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Medog County lies within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, but biodiversity in the region remains largely unexplored as there was no permanent road access until 2014. Here we present data from camera-trap surveys in five areas of Medog County, to ascertain the occurrence and occupancy of threatened wildlife species. With a total survey effort of 4,570 trap days we detected 23 medium and large terrestrial mammal species and six pheasant species, 13 of which are categorized as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List and 19 of which are categorized as regionally threatened on the China Species Red List. Carnivora was the most diverse order, with 15 species recorded. Our study produced the first camera-trap photographic evidence of the Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris in China. In addition, we detected the dhole Cuon alpinus, golden cat Catopuma temminckii, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata and mainland clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, highlighting the conservation value of the region. The occupancy of muntjac Muntiacus spp. was high (52.7%), indicating prey for large carnivores was abundant. People, livestock and domestic dogs were also recorded frequently, suggesting the fauna are potentially threatened by human disturbance. In the light of recent development in the region, conservation efforts are urgently required, to prevent prey depletion and habitat degradation in this priority region for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis), the least‐known big cat, disappeared in most historical range for decades, following the development of modern civilization. Unfortunately, we have scarce knowledge about the status of this big cat so far, apart from anecdotal reports. In this study, we investigated density, distribution, and habitat use of the leopard, the apex predator, in a complex forest landscape in the Loess Plateau. We used a camera‐trapping network to obtain population estimates for leopards over 2 years through spatially explicit capture–recapture models. Our results, based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian/MCMC methods, reveal that the largest wild population of the leopard was found widely distributed in remnant forests in central Loess plateau. The population is increasing in our study area, and the density of leopards (1.70 (SE = 0.48) − 2.40 (SE = 0.67)/100 km2) is higher than other areas of China. According to the analysis of 2 seasonal occupancy models, prey species drive partially the leopard habitat use, predicting that the big cat thrives from the recovery of prey community. However, human disturbances, especially oil wells, seem to have negative impacts on the habitat use of leopards. Specifically, it is necessary to have joint efforts by the government and researchers to improve human disturbances management and prey species population density, as well as strengthen the investment in research on the North Chinese leopard, which could all further strengthen protection ability and ensure the long‐term survival of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Occupancy of residential buildings is one of the most important inputs for building simulations, building system design, optimization, and energy efficient policy-making. There are a few large-scale surveys of China's urban residential occupancy that help explain the overall situation and occupancy profile. In this study, large-scale surveys of urban households were conducted in four Chinese cities, totaling 3424 valid samples. Descriptive analysis, clustering analysis, and correlation analysis were then conducted on the dataset to ascertain the typical occupancy schedules. The conclusion derived from the large-scale occupancy data is that the occupancy rate of urban residential buildings is low throughout much of the day and in many of the individual rooms. Four typical clusters were identified for each room type in a residential building. Regional differences exist for a typical cluster share, but no seasonal difference was observed. Because of partial usage of residential buildings, building services should reflect this partial usage and policy-makers should consider adopting energy policies consistent with this real occupancy schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Building cooling load prediction is one of the key factors in the success of energy-saving measures. Many computational models available in the industry have been developed from either forward or inverse modeling approaches. However, these models usually require extensive computer resources and lengthy computation. This paper discusses the use of the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model, one of the artificial neural network (ANN) models widely adopted in engineering applications, to estimate the cooling load of a building. The training samples used include weather data obtained from the Hong Kong Observatory and building-related data acquired from an existing prestigious commercial building in Hong Kong that houses a mega complex and operates 24h a day. The paper also discusses the practical difficulties encountered in acquiring building-related data. In contrast to other studies that use ANN models to predict building cooling load, this paper includes the building occupancy rate as one of the input parameters used to determine building cooling load. The results demonstrate that the building occupancy rate plays a critical role in building cooling load prediction and significantly improves predictive accuracy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The growth of China's tourism hotel industry has been accompanied by declining profitability. Using cross-province tourism hotels data of 