale, and the pore structure could be divided into two types. The shale with high content of organic matters also features high content of quartz and pyrite, and these minerals contribute to the preservation of pore space in the shale, while that of the clay minerals is contrary. The high content of organic matters and preferable pore characteristics indicate the Niutitang Formation favors the development of shale gas, especially that for the lower Niutitang Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tunpu settlements are the historical product of the co-evolution development of the unique geographical and cultural environment of Guizhou and the military defense policies of Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), which created products such as the station troops and station farms. In this study, taking 10 Tunpu settlements in central Guizhou as the research objects, the space diversity of the Tunpu settlement and its influencing factors were analyzed based on the theory and calculation method of plant community species diversity. The results showed that: (1) On the whole, the space α-diversities of the military Tunpu settlements and the commercial Tunpu settlements were relatively high, with strong spatial similarity, while the residential Tunpu settlements had a lower degree of space α-diversity and significant difference. The space α-diversity of different types of the Tunpu settlement presents a variety of changes from the core protected areas to coordinated control areas. (2) There was a significant correlation between the spatial network and spatial morphological indicators and space β-diversity among the Tunpu settlement, and the stepwise regression showed that spatial morphological indicators had a strong explanatory power for the space β-diversity among the Tunpu settlements. (3) The space diversities of the Tunpu settlements were affected by the multiple synergies of natural environment, policy support, social-economic factors and cultural customs. Among them, policy factors and cultural factors were the dominant factors in the space diversity characteristics of the Tunpu settlements. By analyzing the space diversity law and its driving factors of the Tunpu settlements, this study could provide an important scientific basis for the protection planning and management of traditional settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we assessed 26 economic characteristics and yields of the mature fruit of 40 superior Camellia oleifera Abel plants grown at the C. oleifera germplasm resource nursery in the low-hot valley area of Southwest Zuizhou, China, using principal component analysis (PCA). Correlations among the characteristics and the variability of the plants in these characteristics were also analyzed. Out of the 26 characteristics, 16 primary economic characteristics were selected for comprehensive assessment, based on the results of which the plants were ordered to obtain excellent C. oleifera germplasms. The data were subjected to PCA, and the 16 characteristics were integrated into 6 independent comprehensive indices, which included PV1 (single-fruit weight), PV2 (pericarp thickness), PV3 (seed rate), PV4 (total unsaturated fatty acids), PV5 (iodine value) and PV6 (dry seed rate). Then, the sum of the products of the contribution rates of the components and components scores was taken as the comprehensive score of each superior plant. In C. oleifera grown in the low-hot valley area, the oil yield exhibited very significant positive correlations with the dry seed rate and kernel rate but a very significant negative correlation with the 100-seed weight. The dry seed rate exhibited very significant negative correlations with the fruit diameter and fresh seed rate. Among the 26 characteristics, the variations of the acid value, peroxide value, number of fertile seeds, 100-seed weight and single-fruit weight were great; those of the fruit diameter, fruit height, kernel yield, oleic acid and total unsaturated fatty acid were small, showing strong genetic stability. According to the obtained comprehensive scores, the top 10 plants were ordered as follows: CY-6 > CY-13 > CY-31 > CY-11 > CY-16 > CY-22 > CY-28 > CY-23 > CY-24 > CY-29. This result was basically consistent with the ranking result according to the average yield per unit crown width within five years. In the low-hot valley area of Guizhou, C. oleifera exhibits excellent performance in single-fruit weight, total unsaturated fatty acids and kernel rate, 6 characteristics, i.e., acid value, peroxide value, single-fruit weight, the number of fertile seeds, 100-seed weight and α-linolenic acid possess high breeding potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal-bearing Longtan Formation is widely distributed in South China. However, its gas concentration often exceeds the standard limit in tunnels, which compromises the safety of tunnel construction and operation. In this study, statistical analysis of gas-bearing tunnels in the Longtan Formation (GTLF) and coal bed methane (CBM) experiment of Longtan Formation as related to engineering information, gas content, and pressure are discussed with the regional distribution features and influencing factors of GTLF revealed. The hazards of Longtan Formation in each province to tunnels are evaluated by fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach. The findings strongly suggest that the distribution of GTLF is characterized by east–west zonation and controlled by coal-rich zones and sedimentary facies. The western region is more harmful than the eastern region because of weak tectonic movement and more developed karstification. The influencing factors mainly include coal seam conditions, sedimentary environments, tectonic evolution history, hydrogeology, geological structure, and CBM weathering zone. Longtan Formation in Guizhou and Chongqing is the most harmful to tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal and spatial changes in the chemical composition of the water in abandoned mine drainages and rivers in Yudong River area in the years of 2017–2018 were analyzed. The effects of mine water drainage on the seasonality and physicochemical properties of the river water after mine closure were evaluated, and the feasibility of irrigation using river water and the degree of pollution to farmland were assessed using the Water Quality Standard for Farmland Irrigation. The results show that the mine water has low pH value (< 3.5–4) and high levels of total hardness, SO42−, Fe, Al, and Zn. In addition, the pH of the mine water is negatively correlated with the presence of other metal ions. The correlation coefficient between the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and Fe reached 0.989. While the pollution levels of Pinglu and Baishui rivers were low, the confluence region of the two rivers was seriously polluted. However, only the levels of Fe and Cd slightly exceeded the Surface Water Environmental Quality Standard after the confluence of Yudong and Chongan rivers. Overall, the heavy pollution type of the confluent river is consistent with mine water pollution. The water quality is slightly better in the dry season compared than in the high-water period. Sulfate and Fe content decreased by 39 and 16 mg/L, respectively, and Cd content decreased two-fold. Despite these findings, this study shows that from 2017 to 2018, the pH and Cd content of the rivers at the confluence exceeded the irrigation limit and the water quality continued to deteriorate, which may pose a soil contamination risk. Long-term use of the river for irrigation water may cause toxic elements such as Cd, Fe, Mn, SO42−, Al, and F- to enter the food chain, thereby endangering the life and health of villagers in Yudong River area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation restoration projects have been implemented in China's degraded karst ecosystems (rocky desertification areas) for more than 20 years. There is an urgent need to evaluate the impact of different vegetation restoration modes on the ecological environment. The status of the soil environment under different vegetation restoration modes in degraded karst ecosystems was determined in the Guanling-Zhenfeng demonstration area of rocky desertification control in Guizhou, China. The differences in soil microbial quantity; soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN) and phosphorus (MBP); and soil nutrients were compared among five typical vegetation restoration modes (Hylocereus undatus 'Foo-Lon' (HUF), Lonicera japonica Thunb. (LJT), Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (ZBM), artificially accelerated forest regeneration (AFR), and hillclosing afforestation (HA)) implemented continuously for 13–15 years. Pearson correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) were utilized to analyse the environmental factors affecting the soil microbial quantity and biomass under the five vegetation restoration modes. The results showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), calcium (Ca), and ammonium nitrogen contents under HA were significantly higher than those under the other vegetation restoration modes (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the soil microbial quantity or biomass among the different vegetation restoration modes, and the other microbial indicators, except MBP, reached their highest values at the HA site. The correlation analysis and RDA showed that TP, TN, vegetation type, and SOC were the main factors affecting the soil microbial quantity and biomass under the 5 vegetation restoration modes and that TP was the limiting factor for vegetation restoration in degraded karst ecosystems. The results of our study provide insights into the selection of appropriate vegetation reconstruction measures and modes for degraded karst ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin coal seams in mines usually lack gas data. Thus, preventing and controlling gas outbursts of thin coal seams are difficult. In this study, a coal