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Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein 8 (PvMSP8) is a promising candidate target for the development of multi-component vaccines. Therefore, determining the genetic variation pattern of Pvmsp8 is essential in providing a reference for the rational design of the P. vivax malaria vaccines. This study delves into the genetic characteristics of the Pvmsp8 gene, specifically focusing on samples from the China-Myanmar border (CMB) region, and contrasts these findings with broader global patterns. The study uncovers that Pvmsp8 exhibits a notable level of conservation across different populations, with limited polymorphisms and relatively low nucleotide diversity (0.00023–0.00120). This conservation contrasts starkly with the high polymorphisms found in other P. vivax antigens such as Pvmsp1. A total of 25 haplotypes and 14 amino acid mutation sites were identified in the global populations, and all mutation sites were confined to non-functional regions. The study also notes that most CMB Pvmsp8 haplotypes are shared among Burmese, Cambodian, Thai, and Vietnamese populations, indicating less geographical variance, but differ notably from those found in Pacific island regions or the Panama. The findings underscore the importance of considering regional genetic diversity in P. vivax when developing targeted malaria vaccines. Non departure from neutral evolution were found by Tajima's D test, however, statistically significant differences were observed between the kn/ks rates. The study's findings are crucial in understanding the evolution and population structure of the Pvmsp8 gene, particularly during regional malaria elimination efforts. The highly conserved nature of Pvmsp8 , combined with the lack of mutations in its functional domain, presents it as a promising candidate for developing a broad and effective P. vivax vaccine. This research thus lays a foundation for the rational development of multivalent malaria vaccines targeting this genetically stable antigen. • Pvmsp8 shows very limited genetic diversity among global isolates. • Natural selection analysis indicates deviation from natural evolution might be acted on the gene. • The gene lacks geographic distinctiveness within the GMS region. • The gene holds promise as an excellent and universal candidate molecule for a malaria vaccine in the GMS region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the association between soil selenium levels and the risk of diabetes in Chinese adults aged 35–74 years. Data for this study were derived from the China Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance 2010 survey. Selenium concentrations in soil were obtained from the Atlas of Soil Environmental Background Values in China. A two-level binary logistic regression model was used to determine the association between soil selenium concentrations and the risk of diabetes, with participants nested within districts/counties. A total of 69,332 participants aged 35–74 years, from 158 districts/counties were included in the analysis. Concentrations of selenium in soil varied greatly across the 158 districts/counties, with a median concentration of 0.219 mg/kg (IQR : 0.185–0.248). The results showed that both Quartile 1 (0.119–0.185 mg/kg) and Quartile 4 (0.249–0.344 mg/kg) groups were positively associated with diabetes compared to a soil selenium concentration of 0.186–0.219 mg/kg (Quartile 2), crude odds ratios (OR s) (95% CI) were 1.227 (1.003–1.502) and 1.280 (1.048–1.563). The P values were 0.045 and 0.013, for Quartile 1 and Quartile 4 groups, respectively. After adjusting for all confounding factors of interest, the Quartile 1 group became non-significant, and the Quartile 4 group had an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.203 (1.018–1.421) relative to the reference group (Quartile 2), the P values was 0.030. No significant results were seen for the Quartile 3 group (0.220–0.248 mg/kg) compared to the reference group. Excessive selenium concentrations in soil could increase the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults aged 35–74 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While the power plant units are the developing towards larger capacity, the relative shortage in thermal efficiency of the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler unit, which has obtained significant development in recent years, is becoming more and more apparent. However, the thermal efficiency computational model applied for different CFB boiler units are not derived yet. Based on Generalized Energy Efficiency Distribution Matrix (GEEDM) model which is designed for normal pulverized coal boiler units, this paper innovatively built a computational model of cycle efficiency for CFB boiler units. Moreover, the mathematical influences of main local influencing factors like terminal difference, extraction steam pressure loss, heat loss, drained water cooling insufficient, steam desuperheater, shaft seal leakage of steam turbine and connection schemes of ash cooler to this model were further proposed to strengthen its industrial applications. In the meanwhile, the detailed thermodynamic analysis of a 660 MW ultra-supercritical unit in China was studied to provide some optimized design and operation suggestions. Particularly, for this unit, an optimized connection scheme of the ash cooler, a core component in the CFB boiler to reclaim physical heat in the bottom ash, was selected from 20 different connection schemes. Highlights • Propose a mathematical model of cycle efficiency for the CFB boiler units. • Detailed thermal analysis of a 660 MW ultra-supercritical boiler unit. • Provide some optimized suggestions to this unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The older person-centered integrated health management model can simultaneously improve multiple health behaviours. • The older person-centered integrated health management model can simultaneously improve multiple health indicators. • The older person-centered integrated health management model can fully mobilize multisectoral involvement and maximize the personalized interaction of experts. Abstract Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the