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In this study, the author focuses on the issue of country image in destination choice. To examine the relationship between these two variables, the study tests whether mainland Chinese who favor a destination as their ideal first choice for study abroad have a significantly more positive view of that destination's country image than their compatriots. The findings suggest policymakers and marketers from most destinations may be more successful focusing on factors other than country image in their attempts to attract cross-border students.

Globalization has driven growth in the market for cross-border students. Mainland China, with a burgeoning economy and the largest national population, has become an important source of cross-border students. This study identifies ideal attraction in mainland China to destinations for cross-border tertiary education, as expressed by ideal first and second choice destinations in 2008. It then compares ideal interest with the actual destinations of students over the ten-year period between 1999 and 2008. Findings indicate that the USA and South Korea are under-performing while Japan and Australia are over-performing against the mainland Chinese public's ideal demand. Countries, territories and higher education institutions hoping to attract mainland Chinese cross-border students could optimize their draw by raising their awareness and addressing the concerns of this increasingly important market.

Trifluoromethane (CHF 3 , HFC-23), one of the most potent greenhouse gases among hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), is mainly emitted to the atmosphere as a by-product in the production of the ozone-depleting legacy refrigerant and chemical feedstock chlorodifluoromethane (CHClF 2 , HCFC-22). A recent study on atmospheric observation-based global HFC-23 emissions (top-down estimates) showed significant discrepancies over 2014–2017 between the increase in the observation-derived emissions and the 87 % emission reduction expected from capture and destruction processes of HFC-23 at HCFC-22 production facilities implemented by national phase-out plans (bottom-up emission estimates) (Stanley et al., 2020). However, the actual regions responsible for the increased emissions were not identified. Here, we estimate the regional top-down emissions of HFC-23 for eastern Asia based on in situ measurements at Gosan, South Korea, and show that the HFC-23 emissions from eastern China have increased from 5.0±0.4 Gg yr -1 in 2008 to 9.5±1.0 Gg yr -1 in 2019. The continuous rise since 2015 was contrary to the large emissions reduction reported under the Chinese hydrochlorofluorocarbons production phase-out management plan (HPPMP). The cumulative difference between top-down and bottom-up estimates for 2015–2019 in eastern China was ∼23.7±3.6 Gg, which accounts for 47±11 % of the global mismatch. Our analysis based on HCFC-22 production information suggests the HFC-23 emissions rise in eastern China is more likely associated with known HCFC-22 production facilities rather than the existence of unreported, unknown HCFC-22 production, and thus observed discrepancies between top-down and bottom-up emissions could be attributed to unsuccessful factory-level HFC-23 abatement and inaccurate quantification of emission reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this exploratory survey study was to develop and validate a Buddhist reincarnation beliefs scale and explore the relation between Buddhist reincarnation beliefs and personal death anxiety in 141 older adult Hong Kong Chinese Buddhists. Buddhist reincarnation beliefs were unrelated to personal death anxiety. This suggests that not all religious afterlife beliefs have death anxiety buffering power as proposed by Terror Management Theory, perhaps because Buddhists view reincarnation not as a solace but rather as a renewal of sufferings due to unwholesome karma. Future cross-religion comparison studies could investigate the efficacy of reincarnation beliefs as a personal death anxiety defense mechanism in a Hindu sample. (Contains 1 table.)

In 2014, the United States Justice Department announced its first indictment against foreign military hackers. Since then, the Justice Department has continued the practice, indicting military and intelligence personnel from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as well as hackers-for-hire working at the behest of State handlers. Debates over the propriety and efficacy of the indictments have covered the benefits and downsides of the policy writ-large but have not analyzed the indictments in-depth to deconstruct the policy and identify first principles. This paper analyzes all of the indictments publicly released thus far and characterizes them along several axes, including the status of the hackers, the goal of the operation, the identity of the target, and the crimes charged, with additional discussion about the techniques involved in the various operations. After examining the trends identified in the analysis, this paper proposes a more nuanced framework for deciding whether or not to indict malicious State or State-sponsored cyber actors and recommends policies that will help the United States combat malicious State activity in cyberspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Clinical characterisation studies have been essential in helping inform research, diagnosis and clinical management efforts, particularly early in a pandemic. This systematic review summarises the early literature on clinical characteristics of patients admitted to hospital, and evaluates the quality of evidence produced during the initial stages of the pandemic. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Global Health databases were searched for studies published from January 1st 2020 to April 28th 2020. Studies which reported on at least 100 hospitalised patients with Covid-19 of any age were included. Data on clinical characteristics were independently extracted by two review authors. Study design specific critical appraisal tools were used to evaluate included studies: the Newcastle Ottawa scale for cohort and cross sectional studies, Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for case series and the Cochrane collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. Results: The search yielded 78 studies presenting data on 77,443 people. Most studies (82%) were conducted in China. No studies included patients from low- and middle-income countries. The overall quality of included studies was low to moderate, and the majority of studies did not include a control group. Fever and cough were the most commonly reported symptoms early in the pandemic. Laboratory and imaging findings were diverse with lymphocytopenia and ground glass opacities the most common findings respectively. Clinical data in children and vulnerable populations were limited. Conclusions: The early Covid-19 literature had moderate to high risk of bias and presented several methodological issues. Early clinical characterisation studies should aim to include different at-risk populations, including patients in non-hospital settings. Pandemic preparedness requires collection tools to ensure observational studies are methodologically robust and will help produce high-quality data early on in the pandemic to guide clinical practice and public health policy. Review registration: Available at https://osf.io/mpafn [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing asthma exacerbations is a major target of current clinical guidelines, but identifying features of exacerbation-prone asthma (EPA) using multidimensional assessment (MDA) is lacking. Objective: To systemically explore the clinical and inflammatory features of adults with EPA in a Chinese population. Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study using the Severe Asthma Web-based Database from the Australasian Severe Asthma Network (ASAN). Eligible Chinese adults with asthma (n = 546) were assessed using MDA. We stratified patients based on exacerbation frequency: none, few (1 or 2), and exacerbation prone (≥3). Univariate and multivariable negative binomial regression analyses were performed to investigate features associated with the frequency of exacerbations. Results: Of 546 participants, 61.9% had no exacerbations (n = 338), 29.6% had few exacerbations (n = 162), and 8.4% were exacerbation prone (n = 46) within the preceding year. EPA patients were characterized by elevated blood and sputum eosinophils but less atopy, with more controller therapies but worse asthma control and quality of life (all p < 0.05). In multivariable models, blood and sputum eosinophils (adjusted rate ratio = 2.23, 95% confidence interval = [1.26, 3.84] and 1.67 [1.27, 2.21], respectively), FEV1 (0.90 [0.84, 0.96]), bronchodilator responsiveness (1.16 [1.05, 1.27]), COPD (2.22 [1.41, 3.51]), bronchiectasis (2.87 [1.69, 4.89]), anxiety (2.56 [1.10, 5.95]), and depression (1.94 [1.20, 3.13]) were found. Further, upper respiratory tract infection (1.83 [1.32, 2.54]) and food allergy (1.67 [1.23, 2.25]) were at high risk of asthma symptom triggers. Conclusion: EPA is a clinically recognizable phenotype associated with several recognizable traits that could be addressed by targeted treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Taxonomic and functional trait compositions of chironomids along habitat gradient were explored in a subtropical subalpine wetland from Central China. • Functional traits are robust in relation to habitat change. • Organic matter contents, depth to water table and K+ are significant explanatory variables for the chironomid community. • Trait-based method is a useful approach in bioassessment of ecological functions. Ecosystem functions in wetlands are increasingly degrading under the multiple stresses of climate change and human disturbances. Traditional wetland bioassessment is usually based on taxonomic approaches but this approach has limitations. To explore the effectiveness of functional traits in response to environmental changes, we compared the traditional taxonomic composition of chironomid communities with a trait-based approach in a subtropical subalpine wetland (Central China) spanning a wide habitat gradient from dry peatland to inundated peatland pools. The results revealed that 57 % of functional trait groups but only 38 % of taxonomic groups examined were significantly different between diverse peatland habitats. Sphagnum moss hummocks were generally inhabited by larvae of collector-gatherers, small body-sized individuals and sprawlers, while peatland pools supported a high abundance of shredders, large body-sized larvae and burrowers. Ecotones had more niche opportunities and hence possessed high taxonomic and functional diversity. Ordination analyses indicated that three similar environmental variables (loss-on-ignition (LOI), depth to water table (DWT) and K+) were the most powerful explanations of the chironomid variability in both taxonomic and functional trait compositions. LOI and DWT interacted strongly and were the dominant controls on both taxonomic and trait communities. Our research demonstrated that functional trait groups of chironomids are more robust and sensitive than taxonomy-based approaches to habitat changes, and therefore could be an alternative approach for the bioassessment of aquatic ecosystem functioning and palaeo-studies in wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese market's attractiveness to international marketers has recently received a significant boost as a result of the country's admission into the World Trade Organization. Membership in the World Trade Organization requires trade barriers to be reduced and new sectors of the economy to be opened to foreign firms according to a predesignated timetable, which in turn will make this most populous country a promising market for marketers. Despite these positive developments, acquiring reliable information and, in particular, the understanding of the market presents big challenges to the development of a viable Chinese marketing strategy. In this article, the authors explore barriers to information acquisition in China and focus on the need to understand crucial dimensions of the operating environment with respect to internal protectionism, relationship development, the diversity of the market, and competitive contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake biodiversity is an incomplete indicator of exogenous forcing insofar as it ignores underlying deformations of community structure. Here, we seek a proxy for deformation in a network of diatom assemblages comprising 452 species in 273 lakes across China. We test predictions from network theory that nodes of similar type will tend to self‐organize in an unstressed system to a positively skewed frequency distribution of nodal degree. The empirical data reveal shifts in the frequency distributions of species associations across regions, from positive skew in lakes in west China with a history of low human impacts, to predominantly negative skew amongst lakes in highly disturbed regions in east China. Skew values relate strongly to nutrient loading from agricultural activity and urbanization, as measured by total phosphorus in lake