Impacts of artificial dams on terrestrial water storage changes and the Earth's elastic load response during 1950-2016: A case study of medium and large reservoirs in Chinese mainland

The construction of dams for intercepting and storing water has altered surface water distributions, landsea water exchanges, and the load response of the solid Earth. The lack of accurate estimation of reservoir properties through the land surface and hydrological models can lead to water storage simulation and extraction errors. This impact is particularly evident in many artificial reservoirs in China. The study aims to comprehensively assess the spatiotemporal distribution and trends of water storage in medium and large reservoirs(MLRs) in Chinese mainland during 1950-2016, and to investigate the gravity,displacement, and strain effects induced by the reservoir mass concentration using the load elasticity theory. In addition, the impoundment contributions of MLRs to the relative sea level changes were assessed using a sea-level equation. The results show impoundment increases in the MLRs during1950-2016, particularly in the Yangtze River(Changjiang) and southern basins, causing significant elastic load effects in the surrounding areas of the reservoirs and increasing the relative sea level in China's offshore. However, long-term groundwater estimation trends are overestimated and underestimated in the Yangtze River and southwestern basins, respectively, due to the neglect of the MLRs impacts or the uncertainty of the hydrological model's output(e.g., soil moisture, etc.). The construction of MLRs may reduce the water mass input from land to the ocean, thus slowing global sea level rise. The results of the impact of human activities on the regional water cycle provide important references and data support for improving the integration of hydrological models, evaluating Earth's viscoelastic responses under longterm reservoir storage, enhancing in-situ and satellite geodetic measurements, and identifying the main factors driving sea level changes.

Structural similarity of lithospheric velocity models of Chinese mainland

Existing lithospheric velocity models exhibit similar structures typically associated with the first-order tectonic features,with dissimilarities due to different data and methods used in model generation.The quantification of model structural similarity can help in interpreting the geophysical properties of Earth's interior and establishing unified models crucial in natural hazard assessment and resource exploration.Here we employ the complex wavelet structural similarity index measure(CW-SSIM)active in computer image processing to analyze the structural similarity of four lithospheric velocity models of Chinese mainland published in the past decade.We take advantage of this method in its multiscale definition and insensitivity to slight geometrical distortion like translation and scaling,which is particularly crucial in the structural similarity analysis of velocity models accounting for uncertainty and resolution.Our results show that the CW-SSIM values vary in different model pairs,horizontal locations,and depths.While variations in the inter-model CW-SSIM are partly owing to different databases in the model generation,the difference of tomography methods may significantly impact the similar structural features of models,such as the low similarities between the full-wave based FWEA18 and other three models in northeastern China.We finally suggest potential solutions for the next generation of tomographic modeling in different areas according to corresponding structural similarities of existing models.

Understanding and addressing the challenges of online gambling addiction in China's Mainland

Introduction Gambling in China has a long and evolving history,from ancient court cockfighting to preliberation casinos with games like baccarat.1 Over time,gambling in China has evolved to include a wide range of activities,including gaming machines,online gambling and commercial gambling.Despite being declared illegal and regulated after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China,gambling remains deeply ingrained in Chinese culture.

Towards fast focal mechanism inversion of shallow crustal earthquakes in the Chinese mainland

We have developed an automatic regional focal mechanism inversion system based on the Earthquake Rapid Report(ERR) system and the real-time three-component seismic waveform stream of 1 000 broadband seismic stations provided by the China Earthquake Networks Center(CENC). The system can rapidly provide a double couple solution and centroid depth within 5–15 min after receiving earthquake information from the ERR system.The data processing is triggered by earthquake information obtained from the ERR system. The system is capable of determining the focal mechanism of all shallow-depth earthquakes in the Chinese mainland with a magnitude of 5.5–6.5. It utilizes waveform data recorded by seismic stations located within 500 km from the epicenter,enabling the reporting of a focal mechanism solution within 5–15 min of an earthquake occurrence. Additionally,the system can assign a corresponding grade(A B C) to the focal mechanism solution. We processed a total of 301earthquakes that occurred from 2021 to June 2022, and after the quality control, 166 of them were selected.These selected solutions were manually checked, and 160 of them were compiled in a focal mechanism catalog.This catalog can be conveniently downloaded online via the Internet. The automatic focal mechanism solution of earthquakes in eastern China exhibits a good agreement with that provided by the Global Centroid Moment Tensor(GCMT), when available. The average Kagan angle between this catalog and GCMT is 22°, and the average difference in MWis 0.17. Furthermore, compared with GCMT, the minimum magnitude of our catalog has been reduced from approximately 5.0 to 4.0. The correlation between the centroid depth and crustal thickness in the Chinese mainland confirms the distribution of the centroid depth.

