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Lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the Dongying Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin in China exhibit significant potential for hydrocarbon exploration. This study investigates the lithofacies types and sedimentary evolution of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation's lower third member (Es3l) and upper fourth member (Es4u), integrating petrological and geochemical analyses to explore the relationship between lithofacies characteristics and sedimentary environments. The results show that the fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the study area can be classified into 18 lithofacies, with seven principal ones, including organic-rich laminated carbonate fine-grained mixed sedimentary rock lithofacies and organic-rich laminated limestone lithofacies. In conjunction with analyses of vertical changes in geochemical proxies such as paleoclimate (e.g., CIA, Na/Al), paleoproductivity (e.g., Ba), paleosalinity (e.g., Sr/Ba), paleo-redox conditions (e.g., V/Sc, V/V + Ni), and terrigenous detrital influx (e.g., Al, Ti), five stages are delineated from bottom to top. These stages demonstrate a general transition from an arid to humid paleoclimate, a steady increase in paleoproductivity, a gradual decrease in paleosalinity, an overall reducing water body environment, and an increasing trend of terrestrial detrital input. This study demonstrates that the abundance of organic matter is primarily influenced by paleoproductivity and paleo-redox conditions. The variations in rock components are predominantly influenced by paleoclimate, and sedimentary structures are affected by the depth of the lake basin. Special depositional events, such as storm events in Stage II, have significantly impacted the abundance of organic matter, rock components, and sedimentary structures by disturbing the water column and disrupting the reducing conditions at the lake bottom. The present study offers crucial insights into the genesis mechanisms of continental lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks, facilitates the prediction of lithofacies distribution, and advances the exploration of China's shale oil resources in lacustrine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough evaluation of the recently released Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) is critical for both end-users and algorithm developers. In this study, six products from three versions of GSMaP version 8, including real time (NOW-R and NOW-C), near real time (NRT-R and NRT-C), and post-real time (MVK-R and MVK-C), are systematically and quantitatively evaluated based on time-by-time observations from 2167 stations in mainland China. Among each version, both products with and without gauge correction are adopted to detect the gauge correction effect. Error quantification is carried out on an hourly timescale. Three common statistical indices (i.e., correlation coefficient (CC), relative bias (RB), and root mean square error (RMSE)) and three event detection capability indices (i.e., probability of detection (POD), false alarm ratio (FAR), and critical success index (CSI)) were adopted to analyze the inversion errors in precipitation amount and precipitation event frequency across the various products. Additionally, in this study, we examine the dependence of GSMaP errors on rainfall intensity and elevation. The following main results can be concluded: (1) MVK-C exhibits the best ability to retrieve rainfall on the hourly timescale, with higher CC values (0.31 in XJ to 0.47 in SC), smaller RMSE values (0.14 mm/h in XJ to 0.99 mm/h in SC), and lower RB values (−4.78% in XJ to 16.03% in NC). (2) Among these three versions, the gauge correction procedure plays a crucial role in reducing errors, especially in the post-real-time version. After being corrected, MVK-C demonstrates an obvious CC value improvement (>0.3 on the hourly timescale) in various sub-regions, increasing the percentage of sites with CC values above 0.5 from 0.03% (MVK-R) to 28.47% (MVK-C). (3) GSMaP products generally exhibit error dependencies on precipitation intensity and elevation, particularly in areas with drastic elevation changes (such as 1200–1500 m and 3000–3300 m), where the accuracy of satellite precipitation estimates is significantly affected. (4) CC values decreased with an increasing rainfall intensity; RB and RMSE values increased with an increasing rainfall intensity. The results of this study may be helpful for algorithm developers and end-users and provide a scientific reference for different hydrological applications and disaster risk reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification of plant diversity–productivity relationships is essential for accurate productivity assessments. Global change drivers are altering resource availability and biodiversity. However, the extent to which multiple attributes of diversity (species, functions) buffer community productivity in response to the resource availability changes and the potential driver mechanisms of the diversity‐productivity relationship still needs to be the consensus. We investigated the ephemeral plant diversity–productivity relationships of different attributes along a precipitation gradient in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China. To evaluate the potential mechanisms by which diversity and functional composition affect aboveground productivity (niche complementarity and selection effect). Our results showed that (1) the variance of species richness (SR), Rao's quadratic entropy (RaoQ), community‐weighted mean of height (CWMH), and community‐weighted mean of leaf phosphorus concentration (CWMP) was larger among sites (variation between different sites) than subplots (variation between different subplots). Among subplots, the variance of community‐weighted mean of specific leaf area (CWMSLA), community‐weighted mean of leaf carbon concentration (CWMC), and community‐weighted mean of leaf nitrogen concentration (CWMN) was larger than the sites. (2) SR, RaoQ, CWMC, CWMN, CWMH, pH, and mean annual precipitation (MAP) collectively influenced the accumulation of aboveground biomass (AGB). (3) Species diversity and MAP have strongly affected AGB and accounted for 50% and 42%. The study confirms that SR is the optimal predictor of biomass in ephemeral plants. Complementation effects may be the primary mechanism explaining the relationship between biodiversity and productivity in the Gurbantunggut Desert, and thus the effect of plant diversity cannot be downplayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of computer technology, people have begun to combine virtual reality and other technologies to achieve scientific sports auxiliary training, to get rid of the state of traditional sports training purely relying on experience. The article proposes a deep learning BP neural network human body posture recognition algorithm and briefly introduces the human body motion posture. The purpose of this research was to use the powerful data processing, mining, and analysis functions of deep learning to train the massive data generated in competitive sports training and apply it to competitive sports training. It is committed to promoting the accuracy and analysis of competitive sports training. Refinement provides technical guidance for athletes' training, promotes the scientific and informatized development of competitive sports training in China, and provides some reference methods for the research and application of deep learning in competitive sports training. The article's research results show that (1) taking a rural area as an example, we recorded the exercise postures of rural athletes in five different states: static, upstairs, downstairs, walking, and running. Comparing the recognition rate and training time of The BP neural network algorithm, ABC-BP algorithm, AFS-BP algorithm, and ABC-AFS-BP algorithm, it can be found that in terms of recognition rate, ABC-AFS-BP algorithm, AFS-BP algorithm, and ABC-BP algorithm are better than traditional BP algorithm. Among them, the recognition rate of the ABC-AFS-BP algorithm is higher than that of the ABC-BP algorithm, but it takes slightly more time than the ABC-BP algorithm. In terms of training time, the ABC-BP algorithm takes less time, but the accuracy is lower than the ABC-AFS-BP algorithm; the ABC-AFS-BP algorithm has a greater improvement in time consumption than the AFS-BP model and can guarantee the recognition rate and accuracy, and the error rate curves of the four algorithms show that after 500 iterations of the training part, the iteration error value of the ABC-AFS-BP algorithm is the smallest. (2) We evaluated sports postures of athletes from a certain rural team and concluded that bad postures will have a certain impact on the body. Among them, more than 85% of athletes in football and basketball have pelvic rotation. The problem is that football players have reached 90% of the test sample. 