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Aim: Over the last century, lakes all over the world have experienced significant eutrophication and become more susceptible to critical transitions. This has prompted a growing need to understand how community dynamics shift following ecological perturbations. This study aims to elucidate the present status, spatial patterns and determinants of biological diversity, and how they have changed in response to alterations driven by eutrophication. Location: Lakes of East China, mostly in the Yangtze River Basin. Taxa: Bacillariophyceae (163 species in 33 genres, see taxa names in Appendix S1). Methods: The environmental conditions of over 60 lakes were assessed based on parameters such as water quality, physical characteristics and biogeochemical constituents. Surface sediment samples and high‐resolution sediment records were collected to quantify the biodiversity of diatom communities, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the major environmental gradients. Meanwhile, linear regression, canonical correlation analysis and Mantel tests were used to quantify the correlations between variables. Results: Biodiversity metrics showed no distinct geographic patterns, although areas near large lakes showed comparatively high evenness. Smaller pairwise dissimilarities were observed among hypereutrophic lakes in comparison to lakes with a lower trophic status. The past century has witnessed a decrease in both pairwise dissimilarity and the standard deviation of evenness. A significant statistical association was found between dissimilarity and ionic concentration and composition in the surface sediment of lakes, rather than nutrient levels. Main Conclusions: Following regional eutrophication and human disturbance, a significant reduction in biodiversity differentiation was observed in lakes located in East China. Currently, the dominant factor in determining the beta diversity of diatom communities is geochemical conditions rather than nutrient concentrations. Long‐term stress caused by cultural eutrophication may also have altered the dominant determinant of regional biodiversity and diatom community dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The widely observed positive response of productivity to biodiversity, known as the biodiversity‐productivity relationship (BPR), underpins nature‐based solutions for mitigating and adapting to global changes. Little is known of the role of such emergent processes in the restoration of damaged ecosystems. Here, we test for evidence of a BPR in degraded freshwater lakes, and its role in underpinning or undermining lake recovery from eutrophic states. Location: Lower Yangtze and Huaihe river basins, China, East Asia. Taxa: Freshwater phytoplankton; also macrophytes, fish, zooplankton and zoobenthos. Methods: A systematic review of biodiversity studies was conducted to enumerate freshwater biodiversity change during eutrophication, encompassing 572 samples from 155 lakes in East China. Empirical samples were then taken of 93 phytoplankton communities from 38 lakes in ecologically degraded states of eutrophication. Samples were analysed for niche overlap in relation to biodiversity and productivity, and metrics of network structure indicative of community stability. Results: Reviewed publications on eutrophication in East China lakes revealed losses in biodiversity of macrophytes, fishes, zooplankton and zoobenthos but not phytoplankton. Empirically sampled eutrophic lakes maintained high phytoplankton biodiversity through niche differentiation, and phytoplankton biodiversity correlated positively with biomass, in line with the expectations of BPR. Conclusions: The positive effect of biodiversity on phytoplankton productivity in eutrophic lakes acts in opposition to the negative impacts on productivity induced by eutrophication‐management strategies of nutrient suppression. In degraded systems, the BPR contributes to sustaining productivity of lake phytoplankton communities, impeding recovery from a eutrophic state. This is a case of the BPR playing an undesirable role at the ecosystem level. Lake recovery programmes need to anticipate that the control of phytoplankton biomass will depend on reducing nutrients to a level sufficient to degrade the internal structure of the phytoplankton community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarifying the impact of livelihood interventions on the livelihood resilience of farmers in undeveloped mountain areas can not only optimize interventions, but also provide experiential support for global poverty alleviation. To analyze the impact of multiple livelihood interventions on livelihood resilience, we constructed an analytical framework and analyzed the enjoyment of livelihood interventions and the heterogeneity of livelihood resilience among out-of-poverty farmers in the Longnan mountain areas, China. Then, we studied the impact of intervention intensity on livelihood resilience through the multiple linear regression model. The results revealed that: 1) the livelihood interventions enjoyed by out-of-poverty farmer in mountain areas were multiple. The proportion of farmers enjoyed diversified livelihood interventions was in descending order of high mountain areas, semi-mountain area and Chuanba valley areas. 2) The overall livelihood resilience of farmers in Longnan mountain areas was generally low, with an average of 0.299. There were significant differences in the livelihood resilience of farmers across different geographic areas in the study area and types of interventions. 3) The effects of industry interventions, employment interventions and education interventions were significant. The endogenous power of farmers not only had a significant positive effect on livelihood resilience, but also positively moderated the impact of the intensity of interventions on livelihood resilience. In addition, the household dependency ratio and the average altitude of the village area had a significant negative impact on their livelihood resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some seriously weathered jades of Fubin culture were unearthed at the Moyishan site in Lingnan, South China. These long-buried jades have many secondary changes such as discoloration, microstructural change and chemical composition variation. To explore the formation mechanism of secondary changes, the microstructure, mineral components, and chemical content of the jade samples and their buried soil are analyzed separately. The jade with red-brown shell is preserved well and shows better structural stability, further research indicates that it's the result of surface complexation reactions. During the long-term burial in acidic soil environment, the jade wrapped in the negatively charged kaolinite which absorbed Fe3+ to complexed on the jade surface. Iron(ⅲ) precipitates causes the dense shell to appear red-brown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article selects relevant data from 283 cities in China from 2000 to 2020 and verifies the impact of the establishment of free trade zones on human capital levels based on the asymptotic PSM-DID model. It is found that the establishment of FTZs can significantly contribute to the improvement of regional human capital levels, but the promotion effect has a certain lag. Finally, the article gives constructive suggestions based on the empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) is the main pathogen causing maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD) in China. Typical enation symptoms along the abaxial leaf veins prevail in RBSDV-infected maize inbred line B73 (susceptible to RBSDV), but not in X178 (resistant to RBSDV). Observation of the microstructures of epidermal cells and cross section of enations from RBSDV-infected maize leaves found that the increase of epidermal cell and phloem cell numbers is associated with enation formation. To identify proteins associated with enation formation and candidate proteins against RBSDV infection, comparative proteomics between B73 and X178 plants were conducted using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) with leaf samples at the enation forming stage. The proteomics data showed that 260 and 316 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in B73 and X178, respectively. We found that the majority of DEPs are located in the chloroplast and cytoplasm. Moreover, RBSDV infection resulted in dramatic changes of DEPs enriched by the metabolic process, response to stress and the biosynthetic process. Strikingly, a cell number regulator 10 was significantly down-regulated in RBSDV-infected B73 plants. Altogether, these data will provide value information for future studies to analyze molecular events during both enation formation and resistance mechanism to RBSDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey mould, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is an increasingly destructive disease of ginseng (Panax ginseng) in China. However, the extent of variation in the morphological characteristics of fungal colonies, genetic background and pathogenicity of different strains of this pathogen remains unknown. In this study, we isolated and identified 102 isolates of B. cinerea from ginseng. Among these, the sclerotial phenotype was dominant, followed by the mycelial and conidial phenotypes, with the proportion of each phenotype in the pathogen population showing no obvious variance