The causes and processes responsible for rocky desertification in karst areas of southern China

The karst region of southern China is a fragile ecological zone with widespread rocky desertification. This paper describes the rocky desertification occurring in this region in terms of both natural and anthropogenic factors. During geological time periods, the region’s changing environment governed the natural rocky desertification processes, whereas during historical and modern times, anthropogenic processes have been superimposed on these natural processes. Human activities have accelerated and exacerbated rocky desertification. The period from the beginning to the middle of the Qing dynasty was an important transitional period in which human activities began to exert a particularly strong influence on rocky desertification. Since then, the effect of anthropogenic factors has increasingly exceeded the effect of natural factors. The rocky desertification process in southern China’s karst region combines surface ecological processes (including vegetation degradation and loss, soil erosion, surface water loss, and bedrock solution) with a reduction of the land’s biological productivity, leading to degradation that produces rocky desert. Controlling rocky desertification requires comprehensive development of sustainable agriculture and economic development that provides employment alternatives to agriculture and thereby promotes the rehabilitation of rocky desertified land.

Spatial heterogeneity of soil water content in the reversion process of desertification in arid areas

Sandy soils in arid,rain-fed environments have low and limited water content,which is a principal factor limiting vegetation development,and a key constraint controlling the structure and functions of the ecological systems in arid areas.The spatial heterogeneity of soil water content is a major soil property,and a focus of soil science and hydrology.On the southern edge of the Tengger Desert,sample plots were selected from mobile sand dunes in desertified lands that had been enclosed for 5,15 and 25 years,respectively.This study explored the dynamic and spatial heterogeneity of soil water content in these different layers of soil that were also in the reversion process of desertification.The results showed that the soil water content of the mobile sand dunes was highest when in the initial stages of the reversion process of desertification,while the soil water content in the 0-20 cm,20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers of soil was 1.769%,3.011%,and 2.967% respectively,presenting a restoring tendency after 25 years of enclosure.There were significant differences,as a whole,in the soil water content among different restoration stages and different soil layers,respectively.Changes in soil water content,in different soil layers,at different restoration stages,exhibited exponential or spherical patterns.The spatial distribution of soil water content exhibited a mosaic patch pattern with obvious spatial heterogeneity.The ratio of the heterogeneity of spatial autocorrelation to gross spatial heterogeneity was greater than 50%.The gross spatial heterogeneity of the 0-20 cm layer of soil improved gradually,while those of the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers improved initially,then weakened in the reversion process of desertification.This study revealed that restoration with sand-binding vegetation reduced soil water content,and increased its spatial heterogeneity in arid areas.However,after 25 years of vegetation-soil system restoration,the soil water content started to increase and its spatial heterogeneity started to weaken.These results will further benefit the understanding of the ecological mechanism between soil water and sand-binding vegetation.

Progress of Solidification Researches and the Applications in Materials Processing

The research achievements of solidification theories and technologies in the last decades are reviewed with the stresses on some new development in the recent years. Some new interesting areas emerged in the last years are also pointed out.

PROGRESS IN “APPLIED RESEARCH ON DROUGHT & DESERTIFICATION”——A fruitful cooperative program between China and the World Laboratory

World Laboratory (WL) is an international organ financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its operation is exclusively for the Third World countries, where basic research projects are carried out and research results are applied to the benefit of the local areas and the world as a whole. The Project of"Applied Research on Drought &

Advances in Research of Extraction Processes and Anti-aging Effect of Flavonoids in Traditional Chinese Medicines

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites in plants and possess extensive pharmacological activities.Flavonoids have remarkable effect in prevent anti-tumor and cancer,but flavonoids can't be synthesized directly in the body.According to the different properties and structures of flavonoids in Traditional Chinese medicines,different extraction methods should be selected.Besides,flavonoids have good anti-aging effects.Based on three theories of modern aging,the anti-aging effect of flavonoids was discussed.It is expected to provide a beneficial reference for further development and utilization of natural flavonoid resources.

A Critique of Eye-Tracking Approach in Translation Process Research

With the rapid growth of eye-tracking studies in translation process research, concomitant methodologicalproblems have become increasingly prominent. This paper starts with the discussion of the controversial “eye-mindassumption”, and then focuses on various threats to experimental validity in research design and problems witheye-tracking data filtering and analysis. It is hoped that this discussion would be beneficial to those who are now orwill be engaged in eye-tracking based translation studies.

