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Urban aerosol measurements are necessary to establish associations between air pollution and human health outcomes and to evaluate the efficacy of air quality legislation and emissions standards. The measurement of urban aerosol particle size distributions (PSDs) is of particular importance as they enable characterization of size-dependent processes that govern a particle's transport, transformation, and fate in the urban atmosphere. PSDs also improve our ability to link air pollution to health effects through evaluation of particle deposition in the respiratory system and inhalation toxicity. To inform future measurements of urban aerosol observations, this paper reviews and critically analyzes the current state of knowledge on urban aerosol PSD measurements by synthesizing 737 PSD observations made between 1998 to 2017 in 114 cities in 43 countries around the globe. Significant variations in the shape and magnitude of urban aerosol number and mass PSDs were identified among different geographical regions. In general, number PSDs in Europe (EU) and North America, Australia, and New Zealand (NAAN) are dominated by nucleation- and Aitken-mode particles. PSDs in Central, South, and Southeast Asia (CSSA) and East Asia (EA) are shifted to larger sizes, with a meaningful contribution from the accumulation mode. Urban mass PSDs are typically bimodal, presenting a dominant mode in the accumulation mode and a secondary mode in the coarse mode. Most PSD observations published in the literature are short-term, with only 14 % providing data for longer than 6 months. There is a paucity of PSDs measured in Africa (AF), CSSA, Latin America (LA), and West Asia (WA), demonstrating the need for long-term aerosol measurements across wide size ranges in many cities around the globe. Geographical variations in urban aerosol effective densities were also reviewed. Size-resolved urban aerosol effective density functions from 3 to 10 000 nm were established for different geographical regions and intra-city sampling locations in order to accurately translate number PSDs to mass PSDs, with significant variations observed between near-road and urban background sites. The results of this study demonstrate that global initiatives are urgently needed to develop infrastructure for routine and long-term monitoring of urban aerosol PSDs spanning the nucleation to coarse mode. Doing so will advance our understanding of spatiotemporal trends in urban PSDs throughout the world and provide a foundation to more reliably elucidate the impact of urban aerosols on atmospheric processes, human health, and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East Asia summer monsoon transition zone, a unique area of transition from humid monsoon to arid continental climate, has the most prominent aridification in the world, and has experienced land surface aridification (LSA) in recent years. To investigate the influence of LSA on regional monsoon precipitation, two numerical experiments were run for vegetation degradation over a long period (30 years). Then, precipitation variation of different magnitudes was analyzed. After that, the mechanism of LSA influence on precipitation was studied. The results show that aridification reduced average summer precipitation by 5%. Additionally, LSA considerably changed the frequency of precipitation. Unlike aridification in North Africa caused by albedo variation, LSA in our study area mainly reduced surface thermal capacity, increased surface temperature, sharply increased the transport of surface sensible heat, and raised the atmospheric convective boundary layer. This reduces atmospheric moist static energy, which is not conducive to the generation of precipitation. LSA also increases the surface landscape gradient, local horizontal gradient of land surface turbulent flux, and probability of heavy convective precipitation. This paper reveals the mechanism by which land surface anomalies affect precipitation, which lays a foundation for follow-up studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete element modelling (DEM) is a numerical method for examining the dynamic behavior of granular media. In order to build an accurate simulation model and provide more comprehensive soil characteristic parameters for the design and optimization of various soil contact machinery, in this paper, the discrete element simulation method (EDEM) combined with experimental approach is used to investigate the soil contact characteristic parameters in East Asia. In this study, Hertze-Mindlin (no slip) was used as a particle contact model by taking particle contact parameters and soil JKR (Johnson-Kendall-Roberts) surface energy as determinants, and repose angle, internal friction angle, and cohesive force as evaluation indexes. The method of Plackett-Burman, Stepest ascent, and Box-Behnken were used to gradually reduce the range of parameters needed for simulation until the most accurate value was determined. The results show that the restitution coefficient, static friction coefficient, and rolling friction coefficient between soil particles have significant effects on the DEM model, and their value of them are 0.596, 0.725, and 0.16, respectively. Based on these parameters used for the repose angle test and direct shear stress test, the value of repose angle is 31.97°, the internal friction angle is 27.61°, and the cohesive force is 33.06 kPa. The relative errors with the actual measured values are 9.54%, 1.87%, and 2.31%, respectively. In order to further test whether the simulation parameters of soil obtained by repose angle test and direct shear stress test are consistent with the real soil, comparison test between field test and discrete element simulation was used. The results show that the error in height of ridge between the simulated soil and the actual soil is 4.06%, which is within the acceptable range. It also indicates that the calibrated and optimized soil simulation model can accurately represent the real soil. The research provides theoretical basis and technical support for the study of soil contact parts by using the discrete element method, combined with repose angle test and direct shear stress test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conducts a self-reflexive review of the East-Asian human rights discourse that has taken place in Korean academic circles. This review focuses on the question of Confucianism's ability to provide cultural resources for forming new conceptions of human rights. The paper acknowledges the fact that the cultural foundation of East Asian societies is communalistic, and points to a need for new approaches and strategies to justify human rights in East Asia. Firstly, communalism should be redefined to engage with the neo-liberalism that enjoys dominance today. Secondly, it should be combined with sufficient reflection on modernity in East Asia. Thirdly, reinterpreting Confucianism within the context of twenty-first-century East Asia requires further investigation into the discourse of "Otherness." This paper argues that human rights discourse in East Asia must proceed with a reflective understanding of Western modernity, mainstream Confucian culture, and the tumultuous history of East Asia and that it requires either East Asia's "negation of the negation" of its own culture, or a new understanding of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monsoon onset over the South China Sea