60% of football players and basketball players have the problem of collapsed foot. The main problem of aerobic athletes is flat back and collapsed foot. More than 90% of badminton players have high and low shoulder problems, and more than 80% of them have neck problems, which is a very serious body posture problem. (3) Detecting the flexibility experiment of the BP posture detection algorithm, compared with the traditional motion posture recording method, we tested from the three aspects of recording motion accuracy, missed detection rate, and recording time. The result shows BP posture detection. The missing detection rate of the algorithm is low, basically maintained at about 2.0, the accuracy of recording actions is relatively high, generally maintained above 98%, and the highest is 99.15%, and the recording time is short, maintained at 3–4 minutes; comparing traditional posture detection with the BP attitude detection algorithm, the missed detection rate of the algorithm is relatively high, kept at 4–6, the action accuracy is lower than that of the BP attitude detection algorithm, generally kept at about 95%, and the recording time is kept at 5–6 minutes. The posture detection algorithm is more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent frequent "thunderstorm incidents" of the internet financial platforms (IFPs) have caused the panic of investors. In order to measure and reduce the investment risk of IFPs, the focus of this study is to evaluate the reputation of IFPs regarding investment risk. First, the reputation evaluation indicator system of IFPs is constructed from two dimensions of direct and indirect reputations. Then, based on this system, an improved fuzzy evaluation approach (IFEA) integrating the method of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE), the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and the factor analysis (FA) are proposed for evaluating the reputation of IFPs. Finally, a case study based on the data of 20 peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms from "Home of Online Loans" (HOL) in China is used to illustrate the IFEA. Results show that the IFEA can reduce uncertainty and randomness in the determination process of indicator weight and membership degree and therefore accurately obtain the reputation level of IFPs and help investors make better decisions. Meanwhile, the key factors in determining the reputation of IFPs are identified, thereby improving the reputation level of the IFPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Baiyangdian lake evolution can be divided into three stages in the last 50 years. • The ecological environment of lake deteriorated first and then recovered. • Low human disturbance has improved lake's self-purification capacity since 2014. • Human influence is the main driving force of lake evolution. Lake sediments provide a basis for ecological information that can reconstruct the history of a lake ecosystem and clarify the carbon sink process. We combined chronological information relating to sediment cores in Baiyangdian Lake with the history of human activities, to examine the influence of the natural environment and human activities on the humification of organic carbon. This analysis revealed the evolution of the ecological environment in the lake over the past 50 years. The results showed the average deposition rate of sediments to be 0.957 cm/a; with the total organic carbon and total nitrogen contents of sediments ranging from 14.32 to 333.19 g/kg and from 0.95 to 26.90 g/kg, respectively. The δ13C values ranged from −13.04 ‰ to −29.07 ‰, while the δ15N values ranged from −1.43 ‰ to 8.37 ‰. The fulvic acid carbon (FAC) content ranged from 0.52 g/kg to 14.21 g/kg, and the humic acid carbon (HAC) content ranged from 1.67 g/kg to 23.82 g/kg. The HAC/FAC value gradually increased as the sediment deepend. The results of each index in the sedimentary column, combined with the dating information, allowed us to conclude that, from 1969 to 1985, human activities had little effect on the lake, and the source of organic carbon and the humification process remained stable. During this period, the water purification function of the lake continued to improve. From 1985 to 2014, the surrounding economy developed rapidly, resulting in significant changes in the lake's ecological structure and the distribution of lake plants. Serious eutrophication occurred, leading to increased pollution Between 2014 and 2020, the lake protection measures implemented achieved initial positive results. During the period, the source of organic carbon and the humification process stabilized, eutrophication was alleviated, and the burial and fixation of organic carbon gradually reached a healthier state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), Microterys perlucidus Zu sp. nov. and Metaphycus roseus Zu sp. nov., are described from China as parasitoids of Antecerococcus roseus (Green) (Hemiptera: Cerococcidae) on Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. (Urticales: Urticaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, low impact development (LID) has been deemed as an effective strategy for better storm water management. Among tremendous literature concerning the effectiveness of LID facilities to improve urban drainage system (UDS) performance, the scale, location, variety, and parameters of LIDs are fully discussed while the role of urban drainage network is rarely considered. Since LIDs and drainage network work together to realize the function of UDS, this research aims to explore their synergistic effects on the social, environmental, and technological performance of UDS. To represent different synergistic effects, a case area in Kunming, China is divided into upstream, midstream, and downstream sections. The hydraulic and topological characteristics of the drainage network in different sections are varied and 4 LID siting strategies are designed to distribute LID facilities in one of the 3 sections or in the total catchment evenly. Uncertainties from rainfall intensity and LID distribution are discussed as well. Based on the modeling results, the existence of synergistic effect is confirmed. Different spatial relationships between LIDs and the drainage network lead to disparate UDS performance. The synergistic effect may appear as the aggravation or mitigation of the conflicts among various functions of UDS, such as the reduction of urban flooding, combined sewer overflow, and shock loadings to wastewater treatment plant. The synergistic effect is sensitive to the rainfall intensity, suggesting the necessity of system performance investigation under non-design conditions. Due to the complicated synergistic effect, even distribution of LIDs in the target area can be a regretless and simplified solution. The discoveries reveal the significance of the synergistic effect and its implications for the LID planning. • The synergistic effect between LID facility and drainage network is confirmed. • The characteristics of drainage network should be considered in LID planning. • Rainfall intensity has significant influence on the synergistic effect. • Synergistic effect can change the game relationships among multiple UDS functions. • Even distribution of LID facilities is a simple and regretless planning strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: A prior meta-analysis showed favorable metabolic effects of structured triglyceride (STG) lipid emulsions in surgical and critically ill patients compared with mixed medium-chain/long-chain triglycerides (MCT/LCT) emulsions. Limited data on clinical outcomes precluded pharmacoeconomic analysis. We performed an updated meta-analysis and developed a cost model to compare overall costs for STGs vs MCT/LCTs in Chinese hospitals.Methods and Study Design: We searched Medline, Embase, Wanfang Data, the China Hospital Knowledge Database, and Google Scholar for clinical trials comparing STGs to mixed MCT/LCTs in surgical or critically ill adults published between October 10, 2013 and September 19, 2015. Newly identified studies were pooled with the prior studies and an updated meta-analysis was performed. A deterministic simulation model was used to compare the effects of STGs and mixed MCT/LCT's on Chinese hospital costs.Results: The literature search identified six new trials, resulting in a total of 27 studies in the updated meta-analysis. Statistically significant differences favoring STGs were observed for cumulative nitrogen balance, pre- albumin and albumin concentrations, plasma triglycerides, and liver enzymes. STGs were also associated with a significant reduction in the length of hospital stay (mean difference, -1.45 days; 95% confidence interval, -2.48 to -0.43; p=0.005) versus mixed MCT/LCTs. Cost analysis demonstrated a net cost benefit of ¥675 compared with mixed MCT/LCTs.Conclusions: STGs are associated with improvements in metabolic function and reduced length of hospitalization in surgical and critically ill patients compared with mixed MCT/LCT emulsions. Cost analysis using data from Chinese hospitals showed a corresponding cost benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm size increase (FSI) accelerates soil erosion and sediment loss into the river. However, it is not clear how large-scale management, including FSI, changes the proportion of sediment from different land use types (LUTs) into rivers in intensive agricultural catchments. Thus, the aim of this study is to quantify and elucidate the contribution of different LUTs to river sediment before and after FSI using compound-specific stable isotopes (CSSI). The study was conducted in three parallel sub-watersheds in the sugarcane plantation region of subtropical southern China, each of which included four different LUTs (eucalyptus plantation, road, sugarcane plantation and channel). Following FSI, the contribution of sediment entering the river from the four LUTs was significantly different from that before FSI. The contribution per unit area of the road, sugarcane, and river channel to river sediment was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after FSI than before FSI. Overall, 1% increase in sugarcane farm size and stream channels caused > 2% and 0.3% increase contribution to river sediment, respectively. Field and road densities significantly correlated with river sediment sources. The FSI had a significant impact on the contribution of sediment entering the river from different LUTs within the watershed. Our results demonstrate that the increase river sediment depends on the increased hydrological connectivity of the watershed due to decreased field density and increased road density. Therefore, it is important to pay attention not only to the agricultural/economic benefits of FSI, but also the negative impacts on increasing erosion and ecological/environmental degradation. • The influence of farm size on river sediment sources was assessed. • Increasing farm size accelerates contribution of slope/channel to river sediment. • Contribution of slope/channel to river sediment depends on field and road density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zonal disintegration refers to the phenomenon whereby fractured zones and intact zones appear alternately in surrounding hard rocks under high stress conditions. In this study, zonal disintegration within hard surrounding rocks of deep tunnels at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory Phase II (CJPL-II) was observed by using a digital borehole televiewer in pre-drilled boreholes. The results revealed that fractured zones within intact high-strength marbles were small and exhibited a higher degree of fracturing, whereas fractured zones within low-strength, low-integrity, marbles showed fewer, yet larger fractures. An evaluation method based on rock mass integrity index using digital borehole televiewer data (RMIBT) has been