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The cement industry, as one of the primary contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounts for 7% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. There is an urgent need to establish a rapid method for detecting cement plants to facilitate effective monitoring. In this study, a comprehensive method based on YOLOv5-IEG and the Thermal Signature Detection module using Google Earth optical imagery and SDGSAT-1 thermal infrared imagery was proposed to detect large-scale cement plant information, including geographic location and operational status. The improved algorithm demonstrated an increase of 4.8% in accuracy and a 7.7% improvement in MAP@.5:95. In a specific empirical investigation in China, we successfully detected 781 large-scale cement plants with an accuracy of 90.8%. Specifically, of the 55 cement plants in Shandong Province, we identified 46 as operational and nine as non-operational. The successful application of advanced models and remote sensing technology in efficiently and accurately tracking the operational status of cement plants provides crucial support for environmental protection and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust stratigraphic framework and a coherent depositional ramp model for the Zitai, Dawan, Meitan and Ningkuo formations of Floian–Darriwilian age (Early–Middle Ordovician) in the Yangtze (Daoba, Xiangshuidong, Daling, Gudongkou and Honghuayuan sections) and Jiangnan regions (Nanba section) was created based on lithofacies and major element analysis. Three siliciclastic (LF1–3) and six carbonate (LF4–9) lithofacies are recognized representing sediments that were deposited in mixed siliciclastic and carbonate ramp environment. The intensity of mixed sedimentation and terrigenous input were evaluated using the elemental proxies Intensity of Mixed sedimentation (IM) and Aluminum Accumulation Rate (AlAR), as well as their mean values during certain time intervals. Mixed sediments are most well‐developed along the marginal Yangtze region, strongly impacted by recurrent influx of westerly derived terrigenous materials in response to global eustatic changes and regional tectonic movements, shaping the gently southeast‐dipping morphology. Regular terrigenous influx resulted in periods of enhanced primary productivity on the Yangtze Ramp as evidenced by matching biodiversity peaks in planktonic organisms, i.e., chitinozoans and acritarchs. Brachiopods and other shelly fauna were also able to proliferate as new niches developed along the gently dipping ramp floor with substrate changes. The biodiversification patterns suggest that terrigenous influx controlled in part by regional tectonics played a more important role than previously thought in the development of Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy plays an important role in the infectious processes of diverse pathogens. For instance, cellular autophagy could be harnessed by viruses to facilitate replication. However, it is still uncertain about the interplay of autophagy and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) in cells. In this study, we reported that SADS-CoV infection could induce a complete autophagy process both in vitro and in vivo, and an inhibition of autophagy significantly decreased SADS-CoV production, thus suggesting that autophagy facilitated the replication of SADS-CoV. We found that ER stress and its downstream IRE1 pathway were indispensable in the processes of SADS-CoV-induced autophagy. We also demonstrated that IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway, neither PERK-EIF2S1 nor ATF6 pathways, was essential during SADS-CoV-induced autophagy. Importantly, our work provided the first evidence that expression of SADS-CoV PLP2-TM protein induced autophagy through the IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the interaction of viral PLP2-TMF451-L490 domain and substrate-binding domain of GRP78 was identified to activate the IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway, and thus resulting in autophagy, and in turn, enhancing SADS-CoV replication. Collectively, these results not only showed that autophagy promoted SADS-CoV replication in cultured cells, but also revealed that the molecular mechanism underlying SADS-CoV-induced autophagy in cells. Author summary: SADS-CoV, a novel bat-origin pathogen belonging to the family Alphacoronavirus, was confirmed to be the aetiological agent that caused mass death of piglets in southern China in 2017. Strikingly, since the outbreak of SADS-CoV, multiple studies have highlighted the risk of cross-species transmission due to its broad cell tropism. A better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms is expected to result in a more specific SADS-CoV prevention and control measures. As yet, the pathogenic mechanisms of SADS-CoV have so far not been characterized well. Here, we found that SADS-CoV infection induced a complete autophagy process in vitro and in vivo to facilitate virus propagation. Furthermore, it's indicated that ER stress and IRE1 pathway played indispensable functions in SADS-CoV-induced autophagy. Notably, we have provided first evidence that SADS-CoV PLP2-TMF451-L490 domain induced autophagy by interacting with substrate-binding domain of GRP78 to activate the IRE1-JNK-Beclin 1 signaling pathway. Overall, our study presented detailed mechanism of SADS-CoV-induced autophagy as well as a contribution for SADS-CoV pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, a case of infection with RVC was identified and the full-length genome of RVC in China was sequenced. A natural recombination event was observed in the RVC genome. Collectively, our data suggest that the RVC exists in China and it can be mixed with other diarrhea viruses, which brings new challenges to the prevention and control of diarrhea disease in pigs. Our data provide a new insight into the evolution of the rotavirus. Swine enteric disease is the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality, and viral species involved in swine enteric disease include rotaviruses and coronaviruses, among others. Awareness of the circulating porcine rotavirus group C (PoRVC) in pig herds is critical to evaluate the potential impact of infection. At present, due to the lack of disease awareness and molecular diagnostic means, the research on RVC infection in China is not well-studied. In this study, diarrhea samples collected from pig farms were detected positive for RVC by PCR, and the full-length RVC was not previously reported for Chinese pig farms. This rotavirus strain was designated as RVC/Pig/CHN/JS02/2018/G6P6. A natural recombination event was observed with breakpoints at nucleotides (nt) 2509 to 2748 of the VP2 gene. Phylogenetic analysis based on nsp1 revealed that a new branch A10 formed. Collectively, our data suggest a potentially novel gene recombination event of RVC in the VP2 gene. These findings provide a new insight into the evolution of the rotavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood trauma (CT) can lead to long-term psychiatric disturbances. The current study investigated the prevalence of CT and its associated risk factors among Chinese adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Adolescents were recruited from a large study on mental health in the Hunan province of China in 2014. The study had a two-phase cross-sectional design. Patients with mental disorders (n = 907) and healthy subjects (n = 2,240) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form. Of all types of CT, emotional neglect (EN; 48.44%-68.82%) and physical neglect (PN; 60.0%-72.1%) were most common among adolescents. The experience of emotional abuse (EA), physical abuse (PA), sexual abuse (SA), EN, and multiple types of trauma (≥3) was higher among adolescents with psychiatric disorders than the healthy comparison group. Moreover, the results of logistic regression analysis showed that living in semi-urban areas and villages, having a sibling, and having bad-to-average academic performance were risk factors for CT among adolescents with psychiatric disorders (p <.05). In additional, the results of logistic regression analysis revealed that being a left-behind child and bad academic performance were risk factors for experiencing multiple types (≥3) of CT (p <.05), while being female and having siblings were found to be protective factors against (≥3) CT (p <.05). In summary, the prevalence rate of CT (especially multiple types of trauma) is high among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. These results indicate the importance of reducing CT to limit the likelihood of psychiatric disorders, especially among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As clean, renewable energy, photovoltaic (PV) energy can reduce the ozone-layer loss and climate deterioration caused by the use of traditional types of energy to generate electricity. At present, most PV energy products involve the influence of cloud cover on solar radiation. However, the resolution and precision of most cloud cover data are not fine enough to reflect the actual cloud distribution in local areas. This leads to incorrect distribution results of PV energy in areas with high-spatial-variability clouds. Using high-resolution and high-precision cloud cover data obtained by satellite remote sensing to estimate the distribution of PV energy can solve this problem. In this study, the Global Land High-Resolution Cloud Climatology (GLHCC), a 10-day cloud frequency product with a resolution of 1 km and located in China, was used to construct a cloud-based solar radiation estimation model. Using the inverse relationship between cloud cover and solar radiation, the GLHCC was converted into sunshine percentage data. Using meteorological station data in China, a Least Squares Fit (LSF) and error check were carried out on the A-P, Lqbal, Bahel and Sen Models to determine the optimal solar radiation estimation model (Sen Model). Based on the sunshine percentage data, the Sen Model and terrain