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Background: Bergeyella porcorum is a newly identified bacterium that has an ambiguous relationship with pneumonia in pigs. However, few studies have adequately characterized this species. Results: In this study, we analyzed the morphological, physiological, and genomic characteristics of the newly identified B. porcorum sp. nov. strain QD2021 isolated from pigs. The complete genome sequence of the B. porcorum QD2021 strain consists of a single circular chromosome (2,271,736 bp, 38.51% G + C content), which encodes 2,578 genes. One plasmid with a size of 70,040 bp was detected. A total of 121 scattered repeat sequences, 319 tandem repeat sequences, 4 genomic islands, 5 prophages, 3 CRISPR sequences, and 51 ncRNAs were predicted. The coding genes of the B. porcorum genome were successfully annotated across eight databases (NR, GO, KEGG, COG, TCDB, Pfam, Swiss-Prot and CAZy) and four pathogenicity-related databases (PHI, CARD, VFDB and ARDB). In addition, a comparative genome analysis was performed to explore the evolutionary relationships of B. porcorum QD2021. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide fundamental phenotypic and whole-genome sequences for B. porcorum. Our results extensively expand the current knowledge and could serve as a valuable genomic resource for future research on B. porcorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, floods have brought renewed attention and requirement for real-time and city-scaled flood forecasting due to climate change and urbanization. In this study, a rapid assessment method for flood risk mapping is proposed by integrating aerial point clouds and deep learning technique that is capable of superior modeling efficiency and analysis accuracy for flood risk mapping. The method includes four application modules, i.e., data acquisition and preprocessing by oblique photography, large-scale point clouds segmentation by RandLA-Net, high-precision digital elevation model (DEM) reconstruction by modified hierarchical smoothing filtering algorithm, and hydrodynamics simulation based on hydrodynamics. To demonstrate the advantages of the proposed rapid assessment method more clearly, a case study is conducted in a local area of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China. The proposed method achieved 70.85% in mean intersection over union (mIoU) and 88.70% in overall accuracy (OAcc), outperforming the PointNet and PointNet++ networks. For the case point cloud containing nearly 50 million points, the computation time is less than 9 min, while the computation times for PointNet and PointNet++ are both more than 24 h. Then, high-precision DEM reconstruction by proposed hierarchical smoothing method with topographic feature embedding. These results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method in processing large-scale 3D point clouds and rapid assessment of flood risk, providing a new perspective and effective solution for flood risk mapping in the field of spatial information science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the visual angle threshold value for the recognition of Chinese characters displayed on the optical head-mounted display. As optical head-mounted displays are becoming increasingly popular in various fields, character legibility has become an important topic for research. In this study, a legibility test was conducted by randomly displaying characters on the optical head-mounted display. The characteristics that were tested included the number of strokes, components and usage frequency rankings. The visual angle threshold value of each character was recorded and analysed. The results indicate that Chinese characters with more strokes, more components and lower usage frequency have a larger visual angle threshold value than characters with fewer strokes, fewer components and higher frequency. The number of strokes and usage frequency rankings were inputted into a regression model to predict the visual angle threshold value for character recognition (R2 = 0.72; Adj-R2 = 0.71). The regression analyses revealed that the foregoing inputs increased the visual angle threshold value. These findings provide a practical reference for the display of Chinese characters on optical head-mounted displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new concept for systematically evaluating ecosystem services, Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) provides an effective means to comprehensively reveal the overall status of the ecosystem, the impact of economic activities on the ecological environment, and the effectiveness of ecological protection efforts. GEP accounting has been conducted in various regions; however, GEP's application in natural reserves still requires further exploration. Taking the Qinling Mountains as the research area, this paper aims to assess the relationship between GEP and economic development on the basis of the GEP accounting system. The results indicated that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, GEP tended to increase continuously and exhibited a distribution pattern with high value regions in the east and west, and low value regions in the north and south. (2) Over the years, the coupling coordination degree between GEP and GDP was in a consistent upward trend. In 2020, a good coupling coordination state between GEP and GDP was achieved in most districts and counties. (3) With the relative development between GEP and GDP, the social economy of most districts and counties lagged behind GEP in 2010. The number of districts and counties lagging in GEP in 2020 increased, while the number of regions with a balanced development of GEP and GDP was still relatively discouraging. (4) In general, elevation, contagion, temperature, population density, and precipitation were the main drivers of coupling coordination degree between GEP and GDP. If the relationship between economic development and ecological environmental protection can be reasonably balanced, it will further promote the sustainable development of nature reserves, and provide a scientific basis for sustainable policy-making in other similar areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissections (TAADs) represent a group of life-threatening diseases. Genetic aetiology can affect the age of onset, clinical phenotype, and timing of intervention. We conducted a prospective trial to determine the prevalence of pathogenic variants in TAAD patients and to elucidate the traits related to harbouring the pathogenic variants. One hundred and one unrelated TAAD patients underwent genetic sequencing and analysis for 23 TAAD-associated genes using a targeted PCR and next-generation sequencing-based panel. Results: A total of 47 variants were identified in 52 TAAD patients (51.5%), including 5 pathogenic, 1 likely pathogenic and 41 variants of uncertain significance. The pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in 4 disease-causing genes were carried by 1 patient with familial and 5 patients with sporadic TAAD (5.9%). In addition to harbouring one variant causing familial TAAD, the FBN1 gene harboured half of the P/LP variants causing sporadic TAAD. Individuals with an age of onset less than 50 years or normotension had a significantly increased genetic risk. Conclusions: TAAD patients with a younger age at diagnosis or normotension were more likely to carry a P/LP variant; thus, routine genetic testing will be beneficial to a better prognosis through genetically personalized care prior to acute rupture or dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prevalence information is the first step in developing preventive procedures or health services. This study was conducted to systematically evaluate the epidemiology of osteoporotic fractures in Chinese elderly aged ≥ 60 years and to provide evidence-based evidence for the prevention and treatment of osteoporotic fractures. Methods: We identified relevant studies by searching the literature published in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP databases from the establishment of the database until August 2022. We used a random-effects model to obtain prevalence estimates and identified sources of heterogeneity and comparisons of prevalence among different groups through subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. Results: A total of 29 articles were included in this study, and the prevalence of osteoporosis fractures in elderly Chinese was high (18.9%). The prevalence has increased significantly over the past decade (from 13.2% in 2000–2010 to 22.7% in 2012–2022). The prevalence of osteoporosis is higher in women than in men (18.5% vs 14.3%) and increases with age. The northern region was higher than the southern region (20.3% vs 18.9%), and the spine, hip, and distal forearm were the most common sites of fracture. Conclusion: The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the Chinese elderly is 18.9%, and timely prevention and treatment are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an important role in urban ecosystem services. Rapid urbanization and anthropogenic disturbances have created complex and dynamic land-use patterns and heterogeneous urban landscapes, however, the impact of these patterns on the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon density (DSOC) remains unclear. This study investigated SOC using a spatial sampling method from 213 sites in Xi'an City Ring Expressway, China. The results showed that the DSOC ranged from 1.79 to 4.93 kg m−2, with a mean of 3.31 kg m−2, and the value of Dsoc was decreased from city center toward suburb with a significant spatial heterogeneity. The DSOC varied with land-use types, being higher in parks, transportation, commercial, and public lands than in industrial, agricultural, parking, and construction lands. The Dsoc was positively related to population density, normalized difference impervious surface index, road density, and landscape shape index, while negatively to aggregation index and patch richness