water. Reconstructions through time show that positive skew reduces with temporal intensification of human impacts in the lake and surrounding catchments, and rises as lakes recover from disturbance. Our study illustrates how network parameters can track the loss of aquatic assemblage structure in lakes associated with human pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plastic debris floating at sea is thought to come from land-based sources, but there is little direct evidence to support this assumption. Since 1984, stranded debris has been recorded along the west coast of Inaccessible Island, a remote, uninhabited island in the central South Atlantic Ocean that has a very high macrodebris load (~5 kg⋅m-1). Plastic drink bottles show the fastest growth rate, increasing at 15% per year compared with 7% per year for other debris types. In 2018, we examined 2,580 plastic bottles and other containers (one-third of all debris items) that had accumulated on the coast, and a further 174 bottles that washed ashore during regular monitoring over the course of 72 d (equivalent to 800 bottles⋅km-1⋅y-1). The oldest container was a high-density polyethylene canister made in 1971, but most were polyethylene terephthalate drink bottles of recent manufacture. Of the bottles that washed up during our survey, 90% were date-stamped within 2 y of stranding. In the 1980s, two-thirds of bottles derived from South America, carried 3,000 km by the west wind drift. By 2009, Asia had surpassed South America as the major source of bottles, and by 2018, Asian bottles comprised 73% of accumulated and 83% of newly arrived bottles, with most made in China. The rapid growth in Asian debris, mainly from China, coupled with the recent manufacture of these items, indicates that ships are responsible for most of the bottles floating in the central South Atlantic Ocean, in contravention of International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of Chironomidae communities and the ecological significance of such assemblages in peatlands have received little attention, especially in subtropical alpine regions. We report on the spatial distribution of subfossil chironomids and environmental controls on the insects in three subalpine peatlands from subtropical, central China. We found 44 genera and 62 morphotypes in 41 surficial peat samples. The taxa are different from those found in shallow freshwater lakes in the same region, as terrestrial/semi-terrestrial taxa are common in the peatland chironomid communities. Dissimilarities were observed among the three investigated peatlands, and spatially heterogeneous microhabitats also showed notable differences in particular species abundances, even within the same peatland. Important taxa that are associated with specific peatlands, and/or illustrate within-peatland community differences, include Tanytarsus pallidicornis-type 2, which is related to lower conductivity, and Neozavrelia, which is associated with greater redox potential and pH. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed significant relationships between chironomid community composition and three environmental factors (conductivity, redox potential and pH). Anthropogenic influences and autogenic processes in peatlands likely modify the biotic communities, either through direct or indirect changes in peatland hydrology and chemistry. Low chironomid concentrations and diversity in Erxianyan Peatland may reflect ecological degradation caused by intense human activities, including the harvest of Sphagnum. This study provides information about subtropical peatland biodiversity and illustrates the utility of subfossil chironomids as proxies for past hydro-chemical changes in peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the process of currency internationalisation of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB). Aggregated cross-border data provided by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) allows better measurement of the role played by a currency in trade and settlement. RMB transactions are significant and increasing but remain concentrated in key financial centres. Analysis using an asset pricing framework shows that the footprint of Chinese corporations in international markets has at times been significant, with the size of these transactions prompting many to reassess the likely pace of RMB internationalisation and its usage as an alternate vehicle currency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how China's obsession with social stability is, blocking judicial reform, as of September 2016. It reports that Chinese judiciary prizes discipline over the adjudicatory autonomy of the individual judge. It mentions the country's key policy principles underlying China's civil trial management system by examining the overarching interpretation of the so-called "Case Quality Evaluation."

Urban intensity, in this paper, is measured by four related concepts: compactness, diversity, density, and connectivity. Together they lead to a single idea when considering spatial distributions potentially in a virtuous manner with regard to resource consumption, economic opportunity, social integration and environmental performance. The methodologies applied here included Moran's I, Shannon's index entropy, and accessibility isotimelines, which were then applied to real case scenarios in 20 towns in Zhejiang Province, selected based on their economic performances, population sizes, and geographical locations. Further inspection discovered that density, an outcome of urban form, is highly correlated to compactness, leading to its elimination. The results showed that among the varying spatial arrangements of urban activities, building footprints and infrastructural elements characterized by monocentric centers of use inscribed with well-defined and relatively uniform grids of streets and related networks, alongside of relatively integrated zones of use, seemed to perform best with regard to urban intensity. At the other end of the morphological spectrum, towns with sharp separations of uses and zones of development, often resulting in overall bifurcation of a town's spatial layout, performed less well. Also, linear forms for small towns were less favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A milk scandal erupted in China in 2008 when the industrial chemical melamine was found in dairy products nationwide. While many Chinese dairy companies faced huge losses or bankruptcy as a result, one small firm, Dairy United, accelerated its development. Dairy United is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative Chinese dairy producers, one that