older-centered Integrated Health Management Model Project (OPCHMP) for multiple lifestyle behaviours in the elderly. Methods A 2-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial was conducted in Nanjing. The elderly were recruited from multiple community health service centres. The intervention group was intervened and received a personalized, 2-year OPCHMP. The control group only received usual care. Adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviours (ATHLBS) is the primary outcome, obtained through a self-reported composite health behaviour score. The secondary outcomes were health indicators. General estimating equation models were performed to analyse longitudinal dichotomous data and continuous data. Results 637 (intervention = 323; control = 314) participants were included in the study. The participants mean age was 70.53 ± 6.07 years. Significant ATHLBS correction was achieved after 24-month follow-up in the intervention group, comparing to controls. And the intervention group reported significantly better health indicators. Conclusion OPCHMP had positive effect on multiple lifestyle habits in elderly population, which is very encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide has been recognized as the major disturbance to the natural vegetation and a key driver of the forest succession in the mountains of the Southwest China. An integrative understanding of the early succession following landslide disturbance is important to explain the formation and maintenance of the species diversity, and useful to the forest ecosystem management and ecological restoration strategies designing. To explore the characteristics of the early secondary succession on landslides, we monitored the plant community on landslides within the Longxi-Hongkou National Nature Reserve, Dujiangyan County, Sichuan Province, China. We set 64 permanent quadrats (2 m × 2 m) on two landslides with similar geography conditions formed in September 2009. Species richness, percent cover, and the height of the each vascular plants in all quadrats were investigated in each spring, summer and autumn from 2010 to 2017. Species richness, cumulative species richness, and Shannon-Weiner index were calculated to describe the dynamics of the species diversity. Jaccard similarity index and species turnover rate were calculated to describe the changes of species composition and species turnover. Our results showed that the species diversity of the vascular plants increased rapidly during the first four successional years and then slowed down since the fifth year. We found a delay effect that the increase rate of the species richness and cumulative species richness peaked earlier in landslide scale than that in 2 m × 2 m quadrat scale. Species turnover rates were high during the first two years and then decreased since the third years. Species composition of both woody and herbaceous species changed greatly during the first three years, but tended to be relatively stable since then. The leading species in the 2 m × 2 m quadrats became more and more diversified in both herb and shrub layer, and substitution of leading species was obviously observed. Our findings suggested that under the set of particular environmental conditions, e.g. a nearby rich-species pool, high precipitation, suitable soil humidity, and moderate atmosphere temperatures, a crashed plant community caused by disasters could flourish again rapidly as long as no any intense disturbances occurred. The high recruitment of the plant species on the landslides also explains partly how the rich biodiversity is formed and maintained in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Trap sediment by reservoirs has been effective in protecting the Lower Yellow River (LYR) but it can hard be sustainable. After reviewing the nature of sediment and siltation, the effect of coarse sediment (d > 0.08–0.1 mm) (CS) on LYR siltation is studied. It is basically proved that the CS was apt to aggregate in special reach in the upmost fluctuating backwater of reservoirs due to the effect of hydraulic sorting; persistent dredging here in a fixed dredging basin (FDB) can remove most CS and prevent it from entering the LYR. It is thus possible to ease or to cease LYR siltation. Removing CS has also proved to be able to save reservoir capacity (Zhou et al., 2010). Therefore, previously projected temporary trapping storages as the Xiaolangdi reservoir (XLDR) immediately upstream of LYR can be adjusted with new role to screen CS. The LYR can be protected without needing more dams. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we compare the ionogram-derived total electron content (ITEC) obtained at the low latitude station Hainan (geographical coordinates 19.4°N, 109.0°E; Dip=22.8°), China with that derived from GPS signals produced by the International GPS Services for Geodynamics (TECigs) and the TEC data obtained by the altimeter on TOPEX satellite when it passed over nearby Hainan. We also compare them with the results produced by the current International Reference Ionosphere model (IRI2001) TECiri. Data used for the present comparison study are both the daily hourly and monthly median values for the 12 months of the descending solar activity year 2003. Our study showed that (1) in general ITEC is in agreement with TOPEX-TEC, although there are exceptions; (2) the total electron contents produced by all techniques (TECigs, ITEC and TECiri) can reproduce quiet well the remarkable semi-annual variation behavior of the total electron content; (3) the variation trends of ITEC and TECigs are generally in good agreement, however during nighttime to pre-sunrise hours ITEC is systematically lower than TECigs, whereas during daytime hours around local noontime ITEC is usually larger than TECigs. The absolute difference between ITEC and the TECigs (|▵TEC1|=|ITEC-TECigs|) of the monthly median data is usually under the limit of 10–15 TECu (1 TECu=1016 el/m2) during the diurnal variation, except for the time period 09–16UT(∼17–24LT) in September and October when the value of |▵TEC1| is larger than 15 TECu, fluctuating between about 15–25 TECu; (4) during nighttime hours TECiri is generally larger than TECigs, whereas during daytime hours