density. Overall, the urbanization of Xi'an City has strongly affected the soil C stocks, and the capacity of urban soils to store C was sustainable. These findings lays a scientific foundation for future soil carbon management in urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial ecosystems play an important role in carbon reduction and sequestration, and it is important to explore the carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystems under different land use scenarios to enhance the regional carbon storage potential. We analysed land use changes in the Loess Plateau, an important ecological barrier in China, from 2000 to 2020, used the PLUS model to predict land use patterns under different scenarios in 2035, and applied the InVEST model to assess carbon storage from 2000 to 2035. The findings were as follows: (1) Cropland in the study area decreased significantly from 2000 to 2020, and forests, waters, and construction land showed an increasing trend. The area of cropland further decreased under the natural growth and ecological protection scenarios, the area of grassland decreased significantly under the cropland protection scenario, and forests and waters were effectively protected under the natural development, ecological protection, and cropland protection scenarios. (2) Carbon storage in the Loess Plateau has increased by 28 Tg (0.56%) over the past 20 years. Compared with those in 2020, by 2035, carbon storage under the natural development, ecological protection, and cropland protection scenarios will increase by 30, 44, and 21 Tg, respectively. (3) Carbon storage has obvious spatial heterogeneity, with high carbon density in the northern Qinling Mountains, Taihang Mountains, and Lvliang Mountains and low carbon density in Erdos City and its surrounding areas. Regional differences in carbon density are closely related to the spatial distribution of land use types. (4) Carbon storage showed an inverted V-shaped trend with the increase in elevation. Land use change is the main reason for the increase or decrease in carbon storage under different scenarios. Compared with the other two scenarios, the ecological protection scenario not only protects the ecological environment but also has a strong carbon storage potential, which may be significant for guiding the formulation of future land use planning on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay takes the Special Issue of Chinese Encounters with Western Theories of Modern Language Quarterly as a case study, reviewing the essays of three Chinese authors Wang Ning, Zhang Jiang, and Zhu Liyuan and commentaries by Theo D'haen, Hillis Miller and myself. The essay offers a metacommentary of the essays and commentaries with respect to issues of the academic contexts in which the dialogue in this special issue is conducted, Chinese scholars' anxiety of influence over western theories, the problem of "Dao (principles)" and "Shu (techniques)," and universalism vis-à-vis exceptionalism. This essay argues that the historical facts of modern China, especially the history of reform and opening up of the last four decades, show that China is in the world and the world is in China, and that the relationship of universalism and exceptionalism cannot be viewed as binary oppositions and mutual exclusions. Rather, it is overdetermined by multiple factors of integration and complementarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the expression level of hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells, as well as its effect on malignant biological behavior of ESCC cells and the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods: Six pairs of ESCC tissues and corresponding paracarcinoma tissues resected at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital of Nanchong City between November 2018 and March 2019 were collected for whole-transcriptome sequencing, and hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 at a low expression in ESCC tissues was screened out. The TE-1 and KYSE30 cell lines overexpressing hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 were established. qPCR was used to detect the expression of hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 in human normal esophageal epithelial cells and ESCC cells, as well as the expression of miR-1287-5p in TE-1 and KYSE30 cells overexpressing hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180. CCK-8 and FCM were used to detect the effect of hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 overexpression on the proliferation and cell cycle of TE-1 and KYSE30 cells. Scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to assess the effects of hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 overexpression on migration and invasion of TE-1 and KYSE30 cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the targeting relationship between hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 and miR-1287-5p. WB assay was used to detect the expression of EMT-related proteins and the phosphorylation level of the PI3K-Akt pathway in TE-1 and KYSE30 cells after hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 overexpression. Results: Transcriptome sequencing and qPCR results showed that hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 was lowly expressed in ESCC tissues and cells (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and confirmed its closed-loop molecular signature and localization in the cytoplasm. Overexpression of hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 could significantly inhibit the migration and invasion of ESCC cells (all P<0.05) but had no significant effect on the proliferation and cell cycle. The results of dual-luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 targets miR-1287-5p and negatively regulates its expression (P<0.001). Overexpression of hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 could significantly increase the expression of E-cadherin and decrease the expression of Snail (both P<0.05) and the phosphorylation level of the PI3K-Akt pathway (P<0.01, P<0.001) in TE-1 and KYSE30 cells. Conclusion: hsa&lowbar;circ&lowbar;0140180 is lowly expressed in ESCC cells and tissues; it reduces the phosphorylation levels of PI3K-Akt pathway and suppresses EMT process possibly through regulation of miR-1287-5p expression, thus affecting the migration and invasion abilities of ESCC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) and their drivers is the basis for ecosystem service administration and decision-making. This research focuses on the Yellow River Basin (YRB). With a multitemporal land use and land cover (LULC) dataset (1995–2018), the equivalence coefficient method with spatiotemporal dynamic correction and exploratory spatial data analysis methods were used to evaluate ESV changes due to LULC changes and their spatial characteristics. The contributions of the ESV driving factors and their mutual effects were also investigated via geographic detectors. The results revealed that (1) the land use structure of the YRB, mainly grassland and cultivated land, was stable from 1995 to 2018. However, the transition between land use types was dramatic, including urban expansion accompanied by losses of farmland, grassland, and unused land; increased forestland; and significant increases in water bodies and wetland areas. (2) During the study period, the overall ESV of the YRB increased, and hydrological regulation and climate regulation services dominated the change in the ESVs in the study area. The ESV exhibited obvious ecogeographical pattern differentiation and evident positive spatial autocorrelation. High values were concentrated in the southern part of the study area, including the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region and the central part of the East Asian monsoon region. Low values were concentrated in the northwestern arid zone, dominated by desert and grassland ecosystems. (3) Because of the fragility of the regional ecological background, the spatial differentiation of the ESVs in the YRB is dependent on natural factors; however, anthropogenic factors such as the degree of land use and the human activity intensity also lead to ESV differentiation. The synergistic effects of human activities, landscape pattern changes, and natural factors result in the spatial differentiation of the ESVs in the research region. Therefore, human activities affecting the ecological environment should be controlled, nature-based solutions should be advocated, patch diversity should be increased, landscape fragmentation should be reduced, LULC ecosystem service functions should be improved, and the relationship among economic, social, and ecological landscape resources should be coordinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most previous studies focused on the redox state of the deep water, leading to an incomplete understanding of the spatiotemporal evolution of the redox‐stratified ocean during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition. In order to decode the redox condition of shallow marine environments during the late Ediacaran, this study presents I/(Ca + Mg), carbon and oxygen isotope, major, trace, and rare earth element data of subtidal to peritidal dolomite from the Dengying Formation at Yangba, South China. In combination with the reported radiometric and biostratigraphic data, the Dengying Formation and coeval successions worldwide are subdivided into a positive δ13C excursion (up to ~6‰) in the lower part (~551–547 Ma) and a stable δ13C plateau (generally between 0‰ and 3‰) in the middle‐upper part (~547–541 Ma). The overall low I/(Ca + Mg) ratios (<0.5 μmol/mol) and slightly negative to no Ce anomalies (0.80 < [Ce/Ce*]SN < 1.25), point to low‐oxygen levels in shallow marine environments at Yangba. Moreover, four pulsed negative excursions in (Ce/Ce*)SN (between 0.62 and 0.8) and the associated two positive excursions in I/(Ca + Mg) ratios (up to 2.02 μmol/mol) are observed, indicative of weak oxygenations in the shallow marine