Forest fragmentation and human population varies logarithmically along elevation gradient in Hindu Kush Himalaya-utility of geospatial tools and free data set

Hindu Kush Himalaya(HKH) is the largest and the most diverse mountain region in the world that provides ecosystem services to one fifth of the total world population. The forests are fragmented to different degrees due to expansion and intensification of human land use. However, the quantitative relationship between fragmentation and demography has not been established before for HKH vis-à-vis along elevation gradient. We used the globally available tree canopy cover data derived from Landsat-TM satellite to find out the decadal forest cover change over 2000 to 2010 and their corresponding fragmentation levels. Using SRTMderived DEM, we observed high forest cover loss up to2400 m that highly corroborated with the population distribution pattern as derived from satellite observation. In general, forest cover loss was found to be higher in south-eastern part of HKH. Forest fragmentation obtained using ‘area-weighted mean radius of gyration' as indicator, was found to be very high up to 2400 m that also corroborated with high human population for the year 2000 and 2010. We observed logarithmic decrease in fragmentation change(area-weighted mean radius of gyration value),forest cover loss and population growth during 2000-2010 along the elevation gradient with very high R^2 values(i.e., 0.889, 0.895, 0.944 respectively). Our finding on the pattern of forest fragmentation and human population across the elevation gradient in HKH region will have policy level implication for different nations and would help in characterizing hotspots of change. Availability of free satellite derived data products on forest cover and DEM, griddata on demography, and utility of geospatial tools helped in quick evaluation of the forest fragmentation vis-a-vis human impact pattern along the elevation gradient in HKH.

The Usage of “xiaojie (小姐)” in Contem porary Chinese: Synchronic Differences in Distribution and Possibilities for Diachronic Change

xiaojie(小姐， miss) is a popular form of address in contemporary Chinese; generally speaking, it is defined as a title for ―unmarried girl. This form has multiple connotations,. Given recent changes in society, some think that, xiaojie (小姐） will become a widely-used form of address, while others think that young females will come to consider the title repulsive. None can have the final say, this is because the synchronic language differences are not only the result of the synchronic change but also possibly its sign. Since synchronic differences could not only be a result of diachronic change but also could herald further change, it is not clear what direction xiaojie (小姐） will take. In the language conflicts, When two language varieties conflict, the more common variety usually influences the less common. A field investigation in large cities throughout China thus allows us not only to draw A Distributional Map of Pragmatic Features of the Title xiaojie(小姐) ,but also enables us to see its diachronic possibilities.

GEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANT OF SPOROPOLLEN ASSEMBLAGE IN THE XUESHAN FORMATION

The Xueshan Formation is a set of red coarse clastic deposit of land facies consisting mainly of lithic sandstone, pebbled sandstone, conglomerate, intercalated with siltstone and mudstone. It is distributed in the eastern part of north Qiangtang Basin, and overlies conformably the Suowa Formation bearing marine fossils. It is very difficult to find valuable fossils from the Xueshan Formation excepting rare bivalve fragments and prints.We collected a few spore and pollen samples from the middle part of the Xueshan Formation in Tuonamulematianbao section, Shuanghu, in 1997, when we made geological survey for petroleum and nature gas. Some fossils of spore and pollen were obtained from these samples. They are: Cyathidites minor, Toroisporis sp .., Todisporites minor, Lygodiumsporites subsimplex, Cicatricosisporites ludbrooki, C. sp ., Psophosphaera sp ., Chasmatosporites minor, Classopollis annulatus, C. clssoiddes, C. minor, Cerebrropollenites carlylensis, Callialasporites dampieri, Quadraeculina anellaeformis, Pseudopicea variabiliformis.

Neoarchean and Rhyacian TTG-Sanukitoid suites in the southern S?o Francisco Paleocontinent,Brazil:Evidence for diachronous change towards modern tectonics

The southern portion of the Sao Francisco Palaeocontinent in Brazil is denoted by Archean nuclei and Paleoproterozoic magmatic arcs that were amalgamated during Siderian to Orosirian orogenic processes(ca.2.4-2.1 Ga).New isotopic U-Pb in zircon and Sm-Nd whole rock combined with major and trace element composition analyses constrain the crystallization history of the Neoarchean Piedade block(at ca.2.6 Ga)and the Paleoproterozoic Mantiqueira Complex(ca.2.1-1.9 Ga).These therefore display quite different magmatic histories prior to their amalgamation at ca.2.05 Ga.Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopes imply a mixed mantle-crustal origin for the samples in both units.A complete Palaeoproterozoic orogenic cycle,from subduction to collision and collapse,is recorded in the Piedade Block and the Mantiqueira Complex.Rhyacian to Orosirian subduction processes(ca.2.2-2.1 Ga)led to the generation of coeval(ca.2.16 Ga)TTG suites and sanukitoids,followed by late(2.10-2.02 Ga)high-K granitoids that mark the collisional stage.The collisional accretion of the Mantiqueira Complex against the Piedade Block at 2.08-2.04 Ga is also recorded by granulite facies metamorphism in the latter terrane,along the Ponte Nova suture zone.The collisional stage was closely followed by the emplacement of within-plate tholeiites at ca.2.04 Ga and by alkaline rocks(syenites and enriched basic rocks)at ca.1.98 Ga,marking the transition to an extensional tectonic regime.The discovery of two episodes of TTG and sanukitoid magmatism,one during the Neoarchean in the Piedade Complex and another during the Rhyacian in the Mantiqueira Complex,indicates that the onset of subduction-related melting of metasomatized mantle was not restricted to Neoarchean times,as generally believed,but persisted much later into the Paleoproterozoic.