features an unusual organizational structure and business model. Unlike most corporate and cooperative dairies that purchase cows on the market, Dairy United leases dairy cows from local farmers, giving it access to its primary asset without a large up-front investment, and letting the firm grow its dairy herds with newborn heifers. In return, farmers receive fixed payments biannually, but relinquish control rights and residual claims to the firm. Thus, Dairy United's leasing is helping transform Chinese milk production from a backyard, labor-intensive activity to a more industrialized mode of farming. The case is particularly interesting for understanding applications of agency theory in agribusiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This research focuses on international marketing operations in Chinese managed enterprises based in the P.R.C. The findings indicate that the "central hub" structure and "ethnocentric" constructs provide an incomplete explanation of the organization and nature of international marketing policies in the survey firms. • The research data also indicates that overseas marketing practices, particularly in regard to market research, are unsophisticated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sediment core from Taibai Lake, a shallow and eutrophic lake (SE China), was analysed for chironomids to track environmental changes in the lake. Nutrient dynamics over the past 1400 years were traced based on subfossil records and a regional chironomid-inferred total phosphorus (CI-TP) transfer function. Between ad 600 and 1370, the coexistence of several macrophyte-related taxa such as Dicrotendipes, Paratanytarsus and Endochironomus reflected a clear-water state with flourishing plants, and total phosphorus (TP) reconstructions ranged from 40 to 60 µg/L. For the time span from ad 1370 to 1650, the prevalence of Paratanytarsus penicillatus-type indicated a slight decline of TP to lower than 50 µg/L, but CI-TP increased to previous levels between ad 1650 and 1940. Since the 1950s, Chironomus plumosus-type dominated the chironomid community, which illustrated that the lake suffered from high nutrient loadings and CI-TP increased from 80 to 140 µg/L. The results suggest that 50–60 µg/L of TP concentration is the reference condition for Taibai Lake, and ~80–110 µg/L might be considered as the nutrient threshold range between the plant-dominated and algal-dominated status. Variance partitioning analysis (VPA) was used to determine the relative influence of climate and human factors on the lake ecosystem. The analyses revealed that long-term climate change appeared to be the main determinant regulating the chironomid assemblages; however, the impact of human activities on the aquatic ecosystem prevailed over that of climate factors since the 1950s. This study improves our understanding of complex trajectories of aquatic ecosystem development at centennial to millennial timescales, which are influenced by both anthropogenic and climatic factors in a densely populated region. The main finding also provides reference for sustainable management in this lake and other analogous floodplain lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To derive and evaluate a short form of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire. Methods Data from three previous studies of dentine hypersensitivity ( n = 353) were pooled and randomly divided into half. Ten- and 15-item short forms were derived in the first half of the data using the item impact and regression methods. The four short forms were evaluated in the second half. Results The 10 and 15-item versions of the regression short form detected impacts in 37% and 61% of participants, respectively, compared to 68% and 93% using the item impact method. All short forms had internal consistency (Cronbach's α) >0.84 and test-retest reliability ( ICC) >0.89. All correlated with the long form (all r > 0.93, p < 0.001) and with the effect of the mouth on everyday life (all r ≥ 0.73, p < 0.001). None of the short forms detected a treatment effect in two trials although all four showed a tendency to detect an effect in a trial where the long form had done so. Conclusions The 15-item short form derived with the item impact method performed better than other short forms and appears to be sufficiently robust for use in individual patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To validate the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire in terms of responsiveness to change and to determine the minimally important difference. Materials and Methods The study was a secondary analysis of data from three randomized controlled trials with 311 participants. Three aspects of responsiveness were examined: change within individuals, differences among people who improved, stayed the same or worsened using an external referent and change due to treatment. Responsiveness to treatments of differing efficacy was assessed in trials with negative and active controls. Results The measure showed excellent internal reliability, test-retest reliability and criterion validity. The measure was highly responsive to change within individuals (Cohen's effect sizes: 0.28, 0.56, 0.86) showing decreases in the total score (i.e. improvement in OHrQoL) across all trials. The effect sizes in participants whose self-reported QoL 'improved' were large (0.73-1.31). Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire detected a treatment effect in one of two negative control trials (effect size: 0.47). Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire scores were similar in the test and control groups in the active control trial. The minimally important difference range was between 22 and 39 points. Conclusions The measure is longitudinally reliable, valid and responsive and can discriminate between treatments of different efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effectiveness of urban master plans in limiting development in a disaster-prone area of China was empirically investigated by measuring cities’ land-cover changes against their master plans. If a master plan serves as guidance for urban polices that reduce property loss from earthquakes, floods, landslides, land subsidence, and rises in sea level, it will substantially limit urban development in areas at risk from environmental hazards. An environmental risk map weighted toward valuable forms of land cover was generated using geospatial databases of China''s Yangtze River Delta region. Based on this data, the effects of five master plan measures—ring-road patterns, block size, the area of urban built-up lands, the locations of industrial