Showing papers on "East Asia published in 2022"

Seven‐action approaches for the management of hypertension in Asia – The HOPE Asia network

Abstract: Asia is a large continent and there is significant diversity between countries and regions. Over the last 30 years, absolute blood pressure (BP) levels in Asia have increased to a greater extent than those in other regions. In diverse Asia‐Pacific populations, for choosing an Asia‐specific approach to hypertension management is important to prevent target organ damage and cardiovascular diseases. In this consensus document of HOPE Asia Network, we introduce seven action approaches for management of hypertension in Asia.

Dynamics and characteristics of dry and moist heatwaves over East Asia

Abstract: Abstract The increasing frequency of heatwaves over East Asia (EA) is impacting agriculture, water management, and people’s livelihood. However, the effect of humidity on high-temperature events has not yet been fully explored. Using observations and future climate change projections conducted with the latest generation of Earth System models, we examine the mechanisms of dry and moist heatwaves over EA. In the dry heatwave region, anticyclonic circulation has been amplified after the onset of heatwaves under the influence of the convergence of anomalous wave activity flux over northern EA, resulting in surface warming via adiabatic processes. In contrast, the moist heatwaves are triggered by the locally generated anticyclonic anomalies, with the surface warming amplified by cloud and water vapor feedback. Model simulations from phase six of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project projected display intensification of dry heatwaves and increased moist heatwave days in response to projected increases in greenhouse gas concentrations.

The Body in Asia

Abstract: List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction: Piety, Politics and Philosophy: Asia and the Global Body Bryan S. Turner and Zheng Yangwen Chapter 1. The Global Body Cannot Ignore Asia Susan Brownell PART I: THE BODY AND RELIGION Chapter 2. Saint or Serpent? Engendering the Female Body in Medieval Japanese Buddhist Narratives Monika Dix Chapter 3. Creating Religious Bodies: Fasting Rituals in West Java Jorgen Hellman Chapter 4. Formations of Public Piety: New Veiling, the Body, and the Citizen-Subject in Contemporary Indonesia Sonja van Wichelen PART II: THE BODY AND CULTURE Chapter 5. Westernized Body or Japanized Western Body: The Desirable Female Body in Contemporary Japanese Women's Magazines Junko Ishiguro Chapter 6. Fatness and Well-being: Bodies and the Generation Gap in Contemporary China Anna Lora-Wainwright PART III: THE BODY AND THE STATE Chapter 7. Seki Juroji and the Japanese Body: Martial Arts, Kokutai, and Citizen-State Relations in Meiji Japan Denis Gainty Chapter 8. The Sacred and the Sanitary: The Colonial 'Medicalization' of the Filipino Body Julius Bautista with Ma. Mercedes Planta Chapter 9. State and Religion Contestations over the Body: Hook Swinging and the Production of New Human Subjects R. Santhosh Chapter 10. Women's Revolution and Liberation Embodied in Mao Zedong Era Ballet Zheng Yangwen Notes on Contributors Bibliography Index

Bronze and Iron Age population movements underlie Xinjiang population history

Abstract: The Xinjiang region in northwest China is a historically important geographical passage between East and West Eurasia. By sequencing 201 ancient genomes from 39 archaeological sites, we clarify the complex demographic history of this region. Bronze Age Xinjiang populations are characterized by four major ancestries related to Early Bronze Age cultures from the central and eastern Steppe, Central Asian, and Tarim Basin regions. Admixtures between Middle and Late Bronze Age Steppe cultures continued during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, along with an inflow of East and Central Asian ancestry. Historical era populations show similar admixed and diverse ancestries as those of present-day Xinjiang populations. These results document the influence that East and West Eurasian populations have had over time in the different regions of Xinjiang.

Educational achievement among East Asian schoolchildren 1967–2020: A thematic review of the literature

Abstract: The high educational achievement among East Asian nations in ILSAs like TIMSS and PISA is widely known. However, a comprehensive review of the research literature is lacking. The current study reviewed the literature in English between 1967–2020 with the aim to identify underlying explanatory factors and their relative importance with regard to educational achievement among East Asian schoolchildren (Grade 5–10) in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. N = 99 studies, and seven main themes with 53 corresponding sub-themes for these years were discerned. N = 56 studies emphasized cultural and educational quantity variables as pertinent for achievement among East Asian nations and populations. Cultural and educational quantity sub-themes such as more annual study hours, higher effort, and family expectations dominate as the explanatory variables, often emerging as a cross-national theme among East Asian countries. Another theme of significance are non-cognitive abilities such as math self-concept and math resilience. Other themes include higher-than average cognitive ability levels, although that has partly been contested, as well as curricular themes.