shielding factors, the distribution of PV energy in China was estimated. Finally, comparing to the Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) of the World Bank and the yearly average global irradiance of the Photovoltaic Geographic Information System (PVGIS), PV energy data in this paper more accurately reflected the distribution of PV energy in China, especially in areas with high-spatial-variability clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen trilobite species belonging to 16 genera and 13 families are systematically documented from the Houping Formation (upper Dapingian-lower Darriwilian, Middle Ordovician) at the Datangkou and Dacao sections, Chengkou, northern Chongqing. Of these, a new species, Mioptychopyge chengkouensis sp. nov., is established and described. New morphological information is provided for previously known species on the basis of new specimens. Two trilobite associations based on faunal composition and dominant forms are distinguished from the Houping Formation, in ascending order, the Agerina Association (from the lower and middle members) and the Nileus-Illaenus Association (from the upper member). The Agerina Association lived in an inner shelf margin environment with carbonate substrate above storm wave base (<70 m deep), whereas the Nileus-Illaenus Association developed in a shallow outer shelf environment below storm wave base (>70 m deep), indicating a rise of relative sea level corresponding to the early Darriwilian transgression. The cluster and nonmetric multidimensional scaling analyses of the trilobites in the formation show that the fauna had a strong endemicity to South China and a close biogeographic connection with east Peri-Gondwana, especially Tarim, Annamia and central Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated an association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors in Chinese adolescents, and explored the underlying mechanism. Methods: The data of 3094 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years were collected from an epidemiological survey in China. All the subjects or their parents completed the Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, and the Adolescent Self-rating Life Event Checklist (ASLEC). Results: Relative to the non-schizoid group, adolescents with schizoid tendencies (male or female) showed significantly higher scores for aggressive behaviors, emotional abuse, and ASLEC. Regarding females only, those with schizoid tendencies had significantly higher (lower) scores for physical abuse and emotional neglect (physical neglect). The aggressive behaviors score was predicted by scores for schizoid tendencies (βmale = 0.620, βfemale = 0.638, both P < 0.001) and ASLEC (βmale = 0.125, βfemale = 0.061, both P < 0.01), and by childhood trauma score (males: emotional neglect [β = 0.045, P = 0.021]; females: emotional abuse and sexual abuse [β = 0.118 and − 0.062, both P < 0.01]). The ASLEC and childhood trauma scores mediated the association between scores for schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors, specifically, emotional neglect (emotional abuse and sexual abuse) in males (females). In females, the interaction between scores for childhood trauma and ASLEC affected the aggressive behaviors score (P = 0.023). Conclusions: Schizoid tendencies are associated with aggressive behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Recent life events and childhood trauma mediated an association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors. The interaction between childhood trauma and recent life events affected aggressive behaviors in females. Aggressive behaviors in adolescents may be ameliorated by reducing childhood trauma and life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protolepidodendralean lycopsid Leclercqia represents one of the best studied Devonian plants, with a worldwide distribution, but is not known from the palaeocontinents that constitute the present northeastern China. Two species of the genus, Leclercqia cf. L. complexa and Leclercqia sp., are described for the first time from the Hanuo Obo Formation of Dong Ujimqin Qi, Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, an area poorly documented by record of early vascular plants. The first species is characterized by three‐dimensional, five‐tipped leaves, which show a long, downwardly recurved, central segment and two pairs of short, lateral segments, while the latter species bears seven‐tipped leaves and more robust axes. Our discovery confirms that the Hanuo Obo Formation is a distinctive lithological unit in Inner Mongolia, and suggests a Middle to Late Devonian (but no later than Frasnian) age for this formation based on the global spatio‐temporal occurrence of Leclercqia. The present finding indicates the spread of protolepidodendraleans to the Xing'an Block, or a part of the Mongolian Block, representing the northernmost distribution of this group during the Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Saline‐sodic lands threaten the food supply and ecological security in the western Songnen Plain of northeast China, and the gypsum is commonly adopted for restoration. However, the dynamics of soil bacterial community and the correlation with crop yield during restoring processes remain poorly understood. Here, we elucidated the soil chemical properties and bacterial communities and their associations with rice yield under different flue gas desulphurization gypsum (FGDG) application rates combined with brackish ice leaching. RESULTS: The increased application rate of FGDG generally improved soil reclamation effects, as indicated by soil chemical properties, bacterial diversity, and rice yield. Compared with fresh ice irrigation, the rice yield in brackish ice treatment increased by 15.84%, and the soil alkalinity and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) decreased by 35.19% and 10.30%, respectively. The bacterial alpha diversity significantly correlated and predicted rice yield as early as brackish ice melt, suggesting the bacterial diversity was a sensitive indicator in predicting rice yield. Meanwhile, the bacterial communities in the control possessed a high abundance of oligotrophic Firmicutes, while eutrophic bacterial taxa (e.g. Proteobacteria) were enriched after brackish water irrigation and FGDG application. Moreover, we also established a Random Forest model and identified a bacterial consortium that explained an 80.0% variance of rice yield. CONCLUSION: Together, our results highlight the reclaiming effect of brackish ice in the saline‐sodic field and demonstrate the sensitivity and importance of the soil bacterial community in predicting crop yield, which would provide essential knowledge on the soil quality indication and bio‐fertilizer development for soil reclamation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the current study was to assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances among Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large national survey, analyze the relationship between sleep disturbances and mental health status, and explore the influencing factors of the relationship between sleep disturbances and mental health status. Methods: An online survey was accessed by 19,740 people throughout China from February 14 to 21, 2020. The survey included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) to measure psychological distress and two questions about sleep disturbances. Logistic regression analyses and moderation analysis were performed. Results: (1) Among the 14,505 respondents included in analyses, 3,783 (26.08%) reported sleep disturbances at least 3 days during the past week. (2) Sleep disturbances increased the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress (p < 0.05). (3) Gender, age, education, occupation, frequency of attending to epidemic information, nervousness about supplies, receiving provisions of living necessities from the service department during the outbreak, number of correct responses to questions about the epidemic, and isolation/quarantine affected the risk of mental health problems among participants experiencing sleep disturbances (p < 0.05). (4) A moderation analysis found that sleep problems were more likely to affect depression, anxiety, and stress scores in men than women during the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 outbreak, 26.08% people surveyed experienced sleep disturbances, and the presence of sleep disturbances was positively related to depression, anxiety, and stress, especially among front-line anti-epidemic workers, younger people, people living in isolation/quarantine, people with a college or greater education, and males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available data on the temporal and geographical distribution of Middle–early Late Ordovician trilobites in South China were reviewed under a high-resolution biostratigraphical framework to investigate the diversity dynamics and explain the faunal turnover and radiation pattern of trilobites during the Middle Ordovician. Three macroevolutionary phases are recognized on the basis of the diversity changes at taxonomic levels. Cluster analysis shows three trilobite groups, two distinct trilobite faunas and three faunal turnovers through nine time slices. Three trilobite groups (Groups A, B and C) are coupled with three macroevolutionary phases, and characterized by different proportions of the Whiterock Fauna. Two distinct trilobite faunas (Early–Middle Ordovician and Late Ordovician Trilobite Faunas) and three faunal turnovers could be recognized at different similarity coefficients, their replacements were mainly affected by changes of sea level and substrate conditions. The trilobite radiation was manifested by the development, expansion and domination of the Whiterock Fauna (part of the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna) through the Middle Ordovician. The first diversity acme of trilobites occurred during the Dapingian–early Darriwilian, while the radiation centre gradually shifted