environments. The comparison with other upper Ediacaran shallow water successions worldwide reveals that the (Ce/Ce*)SN and I/(Ca + Mg) values generally fall in the Precambrian range but their temporal trends differ among these successions (e.g., Ce anomaly profiles significantly different between Yangba and the Yangtze Gorge sections), which point to low oxygen levels with high redox heterogeneity in the surface ocean. This is consistent with the widespread anoxia as revealed by low δ238U values reported by previous studies. Thus, the atmospheric oxygen concentrations during the late Ediacaran are estimated to be very low, similar to the case during the most Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the resolution of the magnetotelluric (MT) method and reducing the non-uniqueness of MT inversion for abnormal bodies of different depth and different scale is a significant problem, and thus research on this issue is important. First, based on the classical optimal inversion theory of the MT method, we introduced the concept of multi-scale MT interpretation strategy (MSMIS). Then, typical geo-electric models were constructed, and numerical simulations were carried out; the results of these simulations illustrated the advantages of MSMIS, which can effectively identify not only the overall structural framework of deep bodies but also the spatial distribution characteristics of shallow local inhomogeneous abnormal bodies with small scale. Finally, by targeting the slurry leakage caused by underground karst in shale gas drilling, we used MSMIS to reprocess the existing audio magnetotelluric (AMT) data, which accurately identified the spatial location and distribution characteristics of the shallow underground karst and provided a reliable reference for the re-selection of the appropriate location of the borehole. Subsequent drilling data verified the correctness of MSMIS. The research results show that MSMIS can effectively improve the exploration effect of the MT method for deep and shallow anomalies, which effectively promotes and improves the practical application of the MT method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Na-montmorillonite (Na-Mt) content and curing age on enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP)–treated soil were studied. First, the effects of Na-Mt addition on the urease activity, Ca2+ precipitation rate, and pH of the solution were analyzed through tube tests. Then, Na-Mt-modified EICP was used to reinforce silty sand in the Yellow River flooding area in China. The solidification effect and action mechanism of Na-Mt were investigated via the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, calcium carbonate content (CCC) measurement, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope analyses, wherein soil treated by conventional EICP and soil treated with Na-Mt alone were considered the control group. Na-Mt improved the urease activity and Ca2+ precipitation rate, lowered the pH, increased the CaCO3 production through chelation, then regulated the morphology of the CaCO3 crystals and facilitated the formation of densely aggregated calcite. The CCC and mechanical parameters increased rapidly during the first 7 days of curing, and then slowed down. The incorporation of 8% Na-Mt enhanced the UCS and Ca2+ utilization ratio at curing age of 7 days by 1.4 and 2.72 times, respectively, compared with that of traditional EICP; and the optimal Na-Mt content was identified to be 8%. At Na-Mt contents lower than 8%, the mathematically expressed improvement effect of the Na-Mt-modified EICP on the soil strength was greater than the arithmetic sum of that when these two approaches applied individually; this result confirms that the Na-Mt-modified EICP technique proposed herein is an efficient approach for solidifying fine-grained soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to explore factors associated with recurrence and metastasis after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and provide evidence for NPC treatment. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the treatment dose and survival outcomes of 645 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma without distant metastases treated with IMRT for the first time at three treatment centres in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, between January 2009 and December 2012. Results: There were 9.3% of patients (60/645) had recurrence and 17.5% (113/645) had distant metastasis 5 years after treatment. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year local recurrence rates were 0.9%, 6.5% and 9.0% respectively. And the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year distant metastasis rates were 3.4%, 10% and 17.2%, respectively. In the 60 patients with recurrence, the in-field, marginal-field, and out-field recurrence rates were 93.3% (56/60), 5.0% (3/60) and 1.7% (1/60), respectively. Recurrence failures occurring within the first three years after treatment accounted for 81.7% (49/60). In the 113 patients with metastasis, the size of the cervical lymph node, the presence of lower cervical lymph node metastasis, the residual cervical lymph node size and the time of residual cervical lymph node complete response (CR) were independent prognostic factors for DMFS (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Most recurrences occured in the first three years after IMRT. In-field recurrence was the most common pattern for loco-regional failure of NPC treatment. The risk of distant metastasis was positively correlated with higher N stage, lower neck nodal metastasis, larger size of cervical lymph nodes, and longer time to response for residual NPC in cervical adenopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of video process detection is to identify key processes of interest and associated semantic categories, which is an important computer vision task for localizing key processes in space science experiments. To detect experimental processes in space electrostatic suspension material experiment on China's Space Station, we propose a Slow-and-Fast Dual-Stream Network. It extracts multi-scale temporal semantic information by designing a Slow-and-Fast Temporal Stream structure and effectively detects the experimental processes with various temporal scales. In addition, the Two Path Temporal Pyramid Network (TP2N) enhances the bi-direction flow among multi-scale features on the temporal dimension to alleviate boundary sensitivity. The validation experiments on our established dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method with 62.43% mAP, outperforming the related state-of-the-art temporal action localization methods with nearly 7% mAP gain. This paper is the first application of deep learning in space electrostatic suspension material experiments on China's Space Station and further provides important technical support for the identification of key processes in space science experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Dengue fever (DF) is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that has threatened tropical and subtropical regions in recent decades. An early and targeted warning of a dengue epidemic is important for vector control. Current studies have primarily determined weather conditions to be the main factor for dengue forecasting, thereby neglecting that environmental suitability for mosquito breeding is also an important factor, especially in fine-grained intra-urban settings. Considering that street-view images are promising for depicting physical environments, this study proposes a framework for facilitating fine-grained intra-urban dengue forecasting by integrating the urban environments measured from street-view images. Methods: The dengue epidemic that occurred in 167 townships of Guangzhou City, China, between 2015 and 2019 was taken as a study case. First, feature vectors of street-view images acquired inside each township were extracted by a pre-trained convolutional neural network, and then aggregated as an environmental feature vector of the township. Thus, townships with similar physical settings would exhibit similar environmental features. Second, the environmental feature vector is combined with commonly used features (e.g., temperature, rainfall, and past case count) as inputs to machine-learning models for weekly dengue forecasting. Results: The performance of machine-learning forecasting models (i.e., MLP and SVM) integrated with and without environmental features were compared. This indicates that models integrating environmental features can identify high-risk urban units across the city more precisely than those using common features alone. In addition, the top 30% of high-risk townships predicted by our proposed methods can capture approximately 50–60% of dengue cases across the city. Conclusions: Incorporating local environments measured from street view images is effective in facilitating fine-grained intra-urban dengue forecasting, which is beneficial for conducting spatially precise dengue prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a mosquito-borne infectious disease, dengue fever (DF) has spread through tropical and subtropical regions worldwide in recent decades. Dengue forecasting is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of preventive measures. Current studies have been primarily conducted at national, sub-national, and city levels, while an intra-urban dengue forecasting at a fine spatial resolution still remains a challenging feat. As viruses spread rapidly because of a highly dynamic population flow, integrating spatial interactions of human movements between regions would be potentially beneficial for intra-urban dengue forecasting. Methodology: In this study, a new framework for enhancing intra-urban dengue forecasting was developed by integrating the spatial interactions between urban regions. First, a graph-embedding technique called Node2Vec was employed to learn the embeddings (in the form of an N-dimensional real-valued vector) of the regions from their