Search

Early work on China's Two-Child Policy identified cost as a major disincentive to having a second child, but financial constraints may work in tandem with cultural factors to shape childbearing desire. In addition, most research has excluded men from the sample. This paper develops Yan's (2003) concepts of 'new' and 'traditional' fertility cultures to childbearing desire, a key component of fertility decision-making that is poorly understood (Hayford & Agadjanian, 2017). In particular, we focus on how differing conceptions of children's needs relate to perceptions of cost. This paper reports on semi-structured interviews with 29 men and women in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. We found that interviewees who espoused views consistent with a traditional fertility framework were more interested in having a second child, and were less concerned about cost. In addition, men were more likely to espouse views consistent with a traditional fertility cultural framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Permian to middle Triassic volcanic activities were very strong, however, volcanic records in the early Triassic strata are less reported than those of the Permo-Triassic boundary and the Triassic Olenekian-Anisian boundary in the Yangtze plate, especially within the Sichuan basin. We conduct zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical analysis of the tephra which was first found in the early Triassic Jialingjiang Formation from the Maliuping section, Hechuan, Chongqing. The volcanic ash in the paper yields the new 248.5 ± 0.7 Ma U-Pb age consistent with those of volcanic ashes in these contemporaneous strata in the Yangtze plate. Geochemical characters of whole-rock samples show lower contents in SiO2, K2O and higher components in Al2O3, CaO, MgO, relatively enriched LREE and depleted HREE with distinct negative Eu anomaly, and conspicuous Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, P, Ti depletion and Th, U, K, Nd enrichment, which is similar to those of the Mung Bean rock of the Triassic Olenekian-Anisian boundary, and those of acidic volcanics from the Sanjiang orogenic belt and Shiwandashan-Qiangfang suture zone during the Early-Middle Triassic. Trace elements of whole rock and analysed zircons of the tuff imply its primary magma derived from Rhyodacite/Dacite and its tectonic setting of volcanic arc granite with continental crust affinity. The early Triassic volcanism during the syn-collision stage of the Paleo-Tethys evolution was less active than those of the Permo-Triassic boundary and the Triassic Olenekian-Anisian boundary, while the volcanic event may have a crucial effect on prolonging fully biotic recovery and entirely ecosystem turnover soon after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the transformation of the Sichuan hot pot from a regional Chinese food to a global cuisine. It first analyzes how Sichuan food businesses had been "gentrified" by rigorous state regulation and control. With a series state-led food standardization and industrialization programs, hot pot restaurants quickly developed a franchising business model. In the late 2010s, several famous hot pot brands have established in different locations in the bustling cities in the United States. Challenging the taste buds of world food consumers, the hot and numbing sensation of the Sichuan hot pot is part of the national trajectory that aims to enhance China's soft power. The paper argues that unlike the previous waves of Chinese food globalization brought by the earlier migrants from China, the globalizing hot pot is a different kind of Chinese food globalization developed within a political and economic context that witnesses China's rise to global power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report five new dinosaur track sites in Chaya County, about 120 km southeast of Changdu City. The track assemblages are dominated by sauropods (45 tracks), which have been identified tentatively as cf. Brontopodus. Also present are two thyreophoran trackways consisting of 13 tracks that show strong similarities with the ichnogenus Deltapodus, the potential trackmakers of which were probably stegosaurids. The sauropod tracks from the Chaya region are dominated by large tracks with different affinities if compared to those of the Changdu area. The isolated sauropod tracks from Changdu and Chaya regions show similar morphological patterns, but those from the Chaya region lack large scale tracks. This paper compares and discusses the known ichno and body fossil records of sauropods, theropods, and ornithischians from the Middle Jurassic of Yunnan, Sichuan, and eastern Tibet and their importance for our understanding of dinosaur faunas from this region. The absence of basal neornithischian records in the Yunnan and Changdu regions is likely a preservational bias but also an ecological pecularity cannot be completely excluded. The palaeogeographic position of the four sampled skeleton and track sites suggests the possible existence of a corridor through which faunal exchanges were taking place throughout the Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of transnational and transcity education consumption suggests the increasingly important role of the capability to move in order to access quality schooling. Studies have examined the multidimensional inequalities underlying translocal education consumption. However, the role of mobility itself is not sufficiently understood. Two questions are rarely asked: (1) How is the capability to move acquired and practised to bring about translocal schooling consumption? and (2) How does the disparity in the capability to move restructure the established intergenerational capital transmission mechanism conceptualized by Bourdieu? This paper answers by theorizing a mobility-mediated, education-based intergenerational capital transmission mechanism. This framework is built upon a theoretical engagement among John Urry, Pierre Bourdieu, and Neil Smith. We substantiate this framework by examining a student migration regime in Sichuan, China. Attention is paid to the inclusion/exclusion of hypermobility-based schooling consumption regime. Empirical analysis is performed by the comparison of two social groups: (a) the middle-class households who employ mobility to chase after the footloose prime schooling resources and thus materialize their class reproduction strategy and (b) the immobile remainder who are stuck in a location deprived of quality schooling resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Chengyuchelys latimarginalis (Xinjiangchelyidae) specimen is reported based on a well-preserved, nearly complete shell from the upper part of the Upper Jurassic Shangshaximiao Formation of Qijiang District, Chongqing Municipality, China. The Xinjiangchelyidae were widely distributed in Asia during the Jurassic and were the dominant turtle group in Asian freshwater ecosystems during the Late Jurassic. The Qijiang specimen adds a new element to the yet poorly known freshwater vertebrate fauna and extends the geographical distribution of C. latimarginalis. This paper discusses the intraspecific variation in C. latimarginalis for the first time. It provides a new insight for studying the evolution, habitat, and diversity of xinjiangchelyids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appropriate sizes of scale-breeding industries are causing increasing attention in that rational scale-breeding industries may both meet the meat demand of the market and avoid serious environmental problems. In this paper, the appropriate scales of breeding-type family farms were studied from the perspective of quantifying resource losses. The mathematical models about quantifying resource losses were built, and then the evaluation index system of resource losses was established. More than one hundred family farms in Sichuan province and Chongqing city of China located in the subtropics were selected as research cases and were classified as small-, medium- and large-scale family farms, whose unit resource losses and resource loss rates were both evaluated by the index system. Results show that the unit resource losses and the resource loss rate of medium-scale family farms are the lowest among these three kinds of family