occurs in April–May, marking the start of the wet season over East Asia. Skillful prediction of onset timing remains an open challenge. Recently, theoretical studies using idealized models have revealed feedbacks at work during the seasonal transitions of the Hadley cells and have shown that these are relevant to monsoon onset over Asia. Here, I hypothesize that monsoon onset occurs earlier in years when the atmosphere over the South China Sea is already in a state where these feedbacks are more easily triggered. I find that local anomalies in lower‐level moist static energy in the preceding January–March are well correlated with South China Sea Monsoon onset timing. This relationship remains relatively consistent on decadal timescales, while correlations with other teleconnections vary, and is used to develop a simple forecast model for onset timing that shows skill competitive with that of more complex models. Plain Language Summary: Arable land in China is estimated to feed 20% of the world's population on 7% of the world's farmlands, with much of this region watered by rainfall from the East Asian Summer Monsoon. Forecasting the arrival of the monsoon, which occurs first over the South China Sea in April–May, is therefore helpful for agricultural planning. However, producing a reliable forecast remains an open challenge. Recently, simple climate models, for example, models including seasons but with no land, have been used along with observations to investigate the most basic processes controlling climatological monsoon onset over Asia. In this paper, I suggest that year‐to‐year variations in monsoon onset timing are controlled by the same processes and, based on these, I suggest climate variables that may help in predicting when the monsoon will begin. By using this approach, I find that the "Moist Static Energy" (a quantity that combines temperature and humidity) over the South China Sea in January–March is strongly correlated with monsoon onset timing. This insight can be used to predict future onset timing competitively compared with more complex forecast models. Key Points: Recent theoretical studies have revealed feedbacks at work during monsoon onsetIf the spring atmosphere is in a state where these feedbacks are easily triggered, onset is earlierThis insight is used to produce a simple forecast of South China Sea Monsoon onset timing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the South China Sea dispute when the international system lacks orientation and respect for the norms, values, and institutions. The conflict is conceptualized to encompass the States, International Law, and the East Asia order. The evidence demonstrates that ASEAN's regional order is more efficient than the US-Led Liberal order through UNCLOS. Additionally, it is necessary to overhaul and strengthen the institutional mechanisms from international Law regarding the United Nations. A change in the order and an international recognition are recommended to legitimize regional institutions to arbitrate territorial disputes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papeles de Europa is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The South China Sea (SCS) is a highly semi-enclosed marginal sea located in the East Asian monsoon region. This paper proposes interesting aspects of the unique feature of the SCS waves in response to tropical cyclone's passage when large-scale winter monsoon winds prevail. We use the wave model WaveWatch III to study the wave characteristics of typhoon Durian (2006) passing over the middle of SCS in early December 2006, and state the new understanding acquired in the aspects of the tropical cyclone generated waves in the SCS during winter monsoon surge. In light of this, the role of the large-scale NE monsoon winds on winter typhoon wave field characteristics in the SCS are highlighted by conducting sensitivity experiments with and without the NE monsoon winds. The NE monsoon winds weakly affect the SWH field near the typhoon track and strongly away from the track, especially in the deep water area of the northern SCS where the NE monsoon winds produce high waves. Comparisons between the two experiments show the effect of the NE monsoon winds on the directional wave spectra in the SCS, suggesting that the monsoon-generated swells do not decay and remain throughout the typhoon period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zbornik Radova Pravnog Fakulteta u Nisu is the property of Law Faculty in Nis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Emission inversion using data assimilation fundamentally relies on having the correct assumptions about the emission background error covariance. A perfect covariance accounts for the uncertainty based on prior knowledge and is able to explain differences between model simulations and observations. In practice, emission uncertainties are constructed empirically; hence, a partially unrepresentative covariance is unavoidable. Concerning its complex parameterization, dust emissions are a typical example where the uncertainty could be induced from many underlying inputs, e.g., information on soil composition and moisture, land cover and erosive wind velocity, and these can hardly be taken into account together. This paper describes how an adjoint model can be used to detect errors in the emission uncertainty assumptions. This adjoint-based sensitivity method could serve as a supplement of a data assimilation inverse modeling system to trace back the error sources in case large observation-minus-simulation residues remain after assimilation based on empirical background covariance. The method follows an application of a data assimilation emission inversion for an extreme severe dust storm over East Asia. The assimilation system successfully resolved observation-minus-simulation errors using satellite AOD observations in most of the dust-affected regions. However, a large underestimation of dust in Northeast China remained despite the fact that the assimilated measurements indicated severe dust plumes there. An adjoint implementation of our dust simulation model is then used to detect the most likely source region for these unresolved dust loads. The backward modeling points to the Horqin desert as the source region, which was indicated as a non-source region by the existing emission scheme. The reference emission and uncertainty are then reconstructed over the Horqin desert by assuming higher surface erodibility. After the emission reconstruction, the emission inversion is performed again, and the posterior dust simulations and reality are now in much closer harmony. Based on our results, it is advised that emission sources in dust transport models include the Horqin desert as a more active source region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the greening of the marine sector started over a decade ago, the emissions produced from ships and port operating equipment have been only recently perceived as issues to be addressed. On this basis, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) decided to enact stricter sulphur limits on the fuel oil used by ships in Sulphur Oxide (SOx) Emission Control Areas in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of the vessel's bunkers. In this respect, the purpose of the paper is to quantify the cost implications of the IMO revised regulations on the shippers' traditional supply chain network design decisions through the development of a strategic