population flow network. As strongly interacting regions would have more similar embeddings, the embeddings can serve as "interaction features." Then, the interaction features were combined with those commonly used features (e.g., temperature, rainfall, and population) to enhance the supervised learning–based dengue forecasting models at a fine-grained intra-urban scale. Results: The performance of forecasting models (i.e., SVM, LASSO, and ANN) integrated with and without interaction features is tested and compared on township level dengue forecasting in Guangzhou, the most dengue threatened sub-tropical city in China. Results show that models using both common and interaction features can achieve better performance than that using common features alone. Conclusions: The proposed approach for incorporating spatial interactions of human movements using graph-embedding technique is effective, which can help enhance fine-grained intra-urban dengue forecasting. Author summary: Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne infectious disease, has become a serious public health problem in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, such as Southeast Asian countries and the Guangdong Province in China. In the absence of an effective vaccine at present, disease surveillance and mosquito control remain the primary means of controlling the spread of the disease. At an intra-urban setting, it is important to predict the spatial distribution of future patients, which can help government agencies to establish precise and targeted prevention measures beforehand. Considering the fast virus spread within a city because of a highly dynamic population flow, we propose a novel approach to enhancing fine-grained intra-urban dengue forecasting by integrating spatial interactions of human movements between urban regions. First, using a graph-embedding model called Node2Vec, the embeddings of the regions were learned from their population interaction network so that strongly interacted regions would have more similar embeddings. Secondly, serving as interaction features, the embeddings are combined with the commonly used features as inputs of the forecasting models. The results indicate that the performance of the models can be improved by incorporating the interaction features, confirming the effectiveness of our proposed strategy in enhancing fine-grained intra-urban dengue forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his article, "The China Question of Western Theory," Kang Liu formulates the China Question of western theory as both western critical frameworks to understand the rise of China, and how these critical frameworks present China not only as an object of study but also as a question intrinsic to contemporary cultural and social theories. The essays in this special issue address the China Question of western theory in multilinear, multivalent ways: first, the Chinese reception and appropriation of western theory; second, the western reception and appropriation of Chinese theory, namely Maoism, and third, the Chinese reception and re-appropriation of those western theories that reinvented and appropriated Chinese theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is an emerging biogeotechnical technique that uses free urease to improve soil. Despite its advantages of eliminating complex microbial cultures and reducing reaction byproducts, its efficiency is considered lower than that of microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) due to the lack of nucleation sites that induce calcium carbonate deposition. To enhance the strengthening efficiency of EICP for fine-grained soils, an improved EICP method that involves adding an appropriate mass concentration of organic materials (skim milk powder, glutinous rice powder, and brown sugar) into urease solution was proposed and applied to reinforce silt in the Yellow River flood area of China. The preferred concentration and ratio of cementation solution and the optimum concentration of each of the organic materials were determined. Then, the reinforcement effect of the improved EICP at the optimum concentration was compared with the control group, and the reinforcement mechanism for this method was discussed. The results show that after the organic material inclusions, soil strength can be enhanced by 33% compared with EICP-treated soil and is nearly four times higher than that of untreated soil. The superiority of this method over traditional EICP and MICP mainly stems from its ability to provide templates and nucleation sites for calcium carbonate deposition and to improve the size, morphology, and structure of calcium carbonate crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of coal-bearing strata in a variety of coal-bearing basins of China is characterized by late tectonic deformation and remarkable spatial and geochronologic differences. The main controlling factors, which determine the tectonic framework of coalfields, include the geodynamic environment, tectonic evolution, deep structures, tectonic stress, and lithologic combination of the coal measures. The Chinese continent has experienced multi-stage tectonic movements since the Late Paleozoic. The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of its continental tectonic evolution, the complexity of its basement properties, and its stratigraphic configurations control the tectonic framework of its coalfields' present complex and orderly patterns. The concept of coal occurrence structural units is proposed in this paper and is defined as the structural zoning of coal occurrence. China's coalfields are divided into five coal occurrence structural areas, and the structural characteristics of the coalfields in five main coal occurrence areas throughout the country are summarized. Based on the analysis of the relationship between the structure characteristics and occurrence of coal in these coalfields, the coal-controlling structures are divided into six groups: extensional structural styles, compressional structural styles, shearing and rotational structural styles, inverted structural styles, sliding structural styles, and syn-depositional structural styles. In addition, the distribution of coal-controlling structural styles is briefly summarized in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The association between circulating folate concentrations and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been evaluated in Western populations with inconsistent results; however, the observational and causal associations in Chinese populations with relatively low folate concentrations remain unclear. Objectives We aimed to examine the association of circulating folate concentrations with incident CAD in Chinese adults, and further evaluated the causal relation using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods We measured baseline serum folate in 1605 incident CAD cases and 1605 age- and sex-matched controls nested within the Dongfeng-Tongji (DFTJ) cohort, which recruited 27,009 individuals with a mean age of 63.6 y in 2008–2010 and followed up until the end of 2013 (mean: 4.4 y). We quantified the observational association between folate and incident CAD using conditional logistic regression models. A 2-sample MR analysis was performed using summary statistics obtained for genetic variants identified from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of circulating folate concentrations in participants of European ancestry (n  = 37,341) and from the CardiogramplusC4D 1000 genomes–based GWAS meta-analysis (n  = 184,305). We also conducted 1-sample MR among 1545 incident CAD cases and 1444 controls with genotyping data in the DFTJ cohort. Results In the DFTJ cohort, higher serum folate concentrations were associated with a lower risk of CAD: the OR (95% CI) across sex-specific quartiles of folate (from lowest to highest concentrations) was 1.00 (reference), 0.78 (0.63, 0.97), 0.77 (0.61, 0.97), and 0.75 (0.60, 0.95), respectively (P -trend = 0.01). In the MR analysis, the OR of CAD per SD increase in genetically predicted serum folate was 0.99 (0.82, 1.20) and 0.88 (0.59, 1.32) for European and Chinese populations, respectively. Conclusions We found an inverse association between circulating folate concentrations and incident CAD among Chinese populations. However, we confirmed that there was no genetic evidence to support the causal relation in both European and Chinese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) is an important aquaculture species in China and broadly cultivated in Asia–Pacific region. Our previous study found that T. ovatus had a better tolerance to the high level of carbohydrate in diet (360 g/kg) compared to Micropterus salmoides. Present study investigated the tolerance mechanism of T. ovatus to high level of dietary carbohydrate (PH‐360 g/kg of corn starch) on transcriptome level using Illumina sequencing compared to optimum level of dietary carbohydrate (PM‐240 g/kg corn starch). A total of 208,952,492 reads were obtained and assembled into 62,377 unigenes with an average length of 822 bp and a range of 200–16,206 bp. Transcriptome annotation revealed that 27,636 unigenes with a cut‐off e‐value of 10−5 were functionally annotated. Specifically, 7,903 unigenes were clustered into 24 functional categories by searching against the COG database, 12,161 unigenes to 84 GO terms, 26,835 unigenes to Nr database and 23,681 unigenes to SWISS‐PROT database. In addition, 13,739 unigenes were grouped into 240 KEGG pathways. There are 3,461 differentially expressed genes in PH compared to PM, in which 3,059 unigenes were significantly upregulated and 402 unigenes were significantly downregulated. Twelve key genes related to carbohydrate metabolism were further validated by quantitative real‐time RT–PCR, and the results were consistent with those of transcriptome profile.Under high level of dietary carbohydrate (PH‐360 g/kg), the results indicate that T. ovatus can adapt to the high level of dietary carbohydrate by enhancing glycolysis with the increased