A Comparative Study of the L2 Pragmatic Competence of University Students in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland:The Contributions of Sociocultural Context and Linguistic Proficiency

This study investigates the differences in pragmatic competence between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland university students.Participants included 19 native speakers of English,115 Chinese mainland students,divided into those who had spent time abroad in an English-speaking country(CM A)and those who had not(CM NA),and 97 Hong Kong students,divided into those from an English-medium secondary school(Hong Kong EMI)and those from a Chinese-medium school(Hong Kong CMI).Linguistic proficiency was measured by a C-test,and pragmatic competence by a Metapragmatic Knowledge Test,an Irony Test and a Monologic Role Play.Group scores were compared using ANCOVAs to control for differences in proficiency.The results point to a continuum of pragmatic competence—EMI>CMI>CM A>CM NA—reflecting the groups’access to English in real-life contexts.The differences between the Hong Kong groups and the Chinese mainland groups were clearest in those tests measuring processing capacity(i.e.,Irony Response Time and the Monologic Role Play).CM A,but not CM NA,performed as well as the Hong Kong groups on measures of metapragmatic awareness.The results are discussed in terms of Bialystok’s(1993)distinction between analyzed representation and control of processing.

Assessment of strong earthquake risk in the Chinese mainland from 2021 to 2030

The long-term earthquake prediction from 2021 to 2030 is carried out by researching the active tectonic block boundary zones in the Chinese mainland.Based on the strong earthquake recurrence model,the cumulative probability of each target fault in the next 10 years is given by the recurrence period and elapsed time of each fault,which are adopted from relevant studies such as seismological geology,geodesy,and historical earthquake records.Based on the long-term predictions of large earthquakes throughout the world,this paper proposes a comprehensive judgment scheme based on the fault segments with the seismic gap,motion strongly locked,sparse small-moderate earthquakes,and apparent Coulomb stress increase.This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the relative risk for strong earthquakes that may occur in the coming 10 years on the major faults in the active tectonic block boundary zones in the Chinese mainland.The present loading rate of each fault is first constrained by geodetic observations;the cumulative displacement of each fault is then estimated by the elapsed time since the most recent strong earthquake.

A deep-learning-based approach for seismic surface-wave dispersion inversion(SfNet)with application to the Chinese mainland

Surface-wave tomography is an important and widely used method for imaging the crust and upper mantle velocity structure of the Earth.In this study,we proposed a deep learning(DL)method based on convolutional neural network(CNN),named SfNet,to derive the vS model from the Rayleigh wave phase and group velocity dispersion curves.Training a network model usually requires large amount of training datasets,which is labor-intensive and expensive to acquire.Here we relied on synthetics generated automatically from various spline-based vS models instead of directly using the existing vS models of an area to build the training dataset,which enhances the generalization of the DL method.In addition,we used a random sampling strategy of the dispersion periods in the training dataset,which alleviates the problem that the real data used must be sampled strictly according to the periods of training dataset.Tests using synthetic data demonstrate that the proposed method is much faster,and the results for the vS model are more accurate and robust than those of conventional methods.We applied our method to a dataset for the Chinese mainland and obtained a new reference velocity model of the Chinese continent(ChinaVs-DL1.0),which has smaller dispersion misfits than those from the traditional method.The high accuracy and efficiency of our DL approach makes it an important method for vS model inversions from large amounts of surface-wave dispersion data.