TECiri is generally smaller than TECigs except for the months June and July when TECiri is slightly larger than TECigs; (5) the difference between ITEC and TECigs (ΔTEC1) and that between TECiri and TECigs (ΔTEC2) are almost reverse in their positive/negative signs at a given local time, however, the magnitudes of the maximum absolute values of |▵TEC1| and |▵TEC2| are comparable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Chapman scale height H T at F2 peak, which can be used to construct a topside electron density profile model, is deduced from ground-based ionograms. In this paper, H T values obtained from ionograms recorded at the low latitude station Hainan (19.4°N, 109.0°E), China is used to study its diurnal, seasonal, and solar activity dependence. The correlations between H T and the F2 peak parameters foF2 and hmF2, the best-fitted IRI-parameter B0, and the ionospheric slab thickness τ are also studied. Data used for the present study covered a 2-year time period from March 2002 to February 2004. The present study showed that: (1) Diurnal course of the H T has two peaks, with the main one occurring at daytime hours around noontime and the other occurring before sunrise. The pre-sunrise peak is most obvious for winter compared with that for summer and equinox. The minimum values of H T occur around midnight and sunrise hours. The time of occurrence of the sunrise minimum is earliest for summer and latest for winter. (2) H T shows a clear annual variation with largest daytime values occurring in summer and smallest values in winter. (3) H T shows strong solar activity dependence, with the daytime value of H T decreasing with decreasing solar activity. (4) H T is strongly correlated with the bottomside F2 layer thickness parameter B0 and the ionospheric slab thickness τ. The high correlation between H T and B0 parameter suggests the possibility to construct the topside electron density profile model based on the B0 parameter previously established for the International Reference Ionosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental degradation and resource scarcity are serious challenges faced by global rice production. Although rice production is crucial to ensure global food security, it is also one of the principal sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) and reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions. Exploring rice-cropping systems with a low environmental footprint and high grain yield and economic benefits is a crucial strategy to improve the sustainability of rice production. Here, life cycle assessment was used to compare the performance of middle-season rice (MR), double-season rice (DR) and ratoon rice systems (RR) based on farmer-reported data in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River of China. The average annual grain yields of DR, MR, and RR were 13.68, 8.96 and 11.97 t ha−1, respectively. Although RR produced 12.5% lower grain yield, it had 41.2% lower global warming potential (GWP) and 33.8% smaller eutrophication potential (EP) than DR, which resulted in lower greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) and reactive nitrogen intensity (NrI). The lower GWP and EP in RR were mainly attributed to lower agricultural inputs, smaller CH 4 and N 2 O emissions and less Nr losses. Compared with MR, RR had higher GWP and EP, but significantly higher grain yield (33.6%) in RR contributed to lower GHGI and similar NrI. In all three cropping systems, CH 4 emissions and NH 3 volatilization had the highest contributions to GWP and EP, respectively. Compared with the other two cropping systems, RR exhibited the highest net economic income (NEI), benefit-cost ratio and eco-efficiency. Overall, our results suggested that RR is a sustainable rice-cropping system that can coordinate grain yield, environmental footprint and economic benefits. • Crop performance of middle (MR), double (DR) and ratoon rice (RR) was compared. • RR had lower environmental impact and higher economic benefits than MR and DR. • RR achieved higher annual grain yield than MR. • RR is able to balance grain yield, environmental footprint and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) is the most frequently used community empirical model. The latest version IRI2016 provides three options for the F2 peak height hmF2: AMTB2013, SHU-2015, and BSE-1979. In this paper, we used the hmF2 data derived by the ionosondes at Mohe, Beijing, Wuhan and Sanya ranging from year 2007 to 2016 to assess the performance of these three options in the model. The results show that the variability of the observed hmF2 versus local time, seasons and levels of solar activity could be reproduced well by the three options. However, the SHU-2015 option performs best at these four stations, followed by BSE-1979, and the AMTB2013 option is worst. Generally, the AMTB2013 and BSE-1979 options overestimate the hmF2 values, while the SHU-2015 option mainly underestimates the hmF2 values. This is the first evaluations of the three IRI2016 hmF2 options by manually scaled ionosonde data over China area to our knowledge. Overall, we recommend the usage of SHU-2015 hmF2 option over China region when using IRI2016 model in terms of hmF2 calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness-based interventions, an evidence-based stress reduction approach, may help incarcerated people cope with stress-related problems in the challenging environment of prison. However, due to their unique living environment, the duration and instructor guidance required by standard mindfulness-based interventions would be infeasible in most prisons. Therefore, the aims of the current study were to test the effects of two different 4-day interventions (i.e., instructor-guided and audio-based) with content similar to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for newly incarcerated males, and to compare the effectiveness of the two interventions relative to a no-intervention control group. Using daily assessments, we explored changes in perceived stress, insomnia, and negative affect in the 56 days following the instructor-guided (N = 25), audio-based (N = 21), and control (N = 44) intervention; length of mindfulness practice during the follow-up was