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The development of children's non-cognitive abilities is crucial for both individuals and society as a whole. In this study, using a follow-up survey on 5369 primary students in rural ethnic regions of northwest China, we aim to examine the levels of parental involvement in rural ethnic regions and investigate its effect on students' non-cognitive abilities. Our results show the following: first, parental involvement in rural ethnic regions of northwest China is quite low. Parents pay more attention to their children's academic performance than to their non-cognitive abilities and the personal involvement is seriously lacking. Second, students from families with more favorable economic status, high parental education levels, non-migrant parents, and primary caregivers who are parents experience higher levels of parental involvement. Though Han students generally have higher maternal involvement and lower paternal involvement than minorities, the ethnic differences are reduced after controlling the covariates. Third, using the value-added model, after controlling for individual, family, class, county and baseline variables, we find that maternal behavioral and personal involvement and paternal cognitive and behavioral involvement have significant positive effects on children's non-cognitive abilities. We use causal identification methods including propensity score matching and Mahalanobis distance matching to do the robustness test. • The non-cognitive ability and domains of parental involvement of primary students in rural ethnic regions are assessed. • Parental involvement is notably limited among sampled students, with more serious deficiency in personal involvement. • Maternal involvement is greater than paternal on all dimensions, yet the gap is smaller for ethnic groups. • Maternal behavioral and personal involvement have significant positive effects on children's non-cognitive abilities. • Paternal cognitive and behavioral involvement have significant positive effects on children's non-cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti-extraction blast furnace slag (TEBFS) is an industrial solid waste, which is harmful to the environment and sustainable development of China's titanium industry. The efficient utilization of TEBFS is therefore urgently needed. In this study, calcium silicate boards were successfully prepared as partition materials. The effects of TEBFS content, cement content, calcium silicon mass (Ca/Si) ratio, and the Cl content of TEBFS on the material properties, pore structure, and phase composition of calcium silicate boards were explored. The results revealed that with an increase in TEBFS content, the average pore diameter of prepared samples gradually decreased. Furthermore, an excessive amount of cement and an excessively high Ca/Si ratio were not conducive to improving material properties. Optimum samples were prepared with 70 wt% TEBFS, 15 wt% Portland cement, and a Ca/Si ratio of 0.9. Under these conditions, the bulk density of the material was 1.64 g/cm3, the water absorption was 21.0%, and the flexural strength was 11.0 MPa. An identically prepared calcium silicate board using dechlorinated TEBFS had a flexural strength of 9.8 MPa, demonstrating the importance of chlorine in the calcium silicate formation process. This study provides an important reference for solving the waste management and recycling problems of TEBFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the macro-social factors investigated in variational pragmatics (VP), region has received the most attention. To date, age-based differences have not been examined much in VP studies. Social status is frequently observed as a crucial factor affecting the pragmatic production of requests, but few studies have explored the interaction between social status and macro-social factors such as age. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of age and social status on social media requests between two groups of Chinese people across different ages (a younger group and an older group). Thirty-eight Chinese participants (18 younger adults and 20 older adults) were recruited in this study, contributing a total of 236 requests made via WeChat. The results indicated that both groups preferred direct strategies when making requests on WeChat. Social status affected the preferences for external and internal modification of the requests in each group. The similarities and differences in the two groups' social media requests with respect to age, as well as due to societal and ideological changes as a consequence of socio-economic development in China, are discussed. • This study examines the effect of age on Chinese social media requests. • The effect of social status is also investigated. • Findings indicated that both groups preferred direct strategies in WeChat requests. • Social status affected the preferences for request modification in each group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated 75 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional dairy products in western China for their probiotic properties. Among them, Limosilactobacillus fermentum WXZ 2-1, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TXZ 2-35, Companilactobacillus crustorum QHS 9, and Companilactobacillus crustorum QHS 10 demonstrated potential probiotic characteristics. The antioxidant capacity of these 4 strains was assessed, revealing that L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, when cocultured with Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus , L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 demonstrated a synergistic effect in growth medium and goat milk. To explore its effect on goat milk fermentation, different amounts of L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 were added to goat milk, and its physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, flavor substances, and metabolomics were analyzed. The study found that the incorporation of L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 in goat milk fermentation significantly improved the texture characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and flavor of fermented goat milk. These findings highlight the potential of L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 as a valuable probiotic strain for enhancing the functionality and desirability of fermented goat milk, contributing to the development of novel functional foods with improved health benefits and enhanced quality attributes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This study deepens understanding of the spatial and temporal evolution of minerals in the Bayan Obo Deposit. • Detailed mineralogical assemblages and fabric features of each ore are presented. • This study established the formation mechanism of different REE-Nb-Fe minerals and the metallogenic process of the deposit. The Bayan Obo deposit in the northern margin of the North China Craton is a world-class REE-Nb-Fe deposit, the complex mineralization history of which remains unresolved. In this study, we employ SEM and Image J software combined with mineralogical data obtained by in-situ EDS and EPMA analyses to analyze petrographic images rapidly and to investigate the mineralogical assemblages of each type of rocks/ores from the Main Orebody in an attempt to understand the mineralization process and ore-formation mechanism of this deposit. We identify three metallogenic periods and six ore-forming stages based on the field occurrence of ores combined with published geochronological data. The Mesoproterozoic magmatic event comprises two stages, which were distinguished as the coarse-grained dolomite stage (stage 1) and the fine-grained dolomite stage (stage 2). Three stages were recognized in the Mesoproterozoic shear deformation-hydrothermal mineralization period, including the disseminated mineralization stage (stage 3), the banded mineralization stage (stage 4) and the massive mineralization stage (stage 5). The Paleozoic hydrothermal period involved the vein mineralization stage (stage 6). Based on detailed studies of the mineral assemblages and paragenesis, as well as the complex textures of the ores, we propose a model of the multi-stage metallogenic process as follows: (1) The REE minerals and rutile occurring as inclusions wrapped within magmatic idiomorphic dolomite grains indicate that the REE-Nb mineralization might have started during the magmatic period. (2) The Nb minerals, such as fergusonite and ilmenorutile, intergrown with REE minerals, such as monazite and bastnäsite, indicate that the Nb and REE were transported by the same ore-forming magma or fluid and precipitated during the same metallogenic process. (3) From the fine-grained dolomite stage to the massive mineralization stage (from stage 2 to stage 5), the mineral assemblages become more complex, with a gradual increase in the degree of hydrothermal alteration suggesting that more hydrothermal fluid was involved in the ore mineralization. (4) The complex mineralogical assemblages and textural relationships indicate multiple formation mechanisms for the REE-Nb-Fe minerals. We propose that the unusually large volume of REE-Nb-Fe resources in the Bayan Obo deposit was the result of combined magma and hydrothermal fluid activities in the Mesoproterozoic (from stage 1 to stage 5), whereas the fluids only caused reactivation of the ore materials previously deposited without the addition of exogenous materials in the Paleozoic stage (stage 6). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding trade liberalization's influence on economic recovery is paramount in formulating efficacious policy measures, particularly within renewable energy advancement. This study utilizes panel data analysis to examine the correlation between trade liberalization and economic revitalization in the pilot regions of China, with a particular emphasis on the renewable energy sector. This study incorporates data collected from 30 provinces in China, covering the period from 1990 to 2019. This study examines the impact of trade openness on the economic recovery and growth of China's experimental zones, with a specific focus on the renewable energy sector. To achieve this objective, panel data approaches will be employed. The results of this research offer significant contributions for policymakers and academics interested in designing customized strategies to promote economic growth and stability, specifically focusing on the renewable energy sector in China's regions. • Analyzing trade liberalization's impact on renewable energy recovery in China. • Examining trade liberalization's influence on China's pilot zones. • Guiding strategies for economic stability in China's renewable sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) is the causative pathogen of infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN), which causes high mortality and great economic losses in salmon and trout aquaculture. IPNVs are divided into seven genotypes, and all IPNV isolates that have been reported in China belong to genogroups I and V. Because of restrictions on imported vaccines, China has no commercial vaccine against IPNV; Therefore, more effective antiviral drugs and vaccines are needed. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat endemic and pandemic diseases and is reported effective against viral infections. We screened a TCM library containing 1483 compounds and found that bufalin exhibited anti-IPNV activity. Bufalin inhibits infections from IPNV genogroups I and V by inhibiting viral internalization and RNA replication rather than viral attachment. In vivo results showed that bufalin significantly inhibited viral loads in IPNV-targeted tissues in rainbow trout. Mechanistic research showed that bufalin's antiviral effects occurred via Na+/K+-ATPase. Our results indicate that bufalin inhibits IPNV infections both in vitro and in vivo and may be a promising drug for treating IPNV infections. • Bufalin inhibits IPNV infection both in vitro and in vivo. • Bufalin inhibits viral internalization and RNA replication rather than viral attachment. • The antiviral effect of bufalin was via Na+/K+-ATPase. • Bufalin may be a promising drug for treating IPNV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A feasible process of synthesizing VTMT to prepare foamed ceramics was proposed. • The utilization rate of VTMT was 55%. • Processing–structure–property relationships were investigated. • VTMT utilized as a construction material can bring environmental and economic benefits. Vanadium–titanium magnetite tailings (VTMT) are a common industrial waste in China, which are harmful to the environment and economic development. The efficient utilization of this industrial waste is urgently needed. Herein, foam ceramics were successfully prepared as partition materials using VTMT as the main raw material. In this work, the effects of VTMT and SiC content on the properties and microstructure of foam ceramics were investigated. Properties like rate of linear expansion, bulk density, water absorption and average pore size were analyzed. Furthermore, the foaming mechanism was further explained. Results showed that the rate of linear expansion of the samples first increased from 35.0% to 53.3% and then decreased with increasing VTMT content. Bulk density decreased, and the average pore size gradually increased from approximately 0.86 mm to 2.56 mm with increasing SiC content. Finally, the optimum foam ceramics were formed with 55 wt.% VTMT and 0.10 wt.% SiC sintered at 1130 °C. Such samples had a bulk density of 0.78 g/cm3, a water absorption of 14.3%, and a uniform pore size distribution. More importantly, this potential recycling process shows benefits to the environmental management and sustainable development of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astronomically forced variations of climate are well documented in lacustrine and marine settings. However, few studies have examined astronomical forced cycles within Quaternary fluvial-fan successions. To explore whether Milankovitch cyclicity might also be present in fluvial-fan successions, we carried out high-resolution gamma-ray (GR) from downhole logging, magnetic susceptibility (MS), Rb/Sr and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis of a core from an 800-m borehole (KT11) from the Kashgar region in the western Tarim Basin, China. Spectral analyses of the GR, MS and Rb/Sr data reveal cycles with ~70 m, ~30 m and ~14 m wavelengths. These pertain to relative variations in grain size. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating and magnetostratigraphy imply that the cored interval spans the past 1.1 Myr. This age-span constraint, coupled with the comparison of the ratios of these cycle wavelengths to expected ratios of Milankovitch frequencies, suggests that these cycles represent ~100-kyr short-eccentricity, ~40-kyr obliquity and ~20-kyr precession frequencies, respectively. We constructed an astronomical time scale (ATS) spanning the past 1.13 Myr using the ~100-kyr short-eccentricity period. The average accumulation rate is about 70 cm/kyr for this 800-m core succession, and the evolutive spectrum emphasizes that long-term sedimentation rates were stable. We also applied correlation coefficient (COCO) analysis to identify the astronomical forcing. Thus, we conclude that orbitally forced climate change was the main driver of stratigraphic alternations between sand- and clay-rich intervals in the Kashgar region. During maxima of the 100-kyr short-eccentricity cycles, which correspond to interglacial intervals, more chemical weathering and increased seasonal runoff delivered a larger amount of relatively coarser-grained sediments to the fluvial fan in the Kashgar region, and vice versa. The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) at ca. 0.9 to 0.65 Ma is also well recorded in our GR and Rb/Sr data, and is characterized by a shift in dominant cycle period from 41 kyr obliquity to 100 kyr eccentricity. After 0.65 Ma, the average TOC content decreases whilst Rb/Sr values increase, which suggests that there was an increase in regional aridity of the Kashgar region in the western Tarim Basin following the MPT. This regional change is synchronous with the trend toward aridification observed throughout central Asia. • Milankovitch forcing is the main driver for the climate changes in the western Tarim Basin over the past 1.13 Myr. • The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) was recorded in both GR and Rb/Sr series. • The MS proxy apparently shows short eccentricity from whole the 1.13 Myr interval. • The long-term increase in average aridity in the western Tarim Basin beginning at ca. 0.65 Ma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing agricultural carbon emissions is an essential lever for mitigating climate change and promoting high-quality agricultural development. Environmental regulation in the form of resource agglomeration, represented by the high-standard farmland construction policy, plays a vital role in the emission reduction process. Using the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2001 to 2019 and taking the high-standard farmland construction policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper constructs a continuous differences-in-differences (DID) model to explore the impact and mechanism of environmental regulation in the form of resource agglomeration (RAER) on agricultural carbon emission reduction. The results show that RAER significantly reduces agricultural carbon emissions by an average of 3.9%. This conclusion still holds after robustness tests such as endogenous tests, eliminating policy interference, and sample reprocessing. This abatement utility is mainly realized through the technique effect of promoting green technology innovation and the composition effect of optimizing crop cultivation structure. Based on the resource attribute characteristics, the agricultural carbon emission reduction effects of RAER are, in descending order, capital and facility. Further study found heterogeneity in four aspects of the effect of RAER on agricultural carbon emission reduction: regional, planted crops, carbon emission sources, and carbon emission intensity. Therefore, decision-makers should deepen environmental regulation reform through resource agglomeration, implement adapting to local conditions for the high-standard farmland construction policy, and promote policy innovation and system optimization of agricultural carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of farmers' energy-saving behaviors can help policy-makers to formulate effective energy policies to reduce energy consumption in rural areas. This study explores the impacts of livelihood capital on farmers' energy-saving behaviors in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China. A total of 471 questionnaires were obtained from randomly sampled households. The results show that there are differences between the implementation of different types of energy-saving behaviors. Farmers' livelihood capital plays a significant role in implementing energy-saving behaviors. Specifically, natural capital and human capital have a significantly negative effect on the implementation of energy-saving behaviors. Physical capital and social capital are conducive to implement energy-saving behaviors. The effect of financial capital varies with different energy-saving behaviors. The findings of this study can contribute to the existing body of knowledge about determinants of farmers' energy-saving behaviors by confirming the role of livelihood capital. The empirical results provide a reference for stakeholders involved in strengthening rural residents' energy-saving behaviors in developing countries like China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate self-perceived participation and autonomy in patients with burns in Fujian, China, and to identify key factors influencing these parameters.Methods: We investigated 212 patients admitted to the burns unit 1 and 3months after discharge using the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA), Acceptance of Disability Scale-Revised, Herth Hope Index, Modified Barthel Index Rating Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, and a self-designed demographic data and disease condition questionnaires. Influencing factors were identified using multivariable linear regression.Results: The general IPA questionnaire scores were 2.13±0.74 and 2.03±0.72 at 1 and 3months post-discharge, respectively. Acceptance of disability, hope, and social participation were significantly correlated (P<0.01). Financial situation, pain level, activities of daily living, acceptance of disability, and hope were major factors affecting self-perceived participation and autonomy 3months post-discharge, accounting for a variance of 77.5%.Conclusion: Medium-to-low levels of self-perceived participation and autonomy were observed 1 and 3months post-discharge. Clinicians should adopt specific measures to help patients (including those from poor economic backgrounds) successfully reintegrate into their families/societies. These include alleviating their pain, encouraging participation in daily activities while accepting their disabilities, and offering hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper develops a new paradigm to analyze the eco-efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China and makes a first empirical attempt at examining whether the eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations (UA-s) outperform Non-urban agglomerations (Non-UA-s), or driving the Non-UA-s in promoting eco-efficiency using a dataset of 108 prefectural-level cities during 2003–2014. The main findings are as follows. First, the eco-efficiency of YREB gradually increases during the study period. Cities in UA-s with higher eco-efficiency experience an increasing spatial agglomeration while those in Non-UA-s show a slight downward shift. Second, in terms of eco-efficiency, both statistical test and econometrical test confirm that cities in UA-s outperform those in Non-UA-s. Third, the global and club convergence of eco-efficiency in YREB is ascertained. Forth, the eco-efficiency of UA-s exerts backwash effects on those in Non-UA-s, along with decreasing the convergence speed of eco-efficiency. Special issues are briefly discussed, lastly. Highlights • A new analysis paradigm is developed to explore the YREB's eco-efficiency. • Temporal-spatial evolution and empirical tests are conducted, indicating a proof that eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations outperform that in Non-urban agglomerations. • Urban agglomerations have backwash effects and slight constraints to Non-urban agglomerations in terms of eco-efficiency. • Some special issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the occurrence and severity of soil-borne diseases are strongly season-dependent, the ecological processes that shift plant microbiome compositions and functions upon pathogen infection in different seasons are rarely studied. In this study, we compared the differences in fungal and bacterial communities in rhizosphere soil between healthy and diseased bamboo plants throughout the four seasons at the main bamboo production site in China and investigated how basal rot disease caused by Fusarium proliferatum affected the composition, structure and ecological functions of rhizosphere-associated microorganisms. The results showed that diseased bamboo plants enriched the highest abundance of Fusarium genus in rhizosphere soil while receiving largely increased stem lesion