across three provinces. Isolates were separated into three groups with differing pathogenicity, based on the diameter of the lesions they caused in pathogenicity tests; moderate-pathogenicity isolates were dominant, followed by strong- and weak-pathogenicity isolates. Variation was observed in the pathogenicity of isolates from three provinces. The Nei's genetic diversity index and the Shannon's information index of isolates from Jilin province was highest, followed by those from Liaoning, while isolates from Heilongjiang displayed the lowest genetic diversity. Furthermore, most of the genetic variance was found within the geographically defined B. cinerea populations; the low-genetic variance among populations was probably counteracted by gene flow. Results from this study provide a base understanding of genetic and pathogenic variation in B. cinerea populations from the main ginseng-growing regions of China, which will be helpful for further research and control of grey mould of ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of high-speed rail in China, addressing the issue of safety assurance during the operation of the train is very important. A very important part of a train's power supply system is the pantograph and catenary system, which consists of a pantograph and a catenary. Failure of the pantograph-catenary system can cause significant damage to the normal operation of the train. The dynamic performance of the pantograph-catheter system must be detected in real time during the operation of the train. This paper is based on the study and analysis of pantograph-catheter dynamic performance parameters and developed a system for real-time detection of pantograph-catheter dynamic performance parameters based on a car visual system. The results are as follows: based on this detection method, the visual error is low and the accuracy is high. The machine-based directional height detection module developed in this paper has a good detection effect and high test accuracy; the arcing detection module designed in this paper can effectively detect the arcing and store the arcing pictures and can display the duration of single arcing and the arcing rate of the section in real-time. The practical application effect is good. The results show that the focal length of the camera lens is 16 mm, and the error of the machine vision system is low. The system designed in this paper may make a great contribution to the operation condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of the pantograph-catenary system of a high-speed train in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The price of photovoltaics (PV) has been steadily decreasing over the last decade, and many reports suggest that PV has become considerably cheaper than conventional electricity sources. In this paper, we critically evaluate the PV grid parity and use China as a case study. China is an interesting case study due to the wealth of data combined with the recent decrease in financial subsidies. Electricity costs are commonly compared in the literature using levelized costs of electricity (LCOE). However traditional LCOE analyses neglect important cost factors that are specific to PV, in particular the cost of grid integration. Here, we demonstrate that system LCOE calculation more accurately estimates the grid parity of PV. We find that the integration costs account for 15% of the total system costs, which cannot be neglected with the higher penetration of PV in the electricity system. Further, provincial grid parity indexes are greater than 1, indicating that the grid parity from a system LCOE perspective has not yet been achieved. The learning rate of Chinese PV is still relatively small, and we estimate that grid parity for PV in China will be achieved between 2020 and 2032, depending on the region. These findings shed new light on assessing grid parity of PV systems by considering relevant local parameters and thereby offer an assessment method framework and prediction modeling for assessing grid parity of PV installations. • This paper assesses PV's commercial feasibility in the current electricity market. • Grid parity is estimated using a new approach of system LCOE and learning curve. • The impacts of system LCOE and electricity price on grid parity are investigated. • The additional grid integration costs amount for 15% of total PV system costs. • Grid parity from a system LCOE perspective will be achieved between 2020 and 2032. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Corn stover is an important agricultural byproduct, and represents an animal feedstuff. Waxy corn is harvested at milk stage or dough stage (20 d difference in harvest time) to meet the market demand for fresh corn and ripe corn in China, resulting in plenty of byproducts of corn stover after fresh- (CF) or ripe-corn (CR) harvested. This study was conducted to investigate the digestibility and rumen fermentation of these two corn stover silages in growing beef cattle. We observed that CR silage had greater dry matter and fiber contents, but with similar substrate degradation through in vitro ruminal fermentation in comparison with the CF silage. Further feeding trials indicated that feeding a CR diet (i.e., replaced 50% forage of CF silage with CR silage on a dry matter basis) increased feed intake and decreased fiber digestibility with reduction in the abundance of ruminal fiber degraders, together with similar growth performance in beef cattle, when comparing with CF diet. Both waxy corn stover after fresh- (CF) and ripe-corn (CR) harvested are important byproducts of corn cropping system and have 20 d difference in harvest time. The study aimed to investigate the effects of prolonging harvest time on the nutritive value of corn stover silage by comparing CF with CR silages. In vitro ruminal experiment was firstly performed to investigate substrate degradation and fermentation of CF and CR silages. The CR diet was formulated by replacing 50% forage of CF silage with CR silage on a dry matter (DM) basis. Fourteen crossbred steers (Simmental × Limousin × local Chinese) aged 13 months with an average weight of 318.1 ± 37.1 kg were selected and randomly allocated into two dietary treatment groups. Although the CR silage had greater DM and fiber contents than CF silage, it did not alter in vitro degradation (p > 0.05), but with lower molar percentage of propionate and acetate to propionate ratio (p < 0.05). The cattle fed CR diet had a higher DM intake and lower fiber digestibility with reduction in 18S rRNA gene copies of protozoa and fungi and 16S rRNA gene copies of Fibrobacter succinogenes (p < 0.05). Further 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis indicated a similar diversity of bacteria community between CR and CF treatments (p > 0.05). Few differences were observed in the abundance of genera larger than 1% (p > 0.05), except for the reduction in abundance of genera Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group in CR treatment (p < 0.05). In summary, prolonging 20 d harvest time of corn stover silage increases the forage fiber and DM content, which promotes feed intake with decreased fiber degradation, although rumen fermentation and growth performance are not changed in growing beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the level of critical cultural competence (CCC) among Chinese clinical nurses and explore its influencing factors. Background: Previous research has only focused on the theoretical model of CCC and the development of assessment tools; however, no large‐scale study has been conducted on the level of clinical nurses' CCC and its influencing factors. Method: Clinical nurses in 14 Level A tertiary hospitals (n = 3858) were surveyed using Almutairi's critical cultural competence scale (CCCS). Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: The mean score of CCC was 4.44 (SD = 0.33). Critical empowerment (M = 4.85, SD = 0.58) and critical awareness (M = 3.57, SD = 0.99) had the highest and lowest scores, respectively. Female nurses, nurses in the nursing department and nurses with higher positions had higher CCC. Conclusion: The CCC of clinical nurses can be strengthened through targeted training, especially considering the fact that male and low‐ranking nurses who had the lower level of CCC work in different departments. Implications for Nursing Management: Hospital administrators should pay attention to the importance of culture and cultural differences among different countries or ethnic groups. Creating an equal and fair nursing environment and encouraging nurses to provide critical cultural nursing is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astroviruses (AstVs) are among the most important viruses causing diarrhea in human infants and many animals, posing a threat to public health safety and a burden on the economy. Five porcine AstV (PAstV) genotypes have been identified in various countries, including China. However, the epidemiology of PAstV in Yunnan province, China, remains unknown. In this study, 489 fecal samples from pigs in all 16 prefectures/cities of Yunnan were collected between April and August of 2020 for epidemiological investigation. The total infection rate of PAstV-2 or PAstV-5 was 39.9%, with suckling piglets having the highest infection rate (62.3%). The ORF2 genes of seven PAstV-2 and 10 PAstV-5 isolates were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. In addition to coinfections with PAstV-2 and