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Historically, the long wavelength side (6–7.5 μm) of the mid‐infrared water vapor absorption band has been used for imaging from the geostationary perspective. This began with the 6.4 μm band on Europe's Meteosat‐1. While geostationary sounders for moisture profiling, including China's hyperspectral resolution infrared sounder and a planned sounder from Europe, are or will be measuring the short wavelength side of the water vapor band, this is not the case for geostationary imagers. Shorter wavelength (5–6 μm) spectral bands for imaging applications should be considered for observing moisture in the mid and lower troposphere because of several potential advantages offered by this spectral range. The short wavelength side of the water vapor band contains fewer additional absorbing gases that overlap the water vapor absorption lines. In addition, the shorter wavelengths would show less diffraction blurring which could enable finer spatial resolution for turbulence detection. This study considers some of the differences and potential advantages of the spectral information in the short wavelength side of the water vapor absorption band from the perspective of geostationary imaging. For dry conditions land heating could impact the qualitative use of observed brightness temperatures at 5.1 μm, while the solar reflection component over most clear‐sky scenes is small for a 5.1 μm band and essentially zero for a 5.6 μm band. Plain Language Summary: Long before images are sent back to Earth from satellites, the needed spectral bands have to be specified. The band specification includes attributes such as the wavelength centers, widths, and signal‐to‐noise ratio. This paper investigates the rationale for including data from a region of the electromagnetic spectrum that has not been used for imaging from geostationary orbit. If implemented, these short wavelength water vapor bands would provide unique information regarding low‐level moisture and mid‐level turbulence. This paper quantifies the expected reflected component from the sun and the influence of land heating on observations, both of which are relatively larger at shorter wavelengths. Key Points: Historically, the long wavelength side of the mid‐infrared water vapor absorption band has been used for imagingShort wavelength (near 5 μm) spectral bands should be considered, especially with finer spatial resolutionsOver most clear‐sky surfaces, the reflective component ranges from small to zero for 5.1 and 5.6 μm bands [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution in the form of particulate matter (PM) is becoming one of the greatest current threats to human health on a global scale. This paper firstly presents a Bayesian space–time hierarch piecewise regression model (BSTHPRM) which can self-adaptively detect the transitions of local trends, accounting for spatial correlations. The spatiotemporal trends of the approximately anthropogenic PM 2.5 removed natural dust (PM 2.5_No Dust) concentrations and the corresponding population's PM 2.5_No Dust exposure (PPM 2.5 E) in the global continent from 1998 to 2016 were investigated by the presented BSTHPRM. The total areas of the high and higher PM 2.5_No Dust -polluted regions, whose spatial relative magnitude of PM 2.5_NoDust pollution to the global continental overall level was between 1.89 and 14.68, accounted for about 13.4% of the global land area, and the corresponding exposed populations accounted for 56.0% of the global total population. The spatial heterogeneity of the global PM 2.5_NoDust pollution increased generally from 1998 to 2016. The areas of hot, warm, and cold spots with increasing trends of PM 2.5_NoDust concentration initially contracted and then later expanded. The local trends of the global continental PM 2.5_NoDust concentrations and PPM 2.5 E can be parted into three changing stages, early, medium, and later stages, using the BSTHPRM. The area proportions of the regions experiencing a decreasing trend of PM 2.5_NoDust concentrations and PPM 2.5 E were greater in the medium stage than in the early and later stages. The local trends of PM 2.5_NoDust concentration and PPM 2.5 E in the two higher PM 2.5_NoDust polluted areas, northern India and eastern and southern China, increased in the early stage and then decreased in the medium stage. In the later stage (recent years), northern India displayed a stronger increasing trend; nevertheless, the follow-up decreasing trend still occurred in eastern and southern China. In the first two stages, more than half of the areas in Europe experienced a decreasing trend of PM 2.5_NoDust concentration and PPM 2.5 E; later, more than half of areas in Europe exhibited increasing trends in the later stage. North America and South America experienced a similar local trend of PPM 2.5 E to Europe. The PPM 2.5 E trend in Africa generally increased during the study period. • First presentation of a Bayesian space-time hierarchy piecewise regression model detecting self-adaptively transitions. • Firstly applies a developed Bayesian space-time model in investigating the global population's exposure to PM 2.5. • Deeply analyses the spatiotemporal trends of the global continental PM 2.5 pollution removed natural dust. • Details the spatiotemporal trends of the global population's exposure to anthropogenic PM 2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An operational multimodel forecasting system for air quality has been developed to provide air quality services for urban areas of China. The initial forecasting system included seven state-of-the-art computational models developed and executed in Europe and China (CHIMERE, IFS, EMEP MSC-W, WRF-Chem-MPIM, WRF-Chem-SMS, LOTOS-EUROS, and SILAMtest). Several other models joined the prediction system recently, but are not considered in the present analysis. In addition to the individual models, a simple multimodel ensemble was constructed by deriving statistical quantities such as the median and the mean of the predicted concentrations. The prediction system provides daily forecasts and observational data of surface ozone, nitrogen dioxides, and particulate matter for the 37 largest urban agglomerations in China (population higher than 3 million in 2010). These individual forecasts as well as the multimodel ensemble predictions for the next 72 h are displayed as hourly outputs on a publicly accessible web site (http://www.marcopolo-panda.eu , last access: 27 March 2019). In this paper, the performance of the prediction system (individual models and the multimodel