heaptic HK enzyme activity (p > 0.05), reducing gluconeogenesis with the decreased trend of PEPCK enzyme activity and maintaining the homeostasis of carbohydrate metabolism‐related hormones and hormone receptor gene expressions. Histopathological examination has shown that liver cavity area was significantly increased (p > 0.05), but no visible nutritional diseases are found in fish. This study provides a valuable understanding of the molecular responses of T. ovatus fed by the high level of dietary carbohydrate (PH‐360 g/kg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While exposure to places with higher greenness shows health benefits, evidence is scarce on its lipidemic effects. We assessed the associations between residential greenness and blood lipids and effect mediations by air pollution, physical activity, and adiposity in China. Our study included 15,477 adults from the population-based 33 Communities Chinese Health Study, conducted between April and December 2009, in Northeastern China. We measured total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Residential greenness was estimated using two satellite-derived vegetation indices – the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). We used both nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and particles ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM 2.5) as proxies of outdoor air pollution. Associations were assessed using linear mixed effects regression models and logistic mixed effects regression models, and mediation analyses were also performed. Living in higher greenness areas was consistently associated with lower TC, TG, and LDL-C levels and higher HDL-C levels (e.g., change in TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C per 0.1-unit increase in NDVI 500-m was −1.52%, −3.05%, −1.91%, and 0.52%, respectively). Similar results were obtained for the corresponding dyslipidemias. These associations were generally stronger in women and older adults. While educational levels showed effect modifications, the effect pattern was inconsistent. Both outdoor air pollution and body mass index mediated 9.1–62.3% and 5.6–40.1% of the associations for greenness and blood lipids, respectively, however, physical activity did not. Our results suggest beneficial associations between residing in places with higher greenness and blood lipid levels, especially in women and the elder individuals. The associations were partly mediated by lower air pollution and adiposity. Image 1 • Evidence on the association between greenness and blood lipids is scarce. • We explored this topic in 15,477 Chinese urban adults from the 33CCHS. • Residing in places with higher greenness showed beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. • The beneficial effects were stronger in women and the elder. • Air pollution and adiposity partially mediated the effects of greenness on lipids. Living in places with higher greenness is beneficially associated with blood lipids in Chinese adults, and the associations are partly mediated by air pollution and adiposity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Passive Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) method is a non-intrusive and cost effective technology adopted in civil and earthquake engineering for site geological and geotechnical survey. However, the application of passive MASW method under urban environments meets some challenges. One of interesting problems is associated with underground railways, which can be treated theoretically as buried sources. Since Rayleigh wave energy is dominant among that of surface waves, it is critical to design a proper geophone configuration during field tests at a site close to the metro line to ensure significant Rayleigh wave energy and therefore reliable dispersion images. This paper studied the propagation of Rayleigh waves generated from a buried source and proposed an empirical formula to estimate the nearest offset, which was then verified by numerical simulations. A case study was implemented in Shanghai, China at a site close to a subway line. With a linear spread geophone configuration, the influence of different parameters, including nearest offset, spread length and geophone interval, was investigated regarding their influences on dispersion images. Field tests were conducted by following the geophone configuration designed based on the proposed estimation method. The one dimensional (1D) shear velocity structure, being inverted from field vibration measurements, matches relatively well with the geologic feature obtained from borehole testing. Study results are expected to help facilitate the application of the passive MASW method for cases in which Rayleigh waves are generated by the buried source like underground traffics in cities. • Near-field effects due to subway traffic were studied for surface wave method application. • A method was proposed for the nearest offset estimation in MASW test with buried sources. • A case study was performed at a site close to underground railway for validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The fragmentation of the Columbia supercontinent is thought to have begun as early as ~1.7 Ga; however, the breakup of its core domain occurred only at ~1.5–1.25 Ga. This study presents the integrated petrological and chemical characteristics of gabbro and granite porphyry intrusions in the Haizi region of China, which record the oldest magmatism associated with the initial breakup of Columbia in the southwestern Yangtze Block. The dating of gabbro and granite porphyry samples using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry zircon U Pb geochronology gives crystallization ages of 1754 ± 14 Ma and 1743 ± 4 Ma, respectively. The gabbro is characterized by low La/Ta, Th/Y, (La/Yb) N , and (Dy/Yb) N ratios, negligible Nb Ta anomalies, moderately depleted Nd isotope signatures (ε Nd (t) = +2.4 to +5.3), and enriched zircon Hf isotopes (ε Hf (t) = −1.8 to −7.8), indicating derivation of the primary magma from ambient asthenospheric mantle and complex petrogenetic processes before emplacement. Geochemical modeling indicates a variable but low degree of partial melting (1%–15%) and minor crustal contamination during magma ascent. The gabbro samples have relatively high TiO 2 (1.94–3.73 wt%) and Zr (95–271 ppm) contents, typical of rocks formed in an intraplate tectonic setting. The granite porphyry samples display high FeOT/MgO and Ga/Al ratios, high contents of high-field-strength elements, and low CaO–Sr contents, resembling A-type granites. Compared with the gabbros, these porphyries show wider geochemical gaps, more variable ratios between incompatible elements, and lower radiogenic Nd isotopic compositions (ε Nd (t) = +0.3 to +2.7 and T DM2(Nd) = 2226– 2028 Ma). However, the porphyries have more radiogenic zircon Hf isotopes (ε Hf (t) = 0 to +3.7 and T DM2(Hf) = 2421–2189 Ma) than those of the gabbros, suggesting their derivation from the partial melting of a Paleoproterozoic crustal source triggered by an upwelling basaltic magma in an intraplate extensional setting. The ~1.75 Ga bimodal magmatism reported in this study, together with the ~1.75–1.65 Ga mafic magmatism documented in other cratonic blocks, suggests a possible spatial linkage between the Yangtze Block, northern Australia, northwestern Laurentia, and southern Siberia in the late Paleoproterozoic Columbia supercontinent. Highlights • ~1.75 Ga bimodal magmatism is identified in the SW Yangtze Block of China. • Gabbro was derived from asthenospheric mantle with minor crustal assimilation. • A-type granite porphyry was generated by partial melting of Paleoproterozoic mafic crust. • The earliest magmatism related to Columbia supercontinent fragmentation in the SW Yangtze Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drought monitoring indexes, such as SPEI and SPCI, have been proposed previously. However, these indexes are established at specific station and unsuitable to evaluate the regional drought, which becomes the focus of this study. A novel drought monitoring method using the zenith troposphere delay (ZTD) derived from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and precipitation is proposed, and a new index, which is named regional precipitation and ZTD index (RPZI), is established. The station-based precipitation and ZTD index (PZI) is first proposed by considering the data selection, expression, multi-time scale and standardization. The RPZI is then calculated by using the Thiessen Polygon method to determine the weighting of each station in the located area. The proposed PZI is first validated in 8 climatic regions of China over the period of 2006–2018 at 801 metrological stations. The RPZI is further evaluated in arid, semiarid, humid, and semi humid areas of China over the period of 2006–2018 and Townsville, Queensland in Australia over the period of 1998–2018, respectively. Comparison results show that the proposed RPZI has a good consistency with the regional precipitation smoothing index (RPSI) when compared with station-based SPEI, station-based PZI, and regional SPEI (RSPEI), and the correlation coefficient is the highest between the RPZI and RPSI with values of 0.81, 0.90, 0.93, and 0.85 in four areas of China, and the corresponding value reaches 0.964 in Queensland, Australia. Such results show the good capacity of the proposed RPZI for regional drought monitoring, which is of great importance for global drought disaster prevention. • A novel index (RPZI) is proposed using GNSS-derived ZTD and precipitation. • RPZI considers the influences of data, expression, time scale and standardization. • The capacity of RPZI is evaluated in China and Australia, respectively. • Proposed RPZI is of ability to well reflect the regional drought condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a large-scale region, governance for connectivity in an ecological system often conflicts with management boundaries, causing inefficiencies. Collaboration among management organizations in different areas can help overcome