Search

High-quality gridded data on industrial water use are vital for research and water resource management. However, such data in China usually have low accuracy. In this study, we developed a gridded dataset of monthly industrial water withdrawal (IWW) for China, which is called the China Industrial Water Withdrawal (CIWW) dataset; this dataset spans a 56-year period from 1965 to 2020 at spatial resolutions of 0.1 and 0.25°. We utilized > 400 000 records of industrial enterprises, monthly industrial product output data, and continuous statistical IWW records from 1965 to 2020 to facilitate spatial scaling, seasonal allocation, and long-term temporal coverage in developing the dataset. Our CIWW dataset is a significant improvement in comparison to previous data for the characterization of the spatial and seasonal patterns of the IWW dynamics in China and achieves better consistency with statistical records at the local scale. The CIWW dataset, together with its methodology and auxiliary data, will be useful for water resource management and hydrological models. This new dataset is now available at 10.6084/m9.figshare.21901074 (Hou and Li, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt marshes can export considerable nutrients and carbon to the ocean through submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). However, the complicated SGD processes in salt marshes remain poorly understood. Here, we first report the phenomenon of numerous highly saline artesian springs found in a salt marsh system of East China. Multiple methods including time‐series thermal monitoring, isotope signatures, and high‐resolution electrical resistivity tomography were combined to determine their origin and trajectory. Strong evidence suggests that these springs keep discharging even during high tide and represent a long‐term re‐distribution process of the ancient marine water trapped in the unconfined aquifer. This new pattern of spring‐derived groundwater flow indicates a hidden SGD pathway and has significant implications for studies concerning SGD‐derived fluxes in similar multi‐aquifer‐aquitard coastal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parameters governing a water temperature model play a pivotal role in determining the uncertainties associated with the model's outcome. In this study, a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic and water temperature coupling model is constructed, focusing on the Nuozhadu Reservoir situated along the Lancang River. Employing a single-factor analysis approach, the sensitivity of the thermal balance parameters and hydrodynamic parameters in the model is assessed. This study overcomes the shortcomings of previous sensitivity analyses of hydrodynamic parameters in reservoir water temperature models. The findings reveal that the attenuation parameters of light and Beer's law parameter exhibit minimal sensitivity to the vertical temperature structure. Conversely, radiation parameter A and radiation parameter B exert tenfold disparate influences on the surface and bottom temperatures of the reservoir. Among the hydrodynamic parameters considered, the horizontal viscosity factor shows no sensitivity to the vertical temperature structure, whereas the vertical viscosity factor serves as a crucial determinant, directly influencing the intensity of vertical temperature stratification. An increased vertical viscosity factor promotes heat exchange between the upper and lower water layers, thereby reducing the vertical temperature gradient and weakening stratification. Conversely, diminishing this factor intensifies stratification. Thus, when conducting water temperature simulations in high dams and large reservoirs, careful attention should be given to calibrating vertical viscosity factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While urbanization's strong effect on local precipitation has been widely documented, knowledge of how urbanization affects isotopic composition in precipitation is still lacking. In the present study, deuterium-excess (d- excess) served to quantify the contribution of recycled vapor to precipitation in Chengdu city (China) and a nearby rural area. Precipitation from the urban and rural areas showed no significant difference in S[sup 18]O values (p > 0.05). The rural area had significantly higher d-excess (24.29 ± 7.39%o) than the urban (12.71 ± 4.88%o) through the seasons due to higher evapotranspiration flux in the rural area. In summer, however, urban precipitation amount was higher than that of the rural area. Based on d-excess model, the average ratio of recycled vapor was 8.2% in Chengdu, which was lower than in the rural area (36.1%). This highlights the effect of urbanization in decreasing the proportion of vapor from local evapotranspiration contributing to precipitation but blocked much advected moisture. This also implied that precipitation taken in cities were used to represent upwind advected vapor or used as referenced isotopic records for paleoclimate reconstruction based on tree rings or stalagmites sampled in rural area may be erroneous as the effect of urbanization on precipitation vapor. Further studies are needed to explore the effect of urbanization on vapor source of precipitation under different climatic zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hilltop curvature (CHT) can record erosional responses to tectonic forces and/or climate change. Although CHT has a linear relationship with the erosion rate, which is a significant advantage over traditional indicators, it is not widely used, mainly because it requires high‐resolution terrain data. Previous studies show that terrain steepness is strongly correlated with catchment‐wide erosion rates in the Qilian Shan. This relationship enables us to test the potential of CHT based on medium‐resolution terrain data (e.g., Tan DEM‐X with a resolution of ∼12 m) as an indicator of the erosion rate. We selected three typical sites in the Qilian Shan with evenly spaced ridge valleys and a continuous soil cover. At each site, we produced a high‐resolution digital surface model (DSM) using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), and then compared CHT from the UAV DSM with that from Tan DEM‐X, via LSDTopoTools. The results show that both Tan DEM‐X and the UAV DSM record similar spatial patterns of CHT, although the magnitudes vary between the three selected areas. We then examined the relationship between CHT based on Tan DEM‐X and the catchment‐wide erosion rate in the Qilian Shan. CHT has a linear relationship with the erosion rate in an area of clastic rocks, where the erosion rate is below 400 mm/Kyr. CHT extracted by Tan DEM‐X is superior to the mean basin slope in predicting the erosion rate in this clastic rock landscape. Overall, our results demonstrate the utility of Tan DEM‐X in calculating CHT to indicate the erosion rate. Plain Language Summary: Erosion occurs when Earth surface material is worn away and moved by natural forces such as wind and water. The erosion rate represents the rate at which the surface elevation decreases. Hilltop curvature extracted by terrain analysis software combined with terrain data can provide a rapid estimate of the erosion rate. However, the coverage of high‐resolution terrain data used in previous studies is very sparse. At present, the most widely terrain data with global coverage is Tan DEM‐X. In this study, we determined whether the hilltop curvature extracted based on Tan DEM‐X can predict the erosion rate. This was done by comparing the hilltop curvature extracted from Tan DEM‐X with that from high‐resolution terrain data, and then examined the linear relationship between hilltop curvature based on Tan DEM‐X and the erosion rate in the Qilian Shan in China. The trends of hilltop curvature between different areas recorded by Tan DEM‐X and high‐resolution terrain data were consistent, and the hilltop curvature based on Tan DEM‐X was linearly related to the erosion rate in an area of clastic sedimentary rocks. We suggest that Tan DEM‐X can be used to estimate the erosion rate in areas lacking high‐resolution terrain data. Key Points: We compared hilltop curvatures extracted from Tan DEM‐X and high‐resolution terrain data on different spatial scalesHilltop curvature based on Tan DEM‐X can indicate the erosion rate at the catchment scaleIn an area of clastic rocks with erosion rates below 400 mm/Kyr, hilltop curvature has a linear relationship with the erosion rate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing interest in health related quality of life (HRQoL) as an outcome measure in international trials. However, there might be differences in the conceptualization of HRQoL across different socio-cultural groups. The objectives of current study were: (I) to compare HRQoL, measured with the short form (SF)-36 of Dutch and Chinese traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients 1 year after injury and; (II) to assess whether differences in SF-36 profiles could be explained by cultural differences in HRQoL conceptualization. TBI patients are of particular interest because this is an important cause of diverse impairments and disabilities in functional, physical, emotional, cognitive, and social domains that may drastically reduce HRQoL.Methods: A prospective cohort study on adult TBI patients in the Netherlands (RUBICS) and a retrospective cohort study in China were used to compare HRQoL 1 year post-injury. Differences on subscales were assessed with the Mann-Whitney U-test. The internal consistency, interscale correlations, item-internal consistency and item-discriminate validity of Dutch and Chinese SF-36 profiles were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess whether Dutch and Chinese data fitted the SF-36 two factor-model (physical and mental construct).Results: Four hundred forty seven Dutch and 173 Chinese TBI patients were included. Dutch patients obtained significantly higher scores on role limitations due to emotional problems (p < .001) and general health (p < .001), while