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Newly constructed areas (NCA) are continuously emerging with the development of urbanization, which, however, triggered a series of ecological and environmental issues. Therefore, monitoring NCA is of great significance for sustainable urbanization. Extraction of NCA from remote sensing images involves semantic segmentation of constructed areas and change detection. However, the acquisition of samples for training change detection models is time-consuming. In this study, we proposed a multi-task learning framework including unsupervised change detection and supervised semantic segmentation for NCA extraction. The main contributions of this study are: (1) A deep multivariate alternation detection (DMAD) algorithm was proposed for unsupervised change detection of hyperspectral images. By introducing the optimization objective of Multivariate Alternation Detection (MAD) in the loss functions, the features of changed areas can be extracted more effectively; (2) A multi-task learning framework was proposed for the joint training of DMAD change detection and supervised semantic segmentation, where the two modules were mutually optimized via semantic masks and consistency loss. Based on Orbita Hyperspectral Satellites (OHS) images, we conducted experiments in two cities (Qinzhou and Wuzhou) of Guangxi province. The experimental results indicated that the proposed method can achieve the F1-score better than existing unsupervised change detection methods (e.g., DCCA and DSFA) by an average of 15%, and the OA better than existing semantic segmentation methods (e.g., U-Net and FreeNet) by an average of 1%. The F1-score and Kappa for NCA extraction reached above 0.80 for both study areas. The implementation of this paper will be made available at https://github.com/tulilin/Multitask_NCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, China is at a critical stage of economic transformation and pollution control. The environmental pollution control efficiency (PCE) deserves more in-depth study. This paper adopts a three-stage global data envelopment analysis (DEA) model and a global Malmquist index model to measure the PCE and the sources of its changes in China from 1991 to 2019. Study shows that: (1) the overall level of PCE has remained low over the past 29 years, and it has a slowly fluctuating upward trend, with an average annual growth rate of only 0.92 %; (2) the lower pure technical efficiency hinders the effectiveness of environmental pollution control, which is mainly affected by the slow technological progress; and (3) at the provincial level, the overall efficiency of Shanghai and Guangxi has long been above 0.9, while the efficiency of other provinces has been below 0.9 for quite a long time. At the regional level, the Yangtze River Delta is the most effective area, while the Yellow River Basin is the most ineffective area. In consideration of this, we provide specific strategies for improving PCE of each province, from three aspects of increasing the capital input, optimizing the scale structure, and upgrading technology level. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous provenance studies on bronze drums mainly focused on ore sources, yet ignored the significance of big bronze drum casting, which represents the highest level of bronze manufacturing techniques, as an important part of the bronze industry of a frontier region under the specific historical background. This paper, for the first time, not only presented the analytical results of the composition and the microstructure of 50 new samples from big bronze drums, but also compared their lead isotope to the published data of 196 samples from 7 types of bronze drum, as well as 112 ore samples from Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou Province and Vietnam. In addition, this paper introduced the casting tradition of bronze drums through both of composition analysis and metallographic examination. The comparison of lead isotope between the above 7 types and 4 regions indicated that there existed a very close relation among the bronze drums, and the local metal ore sources were generally employed to cast drums according to the convenient principles as well as the sphere of tribal influence. Nonetheless, both exchange and communication existed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are widely applied to Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) inversion because they have strong data-driven capabilities and are suitable for the data structure form of GPR. For CNN, the computation increases with the distance that the convolutional block moves from one region to another when it calculates the relationship between two regions. For GPR data, the target reflection exists in the surrounding traces and full time-window of the target, which leads to high degree of remote relationship. In this paper, we propose GPR-TransUNet, a deep-learning based inversion network which use self-attention mechanism. According to the characteristics of GPR data, regression network and GPR-Loss mechanism were used. Both numerical and model experiments were arranged to test the performance of the network, and the result as well as comparative analysis demonstrate the superiority of GPR-TransUNet. Finally, we applied this method to the field GPR data of Guangxi as an attempt. [Display omitted] • GPR-TransUNet based on Regressive Self-Attention Mechanism and U-net is proposed. • GPR-TransUNet is successfully used to reconstruct the permittivity map of complex subsurface defects. • GPR-TransUNet is verified by synthetic and field data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mechanism of high frequency harmonic resonance of Luxi VSC-HVDC project is analyzed. • Time delay and system impedance will influence the high frequency harmonic resonance. • A method to suppress the high frequency harmonic resonance is proposed. This paper introduces the basic situation of high frequency harmonic resonance in Guangxi on April 10, 2017, which is based on the Luxi back-to-back voltage source converter based high voltage direct current transmission (VSC-HVDC) project in China. Firstly, the harmonic amplification mechanism and its key links in the event are analyzed in detail and verified by simulation. Secondly, the relationship among high frequency harmonic resonance, voltage feedforward control loop and system harmonic impedance is obtained, and the formulas among voltage feedforward control parameters, system harmonic impedance and high frequency harmonic resonance frequency amplitude are deduced. Then, a method to suppress high frequency harmonic resonance by adding a reasonably filter to the voltage feedforward control loop is proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method in this paper is verified by simulation and field operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, farming decision-making has been receiving increasing attention from the academic circles, while there is currently an important research gap regarding coastal farmers' farming decision-making. Natural disasters occur frequently in coastal zones. Farmers, as a rational agent, inevitably have heterogeneous risk preferences. However, few studies have distinguished between subjective and objective risk preferences, and have analyzed the influence of these differences on the final results. In this paper, the Shankou Town in the Hepu County, Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China was selected as a typical coastal zone research area. The aim of this study was to analyze subjective and objective risk preferences, build a multi-agent model, and simulate farmers' real farming decision-making. By providing targeted policy recommendations, we believe that our research can contribute to reducing land abandonment. In fact, a wrong perception of the risk preferences may lead to differences in the prediction of future land abandonment. In many cases, farmers do not understand the risk-taking behavior. Therefore, through this method, the severity of land abandonment can be predicted in advance. so that the government can take the necessary measures to prevent and control it, and raise the willingness of farmers for land reconversion. • Risk preference has a driving effect on farmers' farming decisions. • Subjectively, the land abandonment rate will increase by 12.01% in 50 years' time. • Objectively, the land abandonment rate will increase by 16.84%. • It is innovative to distinguish between subjective and objective risk preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposing a solution for tree height estimation based on trunk curve. • Estimating the trunk volume combining segmentation measurement and cylinder fitting. • Achieving automatic measurement of the individual tree parameters using CRP data. The forest plots survey's primary measurement factors are the diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, and the individual tree volume. The reconstruction of a 3D forest scene based on dense images can contribute to the automatic extraction of individual tree parameters. Close-range photogrammetry (CRP) can achieve the reconstruction of a 3D scene from the sequence images at a highly efficient and low cost. However, the reconstructed point clouds often miss the trees' upper part, resulting in the tree height and volume not being measured directly. This paper proposes an integrating extraction framework and methods of the DBH, tree height, and individual tree volume for achieving automatic measurement of the individual tree parameters with high accuracy based on CRP. Four plantation plots in Wangyedian Forest Farm, Inner Mongolia, and Gaofeng Forest Farm, Guangxi Zhuang, are selected to obtain sequence close-up photographs and construct 3D scenes. The DBH, tree height, and trunk volume of the individual tree are extracted using circle fitting, stem curve fitting, growth equation, and segmentation measurement. The extracted individual tree parameters from Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) are used as validation data to evaluate the accuracy. It shows a good performance in two Larix gmelinii plots, one Pinus tabulaeformis plot, and one Eucalyptus grandis plot with the accuracy of extracted DBH above 90%, which is 90.18%, 96.54%, 90.17%, and 95.00%, respectively. The accuracy of extracted tree height of the four plots is all above 85%, which is 93.34%, 91.71%, 90.32%, and 85.96%, respectively, and the accuracy of trunk volume is 91.55%, 91.94%, 89.86%, and 89.6%, respectively. The results show that our proposed integrated parameter extraction frame and methods can achieve high accuracy economically, efficiently, and conveniently, and be used for automatic measurements of individual tree factors in forest plot surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove reserves promote the protection of mangroves, but they also lead to the restriction of land development rights in the region, which is unfair to society. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of the spillover of coastal development. Taking the Shankou Mangrove Ecological Reserve in the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi as an example, this paper conducts a research design using the choice experiment. Conditional logit and a structural equation model are used to analyze data and to calculate the respondents' choice preferences and willingness to pay for the limited right to develop the coastal zone. Also, to reveal preference heterogeneity, individual characteristic factor analysis is added. The results show that: after the establishment of the protected area, regional differences are evident in the limited space of coastal development rights. Among them, the limitation degree of sea area use is the highest, followed by beach area; the degree of limitation on land area use is the lowest. The limited spatial differences of coastal development rights may lead to an imbalance in the development of coastal land resources among regions. Other problems include the forced idleness of coastal land resources and the threat to the livelihood of residents. Overall, this is not conducive to the coordinated development of an ecological economy in the reserve. This study can provide a decision-making basis for optimizing the coastal development rights management of coastal zone ecological protection areas. A reference for the coastal development rights management in other countries is also provided. • Coastal farmers' dependence on land use is different from that of mainland farmers. • The externality of ecological protection policies decreases from coastal to inland. • Differences exist in preferences for land, tidal flat and sea development rights. • Land resource development in coastal zones is unbalanced between sea and land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site selection is a key factor to the success of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) project. It is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem with a series of conflicting criteria involved. However, limited studies were found concerning this area and problems existing in classical MCDM methods tended to fail OTEC site selection decisions. Therefore, this paper proposes an extended MCDM method and establishes a new decision-making framework to select the optimal location. First, a comprehensive evaluation criteria system for OTEC site selection from the view of sustainability with 16 criteria involved is established. Second, feasible alternative sites for OTEC project are identified by PEST analysis. Third, an extended PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) under intuitionistic fuzzy environment is proposed to avoid compensation assumptions. During the decision process, seven groups of experts shared the work and cooperated with each other according to their backgrounds. Finally, a real case is studied and sensitive analysis is conducted, demonstrating the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method. This study can effectively improve OTEC site selection decision making quality and also extends the domains of intuitionistic fuzzy PROMETHEE applications. • A novel multi-criteria decision-making framework for site selection is proposed. • The criteria system for ocean thermal energy conversion site selection is constructed. • A case study is carried out in areas of Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of varying moisture content on compaction and bearing characteristics of lateritic soils is analysed. • Moisture sensitivity of CBR and resilient modulus of lateritic soil is evaluated. • A prediction model between compaction and bearing characteristics is established. • The field construction procedure of upper roadbed filler for highways is suggested. Compaction and bearing characteristics are important factors in evaluating the quality of subgrade construction, and the compaction moisture content has a significant effect on both characteristics. In this paper, the lateritic soils were taken from three locations: the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hunan Province, and Fujian Province. The lateritic soils from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were treated with 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% cement. The effects of variable moisture content (ω) on the dry density (γ d), California bearing ratio (CBR) values, and resilient modulus (M R) of untreated and treated lateritic soils were investigated by compaction tests, soaked/unsoaked CBR tests, and soaked/unsoaked M R tests. The variation in the microstructure of lateritic soils was analysed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and mercury intrusion porosimetry tests. The results show that the optimum moisture content (ω opt) of lateritic soil decreases significantly with increasing cement content, while the maximum dry density (γ d,max) increases. Moreover, ω opt and γ d,max are exponential functions of the plasticity index (I P). The CBR of lateritic soil showed an obvious decrease after soaking, and the CBR values of the soaked samples were approximately 1.5 times lower than the unsoaked samples under the same conditions. Some of the soaked samples had CBR values lower than the specification values, and the CBR values of lateritic soils increased by 10 times using cement treatment. The moisture content corresponding to the maximum CBR value (ω CBR,max) is higher than ω opt. The empirical relationship of the difference between ω CBR,max and ω opt with I P was established, and the proposed ω CBR,max is used as the compacted moisture content of the subgrade filler. The M R of the soaked samples decreased faster than that of the unsoaked samples, and with the increase in moisture content, the M R of the soaked and unsoaked conditions decreased by 57% and 34%, respectively. With increasing moisture content, the CBR index and M R index, which are the ratios of the test results under unsoaked and unsoaked conditions, decreased by 0.45. With increasing cement content, the moisture sensitivity of the treated soil decreased, while the bearing characteristics are slightly influenced by the varying moisture content. The main reason for the increase in γ d , CBR value, and M R of the treated lateritic soils was the increase in the content of elemental calcium and calcium-based compounds. Based on the analysis of the test results, the prediction models between CBR and M R with ω , γ d , and I P were established by multiple regression analysis. The prediction model between M R and CBR was established with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. Finally, the procedure of material selection, construction control, and treatment of expressway upper roadbed filler was proposed. The practical application in a test section of an expressway verified that the suggested procedures applied to subgrade construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral resource extraction is often accompanied by severe environmental pollution and ecological damage, hindering mining economies from achieving sustainable development. This paper aims to promote the goal of cleaner production in extractive industries from the perspective of environmental management through a more accurate understanding of how human activities affect the extractive industries. This requires more granular data for environmental damage in mining. The article proposes an ecological threat assessment framework for mining to support sustainable processes in the extractive industry. It integrates biophysical variables, technical indicators, and human activity data. The study is based on data at the mine level with 17 indicators used to evaluate the ecological impact of 13960 mines in Guangxi, China, from 2008-to 2018 in four dimensions: economic and technical indicators of mines themselves, surrounding economic activity, geological and environmental vulnerability, and ecological status of mining sites. Data from multiple sources were used to assess, map, and monitor ecological impacts in mining areas, such as high-resolution satellite images, interview data, environmental assessment reports, and mining rights data. We evaluated the ecological impact level of each mine and the extent to which spatial heterogeneity of regional economic and environmental preferences affected the degree of ecological impact. The results show that growth in population income has changed environmental preferences and driven down environmental disturbances in mines. Reduced dependence of regional economies on the industrial sector has also contributed to environmental improvements. In addition, increasing environmental regulation has limited the ecological impacts of mining, but these environmental regulation impacts are regionally heterogeneous. The effect of laws and rules is lower in cities and regions dependent on mineral resources, where resource extraction companies have more bargaining power. The results of this study will inform environmental management in the mining sector and support sustainable development in the region. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phaeocystis globosa (P.glo) has become a common harmful species of red tide algae in coastal waters. Developing an efficient monitoring method for the P.glo is what one would expect. In this way, the study attempts to indicate the abnormal proliferation of P.glo from the perspective of algae species competition and Phycocyanin (PC) concentration change in seawater. A high-precision PC concentration inversion model is crucial to ensure the accuracy of the risk prediction results. Therefore, we compared different atmospheric correction processes of 6S and FLAASH to obtain a reliable reflectance of sea surface water, and the empirical statistical model and machine learning model were used together to screen out the optimal PC inversion model. Based on the GF-1 satellite spectrum and the automatic monitoring data of Qinzhou Bay seawater from 2013 to 2019, the spectral index sensitive to PC concentration was further found. Finally, the independent variable input and model selection of the optimal PC inversion model for different GF-1 WFV images were obtained as follows: (1) WFV1: B4, SVR; (2) WFV2: B3/B2- B4 /B2, XGBoost; (3) WFV3: lnB2/(lnB3 + lnB4), LR; (4) WFV4: B3-B2 and B2*B2/(B1*B1), LR. The results showed that the occurrence of extremely low PC concentration was closely related to the abnormal proliferation of P.glo. However, the abnormal proliferation of P.glo is not the only condition leading to the reduction of PC concentration. Low temperature, low tide may also promote the reduction of PC concentration. In this paper, we proposed a preliminary evaluation method for abnormal proliferation of P.glo based on PC concentration threshold and PC spatial morphology. The PC regions with different concentrations have certain shape characteristics. These shapes are the results of nutrients, algae