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Situated at middle-to-high latitudes with limited thermal resources, Northeast China is the primary maize-producing region in China. It is also one of the regions most significantly impacted by climate change. Given the persistent impact of climate change, it is crucial to elucidate the effects of the varying thermal conditions and low temperatures for different sowing dates on the growth, development, and grain maturity of spring maize. To ensure secure maize production and disaster prevention, choosing the optimal sowing time for spring maize holds significant implications for the judicious utilization of climatic resources, risk mitigation, and the provision of meteorological guidance. Moreover, it can serve as a technical reference for relevant departments to conduct climate evaluation, disaster monitoring, prediction, and assessment, as well as impact analysis of corn production safety. Additionally, it can provide meteorological evidence to ensure food security and promote the sustainable development of modern agriculture. An interval sowing experiment of spring maize was conducted in Harbin in the north of Northeast China. Two varieties were used in the experiment. Four sowing dates were set, and the interval between adjacent sowing dates was 10 days. The local perennial sowing time, 5 May, was set as the second sowing date, with one date set later and two dates set earlier. During the experiment, the growth process, grain dry matter, seed moisture content, yield components, and temperature of spring maize were observed. The impact of temperature conditions on maize growth and yield formation was analyzed in this paper through mathematical statistics, which further led to the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation model for assessing the effect of thermal conditions and temperature on maize. The results showed that the growth rate of spring maize was closely related to temperature. When the average temperature, minimum temperature, and maximum temperature increased by 1 °C, the average emergence rate increased by 1.05%, 0.99%, and 1.07%, respectively, and the average vegetative growth rate increased by 0.16%, 0.16%, and 0.09%, respectively. The change rate of ≥10 °C active accumulated temperature was significantly correlated with the change rate of the dry weight of the grain kernel, which conformed to the quadratic equation of one variable. The temperature influence coefficients of different sowing dates varied from 1.0% to 1.7%. The relationship between the accumulated values of 10 ℃ active accumulated temperature and the grain moisture content of spring maize was a logarithmic function. From 10 to 50 days after anthesis, the effect of temperature can explain about 95% of the change in grain moisture content. After physiological maturity, the effect of thermal conditions can only explain 56–83%. The temperature influence coefficient ranges from 1.3% to 13.8%. Comparatively speaking, the second sowing date is the most suitable sowing date. Early sowing is prone to encounter low temperatures, resulting in underutilization of the early heat, while late sowing is prone to less heat. Both conditions are not conducive to better improve the yield of spring maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest floor dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) is an important factor in the occurrence of forest fires, and predicting DFMC is important for accurate fire risk forecasting. Large areas of forest surface DFMC are difficult to predict via manual methods. In this paper, we propose an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based forest surface DFMC prediction method, in which a UAV is equipped with a multispectral camera to collect multispectral images of dead combustible material on the forest surface over a large area, combined with a deep-learning algorithm to achieve the large-scale prediction of DFMC on the forest surface. From 9 March to 23 March 2023, 5945 multispectral images and 480 sets of dead combustible samples were collected from an urban forestry demonstration site in Harbin, China, using an M300 RTK UAV with an MS600Pro multispectral camera. The multispectral images were segmented by a K-means clustering algorithm to obtain multispectral images containing only dead combustibles on the ground surface. The segmented multispectral images were then trained with the actual moisture content measured by the weighing method through the ConvNeXt deep-learning model, with 3985 images as the training set, 504 images as the validation set, and 498 images as the test set. The results showed that the MAE and RMSE of the test set are 1.54% and 5.45%, respectively, and the accuracy is 92.26% with high precision, achieving the accurate prediction of DFMC over a large range. The proposed new method for predicting DFMC via UAV multispectral cameras is expected to solve the real-time large-range accurate prediction of the moisture content of dead combustible material on the forest surface during the spring fire-prevention period in northeast China, thus providing technical support for improving the accuracy of forest fire risk-level forecasting and forest fire spread trend prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban taxi services have been developing year on year, playing an increasingly important role in the economy and the transportation markets of each city. This increases interest in measuring their performance. This paper analysed the relationship among the four stakeholders (including administrative department, operational companies, taxi drivers and customers) for urban taxi passenger transport system in China, and applied System Dynamics (SD) model to explore the dynamic characteristics of urban taxi price system. The main achievements of this paper are as follows, firstly, this paper adopted stakeholder mapping to describe the relationships among the four stakeholders. Then analysed the causal flow diagrams and the different variables of urban taxi passenger transport system operation, and presented the SD model, which considers factors that affect the taxi operation. With the combination of taxi operation data of Harbin city, we simulated eleven urban taxi operation scenarios and proposed kinds of suggestions to improve urban taxi passenger transport system operation, which can provide a good basis for recommending policy decisions for urban taxi market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global express market has expanded significantly in recent years. High-speed rail express freight transportation has been implemented between multiple cities in China, significantly improving transportation efficiency and effectively meeting demand. In this paper, an optimization model for HSR (high-speed railway) express transport plan is constructed using a space-time-state network, and an improved adaptive genetic algorithm is designed to solve the model. Reasonable transport schemes could be arranged for each cargo flow with the objective of maximizing operational revenue. The numerical experiment based on the Harbin–Dalian high-speed railway in China verifies the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed model. The results show that for HSR operators, appropriate transport strategies can be planned in terms of delivery priorities and transportation mode selection to make full use of the remaining capacity of HSR trains and increase operational revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ecological security pattern (ESP) can bridge the paradox between ecological conservation and socioeconomic development. Although various methods have been applied to establish ESP successfully, improving its scientificity and reliability for regional sustainability are still great challenges. Taking Harbin administrative region as the study area, this paper integrated the merits of the function-oriented method (assessing the importance of ecological services using the InVEST model) and the structure-oriented method (extracting the connectivity of landscapes based on the MSPA model) to improve the identification of ecological sources more scientifically. Night light data were used to modify the natural resistance surface to reveal the real natural and human disturbance for ES loss during species migration and ecological flows. Then, the ESP was established by combining the ecological nodes after extracting and grading the ecological corridors. The results showed that the individual ES performed with a high spatial heterogeneity and was highly correlated with land use patterns. The extremely important and slightly important were the dominant level types in the study area, and the proportion of extremely important declined greatly from 44.78% in 1980 to 30.14% in 2020. Core was the main landscape type with a proportion of 57.13% and mainly distributed in the Lesser Khingan Mountains and Zhangguangcai Mountains. More than 700 ecological corridors were extracted according to the MCR model and the important ecological corridors were selected based on the gravity model, with 86 ecological nodes obtained from the intersection points of ecological corridors. An ESP of "two zones, two barriers, one axis and one belt" was proposed, and relevant protection measures were put out for the sustainable development in the study area. The findings indicated that imposing ESP could form a stable secure frame for social