Search Results (74)

Summer overheating has emerged as the primary comfort challenge in rural housing under a warming climate. Conventional retrofit measures are often infeasible due to high costs and limited technical capacity. This study investigates how spatial configuration influences summer thermal conditions while keeping envelope materials constant, focusing on rural dwellings in the Guanzhong region of China. Three representative prototypes are analyzed: the traditional courtyard type, the deep continuation type, and the progressive combined type. Thermal performance is evaluated using the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) index through Ladybug and Honeybee simulations based on long-term meteorological data, and validated with multi-room field measurements. Two parametric analyses further test the effects of window opening rates (0.2–0.5) and room width-to-depth ratios (1:1–1:2.5). Results indicate that courtyards and galleries function as transitional zones, creating discrete yet connected thermal units and reducing PMV near edges. Second-floor rooms show a ventilation advantage with an average PMV reduction of 0.08. Enlarging window openings improves PMV only when cross-ventilation paths exist, while ratios wider than 1:2 raise PMV and slightly influence adjacent rooms. Field measurements confirm these simulated patterns. Cross-regional comparisons with Argentina, Brazil, and Japan further demonstrate that once the envelope is adequate, the spatial organization becomes the key driver of summer comfort. The study highlights practical, low-cost strategies such as reallocating high-use rooms to favorable zones, adding targeted shading, and ventilation, and introducing lightweight spatial interventions. These measures enhance summer comfort without invasive construction. Full article

Background and Objectives: Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) is a preferred minimally invasive option for renal tumours, but its use in highly complex cases (RENAL score ≥ 9) remains underexplored. Only four Asian countries, India, China, South Korea, and Japan, have published studies on RAPN for complex kidney tumours, highlighting limited evidence. The aim of this study is to assess the perioperative, functional, and oncological effects of RAPN for complex renal tumours at a single tertiary centre in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: Patient demographics, tumour characteristics, perioperative parameters, and postoperative results were collected through a retrospective review that was conducted on 35 patients who had undergone RAPN between January 2023 and June 2024. The outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and comparative tests between surgical approaches (transperitoneal vs. retroperitoneal). Results: Of the 35 patients, all had high-complexity tumours. RAPN achieved a “trifecta” outcome in 88.6% of patients. Significantly lower intraoperative blood loss is associated with the retroperitoneal approach in comparison with the transperitoneal approach, whereas other perioperative parameters, which include warm ischaemia time, did not show any significant differences. No positive surgical margins were observed, and no local recurrences or port-site metastases were detected during a mean follow-up of 11.31 ± 5.78 months. Postoperative changes in renal function were negligible, with a mean creatinine change of 5.69 ± 20.39 µmol/L. Conclusions: RAPN is a safe and effective option for complex renal tumours, offering excellent functional and oncological outcomes. The choice between transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches should be tailored to tumour characteristics for optimal surgical outcomes. This single-centre Malaysian study contributes to the limited Southeast Asian literature on RAPN for complex renal tumours. Full article

In the current context where China is continuously emphasizing the construction and supply of indemnificatory housing, and actively promoting the construction of “Better Housing” for such housing, the development experiences of Japan and South Korea in the field of public housing reveal that the construction and supply of public housing cannot be separated from the interaction and coordinated development of the policy system, spatial composition, and cultural factors. Based on this, this study takes the public rental housing in China, Japan, and South Korea as the research objects, through comparative analysis of their policy systems, cultural backgrounds, and spatial composition characteristics of unit plans, to explore the implications for the development of China’s indemnificatory housing, and provides theoretical basis and practical references for optimizing the supply system and space design of China’s indemnificatory housing. The study selects typical cases of public rental housing from the three countries, and conducts comparisons from dimensions such as unit plane shape, L.D.K. layout, bedroom configuration, transitional space, balcony design, and bathroom composition. Findings indicate that Japan’s UR rental housing focuses on refined and diversified design, South Korea’s public housing emphasizes spatial flexibility, while China’s indemnificatory housing, while pursuing standardized construction, faces challenges of area limitations and insufficient functional adaptability. Based on the experiences of the three countries, this study proposes a tripartite guidance suggestion of “Policy–Space–Culture” to advance the realization of “Better Housing” objectives and ensure that China’s indemnificatory housing meets both international advanced experience and local social and cultural specific needs: (1) policy systems—strengthening legalization and long-term sustainability in governance; (2) spatial composition—incorporating flexible layouts and human-centric detailing; (3) cultural adaptability—balancing traditional living habits with contemporary needs. Full article