proposed for the analysis of zonal disintegration process in the deep hard rocks surrounding the tunnels. By using the method we were able to quantify the initiation and evolution of fractures during zonal disintegration. The formation mechanism of the second and third fractured zones induced by the existing fractures was further investigated using numerical analysis. The data provide an insight into the evolution of failures in, and a basis for support design and stability control of, deep engineering works in hard rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerapteroceroides acutiscapus sp. nov. is described as new and Cerapteroceroides manaliensis Hayat and Khan, 2015 is first recorded from China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two post-real time precipitation products from the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (IMERG) are systematically evaluated over China with China daily Precipitation Analysis Product (CPAP) as reference. The IMERG products include the gauge-corrected IMERG product (IMERG_Cal) and the version of IMERG without direct gauge correction (IMERG_Uncal). The post-research TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis version 7 (TMPA-3B42V7) is also evaluated concurrently with IMERG for better perspective. In order to be consistent with CPAP, the evaluation and comparison of selected products are performed at 0.25° and daily resolutions from 12 March 2014 through 28 February 2015. The results show that: Both IMERG and 3B42V7 show similar performances. Compared to IMERG_Uncal, IMERG_Cal shows significant improvement in overall and conditional bias and in the correlation coefficient. Both IMERG_Cal and IMERG_Uncal perform relatively poor in winter and over-detect slight precipitation events in northwestern China. As an early validation of the GPM-era IMERG products that inherit the TRMM-era global satellite precipitation products, these findings will provide useful feedbacks and insights for algorithm developers and data users over China and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R hopus antennalis sp. nov. and R . qingdaoensis sp. nov. are described as new to science and R . nigroclavatus ( Ashmead, 1902) is first recorded from China. A key to all the known Chinese species of the genus also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developed a risk assessment framework including farmers' planting and awareness. • Evaluated crop sensitivity by the coincidence of crop water demand and precipitation. • Assessed farmers' adaptability by subjective awareness and objective resources. • Farmers' drought risk showed an obvious pattern of "High-South and Low-North" • Maintaining the planting structure may increase farmers' drought risk in the future. The increase in the frequency, scale, and intensity of drought disasters due to climate change will have a substantial impact on agricultural production activities. Farmers are some of the main victims of drought disasters, and their planting behavior and awareness will affect the regional drought risk level to varying extents. In this study, crop sensitivity under the influence of planting behavior and the subjective adaptability of farmers under the influence of disaster prevention awareness were analyzed. The aim was to assess the vulnerability of farmers to drought and build a risk assessment framework. The results suggested that (1) drought intensity in the southern towns of Xinghe County was relatively high, especially in Dianzi (DZZ), Zhanggao (ZGZ), and the eastern regions of Datongyao (DTY) and Chengguan (CGZ); (2) among the common crops in Xinghe County, the average water demand of naked oats had the highest correlation with precipitation (r, 0.74), suggesting that naked oats would help ensure relatively stable crop yields under drought conditions; (3) the drought vulnerability of Xinghe County tended to decrease from southeast to northwest, with Datongyao (DTY) and Dianzi (DZZ) suffering from the highest drought vulnerability; (4) the drought risk for Xinghe County showed a pattern of high in the South and low in the North. Among them, Saiwusu (SWS) and Datongyao (DTY) were the towns with the lowest and highest drought risk at 60.98% and 52.10%, respectively. With the impact of climate change, the SPI in most areas of Xinghe County indicated a downward trend (MK trend test, p < 0.05). The results suggest that drought risk and farmer vulnerability in this area will increase in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term satellite-based precipitation estimates (LSPE) play a significant role in climatological studies like drought monitoring. In this study, three popular LSPEs (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks–Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), Rainfall Estimates from Rain Gauge and Satellite Observations (CHIRPS) and Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP)) were evaluated on a monthly scale using ground-based stations for capturing drought event characteristics over northwestern China from 1983 to 2013. To reflect dry or wet evolution, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was adopted, and the Run theory was used to identify drought events and their characteristics. The conventional statistical indices (relative bias (RB), correlation coefficient (CC), and root mean square error (RMSE)), as well as categorical indices (probability of detection (POD), false alarm ratio (FAR), and missing ratio (MISS)) are used to evaluate the capability of LSPEs in estimating precipitation and drought characteristics. We found that: (1) three LSPEs showed generally satisfactory performance in estimating precipitation and characterizing drought events. Although LSPEs have acceptable performance in identifying drought events with POD greater than 60%, they still have a high false alarm ratio (>27%) and a high missing ratio (>33%); (2) three LSPEs tended to overestimate drought severity, mainly because of an overestimation of drought duration; (3) the ability of CHIRPS to replicate the temporal evolution of precipitation and SPI values is limited; (4) in severe drought events, PERSIANN-CDR tends to overestimate precipitation, and drought severity, as well as drought area; (5) among the three LSPEs, MSWEP outperformed the other two in identifying drought events (POD > 66%) and characterizing drought features. Finally, we recommend MSWEP for drought monitoring studies due to its high accuracy in estimating drought characteristics over northwestern China. In drought monitoring applications, the overestimation of PERSIANN-CDR for drought peak value and area, as well as CHIRPS's inferiority in capturing drought temporal evolution, must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus with coronary heart disease (DM with CHD) poses a health challenge to people in China and elsewhere in the world. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), DM with CHD is classified as a type of disease called Xiaoke and Xiongbi. In Asia, TCM has been used to treat Xiaoke and Xiongbi conditions for centuries, especially in China. In this study, it was evaluated whether integrated strategies incorporating both TCM and Western medicines (iTCWM) could improve the curative efficacy of DM with CHD. Methods: An extensive search for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published up to November 2011 in either English or Chinese about iTCWM for DM with CHD was conducted. All listings in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and the Wanfang database were included in the literature search. The quality of each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook 5.0. Data analysis was performed by the RevMan 5.0 provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: After an initial selection of 207 articles, 21 RCTs and quasi-RCTs were ultimately included in the analysis for this study. All of these trials were conducted in China and published in Chinese journals. The methodological quality of the trials was low in most studies. Selection bias and measurement bias were common in all of the studies. A meta-analysis was not conducted, due to the poor quality of the available studies. Conclusions: The current state of the literature regarding the utility of iTCWM for the treatment of DM with CHD is inadequate. The poor quality of the available trials makes it difficult to draw any conclusions regarding the efficacy of iTCWM for the treatment of DM with CHD. This study highlights the paucity of reliable clinical evidence for iTCWM and the need for higher quality RCTs to be conducted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is a worldwide serious agricultural pest, and recently invaded South China. Sex pheromone can be employed to monitor its population dynamics accurately in the field. However, the pheromone components previously reported by testing different geographic populations and strains are not consistent. On the basis of confirming that the S. frugiperda population from Yunnan Province belonged to the corn strain, we analyzed the potential sex pheromone components in the pheromone gland extracts of females using gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC‐EAD), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and electroantennography (EAG). The results show that (Z)‐9‐tetradecenal acetate (Z9‐14:Ac), (Z)‐11‐hexadecenyl acetate (Z11‐16:Ac), (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate (Z7‐12:Ac) or (E)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate (E7‐12:Ac) with a ratio of 100 : 15.8 : 3.9 induced EAD responses to varying degrees: Z9‐14:Ac elicited a strong EAD response, Z7‐12:Ac or E7‐12:Ac elicited a small but clear EAD response, while Z11‐16:Ac elicited a weak EAD response. Further single sensillum recording (SSR) showed that Z9‐14:Ac and Z7‐12:Ac induced dose‐dependent activities in two types (A and B) of sensilla in male antennae, respectively, while the sensilla in response to E7‐12:Ac and Z11‐16:Ac was not recorded. Finally, wind tunnel tests reveal that Z9‐14:Ac and Z7‐12:Ac are two principal sex pheromone components of the tested population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guangdong has become the province with the second largest energy consumption and the largest gross domestic product in China. Studying the energy intensity to realise the sustainable development goal of Guangdong is important. Numerous studies on energy intensity hold