Chinese patients obtained significantly higher scores on physical functioning (p < .001) and bodily pain (p = .001). Scores on these subscales were not explained by cultural differences in conceptualization, since item- and scale statistics were all sufficient. However, differences among Dutch and Chinese patients were found in the conceptualization of the domains vitality, mental health and social functioning.Conclusions: One year after TBI, Dutch and Chinese patients reported a different pattern of HRQoL. Further, there might be cultural differences in the conceptualization of some of the SF-36 subscales, which has implications for outcome evaluation in multi-national trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the city, people pay more attention to the ecological construction of the city. The objective of this work was to study the effect of artificial lakes on hydrodynamic conditions in urban drainage systems. With Arcgis and the advantage of SWMM in analyzing the impact of the rainfall process on urban runoff, the urban flooding model of "pipe network + river network + artificial lake" was established in the study area. Two scenarios were set up with and without the presence of artificial lakes, and comparative analyses were conducted under the different intensities of rainfall (0.5a, 1a, 2a, 5a, 10a, 20a). The results show that under certain rainfall conditions, the presence of the artificial lake increases the peak flow and rate of upstream streams and decreases the flow and rate of downstream streams in the regional drainage system. The duration of the peak flow rate in the upstream channel increases, and the flow rate curve becomes flat during the confluence; the flow rate in the downstream section decreases, and the magnitude of the peak flow rate change decreases, and a more obvious horizontal section appears. The time of peak occurrence in the downstream river is earlier. The hydrodynamic impact on the downstream channel is more significant. The improvement of hydrodynamic conditions of the drainage system by the artificial lake helps to optimize the layout of low impact development (LID) measures in the study area and also guides ecological construction in other cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarimetric radar data are an important tool for quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE), which is essential for monitoring and forecasting precipitation. Previous studies have shown that the drop size distribution (DSD) and polarimetric radar parameters of typhoon-induced precipitation differ significantly from those of other types of rainfall. South China is a region that frequently experiences typhoons and heavy rainfall, which can cause serious disasters. Therefore, it is critical to develop a QPE algorithm that is suitable for typhoon precipitation over South China. In this study, we constructed four simple QPE estimators, R(ZH), R(ZH, ZDR), R(KDP) and R(KDP, ZDR) based on two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) DSD observations of typhoon-induced precipitation over South China in 2017–2018. We analyzed the DSD characteristics and the estimation accuracy of these four QPE estimators in the reflectivity–differential reflectivity (ZH–ZDR) space, as well as the S-band polarimetric radar (S-POL) data of seven typhoon-induced precipitation events that affected South China in 2017–2019. We used these data to quantitatively determine the optimal ranges of the estimators and establish a typhoon precipitation QPE algorithm for typhoon-induced precipitation over South China (2DVD-Typhoon). The evaluation results showed that: (1) compared to R(ZH) and R(KDP), R(ZH, ZDR) and R(KDP, ZDR) had lower performance in estimating typhoon-induced rainfall after incorporating the polarimetric parameter ZDR, as strong crosswind of the typhoon caused some bias in the raindrop-induced ZDR; (2) the 2DVD-Typhoon algorithm utilizes the respective advantages of the individual estimators to generate the best QPE results; (3) the QPE performance of 2DVD-Typhoon and the Colorado State University–Hydrometeor Identification Rainfall Optimization (CSU-HIDRO) is used as a comparison for hourly rainfall, cumulative rainfall and different rainfall intensity. The comparison shows that 2DVD-Typhoon gives a better normalized error (NE), root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (CC), indicating its strength in rainfall estimation for typhoons over South China. The above results provide theoretical support for improving typhoon-induced rainfall monitoring and numerical weather forecasting models in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land subsidence (LS) is becoming one of the major problems in coastal and delta cities worldwide. Understanding the current LS situation and the research trends is of paramount importance for further studies and addressing future international research networks. We analyzed the LS-related literature available from the Scopus database. The use of a single database avoided the redundancy of articles, while excluding some subject areas was useful to obtain only studies related to LS. By using VOSviewer and CiteSpace tools, we conducted a bibliometric analysis by considering title, keywords, and abstract to identify the temporal development, the geographical origin, and the area of study of the research. The results revealed a considerable heterogeneity of approaches, thematics, study areas, and research output trends. China, the US, and Italy are the major contributors to the scientific production, but the higher number of articles is not always related to the extension of the LS phenomenon in these countries. The monitoring approach differs worldwide, and univocal modeling is still lacking; from the analysis of the keywords, it is clear that the focus of most studies is on the relationship with the hydrological/hydrogeological aspects. Since the 2000s, however, the development of SAR technologies has boosted the study of the phenomenon from a different point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate overuse wrist injuries in adolescent divers using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The bilateral wrists (76 wrists) of 38 professional divers were examined by MRI; 42 wrists with pain were placed in the symptomatic group, and 34 wrists without pain were placed in the asymptomatic group. Two experienced radiologists assessed the wrist injuries. Chi‑square test was used to compare the difference in injuries between the two groups. Subchondral osteosclerosis was observed in 47.62% of symptomatic wrists and 52.94% of asymptomatic wrists. Distal radial epiphyseal plate injury was detected in 42.86% of symptomatic wrists and 11.76% of asymptomatic wrists. Triangular fibrocartilage complex injury was observed in 19.04% of symptomatic wrists and 8.82% of asymptomatic wrists. Bursae around the wrist were observed in 21.42% of symptomatic wrists and 17.64% of asymptomatic wrists. The incidence of distal radial epiphyseal plate injury was higher in the symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic group (P = 0.007), however, other injuries were not statistically different between the two groups (P > 0.05). This study demonstrated that adolescent divers had various wrist injuries, and distal radial epiphyseal plate injury was more common in the symptomatic wrist; these injuries show no specific clinical symptoms and are easily overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused severe and multi-dimensional resource losses among individuals. The Conservation of Resource (COR) theory postulates that resource loss generates related stress responses. It can suitably be applied to understand the pandemic's encompassing adverse consequences. Yet, no assessment tool exists. This study hence developed and validated the COR Scale for COVID-19 (CORS-COVID-19) to facilitate relevant research. The five hypothesized domains included losses in financial resource, family resource, future control, fun, and social resource. A population-based random telephone survey interviewed 300 Chinese adults in the general population in Hong Kong, China during April 3–10, 2020. The levels of different types of resource losses were high (especially for loss in fun). The 5-factor structure identified by factor analysis matches with the five hypothesized dimensions. Its psychometric properties are acceptable, including good internal consistency, content validity (the correlations between the items and their respective subscales were stronger than that between the items and the other four subscales), concurrent validity (significant correlations between the scale/subscale scores and both emotional distress due to COVID-19 and satisfaction with living in Hong Kong), and convergent validity (significant correlations between specific subscales and corresponding external variables). Relatively high floor effects were detected in some subscales. The scale, which is the first of the types to assess resource losses during a pandemic, can provide theory-based understandings/assessment about the negative impacts of COVID-19. It also facilitates warranted comparisons across countries and time periods in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergency response actions against an impending barrier lake breach flood involve multiple social and engineering approaches, such as evacuating the affected people downstream, lowering the breach opening by excavating a diversion channel, and regulating the downstream hydraulic structures if present. Analytical evaluation of the breach flood under different scenarios of emergency mitigation is crucial for a rational decision when a rescue plan is being made. This study reviews the emergency responses undertaken for the "11.03" Baige barrier lake that occurred in the Jinsha River of China in 2018, which involved the evacuation of 27,500 downstream people in the Shangri-La and Lijiang tourist attraction areas and the engineering measures by excavating a diversion channel and treating the