and other substances moving with the seawater, which may confirm the succession of algae from another perspective. This method can also be combined with pollution diffusion simulation of hydrodynamic models to enhance the tracking and monitoring of the red tide occurrence process. In addition, meteorological factors such as cloud cover and solar radiation intensity are also important factors affecting the occurrence and duration of P.glo bloom. Integrating the PC concentration inversion model and meteorological observations, it is expected to understand the abnormal proliferation of P.glo from the perspective of remote sensing. [Display omitted] • Proliferation of P.glo usually resulted in a decrease of PC concentration. • Low temperature or low tide may also lead to the decrease of PC concentration. • P.glo blooms usually occurred with more cloud cover and lower solar radiation. • P.glo probably first developed in the deep waters of the harbor. • Floating raft culture may inhibit the proliferation of P.glo to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme environmental conditions are inappropriate for the cycling of phase change materials (PCMs) attached to building envelopes and have a negative impact on their energy performance. To solve this problem, therefore, thermochromic (TC) coatings are proposed to improve the energy efficiency of PCMs by regulating solar radiation influence. In this paper, the energy performance analysis of TC-PCM systems was carried out in five different representative climate zones. Simulation findings show that, compared to traditional PCM systems (TR-PCM), in the climate characteristics of Shanghai, the annual energy demand of TC-PCM systems decreases by 42.9 kWh/m2, and the corresponding energy-saving rate is high up to 39.9%. This is because the adaptive solar absorptance of TC-PCM systems could enhance the phase change cycle performance of PCMs to reduce both the cooling and heating energy demand. The results also show that the TC-PCM system, with a switching temperature of 26 °C for TC coatings and a transition temperature of 26 °C for PCMs, could achieve the lowest annual energy demand in the climate characteristics of Shanghai. Finally, we investigated that the TC-PCM system has huge potential for energy-savings in all provinces in hot summer and cold winter climate zones, and the highest energy-savings rate can be as high as 10.2%. • The impact of solar absorptance is analyzed in five Chinese representative cities. • TC-PCM systems are more suitable for application in hot summer and cold winter zone. • TC-PCM systems have an excellent ability to reduce both cooling and heating load. • The optimal switching temperature for climate characteristics of Shanghai is 26 °C. • Energy-saving of 10% by TC-PCM is achieved in the climate characteristics of Guangxi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Time series and nonlinear relationship of load data are simultaneously considered. • The multi-temporal-spatial-scale method is introduced into the proposed method. • A multi-temporal-spatial-scale temporal convolutional network is proposed. • The proposed method can grasp the trends and laws of load data of power systems. • Short-term load forecasting can be solved by the proposed method with high accuracy. With the advancement of power market reform, accurate load forecasting can ensure the stable operation of power systems increasingly. The randomness of feature change such as climate and day type increases the complexity of short-term load forecasting. To simplify the data processing process to facilitate the practical application and predict short-term loads more accurately, this paper takes the past load data as a feature and considers the time series characteristics of load data simultaneously. The multi-temporal-spatial-scale method is applied to process the load data by reducing the load data noise error and enhancing the time series characteristics. Then, a novel short-term load forecasting model, which is named a multi-temporal-spatial-scale temporal convolutional network, is applied to load forecasting tasks in this paper. The proposed approach can learn the nonlinear feature and time series characteristics of load data simultaneously. To predict the power load of a city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) in the next day and the next week, the forecasting model is trained by the historical feature load of 7 days, 21 days, 99 days, and 199 days. Compared with 22 artificial intelligent short-term load forecasting models, such as backpropagation neural network and bagging regression, the simulation results show that the proposed multi-temporal-spatial-scale temporal convolutional network can obtain higher accuracy for the short-term load forecasting of power systems than other compared methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a policy tool to coordinate land use among regions, the practice of transferable development rights (TDR) is widely used all over the world. However, there are still many problems in the practical application of TDR. Therefore, based on the real estate and land market transaction data of Chongzuo and Liuzhou in 2016, this paper attempts to establish a prediction model of the development profit of supplementary cultivated land quota transactions. The paper also focuses on an analysis of the impact on the development profit of the areas that are sending and those that are receiving after a supplementary cultivated land quota transaction. The results show that: (1) since the income per unit of land development in the receiving area is higher than in the sending area, this leads to a greater tendency of land development in high income regions. If the goal is to maximize profit from land development, the government will prefer to restrict the sending area's land development rights. (2) Because the government is dominant in terms of setting land prices, the transaction price is far lower than the equilibrium price. Transfers in which the producer surplus becomes the consumer surplus can cause greater development profits to flow to the economically developed regions. However, these transfers will restrain the income of the economically underdeveloped regions, and even weaken their potential for later development. This effectively proves that the implementation of TDR will increase regional inequality, ensuring the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. This indicates that improving the market transaction mechanism and setting a reasonable transaction price will help to improve the TDR policy, narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, and promote TDR's ability to play a greater role in the coordinated development of regional economies. • Due to price distortion, TDR will increase regional economic imbalance. • Transaction gain in the receiving area is higher than that in the sending area. • Comparative advantage of the transaction prioritizes higher land development tendencies in high-income regions. • Rational TDR pricing is an important step to restrain the widening economic development gap between the two sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is a main source of water supply in Guangxi Province, China. The urbanization expansion and ocean dynamic may change the groundwater quality, which is an important issue due to its effects on human health. In this paper, the influence of seawater intrusion and anthropogenic activity on the Guangxi coastal aquatic environment was assessed by geochemical and multivariate statistical methods. The result indicated that the chemical composition of groundwater in the study area is obviously associated with seawater and the main groundwater types were Ca·Na–Cl, Ca·Na–HCO 3 , and Ca–HCO 3 ·Cl. The groundwater evolution path from land to sea in Guangxi is Ca–HCO3 → Na·Mg–Cl. The origin of salts in the study area is mainly controlled by mineral weathering, the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes contents point to the aqueous source of atmospheric precipitation. According to the results of PCA, seawater intrusion and pollution caused by human activities play an increasingly important role in the evolution of groundwater characteristics. Seawater intrusion is the main factor for the increase of groundwater salinity in Guangxi, while domestic sewage, industrial waste, fertilizers, and pesticides may contribute to the nitrate pollution of groundwater, especially in Beihai. The degree of groundwater nitrate pollution is as follows: Fangchenggang < Qinzhou < Beihai, which is associated with the degree of urbanization in the coastal area. Finally, the results of the water quality index (WQI) assessment show that 82.8 % of the samples were classified as excellent, while there is still a need to be vigilant about groundwater pollution caused by seawater intrusion and groundwater pollution. The results will be valuable for sustainable groundwater resource management in Guangxi coastal zone. • Reveal formations of groundwater chemical composition in Guangxi coastal zone and fill in the gap in coastal zone research. • Seawater intrusion and artificial pollution play important roles in the evolution of groundwater characteristics. • The seawater intrusion has affected chemical characteristics and evolution of groundwater in Guangxi Province. • The degree of nitrate pollution in groundwater is as follows: Qinzhou < Fangchenggang< Beihai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The defected kaolinite is common in sedimentary kaolin, but its structure and disorder mechanism remains unclear. In this paper, three different size distributions of kaolinite particles: 0–300 nm, 200–1000 nm, and 500–2000 nm, were separated and classified from high-defect sedimentary kaolin, collected from Quaternary sedimentary kaolin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. The three particle sizes of kaolinite have been monitored by particle size analyzer, high-resolution magic-angle spinning NMR (MAS NMR), small and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface analyzer, nitrogen gas-adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results revealed that the smallest particle size of kaolinite exhibited high degrees of broken Al-O-Al and Si-O-Si bonds, more disordered structure, and elevated specific surface area. The degree of the structural disorder of kaolinite increases as the particle size decreases, which can be attributed to the more aluminum substituted for silicon in tetrahedron sheet in the finer kaolinite crystal, compared to the coarser kaolinite crystals. • Kaolinite particles were separated into three parts, <300 nm, 200–1000 nm, and 500–2000 nm. • The degree of the disorder increases as the kaolinite particle size decreases. • The smallest particle size of kaolinite showed high degrees of broken Al-O-Al and Si-O-Si bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial regulation produces different advantages in areas with different