area in summer. Microbiome analysis further proved that healthy bamboo plants harbored more ecologically beneficial microbial taxa that might function as biological protectants in their rhizosphere soil than diseased plants at the same season. Three individual strains with biocontrol potentials were further isolated and identified as Trichoderma spirale, Bacillus velezensis and Streptomyces mirabilis. The antagonistic tests further demonstrated their inhibition effects on the growth and pathogenicity of the pathogenic fungus F. proliferatum in vitro and in vivo. This study advances our understanding of soil-borne pathogen mediated changes in microbiome structure and function in plant rhizosphere soil and provides potential biocontrol strains for increasing plant resistance against basal rot disease. • The rhizosphere soil of diseased plants enriched the highest abundance of Fusarium genus in summer. • The stem lesion area of diseased plants was largely increased in summer. • Healthy plants harbored more ecologically beneficial microbes than diseased plants. • The biocontrol strains were identified as Trichoderma spirale, Bacillus velezensis and Streptomyces mirabilis. • The antagonistic effects of the strains against pathogen were tested in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hewan granite porphyry is a newly discovered, highly evolved Au deposit in north China. Two types magmatic zircon are found in the porphyry. Type I is CL-dark and only occurs in the core of some zircons. Type II is CL-bright and mantles Type I zircon or occurs as individual grains. The two Types are close in age, i.e. 138.0 ± 2.2 Ma for Type I and 135.9 ± 2.1 Ma for Type II. Type I zircon is enriched in Y, U, Th, Nb, Ta, P, REE, while Type II zircon is relatively depleted in these elements, which reflects a reverse in the magma evolution. Whole-rock geochemistry and the presence of xenocrystic zircons (2522 ± 18 Ma), combined with ε Hf (t) (−20.2 to −22.3) and δ18O (5.3 to 6.6 ‰) for Type I zircons, suggests that the Hewan granite porphyry was mainly derived from the melting of the surrounding older, country rock gneiss. The higher ε Hf (t) (−16.5 to −19.4) and lower δ18O (5.0 to 6.0‰) of Type II zircon indicates that Type II zircon formed during infiltration of a later fluid. This later fluid also had a higher oxygen fugacity (Ce/Ce* Z = 248 to 3663) and a higher H 2 O activity. We propose that the Hewan granite porphyry originated from the shallow melting of regional gneisses due to heat from underplating mafic magmas related to a subduction event. Type I zircons, which formed during this event where later mantled or totally replaced by Type II zircon due to an influx of Cl-, S-, and Au-bearing fluids from these crystallizing underplating mafic magmas. The high F and pH in this shallow magma promoted decoupling of AuCl− in the upwelling fluids, which allowed for the deposition of elemental Au. • Proposed potential genesis of the Hewan granite porphyry. • Based on changes in zircon composition, we propose the genesis of Hewan granite porphyry and potential mechanism for Au enrichment. • Give insight into finding Au deposits in high-silica granites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In this study, transcriptome analysis results showed that many genes involved in lateral root formation are significantly induced under drought stress treatment. These genes are involved in the nuclear transfer of xylem pole pericycle cells, LR initiation and LR emergence. So, we hypothesize a regulatory network for the development of LR. And the LR development is crucial for the drought resistance of Z. xanthoxylon. Our study explains the reasons for Z. xanthoxylon drought resistance from another perspective. • We found that osmoregulation related gene family OSCAs, such as ZxOSCA2.1 and ZxOSCA3.1 , was significantly induced during drought treatment. The gene silencing of ZxOSCA1.1 displayed it is helpful for Z. xanthoxylon to better adapt to drought environment through regulating the stomatal movement. • Due to the lack of genetic transformation system, we applied VIGS technology for the first time to study the function of key genes in Z. xanthoxylon. The plant species that inhabit severe arid regions, such as xerophytes, are valuable genetic resources for deciphering water stress response mechanisms and breeding or engineering drought-resistant crop varieties. Zygophyllum xanthoxylon (Zygophyllaceae), succulent perennial xerophyte, is extensively distributed in desert and semi-desert regions in northwestern China and gets little attention. Herein, we used high-throughput transcriptome sequencing to profile gene expression at the whole-blade tissue level after drought treatment. Differential expression gene analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a diversity of drought-responsive genes encoding ion channels or exchanger proteins, such as outward rectifying K+ channel 1 (KCO1), involving lateral root (LR) formation, including NAC1, RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR-LIKE 34 (RALFL34) , expansion-like B1 (EXLB1) , EXPANSIN 2 (EXPA2) and pectin methylesterase 3 (PME3). We hypothesize that a regulatory network is responsible for the LR development in Z. xanthoxylon. Besides, hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) genes, such as ZxOSCA1.1 , were induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) treatment. To find out whether ZxOSCA1.1 plays a role in response to the water stress like the other species, we performed functional validation of ZxOSCA1.1 by transiently knocking down using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). The results revealed that ZxOSCA1.1 did affect the stomatal movement, water loss, and chlorophyll content. Our research demonstrates that osmotic perception controlled by upstream OSCA1.1 and the lateral root formation are important self-protection strategy for Z. xanthoxylon. Also, this study provides more perspectives insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying drought stress and aids for engineering drought-resistant crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North China Craton (NCC) is a window to decratonization and associated gold metallogenesis during the Mesozoic. Although Early Cretaceous gold mineralization associated with craton destruction has been reported, information on decratonic gold metallogenesis during the other periods remain scarce. Here we investigate the Guilaizhuang crypto-explosive breccia-type Te-Au deposit from eastern NCC and present Rb-Sr geochronological data on pyrite which provide new constraints on the timing of mineralization as 180.8 ± 2.3 Ma, corresponding to Jurassic gold metallogenesis. The S-Pb-C-O isotopic systematics and the ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) i value of the pyrite as ca. 0.712429 ± 0.000076 suggest that the ore-forming nutrients were derived from crustal and mantle sources. The Guilaizhuang Te-Au deposit formed during the tectonic transformation from compression to extension associated with the extensional collapse of the Dabie–Sulu UHP orogen and the delamination of the NCC lithosphere, triggering mantle upwelling and extensive crustal melting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: To observe the effect of a rehabilitation intervention on the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns.Background: Most studies of hand-burn patients have focused on functional recovery. There have been no studies involving a biological-psychological-social rehabilitation model of hand-burn patients.Design: A randomized controlled design was used.Methods: Patients with hand burns were recruited to the study, and sixty patients participated. Participants were separated into two groups: (1) The rehabilitation intervention model group (n=30) completed the rehabilitation intervention model, which included the following measures: enhanced social support, intensive health education, comprehensive psychological intervention, and graded exercise. (2) The control group (n=30) completed routine treatment. Intervention lasted 5 weeks. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t test were conducted.Results: The rehabilitation intervention group had significantly better scores than the control group for comprehensive health, physical function, psychological function, social function, and general health. The differences between the index scores of the two groups were statistically significant.Conclusions: The rehabilitation intervention improved the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns and has favorable clinical application.Relevance To Clinical Practice: The comprehensive rehabilitation intervention model used here provides scientific guidance for medical staff aiming to improve the integrated health status of hand-burn patients and accelerate their recovery. What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep fertilization (DF) has been introduced to rice production systems in China to improve rice productivity with minimum nitrogen (N) losses, however, the effects of DF on rice yield and ammonia (NH 3) emissions were never analyzed systematically. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of DF on rice productivity and NH 3 emissions via a meta-analysis based on 1023 observations collected from 144 studies. Data interpretation showed that DF can significantly increase yield by 8.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.3–10.0%), N use efficiency by 16.7% (95% CI: 14.5–18.9%) and reduce NH 3 emissions by 78.1% (95% CI: 71.3–81.3%), respectively compared to broadcast fertilizer (BF). Variation in the effects of DF was mainly due to climate factors, soil properties, and agronomic practices whereas optimization of agronomic practices can improve the rice productivity under DF. The optimal depth of DF ranges between 7 and 13 cm, which coincides with the distribution of the majority of the rice root system. Reducing the fertilizer application rate to the range of 150–250 kg/ha coupled with split fertilization can improve rice yield and reduce NH 3 emissions. Importantly, the DF could significantly increase the total output and net economic benefits compared to the BF. In conclusion, the DF can significantly increase rice productivity and reduce ammonia emissions, however, large-scale adoption of the DF in rice systems are constrained by the availability of well-equipped machinery, good fertilizer products, and skilled farmers and labor. • Effects of deep fertilization (DF) on rice yield and NH 3 emissions were assessed. • Variations in the effects of DF were mainly due to agronomic practices. • Site-specific optimizations are needed to improve the performance of DF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A frame of conservation effectiveness evaluation for mangrove nature reserves was proposed. • Results indicate most NMNRs was effective for conserving mangroves in China during 1987–2019. • The improvement to the conservation effectiveness was largely attributed to the implementation of protection activities. • Remote sensing-based method provides efficient evaluation of conservation effectiveness for NMNRs. Mangroves are high-productive ecosystems and globally protected. Establishing nature reserves aimed at counteracting the negative effects of anthropogenic activities is one of the most pivotal approaches to conserve mangrove ecosystems. Evaluation of the conservation effectiveness for mangrove nature reserves is thus indispensable for making knowledge-based conservation policies and funding-decisions by government and managers. In this study, using composited Landsat images by the Google Earth Engine cloud platform and object-oriented deep learning classification method, the land cover maps of national mangrove nature reserves (NMNRs) in China were obtained from 