Do Economic Growth, Energy Consumption and Population Degrade the Environmental Quality? Evidence from Five Regions Using the Nonlinear ARDL Approach

Abstract: This study attempts to investigate how economic growth (EG), energy consumption (EC), and population (POP) hurt the environmental quality of five regions: South Asia, East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, as well as the Middle East and North Africa. The Wald and NARDL bounds tests check asymmetry and cointegration among the variables, respectively. The study has used the panel non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (PNARDL) model to analyze the non-linear panel cointegration and the panel short and longrun associations among the variables. In the long-run, EG with a negative shock has a positive and significant impact on CO2 emissions for East Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. In the Middle East and North Africa, EG with a positive shock has a positive and significant impact on CO2 emissions. In North America, a positive shock in the EG has a negative and significant impact, while the negative shock positively impacts CO2 emissions.There is no significant impact of the decomposed EG in South Asia on the carbon emissions. Thus, the EC has a positive and significant impact on the CO2 emissions in all the regions except the Middle East and North Africa. The POP is also directly proportional to the CO2 emissions in all the regions. The results of the PNARDL show that in the longrun, the decomposed EG with positive shocks has a negative association, whereas the adverse shocks have a positive association with CO2 emissions.

Recent frontiers of climate changes in East Asia at global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C

Abstract: Abstract East Asia is undergoing significant climate changes and these changes are likely to grow in the future. It is urgent to characterize both the mechanisms controlling climate and the response of the East Asian climate system at global warming of 1.5 and 2 °C above pre-industrial levels (GW1.5 and GW2 hereafter). This study reviews recent studies on East Asian climate change at GW1.5 and GW2. The intensity and variability of the East Asian summer monsoon are expected to increase modestly, accompanied by an enhancement of water vapor transport. Other expected changes include the intensification of the Western Pacific Subtropical High and an intensified and southward shift of the East Asian jet, while the intensity of the East Asian winter monsoon is projected to reduce with high uncertainty. Meanwhile, the frequency of ENSO may increase in a warming world with great uncertainty. Significant warming and wetting occur in East Asia, with more pronounced intensity, frequency, and duration of climate extremes at GW2 than that at GW1.5. The fine structure of regional climate changes and the presence and location of various warming hotspots, however, show substantial divergence among different model simulations. Furthermore, the Asian climate responses can differ substantially between the transient and stabilized GW1.5 and GW2, which has important implications for emission policies. Thus, to better plan effective mitigation and adaptation activities, further research including an in-depth exploration of the divergent responses in transient versus stabilized scenarios, the quantification of future projection uncertainties, and improvements of the methods to reduce model uncertainties are required.

Increased variability of the western Pacific subtropical high under greenhouse warming

Abstract: Significance The western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) channels moisture from the tropics that underpins the East Asian summer climate. Interannual variability of the WPSH dominates climate extremes in the densely populated countries of East Asia. In 2020, an anomalously strong WPSH led to catastrophic floods with hundreds of deaths, 28,000 homes destroyed, and tens of billions in economic damage in China alone. How the frequency of such strong WPSH events will change is of great societal concern. Our finding of an increase in future WPSH variability, translating into an increased frequency of climate extreme as seen in the 2020 episode, highlights the increased risks for the billions of people in the densely populated East Asia with profound socioeconomic consequences.

Erratic Asian summer monsoon 2020: COVID-19 lockdown initiatives possible cause for these episodes?