land resource endowments. It also affects the welfare of stakeholders in different regions. Existing studies mainly focus on the "visible" welfare "windfalls" and "wipeouts" caused by spatial regulation, yet pay little attention on the "invisible" effects. This article selects Tianyang County (a key development zone) and Tiandong County (a restricted development zone) as its principal research areas. These areas have been divided as part of China's major function oriented zone (MFOZ) planning. The MFOZ represents the most significant and broad exercise in spatial regulation. These regions located in Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. After applying Sen's feasibility capability theory as the foundation on which to build a theoretical framework, this article calculates and compares the changes in farmers' welfare before and after losing land in the key development zones (weak spatial regulation) and the restricted development zones (strong spatial regulation) by using a fuzzy mathematics method. The impact of spatial regulation on the "invisible" welfare of land-lost farmers is then analyzed. The results show that: (1) differences in spatial regulation produce "windfalls" in the total welfare of land-lost farmers in the key development zones, but "wipeouts" in the restricted development zones; (2) the "visible" welfare of economic income for land-lost farmers are "windfalls" in the key development zones, but are "wipeouts" in the restricted development zones; (3) the "invisible" welfares of social security, development opportunities, living conditions and psychological conditions are "windfalls" for land-lost farmers in the key development zones, but are "wipeouts" in the restricted development zones; (4) the "invisible" welfare of living environments for land-lost farmers are "wipeouts" in the key development zones, but are "windfalls" in the restricted development zones. This study thereby provides evidence-based insights which can enable countries to formulate spatial regulation systems that promote balanced development among regions, and to fully consider the "invisible" welfare compensation of land-lost farmers as part of land expropriation compensation policies. • This paper applies Sen's feasibility capability theory as the foundation on which to build a theoretical framework, and calculates and compares the changes in farmers' welfare before and after losing land in the key development zones (weak spatial regulation) and the restricted development zones (strong spatial regulation) by using a fuzzy mathematics method. The impact of spatial regulation on the "invisible" welfare of land-lost farmers is then analyzed. • This paper makes the following two contributions. Firstly, there is no prior research on the "invisible" welfare "windfalls" and "wipeouts" caused by spatial regulation. This paper reveals that spatial regulation not only directly affects the "visible" welfare, in terms of the economic income, of land-lost farmers, but also indirectly affects their "invisible" welfare. Therefore, this article aims to enrich research on the direct and indirect multi-dimensional welfare impact of spatial regulation on stakeholders. Secondly, the current welfare compensation policies for land-lost farmers formulated in different areas of spatial regulation do not fully take into account the issue of invisible multi-dimensional welfare compensation, such as social security, development opportunities, living conditions, living environment, and psychological conditions. The research underlying this paper can therefore provide valuable data and insights which can help countries to formulate a spatial regulation system that will promote balanced development among regions, and can also provide a reference point for governments to improve welfare compensation policies for land-lost farmers by including invisible multi-dimensional welfare compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper examines the influencing factors of farmers' behavior in land reallocation in China. • The opportunity and ability of farmers to participate has significant influences on farmers' participation level. • Self-organization of farmers is a more effective way to implement land reallocation. • The government should take measures including legislation, social marketing and education to promote land reallocation. This paper empirically examines the factors which influence the behavior of farmers who participate in land consolidation, specifically in land reallocation. Based on the integrative Motivation–Opportunity–Ability (MOA) model, we assume that farmers' participation levels in land reallocation are not only determined by motivation, but also significantly influenced by their opportunity and ability to participate. We test our hypotheses with the method of structural equation modelling (SEM), and collect data through questionnaires from a random sample of households in 6 villages (4 different projects) in China. This is complemented by interviews with local cadres and some of the farmers in those villages in order to validate the consistency of questionnaire responses. The key finding is that the opportunity and the ability to participate have significant positive influences on the degree to which farmers participate, of which ability is the more influential construct. The scrutiny of the model results combined with the interviews also leads to the conclusion that allowing self-organization of farmers leads to more effective land reallocation. Based on the results, we suggest that governments should take measures including legislation, social marketing and education to clarify the legality of land reallocation and facilitate the self-organization of farmers and eventually promoting land reallocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trace elements in sphalerite and pyrite distributed in the form of solid solutions or micro-inclusions. • The mineralization in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district was under a low-temperature condition. • The Pb-Zn deposits in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district are MVT deposits. The Beishan Pb-Zn ore district, located in northern Guangxi, China, is a giant carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn ore district. In-situ trace element analysis was performed using LA-ICP-MS on sphalerite and pyrite from three representative Pb-Zn deposits in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district. The analysis of these trace elements reveals the trace element compositions of the sulfides, the distributions and the substitution mechanisms of trace elements, physicochemical characteristics of the ore-forming fluids, and ore genesis. Sphalerite is enriched in Mn, Fe, Ge, and Cd, while it is poor in Co, Ni, Ga, As, In. Pyrite is enriched in Co, Ni, As, Tl, Sb, and Pb, but poor in Mn, Ga, Ge, Cd, In, Sn. Mn, Fe, Cd, Ga, Ge, Sb, Ag, and As in sphalerite enter the mineral lattice mainly by simple or coupled substitution mechanisms, while Cu and Pb can enter the mineral lattice in the form of solid solution or micro-inclusions. Mn, Co, Ni, As, Tl, and Sb in pyrite substituted Fe2+ by simple or coupled mechanisms, while Pb can enter the mineral lattice in the form of solid solution or micro-inclusions. Studies of trace elements related to temperature (e.g., Mn, Fe, Ga, Ge, In) in sphalerite and pyrite indicated that mineralization in the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district occurred under a low-temperature condition. And according to the sphalerite GGIMFis geothermometer, the mineralization temperature of the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district was 55–268 °C (average 153 °C), of which 110–230 °C(average 153 °C) in Duchuan, 92–268 °C (average 149 °C) in Beishan, and 55–243 °C (average 167 °C) in Dongyong. The Mn, Fe, Ga, Ge, and In contents of sphalerite are similar to those of MVT deposits. The combination of some binary pattern diagrams, principal component analysis (PCA), and Co/Ni ratios of pyrite, with the geological features and physicochemical properties of the ore-forming fluids, indicates that the Beishan Pb-Zn ore district is an MVT district. This paper, combined with previous studies, shows that the Co/Ni ratio of pyrite has some guiding significance for mineral exploration of this kind of Pb-Zn deposit, with Co/Ni values around 0.1 indicating that the deposit has a better prospect of developing into a large deposit, and Co/Ni much less than 0.1 indicating that the deposit may not have a good prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the discovery of a new mammalian assemblage at Mocun cave in 2000 by the Natural History Museum of Guangxi. The Mocun site is located in a residual karst peak in southwest Guangxi, south China. Abundant mammalian fossil teeth and bones were extracted from relatively thick deposits, well constrained stratigraphically. The results show that 1) the Mocun fauna is composed of typical species of the " Ailuropoda - Stegodon association", including Stegodon, Ailuropoda, Rhinoceros, Pongo, Tapiru s, Megatapirus, and Elephas, common in the Middle to the Late Pleistocene, with a larger portion of modern species; 2) By employing U-series dating (MC-ICP-MS) method on both the soda straw stalactites and mammalian teeth collected from deposits, the age of the Mocun fauna has been constrained between 66 and 101 ka, a transitional period from the interglacial stage MIS5 to the beginning of the last glacial stage (MIS4), representing one of the securely dated Late Pleistocene sites in southern China so far; 3) The composition in large mammals suggests a forested environment which harboured a great biodiversity in large species; 4) The taphonomic analysis indicates that the fossil accumulation is mainly due to activities of porcupines and to water flows; 5) Interestingly, our taxonomic study reveals some changes in the occurrence of Tapirus sinensis and Megatapirus augustus between ∼66 and ∼86 Ka, along with a change in the abundance of artiodactyls versus primates. It remains to demonstrate with more comprehensive records if these changes may be related to the mid-Late Pleistocene climatic transition. • a new mammalian fauna cave site (Mocun cave) with accurate date to 66 and 101 ka in southwest Guangxi. • The composition in large mammals suggests a compatible habitat for a great biodiversity of species. • Some changes between layers with Tapirus sinensis replaced by Megatapirus augustus between ∼66 and ∼86 Ka, along with a change in the abundance of artiodactyls versus primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the cultural context of "guanxi" in China, it is particularly challenging to develop a framework capable to capture the complexity and adaptability of farmers facing conflicts between wetland conservation and livelihood development. In this paper, we integrate agent-based model (ABM) and field experimental methods to develop a hybrid simulation experiment