this problem. However, few studies quantified the collaborations' practical relationship with connectivity, considering that some potentially connected paths are easy to neglect by managers. In this paper, collaborations among government agencies in project application process were analyzed, and a multilevel social-ecological network analysis (SENA) approach was developed to identify the collaboration's effect on genetically connected coastal areas. The network framework and methods were shown in a case of coastal saltmarsh conservation and development in the Yellow River Delta, China. Collaboration patterns in conservation and development networks were analyzed and compared among local, subregional, and regional government agencies working in genetically connected coastal areas. Project information flow, reflecting communication frequency and decision-making chances among government agencies was quantified and correlated with ecological connectivity to inform governance effects. Results showed areas with the potential to realize social-ecological alignment, where collaborative networks were measured by network density (percentage of connected network edges). The current reveals that development has more significant potential than conservation at most levels to overcome the misalignment of the social-ecological system, also known as scale mismatch. Empirical evidence also showed a correlation between communication capacity in development networks and improved ecological conditions. The multilevel SENA advanced in this paper can be used for natural resource management when connectivity plays a major role. [Display omitted] • We advanced a multilevel network approach for better evaluating social–ecological (mis)fit with connectivity. • We mapped collaborations among projects in a genetically connected region in the Yellow River Delta. • Development acts better than conservation with modeled network to realize social ecological alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure that the gravity data processing and inversion are consistent with the actual geology, we propose that, in integrated geophysical research, 3D gravity anomaly separation (GAS) should take into account the gravity response of the inhomogeneous mantle. This is an effective method by which the residual gravity anomaly (RGA) may be obtained, as well as an important basis for the inversion and interpretation of gravity data. Aimed at the petroliferous basin structure, evolution of continental margin, ocean continental transition zone and other widely discussed geological problems, we extensively investigate the upper mantle structure in many regions around the world, and the results show that the lateral inhomogeneity of the mantle is widespread. In many comprehensive studies based on gravity and seismic data, the gravity anomaly modeling and separation are typically performed within the crust (above the Moho), which actually relies on an assumption of homogeneous mantle. Although this assumption simplifies the difficulty of the gravity modeling and separation, it ignores gravity anomalies caused by inhomogeneities of the deep mantle. The RGA, along with the inverted density structure and other interpretations, involves the risk of deviating from the actual geology. On the basis of the 2D forward calculation of several typical interface models, we implement the quantitative analysis of the effect that the inhomogeneous mantle has on the Bouguer gravity anomaly. In case studies of the southeastern United States and the Sichuan Basin, taking the shear wave velocity ( Vs ) structure of the upper mantle as the constraint condition, we calculate the gravity anomaly caused by the inhomogeneous mantle by means of the forward method. It is found that the gravity response of the inhomogeneous mantle cannot be neglected. Therefore, we conduct 2.5D joint simulation combining gravity and seismic data in the Sichuan Basin. The fitting results after separating the gravity response of the inhomogeneous mantle are clearly superior to those of the homogeneous mantle hypothesis. On the basis of the 3D depth data of several sedimentary strata, the Moho and the mantle high-velocity bodies, we implement 3D GAS, obtain the RGA of the basement in the Sichuan Basin, and discuss the geological origin of the “Dazu high gravity”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his article, "Rethinking Critical Theory and Maoism," Kang Liu reviews the existing literature in English on the relationship of Critical Theory and Maoism and discusses the need to explore and reconstruct a genealogy of Critical Theory and Maoism within the global context of political, ideological, and intellectual currents and trends. The special issue will focus on three clusters of issues: first, the western invention of Maoism as a universal theory of revolution; second, the reception of Critical Theory in China and its relationship to Maoism; and third, the relevance of Maoism and Critical Theory today. Liu raises the question in the end: can Maoism be seen as a revolutionary universalism, or a nationalist ideology of Chinese Exceptionalism? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tet is a type of alkaloid extracted from Stephania tetrandra, and it has recently been demonstrated that Tet can protect against inflammation and free radical injury and inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators. The present study was designed to observe the protective effect of Tet on sodium taurocholate-induced severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The rat model of SAP was induced by retrograde bile duct injection of sodium taurocholate and then treated with Verapamil and Tet. The results showed that Tet can reduce NF-κB activation in pancreas issue, inhibit the SAP cascade, and improve SAP through inducing pancreas acinar cell apoptosis and stabilizing intracellular calcium in the pancreas, thus mitigating the damage to the pancreas. Our study revealed that Tet may reduce systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (MODS) to protect against damage, and these roles may be mediated through the NF-κB pathway to improve the proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, T639 global spectral model numerical forecast products issued by numerical prediction center of China Meteorological Administration and precipitation data at 676 regional stations of Gansu during flood season were used firstly for interpretation. Then, through the establishment of multiple linear stepwise regression equation, daily precipitation forecast with the time interval of 6 h during 0 – 72 h in May, 2013 in Gansu Province was obtained. By precipitation forecast verification analysis, it was found that the precipitation forecast in Hexi region and central Gansu Province had best effect; forecast in some places of east Hedong region had relatively good effect; part of the city or state forecast effect in the plateau slope zone was relatively lower. The refined precipitation forecast had certain reference and use value in the post-production Gansu Province highway forecasting during flood season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major drop in marine 87Sr/86Sr records across the Middle-Late Ordovician boundary (Darriwilian-Sandbian) was one of the most dramatic perturbations of the global Sr cycle in Phanerozoic. However, the precise timing of this isotopic event has not been well constrained, partially making it difficult to further clarify the possible drivers of this isotopic event. For this study, we present multi-continental conodont apatite-based Sr-isotope datasets from three well-studied Ordovician carbonate successions in China, i.e., the Huanghuachang section in South China, the Kalpin Shuinichang-Dawangou and the Nanyigou sections in Tarim Basin, northwestern China. Our new 87Sr/86Sr records generally accord with global seawater 87Sr/86Sr secular variation curve and are supposed to be a reflection of coeval primary seawater signatures. Constrained with detailed conodont biostratigraphic and high-resolution δ13C chemostratigraphic framework, the onset of the sharp decline in 87Sr/86Sr ratios was placed within the Histiodella holodentata zone -Eoplacognathus suecicus zone, and approximately synchronous with the initiation of the Middle Darriwilian Carbon Isotope Excursion (MDICE). Numerical modeling reveals that this major 87Sr/86Sr drop could have been generated by a sustainable increase of oceanic hydrothermal (mantle-derived) Sr flux and/or a progressive decrease of continental-derived Sr flux. Multi-proxy analyses further demonstrate that the impact of enhanced oceanic hydrothermal activities accompanying with the accelerating opening of the Rheic and Paleo-Tethys oceans, may have played a central role in driving the major 87Sr/86Sr drop during the Middle-Late Ordovician transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author reflects upon the present day intellectuals of China. The author comments upon the impact of the philosophies of Chinese politicians Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping on the country's intellectuals, also called zhishi fenzi and categorizes Chinese intellectuals into four groups which include state strategists, professionals, scandalous, and opinion leaders.

The article comments that philosopher Slavoj Žižek who organized the March 2009 Conference on the Idea of Communism at Birkbeck Collegey, University of London in England misread China and Maoism by poeticizing the Chinese Communist revolution. It suggests that the philosopher's poetic misreading are symptomatic of the pessimism and cynicism of the Western Left concerning real alternatives to capitalism. The article also traces the Left's engagements with Mao Zedong and China.