1987 to 2019. The systematic evaluation of conservation effectiveness for each NMNR was conducted by landscape metrics and an entropy weight model. Combined with the dynamics in mangrove distribution, human interference intensity, and natural environment change, the driving force factors affecting the conservation effectiveness for NMNRs were investigated. The results show that the total mangrove area in all NMNRs increased 968.6 ha during the study period, a 21.8 % rate of increase. Except for one NMNR with a slight decline, the conservation of remaining NMNRs was considered effective with increase varied from 14.8 % to 87.5 % in the level of protective efficacy. The conservation effectiveness of NMNRs was affected by both anthropogenic and natural factors, while the improvement to the conservation effectiveness was largely attributed to the implementation of protection policies, such as reforestation engineering. Further direct or indirect challenges in mangrove conservation effectiveness, e.g., pollution, natural disasters, and exotic species invasion, still require close attention. This study provides an effective and efficient approach to quantify the conservation effectiveness of mangrove nature reserves, which would facilitate mangrove conservation and management in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical swine fever (CSF), caused by classical swine fever virus (CSFV), is a devastating disease of swine worldwide. Although a mandatory vaccination with the modified live vaccine C-strain has been implemented in China for decades, CSF remains a serious threat to the swine industry. To facilitate the control and eradication of CSF in China, the E2-based marker vaccine rAdV-SFV-E2, an adenovirus-delivered, alphavirus replicon-vectored vaccine, has been developed. Accordingly, an accompanying discriminatory test that allows differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) is required. Here, the enhanced expression of E rns protein of CSFV was achieved in the methyltropic yeast Pichia pastoris by codon-optimization of the E rns gene, and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) based on the yeast-expressed E rns (yE rns ) was developed and evaluated. The optimized iELISA was able to detect CSFV-specific antibodies in the serum samples from the CSFV-infected pigs as early as 6 days post-infection, and discriminate the CSFV-infected pigs from those vaccinated with rAdV-SFV-E2. The iELISA was evaluated using a panel of swine sera, and showed comparable sensitivity (94.6%) and specificity (97.1%), and the consistence rates with the virus neutralization test were 96.8% for CSFV-infected swine sera, 83.3% for C-strain-vaccinated swine sera, and 95.0% for field swine sera. In addition, the iELISA showed higher sensitivity (90.4%) compared with PrioCHECK CSFV E rns (59.6%). Taken together, the yE rns -based iELISA is specific and sensitive, representing a promising DIVA test for E2-based marker vaccines against CSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We prepared foamed cement with Ti-extraction blast furnace slag (TEBFS) by chemical foaming. • The utilization rate of TEBFS was 40%. • Processing–structure–property relationships were investigated. • The foaming mechanism and law of phase transformation were explored. • TEBFS utilized as a green building material can bring environmental and economic benefits. Ti-extraction blast furnace slag (TEBFS) is a chlorine-containing solid waste produced by the metallurgical industry in China. The accumulation of TEBFS is harmful to the environment and the sustainable development of industry. Herein, foamed cement was prepared as a load-bearing and insulation material using TEBFS and sulfoaluminate cement (SAC) by chemical foaming. The effects of TEBFS content, H 2 O 2 content, and calcium stearate content on the properties, pore structure, and microstructure of the samples were explored. The results show that a stable foam system was obtained by mixing 20–40% TEBFS with SAC, and the most influential factor on the material properties of the samples was H 2 O 2 content. The relationship between the average pore size and bulk density was y = 0.6219x − 0.7194 (R2 = 0.99). Based on an orthogonal experiment, the most influential factors for determining the bulk density, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of the samples were the H 2 O 2 content and the TEBFS content. The optimal foamed cement was produced with 40% TEBFS, 1% H 2 O 2 , and 1.0% calcium stearate. The water-cement ratio was 0.5. The bulk density, 28-day compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of this sample were 0.68 g/cm3, 1.86 MPa, and 0.17 W/(m·K), respectively. Morphological analysis demonstrated that the complete pore structure was helpful for improving the compressive strength of the foamed cement material. XRD showed that the main phases generated in this sample were ettringite, calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), and Friedel salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The isotope values and of pyrite indicate that oxygen fugacity increased slightly from stage Ⅱ to stage III. • The Rb-Sr dating on sulfide minerals from Chen'er yield an isochron age of 129.2 ± 3.4 Ma. • The metallogenic components and fluids were derived dominantly from magmatic or mantle sources. The Chen'er gold deposit, with 27 tons of known Au reserves, is one of the typical gold deposits in the Xiaoqinling district along the southern part of the North China Craton. In order to better understand the gold precipitation time and mineralization process, we report in-situ Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) trace element analyses, elemental maps, and the Rb-Sr and S-Pb isotopic composition of sulfides from the Chen'er gold deposit with a view to gain insights into the mineralization time and process. Trace element analyses and elemental maps of pyrite show that the content of As is low and has no correlation with Au, indicating As is unlikely to have controlled the Au incorporation into pyrite. Gold mainly occurs as solid solutions in the Py Ⅰ and Py Ⅱ, and as Au-Ag and/or Au-Te sub-micrometer inclusions in Py III. The Rb-Sr isotopic data on sulfides from the Chen'er deposit yielded an isochron age of 129.2 ± 3.4 Ma, which overlaps with the previously reported 40Ar/39Ar age of hydrothermal mica, indicating that the gold mineralization occurred in the Early Cretaceous. The in-situ sulfur isotope values of sulfides from stage Ⅱ to stage III fluctuate significantly (the average value decreases from 4.95 to −0.24‰) and were affected by physicochemical parameters of the mineralization process, especially ƒO 2. In addition, the δ34S values are in a narrow range (-1.34 to 5.24‰), indicating a magmatic source for the sulfur. In-situ Pb isotopic compositions of the pyrite and galena of stage Ⅱ and stage III are relatively constant with 208Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 206Pb/204Pb values in the range of 37.264–37.595, 15.364–15.423, 16.992–17.078, respectively, indicating a mixed mantle-crust origin. Based on the new geochronological, geochemical and isotopic data presented in this study, and combined with those from previous studies, we suggest that the lode gold deposits in the Xiaoqinling district are magmatic hydrothermal ore deposits, with metal and ore-forming fluid originating primarily from the mantle, coupled with the cratonic reactivation during the Early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Globular mineral aggregates in sulfide matrix interpreted by partial melting. • Partial dissolved anhydrite rimmed by pyrrhotite and magnetite intergrowth. • Some primary anhydrite preserved in Archean VMS deposits and avoiding melting. • A mixed state of metamorphic remobilization of VMS deposits is constructed. The Hongtoushan Cu-Zn deposit in the Neoarchean Qingyuan greenstone belt of the North China Craton is the oldest volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit in China. The ore samples are classified by massive sulfide ores, disseminated sulfide ores, and sulfide-bearing quartz veins. Four types of massive sulfide ores are further identified. Type A massive ore, characterized by the granular quartz and euhedral dark mineral aggregates in the massive sulfides matrix, is interpreted as the result of partial melting of primary sulfides, and type B might record the process of partial melting and mechanical migration. Type C massive ore, formed by the recrystallization of type B massive ore, is characterized by coarse pyrite and pyrrhotite porphyroblasts. Type D massive ore undergoes deformation and upgrades by elements released during recrystallization. The relic anhydrite in type A massive ore is the preserve of the primary mineral from VMS mineralization. Most sulfide in massive ores has δ34S values closing to ∼ 0 ‰, showing magmatic sulfur characteristics. The intergrowth of pyrrhotite and magnetite with higher δ34S (5.5–8.3 ‰) is suggested to be the dissolution product of primary anhydrite. The sulfides from the tourmaline-bearing quartz veins have negative δ34S (-6.0 – −2.6 ‰) values, indicating that the sulfur was released from the desulfurization of massive pyrite. The ore remobilization is dominated by partial melting of sulfide and mechanical migration during the peak metamorphism. The fluid metasomatism is activated at the retrograde metamorphism. This mixed-state metamorphic remobilization plays a key role in the formation of metamorphosed massive sulfide ore and ore upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North China Craton (NCC) hosts the world's most typical example of "decratonic" gold deposits including lode, porphyry, cryptoexplosive breccia, and skarn subtypes. The lithospheric structure in the ore fields show "triple-junctions" of basement microblocks, zones of lithospheric thinning, and "hotspots" with abnormal crustal heat flow. The basement rocks are dominantly composed of trondhjemite-tonalite-granodiorite (TTG) suite and amphibolites. The intermediate-felsic calc-alkaline plutons with crust-mantle mixed origin and formed under high oxygen fugacity, volatile-rich and moderately fractionated conditions, together with dyke swarms of diverse compositions are indicators for the gold mineralization. The mantle under the gold field shows metasomatic or juvenile "EM2" or "EM2 + EM1" characteristics. The gold deposits are closely associated with craton destruction, heterogenous reactivation, large-scale magmatic intrusion and eruption, and upwelling of voluminous ore-bearing fluids within a transitional tectonic regime. The presence of mantle-derived mafic rocks, mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) and amygdaloidal bodies, minerals rich in Te, Ni, Cr, Mg, C and N, He and stable isotopes with mantle signature, among other features, indicate that the ore-forming metals and fluids have mixed mantle and deep crustal origin. Gold deposits coexisting or closely associated with mafic dykes and crust-mantle-derived stocks indicate that the upwelling of ore-forming fluid and localization of the ore-materials were facilitated at least partly by the intrusion of deep magma. The spatial distributions of altered rocks with alkali-feldspar-hematite zone distal to the orebody (barren) and pyrite-phyllite (sericite) zone proximal to the ore (ore-bearing zone) indicate a marked physico-chemical interface at the final stage of evolution of the ore-forming fluid. The presence of wide alteration zone indicates that the ore-controlling faults were in a compressive stress state, whereas narrow alteration zone is generally associated with a tensile stress state. The cataclastic, poikilitic, interstitial and zonal textures displayed by the various stages of ore minerals are related to the impact of alternating local tectonic stress fields