Macao Special Administrative Region Research Articles

Multi-Scenario analysis of rooftop greening regulation on runoff effects based on adaptive Evaluation: A case study of Macau, China

The reduction in internal ecological spaces within urban environments and the expansion of impervious surfaces have been identified as factors significantly increasing the susceptibility of cities to flood disasters. Rooftop greening, an essential component of urban stormwater management strategies, offers a versatile solution for augmenting permeable surfaces and delivering ecological services while seamlessly integrating with existing urban infrastructure. This approach has been proven effective in enhancing urban resilience against rainfall-induced flooding events. Hence, the precise identification of suitable building rooftops for green infrastructure within urbanized regions, combined with the simulation of runoff regulation effects brought about by these rooftop greening interventions, holds substantial practical significance. This study innovatively constructs a technical method for measuring the runoff control performance of urban-scale green roofs from identification, evaluation to simulation. Taking the Macao Special Administrative Region as an example, a green roof suitability evaluation index system that is consistent with urban characteristics has been constructed, integrating machine learning, comprehensive evaluation, SWMM simulation methods to evaluate the suitability of roof greening in urban areas and simulate the impact of multi-senarios green roof construction types on runoff regulation. Finally, a comprehensive strategy for rooftop greening construction in Macau is proposed, with the aim of amplifying the runoff regulation capabilities of such initiatives. The main findings of the research include the following: (1) The research area exhibits a notably high aggregate potential for rooftop greening, with suitable rooftop areas comprising approximately 34% of the total rooftop expanse. Notably, construction vintage and roof elevation are identified as the most substantive constraints on rooftop greening. (2) Discernible differences in rooftop greening construction scale exert a significant influence on runoff regulation capacity, with the magnitude of greening positively correlated with its runoff regulation efficacy. Distinct greening typologies elicit varying impacts on runoff regulation, with semi-intensive rooftop greening surpassing extensive approaches in runoff regulation performance. Disparate distribution patterns of rooftop greening engender dissimilar runoff regulation effects, with rooftop greening layouts situated distant from drainage outlets facilitating runoff mitigation, while those in close proximity to drainage outlets enhance peak flow reduction effects.

Diversity pattern of insects from Macao based on an updated species checklist after 25 years.

Insects represent one of the most diverse groups in the organism world with extremely rich species and morphological diversity, playing important roles in natural and city ecosystems. Regional compilation of insect species lists helps to clarify the richness of insect species in a region, enhances our understanding the structure and function of a local ecosystem and promotes the protection and development of insect resources. Moreover, it also serves as a valuable reference for cities with small area, large population and high urbanisation like Macao. Macao (Macau) Special Administrative Region (SAR) is situated at the Pearl River Delta on the southeast coast of mainland China. With urban development accelerating at great rate in a quite restricted area, Macao still has rich fauna, within which the insect diversity is surprisingly high. In this study, we systematically sorted out major references items of manuals or handbooks, monographs, articles, dissertations, official websites and other publicly available information sources about the insects recorded in Macao and, thus, generated a checklist of 15 orders, 166 families, 868 genera, 1,339 species and 118 subspecies. During this process, the preliminarily summarised list was re-examined to eliminate synonyms and invalid species, based on many more extensive literature reviews. Besides, spelling errors of scientific names, authors and years were corrected. Meanwhile, the catalogue revealed a different composition pattern of species diversity between orders from those of the world and China. Even based on the most conservative estimates, the number of insect species in Macao should not be lower than 3,340 species, which hints at the necessity of deeper investigations with adequate collecting in the future to achieve more comprehensive recognition and understanding of Macao's insect biodiversity.

An Approximation to the Invariant Measure of the Limiting Diffusion of G/Ph/n + GI Queues in the Halfin–Whitt Regime and Related Asymptotics

In this paper, we develop a stochastic algorithm based on the Euler–Maruyama scheme to approximate the invariant measure of the limiting multidimensional diffusion of [Formula: see text] queues in the Halfin–Whitt regime. Specifically, we prove a nonasymptotic error bound between the invariant measures of the approximate model from the algorithm and the limiting diffusion. To establish the error bound, we employ the recently developed Stein’s method for multidimensional diffusions, in which the regularity of Stein’s equation obtained by the partial differential equation (PDE) theory plays a crucial role. We further prove the central limit theorem (CLT) and the moderate deviation principle (MDP) for the occupation measures of the limiting diffusion of [Formula: see text] queues and its Euler–Maruyama scheme. In particular, the variances in the CLT and MDP associated with the limiting diffusion are determined by Stein’s equation and Malliavin calculus, in which properties of a mollified diffusion and an associated weighted occupation time play a crucial role. Funding: X. Jin is supported in part by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [Grants JZ2022HGQA0148 and JZ2023HGTA0170]. G. Pang is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation [Grants DMS-1715875 and DMS-2216765]. L. Xu is supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China [Grant 12071499], Macao Special Administrative Region [Grant FDCT 0090/2019/A2], and the University of Macau [Grant MYRG2018-00133-FST]. This work was supported by U.S. National Science Foundation [Grant DMS-2108683].