sites, and preservation zoning—were tested using the multiple regression method. Cities showing a high degree of compliance, in particular with preservation zoning, had a smaller amount of urban land located in high-risk zones, on average, by 14km2. Among the top ten cities exposed to disproportionately high risks, eight were towns and only two were cities like Huzhou and Kunshan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Outward expansion of urban lands in the developing nations is often associated with a substantial loss of environmental resources such as forests, wetlands, freshwater and cash crop fields. Yet, determining how different aspects of urbanisation – such as city population size and spread pattern of built-up lands – contribute to the cumulative loss of resources remains controversial. In this study, data sets were constructed describing changes to land cover across 65,200 grid cells at 1 km2 spatial resolution for China's Changjiang Delta Region over the past 60 years. The results showed that the region lost 12.2% of total resource sites. The distribution of resource degradation showed a highly dispersed pattern and was not confined to a few intense areas associated with large cities. No empirical evidence was found that city population size alone accurately predicts the distribution of resource loss. Very large cities (N = 4) contributed 35% to the total loss, demonstrating impacts similar to those of much more scattered towns (N = 230). Urban expansion of large cities may lead to extensive resource loss; however, a set of non-linear mechanisms, such as the diminishing effects of per-unit area urban spread on resources and interactions between urban patterns and the size of urban spread, can also play a significant role in downsizing the negative effects of large cities on resource sites. Thus, effective urban policies should carefully weigh the cumulative urban spread mechanisms of both large and small cities responsible for spatially dispersed degradation of environmental resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Camellia (Theaceae), C. cherryana Orel, endemic to the Sichuan-Yunnan border region, the People's Republic of China, is described and illustrated. It has variably sized, slightly coriaceous, elliptic to lanceolate leaves with a strongly acuminate apex and cuneate base; the adaxial leaf surface is glabrous and slightly pitted, mid-green and shiny, the abaxial leaf surface is sparsely pubescent, light green and shiny; the lowers are solitary, pedicellate, 5-7 cm in diam.; the corolla is two-whorled, white and the petals are soft, opaque to translucent, orbicular or almost orbicular, widely relexed with undulate margins; the ilaments are glabrous, up to 1.5 cm long, but mostly shorter; the styles are three, brown, densely pubescent, 1-1.2 cm long, basally joined but otherwise free; and the stigma is of the same colour, indistinct. The morphological evidence supports a placement in Camellia sect. Heterogena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines developments in urban architecture in China. The changes in urban architecture include the shift to hypermodernity from traditionalism, a growing initiative to conserve and preserve historic buildings, and the rise of Third Stream architectural projects sponsored by the government and successful corporations. The cultural authenticity and the interaction of urban landmarks and novice Chinese architects' use of the countryside to explore their new designs are also described.

The article presents the views expressed by the participants of a roundtable discussion on how to deal with the rising demand for dialysis held during the Second Congress of the International Society for Hemodialysis in Hong Kong, China in August 2009. The conference was attended by academic nephrologists, health care officials, and nephrology society representatives. Focal to the roundtable discussion was dialysis economics and the ways to tackle the dialysis burden around the world.

Perceived facial age has been proposed as a biomarker of ageing with 'looking young for one's age' linked to physical and cognitive functioning and to increased survival for Caucasians. We have investigated the environmental and lifestyle factors associated with perceived facial ageing in Chinese women. Facial photographs were collected from 250 Chinese women, aged 25-70 years in Shanghai, China. Perceived facial age was determined and related to chronological age for each participant. Lifestyle and health information was collected by questionnaire. Bivariate analyses (controlling for chronological age) identified and quantified lifestyle variables associated with perceived facial age. Independent predictors of perceived age were identified by multivariate modelling. Factors which significantly associated with looking younger for one's chronological age included greater years of education (p,0.001), fewer household members (p = 0.027), menopausal status (p = 0.020), frequency of visiting one's doctor (p = 0.013), working indoors (p,0.001), spending less time in the sun (p = 0.015), moderate levels of physical activity (p = 0.004), higher frequency of teeth cleaning (p,0.001) and more frequent use of facial care products: cleanser (p,0.001); moisturiser (p = 0.016) or night cream (p = 0.016). Overall, 36.5% of the variation in the difference between perceived and chronological age could be explained by a combination of chronological age and 6 independent lifestyle variables. We have thus identified and quantified a number of factors associated with younger appearance in Chinese women. Presentation of these factors in the context of facial appearance could provide significant motivation for the adoption of a range of healthy behaviours at the level of both individuals and populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical transitions between ecosystem states can be triggered by relatively small external forces or internal perturbations and may show time-lagged or hysteretic recovery. Understanding the precise mechanisms of a transition is important for ecosystem management, but it is hampered by a lack of information about the preceding interactions and associated feedback between different components in an ecosystem. This paper employs a range of data, including paleolimnological, environmental monitoring and documentary sources from lake Erhai and its catchment, to investigate the ecosystem structure and dynamics across multiple trophic levels through the process of eutrophication. A long-term perspective shows the growth and decline of two distinct, but coupled, positive feedback loops: a macrophyte-loop and a