2000, this study attempts to empirically quantify the impact of operation scale on hotel performance. Controlling for the effect of overcapacity, this study found a significant and positive association between operation scale and profitability. The findings suggest that to improve performance, the Chinese tourism hotel industry needs not only to reduce the overcapacity but also reverse the property-downsizing trend and pursue economies of scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Carnivores are among the threatened mammal species due to interactions with humans and environmental effects. We collected data using camera traps across three sampling periods over three years, aiming to study the coexistence mechanisms of three carnivores: the North Chinese leopard, the leopard cat, and the red fox to depict effects from an environmental factor and anthropogenic disturbances on these carnivores within a landscape. The occupancy modeling showed that all species' occupancy did not greatly change across years and they rather depicted occupancy stability. The elevation impacted more on species' occupancy estimates than distances to villages and roads. We performed a multi-year assessment of species' estimates and the results of this study reveal the impact of habitat features and anthropogenic disturbances on the occupancy dynamics of the North Chinese leopard, the red fox and the leopard cat in the Tieqiaoshan nature reserve landscape. Wildlife populations are spatially controlled and undergo frequent fluctuations in abundance and site occupation. A comprehensive understanding of dynamic species processes is essential for making appropriate wildlife management plans. Here, we used a multi-season model to describe the dynamics of occupancy estimates of the carnivores: North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis, Gray, 1862), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis, Kerr, 1792), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes, Linnaeus, 1758) in the Tieqiaoshan Nature Reserve, Shanxi Province, China, over a three-year study period using camera traps data. The occupancy probability of the North Chinese leopard did not markedly change with time as the occupancy equilibrium was constant or slightly enhanced. The occupancy of the leopard cat decreased with time. The occupancy equilibrium of the red fox alternately increased and decreased. However, all species presented a slight level of occupancy stability due to their small values of the rate of change in occupancy. Environmental factor and anthropogenic disturbances slightly influenced the occupancy of all species and the colonization and extirpation probability of the red fox. The colonization and extirpation for all species were relatively more strongly affected by the distances to villages and roads. Moreover, elevation increased the colonization and decreased the extirpation for the leopard cat. Species interaction factors increased with time for all species. The North Chinese leopard and the leopard cat avoided each other. The leopard cat and the red fox independently co-occurred. There was true coexistence between the North Chinese leopard and the red fox. This research confirmed that environmental factors and human perturbations are vital factors to consider in wild carnivores' conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1980s, homeownership in China has rapidly increased, and along with it the phenomenon of second homes. While research on multiple homes in China has examined second homes' ownership and tenure choice, little is known about the usage and spatial location of second homes. Using the nationally representative data from the 2015 China Household Finance Survey, this paper aims at documenting and analyzing the occupancy, usage and location of second homes of urban households in China. About 20% of urban households in China own second homes. Their leading usages are vacancy, renting and helping relatives, with only small percentages used for weekday commuting and leisure. Second homes' usage is influenced by the household's life cycle, socioeconomic status, the homes' and regional characteristics, and it differs among commodity housing and policy-related housing. Second homes are more common in large cities and in heavily urbanized areas, and they tend to be in relative proximity to primary homes. Unlike mature housing markets in Western countries where second homes are used primarily for leisure and income-generation, multiple homeownership in urban China reflects both family life cycle and institutional constraints more so than leisure pursuit. • Second homes in China are in highly urbanized areas and close to primary homes. • Second homes in urban China reflect consumption needs and institutional constraints. • Second homes are used for vacancy, renting and by relatives, rather than leisure. • Second-homes' usage differs between commodity housing and policy-related housing. • Family life cycle, socioeconomic status, the home's and regional characteristics influence usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducted on-site measurements of indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 251 occupied residences in China, with multiple visits throughout a whole year. Over 1000 samples were collected for measurement of VOCs in 8 cities, covering different climate regions. Overall, the concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs) in occupied residences are in the range of 104-1151 μg/m 3 , with 20% of the samples over the Chinese standard of 600 μg/m 3 . A higher concentration was evident in the summer (mean = 705 μg/m 3 ) compared to other seasons, especially winter (mean = 289 μg/m 3 ). The TVOCs of residences in areas with central heating (severe cold regions and cold regions) are generally higher than those in