economic development and ecological protection, avoiding irrational land use modes and excessive dispersion of landscapes. This study could provide valuable references for land use planning and the formulation of related ecological protection policies and regional sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the urban underground space environment gets more complex, the cases of shield machines encountering and cutting through piles are becoming more common. The interaction between the cutter head and pile foundation directly affects the tunneling performance of the shield machine and the safety of the existing structure. To study the interaction between the pile and the shield machine, a calculation model of the interaction force is established. A field test of cutting two piles was conducted and the rationality of the model is verified by comparing the calculation results with field test data. The model is applied in the project of a shield machine cutting bridge piles in Harbin Metro Line 3, China. The shield operation parameters are predicted and compared with field test results. Besides, the impacts of cutting surface width and eccentric distance on interaction force are discussed. The study shows that there is a significant interaction between the cutter head and the piles when the shield machine cuts reinforced concrete piles, which causes obvious changes in the shield operation parameters and shield performance. The number of tools that are inside the cutting area has a significant effect on the additional torque. The additional torque fluctuates with the rotation of cutter head and increases with the increase of the number of tools. The number of these tools is determined by factors such as the layout of tools in the cutter head, cutting surface width and eccentric distance, which influence the position of each tool relative to the cutting area. As the cutting distance increase, the additional torque of the cutter head shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing and reaches the maximum value when the cutting distance reaches the radius of the pile. Besides, the additional force and additional moment of the cutter head increase with the increase of the cutting surface width. The impacts of eccentric distance on additional force and additional moment are complicated. The results in this paper can provide reference for similar engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has been an increasing challenge for cities in China. Effective and sensible charging mechanism of municipal solid waste (MSW) needs to be designed to abate rapid generation of MSW from its source. This paper investigates four aspects related to public preference on MSW charging, including cleanliness, frequency, time, and cost. A case study was conducted in Harbin, which is a megacity in China and one of the first pilot cities for MSW classification. This study adopted stratified sampling approach in surveying Harbin residents, which generated a final sample of 280 residents for empirical investigation. Conjoint analysis was employed to analyze residents' preference for MSW charging. The results demonstrate that the preference varies with the level of income. High-income and middle-income residents are more favourable to cleanliness, while the low-income group is more concerned about the cost of MSWM. To a large extent, this difference may be related to differences in personal needs and consumption patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and analysis of urban growth and its driving factors are crucial to the long-term sustainable development of cities. Based on the multi-temporal Landsat remote sensing data, this paper extracts urban information by interpreting and supervising classification, and makes a dynamic study on the urban expansion of Harbin in different temporal intervals. By analyzing the spatial determinants of urban growth, we deeply understand the process of urban growth, thus providing important help for urban planning and policy formulation. In this paper, four landscape metrics (total area, aggregation index, landscape shape index, and total edge) were selected to characterize the urban landscape characteristics from two spatial scales (2 and 5 km grid sizes), then the spatial regression model was used to explore the relationship between the urban landscape and its spatial determinants. These changes exhibit significant spatial variations and spatial autocorrelation at two spatial scales. Topography and proximity factors have important effects on urban landscape change. These research results may help us to better understand the process and driving factors of urban development, so as to help the underdeveloped cities in northeast China to formulate scientific and reasonable development plans and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban comprehensive carrying capacity is an important guarantee and external representation of regional sustainable development. Based on urban comprehensive carrying capacity, this paper constructed a performance evaluation index system of urban comprehensive carrying capacity, and used entropy method, urban comprehensive carrying capacity measurement model and urban sustainable development model to measure spatial and temporal comprehensive carrying capacity of Harbin City in Heilongjiang Province from 2012 to 2017. The results show that: 1) index weight analysis suggested the regional development mode in Harbin still followed an epitaxial development mode, which pursued the expansion of scale and the growth of total amount of regional development, neglecting the effective utilization of resources and the improvement of structural benefits. 2) In the pressure system, the index of resource support has dropped sharply. The index of environmental capacity and social progress has risen circuitously, while the degree of agglomeration and the value of transportation facilities have risen steadily; in the pressure system, the index of population development and economic growth tended to fluctuate, while energy consumption and environmental pollution showed a more synchronous change in characteristics, and the livable demand remained at a high level. 3) The carrying capacity index of resources and environment in Harbin has been declining, and the acquired carrying capacity index fluctuated. The long-term regional development model has severely impaired the carrying capacity of resources and environment. 4) The comprehensive carrying capacity of Harbin has clear spatial differentiation characteristics. Finally, the paper proposes that location conditions, economic development level, government regulation, and science and technology are the main factors influencing the spatial differentiation of urban comprehensive carrying capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous participatory methods and assessments have been tested in the western context, the community participation practice is still limited in China, a developing country. In addition, due to the diversity of cultural, historical, economic, and social backgrounds, Chinese community participation differs from similar international approaches. Hence it is critical to explore how engaging Chinese people with their own heritage properties can foster stewardship, multi-stakeholder connection, and support policy and strategy making.It is very challenging to preserve the character of historic urban landscapes because they change over time in a rapidly developing urban context. Research on revealing people's stories and preferences concerning the Chinese historic urban landscape in their visiting and living experience is needed to address this concern directly. The study applies a novel approach to explore public attitudes based on the fusion of social media data, land use data and other information. It examines the spatial patterns of public responses towards the government-led urban heritage conservation projects in the historic city centre of Harbin, China, in sixteen months (2021–2022). The article concludes that social media plays an important role in accessing broader communities, monitoring people's preferences, and observing heritage attributes and values for inclusive urban heritage management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is experiencing an enormous increase in municipal household solid waste (MHSW) generation and is facing multiple problems associated with the treatment of MHSW. This paper analyses factors affecting residents' satisfaction with MHSW treatment performance. Six factors were identified by the Delphi method: (a) pick-up frequency by waste collection vehicles, (b) fund supply situation, (c) charging standard for waste treatment, (d) waste bin arrangement, (e) laws and regulations, (f) publicity and education. We examine the significance of these six influencing factors, estimating binary logistic regression models. Data for this study are derived from the survey responses of 469 households in Harbin, one of the largest cities in northeast China. The results indicate that 'pick-up frequency by waste collection vehicles' is ranked the first and most important determinant of Harbin residents' satisfaction with MHSW treatment; this is closely followed by 'publicity and education'. The third and fourth significant influencing factors, respectively, are 'fund supply situation' and 'charging standard for waste treatment'. The last two factors are 'laws and