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Alunite is used as a representative mineral for indicating deposits in lithocaps, and lithocaps are generally related to the porphyry–(high-sulfidation) epithermal mineralization system. The study of alunite is of theoretical and exploration significance for prospecting potential underlying porphyry and epithermal deposits. Studies on alunite geochemistry have made breakthroughs, but there is little research on alunite mineralogy, for example, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). This study mainly focuses on alunite micromorphological characteristics, weight loss changes with temperature, and ionic group structure, aiming to identify the relationship between these features and indications for prospecting. The Fanshan lithocap is located in the northwest part of the Luzong basin, Anhui province of China, and it can potentially be used for exploring porphyry and epithermal deposits. Fanshan alunite is formed in two stages with three types of alunite. IA alunite is formed in the early hydrothermal stage and replaces felsic minerals in the Zhuanqiao Formation, IB alunite is formed in the later hydrothermal stage and fills in open spaces with bladed particles, and II alunite is the product of pyrite oxidation and reaction with other minerals in the supergene stage. Alunite electron microprobe data and energy-dispersive spectroscopy data further confirm temperature decreases with hydrothermal evolution, and the presence of a high-sulfidation epithermal system in the Luzong basin. Aside from the forming environment, SWIR, and geochemistry of alunite, there are other indication indexes; for example, the larger peak values at 3480 cm−1 and smaller peak values at 1080 cm−1 in FT-IR spectra and the deeper exothermic valleys at 750 °C and steeper weight loss slopes in the DTA curve suggest a favorable formation environment for alunite and provide valuable indications for deposit exploration and assessments of mineralization potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anhui Province is currently facing an increase in imported malaria cases as a result of globalization and international travel. In response, Anhui Province has implemented a comprehensive adaptive framework to effectively address this threat. Methods: This study collected surveillance data from 2012 to 2022 in Anhui Province. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with severe malaria. Documents were reviewed to document the evolution of the adaptive framework designed to combat imported malaria. The effectiveness of the adaptive framework was evaluated based on the rates of timely medical visits, timely diagnosis, and species identification. Results: During the study period, a total of 1008 imported malaria cases were reported across 77 out of 105 counties in Anhui Province, representing a coverage of 73.33%. It was found that 10.52% of imported cases went undiagnosed for more than seven days after onset. The multivariate analysis revealed several potential risk factors for severe malaria, including increasing age (OR = 1.049, 95%CI:1.015–1.083), occupation (waitperson vs. worker, OR = 2.698, 95%CI:1.054–6.906), a longer time interval between onset and the initial medical visit (OR = 1.061, 95%CI:1.011–1.114), and misdiagnosis during the first medical visit (OR = 5.167, 95%CI:2.535–10.533). Following the implementation of the adaptive framework, the rates of timely medical visits, timely diagnosis, and species identification reached 100.00%, 78.57%, and 100.00%, respectively. Conclusions: Anhui Province has successfully developed and implemented an adaptive framework for addressing imported malaria, focusing on robust surveillance, prompt diagnosis, and standardized treatment. The experiences gained from this initiative can serve as a valuable reference for other non-endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of multimedia technology, short video apps have become a common form of entertainment for the elderly. Studies showed that participation in short video apps have positive impact on the elderly. However, research on the elderly's preference for apps designed for them is limited. In this study, the target subjects--the population in demand for using short video apps -- are the elderly aged 55-75 years old and in good health in rural areas of northern Anhui. The two objectives of this study are: (1) to analyze the well-known we-media software related to short videos in China; (2) to investigate and explore the elderly's demand for short video apps through Kano model questionnaire. The results showed the preference of the elderly for interface design, functional content, interaction mode, and information display. The enhancement of these four qualities in the development and design of we-media will not only provide more positive experience for elderly users, but also ensure the design suitability of we-media for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the significant hotspots analysis method (Getis-Ord Gi* significance statistics), space-time cube model (STC) and the Mann–Kendall trend test method, this paper proposes a G-STC-M spatio-temporal analysis method based on Archaeological Sites. This method can integrate spatio-temporal data variable analysis and the space-time cube model to explore the spatio-temporal distribution of Archaeological Sites. The G-STC-M method was used to conduct time slice analysis on the data of Archaeological Sites in the study area, and the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of Archaeological Sites in East China from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty were discussed. The distribution of Archaeological Sites has temporal hotspots and spatial hotspots. Temporally, the distribution of Archaeological Sites showed a gradual increasing trend, and the number of Archaeological Sites reached the maximum in the Qing Dynasty. Spatially, the hotspots of Archaeological Sites are mainly distributed in Jiangsu (30°~33° N, 118°~121° E) and Anhui (29°~31° N, 117°~119° E) and the central region of Zhejiang (28°~31° N, 118°~121° E). Temporally and spatially, the distribution of Archaeological Sites is mainly centered in Shanghai (30°~32° N, 121°~122° E), spreading to the southern region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking 16 cities in Anhui province as research units, based on the research perspective of spatial econometrics, using spatial autocorrelation analysis, this paper investigates the spatial correlation of regional tourism industry in Anhui province, indicating that regional per capita tourism income in Anhui province has obvious positive spatial autocorrelation and relatively obvious local spatial cluster characteristics. To further explore the influence factors of the development level of the regional tourism industry in Anhui and construct the spatial econometric model, the model results show that the Anhui tourism industry development has been accompanied by spatial agglomeration process, per capita GDP, the number of star-rated hotels, fixed assets investment, and employment in the tertiary industry which play a significant role for tourism development. Finally, some countermeasures and suggestions are put forward to promote the development of regional tourism in Anhui province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the digital economy is of special significance to the realization of the stable development of the macroeconomy. Based on the White Paper on Development of China's Digital Economy and the actual situation of cities in Anhui Province, this study divides the index system of digital economy into three primary indexes, namely, digital industrialization, industrial digitization, and information infrastructure, and 20 secondary indexes. The percentage weight of each index is determined by the subjective evaluation method, and the index values of 16 cities in Anhui Province are calculated according to the efficacy coefficient method. Then, the mean value, standard deviation, variance, kurtosis, skewness, and other information of each index system are statistically analyzed, and the policy suggestions for the development of digital economy are given. This study fills the blank of the index system of digital economy in Anhui Province and has a certain role in promoting the development of digital economy in Anhui Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered Baizhangyan skarn-porphyry type W- Mo deposit in southern Anhui Province in SE China occurs near the Middle- Lower Yangtze Valley polymetallic metallogenic belt. The deposit is closely temporally-spatially associated with the Mesozoic Qingyang granitic complex composed of granodiorite, monzonitic granite, and alkaline granite. Orebodies of the deposit occur as horizons, veins, and lenses within the limestones of Sinian Lantian Formation contacting with buried fine-grained granite, and diorite dykes. There are two types of W mineralization: major skarn W- Mo mineralization and minor granite-hosted disseminated Mo mineralization. Among skarn mineralization, mineral assemblages and cross-cutting relationships within both skarn ores and intrusions reveal two distinct periods of mineralization, i.e. the first W- Au period related to the intrusion of diorite dykes, and the subsequent W- Mo period related to the intrusion of the fine-grained granite. In this paper, we report new zircon U- Pb and molybdenite Re- Os ages with the aim of constraining the relationships among the monzonitic granite, fine-grained granite, diorite dykes, and W mineralization. Zircons of the monzonitic granite, the fine-grained granite, and diorite dykes yield weighted mean U- Pb ages of 129.0 ± 1.2 Ma, 135.34 ± 0.92 Ma and 145.3 ± 1.7 Ma, respectively. Ten molybdenite Re- Os age determinations yield an isochron age of 136.9 ± 4.5 Ma and a weighted mean age of 135.0 ± 1.2 Ma. The molybdenites have δ34 S values of 3.6‰-6.6‰ and their Re contents ranging from 7.23 ppm to 15.23 ppm. A second group of two molybdenite samples yield ages of 143.8 ± 2.1 and 146.3 ± 2.0 Ma, containing Re concentrations of 50.5-50.9 ppm, and with δ34S values of 1.6‰-4.8‰. The molybdenites from these two distinct groups of samples contain moderate concentrations of Re (7.23-50.48 ppm), suggesting that metals within the deposit have a mixed crust-mantle provenance. Field observation and new age and isotope data obtained in this study indicate that the first diorite dyke-related skarn W- Au mineralization took place in the Early Cretaceous peaking at 143.0-146.3 Ma, and was associated with a mixed crust-mantle system. The second fine-grained granite-related skarn W- Mo mineralization took place a little later at 135.0-136.9 Ma, and was crust-dominated. The fine-grained granite was not formed by fractionation of the Qingyang monzonitic granite. This finding suggests that the first period of skarn W- Au mineralization in the Baizhangyan deposit resulted from interaction between basaltic magmas derived from the upper lithospheric mantle and crustal material at 143.0-146.3 and the subsequent period of W- Mo mineralization derived from the crust at 135.0-136.9 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a typical site that had been contaminated by the chemical industry in the past was selected for investigation. To reveal the pollution status, 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the surface soil and sediment samples were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The levels of the persistent organochlorine residues in the sediment ranged from 44.59-143.29 ng/g, whereas they were 13.94-97.91 ng/g in the soil. A principal component analysis identified that PCBs and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) were the primary sources of the organochlorine residues in the study area. The p, p'-DDT/(p, p'-DDE + p,p'-DDD) values were all below 1, which indicated that the historical inputs of the technical DDT and dicofol were the major sources of DDTs rather than recent inputs. The composition diversity of the hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers showed that the main sources in the soil were the past use of pesticides, whereas the sediment sources might be due to the historical use of technical HCHs and recent lindane inputs. The ecological risk assessment showed that ?