phosphorus-recycling-loop. The macrophyte-loop became weaker, and the phosphorus-recycling-loop became stronger during the process of lake eutrophication, indicating that the critical transition was propelled by the interaction of two positive feedback loops with different strengths. For lake restoration, future weakening of the phosphorus-recycling loop or a reduction in external pressures is expected to trigger macrophyte growth and eventually produce clear water conditions, but the speed of recovery will probably depend on the rates of feedback loops and the strength of their coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents evidence that graduates from rural areas, classified as non-urban Hukou, choose to invest in higher levels of job-search effort (as measured by number of different search methods used and the number of employers contacted) and also set a lower reservation wage, reflected in acceptance of a lower starting salary, than do comparable graduates of urban Hukou, in China. The former also appear to have higher probabilities of being employed, in terms of both their higher probabilities of receiving offers and, more importantly, their higher probabilities of acceptance. The evidence thus suggests that graduates with non-urban Hukou face more intense pressure to gain employment in the period leading up to graduation, than do their urban counterparts. More generally, the evidence suggests that effort invested in job search is rewarded in the graduate labor market in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's recent urban expansion is examined from a national statistical perspective of officially designated cities and towns, an urban regional perspective concentrated on the Changjiang Delta, and from the perspective of prevalent city-level development practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The time at which the Tibetan Plateau rose to its present high elevation remains controversial, with estimates ranging from 40 Ma to more recent than 7 Ma. New stable isotope analyses of modern and accurately dated ancient paleosol carbonate in the Nima basin of central Tibet point to an arid climate and high paleoelevation (4.5–5 km, comparable to today''s setting) by 26 Ma. Oxygen isotope values of ancient (26 Ma) soil carbonate are both very negative and indistinguishable–after modest corrections for changes in global climate–from the lowest (least evaporated) oxygen isotope values of modern soil carbonates in the area. Substantial enrichments in oxygen-18 in paleolacustrine carbonates, as well as high carbon isotope values from paleosol carbonates, indicate considerable lake evaporation and low soil respiration rates, respectively, and both are consistent with the present arid climate of the Nima area. Blockage of tropical moisture by the Himalaya and perhaps the Gangdese Shan probably has contributed strongly to the aridity and very negative oxygen isotope values of soil carbonate and surface water in the Nima area since at least the Late Oligocene. The maintenance of high elevation since at least 26 Ma suggests that any flow of lower crust from beneath central Tibet must have been balanced by coeval northward insertion of Indian crust beneath the Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The changing environment faced by Hong Kong-based entrepreneurs undertaking production in southern China provides the broad context for the Wah Hoi case. Since starting production in Guangdong province in 1988, Wah Hoi has grown rapidly. However, in the mid-1990s, the founder and owner of Wah Hoi, Mr. Fred Mok, has to address a number of problems. These include a need to re-evaluate several joint venture agreements; pressures from cost inflation and regulatory changes in China; a tough competitive environment in overseas markets; and policy issues relating to Wah Hoi's international marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Characteristics of asymptomatic and presymptomatic infection are not identical. • Younger age correlates strongly with asymptomatic and mild infections. • Asymptomatic infections do not provide clear guidance for public-health measures. • Asymptomatic cases should be reported in official COVID-19 statistics. • Asymptomatic individuals carrying SARS-CoV-2 are hidden drivers of the pandemic. While successful containment measures of COVID-19 in China and many European countries have led to flattened curves, case numbers are rising dramatically in other countries, with the emergence of a second wave expected. Asymptomatic individuals carrying SARS-CoV-2 are hidden drivers of the pandemic, and infectivity studies confirm the existence of transmission by asymptomatic individuals. The data addressed here show that characteristics of asymptomatic and presymptomatic infection are not identical. Younger age correlates strongly with asymptomatic and mild infections and children as hidden drivers. The estimated proportion of asymptomatic infections ranges from 18% to 81%. The current perception of asymptomatic infections does not provide clear guidance for public-health measures. Asymptomatic infections will be a key contributor in the spread of COVID-19. Asymptomatic cases should be reported in official COVID-19 statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study which focuses on the role of paleoenvironmental sequences to gain multidecadal information for ecosystem services. It refers to a case study from the lower Yangtze basin, China which shows significant decline in regulating services because of increase in population and economic growth.

Abstract: A ∼6.35m core (06SD) was retrieved from Lake Shudu, Yunnan Province, China. The sediments spanning the period ∼22.6–10.5kcal.yr BP (6.35–1.44m) were analysed using a combination of variables including pollen, charcoal, particle size, magnetic susceptibility and loss-on-ignition. The resulting palaeorecord provides a high-resolution reconstruction of Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene climatic and environmental changes in southwestern China. Our findings indicate that from c. 22.6 to 17.7kcal.yr BP, vegetation assemblages were primarily aligned to sparse xerophytic grassland/tundra or cold-tolerant boreal Pinus forest, indicating that climatic conditions in southwestern China were cold and dry. However, from c. 17.7 to 17.4kcal.yr BP, the Lake Shudu record is punctuated by marked environmental changes. These include the establishment of denser vegetation cover, a marked expansion of boreal Pinus forest and enhanced hydrological activity in the catchment over centennial timescales, perhaps suggesting that stepwise variations in the Asian