farms. Therefore, medium-scale farms are moderate, and then are recommended for scale-breeding industries. Implications: Appropriate sizes are essential for the green development of scale-breeding industries. The external environment factors and internal resource effect should be considered. The unit resource losses and the resource loss rate of medium-scale family farms are the lowest among these three kinds of family farms. Therefore, medium-scale farms are optimistic, and then are recommended for scale-breeding industries. For medium-scale family farms, the scale of 800–999 pigs is optimistic. Furthermore, it is very necessary to adopt green cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the laboratory study of the restoration and conservation of weathered stone relics, it is necessary to prepare standard weathered stone specimens for selection, effectiveness evaluation, and lifetime prediction of the conservation materials since the naturally weathered stone cannot meet testing requirements. This paper introduces a novel method of preparing the weathered sandstone specimen. Firstly, a systematic investigation was conducted on naturally weathered sandstone samples to obtain the essential information. The standard sand with the same particle size distribution as moderately weathered sandstone was selected as raw material. The influence of the types of cement materials, addition order of raw materials, number of hammering strikes during preparation, and the CO2–curing time on the physical properties (i.e., dry density, water absorption, total porosity, and compressive strength) was studied. Finally, the proposed method was proved to be effective, reproducible, and capable of inducing controllable microstructural, physical, and mechanical alterations by control of the variables in the preparation process to achieve an expected weathering degree. Moreover, the obtained specimens exhibited good precision in compressive strength values, and similar physical properties to the naturally weathered sample, so it is believed that the specimen could be used for the testing of conservation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of shale gas in northeastern Sichuan province, problems such as low drilling rate, long drilling cycle and serious bit wear are becoming more and more prominent in shale gas drilling process. This paper proposes new prediction theory with two steps based on logging data sensitive to lithology by introducing Bayesian classifier and Self Adaptive Double Chain Quantum Genetic Algorithm (S-DC-QGA) which could optimize BP neural network prediction model. In the first step, the Bayesian network classifier achieved the classification and recognition of lithology, improved the correlation of model sample data, and enhanced the accuracy and speed of lithology classification. In the second step, S-DC-QGA characterized as the global optimization is used to optimize the number of hidden layer nodes, weights and thresholds of the BP neural network. Results showed that Bayesian lithologies classification enhanced the correlation of samples, moreover optimized BP neural network solved overfitting, random initial weights of BP itself and oscillation of fitting and generalization ability with slight change of network parameters, improving the prediction accuracy of rock drillability parameters and the generalization ability of the model. The findings of this study can help for better drilling design and improvement of mechanical drilling speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that the future is uncertain for many children. Both natural and human-made disasters are adversely affecting the lives of millions of children and their families. An example of an environment-related disaster is cited from Sichuan Province, China, where a massive earthquake killed some 70,000 people in 2008. How the teachers responded to such a disaster is explained through drawings by the children illustrating their feelings. This paper discusses how early childhood teachers can prepare children before, during and after disasters. Various strategies are discussed including, facilitating children's expressions of emotions, empathy, and resilience in the face of adversity. The use of dramatic play and storytelling are discussed with examples that can be a stimulus for curriculum development. The role of the teacher is viewed as critical in helping children readjust to life and regain some semblance of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting landslide hazards benefits geological disaster prevention and control. A novel cellular automaton (CA) integrating spatial case-based reasoning (SCBR), namely SCBR-CA, is proposed in this paper to predict landslide hazards at a local scale. The proposed model not only extracts spatial scene features for computations but also achieves dynamic prediction, which means that only one input is needed to obtain continuous predictions. Experiments were performed in Lushan, Sichuan, China. After using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to obtain the initial static landslide hazard zoning results, the landslide hazard zoning results for 2016–2025 were predicted with the SCBR-CA model. For comparison, a CA combined with a CNN (CNN-CA), was introduced. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve and Moran's I index were used to assess the performance of the model. The experimental results showed that SCBR-CA yields slightly better AUC and Moran's I index values than CNN-CA, and the dynamically predicted landslide hazard zoning results are equivalent or superior to those of static zoning, which indicates that the SCBR-CA model effectively predict local landslide hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of micro-milling and thin dense-graded flame-retardant asphalt overlay in long tunnel concrete pavement is a relatively new technique in China. Earlier research showed that the micro-milling quality control is very important for the service life of overlay treatment. This paper proposed a quality control method, using 3D laser scanning technology, to accurately and efficiently recognise the unacceptable micro-milled area. A validation field test was first designed to verify that the micro-milled surface texture of concrete pavement can be accurately acquired by using 3D line laser technology. On the basis of a modified data processing that was proposed to fix data, the 3D micro-milled texture model was established, and then a micro-milling quality control method was proposed. A field test on a micro-milling rehabilitation project of Highway G75 Jiang Junshi tunnel, Sichuan Province, China, was conducted to assess the feasibility of the proposed method. Results demonstrated the proposed method is promising for providing an automatic, accurate and comprehensive assessment of micro-milled surface and for identifying unacceptable micro-milled areas that need to be re-milled. The developed method is quite valuable for reducing the wait time in the field during micro-milling construction operation, which is important for transportation agencies and public drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable assessment of landslide susceptibility in broad areas of terrain remains challenging due to complex topography and poor representation of randomly selected negative samples. Assessment in broad areas is now primarily based on grid units, which do not have a clear physical meaning like slope units, and their accuracy is not ideal. Nevertheless, the large amount of manual editing, due to the incorrectly generated horizontal and vertical lines during slope unit partitioning, limits using slope units for rapid assessment over large areas. Hence, this paper proposes a reliable susceptibility assessment approach to solve this problem based on optimal slope units and negative samples involving prior knowledge. Precisely, an algorithm to automatically extract slope units is designed to eliminate fragmented and erroneous units. Second, a samples labeling index (SLI) is defined based on the certainty factors model to select negative samples reasonably. Sichuan Province, China is selected for experimental analysis, with the results demonstrate that the optimized slope unit and the negative samples selection strategy consider prior knowledge achieve better results in the random forest model, support vector machine model, and artificial neural network model. In particular, the composite performance index AUC of artificial neural network model improved from 0.81 to 0.90. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of shale gas well drilling in the southern Sichuan Basin, China, lost circulation of high-density oil-based drilling fluid has become a main challenge. In this study, a novel oil-based crosslinking-curing lost circulation material (OBCC-LCM) system applicable for 100-150 °C shale formation was developed based on polyether, isocyanates and blocking agent. The performance of OBCC-LCM pills was comprehensively evaluated by testing fluidity, setting time, strength, elasticity and fracture sealing capacity. The OBCC-LCM pill setting time could be controlled in 70-120 min. The strength of the pill solid was 5.27-6.51 MPa after 360 min heating, and the volume almost restored to the original states after being compressed by 70%. The pill sealed fractures up to 5 mm wide under a differential pressure of 5.2-6.1 MPa, and a higher maximum fracture sealing capacity when being jointly used with bridging LCMs. The OBCC-LCM clearly demonstrated superior performance of good pumpability at room temperature, stability under high temperature, compatibility with oil-based drilling fluids, adaptability with various fracture widths and sustainability in induced fracture. It is suitable for curing loss of induced fracture in low permeability formation and loss of oil-based drilling fluid, especially for loss of oil-based drilling fluid in shale formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the atmospheric compensation models developed to date have been generally robust and effective for InSAR, how to choose the right atmospheric correction method for ground-based InSAR is worth studying. This paper uses different methods for atmospheric phase screen (APS) compensation based on studies of ground-based radar (GBR) to zero-baseline acquisitions over the Woda landslide in Sichuan, China. This landslide has a steep topography, thick fog, turbulent rivers and strong rains. Data were acquired at the Ku-band using a GAMMA Portable Radar Interferometer II (GPRI-II) in multiple campaigns (4 July 2019–13 July 2019). In 2019, the Miyun open-pit mine was also studied; the maximum deformation reached 4.03 mm/hour. The collected data were processed within one unit based on the small baseline set (SBAS) approach. The experimental results show the following (1) For long-distance monitoring with complex atmospheric disturbances, range- and/or height-dependent models fail. (2) The iterative decomposition (ITD) method can effectively address complex atmospheric disturbances. (3) If the threshold of wavelength is set to be large, the ITD method becomes a stratified model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks and pores coexist in carbonate reservoirs, and this complex pore structure has a significant impact on acoustic and resistivity logging. Making full use of acoustic and electrical well logging data can help to identify carbonate gas reservoirs. First, this paper studies the controlling effects of different lithologies on the acoustic velocity according to the elastic theory of porous and fractured media based on joint acoustic-resistivity rock physics measurement experiments. At the same time, a theoretical gas-bearing reservoir identification template is established based on acoustic experimental data, and the gas-bearing reservoir identification template is used to qualitatively identify a gas reservoir. Then, the empirical relationship between the acoustic velocity and resistivity is derived based on the Archie equation. It is found that the formation P-wave velocity and resistivity have a power function relationship in the research area. Based on the above research, a quantitative identification template for gas-bearing reservoirs is established. The case study has verified the reliability of the gas-bearing carbonate reservoir identification method based on the above two methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the gas composition and isotopic characteristics of the tight sandstone of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the western Sichuan depression were analyzed, and the origin of hydrocarbon gas, rare gas and CO2 in natural gas were determined. The hydrocarbon gas content in the tight sandstone gas of the Xujiahe Formation is the highest, ranging from 96.43% to 99.44 vol.%, while the non-hydrocarbon gas content is only 0.34–2.73 vol.%. The hydrocarbon gas has the highest content of CH4, which is distributed from 88.52% to 97.86 vol.%, and the content of other hydrocarbon gases is relatively low. The studied natural gas is mainly dry gas, and a small part is wet gas. According to the hydrocarbon gas component and carbon isotope analysis results, it showed that the natural gas of the Xujiahe Formation was a thermogenic gas, and there was no mixing of biogenetic gas. The natural gas was derived from the thermal degradation of the humus kerogen. Moreover, the rare gas in the natural gas of the Xujiahe Formation is a crustal origin organic gas, and there is no mantle origin gas, which indicates the lack of inorganic components in the natural gas. We also found that the CO2 in the natural gas is mainly inorganic gas, which is derived from the dissolution of carbonate minerals; and only a small part is organic thermogenic gas, which is derived from the thermal maturation process of organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and accurate detection of damaged buildings after an earthquake is critical for emergency response. As roof textures of damaged buildings are changed, damaged buildings may be accurately detected by the texture heterogeneity among buildings. However, existing researches have scarcely detected damaged buildings quantitatively by the texture heterogeneity among buildings from post-earthquake images. Therefore, this paper proposes an approach for the detection of earthquake-damaged buildings using texture feature contribution from post-earthquake images. In the proposed approach, a texture feature contribution index (TFCI) is defined by the information gain for selection of the optimal texture features, and a building texture damage index (TFdam) is defined for detection of damaged buildings. The proposed approach primarily comprises the following three steps: 1) building image objects are obtained using a pre-earthquake vector map to segment post-earthquake images; 2) the optimal texture features are selected by the TFCI to establish the texture feature vector; 3) damaged buildings are detected using the TFdam. The town of Leigu in Sichuan Province was selected as the study area to validate the performance of the proposed approach. The accuracy of 93.45% and kappa coefficient of 0.869 were achieved. Furthermore, the results indicate that the proposed approach can accurately detect earthquake-damaged buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of economic situation, global warming and population growing, drought happened in many areas. Based on linear dual source remote sensing model we establish the modified hybrid linear dual-source's remote sensing evaporation model to simulate the Sichuan Province actual evaporation. Then we calculate the potential evaporation by using the Hargreaves formula. In addition, we analyze evaporation and drought trend of Sichuan province. This study showed that: (1) the actual variation trend of evaporation in Sichuan Province is decreasing from 2001 to 2015. The actual evaporation in the east is higher than that in the west regions, and in the south is higher than that in the north regions. (2) The value of potential evaporation fluctuates is not obviously in every season. According to the spatial distribution, the potential evaporation distribution is decreasing from south to north. (3) The evaporation of drought index shows an upward trend, but the fluctuation phenomenon of Sichuan Province in the past seasons is not obvious. This climate research provide the basis for the prediction and guidance of agricultural activities in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional model of formation