Middle China Research Articles

Urban Bus Services in Developing Countries and Countries in Transition: A Framework for Regulatory and Institutional Developments

Urban passenger transport has experienced major change in many developing countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as in countries of political and/or economic transition in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and China. Such changes have included planned market opening to private operators and new entrants; unplanned market opening by the entry of unlicensed operators; privatization and other changes to the ownership base of large public-sector transport companies; emergence of large-scale minibus and paratransit; and national and urban policies and programs to upgrade the transport supply and quality.This paper presents a framework to understand regulatory and institutional changes in urban bus services in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the CIS, and China. The framework identifies three types of changes: (i) changes in the role of the regulator and market structure; (ii) changes in the structure of the operator and of private sector participation; and (iii) changes in the transport supply. The paper then identifies critical factors leading to change in the urban transport sector, factors that can be identified with successful outcomes, and issues associated with the development of the minibus, paratransit, and the informal sector that have played major roles in the urban transport sector of developing countries and countries in transition.

Health‑risk assessment and distribution characteristics of fluoride in groundwater in six basins of Shanxi Province, Middle China.

High-fluoride (F) pollution is an environmental problem that severely affects the growth of human beings, animals and plants. High-fluoride groundwater severely harms the health of Shanxi residents and leads to frequent endemic diseases. This study aims to analyze the differences and possible health risks of fluoride among six basins in Shanxi Province, North China, using 338 groundwater samples collected from wells, infer the main sources of fluoride in the groundwater, and provide valuable suggestions for fluoride contamination in regional groundwater. The results revealed that F in the Yuncheng basin had the highest health risk. In addition to the Changzhi basin, the groundwater at the sampling points in other basins had adverse effects on human health. The main source of fluoride in groundwater is the dissolution of fluoride-containing minerals, which has little to do with human activities. The groundwater in Shanxi Province tends to be alkaline, and the fluorite saturation index is less than 0 in most circumstances, indicating that fluorite is in an unsaturated state, and fluoride will continue to dissolve into groundwater under suitable conditions. Clustering analysis shows that the high-fluoride areas are mainly distributed in the Yuncheng basin and the southern part of the Xinzhou basin. Fluoride-rich groundwater in a basin often exists only in a certain area, and the distribution of confined water and unconfined water in high-fluoride areas is different. Fluoride contamination in the Changzhi basin is not severe. For the high-fluoride areas in the Datong basin, Xinzhou basin, Taiyuan basin and Linfen basin, utilizing water from other areas or exploiting groundwater from other aquifers to diminish the harm of high-fluoride groundwater intake for a long period is suggested. For the Yuncheng basin, adopting membrane-based processes or variable temperature drop fluoride technology to make groundwater contaminated by excessive fluoride potable is recommended.

Evaluating the Carrying Capacity and Spatial Pattern Matching of Urban and Rural Construction Land in a Representative City of Middle China

Evaluation of the carrying capacity and spatial pattern matching of urban–rural construction land is critical for solving problems associated with irrational land use and the destruction of ecosystems. Here, we present a case study exploring the spatial matching relationship between the carrying capacity and current development status of urban–rural construction land in Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi Province, China. Land suitability evaluation for urban and rural construction was performed using the analytic hierarchical process and restrictive coefficient method. The spatial matching degree between current construction land and available construction land was obtained by a spatial overlay analysis. Results show that the area most suitable for construction land development (19.2% of the total) is mainly concentrated in the central urban districts, while the relatively suitable area (17.5% of the total) is present around the most suitable area. The ultimate development intensity (i.e., carrying capacity threshold) of construction land in the study region is 41.4%, and the residual development intensity (i.e., development potential) is 24.2%. The available construction land (including most suitable and relatively suitable areas) is generally abundant. The spatial matching degree of construction land ranges from 69.5% to 99.1% in different counties (districts). Pearson’s correlation analysis reveals that the spatial matching degree is positively correlated with the carrying capacity threshold of construction land (r = 0.926; p < 0.01) and the abundance of available construction land (r = 0.732; p < 0.05). The results could be useful for the rational development of urban–rural construction land and the optimization of land space at the city scale.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in seven provinces of Chinese mainland: A cross-sectional survey from 2015 to 2016.