-HCH could pose the highest risks for benthic organisms, followed by DDTs and heptachlor epoxide. These compounds are known to bio-accumulate in fatty tissues. Therefore, routine monitoring of the persistent organochlorine residues in the area is needed and the health risks to local residents should be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to quantitatively analyze the relationship between the phreatic evaporation and water surface evaporation of different soil textures in bare soil area, soils with different texture and sand samples were taken from the test site in Hefei University of Technology. After pretreatment such as drying and particles sieving, 4 types of homogeneous test materials were selected including coarse sand, fine sand, loam and sand soil. Then, a self-made phreatic evaporation measurement device was made with diameters of 60 and 25 mm and a height of 42 mm. It can easily solve the problem of automatic water replenishment during the evaporation process, so that the groundwater depth can always be 0. Based on the self-designed device, a total of 5 groups of comparative test schemes were constructed, including coarse sand, fine sand, loam, sandy soil and water in bare soil area. Under the same environmental conditions, daily phreatic evaporation of the 4 different soil textures and water surface evaporation were observed for a total of 127 days from December 24, 2018 to April 29, 2019. By analyzing the relationship between phreatic evaporation and water surface evaporation for soils with different textures, linear mathematical equations were established. The results revealed that the change trend of phreatic evaporation and water surface evaporation was basically the same during the experiment. The high air temperature would lead to larger soil evaporation. However, the phreatic evaporation of the 4 different soil textures was not equal to the water surface evaporation, and the difference between them was more significant as the air temperature was increased. The determination coefficients between phreatic evaporation value of different soil textures and the water surface evaporation were all greater than 0.97. Especially for fine sand, the correlation coefficient reached 0.99, which indicated that there was a significant correlation between phreatic evaporation and water surface evaporation (P<0.05). And the conversion coefficients were achieved between them according to the linear mathematical equations. Generally, in soil bare areas with similar climatic conditions in Hefei, the conversion coefficient of coarse sand was 0.94, and the coefficients of fine sand, loam and sand are 1.04, 1.14 and 1.19, respectively. The phreatic evaporation value of coarse sand was less than the evaporation of water surface. The phreatic evaporation values of fine sand, loam and sand were greater than water evaporation. Under bare soil conditions, this conversion coefficient was only related to soil texture. In addition, the loam and sandy soil evaporation in the Wudaogou test site of Anhui Province, China was selected to verify the rationality of the conversion coefficient obtained above. The results showed that when the groundwater depth was 0.4 m, the relative error of the loam evaporation calculated by the substitution method and the phreatic evaporation coefficient method were -10.30% and 2.25%, respectively. Moreover, the sand evaporation calculated by the substitution method was 5.11 mm smaller than the measured value with a relative error of -17.79%, while the sand evaporation calculated using the phreatic evaporation coefficient method was only less than the measured value of 0.56 mm, and the relative error was reduced to -1.94%. Therefore, when calculating the phreatic evaporation at different groundwater depths, directly replacing phreatic evaporation with water surface evaporation would inevitably cause larger relative errors. However, the relative error of the calculation result obtained from the phreatic evaporation coefficient method was smaller, and the calculated value was much closer to the measured value. The coefficient method proposed in this paper would significantly improve the reliability and accuracy of the calculation results of phreatic evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of the sustainable development level is crucial to providing reasonable and effective management recommendations. However, analysis with a single scale can only reflect the sustainable status at a specific level. In this study, a multi-scale analysis of sustainability was conducted via the three-dimensional Ecological Footprint (EF) model in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Moreover, driving factors of sustainability were analyzed using the Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression model (MGWR). The conclusions include: (1) the development of YRD showed an unsustainable trend from 2014 to 2021, with per capita EF decreasing from 5.769 ha/cap to 5.283 ha/cap. The provincial sustainability is ranked as follows, from being the most sustainable to the least: Anhui Province > Jiangsu Province > Zhejiang Province > Shanghai City. (2) Based on dual indicators of EF depth and size, 41 cities were categorized into nine groups. The dominant type is always Medium size-Low depth (ML) and High size-Low depth (HL) type cities from 2014 to 2021. From the perspective of city scale, the sustainability of five cities weakened, while seven cities showed improvements. (3) Output value of primary industry (OVPI) and population (POP) were always the dominant factors affecting EF, but showed positive and negative correlations respectively. OVPI changes from north-south symmetric type to central symmetric type, while POP changes from central symmetric type to north-south symmetric type. This paper aims to comprehensively assess the sustainable development status from agglomeration-province-city perspectives, and its findings can provide a reference for similar regions with unbalanced development status between ecology and production. • The sustainability of the world-class urban agglomeration was assessed via the three-dimensional ecological footprint model. • More comprehensive and accurate analysis results based on multi-scale analysis. • The four patterns of influencing mechanism are revealed based on the MGWR model. • The combination analysis of dual indicators was adopted to classify the sustainability of 41 cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Yangtze River Delta is where "the Belt and Road" and China's Yangtze River Economic Belt converge, which plays a crucial strategic location. However, with the demands of economic growth, environmental issues are frequently present in the Yangtze River Delta as a result of human and exploitation of ecological resources, and there is an urgent need to coordinate the relationship between human development and ecology. Methods: The Yangtze River Delta region is used as the research subject, quantitatively analyzing various ecosystems within the region from three dimensions: ecosystem services value, ecological carrying capacity, and ecological footprint, and analyzing various factors that affect economic and environmental balance. Then calculate eco-compensation and its payment order based on this information, in order to build a foundation for coordinating ecological interests and safeguarding the environment in the Yangtze River Delta region. Results and discussion: (1) Jiangsu Province was the main provider of ecosystem services in the Yangtze River Delta; the Yangtze River Delta's three main ecosystems-waters, forests, and wetlands-accounted for 90% of the ecosystem services valued in the area and must be preserved. (2) The Yangtze River Delta as a whole belonged to an ecological deficit area, showing varying degrees of unsustainable development; In terms of ecological deficits, cultivated land and fossil energy had the worst, and both need to be treated severely. (3) The Yangtze River Delta was a region that paid ecological compensation. The payment order and total amount was 6825.596 billion yuan in Shanghai, 6412.264 billion yuan in Jiangsu, 12088.852 billion yuan in Zhejiang, and 3675.637 billion yuan in Anhui. At the same time, considering the current state of Anhui, the amount of eco-compensation can be appropriately reduced. Finally, recommendations are made based on the findings above, in order to improve the overall ecological benefits of the Yangtze River Delta region and foster ecological integration, all provincial and municipal governments should take reasonable action to reverse the ecological deficit of fossil energy and cultivated land, and also aim to achieve an ecological surplus in both land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses play an important role in healthcare development. The increasing demands for nurses mean that nursing schools at the undergraduate level have the responsibility to ensure patient safety and quality care through a well-designed curriculum. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of the teaching method combined with situational awareness and case-based seminars in a comprehensive nursing skills practice course on the level of self-directed learning, professional identity, academic self-efficacy, theoretical scores, practical scores, teaching satisfaction, and student competence among nursing students. Methods: The research population comprised was of the grades of 2019 and 2020 at Wannan Medical College in Anhui Province, China (n = 169, response rate 77.88%). The observation group from grade 2020 used the teaching method combined with situational awareness and case-based seminars, whereas the control group from grade 2019 used the traditional teaching mode. General information, self-directed learning, a professional identity, and academic self-efficacy were compared between the two groups. This research used means and standard deviations, chi-square, the Shapiro–Wilk test, and an independent sample t-test for statistical analyses. Results: Compared with the control group, the total scores for self-directed learning, professional identity, and academic self-efficacy were higher in the observation group (78.80 ± 7.89 vs 60.21 ± 7.44, 63.39 ± 7.87 vs 52.35 ± 7.68, and 22.31 ± 3.30 vs 21.28 ± 2.31, respectively, with P < 0.05 for all scores). More significant improvements were made in the observation group on the level of theoretical scores (81.39 ± 3.32 vs 76.28 ± 5.90) and practical scores (93.32 ± 4.70 vs 90.67 ± 5.09) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, teaching satisfaction, which includes teaching method (66/18 vs 32/53) and teacher-student interaction (72/12 vs 34/51), and student competence, which includes team cooperation (67/17 vs 39/46), critical thinking (60/24 vs 31/54), and communication skills (67/17 vs 38/47) after the intervention (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in social persuasion (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The teaching method combined with situational awareness and case-based seminars in a comprehensive nursing skills practice course has the potential to improve the level of self-directed learning, professional identity, and