regulations' and 'waste bin arrangement'. By understanding the influence of various factors on residents' satisfaction, this study aims to help in designing an effective waste management system to reduce the cost of MHSW management, and to raise the residents' satisfaction with municipal solid waste treatment. Based on the research findings, we advocate that establishing a reasonable waste transport (pick-up) system as well as strengthening publicity and education of waste management are key to improving residents' satisfaction with the MHSW treatment performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local temperature in the Harbin region of northeast China has been rising, with temperatures above 27°C often being recorded. The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Matsumura) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and foxglove aphid, Aulacorthum solani (Kaltenbach) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), are important pests in soybeans in the region, which face great survival pressure due to rising temperatures. In this study, A. glycines and A. solani were reared at thermoperiods with diurnal temperatures of 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, and 37°C, nocturnal temperature of 20 °C, 70% ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L: D) hr. Diurnal thermoperiod 25°C was used as control. Some life characteristics of the aphids were assessed. The adaptation of A. solani to high diurnal temperatures was found to be worse than that of A. glycines. Aphis glycines could develop and reproduce successfully at diurnal temperatures of 27–35°C, whereas A. solani could only develop and reproduce at 27–29°C. At diurnal thermoperiods at 25°C, adult lifespan of A. solani was as long as that of A. glycines. When diurnal temperatures increased from 27 to 31°C, adult lifespan of A. solani were shorter than those of A. glycines. At diurnal thermoperiods at 25 and 27°C, the body sizes of A. solani adults were larger than those of A. glycines. At diurnal thermoperiods at 29 and 31°C, the body size of A. solani adults were as large as those of A. glycines. Our results provide important information on the survival, development, and reproduction of A. glycines and A. solani exposed to temperatures above 27°C, which is important for evaluating the adaptability of aphids to high temperatures and predicting their dynamics in soybeans in northeast China, where the local environmental temperature continues to rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient parking tends to be challenging in most large cities in China. Drivers often spend substantial amounts of time looking for parking lots while driving at low speeds, thereby resulting in interference with road traffic. This paper focuses on efficiently allocating parking spaces to the demanders. A double-objective model is proposed that considers both the utilizing rate and the walking distance. First, managers want to utilize parking resources fully. Therefore, they tend to prioritize the efficient distribution of parking spaces in response to parking demands. However, demanders typically choose parking spaces according to convenience. The second objective is the acceptable walking distance from the parking space to the destination. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to solve this model. We collected parking demand and supply data in a central business district (CBD) of Harbin in China and evaluated the feasibility of the model. The results demonstrate that the proposed model increases the occupying rates of parking lots in residential zones while decreasing the walking distance. The shared use of parking spaces maximizes the utility and alleviates the shortage of parking spaces in downtown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent trend in China has seen super high-rise residential buildings spreading to severe cold regions. These buildings face tough challenges concerning building energy consumption and the thermal environment due to their stack effect. The stack effect is greatly influenced by air infiltration, but current guidance on component airtightness is often neither specific nor consistent for different buildings. This paper presents field measurements and numerical simulations of airtightness performance and stack pressure distribution for a a 106.7-m high-rise residential building in Harbin, Northeast China. An airtightness field test was performed using the fan pressurisation method, and measured values were utilised as the input data for predictions. The numerical analysis was implemented by applying CONTAMW, and the simulation results were compared to measurement data. The results demonstrated that the measured components were all leakier than the current standards allow. The greatest stack pressure difference on the ground floor reached 51.5 Pa, considered a severe stack effect. Furthermore, the influences of the location and airtightness of different staircase doorways on the stack effect were studied and analysed. This research assists in clarifying the significance of building airtightness in cold climates and in reducing the stack effect of high-rise buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, how to guide residents on actively participating in decision-making activities related to urban settlement regeneration is critical and must be addressed. Referring to the theory of planned behavior (TPB), combined with the characteristics of regeneration decision-making, the external environmental factors affecting residents' participation in such decision-making activities, through impacting psychological environmental factors, were determined by establishing the structural equation model (SEM) and conducting a survey. The guidance measures of enhancing external pressure and providing regeneration information were selected. Participation guidance experiments were designed, and the typical communities located in the development zone and city center of Harbin, China were selected as the experiment regions. Forty-eight subjects were screened in each experimental region and divided into six groups; three participated in the experiments regarding the leading role of representatives, enhancing communication, and incentives, and three in the experiments on policy advocacy, regeneration technology popularization, and regeneration case sharing. Guidance measures' effects for introversion or extraversion, regardless of region are, from large to small, incentives, regeneration case sharing, leading role of representatives, enhancing communication, policy advocacy and regeneration technology popularization. There are significant differences in the effects of enhancing external pressure measures between different personalities, and enhancing external pressure measures are more effective for extraversion. Although the differences in the effects of providing regeneration information measures are statistically insignificant, providing such measures is more effective for introversion. The results reflect the analysis of the influencing factors. TPB application is enriched and the guidance experiments used to verify guiding measures' effectiveness are provided. Practically-significant implications include: communities and proprietor committees should organize neighborhood-relationship to enhance community activities, with the proprietor committee solving residents' daily problems to win authority and trust, positively guiding residents' participation. Community staff can also understand, via daily participation, residents' personality traits, so as to implement the above-mentioned guidance measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest freshwater river flowing through Harbin, the Songhua River is a standby water source. It is very important to know the species and distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in the river. In this study, five antibiotics were selected to screen and identify ARB in spring and autumn. The results showed that the concentration of cefotaxime-resistant bacteria was the highest, and the maximum concentration at S6 in spring was up to 1.40 × 104 CFU/mL. In spring and autumn, bacteria resistant to three antibiotics were screened at S1 of the Songhua River, and bacteria resistant to five antibiotics were screened at S6. No multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria (MARB) were screened in the other four sites in autumn, while MARB were screened in the other three samples except S2 in spring. In all sample areas in spring and autumn, the probability of screening MARB at S1 and S6 was the highest, reaching 100%. The identification results of 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of ARB showed that a total of 51 ARB strains from 15 bacterial genera were screened in the Songhua River, of which 20 ARB strains were from Pseudomonas. Among the 15 bacterial genera, bacteria from 8 bacterial genera have pathogenicity. The results of this study revealed the concentration, spatial distribution, and seasonal variation of culturable ARB in the Songhua River, providing data support for the remediation of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) pollution in the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the characteristics of the competition and cooperation of multi-modal public transportation in the cities of cold areas and to study the competitive relationship of multi-modal public transportation in cold