BackgroundThe large-scale survey about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) based on both population and hospitals in the Chinese mainland has been deficient at present. To this end, we conducted a cross-sectional survey about ALS based on the population and hospitals in seven provinces of the Chinese mainland in 2015–2016.MethodsWe surveyed patients with ALS in seven provinces in eastern, middle, and western China. Among them, 13 prefecture-level cities, 13 municipal districts, 13 counties, 26 streets, 52 communities, 39 towns, and 78 administrative villages were selected for the population-based survey. Totally, 13 class-3 general hospitals, 13 class-2 general hospitals, and 26 street health centers or community health service centers in urban districts, and 13 county-level general hospitals, 39 township health centers, and 78 village clinics in rural districts were recruited for the hospital-based survey.ResultsAmong the Chinese mainland, the total prevalence of ALS was slightly lower than that of the world's other nations or districts. The male patients were more than female patients. The prevalence of rural residents was more than that of urban residents. The prevalence of farmers was higher than that of other professions. The majority of ALS was not accompanied by other chronic diseases. The peak onset age of ALS was higher, familial ALS (fALS) cases were slightly more, and the average survival duration of sporadic ALS (sALS) was slightly lower compared with the previous investigation data. The hospitalization expenses of almost 60% of ALS were not more than 10,000 Chinese Yuan.ConclusionHospitalization expenses in our survey objectives were the lowest in the current reported countries and districts. A farmer was a possible higher risk profession for ALS, the majority of ALS were not accompanied by other chronic diseases. Our survey provided more information on the epidemiology of ALS worldwide and supplied the deficiency of epidemiology survey about ALS from the Chinese mainland.

Book Review: Leading wisely: Becoming a Reflective Leader in Turbulent times

‘Leading Wisely: Becoming a Reflective Leader in Turbulent times’ aspires to provide a rich and more profound insight into the reflections of wisdom in the context of leadership by posing probing questions like: Where do you think you are on the wisdom equation? Are you thinking about the ethical consequences before acting? For wise leadership, thoughtful reflection on these questions is essential. This 12-chapter book with 169 pages examines the inadequacy of wisdom among leaders and the author’s plea for more wisdom in leadership. It is obvious that there is room in the literature for more research into the implications of widespread adoption of the “wisdom equation” in leadership. Branson (2010), who believes that wisdom might be regarded as a key leadership competency in educational reform, is the sole piece of work in this area that has been found as similar work. Kets de Vries, the author, used case studies and eight lessons that relate to wisdom in the context of leadership and included numerous short stories and anecdotes (from the old testaments) from Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and China of Protagonists like Buddha, Aesop, Mullau Nasrudin, Zen masters, and the Brothers Grimm, as well as a few more modern tales.

Integrative practice in Asia – India and China

Traditional medical practice in the world has maintained its popularity in spite of the challenges of the rapid development of modern medicine. The World Health Organization observed that 80% of world population still rely on traditional practices of special cultural heritages.In Asia, the traditional practices include mainly that of the Middle East, India and China. The 3000 years of development in the three different regions has resulted in cross-cultural influences and exchanges, particularly revealed in the rich collections of medicinal herbs.Ayurveda medicine has well maintained its traditional philosophy and practice. It has enjoyed very substantial governmental support on the national level and has remained popular. Traditional Chinese Medicine, likewise, has kept its popularity and vibrance. However, with the ever advancing modern medicine which is giving efficient acute care and specific solutions to known target areas of clinical concern, are unavoidable obstacles to an integrative practice.Besides India, China is the only country in the world where Traditional Medicine is still playing a major role in national health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic both Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine practitioners tried hard to contribute by offering integrative treatment to the infected patients. They were getting a lot of national and professional endorsements. One would speculate that with this unknown virus and diverse clinical presentations, a better integrative program would be able to provide better outcome.On the prevention side, medicinal herbs are expected to be able to boost up the innate immunity of the individual so that infection could be better resisted.Given the similarities between the Indian and Chinese Systems of traditional practice, it is suggested that Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine could develop a joint mission with combined efforts, to collaborate in research and trials, with the aim of consolidating Integrative Practice. This article concentrates on the Indian and Chinese areas of traditional practice, viz. Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine.