from inner platform to outer platform environments. From the end Darriwilian onwards, elements of the Whiterock Fauna had further developed and dominated all environmental settings from the inner platform to the lower slope, coinciding with the second and more extensive radiation of trilobites in South China. Two phases of radiation may have been directly triggered by two major transgressions during the late Dapingian–early Darriwilian and the late Darriwilian–early Sandbian respectively. In addition, climate cooling and various substrate conditions, as well as the increased oxygen levels in the atmosphere and marine water, nutrients and tectonic movements during the Middle Ordovician may have provided essential conditions for the trilobite radiation. • Three macroevolutionary phases of South China trilobites based on diversity changes. • Heatmap of trilobites based on cluster analysis shows trilobite groups and faunal turnovers. • Development, expansion and domination of the Whiterock Fauna along environmental gradients. • Status of the Whiterock Fauna in the macroevolution of the Ordovician trilobite and Paleozoic Fauna. • Trilobite radiations of South China were closely related to sea level changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRVs) infect almost all mammals, and there are some reports on MRVs in China. In this study, a novel strain was identified, which was designated as HLJYC2017. The results of genetic analysis showed that MRV HLJYC2017 is a reassortant strain. According to biological information analysis, different serotypes of MRV contain specific amino acid insertions and deletions in the σ1 protein. Neutralizing antibody epitope analysis revealed partial cross-protection among MRV1, MRV2, and MRV3 isolates from China. L3 gene recombination in MRV was identified for the first time in this study. The results of this study provide valuable information on MRV reassortment and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first study that empirically investigates the associations between left-behind experience in childhood and the quality of employment in adulthood for young rural-to-urban migrants in China, a population known as new-generation migrants. Toward this end, we consider several indicators of employment quality, including wages, employee benefits, work intensity and employment stability, and explore the possible channels between the childhood left-behind experience and employment quality indicators. Our 2013 Migrant Worker Survey shows that 40% of young migrants (n = 1802) have been left-behind for more than 6 months before 16 years of age and 7% of new-generation migrants have childhood left-behind experience for at least 3 years. Through empirical analysis, we find that the childhood left-behind experience, especially long-term experience, adversely affects the wages and employment stability of young migrants. In addition, the results of this study show that long-term left-behind experience is adversely associated with correlates of human capital, especially mental health, which subsequently affects adulthood employment quality. Policies should be improved to decrease the occurrence of left-behind children and, when this cannot be avoided, programs and services are required to reduce the negative effects of childhood left-behind experience on new-generation migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cambrian coral Cambroctoconus occurs selectively in the crypts of calcimicrobe Epiphyton reefs of the Zhangxia Formation (Miaolingian) in Shandong Province, North China. These cryptobionts preferentially grow laterally and/or downward, in some cases showing pendent growth from the ceilings of the reef framework. The upside‐down growth is clearly shown by the downward‐oriented aperture and the presence of fork‐like holdfasts at its base. The coral aggregations reveal two cryptic growth strategies: one involves the prevalence of far smaller individuals in vertically narrow spaces; the other involves the predominance of modular individuals in large cavernous spaces. Offset individuals frequently appear projecting downward and are connected to each other in a chain‐like fashion. Individuals often undergo rejuvenescence laterally and downward, when the growth directions may change. Therefore, the size and modularity of individuals and the direction of budding depend largely upon the cryptic microenvironments available at the time. The cryptobionts make the best use of vacant spaces by modifying the location of budding and altering their growth directions through rejuvenescence. The cryptic growth strategies found in Cambroctoconus indicate a certain degree of morphological variability in the modules. More importantly, they indicate that the individuals flexibly and exquisitely utilized the microbial crypts that were still predominant even during the middle Cambrian. These modes of cryptic growth demonstrate the age‐specific exploitation of niches by sessile skeletal organisms that was facilitated by the development of a firm attachment structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined (a) the relationship that interpersonal problems and depression share with the intensity of mobile phone use and (b) their effects on suicide-related behaviors (SRBs) and self-harming behaviors among adolescents.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adolescents were recruited from 11 middle and high schools in Shenzhen, China. They completed self-reported measures that assessed mobile phone use, their history of SRBs (i.e., suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, and attempted suicide) and self-harming behaviors, depression, and interpersonal problems.Results: Interpersonal problems and depression mediated the relationship between high-intensity mobile phone use and the risk for SRBs and self-harming behaviors among Chinese adolescents.Conclusions: The findings delineate the pathways through which interpersonal problems and depression increase the risk for SRBs and self-harming behaviors among adolescents who report high-intensity mobile phone use. Future studies should develop interventions that alleviate interpersonal problems and depressive symptoms to reduce the risk for SRBs and self-harming behaviors among adolescents who report high-intensity mobile phone use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential mechanisms underlying cyber victimization and the resulting psychological and physical symptoms remain unclear. Thus, the present study investigated whether Internet addiction mediates the association between peer victimization (e.g., cyberbullying) and psychological and physical symptoms. Furthermore, it was assessed whether physical exercise moderates the hypothetical mediation. Methods: 1854 students from 11 middle and high schools in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, were sampled for this study. Psychological and physical symptoms were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, while Internet addiction was evaluated using the Internet addiction test by Young. Cyber victimization was measured using a single question. In addition, this study examined whether Internet addiction mediated the association between cyber victimization and both psychological and physical symptoms. Additional work was conducted to test if physical exercise played a moderating role in the mediation hypothesized above. Mediation and moderation were analyzed using PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results: Regression analysis showed that both cyber victimization (β = − 0.102, p < 0.05) and Internet addiction (β = − 0.278, p < 0.05) significantly predicted psychological and physical symptoms and demographic variables were controlled. Further mediation analysis suggested that Internet addiction mediated the relationship between cyber victimization and psychological and physical symptoms. The 95% CI (confidence interval) of the direct effect was (− 4.283, − 1.696) and the indirect effect (− 1.904, − 0.820), respectively, excluding zero. Finally, moderation analysis indicated that physical exercise moderated the relationship between Internet addiction and psychological and physical symptoms (p = 0.047). Conclusions: Internet addiction plays a mediating role in the association between cyber victimization and both psychological and physical symptoms, Thus, addressing Internet addiction among cyberbullying victims is worthwhile. Furthermore, physical exercise alleviates negative impacts on health and should thus be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, suicidal behavior among doctors has gained increasing research attention. The main effects of job stress and social support on suicidal ideation (SI) have been publicly documented, but their interactive effects on SI have not been well studied, particularly among clinicians of county hospitals in China. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 352 clinicians of county hospitals in Guangxi was thus conducted, measuring their SI, job stress, and social support. Results indicated that 56 (15.9%) individuals reported SI during the previous week, with males accounting for 6.8% and females 9.1%. Job stress was positively correlated with SI, whereas family, friend, and colleague supports were negatively correlated with SI. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis showed that colleague support was a significant moderator on the relationship between job stress and SI among clinicians, but family and friend supports were not. In conclusion, SI among clinicians of county hospitals is common and should become a target of prevention. Perceived support from colleagues is more important than that from family and friends in alleviating the influence of job stress on SI. The results also suggested that social support programs encouraging the participation of superiors and colleagues may be greatly effective in the prevention of clinicians' stress and SI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Gzhelian (Late Pennsylvanian) reefs of the Amushan Formation in eastern Inner Mongolia, North China, were formed by filamentous microbes and phylloid algae. Loosely accumulated prostrate phylloid algae provided substrates for growth of filamentous microbes to construct a rigid reef framework. Filamentous microbes grew parallel to the surfaces of phylloid algae, forming micritic encrustations. Subsequent developed stage of the filamentous microbes, growing perpendicularly to the phylloid algae surfaces, produced the peloid-A aggregations (concentrated areas of peloids of A type). The remaining spaces in the phylloid algal–microbial frameworks were filled by microbes that grew perpendicularly to the phylloid algae surfaces, generating peloid-B aggregations (concentrated areas of peloids of B type). Microbial sediment with various proportions of phylloid algae is a significant character of the Gzhelian buildups in the subtropical North China. North China buildups have similar reef-building organisms to the typical Tethyan buildups, but have a different construction model. As such, the subtropical North China buildups are considered as a sub-type of the tropical Tethyan buildups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mechanisms underlying the relationship between life events and psychological distress are unclear. However, evidence of genetic involvement, including the neuropeptide S receptor gene (NPSR1), exists.Methods: A total of 600 Chinese adults were enrolled in this cross-sectional study using random cluster sampling. Demographic information, measures of life events and psychiatric symptoms, and fasting blood samples were collected.Results: Significant correlations were observed among life-event scores, somatization, and psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms). Regression revealed life-event scores and somatization predicted anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress, while controlling for sex, age, income, education, and marital status. Structural equation modeling indicated that somatization mediated the association between life-event scores and psychological distress. Moreover, the mediating effect was influenced by the NPSR1 gene, suggesting that the NPSR1 polymorphisms rs324981, rs6947841, and rs6972158 influenced the association between life-event scores and somatization (ps < 0.05). The NPSR1 polymorphisms rs12673132 significantly affected the relationship of somatization with psychological distress (p < 0.05).Conclusions: In conclusion, somatization mediated the association between life-event scores and psychological distress. The current study is the first to demonstrate this relationship with a Chinese sample, whereby the NPSR1 gene affects the mediating effect of somatization on the association between life-event scores and psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution pattern of early Telychian ( turriculatus-crispus graptolite biozone) red beds in the Eastern Yangtze Platform of South China is reconstructed based on regional geologic data. The red beds are developed in three areas, which are separated by regions without red deposition. The distribution pattern indicates that the Cathaysian Oldland was the provenance of sediment rich in ferric oxides, which are essential for the formation of red beds. Silurian marine siliciclastic red beds, both in China and worldwide, tended to develop during times of relatively low sea level. Coeval hematitic oolites that formed far from the coast may record a change from reducing to oxidizing conditions in the ocean. Furthermore, it is likely that a fall in global sea level, a transition from reducing to oxidizing conditions in the ocean, and a cooling climate, all of which were closely related to the early Telychian Valgu Event, promoted the global development of marine red beds during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• A series of indicators were proposed to describe the complex features of intensity fluctuation of natural rainfall. • Rainfall events displayed strong intensity fluctuations with 78% of rainfall amount occurring in 27% of rainfall duration. • Regression models considering rainfall intensity fluctuation well predict runoff and soil loss with efficiency over 0.70. Rainfall represents the main driving force of runoff and soil erosion. Previous studies usually focused on the effects of general rainfall characteristics at event scale on runoff and soil erosion, but the effects of rainfall intensity fluctuation at intra-event scale, i.e., the temporal distribution of intensity bursts across the rainfall profile, have always been difficult to be characterized. In this study, the rainfall intensity profile was disaggregated into high-intensity zone and low-intensity zone using the average rainfall intensity as threshold, and a series of indicators were proposed to describe the features of rainfall intensity fluctuation. Field observations of runoff and soil loss in six grass-cover plots under natural rainfall conditions were conducted from 2011 to 2016 in the Loess Plateau of China. The main rainfall indicators influencing runoff coefficient (RC), sediment concentration (SC) and soil loss coefficient (SLC) were identified using the principal component analysis, and runoff and soil loss regression models were developed using data from 2011 to 2013 to predict RC, SC and SLC during 2014–2016. The results indicated that the natural rainfall events displayed strong intensity fluctuations (e.g., aggregation, intermittency, and variability), with approximate 78% of rainfall amount occurring in only 27% of rainfall duration. Most of the proposed rainfall intensity fluctuation indicators were significantly correlated with RC, SC and SLC (p < 0.05). The average intensity of rainfall peaks (I ap) and rainfall duration of high-intensity zone (RD h) were the main variables to simulate RC, and the average intensity of high-intensity zone (I ah) and relative amplitude of rainfall intensity (R am) controlled SC and SLC. The models considering rainfall intensity fluctuation had good performances in predicting RC, SC and SLC with higher R 2 values (0.64 vs 0.46), lower RMSE values (0.66 vs 0.76) and higher NSE values (0.54 vs 0.42) compared to the models only considering general rainfall characteristics. The prediction accuracy of SLC was higher than that of RC and that of SC was lowest. These results gain an insight into the marked influence of rainfall intensity fluctuation in generating and predicting runoff and soil loss, and shed light on exploring rainfall-erosion relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial heat sources have made a great contribution to Chinese economic development. However, it has also been found that emissions from industrial heat sources are the main contribution to regional air pollution. Therefore, the detection of industrial heat sources and the expression of related information is becoming important. In this paper, the detection of industrial heat sources was used to express industrial information, thus that the accuracy of the detection of industrial thermal anomalies could be improved and the problems of noise and missing parameters addressed. A model for expressing industrial information based on object-oriented industrial heat sources and using multi-source thermal anomaly data in China was, therefore, proposed. It was a new real-time, objective, and real way to describe the production operation status of industrial heat sources on a large-scale area. First, 4340 working industrial heat sources in mainland China were detected by applying an adaptive k-means algorithm to ACF (NPP VIIRS 375-m active fire/hotspot data) data from the period 19 January 2012 to 31 December 2020. Secondly, several features of working industrial heat sources were extracted from NPP VIIRS 375-m active fire/hotspot data (ACF), VIIRS Nightfire data (VNF), and the Fires product based on Landsat-8 AIRCAS (L8F) data. Areas containing working industrial heat sources were then identified based on these different types of fire data. Light, land-surface temperature, and CO2 and N2O emissions data related to the working industrial heat sources were also extracted. The results show that feature parameters extracted from the multi-source thermal anomaly data mostly have a good positive correlation with the other parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Ordovician (late Tremadocian-early Floian) Fenhsiang and the overlying Hunghuayuan Formations at the Chenjiahe section in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province, South China, include four types of reef: microbe-dominated (lithistid sponge-stromatolite and lithistid sponge-calcimicrobial) reefs, and skeletal-dominated (lithistid sponge-bryozoan and bryozoan-pelmatozoan) reefs. The microbe-dominated reefs are characterized by the dominance of microbial sediments that encrusted and bound the surfaces of sponges to reinforce the reef frameworks. In contrast, the skeletal-dominated reefs are distinguished by bryozoans that encrusted frame-building sponges and pelmatozoans, and that grew downward to fill the open spaces available within the frameworks. A series of these reefs shows a temporal succession in reef type, with a decline in the lithistid sponge-stromatolite reefs and an increase in the lithistid sponges and receptaculitids within the lithistid sponge-calcimicrobial reefs in the Hunghuayuan Formation; the lithistid sponge-bryozoan reefs are common in both the Fenhsiang and Hunghuayuan Formations. These features of the Chenjiahe reefs are in marked contrast to other coeval reefs on the Yangtze Platform and elsewhere. Skeletal-dominated reefs first developed in the Three Gorges and adjacent areas, located on the central part of the platform. Likewise, lithistid sponges and receptaculitids first developed in the Three Gorges area and then expanded their range. In contrast, stromatolites declined over time, but remained abundant on a marginal part of the platform. The spatial-temporal distributions of these reefs on the Yangtze Platform reflect the initiation of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event