Understanding the hierarchical patterns of building heights is essential for sustainable urban development and planning. This study presents a novel approach for detecting and comparing building height hierarchies in four major bay areas: the San Francisco Bay Area, the New York Bay Area in the United States, the Tokyo Bay Area in Japan, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in China. Kernel density estimation was first used to create continuous spatial distributions of building heights, forming the basis for our analysis. The approach then uses the contour tree algorithm to abstract and visualize these hierarchies. A structural similarity index is proposed to compare the hierarchies by identifying the maximum common sub-contour tree across the different contour trees. The results reveal that all four bay areas exhibit a multi-core hierarchical structure, with the greater bay area exhibiting the most complex pattern. Quantitative comparison reveals that the building height hierarchies of the New York Bay Area and Tokyo Bay Area are most similar (similarity index = 0.74), while those of the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Bay Area are the least similar (similarity index = 0.17). Our approach provides a practical tool for understanding building height hierarchies and can be readily applied to analyze diverse spatial patterns. Full article

E-methane is considered the most important way to decarbonize the natural gas system in Japan. The advantage of e-methane is that it can use existing natural gas infrastructure and end-use facilities. There is a potential for China to produce e-methane and export it to Japan in the future. Therefore, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and economic analysis of e-methane should be studied in both countries. The GHG emissions of e-methane are 0.927 kg-CO₂e per kg e-methane if all processes are powered by solar energy. The largest portion of GHG emissions from e-methane comes from hydrogen, which comprises more than 85% if solar energy is used for all processes. When solar energy is used to produce hydrogen, but grid electricity is used for other processes, the GHG emissions exceed the Europe Union’s Renewable Liquid and Gaseous Transport Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) requirements, whether in Japan or in China. The levelized cost of e-methane produced in Japan is much higher than in China. The levelized cost of e-methane in Japan is 4489 USD/ton in the base case (2021), 2842 USD/ton in the 2030 case, and 1674 USD/ton in the 2050 case. In China, it is 2450 USD/ton, 1505 USD/ton, and 1082 USD/ton, respectively. The cost of hydrogen is the largest contributor to the levelized cost of e-methane, accounting for more than 60% in all cases. For China and Japan to cooperate in the value chain of e-methane, a carbon accounting mechanism and a carbon pricing mechanism mutually recognized by both Japan and China are necessary. Full article

The 2022–2023 mpox outbreak exhibited an uneven global distribution. While countries such as the UK, Brazil, and the USA were most heavily affected in 2022, many Asian countries, specifically China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, experienced the outbreak later, in 2023, with significantly fewer reported cases relative to their populations. This variation in timing and scale distinguishes the outbreaks in these Asian countries from those in the first wave. This study evaluates the predictability of mpox outbreaks with smaller case counts in Asian countries using popular epidemic forecasting methods, including the ARIMA, Prophet, GLM, GAM, n-Sub-epidemic, and Sub-epidemic Wave frameworks. Despite the fact that the ARIMA and GAM models performed well for certain countries and prediction windows, their results were generally inconsistent and highly dependent on the country, i.e., the dataset, as well as the prediction interval length. In contrast, n-Sub-epidemic Ensembles demonstrated more reliable and robust performance across different datasets and predictions, indicating the effectiveness of this model on small datasets and its utility in the early stages of future pandemics. Full article

Background: A total of 396 samples were taken from the hearts, oesophagi, and diaphragms of 132 horses slaughtered at slaughterhouses in 2023 for subsequent examination. Methods: The histological method revealed pathomorphological changes in the muscle tissue. The molecular method identified the pathogen species. Results: Histological examination revealed thick-walled cysts with internal septa and numerous bradyzoites, and mononuclear inflammatory cells with pericyst infiltrates. Microcyst samples were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Molecular genetic analysis allowed for the identification of 18 sarcocysts. Phylogenetic analysis of Sarcocystis isolates revealed three separate clades of Sarcocystis bertrami and two separate clades of Sarcocystis fayeri. Comparison and phylogenetic analysis revealed a very close relationship between the identified Sarcocystis species and other equine Sarcocystis DNA sequences from China and Japan. Based on the results obtained, the epizootic situation and the parasitic level of sarcocystosis contamination of horses in the northern Kazakhstan were determined. Conclusion: This is the first histological and molecular study to identify Sarcocystis spp. isolated from microscopic forms of equine sarcocysts in the northern Kazakhstan. This research will contribute to the fight against the spread of sarcocystosis in the Republic of Kazakhstan and will allow us to develop proposals for improving the mechanisms of sarcocystosis control. Full article