areas, the urban public transportation system in cold areas is divided into three sub-systems, namely, conventional buses, urban mass transit, and cabs, to analyze the competitive relationship and evolution mechanism of multi-modal public transportation in cities of cold areas. We construct a multi-modal public transit Lotka–Volterra competitiveness model, considering that conventional buses and urban mass transit are mainly dominant in urban public transit systems in cold regions, and introduce the competitive influence effect coefficients and cooperative influence effect coefficients to analyze the mechanism of the evolution of the competitiveness between conventional buses and urban mass transit. The data on traffic supply and demand and travel of the Harbin bus system, a typical city in China, are collected, and the simulation analysis of multi-modal competing relationship and evolution mechanism of conventional bus and urban mass transit competition is carried out, respectively, with Harbin as the research object. The results show that the constructed model can better describe the multi-modal bus competition relationship and evolution mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies focused on the analysis of effect factors contributing to the crashes and development of crash prediction models have resulted in aggregate researches to quantify the safety effects of geometric and traffic variables and environmental concerns on the expected outcome of fatal, injury and/or property damage losses at specific locations. Crash insight regarding different locations, however, has rarely been performed. Such investigations are useful for at least two reasons. First, there is a priori need to identify high risk sites with respect to crash. Second, it is generally believed that different crash types (e.g. rear-end, angle etc.) are associated with road geometry, the environment and traffic condition, and as a result justifying the inside causes of such crashes helps with understanding and improving the specific ability to make effective countermeasures. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to (1) demonstrate that different crash types are associated to intersections in different ways and (2) reveal that the statistics of intersection crashes may lead to greater insights considering crash occurrence and countermeasure effectiveness. This paper first divides crashes into 5 categories or types: pedestrian-involved, rear-end, head-on, angle and sideswipe crash types. Based on 3208 crashes collected on the intersections in the city of Harbin during the period of 1992–2008, distribution, overall count and the occurrence of rate features are estimated resulting in two models. The performed analysis reveals that safety improvement factors such as the presence of a signal light set, a traffic monitoring device and ITS measure have a positive association with intersection crash in different ways, suggesting that different traffic control and management aspects may be helpful in identifying specific countermeasures in the overall safety improvement project. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cryopreservation in the temperature range from −120 °C to −60 °C is an important way to achieve high-quality food storage. In this paper, an in-depth quantitative thermodynamic comparison of two-stage cascade cycle, Linde-Hampson cycle and reverse Brayton cycle was carried out in the temperature range from −120 °C to −60 °C. Aspen HYSYS was used to invoke advanced genetic algorithm in MATLAB to optimize the system parameters. The two-stage cascade system performs best at the evaporation temperatures above −80 °C, achieving a COP of 0.97 at −60 °C. The Linder-Hampson system performs best when the evaporation temperature is below −90 °C, achieving a COP of 0.35 at −120 °C. In order to further explore the impact of environmental change on the system performance, five typical cities in China were selected to analyze the seasonal performances of the three systems. The seasonal analysis demonstrated that Harbin has the highest latitude and its seasonal energy efficiency ratio is significantly higher than other cities, the performance of the two-stage cascade system fluctuates more obvious within 24-h. What's more, the Linder-Hampson system has the lowest annual investment cost and annual operating cost at the evaporation temperature lower than −90 °C, as well as the lowest emissions of CO 2 and SO 2. • Thermodynamic characteristics of different refrigeration systems are studied. • Two-stage cascade system performs best at evaporation temperatures above −80 °C. • Linder-Hampson system performs best at evaporation temperatures below −90 °C. • The seasonal energy efficiency ratio of Harbin is visibly higher than other cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock weathering, an important geological process on the earth's surface, plays a key role in shaping surface morphology, providing nutrients needed by the ecosystem, and regulating the global climate. However, the regimes for controlling rock weathering in different regions are still controversial. In this respect, the heavy minerals, elements, Sr-Nd isotope, magnetic susceptibility, and chromaticity of the granite weathering profile in Harbin, a high latitude area of China, were analyzed for understanding the weathering characteristics and mechanisms of the granite weathering profile in the cold area. The results indicate that the profile underwent strengthened physical weathering (large volumes of cracks in the granite parent rock) and low–moderate chemical weathering (CIA = 56~68). However, the chemical weathering does not clearly affect the composition of the weathering products, making the weathering products a good inheritance from the parent rocks, as evidenced by the binary diagram (e.g., TiO2-Zr, and La/Sc-Co/Th) and geochemical genes (LG01 and LG03). The development process of the weathering profile has been affected by the input of external materials and biological activities, as evidenced by the Sr-Nd isotopic composition, Th/Zr values, chemical depletion fractions, ΔAl/Ti ratios, χfd%, and geochemical genes (LG03). Notably, a progressively decreasing weathering degree with a reduced depth is observed in the profile, which is likely to be related to an addition of external materials and/or effects of biological activities. In addition, the weathering regime of the profile does not vary in geology time, characterized by a kinetic-limited weathering regime with a limited supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating a comfortable indoor environment in education buildings is an important design objective. Climate change has resulted in rising summer indoor temperatures in the severe cold regions of China, and evidence of summer overheating risk in these regions has not yet been fully investigated. This study presents evidence of overheating in a university building in a severe cold region of China, discusses the potential of integrated shading devices for mitigating overheating, and proposes design ideas for the application of shading devices. Temperature monitoring and simulation were performed in a university building with natural ventilation located in Harbin, and various configurations of integrated shading devices were simulated using IES Virtual Environment software. The results demonstrate that 69% of classrooms were overheated; furthermore, south-facing classrooms could be overheated for up to 152 h during summer occupancy hours. This study finds that integrated shading devices reduce overheating hours by up to 59.2%. The design of appropriate parameters for shading devices can effectively improve indoor thermal comfort while maintaining daylight levels and controlling the increase in energy consumption. The methodology and results presented in this study offer a reference point and practical guidance for mitigating regional overheating, aiming to promote the improvement of regional standards and optimisation of thermal environments in the severe cold regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resource allocation (WRA) is a useful but complicated topic in water resource management. With the targets set out in the Plan of Newly Increasing Yield (NIY) of 10×1011 Jin (1 kg=2 Jin) from 2009 to 2020, the immediate question for the Songhua River Region (SHRR) is whether water is sufficient to support the required yield increase. Very few studies have considered to what degree this plan influences the solution of WRA and how to adapt. This paper used a multi-objective programming model for WRA across the Harbin region located in the SHRR in 2020 and 2030 (p=75%). The Harbin region can be classified into four types of sub-regions according to WRA: Type I is Harbin city zone. With rapid urbanization, Harbin city zone has the highest risk of agricultural water shortage. Considering the severe situation, there is little space for Harbin city zone to reach the NIY goal. Type II is subregions including Wuchang, Shangzhi and Binxian. There are some agricultural water shortage risks in this type region. Because the water shortage is relatively small, it is possible to increase agricultural production through strengthening agricultural water-saving countermeasures and constructing water conservation facilities. Type I is sub-regions including Acheng, Hulan, Mulan and Fangzheng. In this type region, there may be a water shortage if the rate