saturation is restricted in well logging interpretation of tight gas sandstone because it is difficult to eliminate the influences of abrupt change of mineral component content. This paper studied the Triassic Xujiahe formation located in northeast Sichuan Basin, which has large variation of carbonate content between adjacent logging intervals. Based on Capillary Theory and analysis of element capture spectroscopy data, the paper proposed two models to limit the carbonate effect. It is proven that the employment of two models together in the evaluation of the tight gas sandstone reservoir in the studied area increased interpretation accuracy and has been proven effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly efficient development of shale gas is a research hotspot in the world oil and gas industry. When drilling long horizontal wells in shale gas formation with water-based drilling fluid, the problems of wellbore collapse always happened. In this article, the Longmaxi formation shale in Sichuan Province was taken as the research object. Through the friction experiment, it was found that the lubricity of the fracture wall would be enhanced after aqueous solution intrusion into the shale fractures. Compared to pH 7, the maximum static friction coefficient of shale decreased by 23.6% and the root mean square roughness decreased from 41.9 nm to 25 nm after soaking in aqueous solution with pH 13. With the addition of viscosity modifiers CMC-Na and PAC, the friction coefficient even reduced by 37.5% in our experiment and the CMC-Na is more suitable for the stability of shale than PAC. The aqueous solution with 4% bentonite slurry makes the friction coefficient reduced by 26%. The increase of the lubricity of the fracture wall will make the maximum static friction coefficient between shale fracture and the time of the static friction stage decreased, resulting in the decrease of the friction force on the fracture wall. The shear slip on the fracture wall surface is more likely to happen with the decrease of the friction force, ultimately lead to the collapse of wellbore, which is not conducive to the stability of fractured shale formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the requirement for landscaping has become increasingly stringent as large-scale bridge construction continues in China, and a conventional bridge scheme creation process has the disadvantage of having too many factors to consider and being difficult to coordinate and inefficient to collaborate. Faced by the current situation of short scheme creating period, bridge engineers should strengthen their role as designers and be able to perform scheme creation and design independently and efficiently. Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology can provide bridge engineers with advanced technical means and design process. This paper mainly studies how to apply BIM technology to improve the efficiency, cost control and quality of bridge scheme creation, using the Minjiang Bridge in Meishan City, Sichuan Province as an example. From the discussion it can be seen that: (1) the efficiency of scheme creation, presentation and scheme selection can be improved with the aid of the new process and approach together with the Parameterized Scheme Library; (2) the all-in-one process of scheme creation and design led by the bridge designer effectively simplifies communication and iteration; (3) compared with the conventional approach, the new method greatly improves the efficiency and quality of scheme creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gravitational curvatures (GC, the third-order derivatives of the gravitational potential) in gravity field modeling are gaining increased interest in geosciences. The crustal effects of the GC and Moho variation sensed by the GC are not fully evaluated for the current study. In this contribution, the effects of the GC induced by topographic and anomalous crustal masses are investigated based on ETOPO1 and CRUST1.0 models using the tesseroids. By adopting the gravitational stripping correction, the residual GC sensed by the CRUST1.0 Moho depths are presented globally to examine whether the GC can sense crustal mass anomalies at the satellite altitude of 260 km. The spatial analysis using the Pearson correlations coefficient (PCC) between the residual GC and the CRUST1.0 Moho depths is performed. Among the 10 residual GC functionals, the PCC value of the residual radial-radial-radial component $$\delta T_{zzz}^{{\rm{res}}}$$ δ T zzz res is largest with 0.31, where this value is highly dependent on the spectral content removed from the EGM2008, e.g. signals assumed to relate to deeper mass anomalies. Numerical experiments show that with the increased order of the derivatives up to third-order, the fineness level of different global Moho sensed crustal mass anomalies increases correspondingly. Taking the Tibetan plateau for example, the values of the $$\delta T_{zzz}^{{\rm{res}}}$$ δ T zzz res can better reveal the detailed features of the Tibetan plateau's Moho depth than these of the lower-order residual radial functionals (i.e. disturbing potential $$\delta {T^{{\rm{res}}}}$$ δ T res , disturbing radial gravity vector $$\delta T_z^{{\rm{res}}}$$ δ T z res , and disturbing radial-radial gravity gradient tensor $$\delta T_{zz}^{{\rm{res}}}$$ δ T zz res ), especially for the Qaidam, Sichuan, Tarim, and Turpan basins. Numerical results over the Himalayan region demonstrate that the GC component $$\delta T_z^{{\rm{res}}}$$ δ T z res has some potential in geophysical inversion. These residual GC functionals would help to get a better knowledge of the internal structures of the Earth and other planetary objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southeast Sichuan in China is a key area for deep shale gas exploration. However, shale gas exploration in deep heterogeneous strata is greatly affected by in situ stress. Faults caused by tectonic movement strongly change the distribution of in situ stress. Inversion and prediction of in situ stress have become an important research hotspot in the field of resource exploitation. Based on the geological structure evolution and experimental data, the boundary stress iterative inversion method is used to inverse the in situ stress field of deep heterogeneous strata containing shale gas reservoirs, and the fracture characteristics around local fault are analyzed by fracture mechanics theory. The research shows that the stress field has the characteristics of non-uniform distribution under the influence of fault, and there is obvious stress concentration and deflection of principal stress direction around the fault. And magnitude and direction of stress are affected by the internal friction angle of the fault zone and the formation depth in different tectonic periods. Through the analysis and calculation of the plastic strain and stress intensity factors, it can be inferred that the cracks will propagate at the terminal portion of the fault. The research is important to guide engineering for the adjustment of resource exploitation scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuously high concentrations of haze pollution can hinder urban economic development. In order to improve the quality of the environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, it is necessary to investigate the spatio-temporal characteristics and impact factors of smog. This study, relying on multi-source remote sensing data, conducted a comprehensive study on the concentration of haze pollution based on long-term data, multiple spatial scales and pollution indicators. The results showed that the concentrations of seven air pollutants (PM2.5, SO4, SO2, BC, OC, SS and dust) in the Yangtze River Basin appeared to first increase and then decreased from 1980 to 2019. Dust pollution and sea salt pollution were concentrated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the coastal areas of the Yangtze River Delta, while other pollutants were higher in the Sichuan Basin and northeast of the Yangtze River. Of the socioeconomic factors, the significance of different factors on pollutant concentration was obviously different. In addition, the environmental Kuznets curve relationship between economic gain and air pollution depended on the