Mixed Integer Linear Programming decision-support model. The applicability of the model is demonstrated on a realistic maritime supply chain operating within the East Asia—EU trade route. The results reveal that the implementation of the sulphur limits at the route's ports may not affect the shippers' network structure under the current fuel prices, as the optimally selected ports have cost effective hinterland transportation connections within the EU market, that make them preferable for the shipper, even though the network's shipping costs increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The black-faced spoonbill Platalea minor is a species endemic to the coastal fringes and archipelagos of East Asia. The global population was fewer than 300 individuals in the late 1980s. Since then, two international action plans (1995 and 2010–2020) have been implemented, and the global population has increased to more than 6000 individuals in 2021–2022; the species was downlisted from "Critically Endangered (CR)" to "Endangered (EN)" in 2000. To examine the basis for this success, we reviewed the implementation of the action plans in light of the IUCN Species Conservation Cycle (Assess–Plan–Act–Network–Communicate) framework, using publicly available information documenting the planned activity or policy outcome. Additionally, we used the IUCN Green Status of Species framework to assess the impact of this conservation effort on the black-faced spoonbill's recovery to date and recovery potential. We found that the action plans for the black-faced spoonbill contain activities across all SCC framework components, though the number of activities implemented differed among countries. Our preliminary Green Status assessment indicates that the black-faced spoonbill is currently Largely Depleted, with a Species Recovery Score of 35%; however, without past conservation actions, we estimate that its score would be only 15% today (Critically Depleted), and that it is biologically possible for the species to fully recover (100%) in the next 100 years, if ambitious actions are taken. This provides further evidence that premeditated, evidence-based conservation interventions can reverse biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweed farming is widely expected to transform the way we approach sustainable developments, particularly in the context of the 'Blue Economy'. However, many claims of the social and ecological benefits from seaweed farming have limited or contextually weak empirical grounding. Here we systematically review relevant publications across four languages to form a comprehensive picture of observed--rather than theorised--social and environmental impacts of seaweed farming globally. We show that, while some impacts such as improved water quality and coastal livelihoods are consistently reported, other promulgated benefits vary across cultivation contexts or are empirically unsubstantiated. For some communities, increasing dependence on seaweed farming may improve or worsen the cultural fabric and their vulnerability to economic and environmental shocks. The empirical evidence for the impacts of seaweed farming is also restricted geographically, mainly to East Asia and South- East Asia, and taxonomically. Seaweed farming holds strong potential to contribute to sustainability objectives, but the social and ecological risks associated with scaling up global production remain only superficially understood. These risks require greater attention to ensure just, equitable, and sustainable seaweed industries can be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the thread-legged bug genus Ademula McAtee & Malloch, 1926 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae: Emesini, formerly Ploiariolini) from China, A. callipennis, new species, and A. corniculata, new species, are described and illustrated in the present paper. COI barcodes of these two new species and an updated key to the Oriental species of Ademula are provided. The distribution of Ademula in East and Southeast Asia is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Estudios de Filosofía is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Instituto de Filosofia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An anthropogenically caused climate crisis threatens the Earth and humanity. As such, religion's engagement is of increasing importance. This paper critically evaluates the significance of the East Asian context regarding the climate crisis, arguing for contextualization of contemporary ecotheology, or an East Asian contextual ecotheology. Considering how key contextual elements might inform ecotheologies to mobilize Christians regionally to action in relation to the climate crisis, this paper concludes that the field of East Asian ecotheology is an emerging conversation rich with opportunity for continued theologizing and inter-religious dialogue, and practical impetus for East Asian Christians to mobilize to address the climate crisis. Suggestions are made as to how these ecotheologies may be integrated into Christian practice in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of the impact of manufacturing offshore on technology competitiveness in the optoelectronics industry. It examines a critical design/facility location decision being faced by optoelectronic component manufacturers. This paper uses a combination of simulation modeling and empirical data to demonstrate the economic constraints facing these firms. The results show that production location changes the relative production economics of the two competing designs—one emerging, one prevailing—that are currently perfect substitutes for each other on the telecom market, but not necessarily perfect substitutes in other markets in the long term. Specifically, if optoelectronic component firms shift production from the United States to countries in developing East Asia, the emerging designs that were developed in the United States no longer pay. Production characteristics are different abroad, and the prevailing design can be more cost effective in developing country production environments. The emerging designs, however, have performance characteristics that may be valuable in the long term to the larger computing market and to pushing forward Moore’s law. This paper concludes by exploring the dilemma this creates for the optoelectronic component manufacturers and recommending a framework based on which the results may be generalized to other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Civil Engineering & Management is the property of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The bait worm Marphysa victori Lavesque, Daffe, Bonifácio & Hutchings, 2017 was originally described from Arcachon Bay, France. In the original description, the authors suggested that it may have been introduced, although definitive evidence was lacking at the time. In this paper, we confirm that M. victori is an exotic species originating from East Asia, probably a native of China or Japan. This species was most likely introduced into Arcachon Bay in the 1970s with non-native oysters Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, 1793. The Asiatic origin of this species is confirmed based on both morphological and molecular evidence. Comparison of the type specimens of M. victori with those of Marphysa bulla Liu, Hutchings & Kupriyanova, 2018 described from the Yellow Sea, China, showed no morphological or molecular differences and