two existing dams. The numerical model for dam breach and flood routing analysis performed by the computer programs DB-IWHR and Hec-Ras allowed quantitative risk assessments for various scenarios of mitigation approaches. The results showed that the excavation of the 15-m-deep diversion channel reduced the peak flood discharge from 39,580 to 31,000 m3/s. The demolition of the Suwalong cofferdam avoided a cascade dam failure that would have created a peak flood of 22,841 m3/s, resulting in a 2.25-m-high additional inundation on an area of 1.13 × 105 m2. The numerical assessment confirms the substantial reduction in the social and economic impact achieved by pre-emptying the Liyuan Hydropower Station, which avoided a sustained 10-h spillway discharge of 12,231 m3/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reservoir dams alter the nutrient composition and biogeochemical cycle. Thus, dual isotopes of δ18O-NO3− and δ15N-NO−3 and geochemical signatures were employed to study the NO3− pollution and chemical weathering in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China. This study found that the TGR dam alters the δ15N-NO3− composition and is enriched in the recharge period. Values of δ15N-NO3− varied from 4.5 to 12.9‰ with an average of 9.8‰ in the recharge period, while discharge period δ15N-NO3− ranged from 3.2 to 12.5‰, with an average of 9.3‰. δ18O-NO3− varies (1.2–11.3‰) with an average of 6.5‰ and (2.4–12.4‰) with an average of 7.5‰, in the recharge and discharge periods, respectively. Stable isotopic values sharply decreased from upstream to downstream, indicating the damming effects. δ18O-NO3− and δ15N NO3− confirm that sewage effluents, nitrification of soil organic material, and NH4+ fertilizers were the primary sources of NO3− in the reservoir. Carbonate weathering mainly provides ions to the reservoir. HCO3− + SO42− and Ca2+ + Mg2+ represent 90% of major ions in the TGR. Downstream sampling sites showed low solute concentration during the recharge period, indicating the dam effect on solute concentration. Ca–Mg–Cl−, Ca–HCO3− and Ca–Cl− were the main water types in the TGR. The average percentage of solutes contribution revealed the carbonate weathering, evaporites dissolution, silicate weathering, and atmospheric input were 51.9%, 41%, 7.8%, and 1.7% for the recharge period. In contrast, the discharge period contributed 66.4%, 29.2%, 10%, and 4.3%, respectively. TGR water is moderately suitable for irrigation, and hardness is high in drinking water. This study provides new insight into the dual isotopic approach and geochemical signatures to interpret the NO3− cycle and chemical weathering process under dam effects in the TGR. However, this isotopic application has some limitations in source identification, isotope fractionation, and transformation mechanisms of nitrate. Thus, further studies need to be done on these topics for a better undestanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape patterns affect river water quality by influencing hydrological processes. However, with changes in spatial scale and season, landscape factors may have different effects on water pollution. Therefore, quantitative analysis of the scale effect of each landscape index was carried out to determine the mutation point of river water quality and its index relationship, which is of great significance to landscape planning and water quality protection. Based on the water quality monitoring data of 19 sampling points in the Tumen River Basin, we used redundant methods to quantify the spatial scale effects and seasonal dependencies of various landscape indicators on river water quality, then determined the mutation point of the water quality along the landscape-scale gradient. The results showed that different types of landscape indicators have different effects on river water quality, and the spatial-scale effect of landscape composition affects a river's water quality, while landscape configuration indicators had the highest sensitivity. The landscape characteristics of river straps better explained the overall water quality, a phenomenon that is more obvious in the wet season than the dry season. We identified a key landscape indicator of urban area proportion (Urban%) and a contagion index (CONTAG) as the river strap scale. An Urban% < 30% and a CONTAG > 70% suggest effective landscape planning parameters that effectively protect water quality. The results indicated that, to protect water quality, landscape regulation should follow scale-adaptability measures and consider landscape thresholds, which cause abrupt changes in water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supported by artificial intelligence and 5G techniques in mobile information systems, the rich communication services (RCS) are emerging as new media outlets and conversational agents for both institutional and individual users in China, which inherit the advantages of the short messaging service (SMS) with larger coverage and higher reach rate. The benefits can be fulfilled through media interactions between business and smart phone users. As a competitor of over-the-top services and social media apps, the adoption of RCS will play a vital role for mobile users. It is important to conduct quantitative research and reveal the behavioral intention to use (BIU) among RCS users. In this paper, we collect 195 valid respondents from university via an offline experiment and then build a structural equation model consisting of task characteristics (TAC), technology characteristics (TEC), task-technology fit (TTF), performance expectancy (PE), perceived risk (PR), perceived trust (PT), perceived convenience (PC) and satisfaction (SA). We find that SA, PC and PE have direct impact on BIU. TTF has indirect path connecting to BIU via PE and SA. The impacts of PT and PR on BIU are not significant. Performance results show that our proposed model could explain 49.2% and 63.1% of variance for SA and BIU, respectively. Through revealing the influencing factors of BIU, we can point out the user perception of the brand-new interactive channel and then provide the guidance for the large-scale commercialization of 5G RCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term overexploitation of groundwater has caused sharp decreases in groundwater table depth and water storage in the agricultural areas of the North China Plain, which has led to obvious changes in the runoff process of the hydrological cycle, affecting the mechanism of runoff generation. Evaluating the impact of groundwater overdraft on runoff generation using hydrological models is the focus of the current work. Herein, a hydrological modeling framework is proposed based on the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. The optimal parameters of the VIC model were determined by the synergetic calibration method, combining runoff, evaporation, and water storage levels. Meanwhile, a sliding calibration scheme was employed to explore the implied relationships among runoff coefficient, groundwater exploitation, and model parameters, particularly for the thickness of the second soil layer (i.e., parameter d2), both for the whole period and the sliding window periods. Overall, the VIC model showed good applicability in the southern Haihe river plain, as demonstrated by the low absolute value of the relative error (RE) between the simulated and observed data for runoff and evaporation, with all REs < 8%, as well as large correlation coefficients (CC, all > 0.8). In addition, the CCs between the simulated and the observed data for water storage were all above 0.7. The calibrated optimal parameter d2 increased as the sliding window period increased, and the average d2 gradually increased from 0.372 m to 0.415 m, for which we also found high correlations with both the groundwater table and water storage levels. Additionally, increases in the parameter d2 led to decreases in the runoff coefficient. From 2003 to 2016, the parameter d2 increased from 0.36 m to 0.42 m, and the runoff coefficient decreased by about 0.02. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to assess the cross-cultural invariance of athletes' self-reports of mental toughness and to introduce and illustrate the application of approximate measurement invariance using Bayesian estimation for sport and exercise psychology scholars. Athletes from Australia (n = 353, Mage = 19.13, SD = 3.27, men = 161), China (n = 254, Mage = 17.82, SD = 2.28, men = 138), and Malaysia (n = 341, Mage = 19.13, SD = 3.27, men = 200) provided a cross-sectional snapshot of their mental toughness. The cross-cultural invariance of the mental toughness inventory in terms of (a) the factor structure (configural invariance), (b) factor loadings (metric invariance), and (c) item intercepts (scalar invariance) was tested using an approximate measurement framework with Bayesian estimation. Results indicated that approximate metric and scalar invariance was established. From a methodological standpoint, this study demonstrated the usefulness and flexibility of Bayesian estimation for single-sample and multigroup analyses of measurement instruments. Substantively, the current findings suggest that the measurement of mental toughness requires cultural adjustments to better capture the contextually salient (emic) aspects of this concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the influence of precipitation and temperature on the runoff and forest growth in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains of China through the hydrology, hydrochemistry and remote sensing methods. The rivers were found to be recharged not only by precipitation, but also by subpermafrost groundwater through water balance calculation and the relationships between precipitation, temperature and runoff. The stable isotope compositions of the river and groundwater more depleted than local precipitation indicating the great contribution of subpermafrost groundwater to runoff. Participation of subpermafrost groundwater makes the forest-permafrost water cycle