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As the largest land mammal that ever lived on the earth, giant rhinos have received much attention from researchers around the world. Here, we use linear models based on limb bone length and circumference measurements of many living animals to estimate the body mass of giant rhinos, with the help of a new composite skeleton of the giant rhino (Dzungariotherium sp.) from the Qingshuiying Formation, Lingwu, northern China. Our estimate suggests that Dzungariotherium sp. from Lingwu is one of the largest giant rhinos known, with a body mass of 20,558 kg. Under the limitation of materials, we estimated the body mass of giant rhinos in as many species as possible by different methods. The body masses of other giant rhinos are also estimated with adjustments based on the new composite skeleton. The data obtained on Dzungariotherium have been considered together with other data on giant rhinos to observe the evolutionary tendency of the group at a large geological scale. It shows that giant rhinos experienced a rapid body size increase since the Late Eocene and divided into three stages, coinciding with the global temperature falling and the spread of the open environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders (TDs) are closely related and considered to etiologically overlap. Both disorders are characterized by repetitive behaviors. TD and OCD often co-occur. The high comorbidity between OCD and TD individuals suggests that we also need to pay more attention to the homogeneity and heterogeneity between TS and OCD. To date, there has been no systematic nationwide epidemiological survey of the mental health (including tic disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder) of children and adolescents in China. Methods: A two-stage epidemiological study of psychiatric point prevalence was conducted. We used the multistage cluster stratified random sampling strategy to assess five provinces of China. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to identify behavioral problems among the enrolled students in the first stage. The results from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents and evaluations from two psychiatrists based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV were used to make a diagnosis. Point weighted prevalence for TD and OCD was estimated. We adjusted prevalence estimates with the product of sampling weights and poststratification weights. Standard error values and 95% confidential intervals were generated with Taylor series linearization. Rao–Scott adjusted chi-square (χ2) tests were employed to compare the prevalence estimates of different age and sex groups. Results: In the first stage, 73,992 participants aged 6–16 years old were selected. The prevalence rates of OCD and TDs were 1.37% (95% CI: 1.28–1.45) and 2.46% (95% CI: 2.35–2.57), respectively. The prevalence of OCD was found to be higher in girls (p < 0.001) and higher in boys with transient tic disorder (TTD) (p < 0.001) and Tourette's syndrome (TS) (p < 0.001). The most common comorbidity of TS was OCD (40.73%), and for OCD, it was TS (11.36%). Conclusions: Our study is the first nationwide survey on the prevalence of TD (2.46%) and OCD (1.37%) in school students aged 6–16 years old in China. The high comorbidity between OCD and TD individuals suggested overlap based on the prevalence dimensions, which might be influenced by age and sex. This result suggested that we also need to pay more attention to the homogeneity and heterogeneity between TS and OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitatively and physically understanding changes in land surface hydrology is a hot topic in the hydro‐meteorological research, especially over China with high population density but uneven distribution of water resources. Therefore, the spatiotemporal dynamics (i.e., the 1980s [1981–1990] and 1990s [1991–2000] relative to the baseline of 1961–1980) in evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflow/runoff (Q) were examined across 426 hydrological divisions (HDs) of China. Both the 1980s and 1990s ET decreased over roughly 50% HDs mainly in the central and southeast parts of China, while the 1980s (1990s) Q decreased over slightly higher than 50% (63%) HDs generally in north and southwest China (the central and north parts of China). Relative to the 1980s, more HDs had strong changes in ET and Q in 1990s. Based on the separated contributions of precipitation (P), reference ET and Budyko‐type equation parameter n (an integrated variable of catchment property) to ET and Q changes, we found that in 1980s and 1990s, n dominated ET changes over about 60% HDs mainly in the south, with the dominant of P around 35% HDs generally in the north and northeast, while for Q changes, nearly 60% (slightly less than 40%) HDs were dominated by n (P). Moreover, the dominants for ET (Q) changes have shifted from 1980s to 1990s over 36% (45%) HDs, mainly changing from P to n. This study provides a framework for quantitatively understanding land surface hydrological dynamics from the perspectives of climatic and physiographic controls over regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projections of future drought conditions under climate change are an important step in formulating the long‐term climate adaptation strategies. It is therefore valuable to predict the drought conditions in China following the release of the CMIP6 (the phase six of the Coupled Model Inter‐comparison Project). Thus, based on 20 global climate model simulations from CMIP6, we project China's drought conditions and its socioeconomic impacts using the self‐calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI). Four scenarios are considered in this analysis: SSP1‐2.6 (the low‐level development scenario), SSP2‐4.5 (the middle‐level development scenario), SSP3‐7.0 (the medium to high‐level development scenario) and SSP5‐8.5 (the high‐level development scenario). Under SSP1‐2.6, we observed wetting trends over large areas of China except the arid region during 2020–2099; however, under SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0 and SSP5‐8.5, significant drying trends are detected in the humid and temperate semi‐humid region, while in other areas there are significant wetting trends. The projected drought conditions are likely to be severe with more frequent monthly occurrences and higher probability of extreme drying conditions, especially in these humid and temperate semi‐humid regions under SSP3‐7.0 and SSP5‐8.5. Consequently, the population exposure to drought in most climatic regions will increase initially up to 2040s and gradually decrease under all the scenarios except SSP3‐7.0; and the humid region will be a future hotspot where the impact of climate on population exposure to drought will be more significant. The economic exposure to drought will increase over the whole China under all four scenarios, especially in the humid and semi‐humid region. Our results have important implications for future drought projections and provide a scientific evidence for developing climate change adaptation strategies and disaster prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Modernization refers to the general trend of developmental progress that occurs within human societies. We now know that global warming, a result of carbon dioxide emissions, severely threatens the sustainability of human society. It is therefore of significant theoretical and practical implications that the scientific community more thoroughly investigate the impacts of modernization on CO 2 emissions. Surprisingly, only a limited number of studies have addressed this topic previously. As the world's largest developing economy and carbon emitter, China faces the dual challenge of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 while realizing basic modernization by 2035. With the purpose of identifying the implications of China's 2035 modernization goal for its 2030 emission peak goal, this study explored the effects of modernization on carbon dioxide emissions in China. Using a comprehensive indicator system, five modernization indexes—addressing industrialization, agricultural modernization, informatization, urbanization, and ecological modernization—were estimated, along with carbon dioxide emissions, for the period 1997–2016, for 30 Chinese provinces. Panel data modeling was then used to examine the impacts of the five modernization indexes on CO 2 emissions in China. The results demonstrate that industrialization, agricultural modernization, informatization, and urbanization exerted positive effects on CO 2 emissions during the study period, suggesting these aspects of modernization led to increased carbon dioxide emissions. A negative correlation between ecological modernization and carbon dioxide emission was identified, indicating that ecological modernization helped to abate CO 2 emissions. The findings emerging from this study hold significant implications for China's policy makers in promoting decarbonization, suggesting the utility of pursuing new-type industrialization, developing organic agriculture and eco-agriculture, popularizing electronic equipment with low power dissipation, building low-carbon cities, and promoting the ecology-oriented transformation of the modernization model. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The impacts of modernization on carbon dioxide emissions were investigated. • Five modernization indexes were developed based on a comprehensive indicator system. • Industrialization and agricultural modernization increased carbon dioxide emissions. • Informatization and urbanization had positive impacts on carbon dioxide emissions. • Ecological modernization exerted a negative impact on carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract China, which is the largest carbon emitter and the largest developing country in the world, faces the challenge of achieving energy conservation and emission reduction without sacrificing economic development. Improving carbon productivity consists a possible way to seek a coordination between economic development and carbon emission reduction. Therefore, it is of great significance to examine the effects of socioeconomic development on China's carbon productivity and accordingly provide policy suggestions for China's low-carbon economic development. However, this topic has not been adequately addressed in previous studies. In order to fill this gap, this study detailed an empirical investigation into the impacts of socioeconomic development on China's carbon productivity. First, aided by spatial analysis methods, a detailed analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of China's province-level carbon productivity was conducted. Moreover, using an extended STIRPAT model and panel data modeling technique, the effects of a range of socioeconomic factors on China's carbon productivity were quantitatively examined. The results indicated that China's carbon productivity increased gradually between 1997 and 2016, and carbon productivity in East China was much higher than that of their counterparts in Central China and West China. Provincial administrative units with highly developed economies witnessed spectacular increases in carbon productivity. Panel data analysis demonstrated that GDP per capita, technology level, trade openness, and foreign direct investment exerted positive effects, while energy consumption structure, industrial proportion, and urbanization level exerted negative effects, on China's carbon productivity. Based on the findings of this study, a series of policy suggestions with respect to improving China's carbon productivity were proposed. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • We apply spatial analysis method and STIRPAT model to evaluate China's carbon productivity. • The impacts of socioeconomic factors on China's carbon productivity were investigated. • Evident regional imbalances exist in China's province-level carbon productivity. • GDP per capita, technology, trade openness, and FDI increase carbon productivity. • Energy mix, industrialization, and urbanization decrease carbon productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study comprehensively investigated the impacts of demographic structure on CO 2 emissions in China at the national level and the regional level for the first time. Panel cointegration modeling was employed to test the long-run relationships between CO 2 emissions and six demographic structure variables, namely, dependency ratio, sex ratio, higher education ratio, industrial employment ratio, urbanization ratio, and average household size. The fully modified ordinary least squares method was then applied to estimate the long-run elasticity of CO 2 emissions for the six demographic structure variables. The results suggested that long-run relationships between CO 2 emissions and demographic structure existed at both the national level and the regional level. Dependency ratio was found to exert negative effects on CO 2 emissions in China and its three sub-regions. Positive associations between sex ratio and CO 2 emissions were revealed to exist in China and West China, and CO 2 emissions elasticity for sex ratio was relatively high in West China. Higher education ratio had a positive effect on CO 2 emissions in East China. Industrial employment ratio was found to positively correlate with CO 2 emissions in China, East China, and Central China. Urbanization ratio was demonstrated to increase CO 2 emissions at the national level and the regional level, and CO 2 emissions elasticity for urbanization ratio decreased from West China to Central China, and then to East China. Negative correlations between average household size and CO 2 emissions were detected at both the national level and the regional level. Based on the findings of this study, several practical recommendations were proposed, including optimizing age structure, promoting gender equality, advocating low-carbon lifestyles and low-carbon consumption patterns, promoting industrial upgrading and industrial structure optimization, building low-carbon cities and less carbon-intensive public infrastructure systems, and improving residential energy efficiency. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The impacts of the demographic structure on CO 2 emissions in China were estimated. • Dependency ratio and average household size had negative effects on CO 2 emissions. • Urbanization ratio exerted a positive impact on CO 2 emissions. • The impacts of other independent variables on CO 2 emissions differed across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential variable in linking water, carbon, and energy cycles, evapotranspiration (ET) is difficult to measure. Remote sensing, reanalysis, and land surface model-based ET products offer comprehensive alternatives at different spatio-temporal intervals, but their performance varies. In this study, we selected four popular ET global products: The Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model version 3.0a (GLEAM3.0a), the Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications-Land (MERRA-Land) project, the Global Land Data Assimilation System version 2.0 with the Noah model (GLDAS2.0-Noah) and the EartH2Observe ensemble (EartH2Observe-En). Then, we comprehensively evaluated the performance of these products over China using a stratification method, six validation criteria, and high-quality eddy covariance (EC) measurements at 12 sites. The aim of this research was to provide important quantitative information to improve and apply the ET models and to inform choices about the appropriate ET product for specific applications. Results showed that, within one stratification, the performance of each ET product based on a certain criterion differed among classifications of this stratification. Furthermore, the optimal ET (OET) among these products was identified by comparing the magnitudes of each criterion. Results suggested that, given a criterion (a stratification classification), the OETs varied among stratification classifications (the selected six criteria). In short, no product consistently performed best, according to the selected validation criterion. Thus, multi-source ET datasets should be employed in future studies to enhance confidence in ET-related conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coupling relation between urbanization and energy-environment efficiency was explored. • Energy-environment efficiency is measured using undesirable output SBM model. • Urbanization quality and energy-environment efficiency show spatial differentiation. • Coupling relationship in Guangdong province was from low to medium coupling stages. • Most cities in Guangdong were still at the low and medium coupling stages. Rapid urbanization has been accompanied by a series of environmental and energy-related issues. It is essential to better understanding the coupling relation between energy-environment efficiency and urbanization in achieving the goal of sustainable urbanization. In this paper, an index system was firstly established for the measurement of urbanization quality scores based on the four aspects of population, economy, society, and space. We then undertook a slack-based measure data envelopment analysis in order to measure energy-environment efficiency. This allowed us to establish a coupling coordination degree model to investigate the coupling relationship between energy-environment efficiency and urbanization. Our findings include the following: (1) Spatiotemporal diversity was apparent in the estimated urbanization quality scores within the province, with high-values areas mainly being concentrated in the Pearl River Delta; (2) A growth trend was identified in energy-environment efficiency values in western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta, while in eastern Guangdong energy-environment efficiency followed a downward trend, and it stayed stable at a low level in northern Guangdong. Energy-environment efficiency also displayed significant spatial differentiation; (3) The coupling relationship between the energy-environment efficiency and urbanization of Guangdong throughout the research period went from a low coupling stage to a medium coupling stage. Most cities in Guangdong remained in the moderate and low coupling stages, with the exception of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which took the lead in entering the highly coupling stage. The findings of this paper are of great implications for government in achieving the coordinated development of energy-environment efficiency and urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on rhinocerotoid fossils from the Oligocene-Pleistocene strata of the Linxia Basin of Gansu Province, northwestern China. Rhinoceroses have been important components of mammalian faunas of these beds, and include the Late Oligocene giant rhinos (paraceratheres) and the Late Miocene hornless rhinos (aceratheres). As a result of their high diversity, wide geographical distribution and rapid evolution, rhinoceroses are good markers for stratigraphic division and may be used for intercontinental correlations. The Late Oligocene fauna of the Linxia Basin occurs in the lower part of the Jiaozigou Formation. Among 12 species of large mammal fossils, nine are of the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea, and giant rhinos are dominant. Rhinoceroses of the Middle Miocene fauna reflect a forest environment. Comparison with contemporaneous European rhinoceroses suggests a dispersal route for populations along the north side of the Tibetan Plateau. Rhinoceroses were most abundant in the Linxia Basin in the Late Miocene times. The most primitive species of the genus Chilotherium and the huge elasmotheres are key indicators for the base of the Upper Miocene (Tortonian). From the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene, the assemblages of the three-toed horse Hipparion comprise five horizons, each of which has different rhinocerotid fossils as markers of division and correlation. Because of the strong competition by ruminants, rhinoceroses declined greatly in the Early Pleistocene fauna. At that time, only a species of the woolly rhino persisted, but as an intermediate form, Coelodonta nihowanensis of the Linxia Basin can still connect the Pliocene Zanda Basin of the Tibetan Plateau and the Early Pleistocene Nihewan Basin of the North China Plain. • Rhinoceroses have had a very long evolutionary history on Earth. • Rhinoceroses were dominant in the Cenozoic deposits of the Linxia Basin. • The rhinocerotoid fossils are good markers for stratigraphic division and correlation. • Giant rhinos are representative taxa in the Oligocene mammalian fauna. • The Late Miocene was the most successful interval for rhinos in Linxia Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sediments of Lake Donggi Cona on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were studied to infer changes in the lacustrine depositional environment, related to climatic and non-climatic changes during the last 19kyr. The lake today fills a 30×8km big and 95m deep tectonic basin, associated with the Kunlun Fault. The study was conducted on a sediment-core transect through the lake basin, in order to gain a complete picture of spatio-temporal environmental change. The recovered sediments are partly finely laminated and are composed of calcareous muds with variable amounts of carbonate micrite, organic matter, detrital silt and clay. On the basis of sedimentological, geochemical, and mineralogical data up to five lithological units (LU) can be distinguished that document distinct stages in the development of the lake system. The onset of the lowermost LU with lacustrine muds above basal sands indicates that lake level was at least 39m below the present level and started to rise after 19ka, possibly in response to regional deglaciation. At this time, the lacustrine environment was characterized by detrital sediment influx and the deposition of siliciclastic sediment. In two sediment cores, upward grain-size coarsening documents a lake-level fall after 13cal ka BP, possibly associated with the late-glacial Younger Dryas stadial. From 11.5 to 4.3cal ka BP, grain-size fining in sediment cores from the profundal coring sites and the onset of lacustrine deposition at a litoral core site (2m water depth) in a recent marginal bay of Donggi Cona document lake-level rise during the early to mid-Holocene to at least modern level. In addition, high biological productivity and pronounced precipitation of carbonate micrites are consistent with warm and moist climate conditions related to an enhanced influence of summer monsoon. At 4.3cal ka BP the lake system shifted from an aragonite- to a calcite-dominated system, indicating a change towards a fully open hydrological lake system. The younger clay-rich sediments are moreover non-laminated and lack any diagenetic sulphides, pointing to fully ventilated conditions, and the prevailing absence of lake stratification. This turning point in lake history could imply either a threshold response to insolation-forced climate cooling or a response to a non-climatic trigger, such as an erosional event or a tectonic pulse that induced a strong earthquake, which is difficult to decide from our data base. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]