Investigation on the Integration of “Gao” in Hong Kong Chinese and Mainland Mandarin

From the diachronic dimension,this paper makes a two-way interactive investigation on the integration of Hong Kong Chinese and Mainland Mandarin.“Gao”is a delexical verb in contemporary Chinese.In different words and expressions related to“gao”character,there are mutual absorptions between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong,which is characterized by starting from nothing to something and from less to more.

The Genus Rhithrogena Eaton (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) from Chinese Mainland, with Description of a New Species

In present paper the genus Rhithrogena Eaton from Chinese mainland, including a new species to science (Rhithrogena lutea, sp. nov.), 2 new record species from China (R. bajkovae Sowa, R. lepnevae Brodsky) and 3 known species [R. wuyinensis (Gui et al.) (comb. nov.), R. trispina Zhou et Zheng, R. orientalis You (= R. sangangensis You, new synonym)] are revised besed on the imaginal specimens. A key to 7 species imagos is provided. All materials in this study are deposited in Nanjing Normal University.

A Preliminary Study on the Genus Caenis (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) from Chinese Mainland, with Description of a New Species

Five species of the genus Caenis from Chinese mainland are reviewed. Among them, C. parviforcipis (Zhou et al.) (nov. comb.) is transferred from the genus Brachycercus The larvae of the C. sinensis Gui et al. are described for the first time. The previously reported C. nigroforceps Zhou et al. is recognized as a new synonym of the Caenis rivulorum Eaton, and the report of C. nigropunctata Klapálek from China is confirmed. Both imagos and larvae of a new species C. melanoleuca, sp. nov. are described and illustrated in detail.

Surveillance of Hand,Foot,and Mouth Disease in China's Mainland (2008-2009)

Objective Since HFMD was designated as a class C communicable disease in May 2008,18 months surveillance data have been accumulated to December 2009.This article was to describe the distribution of HFMD for age,sex,area,and time between 2008 and 2009,to reveal the characteristics of the epidemic.Methods We analyzed weekly reported cases of HFMD from May 2008 to December 2009,and presented data on the distribution of age,sex,area and time.A discrete Poisson model was used to detect spatial-temporal clusters of HFMD.Results More than 1 065 000 cases of HFMD were reported in China's Mainland from May 2008 to December 2009 （total incidence：12.47 per 10 000）.Male incidence was higher than female for all ages and 91.9% of patients were 5 years old.The incidence was highest in Beijing,Shanghai,Zhejiang and Hainan.The highest peak of HFMD cases was in April and the number of cases remained high from April to August.The spatial-temporal distribution detected four clusters.Conclusion Children 5 years old were susceptible to HFMD and we should be aware of their vulnerability.The incidence was higher in urban than rural areas,and an annual pandemic usually starts in April.

Recurrence behaviors of segment-rupturing earthquakes on active faults of the Chinese mainland

To investigate the recurrence behaviors of segment-rupturing eathquakes on active faults of the Chinese mainland, thispaper analyzes quantitatively earthquake history of 19 fault segments based on earthquake dam of multi-cyclerecurrences. The result shows that, for these fault segments, eanhquake recurring at previous locations is mainlycharacterized by both quasi-periodic (in a ratio of about) and time-predictable (in a ratio of about) behaviors.For the first behavior. intrinsic uncertainty of recurrence interval accounts for 0. 15-0.40 of the average interval, andmagnitudes of event vary from cycle to cycle within the range of the mean magnitUde t0.5. For the second behavior,intrinsic uncertainty of recurrence interval ranges mostly from 0. 19 to 0.40 of the average interval, and for successivetwo cycles the maximum change of event magnitudes is as much as 1.7 magnitude-units. In addition, for a few casesthe first behavior coexists along with either the second or the slip-predictable behaviors.