also compared between the two intervention groups. Hierarchical linear model results showed significantly greater linear decreases in perceived stress after both mindfulness interventions during the 56-day follow-up (γ11 = -0.011, p < .001, 95% CI [-0.017, -0.004] for instructor-guided intervention; γ12 = -0.013, p < .001, 95% CI [-0.018, -0.006] for audio-based intervention), as compared to the control group. Compared to the control group, the instructor-guided group reported a significantly greater decrease in insomnia (γ11 = -0.007, p < .001, 95% CI [-0.014, -0.002]), but the audio-based group did not (γ12 = -0.002, p = .160, 95% CI [-.007, .004]). Neither mindfulness-based intervention group reported a significantly greater decrease in negative affect compared to the control group (γ11 = -0.002, p = .170, 95% CI [-0.005, 0.001] for instructor-guided intervention; γ12 = -0.002, p = .150, 95% CI [-0.006, 0.002] for audio-based intervention). No significant difference between the two intervention groups was found in the change of outcomes (γ11 = 0.002, -0.005 and 0.000, p = .350, .130 and .390, 95% CI [-0.008, 0.011], 95% CI [-0.014, 0.004] and 95% CI [-0.004, 0.006] subsequently for perceived stress, insomnia and negative affect). Daily mindfulness practice was significantly longer for the audio-based group on the first day of follow-up (γ02 = -0.758, p < .05, 95% CI [-1.333, -0.129]), but it gradually decreased to the same amount as the instructor-guided group (t (32) = 0.051, p = .959). Short-term mindfulness interventions, either instructor-guided or audio-based, appear to be beneficial for Chinese prisoners in reducing stress. Live instruction may have potential benefit in reducing insomnia and sustaining daily practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral bleaching events are becoming increasingly common worldwide, causing widespread coral mortality. However, not all colonies within the same coral taxa show sensitivity to bleaching events, and the current understanding of the metabolic mechanisms underlying thermal bleaching in corals remains limited. We used untargeted metabolomics to analyze the biochemical processes involved in the survival of two bleaching phenotypes of the common corals Pavona decussata and Acropora pruinosa , during a severe bleaching event in the northern South China Sea in 2020. During thermal bleaching, P. decussata and A. pruinosa significantly accumulated energy products such as succinate and EPA, antioxidants and inflammatory markers, and reduced energy storage substances like glutamate and thymidine. KEGG analysis revealed enrichment of energy production pathways such as ABC transporters, nucleotide metabolism and lipid metabolism, suggesting the occurrence of oxidative stress and energy metabolism disorders in bleached corals. Notably, heat stress exerted distinct effects on metabolic pathways in the two coral species, e.g., P. decussata activating carbohydrate metabolism pathways like glycolysis and the TCA cycle, along with amino acid metabolism pathways, whereas A. pruinosa significantly altered the content of multiple small peptides affected amino acid metabolism. Furthermore, the osmoregulatory potential of corals correlates with their ability to survive in heat-stress environments in the wild. This study provides valuable insights into the metabolic mechanisms linked to thermal tolerance in reef-building corals, contributes to the understanding of corals' adaptive potential to heat stress induced by global warming and lays the foundation for developing targeted conservation strategies in the future. • Metabolic profiles differed between unbleached and bleached corals. • Bleached corals consumed energy reserves like nucleotides and lipids. • Coral bleaching led to oxidative damage and immune response activation. • Osmotic substances were crucial in coral response to heat stress. • New insights into metabolic response of reef-building corals to heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the soil quality of cultivated land generated by the Gully Land Consolidation Project could promote sustainable economic and ecological development in the hilly gully area of the Loess Plateau, China. A pot experiment with maize crop was conducted to assess the effects of different organic amendments and chemical fertilizer reduction on soil fertility and the microbial community in newly cultivated land, of which the amount of chemical fertilizer applied was half of the local conventional maize field (90 kg ha−1 of CO(NH 2) 2 , 45 kg ha−1 of P 2 O 5 , and 60 kg ha−1 of K 2 O). The experiment involved six treatments: bare soil (CK), only maize (M), maize + chemical fertilizer (MF), maize + chemical fertilizer + organic fertilizer (MFO), maize + chemical fertilizer + biochar (MFB), and maize + chemical fertilizer + polyacrylamide (MFP). The results are as follows: (1) compared with the MF treatment, the MFO treatment exhibited the best effect on improving soil physicochemical properties, such as electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 −-N), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK), followed by MFB and MFP. (2) The MFO treatment significantly (P < 0.05) improved the Species richness and Shannon indices of the bacteria, but its effects on fungal diversity index are not significant. (3) The MFO treatment increased the relative abundance of Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes and decreased the relative abundance of Sordariomycetes and Agaricomycetes, and it also increased the functional abundance of Amino acid metabolism, Membrane transport, Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, Undefined Saprotrophs and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. (4) The TN and EC were the main driving factors of bacterial community structural variation, while TN and NO 3 −-N were the main factors for variation of fungal community structure. (5) The fresh weight and dry weight of maize increased significantly (P < 0.05) under all amendment treatments, among which the MFO treatment had the greatest effect. In conclusion, organic fertilizer application is the most effective measure for rapidly improving soil fertility and microbial community structure. Our findings