type of pollutant, and there were certain regional differences. This study provided a scientific basis for considering innovations in haze control in the urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on qualitative data collected from men who have sex with men living with HIV in Fujian and Sichuan provinces in southeast and southwest China, respectively, this study aims to understand their lived experiences in the context of social norms, institutions and roles. We argue that informants encountered biographical disruption as a result of their diagnosed infection. They then painfully experienced different forms of social death on the one hand, while on the other, some also exerted agency/autonomy by strategically fighting for their rights and interests in both private and public domains. By examining these lived experiences, this study discusses the biological citizenship of the respondents so as to deepen understanding of embodied life experiences and trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is undergoing a rapid agrarian transition from dispersed household farming to large-scale, mechanized, and commercialized agricultural production, while retaining collective rural land ownership. Reforms have encouraged transfers of rural land to new subjects of agriculture including agribusinesses, family farmers, and cooperatives, leading to capitalist dynamics in agriculture both from above and from below. Central-state pressure to scale up and modernize agriculture has led local governments to engage in creative experimentation with new institutional forms. This article investigates one such innovation, which has been widely lauded as an important model: the creation of an "agricultural co-management system" in Chongzhou City, Sichuan province, which combines land shareholding cooperatives (LSCs), the hiring of new professional farm managers for the LSCs, and state-provided agricultural services aimed at modernization. We demonstrate that the Chongzhou government's experimentation arose from political economic incentives to capitalize and modernize agriculture as well as the locally specific circumstances of the failure of a dragonhead enterprise. Examining the three components of the agricultural co-management system in depth, we argue that it has deepened rural differentiation through a process of state-led accumulation, and that the continued scaling up of LSCs in the context of a new modern agricultural functional zone threatens to further erode shareholder control. These LSCs, set within the agricultural co-management system, are a new subject of agriculture that combine elements of capitalization from above and below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of molecular phylogeny as dominant evidence in fungal taxonomy, the taxonomic framework of fungi adopted from morphological characteristics has been largely updated. Compared with other fungal groups, macrofungi underwent fewer updates at the order and higher level. In this study, the taxonomic placement of a poorly known macro-basidiomycetous genus Xenasmatella is studied. Phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses inferred from a seven-locus dataset support that the genus represents an order rank lineage. Accordingly, a monotypic order Xenasmatellales and a monotypic family Xenasmatellaceae are newly introduced for Xenasmatella within Agaricomycetes. The species diversity and relationships of Xenasmatella are further clarified with the aid of the phylogenetic analysis inferred from a four-locus dataset. In association with morphological characteristics, a new species Xenasmatella hjortstamii is described. Moreover, the distribution of Xenasmatella ailaoshanensis, X. gossypina, and X. wuliangshanensis previously known only from type localities in Yunnan Province, China are expanded. In addition, two unnamed single-specimen lineages of Xenasmatella from Victoria State, Australia and Sichuan, China are revealed, likely representing two potential new species of this genus. In summary, the current study updates the taxonomic framework of Agaricomycetes and provides a crucial supplement for comprehensively understanding the evolutionary history of this fungal class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sichuan basin has a great potential for hydrocarbon exploration. In recent years, Permian strata have been identified as one of the main target strata for natural gas exploration in the Sichuan basin. Not only the source rocks are abundant, but also there are good reservoirs due to the wide and complex continental oceanic interaction. However, there are still many shortcomings, especially the relationship between the tectonic evolution and the hydrocarbon accumulation model. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the characteristics of paleo-highs/lows of the Permian strata and their controlling effects on hydrocarbon migration/accumulation in the Sichuan basin. Firstly, the distribution patterns of paleo-highs/lows in the Permian strata at each critical tectonic period were constructed by integrating spatial erosion calculation. Then the temporal evolution of the Permian strata at each critical tectonic period will be revealed by restoring the upper strata sequentially. The results of this research improve the precision of paleo-highs/lows reconstruction and provide useful hints for the hydrocarbon exploration of the Sichuan basin: (i) Paleo-highs/lows directly determine the development location of the Permian key reservoirs; (ii) Tectonic evolution controls many factors and the process of hydrocarbon accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tufa is a common calcium carbonate deposit in karst landscapes and microbes may play an important role in its formation. As an important natural resource treasure trove, the diversity of bacteria from the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve tufa deposits and their potential to deposit carbonates are still unknown. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used to assess the bacterial community composition of Pearl Shoal in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve. The results showed that the main dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. With the gradual increase of flow rate, the bacterial community structure was gradually simplified and the dominant phylum changed. The community structure of different sampling sites was significantly different. Besides, 17 strains capable of precipitating calcium carbonate were isolated using microbiological methods. The two strains with relatively strong calcium-forming properties were identified as Leucobacter sp. (J1) and Brucella sp. (J2), respectively. Both strains were able to elevate the environmental pH and produce extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). However, Leucobacter sp. (J1) formed calcite crystals with spherical structure, whereas Brucella sp. (J2) formed the rhombohedral and some spherical calcite crystals, evidence for strain-specific characteristics. It is the first research to provide information regarding the diversity of bacterial communities associated with tufa deposits and the characterization of calcifying bacteria isolated from Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jurassic Da'anzhai Member of the Sichuan Basin has good prospects in shale oil exploration and development. However, the lack of research on the relationship between different lithofacies and oil-bearing property restricts the research on the geological theory and further exploration and development of shale oil in Da'anzhai Member. Based on core, fluorescence thin sections, rock pyrolysis, total organic carbon (TOC), extraction of chloroform bitumen 'A', and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests, the oil-bearing characteristics and reservoir physical properties in different lithofacies of Da'anzhai Member were analyzed. The results suggest that the oil-bearing and physical properties of shale are better than shell lime-stone and their peperite. The crude oil discharge from thick shale is limited because of the petrophysical property difference. The Da2b layer thick shale has the best shale oil exploration and development potential, which is the focus of the next