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Winter precipitation over eastern China displays remarkable interannual variability, which has been suggested to be closely related to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This study finds that ENSO impacts on eastern China precipitation patterns exhibit obvious differences in early (November–December) and late (January–February) winter. In early winter, precipitation anomalies associated with ENSO are characterized by a monopole spatial distribution over eastern China. In contrast, the precipitation anomaly pattern in late winter remarkably changes, manifesting as a dipole spatial distribution. The noteworthy change in precipitation responses from early to late winter can be largely attributed to the seasonally varying Kuroshio anticyclonic anomalies. During the early winter of El Niño years, anticyclonic circulation anomalies appear both over the Philippine Sea and Kuroshio region, enhancing water vapor transport to the entirety of eastern China, thus contributing to more precipitation there. During the late winter of El Niño years, the anticyclone over the Philippine Sea is further strengthened, while the one over the Kuroshio dissipates, which could result in differing water vapor transport between northern and southern parts of eastern China and thus a dipole precipitation distribution. Roughly the opposite anomalies of circulation and precipitation are displayed during La Niña winters. Further analysis suggests that the seasonally-varying Kuroshio anticyclonic anomalies are possibly related to the enhancement of ENSO-related tropical central-eastern Pacific convection from early to late winter. These results have important implications for the seasonal-to-interannual predictability of winter precipitation over eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precisely assessing the vulnerability of landslides is essential for effective risk assessment. The findings from such assessments will undoubtedly be in high demand, providing a solid scientific foundation for a range of critical initiatives aimed at disaster prevention and control. In the research, authors set the ancient core district of Sichuan Moxi Ancient Town as the research object; they conduct and give the final result of the geological survey. Fault influences are commonly utilized as key markers for delineating strata in the field of stratigraphy, and the slope distance, slope angle, slope aspect, elevation, terrain undulation, plane curvature, profile curvature, mean curvature, relative elevation, land use type, surface roughness, water influence, distance of the catchment, cumulative water volume, and the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) are used along roads to calculate annual rainfall. With the purpose of the establishment of the evaluation system, there are 17 factors selected in total. Through the landslide-susceptibility assessment by the coupled models of DNN-I-SVM and DNN-I-LR nine factors had been selected; it was found that the Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) was high, and the accuracy of the model is relatively high. The coupler, DNN-I-LR, gives 0.875 of an evaluation accuracy of AUC, higher than DNN-I-SVM, which yielded 0.860. It is necessary to note that, in this region, compared to the DNN-I-SVM model, the DNN-I-LR coupling model has better fitting and prediction abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important outcome domain of patient-centered care. Medical humanization follows the patient-centered principle and provides a more holistic view to treat patients. The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant barriers to maintaining medical humanization. However, empirical study on the relationship between medical humanization and patient satisfaction is clearly absent. Objectives: We examined the mediation effects of communication on the relationship between medical humanization and patient satisfaction when faced with a huge public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the moderation effect of medical institutional trust on the mediation models. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was performed. A final sample size of 1445 patients was surveyed on medical humanization, communication, patient satisfaction and medical institutional trust. Results: All correlations were significantly positive across the main variables (r = 0.35–0.67, p < 0.001 for all) except for medical institutional trust, which was negatively correlated with the medical humanization (r=-0.14, p < 0.001). Moderated mediation analysis showed that the indirect effect of medical humanization on patient satisfaction through communication was significant (b = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.18 ~ 0.25). Medical institutional trust significantly moderated the effect of medical humanization on patient satisfaction (b=-0.09, p < 0.001) and the effect of medical humanization on communication (b= -0.14, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Medical humanization positively influence patient satisfaction, communication mediated the association between medical humanization and patient satisfaction, and medical institutional trust negatively moderated the effects of medical humanization on patient satisfaction and communication. These findings suggest that humanistic communication contributes to patient satisfaction in the face of a huge public health crisis, and patients' evaluation of satisfaction is also regulated by rational cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combined temporal and spatial research approach helps us to evaluate the ecological status of a river scientifically and comprehensively. To understand the response mechanisms of bacteria in the Li River to different environments, we conducted a 1-year study (2020–2021) and collected water samples from 18 sections of the river in October, January, April, and August. 