ensemble) for the first operational year (April 2016 until June 2017) has been analyzed through statistical indicators using the surface observational data reported at Chinese national monitoring stations. This evaluation aims to investigate (a) the seasonal behavior, (b) the geographical distribution, and (c) diurnal variations of the ensemble and model skills. Statistical indicators show that the ensemble product usually provides the best performance compared to the individual model forecasts. The ensemble product is robust even if occasionally some individual model results are missing. Overall, and in spite of some discrepancies, the air quality forecasting system is well suited for the prediction of air pollution events and has the ability to provide warning alerts (binary prediction) of air pollution events if bias corrections are applied to improve the ozone predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper aims to consider the total cost, including polluting environmental emissions, of imports from China to Europe of five valve components in aluminium, steel and iron. These are compared with locally produced alternatives to investigate whether internalising such external costs affects their price competitiveness. Seaborne trade represents 90% of international trade and is growing faster than the world’s economy, but marine pollution emissions are not reflected in market prices. Chinese aluminium, iron and steel production are about 2.5 times more polluting than their European counterparts, but this is also not reflected in prices. In this paper both types of extra emissions are calculated, valued and added to the cost of the components analysed, for comparison with locally produced alternatives. The locally produced components generally remain uncompetitive with Chinese imports for all likely values of external cost, except for heavy aluminium components under high external cost assumptions. The Chinese iron components analysed are simply too low in cost for European (in this case Spanish) equivalents to be competitive even allowing for environmental costs; while the stainless steel ones are so small and light that transport cost, even including externalities, is not significant. While these specific results are of limited generalizability, they provide insight into an issue of considerable and growing importance. Some suggestions are offered for further research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Middle Kingdom, as a relatively unknown advanced civilisation, held a unique position in Enlightenment thought, as Europeans tried to understand a widening world and their own place in it. European views of China in the early modern period have been widely studied. While the predominant paradigm has been to analyse a shift from sinophilia to sinophobia, disagreements over the extent, nature and timing of this shift suggest that the rigid juxtaposition may not always be useful. In order to highlight the importance of the particular topic to the constructions of China in eighteenth-century European thought, this paper examines the way primary sources and scholars viewed one particular aspect of China: Its system of government. This paper will consider views of China related to Adam Smith's main duties of government (the art and science of war, the administration of justice and public institutions) and how these duties were to be paid for (the public revenue). Discussions of China's government married interest in the advanced civilisation of China with that characteristic Enlightenment project to define, explain and reflect on the meaning of civilisation and progress. A surprising degree of consensus is found, calling into question the conventional juxtaposition of sinophilia and sinophobia. Moreover, eighteenth-century European observers did not approach China with assumptions of superiority; on the contrary, there was a degree of civilisational relativism in their outlook, and at times China was seen as offering useful lessons. This approach also allows us to consider those questions with which Enlightenment thinkers did not turn towards China for answers, and ask the reasons for such omissions. China was dismissed as a useful model because it was deemed in many ways to be a unique case that could not be worked into the universal models that characterised the European Enlightenment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In order to ensure we do not speak at cross-purposes, common understandings and definitions are useful. However, there is no universal definition of animal welfare. Structured interviews with a sample of European and Chinese zoo staff aimed to explore their perceptions and understanding of the term 'animal welfare', and the use of animal welfare frameworks in a zoological context. Thematic analysis demonstrated that all interviewees used similar descriptors when discussing animal welfare including describing animal feelings and emotions. Animal welfare frameworks were considered useful across both regions. However, different frameworks were suggested by interviewees in Europe to those in China. Chinese zoo staff expressed the importance of leadership in animal welfare in Chinese zoos. These findings suggest a common understanding of the concept of animal welfare, and the usefulness of animal welfare frameworks across geographically and culturally diverse regions. Universal frameworks for zoo animal welfare have been suggested. However, there is little evidence of a cross-cultural understanding of zoo animal welfare. This paper reports themes emerging from a qualitative study of international (European and Chinese) zoo professionals on zoo animal welfare issues. Structured telephone interviews were conducted with eight Chinese and eight European zoo staff, covering aspects of zoological animal welfare, conservation and zoological husbandry practices. These qualitative data were thematically analysed, and key themes generated. This paper describes three themes relating to 'What is animal welfare' 'Animal welfare frameworks' and 'The human element in animal welfare'. This analysis indicates that the concept of animal welfare has cultural equivalence across Europe and between Europe and China, and that zoo staff are familiar with welfare frameworks. In China, a need for senior leadership and motivating staff to improve animal welfare emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth and new development of internet technologies have provided many significant opportunities for cost reduction and service improvement for the supply chain. However, the