in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social distancing due to the Covid-19 epidemic has disturbed all sectors of society, including education. To maintain normal operations, it is necessary to adapt quickly to this situation. Many technologies and platforms have rushed to offer their support to users. This article adopts a critical perspective to reflect on the factors that may cause the hasty adoption of 5G smart learning technology. To investigate students' intentions toward smart learning, this article provides a theoretical framework premised on the technology acceptance model (TAM) by adding components from the social practise theory (SPT). Based on data analysis through Structural equation Modeling (SEM) of a survey (n = 375) conducted in China, we found that the choice of 5G smart-learning technology depends on the combined effect of Material (MAA), Meanings (MEA), and Competency access (COA) factors. The results illustrate that these are the effective factors for student's intentions to adopt 5G smart-learning technology. These outcomes are intended to aid service providers and decision-makers in developing effective ways to increase smart learning use. These findings can also enable us to identify challenges affecting smart learning adoption and to contribute to the design and proper supply of smart learning programs in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many rural-to-urban migrant adolescents experience adversity and are vulnerable to emotional problems. Previous studies on migrant adolescents focused on the impact of a single type of risk exposure. The cumulative risk approach considers a number of risk factors, providing a new perspective for investigating the living environment of individuals exposed to multiple risks simultaneously. The current study examined the relationship between cumulative risk and hopelessness among rural-to-urban migrant adolescents and the potential protective roles of stress mindset and subjective social mobility on this relationship. A total of 251 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents aged 10 to 14 completed a series of self-reported questionnaires. The results showed that adolescents exposed to more risk factors simultaneously faced a higher risk of hopelessness. For those with a stress-is-enhancing mindset or the belief in the possibility of upward social mobility, the link between cumulative risk and hopelessness was nonsignificant. When the two moderators were considered simultaneously, only subjective social mobility acted as a moderator. The findings showed that both the stress-is-enhancing mindset and subjective social mobility may act as protective variables to decrease the negative influence of adverse circumstances on Chinese migrant adolescents, but the effect of the latter is stable. The practical implications for promoting the development of disadvantaged adolescents are discussed. Highlights: Migrant adolescents exposed to more risk factors experienced more hopelessness. Stress mindset and subjective social mobility acted as moderators between cumulative risk and hopelessness. Subjective social mobility was a valuable protective factor to reduce hopelessness among disadvantaged adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture assessment on production land is gaining more attention as one of the critical factors and had a remarkable impact on agriculture production, life as well as global warming. Bibliometric analysis is performed by extracting datasets from SCOPUS from 2000 to 2020 to analyse soil moisture using remote sensing study and progress in the last two decades. The outcome indicates that study on the development of soil moisture monitoring tools using remote sensing has been increasing especially for international cooperation articles. International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) recorded the most productive journal published articles in this field. Among the top active countries that produce most articles were the USA followed by China. The current keywords search on soil mechanism and satellite technology frequently searched in this field. Global issues that focus on the relationship between soil moisture and environmental forecast such as drought, climate change and global warming by using remote sensing technology needed more high impact research outputs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Late-life suicide is a severe public health problem in rural China; however, knowledge regarding the specific characteristics and risk factors for completed suicide via violent and non-violent methods among elderly individuals in rural China is limited. Methods: Subjects aged 60 years or older were selected from rural areas in Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi provinces in China. This study was a 1:1 matched case-control design conducted by using the psychological autopsy method. Results: According to the univariate analyses, the presence of mental disorder, higher degree of depression, loneliness, lack of social support, hopelessness, impulsivity, and increased quantity of life events were associated with suicide in both violent and non-violent methods. For violent suicide, another risk factor was the lack of pesticides at home. For non-violent suicide, other risk factors were not currently married, family suicide history, and alcohol use disorder (P < 0.05). Variables that remained in the logistic regression model were the severity of depressive symptoms for both violent and non-violent suicide. For non-violent suicide, the degree of hopelessness was another independent risk factor. In addition, violent suicides were more likely to lack pesticides at home, choose the spring season and have an increased quantity of life events than those who died by suicide via non-violent methods. Conclusion: The major risk factor for both violent and non-violent suicide was the severity of depressive symptoms. Suicide prevention measures that focus on depression among this vulnerable population are urgently needed. Moreover, the characteristics of suicides via violent methods differed from those via non-violent methods among elderly individuals. Suicide prevention efforts should be tailored to the specific characteristics of the different suicide methods utilized by older adults in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yuyao River Valley is located in the northwest of Ningbo basin, China. The confined aquifers in the study area show obvious spatial distribution characteristics, which are essentially controlled by the evolution and distribution of the paleochannel. Therefore, it is of great significance to determine the spatial geometric characteristics of the paleochannel for finding out the hydrogeological characteristics and establishing a sustainable groundwater management system. In order to confirm the geo-electric parameters (resistivity and thickness) of each geotechnical layer and the spatial geometric characteristics of the paleochannel in the Yuyao River Valley, 77 vertical electric soundings were performed on five profiles perpendicular to the valley. In addition, 13 geological boreholes distributed over the study area were collected, and the borehole-side electrical sounding measurements were carried out near the boreholes. In fact, the interpretations of borehole-side electrical sounding measurements indicate that the resistivity of each geotechnical layer in the survey area varies greatly in the vertical direction. After calibrated by the lithology of the boreholes, the results of the explication of VES and the electrical resistivity profiles demonstrated the existence of the paleochannel. The paleochannel corresponds to the sand gravel or round gravel aquifers whose particle diameter gradually increases from top to bottom. Thus, the buried depth of the paleochannel is about − 70 to − 35 m, and its width is more than 1000 m. This study corroborated the reliability of the VES method through combining electrical resistivity profiles and hydrogeological data to determine the spatial geometric characteristics of the paleochannel in terms of electrical differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clausius‐Clapeyron relationship holds that the atmospheric water vapor content enhances with warming temperatures, suggesting intensifications of precipitable water and also altering runoff generation. Drought conditions are determined by variations in water fluxes such as precipitation and runoff, which tightly connect with temperature scaling characteristics. However, whether and how water fluxes' scaling with temperatures may affect the evolution of droughts under climate change has not yet been systematically investigated. This study develops a cascade modeling chain consisting of the climate model ensemble, bias correction technique, and hydrological models to investigate the precipitation and runoff scaling relationships with warming temperatures under the current (1961–2005) and future periods (2011–2055 and 2056–2100), as well as their implications on future drought changes across 151 catchments in China. The results show that (1) precipitation (runoff) scaling relationships with temperatures are stable during different time periods; (2) return level analysis indicates drought risks are projected to become (1–10 times) more severe across central and southern catchments, where the precipitation (runoff) strengthens with rising temperatures up to a peak point and then decline in a hotter environment. The northeastern and western catchments, where a monotonic increasing scaling type dominated, are accompanied by drought mitigations for two future periods; (3) future changes in hydrological droughts relative to the baseline are (1–5 times) larger than those in meteorological droughts. These results imply that changes in future drought risks are highly dependent on the present precipitation (runoff)‐temperature relationships, suggesting a meaningful implication of scaling types for future drought prediction. Plain Language