academic self-efficacy, and it increases theoretical scores, practical scores, teaching satisfaction, and student competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice production in the Anhui province is threatened by fungal diseases. We obtained twenty-five fungal isolates from rice and wild rice leaves showing leaf spot disease collected along the Yangtze River. A phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF1-α), and beta tubulin (TUB2) sequences revealed one isolate (SS-2-JB-1B) grouped with Nigrospora sphaerica, one (QY) with Nigrospora chinensis, twenty-two with Nigrospora oryzae, and one isolate (QY-2) grouped in its own clade, which are related to but clearly different from N. oryzae. Nineteen tested isolates, including sixteen strains from the N. oryzae clade and the three isolates of the other three clades, caused disease on detached rice leaves. The three isolates that did not belong to N. oryzae were also able to cause disease in rice seedlings, suggesting that they were rice pathogens. Isolate QY-2 differed from the other isolates in terms of colony morphology, cell size, and susceptibility to fungicides, indicating that this isolate represents a new species that we named Nigrospora anhuiensis. Our analysis showed that N. sphaerica, N. chinensis, and the new species, N. anhuiensis, can cause rice leaf spot disease in the field. This research provides new knowledge for understanding rice leaf spot disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To grasp the spatial distribution of soybean planting areas in time is the prerequisite for the work of growth monitoring, crop damage assessment and yield estimation. The research on remote sensing identification of soybean conducted in China mainly focuses on the major producing areas in Northeast China, while paying little attention to the Huang-Huai-Hai region and the Yangtze River Basin, where the complex planting structures and fragmented farmland landscape bring great challenges to soybean mapping in these areas. This study used Chinese GF-6 WFV imagery acquired during the pod-setting stage of soybean in the 2019 growing season, and two counties i.e., Guoyang situated in the northern plain of Anhui Province and Mingguang located in the Jianghuai hilly regionwere selected as the study areas. Three machine learning algorithms were employed to establish soybean identification models, and the distribution of soybean planting areas in the two study areas was separately extracted. This study adopted a stepwise hierarchical extraction strategy. First, a set of filtering rules was established to eliminate non-cropland objects, so the targets of subsequent work could thereby focus on field vegetation. The focal task of this study involved the selection of well-behaved features and classifier. In addition to the 8 spectral bands, a variety of texture features, color space components, and vegetation indices were employed, and the ReliefF algorithm was applied to evaluate the importance of each candidate feature. Then, a SFS (Sequential Forward Selection) method was applied to conduct feature selection, which was performed coupled with three candidate classifiers, i.e., SVM, RF and BPNN to screen out the features conductive to soybean mapping. The accuracy evaluation results showed that, the soybean identification model generated from SVM algorithm and corresponding feature subset outperformed RF and BPNN in both two study areas. The Kappa coefficients of the ground samples in Guoyang ranged from 0.69 to 0.80, while those in Mingguang fell within the range of 0.71 to 0.76. The near-infrared band (B4) and red edge bands (B5 and B6), the 'Mean' texture feature and the vegetation indices, i.e., EVI, SAVI and CIgreen, demonstrated advantages in soybean identification. The feature selection operation achieved a balance between extraction accuracy and data volume, and the accuracy level could also meet practical requirements, showing a good application prospect. This method and findings of this study may serve as a reference for research on soybean identification in areas with similar planting structures, and the detailed soybean map can provide an objective and reliable basis for local agricultural departments to carry out agricultural production management and policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The implementation of humanistic care is conducive to providing high quality nursing, improving patient satisfaction and establishing harmonious nursery-patient relationship. Current researchs show that humanistic caring ability is affected by emotional intelligence, empathy, interpersonal communication. But the exact relationship and internal mechanism of such factors have not been fully understood. Objective: To explore the multiple mediating effect of empathy and communication ability on nursing students' emotional intelligence and caring ability. Methods: A case study was conducted by examining a sample of 1,165 nursing students from a junior college in Anhui, China. The multidimensional scales, and a self-designed demographic characteristics questionnaire were utilized. Path relationships and mutual effects were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication ability were found to positively affect nursing students' caring ability, as well as positive interrelationships with one another (standardized estimate = 0.312-0.584, p < 0.001). Communication ability and empathy play an important role in mediating the association between emotional intelligence and caring ability, and the effect sizes are 0.169 and 0.121, respectively, while the effect value of empathy and communication ability in emotional intelligence and caring ability was 0.034, which showed partial mediation of the association. The indirect effect of the structural equation was 77.14%. Conclusion: The chain mediating role of empathy and communication ability in emotional intelligence and caring ability is explored, which not only enrichis previous studies, but also reveals the mechanism of emotional intelligence's influence on caring ability. It is essential to continuously improve nursing students' caring ability. From the perspective of nursing educators, they need to develop targeted approaches to help the nursing student improve their emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication skills, further enhancing their caring ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional landscape ecological risk (LER) assessment is of great significance for coordinating the relationship between land use and ecological environment, and for promoting the rational allocation of resources, and it is the basis and guarantee for achieving sustainable development. By assessing the landscape ecological risk of the Huaihe River ecological and economic zone, it can promote the development of ecological risk assessment theory, provide a scientific basis for the formulation of ecological civilization construction planning and policies, and help to strengthen environmental monitoring, planning and management, and promote the construction of ecological civilization. Based on the remote sensing image data of land use from 1985 to 2020, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of land use and LER in the Anhui section of the Huaihe River Ecological and Economic Belt in China were explored. The results showed that: (1) The construction land showed an increasing trend, with an increased area of 4753.35 km2, whereas the cultivated land showed a negative growth trend, with a reduced area of 4487.58 km2. (2) During the past 35 years, the ecological risks in the research area showed a decreasing trend as a whole, with medium-low and medium-risk areas ranking as the main; medium-high and high-risk areas are mainly distributed on both sides of the Huaihe River and in the northern-central part of Suzhou City. (3) Moran's I values of LER in each period were showing significant spatial autocorrelation and tending to converge spatially. In the future, the ecological security pattern should be optimized for local high-risk deterioration areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture (SM) data can provide guidance for decision-makers in fields such as drought monitoring and irrigation management. Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite offers sufficient spatial resolution for global-scale applications, but its utility is limited in regional areas due to its lower spatial resolution. To address this issue, this study proposed a downscaling framework based on the Stacking strategy. The framework integrated extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and categorical boosting (CatBoost) to generate 1 km resolution SM data using 15 high-resolution factors derived from multi-source datasets. In particular, to test the influence of terrain partitioning on downscaling results, Anhui Province, which has diverse terrain features, was selected as the study area. The results indicated that the performance of the three base models varied, and the developed Stacking strategy maximized the potential of each model with encouraging downscaling results. Specifically, we found that: (1) The Stacking model achieved the highest accuracy in all regions, and the performance order of the base models was: XGBoost > CatBoost > LightGBM. (2) Compared with the measured SM at 87 sites, the downscaled SM outperformed other 1 km SM products as well as the downscaled SM without partitioning, with an average ubRMSE of 0.040 m3/m3. (3) The downscaled SM responded positively to rainfall events and mitigated the systematic bias of SMAP. It also preserved the spatial trend of the original SMAP, with higher levels in the humid region and relatively lower levels in the semi-humid region. Overall, this study provided a new strategy for soil moisture downscaling and revealed some interesting findings related to the effectiveness of the Stacking model and the impact of terrain partitioning on downscaling accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Resilience is crucial for older adults who experience adversities, but research on the issue in rural China remains limited. This study aims to examine factors associated with resilience among older adults in rural China, as related to different types of resilience, and under different levels of adversity. Methods: Data were taken from the eight-wave (2001–2021) Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. We used data from the eighth wave (2021) for the outcome variables and lagged predictors (2018) to avoid reverse causal effects. The study sample included individuals 60 years and above, excluding new participants from 2021, those without any adverse events, and any respondents with incomplete analytic data. Resilience was operationalized as residuals of the regressions of life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Scale) and depressive symptoms (CES-D) on adversity, referred to as Type-1 and Type-2 resilience respectively. These two types of resilience were then treated as the outcome variables in subsequent multilevel regressions, with the predictors focusing on individual, social, and environmental characteristics and resources. This study adheres to STROBE guidelines. Results: 43% of rural older adults exhibited both Type-1 and Type-2 resilience, whereas 18% exhibited only Type-1 resilience and 7% exhibited only Type-2 resilience. Common factors associated with both types of resilience included self-rated health, satisfaction with one's own financial situation, and the prestigiousness of social networks. Predictors for higher levels of Type-1 resilience included higher levels of financial and emotional support and more options for places of leisure. Predictors for higher levels of Type-2 resilience