We assess the accuracy of geometric morphometrics (GMM) for determining the origin of insects of quarantine importance using the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina Lep.1836) as a case study. This species is highly variable, has an extensive natural distribution, and has been transported to many regions of the world. Forewing landmarks were applied to a large sample of regionally specific color morphs (previously considered “subspecies”) from across the species’ native Asian range. We reconfirm that GMM can statistically distinguish geographic variants independent of the color patterns that have heretofore been used for provenance, but which have been suspected of being unreliable. Almost all morphs in our analyses were statistically different except the centrally located V. v. variana, whose range lies between the continental V. v. auraria Smith, 1852, and V. v. nigrithorax du Buysson, 1905 morphs, and the Malaysian and Indonesian morphs. Even with moderate-sized training samples, discriminant function analysis (DFA) was able to classify geographic morphos with about 90% accuracy (ranging from 60% to 100%). We apply these results to determine the origin of a dead wasp recently intercepted in a mail parcel in Utah. Both DFA and continuous-trait maximum-likelihood clustering suggest that the Utah specimen belongs to the nigrithorax morph, which is native to southern China but now invasive in Europe, Japan, and Korea. These results are also supported by DNA barcode analysis, which groups the Utah individual with nigrithorax populations in South Korea and Japan. The relationship between variation in wing shape and genetic differentiation deserves further study, but molecular data are consistent with the GMM results suggesting that morphometric comparisons may be able to identify and provenance intercepted specimens quickly and inexpensively when molecular sequences and taxonomic specialists are unavailable. Full article

Selenium (Se) is a micronutrient that has attracted significant attention, because the threshold for human health is low. During soil surveys in China, large areas of low-Se soil were found, and this condition may increase the probability of people suffering from Se deficiency. A multi-purpose regional geochemical survey conducted in the Lou Shao basin of Hunan Province found abundant Se-rich soils in Lianyuan City. However, as the primary grain-producing area in Hunan Province, the key factors affecting the spatial distribution of soil Se in the cultivated land of Lianyuan City remain to be elucidated. Therefore, based on the data of 5516 topsoil samples (0–20 cm) of cultivated land in Lianyuan City, we used geostatistics, correlation analysis, and a Geodetector to explore the effects of geological conditions (strata), soil types, soil properties, and topography on the distribution of Se in soil. The results showed that (1) in comparison to cultivated land in the Chinese mainland, Japan, Belgium, and Sweden, the cultivated land in Lianyuan City exhibits higher Se contents, with Se-sufficient and Se-rich areas accounting for 9.74% and 88.96% of the total area, respectively; (2) the distribution of high-Se soil was consistent with that in the Longtan Formation, Dalong Formation, and Daye Formation; (3) organic matter (OM) showed a positive correlation with Se, while both the elevation and slope were negatively correlated with Se; (4) stratum had the most significant effect on the spatial variation in soil Se, followed by OM. Lianyuan City is a typical Se-rich area, and the high level of Se in soil reduces the risk of local residents suffering with diseases caused by Se deficiency. The synergistic effect of stratum and OM is the key factor influencing Se enrichment in soils. Moreover, low-lying flat areas are more conducive to the accumulation of Se. This study will help farmers to identify suitable Se-rich cultivation areas in order to increase the Se content in crops, thereby providing a valuable basis for improvements in human health and the optimization of agricultural strategies. Full article

The building sector contributes to 50.9 percent of China’s carbon emissions. Due to the complexity of the assessment process, it is difficult to predict the entire life cycle carbon emissions of a building at the early stage of design. In this study, a whole-life carbon emission estimation model for the early stage of building design is developed based on comparison of the standard calculations and an analysis of stock cases. Firstly, the standard calculation methods in China, Japan and Europe were compared, and the boundary of the model was defined in three parts: production, construction and demolition and operation. Second, information on 68 examples of Chinese buildings was collected and divided into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 7:3. In the training set, the relationship between carbon emissions and the design parameters was searched, and a carbon emission estimation model applicable to different stages was constructed. Finally, the model was applied to the test set for validation. The results show that the calculation error of the model is within ±15%, and it can quickly estimate carbon emissions based on the design factors, which is helpful for carbon emission assessment work in the early stages of design. Full article