Summary: Drought hazards are determined by variations in water fluxes such as precipitation and runoff. Global climate warming has altered these terrestrial hydrological processes and subsequently changed drought conditions. Characterizing the responses of precipitation and runoff to warming climates and investigating their implications on future drought changes are important for drought early warning and prediction. Here we show that monthly precipitation and runoff either exhibit a monotonic increasing or the peak‐like structure (in which precipitation and runoff increase with warming temperatures up to a peak point and decline thereafter) with temperatures. The increasing relationship typically suggests future drought mitigation, while the hook structure type, which prevails in central and southern catchments in China, implies increasing drought risks. Our findings facilitate a better understanding of drought changes under climate change and provide a scientific basis for drought adaptation to climate change. Key Points: Monthly precipitation and runoff typically exhibit a monotonic increasing or hook structure with temperature scaling in ChinaThe hook structures typically imply future intensifying drought hazards, whereas the increasing scaling types infer drought mitigationsFuture changes in hydrological droughts relative to the historical baseline are larger than those in meteorological droughts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probable maximum flood (PMF) is the highest design criterion for major hydraulic projects whose failure might cause severe loss of life and property. The probable maximum precipitation (PMP) is the corresponding extreme design rainfall, which is defined as the theoretically greatest depth of precipitation for a given duration over a particular area under modern meteorological conditions. The moisture and wind maximization (MWM) method is widely used in deriving 24‐hr PMP. However, variables in MWM factor (e.g., maximum precipitable water and wind speed) are collected from full study durations regardless of their respective main moisture inflow directions in each year. This issue could lead to higher PMP estimates which could lead to costs in the construction of hydraulic structures. To alleviate this possible problem, an improved moisture and wind maximization (IMWM) approach is proposed based on the concept of a "wind rose diagram", data (e.g., rainfall, wind speed, dew point) are grouped according to the main moisture inflow directions of a study catchment. Analysis shows the IMWM approach has the potential to provide lower PMPs, which would have economic implications for hydraulic designs. The storm transposition approach is applied for safety, extraordinary storms occurring in the homogeneous rainfall region are transposed to a study catchment after being maximized by the IMWM method. In addition, statistical methods, including storm formulation, trend analysis and hydrological frequency analysis, are used for deriving short‐duration PMPs. The Nash instantaneous unit hydrograph coupled with regional empirical formulas is then applied to estimate PMFs. As an example, PMP/PMF estimation approaches are applied to an important flood control project located in a small ungauged catchment of China. The study can provide a scientific basis for the construction of the study project as well as a reference for similar high‐hazard projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir dams alter the nutrient composition and biogeochemical cycle. Thus, dual isotopes of δ 18 O-NO 3 - and δ 15 N-NO - pollution and chemical weathering in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China. This study found that the TGR dam alters the δ 3 and geochemical signatures were employed to study the NO 3 - pollution and chemical weathering in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China. This study found that the TGR dam alters the δ 15 N-NO 3 - composition and is enriched in the recharge period. Values of δ 15 N-NO 3 - varied from 4.5 to 12.9‰ with an average of 9.8‰ in the recharge period, while discharge period δ 15 N-NO 3 - ranged from 3.2 to 12.5‰, with an average of 9.3‰. δ 18 O-NO 3 - varies (1.2-11.3‰) with an average of 6.5‰ and (2.4-12.4‰) with an average of 7.5‰, in the recharge and discharge periods, respectively. Stable isotopic values sharply decreased from upstream to downstream, indicating the damming effects. δ 18 O-NO 3 - and δ 15 N NO 3 - confirm that sewage effluents, nitrification of soil organic material, and NH 4 + fertilizers were the primary sources of NO 3 - in the reservoir. Carbonate weathering mainly provides ions to the reservoir. HCO 3 -  + SO 4 2- and Ca 2+  + Mg 2+ represent 90% of major ions in the TGR. Downstream sampling sites showed low solute concentration during the recharge period, indicating the dam effect on solute concentration. Ca-Mg-Cl - , Ca-HCO 3 - and Ca-Cl - were the main water types in the TGR. The average percentage of solutes contribution revealed the carbonate weathering, evaporites dissolution, silicate weathering, and atmospheric input were 51.9%, 41%, 7.8%, and 1.7% for the recharge period. In contrast, the discharge period contributed 66.4%, 29.2%, 10%, and 4.3%, respectively. TGR water is moderately suitable for irrigation, and hardness is high in drinking water. This study provides new insight into the dual isotopic approach and geochemical signatures to interpret the NO 3 - cycle and chemical weathering process under dam effects in the TGR. However, this isotopic application has some limitations in source identification, isotope fractionation, and transformation mechanisms of nitrate. Thus, further studies need to be done on these topics for a better undestanding., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: The most frequently used means of committing suicide was pesticide poisoning in rural China, yet little is known about the characteristics and risk factors for suicides committed with pesticides compared to those committed via other means in older adults.Methods: The participants were 242 older adults (aged 60 or older) who had committed suicide in the rural areas of 3 provinces (Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi) in China. This study was conducted using the psychological autopsy (PA) method.Results: In univariate analyses, no statistically significant differences were found between those who committed suicide with pesticide or with other means in terms of demographic and clinical variables except age, prevalence of mental disorders, suicidal intent, number of recent life events, social support, hopelessness, impulsivity, and depressive symptoms (P > .05); age, history of suicide attempts, having pesticides available at home, the total number of life events, and the number of long-term life events were significantly different (P < .05) between the 2 groups. In multivariate logistic regression model, the factors associated with committing suicide with pesticides were the availability of pesticides at home (odds ratio [OR] = 3.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.99-6.08) and the number of long-term life events (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.97).Conclusion: The older adults who committed suicide by pesticides and those using other means are probably the same population. The main determinant of choosing pesticides as suicide means was likely the availability of pesticides at home. Suicide risk among older adults might be reduced by placing appropriate restrictions on access to pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on numerical experiments undertaken with nine climate models, the glacier equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) in western China during the last glacial maximum (LGM) are investigated to deepen our understanding of the surface environment on the Tibetan Plateau. Relative to the preindustrial period, the summer surface air temperatures decrease by 4–8°C while the annual precipitation decreases by an average of 25% across the Tibetan Plateau during the LGM. Under the joint effects of reductions in summer temperature and annual precipitation, the LGM ELAs in western China are lowered by magnitudes that vary with regions. The ELAs in the southern margin and northwestern Tibetan Plateau decline by approximately 1100 m; the central hinterland, by 650–800 m; and the eastern part, by 550–800 m, with a downward trend from southwest to northeast. The reduction in ELAs is no more than 650 m in the Tian Shan Mountains within China and approximately 500–600 m in the Qilian Mountains and Altai Mountains. The high-resolution models to reproduce the low values of no more than 500 m in ELA reductions in the central Tibetan Plateau, which are consistent with the proxy records from glacier remains. The accumulation zones of the Tibetan Plateau glaciers are mainly located in the marginal mountains during the LGM and have areas 2–5 times larger than those of the modern glaciers but still do not reach the central part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bosten Lake is an important region of Northwest China that has transformed from a freshwater lake to a saltwater lake since the 1970s. The water quality in the Bosten Lake basin is important for social and economic development, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the key indicators of water quality. The land use data, precipitation data and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data with the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model were used to simulate the N and P exports of the Bosten Lake basin. The spatial and temporal dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus exports, and the response of nitrogen and phosphorus exports to land use change and precipitation change were analyzed between 2000 and 2015. The results show that the amount of N and P exports increased during 2000–2015, and the N and P exports are mainly distributed around Bosten Lake. The N and P exports are greatly affected by cultivated