structure index, which is used to express the damage degree of coal, was estimated by logging curve. In accordance with the contour line of the floor of the coal seam, structural curvature was calculated to express the complexity of the coal seam structure quantitatively. Subsequently, relationships among the burial depth, thickness, coal structure index, structural curvature were analyzed on the basis of the gas pressure of coal seam. The gas pressure values of the coal seams of Nos. 22, 24, and 27 in the study area were predicted by multiple linear regression (MLR) and were then verified and analyzed. The deviation rate of the MLR method was 6.5%–19.7%, with an average of 13.0%. The average deviation rate between the predicted value and the measured value was 11.6%, except for the measuring point of No. 2, which had a large deviation. Results show that the prediction accuracy of the aforementioned method is acceptable and has practical value in the prediction of gas pressure in thin coal seams without measured data. The results in the gas pressure prediction provide a basis for evaluating the risk of gas outbursts in thin coal seams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roof usually collapses when exposed to the repeated underground mining; this will potentially lead to the instability of coal wall and even cause serious mining disasters. Based on this specific mining hazard, this work investigates the roof leak characteristics and corresponding control technology based on a coal mine in Guizhou province, China. The theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and physical testing were carried out. By establishing a physical model, the roof structure and roof "pressure" law under repeated mining are studied, and the instable conditions of face-end roof are analyzed, so as to determine the influencing factors of face-end roof instability. By analyzing different roof structures, the working resistance of hydraulic support with stable face-end roof under repeated mining is determined. The leakage of face-end roof under different support working resistance, tip-to-face distance, and surrounding rock strength is simulated, and different methods are proposed to control face-end roof leaks. The results show that in the process of 17# coal seam mining, the roof collapse is serious, the roof pressure is frequent, and the broken roof instability would form the "granular arch" structure. Through the analysis of the roof structure, the tip-to-face distance, the strength of granular arch structure, and the working resistance of the hydraulic support affect the stability of the face-end roof. Using UDEC simulation software, it is obtained that the higher the strength of roof and surrounding rock, the smaller the tip-to-face distance, the more stable the face-end roof is. The prevention measures such as strengthening the broken face-end roof under repeated mining, improving the support strength of the working face hydraulic support and controlling the reasonable tip-to-face distance are put forward. Through field application, the face-end roof leaks have been effectively controlled, which has played a good reference for the prevention and control of face-end roof leaks under repeated mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of Tuberculosis (TB) in Guizhou province has ranked to be the top four among the 31 China provinces. The spatial distribution and influencing factors of adverse outcomes of TB in Guizhou are unclear. In our study, the cases information of TB in Guizhou province from 2013 to 2018 was collected, we analyzed the spatial distribution and clusters of five adverse outcomes of TB with ArcMap10.2 software, used logistics regression analysis to assessed risk factors and used Chi-square analysis to analyze variation trend of the five adverse outcomes. A total of 237, 806 cases information of TB were collected. The proportion of adverse outcomes in TB patients was 6.18%, among which adverse reactions accounted for 1.05%, lost to follow-up accounted for 1.44%, treatment failed accounted for 1.15%, died accounted for 2.31%, switch to MDR accounted for 0.24%. The component ratio of adverse outcomes showed an upward trend (P < 0.05).Regional clustering existed in each of adverse outcomes (P < 0.05). There were high-risk minorities, gender, age, occupation, type of diagnosis, Therapeutic category existed in adverse outcomes of TB. Miao and Dong had a higher risk in adverse reaction of TB compared with Han. Women had a higher risk in adverse reactions than men, and a lower risk of lost to follow-up, failed, and died. Retreated patients had a higher risk of adverse outcomes. Timely monitoring and active intervention should be carried out for some high-risk areas and groups, including middle-aged and elderly patients, rural patients, floating patients, severe patients and retreated patients during the process of patient diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to deeply study the failure mechanism of red clay slope