and its consequences, although influenced by local environmental conditions. The Three Gorges area was a center for the development of skeletal-dominated reefs, which were established earlier here than elsewhere in the world. These reef types and their spatial-temporal successions provide invaluable clues to the earliest evolution of skeletal-dominated reefs and their ensuing development during the Middle-Late Ordovician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corals are comparatively abundant in the upper member of the Baiyun'an Formation (upper Aeronian to lowerest Telychian, Llandovery, Silurian) of Huaying, eastern Sichuan Province, Southwest China. Three coral associations have been recognized, i.e., in ascending order, the Mesofavosites Association, the Dentilasma Association, and the Paraceriaster Association. The Mesofavosites Association occurs at horizons indicating a shallow and high-energy environment. It is dominated by large favositids accompanied by a few broken pieces of halysitids and small solitary rugose corals. The Dentilasma Association has a pretty high coral diversity, dominated by the solitary rugose coral Dentilasma meitanense, together with some subordinative heliolitids and favositids. The sedimentary evidence shows that this association might live in a quiet and nutritive shallow water environment. The Paraceriaster Association yields in the grayish green calcareous mudstone indicating a comparatively deep water environment. Systematically it contains abundant fasciculate Paraceriaster micropora and a few favositids. The distinction among these three coral associations shows that corals could adopt different adaptive strategies under different environments, which provide some new data for the investigation on the ecology of Silurian corals and further study on the 'Lower Red Beds'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station was established in 1986. It currently has three receiving stations in the north, west, and south of China, with the capacity to receive data from 15 international and domestic Earth observation satellites covering the entire Chinese territory and 70% of Asia. Meanwhile, a systematic, integrated, and standardized spatial information service system has been built. A data-sharing project for medium-resolution Earth observation satellites has been conducted and plays an important role in land, ocean, and atmospheric resource investigation and environmental monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which examined the relative abundance of diagnostic bioclasts and the temporal pattern of the shellbed in the Lower Ordovician fossiliferous carbonates in the Three Gorges region of South China. Information on the stratigraphical interval at the Chenjiahe Section is given. Oolitic grainstone and subordinate skeletal packstone/grainstone were found at the Nantsinkuan Formation. Diversified bioclasts at the Chenjianhe Section include brachiopods and trilobites.

Piperock, a kind of characteristic ichnofabrics in Phanerozoic, was thought to decline gradually from Cambrian to Ordovician. A new compilation on the occurrences of the Cambrian and Ordovician piperocks of China and the world shows that piperocks generally flourished in Cambrian and declined in Ordovician, but a sharp decrease occurred during Middle and Late Cambrian. The case-study on the piperocks from the Lower-Middle Ordovician Hongshiya Formation at Dabaochang of Qiaojia, northern Yunnan Province, Southwest China indicates that the forming and preservation of piperocks were controlled by the depositional environment, the intensities of predation, competition, bioturbation, and the contents of nutrition and oxygen in watermass. A careful study on the development of the Cambrian and Ordovician piperocks suggests that the decrease of nearshore siliciclastic sediments and the low contents of oxygen and nutrition in the watermass may have contributed to the decline of piperocks in Middle and Late Cambrian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a member of the collectin protein family that binds a broad range of microorganisms and activates the lectin-complement pathway of innate immunity. MBL deficiency is associated with an increased risk for various infections and arises from five polymorphisms in the promoter and first exon of the MBL gene in humans. In this study, three novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region and two previously reported SNPs in exon 2 of the MBL1 gene were detected using PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and DNA sequencing in 537 cattle from three Chinese breeds. Analysis of the genotypes and haplotypes was used to investigate the polymorphisms and their possible implications, especially their association with serum MBL-A levels, complement activity (CH50 and ACH50), and milk production traits was investigated. The g.2651G>A SNP in exon 2 affected the serum MBL-A concentrations and the serum CH50 values, whereas the g.−1330G>A SNP significantly affected CH50 and the somatic cell scores (SCSs). Statistical analysis revealed that cows with the ATGGC/ACAAC combined genotype and those with the AAGGT/ACGGT combined genotype exhibited the lowest and highest SCSs, respectively. Serum antibacterial activities were also conducted to verify the effect of the SNPs on resistance to mastitis pathogens. Results of real-time PCR showed that the liver of cows with clinical mastitis exhibited a higher MBL1 expression compared with healthy ones ( P < 0.05). Findings of this study indicate that the MBL1 gene possibly contributes to bacterial infection resistance and can be used as a molecular marker of milk production traits to control mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relation between central Guizou and Yichang uplifts present in central Guizou to western Hubei in China. Stratigraphic evidence of the uplifts; Mechanism of the central Guizou and Yichang uplifts.

The Sakmarian–Kungurian (Early Permian) carbonate mounds of the Amushan Formation of the Deyanqimiao section in eastern Inner Mongolia, North China comprise phylloid algae-echinoderm mound, fusulinid-echinoderm mound and echinoderm mound. They were constructed by repeating the following steps in the mid-ramp and outer ramp environments: 1) skeletal grains accumulated in situ, or after short-distance transportation; 2) tubiform microbes eroded skeletal grains, induced the formation of CaCO 3 crystallites near the cell surface, and trapped and bound suspended lime mud from ambient water; 3) some positive topographies slightly higher than adjacent sediments were formed. Data from North China, as well as the tropical Tethyan domain and the subtropical Pangean domain show a three-phase development pattern of Early Permian carbonate buildups. The first phase (Asselian-Sakmarian) is marked by carbonate buildups rich in organisms, such as phylloid algae, Palaeoaplysina , Shamovella , sponges and bryozoans. The second phase (Artinskian) is represented by the disappearance of phylloid algae and Palaeoaplysina from carbonate buildups resulted from the paleoclimatic change from an icehouse to a greenhouse. The third phase (Kungurian) is characterized by the sharp contrast between drastic decline of carbonate buildups in the subtropical Pangean domain and their successful development in North China and the tropical Tethyan domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crustacean trace fossils provide invaluable information to paleobilogical, environmental and ecological interpretations in the Earth history. Here we report an unusually large (segments up to 58 mm across), three-dimensional burrow system from the Lower Devonian Pingyipu Formation, which was deposited in a nearshore setting on the northwestern Yangtze Platform, South China. The burrow system is dominated by horizontally-developed networks probably with vertical shafts connecting to the sediment-water interface. The burrow surfaces show no signs of lining but are characterized by scratches including ridges and bundles of ear-shaped striae, implying an assignation to Spongeliomorpha aff. S. chevronensis (Muñiz and Mayoral 2001). The overall morphological and taphonomic features suggest permanent, open burrows, produced in a substrate with considerable firmness. Further investigation indicates that the burrow system may have been constructed by a colony of large, unknown crustacean with thoracic appendages decorated with acute seta or denticulations. They generally served a combined purpose of dwelling and perhaps feeding on microbial growth accumulating on the tunnel margins. These burrows represent the earliest known three-dimensional burrow systems constructed by a crustacean that may be comparable to their modern analogues in both morphological and functional aspects. The unusually large size of the burrows may have been favored by a higher atmospheric oxygen level during the Early Devonian. • An unusually large burrow system from the Lower Devonian is illustrated. • It is the earliest known three-dimensional system constructed by crustaceans. • Morphological and functional features may be comparable to its modern analogues. • Occurrence of the burrows was favored by a higher atmospheric oxygen level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice storms greatly affect the structure, dynamics, and functioning of forest ecosystems. Studies on the impact of such disasters, as well as the post-disaster recovery of forests, are important contents in forest biology, ecology, and geography. Remote-sensing technology provides data and methods that can support the study of disasters at the large-to-medium scale and over long time periods. This study took Chebaling National Nature Reserve in Guangdong Province, China, as the study area. First, field-survey data and remote-sensing data were comprehensively analyzed to demonstrate the feasibility of replacing the forest stock volume with the mean annual value of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), to study forest growth and change. We then used the EVI