model for wetland conservation behavior, in order to reveal the driving forces of land change and understand the dynamic change process of farmers' behavior. Through a field experiment and a questionnaire survey of farmers around the Shankou Mangrove Ecological Nature Reserve (SMENR) in Guangxi, China, the intention of different types of farmers to adopt wetland conservation behavior was assessed from different angles, constructing a rational choice theory (RCT) framework and ABM proxy behavior rules. The results showed that after 5 years, the adoption rate of farmers' wetland conservation behavior reached 100% under the assumption of bounded self-interest, but only about 80% under bounded rationality. This confirms that herd is more conducive to promoting farmers' wetland conservation behavior. Decision makers should consider the importance of bounded rationality and bounded self-interest interaction, foster farmers' sense of belonging and responsibility toward wetlands, and guide farmers to participate in the ecological protection and sustainable use of wetlands. [Display omitted] • Herd is more conducive to promoting farmers to protect wetlands. • The fastest take-off can be achieved at a threshold of about 20%. • Livelihood patterns lead to differences in willingness to protect wetlands. • Sense of belonging and responsibility is important for wetland conservation. • Combining experimental economics and ABM can improve the accuracy of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of construction land potential is a key foundation in the processes of future urbanization, development, and industrialization. Given the rapid economic growth, large population and scarce per-capita land in China, the assessment of construction land potential would be significant to diagnosing land resources and making sound development strategies. This paper assesses the amount, grade and spatial pattern of available construction land based on a multifactor distributed algorithm, an extraction process of potential land suitable for construction, and GIS spatial analysis techniques using 1:50,000 DEM and 1:100,000 land use data. A 20 km band and seven urban regions along the Xijiang River in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China were selected for this case study. The results show that available construction land in the study area amounts to 1962.64 km 2 , or 4.82% of the total land area (0.66% more than current construction land). Although there are obvious spatial disparities in the location of available construction land and current development demands, these discrepancies can be resolved by combining the Requisition–Compensation Balance policy for cultivated lands in different regions with layout planning adjustments. Overall, there is a high concentration of land suitable for construction located on the eastern side of the Liujiang River, bordering Laibin and Liuzhou cities. This zone is also well-suited for the longer-term development of a Liuzhou–Laibin New Town. In contrast, the limited potential for suitable construction land in the surrounding areas of Baise, Chongzuo, Laibin, Guigang and Wuzhou indicate the need for directional and site-specific development during future exploitation and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine the change in the composition of the Pleistocene primate fauna in southern China based on about 3600 fossil teeth collected from 14 cave sites in Chongzuo area, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Although it is often difficult to identify the taxonomic position of isolated Pleistocene primate teeth, nine genera were provisionally identified: Homo , Gigantopithecus , Pongo and Nomascus (Hominoidea), Procynocephalus , Macaca , Rhinopithecus , Pygathrix , and Trachypithecus (Cercopithecoidea). Among these genera, all but Gigantopithecus and Procynocephalus are extant, some of which are not presently distributed in Chongzuo and its neighboring area. More than half of the primate specimens belong to Macaca , which probably includes three to five species, while other genera likely consist of single species. There is a possibility that some of the early macaque species may have been replaced by later members of the genus. All primate genera make their first appearance in the Early Pleistocene, seven of which likely survived until the Holocene in Chongzuo. The extinctions of Procynocephalus and Gigantopithecus are probably due to different factors. The former was likely adapted to cooler and drier environments, and distributed mainly in the area of relatively high latitude. The Early Pleistocene fossil record at Chongzuo is its southernmost occurrence and it may be the youngest record in eastern Eurasia. The latter was a common taxon during the Early Pleistocene, but it disappeared in the early Late Pleistocene. This was probably due to vegetational change, including the loss of their preferred diet, such as bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the latter half of the 20th century, rural communities with unique place-based assets have been re-imaged as tourist destinations. In some locales, new landscapes have emerged providing local products, cuisine, accommodation and experiences that attract the post-modern, heritage-seeking consumer. If profit and economic growth are the dominant drivers behind this transformation, these ‘heritage-scapes’ may be replaced by ‘leisure-scapes’ of mass consumption. Our goal in this paper is to determine if this transformation, known as ‘creative destruction,’ is underway in China''s historic towns, and, if so, to uncover the motivations that are driving this change. We focus on two communities, Daxu and Yangshuo, which share similar cultural assets. Our analysis of primary and secondary data reveals that the former is a slowly emerging heritage-scape, which has yet to reach its full tourism potential. In contrast, the latter is rapidly evolving into a leisure-scape that has taken full advantage of its international and domestic appeal. We discover that the public sector is largely responsible for the variations observed. Its desire to publicize and promote economic growth in Yangshuo, and not in Daxu, has influenced the types of stakeholders operating in these spaces, and the motivations that are driving change. We conclude that although the process of creative destruction is underway in this emerging market economy, its path cannot be pre-determined. Varied motivations, both modernist and post-modernist, may give rise to different landscapes and place identities in spaces sharing similar place-based assets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Danchi metallogenetic belt is a very important Non-ferrous base in China. According to the status of resource mining and theory research, this paper analyzed the geological conditions (i. e. stratum, tectonic evolution and magmatism), in order to supply the theory guidance for the prospecting in this district. The exposure strata consists of Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic and Quaternary, but Devonian is the key stratum, which there is a close relation with Sn–polymetallic deposits. This area, which experienced three tectonic evolution stages, is situated in the south margin of the Yangtze platform. Because of the affect of the tectonic evolution, it was characterized the special geological conditions and mineralization environment. The main magmatism occurred in the medium and late period of Yanshan, including biotite granite, granite porphyry, quartz diorite and white granite, in the pattern of dykes, rock strain, rock bed commonly. In the whole, the prospecting is rather favorable, in the deep or around of the known deposits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the fluid inclusions study was performed on quartz, sphalerite and calcite from the Sn–polymetallic orebodies of the Dafulou deposit. On the basis of optical observations and microthermometric data, six types of fluid inclusions have been recognized, such as single-phase gaseous fluid inclusions, single-phase salt solution fluid inclusions, two-phase vapour-rich fluid inclusions, two-phase liquid-rich fluid inclusions, three-phase CO2-rich fluid inclusions, solid(s)-bearing fluid inclusions, etc. And it showed that water is the main component, for example the water content of quartz more than 1700μg/g, ranges from 1717 to 2320μg/g. The sphalerite has lower content than quartz, only 978μg/g. The calcite has lowest water content, i.e. 242μg/g and 324μg/g respectively. The gas component of inclusions mainly consists of CO2 and H2O. The main cationic consists of Ca2+, secondly Mg2+, K+ and Na+, only little Li+ and NH4+. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rock fragments (>5mm in diameter) at the soil surface and within the topsoil have a large effect on the intensity of various hydrologic and geomorphic processes. However, little information is available on the spatial distribution of rock fragments in subtropical regions. The objective of this paper was to investigate the relationship between the spatial distribution of rock fragments and landforms on two different steep karst hillslopes in northwest Guangxi, southwest China. On the first hillslope (a disintegrated landslide failure) with the presence of several large rock outcrops (>2m in height), the spatial distribution of rock fragment cover had no obvious relationship with topographic position except that the mean cover percentage of small rock fragments (5–20mm) decreased from bottom to top. On the second hillslope (an avalanche slope) without the presence of large rock outcrops, the mean total rock fragment cover (5–600mm) increased from bottom (5%) to top (21%) with decreasing variability and rock fragments with various sizes (5–20, 20–75, and 75–250mm) showed a similar increasing trend. The mean total rock fragment cover increased linearly with slope gradient on the second hillslope and tended to increase and then decrease with gradient but their relationship was not obvious on the first hillslope. This indicated that the spatial distribution of surface rock fragment cover had a close relationship with the presence of large rock outcrops and slope gradient. However, the median diameter (D50) of the surface rock fragments had an increase–decrease trend with slope gradient but there was no obvious relationship on both hillslopes with low overland flow. Therefore, the dominant factor for the spatial distribution of rock fragment cover and size at the soil surface might not be soil erosion by water, but slope gradient, vegetation and geomorphologic condition of the slope. The mean total volumetric rock fragment content (5–250mm) within the topsoil (10–20cm thick) increased linearly from bottom (16%) to top (39%) with slope gradient on the first hillslope, and had a logarithmic increase from bottom (10%) to top (27%) with gradient on the second hillslope. This suggested that rock fragment content within the topsoil was mostly controlled by slope gradient and topographic positions and had not a close relationship with the presence of large rock outcrops. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) forest projects are perceived as an attractive way to both help mitigate climate change and transfer income to rural poor. However, to engender participation of small-scale producers, a CDM forest project must offer sufficient incentives, while minimizing their costs of participation, all the while respecting the need for additionality. Property rights, social capital and contractual rules are critical in the success of CDM forest projects. In this paper, we ask what factors affect participation in the world's first CDM project, established in Guangxi Province, China. Using village-level surveys, we find that although the project facilitates participation through carbon pooling and a share-holding system, much of the project land remains unforested. We find that the primary reasons for the unforested regions are constrained contractual rules, property rights allocation disputes and low levels of social capital in some villages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave is very famous for its rich mammalian fauna and Gigantopithecus fossils. The Gigantopithecus Cave Fauna has been regarded as the typical Early Pleistocene fauna in South China. The majority of the fossils unearthed has been studied and published during the past decades. The only group remaining unpublished is the rhinoceros, which is studied in this paper. The rhino materials available today are only mandibles and lower cheek teeth. The dimensions of the tooth rows and the isolated teeth fall well within the range of the recent Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. Therefore, the rhino fossils from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave can be referred to this living species. The reduced lower incisors and the U-shaped lingual contour of the mandible also support this taxonomic determination. The rhino materials from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave represent the earliest known record of this species and the smallest Pleistocene rhinocerotid in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a marine environmental sensitivity index system was constructed based on three factors: the marine biological species sensitivity, the marine ecological value sensitivity and the social and economic sensitivity. Combined with numerical simulations of 137Cs in the Beibu Gulf under the condition of a level-7 nuclear accident, a comprehensive risk assessment of marine radioactivity under the simulated accident in the Beibu Gulf was carried out. The results show that the areas at high risk and medium-to-high risk to marine radioactivity are mainly concentrated within 30 km of the Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant. The medium-risk areas are mainly distributed in sea areas within 30–50 km of the nuclear power plant, and the other sea areas are low-risk areas. The distribution of the risk sources and the characteristics of the regional tidal currents are the main factors affecting the magnitude and distribution of the comprehensive risk of regional marine radioactivity. • A marine environmental sensitivity index system was constructed. • The migration and diffusion of 137Cs in Beibu Gulf of Guangxi were simulated. • The maximum moving average radiation risk in Beibu Gulf of Guangxi were calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Photovoltaic poverty alleviation project (PPAP) is initiated to reduce rural poverty and pursue cleaner production, but the lack of reasonable sustainability evaluation has become a challenge. This study evaluates the sustainability of PPAP in order to improve the poverty alleviation performance and efficiency considering an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method combining benefits, opportunities, costs, risks (BOCR) theory, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), interval type-2 fuzzy numbers (IT2FNs), and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS). First of all, this paper identifies 16 criteria based on BOCR theory from the perspectives of benefits, opportunities, costs, risks and constructs the criteria system. Second, an integrated BOCR-AHP-IT2FTOPSIS method is proposed and applied in processing ambiguous information and comprehensive sustainability evaluation. Third, an empirical case in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, a comparative analysis and a sensitivity analysis are used to rank the alternative PPAPs and verify the effectiveness and robustness of proposed method. The results show that the integrated MCDM method is capable to evaluate and rank the sustainability levels of PPAPs with the contribution of BOCR theory-based criteria system. The work offers a novel sustainability evaluation angle for PPAPs and has potential applications in providing understandings and making decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst environments are globally significant, and the soils that develop on these landscapes often have unique geochemical features, including elevated–levels of metals. However, it has not been determined whether the enrichment of metals in soils is mainly controlled by parent rocks or secondary enrichment during weathering. In this paper, we studied the control of the accumulation of heavy metals in soils by parent materials and/or the process of soil formation. We examined the un–weathered carbonate and clastic bedrocks, as well as surface soils in a typical karst area in Guangxi of China. The spatial distribution of heavy metal (Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentrations in soils was mainly controlled by the geological background. Except for Cd, the concentrations of heavy metals in carbonate rocks were much lower than those in clastic rocks, whereas the soils derived from the carbonate rocks were highly enriched with heavy metals than those in clastic area. The enrichment of Cd in surface soils from the carbonate substrates was the result of the dual effect of secondary enrichment and parent rock inheritance, whereas the enrichment of other metals was mainly the result of secondary enrichment. During the weathering process of carbonate bedrock, great majority of the quantities of inherent heavy metals were leached, with only 2% of Cd being retained in situ. The high concentrations of soil Fe, Al, and Mn oxides, organic carbon and clay content (Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2) were closely related to the enrichment of heavy metals in studied surface soils. • Geological background controlled spatial distribution of soil metal concentrations. • Secondary enrichment and bedrock inheritance caused Cd enrichment in karstic soil. • Secondary enrichment caused the other metal (As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) enrichment in karstic soil. • 2% of Cd being retained in situ during the weathering of carbonate bedrock. • Soil Fe/Al/Mn oxides, organic carbon and clay content controlled metal accumulation in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The relation between urbanization and eco-environment in SREB was explored. • Coupling coordination degree model between UAEE of SREB was established. • The negative interaction effect of UAEE is mainly focused on the northwest regions. • Advocate sustainable development, realize the balance between UAEE. Rapid urbanization in China in recent decades has given rise to increasingly serious ecological and environmental problems. Specifically, the provinces along the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) in China have experienced rapid urbanization, and need to take pro-active action in balancing urbanization development with eco-environment conservation. This paper aims to develop comprehensive urbanization and eco-environment (UAEE) evaluation models to explore UAEE development of SREB in China from 2004 to 2018. In terms of methodology, these evaluation models are subsequently combined with CCDM (Coupling coordination degree model) and GTWR (Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression) models to measure and analyze coupling degree and spatio-temporal heterogeneity of UAEE. The results show that: Firstly, from 2004 to 2018 in all regions of the SREB, the urbanization showed a gradual upward trend. Among them, comprehensive urbanization index (CUI) of Guangxi increased by 3.067%. Secondly, the comprehensive eco-environment index (CEI) of Chongqing, Sichuan, Guangxi, Shaanxi and Gansu has improved; while the eco-environment quality of Yunnan, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang has deteriorated during this period, with the rate of decrease in Xinjiang reaching a significant 2%; Thirdly, in 2018, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guangxi, Shaanxi and Gansu are in a state of high coordination level with the eco-environment under the rapid urbanization process, while Yunnan, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang are at a moderate coordination level. Since 2011, these areas are in a state of lagging development of the eco-environment. Finally, the interactive relationship between UAEE tends to converge. There is heterogeneity in time and space among SREB regions. The negative interaction effect of UAEE is mainly focused on the northwest regions. In conclusion, this research will provide a basis of scientific evaluation for the coordinated degree of UAEE, promote regional urbanization vis-à-vis the improvement in environmental policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being located between Eurasia continent and the western Pacific Ocean, the coastal area of China (hereafter as CAC) is vulnerable to climate change and prone to climate-related disasters. Based on the daily meteorological dataset of 156 stations, variations of consecutive dry days (CDD) and consecutive wet days (CWD) and their relationships with local and remote climate drivers from 1961 to 2017 over CAC were investigated. Results showed that the multi-year averages in CDD and CWD were 22.5–93.7 and 3.4–11.8 days, generally presenting a "high north and low south" and "low north and high south" spatial pattern, respectively. The decadal trend rates in CDD and CWD were − 4.5–2.7 and − 0.7–0.6 days per decade, respectively, both showing universal insignificant change trends over CAC. There was a significant negatively correlation between CDD and precipitation at partial of meteorological stations clustered in Guangxi autonomous region, and a predominantly significant positive relationship between CWD and precipitation over CAC. Both CDD and CWD correlated significantly with Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) in parts of northern coastal areas close to the sea, while a common insignificant linkage was detected between CDD/CWD and large-scale circulation indices such as North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Northern