Dissolved organic matter dynamics and spectral characteristics of twig litter from different Castanopsis carlesii forests in the middle subtropical region, China

To assess the dynamics and spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter of twig litter in continuous increase stage, peak stage, and continuous decrease stage of twig litter production in different types of Castanopsis carlesii forest in middle subtropical China, a field experiment was conducted in C. carlesii natural forest, secondary forest and plantation. The results showed that litter production stage and forest type significantly affected the content and spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter of twig litter were . Compared with the secondary forest and plantation, natural forest had higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and lower special ultraviolet-visible absorption values at 254, 260 and 280 nm (SUVA254, SUVA260, SUVA280) at the continuous decrease stage of twig litter production, indicating high twig litter quality of natural forest and high cycling efficiency with dissolved organic matter in the natural forest at this stage. In contrast, the higher contents of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and lower DOC:TDP and TDN:TDP ratios of twig litter in the plantation were observed at the peak stage of twig litter production, while no differences were detected in dissolved organic matter contents and spectral values in the secondary forest among the stages. In addition, the DOC, TDN, TDP of twig litter were negatively correlated with temperature and precipitation in the natural forests and secondary forests, but TDN and TDP of twig litter were positively correlated with temperature and precipitation in the plantations. These results suggested that the higher nutrient content at the peak stage of twig litter production in the C. carlesii plantation might lead to more efficient material cycling and that there would be a higher efficiency of material cycling for twig litter dissolved organic matter in C. carlesii natural forest at reduction stage of twig litter production.

Indirect evaporative cooling maps of China: Optimal and quick performance identification based on a data-driven model

The data-driven models of various air conditioning (AC) systems have been developed because of the wider application of machine learning in the engineering field. Indirect evaporative cooler (IEC), known as one of the effective and environment-friendly AC devices, achieves the cooling purpose without using any types of mechanical compressors or chemical refrigerants. Recent studies on various IECs have been carried out in full swing with a large amount of valuable data produced. However, the data-driven model of the cross-flow IEC for sensible and total cooling is yet to be developed. In addition, by extracting the indoor cold exhaust air into the secondary air channel, the application range of an IEC can be extended, but so far the performance of IEC used in different regions has been rarely evaluated. In this study, an IEC model was established based on the artificial neural network (ANN), which was validated with on-site measurement results from a real engineering project. Combining the selected geometric size of IEC and various outdoor weather conditions into the IEC-ANN model, a case study was conducted to present the annual and seasonal IEC performance maps of China, and the optimal application regions could be determined. Results show that south China, east China, and middle China are more suitable to employ IEC for air treatment and energy saving. In south China, the greatest average temperature drop caused by the IEC is 4.52 ℃. The maximum cooling capacity can reach 5.74 kW, and it accounts for 30.1 % of the total cooling load. In the typical office building, the seasonal energy saving of the IEC with the given size is up to 3.64 kWh/m2, and the annual energy saving can reach 6.02 kWh/m2. In addition, the inference time of this IEC-ANN model was significantly shorter compared with a numerical model. Based on the quick prediction speed, the model can improve the working efficiency in the design stage of the engineering and may provide a swift response to guide the system operation.