have valuable implications for agricultural land productivity, food security and long-term sustainability of the environment. [Display omitted] • Different organic amendments were investigated in newly cultivated land. • Chemical fertilizer reduction and organic fertilizer could improve soil quality and microbial community structure effectively. • TN and EC are the main driving factors of bacterial community structural variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Early trachyandesites and rhyolite in the Gangshan area were derived from the lower continental crust. • Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic rocks across the northern NCC have ages following a younging trend towards southeast. • Early Cretaceous Paleo-Pacific slab rollback triggered the large-scale magmatism in the northern NCC. Extensively developed Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic rocks in the northern North China Craton (NCC), offer an opportunity to unravel the nature of Paleo-Pacific subduction and associated geodynamic processes by investigating their spatio-temporal characteristics and petrogenesis. Here we present geochemical and geochronological results of Early Cretaceous (118–115 Ma) trachyandesites and rhyolites from the eastern Hebei, northern NCC. The trachyandesites show low MgO (0.74–2.65 wt%) and Mg# (17–38), as well as enriched whole-rock Nd-Hf isotopic compositions (ε Nd (t) = -17.1 to -13.3, ε Hf (t) = -12.9 to -10.8), suggesting a probable origin of the enriched mafic lower crust. They also exhibit relative enrichment in LREE and flat in HREE. Trace element geochemical modeling results indicate that the trachyandesites likely formed through partial melting of the mafic lower crust at 790–820 °C and ca. 10 kbar (30–33 km). The rhyolites, characterized by higher SiO 2 contents and similar ε Nd (t) (-17.4 to -15.5) and zircon ε Hf (t) values (-14.4 to -7.6) compared to the trachyandesites, probably represent the magmatic derivates of the trachyandesites. MELTS modeling results suggest that the rhyolites likely formed through fractional crystallization of the trachyandesitic magmas at ∼ 775 °C and 1–3 kbar. Integrating with previous studies, our study confirms that the Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic magmatism across the northern NCC became younger from northwest to southeast. We propose that the change of the migration direction of these Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic rocks is primarily attributed to slab rollback of the subducting Paleo-Pacific Plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The alkaline deposition through a PC boiler were analysed. • Na 2 SO 4 and CaSO 4 (l/slag) promote deposition at medium temperature. • Co-firing WD and WCW coals can reduce the amount of sulphate (l/slag). • Sulphurisation of Na on heating surface is important for deposition. The huge reserve of Zhundong (ZD) coal makes it important for energy utilization of China. However, big concerns on fouling and slagging in pulverized coal-firing boilers were risen due to its high alkali content. It's important to investigate deposition in different heating surfaces of a boiler burning ZD coal. In this paper, XRF, XRD, ICP-OES were conducted to analyze the properties of ash deposits collected from different heating surfaces in a 350 MW boiler burning 30% Wudong (WD) and 70% Wucaiwan (WCW) coals. Thermodynamics calculations were applied to study the mineral composition of coal ash in the range of 200–1600 °C under different coal co-firing ratio. The analytical results of the ash deposits showed that in medium-temperature (800–1100 °C) flue gas zone (FR and FS), ash deposits have higher sulfate content. While in high temperature flue gas zone (WW and PS), ash deposits have higher Si/Al content and lower S content. The Na/S contents in FR (~1000 °C) are much higher than in other deposits. The thermal equilibrium calculation results showed that a large amount of liquid Na 2 SO 4 and CaSO 4 will be generated when burning WCW coal. Co-firing WD and WCW coals can reduce the amount of sulfate (l/slag) formation and the co-firing ratio greatly influence the elimination effect. It can be speculated that not all the sulfates in the ash deposits are formed in flue gas. The sulfation of the Na-containing minerals condensed on the heating surfaces will promote the ash deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Established a minimum data set on soil quality diagnosis. • The effects of land use change differ between meadow and albic soil. • Identified key soil properties on temporal impacts of dryland-to-paddy conversion. Assessing soil quality influenced by land use changes facilitates sustainable land use and soil management. However, there are few comprehensive evaluations on the temporal impacts of dryland-to-paddy conversion on soil quality. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) and soil quality index method (SQI), a minimum data set (MDS) was established to systematically evaluate the soil quality with different duration (0, 10, 20, 30 years) of dryland-to-paddy conversion in two main soil types (meadow and albic soil) in Sanjiang Plain. Conclusions are as follows: (1) The MDS was composed of soil organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus (AP), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 –-N), available potassium (AK), fine sand (FS), coarse sand (CS), and pH. (2) In meadow soil, the SQI raised significantly in the first 10 years and reached the lowest in the 30 years (p < 0.05), and the SOC and AK were the main properties affecting SQI. (3) For albic soil, the SQI was stable within 20 years and then declined significantly in the 30 years (p < 0.05). The stable SQI within 20 years was attributed to increased SOC and downward pH and AK, while declined SOC (p < 0.05) resulted in the SQI decreasing in the 30 years. The finding can enable soil quality diagnosis and sustainable development of farmland related to dryland-to-paddy conversion in the typical black soil area in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Petroleum contamination of Yanchang oilfield is serious and immigrate to large scale. • Biodegradable petroleum compounds were deeply degraded