from 2007 to 2017, together with a variety of other remote-sensing and forest sub-compartment data, to analyze the impact of the 2008 ice storm and the subsequent post-disaster recovery of the forest. Finally, we drew the following conclusions: (1) Topography had a considerable effect on disaster impact and forest recovery in Chebaling. The forest at high altitudes (700–1000 m) and on steep slopes (25–40°) was seriously affected by this disaster but had a stronger post-disaster recovery ability. Meanwhile, the hardest-hit area for coniferous forest was higher and steeper than that for broad-leaved forest. (2) In the same terrain conditions, coniferous forests were less affected by the disaster than broad-leaved forests and showed less variation during the post-disaster recovery process. Nevertheless, broad-leaved forests had faster recovery rates and higher recovery degrees; (3) Under the influence of human activities, the recovery and fluctuation degree for planted forest in the post-disaster recovery process was significantly higher than that for natural forest. The study suggests that forest has high disaster resistance and self-recovery ability after the ice storm, and this ability has a strong correlation with the type of forest and the topographic factors such as elevation and slope. At the same time, human intervention can speed up the recovery of forests after disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) re-emerged in China in 2010 and is now widespread. Evidence indicates that highly virulent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) strains belonging to genotype G2 caused a large-scale outbreak of diarrhea. Currently, vaccines derived from PEDV classical strains do not effectively prevent infection by virulent PEDV strains, and no specific drug is available to treat the disease. RNA interference (RNAi) is a novel and effective way to cure a wide range of viruses. We constructed three short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-expressing plasmids (shR-N307, shR-N463, and shR-N1071) directed against nucleocapsid (N) and determined their antiviral activities in intestine epithelial cells infected with a classical CV777 strain and LNCT2. We verified that shR-N307, shR-N463, and shR-N1071 effectively inhibited the expression of the transfected N gene in vitro, comparable to the control shRNA. We further demonstrated the shRNAs markedly reduced PEDV CV777 and LNCT2 replication upon downregulation of N production. Therefore, this study provides a new strategy for the design of antiviral methods against coronaviruses by targeting their processivity factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cambrian–Ordovician interval was an intriguing period of geologic time, when reef transitions occurred along with important biodiversification events. This study examines the secular reef transitions in North and South China during the Cambrian and Ordovician in terms of changes in reef construction and related geobiological changes. Microbial reefs in the Terreneuvian have not been well documented in South China. The Cambrian Series 2 interval saw the almost simultaneous appearance of reef-building skeletal archaeocyaths and calcimicrobes. The widely developed archaeocyath–calcimicrobe reefs had totally disappeared by the middle of Series 2 in South China and were followed by purely calcimicrobial reefs. During the Miaolingian and Furongian, skeletal-reef builders were commonly thought to have been inhibited owing to elevated sea-water temperature, which caused lowered oxygen. However, microbial reefs containing lithistid sponges and keratosan sponges were more common in this interval in North China than previously thought. The first skeletal-dominated reefs were established during the Early Ordovician, coincident with a decline in stromatolite reefs in the central Yangtze Platform. During the Middle and Late Ordovician interval, a variety of skeletal reef-builders with diversified calcimicrobes contributed markedly to reef construction in limited areas of both North and South China. The appearance and increase of skeletal-dominated reefs are considered to have been related to lowering global sea-water temperature. Recently reported Late Ordovician cement-rich reefs in both North and South China may contain further evidence of global cooling; however, from an ecological perspective, the novel niches and biological interactions created by early skeletal-dominated reefs may have promoted the further development of reef-building organisms. Cambrian and Ordovician reef successions in North and South China are distributed discontinuously; however, integrating information from both North and South China could yield improved understanding of reef evolution and background environments through these intervals. • Four intervals of Cambrian–Ordovician reef transitions in China are identified. • Calcimicrobial diversity changed dramatically throughout the intervals. • Stromatolite decline coincided with increasing diversity of metazoans. • Data from North and South China will improve understanding of reef succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among medical college students in a Chinese population.Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to collect demographic data on participants and their symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Data were collected through questionnaires filled out on a computer or through WeChat, a widely used social media app.Results: The prevalence of ADHD among 5693 college students was 3.5% (3.02∼3.98%). Individuals with ADHD showed higher scores on scales of anxiety and depression symptoms (both p < 0.05) than the general population. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of ADHD grouped by smoking, drinking, suicidal ideation, suicidal plans, suicidal attempt, anxiety and depression (p < 0.05). The odds ratio (OR) of ADHD was high for suicidal ideation, suicide plans, suicide attempts, anxiety and depression, with ORs of 5.901, 5.46, 6.011, 8.037 and 7.88, respectively. The ORs of suicidal behaviors for ADHD were decreased after adjusting for covariates such as drinking, smoking and depression.Limitations: The sample was exclusively selected from three medical-related colleges, which might not be best representation of college students in China. Furthermore, majority of the participants were females.Conclusions: ADHD remains a common disorder among Chinese medical college students and is significantly associated with suicidal behaviors, anxiety and depression. It is important to increase awareness and promote effective interventions to this particular population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Roles of natural rainfall pattern on runoff and soil loss of three restoration vegetation types were explored. • Early-peak rainfall pattern yielded larger runoff and soil loss compared to center-peak and late-peak patterns. • Runoff-soil loss relationships were well described by a power function. Vegetation restoration is effective at combating soil erosion. The intensity distribution within rainfall events (rainfall pattern) has undergone evident variations under global change, which was crucial for hydrological and erosive processes. However, the responses of runoff and soil loss to natural rainfall patterns under restored vegetation are not fully understood. In this study, the rainfall hyetograph, runoff and soil loss data from forestland, shrubland and grassland plots were collected during 2012–2016 in the Yangjuangou catchment, a typical hilly and gully catchment in the Loess Plateau of China. The roles of natural rainfall pattern on runoff and soil loss were explored, and the consistency of these effects among three land use types was examined. The erosive rainfall events were grouped into three rainfall patterns based on the occurrence time of the most intense rainfall, including the early-peak, center-peak and late-peak patterns. The results indicated that the early-peak pattern contributed to approximately 50 % of erosive events, which also yielded the significantly larger RC (runoff coefficient) (0.91 ∼ 3.07 %) and larger SLC (soil loss coefficient) (0.07 ∼ 0.13 g m−2 mm−1) compared to center-peak (0.08 ∼ 0.11 % and 0.005 ∼ 0.010 g m−2 mm−1) and late-peak pattern (0.14 ∼ 1.05 % and 0.003 ∼ 0.010 g m−2 mm−1). Generally, the influences of rainfall pattern on runoff and soil loss were consistent between the three land use types. The RC-SLC relationships were well described by a power function, and the early-peak (0.022) and center-peak pattern (0.027) showed larger magnitude term compared to the late-peak pattern (0.010), revealing larger capacity of runoff to produce erosion. This study shed light on the crucial role of natural rainfall pattern in yielding runoff and soil loss from vegetated hillslopes, and highlighted that the early-peak pattern may be responsible for triggering serious soil erosion in the semi-arid environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decimeter-scale 3-D network structure of the Upper Ordovician Pagoda Formation in South China has been an enigmatic sedimentary feature and a case of non-uniformitarian carbonate depositional system, without modern analog. The network bands are developed pervasively throughout the entire Pagoda Formation, superficially resembling desiccation or syneresis cracks, especially in bedding-plane view, with decimeter-scale sub-polygonal to irregularly sinuous patterns. Detailed petrographic analysis, however, shows that the crack-like network bands have the same carbonate matrix, skeletal grains, and overall fabrics as the rock they surround. In this study, we demonstrate that the network structure is not generated by shrinkage cracks but is rather a time-specific lithofacies. It originated from prolonged growth of nodular carbonate, controlled by the convergence of several geological and paleoclimatic factors, including a) a protracted sea-level highstand lasting for about 5 Myr, b) an interval of tectonic quiescence favoring the dominance of carbonate production, with minimal siliciclastic input, and c) location of the South China paleoplate in the hurricane-free paleoequatorial zone devoid of severe storm disturbances between the fairweather and maximum storm wave bases (normally 15–120 m depths), favoring long-term, uninterrupted growth of CaCO 3 meganodules on a mid-shelf substrate. This study corroborates recent paleogeographic reconstructions that position the South China paleoplate on the Equator during the Late Ordovician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are transient and not pathognomonic for psychiatric disorders, they may increase the risk of concurrent and future psychiatric disorders. However, the prevalence of PLEs and the different effects of PLE subtypes on mood outcomes are still unclear. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the prevalence of PLE subtypes and explore their relationship with the use of specific emotion regulation strategies and the level of affective lability among college students. The history of PLEs, the level of affective lability, and the use of specific emotion regulation strategies were assessed via self-reported questionnaires, and 1905 college students and 1812 college students were included in separate analyses. This study found that 14.44% of college students reported ever experiencing any of the five PLEs, with males reporting more PLE symptoms and a higher number of PLEs than females. Different PLE subtypes had different effects on the use of specific emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal or suppression) and the level of affective lability and also showed gender differences. Cognitive reappraisal and suppression differently predicted affective lability in males and females, and cognitive reappraisal mediated the relationship between hearing voices in PLEs and affective lability in males. In conclusion, PLEs were common in Chinese college students and gender differences were revealed in the prevalence of PLE subtypes. PLEs were associated with the use of specific emotion regulation strategies and the level of affective lability. Cognitive reappraisal may be a promising target for intervention aimed at relieving the effect of PLEs in non-clinical individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The replenishment showed an increase–decrease trend with increased thinning intensity. • A 35 % thinning intensity improved the replenishment of soil water by rainfall. • The leaf area index and initial soil water content controlled the replenishment. • Reasonable thinning intensity is determined by replenishment and retention. Soil water plays a key role in vegetation growth and recovery, mainly replenished by rainfall in the water-limited areas. Thinning is an important practice for forest reconstruction and soil water regulation. However, the effects of different thinning intensities on the dynamics of soil water and its replenishment by rainfall have been inadequately quantified, which could provide a guide for reasonable thinning intensity determination for in high-density forests from a hydrological perspective. In this study, one nonthinning plot and 5 plots with different thinning intensities, i.e., 35 % (light), 45 % (medium), 55 % (moderate), 65 % (heavy) and 80 % (extremely heavy) in Robinia pseudoacacia plantations, which are widely planted on the Loess Plateau, were set up. The volumetric soil water content (SWC) at 0–200 cm depths and rainfall were observed simultaneously and continuously for up to two years. The soil properties and vegetation structure in each plot were also measured regularly. The results showed that (1) the SWC in all the thinning plots was significantly greater than that in the nonthining plot (P < 0.05). (2) The replenishment increased with increasing thinning intensity, and then decreased after reaching a maximum at T 35 % under most rainfall events except for light events. (3) The variations in the soil water response characteristics among the plots with different thinning intensities were mainly significantly correlated with the initial soil water content (ISWC), leaf area index (LAI) and understorey vegetation characteristics (P < 0.05). (4) Based on the relationship between soil water replenishment and retention with thinning intensity and stand density, quantitative equations were fitted to determine the reasonable thinning intensity (22–28 %) and retained stand density (1019–1091 trees/ha), respectively. Our study concluded that thinning could effectively improve soil water, especially light thinning, which could obviously enhance the replenishment of soil water by rainfall in Robinia pseudoacacia plantations. This study can provide a reference for determining forest thinning intensity or stand retention density, which is beneficial for water and reforestation management in water-limited regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Silurian and Devonian plant fossil record is the basis for our understanding of the early evolution of land plants, yet our appreciation of early global phytogeographic evolution has been constrained by the focus of most studies on deposits from Europe, North America, and, more recently, South China. Devonian plants have been recorded rarely from northeastern China, and among previous records, few plants have been illustrated and formally described. In this article, megafossil plants representing a Late Devonian-aged (probably Famennian) flora are described from a locality at northern Sonid Zuoqi, Inner Mongolia, NE China. The flora includes Melvillipteris sonidia new species, Archaeopteris sp., and fragments of some other plants. The new plant shows main axes and two orders of lateral branches. The first-order branches of this plant show a typical zigzag appearance and are borne in pairs on main axes. Second-order branches are straight or slightly flexed, and are borne helically or alternately on first-order branches. Sterile ultimate appendages and fertile structures of M. sonidia n. sp. are borne alternately on second-order branches. An associated palynological assemblage, as well as U-Pb ages of detrital zircon grains from adjacent horizons, are also reported, indicating a Late Devonian age in accord with the megafossil plants. The present study contributes to our appreciation of the Devonian floristic diversity of the Xing'an Block, and, through our review of the record of early vascular plants from NE China, more broadly to the understanding of the mid-latitude vegetation of the Northern Hemisphere during the Late Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Lower Ordovician records a transition from microbial- to metazoan-dominant reefs immediately prior to the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. The Hunghuayuan Formation (late Tremadocian-early Floian) of the Jianxin section in Anhui Province, South China, includes well-preserved reefs, which consist of a combination of microbial boundstones and microbial-lithistid sponge-receptaculitid boundstones. The microbial boundstones are characteristically made up of nodular or columnar stromatolites produced by an irregular alternation of Girvanella-rich layers and thick micrite layers in which the filamentous calcimicrobe Girvanella and bioclasts occur sporadically. Microbial biofilms, including the filamentous microbes, may have trapped and bound lime mud and/or precipitated micrite during their growth and metabolic activities. These activities contemporaneously contributed to substrate stabilisation, encrustation, and the construction of microbialite frameworks (stromatolites). In contrast, the microbial-lithistid sponge-receptaculitid boundstones are characterised by more micritic constituents than skeletal reef-building constituents. Thin and/or domal crusts produced by peloid and dense micrite, together with various proportions of Girvanella, occur upon bioclastic sediments and reef-building skeletal organisms. These micritic crusts with Girvanella therefore played roles as binders and stabilisers, and as consolidators by encrusting reef-building skeletal organisms. In the boundstones, it is remarkable that the degradation of lithistid sponges, due to microbial decay, produced micrite in the sponge bodies. As a result, lithistid sponges played an apparently inconspicuous but potentially significant role as micrite producers as well as automicrite framework constructors. These Lower Ordovician reefs, in which microbialites (e.g., stromatolites) dominate but coexist with metazoans (e.g., sponges), were widespread at the time. They provide excellent examples for understanding reefal palaeoecology during the transition from microbe-dominant reefs to reefs enriched in metazoans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Peloids are major contributors to modern and ancient limestones, although their origins are not yet comprehensively understood. Upper Permian to Lower Triassic carbonate successions are well preserved at the Bangeng area in Guizhou Province, South China, where microbialites (thrombolites), coccoidal microbes and peloids are preserved together. These peloids are classified into three types (Peloid-A, B, C) that typically occur together along with coccoidal microbes and restricted bioclasts in a variety of microenvironments. Peloid-A is most common and exhibits close relationship with coccoidal microbes. Peloid-A1 has spherical grain and a size range typical for coccoidal microbes (10–60 μm in diameter), whereas Peloid-A2 is marked by larger spherical and subrounded grains with diffuse margins, ranging from 70 to 200 μm in diameter. Peloid-A1 is in part produced by the complete micritic filling in coccoidal microbes by their metabolic activities, whereas Peloid-A2 is related to the calcification of a colony of coccoidal microbes by their metabolic activities, or simply to the aggregation of individual peloids and coccoidal microbes. Peloids of this type might also originate from other carbonate precipitation processes. Peloid-B is derived merely by micrite filling in ostracodes and gastropods skeletons, whereas Peloid-C is of micritized-bioclast