Describing Citations as a Function of Time

Purpose:Providing an overview of types of citation curves.Design/methodology/approach:The terms citation curves or citation graphs are made explicit.Findings:A framework for the study of diachronous(and synchronous)citation curves is proposed.Research limitations:No new practical applications are given.Practical implications:This short note about citation curves will help readers to make the optimal choice for their applications.Originality/value:A new scheme for the meaning of the term"citation curve"is designed.

The Development of Successive Conjunctions of Chinese

The paper explored the development of successive conjunctions from Archaic Chinese to Contemporary Chinese from a macroscopic perspective.Data statistics and diachronic study method were adopted in this paper,and the results indicated that a quantity of new successive conjunctions have been produced both in Archaic Chinese and Mid-ancient Chinese,and at the same time a very large proportion of the old successive conjunctions were superseded by the new.Those which appeared in very few types of corpus and have low frequency of use are more likely to be eliminated.In Contemporary Chinese,the successive conjunction system tends to be stable and concise.

Towards a Research Paradigm for Diachronic Analyses of Term Travels:A New Perspective of Term Translation Studies

Research on term travels transcends the scope of the single discipline of historical semantics,and should be included in the transdisciplinary area of discourse studies,as such travels are discursive events in history that have both a linguistic and a social aspect.In other words,the travel of terms across cultures should be treated as discourses in history,and the three-fold nature of the concept of“discourse”sheds light upon the building of a model for diachronic analyses of such processes,which helps discourse analysts sharing the same goal work together to draw more scholarly attention to academic issues at the crossroads of history,language,and society.

Analysis of Different Usage Between“Kan”(Seeing)and“Jian”(Meeting)

“Kan”and“Jian”are both sense verbs in Chinese,but they can develop into multiple meanings and usage.In order to prove that the language in communication assumes the collective cultural experience and historical background,this article attempts,from the connection and differentiation between various meanings,to sort out how the semantic structure is defined in accordance with the situations where the words are used.In addition,based on the methods of the diachronic research and synchronic research,this article also observes the semantic evolution and the extensive concepts of imitation and implication.

A Diachronic Study on Translation Strategies of Culturespecific Items With the Translation of Measurement Unit in Howard GoldBlatt’s Works as An Example

The translation of culture-specific items(CSI)has been a challenge for translators as well as cited examples for untranslatability.With the analysis of the strategies employed on the Chinese-English translation of measurement unit by Howard Goldblatt in his translation works of different times,this paper discusses the transition from“untranslatable”to“translatable”of certain CSIs.Translation strategies for CSI are also proposed with the consideration of how Chinese culture being introduced into the outside world.The study shows that although Goldblatt clearly advocates“reader-centered”translation,that is,the translator should translate for the target language reader,and emphasizes that the translator can only translate and be responsible for the target language reader,we can still see his efforts to introduce Chinese culture to American readers through his translation.

Land-Use and Land-Cover Change in the Sahel Area of Keita Valley, Republic of Niger

Keita region is largely dependent on agriculture and livestock as the main economic activities with about 90% of the population are actively engaged in rural activities. However, these activities are dwindling at a rate that corresponds with increase in the ecosystem’s vulnerability. The following study focused on land use/land cover change in Keita. The study aims to better understand changes through diachronic analysis by integrating remote sensing and GIS. There was an interpretation of satellites imagery (1975, 1984, 1995 and 2001), and statistical techniques were used to provide quantitative analysis of land use/cover change information and drivers underlying in the study area. The changes are affected by simultaneous influence of successive droughts (1973-1974 and 1983-1984) that have transformed ecological balance, anthropogenic and livestock impacts, ecosystems degradation and policies. The land use temporal dynamics are undergone continual degradation of vegetation, the state of land saturation results in conflicts between farmer and herders, the drop in grazing areas, bare land expansion, the erosion of stream bed, and the decline in flooded plain.

A Diachronic Study of the Phenomena of Personal Pronouns with Attributives in Southeast Asia Huayu

Based on the phenomenon of personal pronouns with attributives,this paper investigates the development and evolution of grammar in Southeast Asia Huayu.The results showed that the personal pronouns with attributives have shown an upward development trend in the centuries-old Huayu,as evidenced by the increasing number and frequency of their use,and the expansion of the range of personal pronouns that can carry attributives as well as the types of attributives.In addition,investigating the use of this linguistic phenomenon in Huayu,Putonghua,and Mandarin in a global perspective,it can be found that the three maintain a greater consistency.