Globalization and Islamic Indigenization in Southeast Asian Muslim Communities

For centuries, what is now commonly referred to in the Cold War-inflected English parlance as “Southeast Asia” has been connected to various regions of the world -- from the transmission of Islam from diverse places in the Middle East, South Asia, and China, to engagements with European colonialism and, more recently, post-independence foreign relations in various regional, multilateral, and global contexts. From the eighth century Muslim traders were traversing the ports of what is now called Southeast Asia, and by the turn of the fourteenth century there is evidence for indigenous Muslim communities.[1] Such economic, cultural, and religious exchange over the centuries has not, despite the warnings of some globalization theorists, led to a homogenization of Southeast Asia, much less a homogenization of Islamic ideas and practices. Rather than coming as a single homogenous and authoritative source, the spread of Islam – and Muslim leaders -- across mainland and island Southeast Asia came from many directions and influences from Mecca and Medina to the Swahili Coast, Yemen, India, the Persian Gulf, Patani networks, and as far as China. Whereas some transmission of Islamic ideas from the Middle East (often led by Southeast Asians, or Jawi, pilgrims, scholars, and travelers who return home) have led to contentious debates and power struggles in particular moments and places, such as the struggle between “old” and “young” movements among Minangkabau in West Sumatra, more recently Southeast Asia – especially Muslim Southeast Asia – has experienced other forms of cultural influence and exchange with East Asian countries like Japan and Korea as well as Western countries from the United States to former European colonial powers.[2] As a nation-state, Indonesia has also begun to come to terms with Chinese Muslims as part of the long histories of Islam and Muslims in the archipelago. Along the way, Southeast Asia’s ethnic communities have retained a sense of cultural, national, and religious identities that are influenced, yet never entirely determined, by outside forces.
 
 [1] Feener 2019, “Islam in Southeast Asia to c. 1800,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277727.013.40
 [2] For Malaysia, see Michael G. Peletz, Sharia Transformations: Cultural Politics and the Rebranding of an Islamic Judiciary (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2020). For the influence of K-Pop, see Ariel Heryanto, Identity and Pleasure: The Politics of Indonesian Screen Culture (Singapore: NUS Press, 2014).

Heterogeneous Dynamic Correlation Research among Industrial Structure Distortion, Two-Way FDI and Carbon Emission Intensity in China

The increase in carbon emissions year by year poses a severe challenge to the high-quality development and sustainability of China’s economy. How to reduce the intensity of carbon emissions has become a prominent issue to promote green growth. Based on the provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020, this paper uses Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), the spatial econometric model and intermediary effect test as analysis methods. The following results are drawn. Firstly, China’s industrial structure distortion index shows a downward trend. The industrial structure distortion index is the highest in the west of China, followed by the middle of China and is the lowest in the east of China. Secondly, the distortion of the industrial structure will not only lead to the increase in local carbon emission intensity but also produce reverse spillover to adjacent areas. Thirdly, the results of intermediary effect analysis show that industrial structure distortion can affect the transmission mechanism of carbon emission intensity by affecting two-way FDI. This paper has a profound practical significance for promoting the process of industrial upgrading by insisting on developing foreign trade to achieve carbon emission reduction. The main innovation of this paper is to put forward the concept of industrial structure distortion and bring it into a unified research framework with two-way FDI and carbon emission intensity.

Impacts of Risk Perception, Disaster Knowledge, and Emotional Attachment on Tourists’ Behavioral Intentions in Qinling Mountain, China

With natural disasters occurring more frequently around the world, their impact on tourism is becoming a serious problem. The existing literature in the field of tourism disaster management focuses mostly on disaster impact analysis, risk assessment, and post-disaster recovery, while the impact of disaster on tourism and tourists is still a new topic. It is necessary to investigate the correlation between the natural disasters and the tourists’ behavior. Taking the famous tourism destination, Qinling Mountain, located in the middle of China, as an example where frequent mountain disasters happened, we investigated 542 youth group tourists using a questionnaire survey and analyzed the influence of risk perception, disaster knowledge, and emotional attachment on tourists’ travel behavioral intentions. The results showed that 1) risk perception has a negative effect on tourists’ behavioral intentions; 2) disaster knowledge and tourism emotional attachment have a positive effect on tourists’ behavioral intention; and 3) the moderation role of gender is not significant, while the moderation role of education level is significant. Therefore, this analysis is of great importance for research dealing with the theory of tourism disaster and the management practice of disaster-prone tourism destinations.