adoption of the interact technologies in agribusiness supply chains (SC), especially the flesh produce supply chain, is still slow and far behind other sectors. This paper is about the EU funded project VEGNET (Enhancing Vegetable Supply Chain Management with internet Technologies) which aims to accelerate the speed of internet adoption among fresh produce supply chains involving small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The paper first introduces the project's objectives and approaches. It then presents some key findings from a survey conducted with United Kingdom SMEs in fresh produce supply chains. These findings provide actual insights into the current internet and software usage of the United Kingdom SMEs and help to reveal gaps between Europe and China. Findings and implications from the project's other activities, such as case studies and surveys in China are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern contract law, freedom of contract is of an underlying principle that people have struggled for centuries. Both China and Europe fully realized its value, although in distinct ways that are deeply rooted in the two regions' historical and cultural backgrounds. In Europe, freedom of contract is restricted by principles of good faith, fair dealing, social justice and fundamental rights, whereas in China, except for those limitations set by the Europe, the traditional notion of contract voluntariness is rather limited by the collective interests and interests of the state. This paper is intending to describe the different understandings of freedom of contract in the EU and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the application of various biomonitoring techniques in China. We report a study in the Pearl River Basin (Guangzhou) based on the application of diatom indices as well as a study on the waterways in Wuhan based on evaluation of toxicity (using phytotoxicity, Daphnia magna and Microtox™ tests) and the Extended Biotic Index (EBI). Regarding the diatom indices, acceptable results were obtained based on comparison of the chemical water quality level and the European and Japanese indices, despite a lack of taxonomic information. The toxicity tests applied to the Wuhan waterways (Yangtze and Han Rivers) produced interesting results and can be considered to represent a useful tool for water pollution control in this area. Application of the EBI in Wuhan produced results that were contradictory to the toxicological analyses, as there were no indications of toxicity, whereas EBI indicated poor water quality. It can be concluded that in principle, certain European biological indicators can be considered to represent feasible tools to be applied in China. However, further studies will have to be carried out to develop bioindices based on Chinese data sets. The use of bioindices based on macroinvertebrates is limited to less polluted and smaller rivers with a lithic river substratum, whereas diatom indices are also applicable under extreme conditions (e.g., under high pollution loads or in large river streams with sandy riverbed sediments through installing artificial substrates). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The algorithms used in Arabic and medieval European mathematics for extracting cube roots are studied with respect to algebraic structure and use of external memory (dust board, table, paper). They can be separated into two distinct groups. One contains methods used in the eastern regions from the 11th century, closely connected to Chinese techniques, and very uniform in structure. The other group, showing much wider variation, contains early Indian methods and techniques developed in central and western parts of the Arabic areas and in Europe. This study supports hypotheses previously formulated by Luckey and Chemla on an early scientific connection between China and Persia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Russia is a strategic partner for Europe, in particular in its space endeavour. However, in the past decade the Russian partner has significantly changed. Strengthened by a better economic situation, Russia is now reasserting strong ambitions, and its leadership aims to reaffirm the country''s position on the international scene. As a result, Russia''s international partnerships in the space field have evolved and the country has recently intensified relationships with China and India. This development has the potential to strongly impact Europe, its space activities and the relations between all those actors. This paper investigates the relations between Russia, India and China, their possible evolution and the consequences for Europe. It evaluates the potential impact on Europe''s space activities and on its cooperation with the Russian partner. It concludes with recommended actions to be taken by European decision-makers in order to maximise opportunities and minimise risks in this changing environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper re-evaluates a persistent but controversial claim in studies of China—to wit, that Chinese thought exhibited a different logical structure than that found in Europe. By situating what is now largely regarded as a Sinological problem within the broader context of the debate between Edward B. Tylor (1832-1917) and Lucien Lévy-Bruhl (1857-1939) about primitive thought, it argues that this line of inquiry about cultural difference, as exemplified by the work of its earliest exponents, Marcel Granet (1884-1940), Joseph Needham (1900-1995), and Angus Charles Graham (1919-1991), is still significant. The significance of these works lies not so much in their specific arguments about China as in the general approach they suggest for explaining cultural difference, an approach that can steer clear of the dangers in evolutionary and essentializing approaches to the study of human mentality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at promoting a new bilateral legal framework for China-EU economic relations without political interference, this paper first surveys the developments of China-Europe economic relations and the relevant legal arrangements since 1949; second, it deals with political issues affecting China-EU economic relations; and third, it discusses basic legal considerations in signing China-EC economic treaties for the Chinese side. The author points out that the China-EC Economic Cooperation Agreement in 1985 has proved insufficient for practical needs and a substitutive agreement should be promoted in the new era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]