Monsoon were triggering fundamental environmental changes over sub-millennial timescales. Thereafter, the pollen record captures a period of environmental instability reflected in fluctuations across all of the variables, which persists until c. 17.1kcal.yr BP. After c. 17.1kcal.yr BP, the expansion of steppe vegetation cover and cold–cool mixed forest consisting of mesophilous vegetation such as Tsuga and Picea, thermophilous trees including Ulmus and deciduous Quercus inferred from the Lake Shudu pollen record point to the establishment of warmer, wetter and perhaps more seasonal conditions associated with a strengthening Asian Summer Monsoon during the shift from Pleistocene to Holocene climatic conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to advance our understanding of the suturing process between continental landmasses, a geologic and geochronologic investigation was undertaken just south of the India–Asia suture in southwestern Tibet. The focus of this study, the Xiao Gurla Range, is located near the southeastern terminus of the active, right-lateral strike-slip Karakoram fault in southwestern Tibet. The range exposes metasandstone, phyllite, schist (locally of sillimanite facies), calc-gneiss and marble, paragneiss (± pyroxene), quartzite, metagranite, and variably deformed leucogranite. These metamorphic rocks are exposed in the footwall of a domal, top-to-the-west low-angle normal (detachment) fault, structurally beneath Neogene–Quaternary basin fill and serpentinized ultramafic rocks of the Kiogar-Jungbwa ophiolite. The detachment is interpreted to be the northeastern continuation of the Gurla Mandhata detachment fault system that bounds metamorphic rocks of the Gurla Mandhata Range ~60km to the southwest. U–Pb geochronology on five detrital zircon samples of schist, phyllite, and quartzite yielded maximum depositional ages that range from 644–363Ma and age probability distributions that are more similar to Tethyan sequence rocks than Lesser Himalayan sequence rocks. A felsic gneiss yielded a metamorphic zircon age of 35.3±0.8Ma with a significant population of early Paleozoic xenocrystic core ages. The gneiss is interpreted to be the metamorphosed equivalent of the Cambro-Ordovician gneiss that is exposed near the top of the Greater Himalayan sequence. Leucogranitic bodies intruding metasedimentary footwall rocks yielded two distinct U–Pb zircon ages of ~23Ma and ~15Ma. Locally, rocks exposed in the hanging wall of this fault and of the southward-dipping, northward-verging Great Counter thrust to the north consist of serpentinite-bearing mélange and conglomerate of inferred Paleogene age dominated by carbonate clasts. The mélange is intruded by a 44Ma granite and the stratigraphically highest conglomerate unit yielded detrital zircon U–Pb ages similar to Tethyan sequence rocks. We attribute the middle Eocene magmatism south of the suture to break-off of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab. In addition, our observations are consistent with the late Eocene shortening and crustal thickening within the Tethyan Himalayan sequence, early-middle Miocene leucogranite emplacement being related to underthrusting and melting of the Greater and possibly Lesser Himalayan sequences, and late Miocene arc-parallel extension in the hinterland of the southward propagating Himalayan thrust belt. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Atmospheric HCFC-22 (CHClF2) and HCFC-142b (CH3CClF2) in-situ measurements have been recorded by an automated gas chromatograph-electron capture detectors (GC-ECDs) system and a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Medusa-GC/MS) system at the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) regional background station Shangdianzi (SDZ), China. The mixing ratios of the two HCFCs at SDZ show frequent events with elevated concentrations due to polluted air from urban or industrialized areas. The mean background mixing ratios for HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b were 205.3 ppt (parts per trillion, 10−12, molar) and 20.7 ppt, respectively, for the study period (March 2007–February 2011). The yearly background mixing ratios for the two HCFCs at SDZ are similar to those measured at Trinidad Head and Mace Head located in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), but larger than Cape Grim and Cape Matatula (located in the Southern Hemisphere) due to inter-hemispheric differences caused by predominantly NH emissions. During the study period, background mixing ratios exhibited positive growth rates of 8.7 ppt yr−1 for HCFC-22 and 0.95 ppt yr−1 for HCFC-142b. HCFC’s seasonality exhibits a summer/autumn maximum and a winter minimum. 4-year averaged background seasonal amplitudes (maximum–minimum) are 6.0 ppt for HCFC-22 and 0.9 ppt for HCFC-142b. The seasonal fluctuations (maximum–minimum) in polluted events are 105.4 ppt for HCFC-22 and 29.1 ppt for HCFC-142b, which are much stronger than the fluctuations under background conditions. However, both HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b show summer minima in 2008, which is most likely due to emission control regulations when the Olympic Games were held in Beijing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wheat is grown in most of the Indian and Chinese regions and after harvesting, the remaining straw offers considerable promise as a renewable source most suitable for papermaking and as a pulping resource. Delignification of wheat straw offers ample scope for energy conservation by way of the application of the process intensification principles. The present work reviews the pretreatment techniques available for improving the effectiveness of the conventional approach for polysaccharide component separation, softening and delignification. A detailed overview of the cavitation assisted delignification process has been presented based on the earlier literature illustrations and important operational guidelines have been presented for overall low-cost and amenable energy utilization in the processes. The effectiveness of the methods has been evaluated according to yield and properties of the isolated fibers in comparison to the conventional treatment. Also the experimental results of one such non-conventional treatment scheme based on the use of hydrodynamic cavitation have been presented for the pulping of wheat straw. The effect of hydrodynamically induced cavitation on cell wall matrix and its components have been characterized using FT-IR analysis with an objective of understanding the cavitation assisted digestion mechanism on straws. It has been observed that the use of hydrodynamic cavitation