Sichuan Academy Of Social Sciences

The concept of the “space of flows” emphasizes cross-space resource sharing arising from element flows in the digital age and has become an important topic in digital economy (DE) research. The DE is a key driver of global economic growth, whereas carbon emissions (CE) remain a major barrier to achieving global sustainable development goals. Existing research primarily examines the DE-CE relationship from a static perspective based on regional attributes. However, there is a lack of in-depth analysis on the digital economy spatial correlation network (DESCN) and its impact on CE from the perspective of the space of flows. This study aims to address this academic gap within the Chinese context. Our study applies the modified gravity model and social network analysis (SNA) method to characterize the DESCN, and further uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the network’s influence on CE. The key findings are as follows: (1) The DESCN exhibits multi-threaded and densifying characteristics, with increasingly frequent inter-regional cooperation, closer internal connections, and a continuously expanding overall scope. (2) While the DESCN exerts a significant overall impact on CE, its specific effects vary significantly. Simply elevating a region’s status within the network is not enough to achieve regional carbon reduction and may even result in increased emissions. (3) To fully unlock the carbon reduction potential of the DE, regions must consider other factors, including population size, energy consumption, industrial structure, and openness.

Flower color is a key ornamental and ecological trait that influences both aesthetic appeal and pollinator interactions. Although the biosynthetic and regulatory mechanisms of floral pigmentation are well characterized in several model species, they remain poorly understood in Meconopsis, an alpine genus renowned for its striking color diversity. Elucidating the molecular basis of petal coloration is crucial for the genetic improvement and conservation of this unique ornamental resource. Here, we combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying flower coloration in three Meconopsis species-M. balangensis (blue), M. punicea (red), and M. integrifolia (yellow)-using M. argemonantha (white) as a control. Metabolite profiling revealed strong correlations between color parameters and pigment composition, particularly flavonoids and anthocyanins. Blue and red pigmentation were primarily attributed to cyanidin- and delphinidin-based anthocyanins, while yellow coloration resulted from quercetin derivatives. Transcriptome analysis identified key structural genes (F3'H, DFR, ANS, UFGT, CHS, F3H, and FLS) and regulatory transcription factors (MYB and bHLH) that collectively modulate flavonoid biosynthesis across species. Our findings demonstrate that divergence in the regulation of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway drives color differentiation among Meconopsis species. This study provides new insight into the metabolic and transcriptional control of alpine flower coloration and establish a theoretical foundation for the molecular breeding of novel Meconopsis cultivars.

Promoting urbanization construction with county towns as an essential carrier was a significant decision made by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, marking a historic shift in China’s New-Type Urbanization strategy. Based on panel data from 176 counties in 21 cities in western China from 2013 to 2022, this paper empirically examines the heterogeneous effects of New-Type Urbanization on the urban-rural income gap at the county and city levels by developing a comprehensive index system for New-Type Urbanization developments. The results show that: (1) whether at the county or the city level, the construction of New-Type Urbanization significantly contributes to narrowing the urban and rural residents’ income gap; (2) based on the comparative analysis of the county and city levels, it was found that taking the county as the basic unit to promote New-Type Urbanization development has more advantages in narrowing the income gap; (3) compared with city districts, promoting New-Type Urbanization construction in county towns is more beneficial for narrowing the urban-rural income gap.

The Ms 6.0 Changning Earthquake in 2019 caused severe damage to Gongquan Town, Sichuan. Our on-site investigation of seismic damage found that the three-dimensional topography and geological conditions of the town may have exacerbated the earthquake’s amplification effects. Research on the amplification effects of seismic ground motion will be of help to understand the local seismic damage mechanisms and provide a scientific basis for disaster prevention and reduction in the region. To this end, we deployed a seismic array in Gongquan Town to observe seismic activities and analyze the amplification effects in the area. The research results, from weak-motion seismograms of aftershocks, indicate that there is a significant seismic ground motion amplification in Gongquan Town, with an average amplification factor of 11 over the frequency range of 5–7 Hz. Additionally, the amplification varied widely among different sites in different earthquakes, with Site G09 experiencing an amplification as high as 26 times of Site G06 during one of the earthquakes. Simulation studies suggest that the extreme amplification at G09 is not caused by the soil layers directly beneath the site. Further analysis found that the extreme amplification at this site is closely related to the orientation of the seismic source, with earthquakes north-northeast to G09 more likely to cause extreme seismic motion amplification at the site. The large peak amplification at G09 of weak motion data is likely to be significantly reduced in a large earthquake due to nonlinearity. However, the phenomenon reminds us to pay special attention to the risk of significant damage caused by the combined effects of extreme amplification in future earthquake defense efforts.

Heavy metal contamination in water poses a serious global environmental challenge. In particular, hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) is particularly concerning due to its carcinogenicity and genotoxicity. In this work, core-shell NH2-UiO-66@UiO-67 nanoparticles (NPs) were in situ stepwise grown on sulfonated polypropylene (PP) nonwoven to fabricate a multifunctional composite (NH2-UiO-66@UiO-67/PP composite nonwoven) for efficient removal of Cr (VI). As expected, the resulting NH2-UiO-66@UiO-67/PP composite nonwoven exhibited dual functionality for efficient Cr (VI) remediation: simultaneous adsorption and visible-light-driven photocatalytic reduction, accompanied by effective sequestration of the resulting Cr (III), due to the presence of NH2-UiO-66@UiO-67 NPs. Under visible light irradiation, the composite achieved exceptional performance, reducing Cr (VI) concentrations from 0.608 mg/L to below 0.004 mg/L and lowering total Cr concentrations from 0.876 mg/L to below 0.004 mg/L, corresponding to a removal efficiency of over 99.6%. The mechanism was elucidated as an integrated adsorption-reduction-fixation process. More importantly, the composite demonstrated outstanding recyclability, retaining 80.0% of its removal efficiency after five regeneration cycles, highlighting its practical potential. Therefore, the as-obtained NH2-UiO-66@UiO-67/PP composite nonwoven can be viewed as a highly efficient material for treating Cr (VI)-contaminated wastewater through an adsorption-photocatalytic reduction pathway.

This study examines how digital media use and perceived social support influence political participation among Chinese youth. We administered a large survey (N = 6,855) and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a theoretical path model. Key measures included self-reported intensity of digital media use, multidimensional perceived social support, and online political participation. The model hypothesized that social support directly predicts online political participation and also indirectly affects participation via digital media use, with perceived state presence moderating the model. Results indicate that higher perceived social support significantly predicts greater digital media use and higher levels of political participation. Digital media use partially mediates the positive effect of social support on participation. Moreover, stronger perceptions of state monitoring amplified the positive relationship between media use and engagement, consistent with expectations from a fragmented authoritarian context. These findings suggest that robust social support from local community and active online engagement jointly sustain youth civic involvement even under restrictive conditions. The study contributes empirical evidence on the dual role of online platforms and social support in Chinese political socialization, with implications for enhancing civic resilience in fragmented authoritarian settings.