therefore the more recently named M. bulla is relegated to a junior synonym. This is the first example of a large-sized errant invertebrate species being introduced with oysters into Arcachon Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported in this paper used ERA-Interim reanalysis data to investigate the intraseasonal variability of the Bay of Bengal (BOB)–East Asia–Pacific teleconnection (BEAP) during the summer between 1979 and 2016. Over this period, the intraseasonal oscillation of the BEAP fell mainly within the quasibiweekly oscillation (QBWO) band. Variations in atmospheric circulation and precipitation, which may contribute to extreme weather events, showed a significant correlation with the phase transition of the BEAP from the BOB to East Asia and the Pacific. The evolution of the BEAP–QBWOis closely associated with the westward propagation of convective anomalies to the southwestern BOB. Dynamical analysis revealed that anomalous vertical motion coupled with anomalous convective activity over the southern BOB plays an important role in leading the phase propagation of the BEAP–QBWO, and that the horizontal advection anomalies can strengthen the BEAP–QBWO. Linear baroclinic model experiments confirmed that variations in convection over the southern BOB play a leading role in the BEAP–QBWO phase changes. Further research suggests that the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation can trigger the BEAP–QBWO through downstream propagation of convective disturbances to the southern BOB. This study provides insights into the cause and effect of the BEAP–QBWO, which will help to improve understanding of flood and drought patterns in the Asia–Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II deficiency is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder that is characterized by the deficiency of MHC class II molecules. The disease is caused by transcription factor mutations including class II transactivator (CIITA), regulatory factor X-5 (RFX5), RFX-associated protein (RFXAP), and RFXAP-containing ankyrin repeat (RFXANK), respectively. Mutations in the RFXANK gene account for >70% of all known patients worldwide. Herein, we reported a 10-month-old boy with MHC II deficiency caused by a novel mutation in the RFXANK gene (c.337 + 1G>C). The boy was admitted to the hospital due to pneumonia and diarrhea at 4 months of age. Genetic analysis revealed a novel homozygous mutation in the RFXANK gene, which derived from the c.337 + 1G>C heterozygous mutations in the RFXANK gene of his parents. The boy died 3 months after diagnosis. More than 200 cases have been reported, and a review of the literature revealed different mutation rates of 4 transcription factors in different countries or regions. This is the first case report of MHC II deficiency from East Asia. We also describe all gene mutations that cause MHC II deficiency and the epidemiology of MHC II deficiency with gene mutations in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the potential economic effect of 'Indo-Pacific' regional economic cooperation and compares with the extended CPTPP. The Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) results show that the quadrilateral alliance between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India shows although a substantial economic gain whilst South and East Asia join with the Indo-Pacific cooperation, the economic benefit would be enormous. The findings also indicate that South and East Asian improved trade facilitation could bring huge gain as a large part of Indo-Pacific trade has remained unrealized. The trade transaction cost is one of the major trading barriers prohibiting the growth of Indo-Pacific intra-regional trade. The study reinforces that improvement in infrastructure and connectivity that leads to less trade transportation costs should be a necessary step to realise Indo-Pacific trade potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to extract external forcing information from continuous nonstationary systems is important for studying the variability of the climate system. Based on the slow feature analysis (SFA), in this paper, two independent driving forces with different periods are given to affect the modified Lorenz model to discuss whether the SFA approach can reconstruct the forcing signals. The results show that, to some extent, SFA can dig them out, and the result is related to the embedding dimension m, the analyzed variables, and the position of the forcing signal acting on the system. At the same time, combined with wavelet analysis, the two original forcing signals can be separated from the SFA extracted signal. In addition, we apply the above method to the climatic data through the 500-hPa geopotential height field and focus on the region where SFA-extracted signal have a significant scale of about 4 years over East Asia and speculate on the possible physical factors based on the distribution characteristics of the region. The results show this scale may be derived from the East Asian trough. This work may open up the possibility to improve the monthly prediction of 500-hPa geopotential height field over East Asia from the perspective of causality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upper Triassic calcareous algae, abundant and well-diversified in Tethyan deposits, have rarely been described in rocks of Panthalassan origin. Over the past ten years, several studies were performed on Upper Triassic carbonate deposits of Panthalassan affinity in North America, Japan and Far East Russia, revealing unexpectedly rich and diversified assemblages. The samples were collected from nine localities situated on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The identified algal assemblage consists of green and red algae, including fourteen dasycladaleans, rare bryopsidaleans, and several rhodophyceans. This paper describes the main algal taxa, including six new species: Holosporella? rossanae Bucur & Del Piero n. sp., Holosporella magna Bucur & Fucelli n. sp., Griphoporella minuta Bucur & Peybernes n. sp., Patruliuspora pacifica Bucur, Del Piero & Peyrotty n. sp., Patruliuspora oregonica Bucur & Rigaud n. sp. and Collarecodium? nezpercae Bucur & Rigaud n. sp. Rivulariacean-like cyanobacteria and thaumatoporellacean algae are also present. The whole Panthalassan algal assemblage comprises both unknown (?endemic) and common taxa of the Tethyan domain. To explain the cosmopolitan distribution of various Upper Triassic benthic organisms (scleractinian corals, calcified sponges, foraminifera), a close connection with the Tethys Ocean was hypothesized by different authors. During the Late Triassic, the Tethys was open to the east on the Western Panthalassa but not to the west, suggesting that Triassic calcareous algae were able to efficiently colonize environments that are estimated to be more than 10'000 km apart. An adventitious transport of calcareous algae and/or their spores is proposed to explain this long-range algal dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciencia Ergo Sum is the property of Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paths of winter cold surge (CS) events in East Asia (EA) from 1979 to 2017 are tracked by the Flexible Particle (FLEXPART) model using ERA-Interim daily datasets, and the probability density distribution of the paths is calculated by the kernel density estimation (KDE) method. The results showed that the paths of CSs are significantly