included greater access to medical care. The prestigiousness of social networks, higher levels of emotional support and instrumental support, access to medical care, and more options of places of leisure were positively associated with resilience in the low-adversity group (first tertile of adversity), only satisfaction with financial situation was positively correlated with the resilience of the middle-adversity group (second tertile), while better self-rated health, satisfaction with financial situation, and financial support yielded greater resilience in the high-adversity group (third tertile). Conclusions: We examined two types of resilience among older adults in rural China, and found that they have shared and unique associated factors. In addition, the potential factors influencing resilience varied with the level of adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical compositions of juice and peel from 37 cultivars of pomegranates grown in China were identified using UPLC-Q TOF MS. The total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of pomegranate juice and peel samples were also determined to make comparisons of their potential nutraceutical values. A total of 20 and 25 compounds were tentatively identified from the juice and peel samples. For the antioxidant activities of juice samples, No. 32 from Italy showed greatest abilities in scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals, and a registered novel cultivar No. 24 showed greatest value in scavenging oxygen radical. For the peel samples, No. 8 from Anhui Province of China showed generally greater values in all the three assays. All these results showed that different cultivars of pomegranate have different amounts of bioactive components and antioxidant activities, and development about the byproduct of these pomegranates after industrial processing should be focused in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National Forest Villages in China are village types with significant environmental resources and cultural landscapes that play a vital role in ecological conservation, tourism development, territorial planning, and other elements. Understanding tourists' landscape perception preferences is important to the long-term development of their landscape systems. Using Xidi village from the second batch of National Forest Villages as a research case, we gathered the evaluation digital footprints of visitors to the village with Python (version 3.12.0) and then used the ROST CM6 software and the semantic network analysis method to sort out the general characteristics of visitors' perceptions of the village's landscape. Finally, we constructed a multidimensional landscape perception model by studying precise details of passengers' views of Xidi village on four dimensions: natural landscape, humanistic landscape, landscape environmental atmosphere, and emotional state. The findings show that travelers' perceptions of Xidi village's landscape primarily focus on scenery, architecture, and culture, with the humanistic landscape having the strongest degree of perception, the landscape environment atmosphere having the middle degree of perception, and the natural landscape having a weaker degree of perception. Most travelers have positive emotions, and commercialization and homogenization are negative factors that trigger negative emotions. The optimization recommendations for Xidi village's landscape system are then offered in light of the study's findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying the livelihood resilience theory to the relocation of coal mining villages, the present study explored the levels and the factors hindering livelihood resilience among farmers under different relocation models. This has important implications for enhancing the livelihood resilience of farmers during coal mining relocation and promoting rural revitalization in coal mining areas. Based on the livelihood resilience framework and the actual conditions of mining areas, we formulated an evaluation index system, employed the stratified mean square deviation method to determine weights, used the comprehensive index method to assess the livelihood resilience level, and investigated the obstacles to livelihood resilience among farmers under different relocation models using the random forest model. The results indicate the following: first, the overall livelihood resilience level in the coal mining relocation area of Huaibei City is low and is not significantly different among the four types, with the ranking being as follows: central village agglomeration type > township-centered village construction type > mining-village combination type > suburban community type. Significant differences exist in the indicators and dispersion levels of the resilience dimensions of buffering capacity, self-organization ability, and learning ability among farmers under different relocation models. Second, factors such as household deposits, labor force quantity, social networks, and participation in village collective meetings significantly affect the livelihood resilience level of farmers. However, the degree of influence varies under different relocation models. Third, improvements such as increasing employment opportunities, investing in education resources, and building social networks are necessary to improve farmers' livelihoods under the four types of relocation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial coupling of population and economy is an important indicator that reflects regional differences and measures the coordination degree of industrial layouts and environments. To explore the spatial coupling of population and economic densities and the effect of topography in Anhui Province at a grid scale, a land-use impact model was used to spatialize socio-economic indicators in Anhui Province using 2020 county-level data. Geographical concentration and coupling index were used to quantify the spatial relationship between population and economic densities. Then the effects of topography were assessed. The results show the following: (1) the accuracy of the regression models for the individual counties is generally better than that of the models for the whole region. The population and economic densities predicted by the proposed model reflect actual conditions. (2) Topography has a stronger effect on population density and primary industry density than on secondary and tertiary industry density. Slope has the strongest effect on population and economic densities, followed by topographic relief and elevation. (3) A spatial correlation exists between topographic factors and population and economic densities. Although the spatial relationship between population and economic densities is predominantly of the balanced development type in regions with complex topography, population and economic densities are significantly lower in regions with complex rather than flat topography. In addition, economic development in the northern Anhui region, a flat region, lags behind population aggregation. Efforts should be made to improve the economic level of the southern and northern Anhui regions and the Dabie Mountain region in western Anhui. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's urbanization has taken a unique course with carefully planned economic growth, since last four decades. Economic development zones are exclusive spaces, representing the intimate connection between political authority and urbanization. The imbalanced spatial development of China's economy leads to transfer of industries among different regions of Anhui province. This inter-regional transferring of industries is not only reflecting the dynamic changes of factor endowments among the regions but also an important way to promote the development of under-developed regions. The Wanjiang Demonstration Area (WDA) was selected to undertake industrial transfer, and it results in industrial transfer rely on synergistic effect of technology and local talent. This study analyzed the synergistic effect of technology and local talent of WDA industry transfer by using entropy value method and coupling coordination degree model based on discussing the talent factors that influence the technical level. The result indicates that talent level index (66,190.23, Uj) is much higher than technology level index (1793.65, Ui); coordination degrees of technology and talent in WDA with the values ranging from 0.09 to 2.16 were found and also manifesting low coupling coordination and system imbalance. As per the coupling method, synergistic effects of technology and talent of industry transfer in WDA are basically in a low coupling stage, and the coupling degree ranges were from 0.10 to 0.19. There were regional variations in the metrics that measure talent and technology including (composite index, coupling degree and coordination degree). All indices in the Hefei city are much greater than those in other nearby areas; with the exception of the coupling degree, in resulting regional barriers should be avoided and unrestricted exchanges of talent and technology should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was conducted in Qiyun Mountain, Xiuning County, Anhui Province, during October 2010. The study represents an intermediate stage of a five-year project. Mt. Qiyun is a religious Taoism site for the faithful, a heritage site for those interested in Chinese heritage and a tourist site for the simply curious. This paper attempts to examine tourism impacts from residents' perceptions in Mt. Qiyun area, especially for social-cultural impacts of tourism. It also investigates the residents' attitudes toward Qiyun tourism and local tourism authority. The researchers found that there was very little information and research into the subject of residents' perceptions and attitudes toward local tourism destinations in China, especially, in remote areas and places which are still at the initial stage of tourism life cycle. A lot of the prior studies focused on Western societies. Thus, the authors want to conduct this study in Mt. Qiyun to better understand residents' perceptions of tourism impacts, as well as their attitudes toward tourism development in the study area. This paper adopts mixed methods to collect data, mainly including participant observation, photography, in-depth semi-structure interviews, and questionnaire surveys with local residents. Other secondary data were collected by evaluating official documents, printed tourism promotional materials, and past research results on Mt. Qiyun. Analysis of the interviews was based on thematic analysis method and Cat-Pac method, while analysis of survey questionnaires was aided by SPSS 17.0. Form a theoretical perceptive, this thesis contributes to the body of literature on tourism impacts in a community. It provides some evidence that it is possible to find that tourism can generate income for local residents by creating employment opportunities, diversifying sources of family income, and then improving the quality of life. Finally this study contributes to the area of tourism literature in relation to social-cultural impacts. It shows that tourism is likely to bring significant social-cultural impacts to local villagers such as seeing different people from all over the world, knowing new things, affecting residents' values in daily life, cultural exchange, improving basic facilities in a village, and improving the social status of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of vertical distribution of air pollutants is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying haze pollution. In this paper, we characterize the vertical structure of air pollutants based on ground-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements in the wintertime in Hefei, East China. Both NO 2 and aerosol show exponentially decreasing profile with high concentrations concentrated close to the surface, suggesting the major emissions are at ground level. SO 2 profiles extend to slightly higher altitudes than NO 2 , which might be due to the SO 2 emissions from elevated point sources (e.g., power plants). Elevated HCHO was observed in the middle layer during noon time, probably indicating that the larger effect of the photochemical formation of atmospheric HCHO rather than direct HCHO emissions. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) models were used to evaluate the potential sources of Hefei's air pollution in the lower, middle and upper boundary layer. The results revealed that the major regional source of NO 2 and aerosol were located in the northern and eastern part of Anhui and the transport mainly occured in the lower layer. Transported SO 2 from the northwestern regions in the middle layer made great contribution to SO 2 in Hefei. HCHO was mostly produced locally while the transport of HCHO from potential source areas was negligible. To further explore the potential source contributions affecting haze pollution, PSCF and CWT analysis for heavy haze episodes suggested that the potential source areas for aerosol were almost located in the northern region, the northwestern region, and the YRD region. Our findings provide a more comprehensive understanding for regional transport through the study on potential sources at different altitudes, which are useful for designing collaborative air pollution control strategies on a regional scale. • Vertical distribution of air pollutants is investigated to identify potential sources at different altitudes during winter. • Both NO 2 and aerosol show exponentially decreasing profile with high concentrations concentrated close to the surface. • SO 2 and HCHO profile typically extended to higher altitudes than NO 2 and aerosol did during winter. • The main potential sources for aerosol were located in the northern region, the northwestern region, and the YRD region. • This study is useful for designing collaborative air pollution control strategies on a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Formulas of D and S for moisture transfer in Anhui fir were proposed. • Size affects the initiation of shrinkage crack obviously. • The longer the initial crack is, the slower the propagating rate will be. • Shrinkage cracks in the same specimen had almost the same developing speed. • FEM for prediction of moisture transfer and shrinkage crack growth was developed. The depth of cracks in cross section of timber can have significant impact on the bearing capacity and durability of the components. Frequently, these cracks are caused by shrinkage from moisture-induced stresses. Existence of uneven moisture distribution and the orthotropic properties of wood can cause different levels of shrinkage and/or swelling in a cross section of wood, which further induces such moisture-induced stresses in the member. This paper investigates the moisture transfer, shrinkage crack formation and propagation in cross section of timber members. Experiments for six cylindrical specimens made of Anhui fir were conducted under a drying environment to test essential parameters and study the phenomenon. The diffusion coefficient and surface emission coefficient of Anhui fir were determined based on experimental results and Fick's second law. During the experiment, different cracks in the same specimen had almost the same crack development speed, in spite of the time of crack's initiation being different. Based on the parameters determined by experiments, moisture transfer was simulated by heat transfer part of ABAQUS firstly. Then the output file from moisture transfer was input to ABAQUS as predefined field, and extended finite element method (XFEM) based linear elastic fracture mechanics (LFEM) was used for energy calculation and crack propagation. Moreover, related parameters varying with moisture content were taken into account in this simulation. Finally, good agreement of the experimental and the numerical results confirms the suitability and performance of this FEM based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the population census data, this paper analyzed the influencing factors and urbanization effects of the floating population in Anhui Province using ArcGIS spatial analysis, factor analysis, multiple liner regression, and spatial autocorrelation, and reached the following conclusions: ➀ From 2000 to 2010, the floating population in Anhui Province was concentrated in cities dotted the Huai River and the Yangtze River, and Hefei City absorbed the most inter-provincial floating population and intra-provincial floating population. ➁ The overall economic strength had the greatest impact on attracting floating population, while the income level factor has less impact on attracting floating population. The overall economic strength and the strength of science, education, culture, and health of prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province were more attractive to the intra-provincial floating population and less attractive to the inter-provincial floating population. ➂ Population mobility promoted urbanization. Large cities could attract more migrants from counties. The urban population system in Anhui Province was generally developing towards the concentration of laige cities, while the proportion of the county population in the total population was decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This paper aimed to clarify the allocation characteristics and variation trends of climatic resources in region along Hua-ihe river and Huaibei region, which would provide a theoretical and data support for adjusting agricultural crop layout and using resources more efficiently. [Method] By collecting the meteorological data (temperature, light and rainfall) from 7 local meteorological stations, the allocation characteristics and variation trends of heat, light and rainfall resources in wheat-maize double cropping system in Anhui were analyzed. [Result] During the maize and winter wheat growing season and annual, the mean daily temperature increased by 0.02, 0. 27 and 0. 21 °C , and the diurnal range of temperature decreased by 0. 25, 0. 26 and 0. 26 °C per ten years, respectively, due to rising minimum daily temperature. The accumulated temperature above 0 and 10 °C increased markedly by 60. 84, 54. 88 °Cd and 63. 77, 57. 81 °Cd per ten years during winter wheat growing season and annual, respectively. The annual sunshine duration decreased by 52.57,40. 90 and 93. 47 hours per ten years during the maize and winter wheat growing season and annual, respectively. The rainfall fluctuated markedly and showed no regularity during the maize and winter wheat growing season and annual. [Conclusion] Based on the analysis, the reasonable cropping pattern of optimal resource allocation should be adopted according to the temperature, light and water climate resources allocation characteristics and variation trends, improving yield and resource use efficiency of wheat-maize double cropping system in region along Huaihe river andHuaibei region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green Mining Construction (GMC) is the Chinese national strategy of the environmental regulation of the mining industry to motivate mining enterprises to improve their resource utilization efficiency, protect the environment and harmonize the relationship between enterprises and communities. This paper uses system dynamics (SD) and the Malmquist-Luenberger (ML) Index to model the sustainable effect of the policy instruments of Green Mining Construction, namely, environmental taxes and subsidies. A case study of typical coal mining enterprises in Anhui, China, is provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed model in which the corporate performances of three optional strategies in response to the Green Mining Construction policies are examined. The responsive strategies are categorized as scale expansion, technical innovation and environmental protection. The simulation results show the following: (i) The environmental taxes and subsidies with disparate rates can help enterprises that focus on technical innovation and environmental protection perform better, albeit with a certain degree of lag. (ii) The synergy impact of subsidies and taxes is not significantly more than the separate ones. (iii) Environmental regulations reduce the productivity of mining enterprises, but to varying extents. This negative effect of environmental regulation should be compensated by other measures. This study offers insights to help enterprises select optimal strategies in response to the Green Mining Construction policies and to inform the government of possible sustainable policy designs to promote the Green Mining Construction. The limitations of the model are discussed for further improvements in simulating the effect of environmental regulation. • The hybrid model is used to test the effect of mining environmental policy in China. • Environmental taxes and subsidies are effective, but there are delays. • The effect of policy combination is not better than that of the single policy. • The model negates the Porter hypothesis, but there are differences among enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the late 1990s, China initiated the Conversion of Croplands to Forest Program (CCFP) and the Ecological Welfare Forest Program (EWFP) based on the Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) principle. Positive socioeconomic outcomes of the programs are essential for the long-term success of eco-environment conservation. However, there is lack of understanding of their longer-term (over 10 years) impacts on rural livelihoods. In this paper, we examine income distribution and inequality of rural households under CCFP and EWFP in rural Anhui, China after 12 years of program implementation. Results show that CCFP-participating households have higher income inequality than non-participants, while the EWFP does not have a significant effect. Local off-farm work and out-migration with remittances are the two principal income sources and both add to inequality. A regression-based decomposition of inequality shows that the CCFP indirectly alters livelihoods by increasing out-migration with remittances, but it also adds to inequality from shifting livelihoods to non-agricultural activities. Meanwhile, EWFP payments positively affect agricultural incomes and contribute 16% to agricultural income inequality. Finally, human capital, natural capital and physical capital all play important roles in generating income and inequality, but the factors affecting inequality from agricultural and non-agricultural activities are different. Highlights • We examine rural household income distribution under two concurrent PES programs. • CCFP positively affects non-farm income via out-migration followed by remittances. • EWFP positively affects agricultural income and adds slightly to inequality. • Factors affecting agricultural and non-agricultural income distributions differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The combination and placement of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) devices is important for system design, but differing site characteristics and device properties can make this a challenging task. Opinion-based and optimization-based approaches have the disadvantages of subjectivity and excessive computational burden respectively. This paper presents a new framework for SuDS device combination and placement in system design. It integrates zero-one integer programming, random sampling, scheme filtering and cost-effectiveness analysis. The effectiveness of the framework is tested with a SuDS device placement design case in Chizhou city, Anhui province, China. The proposed framework will help to objectively choose the best SuDS device combination and placement scheme for cost-effective implementation. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Framework for determining for SuDS device placement schemes is presented. • Zero-one integer programming, scheme sampling and filtering are integrated. • A cost-effectiveness analysis method using a cost-effectiveness ratio is proposed. • Framework will aid objective selection of an appropriate SuDS placement scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huangshan Mountain Geopark is an important geological landmark and tourist attraction. In this paper, we apply fission track dating to examine the uplift and exhumation processes that created the Huangshan Mountains and provide a timeline for their development. In addition to being an important scientific contribution, this information can be used on guided tours and to promote tourism. The results of eight apatite fission-track analyses suggest three age groups: 56, 45-30, and 15 Ma. These age groups are related to the uplifting-erosion processes involved in forming ancient multilevel denudation planes at 85-50, 45-30, and 24-5 Ma, respectively. The scenic area has experienced three stages of thermal evolution. The first stage occurred before 80 Ma and the third stage after 13 Ma. The three stages had varying cooling rates: 2.69, 0.62, and 4.23°C/Ma, respectively. Uplifting rates also varied: 0.08, 0.02, and 0.12 mm/a. The uplifting ranges were also variable: 1.14, 1.57, and 4.00 km, respectively. Significant uplifting differences between diverse areas are obvious and there were four magnitudes of cumulative uplifting range: 4060-3950, 3760-3490, 3190-3070, and 2650 m. The surface uplifting range varied from 450 to 2230 m. Denudation and uplifting amount averaged 2340 and 3400 m, respectively. The 1060 m difference between them is the average elevation at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

strong urban heat island (UHI) appeared in a hot weather episode in Suzhou City during the period from 25 July to 1 August 2007. This paper analyzes the urban heat island characteristics of Suzhou City under this hot weather episode. Both meteorological station observations and MODIS satellite observations show a strong urban heat island in this area. The maximum UHI intensity in this hot weather episode is 2.2°C, which is much greater than the summer average of 1.0°C in this year and the 37-year (from 1970 to 2006) average of 0.35°C. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulation results demonstrate that the rapid urbanization processes in this area will enhance the UHI in intensity, horizontal distribution, and vertical extension. The UHI spatial distribution expands as the urban size increases. The vertical extension of UHI in the afternoon increases about 50 m higher under the year 2006 urban land cover than that under the 1986 urban land cover. The conversion from rural land use to urban land type also strengthens the local lake-land breeze circulations in this area and modifies the vertical wind speed field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses survey data from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces to examine the impact of remittances on rural poverty reduction and on rural households' living expenditure. The paper shows that remittances play an important role in rural poverty reduction. The paper also finds that rural households mainly use remittances for current consumption living expenditure rather than for investment living expenditure such as health and housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new petrographic observations and geochemical and microprobe analyses for the Laomiaojishan, Xiaotongguanshan, and Tianebaodanshan intrusions in the Tongguanshan mineral district, East China. The plutons vary in composition from quartz monzonitic diorite to pyroxene monzonitic diorite, and contain gabbroic to dioritic xenoliths. The Xiaotongguanshan intrusion yields a SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age of 139.5±2.9 Ma, indicating Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous magmatism in the Lower Yangtze River Valley. Relative to host rocks, the gabbro and diorite xenoliths are low in SiO2 (52.03-54.61 wt-%), Al2O3 (12.87-14.43 wt-%), and total alkalis (Na2O+K2O; 5.26-6.30 wt-%), but high in MgO (5.41-11.66 wt-%); the host rocks have high SiO2 (59.97-64.44 wt-%), Al2O3 (16.43-17.59 wt-%), and total alkalis (6.67-8.25 wt-%), but are low in MgO (1.52-2.50 wt-%). Concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) in the xenoliths (165.70-190.40 ppm) are similar to those in the host rocks (166.12-185.95 ppm), although the ratio of light REEs to heavy REEs in the xenoliths (3.39-4.27) is lower than that in the host plutons (4.86-5.94). All of the analysed rocks show similar REE patterns, although the xenoliths display marked positive Eu anomalies and the host rocks show slightly negative Eu anomalies. Values of epsilon Nd (t) ranges from -4.9 to -9.9 in the gabbro xenoliths and from -11.4 to -11.9 in the host intrusives. Initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios are 0.7064-0.7073 in the xenoliths and 0.7072-0.7084 in the quartz monzonitic diorite host rocks. Crystallization temperatures of hornblende and plagioclase in the gabbro xenoliths, diorite xenoliths, and host rocks are 816, 773-790, and 664-725°C, respectively, based on an amphibole-plagioclase geothermometer. The pressures recorded by these phases indicate that they formed at depths of 26, 12-15, and 3-4 km, respectively, based on an aluminum-in-hornblende geobarometer. The petrological and geochemical features of the analysed intrusions and xenoliths are consistent with their derivation from basic to intermediate-acidic magmas that possibly formed via a series of complex interactions between underplated, mantle-derived basaltic magma and varying amounts of middle- to lower-crustal material, followed by assimilation-fractional crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new species of the Diptilomiopinae (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Diptilomiopidae) from China are described and illustrated. They are Diptilomiopus vitisis n. sp. on Vitis sp. (Vitaceae), Diptacus chizhouensis n. sp. on Rubus corchorifolius Linn. f. (Rosaceae), Diptacus platycaryae n. sp. on Platycarya strobilacea Sieb. et Zucc. (Juglandaceae) and Apodiptacus albae n. sp. on Swida alba Opiz (Cornaceae). Diptacus gigantorubra Xin and Dong on Rubus pentagonus Wall. ex Focke (Rosaceae) is re-described. All the eriophyoid mite species described in the paper are vagrants on the undersurface of leaves, causing no apparent damage to the host plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GTWOLR model is employed to explore the temporal and spatial variation of the factors affecting crash severity. • Bi-square kernel function and fixed bandwidth in the model can best adapt to crash data in the paper. • The effects of eight factors on the crash severity vary across space and over time. • Targeted and local traffic safety strategies for rural highways are proposed. Traffic crashes are the result of the interaction between human activities and different socio-economic, geographical, and environmental factors, showing a temporal and spatial relationship. The temporal and spatial correlations must be characterized in crash severity studies, for which the geographically and temporally weighted ordered logistic regression (GTWOLR) model is an effective approach. However, existing studies using the GTWOLR model only subjectively selected a type of kernel function and kernel bandwidth, which cannot determine the best expression of the spatiotemporal relationship between crashes. This paper explores the optimal kernel function and kernel bandwidth considering the aforementioned problem to obtain the best GTWOLR model to analyze the crash data based on the crash data of rural highways in Anhui Province, China, from 2014 to 2017. First, the GTWOLR models with Gaussian or Bi-square kernel function and fixed (the spatiotemporal distance remains constant of local sample) or adaptive (the quantity of the local sample is constant) bandwidth are compared. Second, the log-likelihood and Akaike information criterion are used to compare the GTWOLR model with the ordered logistic regression (OLR) model. Finally, the spatial and temporal characteristics of the contributing factors in the best GTWOLR model are analyzed, and corresponding countermeasures for improving traffic safety on rural highways are proposed. Model comparison results reveal that although the difference was insignificant, the Bi-square kernel function with fixed bandwidth (BF)- GTWOLR model has a better goodness of fit than the GTWOLR models with other types of kernel function and bandwidth and the OLR model. The BF-GTWOLR model estimation results showed that eight factors, including pedestrian-vehicle crash, middle-aged driver, hit-and-run, truck, motorcycle, curve, slope and mountainous, passed the non-stationary test, indicating their varying effects on the crash severity across space and over time. As a crash severity modeling approach that effectively quantifies the spatiotemporal relationships in crashes, the BF-GTWOLR model, which adapts to crash data, may have implications for future research. In addition, the findings of this paper can help traffic management departments to propose progressive and targeted policies or countermeasures, so as to reduce the severity of rural highway crashes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North China Plain is the main producing area of winter wheat in China. Due to the relatively poor condition of water resources, the competition of water between industry and agriculture is fierce. The increasing shortage of water resources has led to serious overexploitation of groundwater in some areas. Agricultural development is faced with severe challenges. In order to ensure regional food security and sustainable winter wheat planting, 52 cities of North China Plain (NCP), in the following of the paper, use the shorted name NCP，were taken as research units to analyze the matching characteristics of agricultural water and land resources, so as to reveal the direction of irrigated agriculture development and winter wheat suitable planting layout considering their balance in future. The paper firstly analyzed the cultivated area determined by water resource and irrigation development by agricultural available water, and then pointed out the direction of water-suited planting layout of winter wheat. The results showed that: 1) the Gini coefficient showed an increasing trend, which indicated that the area of cultivated land and irrigation area supported by water resources have nearly reached the upper limit. The large-scale extension of both cultivated and irrigation area is impossible under the restriction of water. 2) The amount of agricultural available water resources per unit of effective irrigation area and the effective precipitation increased gradually from north to south in the NCP, but the spatial distribution of water requirement of winter wheat in its growth period changed in the opposite way. This indicated the poor spatiotemporal match between winter wheat planting and water resources, leading to the cost of spending more water to maintain wheat production. 