in the faults, as well as fault-valve mechanism. Intense gold mineralization is typically associated with the development of polymetallic sulfide minerals and complex mineral assemblages. The major gold mineralization is also commonly related with pyrite with xenomorphic or complex forms, rich in As, Se, and Te, with large unit cells, wide X-ray diffraction peaks, and high P/(P + N) values corresponding to thermoelectric conductive type. Quartz grains formed in the main gold mineralization stage are generally fine grained and irregular, occasionally occurring as grain clusters, and showing complex thermoluminescence patterns with both high and low temperature peaks. Multiple rhythmic zones in quartz, pyrite or other ore minerals with various impurities in between the different zones indicate the pulses of ore fluid flow toward the upper part of the orebody. In contrast, minerals with few or no zones may indicate an ore-fluid reservoir typically in the middle to lower parts of orebody. • Indicators of decratonic gold mineralization include geodynamic background and mineralizing processes. • Five subcategories of indicators for geodynamic background are discussed. • Mineralizing processes are indicated by six subcategories of evidences. • Indicators are summarized as references for prospecting similar gold deposits elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiaodong type comprises a unique class of gold mineralisation which includes the Linglong type quartz-vein hosted and the Jiaojia type fracture-disseminated style deposits. Although the type area is in the Jiaodong Peninsula in NE China, where some of the world's richest gold reserves occur, we identify similar occurrences in other parts of China and elsewhere in the world under this category. The ore fluids migrated upwards forming quartz vein type of gold ore (Linglong type) wherever the ore-controlling fractures are at high angles. Fluid infiltration into the surrounding wall rocks and generation of the Jiaojia type disseminated style deposits resulted where the ore-bearing fluids encountered low angle fractures. On a regional scale, the Jiaodong type gold mineralisation occurs along the margins of reactivated cratons, within the interior of cratons along paleosuture zones, or along the junctions of micro-blocks, and is distinctly different from the classic orogenic gold in terms of their tectonic setting, ore characteristics and genetic history. Unlike skarn and porphyry type of deposits, the Jiaodong type gold deposits do not always show close spatial relationship with magmatic intrusives and some of the deposits occur distal to plutons (> 10 km). In this paper, we evaluate the salient geological, geochronological, geochemical and isotopic features of the Jiaodong type gold deposits and propose some general guidelines for gold prospecting. Based on case studies, we predict that the gold lodes in the Jiaodong type mineralised zones might extent vertically up to 3000 m with only minor mineralogical and geochemical variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Zircon U-Pb ages of 101–148 Ma reflecting prolonged hydrothermal alteration. • Three groups of hydrothermal zircons are recognized from decratonic gold deposits. • Ore-forming fluid of decratonic gold deposits is relatively oxidized than those of orogenic and porphyry gold deposits. Decratonic gold deposits constitute the most important type of gold endowment in the North China Craton (NCC), although the nature and evolution of ore-related fluids in these deposits remain controversial. Here we investigate geochemistry of hydrothermal zircon grains from the Dahu gold deposit in the Xiaoqinling region in the southern margin of the NCC. We also compile the published information on trace elements in hydrothermal zircon from deposits in the other major gold districts of the NCC. The zircon U-Pb data show ages in the range of 101–148 Ma reflecting prolonged hydrothermal alteration that occurred within an extensional tectonic setting. Based on the trace elements, three distinct groups of hydrothermal zircons are recognized. Group 1 shows low La contents (<1 ppm), high Ce/Ce* (>10), and steep positive LREE patterns ((Sm/La) N > 20); Group 2 possesses high La contents (<10 ppm), low Ce/Ce* (<10), and weak positive LREE patterns ((Sm/La) N < 20); Group 3 displays ultra-high La contents (>10 ppm), low Ce/Ce* (<10), and flat LREE patterns ((Sm/La) N < 20). This classification is also applicable to orogenic and porphyry gold deposits. Group 1 grains initially crystallized from magma and underwent subsequent modification by post-magmatic fluids, whereas Group 2 and Group 3 directly crystallized and regrew from zirconium-saturated aqueous fluids. The La-enriched signature in hydrothermal zircons may mainly originate from undetected REE-bearing phases within zircon that formed during the hydrothermal alteration events. The fluid flow has a significant effect on the redox state of gold metallogenic system. The hydrothermal zircons from decratonic gold deposits display higher Ce/Ce* ratios (1–258) and Ce/Nd ratios (0.7–32.2) than those from orogenic and porphyry gold deposits, indicating that the zircon grains formed from a relatively oxidized fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Apatite from both the Huashan and Wenyu plutons are fluorapatite of magmaticorigin. • Wenyu apatite formed under a higher oxidation state and incorporated more mantle-derived materials than Huashan apatite. • Wenyu apatite crystallized earlier than feldspar and Huashan apatite was affected byfeldsparcrystallization. • The magma of the Wenyu pluton incorporated more intensive fluid exsolution during crystallization. • Wenyu pluton is more favorable to gold mineralization than the Huashan pluton. The relationship between granitic magmatism and lode gold mineralization has remained as a controversial topic among economic geologists. In this paper, we report in situ elemental and Sr isotopic signature of apatite from the Wenyu and Huashan granitic plutons in the Xiaoqinling goldfield, southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), intending to provide further constrain the relationship between magmatism and metallogeny. The formation ages of Huashan and Wenyu granitic plutons are coeval with the gold mineralization, but most of the gold deposits are clustered nearing the Wenyu pluton, and only a few small gold deposits are found adjacent to the Huashan pluton. Although apatite from both plutons is all fluorapatite, characterized by negative Eu anomaly and enrichment of LREEs, the apatite from the two plutons shows different signatures. Based on these differences, the apatite from the Huashan pluton is divided as group A (HS-A) and group B (HS-B). The δEu, δCe values and MnO and Ga contents of the Wenyu and HS-A apatite indicate high oxygen fugacity range from MH to NNO for the magma, whereas the HS-B apatite shows low oxygen fugacity range from NNO to FMQ. The 87Sr/86Sr, REE, Th/U, and Ce/Y values of the apatite suggest that the magma for the Wenyu pluton incorporated more mantle-derived materials in contrast to Huashan pluton. Sr/Y ratio and REE content of the apatite indicate that WY apatite crystallized earlier than feldspar and Huashan apatite was affected by feldspar crystallization. The fluid-volatiles exsolution texture and S content of the apatite indicate higher content of volatiles in the Wenyu pluton magma, where the magma experienced more intense fluid exsolution than that of the Huashan pluton during apatite crystallization. The characteristics of many mantle-derived materials, high oxygen fugacity, and higher volatiles as revealed by the apatite data show that the magmatism of Wenyu pluton was more conducive to the mineralization of gold deposits than that of the Huashan pluton and is more closely related to gold deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing energy output and improving energy production efficiency is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of rice production systems in China. Present study assessed the energy input/output and its production efficiency for manual transplanted rice with manual broadcasting fertilizer (TR-MBF), mechanical pot-seedling transplanted rice synchronized with deep fertilization (MPST-DF), and mechanical hill direct-seeding rice synchronized with deep fertilization (MHDS-DF) in a three-year field experiment. Two rice cultivars i.e., Yuxiangyouzhan (YXYZ, inbred rice) and Wufengyou615 (WFY615, hybrid rice) were used to determine the energy input/output and production efficiency of each system. Results depicted that the MHDS-DF and MPST-DF treatment substantially improved the grain yield by 20.9% and 32.3% for WFY615 and YXYZ owing to enhanced total above-ground biomass (TAB) and leaf area index (LAI), respectively. Means across years and cultivars for energy input in the TR-MBF, MPST-DF, and MHDS-DF were remained 31918.0, 35267.1 and 36036.7 MJ ha−1, respectively. The energy consumed by diesel and fertilizer for energy inputs in the production system exceeds 70% of the total energy input. Moreover, the three rice production systems were highly dependent on non-renewable energy. The highest output energy and net energy were obtained for MHDS-DF and MPST-DF treatments with 221517.2 and 185670.0 MJ ha-1, respectively. Among the three rice production systems, the highest energy use efficiency, energy productivity efficiency, energy profitability efficiency was found in MPST-DF, which was slightly higher than MHDS-DF. However, the human energy profitability efficiency of MHDS-DF treatment was significantly higher than other treatments. Therefore, MHDS-DF and MPST-DF could be best alternative technologies than conventional rice production systems with improved energy input and energy production efficiency in South China. Furthermore, both MHDS-DF and MPST-DF would also be suitable in the regions with lack of labor force for rice production. • Deep fertilization substantially improved the yield and energy output in rice production systems. • MPST-DF had the highest energy production efficiency than other rice production systems. • MHDS-DF significantly improved HEPF for both rice cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether spectral feature parameters (SFPs) can be effectively used to predict soil organic matter (SOM), and its spatial transferability was tested for different regions. In this study, a hybrid model was proposed based on SFPs and local regression method. The topsoil spectra of 221 soil samples from Sanjiang Plain and 187 soil samples from Nong'an county in Northeast China were re-sampled (at 0.01 µm intervals) and converted to the first-derivative curves and CR curves. Two SFPs were extracted on reflectance curves (RSFPs), which were defined as curve length (L c) and area (A c) between two absorption positions. Local random forest models with k-means clustering were built using the RSFPs and first-derivative spectra for evaluating the feasibility of RSFPs in these two study areas. After analyzing the results of Chinese soil samples, this method was also applied to Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) topsoil database in order to evaluate the feasibility of RSFPs outside China. Our results revealed these: (1) high correlation between the RSFPs of soil samples with spectral characteristics of sandy soils and SOM; (2) the importance of L c relative to A c in SOM prediction is higher; and (3) SOM prediction using RSFPs is comparable to the first-derivative spectra, and the best result has an R2 of 0.76 and an RMSE of 7.43 g kg−1. Our results suggest that RSFPs can be used to predict SOM and have good spatial transferability after applying in two study areas. RSFPs with specific geometric meaning have high potential to predict other soil properties in Northeast China. Our results