step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To confront the lack of robust and accessible models predicting diesel truck fuel consumption, this study develops an Engine-based Correction Model (ECM) using a sample containing vehicle operation and road data from heavy-duty diesel trucks (HDTs) along an urban arterial in Sichuan Province, China. This model is compared with two popular methods, the VT-Micro model and the CMEM model, in terms of goodness-of-fit and out-of-sample prediction performance. The results show that the proposed ECM models explain on average 89.7% of the variation in fuel consumption across the four modes and produce the smallest error, measured by MAPE and RMSE, for predicting each mode. Specifically, the MAPE values of the new ECM models are 7.95% to 25.59% lower than those of the VT-Micro models and 5.74% to 13.27% lower than the CMEM models. The improvement of RMSE values ranges from 0.1780 to 2.0940 cc/s and from 0.0171 to 0.7259 cc/s, compared to the VT-Micro model and CMEM model, respectively. In sum, the new ECM outperforms the other two existing models in both goodness-of-fit and predictive power across all modes. The enhanced performance of ECM can be attributed to the correction component and a model-building process powered by the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm that reliably and quickly weed out ineffective model forms. The results can inform driver training to foster energy-efficient driving behavior and assess the impact on fuel consumption of roadway design policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are harmful to the environment and human health. A simple method was developed for the determination of 58 POPs, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 24 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), in atmospheric gaseous and particle-phase samples. Different extraction solvents, solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and elution steps were used and compared to optimize the extraction efficiency. The POPs were isolated from the atmospheric samples by Soxhlet extraction using 1:1 acetone:n-hexane and separated using SPE cartridges. The fractions were collected by two-step elution with10 mL of n-hexane and 10 mL of 1:1 n-hexane:dichloromethane. The method validation showed that PAHs, PCBs and OCPs had good linearity, with the coefficients of determination higher than 0.995, from 2.5 to 800, 2.5 to 800, and 2.5 to 600 ng/mL, respectively. The average recoveries were 67–117%, 67–113%, and 73–114% for the PAHs, PCBs, and OCPs. The limits of detection for PAHs, PCBs, and OCPs were from 0.55 to 3.29, 0.09 to 2.00, and 0.57 to 4.86 pg/m3. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for PAHs, PCBs and OCPs were 1.80 to 10.48, 0.29 to 6.37, and 1.82 to 15.48 pg/m3. The applicability of the method was confirmed using an urban dust standard reference material. The method was employed for the analysis of atmospheric samples collected weekly for one-half year on the rooftop of a 14 m tall building in the downtown Mianyang, Sichuan, China. The developed method is demonstrated to accurately monitor persistent organic pollutants in the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U75V high-strength steel has been widely used to improve the service life of high-speed rails. Considering the consecutive cold and wet condition of the Sichuan–Tibet highway, water plays an important role in the wear process of U75V welded joints. In this study, we investigated the wear behaviors of flash-butt-welded U75V joints in dry air and water environments using a ball-on-disk sliding wear tester. The worn surfaces were tested using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The cross-sectional profiles of the wear scar were tested using a wear volume tester. The results show that the U75V welded joint has a lower wear resistance than the base metal owing to its nonuniform structure and exhibits a high friction coefficient (0.64) and wear loss (0.21 mm3) in dry air. Water exerts a lubricating function on the fretting wear of U75V welded joints and reduces the friction coefficient (0.36) and wear loss (0.15 mm3). Furthermore, abrasive wear and micropitting are predominant in water environment, accompanied by the formation of a protective-oxide layer on the surface. In contrast, microcutting and microcracking are the dominant wear mechanisms of U75V welded joints in dry air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace fossils offer a great potential to enhance our understanding of the rise of dinosaurs and their interactions with the environment. Here, we report a Rhaetian theropod footprint found in the Shazhenxi Formation of the Zigui Basin, representing the stratigraphically oldest dinosaur track recorded from the Middle Yangtze region and has great significance for understanding the Late Triassic theropods and their distribution across East Asia. The tridactyl track is assigned to cf. Eubrontes isp. and shows a similar morphology with some tracks from the Sichuan Basin, indicating that Eubrontes had a wider spatial distribution in the Upper Triassic than previously thought. This work highlights the great interest and importance of palaeoichnological prospecting in the Triassic deposits of the Zigui Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Completion string leakage will result in sustained annular pressure, H2S entering the annulus and a drop in annular liquid level. Based on choke flow model, gas-liquid two phase flow model, and gas state equation, prediction model of sustained annular pressure caused by completion string leakage is firstly established. Then, buildup law, typical buildup patterns and judgment chart, and influence law of control parameters on sustained annular pressure are acquired through case study and influential factors analysis. Finally, three control measures against completion string leakage are put forward and applied in actual gas wells in Sichuan Basin. Analysis results indicate that the smaller the depth of leakage point, the greater the wellbore safety risk. Reducing the equivalent diameter of leakage point is beneficial to control sustained annular pressure. The annulus needs not to be full filled with protective fluid. Field application verifies that judgment chart and control measures have successfully realized quick judgment of wellbore safety risk and control of sustained annular pressure, ensuring production safety of actual gas wells in Sichuan Basin. The management and control methods of sustained annular pressure caused by completion string leakage validated in this work can be extended to similar marine carbonate gas fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Studying the coupling relationship between multidimensional poverty and geological disaster risk is a beneficial exploration for the collaborative promotion of disaster and poverty reduction. Methods: Taking Sichuan province as the research area, this study adopted the multidimensional poverty index and the information content model to quantitatively evaluate the multidimensional poverty and geological disaster risk in 2019, and uses the coupling coordination degree model to explore their coupling relationship and coordinated development. Results: The development level of high-altitude areas and remote mountainous areas was lower than that of plain and hilly areas, and the spatial difference of multidimensional poverty is obvious. The risk of geological disaster is relatively high overall in the alpine valley regions of Western, Southern and Northern Sichuan. The coupling level of multidimensional poverty and geological disasters is comparatively prominent. The overall coordination degree is relatively high. There existed obvious gathering areas in places of disorder of both poverty and disaster, disaster risk lag, poverty lag and synchronous development. In contrast, the coordinated-disaster risk and the poverty lags were relatively scattered. The unbalanced development between eastern and western Sichuan is comparatively prominent. More efforts will be paid to pursue poverty and disaster reduction in a highly collaborative way. Conclusion: This study gives data support for the long-term mechanism established in Sichuan province for forestalling and defusing the risk of returning to