correlated with the intensity of the CSs, which shows an interdecadal transition from weak to strong around 1995. CS paths can be classified into two types, namely, the western path type and the northern path type, which were more likely to occur before and after 1995, respectively. Before 1995, the cold air mainly originated from Europe and moved from west to east, and the synoptic features were associated with the zonal wave train. After 1995, cold air accumulated over western Siberia and then invaded EA along the northern path, and the synoptic features were mainly associated with the blocking structure. The geopotential height (GPH) anomalies over the Arctic were abnormally strong. This paper further analyzes the relationship between CSs and winter sea ice concentration (SIC) in the Arctic. The results show that the intensity of CSs is negatively correlated with the Barents SIC (BSIC). When the BSIC declines, the upward wave flux over the Barents Sea is enhanced and expanded to the midlatitude region. GPH anomalies over the Arctic are positive and form a negative AO-like pattern, which is conducive to the formation of the northern path CS. Furthermore, the observed results are supported by numerical experiments with the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model, version 5.3 (CAM5.3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) causes one of the most important rice virus diseases of plants in East Asia. However, molecular mechanism(s)controlling rice resistance to infection is largely unknown. Results: In this paper, we showed that RBSDV infection in rice significantly induced nitric oxide (NO) production. This finding was further validated through a genetic approach using a RBSDV susceptible (Nipponbare) and a RBSDV resistant (15HPO187) cultivar. The production of endogenous NO was muchhigher in the 15HPO187 plants, leading to a much lower RBSDV disease incidence. Pharmacological studies showed that the applications of NO-releasingcompounds (i.e., sodium nitroprusside [SNP] and nitrosoglutathione [GSNO]) to rice plants reduced RBSDV disease incidence. After RBSDV infection, the levels of OsICS1, OsPR1b and OsWRKY 45 transcripts were significantly up-regulated by NO in Nipponbare. The increased salicylic acid contents were also observed. After the SNP treatment, protein S-nitrosylation in rice plants was also increased, suggesting that the NO-triggered resistance to RBSDV infection was partially mediated at the post-translational level. Although Osnia2 mutant rice produced less endogenous NO after RBSDV inoculation and showed a higher RBSDV disease incidence, its RBSDV susceptibility could be reduced by SNP treatment. Conclusions: Collectively, our genetic and molecular evidence revealed that endogenous NO was a vital signal responsible for rice resistance to RBSDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe haze occurred in the North China Plain (NCP) from November to December 2015, with a wide spatial range and long duration. In this paper, the combined effect of the anomalous stationary Rossby waves within two westerly jet waveguides on this haze event in the NCP is investigated based on observational visibility data and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The results show that circulation anomalies in Eurasia caused by the propagation of anomalous stationary Rossby wave energy along two waveguides within the westerly jet originating from the Mediterranean were responsible for haze formation in the NCP. The Rossby waves propagated eastward along the subtropical westerly jet and the polar front jet, causing an anomalous anticyclone over the Sea of Japan and anticyclonic wind shear at 850 hPa over the NCP, which enhanced the anomalous descent in the middle and lower troposphere and subsequently resulted in a stable lower atmosphere. Furthermore, the anomalous stationary Rossby waves propagating along the polar front jet weakened the East Asia trough and Ural ridge and strengthened the anomalous southerly wind at 850 hPa over the coastal areas of eastern China, decelerating the East Asia winter monsoon. The above meteorological conditions modulated haze accumulation in November and December 2015. Meanwhile, continuous rainfall related to ascending motion due to Rossby wave propagation along the waveguide provided by the subtropical westerly jet occurred in a large area of southern China. The associated latent heat release acted as a heat source, intensifying the ascending motion over southern China so that the descending motion over the NCP was strengthened, favoring the maintenance of severe haze. This study elucidates the formation and maintenance mechanism of large-scale haze in the NCP in late fall and boreal winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the course of the following paper I aime to investigate possible reasons for the impressive results that countries in East and South-East Asia have obtained at the PISA examinations that take place every three years. These examinations include three tests: Math, Science and Reading. What I have found is that there are more than one reasons that contribute to this type of succes. The main three that I have chosen to present are first and foremost: an unique cultural climate where education is highly prized by the members of the community and the role of teachers is aknowkedged as being central to the development of society. Secondly, different parenting methods can also be cited as influencing educational outcome. Thirdly, we have an education system that has a strong and well funded public school system but also a vast network of options outside the state provided system that includes cram schools, language schools and online schools, parents there showing a very high willingness to invest in extra classes and educational options outside the public education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviews the institutional factors that have influenced the fertility and family trends in five East Asian societies that experienced a precipitous transition to very low fertility: China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. The paper begins by outlining the unique family formation patterns of these societies and the existing explanations for their observed ultra-low fertility levels. In particular, it highlights the role of Confucian culture, which emphasises patriarchal values and credentialism, in shaping the current state of low fertility in East Asia. For example, the ways in which Confucianism affects women’s roles at home, the effectiveness of pronatalist policies and the burden of human capital investments among parents are discussed. With these contextual factors and the current very low fertility rates as a backdrop, this study also examines attitudinal changes in marriage and family values that have taken place in these societies after the new millennium. These changes could further erode the traditional family and influence family formation trends in the future. The article concludes by discussing recent policy responses and the possible future of fertility in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can we improve forecasts of currency crises by using a large number of predictors? Which predictors should we use? This paper evaluates the performance of traditional leading indicators and a new Diffusion Index (DI) method as Early Warning Systems to monitor the risk and forecast the likelihood of the recent currency crises in East Asia. We