16S sequencing was used to study the composition and structure of bacterial communities in Li River at different temporal and spatial scales. The results showed that NO3−-N, TP, T, pH, and DO were significantly different on spatial and temporal scales. Alpha diversity of planktonic bacteria in Li River fluctuated significantly with the season, reaching its highest in summer. Proteobacteria remained the most dominant phylum in all seasons, but the differential microorganisms varied between seasons. Although the abundance of metabolic functions of planktonic bacteria did not show significant differences between seasons, we found that DO, TP, T, and COD were the key environmental factors affecting bacterial metabolism. In addition, the co-occurrence network analysis showed that the autumn network had a higher number of nodes and edges and exhibited a high degree of complexity, while the summer network had the highest degree of modularity and exhibited greater stability. These results deepen our knowledge of the response mechanisms of river microorganisms to temporal and spatial changes and provide a scientific reference for the study of river ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land management has its local dimension in rural, peri-urban, and urban perspectives. Recently China adopted rural revitalization in response to the rapid rural–urban migration and the emergence of hollow villages, characterized by declining and ageing populations, limited economic and social opportunities for residents, and depleting natural resources. It covers political, cultural, social, and ecological progress issues for speeding up local development in rural areas. By taking a specific cross-country approach, this study presents the evolution of adapting the experience of Bavarian rural revitalization to Sichuan, China, through the coordinated, integrated master plan approach. It frames an approach to rural revitalization in China by drawing on Bavarian experiences in rural development. The study is based on a pilot project in the Sichuan Province of China undertaken by the Hanns Seidel Foundation to strengthen the Chinese rural revitalization strategy. It addresses the rural development complexity in China through a locally coordinated, integrated master plan based on adapting rural development principles from Bavaria (Germany) to China. It shows that, at the local level, Germany's rural development principles can be applied to China. It contributes to cross-country, future-orientated support for rural revitalization, strengthening communities, nature protection, and improving the living conditions of rural people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tarim Basin, a significant region of coal-derived gas generation in China, has widely dispersed coal measure source rocks, especially in the Kuqa Depression. The typical coal measure strata from the Kuqa River and Kapushaliang River sections in the Kuqa Depression were systematically sampled. According to a conventional geochemical analysis (including materials and lithology), a total of 25 typical coal measure source rock samples were chosen for chromatography and chromatography–mass spectrometry examination. It was demonstrated that there were significant discrepancies in the coal source rock samples, particularly the coal rock from the Kuqa River section and the Kapushaliang River section. The specific performance of the Kuqa River section was characterized by a high Pr/Ph ratio (up to 9.29), a low gammacerane ratio, a low abundance of tricyclic terpane, and an "L"-type distribution of regular steranes, all of which are consistent with the properties of humic coal found in freshwater lakes that have undergone partial oxidation. The Kapushaliang River section, by contrast, exhibited a low Pr/Ph ratio (<1.0), a high gammacerane ratio, a concentration of tricyclic terpane comparable to that of hopane, and a distribution of regular steranes in a "V" shape, all of which indicate a strongly reduced saline water environment. Additionally, the degree of thermal evolution is not the key factor resulting in the above biomarker diversity within the CSRs, which was supported by the poor correlation between the maturity parameters (Ro%, Tmax °C), the sedimentary environment-related parameters (such as Pr/Ph and Ga/C31H), and the biogenic-related parameters (such as ∑tricyclic terpane/∑ hopane and ∑sterane/∑hopane). A comparative analysis suggested that transgression-related changes in the redox conditions and parent materials triggered the biomarker diversity within the CSRs, resulting in a large difference in the hydrocarbon-forming parent materials between the two abovementioned outcrop sections. These might provide some insight for hydrocarbon exploration from CSRs, which have been attracting increasing attention in China, with proven coal reserves are ranked first in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: River sediments play a crucial role in wetland ecosystems, as they are essential for the biogeochemical cycling of river nutrients. In this study, we examined the structure of microbial communities in sediments located in the Li River basin in North China and investigated how these communities and physicochemical properties respond to seasonal changes. Materials and methods: Sixty-four sediment samples were collected over four consecutive seasons in the Li River basin. High-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 high-variance region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria in sediments was performed to compare the differences of microbiota in different seasons. In addition, we also analyzed the sediment's physicochemical properties. Results and discussion: Seasonal variations had a significant impact on the physicochemical properties of the sediments, including pH, TP, NO3-N, and NH4-N. The microbial diversity and abundance also varied with the changing seasons. Mantel tests revealed that pH, TP, NO3-N, and NH4-N were the primary factors influencing the microbial community. Additionally, co-occurrence network analysis showed that microbial communities exhibited closer and more complex associations during autumn and summer. Based on PICRUSt predictions, there was a seasonal decline in genes related to amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism from autumn to summer. Conclusions: The seasonal variations in sediment pH, TP, NO3-N, and NH4-N significantly impact the microbial community structure and co-occurrence networks, making them key factors affecting the overall structure of the microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the incidence, clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in HIV associated lymphoma as these are less common than HIV‐negative lymphoma in China. Currently, there are no standard guidelines for treatment of these patients. Therefore, we performed a study to analyse the clinical characteristics and outcomes of newly diagnosed HIV‐associated aggressive B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients in Chongqing University Cancer Hospital (CUCH). Totally 86 newly diagnosed HIV‐associated aggressive B‐cell NHL patients in CUCH, southwest China, from July 2008 to August 2021, were analysed. In the entire cohort, median age was 48 years (range, 23–87 years), and more patients were male (87.2%). Most patients had elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (82.6%), advanced ann arbor stage (80.2%) and high IPI score (IPI score, 3–5) (62.7%) at diagnosis. Median CD4+ T‐cell count at diagnosis was 191/μl (range, 4–1022), 84 patients (97.7%) were on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) at lymphoma diagnosis. In DLBCL patients, cox multivariate analysis showed that age ≥ 60 (HR = 2.251, 95%CI 1.122–4.516; p = 0.012), elevated LDH (HR = 4.452, 95%CI 1.027–19.297; p = 0.041) and received less than two cycles of chemotherapy (HR = 0.629, 95%CI 0.589–1.071; p = 0.012) were independent risk factors for adverse prognosis based on PFS. Age ≥ 60 (HR = 3.162, 95%CI 1.500–6.665; p = 0.002) and received less than two cycles of chemotherapy (HR = 0.524, 95%CI 0.347–0.791; p = 0.002) were also independent risk factor for adverse prognosis based on OS. In BL patients, cox multivariate analysis showed that elevated LDH and received less than two cycles of chemotherapy were independent risk factors for adverse prognosis. In the DLBCL group, median PFS times in the received rituximab and no received rituximab groups were not reached and 12 months, respectively (p = 0.006). Median OS times were not reached and 36 months, respectively (p = 0.021). In the BL group, median PFS times in the received rituximab and no received rituximab groups were not reached and 4.8 months, respectively (p = 0.046). Median OS times were not reached and 10.1 months, respectively (p = 0.035). Overall, these data indicated that standardized anti‐lymphoma therapy and rituximab administration were significantly associated with improved outcomes in patients with HIV‐associated DLBCL and BL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigates leading modes of winter fog days over eastern China and possible association with sea surface temperature (SST) variability. Based on the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis, two dominant interannual modes of winter fog days are identified: a monopole mode and a meridional dipole mode. The monopole mode displays a significantly positive relationship with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The meridional dipole mode is closely linked to North Atlantic tripole (NAT) SST anomalies. A quasi-barotropic Rossby wave train can be excited by the NAT SST anomalies and propagates eastwards to East Asia. During winters with the positive phase of the NAT SST anomalies, there appear cyclonic and anticyclonic circulation anomalies over northern and southern China, favoring less and more winter fog frequency, respectively. These observed impacts from the ENSO and NAT SST anomalies can be further reproduced by atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments. Consideration of the NAT SST anomalies can apparently improve the explained variance of winter fog days over eastern China on the basis of the common-used ENSO signal. When ENSO and NAT occur as in-phase combinations and out-of-phase combinations, winter fog days