14 year applications of chemical fertilizers and crop straw effects on soil labile organic carbon fractions, enzyme activities and microbial community in rice-wheat rotation of middle China

Traditional fertilization management can damage soil structure and lead to severe soil erosion. The practice of crop straw returning to the field reduces the negative impact of straw burning and improves soil quality. We investigated the effects of these agricultural practices on soil organic carbon components, enzyme activities, and soil microorganisms over 14 years of field experiments. Specifically, we studied four management strategies: no fertilizer or crop straw returning (CK), traditional chemical fertilization (NPK), crop straw returning (S), and crop straw returning with chemical fertilizer (NPKS). We found NPKS treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased the dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and readily oxidized organic carbon (ROC) concentrations by 79.32 %, 82.16 %, 92.46 %, and 104.32 % relative to CK. Furthermore, under NPKS, the activities of soil enzymes related C, N, and P (α-glucosidase (αG), β-glucosidase (βG), cellulase (CBH), xylanase (βX), acetyl β-glucosaminidase (NAG), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and acid phosphate (AP)) were increased by 54.66 %, 113.26 %, 76.73 %, 52.41 %, 45.74 %, 56.69 %, and 68.92 % relative to CK, respectively. Redundancy analysis and structural equation modelling showed that straw returning had positive effects on soil microbial community diversity and richness, and also improved microbial activity which is favorable in the degradation of soil carbon. Furthermore, we found that soil fungi were more sensitive than bacteria to changes in soil carbon composition and enzyme activities following straw returning. These results suggest that straw returning combined with chemical fertilizer can be an effective strategy to improve soil labile organic carbon components, enzyme activities, and ecological function of microorganisms.

Mapping Locus RSC11K and predicting candidate gene resistant to Soybean mosaic virus strain SC11 through linkage analysis combined with genome resequencing of the parents in soybean

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) strain SC11 was prevalent in middle China. Its resistance was controlled by a Mendelian single dominant gene RSC11K in soybean Kefeng-1. This study aimed at mapping RSC11K and identifying its candidate gene. RSC11K locus was mapped ~217 kb interval between two SNP-linkage-disequilibrium-blocks (Gm02_BLOCK_11273955_11464884 and Gm02_BLOCK_11486875_11491354) in W82.a1.v1 genome using recombinant inbred lines population derived from Kefeng-1 (Resistant) × NN1138-2 (Susceptible), but inserted with a ~245 kb segment in W82.a2.v1 genome. In the entire 462 kb RSC11K region, 429 SNPs, 142 InDels and 34 putative genes were identified with more SNPs/InDels distributed in non-functional regions. Thereinto, ten genes contained SNP/InDel variants with high and moderate functional impacts on proteins, among which Glyma.02G119700 encoded a typical innate immune receptor-like kinase involving in virus disease process and responded to SMV inoculation, therefore was recognized as RSC11K's candidate gene. The novel RSC11K locus and candidate genes may help developing SMV resistance germplasm.

Regional land cover changes of the last 6,500 years in middle and southern subtropical China

Our knowledge about the Holocene vegetation changes in southern China has been based on the inference from pollen percentages. However, the relationship between pollen percentages and vegetation is non-linear. This may lead to significant bias in real vegetation cover and limit our understanding of land cover changes and its relation to climate and human activities. Here we quantitatively reconstruct past regional land-cover changes by applying the REVEALS model to four pollen records collected from two study areas in southern and middle subtropical zones. The two study areas, representing the Pearl River Basin (PRB) and Wuyi Mountain (WYM), are located in spatial gradients, thus help to elucidate not only the climate forcing, but also the spatio-temporal spread of agriculture in this region. The REVEALS reconstruction shows a clear difference from original pollen percentages and is considered more realistic in depicting regional vegetation changes. Based on more reasonable reconstruction result by excluding wetland-associated taxa, i.e., Cyperaceae and Alnus, we found a gradual decline of forest covers since the middle Holocene which may be related to the reduced rainfall in response to the weakening East Asian Summer Monsoon. The human impact on the forest cover was identified by an abrupt increase of Poaceae cover at 3500–2700 cal yr B.P. in the PRB area, which appeared later in the WYM mountainous area. Thus, our study reveals a progressive expansion of anthropogenic activities from the coastal lowlands to mountainous areas.