but recalcitrant compounds were accumulated in this area. • Many well known petroleum degraders were identified in the contaminated samples. • Moisture content and total nitrogen were significant factors in shaping the local bacterial community. Abstract In this study, petroleum contamination and the corresponding distribution of bacterial communities in the Yanchang oilfield, a historic oilfield in north China was evaluated. Surface soil samples and river sediment samples near the oilfield were collected and analyzed for the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bacterial biodiversity, and environmental factors. Petroleum fingerprinting analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) were then conducted to evaluate the petroleum contamination and the bacterial community structure. The results of these studies showed that the petroleum contamination in the study area was high in TPHs, present at the levels in the ranges 1678–6748, 1189–2237, and 1089–1728 mg/kg in the wastelands, sediments, and farmlands, respectively. "Chemical fingerprint" indicators (e.g., carbon preference index near 1 and pristane/phytane < 10) indicate that petroleum pollution in the wasteland near the oil wells migrated to the farmlands and rivers, and deep biodegradation occurred in these places. The microbial diversity analysis identified many genus, including Stenotrophomonas , Arenimonas , Sphingomonas , Aquabacterium , Acinetobacter , Comamonas , and Pseudomonas, containing many known petroleum degrading species. The RDA results indicated that moisture was the most significant factor shaping the local bacterial community, followed by the total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total phosphorus contents, and pH. This study demonstrated an approach for providing comprehensive information to support evaluation and remediation of regional petroleum contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhundong coal is one of the most important coals in China due to its huge reserve, but it causes severe fouling and slagging problems when it is burnt in boilers for its high AAEMs (alkali and alkaline earth metal species) contents. Accurately determination of the occurrence modes and contents of AAEMs in Zhundong coals is a necessary step to overcome the ash-related problems. Nowadays, different researchers used different methods or procedures to determine AAEMs in Zhundong coals, and the data were scattering. Based on a series of experiments on the effects of extraction conditions, an improved extraction method with clearly defined conditions for each extraction step was proposed. 0.1 mol/L NH 4 Cl (pH = 8.5) instead of 1 mol/L NH 4 OAc (pH = 7) was used to extract the exchangeable AAEMs in Zhundong coals to avoid the high solubility of carbonates in the extraction solution. The improved method was more accurate and took much less time than the conventional one. With the proposed extraction method, the occurrence modes and contents of AAEMs in three Zhundong coals were measured. The results revealed that Na is mainly water soluble (Na w /Na total = 50–85%) which is halite or in the form of surface bound Na + , while Ca and Mg are mainly acid soluble (Ca ac /Ca total = 60–90%, Mg ac /Mg total = 45–90%) which are carbonates together with a little amount of sulfates. Exchangeable AAEMs organically bonded to the coal matrix are not the main occurrence mode of AAEMs. Acid insoluble Ca-species could be rankinite. The amounts of AAEMs in the same occurrence mode could be remarkably different among coals from different Zhundong district. The improved sequential extraction method can be extended to determine AAEMs in high carbonate-containing coals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key tectonic region linking the northern margin of the North China craton (NCC) and eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), western Liaoning, with extensively distributed magmatic activity, provides natural samples to investigate the evolutionary history of the Paleo-Asian Ocean plate subduction to closure. The Middle Triassic (ca. 241 Ma) trachyandesites and Late Triassic (ca. 223 Ma) basaltic andesites were first identified from the Tiaojishan Formation, western Liaoning. They have variable SiO 2 contents (52.48–60.31 wt%) and alkaline or high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonite compositions, and belong to the metaluminous series. Middle Triassic trachyandesites are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), high field strength elements (HFSEs), and light rare earth elements (LREEs) with high Nb/La ratios (0.63–0.76). They have homogeneous whole-rock Sr Nd (87Sr/86Sr i = 0.704684–0.704808, ε Nd (t) = −4.6 to −4.0) and variable zircon Hf isotopic signatures (ε Hf (t) = −10.3 to 8.2), indicating that they probably originated from the partial melting of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle with the addition of asthenosphere materials. In contrast, the Late Triassic basaltic andesites show arc-related geochemical affinities, such as LILEs and LREEs enrichment and HFSEs depletion. They have more enriched whole-rock 87Sr/86Sr i (0.704895–0.705394), ε Nd (t) (−16.1 to −14.0), and zircon ε Hf (t) (−13.1 to −8.8) than the Middle Triassic trachyandesites, suggesting that they probably represent partial melts of the subduction-related fluids-modified lithospheric mantle. The modification of the northern margin of the NCC lithospheric mantle is closely related to the final subduction of the Palaeo-Asian oceanic plate and the subsequent post-orogenic extension. • Triassic volcanic rocks are founded in Tiaojishan Formation, Western Liaoning. • Study area was in a post-orogenic extensional setting in the Middle-Late Triassic. • Ocean Subduction modified the North China Craton lithosphere in the Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was developed based on the obtained specific paraquat monoclonal antibody. • Herbicide products were tested after PBS dilution without other sample pretreatments. • Dipstick has been used to screen the illegal usage of paraquat in adulterated herbicides on-site. The use of the herbicide paraquat has been banned in many countries due to its high toxicity. However, there