poverty caused by disease so that the international community can learn from China's experience through observation and collaboration in terms of poverty and disaster reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the history of Chan Buddhism, a special phenomenon emerged during the Song dynasty, wherein many Chan monks from Sichuan traveled downstream to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangzi River. Particularly during the Southern Song, Sichuan monks who went to Zhejiang enjoyed preeminent social status and brought political influence, giving rise to a situation in which Sichuan monks and Zhejiang monks were labeled as laju ("indecorous") and xiaosa ('unconstrained'), respectively, in Chan literature. From the perspective of regional literary interactions, the "indecorous" Sichuan monks were chiefly presented as having a fondness for beauty, curiosity, comedy, and humor, with a deep understanding of the nature of knowledge and language, all of which had an important influence on Zhejiang monks. The "unconstrained" Zhejiang monks, on the other hand, were described as having a fondness for using the word qing ("clear, pure") or a "clear" style in the Buddhist landscape theme poetry, which likewise had a profound influence on Sichuan monks after their arrival in Zhejiang. Therefore, it was in the Southern Song capital Hangzhou in Zhejiang, where a new stage was set for literary interactions between Sichuan and Zhejiang monks in the Northern and Southern Song periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jurassic and Cretaceous tetrapod track record in China has incrementally expanded due to the discovery of small sites in widely dispersed geographical locations, which often lack body fossils. Many of these are theropod dominated tracksites where, despite morphological variation, identification of ichnotaxa is difficult at low taxonomic levels (i.e., ichnogenus/ichnospecies assignments). Here we report on an Early to mid-Cretaceous site from the Mawu Formation (Zhagang Group) in Guangdong Province, China, a region thus far scarcely known from dinosaur fossils. The new site yielded three different morphotypes tentatively labelled as a Paracorpulentapus-eubrontid-grallatorid assemblage. It is noted that similar assemblages have been identified from Cretaceous deposits in Sichuan and Anhui provinces of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two newly discovered dinosaur track locations near the town of Bijie in Guizhou Province, southwestern China are named the Yuanbaoqing and Yejiatian tracksites. They represent the Lower Jurassic Maanshan Member of the Zijiujing Formation and Upper Jurassic Xiashaximiao Formation, respectively. The former Yuanbaoqing tracksite reveals a minimum of three Anomoepus trackways and two poorly preserved incomplete sauropod trackways, tentatively assigned here to cf. Brontopodus. They occur in shallow lake to shoreline facies depositional environments. The Yejiatian site shows a well-preserved, narrow-gauge sauropod trackway in a delta plain facies which is identified as Parabrontopodus. The occurrences enhance the local faunal record in Guizhou Province were previous tracksite reports for these stratigraphic intervals are sparse. In the broader regional context of southwestern China the track record is consistent with the body fossil record in both the Lower and Upper Jurassic of this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are one of the most common geological hazards worldwide, especially in Sichuan Province (Southwest China). The current study's main purposes are to explore the potential applications of convolutional neural networks (CNN) hybrid ensemble metaheuristic optimization algorithms, namely beluga whale optimization (BWO) and coati optimization algorithm (COA), for landslide susceptibility mapping in Sichuan Province (China). For this aim, fourteen landslide conditioning factors were compiled in a spatial database. The effectiveness of the conditioning factors in the development of the landslide predictive model was quantified using the linear support vector machine model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), the root mean square error, and six statistical indices were used to test and compare the three resultant models. For the training dataset, the AUC values of the CNN-COA, CNN-BWO and CNN models were 0.946, 0.937 and 0.855, respectively. In terms of the validation dataset, the CNN-COA model exhibited a higher AUC value of 0.919, while the AUC values of the CNN-BWO and CNN models were 0.906 and 0.805, respectively. The results indicate that the CNN-COA model, followed by the CNN-BWO model, and the CNN model, offers the best overall performance for landslide susceptibility analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential trace element, iron is a necessary micronutrient for most organisms. Conyza blinii (C. blinii) is a traditional Chinese medicine grown in Sichuan, China. We chose C. blinii as material to explore the way plants respond to iron. Our results showed that iron increased the content of endogenous auxin, glandular trichomes (GTs) density and the content of blinin, the characteristic diterpene in C. blinii. Most of the key enzymes in the blinin synthesis pathway (MEP) were upregulated under iron by RNA sequencing. CbHO-1 (Heme oxygenase gene) was upregulated under exogenous IAA treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that C. blinii respond to iron through auxin- terpenoids metabolism, and this process may be related to CbHO-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has had a serious impact on the lives and health of people and severely affected the population flow in 2020. Baidu migration data offer great opportunities to study spatiotemporal interactions among cities. Revealing population flow patterns has important scientific significance for the precise prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. The aim of this article is to reveal the spatiotemporal patterns of population flow and associated influential factors in 22 cities in the Sichuan-Chongqing region (SCR), which is regarded as the fourth pole of China's economy. Four typical time periods are selected to study the spatiotemporal patterns of population flow. The regional population flow intensities in all cities and between different cities in the SCR are illustrated. Stepwise regression is used to analyse the factors affecting regional population flow intensity in four selected periods. The results show that (1) the COVID-19 epidemic greatly affected population flow in the SCR, (2) more travel occurred between cities on holidays than on weekdays in the SCR when the epidemic was not serious, and (3) the regional population flow intensity was strongly correlated with the population education level and transportation facilities when the epidemic was not serious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of high-dose amoxicillin-proton pump inhibitor dual therapy, and to provide a new eradication regimen as a first-line option for patients with H. pylori infection. A total of 971 H. pylori positive patients who received initial treatment were recruited from March to August 2020, and randomly divided into treatment group and control group. The treatment group received of 20 mg esomeprazole four times daily and 750 mg amoxicillin four times daily for 14 days. Control group received of 220 mg bismuth potassium citrate twice daily, 20 mg esomeprazole twice daily, 1000 mg amoxicillin twice daily and 250 mg clarithromycin capsule twice daily for 14 days. Four weeks after the end of treatment, the urea breath test was reviewed to detect whether H. pylori was eradicated. There were no statistical differences in age, gender, the total clinical symptom scores before and after initial treatment, the compliance, and the degree of remission of symptoms before and after initial treatment between the two groups. The eradication rates of H. pylori between dual therapy and quadruple therapy were 88.31% and 85.26% (p=.158) by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, 88.66% and 85.44% (p=.186) by modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis, and 91.63% and 90.60% (p=.116) by PP analysis, respectively. Adverse events in dual therapy group were significantly lower than quadruple therapy group (13.3% vs. 28.2% (p<.01)). For the initial treatment of H. pylori infection, the high-dose dual therapy regimen has the same efficacy as the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy regimen, good compliance, less adverse reactions and high safety, so it can be recommended as the empirical first-line treatment regimen for the eradication of H. pylori (KY2019173). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Jurassic lower Shaximiao Formation in Sichuan Province of south-western China has yielded a diverse terrestrial vertebrate fauna dominated by sauropod dinosaurs. However, many of these sauropods lack detailed descriptions or explicit phylogenetic diagnoses. Here, we present a comprehensive redescription of Dashanpusaurus dongi, a species of sauropod found only in the lower Shaximiao Formation. We define the revised autapomorphies of the species as follows: neural canals are sub-square in anterior dorsal vertebrae; the presence of a thin accessory lamina that contacts the prezygodiapophyseal and paradiapophyseal laminae of the middle dorsals, forming an angle of 75° to the horizontal; and four ridges on the anterodistal edge of the humerus. Often considered part of the epipophyseal-prezygapophyseal lamina, a strut invades the spinodiapophyseal fossa in the cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae. Anatomical comparisons indicate that this feature was widespread among early-diverging Middle Jurassic eusauropod lineages. This comparative anatomical data provides an opportunity to revisit the phylogenetic position of Dashanpusaurus and the relationships of the neosauropod clade. Recovered as a macronarian, a better understanding of Dashanpusaurus dongi will allow for clarification of the origin, early evolution, and palaeogeographical distribution of neosauropods. This study also suggests that the diversity and dispersity of the neosauropod clade occurred much earlier than previously realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the emergence of crayfish and crayfish rice production in Chongzhou, Sichuan as a product of China's agrarian transition and at the conjuncture of several forms of food anxiety. To earn revenue, the Chongzhou government has encouraged the cultivation of crayfish. Once a local peasant food, crayfish has been rebranded as a luxury item and made a centerpiece of local placemaking efforts. However, Chongzhou is also the site of an Agricultural Functional Zone, and is designated as a site for grain agriculture, in response to the Chinese state's longstanding anxieties about grain self-sufficiency. Thus, rice is grown together with the crayfish. To make it appealing, crayfish rice is marketed as high quality and ecologically friendly, responding to the state's biopolitical concerns about the "quality" of the population, as well as to middle class consumers' sense of distinction and their pervasive consumer anxieties about food safety and environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have tested the influence of climatic factors on yields by adjusting sowing dates at both low and high altitudes. We investigated the influence of the synergistic effects of temperature and solar radiation by conducting field experiments using different rice varieties and sowing dates in the low-altitude plains of Chongzhou and the high-altitude mountainous region of Hanyuan, Sichuan Province, China, in 2017 and 2018. The results showed that from transplanting to maturity, biomass yield and grain yield were significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with the average daily temperature and solar radiation. The Hanyuan site experienced higher solar radiation and lower temperature than those of Chongzhou, which contributed to higher dry matter accumulation (DMA) and crop growth rate values pre- and post-anthesis and more panicles per m2, leading to higher biomass yields and grain yields at Hanyuan. The rice sowed earlier was subjected to higher solar radiation and lower temperature at Chongzhou and Hanyuan, resulting in increased DMA post-anthesis, panicles per m2, and spikelet filling, improving biomass yield and grain yield. These results indicate that the high potential yield from the early sowing date in the high-altitude region was primarily due to increased solar radiation and decreased temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-rich black shales in the Sichuan Basin from the Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian are considered excellent source rocks and unconventional reservoirs of hydrocarbons in South China. The Wufeng and Longmaxi Formations in the Micangshan – Dabashan areas of the northern margin of Sichuan Basin were taken as the research objects. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct the sedimentary tectonic pattern of the Wufeng and Longmaxi Formations in the study area. First, the stratigraphic framework correlation and sedimentary facies analysis of Wufeng and Longmaxi Formations in the study area were carried out. Then, Mo/TOC and Al-Co[EF]×Mn[EF] geochemical indicators were used to identify the degree of water restricted during the deposition period. It was found that the thickness of black shale was relatively small near the uplift area. However, far away from the uplift area, from west to east, the black shale thickened and the TOC content increased gradually, which were controlled by the upwelling of continental margin and intracontinental depression. The results show that: (1) At the front edge of Micangshan, during the deposition period of Wufeng Formation, Fucheng and Qiaoting profiles were located in the intersection area of upwelling formed by two kinds of monsoon, which led to the long-term influence of upwelling in this area. The sedimentation period of Longmaxi Formation was mainly affected by 'Xixiang Rise', which led to the uplift of Wangcang and Nanjiang areas into islands. (2) At the front edge of Dabashan and Western Hubei – Eastern Chongqing areas, the Wufeng Formation presented a tectonic pattern of alternating uplift and depression. Due to the continuous compression of the Cathaysian Block from southeast to northwest, the Shizhu – Wuxi areas continued to subside during the deposition period of Longmaxi Formation, and the black shale was quite thick. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-Qing era, public preaching in Sichuan has gradually become more about works of doing good than imperial edicts, which greatly influenced everyday ethics and beliefs in Sichuan grassroots society. In a way, this reflects how ideas affect society. Folk preaching in Sichuan, as a way of doing good itself, has been a common practice to advocate good deeds. Late-Qing folk preaching in Sichuan was closely linked to, and had promoted, the rise of local charities and better social aid services that ensued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale belongs to low-porosity and low-permeability reservoir, so it is difficult for fluid to enter pores through displacement. However, in the process of shale hydraulic fracturing, most of the fracturing fluid does not flowback after entering strata. It indicates that reaction may take place when fluid enters into strata, resulting in low flowback rate of fracturing fluid. Imbibition experiment and physicochemical properties test show that there is imbibition effect in shale. There are two stages: one is the initial rapid water absorption, while the other is later osmotic water absorption. The first stage is affected by the seam network system, while the other stage is mainly affected by the content of clay minerals. As clay minerals swell by absorbing water, the original fracture network system gradually expands, and porosity grows, permeability improves and recovery rate increases. The physicochemical properties test shows that (1) imbibition is influenced by both capillary force and mineral components. The higher the clay content is, especially the content of chlorite and illite/smectite (I/S) , the stronger the imbibition capacity is. (2) Shale with strong imbibition capacity also has strong seam-making capacity, which not only provides convenience for hydraulic fracturing but is more conducive to exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]