An insight into the changes in the microbial community of Kantuan‐sliced chicken during storage at different temperatures

This work investigated the microbial community in Kantuan-sliced chicken during retail storage at different temperatures (4 ± 1°C and 25 ± 1°C). Compared with the samples stored at 25°C, a lower storage temperature (4°C) could prolong the shelf life of Kantuan-sliced chicken, as revealed by a lower change rate in pH value, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total viable counts. For the freshly prepared chicken sample, the microbial community was mainly dominated by the genus of Psychrobacter (71.67%), which is a member of Moraxellaceae family. During refrigerated storage, the genus of Brochothrix (belonging to Listeriaceae family) occupied the dominant position with a relative abundance at a level of ≥50% throughout the whole storage period, accompanied by the phenomenon that Psychromonas ranged from 12.32% to 22.54%. In the 25°C group, the samples presented rich microbial diversity. Enterococcus, Fusobacterium, Maccoroccus, and Lactococcus were the main components of the microbial community in the middle and late stages of storage. The microbial community of Kantuan-sliced chicken was quite sensitive to storage temperature. The results indicated that the spoilage bacteria of refrigerated samples were mainly composed of Gram-positive bacteria when compared to the samples stored at 25°C. It seems that the combination of low storage temperature with preservatives for Gram-positive bacteria would be useful for Kantuan-sliced chicken. Novelty impact statement Kantuan-sliced chicken is a popular food product (ready-to-eat food) in middle China, which is easy to deteriorate. This study clarified the microbial community diversity and dynamics in the Kantuan-sliced chicken during storage at 4°C and 25°C to solve the unclear spoilage process. Our results extend the understanding of microbial spoilage of Kantuan-sliced chicken and provide valuable microbial management information for both researchers and the food industry, which is helpful for further improving product quality management.

An improvement of wind gust estimate (WGE) method for squall lines

Severe wind gusts produced by squall lines are difficult to monitor and forecast. This paper assessed and improved the physics-based Brasseur WGE (wind gust estimate) method for diagnosing wind gust of squall lines by coupling the WGE methods with the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model. The simulation results show that the Brasseur WGE method accurately captured the strong gust feature with 32 m·s−1 maximum wind speed during the disastering Shipwreck event occurred over Yangtze River on 1 June 2015, but overestimated the extended area of severe gust speeds. Analysis of the kinematic structure and boundary-layer conditions of the squall line confirmed the theoretical applicability of the Brasseur WGE method for squall lines. A novel gust-front-area limiting method was introduced to modify the Brasseur WGE method, which effectively reduces its gust wind overestimation area. Furthermore, five squall line events occurred in the middle China during 2021 were simulated to test the modified WGE method and the results exhibit significant improvements to the wind gust forecasts, with an average false alarm rate decreased from 0.89 to 0.54, and the critical success index(CSI) increased from 0.1 to 0.4.

Watershed scale spatiotemporal nitrogen transport and source tracing using dual isotopes among surface water, sediments and groundwater in the Yiluo River Watershed, Middle of China

Nitrogen pollution has been shown to have strong potential threaten to the human drinking water and agriculture. However, identifying the nitrogen and spatial-temporal variation and nitrogen pollution sources among surface water, sediments and groundwater at the watershed scale is still of insufficient understanding. In this study, multi-methods (dual isotopes, hydraulic, hydrogeochemical methods) have been used and 400 samplings (40 sediments, 20 shallow groundwater and 40 surface waters in four periods in dry and wet seasons) were collected from 2018 to 2020. The results showed that the concentration of NO3−-N, NH4+-N, NO2−-N and total nitrogen (TN) had variable spatial and temporal changes in whole watershed. The concentration of TN, NO3−-N, NH4+-N and NO2−-N in downstream was higher than midstream and upstream both in dry and wet seasons. The concentration of TN, NO3−-N, NH4+-N and NO2−-N of the whole watershed in wet season was higher than dry season. The dual isotope values indicate that nitrogen sources were mainly derived from manure and sewage waste input (MSI), agriculture chemical fertilizers (ACFI) and sediments nitrogen input (SNI). Those nitrogen sources have different proportion in downstream, midstream and upstream in dry and wet seasons (the largest proportion: MSI 95.24% in downstream and ACFI 86.26% in upstream both in dry season, SNI 31.75% in midstream in wet season). Water exchange has positive correlation with the nitrogen concentration. High level of nitrogen in river also can be a diver in different location and seasons. Those results can be useful for developing regional management strategies and plans for water pollution control and treatment at watershed-scale.