land, built-up areas and grassland, while they are less affected by other land use types. The high precipitation areas with small exports of N and P are mainly distributed in mountain areas, while small precipitation areas with large exports of N and P are distributed in plains where the cultivated land and built-up areas are concentrated. The InVEST model can be used in Northwest China, and the statistical downscaling of reanalysis precipitation data can be used in the InVEST model to improve the simulation accuracy in the data scarce regions of Northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of political efficacy and social networks in rural China to understand the social characteristics that might affect an individual’s disposition to join in public deliberations. A model is developed and empirically tested by Partial Least Squares analysis. This shows active involvement in public deliberation to be positively influenced by political efficacy (with external political efficacy being a partial mediator), high internal or external political efficacy, and a high internal efficacy leading to high external political efficacy. Social networks have a moderating effect, individuals with a high social network status having an enhanced positive internal political efficacy-public deliberation involvement but weakened positive external political efficacy-public deliberation involvement. The research advances the theoretical understanding of complex political psycho-behavior relationships and provided insights into the role of social settings. The findings could also help boost deliberative democracy in such limited democratic societies as China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable scholarly interest and recent advances in research, our knowledge of how jurisdiction size influences political efficacy remains fragmentary. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the linkage between the size of county jurisdiction, in terms of county population, and external political efficacy in China. Results from simple regressions indicate that, on average, external political efficacy declines with the size of county jurisdiction. Further analysis via a quantile perspective provides evidence that the influence of size upon external political efficacy varies across different parts of the outcome distribution. We observe a negative and pronounced effect in the lower tail of the distribution, but a positive and trivial effect in the upper tail. Our study highlights citizens’ divergent perceptions about the size of political jurisdiction and offers new insights into the research on jurisdictional design and political efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood simulation and forecasting in various types of watersheds is a hot issue in hydrology. Conceptual hydrological models have been widely applied to flood forecasting for decades. With the development of economy, modern China faces with severe flood disasters in all types of watersheds include humid, semi-humid semi-arid and arid watersheds. However, conceptual model-based flood forecasting in semi-humid semi-arid and arid regions is still challenging. To investigate the applicability of conceptual hydrological models for flood forecasting in the above mentioned regions, three typical conceptual models, include Xinanjiang (XAJ), mix runoff generation (MIX) and northern Shannxi (NS), are applied to 3 humid, 3 semi-humid semi-arid, and 3 arid watersheds. The rainfall-runoff data of the 9 watersheds are analyzed based on statistical analysis and information theory, and the model performances are compared and analyzed based on boxplots and scatter plots. It is observed the complexity of drier watershed data is higher than that of the wetter watersheds. This indicates the flood forecasting is harder in drier watersheds. Simulation results indicate all models perform satisfactorily in humid watersheds and only NS model is applicable in arid watersheds. Model with consideration of saturation excess runoff generation (XAJ and MIX) perform better than the infiltration excess-based NS model in semi-humid semi-arid watersheds. It is concluded more accurate mix runoff generation theory, more stable and efficient numerical solution of infiltration equation and rainfall data with higher spatial-temporal resolution are main obstacles for conceptual model-based flood simulation and forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A considerable proportion of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients have experienced mental health problems (e.g., depression and anxiety), and poor mental health status is associated with HIV-related risk behaviors and treatment drop-out. Resilience is known to be a protective factor for mental health problems but is not studied among MMT clients in China. This study aimed to explore the relationship between resilience and mental health problems (depression, anxiety and stress) among clients of community-based MMT clinics in China. A total of 208 MMT clients completed the face-to-face interview conducted at 4 of 11 MMT clinics in Guangzhou. The Chinese short version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess the presence of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to measure resilience. Logistic regression models were fit in data analyses. Of all participants, 12.8%, 19.5% and 8.3% had depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. The mean resilience score was 57.6 (SD = 15.9). In the univariate analyses, resilience was negatively associated with two studied mental health problems (depression and anxiety, ORu = 0.96 and 0.96,p < .01). In multivariate models adjusting for both background and other psycho-social factors, resilience was independently associated with probable depression (ORa = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.93–0.99) and anxiety (ORa = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99). Resilience was independently associated with depression and anxiety. As resilience is changeable, interventions targeting mental health problems of MMT users should consider resilience as an important part in the designing of such interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Meteorological studies have indicated that high alpine environments are strongly affected by climate warming, and periglacial debris flows are frequent in deglaciated regions. The combination of rainfall and air temperature controls the initiation of periglacial debris flows, and the addition of meltwater due to higher air temperatures enhances the complexity of the triggering mechanism compared to that of storm-induced debris flows. On the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau, where temperate glaciers are widely distributed, numerous periglacial debris flows have occurred over the past 100 years, but none occurred in the Tianmo watershed until 2007. In 2007 and 2010, three large-scale debris flows occurred in the Tianmo Valley. In this study, these three debris flow events were chosen to analyse the impacts of the annual meteorological conditions, including the antecedent air temperature and meteorological triggers. The remote sensing images and field measurements of the adjacent glacier suggested that sharp glacier retreats occurred in the 1 to 2 years preceding the events, which coincided with spikes in the mean annual air temperature. Glacial till changes providing enough active sediment driven by a prolonged increase in the air temperature are a prerequisite of periglacial debris flows. Different factors can trigger periglacial debris flows, and they may include high-intensity rainfall, as in the first and third debris flows, or continuous, long-term increases in air temperature, as in the second debris flow event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River is the most hyperconcentrated sediment-laden river in the world. Throughout recorded history, the Lower Yellow River (LYR) experienced many catastrophic flood and drought events. To regulate the LYR, a reservoir was constructed at Xiaolangdi that became operational in the early 2000s. An annual water-sediment regulation scheme (WSRS) was then implemented, aimed at flood control, sediment reduction, regulated water supply, and power generation. This study examines the eco-environmental and socioenvironmental impacts of Xiaolangdi Reservoir. In retrospect, it is found that the reservoir construction phase incurred huge financial cost and required large-scale human resettlement. Subsequent reservoir operations affected the local geological environment, downstream riverbed erosion, evolution of the Yellow River delta, water quality, and aquatic biodiversity. Lessons from the impact assessment of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir are summarized as follows: (1) The construction of large reservoirs is not merely an engineering challenge but must also be viewed in terms of resource exploitation, environmental protection, and social development; (2) long-term systems for monitoring large reservoirs should be established, and decision makers involved at national policy and planning levels must be prepared to react quickly to the changing impact of large reservoirs; and (3) the key to solving sedimentation in the LYR is not Xiaolangdi Reservoir but instead soil conservation in the middle reaches of the Yellow River basin. Proper assessment of the impacts of large reservoirs will help promote development strategies that enhance the long-term sustainability of dam projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate contamination is a common problem in groundwater of the North China Plain (NCP) owing to overuse of fertilizers and discharge of wastewater. Accordingly, it is important to investigate nitrate contamination in recharge areas to understand the fate of nitrate in the plains area. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of nitrate and factors contributing to its sources and transformation in shallow groundwater of the Beiyishui River watershed, NCP, were analysed by a combination of multiple regression and multi-tracer methods. The nitrate concentration of 79% of the samples exceeded the natural environmental standard of 13.3 mg l−1, while that of 23% of the samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standard of 50 mg l−1. Groundwater age estimation of the hill regions based on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) revealed a mix of young water from 1982 to 1990 and old, low CFC water. The analysis based on the variations in land use in past years revealed that part of the grassland was converted into woodland between 1980 and 1995; therefore, the land use at the recharge time was used to determine which surface conditions influence groundwater nitrate concentrations. Multiple regression analysis showed that point source pollution contributed to the high concentration of nitrate in the hill region. Fertilizer application associated with land use change from grassland to woodland was also related to the present nitrate concentration. In the plains area, the contribution of fresh water from fault fractures and denitrification led to 31 to 72% and 6 to 51% reductions in nitrate concentrations, respectively. Our results suggested that controlling point source contamination and fertilizer input to hilly regions of the study will prevent groundwater of the plains area from deterioration in future years by mixing fresh water into the aquifers and decreasing denitrification, and therefore nitrate concentrations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity in China would possibly be aggravated by rapid increase in water demand for irrigation due to climate change. This paper focuses on the mechanism of climate change impact on regional irrigation water demand by considering the dynamic feedback relationships among climate change, irrigation water demand and adaptation measures. The model in implemented using system dynamics approach and employed in Baojixia irrigation district located in Shaanxi Province of China to analyses the changes in irrigation water demand under different climate change scenarios. Obtained results revealed that temperature will be the dominant factor to determine irrigation water demand in the area. An increase of temperature by 1 °C will result in net irrigation water demand to increase by about 12,050 × 10 m and gross water demand by about 20,080 × 10 m in the area. However, irrigation water demand will not increase at the same rate of temperature rise as the adaptation measures will eventually reduce the water demand increased by temperature rise. It is expected that the modeling approach presented in this study can be used in adopting policy responses to reduce climate change impacts on water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors recruited 401 suicide attempters from general hospitals and 409 matched non-attempters to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) in rural China. All participants completed the BHS, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI). Suicide attempters had higher BHS scores than non-attempters. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were satisfactory and BHS scores significantly correlated to CES-D and TAI scores. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor model for suicide attempters and a five-factor model for non-attempters. The BHS is satisfactory in assessing hopelessness among suicide attempters in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To manage water resources effectively, a multiscale assessment of the vulnerability of water resources on the basis of political boundaries and watersheds is necessary. This study addressed issues on the vulnerability of water resources and provided a multiscale comparison of spatial heterogeneity under a climate change background. Using improved quantitative evaluation methods of vulnerability, the Theil index and the Shannon-Weaver index, we evaluated the vulnerability of water resources and its spatial heterogeneity in the Haihe River Basin in four scales, namely, second-class water resource regions (Class II WRRs), third-class water resource regions (Class III WRRs), Province-Class II WRRs, and Province-Class III WRRs. Results show that vulnerability enhances from the north to south in the different scales, and shows obvious spatial heterogeneity instead of moving toward convergence in multiscale assessment results. Among the Class II WRRs, the Tuhai-Majia River is the most vulnerable area, and the vulnerability of the Luanhe River is lower than that of the north of the Haihe River Basin, which in turn is lower than that of the south of the Haihe River Basin. In the scales of Class III WRRs and Province-Class III WRRs, the vulnerability shows obvious spatial heterogeneity and diversity measured by the Theil index and the Shannon-Weaver index. Multiscale vulnerability assessment results based on political boundaries and the watersheds of the Haihe River Basin innovatively provided in this paper are important and useful to characterize the real spatial pattern of the vulnerability of water resources and improve water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routine and rapid estimation of ET (evapotranspiration) at regional scale is of great significance for agricultural, hydrological and climatic studies. A simplified single-source energy balance parameterization scheme, known as the LST/NDVI (land surface temperature/normalized difference vegetation index) triangle method, has been applied successfully to estimate regional clear sky ET in many studies. Based on the triangle method, we proposed a new method in this study to estimate daily ET directly using the TOA (top of atmosphere) radiances without performing atmospheric correction and other complicated processes. Firstly, the EF (evaporative fraction, defined as the ratio of latent heat flux to surface available energy) was estimated by interpolation in the LST/NDVI triangular-shaped scatter space, which was constructed using the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) TOA radiances over a heterogeneous area of the Poyang Lake basin in China. Then the net radiation over the same study area was derived based entirely on MODIS TOA radiances as well. Finally, daily ET maps were estimated from these EF maps and net radiation maps by using a sinusoidal temporal interpolation model. The estimated EF, net radiation and ET have been validated against field observations collected for the period October 2007-July 2008. The results indicate comparable accuracy to results of other current widely used satellite-based methods. In addition, intercomparisons between the proposed method-based estimates and MODIS products-based estimates were also carried out over the validation site. The results suggest that the proposed method could reach similar level of accuracy as the MODIS products-based triangle method. Overall, the proposed algorithm requires fewer assumptions and can avoid complex atmospheric corrections associated with the satellite derived products. It should facilitate direct use of satellite data for determining ET and relevant applications as well. Nonetheless, more validation work needs to be carried out with more integration of satellite data and ground-based measurements over various climatic regions and under different surface conditions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water storage depletion is an increasing hydrological threat to agricultural production and social stability across the globe. It is fast approaching threshold levels especially in arid/semiarid regions with low precipitation and excessive evapotranspiration (ET). This study analyses water storage dynamics in the North China Region (NCR) - an important grain-production base in China. It uses monthly Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) and field-measured precipitation data products for 2002-2009. The datasets are analysed in a basin-scale water balance equation to determine the state of storage in the NCR study area. Based on the validated satellite-based data products with field-measured values, average error/bias in the datasets is <10%. The analysis also shows favourable agreements among the GRACE-derived and flux-based storage changes at various temporal scales. Whereas the amplitudes and phases of the precipitation and ET fluxes are largely stable for 2002-2009, those of GLDAS runoff and GRACE total water storage anomaly apparently narrow out. The linear trends in the monthly, seasonal and annual storage changes are negative for the study period, suggesting storage loss. There is an apparent seasonality of storage change in the study area; with summer storage gain, winter storage loss and an overall storage loss that is on the average of 16.8 mm/yr. Storage loss is most severe in the central floodplain region (the main irrigated production zone) of the study area. Storage depletion in this important agro-based semi-arid region could have negative implications for the millions of people in the region and beyond in terms of water supply, crop production, food security and social stability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in the 1920s, and continuing for nearly a quarter century, the South Manchuria Railway Company (SMR) was involved in the financing and production of films. Its motion picture division released more than two hundred unique titles, some of which garnered international praise, before the Second World War forced its doors shut. SMR filmmakers produced travelogues, documentaries, proto-ethnographic films, educational shorts, industrials, reportage, advertisements, and political propaganda. They also recorded newsreel footage and occasionally worked on theatrical movies. SMR filmmakers borrowed techniques and artistic forms from around the globe, integrating them with their own aesthetic sensibilities to create a signature style. Despite its numerous achievements, the company's legacy remains unappreciated and its place in East Asian cinema