is an issue that illegal addition of paraquat in herbicide products. Therefore, a rapid, sensitive, and portable method will be useful to detect paraquat in adulterated herbicides for regulation purpose. In the present study, an indirect competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) was developed with a new paraquat-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) for paraquat detection. The icELISA results showed a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50) of 7.63 ng/mL with a working range (IC 20 -IC 80) of 1.68–33.1 ng/mL. In addition, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) with a cut-off value of 20.0 ng/mL was also developed. The LFIA showed no detection of the herbicides diquat, glyphosate and glufosinate up to 50 µg/mL. Nine herbicide samples were collected across Hainan province, China and analyzed by the LFIA dipsticks. One out of the nine samples was tested positive, which was confirmed with icELISA and HPLC. The accuracy of the LFIA was further verified through onsite tests in different places in China. Forty-seven commercial herbicide products were tested via the LFIA dipsticks, of which 9 samples were positive and confirmed with HPLC analysis. The paraquat LFIA exhibited the most promising potential as the point of care (POC) device for the rapid screening of paraquat in adulterated herbicide products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is highly endemic (7-8% prevalence) in rural China, causing high mortality and societal burden. Data from men of reproductive age is scarce and last reported in 2006. We assessed the seroepidemiology of men in rural China, aiming to provide updated baseline data for the prevalence of HBV infection.Methods: We established prevalence of HBV infection from data gathered through a nationwide population-based study of Chinese rural men aged 21-49 years. Data were obtained from a physical check-up programme for couples of reproductive age, the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project, that covered 31 provinces from 2010-12. We tested serological samples with ELISA and categorised participants' HBV status based on presence of HBsAg, anti-HBV core antibody (anti-HBc), and anti-HBV surface antibody (anti-HBs).Findings: 2 030 083 men were recruited into the database from Jan 1, 2010, to Dec 31, 2012, and 1 966 013 men provided serum samples for analysis. 124 274 men (6%) tested positive for HBsAg, 178 559 (9%) tested positive for anti-HBc, and 583 923 (30%) tested positive for anti-HBs. Isolated anti-HBs (an indicator of vaccine-mediated immunity) were present in 527 566 men (27%). And 1 234 127 men (63%) were negative for all HBV makers (susceptible population). HBsAg prevalence was higher in men aged 25-39 years (6·35-6·47%) than in other age groups (5·54-5·78%; p<0·0001). HBV markers were all more prevalent in the eastern region of China than in the central or western regions (all p<0·0001). 32 326 (26%) of 124 274 HBsAg-positive men tested positive for HBeAg (suggesting high infectiousness); this decreased with increasing age (p<0·0001).Interpretation: HBV prevalence in men in rural China has changed from highly endemic into intermediate endemic in the past two decades. However, the absolute number of HBV-infected men and the susceptible population is still very large.Funding: Chinese Association of Maternal and Child Health Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Yield monitoring system design. • Yield reconstruction model. • Analysis of spatiotemporal variability. An impact-type grain yield monitoring system was developed and tested in laboratory and field to meet the requirement of precision agriculture in China. The system consisted of a mass flow sensor, a clean elevator speed sensor, a ground speed sensor, a moisture content sensor, a controller area network-bus processor, a global navigation satellite system receiver, and an industrial personal computer. The system was used to collect yield data and create the grid map in a field of winter wheat from 2018 to 2019. Laboratory and field calibrations were implemented to verify the accuracy of the mass flow sensor and the moisture content sensor. The errors of time delay and parking were removed, and exponential smoothing was performed in the data preprocessing. A yield reconstruction method was proposed to calculate the yield data of the sampling points based on the empirical model between flow voltage and grain weight. The predicted errors of total yield in both years were less than 5%, which indicated that the accuracy of yield monitoring system was high. An averaging method was used to generate the yield grid map. The spatiotemporal variation of the two-year yield was analyzed. Hierarchical management for precision farming was studied according to spatial variability ( CV S = 31%) in 2018. Results showed that the temporal variability was CV T = 34%, which confirmed that the yield increased by about 0.3 t compared with the previous year. Moreover, the variability of the grid map showed the distribution of the yield reduction area, which was related to the characteristics of the seeds and the regional properties of the soil. The results proved that the developed yield monitoring system can be used as a tool to provide a reference for precision agriculture and high-yield management of winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: An empirical power function model of V = kQm has been used worldwide to describe the relationship between flow velocity (V, ms−1) and discharge rate (Q, m3 s−1) for rill and open channel flows. However, it has seldom been applied to watershed outlet channels taking into account the impacts of watershed size. In this study, observed data from four experimental watersheds of different sizes, ranging from about 1 to 100km2, were used to verify the stability of the power function model for use at a watershed level on the Loess Plateau. An alternative logarithmic function model of was also tested. Results showed that the constant parameters in both model types were impacted by watershed size, which are inherently directly related to the size of the outlet channels. The constants k and d, which represent flow velocity for unit discharge rate, were