origin. These peloidal origins do not explain those of all environments and ages. Peloids are polygenetic in origin, irrespective of the presence of coccoidal microbes. However, it is emphasized that the peloids formed after the end-Permian extinction are dominated by microbes related ones. Those kinds of peloids might have occurred repeatedly and predominantly, especially in severely deteriorated environments such as those after the end-Permian mass extinction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Childhood adversity is related to poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. However, few studies have examined the epidemiology of major childhood adversities and their effects on depression and suicide attempts in Chinese college students.Methods: 2755 students completed a questionnaire of 10 items about major childhood adversities, one item about suicide attempts, and the Zung self-rating depression scale. Single-factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the association between different types of adversity/different numbers of types of adversity and suicide attempts/depression.Results: 1916 (69.55%) respondents reported they had experienced major childhood adversities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that witnessing a crash or murder, abuse by family members, and abuse by other adults or children were positively related to suicide attempts (OR: 1.712-2.222, all p<0.05). Abuse by other adults or children (OR=1.648, p<0.05) and serious injury during childhood (OR=1.494, p<0.05) were risk factors for depression. Those who had experienced 3 or more types of adversity were more likely to have depression (OR=1.806, p=0.002)and to have committed suicide attempts (OR= 3.307,p<0.001)compared to those without any adversities.Conclusion: The incidence of major childhood adversity is high among Chinese college students. Childhood adversity increases the risk of depression and suicide attempts. As the number of types of childhood adversity experienced by an individual increases, their risk ratio for suicide attempts and depression increases. To promote mental health, special attention should be given to those who have suffered childhood adversities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lowest Ordovician (Tremadocian) chitinozoan biostratigraphy of the South China Palaeoplate has been reviewed and updated, based on new investigation from the Upper Yangtze area. The systematic paleontology of Lagenochitina pestovoensis Obut 1973 and Lagenochitina destombesi Elaouad-Debbaj 1988, has been revised. Previous identifications of L. destombesi from South China are considered questionable, and the L . destombesi Biozone, recognized from Baltica, northern Gondwana and peri-Gondwana, is therefore no longer used for the middle-upper part of the Tremadocian in South China. Two chitinozoan biozones are recognized, including the Lagenochitina pestovoensis Biozone (lower) and the Euconochitina symmetrica Biozone (upper) for the middle and upper part of the South Chinese Tremadocian. International correlation of the E. symmetrica Biozone indicates that the base of this biozone in South China is lower than the records in North America and northern Gondwana, and that the biozone is confined within the upper Tremadocian in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Early-Middle Ordovician, the Yangtze Platform in South China was drowned, as indicated by the replacement of pure grey grainstones and packstones of the Hunghuayuan Formation by purple red, argillaceous limestone of the Zitai Formation and correlative units, which are mixed siliciclastic and carbonate deposits. The Xiangshuidong Section, located in Songzi City, southwestern Hubei Province, was selected to study the process in detail. Cluster analysis of point-count groups of the Hunghuayuan and the Zitai formations, indicates that the former contains six microfacies: MF-1 peloidal grainstone, MF-2 thrombolitic grainstone, MF-3 oolitic grainstone, MF-4 bioclastic grainstone, MF-5 lithoclastic grainstone, MF-6 interreef bioclastic grain-packstone, indicating a shelf setting before drowning, while the latter contains seven microfacies: MF-7 bioclastic grainstone, MF-8 bioclastic grain- to packstone, MF-9 bioclastic packstone, MF-10 bioclastic wackestone, MF-11 argillaceous bioclastic wackestone, MF-12 open-marine bioclastic wackestone, MF-13 calcimudstone, indicating the ramp setting during and after the drowning. The drowning was gradual and fluctuating, starting as a marginal shoal, through the inner ramp, and becoming a stable ramp setting. This drowning is mainly attributed to a global sea-level rise, and an increase of terrigenous supply that resulted from local tectonic movement (i.e. the initiation of collision between the South China and Cathaysia blocks). After drowning, red offshore marine facies were well developed along the platform margin, indicating an oxic sea bottom environment during the first acme of GOBE in South China. The changes in environments associated with this transition may have provided new evolutionary opportunities that contributed to the Middle Ordovician diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution, quantitative paleogeographical reconstruction based on geological big data and Geographic Information System (GIS) is an important way to visualize regional and global paleogeographical features and their evolutionary processes, and to reveal the interaction of lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Ordovician sequences are widely exposed in South China with mostly continuous strata and abundant and diverse marine faunas. However, the lack of high-resolution, temporal-spatial paleogeographical maps of South China hinders a deep understanding of its paleogeographical pattern and dynamics. Based on the latest stratigraphical, paleontological and sedimentological results, the comprehensive data set from 807 Ordovician sections (or wells) in South China was collected and standardized under a unified chronostratigraphical framework. The lithofacies paleogeographical maps and stratigraphical thickness isopach maps of ten consecutive time intervals are quantitatively reconstructed with an average duration of ca. 4.1 Myr, and each map is supported by 300–666 sections for reconstruction. This study reveals precisely the timing and process of the major transformation of the land-sea distribution and basin basement in South China through the Ordovician at the biochron level. In the Jiangnan region, different paleogeographical processes are distinguished among the Guizhou-Guangxi, Jiuling, and Huaiyu terranes, which display distinct uplifting at different times with different consequences on strata, fossils, and environments in their surrounding areas. A new evolutionary process of the paleogeographical pattern of South China is recognized, which shows a great change from the "platform-slope-shelf" pattern in the early Early Ordovician to the "platform-slope-basin" pattern in the late Early to early Late Ordovician, and to the "platform-depressions" pattern in the late Late Ordovician. We also depict the distribution and migration of several depositional centers in South China, reveal the main provenance regions and assess their supply intensities of terrigenous clasts. The paleogeographical reconstructions demonstrate the associated evolution of the stabilization in the west and the intracontinental orogeny in the east of South China during the Ordovician and reveal the differentiated effects of regional tectonic movement and global sea-level changes. • 807 sections collected to reconstruct the Ordovician paleogeography of South China. • Major paleogeographic transformations identified at biochron level. • Significant change in patterns from platform-slope-shelf to platform-depressions. • Paleogeographic reconstructions support intracontinental orogeny in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mid-Paleozoic colonization of land by plants induced profound changes in the Earth's surface environments. However, it remains poorly understood how the earliest vascular plants, arising during the Silurian and Devonian periods, adapted to and functioned in ancient drylands. Today, drylands occupy ~45% of the Earth's land surface and support diverse ecosystems forming the Earth's most extensive biome. By contrast, only sparse records of dryland systems have been documented from Silurian- and Devonian-aged deposits, and furthermore, in most cases, the evidence for recognizing major plant types is compromised by poor preservation potential of organic matter in such dry environments. Here, we recognize an Early Devonian dryland river system represented by the Guijiatun Formation, Qujing, Yunnan, South China, based on an integrative study combining paleopedology, geochemistry, and paleobotany. This formation contains diverse and abundant redbed calcareous paleosols, most being classified as Calcisols. Such paleosols are interpreted as developing within well-drained landscapes that experienced a semiarid climate with seasonal wet-dry cycles, and are geochemically characterized by the subsurface accumulation and reorganization of pedogenic carbonates. Extensive plant traces are preserved in most of the paleosols observed in the Guijiatun Formation and show K- or H-shaped branching structures that are morphometrically comparable to the belowground rhizomes of zosterophyllopsids and early lycopsids. These plant-bearing paleosols provide direct evidence for the development of primitive vegetation on drylands. The soil inorganic carbon (SIC) contents stored as Ca-Mg carbonates in the Guijiatun paleosols are estimated at 38 ± 8 g C kg−1, comparable to the highest levels of present-day dryland ecosystems. We argue that dryland floras could have been a significant component of the Early Devonian landscapes, controlling the retention of both mobile elements (Ca and Mg) and fine-grained sediment on land, and mantling and protecting buried soil carbon against erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]