a common assumption that regions are spatially independent from a static and macro perspective of the country, which may not always be the case. This study focuses on investigating the spatial aggregation and determinants of Guangdong's energy intensity using the panel data on city level from 2005 to 2016 from a spatial perspective. A novel approach based on the Global Moran-Index (Moran's I) and Durbin model was proposed to deal with the dilemma. From the analytical results, the findings are as follows: (1) Guangdong's energy intensity indicates a strong spatial correlation and clear spatial agglomeration characteristics; (2) Economic growth is the most important influential factor of energy intensity in Guangdong, whereas foreign direct investment has the least impact; (3) The spillover effect of technological progress is significant and can effectively reduce regional energy intensity. Moreover, the study provides references for the implementation of enhancing energy utilisation efficiency. • Spatial correlation and aggregation of energy intensity among cities are confirmed. • Economic growth is the most important factor driving energy intensity. • The direct effect and the overall effect of FDI on energy intensity are opposite. • Technology spillover has been proved to promote regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe greenhouse gas emissions have made global warming one of humanity's most critical and intricate environmental challenges. As the world's largest producer and exporter of steel, China's steel industry contributes substantially to carbon emissions. The government formulated the policies and pathways to achieve carbon neutrality, and enterprises have proactively pursued low‐carbon technologies. In this review, the decarbonization process in the Chinese steel industry is classified into three stages according to the decarbonization amount and technological maturity: the improvements of the blast furnace‐basic oxygen furnace, the attempt of the nonblast furnace, and the preparatory electricity‐hydrogen coupling metallurgy. This article reviewed the industrial‐scale low‐carbon metallurgical technologies represented by the Baowu HyCORF process, bottom‐blowing O2‐CO2‐pulverized lime converter process, gas‐based direct reduction shaft furnace process, Molong HIsmelt process, and Ouye furnace process, as well as pointed out the development limitations of those processes. Additionally, the study presented prospects for zero‐carbon emission technologies coupling green energy generation and hydrogen metallurgy. These findings will offer substantial support for advancing research and development of low‐carbon metallurgical technologies and formulating relevant policies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) emission has been the major cause of rapidly increasing atmospheric N deposition in many regions of the world. However, fluxes, distributions, and physi-chemical compositions of regional N deposition and the response of N deposition levels to N emissions remain poorly characterized, particularly in high N-emission regions. To explore these issues, this study collated observations on N deposition fluxes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of northern China. We found that total inorganic N (TIN) deposition in the study region averaged 61.3 ± 13 kg-N/ha/yr based on observations from 1998 to 2017. Respectively, about 97%, 73%, 20%, 32%, and 59% of farmland, constructed land, forest, grassland, and water areas had TIN deposition above 50 kg-N/ha/yr. These results indicated substantial ecological risks of atmospheric N loading to these ecosystems. Dry deposition accounted for 59% of TIN deposition and gaseous N accounted for 73% in dry IN deposition. In gaseous N deposition, ammonia, N dioxides, and nitric acid accounted for 42%, 47%, and 11%, respectively. Ratios of NH 3 -N (N in ammonia) to (NO 2 -N + HNO 3 -N) (N in N dioxides, nitric acid) or NH 4 -N (N in ammonium) to NO 3 -N (N in nitrate) averaged 0.8, 2.0, 1.0, 1.9, and 1.3 in gaseous, particulate, dry, wet, and total deposition fluxes, respectively. These indicated different transformation and deposition mechanisms between NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N under high emissions. Moreover, we found a non-linear relationship between TIN deposition and anthropogenic IN emissions. All these results provide a systematic assessment of the N deposition and its responses to human activities in a high N-emission region, which is valuable for emission mitigation and effect evaluation of regional N pollution. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image • Nitrogen (N) deposition was dissected in a hotspot region of N pollution. • Anthropogenic N emissions caused high N deposition to major land uses. • There was a non-linear relationship between regional N emission and deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction: In a paper describing Microterys angustus Zu, Li & Wang sp. nov. (Zu et al., 2018), the authors omitted to designate the depository of the holotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead halide perovskite solar cells still have potential lead leakage under the influence of natural forces, which has attracted widespread attention. In future large‐scale applications, it is necessary to monitor and control the concentration of lead in the environment according to local laws and regulations. In this work, the coupling strategy of inorganic perovskite crystallization and photoluminescence is proposed for the first time to achieve the detection of lead in the environment. An easy‐to‐use, low‐cost, and portable PVA/C6mimBr/CsBr ionogel (PCCI) device is prepared through solution process for on‐site detection of Pb(II). The limit detection of PCCI is 236 mg kg−1, which is close to and lower than the statutory standard of 250 mg kg−1 in China's agricultural regulations, and is expected to achieve on‐site early‐warning. This work may promote the development of environmental early‐warning devices in line with laws and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (BA.5.2) epidemic began in China in December, 2022 following stopping the zero COVID policy. Methods: We studied features of the epidemic in 1,121 persons with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Results: 1103 (98%) were in chronic, 10 in accelerated and 8 in acute phases. 834 (74%) became infected almost all of whom met criteria for COVID-19. The most common symptoms were fever (91%), cough (90%) and fatigue (82%). 42 infected persons were asymptomatic. Most people quarantined at home and self-medicated. 22 were hospitalized for COVID-19. At admission 5 had mild, 14, moderate and 3, severe/critical disease according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. 5 received respiratory assistance, 3 were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 1 in accelerated phase died from COVID-19. Co-variates associated with a risk of COVID-19 in SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects include age ≥ 65 years, higher education level and imatinib therapy. Conclusion: In conclusion, most SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5.2 infections in persons with CML resulted in COVID-19 most of which cases are mild with only 1 death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) provide valuable precipitation information for various applications. Their performance, however, varies significantly from region to region due to various data sources and production processes. This paper aims to evaluate four selected SPPs (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP), Gauge-adjusted Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMAP-gauge), and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM)) over mainland China from 2016 to 2019. Both conventional statistical indicators (e.g., correlation coefficients (CC), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), relative bias (RB), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE)) and categorical indicators (probability of detection (POD), probability of true detection (POTD), false-alarm rate (FAR), and critical success index (CSI)) are used for quantitative analysis. The results show that: (1) GSMAP-gauge and GPM perform best in reproducing the spatial distribution pattern of precipitation over mainland China, whereas SPPs generally underestimate summer precipitation with a high frequency of no-rain cases. (2) MSWEP has the best capability for recording precipitation events, although some parts of northern China exhibit abnormal overestimations for winter precipitation. (3) All SPPs, especially the PERSIANN-CDR, significantly underestimate the precipitation in the mountainous areas of southwestern China. (4) The GSMAP-gauge and GPM outperformed the other two of the four SPPs, in terms of the probability density function of daily precipitation for cases (PDFc) and the probability density function of daily precipitation for volume (PDFv). Generally, PERSIANN-CDR shows the poorest performance when compared to the other three products. The product's algorithm for estimating heavy precipitation and mountainous precipitation needs further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeability is one of the critical parameters for evaluating the hydraulic properties of water-conducting media. Variations in the hydraulic properties generally lead to uncertainties in the groundwater flow and solute transport in regional rock masses, influencing the migration and diffusion of high-level radioactive waste in hard-rock repositories. This study mainly focuses on the hydraulic properties of the Shiyuejing fault (about 25 km long), which is located in the Jiujing Block, i.e., one of the main candidate sites for a high-level radioactive waste repository in China. Fluid flow tests were conducted on large-scale irregular specimens (~0.008 m3) extracted from outcrops in the Shiyuejing fault zone via a nonstandard apparatus to determine the variations in the hydraulic properties. The dominant flow pathways were identified by slicing the specimens and extracting the geometric features of water-conducting fractures inside the specimens using a staining solution. The results show that three fracture sets exist in the fault zone, where the hydraulic conductivities exhibit a downward trend, from >10−4 to 10−5–10−4 cm/s to below 10−5 cm/s when sets I, II, and III are dominant, respectively. Three types