negatively correlated with watershed size. However, the exponential constants m and e, which determine the rate of change in flow velocity with respect to discharge rate, were shown to be independent of watershed size. Furthermore, soil and water conservation land use management on the Loess Plateau was also shown to indirectly affect the flow velocity–discharge rate relationship in the smallest watersheds (1km2). The study indicated that, although the performance of the logarithmic function model was acceptable, the power function model generally performed better over a larger range of flow velocity values and was better able to represent the flow velocity–discharge rate relationship in the unique context of the Loess Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of child physical maltreatment (CPM) by parents in a city locating in central-western region of China and identify associated risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional survey was carried out among a randomly sampled population of primary school students’ parents in Yuncheng City. Data on parental CPM during the past 3 months, definition of CPM, Parenting Scale, parent-child interaction attitudes, social support, socio-demographic background were collected by a self-report questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between CPM and related risk factors. Results: Of parents from 1,394 primary school students, there were 595 (42.7%) and 301 (21.6%) of them reported that they had minor/severe CPM behaviors toward their children during the past 3 months, respectively. The risk factors that were significantly associated with both prevalence and frequencies of minor/severe CPM included child problem behaviors, overreactivity and hostility parenting. Conclusion: CPM by parents is not uncommon in China. More attention should be paid to programs that help parents learn parenting skills and use nonviolent child discipline. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Subduction of the Paleo-Pacific and Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plates is widely believed to have caused extensive Mesozoic magmatism and lithospheric deformation in East Asia. However, it remains unclear how the two tectonic domains affected NE China, and whether a boundary exists between them, because the Songnen Block in central NE China is covered by sedimentary rocks and the related mafic magmatism has been rarely discovered. Here we report a suite of Early Jurassic (ca. 175 Ma) mafic volcanic rocks (including basalt and basaltic andesite) from the Sk2 Borehole, Songliao Basin, NE China. The Sk2 mafic rocks are characterized by high Th/U, Zr/Y and Ti/Y ratios, and their geochemical signatures are consistent with formation in a back-arc extensional setting, rather than an arc setting. The rocks show depleted zircon ε Hf (t) and whole-rock ε Nd (t) values, which are comparable to mafic rocks located on the east of the Songliao Basin. This suggests that they both have a depleted mantle source, unlike the mafic rocks on the west of the Songliao Basin with relatively enriched Nd and Hf isotopes. Early–Middle Jurassic mafic rocks are distributed in the Erguna Block, >500 km to the west from the Sk2 Borehole, whereas coeval mafic rocks are widely distributed in the nearby eastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. These intraplate-like mafic rocks and the Early Jurassic bimodal rocks within the Lesser Xing'an and Zhangguangcai ranges likely formed in response to lithospheric extension that was triggered by subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. The Early Jurassic mafic rocks directly underlie the oldest sedimentary rocks (the Huoshiling Formation) in the Songliao Basin, which suggests that basin formation was probably initiated by lithospheric extension. • Early Jurassic mafic volcanic rocks are developed in the Songliao Basin, NE China. • The Sk2 mafic rocks record lithospheric extension triggered by Paleo-Pacific subduction. • A boundary between Mongol–Okhotsk and Paleo-Pacific tectonic regimes was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient utilization and clean conversion of coal have become one of the urgent tasks in the current situation of energy utilization in China. Aiming to promote the energy efficiency and sustainability, coal to gas is playing a more and more important role in the national environmental and climate change. However, the presence of harmful H 2 S in the syngas not only corrodes the equipment and poisons the catalyst, but also pollutes the environment seriously after it is discharged to the atmosphere, so it must be removed. The preparation of desulfurization materials with high sulfur capacity, high efficiency, good regenerability and stable performance has always been the research hotspot in this field. Based on previous works, first, newly developing desulfurization sorbents prepared with excellent performance and novel methods and materials emerging in recent years have been reviewed and highlighted in the present paper. Second, the preparation method, performance indicators and merits of various single metal oxides (Fe 2 O 3 , ZnO, Mn 2 O 3 , CuO, CaO) and composite metal oxides (Fe–Zn–O, Mo–Fe–Mn–O, Mn–Ca, etc.) have been discussed and compared. More important, the further perspectives, such as techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment of the relating field were also proposed based on the existing understandings, which will make sense for the promotion of energy efficiency and sustainability, pollution reduction and resource recovery. The in depth development status and the state of the art of clean coal utilization sorbents for hydrogen sulfide clean-up reviewed in the present paper aiming to offer theoretical basis and experience to the accurate design and performance improvement of cost-effective desulfurization sorbent. • Desulfurization sorbents for clean coal use and toxic reduction were reviewed. • Sorbent preparations match the feature of desulfurization should deserve attention. • Comprehensive techno- and socio-economic analyses upon sorbents are critical. • Regenerable sorbents regarding circular economy and waste reduction are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]