Oscillation Index (NOI), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) over CAC. Results from this paper are anticipated to provide insights into the drought/flood disaster risk mitigation and prevention as well as water resources management in the coastal area of China. • Coastal area of China (CAC) witnessed an obvious north-south difference in consecutive dry days (CDD) and consecutive wet days (CWD). • CDD and CWD varied insignificantly with a - trend rate of − 4.5–2.7 and − 0.7–0.6 days per decade, respectively. • A predominantly significant positive linkage was found between CWD and precipitation over CAC. • CDD and CWD correlated significantly with ENSO in parts of northern coastal areas close to the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of curtain grouting to prevent water and mud inrush disasters for a weathered granite tunnel in Guangxi, China. First, the basic information of the Junchang tunnel is given, including ground conditions, water and mud inrush disasters, and the subsequent prevention countermeasures. Then, we present the original grouting design and procedure, and the field operation of 25 grouting cycles and excavations for the evaluation of the grouting effect and suggestion for future grouting work. Based on the field investigation, the values of the major grouting parameters are suggested, including grouting thickness of 5– 8 m, grouting length of 15– 18 m (3– 3.6 times of thickness), and per-meter grouting volume of 34.2 m3. Furthermore, the guidelines for composite materials selection are proposed for the various flowing water environments. Moreover, the space positions and water quality of the inspection boreholes and the original water richness of the ground should be taken into consideration in the grouting evaluation criteria. The optimized grouting parameters, materials selection and evaluation criteria provide important references for disasters prevention in similar projects. • A weathered granite tunnel with five groundwater and mud inrush disasters was presented as a case study. • Twenty-five grouting cycles conducted in the project were applied to discuss the grouting optimization in the completely weathered granite formation. • Improved grouting parameters and evaluation criteria were proposed for grouting work. • The guidelines for materials selection were established for the various flowing water environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we systematically reviewed 1203 research papers published between 2008 and 2018 in China and recorded related data on eight kinds of soil heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni). Based on that, the pollution levels, ecological risk and health risk caused by soil heavy metals were evaluated and the pollution hot spots and potential driving factors of different heavy metals in different provinces were also identified. Results indicated accumulation of heavy metals in soils of most provinces in China compared with background values. Consistent with previous findings, the most prevalent polluted heavy metals were Cd and Hg. Polluted regions are mainly located in central, southern and southwestern China. Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guangdong provinces were the most polluted provinces. For the potential health risk caused by heavy metals pollution, children are more likely confront with non-carcinogenic risk than adults and seniors. And children in Hunan and Guangxi province were experiencing relatively larger non-carcinogenic risk. In addition, children in part of provinces were undergoing potentially carcinogenic risks due to soil heavy metals exposure. Furthermore, in our study the 31 provinces in mainland China were divided into six subsets according to corresponding potential driving factors for heavy metal accumulation. Our study provide more comprehensive and updated information for contributing to better soil management, soil remediation, and soil contamination control in China. Image 1 • Cd and Hg were the most polluted heavy metals in soil across China. • The ER values for Cd in 30 provinces varied from moderate to very high risk. • Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guangdong were confirmed as priority control provinces. • Children are undergo larger health risk than adults and seniors in China. • Controlling factors of heavy metals accumulation in different provinces were mapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A typical weathered granite tunnel which occurred five water and mud inrush disasters was presented as a case study. • A seepage-erosion coupled model was used to evaluate the safety thickness for this project. • Twenty-five grouting cycles conducted in the field were described to analysis the safety thickness. • A detailed calculated method for safety thickness under various ground conditions was developed. The Junchang tunnel is a part of a major project in the Censhui highway in Guangxi province, China. The weathered granite part of the tunnel is approximately 180 m long with two lines and four lanes. Numerous water and mud inrush disasters frequently occurred in the weathered granite area, leading to serious economic loss and challenge to the constructors. Therefore, continuous grouting was carried out for the entire weathered part of the tunnel. This paper describes its curtain grouting for disasters prevention. Detailed discussion is presented on the safety thickness after grouting and the challenges encountered under different hydraulic-geological conditions. Specifically, a water and mud inrush model for the nonlinear flow and mass transfer behavior of weathered granite was used to evaluate the safety thickness in this project. Then, field studies with twenty-five grouting cycles and excavations were conducted to investigate the effective safety thickness. Negative correlation was observed between the safety thickness and the rock classification index [BQ]. Numerical simulation and field tests demonstrated that the thickness l should be larger than 3 m, and, in most cases, 5 m was sufficient when [BQ] < 72.5. When [BQ] ≥ 72.5, l should be between 1.5 m and 3 m. Based on the field data, an empirical formula was developed to determine the thickness under different values of [BQ]. The research findings serve as an important reference for future projects in similar stratum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study results of Zn, He-Ar and Sr-Nd of the Tongkeng deposit show that Zn source mainly comes from the Cretaceous Longxianggai granite magmatic fluid, classified into the type of post-magmatic hydrothermal filling-metasomatism. He-Ar isotope study shows that the mantle-sourced substances involved in the mineralization are related to that of the Devonian Liujiang Formation exhalative sedimentary sequences. • The Longxianggai granite belongs to the typical remelted S-type granite. • The mantle-sourced substances in ores are from the Devonian exhalative sediments. The Zn most likely derived from the Cretaceous Longxianggai granite. The Tongkeng tin-polymetallic ore deposit in Nandan County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, is the representative deposit of the largest scale in the famous Dachang tin-polymetallic ore field. It consists of the upper tin-polymetallic ores and the lower newly found zinc-copper ores with the Sn metal reserve of 680,000 tons (average grade 1%), 4,500,000 tons of Zn (average grade 4%), and 80,000 tons of Cu (average grade 0.2%). The orebodies occur as layers and veins within the Middle to Late Devonian siliceous rocks and carbonate rocks. In this paper, the isotopic compositions of Zn, He-Ar and Sr-Nd of the Tongkeng deposit have been studied systematically. The results show that the isotopic composition of Zn is quite homogenous with δ66Zn = 0.22 ~ 0.34‰ in sphalerite samples of various colors from brown to black, collected from different orebodies (upper tin-polymetallic and lower zinc-copper ores) in the Tongkeng deposit. It indicates that Zn source mainly came from magmatic fluid, as the calculated δ66Zn (0.42 ~ 0.54‰) of ore-forming fluid is almost same as that of the Longxianggai granite (0.41 ~ 0.55‰), but quite different from that of the marine carbonate (average 0.91‰). He-Ar isotope study of pyrite shows that the exhalative substances might have been involved in the mineralization, with 3He/4He = 1.2 Ra ~ 2.5 Ra in the upper tin-polymetallic ores and 3He/4He = 0.8 Ra ~ 1.9 Ra in the lower zinc-copper ores in the Tongkeng deposit, which is different from that of the Longxianggai granite (3He/4He = 0.7 ~ 0.8 Ra), but close to that of the Devonian Liujiang Formation exhalative sedimentary sequences with 3He/4He = 1.5Ra. The Longxianggai granite has I Sr = 0.719 (in average), εNd(t) = -7.9 ~ -9.6 and Nd model age T 2DM = 1.54 ~ 1.68 Ga. Based on the geochemical characteristics of granite and Sr, Nd and O isotopes, the source rocks of the Longxianggai granite may be mainly derived from the continental crust, which is a typical remelted S-type granite. Based on the results of this study and the previous data in the literature, it is concluded that the mineralization in the Dachang ore field is closely related to the Cretaceous Longxianggai granite in time and space with the main metal substances of Zn most likely derived from the magmatic fluid, classified into the type of post-magmatic hydrothermal filling-metasomatism. The admixing of the early Devonian spouting sediments in the mineralization was evidenced in the study of source trace and has led to the longtime dispute over the ore genesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: China is actively promoting the reform of its economic structure and industrial upgrade, and the integration of the cultural industry and the tourism industry is an important approach. It is necessary to explore the degree of coordination and coupling between the cultural industry and the tourism industry in ethnic minority areas and find ways to promote the coordinated development of the two industries. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This study selected Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as the sample, collected data from 2010 to 2018, and analyzed it based on the coupling coordination theory. Findings: The results revealed that the comprehensive development evaluation index of the cultural industry and the tourism industry basically showed a year-on-year upward trend, and the development speed of the cultural industry is slightly higher than that of the tourism industry; the coupling degree of the regional cultural industry and tourism industry was at a high level; the coordination degree of the two industries increased gradually from 0.3971 in 2010 to 0.9425 in 2018. It indicated that the coupling development of the two industries continues to improve. However, the development speed of tourism industry slightly was slower than the development speed of the cultural industry. Improvements: This study attempts to develop an index to evaluate the tourism and cultural industries in an ethnic minority region and assess the coupling and coordination degree through an empirical analysis. This study emphasizes the need to better understand the integration of the cultural industry and the tourism industry as a process to complement each other, which can produce a positive synergy effect to benefit both the economy and the environment. This paper also provides development suggestions for the culture and tourism industry stakeholders in other areas of the world from the perspective of open innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An end-to-end model is proposed for rice yield prediction using deep learning fusion. • Deep spatial-temporal features significantly reduced prediction errors. • The model converges quickly to low errors and provides stable prediction performance. • The model achieves the optimal prediction performance when the number of layers is 6. Rice yield is essential for more than half of the world's population, and thus, accurate predictions of rice yield are of great importance for trade, development policies, humanitarian assistance, decision-makers, etc. However, traditional mechanistic models and statistical machine learning models need to identify features, making the research on and application of these models laborious and time-consuming. In this paper, a novel end-to-end prediction model that fuses two back-propagation neural networks (BPNNs) with an independently recurrent neural network (IndRNN), named BBI-model, is proposed to address these challenges. In stage one, BBI-model preprocesses the original area and meteorology data. In stage two, one BPNN and the IndRNN are used to learn deep spatial and temporal features in parallel. In stage three, another BPNN combines two kinds of deep features and learns the relationships between these deep features and rice yields to make predictions for summer and winter rice yields. The experimental results indicate that BBI-model achieved the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) for the summer rice prediction (0.0044 and 0.0057, respectively) and corresponding values of 0.0074 and 0.0192 for the winter rice prediction when the number of layers in the network was set to six. Moreover, the errors of the model using the combination of deep spatial-temporal features were significantly lower than when simply using deep temporal features. Furthermore, the model converged quickly with 100 iterations and then remained stable. These findings confirm that the model can make accurate predictions for summer and winter rice yields of 81 counties in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Six granite phases can be distinguished at the Jiepai deposit. • Four W and three Cu mineralization events are identified at Jiepai deposit. • The granites reveal a complex evolution process that involved two or more sources of magmas. The Jiepai W-Cu deposit, located in the northeastern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, occurs along the contact zone between the Yuechengling granite batholith and the Cambrian dolomitic limestones and slates. The main body of the batholith is made of a Silurian monzogranite in the south and a Triassic monzogranite in the north. A number of Jurassic to Cretaceous fine-grained granite intrusions are present as stocks and dikes intersecting the batholith. The deposit includes five types of W-Cu ores, including (1) contact-zone scheelite skarn occurring at the lithological contact between monzogranite and dolomitic limestone, (2) strata-bound scheelite skarn hosted by dolomitic limestone, (3) disseminated or banded scheelite within gneissic granite, (4) titanite-bearing scheelite quartz veins cross-cutting the skarns and limestone, and (5) disseminated Cu sulfides within granodiorite, respectively. In this paper, we report new geochronological data obtained from zircon U-Pb, molybdenite Re-Os, and biotite and muscovite Ar-Ar analyses with the aim of constraining the timing of magmatic and mineralization events. Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb analyses of all the granitoids exposed in the deposit and its vicinity reveal six stages of magmatic emplacement dated at 448.4 ± 4.6 Ma, 434.6 ± 3.5 Ma, 429.4 ± 7.6 Ma, 219.2 ± 1.5 Ma, 156.0 ± 3.0 Ma, and 149.7 ± 2.2 Ma (weighted 206Pb/238U mean ages). Molybdenite Re-Os and muscovite and biotite Ar-Ar analyses reveal four W mineralization events that were associated with the magmatic emplacement at 448.4 ± 4.6 Ma, 429.4 ± 7.6 Ma, 219.2 ± 1.5 Ma, and 151.4 ± 1.9 Ma, and three Cu mineralization events at 434.3 ± 5.1 Ma, 152.2 ± 1.1 Ma, and 141.0 ± 2.5 Ma, respectively. The granites at the deposit and its vicinity document weak fractionation of light and heavy REEs, contain low concentrations of Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti, but high concentration of Ta. Neodymium isotopic data of the W-mineralized Late Ordovician granites (ε Nd(t) = −4.87, T 2DM = 1.6 Ga) imply magma mixing of mafic mantle material with Paleoproterozoic and/or Mesoproterozoic continental crust. By contrast, the Silurian granites (ε Nd(t) = −10.15 to −13.49) were formed by anatexis of the Paleoproterozoic continental crust. High-precision Hf-O isotope data obtained in this study indicate partial melting of the lower crust as the main source of the younger granites, and further reveal a complex evolution process that involved two or more sources of magmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess two-harvest-a-year grape production system from the perspective of energy consumption and energy utilization. The primary data was collected through field investigation in Guangxi, China, and the raw data was converted to energy data by the energy equivalent to account the energy consumption. Furthermore, the energy data were processed based on Data Envelopment Analysis model to measure the energy efficiency in two-harvest-a-year grape cultivation. The results reveal that the total energy input and output in annual are 67630 MJ/ha and 50462 MJ/ha, and the energy input and output amounts in the first season are generally larger than that in the second season. However, energy input structures in two production seasons are quite similar for they both consume large proportions energy of chemical fertilizer and pesticide, which respectively are 41.65% and 25.20% in the first season and 39.29% and 25.66% in the second season. The average energy efficiency in the first season, the second season and annual is 0.805, 0.573 and 0.687, which reveals the firstly season is more efficient in energy utilization. Finally, some suggestions are proposed to optimize energy input structure and promote energy utilization efficiency of the production system. • Assessing energy consumption and utilization of two-harvest-a-year grape cultivation. • Sorting out production process and key links of two-harvest-a-year grape. • Comparing energy consumption and output in two production seasons. • Exploring the level of energy efficiency of two grape production seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the end-Permian mass extinction (EPME), the marine environment was considered extremely toxic, mainly due to anoxic and high-temperature conditions and ocean acidification; consequently, the ecosystem contained few organisms. This paper describes a new ostracod fauna from the microbialite-bearing Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) strata at Zuodeng, Guangxi region, China. One thousand and seventy ostracod specimens were extracted from forty-eight samples. Fifty-three species belonging to fourteen genera were identified. Ostracods, primarily from the family Bairdiidae, were extremely abundant in the microbialites, which suggests that ostracods were opportunists that could survive the EPME within this special microbial ecosystem with sufficient food and scarce competitors and predators rather than undergoing a rapid and early recovery after the EPME event. Ostracods having simultaneous Paleozoic and Meso-Cenozoic affinities coexisted in this fauna. The similarities and differences among the ostracod faunas in the microbialite sections of the P-Tr boundary around the Paleo-Tethys indicate that there was a long-distance dispersal of ostracods, but the faunas maintained endemism at the species level. Previous studies have regarded microbialites as whole units, and it is difficult to detect environmental changes within a microbialite interval based on paleoecological groups of (super)families. In this study, high-resolution sampling was applied to identify changes in the ostracod abundance, diversity, assemblages and proportion of five dominant species in the section, which exhibited an evolutionary trend from the " Bairdia " group to the " Liuzhinia antalyaensis - Bairdiacypris ottomanensis " group. Furthermore, the transition of the ostracod fauna could be divided into six stages according to changes in the dominant species groups, suggesting that the microbialite environment was not entirely monotonous but fluctuated during the postextinction interval. • Microbes support an ostracod-friendly environment after end-Permian mass extinction • Ostracod evolution relates to the growth and demise of Permian-Triassic microbialites • Composition of ostracod fauna changes even in the same structure of microbialites • Six paleoenvironment fluctuation stages recognized by dominant species of ostracods • High-definition study on ostracods helps to understand more about microbialites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of search and graphical display of hazardous blocks on roadway roofs is of great importance to the safe excavation and long-term utility of roadways. In this paper, the GeneralBlock program was used to carry out preliminary analyses of blocks, which were developed based on the General block method. Following this, the removability and stability of the buried and fixed blocks under engineering disturbances were analysed according to the minimum fixed area of the blocks. In addition, accurate positioning and three-dimensional graphical displays of hazardous blocks were carried out through the coupling of GeneralBlock and 3DMine. Finally, a technology for searching and displaying hazardous blocks on roadway roofs in underground mines was developed, and it was subsequently applied to the production roadway in #92 ore body and the development roadway in Zinc polymetallic ore body of the Tongkeng mine, Guangxi, China. One hundred and twenty hazardous blocks were found on the test site during the production process of #92 ore body. These blocks were mainly located in the segments of 0–3 m and 12–20 m on the Y -axis; a total of 31 hazardous blocks were found in the development roadways of the levels 255 and 305 in Zinc polymetallic ore body, and the volume of the largest hazardous block located in the B5 roadway was 1.44 m3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]