anomalies appear over southern and northern China, respectively. These results have important implications on the seasonal-to-interannual predictability of the winter fog frequency over eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The naturally formed aeolian sand dunes in northern Shaanxi exhibit unique engineering characteristics. Several challenges, such as the poor self-stabilization ability of the surrounding rock, difficultly in injecting grout, and insufficient construction experience, restrict the construction of road tunnels under this stratum. Therefore, in this study, a case study of the Shenmu No. 1 tunnel was conducted to investigate the engineering characteristics of aeolian sand tunnels, compare the grouting effects of commonly used grouting materials, and discuss the reinforcement effects of different construction schemes in aeolian sand tunnels. Based on a field grouting test, it was determined that it is difficult to inject ordinary cement grout into an aeolian sand layer. Furthermore, it was determined that superfine cement grout and modified sodium silicate grout can be injected, but the former exhibits a poor reinforcement effect. Additionally, results of numerical analysis indicated that an approach based on a concept of "horizontal jet grouting pile + benching partial excavation method with a temporary invert" is suitable for the construction of tunnels in aeolian sand in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variabilities in precipitation frequency carry profound implications for many aspects of socioeconomic activities. Based on the observations from 613 meteorological stations in China, the dominant mode of wintertime precipitation days and its possible causes are investigated in this article. It is revealed that the leading mode accounts for 35.0% of the total variance and mainly displays quasi‐uniform anomalies of precipitation days to the south of 40°N with the monopolar centre over southeastern China. The associated principal component exhibits remarkable interannual variability with a peak periodicity at 2–3 years. We suggest that this leading mode is largely contributed by the variabilities of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific and Eurasian (EU) teleconnection over the mid‐high latitudes. While ENSO mostly affects the variability of precipitation frequency in South China, the EU teleconnection is largely responsible for the changes of precipitation days in North China. On one hand, when El Niño events occur, the anomalous anticyclone over the western North Pacific propagates abundant moisture towards South China, leading to more frequent precipitation occurrence there. On the other hand, during the winters with a negative EU pattern, North China tends to be rainy due to an evident moisture transport and a profound regional anomalous ascending flow which are embedded in the large‐scale eastward‐propagating wave‐train. The responses are roughly reversed in sign when these two factors are in their opposite phases. Based on the impacts from ENSO and the EU teleconnection, a binary statistical regression model is established and over 20% variance of the precipitation days can be realistically captured in eastern China. Our results could be beneficial for wintertime precipitation prediction and disaster mitigation in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During June–July 2020, the record‐breaking flooding in the recent four decades struck the plum rain belt over China, Japan, and Korea. Concurrent with this persistent heavy rainfall, pronounced Indian Ocean basin warming (IOBW) was observed, following the previous El Niño event in the transition to La Niña‐like mean state this summer. This tropical Indo‐Pacific large‐scale thermal condition provided favorable conditions for rainfall surpluses over the plum rain belt via the western North Pacific anticyclone. Superimposed on the tropical Indo‐Pacific large‐scale thermal condition, an extraordinary long‐lasting and quasistationary Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) active phase persisted in the Indian Ocean throughout June–July 2020, lasting for 59 days. The MJO‐associated teleconnection was mainly responsible for the extreme rainfall over the plum rain belt, which was facilitated by the conducive large‐scale Indo‐Pacific oceanic‐atmospheric condition. Plain Language Summary: The East Asian rainy season (commonly called the plum rain, also known as Meiyu in China, Baiu in Japan, and Jangma in Korea), is caused by rainfall along a persistent stationary front. The plum rain season usually starts in June and persists into the middle of July. During June–July 2020, the region of the plum rain belt over China, Japan, and Korea, was ravaged by the strongest flooding in decades with catastrophic losses. The physical mechanisms driving this extreme flooding remains unclear. Concurrent with this persistent rainfall surpluses, the Indo‐Pacific oceans featured a developing La Niña‐like state in the eastern tropical Pacific and pronounced sea surface temperature warming in the Indian Ocean basin. Although these Indo‐Pacific thermal conditions can provide a favorable large‐scale background for the rainfall surpluses over East Asia, they cannot explain the extreme rainfall amount over the plum rain belt during 2020. We show that an exceptionally long‐lasting and quasistationary Madden‐Julian Oscillation activity over the Indian Ocean was the