The resurgence of revolutionary literature or Red Classics at the turn of the century is indicative of the cultural logic of the revolutionary hegemony during Mao and post-Mao China. Revolutionary hegemony served quite effectively to legitimate Mao Zedong's, and much of Deng Xiaoping's reign, but it has become increasingly difficult to sustain its viability and efficacy. From the beginning of the new century, both the state and consumer popular culture sectors have pushed for a Red Classic resurgence. While the ideological content and styles of the Red Classics are apparently incommensurable to China's social reality today, their current popularity suggests a success in capturing or eliciting emotional responses from the audience primarily derived from their lived and felt experience during the Mao era. For the state, the Red Classics and the entire revolutionary legacy can now exist only as mummies of history, serving as a nationalist, 'patriotic' narrative of the recent past. Meanwhile, the Red Classics is reinvented as nostalgia, a commodity in China's cultural market. The paper examines the genealogy and current reinvention of the Red Classics, in order to shed some light on China's post-revolutionary cultural politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High genetic diversity and low differentiation present challenges in taxonomy and systematics of Salix. Chloroplast (cp) genome sequencing is efficient for providing new genomic information and elucidating phylogenetic relationships. Salix spathulifolia Seemen, S. cupularis Rehder, and S. annulifera C.Marquand & Airy Shaw are three shrubby willows spread in high-altitude regions in western China. In this study, the integrated circular cp genomes were sequenced and analyzed, and a phylogeny of Salix was constructed on the basis of the cp genomes. The results of chloroplast assembly and annotation information were used to characterize genome feature and interspecific variation. The phylogenetic position of the three willows was evaluated using phylogenetic analysis. Full-length cp genomes were 155,566–155,680 bp with a typical double-stranded circular quadripartite structure, containing one large single-copy region (LSC, 84,431–4552 bp), one small single-copy region (SSC: 16,206–16,221 bp), and two inverted repeats (IR: 27,453–27,461 bp). The cp genomes encoded 130 genes, including 8 rRNA genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 85 protein-coding genes. The guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the overall genome was 36.7%. Comparison among the three willows' cp genomes revealed high similarity. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that S. spathulifolia was a basal taxon of clade I, while S. annulifera formed a monophyletic group with S. rorida Laksch.; S. cupularis was sister to S. suchowensis W.C. Cheng and S. psammophila Z. Wang & Chang Y. Yang. The complete chloroplast genomes of the three willows provides an additional sequence-based resource for studying the phylogeny and evolutionary history of Salicaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand pollution level and possible sources of atmospheric fine particulates in rural areas of southern Jiangsu Province of China, samples of PM2.5 were collected and analyzed in Xueyan Town and Taihu Lake Station over three seasons from July 2002 to January 2003. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 and 14 principal component elements were obtained. The results showed that pollution of PM2.5 was serious and the concentration levels of S, Zn, Pb and As were similar to city. There are different seasonal distribution laws of pollutant elements in PM2.5 between two sampling sites, probably due to contribution of local sources, medium or long distance transportation of fine particulates and complicated meteorological conditions. The enrichment levels of S, Zn, Pb, As, K were high, reflecting the influence of anthropogenic activities. Particularly enrichment level of S was much higher in summer, which was probably related to meteorological condition. The result of principal components analysis showed major sources of PM2.5 included crustal resuspension, coal burning, metal processing industry or waste incineration, vehicular emission, which suggests anthropogenic activities is of important influence on PM2.5 in rural areas of southern Jiangsu Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production tests of natural gas hydrate in deepwater have been successfully conducted twice in China in 2017 and 2019. However, exploitation disturbance caused huge threat to the security of production well, as hydrate production was characterized by complicated phase variation in coupled seepage process, which made conventional analysis approach of oil and gas production well futile. This paper aimed at proposing a mechanical analysis method for casing in hydrate production test well based on the self-developed phase transition solver, which was employed to address exploitation disturbance induced by the varying hydrate saturation, reservoir strain state and physical parameters. By developing a multi-field coupling model and the corresponding algorithm, dynamic changes of casing boundary condition were achieved, and temporal-spatial distribution of casing stress was revealed. A case study was presented to illustrate the application of the proposed methodology. Results indicated that casing stress presented a distribution of "8" and a trend of decreasing first and then increasing with the progress of production test, reaching 112.95 MPa at the 60th day. Meanwhile, this trend was affected by production pressure and in-situ stress inhomogeneity. Moreover, as in-situ stress inhomogeneity, initial hydrate saturation and initial pore pressure changed from 1.05 to 1.3, 0.3 to 0.6 and 19 MPa–15 MPa, casing maximum stress increased by 2.3 times, 13.9% and 11.2%, respectively. The proposed approach could be used to provide theoretical reference for safety design of hydrate production test well. [Display omitted] • A novel methodology to research temporal-spatial distribution of casing stress under hydrate exploitation disturbance was proposed. • A multi-field coupling model and corresponding algorithm for achieving dynamic boundary of casing were developed. • Mechanical characteristics of casing under different hydrate production pressures were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site investigations of the soils are considered very important for evaluation of the site conditions, as well as the design and construction for the project built in it. Taihu tunnel is thus far the longest tunnel constructed in the lake in China, with an entire length of over 10 km. However, due to the very insufficient site data obtained for the lacustrine clay in the Taihu lake area, a series of self-boring pressuremeter (SBPM) field tests was therefore carried out. Undrained shear strengths were deduced from the SBPM test, with the results showing generally higher than those obtained from the laboratory tests, which may be attributed to the disturbance to the soil mass during the sampling process. Degradation characteristics of the soil shear modulus (Gs) were mainly investigated, via a thorough comparison between different soil layers, and generally, the shear modulus would cease its decreasing trends and become stable when the shear strain reaches over 1%. Meanwhile, it was found that a linear relationship between the plasticity index and the shear modulus, and between the decay rate of the shear modulus and the plasticity index as well, could be developed. Further statistical analysis over the undrained shear strength and shear modulus distribution of the soils shows that the undrained shear strength of the soils follows a normal distribution, while the shear modulus follows a log-normal distribution. More importantly, the spatial correlation length of the shear modulus is found much smaller than that of the undrained strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A prioritization framework developed for fragmented saltmarsh patch restoration. • Patch connectivity-importance rank correlated within connectivity metrics group. • Unrestrictive prioritization strategy gave best connectivity restoration outcome. • Metrics considering stepping stone effects resulted in more connected landscape. • Total probability of connectivity is most recommended among all metrics tested. Saltmarsh is a coastal ecosystem providing crucial ecosystem services, and its continued degradation and fragmentation has drawn increasing attention. However, how to effectively restore the connectivity between fragmented saltmarsh patches remains an open challenge. In this study, we developed a metric and modelling framework that prioritised saltmarsh patches for restoration. To demonstrate our approach, we simulated spatially explicit restoration schedules for Suaeda salsa patches at the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, China, using three strategies: increasing-patch-area, increasing-number-of-patches and a benchmark unrestrictive prioritization strategy. We prioritised patches for restoration based on a number of widely used graph-theoretic landscape connectivity and metapopulation capacity metrics. Our simulation results suggested the rank connectivity-importance of extant patches was correlated within the group of graph-theoretic connectivity metrics or metapopulation capacity metrics, but unrelated across group. The unrestrictive prioritization strategy clearly outperformed the strategies of increasing-patch-area and increasing-number-of-patches which returned comparable connectivity restoration outcomes. For the more effective unrestrictive prioritization strategy, there were substantial differences in the simulated priority patches between metrics that considered stepping stone effects and those did not. While the former resulted in corridor-building priority patches that led to a more connected landscape throughout the region, the latter led to local clustering. We recommend use of the total probability of connectivity (PC) among the metrics we tested due to similarity of results to other metrics and its simulation efficiency. The proposed framework is readily applicable to prioritise areas for connectivity conservation and restoration in any monospecific ecosystem