A Corpus-based Investigation of NEED in Written American English

As one of the most frequent words in the English language,the study of NEED has attracted the attention of linguists in the late decades.Nonetheless,none of the previous research had ever examined the diachronic variation of NEED in American English from 1810s to 2000s as this study did,thus not in a position to make a comprehensive observation of NEED variation.The present study is based on a well-balanced corpora-Corpus of Historical American English(COHAE)1 to investigate the diachronic change of NEED in written American English.Moreover,intra-linguistic and extra-linguistic factors were analyzed to provide reasonable explanations for the differences in frequency.The aim was to improve the understanding of the development and variation of NEED usage in American English.The study suggests that before the 1900s,NEED as a model and verb in American English shows a distinct and complex picture different from that in the British English,but it shows similar development since then.It also finds that need to is undergoing grammaticalization.Another finding worth noting is that NEED undertakes degrammaticalization on the one hand and experiences regrammaticalization on the other hand.

THE DIACHRONIC ANALYSES ON DIVERSE MEANINGS AND DIRECTIONAL PRACTICE OF'XIA'

In the pragmatic practice of the Chinese verb'Xia', we can explore a great amount of different uses , including ones with concrete meanings and ones with abstract functional meanings .But it has been a big question when defining the category of ab-stract meanings of 'Xia'.Hu Xia qing has contributed to the categorization of modern meanings , which is lacking in grammatical analysis.Feng Jie has made some research upon the grammatical meanings of 'Xia', which came to the conclusion as 'directional verbs', but his research also lacks diachronic background.This research aims at providing some support of diachronic analyses to consummate the theory of'directional verbs', by giving out the pragmatic practices and dynamic changes of connection structure on the basis of five books that are belonging to five different periods, via Antconc.

ON THE STRATIGRAPHICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE KEPINGOPHYLLIDS DURING THE MAPING AGE IN CHINA

Since the 1970s, a type of massive rugose coral having very special interwalls in the Mapingian and Chihsian strata in many regions of China has been described and reported in succession. In 1982, WU Wang-shi and ZHOU Kang-jie established a new family Kepingophyllidae to represent such a type of rugose coral. Later on, WU Wang-shi

Diachronic Emergence and Its Characteristics from the Viewpoint of Complexity Science

Complexity science,which arose in the second half of the 20th century,initiated research into the emergence of complex systems and led to the rise of the concept of diachronic emergence.Compared to British emergentism,research on diachronic emergence underwent some crucial changes—namely,(1)putting the enterprise of unveiling the mechanics of emergence at its core;(2)taking inter-disciplinary research as its viewpoint;(3)and taking computer simulation as its method.Because of this new approach,“diachronic emergence”is closely related to terms from complexity science such as“systems,”“self-organization,”“complexity,”and“chaos.”In this paper,we examine two cases of purported diachronic emergence and argue that both count as genuine cases of ontological emergence.The first is Paul Humphreys,fusion emergence and the second is Mark Bedau’s simulation emergence.In both cases,the emergent entity/property possesses genuine causal powers,and hence counts as a form of ontological,not merely epistemological emergence.Fusion emergence is a kind of strong diachronic emergence that emphasizes diachronicity and non-supervenience.The kind of emergence based on computer simulations can be seen as a kind of weak diachronic emergence.Bedau studies the process and mechanics of emergence with the help of computer simulations,and he argues that weak diachronic emergence has characteristics such as underivability without simulation,explanatory incompressibility,and underivability without crawling the micro-causal web.Moreover,he tries to present an explanatory model of weak emergence that posits the existence of higher-level entities with weak downward causation and claims the emergent level to be explanatorily autonomous.The core of both strong diachronic emergence and weak diachronic emergence is a focus on unpredictable emergent entities,which are new properties or new structures generated from evolution,and a characteristic emphasis on the diachronicity of the generation of emergent entities.Therefore,diachronic emergence has characteristics such as novelty in evolution,unpredictability,and autonomy of macro-explanation.

Love in a Changing Society of the Past Half a Century： Suzhou River as a Historical Allegory

Suzhou River, a 2000 film directed by Lou Ye, explores several tragic love stories set in Shanghai around the transitional period of 1980s and 1990s. Many critics have praised its technical excellence, yet generally they have not paid sufficient attention to its subject matter. This paper departs from previous interpretations of the film, which have tended to be premised on superficial readings of the plotline, and contends that the work constitutes a poignant socio-political critique, which is conveyed through the construction of differing love stories set against a changing socio-cultural landscape. The past and the present incarnations of the cardinal female protagonist--who can be understood as a symbol for the average Chinese （woman）--suggest the fact that the society has transformed dramatically across the three disparate eras of the past half a century; accordingly, the identity of the Chinese also shifts tremendously. In this way, Lou Ye in effect constructs a diachronic re-presentation of the changing social mores and varied cultural ethos in a synchronic structure, which is subject to be read as an ingenious historical allegory.