of flow states, namely, laminar flow type, filling type, and erosion type, are indicated by the corresponding characteristics of the pressure-flow rate curves, and the permeabilities of these three flow types successively decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeability is one of the critical parameters for evaluating the hydraulic properties of water-conducting media. Variations in the hydraulic properties generally lead to uncertainties in the groundwater flow and solute transport in regional rock masses, influencing the migration and diffusion of high-level radioactive waste in hard-rock repositories. This study mainly focuses on the hydraulic properties of the Shiyuejing fault (about 25 km long), which is located in the Jiujing Block, i.e., one of the main candidate sites for a high-level radioactive waste repository in China. Fluid flow tests were conducted on large-scale irregular specimens (~0.008 m3) extracted from outcrops in the Shiyuejing fault zone via a nonstandard apparatus to determine the variations in the hydraulic properties. The dominant flow pathways were identified by slicing the specimens and extracting the geometric features of water-conducting fractures inside the specimens using a staining solution. The results show that three fracture sets exist in the fault zone, where the hydraulic conductivities exhibit a downward trend, from >10−4 to 10−5–10−4 cm/s to below 10−5 cm/s when sets I, II, and III are dominant, respectively. Three types of flow states, namely, laminar flow type, filling type, and erosion type, are indicated by the corresponding characteristics of the pressure-flow rate curves, and the permeabilities of these three flow types successively decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-arid regions belong to important ecological transitional zones with a high ecosystem vulnerability and sensitivity. In recent years, due to the influence of climate change and human activities, the land covers of semi-arid regions have experienced dramatic changes. Therefore, timely and accurate land cover mapping of semi-arid regions is of great significance. Deep learning has been a hotspot in land cover mapping; however, it requires a large number of labelled samples. To tackle this data-hunger issue, we resolve to a multi-gate semi-supervised learning (SSL) method that could use a huge number of unlabelled samples to improve the classification performance. Specifically, the proposed method consists of a probability gate, an uncertainty gate and a consistency gate, aiming to generate high-quality pseudo-labels from the unlabelled datasets. Experimental results from Zhangbei, China indicate that the proposed method yields a good performance with an overall accuracy of 90.31%, which is 4.31% higher than that of traditional supervised learning (SL) methods. Ablation studies also verify the effectiveness of the gated mechanism in selecting unlabelled data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive heavy metal content in drinking water could lead to red water and acute and chronic diseases. A field study in combination with batch experiments using pipe scales of drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) in the study area, was used to determine the content distribution and migration of As, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb, and V in DWDS. In the field study, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and V contents in pipe scales and drinking water were extremely low and did not exceed the Chinese drinking water standards. However, Mn concentrations at the end of the DWDS with aged and corrosive pipes were relatively high, which presented a risk of excessive release. The batch experiment showed that As in pipe scales would not be released into water under static immersion conditions; however, pipe scales would release excessive Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb, and V in the initial reaction stage, and the heavy metal contents released by tubercle scales in the initial release stage were at least twice as much as those released by loose scales. The mass percentage of four metals (excluding Cd and Pb) released from pipe scales was extremely low. The field study and batch experiment data both suggested a strong correlation between Cr and V released into the water, indicating a synergistic effect. There were differences in heavy metals released in the field research and the batch experiment. The amount of Cd, Cr, Pb, and V released were not consistent with its proportion in pipe scales. As release did not occur under static conditions, but may be promoted by the water flow in the actual network. The effect of water flow on heavy metal release in DWDS should be considered. [Display omitted] • Severe corrosion of drinking water systems would lead to Mn release. • A significant correlation between Cr and V was found in field study and batch tests. • Powder scales yielded a heavy metal release peak within 1–2 h's exposure to water. • Metal released from tubercle scale was initially 2–2.5 times higher than loose scale. • Pb and Cd had high released weight ratio although their content in scales were low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 90% of the tungsten resources of China are in the Nanling region of South China, and the Yaogangxian vein deposit is the largest tungsten deposit in this region. The tungsten deposits have ages of 150-160 Ma, and are spatially, temporally and genetically related to granites which were previously believed to be produced by crustal anatexis. This paper provides He and Ar isotope data of fluid inclusions in pyrite and arsenopyrite from the Yaogangxian W veins. He/He ratios range from 0.41 to 3.03 Ra (where Ra is the He/He ratio of air = 1.39 × 10), and Ar/Ar ratios from 328 to 1,191. Moreover, there are excellent correlations between He and Ar isotopic compositions. The results suggest that the ore-forming fluids are a mixture between a crustal fluid containing atmospheric Ar and crustal He and a fluid containing mantle components. It is likely that the former is a low temperature meteoric fluid, and the later is a fluid exsolved from the W-associated granitic magma, which formed by crustal melting induced by intrusion of a mantle-derived magma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the relationships of career calling to job satisfaction in army officers. The direct and indirect (via meaning in life and meaning in work) effects of career calling on job satisfaction were investigated in 355 male army officers in China. For this purpose, structural equation modeling and bootstrap method were used. Results of confirmatory factor analysis verified the latent structures of meaning in work and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling and χ2 test indicated meaning in work and presence meaning in life partially mediated the association between career calling and job satisfaction. The bootstrap method also revealed a significant indirect path from career calling to job satisfaction through them. These findings extend previous studies and shed light on promoting job satisfaction from a positive and meaningful perspective through the effect of adaptive career calling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gas-fired absorption heat pump for high-temperature water heating is proposed. • The system produces hot water above 90 °C with primary energy efficiency of 1.38. • Temperature lift is 75 °C that is much higher than the single-effect system. • Energy saving potential is 36.7–43.5% compared to the gas-fired boilers. • Payback period is 3.0 years when applied to three typical cities of south China. Despite being efficient water heating technologies, conventional absorption heat pumps can hardly produce hot water with temperature over 90 °C, and compressor-based systems have low primary energy efficiency. In order to fill this temperature gap and improve the energy efficiency, a gas-fired ammonia-water absorption heat pump with intermediate process is proposed to supply hot water with large temperature lift for residential and industrial applications. In addition to the ambient heat utilized in the evaporator, the proposed system recovers the exhaust heat in the intermediate evaporator, and the evaporated ammonia vapor is absorbed in the intermediate absorber to further heat the water, which is initially preheated in sequence in the condenser, rectifier and absorber. Simulation results indicate that at the ambient temperature of 20 °C, the proposed system can produce hot water with temperature over 95 °C and the obtained temperature lift is 75 °C, while the primary energy efficiency is 1.38. Obtained results indicate that the intermediate pressure of 0.7 MPa is the optimum pressure from both thermodynamic and economic aspects. Moreover, it is found that the energy saving potential of the proposed system is in range of 36.7% to 43.5%, when the comparison is made with conventional gas-fired boilers, and the average payback period is 3.0 years in three typical cities of south China. It is concluded that the proposed system is an efficient scheme for high-temperature water heating with large temperature lift. This is especially pronounced in warm regions with average ambient temperature over 5 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devonian is a critical period for reversal of arc polarity and transition of continental margins from passive to active settings in the northern margin of the North China Block (NCB). However, the evolution processes during this period are still poorly constrained due to limited distributions of Devonian magmatism and sedimentary records in the NCB. In this paper, we present new zircon U–Pb geochronological, whole‐rock geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data of some recently identified Devonian volcanic rocks from the Jiefangyingzi area in the northeastern margin of the NCB. The Jiefangyingzi volcanic rocks display a bimodal composition and consist predominantly of amphibolite (meta‐basaltic andesite) and meta‐rhyolite and rhyolitic tuff with minor meta‐andesite. New SHRIMP and LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U–Pb dating results show that the volcanic rocks erupted during the early‐middle Devonian period (397–389 Ma). Geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data indicate that the mafic‐intermediate components were mainly derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle source, and the parental magma experienced fractional crystallization during magma ascent. The felsic rocks were mainly originated by partial melting of ancient lower continental crust, with mixing of some mantle‐derived mafic magmas. The occurrence of Devonian bimodal volcanic rocks, combined with the Devonian alkaline magmatic belt, suggesting that the northern margin of the NCB was a post‐collisional extension environment during the early‐middle Devonian period. In addition, the Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic results of the Devonian felsic volcanic rocks suggest that the Jiefangyingzi area is located in the North China Craton (NCC) rather than the Bainaimiao arc belt, and the orogen‐craton boundary between the northern NCC and Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is located in some areas north to the Jiefangyingzi area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Influence of fertilizer and sugarcane cover on TDN and TDP exports were verified. • Fertilizer application followed by rainfall significantly increases dissolved nutrient exports in runoff from the agricultural watershed. • Increasing sugarcane cover significantly reduces dissolved nutrient exports from the watersheds. • Appropriate timing of fertilizer application and sugarcane cover reduce dissolved nutrient exports in runoff from agricultural watersheds. Overuse of chemical fertilizer due to intensive agriculture results in excess dissolved nutrient exports by runoff from watershed, causing eutrophication of water bodies. But how the time of fertilization and ground cover influence exports of dissolved nutrients by runoff from watershed have not been studied yet. This study, therefore, investigated the dynamics of dissolved nutrients (total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), NH 4 +-N, NO 3 −-N and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP)) exports, and their relationships with mode and time of fertilizer application and sugarcane cover in Nala watershed, subtropical southern China. Runoff from the outlets of three sub-watersheds was monitored and collected during sugarcane growth stages (establishment (ES), vegetative (VG), grand growth (GG) and ripening (RP)). The magnitudes of TDN, NH 4 +-N, NO 3 −-N and TDP exports from the entire watershed were 111.72, 10.97, 89.89 and 0.99 kg ha-1, respectively. The exports of TDN were 32.51, 30.74, 47.60 and 0.87 kg ha-1 during ES, VG, GG and RP, respectively, whereas the respective TDP exports during the four growth stages were 0.43, 0.16, 0.39 and 0.01 kg ha-1. The highest TDN and NO 3 −-N (43-47% of the total) exports during grand growth stage coincided with fertilizer topdressing and peak runoff. In contrast, the highest NH 4 +-N (43%) and TDP (49%) exports occurred during ES following basal fertilization with minimum sugarcane cover. The TDN exported from the watershed was equivalent to 38% of applied N fertilizer (296.4 kg ha-1) while TDP exports was equivalent to 4% of applied P fertilizer (22.90 kg ha-1). Runoff had positive relationships with the dissolved nutrient exports (P < 0.001), and accounted for 15-87% of NH 4 +-N, NO 3 —N, TDN and TDP exports. In contrast, sugarcane cover inversely correlated with dissolved nutrient exports (P < 0.001), explaining 30-61% of TDN, NH 4 +-N, NO 3 −-N and TDP exports. Applied fertilizers had positive relationships with dissolved nutrient exports (P < 0.01), explaining 62% of TDN and 14% TDP exports by N and P fertilizers, respectively. The results indicate that dissolved nutrient exports by runoff from watershed were mainly controlled by mode and time of fertilization and ground cover. This is crucial to fertilizer use efficiency and mitigation of nutrient exports from intensive agricultural watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying ecologically vulnerable areas and understanding the responses of phenology to negative changes in vegetation growth are important bases for ecological restoration. However, identifying ecologically vulnerable areas is difficult because it requires high spatial resolution and dense temporal resolution data over a long time period. In this study, a novel method is presented to identify ecologically vulnerable areas based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series from MOD09A1. Here, ecologically vulnerable areas are defined as those that experienced negative changes frequently and greatly in vegetation growth after the disturbances during 2000–2018. The number and magnitude of negative changes detected by the Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) algorithm based on the NDVI time-series data were combined to identify ecologically vulnerable areas. TIMESAT was then used to extract the phenology metrics from an NDVI time series dataset to characterize the vegetation responses due to the abrupt negative changes detected by the BFAST algorithm. Focus was given to Jilin Province, a region of China known to be ecologically vulnerable because of frequent drought. The results showed that 13.52% of the study area, mostly in Jilin Province, is ecologically vulnerable. The vulnerability of trees is the lowest, while that of sparse vegetation is the highest. The response of phenology is such that the relative amount of vegetation biomass and length of the growing period were decreased by negative changes in growth for dense vegetation types. The present research results will be useful for the protection of environments being disturbed by regional ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moths often use multi-component pheromones with fixed ratios to keep intraspecific communication and interspecific isolation. Unusually, the Oriental armyworm Mythimna separata in North China use only Z 11-16:Ald as the essential component of its sex pheromone to find mates. To understand how this species keeps behavioral isolation from other species sharing Z 11-16:Ald as a major pheromone component, we study the olfactory coding of intra- and interspecific pheromonal messages in the males of M. separata. Firstly, we functionally characterized the long trichoid sensilla in male antennae by single sensillum recording. Two types of sensilla were classified: the A type sensilla responded to Z 11-16:Ald and Z 9-14:Ald, and the B type sensilla mainly to Z 9-14:Ald, and also to Z 11-16:Ac, Z 11-16:OH, and Z 9-16:Ald. Next, we examined the glomerulus responses in the antennal lobes to these compounds by using in vivo optical imaging. The results showed that among the three subunits of the macroglomerular complex (MGC), Z 11-16:Ald activated the cumulus, Z 9-14:Ald activated the dorso-anterior and the cumulus, Z 11-16:OH and Z 11-16:Ac activated the dorso-anterior and dorso-posterior, respectively. However, Z 9-16:Ald activated an ordinary glomerulus. Thirdly, we tested the behavioral responses of the males to these compounds in the wind tunnel. Addition of Z 9-14:Ald at the ratio of 1:10 greatly reduced the attractiveness of Z 11-16:Ald, addition of Z 9-16:Ald or Z 11-16:OH at the ratio of 1:1 also had behavioral antagonistic effects, while addition of Z 11-16:Ac had no effect on the attractiveness of Z 11-16:Ald. Finally, we used antennal transcriptome data and the Xenopus expression system to identify the receptor of Z 9-14:Ald in M. separata. The Xenopus oocytes co-expressing MsepOR2 and MsepORco showed a strong response to Z 9-14:Ald. Two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization validated that the cells expressing MsepOR2 and MsepOR3, tuned to Z 9-14:Ald and Z 11-16:Ald respectively, were localized in the different sensilla of male antennae. Comparing the sex pheromone communication channel of the related species, our results suggest that the conserved olfactory pathways for behavioral antagonists play a crucial role in behavioral isolation of noctuid species. Image 1 • Two types of long trichoid sensilla are characterized in male Mythimna separata. • Three units of MGC and one ordinary glomerulus are involved in pheromone detection. • Z9-14:Ald as a strong behavioral antagonist is targeted by unique subunits of MGC. • MsepOR2 biasedly expressed in the male antennae is mainly tuned to Z9-14:Ald. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the cities in China in which spinal cord injury (SCI) studies have been conducted previously are at the forefront of medical care, northwest China is relatively underdeveloped economically, and the epidemiological characteristics of SCI have rarely been reported in this region. Methods: The SCI epidemiological survey software developed was used to analyze the data of patients treated with SCI from 2014 to 2018. The sociodemographic characteristics of patients, including name, age, sex, and occupation, were recorded. The following medical record data, obtained from physical and radiographic examinations, were included in the study: data on the cause of injury, fracture location, associated injuries, and level of injury. Neurological function was evaluated using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale. In addition, the treatment and complications during hospitalization were documented. Results: A total of 3487 patients with SCI with a mean age of 39.5 ± 11.2 years were identified in this study, and the male to female ratio was 2.57:1. The primary cause of SCI was falls (low falls 47.75%, high falls 37.31%), followed by traffic accidents (8.98%), and impact with falling objects (4.39%). Of all patients, 1786 patients (51.22%) had complications and other injuries. According to the ASIA impairment scale, the numbers of grade A, B, C, and D injuries were 747 (21.42%), 688 (19.73%), 618 (17.72%), and 1434 (41.12%), respectively. During the hospitalization period, a total of 1341 patients experienced complications, with a percentage of 38.46%. Among all complications, pulmonary infection was the most common (437, 32.59%), followed by hyponatremia (326, 24.31%), bedsores (219, 16.33%), urinary tract infection (168, 12.53%), deep venous thrombosis (157, 11.71%), and others (34, 2.53%). Notably, among 3487 patients with SCI, only 528 patients (15.14%) received long-term rehabilitation treatment. Conclusion: The incidence of SCI in northwest China was on the rise with higher proportion in males; fall and the MCVs were the primary causes of SCI. The occupations most threatened by SCI are farmers and workers. The investigation and analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of