Distribution of empirical recurrence intervals for segment-rupturing earthquakes onactive faults of the Chinese mainland

For the two main recurrence behaviors of segment-rupturing earthquakes on active faults of the Chinese mainland,this paper establishes corresponding empirical distributions forearthquake recurrence interval. The results show that, for the time-predictable recurrence, the normalized recurrence interval, T/Tt, obeys very well the lognormal distributions: LN (μ1=0.00, σ21 =0. 152), where, T is an observed recurrence interval, and Tt is the average recurrence interval that is correlative with the size of the preceding event. For the quasi-periodic recurrence, the normalized recurrence interval, T/T, follows the lognormal distribution : LN(μq=0.00, σ2q=0.242), where, T is the median of recurrence intervals for various cycles. A statistical test suggests that, there is no significant difference between the latter distribution, built by this paper, and the recurrence interval distribution for the characteristic earthquakes of the Circum-Pacific Plate boundaries (NB model). Accordingly, this paper combines these two distributions into one and obtains a more stable lognormal distribution :LN (μ = 0.00, σ2 = 0.222), for the quasi-periodic recurrence interval.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for gastric and colorectal cancer in China's Mainland

AIM:To investigate the current status of peritoneal carcinomatosis(PC) management,as well as the usage of cytoreductive surgery(CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy(HIPEC) in China's Mainland.METHODS:A potentially curative therapeutic strategy for selecting patients with PC,known as "Techniques",consists of CRS in combination with HIPEC.A systemic search of published works and clinical trials was performed.Additional papers were retrieved by crosschecking references and obtaining information from Chinese oncologists and relevant conferences.One hundred and one papers and one registered clinical trial on HIPEC were included.RESULTS:A literature review identified 86 hospitals in 25 out of all 31 areas of China's Mainland that perform HIPEC.The earliest report included in our survey was published in 1993.Different approaches to HIPEC have been utilized,i.e.palliative,prophylactic,and possiblycurative treatment.Only one center has consistently performed HIPEC according to the "Sugarbaker Protocol",which involves evaluating the extent of PC with peritoneal cancer index and the results of CRS with the completeness of cytoreduction.Positive preliminary results were reported:7 of 21 patients with PC survived,free of tumors,during an 8-43-mo follow-up period.Hyperthermic strategies that include HIPEC have been practiced for a long time in China's Mainland,whereas the "Sugarbaker Protocol/Techniques" has been only rarely implemented in China.The Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International hosts a biannual workshop with the intent to train more specialists in this field and provide support for the construction of quality treatment centers,especially in developing countries like China,whose population is huge and has a dramatically increased incidence of cancer.CONCLUSION:To popularize Sugarbaker Protocol/Techniques in China's Mainland in PC management arising from gastric cancer or colorectal cancer will be the responsibility of the upcoming Chinese Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group.

Molecular Epidemiology of Enteroviruses Associated with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in the Mainland of China

Hand, foot, and mouth disease （HFMD） is a common contagious illness which occurs worldwide both sporadically and in epidemics. The disease mainly affects, children and the typical symptoms, which may resolve spontaneously, include mucocutaneous papulovesicular lesions on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. In rare cases, however, the patients may also develop neurological complications such as neurogenic pulmonary edema,

Recent gravity changes in China Mainland

Based on results of the mobile gravity measurements of the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China and Digital Earthquake Observation Network of China, this paper shows the pattern of temporal gravity changes in China mainland on a time scale of 2 - 3 years since 1998, and gives an analysis of the patterns. The result shows that the temporal gravity changes basically reflect the current mass movement and occurrence of strong earthquakes.

Surface wave tomography of the crust and upper mantle of Chinese mainland and its neighboring region

The three dimensional S wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle of Chinese mainland and its neighboring region is obtained by genetic algorithm of surface wave tomography, with smoothness constraint, based on 25 wave group velocities for the periods from 10 s to 92 s, measured from long period Rayleigh waves recorded by 11 stations of CDSN and 12 digital seismometers surrounding China. The S wave velocity image is shown on two latitudinal sections along 30°N and 38°N, two longitudinal sections along 90°E and 120°E, and four horizontal slices at the different depths.