engineering under the influence of gradients and natural environment, Guizhou red clay was chosen as the research object and two slope models with different gradients were established respectively. The indoor dry-wet cycle test of the red clay slope was conducted. With the finite element software, this study examined the evolution of slope displacement, moisture content, and pore water pressure with time at different angles. It also analyzed the failure modes of slopes at different angles. The results showed that: (1) the forms of slope failure were mainly splashing, surface erosion and gully, and the slope failure was caused by the combination of rainwater infiltration and runoff erosion; (2) under the same climatic conditions, when the slope became steeper, the influence of rain infiltration and sunshine was greater. Besides, there was an increase in the overall value of the moisture content, pore water pressure, and amplitude of variation. Furthermore, the internal soil strength decreased, while the horizontal displacement accelerated exponentially; and (3) no obvious sliding surface was found during the test. The displacement increased from the crest of the slope to the toe of the slope. The collapse began to occur from the toe of the slope, and the coalescence of multiple disintegrations caused the landslide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guizhou Province is known as a heavily Hg-polluted area in China due to its special geochemical background and complicated Hg emission sources. In this study, we investigated the Hg isotope compositions of surface soil samples in the Hg mining area, zinc smelting area, coal combustion area, which are known to be the typical pollution regions of Hg in this province. We also compared the Hg isotopic fingerprints of primary Hg sources, such as hydrothermal Hg-bearing ores, coals and atmospheric Hg samples. According to our study, Hg stored in surface soils in different pollution regions in Guizhou Province displays a wide range of both mass dependent fractionation (MDF, δHg) and mass independent fractionation (MIF, ΔHg). δHg varies by 2.0‰ and ΔHg varies by 0.25‰ in the investigated surface soils. This study demonstrated that using a 'MDF-MIF' two dimensional Hg isotope system could be particularly useful in discriminating Hg sources in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An absolute-dated, bi-decadal-resolution, stalagmite oxygen-isotopic time series from Shigao Cave reveals the evolution of summer monsoon precipitation over the past 9.9 ka BP in northern Guizhou Province, Southwest China. The δO-inferred climate conditions are divisible into three distinct stages: (1) a maximum humid era from 9.9-6.6 ka BP; (2) a gradual declining precipitation interval between 6.6-1.6 ka BP; and (3) a relatively low precipitation time window after 1.6 ka BP. Consistency of contemporaneous stalagmite Holocene δO records between Shigao and other caves in the Indian and East Asian monsoon realms support the effect of primary orbital solar forcings on monsoonal precipitation. However, statistical analysis shows a significant spatial asynchroneity of the Holocene Optimum termination in the Asian monsoon territory. The Holocene Optimum ended at 7.2-7.4 ka BP in Oman, located in the Indian monsoon region, and at 5.6-5.8 ka BP in Central China, in the East Asian monsoon zone. In Southwest China, the termination occurred between these periods, at 6.6-7.0 ka BP, and was influenced by both monsoon systems. We propose that this spatially asynchronous ending of Holocene Optimum in Asia may be attributed to sea surface temperature changes in the western tropical Pacific, which is a primary moisture source for the East Asian monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids are important and ubiquitous chemical constituents in the atmosphere. A comprehensive study of the chemical composition of precipitation was carried out from June 2007 to June 2008 at a rural site in Anshun, in the west of Guizhou Province, China. During this period, 118 rainwater samples were collected and the main LMW carboxylic acids were determined using ion chromatography. The average pH of rainwater was 4.89 which is a typical acidic value. The most abundant carboxylic acids were formic acid (volume weight mean concentration: 8.77 µmol L-1) and acetic acid (6.90 µmol L-1), followed by oxalic acid (2.05 µmol L-1 ). The seasonal variation of concentrations and wet deposition fluxes of organic acids indicated that direct vegetation emissions were the main sources of the organic acids. Highest concentrations were observed in winter and were ascribed to the low winter rainfall and the contribution of other air pollution sources northeast of the study area. The ratio of formic and acetic acids in the precipitation ([F/A]T) was proposed as an indicator of pollution source. This suggested that the pollution resulted from direct emissions from natural or anthropogenic sources. Comparison with acid precipitation in other urban and rural areas