The longicorn beetle Monochamus saltuarius (Coleoptera; Cerambycidae) is an insect vector that transmits the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a serious issue in pine forests in China, Japan, and South Korea. Dastarcus helophoroides and Scleroderma guani are effective in controlling M. saltuarius. However, the application of these parasites for the direct control of vector insects requires detailed analyses of the suitability of the selected natural enemies in potential pest areas, particularly under climate change. Based on species distribution records as well as the current and projected climate change trends up to 2050, we utilized an optimized Maxent algorithm to predict the potential distribution patterns of M. saltuarius and its natural enemies in China. Furthermore, we estimated Schoener’s D to quantify the overlap in adaptability between M. saltuarius and its natural enemies. The potentially suitable areas predicted under the current climate conditions were concentrated mainly in northeast and north China. Additional suitable areas were detected in central, eastern, northwestern, and southwestern China. Under future climate conditions, the suitable range of M. saltuarius gradually shifted southward, with a tendency to expand into high-altitude and colder regions, such as Sichuan, Qinghai, and Tibet. The potential distribution of the natural enemies D. helophoroides and S. guani continued to expand under climate change. A comparison of the appropriate habitats of M. saltuarius and natural enemy insects indicated that D. helophoroides is more suitable for initial biological control in north, northeast, and central China as well as certain northwest and coastal regions. S. guani could be prioritized for nationwide release, while joint control using both species may be effective in Liaoning, Hebei, and Tianjin provinces. These analyses demonstrate that future climate change is likely to exert adverse effects on the potential distribution of M. saltuarius but is favorable for the potential distributions of natural enemies. This study offers important insights into the effective control of M. saltuarius and provides an experimental basis for the utilization of natural enemies according to the characteristics of different regions. Full article

Condiments are a significant source of sodium in the diets of Chinese residents. This study aimed to analyze the nutrient content of China’s major condiments and to provide support for setting the reference intake for condiments in order to take measures on salt reduction in China. Nutrition data for condiments were collected from the Database on Nutrition Labelling of Prepackaged Foods China in 2017–2022, and by online access to food composition databases from France, the UK, Belgium, and Japan. The analyses include 1510 condiments in China and 1565 related condiments in four countries, of which the descriptive indicators were examined such as median, IQR, and range. Cross-comparisons were made in terms of the difference between the content levels in five countries and the “WHO global sodium benchmarks”. The results show that among the 15 types of condiments in China, sesame/peanut butter-based products have a relatively high content of energy, fat, and protein, namely, 2580 kJ/100 g, 50 g/100 g, and 22.2 g/100 g, respectively. In addition to salt, chicken extract/chicken powder, bouillon cubes, and soy sauce are also high in sodium. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the contents of energy and core nutrients across different products when benchmarking with similar condiments in the five countries (p < 0.001). The sodium content and fat content of some condiments are excessively high. Therefore, enhancing residents’ consumption awareness and reducing the amount of condiments is of great significance for reducing China’s per capita salt intake and promoting good health. Full article

The Chinese Buddhist anthology Zimen jingxun (Admonitions to the Black-robed Monastics 緇門警訓), a compilation believed to have originated during the Song dynasty, constitutes a Chinese Buddhist anthology containing teachings from Buddhist masters and ethical principles intended for observance by monastics. This anthology has garnered scholarly attention due to the noteworthy nature of some of its components. However, there exists a dearth of comprehensive scholarly analyses in the English language, and the precise compilers of this anthology remain shrouded in ambiguity. Nevertheless, the Zimen jingxun has exerted a profound influence on the training of monastics in China, Japan, and Korea, and has emerged as a particularly influential work on Buddhist monastic education in the Korean context. Therefore, this paper functions as an initial effort to address this scholarly gap. Utilizing the methodologies of comparative philology and historical philology, this study undertakes an analysis and comparison of the original Zimen jingxun and its foundational counterpart, the Zilin baoxun, in addition to their subsequent amended and modified versions. The primary aim of this research is to deduce its compilers and the timeframe of its compilation by examining the existing content, prefaces, citations, and any discrepancies discernible in each rendition. Furthermore, it seeks to evaluate the importance and role of each version within the broader context of the Buddhist canon. Full article