Boundary conditions of the dynamicnumerical model for the Chinese mainland lithosphere

The numerical dynamic model of Chinese mainland lithosphere's stress and strain field was constructed withelasto-viscous creep constitive relation. The most recent data of the stress field of Chinese mainland and thehorizontal movement velocity of the crust blocks were used as constraint conditions. The values of the boundalsforce were computed by trial-and-error method. The effect of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau's excess potential energyto the movement of Chinese mainland was studied also in this model. The results of the numerical computing showthat, recent rapid raising of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the generation of normal faults in the southem part ofthe plateau resulted from the convergence of Indian Plate to the Eurasian Plate, and also from the rapid convectivethinning of the lower lithosphere. Horizontal extension of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is the main dynamic factorto torm the present tectonic framework of the Chinese mainland. The compressive loads on the eastern boundaryof the model were mainly applied by the subduction of the Pacific Plate. The compression from the PhilippinePlate maybe slight.

Development of the Transitional Care Model for nursing care in China's Mainland:A literature review

Background:The Transitional Care Model(TCM)for nursing care has yet to be implemented in China despite its success in Western countries.However,rapid social changes have demanded an upgrade in the quality of nursing care;in 2010,the Chinese government has acknowledged the need to implement the TCM in China.Objective:This study has the following objectives:(1)perform a thorough review of the literature regarding the development and implementation of the TCM in China's Mainland within the past 5 years;(2)provide a comprehensive discussion of the current status,problems,and strategies related to the implementation of the TCM in China's Mainland;and(3)suggest strategies pertaining to the future of the TCM in China.Design:The current pertinent literature is systematically reviewed.Data sources:Systematic and manual searches in computerized databases for relevant studies regarding the TCM led to the inclusion of 26 papers in this review.Review methods:Abstracts that satisfied the inclusion criteria were reviewed independently by the two authors of this manuscript,and discrepancies were resolved through discussion.The same reviewers independently assessed the paper in its entirety for selected abstracts.Results:The present English literature reviewrevealed a paucity of updated information about the development and implementation of the TCM in China's Mainland.Nevertheless,the dramatic growth of the TCM in the past 5 years has had a vital impact within the society and in nursing development.This review also revealed numerous issues regarding the focus of the TCM.Overall implications for practiceandrecommendations for future researchare discussed.Conclusion:Despite the potential of this nursing model to have a successful and beneficial impact in China's Mainland,it remains an under-researched topic.Further research on education and training as well as premium policies for nurses under the TCM are needed.

ANALYSIS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES MAKING LANDFALL ON DIFFERENT REGIONS OF CHINESE MAINLAND

The locations(longitudes and latitudes)of the tropical cyclones(TCs)making landfall on the Chinese mainland from 1949 to 2008 are investigated in detail by using ArcGis and FORTRAN routine.The southeast coastline[110 to 122°E)with most landfall TCs was selected as the key region,which was divided into 12 subsections with 1°intervals of longitude.The study period was from July to September in each year.The result showed that the average sustaining time of TCs making landfall on the subsections east of 118°E is longer than those west of 118°E.Before landfall,the averaged TC intensity in the subsections east of118°E is stronger than that west of it.After landfall,however,the difference between the west and east is not significant.The index of destructive potential for the period before/after landfall was defined as TDP1/TDP2.The maximum of TDP1/TDP2 occurred in the subsection of[119,120°E)/[110,111°E).The ENSO impact on the frequency and average location of landfall TC over the whole region at 110 to 122°E is not obvious,but the effect varies with specific subsections.There is little differences of averaged TDP1 in the subsections between different phases of ENSO events,but the averaged TDP2 is larger in the warm events than that in the cold events.The rainstorm days of each station caused by TCs in different subsections were counted respectively.The results suggested that the rainstorm days of the subsections east of 118°E are much more than those west of 118°E.The larger values are primarily distributed at the subsections of[119,120°E)and[110,111°E).