of urbanization accelerates. According to local conditions, it is needed to enhance water-saving countermeasures to increase agricultural production to a certain degree. Type II is sub-regions including Shuangcheng, Bayan, Yilan, Yanshou and Tonghe. There are good water conditions for the extensive development of agriculture. Nevertheless, in order to ensure an increase in agricultural production, it is necessary to enhance the way in which water is utilized and consider soil resources. These results will help decision makers make a scientific NIY plan for the Harbin region for sustainable utilization of regional water resources and an increase in agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Capture appropriate models in the discussion of TNn, TN5d and CR. • TNn and TN5d extreme events influence on pavement temperature with depth. • Identify the low-temperature performance based on winter temperature extremes. Winter temperature extremes are of major interest due to their potential damaging impacts related to pavement temperature and thermal cracking. In the present paper, three climate indices are adopted to describe the feature of winter temperature extremes. Statistical models for indices are analyzed based on the observed data in Harbin. The threshold values with their 99.9% cumulative frequency are proposed. Experiments were carried out in order to investigate the impacts of winter temperature extremes on pavement temperature and low-temperature performance of asphalt mixture. The results show that Weibull distribution is an appropriate model in the discussion of air temperature and its duration, and Frechet is the best-fitted model for the rate of air temperature change. Comparisons of experimental results indicate the importance of winter temperature extremes to asphalt pavement temperature. The influence of low-temperature properties by different temperature conditions is also analyzed. The low-temperature performance in Harbin can be accurately quantified by linear interpolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Taxis share a high proportion of urban traffic volume and contribute a large proportion to urban air pollution. This paper addressees this context by exploring urban taxi air pollution emissions and possible reduction countermeasures. Based on a survey of Harbin taxis, we have developed different urban taxi pollution emissions models and considered taxi passenger occupancy and taxi average vacant ratio. To reduce taxi air pollution emission, this paper sets a reduction goal and puts forward three kinds of transport management policies. These are taxi market regulation, introduction of electric and Liquefied Petroleum Gas powered vehicles, and the introduction of dial-a-ride services. The paper provides recommendations for managing urban taxi development using these strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Urban land structure, layout, and land-use mode influence regional sustainable development greatly. However, planners usually cannot work perfectly because of insufficient environmental information for decision making. In recent years, with urban geographic information system (GIS) development many cities have already built up integrated urban information platform to support regional digitalization process. By using spatial data mining technology urban planning related knowledge can be discovered form GIS database to help planners and decision makers in their work. Through analyzing of Chinese cities’ construction mode and developing trend, this paper illustrates how to build up an urban planning spatial decision support system (UPSDSS) based on exploratory spatial data analysis technology support. By spatial data mining form GIS database, UPSDSS can provide related knowledge for urban planning decision making with inference engines (rule inference and case inference) support. As an important part of the research, UPSDSS had been used in urban planning management of Harbin city in China. With hidden information discovered by UPSDSS Harbin planners work easily and effectively. Three cases demonstrate how UPSDSS helped Harbin city in policy making in macroscopic urban expending planning, underground exploitation scheme making, and local land structure changing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines residential property development in the Chinese cities of Harbin and Shanghai in 2001–07. It reveals that development firms generally only built one residential development during the study period, which contrasts with the situation in most developed countries, where large, established firms engage in numerous projects. This finding appears to contradict theories on economies of scale, brand names and reputation. It is argued that institutional failure may be largely responsible for the business practices observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the 9th International Conference on the Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials (ICPADM), held in Harbin, China on July 19-23, 2009 is presented. The conference was hosted by Harbin University of Science and Technology and was attended by 260 participants including Heilongjiang Province vice governor Mr. Sun Yao. The guests were treated with two evenings of entertainment including the performances from Chinese magicians, acrobats and Peking Opera singers.

In China, the post-Winter Olympics era has seen the rapid development and promotion of ice rinks with air-supported membrane structures. With the rise of large indoor spectator areas in ice rinks, thermal comfort needs in spectator areas are receiving more and more attention. The satisfaction of thermal comfort needs is crucial to people's health and well-being, so further study of the issue of thermal comfort in such spectator areas is needed. Unfortunately, models currently used to evaluate the thermal comfort of traditional building envelopes are not applicable to air-supported membrane-envelope ice rinks. Researchers need to focus on the internal thermal comfort needs of air-supported membrane envelopes for spectator areas. The aim of this research was to establish a thermal comfort model to provide exact temperature-range recommendations for spectator areas in air-supported membrane ice rinks. The indoor thermal-environment parameters of the ice rink in Harbin were measured from 2 January to 15 January 2023. To elicit data on spectators' actual thermal sensations in the ice rink, a field questionnaire was administered. By modifying the expectancy factor, an extended predicted thermal comfort model was established. The results suggested that the operative temperature required to meet spectators' thermal comfort needs in the case study ice rink ranged from 17 °C to 26 °C. The results of the study offer specific insights into the indoor thermal comfort needs of air-supported ice rinks and provide a more accurate temperature-setting reference for the healthy and energy-efficient development of such rinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alexithymia is common and causes serious harm to people living with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, this study aimed to examine its prevalence and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two designated AIDS medical institutions in Harbin, China between January and December 2019. In total, 767 participants completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness short-form, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the HIV Treatment Regimen Fatigue Scale, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‐Consumption. The participants responded to several questions regarding their demographic characteristics, life satisfaction, disease-related economic burden, and their antiretroviral therapy (ART) side effects. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the relationship between alexithymia and associated factors. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for OR were calculated. Results: Approximately 36.1% of the participants were classified as having alexithymia. After adjusted age and education, the logistic regression model indicated that disease-related economic burden (OR = 1.477, 95% CI = 1.155–1.888), ART side effects (OR = 1.249, 95% CI = 1.001–1.559), loneliness (OR = 1.166, 95% CI = 1.101–1.236), and HIV treatment regimen fatigue (OR = 1.028, 95% CI = 1.017–1.039) were positively associated with alexithymia. Conclusions: The mental health problems of people living with HIV/AIDS are essential to understand and deserve attention. Disease-related economic burdens are major associated factors. Multiple actors should provide better services and guarantees for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown carbon (BrC) represents an important target for the "win-win" strategy of mitigating climate change and improving air quality. However, estimating co-benefits of BrC control remains difficult for China, partially because current measurement results are insufficient to represent the highly variable emission sources and meteorological conditions across different regions. In this study, we investigated, for the first time, the diurnal variations of BrC during two distinct seasons in a megacity in northeast China. The winter campaign conducted in January 2021 was characterized by low temperatures rarely seen in other Chinese megacities (down to about -20 ∘ C). The mass absorption efficiencies of BrC at 365 nm (MAE 