Japan's Human Rights Diplomacy: A Convergence of Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Interests

executive summary: This article argues that Japan's human rights diplomacy has undergone four distinct stages in the postwar period and analyzes Tokyo's efforts in case studies focusing on the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China. main argumentFor decades after its defeat in World War II, Japan was perceived as a laggard in promoting human rights internationally. Today, Japan advances human rights on the global stage through a combination of peacekeeping missions, developmental assistance, and other technical investments in human security. However, Tokyo notably refrains from involving itself in certain conflicts where an unambiguous stance would interrupt meaningful business or investment ties. Japan's gradual but significant shift regarding the use of human rights as a tool of diplomacy reflects the close links of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to domestic commercial interests. As a result of these links, the Japanese government increasingly understands its foreign policy aims through a primarily geoeconomic lens. policy implications • Focus on global human rights standards instead of individual cases . Past interactions with Japan demonstrate that underscoring the larger economic and political benefits of a more robust global human rights regime, as well as the isolating effects of not upholding international standards and responsibilities, can be an effective diplomatic approach. Such methods have been a good motivator for sparking pivotal shifts in Japanese behavior. • Embrace business-sector leadership on human rights promotion . Japan is on a positive trajectory toward embracing human rights diplomacy primarily because of the changing priorities of large companies and industry groups. Thus, addressing human rights through these domestic commercial avenues and encouraging business-to-business dialogue represent perhaps the best hope for concrete and meaningful engagement. • Welcome and co-sign Japanese leadership whenever evident . Japan has displayed a newfound sense of "skin in the game" from its recent leadership in high-standard multilateral trade facilitation. Simultaneously, Japan has continued to distinguish itself as an international proponent of good governance frameworks. Japan's success in socializing its "free and open Indo-Pacific" vision should be used to incentivize Tokyo's further involvement in devising new means of holding China and other rising powers accountable to international governance standards.

Pollution Characteristics of Surface Sediments in Luhun Drinking Water Reservoir in the Middle China

The pollution status of surface sediments in the Luhun drinking water reservoir in the central of China was analyzed and evaluated, and three sampling points were selected for this study. The results showed that the organic matter content of the Luhun reservoir was as high as 5.2%, which was at a high level. The analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and their components showed that the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) pollution in Luhun reservoir was in the medium pollution level, among which the ion-exchange state of nitrogen component and the strong-alkali extraction state of phosphorus component accounted for a relatively high risk of release into the overlying water. The results showed that the bioavailability index of Pb and Cr was as high as 0.73 and 0.62, which was of big pollution risk. Generally speaking, the sediment of Luhun reservoir had a high risk of pollution to the overlying water. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for urban safe water supply and provide support for water quality improvement.

The relationship between CSR and financial performance and the moderating effect of ownership structure: Evidence from Chinese heavily polluting listed enterprises

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions are essential for the firm's profit considering sustainable economic growth, whereas it also imposes additional financial burdens for many firms. This paper utilizes the sample data of 6306 Chinese heavily polluting listed companies from 2012 to 2019 to investigate the impact of heavily polluting enterprises’ CSR on corporate financial performance (CFP). In addition, ownership structure is divided into ownership concentration, ownership balance and ownership type to explore its moderating impact on CSR and CFP. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is applied to test the four proposed hypotheses, and two-stage least squares method (2SLS) and propensity score matching-difference in differences method (PSM-DID) are adopted to the endogenous test. It is observed that CSR can have a positive impact on CFP in Chinese heavily polluting listed companies. However, ownership concentration will reduce this positive impact, conversely, ownership balance can promote the positive effect of CSR on CFP. CSR promotes CFP better in non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) compared with state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Additionally, heterogeneity tests are conducted and found that the promoting effect of CSR on CFP is affected by the region, and the promotion effect in Middle and Western China is greater than that of Eastern China. The effect is similar for both technology-capital-intensive enterprises and labor-resource-intensive enterprises. These conclusions provide theoretical and practical reference values for CSR management practices and the improvement of CFP. Enterprises should actively undertake CSR and optimize their ownership structure to promote better CFP.