Abstract: Abstract The summer (June through September) monsoon 2020 has been very erratic with episodes of heavy and devastating rains, landslides and catastrophic winds over South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh), East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan), and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia). The withdrawal of the summer monsoon over India was delayed by 2 weeks. The monsoon season over East Asia has been the longest. China recorded a Dam burst in the twentieth century. Furthermore, the Korean Peninsula has experienced back-to-back severe tropical cyclones. Could the lockdown activities initiate to control the COVID-19 spread a possible cause for these major episodes? The strict enforcement of the lockdown regulations has led to a considerable reduction of air pollutants—dust and aerosols throughout the world. A recent study based on satellites and merged products has documented a statistically significant mean reduction of about 20, 8, and 50% in nitrogen dioxide, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and PM 2.5 concentrations, respectively over the megacities across the globe. Our analysis reveals a considerable reduction of about 20% in AOD over South as well as over East Asia, more-over East Asia than over South Asia. The reduced aerosols have impacted the strength of the incoming solar radiation as evidenced by enhanced warming, more-over the land than the oceans. The differential warming over the land and the ocean has resulted in the amplification of the meridional ocean-land thermal contrast and strengthening of the monsoon flow. These intense features have supported the surplus transport of moisture from the oceans towards the main lands. Some similarity between the anomalous rainfall pattern and the anomalous AOD pattern is discernable. In particular, the enhancement of rainfall, the reduction in AOD and the surface temperature warming match very well over two regions one over West-Central India and the other over the Yangzte River Valley. Results further reveal that the heavy rains over the Yangzte River Valley could be associated with the preceding reduced aerosols, while the heavy rains over West-Central India could be associated with reduced aerosols and also due to the surface temperature warming.

Different ENSO teleconnections over East Asia in early and late winter: role of precipitation anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean–far western Pacific

Abstract: This study aims to better understand the ENSO impacts on climate anomalies over East Asia in early winter (November–December) and late winter (January–February). In particular, the possible mechanisms during early winter are investigated. The results show that ENSO is associated with a Rossby wave train emanating from the tropical Indian Ocean toward East Asia (denoted as tIO-EA) in early winter. This tIO–EA wave train in El Niño (La Niña) is closely related to a weakening (strengthening) of the East Asian trough, and thereby a weakened (strengthened) East Asian winter monsoon and warm (cold) temperature anomalies over northeastern China and Japan. By using partial regression analysis and numerical experiments, we identify that the formation of tIO–EA wave train is closely related to precipitation anomaly in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean/western Pacific (denoted as eIO/wP). In addition, the ENSO-induced North Atlantic anomalies may also contribute to formation of the tIO-EA wave train in conjunction with the eIO/wP precipitation. The response of eIO/wP precipitation to ENSO is stronger in early winter than in late winter. This can be attributed to the stronger anomalous Walker circulation over the Indian Ocean, which in turn is caused by higher climatological SST and stronger mean precipitation state in the Indian Ocean during early winter.

Influence of Major Stratospheric Sudden Warming on the Unprecedented Cold Wave in East Asia in January 2021

Abstract: Abstract An unprecedented cold wave intruded into East Asia in early January 2021 and led to record-breaking or historical extreme low temperatures over vast regions. This study shows that a major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) event at the beginning of January 2021 exerted an important influence on this cold wave. The major SSW event occurred on 2 January 2021 and subsequently led to the displacement of the stratospheric polar vortex to the East Asian side. Moreover, the SSW event induced the stratospheric warming signal to propagate downward to the mid-to-lower troposphere, which not only enhanced the blocking in the Urals–Siberia region and the negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation, but also shifted the tropospheric polar vortex off the pole. The displaced tropospheric polar vortex, Ural blocking, and another downstream blocking ridge over western North America formed a distinct inverted omega-shaped circulation pattern (IOCP) in the East Asia–North Pacific sector. This IOCP was the most direct and impactful atmospheric pattern causing the cold wave in East Asia. The IOCP triggered a meridional cell with an upward branch in East Asia and a downward branch in Siberia. The meridional cell intensified the Siberian high and low-level northerly winds, which also favored the invasion of the cold wave into East Asia. Hence, the SSW event and tropospheric circulations such as the IOCP, negative phase of Arctic Oscillation, Ural blocking, enhanced Siberian high, and eastward propagation of Rossby wave eventually induced the outbreak of an unprecedented cold wave in East Asia in early January 2021.

A possible linkage of Eurasian heat wave and East Asian heavy rainfall in Relation to the Rapid Arctic warming.