also provide a reference for SOM mapping using hyper-spectral satellites. • Visible spectra are useful for predicting soil organic matter. • Local regression after k-means clustering was used. • Extract new spectral parameters (L c and A c) to predict soil organic matter. • Evaluate the spatial transferability of the new parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the atmospheric environment has seriously threatened human health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important source of aerosol ARGs. A large WWTP, including sewage treatment process (SWP) and sludge treatment process (SDP), was selected in North China for sampling in this study. The content of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and bacterial genera in sewage/sludge and aerosols from different process stages was detected. The possible correlation between ARGs/ MGEs and bacteria was analyzed. The risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was evaluated and the diffusion of ARGs/MGEs was simulated. The results showed that the concentration of ARGs/MGEs varied as the process progressed, and which in the aeration tank was relatively high. The ARGs/MGEs content in SWP aerosol (8.35–163.27 copies/m3) was higher than that in SDP (5.52–16.36 copies/m3). The main ARGs/MGEs detected in SWP aerosol were tnpA-05, tnpA-04, and ermF, while the main ARGs/MGEs detected in SDP aerosol were sul1, ermF, and blaPAO. ARGs were positively correlated with most bacteria and Escherichia coli with ARGs carries higher cytotoxicity. ARGs/MGEs mainly diffused towards the southeast, which may cause harm to urban residents with the diffusion of aerosols. This study provides clues and theoretical basis for preventing the hazards of ARGs from WWTP sources. [Display omitted] • ARGs types and concentrations in different processes of WWTP had difference. • The sewage treatment area had a higher concentration of ARGs. • ARGs were associated with many airborne bacteria. • Escherichia coli containing ARGs had a higher cytotoxicity. • ARGs may spread to the surrounding area with the bioaerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Accurate remote retrieval of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations for inland and coastal turbid waters is a challenging task due to their optical complexity. An adaptive model was developed based on the merits of coupling a genetic algorithm to select spectral variables and partial least squares (GA-PLS) for regression. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to evaluate the GA-PLS model performance using datasets collected from 1140 stations encompassing a wide range of Chl-a and suspended sediment from nine water bodies across Central Indiana (CIN), USA, South Australia (SA), Taihu Lake (THL) in East China and Shitoukoumen Reservoir (STKR) in Northeast China with comparison to a widely accepted three-band model, and (2) to evaluate the GA-PLS spatial transferability with simulated ESA/Sentinel3/OLCI and Hyperion spectra. The GA-PLS and the three-band model yield accurate calibrations (Cal) for the SA dataset with R2 above 0.98, and the corresponding validation (Val) shows relative root mean squared error (rRMSE) of less than 6.2% with narrow-band spectra. Both the GA-PLS and three-band model show stable performance for the CIN dataset (Cal: R2 =0.91 and 0.77; Val: rRMSE=20.1% and 33.4%), THL dataset (Cal: R2 =0.91 and 0.88; Val: rRMSE=30.1% and 33.7%), and STKR dataset (R2 =0.84 and 0.82; rRMSE=29.1% and 33.2%). The results also reveal that simulated OLCI datasets degrade both the GA-PLS performance, and particularly the performance of the three-band model due to the coarser and discontinuous spectral configuration. Contrastingly, both the GA-PLS and the three-band model show improved results with the simulated Hyperion datasets. Our observation indicates that the GA-PLS model outperforms the three-band model in terms of spatial transferability; however, the three-band model has its own merits, considering its simplicity. Further analyses indicate that spectral measurement protocols, instrumentations, and inorganic suspended matter affect the GA-PLS and three-band model performances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Erdaokan is a magmatic-hydrothermal deposit genetically linked with bitumen. • Bitumen is of biogenic origin, and was sourced from the adjacent sedimentary strata. • Organic matter that formed bitumen significantly interacted with ore-forming fluids. The newly discovered Triassic Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit having an ore reserve of 2964 kt, with an average grade of 517 g/t Ag, 0.6 wt% Pb and 0.4 wt% Zn, is the only known bitumen-bearing magmatic-hydrothermal Ag-Pb-Zn deposit in the northeastern segment of the Great Xing'an Range, NE China. Its genetic relationship with organic matter remains elusive. In this contribution, we present results from detailed geochemistry, isotope and biomarker studies on bitumen and discuss the genesis of bitumen and its relationship with Ag-Pb-Zn mineralization. The carbon isotope and biomarker analyses suggest a biogenic origin for the organic matter that formed bitumen. We infer that the organic matter was most likely sourced from the carbonaceous shale and limestone belonging to Niqiuhe Formation. Significant interaction between the organic matter and ore-forming fluid is indicated. The light n-alkanes and analogs, alkali elements, vanadium and nickel in the bitumen were removed by the ore-forming fluid, and a variety of metal elements entered into the bitumen. The thermochemical oxidation of methane induced by high-valence metal oxides and thermochemical sulfate reductions were the two main interaction mechanisms between the organic matter and ore-forming fluid, which made an effective contribution to metal precipitation in the Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit. On this basis, we propose a genetic model for the genesis of the Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit and other hydrocarbon-bearing magmatic-hydrothermal deposits which envisages a significant role played by the organic matter sourced from the sedimentary rocks in ore concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the numerical calculation model of salt cavern hydrogen storage was established based on the proposed salt cavern hydrogen storage in a bedded salt mine in Jiangsu Province of China. The effects of the minimum internal pressure, maximum internal pressure, average internal pressure and injection-production rate on the stability and tightness of the storage were explored respectively. The results revealed that: (1) The volume shrinkage rate and the plastic zone distribution of the surrounding rock decreased with the increase of the minimum internal pressure, and increased with the decrease of the maximum internal pressure. (2) When the depth of salt cavern is around 1700 m , its long-term stability cannot meet the requirements according to the traditional standard of 0.3–0.8 times of the vertical stress at the cavern roof. It is therefore suggested that the minimum internal pressure of the storage should be increased to 0.4 times of the vertical stress at the cavern roof. (3) The tightness evaluation indexes, including leak range, pore pressure distribution of hydrogen, and cumulative leakage of hydrogen in surrounding rock, all increased with the increase of average pressure and amplitude of internal pressure. (4) Under the same average internal pressure and injection-production frequency, the greater the injection-production rate (the amplitude of internal pressure), the smaller the cumulative leakage rate is. Therefore, increasing the injection-production rate is beneficial to the storability of the hydrogen storage. • Different internal pressures are set to study the stability and tightness of the salt cavern for hydrogen storage. • Raising the minimum internal pressure can enhance the stability of the salt cavern. • The amplitude of internal pressure is the key factor affecting the tightness of the salt cavern. • The selection of internal pressure for hydrogen storage should take into account the effects of multiple factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Men who have sex with men (MSM) have become one of the populations with severely HIV prevalence in China. However, very few genetic studies have been done on HIV-1 spreading in this population. In this study, the genetic characterization of HIV-1 strains prevalent in the MSM in Shijiazhuang, China, was analyzed basing on the HIV-1 full-length gag, pol, and partial env gene. 21 drug-naïve HIV-1 sero-positive patients were enrolled into the study. Full length gag, pol, partial env genes and some near full length genomes were amplified with nest RT-PCR followed by sequencing. Multiple subtypes, including CRF01_AE (52.9%), subtype B (35.3%) and CRF07_BC (11.8%), were found in the population. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationship between our strains with those from Beijing MSM but not those from paid blood donors of local area. Drug resistance surveillance evaluation showed no transmitted drug resistance (TDR). However, some drug-resistance related polymorphism sites (V181I and V106I) were popularly found in B subtype strains. The findings will contribute to understanding the distribution and evolution of HIV-1 in MSM and also help the behavior change intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Musty and earthy odors frequently characterize the source water and fish of the Xionghe Reservoir in China. Although odorous compounds and odor-producing cyanobacteria have been analyzed in surface water, potential odorants in sediments and their contribution to the water body have remained uninvestigated. In this study, we examined the odorous compounds and possible odor-producers in the sediments and overlying water of Xionghe Reservoir from November 2007 to October 2008. High concentrations of geosmin (up to 5280.1 ng kg−1 dw−1) were detected in sediments, and eight strains of Streptomyces isolated from sediments were verified as producers of geosmin and/or 2-MIB in M liquid medium by HSPME-GC-MS. Geosmin concentrations in the overlying water were correlated with those in the sediments (r = 0.838, p < 0.05). In vitro studies showed that geosmin in the overlying water was released from the sediment, and that within 12 days the amount released from the sediment was 21.4–51.4%. Concentrations of geosmin in sediments were positively correlated with organic matter (r = 0.642, p < 0.01), total nitrogen (r = 0.606, p < 0.01) and Chl a (r = 0.674, p < 0.01), and were negatively associated with temperature (r = −0.425, p < 0.05). This study indicates that odorous compounds that are released from sediments should be taken into account when assessing the sources of these odorants in waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A total of 387 retail meat, seafood and milk powder samples were collected from nine cities in northern China in 2005 and screened for the presence of Salmonella. Salmonella strains isolated were subjected to serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Salmonella was isolated from 81 (20.9%, 81/387) samples and classified into 23 serotypes. The isolates were frequently resistant to sulfamethoxazole (86.4%), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (48.1%), nalidixic acid (30.9%), tetracycline (19.8%), carboxybenzylpenicillin (17.3%), amoxicillin (17.3%) and ampicillin (16.0%). The multiple resistance (resistance to ≥3 antibiotics) was found in 29.6% (n=24) isolates. Additionally, 4 isolates from chicken displayed the ACSSuTNx profile, resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamide, tetracycline and nalidixic acid, in particular, strain HBS084 showing the resistance to as many as 20 antibiotics. Salmonella from chicken showed the higher frequency of antimicrobial resistance. Our findings indicate that in northern China food products of animal origin can be a source of exposure for consumers to multiresistant Salmonella strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate the trend of antimicrobial resistance of 696 Escherichia coli strains of chicken origin in China during 1970–2007, and to characterize the beta-lactamase determinants of these strains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these strains against 11 antimicrobials were determined by the broth microdilution method. Quinolone-resistant, and first-generation cephalosporin-resistant strains have emerged since the 1990s; third-generation cephalosporin-resistant strains were not detected until 2003. Afterwards these resistant strains increased rapidly, and an obvious increase of isolates with decreased susceptibility to forfenicol was also observed. Three classes of beta-lactamase genes in E. coli strains were detected by PCR and confirmed by DNA sequencing. The detection rate of narrow-spectrum beta-lactamase genes decreased from 71.2% in the 1970s to 28.8% during 2004–2007. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) genes did not emerge until 2004 and the detection rate was 18.5% between 2004 and 2007. The detection rate of bla CMY-2, which emerged between 2000 and 2003, climbed to 6.6% during 2004–2007. bla CTX-M was the dominant genotype (75%) in ESBL gene-harboring E. coli strains. Fifty strains (17.6%), co-harboring multiple kinds of beta-lactamase genes, were detected in 284 beta-lactamase-producing strains. Southern hybridization revealed that two- or three kinds of ESBL and/or CMY-2 genes co-located on one plasmid in 9 strains. The rising trend of antimicrobial resistance and the high prevalence of beta-lactamase determinants in E. coli strains of chicken origin might be attributed to overuse of antimicrobials, especially beta-lactams, in poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bitumen Sm-Nd age of 234.6 Ma is interpreted as the hydrocarbon deposition timing. • The ore-forming age of Erdaokan is constrained at middle Triassic. • Bitumen Sm-Nd can be used to constrain the hydrothermal mineralization age. Dating of bitumen can potentially constrain both the timing of mineralization and hydrocarbon deposition in hydrocarbon-bearing hydrothermal deposits. Here we report for the first time direct Sm-Nd dating on bitumen from the Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit, a newly discovered, large, hydrocarbon-bearing hydrothermal deposit with 2964 kt of ore and 1535 t Ag with an average grade of 517 g/t Ag, 0.6 wt% Pb and 0.41 wt% Zn in the Back-Arc basin of NE Great Xing'an Range, NE China. Dating results show that Sm-Nd isochron age of four bitumen samples is 234.6 ± 1.2 Ma and an isochron age that includes three galena and four bitumen samples is 234.9 ± 1.4 Ma. In order to verify these ages, we performed Rb-Sr dating on pyrite and galena from the same deposit and U-Pb dating of zircon from the adjacent diorite porphyrite dike, which yielded ages of 232.9 ± 2.3 Ma and 234.2 ± 2.8 Ma, respectively. The highly concordant ages from multiple techniques confirms that bitumen Sm-Nd isotopic dating is reliable, and that the ages obtained in our study represent the hydrocarbon deposition as well as mineralization timing in the deposit. We conclude that, in the Duobaoshan metallogenic belt, the Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit is the first identified large, Middle Triassic, hydrocarbon-bearing silver-lead–zinc deposit and is of great significance to the regional metallogenesis research and prospecting work in the Great Xing'an Range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfill sites are regarded as sources of volatile compounds (VOCs) and odors emitted to the atmosphere. Surface emissions of VOCs and odors were investigated in a rural domestic waste landfill site located in southwest China. A total of 76 chemical compounds belonging to 3 chemical families were identified and quantified. The total number of VOCs (TVOC) detected ranged from 18.1 to 806.3 mg/m3, while odorous gases and greenhouse gases ranged from 0.4 to 21.2 and 0–100.5 mg/m3, respectively. High emissions were found in the air surrounding the leachate storage pool (LSP) and dumping area (DPA). The dominant species of VOCs were hexaldehyde, m-xylene, propylene oxide, acetophenone, and 2-butanone. The traceability analysis showed that the odors and VOCs diffused to the downwind boundary mainly came from the DPA and LSP. According to the olfactory effect analysis and cancer risk assessment, the main odor-causing gaseous pollutants were hydrogen sulfide, propionic acid, styrene, and 2-pentanone, while benzene, trichlorethylene, and 1,3-butadiene were the dominant carcinogens. This study provides new insights into the emission characteristics, olfactory effects, and cancer risks of VOCs and odors emitted from rural domestic solid waste landfill sites. [Display omitted] • VOCs, odors, and greenhouse gases showed a site-related variation. • High emissions of VOCs were found in the areas of dumping and leachate treatment. • Oxygenated compounds were the main category of concern in VOCs. • H 2 S, propionic acid, styrene and 2-pentanone were the main gases causing odor. • Benzene, trichlorethylene, and 1,3-butadiene were the dominant carcinogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial ground freezing (AGF) technology is sometimes adopted to reinforce the surrounding soil to ensure the safety of subway tunnels during construction in the eastern coastal areas of China. The mechanical characteristics of frozen soil are subjected to change due to the incorporation of chlorine salt, and the soil strength decreases significantly with an increase of salt content. The mechanical properties of frozen silty clay have been rarely investigated due to the coupling effect of temperature, strain rate, and salt content. In this study, before the application of AGF, a series of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and the consolidated-undrained static triaxial compression tests were conducted on frozen silty clay to investigate the influence of salt content, temperature, and strain rate on the mechanical properties of frozen soil. From the stress-strain curves of the UCS test, strain-hardening and strain-softening behavior were identified as a result of the influence of different temperatures and salt contents. Regression analysis was performed to discriminate the effect of each individual factor and their coupling effect. The results reveal that soil UCS logarithmically increased with a decrease in relative temperature and strain rate. Both UCS and static triaxial strength linearly decreased with an increase in salt content. The influence of salt content on the strength of frozen soil was discussed and compared with previous researches. Furthermore, an elastic-plastic constitutive model was proposed to characterize the stress-strain behavior in which the effects of strain rate and salt content were included. At last, with consideration of salt content, a modified constitutive model was proposed to describe the strength and deformation behavior of frozen silty clay. • UCS was extracted and constitutive model was established with consideration of temperature, strain rate, and salt content • The frozen chloride soil strength is predicted by superimposing the coupling effect of salt content and confining pressure • The sensitivities of the strength and deformation behavior of NaCl saline soils to salt content are characterized [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth effect of collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer service industries is receiving increasing attention from scholars. However, few studies have explored whether and how collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer service industries affects green innovation. To bridge this gap, using the methods of the system generalized method of moments, the moderating effect, and the threshold effect, and employing the panel data of 30 provinces of China for 2003–2017, this paper studies the effect of industrial collaborative agglomeration on green innovation and how this influence fluctuates when marketization is included. The main findings are as follows: (1) During the sample period, industrial collaborative agglomeration generally had a blocking effect on China's green innovation. A 1% increase in industrial collaborative agglomeration indicated a 0.461% decrease in green innovation efficiency. (2) Marketization can be an essential and efficient factor to correct the negative impact of industrial collaborative agglomeration through a moderating effect. (3) With the improvement of marketization, industrial collaborative agglomeration exhibits a U-shaped effect on green innovation, with the turning point occurring when the marketization index is 6.21. (4) As of 2017, 21 provinces have successfully exceeded the threshold of marketization, indicating that the current industrial collaborative agglomeration has been able to effectively improve China's green innovation efficiency. However, the other nine provinces still trail behind them in marketization reforms, with industrial collaborative agglomeration continuing to negatively affect green innovation. (5) This paper concludes with recommendations to improve green innovation through industrial collaborative agglomeration and market reform. Image 1 • Our research model links marketization, green innovation and industrial collaborative agglomeration. • We explore whether and how industrial collaborative agglomeration affects the green innovation. • Marketization moderates and promotes industrial collaborative agglomeration's influence on green innovation. • As marketization deepens, industrial collaborative agglomeration's effect on green innovation shows a U-shaped curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial convergence is one of the important strategies to promote China's sustainable development, and its development is phased. In order to better explore the heterogeneous effect of industrial convergence on regional metabolism in different stages, we takes the convergence of manufacturing and producer services in 26 provinces of China as the research object, and for the first time attempt to empirically test the impact of industrial convergence at different stages on metabolic efficiency. In this paper, we measure metabolic efficiency using emergy analysis and index data envelopment analysis (Index-DEA) and measure the convergence degree of the two industries using the coupling evaluation model. Then, we analyze the effects of industrial convergence on metabolic efficiency using the Tobit model. The results show that industrial convergence can significantly promote the metabolic efficiency of China. Specifically, in the emerging industry convergence zone, industry convergence has a significant promoting effect on the advancement of metabolic efficiency, while in the mature industry convergence zone, industry convergence has no effect on metabolic efficiency. Moreover, this paper considers six other factors that affect regional metabolism. In addition to government interaction, the other five factors have an impact on metabolism efficiency. Finally, special issues are briefly discussed. The results provide important insights for policy makers to better promote industrial convergence and improve regional metabolism. • Consider the two stages of industrial convergence. • Analyze six factors that affect regional metabolism. • Found the heterogeneous effect of industrial convergence on regional metabolism. • Provide an excellent comprehensive evaluation tool for the government's management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A