find that the DI performs quite well in real time. For most countries, the forecasted probabilities of a crisis increase substantially around the actual time of the crisis. The economic variables that help in forecasting future crises are output growth, interest rates and money growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution takes stock of ASEAN centrality in trade and the emerging policy area of trade infrastructure, also known as connectivity. ASEAN centrality in the East Asian and Indo-Pacific regions has increasingly been called into question, but most studies have failed to specify what ASEAN centrality is and how it can be measured. Outlining both a technical and a substantial definition, this study presents the state of affairs and current trends of ASEAN centrality in the areas of trade and connectivity. Disaggregating the concept, the paper assesses ASEAN's role in the two policy areas as a leader, convener, convenience, and necessity. ASEAN's central position in trade is under threat due to a changing environment, with trade ties increasing between ASEAN's partners. In addition, ASEAN leadership in the RCEP negotiations has been symbolic rather than substantial. In connectivity, ASEAN centrality is even more questionable. Its regional connectivity vision is contested by other states and relationships act as conduits for the exercise of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research aims: This paper investigates how family ownership affects firm's earnings quality. The focus is on firms listed on the Korean Stock Exchange (KSE). Design/Methodology/Approach: This study uses panel data to classify family ownership into two categories: pure family ownership and ownership-control disparity (wedge) where wedge is further divided into 1) wedge ratio and 2) wedge multiplier. In addressing the category of ownership-control disparity, it is important to measure how much control rights are greater than ownership rights. Therefore, this study employs the wedge multiplier to overcome the limitation of not separating management control and ownership. Firms' earnings quality is tested by using four proxies proposed by Jonas and Blanchet (2000): 1) persistence, 2) value relevance, 3) conservatism, and 4) accruals quality. Research findings: This research finds family ownership to be positively associated with earnings quality, value-relevance and accruals quality. However, ownership-control disparity does not reduce the earnings quality. This finding is not consistent with previous studies. Thus, it is deduced that the controlling family shareholders of the chaebol firms have a dominant influence on firms which they invested in by using affiliated ownership. Significant ownership-control disparity is prevalent in chaebol firms, resulting in low earnings quality. Theoretical contribution/Originality: Family ownership is predominant in a number of countries, especially in East-Asian countries. In that regard, this study is important. It contributes to the understanding of family ownerships and firms' earnings quality not only for the Korean contexts, but also for other East Asian countries. Research limitation/Implications: The four proxies of earnings quality used in this study do not necessarily reflect all aspects of the earnings quality. In this study, the results between family ownership and earnings quality are mixed. The results based on the association between corporate governance and earnings quality could be attributed to the way earnings quality is defined. The management of the chaebol firms or large business groups should try to improve transparency and the quality of their financial reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relative roles of region-specific and commodity-specific developments in the consumer price setting in Russia. For this purpose, we estimate a dynamic hierarchical factor model using inflation rates across regions and sectors. We found little evidence of association between region-specific factors and inflation developments, although there are several regions (mostly located in the Far East and North Caucasus) where the idiosyncratic component may contribute substantially. Conversely, the role of cross-commodity relative price changes in inflation developments in Russia is substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any skillful prediction is of great benefit to North China, a region that is densely populated and greatly impacted by droughts. This paper reports potential predictability of North China summer drought 1 month ahead based on hindcasts for 1961–2005 from the "ENSEMBLES" project. Correlation scores of the standardized precipitation–evapotranspiration index and standardized precipitation index reach 0.49 and 0.39, respectively. The lower-level northwestern Pacific cyclonic circulation anomaly (NWPCCA) and East Asian upper-tropospheric temperature (UTT) cooling are the crucial circulations with regard to summer drought. Two sources of predictability are identified: 1) Pacific–Japan and Silk Road teleconnections forced by well-established eastern Pacific Ocean El Niño sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) in summer, when the two key circulations are both well predicted because of a good prediction of enhanced equatorial central Pacific (CP) rainfall and Indian rainfall deficit, and 2) the subtropical atmosphere–ocean coupling associated with CP El Niño developing, when the skill mainly arises from the reasonable prediction of NWPCCA. In observations, the NWPCCA persists from the preceding spring to summer through a wind–evaporation–SST feedback related to the Pacific meridional mode (PMM). In predictions, the persistence of the NWPCCA is mainly forced by the enhanced convection over the subtropical central North Pacific due to the persistence of the PMM-related meridional SSTA gradient over the CP. This predicted SSTA suppresses the equatorial Pacific rainfall, contributing to low prediction skill for the East Asian UTT cooling. This study demonstrates the importance of extratropical signals from the preceding season in North China summer drought prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statistical characteristics of precipitation play an extremely important role in the risk assessment of drought and flood disasters and water resource management. In this paper, the precipitation concentration degree (PCD), precipitation concentration period (PCP) and precipitation concentration index (PCI) were used to analyse the spatiotemporal variation in precipitation concentration characteristics in China from 1960 to 2015. In addition, the cross-wavelet transform was used to analyse the possible dependencies and spatial characteristics between these three precipitation concentration indices (PCD, PCP and PCI) and monsoon indices (East Asian summer monsoon index, EASMI; South Asian summer monsoon index, SASMI; and South China Sea summer monsoon index, SCSSMI) of nine river basins in China. The results show that the spatial distribution of precipitation concentration indices in China has obvious north-south and east-west variability. China's precipitation concentration indices are generally declining, with weak volatility. Among these indices, the PCD (P < 0.05) and PCI (P < 0.01) have decreased significantly at rates of − 0.005/10 year and − 0.006/10 year, respectively, while there has been no obvious decrease in the PCP. Compared with the PCD before 1978, the PCD in the rainy season