Abstract: In June-July 2020 two remarkable weather events occurred in northern Eurasia. One is a severe heat wave that produced a record-breaking temperature of 38 °C at Verkhoyansk, eastern Siberia on 20 June. The other one is heavy rainfall events observed in East Asia (southern China and southwestern Japan) in early July, causing severe floods that brought about considerable damage to infrastructure and the economy, as well as the loss of human lives. Despite the accumulated evidence of stronger and more extreme heat waves and heavy rainfall as a result of global warming, little is known about the linkage between these phenomena. Given that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global mean, Arctic warming might be enhancing the increase of heavy rainfall events in East Asia. Here, we investigated the relationship between the Siberian heat wave and the East Asian heavy rainfall that occurred summer in 2020. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis applied to atmospheric reanalysis data of 1958-2020 period captures dominant summer circulation patterns reflecting atmospheric internal variability and externally forced anomalies. On the basis of these EOF patterns, operational forecasts of summer 2020 using the global model from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and a global climate model experiment based on 2-K warming future projection are utilized to examine roles of the internal variability and external forcing, respectively. Consistent results between them reveal that development of the blocking high over eastern Siberia has certain impacts on rainfall anomalies over East Asia. By a statistical technique applied to the ensemble forecast data, prediction of the East Asian precipitation is improved by 10-20% of its amplitude. Our research demonstrates possibility that East Asian rainfall is being enhanced by high-latitude atmospheric circulations due to the Arctic warming even in the current climate in which the tropical warming is not yet severe. Suggestions are given that continued Arctic warming and a future increase of tropical warming will lead to increases of the frequency and severity of heavy rainfall events in East Asia.

Current guidelines for Helicobacter pylori treatment in East Asia 2022: Differences among China, Japan, and South Korea

Abstract: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is highly prevalent in East Asia. The overall seroprevalence rate of H. pylori infection is 44.2% in China, 37.6%-43.2% in Japan, and 51.0% in South Korea. H. pylori can cause peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. East Asian countries have high rates of gastric cancer (age-standardized incidence rate: 20-30 per 100000). The Kyoto global consensus report emphasized that H. pylori gastritis should be considered the main cause for the development of gastric cancer. H. pylori treatment guidelines in China, Japan, and South Korea have recently been revised according to data from each of those countries. However, emerging antibiotic resistance is an important barrier to H. pylori eradication. The recommended H. pylori treatment regimens differ among those three East Asian countries. In this review, recent guidelines and up-to-date research on H. pylori treatment regimens from China, Japan, and South Korea are discussed.

Anthropogenic warming disrupts intraseasonal monsoon stages and brings dry-get-wetter climate in future East Asia

Abstract: Abstract East Asia will face a skewed monsoon cycle with soaring flood, drought, and weather whiplash risks in a warming climate. In our objective eight-intraseasonal-monsoon-stage framework, we uncover a ‘dry-get-wetter’ paradigm in East Asia, contesting the fallen ‘rich-get-richer’ common belief. On timing, the Mid-summer and Fall periods are stretching at the expense of three delayed, shortened, and weakened winter stages, especially near the end of the twenty-first century. On threats, entire East Asia will experience up to 14–20 more heavy precipitation days during the rainy Spring to Mid-summer stages. Specifically, the Yangtze basin will suffer from an earlier pluvial period with escalating flood risks. Moreover, societal security and ecosystem resilience in the Huai-Yellow basin, South Japan, and the Korean Peninsula will be challenged by more frequent weather whiplash. Under the monsoon-stage framework, a complete moisture budget decomposition sheds light on the causes of a slower precipitation scaling and the ‘dry-get-wetter’ paradigm.

Effects of Subseasonal Variation in the East Asian Monsoon System on the Summertime Heat Wave in Western North America in 2021

Abstract: In the early summer (late June–early July) of 2021, a prolonged and extremely high temperature event was observed in the Northwest United States and Southwest Canada. In this study, a connection was found between the subseasonal variations of the East Asian monsoon system and the anomalous heat dome over western North America (WNA). Around 2–3 pentads prior to the period of maximum heat, a northward-propagating rain belt and abnormally intensified jet stream in East Asia excited a Rossby wave train, causing the high-pressure anomaly over WNA that was responsible for the occurrence of this heat wave in 2021. Multivariate singular value decomposition analysis results using historical data and a series of numerical experiments further supported the finding of this East Asia–western North America teleconnection. The results provide precursor signals for better monitoring and predicting heat waves over WNA.