Analysis of the Reasons for the Rejection of Parole Applications in Macao with 10 Criminal Judgments as Examples

The criminal law of the Macao Special Administrative Region has been influenced by European criminal law, and its provisions on parole are also very distinctive. This paper analyzes the current judicial situation of the application of the parole system in the Macao Special Administrative Region and carries out the necessary theoretical research and analysis by taking the relevant past judgments as the object of study. Based on the analysis and summarization of the cases, it can be concluded that the parole system of the Macao Special Administrative Region is characterized by the importance of the completeness of the formal and substantive elements, the impact of parole on society, and the individual’s right to consent to parole. Both the protection of the right to request parole and the provision of appeal against parole decisions are the application of the right to parole doctrine.

Internationalization of higher education research in the Greater Bay Area of China: Building capacities, alleviating asymmetries

AbstractInternationalization is known to enhance university capacities in cross‐border learning and encourage institutional transformations for improved quality of scholarship and education. Studies on internationalization of research and teaching are, however, under‐problematized with regard to asymmetries that pervade different collaborating systems and cultures. This paper addresses this gap by elucidating asymmetries in the Greater Bay Area of China (GBA), which is dealing with differences in legacies and experiences of internationalization in university research and teaching. At a time when the governments in the three constituent jurisdictions of GBA—Guangdong Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and Macao SAR—encourage universities to collaborate across jurisdictional borders, this study applies a bibliographic analysis to shed light on asymmetries and mitigation strategies in internationalization of research and teaching.

The association of social capital and mental well‐being among older residents living in public housing in Macau Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.) – A qualitative case study of Seac Pai Van

AbstractMacau is a rapidly aging city, with 13.8% of the population aged over 65. Social capital has been identified as a crucial protective factor for negative mental health outcomes, yet its relationship with mental health among older adults in Macau remains unclear. This study thematically analyzed the narratives of 19 in‐depth face‐to‐face interviews of Cantonese‐speaking elderly aged 60 or above residing in the Seac Pai Van public housing project, the largest public housing project in Macau. This study aimed to collect information on how social networks and social participation impact their mental well‐being that may shed light on the promotion of resident mental health in future public housing developments. Results revealed shallow social capital in the community and a high prevalence of loneliness among senior residents who resided in the studied estate. The study also shed light on the participants' thoughts on death, including suicidal ideation, and how they are shaped by their mental health situation and environment. The findings highlight the need to revisit the current mental health policy in Macau and address the urban and architectural design and social organization in new communities, empowering communities to build a friendly environment.

Explore the Relationship Between Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Based on Four Industries

In recent years, with the continuous development of customer relationship management, the two indicators of consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty are often regarded as the criteria for measuring the success of customer relationship management, but at the same time whether these two indicators are applicable to the market competition environment is often controversial, this article will use the questionnaire survey method to explore the relationship between consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty in the catering industry in the Macao Special Administrative Region, and use the case summary method to explore the other three industries in different market environments. It also summarizes the factors that contribute to this situation and also tries to provide more suggestions for improvement for practitioners.

Research on the Relationship Between Higher Education Development and Economic Growth in China

Education has always been a very important research issue, and China's higher education has developed rapidly along with its economic take-off. The issue of the correlation between education and economic development has also been researched many times in the academic world. So, this paper analyzes the dynamic correlation between the development of higher education and China's economic development, as well as the gross domestic product of the People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Macao Special Administrative Region of China, and Taiwan Province of China) for the period 1978-2021, based on the existing literature, through the data on the number of graduates from higher education, general higher education, and postgraduates (master's degree and doctorate). It is finally concluded that economic growth will directly contribute to the development of higher education, and similarly, the growth of higher education will offset economic growth with a slight lag.

The UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention in Asia: the case of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China

ABSTRACT The UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2009. Since then, it has been ratified by a total of 72 parties, but Cambodia remains the only one of these parties located in Asia. Against this backdrop, this article presents the case of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) located on the shores of the South China Sea. The Macao SAR has a strong economy, which relies primarily on the gaming services and tourist industries, but is seeking to diversify its economy in order to make it more sustainable. To this end, the article assesses the role of underwater cultural heritage in diversifying its economy and stresses the need for greater policy coherence both between different cultural policies but also between cultural, commercial and other policy areas.

A novel method for spatial allocation of volatile chemical products emissions: A case study of the Pearl River Delta

The spatial allocation of volatile chemical products (VCPs) emissions is often inaccurate, which hampers the evaluation and improvement of models and the study of urban secondary pollution and exposure risk. This work developed a 1 km grid spatial allocation factors dataset based on the actual emission characteristics of each VCPs sector. For the industrial VCPs sector, we used industrial output per unit firm as the spatial allocation factors. For the non-industrial VCPs sector, we used specific datasets (e.g., GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for personal care products use, etc.) as the spatial allocation factors. Our work accounted for the high emission characteristics of industrial point sources and the dependence conditions of non-industrial VCPs use. Using this methodology, we developed a 1 km gridded emission inventory (denoted by Mo-E) of VCPs in the Pearl River Delta (PRD, Excluding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Macau SAR) region in 2017. The results show that the non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) emissions of VCPs in the PRD region in 2017 were 1046.7 Kt, with coatings (567.3 Kt) and personal care products (225.5 Kt) being the key sectors for emission control. Different cities in the PRD region have different VCPs control strategies. The industrial VCPs sector was the dominant VCPs emitter in high-emitting cities (64.9%–72.2%), while the non-industrial VCPs sector was the main contributor in low-emitting cities (43.3%–58.4%). More VCPs emissions were allocated to medium-population-density areas (37.6% higher than before) and within 3 km of the urban-rural fringe (41.4% higher than before), compared with the spatial characteristics of VCPs emissions from Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC), due to the relocation of industrial VCPs enterprises and the architectural activities during urban expansion. Meanwhile, the uniform distribution pattern caused by population density allocation in these areas was corrected, and the point-source high-emission feature was tracked. The VCPs emissions in high-population-density areas were overestimated (31.4%), with personal care products (57.9%) as the main emission sources in these areas. We compared the Mo-E inventory with an inventory (Mo-M) derived using MEIC's spatial allocation factors, and found a maximum difference in emissions per unit grid of +14,602 t and a minimum of −880 t. Finally, we discuss the uncertainties in the emissions from each VCP sector (±30–80%) and the spatial emission patterns, which resulted from the spatial allocation dataset (±10.4–20%) and the spatial analysis methods (−6.9-+7.8%).

Dynamic Causal Modeling and Online Collaborative Forecasting of Air Quality in Hong Kong and Macao.

The Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, situated within China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, significantly influence and are impacted by their air quality conditions. Rapid urbanization, high population density, and air pollution from diverse factors present challenges, making the health of the atmospheric environment in these regions a research focal point. This study offers three key contributions: (1) It applied an interpretable dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) to construct a dynamic causal model of air quality in Hong Kong and Macao, amidst complex, unstable, multi-dimensional, and uncertain factors over time. (2) It investigated the dynamic interaction between meteorology and air quality sub-networks, and both qualitatively and quantitatively identified, evaluated, and understood the causal relationships between air pollutants and their determinants. (3) It facilitated an online collaborative forecast of air pollutant concentrations, enabling pollution warnings. The findings proposed that a DBN-based dynamic causal model can effectively explain and manage complex atmospheric environmental systems in Hong Kong and Macao. This method offers crucial insights for decision-making and the management of atmospheric environments not only in these regions but also for neighboring cities and regions with similar geographical contexts.