misunderstood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to collect baseline information on the environmental occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater in East China, shallow groundwater samples were collected from five alluvial plains in East China in 2008 to 2009. All samples were analyzed for 54 VOCs representing a wide variety of uses and origins. Sampling sites were mainly selected in the areas to be susceptible to contamination from human activities in terms of previous hydrogeological survey. The data of all samples showed a variety of different hydrogeological systems with potential sources of VOCs, with 36 of the 54 VOCs being found. The most frequently detected compounds include naphthalene (56.9%), chloroform (16.9%), 1,2-dichloroethane (16.2%), 1,2-dichloropropane (13.1%), and 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene (12.3%). The concentrations of methylene chloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethene, 1,2-dichloropropane, and tetrachloroethene exceeded the relating drinking water standards. Future work will be needed to identify those factors that are most important in determining the occurrence and concentrations of VOCs in groundwater in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper we analyze two African communities in Guangzhou and Yiwu, China, arguing that among Guangzhou Africans on the one hand, Black Africans, particularly West Africans, have a tighter community and interact more with each other than Black Africans in Yiwu. On the other hand, Maghrebian Africans in Yiwu have a tighter community and maintain a more cohesive interaction than their counterparts in Guangzhou. Evidence for this characterization of the communities comes from food and communal food-eating habits. There are hardly any West African restaurants in Yiwu while there is an abundance of West African and other Black African restaurants in Guangzhou where there is more community patronage. In contrast, there are more concentrations of North African restaurants in Yiwu than in Guangzhou. We discuss the crucial role food and food-making and eating places play in providing structures and avenues for community bonding to promote community formation and community identity shaping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dam constructions negatively impact river ecosystems by altering hydrologic regimes and connectivities. River continuum theory provides a useful framework for considering the specific influences of dams on the ecohydrology of river systems. This study presents a Transitional Region Concept for analysing the nature of hydrologic changes resulting from dam constructions and how these changes relate to the life history and ecology of the fish. The stream ecosystem of the transitional region is subdivided into a four-dimensional framework. The framework consists of spatial structure, matter structure, energy structure, and hydrological process. The characteristics and variations in this framework, as affected by dam construction on the Yangtze River, are quantitatively assessed. The spawning ground of the Chinese Sturgeon ( Acipenser sinensis), located in inertial zone of the river ecosystem, is used as the study site. Current and historical hydrological data are used to determine the effects of dam construction on the spawning grounds of Chinese Sturgeon in the river. The results show that the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) has a significant impact on the suitability of the spawning grounds of Chinese Sturgeon. This could also affect the prey/predator species dynamics and the sturgeon fish population in especially the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The findings of this study could provide critical considerations for policy makers and river managers to protect Chinese Sturgeon from the adverse effects of the TGR. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new mode of interconnecting karst systems separated by impermeable bed due to karst collapse was discovered in the study of dam site in Guizhou, South China. Karst flow may be diverted from conduits in one layer to another, thus forming a connected karst system. Comprehensive methodology and techniques used in the investigation included surface geological surveys, geophysical investigations, special drilling, and tracer tests. In the stage of preliminary study, the karst conduits were considered to be developed separately along individual karstified layers. However, further investigation shows that karst collapse may be associated with conduit and cavern development, damaging the impermeable bed and its watertight function. Accordingly, a new pattern of karst conduit system was reestablished. The results obtained enable the dam designer to plan a reliable alternative for seepage protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applied the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), remote-sensing technique, and geographic information system (GIS) to map the soil erosion risk in Miyun Watershed, North China. The soil erosion parameters were evaluated in different ways: the R factor map was developed from the rainfall data, the K factor map was obtained from the soil map, the C factor map was generated based on a back propagation (BP) neural network method of Landsat ETM+ data with a correlation coefficient ( r) of 0.929 to the field collected data, and a digital elevation model (DEM) with a spatial resolution of 30 m was derived from topographical map at the scale of 1:50,000 to develop the LS factor map. P factor map was assumed as 1 for the watershed because only a very small area has conservation practices. By integrating the six factor maps in GIS through pixel-based computing, the spatial distribution of soil loss in the upper watershed of Miyun reservoir was obtained by the RUSLE model. The results showed that the annual average soil loss for the upper watershed of Miyun reservoir was 9.86 t ha ya in 2005, and the area of 47.5 km (0.3%) experiences extremely severe erosion risk, which needs suitable conservation measures to be adopted on a priority basis. The spatial distribution of erosion risk classes was 66.88% very low, 21.90% low, 6.19% moderate, 2.90% severe, and 1.84% very severe. Among all counties and cities in the study area, Huairou County is in the extremely severe level of soil erosion risk, about 39.6% of land suffer from soil erosion, while Guyuan County in the very low level of soil erosion risk suffered from 17.79% of soil erosion in 2005. Therefore, the areas which are in the extremely severe level of soil erosion risk need immediate attention from soil conservation point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial recharge engineering has been widely used to solve the water resource crisis. However, there are still some safety hazards regarding reclaimed water quality. Here, chlorinated secondary effluent (SE) was injected into saturated porous media composed of high–purity quartz sands. The column experiment was conducted and modeled through a developed numerical model to predict the evolution of physical clogging. Some representative inorganic and organic indicators were measured both at different times and in different column sections. The study showed that the relative hydraulic conductivity (K/K0) decreased significantly by approximately 63.5% in 40 h. Especially for the first 3 cm of the column, the clogging was the most serious, with a decrease of approximately 85.8%. The porous media has a certain degree of filtration effect on turbidity, TOC, protein (Pr) and polysaccharide (PS) but has slight removal for other water quality indicators. Pr is the main component of the intercepted TOC, and its content is higher than that of Ps. Moreover, the inorganic and organic parameter variations along the column further verified that the organic floc particles were mainly retained in the first 3 cm. The 3D excitation/emission matrix (3DEEM) fluorescence spectra illustrated that the humic acids and fulvic acids were easy to release and that their injection may be harmful to groundwater quality. The study will lay a theoretical foundation and provide a guiding scheme for optimizing China's reclaimed water reuse technology, ensuring the safety of reclaimed water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely recognized that urban wastewater reuse is an alternative for water shortage problem. Although the improvement on urban wastewater reuse in China is quite significant, the further development still requires more strategic regulating and directing at the national level. However, due to the huge spatial differences in social- economic and resource conditions among different areas in China, it is difficult to apply a same policy framework to the whole country. In the paper, the mainland of China has been divided into 342 research regions and each region has one large-scale or medium-scale central city. The paper tried to answer the question how to select the development pattern of urban wastewater reuse for each region. Firstly, in order to evaluate the necessity and regional economic feasibility to develop urban wastewater reuse, an indicator system with three indexes at the upper level and seven indicators at the lower level was build up. And valuing method and the weight for each indicator was given. All the research regions covering the mainland of China has been scored with the indicator system. Secondly, the national strategic zoning has been done with the key method of cluster analysis. All regions have been sorted into five types of strategic development zones. Each zone has its own wastewater reuse development option such as Preferential Imperative Development, State Supporting Development, Self Supporting Development, Waiting for Development, and Non-Mandatory Development. Thirdly, the corresponding policy suggestion for each zone was given to the government. The possible updates between the different development patterns have been discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]