Viburnum japonicum (Thunb.) Sprengel is an endangered species endemic to coastal regions of eastern Asia (China, Japan, and South Korea). However, its systematic position has been controversial. In this study, we present the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of V. japonicum (GenBank OP644292) sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The cp genome has a total length of 158,606 bp and a G+C contents of 38.08%. It consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region, a small single-copy (SSC) region, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) regions measuring 87,060 bp, 18,510 bp, and 26,516 bp, respectively. A total of 131 genes were identified, including 87 protein-coding genes, 36 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 8 ribosomal RNA genes(rRNAs). Additionally, a total of 44 dispersed repeats were detected, including three types: forward, palindromic, and reverse. Among the 38 SSR loci that were discovered, the majority were mononucleotide loci composed of A/T. Furthermore, we found that 15 genes (accD, atpF, ndhA, ndhB, petB, petD, rpl16, rpl2, rpoC1, rps12, rps16, trnA-UGC, trnI, trnK-UUU, and trnL-UAA) contain one intron, while clpP and ycf3 have two introns. The relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis detected 31 high-frequency codons, where A/U bases accounted for 93.55% of the total, indicating an asymmetry in chloroplast gene and a presence for A/U bases. Comparative analysis of genome structure and sequences data of V. japonicum chloroplast genomes in comparison with other closely related species demonstrated a high level of conservation in their structure and organization. Furthermore, three mutation hotspots (psbH, rps19, and trnL) were identified, which could be valuable for future phylogenetic and population genetic research. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two accessions of V. japonicum are closely related to a group of V. setigerum, V. erosum, and V. fordiae within the Viburnum genus. In conclusion, this study provides important insights for accurately identifying and understanding the phylogeny of Viburnum species through the complete cp genome sequencing of V. japonicum. Full article

Peter the Great Bay and Lake Khanka are among the most important structural and industrial fishing parts of the Far East coastal ecosystem, which are used by a number of countries such as Russia, China, Korea, Japan, etc. At the same time, the active use of water resources, as well as industrial activities deployed on the coastal part of these reservoirs, are accompanied by a constant flow of pollutants into the water area. Among them, one can include heavy metals; their entry and migration are currently not fully controlled. There exists an important scientific and ecological task to study the features of heavy metal migration and transformation in natural objects. Bottom sediments act as a substrate for hydrobionts and, at the same time, serve as accumulators of pollutants, so that they can be used as the main component of the coastal-shelf ecosystem. The geochemical assessment of the behavior of heavy metals in the bottom sediments of Ussuri Bay and Amur Bay (Sea of Japan) and Lake Khanka (Xingkai) has been performed. Qualitative and quantitative elemental compositions of the bottom sediments have been established by means of the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), whereas a correlation with the concentration of elements in seawater above sediments has been provided. The main phases of anthropogenic components as well as their relationship with an increased content of heavy metals have been established using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Average values of the concentration of elements in the bottom sediments of Peter the Great Bay decrease in the following row: Fe > Cu > Cr > Zn ≥ Pb > Mn > Ni, and for Lake Khanka: Pb > Cu > Mn > Fe > Cr > Zn > Ni. Here, the excessive contents of Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb in sea bottom sediments by 6, 32, 7, 3, and 4 times as compared with background values are the result of the formation of a large amount of carbonate and iron-oxide phases. At the same time, it was shown that, during the transition from the estuarine (coastal) area of river flow to the central (closer to the outlet to the ocean), the concentration of biogenic metals (Ni, Zn, Pb, Cu) generally decreased 2–4-fold along the profile, which was associated with the formation of their hydroxides and carbonates in the area of mixing of freshwater and seawater followed by that of complex compounds or absorption. A significant anthropogenic impact is observed in the lake sediments, which is demonstrated by the excess of Pb concentration by 6700 times, as compared with the Clarke number of the lithosphere. The non-uniform distribution of heavy metals along the core profile has been established, which is related to different contents of aluminosilicate and iron oxide phases in the form of hematite and magnetite. The sedimentation rate has been established by means of granulometric and radiometric analysis and equaled to 0.45 mm/year in Ussuri Bay, 1.6 mm/year in Amur Bay, and 0.43–0.50 mm/year in Lake Khanka. By calculating the distribution coefficients of heavy metals in the ‘water–deposits’ system, some features of migration and accumulation of individual elements have been established. To assess the potential pollution of the marine areas, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and the pollution factor (Kc) have been calculated. In comparison with the maximum permissible concentrations of the Russian Federation (MPC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), and environmental protection agencies of China and Japan, Peter the Great Bay has an excess of Mn—2-fold, Fe—2-fold, Zn—3-fold, whereas in Lake Khanka, the situation is even less favorable, in particular, the excess of Mn is 79-fold, Fe—35-fold, Cu—2-fold, Zn—3–4-fold, which is clearly determined by the closeness of the water basin and the lack of water exchange. In comparison with the lithosphere Clarke number, the sediments of both water basins, as well as the coastal soil of the lake, are enriched with Pb and depleted with Cr, Ni, and Zn. The highest values of Igeo in both water basins have been observed for Pb, and equaled 12–16 in Peter the Great Bay and 6000 in Khanka Lake. Based on the data obtained, the areas with the greatest pollution caused by natural and anthropogenic factors have been identified. Full article