Isolation and characterization of Rhodococcus sp. GG1 for metabolic degradation of chloroxylenol

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly increased the demand of disinfectant use. Chloroxylenol (para-chloro-meta-xylenol, PCMX) as the major antimicrobial ingredient of disinfectant has been widely detected in water environments, with identified toxicity and potential risk. The assessment of PCMX in domestic wastewater of Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) showed a positive correlation between PCMX concentration and population density. An indigenous PCMX degrader, identified as Rhodococcus sp. GG1, was isolated and found capable of completely degrading PCMX (50 mg L−1) within 36 h. The growth kinetics followed Haldane's inhibition model, with maximum specific growth rate, half-saturation constant, and inhibition constant of 0.38 h−1, 7.64 mg L−1, and 68.08 mg L−1, respectively. The degradation performance was enhanced by optimizing culture conditions, while the presence of additional carbon source stimulated strain GG1 to alleviate inhibition from high concentrations of PCMX. In addition, strain GG1 showed good environmental adaptability, degrading PCMX efficiently in different environmental aqueous matrices. A potential degradation pathway was identified, with 2,6-dimethylhydroquinone as a major intermediate metabolite. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) was found to play a key role in dechlorinating PCMX via hydroxylation and also catalyzed the hydroxylated dechlorination of other halo-phenolic contaminants through co-metabolism. This study characterizes an aerobic bacterial pure culture capable of degrading PCMX metabolically, which could be promising in effective bioremediation of PCMX-contaminated sites and in treatment of PCMX-containing waste streams.

Tourists’ Perception of Macau’s City Image: Based on the Analysis of User-Generated Content (UGC) Text Data

City image reflects urban culture and communication and influences tourists’ travel behavior. However, based on field investigations, it was found that Macau’s city space currently faces issues such as an imbalance in practical use efficiency, an overload of historical urban areas, and a mismatch between tourist numbers and spatial capacity. To further understand tourists’ travel experiences and influencing factors in Macau, this study uses user-generated content (UGC) textual data and takes the Macau Special Administrative Region in China as a case study. The ROST CM6.0 software and grounded theory analysis method are utilized to analyze the perceptual content and underlying influencing mechanisms of city image from the perspective of tourists. The research results show that: 1. Tourists’ perception of Macau’s city image mainly stays at the intuitive and superficial level, represented by individual landscapes such as the “Ruins of St. Paul’s”, “Grand Lisboa”, and “Galaxy”. 2. Tourists’ perception of Macau’s city image can be summarized into four main dimensions: architectural and landscape image, cultural and historical image, economic and commercial image, and spatial governance and public service image. 3. Negative aspects of tourists’ perception of Macau’s city image include infrastructure perception, tourism service perception, urban experience perception, and urban safety perception, with spatial scale perception being the most influential factor. Finally, this study proposes effective measures to optimize urban spatial resource allocation, improve urban infrastructure, enhance the spatial environment of the old city, strengthen the promotion of historical culture, improve urban transportation convenience, and enhance urban safety to provide references for enriching the theory of city image perception research and the development of urban tourism in Macau.

The Content and Structure of Tourism and Public Policies: A Temporal Analysis of Stability and Change

Significant shifts in policy agenda and priorities may occur when exogenous and discontinuous macro-level events such as disease outbreaks, political transformations, and abrupt developments in visitor markets transpire. Such swings can be considerably challenging not only for policy-makers and decision-makers but also for stakeholders, especially when policy areas like employment, quality of life, housing, health, and education are weighed against growth and development considerations for hospitality, tourism, or other sectors. In extreme cases, policy swings can exacerbate social conflicts and cause commensurate disruption. Using the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions of China as pooled comparative cases of policy-making, this study examines the content and structure of tourism-related and general policies across a 20-year pre-COVID period, how the different policy areas evolved and shifted in priorities, and the temporal correspondence of policy swings with factors, context, and conditions that likely precipitated them. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach combining large-scale text mining and content analysis of a large corpus of policy documents with qualitatively matching emergent macro policy shifts with relevant co-occurring events, aided by a theoretical framework generated from past studies. By unveiling the complicity of governance, social, and environmental conditions as well as external events with fluctuating policy priorities, the study dispels the static nature and fixed-planning perspectives of policy-setting, thereby advancing (a) a nascent framework by which policy-makers and decision-makers can adopt contingent and adaptable approaches to policy-making and (b) concrete principles for grasping the significance of tourism vis-à-vis public policies.

Realizing innovation and sustainability: A case study of Macau SAR’s smart city development capabilities

ABSTRACT The emergence of digital technologies has transformed organizational innovation with important implications for a city, its economy and policymaking. Despite this, research on how capabilities underpin innovation through smart city initiatives is still lacking. To address this gap, we conduct an empirical investigation of smart city initiatives in Macau, a former Portuguese colony and now special administrative region (SAR) of China. The case study adopts a qualitative approach, using data collected through fieldwork observations and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, and analysis of secondary documents. The study develops a stage-based assessment of innovation capabilities related to the use of technologies in smart city development. It identifies three stages characterized by specific city-level innovation capabilities: sensing, seizing and transforming. This study uncovers important features of Macau’s innovation system, the intermediary role of platforms, incubators and associations, and the development of technology-enabled capabilities in organizations to help propel the city’s transformation. This study, the first of such kind about the city where “the East meets the West,” offers first-hand insights into its smart city development, with critiques on existing initiatives and recommendations for future policymaking.