areas without central heating. In winter, temperature was the dominant factor, whereas in summer, the building infiltration rate was the key factor influencing the indoor TVOC levels. The TVOCs concentration was also found to be directly proportional to the city economy level. Twenty-nine VOC species with a detection frequency higher than 40% were identified in all samples. Toluene is the most common VOC, with the highest detection rate (90%). The median concentration for a single VOC was between 1 and 14 μg/m 3 . Aldehydes were found to be the largest contributors to total VOCs in the Chinese residential buildings (mass proportion 22%), followed by benzene series (20%), alkenes (18%), and alkanes (15%). Aldehydes, especially long-chain saturated carbonyls, are likely to be the characteristic VOCs in the Chinese dwellings, with Chinese cooking as the major emission source. In addition, n-butane/i-butane showed maximum concentration in some residences (approximately 10 5  μg/m 3 higher than other VOCs) owing to cooking fuel., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives This report presents results of the 2nd nationwide survey concerning neurocritical care units (NCUs) in China. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional survey and close-ended self-reported questions were used. The questionnaire was sent to 31 different provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across China from October 1st, 2015 to January 1st, 2016. Basic information, equipment and device information, and staffing and organization information were investigated. Results In total, 101 questionnaires from 101 NCUs at 92 hospitals in 28 regions were received. Most of the hospitals with NCUs were large-scale (average hospital beds: 2150), teaching (84.8%), and tertiary hospitals (97.8%). The average number of NCU beds was 14, occupying 11.2% of the total number of beds in their department. Most of the equipment and devices (37/50) were available in over 80% of the 101 NCUs. However, some devices were centralized by hospital and operated with assistance from other departments. A total of 1250 full-time doctors and 1978 full-time nurses were employed at the NCUs. A few of the NCUs achieved a doctor-to-bed ratio of 0.5:1 (40.6%) and a nurse-to-bed ratio of 1:1 (37.6%). And respiratory therapists, clinical dieticians, clinical pharmacists, and physiotherapists were present in 5.9%, 32.7%, 36.6% and 49.5% of the 101 NCUs. Discussion According to this survey, the number of Chinese NCUs rose 32.9%, to 101 in 2015 from 76 in 2010. Among the 101 NCUs included in this survey, most of the basic devices and specialized devices were sufficiently available. But few NCUs (50%) have their own specialized equipment. Compared with the year 2010, the number of neurocritical care doctors and nurses is significantly higher in 2015. The staffing data of the 101 NCUs still reflect a severe shortage of NCU doctors and nurses. Conclusion The number of NCUs increased, the availability of NCU equipment became more sufficient, and the staffing of NCUs improved. However, we should pay attention to the management of specialized NCU equipment, the shortage of NCU staff, and the need of NCU training. Significance The results of this survey could expose deficiencies in Chinese NCUs development so that they can be studied and the suggestions can be provided for a more sustainable development of NCUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This report presents results of the 2nd nationwide survey concerning neurocritical care units (NCUs) in China. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional survey and close-ended self-reported questions were used. The questionnaire was sent to 31 different provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across China from October 1st, 2015 to January 1st, 2016. Basic information, equipment and device information, and staffing and organization information were investigated. Results In total, 101 questionnaires from 101 NCUs at 92 hospitals in 28 regions were received. Most of the hospitals with NCUs were large-scale (average hospital beds: 2150), teaching (84.8%), and tertiary hospitals (97.8%). The average number of NCU beds was 14, occupying 11.2% of the total number of beds in their department. Most of the equipment and devices (37/50) were available in over 80% of the 101 NCUs. However, some devices were centralized by hospital and operated with assistance from other departments. A total of 1250 full-time doctors and 1978 full-time nurses were employed at the NCUs. A few of the NCUs achieved a doctor-to-bed ratio of 0.5:1 (40.6%) and a nurse-to-bed ratio of 1:1 (37.6%). And respiratory therapists, clinical dieticians, clinical pharmacists, and physiotherapists were present in 5.9%, 32.7%, 36.6% and 49.5% of the 101 NCUs. Discussion According to this survey, the number of Chinese NCUs rose 32.9%, to 101 in 2015 from 76 in 2010. Among the 101 NCUs included in this survey, most of the basic devices and specialized devices were sufficiently available. But few NCUs (50%) have their own specialized equipment. Compared with the year 2010, the number of neurocritical care doctors and nurses is significantly higher in 2015. The staffing data of the 101 NCUs still reflect a severe shortage of NCU doctors and nurses. Conclusion The number of NCUs increased, the availability of NCU equipment became more sufficient, and the staffing of NCUs improved. However, we should pay attention to the management of specialized NCU equipment, the shortage of NCU staff, and the need of NCU training. Significance The results of this survey could expose deficiencies in Chinese NCUs development so that they can be studied and the suggestions can be provided for a more sustainable development of NCUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]