SCI in respiratory complications are important factors leading to death after SCI, especially when the SCI occurs in the cervical spinal cord. Finally, the significance of SCI rehabilitation should be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To protect the global ecological environment and prevent threats to human safety and property, nations around the world have invested heavily in ecological restoration programmes. However, we do not know whether these investments have been repaid by the resultant benefits.To answer this question, we developed an improved method of quantifying costs and benefits that accounts for more of the costs associated with ecological restoration, thereby letting us calculate the net benefit.To demonstrate this method, we analysed the Grain for Green Program (GGP), which is the world's largest ecological restoration programme. We found that the increase in net benefits amounted to a total of 530.1 × 109 RMB/year in 2017. However, 11 of China's 25 provinces have incurred net losses due to high cost increases and low increases in benefits under the GGP.Synthesis and applications. Because compensation payments to farmers and herders whose livelihoods were disrupted by implementation of the Grain for Green Program only accounted for 0.8% of the programme's cost, improving compensation payments will be essential to its success. Assessing Grain for Green Program the largest ecological restoration programme in the world will provide guidance for ecological protection and restoration policies around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivory tolerance can offset the negative effects of herbivory on plants and plays an important role in both immigration and population establishment. Biomass reallocation is an important potential mechanism of herbivory tolerance. To understand how biomass allocation affects plant herbivory tolerance, it is necessary to distinguish the biomass allocations resulting from environmental gradients or plant growth. There is generally a tight balance between the amounts of biomass invested in different organs, which must be analyzed by means of an allometric model. The allometric exponent is not affected by individual growth and can reflect the changes in biomass allocation patterns of different parts. Therefore, the allometric exponent was chosen to study the relationship between biomass allocation pattern and herbivory tolerance. We selected four species (Wedelia chinensis, Wedelia trilobata, Merremia hederacea, and Mikania micrantha), two of which are invasive species and two of which are accompanying native species, and established three herbivory levels (0%, 25% and 50%) to compare differences in allometry. The biomass allocation in stems was negatively correlated with herbivory tolerance, while that in leaves was positively correlated with herbivory tolerance. Furthermore, the stability of the allometric exponent was related to tolerance, indicating that plants with the ability to maintain their biomass allocation patterns are more tolerant than those without this ability, and the tendency to allocate biomass to leaves rather than to stems or roots helps increase this tolerance. The allometric exponent was used to remove the effects of individual development on allocation pattern, allowing the relationship between biomass allocation and herbivory tolerance to be more accurately explored. This research used an allometric model to fit the nonlinear process of biomass partitioning during the growth and development of plants and provides a new understanding of the relationship between biomass allocation and herbivory tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies assessing brain–personality mechanisms have used Western personality questionnaires. However, Western personality questionnaires may not objectively reflect the personality characteristics of individuals in Eastern cultures such as China. Hence, we adopted the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the Chinese localized scale, FPPI, to explore the brain mechanisms differences of typical yin and typical yang personalities of individuals in China. 30 typical yin personality participants (TYI) and 34 typical yang personality participants (TYA) were enrolled according to the FPPI. The group differences of the functional brain networks among 90 specific brain regions were mapped using fMRI data and then analyzed by the conventional network metrics (CNM) and frequency subgraph mining (FSM). The CNM and FSM differences between two typical personality groups were traced to the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices. The yin group, reflecting the rich emotions and feelings of individuals, showed higher betweenness centrality (BCi) and nodal efficiency (Ei) values in putamen and middle frontal gyrus. The yang group, reflecting active behaviors and tendency to adapting to the changing surroundings, showed higher BCi and Ei values in precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule, brain areas in the default mode network (DMN). These results supplied evidence for the neurobiological differences between typical yin and typical yang personality participants based on Chinese culture. These results also provide a new perspective to help researchers understand brain mechanism differences between yin and yang personality groups in the Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study rock spalling in deep tunnels at China Jinping Underground Laboratory Phase II (CJPL-II), photogrammetry method and digital borehole camera were used to quantify key features of rock spalling including orientation, thickness of slabs and the depth of spalling. The failure mechanism was analysed through scanning electron microscope and numerical simulation based on FLAC3D. Observation results clearly showed the process of rock spalling failure: a typical spalling pattern around D-shaped tunnels after top-heading and bottom bench were discovered. The orientation and thickness of the slabs were obtained. The slabs were parallel to the excavated surfaces of the tunnel and were related to the shape of the tunnel surface and orientation of the principal stress. The slabs were alternately thick and thin, and they gradually increased in thickness from the sidewall inwards. The form and mechanism of spalling at different locations in the tunnels, as influenced by stress state and excavation, were analysed. The result of this study was helpful to those rethinking the engineering design, including the excavation and support of tunnels, or caverns, at high risk of spalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are contaminants of global concern, and the inadvertent consumption of PFAA-contaminated crops may pose a threat to public health. Therefore, systematically studying their source tracing, bioaccumulation prediction and risk assessments in crops is an urgent priority. This study investigated the source apportionment and transport of PFAAs and novel fluorinated alternatives (collectively as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFASs) from factories to agricultural fields in a fluorochemical industrial region of China. Furthermore, bioaccumulation specificities and prediction of these chemicals in different vegetables were explored, followed by a comprehensive risk assessment from agricultural fields to dinner plates which considered precursor degradation. A positive matrix factorization model revealed that approximately 70 % of PFASs in agricultural soils were derived from fluorochemical manufacturing and metal processing. Alarming levels of ∑PFASs ranged 8.28–84.3 ng/g in soils and 163–7176 ng/g in vegetables. PFAS with short carbon chain or carboxylic acid group as well as branched isomers exhibited higher environmental transport potentials and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) across a range of vegetables. The BAFs of different isomers of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) decreased as the perfluoromethyl group moved further from the acid functional group. Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) showed relatively low BAFs, probably related to its ether bond with a high affinity to soil. Vegetables with fewer Casparian strips (e.g., carrot and radish), or more protein, possessed larger BAFs of PFASs. A bioaccumulation equation integrating critical parameters of PFASs, vegetables and soils, was built and corroborated with a good contamination prediction. After a total oxidizable precursors (TOP) assay, incremental perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were massively found (325–5940 ng/g) in edible vegetable parts. Besides, precursor degradation and volatilization loss of PFASs was firstly confirmed during vegetable cooking. A risk assessment based on the TOP assay was developed to assist the protection of vegetable consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the water-limited Loess Plateau, reference evapotranspiration (ET) is an important hydrological factor affecting the implementation of ecological projects, agricultural production, and water resource management, and its long-term variation is of great interest in climate change studies. Based on daily data from 57 meteorological stations, temporal and spatial patterns in ET and related driving factors were evaluated for the period 1958-2011. In addition, the influences of agricultural cultivation and urbanization on ET trends were also analyzed. The results indicated both decreasing and increasing trends in annual and seasonal ET series in this area. The area-average ET series experienced a weak decreasing annual trend. However, more ET series were found with increasing trends. More decreasing trends were found in summer, winter, and the growing season, but more increasing trends were seen in spring and autumn. Analysis of the contributions of meteorological variables on trends in ET showed that wind speed was the most dominant factor affecting ET variation at most stations. In addition, cultivation and urbanization also affected ET trends. The impact on ET trend was more obvious for the urbanization than cultivation. A warmer and drier trend would affect the implementation of ecological projects, the occurrence of dried soil layers, desertification, and agricultural production of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Spatial and temporal distributions of temperature, precipitation and wind