South China University of fechnology Advanced Metallic Materials Research and Processing Technology Center

A dvanced Metallic Materials Research and Processing Technology Center was found in December 1998. As a unit under The College of Mechanical Engineering, the Center is an expansion of the former Cast and Composite Materials Research Group, which was found in the early eighties of last century. The Center is focusing in the basic and applied research, and development of advanced metallic materials and their processing technology. It also functions as an organization

A Numerical Research on the Influences of the Diurnal Variation of Solar Radiation on the Medium-Range Weather Processes

In this paper, we use a spectral model for the medium-range numerical weather forecast to discuss the impact of the diurnal variation of solar radiation on the medium-range weather processes. Under the tests of two typical winter and summer cases, we find that the influences of the diurnal variation of solar radiation on summer weather are really important, especially on its rainfall, surface heat transport and 500 hPa height field. On winter weather, however, the influences are very weak.

Current Status and Prospect of Process Research in CISRI

The Central Iron and Steel Research Institute(CISRI),directly under the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry(MMI),is a comprehensive research institute mainly engaged in the research and development of new metallic materials and new iron and steel process.With the rapid development of China’s iron and steel industry,CISRI has also made a great progress since it was established more than 40 years ago.In 1994,the steel output of

Tsinghua University Tsinghua-TOYO Research and Development Center of Magnesium and Aluminum Alloys Processing Technology

Tsinghua-TOYO Research and Development Center of Magnesium and Aluminum Alloys Processing Technology was officially established between Tsinghua University and TOYO Machinery & Metal Co. on Feb. 26, 2002, which is a non-independent legal research organization located in Department of Mechanical Engineering of Tsinghua University. The center was equipped with one set of 650t automatic magnesium and aluminum alloys diecasting machine and necessary accessories including the melting furnaces for magnesium alloys and aluminum alloys, an accurate magnesium pump to transfer the magnesium alloys to the shot sleeve of the die casting machine, a die temperature controller, and data logging systems for cavity pressure and die temperature distributions, etc. The center is aimed to the research and development of magnesium and aluminum die casting process and their related technologies, and the main research contents include:

Progress in sandy desertification research of China

Sandy desertification is land degradation characterized by wind erosionmainly resulted from the excessive human activities in arid, semiarid and part of sub-humid regionsin northern China, The research on sandy desertification has experienced more than 5 decades ofarduous course of the struggle along with the establishment and development of China's desertscience. Researches in this field have made a great contribution to the national economicconstruction, and environmental protection. This paper focuses on presenting the major progress andachievements in the sandy desertification research during the last 50 years, including the stages ofstudy on sandy desertification, background environment of sandy desertification and its changes,the conception, causes, process, monitoring and assessment of sandy desertification, the vegetationsuccession, landscape ecology, plant physiology, impacts on ecosystem, high-effective use of waterand land resources and sustainable development in sandy desertified regions, sandy desertificationcontrol models and techniques etc.

GLOBAL SUBSTORM PROCESSES IN GEOSPACE AND FRONTIERS IN SUBSTORM RESEARCH

This paper discusses the problems we confront in the study of magnetospheric substorms. This includes the global processes of magnetospheric substorms, the origin of the southern-northern component of interplanetary magnetic field, quantitative effects of the interplanetary conditions, driving processes of the solar wind, location of the triggering of the expansion phase, and relationship between magnetospheric storms and substorms. Moreover, the research directions in the future have also been discussed.

A Brief Analysis of Sustainable Progress of Innovative Research &Development of Chinese Copper Processing Firms—With Japanese Furukawa Electric as a Standard

In comparison with copper processing industrial leader Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Chinese copper processing industry faces many shortcomings and difficulties including but not limited to outdated equipment and technologies, low degree of specialization, and unstable product quality. The review of Furukawa Electric’s development milestones reveals that Chinese copper processing industry has reached a stage in which it must rely on technological research and development (R & D) to promote sustainable productivity. Chinese copper processing firms have to invest in R & D to promote sustainable technological innovations and to improve the precisions of business practice in order to ensure the firms’ improvement.