key reason for this extreme event. Key Points: The rainfall amount over the East Asian plum‐rain belt during summer 2020 was the largest in the recent four decadesThe intense flooding coincided with an exceptionally persistent Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) active phase in the Indian Ocean throughout June and JulyThis extraordinary MJO activity was facilitated by the conducive pantropic background oceanic‐atmospheric conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aging of the population, the incidence of colorectal cancer in China is increasing. One of the epigenetic alterations: CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) plays an important role in the incidence of colorectal cancer. Recent studies have shown that CIMP is closely related to some specific clinicopathological phenotypes and multiple molecular phenotypes in colorectal cancer. In this paper, the newest progress of CIMP colorectal cancer in chemotherapeutic drugs, targeted agents and small molecular methylation inhibitors are going to be introduced. We hope to provide potential clinical treatment strategies for personalized and precise treatment of colorectal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A few prognostic predicting systems existed for primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL). However, none of them took age into consideration. We sought to declare the prognostic role of age in PCBCL. Materials and methods: A total of 4859 patients were identified in the surveillance, epidemiology and end results data, spanning 1975–2016. The association between age and survival was determined using unadjusted and adjusted proportional hazard analysis. Results: There was a uni-modal distribution of age, with most in the seventh decade (22%), followed by the sixth and eighth decades (19%). As a continuous variable, age was demonstrated to have an adverse effect on overall survival (OS, HR, 1.077, 95% CI 1.073–1.082, p = 0.000) and cancer-specific survival (CSS, HR, 1.099, 95% CI 1.092–1.106, p = 0.000) after adjusted proportional hazard analysis. Patients aged ≤ 60 years had significantly higher survival rates than those aged > 60 (5-year OS was 93% vs 64%, 10-year OS was 90% vs 45%, p = 0.000; 5-year CSS was 98% vs 80%, 10-year CSS 96% was 62%, p = 0.000). Similar survival trends were also observed in different sub-group analyses, including disease with different stages (p = 0.000), different histology subgroups (p = 0.000), and different sites (p = 0.000). Conclusion: Age has an important effect on overall survival and cancer-specific survival. The addition of age to the primary site, histology, and stage improves predicting long-term outcomes in cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies demonstrated the existence of a conspicuous atmospheric combination mode (C-mode) originating from nonlinear interactions between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific warm pool annual cycle (AC). Here we find that the C-mode exhibits prominent decadal amplitude variations during the ENSO decaying boreal spring season. It is revealed that the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) can largely explain this waxing and waning in amplitude. A robust positive correlation between ENSO and the C-mode is detected during a negative AMO phase but not during a positive phase. Similar results can also be found in the relationship of ENSO with 1) the western North Pacific (WNP) anticyclone and 2) spring precipitation over southern China, both of which are closely associated with the C-mode. We suggest that ENSO property changes due to an AMO modulation play a crucial role in determining these decadal shifts. During a positive AMO phase, ENSO events are distinctly weaker than those in an AMO negative phase. In addition, El Niño events concurrent with a positive AMO phase tend to exhibit a westward-shifted sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly pattern. These SST characteristics during the positive AMO phase are both not conducive to the development of the meridionally asymmetric C-mode atmospheric circulation pattern and thus reduce the ENSO/C-mode correlation on decadal time scales. These observations can be realistically reproduced by a coupled general circulation model (CGCM) experiment in which North Atlantic SSTs are nudged to reproduce a 50-yr sinusoidally varying AMO evolution. Our conclusion carries important implications for understanding seasonally modulated ENSO dynamics and multiscale climate impacts over East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The winter fog frequency over eastern China displays remarkable interannual variability, which has a linear relationship with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Eastern China usually experiences more (less) frequent fog during El Niño (La Niña) winters. During El Niño winters, an anomalous anticyclone tends to appear over the western North Pacific (WNP), which can weaken the climatological winter northerly winds and enhance water vapor supply from oceans, conducive to the formation of foggy weather. Roughly opposite anomalies of fog frequency are displayed during La Niña winters. However, this linear relationship is mainly contributed by the La Niña and partial El Niño events, since the El Niño events exhibit diversity in impacts on the winter fog frequency due to their different types. Increased winter fog frequency can be significantly detected during eastern-Pacific (EP) El Niño, while this signal is not observed during central-Pacific (CP) El Niño. It is found that the winter fog frequency during the CP El Niño seems to be dependent on its zonal locations, associated with different WNP atmospheric circulation and local difference between air temperature and dew point temperature (T − Td) anomalies. The further eastward CP El Niño largely coincides with more frequent fog weather similar to the EP El Niño, while the further westward CP El Niño is usually accompanied with less frequent fog weather. This relationship has important implications for seasonal prediction of winter fog frequency and places a high requirement on consideration of zonal location of the CP El Niño. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we investigate the response of boreal spring precipitation over southern China (SPSC) to central Pacific (CP) El Niño based on observational datasets. While there is enhanced precipitation over southern China during the decaying boreal spring of eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño events, so far no clear precipitation response has been detected during the same decaying stage for CP El Niño composites. Here we show that around half of the CP El Niño events coincide with enhanced SPSC (wet CP El Niño), while the other half are accompanied by reduced SPSC (dry CP El Niño). These two types of CP El Niño events bear dramatically different evolution features in their respective tropical sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) patterns. Wet CP El Niño events are characterized by an SSTA longitudinal position confined to the tropical central-eastern Pacific. In contrast, dry CP El Niño events exhibit a clear westward propagation of SSTAs during their evolution, with maximum SSTAs located to the west of the date line after their mature phase. These different longitudinal positions of positive SSTAs during their decaying phase result in distinct meridional structures of the tropical Pacific convection anomalies as well as the ENSO combination mode (C-mode) response. An anomalous low-level anticyclone is evident over the western North Pacific during wet CP El Niño events during their decaying phase, while an anomalous cyclonic circulation is found for dry CP El Niño events. We emphasize that the impacts of CP El Niño on the SPSC depend crucially on the simultaneous zonal location of warm SSTAs in the tropical Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of nanosized pore systems differentiates isotopic gas transport inside a shale matrix from conventional continuum flow. In this study, a novel self-similarity mathematical model was developed to investigate the effects of gas flow transport (both slip flow and free molecular diffusion flow) on isotopic gas fractionation for four different shale samples (S1 and S2 from north Germany and S3 and S4 from Xiashiwan Field, Ordos Basin, China). In this model, the nonlinear permeability and diffusion coefficients were developed for the isotopologues (12CH4 and 13CH4), respectively. By selecting appropriate exponents of the pressure gradient for 12CH4 and 13CH4, respectively, the estimated isotopic methane concentration and production rate showed a good agreement with experimental data. The developed model shows that the gas concentration of the isotopologues in samples S1 and S2 increases with time following a power law. Similarly, the gas production rates of the isotopologues in samples S3 and S4 decay with time following a power law. Moreover, the exponents of the pressure gradient for the isotopologues are close to 4 for samples S1 and S2, indicating that the effect of slip flow on isotopic gas fractionation cannot be ignored. For samples S3 and S4, the exponents of the pressure gradient for the isotopologues increase with temperature rising, which shows the promotion of isotopic gas fractionation under higher heating temperatures. The slight difference between the exponents of the pressure gradient for the isotopologues for the same shale sample reveals that the isotopic gas fractionation of carbon is a slow process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convergence service (CS), which integrates broadband and broadcast services, is considered promising in bridging the gap between scarce bandwidth and user demands for real-time, immersive, and super high-quality service in a ubiquitous environment. However, many urgent issues remain to be tackled in media transport system (MTS) to support CS. In this paper, the challenges MTS would entail over a heterogeneous network to diverse users are first analyzed. The architecture and functionalities of the smart media transport (SMT) system are then advocated and reviewed. Several key technologies in the SMT system, including hierarchical media-aware data model for content encapsulation, context-aware data protection mechanism for reliable transmission, and media synchronization control based on network condition estimation, are discussed. Field trial results on campus for certain CS are provided to validate the system design and illustrate the performance of the SMT system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spring (March-May) rainfall after a dry period in winter has a substantial impact on agriculture and water management in populous southern China. The occurrence of low-frequency spring rainfall anomalies has been linked with