at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The SD model constructed under the revised endogenous development diamond model extends the methodology of SD. • The transition from subsidy stimulation to endogenous development depends on various interacting factors. • Supporting measures are more prominent than the other primary factors. • Technological innovation has the most positive and significant effect in second-level factors. • Policymakers should focus on the synergies of various policy tools. Development in new energy vehicles (NEVs) has been playing a critical role in carbon emission reduction and air pollution control. In recent years, China has made substantial progress in NEVs through purchase subsidies. However, financial subsidy has come under criticism for its unsustainability. The fact that Chinese government has gradually reduced the subsidies suggests that NEVs will be probably entering a post-subsidy era. It makes sense to seek for an alternative approach to boosting the NEV industry. By comparing the supply and demand sides, this study constructed a endogenous development diamond model to evaluate the overall effects of multiple factors that relate to China's NEVs. Our research demonstrates that, in the post-subsidy era, the transition of NEVs from subsidy stimulation to endogenous development will be depending on various interacting factors, namely, basic resources, demand conditions, supporting measures, and model innovations. Amongst the supporting measures are more prominent than the other primary factors, whereas technological innovation has the most positive effect on the promotion of NEVs in second-level factors. Our empirical analysis shows that NEV subsidy reduction is feasible because there have been alternative policy tools to replace the subsidy. Policymakers should focus on the synergies of various policy tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original publication of the article contains incorrect notes in Fig. 1. The correct version of notes in Fig. 1 is provided in this erratum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Few studies have examined association between greenness and metabolic syndrome. • We explored the topic in 15,477 Chinese urban dwellers. • Higher greenness levels were associated with lower odds of metabolic syndrome. • Stronger association was observed in people aged 65 years or younger and those with higher household income. • Air pollution partly mediated the greenness-metabolic syndrome association. Residing in greener areas has several health benefits, but no study to date has examined the effects of greenness on metabolic syndrome (MetS). We aimed to assess associations between residential greenness and MetS prevalence in China, and to explore whether air pollution and physical activity mediated any observed associations. We analyzed data from 15,477 adults who participated in the 33 Communities Chinese Health Study during 2009. We defined MetS according to standard guidelines for Chinese populations. Residential greenness was estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and the Vegetation Continuous Field (VCF). We used generalized linear mixed models to assess the associations between greenness and MetS, and mediation analyses to explore potential mechanisms underlying the associations. Higher greenness levels were associated with lower odds of MetS [e.g., for every interquartile range increase of NDVI 500-m , SAVI 500-m , and VCF 500-m , the adjusted odds ratio of MetS was 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.70–0.93), 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.69–0.93), and 0.91 (95% confidence interval: 0.83–1.00), respectively]. The direction and the magnitude of the associations persisted in several sensitivity analyses. Stratified analyses showed that age and household income modified the associations, with greater effect estimates observed in participants younger than 65 years old or those with higher household income. Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone mediated 2.1–20.3% of the associations between greenness and MetS; no evidence of mediation was observed for physical activity. Our findings suggest a beneficial association for residential greenness and MetS in Chinese urban dwellers, especially for participants younger than 65 years old and those with higher household income. Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, but not physical activity, may only partially mediate the association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercity freight connections have reshaped urban networks and posed significant urban planning challenges. Previous studies mainly used annual statistical data or online orders, which are criticized for the poor timeliness and data representativeness. This study presents a method to construct freight flow networks by analyzing large-sample truck trajectories using spatiotemporal and semantic data mining. The spatiotemporal interaction patterns and influencing factors of intercity freight connections in China are then investigated. Key findings include: (1) The proposed method enables multidimensional and dynamic investigations by constructing timely and refined freight flow networks. (2) The network structure and spatial pattern of freight connections in China show monthly stability, significant spatial heterogeneity, symmetry, and a typical scale-free property. (3) Spatial interaction patterns are related to freight transportation scale. High-freight-volume regions form complete and homogeneous networks with activity space expanding, while low-freight-volume regions exhibit heterogeneity with connections focused on core cities. (4) More than 92 % of the socioeconomic factors exhibit significant nonlinear enhancement when interacting with distance. The nonlinear interaction between economic development level and distance is the most influential, explaining 23.7 %–85.7 % of the connection strength. These findings facilitate reasonable urban policy formulation and regional industrial collaboration. • The refined freight flow network supports multidimensional and dynamic analysis. • Freight flows exhibit monthly stability, symmetry, and scale-free characteristics. • The spatial organization of freight flows is heterogeneous across various regions. • Distance enhances over 92 % of socioeconomic factors nonlinearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of the rate of penetration (ROP) is a difficult issue in the drilling process, especially under complex formation conditions. Many methods, such as mechanism and machine learning, were introduced to investigate it. However, most of them are offline prediction methods which may not be capable of capturing the online trend of ROP. In this paper, a novel dynamic model for ROP prediction is proposed considering the process characteristics, which consists of three stages. In the first stage, the correlations between ROP and eight drilling parameters are analyzed, and the rotational speed, weight on bit, depth are selected as the model inputs. In the second stage, the drilling data are pre-processed by using the filtering and re-sampling techniques. In the last stage, the moving window strategy, extreme learning machine, and 10-fold cross validation are used to establish the ROP model. Our main idea of online prediction of ROP lies in this last stage. Specifically, two steps (modeling and prediction) are executed alternately in the moving drilling depth windows so as to predict the ROP more accurately. Finally, the proposed ROP prediction model is applied to the drilling well ZK3 in Xiangyang area, Central China. The prediction accuracy is improved by at least 7% compared with seven well-known ROP prediction methods, two online and five offline, which validates the effectiveness of the proposed method. It is believed that the proposed model provides a basis for intelligent optimization control in drilling process. • A novel intelligent dynamic model is proposed for the online prediction of drilling ROP. • The influence of the length of moving window and distance between two windows are investigated thoroughly. • The proposed model can learn autonomously in the drilling process and has a fast computation speed. • The proposed method has a higher prediction accuracy than two online and five offline well-known conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pteroceltis tatarinowii (Cannabaceae), a relic tree endemic to China, is mainly distributed in limestone mountains and has a wide geographical range. In this study, 12 microsatellite primer pairs were assayed to analyse the genetic pattern and gene flow among 461 individuals sampled from 23 wild populations of P. tatarinowii. A high level of genetic diversity was detected based on high values of total alleles (159), the number of alleles (NA = 6.373), expected heterozygosity (HE = 0.696) and observed heterozygosity (HO = 0.679). The high genetic diversity in this species may be attributed to its long‐life history, wide geographical distribution and wind dispersal. Only low genetic differentiation (GST = 0.137, FST = 0.138) was found among populations. Gene flow (migrants per generation, Nm) was estimated to be 1.56. This moderate level of gene flow possibly decrease interpopulation differentiation by buffering against genetic drift and improving gene exchange. However, spatial genetic structure was detected throughou the sampled range of the species (r = 0.311, p < 0.05) as well as in southern China (r = 0.453, p < 0.05), and may be related to terrain heterogeneity and the demographic history of P. tatarinowii. The east‐west high mountains of southern China might serve as physical barriers to seed and pollen flow. The isolation and local adaptation of different refugia may further limit gene flow. In addition, geographically remote populations might fail to effectively disperse pollen and seeds. Based on the above‐mentioned results, some suggestions for the conservation of the species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]