speed from 1960 to 2013 at 179 meteorological stations situated in the desertification prone region ( DPR) of China are analysed using the Mann-Kendall test and the Theil-Sen's slope estimator on monthly, seasonal and annual timescales. The results indicate that annual mean temperature has increased at a rate of 0.33 °C (10 year)−1 over the DPR. Tmin generally increased at a higher rate than Tmax in the majority of the months and seasons over the past 54 years; this has resulted in a decrease in the diurnal temperature range. Precipitation increased for the majority of the meteorological stations in the western area of the DPR, and decreased in the eastern area, but few of these trends are statistically significant on all timescales. The majority of meteorological stations recorded a significant decrease in wind speed at the majority of timescales. Results from this investigation show that the climate is becoming warmer and wetter in the western area of the DPR, and warmer and drier in eastern area of the DPR. A greater understanding of how the historical climate has been changing enables scientific support for the adaption of mitigation policies for land desertification/degradation, water resources, ecological projects and agricultural production. These policies will aid in combating the desertification processes, maintaining ecological security and promoting sustainable development in the DPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Evapotranspiration is a sensitive parameter for assessing climate change. It controls energy and mass exchange and is a descriptor of drought in arid- and semi-arid regions. Using the Mann- Kendall ( M-K) test, Sen's slope estimator, and the stepwise regression, temporal, and spatial variations in potential evapotranspiration ( ET0) and its dominant factors were analysed. The analysis was based on data from 173 meteorological stations in a desertification-prone region of China over the period from 1960 to 2013. The annual ET0 decreased prior to 1990s and increased thereafter. The majority of stations had a decreasing ET0 trend, especially in summer, in which the average slope of all stations was −2.43 mm decade−1. Analysis of determining factors showed that a decrease in wind speed was the primary factor associated with decreasing ET0. The trend magnitude of ET0 increased from −2.25 mm decade−1 to −7.43 mm decade−1 as wind speed increased, then decreased to −3.00 mm decade−1. Decreasing ET0 and increasing P in the western region led to decrease in the aridity index, suggesting a wetter climate and reduced desertification. Increasing aridity index in the eastern region reduced the vegetation cover and facilitated desertification processes, which might be a disadvantage for ecological reconstruction and desertification control. Better understanding of the response of ET0 to regional climate change may facilitate efficient use of limited water resources and establish management strategies that can combat desertification and maintain ecological security in a desertification-prone region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experimental data for core plugs, which were drilled from two Chinese tight sandstone reservoirs, permeability prediction models, such as the classical SDR, Timur-Coates, the Swanson parameter, the Capillary Parachor, the R10 and R35 models, are calibrated to estimating permeabilities from field NMR logs, and the applicabilities of these permeability prediction models are compared. The processing results of several field examples show that the SDR model is unavailable in tight sandstone reservoirs. The Timur-Coates model is effective once the optimal T2cutoff can be acquired to accurately calculate FFI and BVI from field NMR logs. The Swanson parameter model and the Capillary Parachor model are not always available in tight sandstone reservoirs. The R35 based model cannot effectively work in tight sandstone reservoirs, while the R10 based model is optimal in permeability prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is difficult to obtain rock resistivity parameters by using the cross plots of porosity vs. formation factor and water saturation vs. resistivity index to calculate reservoir water saturation in low permeability sandstones. The cementation and saturation exponents (m and n separately) are divergent, and no fixed values can be obtained due to the complicated pore structure. This leads to a problem in water saturation calculation. To investigate the main factors that heavily affect the cementation and saturation exponents, 36 core samples, which were drilled from low permeability sands of Xujiahe Formation, Sichuan basin, southwest China, are chosen for laboratory resistivity and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, 20 of them for mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) measurements and 10 of them for casting thin-section analysis. The results show that these two parameters are associated with rock pore structure. For rocks with good pore structure, the proportion of macropore components is dominant, high cementation exponents and low saturation exponents can be obtained, and on the contrary, rocks with poor pore structure will be dominated by the proportion of small pore components, and they will contain low cementation exponents and high saturation exponents. To quantitatively acquire reliable cementation and saturation exponents for water saturation estimation, a logarithmic function is established to calculate cementation exponent from porosity. Irreducible water saturation (S wi), which is estimated from NMR logs by using the optimal T 2cutoff, is presented to characterize the proportion of small pore components. A technique of calculating saturation exponent by combining with S wi, (1−S wi) and the logarithmic mean of NMR T 2 spectrum (T 2lm) is proposed, and the corresponding model is established. The credibility of these techniques is confirmed by comparing the predicted cementation and saturation exponents with the core analyzed results. The absolute errors between the predicted cementation exponents and the experimental results are lower than 0.08, and the absolute errors between the predicted saturation exponents and the experimental results are lower than 0.2. These techniques proposed in this study are extended to several low permeability sands for field applications; the field examples illustrate that cementation and saturation exponents can be accurately estimated in the intervals with which NMR logs were acquired. By using the variable rock resistivity parameters, precisely water saturation can be calculated for low permeability sandstones evaluation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High-quality training samples are essential for accurate land cover classification. Due to the difficulties in collecting a large number of training samples, it is of great significance to collect a high-quality sample dataset with a limited sample size but effective sample distribution. In this paper, we proposed an object-oriented sampling approach by segmenting image blocks expanded from systematically distributed seeds (object-oriented sampling approach) and carried out a rigorous comparison of seven sampling strategies, including random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling (stratified sampling with the strata of land cover classes based on classification product, Latin hypercube sampling, and spatial Latin hypercube sampling), object-oriented sampling, and manual sampling, to explore the impact of training sample distribution on the accuracy of land cover classification when the samples are limited. Five study areas from different climate zones were selected along the China–Mongolia border. Our research identified the proposed object-oriented sampling approach as the first-choice sampling strategy in collecting training samples. This approach improved the diversity and completeness of the training sample set. Stratified sampling with strata defined by the combination of different attributes and stratified sampling with the strata of land cover classes had their limitations, and they performed well in specific situations when we have enough prior knowledge or high-accuracy product. Manual sampling was greatly influenced by the experience of interpreters. All these sampling strategies mentioned above outperformed random sampling and systematic sampling in this study. The results indicate that the sampling strategies of training datasets do have great impacts on the land cover classification accuracies when the sample size is limited. This paper will provide guidance for efficient training sample collection to increase classification accuracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While exercise has been shown to reduce the negative effects of substance withdrawal symptoms, no research has investigated if Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese exercise, has similar effects. Here, we observed the physiological effects of Tai Chi on protracted abstinence syndrome (PAS) in female heroin addicts by comprehensively inspecting their immune system function, complete blood count, hepatic function and renal function. To determine the psychological effects, we used the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and the rating scale of heroin withdrawal symptoms. We recruited 70 heroin-addicted young women beginning to undergo withdrawal and randomly assigned them into two groups: one group received one-hour Tai Chi exercise every two days (Tai Chi group, n = 36) and the other group did not (control group, n = 34). Thirty-three patients finished this six-month trial. Numerous significant physiological differences were observed between all heroin-addicted subjects (n = 70) and age-matched healthy individuals (n = 18), suggesting a deleterious effect of drug addiction. There were improvements for certain physical parameters between the Tai Chi group (n = 17) and the control group (n = 16), although the differences were not statistically significant. We observed a small significant difference in psychological effects near the 60-day mark between the two groups. Taken together, our results suggest that Tai Chi might have a positive effect on PAS, which future studies can confirm by using an expanded sample size, longer trial time, and more sensitive and specific indicators of psychological and physiological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]