the tropical Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) through its modulation of large-scale circulation and moisture supply over southern China. Using the spatial and temporal information of the MJO as a predictor, an empirical model for extended-range forecasting of spring rainfall in southern China was constructed. We first obtained the coupled patterns between the preceding MJO evolutions (real-time multivariate MJO index) and the succeeding rainfall variability in southern China based on singular value decomposition analysis. Then, a prediction was carried out by projecting the predictor onto the spatiotemporal coupled patterns. Useful skill, in terms of the temporal correlation coefficient (TCC) between the predicted and observed rainfall over southern China, persisted up to a forecast lead-time of six pentads. The forecast amplitude bias in terms of root-mean-square error was around 1.0 standard deviation. Also, the forecast skill was highly dependent on the strength of the MJO signal. During active MJO periods, the TCC skill was around twofold larger than that during weak MJO periods. The current statistical model shows encouraging ability, but additional work is required to improve its forecasting skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to calibrate saturation flow rate (SFR) and start-up lost time (SLT) when developing signal timing. In current commonly used methods, SFR for one given lane is usually calibrated from many subjective adjustment factors and a fixed result. SLT is calculated based on the fixed SFR, which prevents local applications in China. Considering the importance of traffic behavior (headway) in determining SFR and SLT, this study started from headway distribution and attempted to specify the relationships between headway and vehicle position directly. A common intersection in Nanjing, China, was selected to implement field study and data from 920 queues was collected. Headway distribution was explored and the 78th percentile of headway at each position was selected to build model. Based on the developed relationships, SFR and SLT were calibrated. The results showed that SFR and SLT were correlated with queue length. Moreover, the results showed that it was difficult to reach saturated state even with a long queue length. This paper provides a new perspective on calibrating important parameters in signal timing, which will be useful for traffic agencies to complete signal timing by making the process simpler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large reef complexes of the Upper Permian Changxing Formation, with a significant breakthrough for petroleum exploration, are an important target for petroleum exploration in the Yuanba area of the Sichuan Basin in SW China. The storage space types of reef complexes are dominated by the dissolved pore-fracture (DPF). However, using only single geophysical methods, it is difficult to predict effective distribution of DPF. Based on a combination of geological models and geophysics technology, this study proposes two new geophysical methods, including anisotropy coherence technique (ACT) and fracture intensity inversion (FII), to research the characteristics of DPF by facies-controlling in Changxing Formation in Yuanba area. Two major findings are presented as follows: (1) the characteristics of DPF varying with facies are the result of different diagenetic and petrophysical property. The intensity of DPF decreases from reef and bioclastic bank to interbank sea and slope; (2) ACT can qualitatively identify the distribution of DPF with no-directional and dispersed distribution, while FII can quantitatively characterize the intensity of DPF development within various sedimentary facies. When integrated into the geological study, ACT and FII can provide an effective way to predict the distribution of DPF in similar geological settings and the predicted DPF have been supported by the historical well data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: At the regional collapse of geological hazard evaluation process, in the selection of evaluation factors and determination of the weight, there are subjectivity, uncertainty, and many other issues. In this paper, the Haiyuan fault belt in Ningxia Province is the study area, respectively, with D-S evidence theory and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation methods to build a collapse of geological hazard assessment model, presented Concrete evidence theoretical algorithm. The application results show that the evidence theoretical evaluation model compared to fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is more reliable and accurate. It solved the uncertainty evaluation issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the increasing requirements from rural residents to improve housing conditions in recent years, renewable energy technologies (RETs) have received widespread attention in rural construction in China. RETs have been recognized as one of the most important ways to beautify the rural ecological environment, enrich the energy supply of rural households and reduce country dwellers’ financial burden from commercial energy consumption. In this paper, the status of China’s rural RETs and their intrinsic demand are introduced. Then, the key factors affecting the adoption and the popularization of RETs in China’s rural construction are analyzed using a questionnaire-based survey. The