Can Digital Financial Behavior Improve the Effect of Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in China?

BACKGROUND: Before December 2019, white lung patients with symptoms similar to COVID-19 pneumonia were found in the United States and some European countries. After COVID-19 pneumonia was diagnosed in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, almost all countries or regions in the world have successively reported cases of COVID-19 pneumonia. 2020 is the most critical year for all mankind to fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic. There are many prevention and control measures adopted by various countries or regions for the epidemic of new coronavirus pneumonia, and digital financial behavior (DFB) is an important evaluation index for effective prevention and control measures, which is of very Chinese characteristics.
 
 METHODS: DFB is defined by the Digital Financial Inclusion Payment Index, although there may be various versions of the understanding and definition of DFB. The data of the new crown pneumonia is calculated and accumulated through the real-time monitoring data published on the website of the health commissions of 31 provinces and municipalities directly under the central government every month, and is the first-hand raw data. Under the strict prevention and control measures adopted by China, these real-time data on new crown pneumonia released by various places are objective, true and comprehensive. The analysis methods adopted in this paper mainly include statistical analysis methods, econometric models such as logarithmic linear regression model, exponential model simulation method, etc.
 
 RESULTS: The diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia infection is a random variable, and there is a nonlinear random exponential relationship between it and DFB. The empirical study found that the least square estimation of COVID-19 infection diagnosis and DFB constitute a statistically significant exponential function relationship. This index model has successfully measured the effect of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in China with statistical significance, which indicates that DFB plays a positive role in improving the effect of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in China. The nonlinear exponential relationship between individuals with cumulative diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and DFB in 31 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government of China, excluding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province, has proved that this relationship is robust. Through regression analysis, it is found that the number of people infected with COVID-19 is significantly increased by one person for every additional unit of DFB. However, the similarity of DFB in 31 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government of China indicates that the number of COVID-19 infected individuals in 31 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government is increasing slowly. This result is very consistent with the distribution of actual statistical data, although the relevant data have certain regional differences.
 
 CONCLUSION: With extensive and in-depth practical basis and practical significance in all levels of Chinese society, DFB can measure the positive effect of the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic in China. Based on the positive role of DFB, there is every reason to believe that DFB will be one of the indispensable and trustworthy factors to improve its prevention and control performance in the face of similar social highly infectious diseases that may occur in the future. Whether the research method here has wider applicability, that is, whether it has a statistically significant positive effect on the prevention and control of epidemics in other countries or regions, should be a question that needs to be further explored in the future.

Heterologous vaccination with inactivated vaccine and mRNA vaccine augments antibodies against both spike and nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-2: a local study in Macao.

The mRNA vaccines (RVs) can reduce the severity and mortality of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). However, almost only the inactivated vaccines (IVs) but no RVs had been used in mainland China until most recently, and the relaxing of its anti-pandemic strategies in December 2022 increased concerns about new outbreaks. In comparison, many of the citizens in Macao Special Administrative Region of China received three doses of IV (3IV) or RV (3RV), or 2 doses of IV plus one booster of RV (2IV+1RV). By the end of 2022, we recruited 147 participants with various vaccinations in Macao and detected antibodies (Abs) against the spike (S) protein and nucleocapsid (N) protein of the virus as well as neutralizing antibodies (NAb) in their serum. We observed that the level of anti-S Ab or NAb was similarly high with both 3RV and 2IV+1RV but lower with 3IV. In contrast, the level of anti-N Ab was the highest with 3IV like that in convalescents, intermediate with 2IV+1RV, and the lowest with 3RV. Whereas no significant differences in the basal levels of cytokines related to T-cell activation were observed among the various vaccination groups before and after the boosters. No vaccinees reported severe adverse events. Since Macao took one of the most stringent non-pharmaceutical interventions in the world, this study possesses much higher confidence in the vaccination results than many other studies from highly infected regions. Our findings suggest that the heterologous vaccination 2IV+1RV outperforms the homologous vaccinations 3IV and 3RV as it induces not only anti-S Ab (to the level as with 3RV) but also anti-N antibodies (via the IV). It combines the advantages of both RV (to block the viral entry) and IV (to also intervene the subsequent pathological processes such as intracellular viral replication and interference with the signal transduction and hence the biological functions of host cells).