after 1978 has decreased. In most areas, the rainy season is concentrated in July every year; however, the rainy season has been delayed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and has advanced mainly in the other basins. The PCI has declined since 1978, indicating a decreasing contribution of heavy precipitation to the total annual precipitation, but this change in the PCI has occurred mainly at high-value stations (PCI > 0.7), and the PCI at low-value stations has increased. Most of China's precipitation concentration indices and monsoon indices, as well as the NWRB, have small-scale (2–4 years) or medium-scale (12–15 years) oscillation periods. The oscillation periods between the precipitation concentration indices and monsoon indices in the Yangtze and Pearl River basins are more significant than those in other basins. The results of this study can help to understand the differences among the precipitation concentration characteristics in different basins in China and the intrinsic relationship between these characteristics and the summer monsoon and provide a reference for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends our previous research on East Asia to the case of 14 European countries from 1977 to 1999. According to our empirical results, intra industry trade is again the major channel through which the business cycles of European countries become synchronized. This contrasts with existing studies that found that increased trade itself led to the synchronization of business cycles. Our findings have important implications for the adoption of a currency union, as we expect that the costs of joining a currency union will diminish significantly only when intra industry trade becomes dominant. JEL no. E32, F33, F36, F41 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a combination of economic reasoning with empirical evidence to review the fertility decline experienced in South, Southeast, and East Asia. The fertility transition in this region has roughly coincided with a period of rapid economic growth. There has also been an increase in urbanization levels, greater female education and labour force participation, and demand for skilled labour. The paper focuses on the manner in which these macro-level changes have raised the production cost of children as assets and changed parental perception of children from being economic assets to liabilities. Where these factors have not come into play, such as in India, demographic change has not materialized, at least not to the extent of the other countries in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the author, in a paper published in a previous issue of the journal Population Studies, he questioned the validity of the so-called Far Eastern pattern of mortality as a unique regional mortality model. In her response researcher Noreen Goldman makes three major points. First, the Far Eastern mortality pattern as originally formulated by her differs from that defined by the United Nations Population Division. Second, the method used in author's analysis is different from that of her and not effective in discerning mortality patterns. Third, the Far Eastern mortality pattern as defined by her is indeed a unique mortality model. In this article the author comments on these assertions and further demonstrates that the Far Eastern mortality pattern is not unique regional model. Goldman provides some useful information in her rejoinder, but her major conclusions are unconvincing. While her early investigation into mortality changes in East Asia played a notable role in alerting demographers to the deficiencies of life tables for describing mortality experiences outside of the industrialized world, the claim that the Far Eastern mortality pattern is a distinctive regional mortality model is not well founded.

The financial crises of the late 1990s marked an intellectual watershed for the global economy, and also for regionalism as the Janus face of globalization. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the theory and practice of regional cooperation and integration may evolve along different lines to how it was understood for most of the second half of the twentieth century. In East Asia, in particular, this will mean that the relationship between multilateralism and regionalism will change. The 'East Asian' region will become an increasingly important domain within which to explore enhanced protection against financial crises. What we might call 'monetary regionalism', sceptical western voices notwithstanding, is now firmly on the regional agenda in East Asia. Within conventional political economy, the theory and practice of monetary regionalism is not as easy to understand as traditional, trade-driven, regional integration. Thus one aim of this paper is to outline a theory of monetary regionalism and demonstrate the degree to which it represents a break with understandings of the regional project in East Asia prior to the late 1990s. From its start in 1989, APEC claimed to be a new type of regionalism. The promise was that APEC would promote open regionalism. APEC did not achieve this goal. Nor did it provide support to its Asian members during the financial crises of the late 1990s. At the same time, more traditional (what we might call Balassian) understandings of trade-driven regional integration are showing signs of decreasing importance. There is a growing appeal to trade co-operation, but this is notably an increasing interest in bilateral preferential trading arrangements. This leads to a complex picture of competing regional initiatives across the economic policy spectrum. The paper locates these initiatives in the wider context of the growing politico-economic dialogue between Southeast and Northeast Asia that has developed via the ASEAN+3 process since 1997. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we hypothesize that acquisitions undertaken during low market cycles will exhibit better performance than other acquisitions for two key reasons: lower likelihood of overpayment due to hubris and ease in implementing restructuring initiatives such as retrenchment. We define performance as the cumulative abnormal returns surrounding the acquisition event and deploy a trend-based measure for market cycle. Based on an analysis of 115 acquisitions by Singapore firms between 1990 and 1999, we find strong support for the hypothesized relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how investments in capabilities offer platforms for the upgrading or downgrading of overseas subsidiaries' activities along a 'technology ladder' in response to macroeconomic changes. By analyzing panel data on Japanese electronic firms in East Asia from 1988 to 1994, the empirical results confirm the importance of capabilities at host country, parent company, and local subsidiary levels in sequential foreign investment decisions. The results show that subsidiary capabilities offset macroeconomic factors influencing location decisions of multinational corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Department stores invest in loyalty strategies that largely focus on retaining current high value customers in response to increasing competition in retail shopping. In this study, we examine the contribution of the top 20% customers for transaction frequency and value ("heavy buyers") to the total sales, and the consistency of this contribution across departments within a store. We also investigate the