365) were found to be ∼ 10 % higher at night. The variations of MAE 365 could not be explained by the influence of residential biomass burning emissions or secondary aerosol formation but were strongly associated with the changes of a diagnostic ratio for the relative importance of coal combustion and vehicle emissions (RS/N). Given that most coal combustion activities were uninterruptible, the higher nighttime MAE 365 in winter were attributed primarily to increased emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks. The spring campaign conducted in April 2021 was characterized by frequent occurrences of agricultural fires, as supported by the intensive fire hotspots detected around Harbin and the more-than-doubled ratios of levoglucosan to organic carbon (LG/OC) compared to the winter campaign. In spring, the MAE 365 depended little on RS/N but exhibited a strong positive correlation with LG/OC , suggesting open burning emissions as the dominant influencing factor for BrC's light absorption capacity. MAE 365 were ∼ 70 % higher at night for the spring campaign, pointing to the prevalence of nighttime agricultural fires, which were presumably in response to local bans on open burning. It is noteworthy that the agricultural-fire emissions resulted in a distinct peak at ∼ 365 nm for the light absorption spectra of BrC, and candidates for the compounds at play were inferred to be aromatic species with nitro-functional groups. The presence of the ∼ 365 nm peak complicated the determination of absorption Ångström exponents for the agricultural-fire-impacted samples. In addition, the ∼ 365 nm peak became much less significant during the day, likely due to photobleaching of the relevant chromophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A micro-holes radiant plate without adding dynamic and piping system was designed. • Micro-holes radiant plate combines orifice plate air supply and radiant heat transfer. • The deviation between indoor and set temperature was within 1 ℃ for all types. • The maximum ratio of the radiant heat transfer quantity was close to 70 %. In order to alleviate energy shortage and maintain comfortable indoor environment, radiant air conditioning system is widely used. This paper designs and produces a miniaturized micro-holes radiant plate, which has the characteristics of orifice plate air supply and radiant heat transfer. The micro-holes radiant plate can be installation on the ceiling or sidewall without adding dynamics system and piping system. In order to explore the heating performance of the micro-holes radiant plate under different installation types, an experimental bench of air source heat pump micro-holes radiant plate heating system was built in Harbin, China, for laboratory heating. The experimental results showed that the indoor average temperature under various installation types could basically meet the set requirements, and the deviation was within 1 °C. The indoor horizontal temperature distribution was relatively uniform, and the temperature difference of each measuring point was less than 2 °C. The indoor vertical temperature difference was the smallest under the installation type with sidewall 50 mm from the ground at only 2.68 °C in the sitting position and 3.14 °C in the standing position, which meet China and ASHRAE standards. The ratio of the radiant heat transfer quantity under the sidewall heating was about 60 %, while the ratio under the ceiling heating was only about 30 %. The maximum ratio of the radiant heat transfer quantity was close to 70 % under the installation type with sidewall 50 mm from the ground. The experimental results provide theoretical support for the design and operation of air conditioning systems in severe cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High heating expenses are observed in numerous Chinese rural houses located in severe cold regions due to the high heating demand, inferior envelope performance and low-efficiency heating equipment. The local traditional heating methods include Chinese Kangs and coal boilers with water-based radiators. The intermittent operation and manual regulation of these systems result in significant temperature differences and inadequate thermal comfort. This study presents the cost-optimal envelope renovation solutions with the minimized lifecycle cost (LCC) during a 20-year discount period and CO2 emissions of annual delivered energy consumptions. A single-family detached rural house in Harbin was used as a case building, illustrating the typical state of comparable houses in this climate context. Simulation-based multi-optimization analysis was conducted in this study using the building simulation tool IDA ICE and its integrated optimization tool AutoMOO. The results indicate that the cost-optimal renovation solutions with intermittent and continuous heating can cut CO2 emissions by 30% and 40%, respectively. The LCC with intermittent heating is still 7% greater than its pre-renovation case, which may require external financial support to encourage the renovation conduction, while the LCC with continuous heating decreased by 8% after renovation. According to the comparison results, cost-optimal solutions have significant advantages in both reductions of LCC and CO2 emissions over standard-based solutions. Moreover, utilizing intermittent heating is more effective than continuous heating in demonstrating the positive impacts of envelope renovation on increasing average temperature, decreasing temperature differences and lowering occupied time at low thermal comfort levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open burning of crop residue is a hot issue in Asia and has attracted widespread attention. However, this attention rarely extends to the complex interactions between multi-stakeholders in the governance process, which is precisely the focus of today's environmental governance dilemma. Harbin is a major grain-producing area in China, the annual air pollution caused by the open burning of crop straw is more prominent than in other parts of China, and the conflicting relationships among multi-stakeholders are also typical. Taking Harbin as a case, this study quantifies the complex relationships among stakeholders through value demands conflicts and constructs a value conflict network in the context of straw governance. Through the analysis of the network nodes and relationships, we found that grassroots governments and farmers are the core of the conflict, while public and higher-level governments, as supervisory subjects, are marginalized. The multiple identities and value demands of the grassroots government, as well as cost and technology constraints, are the main reasons for the governance dilemma. In addition, the grassroots government in different scenario dimensions has different conflict resolution strategies, and it has a strong self-adaptation ability in the embedded value conflict network and can influence and reshape other stakeholders. These findings highlight the critical role of the grassroots government in crop residue governance, add to the research paradigm on grassroots environmental management from a multiple-stakeholder participation perspective, and provide a theoretical and methodological basis to formulate effective strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From June through October 2020, symptoms of a branch blight disease were observed on Physocarpus amurensis plants in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China. Leaves on infected branches were chlorotic, with many raised, grey spots forming on the epidermis of diseased branches. Diseased twigs formed semi‐buried, small, spherical pycnidia, which were initially light brown and later turned dark. The pathogen was isolated and its pathogenicity was verified with Koch's postulates. Based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data the pathogen was identified as Aplosporella longipes. This is the first report of A. longipes in China and the first report of it causing branch blight disease of P. amurensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the greenway construction in Harbin Gty for example, this paper proposed the design method of integrating greenway and tourism resources, and used greenway to connect tourism resources. Moreover, the application of fusion design in greenway construction was explored from 3 perspectives, namely the fusion theory of tourism resource and greenway, fusion pattern, and fusion application, providing a new referential concept for the primary greenway construction in Harbin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rust belt cities are a special but important phenomenon in the world's industrialization landscape and city development trajectory. This profile analyses the struggling process and revitalization initiatives of Harbin, which was the first city established after the liberation of China, featuring the largest land area and highest latitude among all Chinese cities. The remarkable history of urban and industrial development once made Harbin the cradle of manufacturing in China, strongly supported by national government with concentration of SOEs. The city however has been suffering during the transition to a market economy. Its transition is painfully challenged by the strong socialist legacies of SOEs. This paper emphasizes that the new initiatives of Harbin, based on local endowments, cold climate condition and geolocation, demonstrate