does not degrade the fibrillar structure of cellulose but causes relocalisation and partial removal of lignin. Overall it appears that considerable improvement can be obtained due to the use of pretreatment or alternate techniques for delignification, which is an energy intensive step in the paper making industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In-situ measurements of atmospheric chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) can be used to the assess their global and regional emissions and to check for compliance with phase-out schedules under Montreal protocol and its amendments. The atmospheric mixing ratios of CFC-11 (CCl3F), CFC-12 (CCl2F2) and CFC-113 (CCl2F–CClF2) have been measured by an automated in-situ GC-ECDs system at the regional Chinese Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station Shangdianzi (SDZ), from November 2006 to October 2009. The time series for these three principal CFCs showed large episodic events and background conditions occurred for approximately 30% (CFC-11), 52% (CFC-12) and 56% (CFC-113) of the measurements. The mean background mixing ratios for CFC-11, CFC-12 and CFC-113 were 244.8 ppt (parts per trillion, 10−12, molar) 539.6 ppt and 76.8 ppt, respectively, for 2006–2009. The enhanced CFC mixing ratios compared to AGAGE sites such as Trinidad Head (THD), US and Mace Head (MHD), Ireland suggest regional influences even during background conditions at SDZ, which is much closer to highly-populated areas. Between 2006 and 2009 background CFCs exhibited downward trends at rates of −2.0 ppt yr−1 for CFC-11, −2.5 ppt yr−1 for CFC-12 and −0.7 ppt yr−1 for CFC-113. De-trended 3-year average background seasonal cycles displayed small fluctuations with peak-to-trough amplitudes of 1.0 ± 0.02 ppt (0.4%) for background CFC-11, 1.3 ± 2.1 ppt (0.3%) for CFC-12 and 0.2 ± 0.4 ppt (0.3%) for CFC-113. On the other hand, during pollution periods these CFCs showed much larger seasonal cycles of 11.2 ± 10.7 ppt (5%) for CFC-11, 7.5 ± 6.5 ppt (2%) for CFC-12 and 1.0 ± 1.2 ppt (1.2%) for CFC-113, with apparent winter minima and early summer maxima. This enhancement was attributed to prevailing wind directions from urban regions in summer and to enhanced anthropogenic sources during the warm season. In general, horizontal winds from northeast showed negative contribution to atmospheric CFCs loading, whereas South Western advection (urban sector: Beijing) had positive contributions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Geologic mapping and U–Pb detrital zircon geochronologic studies of (meta)sedimentary rocks in the Damxung area (∼90km north of Lhasa) of the southern Lhasa terrane in Tibet provide new insights into the history of deformation and clastic sedimentation prior to late Cenozoic extension. Cretaceous nonmarine clastic rocks ∼10km southeast of Damxung are exposed as structural windows in the footwall of a thrust fault (the Damxung thrust) that carries Paleozoic strata in the hanging wall. To the north of Damxung in the southern part of the northern Nyainqentanglha Range (NNQTL), metaclastic rocks of previously inferred Paleozoic age are shown to range in depositional age from Late Cretaceous to Eocene. The metaclastic rocks regionally dip southward and are interpreted to have been structurally buried in the footwall of the Damxung thrust prior to being tectonized during late Cenozoic transtension. Along the northern flank of the NNQTL, Lower Eocene syncontractional redbeds were deposited in a triangle zone structural setting. All detrital zircon samples of Cretaceous–Eocene strata in the Damxung area include Early Cretaceous grains that were likely sourced from the Gangdese arc to the south. We suggest that the that newly recognized Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene (meta)clastic deposits and thrust faults represent the frontal and youngest part of a northward directed and propagating Gangdese retroarc thrust belt and foreland basin system that led to significant crustal thickening and elevation gain in southern Tibet prior to India-Asian collision. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent studies using bottles as tracers have shown that illegal dumping from ships is responsible for the rapid increase in drink bottles washing up on oceanic islands and at remote continental beaches away from local litter inputs. However, these studies have been in areas with moderate to high levels of shipping activity. I examined bottles stranded on the Pitcairn Islands in the central South Pacific, which are far from major shipping routes. Drink bottles from Asia dominated, with most coming from China. The top four brands (three Chinese and one multinational) were the same as at Tristan da Cunha in the central South Atlantic Ocean, which lies on the shipping route between South America and Asia. Bottle ages also were similar at Pitcairn and Tristan, indicating that vessels are the main source of bottles at both islands. Stricter controls are needed to reduce illegal dumping of plastics at sea., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We sought to understand the role that water availability (expressed as an aridity index) plays in determining regional and global patterns of richness and evenness, and in turn how these water availability-diversity relationships may result in different richness-evenness relationships at regional and global scales. We examined relationships between water availability, richness and evenness for eight grassy biomes spanning broad water availability gradients on five continents. Our study found that relationships between richness and water availability switched from positive for drier (South Africa, Tibet and USA) vs. negative for wetter (India) biomes, though were not significant for the remaining biomes. In contrast, only the India biome showed a significant relationship between water availability and evenness, which was negative. Globally, the richness-water availability relationship was hump-shaped, however, not significant for evenness. At the regional scale, a positive richness-evenness relationship was found for grassy biomes in India and Inner Mongolia, China. In contrast, this relationship was weakly concave-up globally. These results suggest that different, independent factors are determining patterns of species richness and evenness in grassy biomes, resulting in differing richness-evenness relationships at regional and global scales. As a consequence, richness and evenness may respond very differently across spatial gradients to anthropogenic changes, such as climate change., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)