heavy buyer stability over time across 3 years, from over 550 million transactions from a department store chain in East Asia. The results show that the Pareto ratio of the top 20% spenders account for 71% of revenue (and 52% of the total transactions), and the top 20% transactors represent 58% of revenue (and 62% of total transactions), which may signal the role of such heavy buyers to overall stores sales. At each department level, the heavy buyers (by value) contribute from 65% to 86% of the department revenue. Despite this, the stability of the top 20% segment over time varies greatly by department from 11% to 74%. Finally, whether high value customers in one department store also translate across departments, depends mainly on the department size in terms of its shopper penetration. The research furthers our knowledge on Pareto Law, with important implications for customer retention strategies and loyalty programs especially for retailers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes climatological characteristics and temporal variation of the start and end dates of the rainy season over East Asia using a daily precipitation dataset for the time period 1951-2009. The rainy season is defined by a 5-day rainfall standard, and the regional average time series is constructed by applying the weighted-average method. Results show that the rainy season starts later, ends earlier and lasts shorter from southeast to northwest. In spring, the rainy belt slowly moves northward from 30 to 33°N in China and from 33 to 36°N on the Korean Peninsula and Japanese Islands. From 1951 to 2009, the rainy season generally began earlier in China but later in Korea and Japan, and it ended earlier at latitudes north of 35°N and later south of 35°N. The region-averaged start and end dates of the rainy season in the study region insignificantly advanced, and the duration of the rainy season insignificantly increased from 1951 to 2009. The rainy season duration slightly decreased in the Russian Far East and in northern and western China, and significantly decreased on the Korean Peninsula and the southern Hokkaido Islands, though it obviously increased in the Yangtze--Huaihe River Basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses contributions by researchers in East and Southeast Asia to science and technology research. Topics include investment in the science and technology research made in the East and Southeast Asia, total article count and research spending in China and Japan. Research in physical science and chemistry in institutions such as Peking University in China are mentioned. Charts presenting details of the research papers are included.

This paper aims to examine the validity of present-value model of current account (PVMCA) by analyzing dynamic responses of variables in PVMCA to structural shocks. In place of the cross-equation restriction tests used in existing research, we adopted a structural vector autoregression framework and obtain three findings. First, evidences from 4 East Asian countries supported the intertemporal theoretical expectation that country-specific transitory shocks significantly affect current accounts, whereas the effects of global and country-specific permanent shocks are negligible. Second, country-specific transitory shocks that primarily affected current account variance dominate net output variation. Third, global permanent and transitory shocks mainly affecting variances in world interest rates and exchange rates secondarily explain current account variance. Therefore, three explanatory variables of PVMCA sufficiently explain current account variations. In practice, investors can use the PVMCA to forecast changes in current accounts; they further judge business risks stemming from the changes, and adjust their security portfolio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from previous studies that mainly focused on the influences of large-scale horizontal circulation on cold events, this paper used the three-type decomposition of the global atmospheric circulation (3P-DGAC), taking the winter of 2021/22 as an example, to investigate the synergistic effects of the local horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations in the cold events of East Asia (EA). We discovered that the large-scale horizontal circulations influencing the two cold events in November and December are typically characterized by a transverse trough turning to a vertical trough, with the northwest path of cold air source in November and the hyperpolar path in December. But for the two consecutive cold events in February, the horizontal circulations are characterized by unstable small trough development, corresponding to small cold air masses splitting southward. Besides, with the development of the trough and ridge system of horizontal circulation, the local clockwise meridional circulation anomalies in the mid-latitude EA are promoted. The strong surface north winds of the meridional circulation anomaly could promote the southward movement of Arctic cold air, leading to the cooling of EA. Due to the presence of updrafts in front of the trough behind the ridge and downdrafts behind the trough in front of the ridge, the local zonal circulation anomalies in northern EA may connect with the East Asian trough (EAT) and the Ural Blocking (UB), which further cause the formation and development of cold events. In addition to the horizontal circulation analyzed in previous studies, this study demonstrated that vertical circulations also played important roles in the outbreak of cold events. Large-scale three-dimensional (3D) circulations work synergistically to affect the accumulation and southward movement of cold air. Our application of 3P-DGAC provides a new idea to analyze the dynamic effects of 3D circulations influencing cold events. • During the winter of 2021/22, East Asia (EA) was hit by four cold events, and the large-scale horizontal circulation served as an important bridge between the cold air and EA. • The local meridional and zonal circulation anomalies both contributed to the transport of cold air and the enhancement of surface high pressure. • Large scale three-dimensional circulations could work synergistically to affect the accumulation and southward movement of cold air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional herbal medicine, rooted in a long history of use in East Asia, combines several herbs to create treatments showing high efficacy with minimal side effects, for specific diseases. Such combination therapies represent a potential reservoir of new drugs for treating multifactorial and incurable chronic diseases. However, the complexity of their mechanisms of action due to the combination of multiple compounds, has limited their research integration into modern pharmacological science. To address this challenge, we constructed drug-induced transcriptome data for herbal medicines through systematic experiments, analyzed with the aid of various omics databases. We introduce KORE-Map 1.0 (Korean medicine Omics Resource Extension Map), the first comprehensive resource of drug-derived transcriptome data for representative tonifying herbal medicines, effective in enhancing the immune system. This dataset aims to provide novel insights into the combinatorial mechanisms of these herbal medicines and to aid in the discovery of new therapeutic targets and indications for various incurable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]