PAstV-5, coinfections of PAstV with other diarrhea-inducing viruses (e.g., porcine bocavirus) were also discovered. A comparison of ORF2-encoded capsid protein sequences revealed that there were multiple insertions and deletions in the seven Yunnan PAstV-2 sequences, while point mutations, but no deletions or insertions, were found in the 10 Yunnan PAstV-5 sequences, which were very similar to the reference sequences. This is the first epidemiological investigation and genetic characterization of PAstV-2 and PAstV-5 in Yunnan province, China, demonstrating the current PAstV infection situation in Yunnan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extremal spatial dependence of significant wave height (H S) in the South China Sea (SCS) is discussed by combining altimeter observations of ocean satellites and ERA5 reanalysis dataset from the period 2011–2023. A spatial conditional extremes (SCE) model allowing different classes of extremal dependence is established, which uses a reliable Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) scheme to realize the parameter inference. In this work, four transects are selected in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) and the central South China Sea (CSCS) respectively, which are approximately southwest-northeast (SW-NE) and northwest-southeast (NW-SE), and the H S data is transformed to the standard Laplace scale. The model fitting results show that the extremal dependence characteristics of different regions and directions in the SCS are different. The mean dependence of H S in NSCS decays faster than in CSCS, and the mean dependence on NW-SE transects decays faster than SW-NE transects. In general, the SW-NE transect in CSCS is observed a longer-range extremal dependence, which is potentially related to the storm direction in the SCS. • Simultaneous events of extreme oceans at multiple locations often have greater risks. • Important to analyze the spatial dependence of extreme wave height. • Satellite altimeter (HY-2) and ERA5 reanalysis dataset incorporated. • Spatial conditional extremes model used to quantify extremal spatial dependence of the effective wave heights for four transects in the South China Sea. • Extreme wave height shows greater extremal dependence from southwest to northeast than from northwest to southeast in the central South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding social-ecological interactions is a major research priority for sustainable management. However, the scarcity in multi-decadal records represents a big gap in information that hinders the development of above research. In this paper, we propose a framework to explore the long-term dynamic mechanisms between social and ecological systems, and present a case study in the Erhai basin, southwest China. Using paleolimnological proxies to reconstruct the long-term trends of ecological changes, the social-ecological system (SES) framework links the variations of ecosystem services (ESs) and ecosystem functions with social policies. According to the results of the Erhai basin, there were increasing social demands and wanted provisioning ESs but degraded ecosystem functions over the last 70 years. Typically, the introduction of four major Chinese carps since the 1950s, the construction of hydropower stations on the Xi'er river since the 1970s, and the development of tourism since the 1990s, have been implemented to meet the social demands for wanted fish provisioning, hydroelectricity provisioning, and culture services respectively. Although there were temporary benefits in above desired services, improper strategies have gradually impaired the functions of native fish diversity, hydrodynamic forces, and nutrient cycling. Degraded ecosystem functions threatened the sustainable provision of wanted ESs, which motivated the implementation of subsequent social policies, such as the fishing ban after the 1950s, water level control after the 1970s and restoration projects after the 1990s. By rounds of renewed social drivers/policies, the social system and ecosystem in the Erhai basin are tightly connected in the form of a feedback loop in the SES, rendering dynamic changes in wanted ESs. The current social-ecological trap in the Erhai basin emphasizes the significance of SES framework and advantages of a paleolimnological approach in revealing the long-term SES dynamics, which can help tailor proper management measures in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We drilled a core in Tingming Lake (located at the tree line) to conduct pollen and diatom analyses. The pollen record shows that the vegetation ecosystem is very stable and has no obvious regime shift signals, although the vegetable belt has moved gradually upward or downward under the backdrop of climate change. There may be a positive relationship between the vegetation ecosystem stability and the turnover component (β sim). Diatoms, which record the lake ecosystem, show an obvious regime shift signal in 1929 AD, which was possibly was due to environmental changes or decreased nutrient inputs. However, there were fluctuations in species richness and species dissimilarity and there was a slightly increased β diversity (β sor), which was mainly interpreted by the increased turnover component (β sim). It is difficult to determine the relationship between the unstable stability and diversity fluctuations. Therefore, the relationships between diversity and stability in the adjacent vegetation and lake ecosystems are different. It is possible that β diversity partitioning may lead to an improved understanding of ecosystem stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic urban growth is affected by various driving factors which are important for building cellular automata (CA) models. Two categories of urban‐growth drivers (i.e., proximity and accessibility) have not been well differentiated in simulating urban patterns. We built two CA models (Pro‐CAPSO and Acc‐CAPSO) using particle swarm optimization (PSO) incorporating the proximity and accessibility drivers and applied these models to simulate urban growth at Zhuji in China. The results show that although both models accurately reproduced urban growth from 2005 to 2015, differences in the allocation of urban cells are apparent. The proximity‐based model yielded a slightly better figure of merit (FOM) of 19.3% during calibration (2005–2010) as compared to the accessibility‐based model with FOM of 17.5%. An opposite trend (FOM 17.5% vs. 18.3%) was found for subsequent validation (2010–2015). The simulations by the Acc‐CAPSO model are closer to the real urban patterns as measured by landscape metrics. The results indicate that accessibility is a relatively robust driver in predicting long‐term future urban growth. For specific regions, urban future scenarios produced by the two models show opposing patterns; in the same areas, when Pro‐CAPSO predicted more new urban cells, Acc‐CAPSO predicted fewer, and vice versa. Our methods are useful for modelers in selecting appropriate factors between proximity and accessibility and arrange the combination to represent human disturbance when simulating urban growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data relevant to China's tourism industry and ecological environment from 2005 to 2018, the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model were used to analyze the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree of the tourism industry's development and the ecological environment, and the GM (1.1) gray model was used to predict these values in the future. The model provided predictions and illustrated the trend in the changes in the degree of coordination between the development of China's tourism industry and the ecological environment for the next five years. The results show the following. (1) The coupling degree between China's tourism industry and the ecological environment was between 0.3 and 0.5. It was in the low-level coupling stage in 2005 and 2006 and generally low in 2005–2009, lower than the average level of 0.4204. In 2018, the coupling degree between the development of China's tourism industry and the ecological environment was mainly in a stage of antagonism, reaching a peak of 0.4998 in 2013. The coupling degree declined slightly from 2013 to 2015 and then began to show an upward trend again in 2016. (2) The average coupling coordination level of China's tourism industry development and ecological environment was 0.4266, which is in the medium coupling coordination stage. From 2007 to 2013, it was mainly in the phase of moderate coupling and coordination and high coupling and coordination from 2014 to 2018. (3) From the prediction results, the coupling degree will enter the coupling degree running-in stage in 2021 and the extreme coordination stage in 2023, but the coupling growth level during the running-in period will be significantly lower than the coupling coordination degree. Coordinated development of the two systems will take a long time, and active economic policies need to be adopted to promote their coordinated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Zinc hydrometallurgical residues are resource but hazardous. • Metal bioavailability of lead-silver and jarosite residues was examined for the first time. • Zinc hydrometallurgical residues show a significant leaching toxicity and metal mobility. About 80 % of zinc is produced by "roasting-leaching-purifying-electrodeposition". Lead-silver and