findings suggest that initial investment is the most important factor for the adoption of RETs by China’s rural residents. Subsidies, financial support, technical service support and communication also influence the adoption of RETs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Maritime accidents are frequent in China, with collisions constituting a significant portion, leading to substantial casualties, financial losses, and environmental harm. Analyzing collision risk is crucial for safe shipping operations, as such accidents arise when multiple risk factors interact beyond certain thresholds. Thus, understanding the coupled relationships among these factors is essential for accident prevention. This study presents a quantitative coupling risk assessment approach for collisions using the N–K model and Bayesian networks (BNs). Through an analysis of 304 accident reports from the China Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA), four primary risk factors (human, ship, environment, and management) are identified. The N–K model quantifies the coupling degree between these factors, while a BN model further elucidates and quantifies the collision risk based on the calculations of N–K model. Validation of the BN model is followed by sensitivity analysis to assess the impact of risk factors on accident occurrence. Subsequently, the method is applied to a case study on collision risk assessment in Chinese waters. Findings indicate that multifactor coupling has a higher occurrence probability than two-factor coupling, with human-ship-environment-management coupling presenting the highest likelihood. Human and management factors emerge as pivotal in collision incidents, while the impact of ship and environmental factors on coupling becomes more pronounced as their probabilities vary. Leveraging the capability of BNs to handle uncertainties and logical relationships, combined with the data-driven N–K model, mitigates subjectivity. The results propose the formulation of risk management strategies and measures for practitioners to enhance maritime safety. • A framework integrating the N–K model and Bayesian network is proposed to quantitatively assess the coupling risks. • The N–K model is used to determine the conditional probability tables of BN. • BN is applied to calculate the coupling probabilities of risk factors. • A case study of collision accidents in China demonstrates the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As one of the world's oldest civilizations, China has a continuous history that extends for more than 5000 years. There are many important capital cities throughout China. However, little information is available in the literature about capital city sites using remote sensing because of its various geographical conditions. This paper designs new methodologies for detecting archaeological features in Northern and Southern China based on multi-source remotely sensed data. Based on various environmental factors, multitemporal images were interpreted to analyse an ancient city located in Southern China, while the integral of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series and thermal infrared images were employed to detect the archaeological features in Northern China; these results were then cross-compared with each other. The results demonstrate that the use of integrated remote sensing technology can provide valuable information and indications of archaeological remains in ancient capital city sites in different geomorphological and vegetated environments in China. Our results also demonstrate that capital city sites can be detected using the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Built two geometric and kinematic models of multi-stage tectono-sedimentary evolution. [•] Gave a new quantitative method to study normal fault slip rate and sedimentation rate. [•] Applied the new models to interpret the seismic profiles of Zhangwu fault depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Baxian sag is a typical half-graben-like depression whose controlling boundary is a normal fault, the Niudong Fault. We studied the three-dimensional (3D) geometry and kinematics of this fault based on high-resolution 3D pre-stack depth migration seismic data and drilling data from the Baxian Sag. By analysing the geometries and structural deformation of the hanging wall units of the Niudong Fault, we defined the spatial variation and kinematical characteristics of the fault. The Niudong Fault is marked by a major listric normal fault that soles into a detachment surface at depth. Based on fault strikes and dips, we divided the Niudong Fault into three sections and seventeen zones. Geometrically, the Niudong Fault seems to be a single fault. While kinematically, it is not a single fault in the strict sense as various blocks of the fault have their own growth activities dominated by unidirectional and lateral growth. Map-view restoration of the Niudong Fault shows that the hanging wall was dominated by anticlockwise rotation; while cross-section restoration demonstrates that, the hanging wall was deformed by inclined shear. • High resolution 3D depth migration data are available for the study of listric fault. • 3D Geometric and kinematic models of the boundary Niudong Fault are constructed. • The Niudong Fault is not a single fault and its various sections underwent their own activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]