joint methodology is proposed for pricing, planning and subsidizing railway freight. • Lyapunov drift-plus-penalty is applied to control stability of the cargo backlog queue. • The methodology can achieve a 26.12% CO 2 emissions mitigation in the case study. • Market-based pricing is more effective at reducing CO 2 emissions than subsidy policy. Modal shift from road to rail is considered a promising way to reduce CO 2 emissions from the transportation industry. To promote this modal shift, a profit-maximization model that integrates two dimensions is proposed. Internally, the competitiveness of rail freight is enhanced by dynamic freight pricing, backlog controlling, and flexible dispatching. Externally, a subsidy policy is considered to stimulate rail freight. Based on Lyapunov optimization, this multi-slot global optimization problem is converted into a series of low-complexity problems that only require knowledge of the instantaneous system state. The equivalence of this transformation is proved theoretically. Then Harmony search algorithm is used to solve these low-complexity models. A case study based on the transportation network composed of five central cities in China is conducted. Compared with the application of the actual fixed rail freight rates, a CO 2 emission reduction of 3261 t can be achieved with the dynamic pricing strategy. Based on jointly optimizing rail freight price and service plan, an additional subsidy of 0.1–0.6 RMB/TEU-km to rail freight operators can achieve an 23.78–25.38% MS from road to rail, as well as a 24.08–26.12% CO 2 emission reduction in this service chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cargo transportation is one of the major sources of carbon emissions. To reduce carbon emissions from inland freight, one way is to encourage rail transportation instead of truck transportation. In this paper, a new approach combining railway operation management, revenue management, and policy formulation is proposed to increase the market share of railway freight and reduce carbon emissions. Through the integrated optimization of operation planning and pricing, the competitiveness of railway freight services is improved. The carbon tax policy acting on the demand-side can affect consigners' choice behavior. The low-carbon subsidy policy acting on the supply-side can encourage rail transport. Then a bi-level multi-objective model is proposed to achieve the trade-off among the three stakeholders (the government, rail service operators, and consigners). The complexity of the bi-level multi-objective problem motivates the development of a hybrid optimization algorithm that combines the Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) and the Descent algorithm based on sensitivity analysis (SAB). Through a real case based on a rail service network with nine nodes in China, the rationality of the proposed methodology is verified. The results show that the approach proposed can achieve a 39.27% modal shift (MS) from road to rail, as well as a 37.09% carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During 2003 to 2004, class 1 integron was detected in 8 out of 10 tested enterococci isolates, with 2 of them positive for class 2 integron. This is the first report of class 2 integron in Enterococcus faecalis and class 1 integron in Enterococcus faecium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Magnetite from fertile intrusion shows magmatic and hydrothermal origin. • Magnetite from barren intrusion is of typical magmatic origin. • The fertile Wenyu pluton formed at higher oxygen fugacity and lower temperature compared to the barren pluton. • Deep sourced was fluid involved in the formation of the Wenyu pluton. The Xiaoqinling district in the southern margin of the North China Craton is the second largest gold enriched area in China. The Huashan and Wenyu plutons represent two typical Mesozoic magmatic intrusions in this region and were coeval with the gold mineralization. Here we report the geochemistry and Mössbauer spectral characteristics of magnetite from the two plutons with a view to explore the role of the granitic magmatism in the gold enrichment. The results of EPMA and Mössbauer spectroscopy suggest that the average values of Fe2+/Fe3+ in the magnetite from the two intrusions are lower than the standard value of 0.50, indicating an oxidizing environment. The estimated oxygen fugacity is higher for the Wenyu pluton than that of the Huashan pluton, which is also supported by the occurrence of hematite in the former, and the distinct δEu-δCe anomalies for magnetite from the two intrusions. The Sn content in magnetite indicates lower formation temperatures of the Wenyu pluton as compared to that of the Huashan pluton. The results of LA-ICP-MS analysis demonstrate similar multi-element variation patterns for the two intrusions. Titanium vs. Ni/Cr relationship suggests that the magnetite from the Huashan pluton is of typical magmatic origin, whereas that from the Wenyu pluton shows both magmatic and hydrothermal signature. The Ni/Co ratio of magnetite from the Wenyu granite is higher than that of the Huashan granite, which indicates a deeper source for the Wenyu pluton. The comparatively more favorable physico-chemical conditions, such as higher oxygen fugacity, lower temperature, as well as the involvement of deep-sourced material are envisaged to have provided better metallogenic environment for generating the gold mineralization around the Wenyu pluton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Silver occurs as argentite, pyrargyrite and invisible silver in tetrahedrite. • The ore-forming fluids were mainly of magmatic origin. • Mixing of hydrocarbon and ore-forming fluids resulted in the precipitation of Ag. The recently discovered Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit is located in the Duobaoshan gold-copper metallogenic belt in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The ore-bodies occur mainly as veins hosted in the breccia. Three stages of mineralization, including early magnetite-quartz-pyrite, middle silver-sulfide-bitumen-quartz and late carbonate stages, were recognized. Here we report results from electron microprobe analysis (EPMA), S-Pb-H-O isotopes and fluid inclusions studies to gain insights into the salient characteristics of the ore mineralization and mechanism of silver precipitation. The silver occurs mainly as argentite, pyrargyrite and invisible silver in the tetrahedrite grains, in which Ag, Fe and As isomorphically substituted Cu, Zn and Sb, respectively. The homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in the early, middle and late stage mineralisation range from 96 to 179 °C, 78 to 178 °C, and 98 to 191 °C, respectively. The fluid salinities vary from 0.35 to 5.54 wt.%NaCl equiv. The δ34S values of the pyrite and galena show a range from −0.97‰ to +9.31‰. 206Pb/204Pb vary from 18.0125 to 18.1864, 207Pb/204Pb, from 15.561 to 15.081, and 208Pb/204Pb, from 38.0445 to 37.6979, with a mean of 18.0298, 15.5125 and 37.7281 respectively. The δD and δ18O water values of the quartz from the ore body range from −119.1‰ to −109.7‰ and −4.64‰ to 1.98‰, respectively. Based on these results, we argue that the ore-forming fluids were derived from a magmatic source, with fluid mixing as the dominant mechanism for silver precipitation, involving hydrocarbon fluid interaction as inferred from the presence of bitumen in the ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Suitability of settlements in farming-pastoral ecotone was multi-period evaluated. • Dynamic conversion existed among different suitability with an adverse tendency. • Farmland is important in the early stage but grassland is important in later period. • The suitable area is decreasing, and was proposed an optimization urgency partition. The suitability evaluation of rural settlements is the core foundation of planning and layout optimization. Settlements in a farming-pastoral ecotone are migrative, dynamic, and diverse, and thus their suitability changes constantly. However, our limited understanding of factors that drive this dynamic process and affect the suitability of humane settlements in the farming-pastoral ecotone hindered the high-quality development of human settlements in such areas. Here we selected the ethnic minority border area of Dalham Maomingan United Banner (DMUB) in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Northern China to evaluate the suitability of its rural settlements. A data-driven machine learning maximum entropy (Maxent) method was applied to the rural settlement datasets of DMUB in years 1996, 2010, and 2020, as well as to 13 influencing factors derived from optical images and topographical ancillary data, demonstrating that the Maxent model can quantitatively measure the contribution and importance of each factor and its variation over time. Furthermore, the results showed that factors such as distance to cultivated land, population density, and distance to road had a great influence on the early-stage distribution of settlements. However, the importance of cultivated land gradually decreased with the significantly increased effect of grassland in the later period. The influence of road factors fluctuated first increasing and then decreasing. The Maxent model was also used to automatically determine suitable range for each factor according to the response curve: elevation falling between 1450 and 1650 m approximately, slope being <7°, the aspect range about 75°-225°, the optimal distance to town and hospital being within 3000 m, and vegetation cover about 0.60–0.75. Such multi-period suitability evaluation indicated that the suitable area gradually decreased, and the settlement fragmentation was serious. The settlement suitability has been dynamically transformed, but mostly toward the unsuitable development. This study provides a decision-making basis for the site selection and planning layout of rural settlements and for the livability assessment of villages in the farming-pastoral ecotone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind is becoming the way forward for green energy harnessing worldwide. However, frequent typhoons are a major constraint for the development of offshore wind power for some regions in Asia and North America. Typhoons may pose a huge challenge to offshore wind farm development in southern China. In this paper, a fully-coupled analysis was carried out for a 10 MW large-scale monopile offshore wind turbine (OWT) using SIMO-Riflex-Aerodyn (SRA) code. The response characteristics of the OWTs in different typhoon regions are investigated based on the measured typhoon conditions in China. The effect of aerodynamic damping on the response and the load effect is analyzed in detail. Two different distribution methods are used to statistically extrapolate the response value and get the short-term extreme response. Cumulative linear fatigue damage is evaluated by the rain-flow counting method to explore the possible failure modes of large wind turbines during typhoons. The results show that aerodynamic loads play an important role in large monopile OWTs during high wind speeds in parked conditions. The extreme response and fatigue analyses from this study indicate that fatigue is a dominant failure mode for the large OWT tower during typhoons, while buckling is unlikely. • The wind field at the wind turbine was analyzed when the typhoon passed by. • The response of large monopile wind turbine in each typhoon region of is analyzed. • Aerodynamic damping play an important role for the structural response of parked monopile OWT. • The extreme moments at the tower base follows the Gumbel distribution and lognormal distribution. • The cumulative fatigue damage during different typhoon stages is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]