jarosite residues are generated during this process, posing a serious threat to the ecosystem and environment since it contains a lot of heavy metals such as Pb. To better understand metal mobility and toxicity of these two zinc hydrothermal residues, it was analyzed by standard leaching toxicity procedures, bioavailability test and sequential extraction procedures. The results showed that the main phases of lead-silver and jarosite residues are KFe 3 (SO 4) 2 (OH) 6 , CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O, PbSO 4 , Fe 3 O 4 and ZnFe 2 O 4. These two residues contain a high content of Fe, Pb and Zn and also a significant amount of precious metals, such as Ag and In, showing a great resource potential. Meanwhile, lead-silver and jarosite residues are classified as hazardous waste both in China and the USA since their toxicity leaching concentration of Cd, Pb and Se exceeds the threshold of 1, 5 and 1 ppm. Metals contained in these two residues could easily be released to the environment, especially Cd, Pb and Zn, though metals are mainly in the form of residual, higher than 85 %. In addition, lead-silver and jarosite residues also show a significant biohazardous potential since EDTA and DTPA extractable Zn, Pb, Mn, Cd, Cu and As of these two residues are considerably high. All these results could help the zinc manufactories, governments and also the recycling companies better understand the risk of zinc hydrometallurgical residues and urge them to hind this harm to the ecosystem, and most importantly the human being itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puma Yumco Lake (PYL) is an ultraoligotrophic freshwater lake that sits an altitude of 5030 m within the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. The bacterial and archaeal diversity of the lake remains poorly understood, despite their potential to inform on biogeochemical cycling and environment-microbial associations in these unique environments. Here, the bacterial and archaeal communities of PYL were investigated using high-throughput sequencing analysis of community 16S rRNA gene sequences. Further, the relationships among dominant taxa and environmental factors were comprehensively evaluated. Bacterial diversity comprised 31 phyla and 371 genera (10,645 operational taxonomic units [OTUs], Shannon index values of 5.21–6.16) and was significantly higher than that of Archaea (five phyla and 24 genera comprising 1141 OTUs and Shannon index values of 1.18–3.28). The bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria (48.42–59.97% relative abundances), followed by Bacteroidetes (12.5–32.51%), Acidobacteria (2.07–11.56%), Firmicutes (0.65–6.32%), Planctomycetes (0.99–3.56%), Gemmatimonadetes (0.38–3.57%), Actinobacteria (1.67–3.52%), Verrucomicrobia (0.87–2.01%), and Chloroflexi (0.5–1.17%). In addition, archaeal communities were dominated by Thaumarchaeota (33.22–93.00%), followed by Euryarchaeota (2.89–35.47%), Woesearchaeota (0.99–31.04%), and Pacearchaeota (0.01–1.14%). The most abundant bacterial genus was Rhodoferax (5.73–26.62%) and the most abundant archaeal genus was the ammonia-oxidizing Nitrososphaera (29.18–91.46%). These results suggest that the Rhodoferax and Nitrososphaera are likely to participate in biogeochemical cycles in these environments through photoheterotrophy and nitrification, respectively. Taken together, these results provide valuable data for better understanding microbial interactions with each other and with these unique environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top‐down and bottom‐up controls regulate the structure and stability of ecosystems, but their relative roles in terrestrial systems have been debated. Here we studied a hydro‐inundated land‐bridge system in subtropical China and tested the relative importance of these two controls in determining the rodent‐mediated regeneration of a locally dominant tree species. Our results showed that both controls operated in terrestrial habitats and that their relative importance switched as habitat size changed. Habitat loss initially removed predators of rodents that released rodent populations and triggered massive seed predation (top‐down control), leading to reduced seedling establishment. A further reduction in habitat size led to decrease in rodent population that was supposed to increase seedling survival of the tree species, but the decline in habitat size deteriorated the abiotic environments (bottom‐up control) that severely prevented seedling recruitment. As the ongoing global land use change is creating increasing number of small‐sized forest fragments, our findings provide novel insights into the restoration of seriously fragmented forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data of China's ecological environment from 2006 to 2018, the paper uses the super-efficiency DEA and Malmquist index methods to evaluate China's ecological welfare performance from a static and dynamic perspective. Based on this, the Theil index is used to analyze the group's ecological welfare performance. The internal and intergroup differences show that, from the static evaluation results, China's ecological welfare performance is in a situation of "high in the east, low in the west, and average in the central region." There is not much difference between the eastern and central regions, while the ecological welfare performance in the western region is low. From the results of dynamic evaluation, the overall level of regional ecological welfare performance in China has improved in recent years, and the average Malmquist index has exceeded 1, indicating that the growth pattern of ecological welfare performance has shifted to high quality, but the degree of increase in each region is different. There is still much room for improvement in ecological welfare performance; from the perspective of intragroup and intergroup differences, the intragroup differences and intergroup differences in the three major regions have generally maintained a continuous downward trend, and the contribution of the differences in ecowelfare performance between group rate has a clear advantage. Finally, corresponding suggestions are put forward based on the empirical results of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new macluravirus infecting Pinellia ternata in China was identified by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and tentatively named "crow-dipper mosaic-associated virus" (CrdMV). The complete genome sequence of CrdMV was determined by reverse transcription (RT) PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The genomic RNA of CrdMV consists of 8,454 nucleotides (nt), excluding the poly(A) tail at the 3′ end. CrdMV has a genomic structure typical of macluraviruses, with large open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of 2,696 amino acids (aa). CrdMV shares 54.40%–59.37% nt sequence identity at the genome sequence level, 48.00%–58.58% aa sequence identity, at the polyprotein sequence level and 37.27%–49.22% aa sequence identity at the CP sequence level with other members of the genus Macluravirus. These values are well below the species demarcation threshold for the family Potyviridae. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of polyproteins confirmed that CrdMV clusters closely with broad-leafed dock virus A (BDVA, GenBank accession no. KU053507). These results suggest that CrdMV should be considered a distinct member of the genus Macluravirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional higher education growth in non-federal states has not attracted much academic attention. This paper is one of the first attempts to explore China's latest higher education expansion and its systematic and regional impact from the perspective of multi-level governance. This article argues that the state had explicitly utilized the Commanding Heights Strategy to diffuse the higher education authority to sub-national level and promote regional growth. The Central authorities allowed the Ministry of Education establishing a vertical elite coalition to command the heights of tertiary institutional hierarchy and key resources for tertiary development. In addition, the state used both financial incentives and sectoral incentives to mobilize resources for regional expansion. The Commanding Heights Strategy shapes China's response to the higher education trilemma of costs, access, and quality. Under this strategy, the unprecedented tertiary expansion has expanded college access, but at the expense of affordability, quality, and a large and increasing regional variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake biodiversity is an incomplete indicator of exogenous forcing insofar as it ignores underlying deformations of community structure. Here, we seek a proxy for deformation in a network of diatom assemblages comprising 452 species in 273 lakes across China. We test predictions from network theory that nodes of similar type will tend to self‐organize in an unstressed system to a positively skewed frequency distribution of nodal degree. The empirical data reveal shifts in the frequency distributions of species associations across regions, from positive skew in lakes in west China with a history of low human impacts, to predominantly negative skew amongst lakes in highly disturbed regions in east China. Skew values relate strongly to nutrient loading from agricultural activity and urbanization, as measured by total phosphorus in lake water. Reconstructions through time show that positive skew reduces with temporal intensification of human impacts in the lake and surrounding catchments, and rises as lakes recover from disturbance. Our study illustrates how network parameters can track the loss of aquatic assemblage structure in lakes associated with human pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new flavonoid derivative flavoside A (1), one new 5-hydroxyanthranilic acid derivative crassilin (2), along with the known angucyclinone PD116740 (3) and oxachelin (4), was isolated from the EtOAc extract of the fermentation broth of the sea urchin (Anthocidaris crassispina)-derived actinobacterium, Streptomyces sp. HD01. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of their HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopic data. All of these compounds were assessed for their antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel virus was identified in aconite (Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.) in China by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and tentatively named "aconite virus A" (AcVA). The genomic RNA of AcVA consists of 8,844 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) at the 3′ end. Analysis of the genomic organization of AcVA indicated that it possesses a genomic structure that is typical of carlaviruses and contains six putative open reading frames (ORFs). Pairwise analysis revealed that the replicase and coat protein of AcVA share the highest amino acid sequence identity (43.78% and 57.01%) with those of coleus vein necrosis virus (CVNV) and butterbur mosaic virus (ButMV), respectively. Based on the current classification criteria for carlaviruses, AcVA should be considered a distinct member of the genus Carlavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving factors are usually assumed temporally stationary in cellular automata (CA) based land use modeling, hence the persistence of their relationships. Therefore, major questions as to how much do the temporally stationary factors explain the past and future urban growth, and how long can these factors justify the projection of urban scenarios in the future, are worth further study. We selected seven explanatory driving factors to calibrate a DE-CA (differential evolution-based CA) model to simulate urban growth in Ningbo of China during 2000–2015 and project nine scenarios of urban growth from 2015 to 2060. We evaluated the effects of factors on urban growth using generalized additive models (GAM) based on fitting statistics such as accumulative deviance explained (ADE). Our results show remarkably temporal change in factor effects on the future urban growth – the ADE peaks with 34.7% in 2045 for the total projected urban growth since 2015 while that for every five years decreases continuously from 26.5% during 2000–2005 to 1.9% during 2050–2055, but slightly increase to 3.0% during 2055–2060. These indicate that the stationary factors have less strong explanatory power to the new urban areas that are farther away from the existing built-up areas. The results suggest that a 30-year period in the future is most suitable to project the urban growth scenarios, where the new urban area approximates the initial urban area. The specific best period for scenario projection elsewhere can then be identified using the method presented in this study. • We calibrated a DE-CA model using temporally stationary factors. • We simulated and projected the urban growth in Ningbo from 2000 to 2060. • We evaluated the effects of factors on urban growth using generalized additive models. • The dominant factors that drive the future urban growth differ over time. • A 30-year period in future is most suitable to project the urban growth scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgery, as one of the main diagnostic and treatment methods, is a routine work in medical settings. Patients undergoing surgery often experience acute procedure anxiety due to uncertainty. There is ample evidence showing that uncertainty is a risk factor for the acute procedure anxiety in surgical patients. However, little is known about the psychological processes mediating this relationship. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate resilience as a mediator of the association between uncertainty and anxiety. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional survey with a convenience sampling method was conducted, involving 243 surgical patients in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province of China was carried out. Relevant data were collected by self-reporting questionnaires, including demographic characteristics questionnaire, Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS-C), Mishel's Illness Uncertainty Scale (MUIS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine correlations between various variables. A path model was used to assess the mediation effect of resilience with respect to uncertainty and acute procedure anxiety. Results: In the path model, uncertainty have an indirect effect on acute procedure anxiety through resilience. The results suggest that resilience has a mediating role in uncertainty and acute procedure anxiety among surgical patients. Conclusions: These findings call for the development of interventions targeting the role of resilience in effectively predicting and preventing acute procedure anxiety and uncertainty among surgical patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterocytozoon bieneusi has been considered as the most frequently diagnosed microsporidian species in humans and various animal species, accounting for more than 90% of the cases of human microsporidiosis. Spores of this pathogen excreted from both symptomatic and asymptomatic hosts into environment also would be an important source of waterborne outbreak of microsporidiosis. Due to limited effective drugs available but with too much side effects to mammals (eg. toxic), accurate characterization of E. bieneusi in both humans and animals is essential to implement effective control strategies to this pathogen. In China, E. bieneusi infection was presented in humans and some animals with high prevalence. Analysis of genetic variations of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences found 361 genotypes in China, and some novel genotypes were identified in some specific hosts. Additionally, associations between infections and some risk factors were also observed. In the present article, we reviewed the current status of prevalence, genotypes, multilocus genotypes (MLGs) in humans, various animals and waters in China. These findings will provide basic information for developing effective control strategies against E. bieneusi infection in China as well as other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Non‐diabetic renal disease (NDRD) has been widely known in diabetic patients. The clinical differentiation between diabetic nephropathy (DN) and NDRD is still not so clear and effective. Aim: To analyse the pathological characteristics and distribution of renal injury in selected type 2 diabetic patients. Comparison between DN and NDRD in clinical characteristics, to find important predictors for NDRD. Methods: To conduct retrospective analysis of clinical, laboratory and pathohistological data of type 2 diabetic patients in whom renal biopsies were performed from March 2010 to September 2014 in Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University (n = 88). Results: According to the findings of renal biopsy, the incidences of DN, NDRD and DN complicated with NDRD were 20.46, 72.73 and 6.82% respectively. The most common NDRD found were: membranous nephropathy, followed by IgA nephropathy and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. In multivariate logistic‐analysis, fasting blood glucose (odds ratio (OR) 0.714; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.543–0.939; P = 0.016) and absence of diabetic retinopathy (OR 18.602; 95% CI = 2.176–159.018; P = 0.003) were independent predictors of NDRD. Conclusions: This study confirmed a considerably high prevalence of NDRD in type 2 diabetic patients with renal injury. As some cases of NDRD are readily treatable or remittable, we should consider renal biopsy in selected diabetic patients with renal involvement, especially in those with effective blood glucose control and the absence of diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how humor usage (including positive and negative humor styles) influences employees' responses to the same stressful events, namely, the auto‐correlation between stress experiences at two time points. Moreover, it examines differences between Australian and Chinese employees in such effects via bicultural comparisons. Results from a two‐wave survey of 109 Australian and 141 Chinese employees indicated that humor usage moderated the StressTime1 – StressTime2 relationship for Australian employees but not for Chinese employees. Specifically, the positive relationship between the two stress measures became weaker for Australians who were higher in humor than those lower in humor. Similarly, Positive humor mitigated the relationship between StressTime1 and StressTime2 only for the Australians but not the Chinese. However, Negative humor exerted no influence on the focal relationship in either sample. Organizations should encourage employees to use humor in effective ways, thereby improving stress coping skills and reducing workplace stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical biological control agents fail to achieve an impact on their hosts for a variety of reasons and an understanding of why they fail can help shape decisions on subsequent releases. OrnamentalFicus microcarpais a widely planted avenue fig tree that is invasive in countries where its pollinator (Eupristina verticillata) is also introduced. This tree also supports more than 20 species of non-pollinating fig wasps (NPFW) that feed in the figs and have the potential to reduce the plant’s reproduction.Odontofroggatia galili, one of the most widely introduced NPFW, has larvae that develop in galled ovules that might otherwise develop into seeds or support pollinator larvae. We examined the distribution and relative abundance of the pollinator andO. galilionF. microcarpain China, towards the northern limit of the tree’s natural range, and in Italy where the two species have been introduced. Where they co-existed, we also recorded the impact of varying densities ofO. galilionF. microcarpaseed and pollinator production.O. galiliandE. verticillatadisplayed contrasting habitat preferences in China, withO. galilialmost absent from warmer sites.O. galiliabundance and sex ratios varied between the natural and introduced ranges. Figs with moreO. galilicontained fewer seeds and pollinator offspring, but reproduction was rarely inhibited totally. Additional species with a greater impact in the figs they occupy are needed if biocontrol ofF. microcarpais to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • Heterogeneity index(H) is a structural parameter describing the distribution of species associations. • H is proposed to unveil the species turnover in community in this paper. • Eight lakes exhibit a eutrophication trend with different degrees from the 1950s. • H , species richness, evenness and Jaccard index respond differently to eutrophication. • H can serve as a complementary biodiversity metric to quantify functional diversity. Anthropogenic eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems has had significant negative effects on biodiversity and human wellbeing. Improving our understanding of the ways in which biological communities respond to eutrophication underlies biodiversity conservation, and diversity metrics like species richness and evenness are often used to assess environmental impacts on biodiversity. However, such studies mainly consider overall gain and loss, ignoring species replacement in community succession. This paper combines paleolimnology and network science to propose a heterogeneity index (H) to measure community successions by linking long-term changes in community structure with environmental stress. Eight lakes of different types in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin (MLYB) were selected, and we focused on diatom communities to reconstruct their ecological trajectories after significant anthropogenic impact. The combined results suggested that human impacts have caused eutrophication in each lake since the 1950s, but led to different degrees of impact on the diatom communities. In hypereutrophic lakes, diatom assemblages shifted to high-nutrient tolerance and the proportions of epiphytic-benthic species decreased, while in mildly eutrophic lakes, a switch to mild-nutrient tolerant assemblages occurred in planktonic and epiphytic-benthic species with no change in epiphytic-benthic proportions. The H of diatom communities declined in hypereutrophic lakes, but changed little in mildly eutrophic lakes after the 1950s. Meanwhile, no regular changes in diversity indicators such as richness, evenness and the Jaccard-index occurred with lake eutrophication. The ordered species turnover in nutrient-enriched diatom communities may account for the discrepancies in H and the above indices, such as ordered epiphytic-benthic species being replaced by higher nutrient-tolerant and planktonic species with no necessarily attendant reduction in species richness. By quantifying the alteration of species associations without being influenced by species diversity, the H index effectively reveals the succession of diatom communities, and can therefore serve as a complementary indicator of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To protect the limited forest resources, forestry soils for Panax ginseng cultivation is gradually replaced by farmland, but the extent to which soil type and cultivation age affects soil microbiome in the ginseng rhizosphere is not well known. By using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S and ITS2 rRNA genes, we tested the effects of two soil types (forest, and farmland) and three cultivation ages (four, five, and six years) on soil microbiome in the ginseng rhizosphere from nine locations in Jilin Province, China. Relative abundance and diversity of rhizosphere microbes differed among soil samples, and Ascomycota, Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi were the dominant phyla. Soil type positively influenced fungal community, while cultivation age had more positive effect on bacterial than on fungal community. Richness and diversity of fungal community was greater in forest than in farmland soils, while these parameters for bacterial communities were lower in forest than in farmland soils. A deterioration of soil fertility and continuous cultivation increased the proportion of pathogens such as Fusarium , Cylindrocarpon , but reduced the proportion of beneficial and neutral fungi and bacteria. The observed changes in soil properties (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium) caused by soil type and cultivation age could be explained by the variations in the microbiome. A network analysis indicated that farmland and increasing cultivation age augmented the proportion of pathogens but diminished the proportion of beneficial and neutral fungi and bacteria. The present study showed that the rhizosphere microbiome differed between forest and farmland soils. Cultivation age had a stronger influence on bacterial than on fungal community. These findings suggested that soil microbiome dynamics may be a bioindicator of soil quality, and defining the microbial players involved in various cultivation ages will promote the selection and adoption of favorable ginseng cultivation lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2012, symptoms of irregular mosaic stripe and mottle were observed on maize leaves in field in Beijing, China. The causal pathogen was identified to be Cucumber mosaic virus ( CMV) based upon reverse transcription- PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting and fulfilment of Koch's postulates. The isolate was named ZMBJ- CMV. Full sequence of ZMBJ- CMV RNA3 was determined, and it had the highest identity to that of strain K- CMV (95.03%) and SD- CMV (94.96%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed ZMBJ- CMV clustered with K- CMV and SD- CMV in subgroup IB. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the natural infection and phylogenetic analysis of CMV on maize in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water contents of nominally anhydrous clinopyroxene (cpx), orthopyroxene (opx) and olivine (ol) in peridotite xenoliths hosted by Cenozoic basalts from Yingfengling, Zhangchouchun, Fujitian and Lindi, South China, were measured by Micro-FTIR. All cpx and opx grains contained a certain amount of water, which was indicated by the presence of hydroxyls in the crystal structure. The water contents (HO, ppm) of cpx and opx from peridotite xenoliths of the study areas were 293-981, 183-752, 73-586 and 51-423 ppm, and 82-471, 74-571, 53-170 and 9-135 ppm, respectively. No prominent OH absorption bands were detected for any ol grains, indicating that the water contents were below the detection limit (approximately 2 ppm). The entire rock contents recalculated according to mineral volume proportions were 49-163, 48-168, 21-111 and 8-40 ppm, respectively. Combined with previously reported data describing the water contents of peridotite xenoliths worldwide, the results presented here suggest that water distribution in the continental lithospheric mantle is spatially heterogeneous at a global scale. The lithospheric mantle of South China is much richer in water than that of the North China Craton, and is close to that typical of off-craton localities, such as the Basin and Range Province, and Massif Central. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interdisciplinary study of cultural heritage has become a scholarly hotspot in archaeology. Ancient jade serves as an important symbol of Chinese traditional culture, so the study of it is a critical part of this trend. The past 30 years have witnessed great progress in research on ancient jade, with the involvement of basic theory and the technological application of many science subjects. This paper summarizes the research status, methodology and prospects in the research on raw material (jade texture), provenance and secondary change of Chinese ancient jade, in the hope of benefiting future studies of ancient jade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The specimen reconstitution technique is one of the most promising techniques to improve the surveillance program of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). In this study, unirradiated 30Mn2V low-alloy steels were chosen as the test materials, and the broken halves of Charpy V-notch impact (CVN) specimens were reconstituted to be new CVN specimens by the electron beam welding (EBW) as a pilot study in China. Taking the 20 insert reconstituted specimens as an example, Boltzmann function was used to fit the CVN data, the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and its uncertainty were evaluated, and the equality of DBTT between the reconstituted specimens and original specimens was checked by t/t′-test. There is a great consistency between CVN data of EBW reconstituted specimens and that of original specimens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conventional measures of mainstreaming wetlands biodiversity conservation such as counting relevant regulations and policies produce little insight into the success or failure of mainstreaming or of the potential for impact on wetlands biodiversity of sectoral laws and policies. The authors developed a semi-quantitative process to evaluate the regulatory framework at national and provincial levels that can effectively promote discussions with sectoral ministries on change of legal/regulatory texts that would improve the management of wetlands. The paper outlines the methodology, how the results are interpreted, and some of the key concerns in implementing the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student loans schemes have developed rapidly alongside China's move towards mass higher education. In this paper, the main features of the existing four types of student loan schemes are compared. In particular, the providers of principal loan, borrower eligibility, loan size, loan origination, interest subsidy, risk-sharing, repayment conditions and loan collection are examined. The authors of this article will then predict the problems and challenges confronting the reform of the student loans system in China and suggest that the feasible option for the future is to allow for the co-existence and competition of a variety of student loans schemes and to explore more mature student loans schemes through institutional innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) exert great potential in reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and reducing the dependence on petroleum products, and are also essential in realizing the social transformation toward a low-carbon society. Since public are the principal users and stakeholders of NEVs, it's vital to understand their acceptance of NEVs and discuss the influencing factors of public acceptance, so as to promote the development of NEVs. Based on the survey data of Gansu Province, this paper analyzes the public perception and acceptance of NEVs in underdeveloped regions, and explores main factors affecting their acceptance by adopting Structural Equation Model. The results show that the public acceptance of NEVs is relatively higher, with only 51.99% residents are willing to accept NEVs. And there are differences of public acceptance of NEVs among different groups. The acceptance of females, young and less educated public are relatively higher, decreases with aging and increases with education attainment. Perceived risk and perceived cost are significantly negative correlated with public acceptance of NEVs, while subjective norm and the quality of NEVs positively correlated with public acceptance. In addition, support policy is significantly positively correlated with perceived cost while perceived cost is positively corelated with perceived risk. Finally, this paper proposes countermeasures and suggestions on improving the public acceptance of NEVs in underdeveloped regions. • We conducted the NEVs acceptance of 1356 residents in Chinese underdeveloped regions. • 51.99% of the public in underdeveloped regions of China were willing to accept NEVs. • Perceived risk, perceived cost, and NEVs' quality are the key influencing factors. • Support policy, knowledge have significant indirect impact on acceptance of NEVs. • Enhancing subsidies and supporting facilities were effective ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of carbon neutrality, the paper uses Super Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the level of regional energy efficiency in China, then selects Theil index to analyze the difference and change of regional energy efficiency. The results are as follows: (1) The overall level of energy efficiency in China is relatively low, and the average efficiency level from 2007 to 2019 is 0.568. Among them, Beijing is the highest, at 1.261, and Xinjiang is the lowest, at only 0.205. The energy efficiency of the eastern region is the highest in China: the average is 0.812. The central region is lower than the national average, with the value of 0.534. The lowest energy efficiency is in the western region, which is only 0.349. It can be seen that there are significant differences in regional energy efficiency, and from west to east has increased. (2) The Theil coefficient increased before 2012 and began to show a downward trend in 2013. The difference in the eastern region maintained the smallest downward trend among the three regions. The difference in the central region fluctuated and increased before 2011, and dropped sharply after 2012. In the western region, the coefficient is relatively stable and has not changed significantly. (3) Differences within and between regions in China show an overall downward trend. From the perspective of contribution rate, the difference between regions contributes the most to the overall difference. • We use super-efficiency DEA to measure China's regional energy efficiency. • We use Theil Index to illustrate regional differences in energy efficiency. • We have reached a conclusion that can provide a theoretical reference for policy making. • We compared the magnitude and trend of energy efficiency in various regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview of the historical development of rural compulsory education in China. It states two characteristics in promoting compulsory education, which include a stable foundation for material support and expanding the provision of education, and another is by raising the level of funding by widely dispersing funding responsibilities. According to the author, the country's financial system is one of the most decisive elements influencing systemic improvements related to increasing fiscal input in rural compulsory education.

The changes of structural and functional parameters of aquatic microbial communities in continuous water on campus of Tsinghua University, China are investigated by polyurethane foam unit( PFU) method. The measured compositions of the communities include alga, protozoa, and some metazoa ( such as rotifers). The measured indicators of water quality include water temperature, pH values dissolved oxygen ( DO). potassium permangan ale index CODMD) total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll-a ( Chla). The trophic levels expressed by the trophic level indices (TL/c) is assessed with analytic hierarchy process and principal component analysis (AHP-PCA) method. The changing trends of the structural and functional parameters of aquatic microbial communities. such as Margalef index of diversity (D) Shannon-weaver index of diversity (H). Heterotropy index (HI), number of species when the colonization gets equilibrium ( Seq), colonizing speed constant (G) and time spent when 90 percent of Seq colonized in PFU (T(a)) are also analyzed. The experimental results showed the succession of aquatic microbial communities along the water flow is consistent with the water quality, so the parameters of microbial community can reflect the changes of water quality from the ecological view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a global perspective, carbon emissions are a global problem that needs to be solved urgently. At present, 61% of countries have committed to achieving net zero emissions. Compared with industry and construction, the transportation sector has become the focus and challenge for countries to achieve carbon neutrality due to the characteristics of strong mobility, scattered emission sources, and complex social behaviors. Therefore, the issue of carbon emissions in the transportation industry has become the focus of academic attention. This paper first calculates the carbon emission efficiency (CEE) of the regional transportation industry through the super-efficiency SBM model and then evaluates its regional differentiation characteristics through the Theil index, which has important practical significance for reducing regional carbon emissions. The results show that the national transportation CEE average value is 0.612, a relatively low level. The spatial distribution of China's transportation CEE shows an obvious characteristic of "east highest and west lowest". The regional differences in the transportation industry CEE are larger than those between regions. The differences in the transportation industry CEE among the eastern, central, and western regions are on the downward trend as a whole, and intra-regional differences are greater than inter-regional. The intra-regional differences cause the overall differences in transportation industry CEE; the eastern region contributed the most to the Theil index, while the central contributed the least. The biggest factor affecting the transportation industry CEE is the regional energy structure, and the smallest factor is the per capita GDP. This research has important reference significance on the target of carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thirty