great potential for successful revitalization. Such strategic choices provide experiences and alternatives for other rust belt cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new Songhua River Bridge, a significant project that forms part of the Harbin-Qiqihar high-speed railway line, is a continuous girder, tied hybrid arch bridge with five spans. Built as a replacement to the old bridge, the new bridge spanning the Songhua River forms a beautiful landscape with its fashionable appearance. Servicing four rail tracks, three arch ribs were used to share the train load with the continuous girder. Cast-in-place cantilever method was applied in the main girder construction, and the arch ribs were installed after the main girder had been completed. Several highlighted features of this bridge including the multiple arch ribs, variable height box girder and the hanger are discussed in this paper. Meanwhile, the unique design features such as the mechanical system, structural performance, beam-arch joint design details and the construction procedures are investigated as well. The hybrid system of continuous girder and tied arch has demonstrated its suitability for providing underneath clearance and improving the stiffness of the railway bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The SAGSHP system was established for a separated office building in Harbin, China. • The central zoning operation scheme of multi-mode switching buried pipes can maximize the energy efficiency of SAGSHP system. • The solar heat collection system can undertake 49.97 % of the heat supply through rational operation of SAGSHP system. • The usage of the central zoning scheme can ensure the annual soil heat balance in the SAGSHP system. • The economy of SAGSHP system is more sensitive to the initial investment and discount rate. In order to achieve the carbon peak and carbon neutrality strategy in China, A SAGSHP (solar-assisted ground source heat pump) system is developed and four partition operation schemes of quarterly multi-mode switching buried pipe were designed in this research. Four types of buried pipe interconnection were schemed including central type, N type, H type, diagonal type, and the field tests were conducted. The system performance, soil heat balance, economic characteristics of the SAGSHP system were analyzed and compared with the ASHP&CFB (Air source heat pump & Coal-fired boiler) system. The results show that the energy supply by the SAGSHP system can meet the heating, cooling and domestic hot water needs of separated buildings after adopting the partitioned multi-mode switching operation scheme. Meanwhile, the system's heat loss is decreased, soil heat balance is well maintained, and the system flexibility is improved. The graded use of solar and soil energy is well realized. The COPs of SAGSHP system in heating period and cooling period were 3.62 and 5.76 respectively under the control of the central zoning operation scheme of buried pipes. Solar energy can provide 49.97 % of the total heat supply of the system. Compared with the ASHP&CFB system, the SAGSHP system can save 9.84 t of standard coal after operating 13 years, and the equivalent reductions of CO 2 , SO 2 , and dust are 26.568 t, 0.1968 t, and 0.1476 t, respectively. The system economy is the most sensitive to the project's initial cost whereas the least sensitive to electricity prices. The research in this paper provides a feasible alternative for the energy supply of separated office buildings in Chinese the severely cold regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel hybrid learning method is carried out to forecast urban air quality index (AQI). Wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) is firstly performed to decompose the original AQI data into lower-frequency subseries. Then, we improve the pigeon-inspired optimization through using the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The improved pigeon-inspired optimization (IPIO) approach is applied to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of extreme learning machine (ELM) and then the modified ELM (MELM) is employed to forecast the subseries respectively. Moreover, multidimensional scaling and K-means (MSK) clustering methods are utilized to cluster the forecasting outcomes into high frequency, medium–high frequency, medium–low frequency and low frequency subseries. Finally, MELM, as an ensemble approach, is applied to ensemble the subseries together and achieve the final results. To test the predictive precision of the proposed hybrid WPD-MELM-MSK-MELM learning method, AQI of Harbin in China is adopted to make short-term, middle-term and long-term predictions separately. Different decomposition approaches are utilized to compare with WPD, and the non-clustering hybrid model is also compared with the proposed method. The forecasting outcomes indicate that WPD is more suitable for predicting AQI and the proposed WPD-MELM-MSK-MELM learning method has better predictive performance on horizontal precision, directional precision and robustness than some existing methods and benchmark models in this paper. • A novel hybrid learning approach is presented. • Pigeon-inspired optimization is improved through using particle swarm optimization. • Extreme learning machine is modified by pigeon-inspired optimization. • Based on the multidimensional scaling and K-means clustering, the ensemble approach can enhance the predictable precision of AQI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the influence of urban morphology on pedestrian outdoor thermal comfort in Harbin, located in the severe cold region of northeast China. Three typical districts with different urban densities and street layouts were investigated. Field measurement and thermal comfort questionnaire survey were carried out from July 2020 to January 2021. Regression analysis was performed and the neutral physiological equivalent temperature (PET) range was 14.5–22.8 °C. In addition, the PET range was 7.9–27.3 °C when 80% of thermal votes were "acceptable". ENVI-met was verified and utilized to assess the mesoscale and street-scale impact of urban morphology on thermal comfort in hot and cold seasons. Measurement results shows that the PET variation caused by urban morphology was more significant in the transition season, with the maximum PET difference of 7.6 °C observed at the mid-rise district and the minimum value of 4.4 °C in the low-rise area. Simulation results indicate that the average building height significantly affects the background Ta and PET distribution within the block. Mean radiant temperature (MRT) and PET are highly correlated to sky view factor (SVF) in summer, while in winter, PET is related to SVF only in the low-rise district. Based on the thermal comfort calendar in both hot and cold seasons, shallow and medium canyons (0.5 < H/W < 1.5) are more favorable in severe cold climate, and the optimum streets are near the N–S orientation, followed by intermediate orientations, while deeper canyons (H/W > 1.5) are not recommended due to the lack of solar absorption. • The acceptable PET range is narrowed to 7.9–27.3 °C under different urban densities in the severe cold region. • The maximum PET difference caused by urban morphology was 7.6 °C and the minimum value was 4.4 °C in the severe cold region. • In severe cold region, shallow and medium canyons (H/W < 1.5) oriented in the N–S direction have better thermal comfort. • SVF is highly correlated to MRT and PET in summer, while there is no strong correlation between Ta and SVF in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health stigma undermines collaborative work and creates communication breakdowns for students to face real-world challenges. Moreover, project-based English learning in East-Asian nations is a significant challenge for advancing students' effective learning, while students lack mental health self-awareness. Unawareness causes distractions and results in learning inefficiencies. Furthermore, without institutional support (IS) achieving effective learning could never be possible. Therefore, this study investigates the relationships between project-based learning (PBL) and mental health awareness (MHA) with effective English language teaching among university students in China. We also tested the moderation effect of IS in the relationships between PBL and MHA with effective English language learning (EEL). Using the purposive sampling technique, we collected valid responses from 713 students studying English as a foreign language in universities and colleges in Harbin, China. The findings interestingly supported the direct hypotheses between PBL and EEL, as well as MHA and EEL. Moreover, the moderating role of IS established a significant effect on both PBL and EEL, as well as MHA and EEL, respectively. Policymakers, practitioners, and academicians should understand that integrating PBL as an inclusive pedagogy method with proper IS may enhance effective learning; however, it will consume more time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the operation efficiency of the metro system, the boarding queuing problem is a complex and intractable dilemma caused by the security and ticket checking process in urban metro stations, especially for the mass-transit metro system in China. In this study, a novel scheme of fare differentials based on demand control and congestion management for reducing congestion