A cross-sectional survey on the allocation of nursing human resources in burn centers in China

Objective: To investigate the allocation of nursing human resources in burn centers in China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Using a self-designed questionnaire, a survey was carried out from January to March 2022 to investigate the January to December 2021 status of 39 burn centers in China that met the inclusion criteria based on six strategic regions and other regions, including the hospital grade and the region, the number of nurses and opening beds in the burn centers and burn intensive care units (BICUs), the age, working seniority in burn specialty, educational background, professional title, personnel employment, and turnover of nurses and training of newly recruited nurses in the burn centers. Results: This survey covered 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China (excluding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan region of China). A total of 39 questionnaires were collected, all of which were valid. The 39 burn centers were located in 38 tertiary A hospitals and 1 tertiary B hospital, with 26 burn centers in strategic areas. The nurse/bed ratio of burn centers in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao was the highest, while the nurse/bed ratio of burn centers in border ethnic minority area was the lowest. Except for the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, BICUs had been set up in burn centers in other regions. Among the 39 burn centers, the percentage of nurses aged 25 to 34 years was 51.21% (738/1 441), the percentage of nurses worked in burn specialty for less than 5 years was 31.16% (449/1 441), the percentage of nurses with bachelor's degree was 69.74% (1 005/1 441), and the percentage of nurses with nursing professional title was 44.14% (636/1 441), which were the highest. There were significant differences in the employment of nurses, the percentage of permanent nurses in burn centers in the collaborative development zone of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei was 82.48% (113/137), while the percentage of permanent nurses in burn centers in important military strategic area was only 9.42% (34/361); the turnover rate of nurses was 9.03% (143/1 584), among which the turnover rate of nurses was 18.14% (80/441) in burn centers in important military strategic area. The training for newly recruited nurses in 39 burn centers was mainly based on the guidance of senior nurses and the pre-job education+specialist training. Conclusions: The burn nursing human resources in strategic areas in China are seriously insufficient and unevenly distributed, with unstable nurse team and lack of standardized specialist training. In particular, the nursing human resources in BICUs need to be equipped and supplemented urgently.

Evaluation on Site Selection of Urban Renewal Projects from the Perspective of Space Benefit: Macau Special Administrative Region as an Example

With the advent of the stock-planning era, urban renewal has gradually become an important part of urban construction. Urban renewal is essentially a process of solving the rational redistribution of space. However, blind urban renewal can easily lead to the waste of space resources. Therefore, an appropriate renewal location can maximize the space’s renewal efficiency. Based on the perspective of space benefits, this study constructs an urban renewal site selection evaluation system suitable for Macau SAR from two aspects of social and economic benefits and space benefits and uses the DEA model to verify the evaluation system. Thus, we can more objectively and directly judge the evaluation of benefits in urban renewal site selection, maximize the efficiency of spatial renewal, and provide reference for urban site selection decisions. The results are as follows: Funing Building is the best item among the four renewal projects, and it is also the most suitable target point for development; the super-rich benefit is inefficient in terms of both space benefit and production cost benefit.

High-resolution multi-scale air pollution system: Evaluation of modelling performance and emission control strategies

A high percentage of the world's population lives in areas where air pollutant concentrations exceed the World Health Organization guidelines. This work aims to develop and test, a high-resolution multi-scale air pollution modelling system by integrating a set of adequate tools. This system is able to provide detailed air pollutant concentrations in urban areas and support air quality management strategies through a better identification of different atmospheric processes. It also allows furthering the design and assessment of air pollution control measures for a specific area. To evaluate its performance and suitability, the system was applied to the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), China, one of the most densely populated areas on earth, during a winter period when this area is affected by high levels of Particulate Matter (PM). Although the developed system tends to underestimate the PM concentrations, it revealed a good performance in reproducing the temporal and spatial air pollution patterns. Several exceedances of the Chinese air quality standards were calculated and high population exposure to PM pollution was estimated. The tested urban atmospheric emission reduction scenarios have shown air quality improvements, indicating that emission reduction measures at urban level should focus on the domestic sector. However, it is crucial to implement joint pollution prevention strategies with neighbouring regions to improve the air quality in Macau SAR. The approach developed in this work can support policymakers in defining new strategies to reduce atmospheric pollution in urban areas.