organic impurities in MA samples were detected by the DART-HRMS to infer the synthetic route. • The PLS-DA model was established from known MA samples and was used to infer the synthetic pathway of unknown MA samples. • The synthetic pathway of actual MA was determined to provide information for the detection of samples. A direct analysis in real time combined with high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) method was established to quickly detect organic impurities in methamphetamine (MA) samples. A partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was established by using MA samples with known synthetic pathways, and the synthetic pathways of unknown MA were determined by the PLS-DA model. The PLS-DA model was used to analyze characteristic organic impurities, which were identified as chemical markers in different synthetic-pathway MA samples by VIP (Variable Importance for the Projection) values and p-values. Thirty organic impurities were determined by DART-HRMS. Among these compounds, 7 organic impurities had a VIP value greater than 1, which indicated specificity for the grouping, including amphetamine, 1-phenylpropan-2-one oxime, N-formylamphetamine, ephedrine/pseudoephedrine, bibenzyl, α-methyldiphenethylamine and 1,3-diphenylacetone, while 5 organic impurities played a important role in classifying three groups. Amphetamine and 1-phenylpropan-2-one oxime played an important role in the R group, which represented MA samples using 1-phenyl-2-propanone as a starting material in the reductive amination reaction. Bibenzyl was important in the N group, in which MA samples were produced by ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and the iodine /phosphorus (I/P) (Nagai, Moscow, or Hypo) method. Ephedrine/pseudoephedrine and α–methyldiphenethylamine were important in the E group, in which samples were produced by ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and the catalytic hydrogenation method. The established PLS-DA model was also used to analyse MA samples of unknown synthetic routes. This established method is simple and fast and can achieve high-throughput analysis of samples to save time and analyse more samples. The analysis results provide effective information for drug law enforcement agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cross-cultural differences in the facilitating effect of parental instructions on children's learning were explored. • Chinese caregivers tended to describe the puzzle task's content while teaching children. • Chinese and American parents displayed similar instructions regarding question, right/wrong feedbacks and commanding. • Culture moderated the commanding instructions–children's learning relationship. • Commanding instructions influenced children's learning only in the Chinese group. This study examines cultural differences in the amount and types of parental instructions and their effects on children's independent performance when working with a puzzle task. Thirty-six Chinese and 36 American children aged 3−4 years and their parents participated in this study. Between the two groups, both similarities and differences were found in the different types of parental instructions. Specifically, no significant difference was found between the two groups regarding the proportion of right/wrong feedback, commanding, and questioning instructions. However, compared to their American peers, Chinese caregivers used more content instructions to instruct their children. Furthermore, culture moderated the relationship between commanding instructions and the children's learning outcomes. The parents' commanding instructions were significantly effective in predicting the children's independent learning outcomes. Such a facilitating effect of commanding instruction was not found in the American group. This study suggests that contemporary American and Chinese caregivers show different preferences regarding the use of different types of parental instructions, leading to different facilitating effects on the children's learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave energy is one of renewable energy resources with great potential. Due to the mechanical and structural simplicity, Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Wave Energy Converter (WEC) is considered to be one of the most promising marine renewable energy devices. However, OWC remains not commercialized mainly due to its complex hydrodynamic performance and uncertainty in wave loads. In the present study, based on potential flow theory and time-domain higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM), a fully nonlinear numerical model is developed and used to investigate the wave-induced force and bending moment on a land-fixed dual-chamber OWC device. The Bernoulli equation is used to calculate the wave force and bending moment. The equation is modified by accounting for the pneumatic pressure in the air chamber and the viscosity effect and then solved using an acceleration-potential method. The numerical model was compared with the experiment carried out in a wave-current flume at the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China, and good agreement between the simulation and experimental results was observed. The horizontal components of wave forces on the two curtain walls of the dual-chamber OWC WEC were found to be much larger than the corresponding vertical components. The seaside curtain wall suffered much larger wave loads in comparison with the inner curtain wall. Therefore, the wave force on the seaside curtain wall is the dominant force. The largest wave-induced bending moment occurs at the joint of device and seabed. The effects of the sub-chamber width ratio and curtain-wall draft on the wave-induced force and bending moment are investigated. The dominant wave force and moment increase with curtain wall draft. And the peak wave loads can be reduced by moving the internal curtain wall close to the seaside curtain wall. • A numerical model was developed to simulate the wave loads on the land-based dual-chamber OWC device. • The seaside curtain wall of the dual-chamber OWC suffered the dominant wave force. • Reducing curtain wall draft and sub-chamber width ratio could reduce the dominant wave loads. • The largest wave moment occurs at the joint of OWC device and seabed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive sampling techniques have been widely used to determine the dissolved concentration profiles of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in sediment porewater. However, the effects of having a protection for the passive sampler on profiling HOCs concentrations in sediment porewater, especially in deep sediment, have remained unclear. To address this issue, low density polyethylene passive samplers with and without protectors, which consisted of glass fiber filter and porous stainless steel shield, were simultaneously deployed in sediment of the Dongjiang River, South China. The results showed that the protectors retarded the dissipation of performance reference compounds (PRCs) from the sampler by a factor of 2–9. The protectors seemed to exert a negligible effect on the measured concentrations of PAHs, BDE-47, and BDE-99 in surficial sediment porewater (0–14 cm depth) from both samplers. However, the sediment porewater concentration profiles of PAHs and BDE-47 from the sampler with protectors were in agreement with those normalized by dry weight in deep sediment (16–34 cm depth), indicating that a diffusion layer established by the protectors may minimize the probability of local depletion of the target analytes in deep sediment. In addition, the log K oc values of PAHs, BDE-47, and BDE-99 exhibited a slight increasing trend with sediment depth. This finding suggested that in situ passive sampling techniques could be a feasible tool in determining the site-specific log K oc values of HOCs at different sediment depths. Image 1 • Protectors significantly retarded the dissipation of PRCs. • Protectors did not affect the measured concentrations of PAHs in surficial porewater. • PAHs profile from the sampler with protectors was similar to that in deep sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of drugs were altered under high‐altitude hypoxia. We aim to describe the population PK of atorvastatin (ATV) to identify patient characteristics that are predictive of variability in the PK parameters of the ATV and investigate the effects of high‐altitude hypoxia on the blood concentration of ATV in patients with hyperlipidemia. A total of 160 plasma concentrations were collected from 40 patients with hyperlipidemia in plateau areas and 40 in plain areas. The population pharmacokinetic model of patients with hyperlipidemia in plateau and plain areas of China was established by a nonlinear mixed‐effects model. The PK of ATV were described by a 1‐compartment model with first‐order elimination. The main PK parameters of ATV were the first‐order absorption rate (0.76 hour−1 fixed); clearance (174.22 L/h) and apparent volume of distribution (1119.62 L). The values of area and age were identified as significant covariates for the clearance, area, age, and urea for the volume of distribution. The steady‐state peak concentration in the plateau area was higher than that in the plain area. This study may suggest dose reduction is necessary for patients with hyperlipidemia in high altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]