Malaysian Teacher Trainees＇ Competencies of Accessing, Evaluating, and Applying Information Ethically in Research Process

The case study attempts to discover with certainty the competency of accessing, evaluating and applying information in research process acquired by undergraduate trainees of Malaysian Teacher Education Institute in the northern region of Peninsula Malaysia. Considered as highly important skills that trainee teachers have to acquire a comprehensive understanding of information literacy to pursue a research. Yet, it is a pivotal fact indicated by recent researchers that most future teachers often enter teaching without the necessary information literacy skills and knowledge in research process. The scope of study is based on full-time final year undergraduate trainee teachers for the Educational Degree Programme doing their school based action research in the states of Kedah, Perlis, and Penang. The study analyzes problems and issues faced by these trainee teachers tied up to information literacy competency in doing research process. The study investigates trainees＇ competencies of accessing, evaluating, and applying information ethically in their research process. The findings hope to give insights to stake holders on the ways to move forward in terms of needs, process and outcomes in accordance with the Malaysian National Information Literacy Agenda.

Harnessing artificial intelligence for identifying conflicts of interest in research

This editorial explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence(AI)in identifying conflicts of interest(COIs)within academic and scientific research.By harnessing advanced data analysis,pattern recognition,and natural language processing techniques,AI offers innovative solutions for enhancing transparency and integrity in research.This editorial discusses how AI can automatically detect COIs,integrate data from various sources,and streamline reporting processes,thereby maintaining the credibility of scientific findings.

Optimization study of station track utilization in high-speed railroad based on constraints of control in random origin and process

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to eliminate the fluctuations in train arrival and departure times caused by skewed distributions in interval operation times.These fluctuations arise from random origin and process factors during interval operations and can accumulate over multiple intervals.The aim is to enhance the robustness of high-speed rail station arrival and departure track utilization schemes.Design/methodologylapproach-To achieve this objective,the paper simulates actual train operations,incorporating the fluctuations in interval operation times into the utilization of arrival and departure tracks at the station.The Monte Carlo simulation method is adopted to solve this problem.This approach transforms a nonlinear model,which includes constraints from probability distribution functions and is difficult to solve directly,into a linear programming model that is easier to handle.The method then linearly weights two objectives to optimize the solution.Findings-Through the application of Monte Carlo simulation,the study successfully converts the complex nonlinear model with probability distribution function constraints into a manageable linear programming model.By continuously adjusting the weighting coefficients of the linear objectives,the method is able to optimize the Pareto solution.Notably,this approach does not require extensive scene data to obtain a satisfactory Pareto solution set.Originality/value-The paper contributes to the field by introducing a novel method for optimizing high-speed rail station arrival and departure track utilization in the presence of fluctuations in interval operation times.The use of Monte Carlo simulation to transform the problem into a tractable linear programming model represents a significant advancement.Furthermore,the method's ability to produce satisfactory Pareto solutions without relying on extensive data sets adds to its practical value and applicability in real-world scenarios.

Analytic Hierarchy Process for Technological Risks in the Process of Innovative Drug Development in China

Objective To identify the critical risks in the process of innovative drug research and development,and to provide reference for improving the efficiency of innovative drug development and risk control in China.Methods Expert investigation and analytic hierarchy process were used to determine the weights of different risks.Results and Conclusion The research and analysis results showed that the risks at different stages of development had different effects on the success rate of drug development,among which the risk at the drug discovery stage influenced the most.In the drug discovery stage,inappropriate target selection had the greatest impact on the success rate of drug development.The lack of appropriate cell tissue or animal models had the greatest impact on the success rate of drug development from the discovery of a compound to the application for clinical trials.The difference in changes between nonclinical and clinical studies had the greatest impact on the success rate of drug development from early clinical studies to pivotal clinical studies.Incorrect dose selection had the greatest impact on the success rate of drug development from pivotal clinical studies to marketing authorization applications.The biggest impact from the marketing authorization application to the approval stage was inadequate communication with regulators.After investigating the weight of risk factors in the process of innovative drug development based on scientific methods,a new perspective for the risk control of new drug development and improving the research and development efficiency is provided.

Research Progress and Prospects for the Evolution Process and Treatment Technology of Urban Black and Smelly Water

Water is an important material resource for human survival,and with the increasing development of society,the amount of urban industrial wastewater and domestic sewage is gradually increasing.However,wastewater collection and treatment facilities lag behind,so that a large number of wastewater enters urban water,making urban water become gradually black and smelly.In order to provide a good living environment for human beings,a large number of scholars actively explore the treatment technology of black and smelly water.In this paper,the evolution process of black and smelly water was introduced firstly,and then the treatment technology of black and smelly water was summarized.Finally,the prospects for the development of the treatment technology were put forward.