3), The further development of irrigation and the water-suited planting of winter wheat should pay attention to the southern part of the plain with rich water (such as southern Henan Province, Jiangsu Province, Anhui Province, etc.) to ensure the regional agricultural development. That is of great significance to the regional sustainable development, water shortage alleviation and national grain safety. ● Restraining the irrigation area and winter wheat in NCP. ● Moderately development irrigation area in south of the NCP. ● Water-suited planting layout of Winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the future time the exploration of marine oil and gas will be one of the significant domains in China. In this paper the biomarker assemblage characteristics of oilshow in the Nanlinghu Formation of the Majiashan profile, which is located in Chaoxian County, south of Anhui Province, are described in the light of gas chromatography/mass spectrometric (GCMS) analysis on the qualitative and quantitative basis. Based on the investigation of the biomarker assemblage characteristics of possible source rocks developed in the area studied, a conclusion is drawn that the oilshow was generated from the Nanlinghu Formation source rocks (abbreviated as T1 n), instead of the Qixia Formation source rocks (abbreviated as P1 q). It is pointed out that the T1 n is of strong potential for future oil exploration, and therefore much attention should be paid to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A large-area digital soil mapping method based on environmental-similarity is proposed. • The distance-decay relationship is adaptively determined by spatial distribution of samples. • Adaptively considering spatial distance to samples improves soil prediction accuracy. Digital soil mapping (DSM) based on environmental similarity may be used to predict the soil properties at unvisited locations based on the soil–environment relationship at each sample locations, which is more suitable for large-area (or regional scale) predictive mapping with comparatively limited soil samples than (geo-)statistical DSM methods with high requirements for the quantity and spatial distribution of samples. Recently, the DSM method based on environmental similarity but with inadequate consideration of the First Law of Geography was improved by considering the spatial distance to samples by means of the inverse distance weight (IDW), following the assumption that the more similar the environmental conditions and the shorter the spatial distance between the locations of interest and a sample are, the more similar the soil properties of the two locations. However, the current consideration of spatial distance by a constant distance-decay parameter should be improper across a whole large area under mapping due to the spatial variation of both sample distribution and the environmental conditions over a large area. In this paper, we propose a new large-area DSM method based on environmental similarity with adaptive consideration of spatial distance to samples by using adaptive distance-decay parameter values across a large area. An evaluation experiment to predict the soil organic matter at a depth of 0–20 cm at a 90-m resolution with a total of 659 soil samples in Anhui Province (approximately 134000 km2), China, was carried out. Evaluation results show that the proposed method (named iPSM-AdaIDW) achieved higher accuracy (with a root mean square error, or RMSE, of 8.273 g/kg) than two representative environmental-similarity-based DSM methods, i.e., individual Predictive Soil Mapping (iPSM) (without considering the spatial distance to samples) (RMSE = 8.878 g/kg) and iPSM considering spatial distance with a constant distance-decay parameter across the study area (RMSE = 8.310 g/kg), and a representative of large-area DSM not based on environmental similarity, i.e., the random forest kriging method (RMSE = 9.647 g/kg). For large areas with quantitively limited and unevenly distributed samples, the proposed method can achieve more applicable and accurate predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving carbon emission efficiency(CEE) is crucial to reducing CO 2 emissions. Most studies on CO 2 emission are conducted at national and industrial scales, and city-scale studies still need to be included. In order to collect more consistent city- and county-scale CO 2 emission data, the sparrow search neural network is trained to fit the energy consumption CO 2 emissions with nighttime light in this study. Additionally, using the SBM-DEA model and spatial econometric techniques, the CEE values of 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region (YRDR) from 2000 to 2020 were examined from the perspective of total factor inputs. The findings demonstrate that CEE's general trend is erratic and uneven. The CEE value of the YRDR decreases from 0.720 in 2000 to 0.628 by 2020, which means that the YRDR has redundant capital and labour inputs and insufficient economic output. The low value carbon efficiency areas are mainly concentrated in the western part of the YRDR, i.e. the Anhui Province region. Shanghai, Wuxi and Suzhou have high carbon efficiency values of 1.21, 2.08 and 1.00 respectively, and are exemplary cities in terms of carbon efficiency, while the rest of the cities have varying degrees of efficiency loss. Taking Chizhou-Jiaxing as the middle line, the CEE pattern in the YRDR presents a state of "low in the middle and high at each end," and center of gravity for CEE generally shifts southward. Additionally, the cold-spot areas of CEE are concentrated in the southern part of Anhui Province, and develop a low-efficiency zone with Chizhou, Anqing, and Xuancheng as clusters and spreading outwards. Overall, this paper significantly narrows the spatial scale of carbon accounting studies and the findings can be applied to the formulation of customized carbon reduction policies. • The neural network was trained based on the sparrow optimization algorithm. • The relationship between nighttime stable light data and carbon emissions was estimated. • Based on the total factor, the carbon emission efficiency of the city was measured. • There are different degrees of efficiency loss in Yangtze River Delta cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The physical and chemical plane structure of LZ coal is built. • A single macromolecular structure model is optimized by combining the density functional tight binding method with classical molecular dynamics. • provide a significantly new and timely advance in the analytical technique to analyze the molecular structure of coal. • provide further insights into the mechanism of gas adsorption and aggregated state adsorption. Understanding the structural characteristics of coal molecular at the molecular level is of paramount importance for the effective utilization of coal. In this work, the molecular structure of coal sample, from Liuzhuang(LZ) Coal Mine in Anhui Province, China, is investigated using modern analytical techniques, such as elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FT-IR) and Solid 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR). It is found that the aromatic compounds of LZ coal are mainly in the form of 2 and 3 rings, with an aromaticity of 40.99% and the ratio of aromatic bridge carbon to aromatic peripheral carbon is 0.232. sulfur element is too low to considered in the model. Based on the above analysis, the molecular formula of LZ coal is inferred as C 158 H 143 O 35 N 7. The experimental 13C NMR is consistent with the simulated spectrum, which indicates the accuracy of LZ molecular structure model. The molecular structure model is constructed and optimized by using classical molecular dynamics and the density functional based tight-binding method to obtain the lowest energy and most stable conformation, respectively. The optimized model has a more prominent steric configuration, but the lamellar structure of the aromatic layer is arranged in a more disordered manner. The experimental FT-IR spectra of the model are in preferably good agreement with the simulated results, which proves the correctness of LZ molecular structure. The molecular structure of LZ mine coal established in this paper can provide basic scientific data for further investigation of gas adsorption and resolution in coal seams at the atomic and molecular scales. Overall, Compared to contemporary technologies, these results show a good comparability among the different techniques and therefore provide comprehensive, accurate analytical technique to analyze the molecular structure of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boosting the coordination and symbiosis of urbanization and forest ecological security is notably critical for promoting regional green and sustainable development and achieving emission peak and carbon neutrality goals. However, there was still a lack of in-depth analysis of the coupling coordination relationship between urbanization and forest ecological security and its impact mechanism. On the basis of the data from 844 counties in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, this paper explored the spatial differences and influencing factors of the coupling coordination degree of urbanization and forest ecological security. The results manifested that: i) There were apparent spatial disparities in the urbanization index, forest ecological security index, comprehensive index, coupling degree and coupling coordination degree of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Among them, the spatial pattern of coupling coordination degree had a strong consistency with urbanization index, that is, areas with higher urbanization index also had higher coupling coordination degree. ii) Based on coupling feature identification, it was found that 249 'problem areas' were mainly located in Yunnan Province, southeastern Guizhou Province, central Anhui Province, and central and eastern Jiangsu Province. The main factor for the formation was due to the lag of urbanization in coordinated development. iii) Among the socioeconomic indicators, population structure (0.136), per capita year-end financial institutions loan balance (0.409) and per capita fixed asset investment (0.202) all had a positive impact on coupling coordination degree, while location conditions (−0.126) had a negative impact. Among the natural indicators, soil organic matter (−0.212) and temperature (−0.094) had a negative impact on coupling coordination degree. iv) During the process of coordinated development, it was necessary to increase financial investment and financial support, actively formulate policies to attract talents, enhance the education and publicity of ecological civilization, and develop a green circular economy. The above measures can promote the harmonious development of urbanization and forest ecological security in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. • Exploring the coupling relationship between urbanization and forest eco-security. • Areas with higher urbanization index have higher coupling coordination degree. • Coordinated development is deeply influenced by socioeconomic and natural factors. • Targeted policies for problem areas promote their coordinated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• INLA-SPDE obtained higher mapping accuracies than RF. • The remote sensing based soil moisture indices (NSDSIs) improved SOM mapping accuracies. • Adding NSDSIs and Fourier transforms decomposed variables with natural variables generated the highest accuracies. Generating accurate spatial information on soil organic matter (SOM) is increasingly important in the context of global environmental change. Both prediction models and environmental covariates influence the mapping results and accuracy, making them important factors in SOM mapping. The Bayesian spatial model INLA-SPDE is an emerging model, that has shown potential in digital soil mapping (DSM), but its application is still limited. Soil moisture, which affects soil water status and the decomposition of SOM, can be a potential predictor for mapping SOM. However, the difficulty of obtaining soil moisture measurements over a large area using ground-based methods hinders its application. Recently, high spatial resolution remote sensing (RS) has provided a possible way to generate soil moisture indices over a large area. However, the effectiveness of RS-based soil moisture indices on SOM mapping is unknown. Fourier transforms decomposed (FTD) variables based on vegetation indices have been proven effective in detecting time-series patterns of crop growth, thereby improving the mapping accuracy of farmland. Yet, the effectiveness of FTD variables has not been verified in other vegetation-covered areas. This paper examines the use of INLA-SPDE with three RS-based soil moisture indices (NSDSIs) and six FTD variables for SOM mapping compared to Random Forest (RF), in a study area with diverse vegetation cover in Anhui Province, China. The finding indicates that with the optimal combination of environmental covariates, INLA-SPDE yields a higher prediction accuracy than RF, with an increase of 18% in R2. Either the RS-based soil moisture indices covariates or the FTD variables are effective in mapping SOM. When compared to using only natural environmental covariates, the best combination including RS-based soil moisture indices and FTD variables improved the mapping accuracy by 25% in terms of R2, 21% of LCCC, and 11% of RMSE. Furthermore, quantitative prediction uncertainty maps are derived based on the INLA-SPDE. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of INLA-SPDE model with the RS-based soil moisture indices and Fourier transforms decomposed variables for SOM mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission is related to global ecological security, and economic development inevitably leads to an increase in carbon emission. In recent years, as a rapidly developing province in China's economy, Anhui Province has experienced significant differences in the spatiotemporal distribution of carbon emission in different regions due to differences in development foundation, urbanization level, population size, industrial structure, etc., providing representative empirical cases for research. Based on the carbon emission data of Anhui Province before the COVID-19, this study used exploratory spatial data analysis method and Geodetector to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and drivers of carbon emission in Anhui Province. The study found that (1) the spatial differentiation and spatial correlation of carbon emission in Anhui Province are significant, At the beginning, it shows the characteristics of "high north and low south" and "high west and low east", and then the "core–edge" structure of carbon emission becomes obvious. Carbon emission hotspot areas increase and then decrease, mainly in Hefei, Fuyang and Chuzhou City, etc. The coldspot areas are mainly located in the southern and western mountainous areas, and the degree of aggregation is decreasing year by year. (3) The level of urbanization, economic development and population size are the main driving factors of the spatial variation of carbon emissions, while the industrial structure has the least influence. And most factors produce nonlinear enhancement when spatially superimposed with other factors. (4) The high value areas of economic development, population density, secondary industry structure, and energy intensity are all at high levels of carbon emission, and a combination of factors leads to the creation of high risk areas for carbon emission. The study provides a basis for reducing carbon emission in the next stage of Anhui Province, focusing on key carbon emission areas, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water security is not only an ecological environmental issue but also a bearing on national security and development. The study of water resources carrying capacity is the basis for future socioeconomic development and is the driving force for social progress. Therefore, it is important to investigate the influence factors of regional and national water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) and predict the future trend development. In view of the regional water resources data of the past 10 years in Anhui province, China, the Driving force Pressure State Impact Response Management (DPSIRM) model framework is constructed and the entropy weight method and variable weight theory can be used to make a comprehensive evaluation of the WRCC. Based on the comprehensive evaluation value, a modified Grey-Markov combination forecast can be introduced to predict the local WRCC in the coming years. The study on account of the Anhui Statistical Yearbook, the Water Resources Bulletin, and the water resources data of the Forestry Bureau for the past 10 years shows that the WRCC of Anhui Province is weak from 2010 to 2013 and gradually strengthens from 2014 to 2019; the WRCC of Anhui Province is mainly correlated with the impact subsystem, the management subsystem, and the state subsystem. The combined projections reflect that the future WRCC of Anhui Province is in good condition. It is recommended that the Anhui provincial government should strengthen water security and management, improve water resources utilization techniques, and construct complete and effective management tools and measures to fundamentally safeguard the province's water resources security and improve the WRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta as an example, the time section data from 2009 to 2019 are selected, and the location entropy index and the modified E-G index are introduced to measure the collaborative agglomeration level of intercity manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta. The spatial weight matrix is constructed based on the highway mileage between cities. Using Moran's index and Local Moran's index, this article analyzes the spatial correlation of the collaborative agglomeration level of intercity manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta. The results show that: Firstly, the overall agglomeration degree of manufacturing industry of cities in the Yangtze River Delta shows a fluctuating downward trend. The agglomeration degree of manufacturing industry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces has decreased, that of most cities in Anhui Province has increased steadily. Secondly, the collaborative agglomeration level of manufacturing industry between Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and other cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces showed a downward trend, while the collaborative agglomeration level with Anhui cities increased steadily. The collaborative agglomeration level of manufacturing industry between Wuxi, Suzhou, Nanjing and cities with obvious advantages in manufacturing industry agglomeration degree shows an upward trend, while the collaborative agglomeration level with other cities has declined. The collaborative agglomeration level of intercity manufacturing industry in Hefei has generally improved, especially the collaborative agglomeration quality and depth of manufacturing industry between Hefei and other cities in Anhui Province have significantly improved. Thirdly, the regions with high collaborative agglomeration level of intercity manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta are still mainly concentrated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. Although there has been a trend of westward transfer in the past decade, the overall change range is small, and the spatial correlation of the collaborative agglomeration level of intercity manufacturing industry shows a weakening trend as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking winter wheat–summer maize distribution is crucial for the management of agricultural water resources in the water-scarce North China Plain (NCP). However, the spatio-temporal change in planting structure that has occurred during the last 20 years remains unclear. Therefore, winter wheat–summer maize distribution between 2001 and 2020 was determined via the maximum likelihood algorithm of supervised classification and a threshold method using the MODIS NDVI product MOD13Q1 and Landsat 5/7 images. The results reveal that dividing distributions into six sample categories—winter wheat–summer maize, winter wheat–rice, spring maize, cotton, other double-cropping systems, and fruit trees—proved to be an efficient way to discriminate winter wheat–summer maize distribution, with R2 and RMSE values ranging from 0.738 to 0.901 and from 179.05 to 215.72 km2, respectively. From 2001 to 2020, the planting area continually expanded, experiencing a significant growth of 3.32 × 104 km2 (23.44%). Specifically, the planting area decreased by 2982.13 km2 (10.06%) in the northern part of the NCP, including the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, while it increased by 3.62 × 104 km2 (32.30%) in the middle and southern parts, encompassing Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces. The stable growing region was primarily concentrated in the middle of the Hebei Plain, along the Yellow River irrigation areas and humid zones of the southwest, accounting for 75–85% of the total NCP planting area. Our results can provide references for adjusting agricultural planting structures, formulating food security strategies, and optimizing the management of water resources in the NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an empirical study on the cultural industry competitiveness in Anhui province, China, based on the Diamond Model. The study analyzes the current situation and identifies influencing factors for cultural industry competitiveness in Anhui province. The results highlight the overall competitiveness factor and industry operation factor as driving factors, and suggestions are provided to improve cultural industry competitiveness. The study contributes to the formulation of differentiated policies and the coordinated development of cultural industry competitiveness in different regions of Anhui province. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the climatic characteristics of 202 Jianghuai cyclones and their linkage with precipitation during the Meiyu period from 1961 to 2020. The results show that cyclones mainly originate from eastern Hubei Province and south-central Anhui Province. The frequency of Jianghuai cyclone occurrences shows an increasing trend in 1965–1970, 1990–2000, and after 2020. A decreasing trend is observed for 1970–1990 and 2000–2010. There is a positive correlation coefficient of 0.769 between the frequency of cyclone activity and precipitation in the Meiyu period. The percentage of precipitation affected by cyclone activities can reach up to 47 %. The anomalous increase in precipitation caused by cyclones above 27° N can reach a maximum of 7 mm/day. In contrast, precipitation is decreased in southern China because of the strengthening positive geopotential height in the Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH). Precursor negative geopotential height anomalies for these cyclones emerge over the Mongolian region. The abnormal signal of the negative geopotential height can be traced to day -4 at the 500 hPa level. The WPSH and southwest jet are the dominant factors causing abnormal precipitation during Jianghuai cyclones. The significant water vapor convergence anomalies in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the southwestward water vapor transport anomalies provide sufficient water vapor for cyclone development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]