in Guizhou showed that there was a decreasing contribution of LMW organic acids to free acidity and all anions in rainwater from urban to remote rural areas. Consequently, it is necessary to control emissions of organic acids to reduce the frequency of acid rain, especially in rural and remote areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated spatial and temporal variation patterns of persistent moderate-to-heavy rainfall events in Guizhou Province of southwest China during 1951–2004. We first performed conventional frequency analysis using the annual maximum daily series at 36 weather stations fit to log-normal distribution curves. Then, we examined the frequencies of moderate-to-heavy rainfall events (> = 20 mm/day) and persistent rainfall events (10–day running sum > = 100 mm) during the summer season (June through August). Using principal component analysis, we identified various spatial patterns of the rainfall regime and macroscale atmospheric conditions that influence these patterns. It was found that a minor mode of variation in the 500 hPa geopotential height anomaly field over East Asia (the third principal component) had a very good relationship to the dominant regional precipitation regime (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = –0.623). This mode of circulation represents the N–S variation of the upper-air pressure gradients over East Asia. During its positive phase, the pressure gradient south of 40°N is reduced and accompanied by a ridge over the East China coast, while the pressure gradient north of this latitude is enhanced. Correspondingly, the study region experiences fewer persistent moderate-to-heavy rainfall events. In its negative phase, the pattern in the 500 hPa geopotential height anomaly field is reversed and the study region experiences more persistent moderate-to-heavy rainfall events. This circulation mode is related to both East Asian and Indian summer monsoons. It is also associated with the northward intrusion of the West Pacific subtropical high, the size of the circumpolar vortex over the Pacific, and the impact of the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intricate system of adjective intensification permeates Sui, a Tai-Kadai minority language of Guizhou Province, China. Sui adjective intensifiers show evidence of partial reduplication involving a complex interplay of morphophonological processes: rhyme, alliteration, The Emergence of The Unmarked (TETU), and identity avoidance patterns that support Kennard’s “Copy but don’t repeat” [(2004). Phonology, 21(3), 303–323]. This Sui phenomenon has never been reported to the wider linguistic community beyond Guizhou, and it provides valuable theoretical insight into reduplication and related morpho-phonological processes. Moreover, the interaction of these morpho-phonological processes forms a system of patterned variety that may be viewed as a poeticized lexicon or lexicalized poetry, thus illustrating the presence of extensive poetic effects embedded within the core grammar. In this way, Sui provides strong support for Yip’s observation that “humans have both an aptitude and a taste for creating repetitive sequences, and they may use this skill in a variety of ways that are more or less part of the core grammar of the language” [(1999). Glot International, 4.8, 1–7]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal preparation by-products, such as coal gangue, are inferior fuels enriched with trace elements (TEs). Owing to the issues surrounding the disposal of coal preparation by-products and energy shortages, Chinese researchers have strongly advocated harvesting energy from by-products. However, the secondary environmental pollution caused by such by-products has been overlooked. In this study, we aimed to assess the contamination of soil and maize (Zea mays L.) near a coal gangue–fired power plant (CGPP) in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, China, by TEs. The contents of 11 TEs (Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn) in soil samples and different maize tissues were measured, and their chemical speciation in soil was also determined. The results showed that the soil in the study area was polluted by the above elements to varying degrees at a very high potential ecological risk. The Cr and Pb levels in niblets of partial samples exceeded the Chinese food safety standards. The TE contents of maize tissues largely depend on the bioavailable fraction of the same elements in the soils, rather than their total contents. Pearson's correlation and hierarchical cluster analyses resulted in three clusters:(1) Pb–Zn–Cd; (2) Co–Cu–Mn–Sb–V–Be; and (3) Cr–Ni. Coal preparation by-products should not be directly combusted without pre-treatment. These results will aid readers and engineers in understanding the adverse effect of CGPPs and provide regulators and policymakers with relevant data to scientifically guide the utilisation of coal preparation by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]