in the metro boarding process was proposed. In addition, we extended Vickrey's point-queue model into a boarding congestion model incorporating the bidesired departure time considering the security and ticket checking process in stations as a continuum bottleneck. The train-run and departure time choosing behaviors of passengers under different schedule gaps of the adjacent train runs are explored when the boarding system achieves user equilibrium in the proposed model. Then, we examined the demand regulatory mechanisms of fare incentives (fare differentials) in reducing the queuing boarding time in metro stations when the optimization of the schedule gaps is ineffective in the pattern of mass-scale travel demand. The analytical solutions of these two optimal methods (schedule gaps and fare differentials) for boarding congestion management are presented. After comparing the two congestion-reduced methods, the fare incentive rule has a better regulation effect on the smoothing of travel demand. The results of the sensitivity analysis using numerical simulations reveal the regulatory mechanism of fare differentials in reducing the queuing time and increasing the incremental revenue. (1) The demand threshold is only related to the boarding capacity and schedule gaps (i.e., the greater the boarding capacity and schedule gaps, the greater the passenger capacity of the metro station). (2) The effect of fare incentives in reducing the boarding congestion is better if the lower fare is implemented in the later train runs. (3) A lower fare differential between two adjacent metro runs can be used to regulate the proportion of staggered passengers in the queuing line to reduce the crowd gathering in the metro station hall when travel demand is high, meanwhile, a higher fare differential between two adjacent metro shuttles can increase incremental revenue effectively. (4) The measure of fare differentials causes worse results in both the reduction of the queuing time and the increase of the incremental revenue when the metro travel demand is lower than the demand threshold. This conclusion is consistent with the pattern of reality and experience. Therefore, the definition and judgment conditions of demand thresholds, introduced in this study, can provide theoretical guidance when implementing fare incentive policies in aviation and metro networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We acquired measurements of four observable parameters of refracted signals received from the ionosphere (Doppler shift, Doppler spectrum, number of rays, and signal amplitude) with the oblique HF Doppler technique in the city of Harbin during the super typhoon Lekima event of 4–12 August 2019. The ionospheric response was observed by the Harbin Engineering University multifrequency multiple path coherent radio system in the People's Republic of China. The maximum distortion of radio‐wave characteristics and ionospheric disturbances were observed to occur during the day when the super typhoon Lekima energy gained a maximum value and when the super typhoon approached close to the ionospheric part of the radio‐wave propagation paths. The magnitude of the ionospheric disturbances decreased with the distance between the super typhoon and propagation path midpoints. Both aperiodic (chaotic) and quasi‐sinusoidal disturbances were observed to accompany the action of the super typhoon in the ionosphere. The action of the typhoon was often accompanied by up to ±1.5 Hz broadening of the Doppler spectra, 10–30 dBV variations in the signal amplitude, and quasi‐sinusoidal variations in the Doppler shift with 0.10‐ to 0.40‐Hz amplitudes and periods of 20–30 to 70–80 min. The quasi‐sinusoidal variations in the signal amplitude with a ∼24‐min period, T, are due to focusing and defocusing of rays by wavelike disturbances in the electron density. The periods of the quasi‐sinusoidal disturbances were observed to be ∼12–24 min. Such periods pertain to atmospheric gravity waves. The atmospheric gravity waves generated by the super typhoon gave rise to quasi‐sinusoidal variations in the electron density with relative amplitudes of ∼3%–∼19%. Plain Language Summary: Typhoons pertain to high‐energy sources that are capable of giving rise to perturbations in all geospheres. The disturbances produced in the atmosphere and geospace make a significant contribution to the state of space weather, whereas the ionospheric perturbations have a drastic effect on the propagation of HF radio waves. We have used super typhoon Lekima, which took place during the 4–12 August 2019 period, to demonstrate some of the many disturbing influences that typhoons have on the state of space weather and the propagation of HF radio waves. The multifrequency multi path observations have been taken by the coherent radio system located at the city of Harbin (People's Republic of China). Key Points: Atmospheric gravity waves launched by the typhoon Lekima produced ∼3%–∼19% quasi‐sinusoidal electron density variationsSpectrum broadening attained ±1.5 Hz, and Doppler shift varied with 0.10–0.40‐Hz amplitudes and 20–30‐ to 70–80‐min periodsThe action of the super typhoon Lekima was accompanied by 10–30 dBV variations in the signal amplitude [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waterfront park in northern China always has two parallel leisure pathways, a sunshine pathway and a tree-shaded pathway, which is attributed to the seasonal variations in water level. To provide some design suggestions according to the local characteristics of the waterfront park in northern China, this study selected six young volunteers to take part in an outdoor field experiment and a questionnaire survey in Stalin Park of Songhua River in Harbin, China. During the experiment, the volunteers' local skin temperature and core temperature were recorded, with their subjective responses recorded every 5 min, including thermal comfort, thermal sensation, thermal pleasure, and fatigue scale vote. This study found that, compared with the sunshine pathway, the tree-shaded pathway not only optimized people's outdoor thermal comfort and thermal pleasure, but also improved their fatigue scale vote experience. Some evidence showed that people's subjective response to the outdoor thermal environment might be influenced by physical factors (temperature, velocity, humidity, radiation, etc.) and may also be influenced by the surrounding landscape view (water, square, lawn, tree, etc.). The first piece of evidence is that, during the first 10 min, people's thermal sensation in the sunshine pathway group was high, but they kept voting for high thermal comfort, which may be due to the influence of the waterfront view on people's subjective response to thermal comfort. The second piece of evidence shows that people's overall thermal sensation was calculated by their local thermal sensation, looking at former research, with the voting results very different to the calculated results, which could be attributed to the influence of diversity landscape elements on people's subjective response to thermal sensation. Based on these results, some suggestions for the leisure pathway design along Stalin Park of Songhua River in Harbin, China, were given. The shaded device of the sunshine pathway should be designed in 15-min-walk intervals and accessible ways to the tree-shaded pathway should be added. The other facilities should be designed with 30 min walking distance on the tree-shaded pathway and 20 min walking distance to the sunshine pathway. Diversified landscapes should be designed for both the tree-shaded pathway and sunshine pathway, which could improve people's outdoor thermal comfort and the general subjective response to the environment. It is worth noting that the sample size of this study was small (6), and the participants were all homogenous young people (age, height, weight); thus, this study could be considered a preliminary work and the results and applicability have limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harbin is a northmost megacity in the cold regions of China and experiences severe PM2.5 pollution. However, comprehensive investigations for severe haze formation are few. In this study, we simultaneously measured aerosol composition in real time to assess the sources apportionment, regional transport and its interaction with meteorology from 1 October 2018 to 1 May 2019 by using the single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS). The daily average PM2.5 concentration was 51.21 µg/m3 with the hourly maximum of 900.45 µg/m3. Winter coal combustion was the largest source of PM2.5 aerosols during this period. Open straw burning from surrounding and adjacent areas by short-distance transport could aggravate air quality deterioration in Harbin. Three extreme haze events (i.e., Ep1, Ep2 and Ep3) were observed in this study, showing the typical characteristics of local winter pollution. The pollutants of PM2.5 and SO2 emitted from coal combustion played an important role in haze episode during Ep1, whereas Ep2 was caused by the joint effect of coal combustion and straw burning. Ep3 was characterized by long-distance transport of windblown dust from southeast Inner Mongolia and northwest Harbin. Real-time source apportionment of fine particulate matter highlights the importance of joint control of coal and straw burning from the surrounding cities of Harbin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]