East Asian perspectives in metabolic and bariatric surgery

Abstract: The prevalence of diabetes and obesity continues to rise in East Asia. As the risk of diabetes increases at a lower body mass index (BMI) in East Asians than in Europeans, the threshold of BMI values for metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is lower in East Asians. MBS is considered upon reaching a BMI of 27.5 kg/m2 and is recommended at a BMI of ≥ 32.5 kg/m2, depending on the status of glucose homeostasis. The most commonly performed MBS in East Asia is sleeve gastrectomy, followed by Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Because the incidence of gastric cancer is higher in East Asia than in other regions, concerns regarding surveillance for gastric cancer might be related to a preference for sleeve gastrectomy over RYGB in this region. Even though there is a paucity of data on direct comparisons of the efficacy of MBS among different ethnic groups, the degree of weight reduction in East Asians is not inferior to other ethnic groups. Moreover, studies suggest that the diabetes remission rate in East Asians seemed to be higher than in other ethnic groups. Future studies involving multiethnic groups are necessary to identify possible ethnic differences in diabetes remission and to determine the appropriate BMI threshold for MBS according to ethnicity.

Assembly dynamics of East Asian subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests: New insights from the dominant Fagaceae trees.

Abstract: The dominant species of a biome can be regarded as its genuine indicator. Evergreen broadleaved forests (EBLFs) in subtropical East Asia harbor high levels of species biodiversity and endemism and are vital to regional carbon storage and cycling. However, the historical assembly of this unique biome is still controversial. Fagaceae is the most essential family in East Asian subtropical EBLFs and its dominant species are vital for the existence of this biome. Here, we used the dominant Fagaceae species to shed light on the dynamic process of East Asian subtropical EBLFs over time. Our results indicate high precipitation in summer and low temperature in winter are the most influential climatic factors for the distribution of East Asian subtropical EBLFs. Modern East Asian subtropical EBLFs did not begin to appear until 23 Ma, subsequently experienced a long-lasting development in the Miocene and markedly deteriorated at about 4 Ma, driven jointly by orogenesis and paleoclimate. We also document that there is a lag time between when one clade invaded the region and when its members become dominant species within the region. This study may improve our ability to predict and mitigate the threats to biodiversity of East Asian subtropical EBLFs and points to a new path for future studies involving multidisciplinary methods to explore the assembly of regional biomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Growing Threat of Rapidly-Intensifying Tropical Cyclones in East Asia

Abstract: Abstract This study examines the long-term change in the threat of landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) in East Asia over the period 1975–2020 with a focus on rapidly intensifying (RI) TCs. The increase in the annual number of RI-TCs over the western North Pacific and the northwestward shift of their genesis location lead to an increasing trend in the annual number of landfalling RI-TCs along the coast of East Asia. The annual power dissipation index (PDI), a measure of the destructive potential of RI-TCs at landfall, also shows a significant increasing trend due to increases in the annual frequency and mean landfall intensity of landfalling RI-TCs. The increase in mean landfall intensity is related to a higher lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) and the LMI location of the landfalling RI-TCs being closer to the coast. The increase in the annual PDI of East Asia is mainly associated with landfalling TCs in the southern (the Philippines, South China, and Vietnam) and northern parts (Japan and the Korean Peninsula) of East Asia due to long-term changes in vertical wind shear and TC heat potential. The former leads to a northwestward shift of favorable environments for TC genesis and intensification, resulting in the northwestward shift in the genesis, RI, and LMI locations of RI-TCs. The latter provides more heat energy from the ocean for TC intensification, increasing its chances to undergo RI.

Worldwide trend analysis of primary and secondary infertility rates over past decades: A cross-sectional study

Abstract: Abstract Background Infertility is a global health issue and is reported differently worldwide. Objective To assess the longitudinal trends of primary and secondary infertility prevalence rate (PSIPR) per 100,000 across all countries during past decades. Materials and Methods The PSIPR was extracted from the Global Burden of Disease database for 195 countries during 1993-2017. The longitudinal trends of PSIPR were explored across the seven epidemiological regions designated by the Global Burden of Disease. Results Globally, the PSIPR was lower among men than women. Over time, the prevalence of primary infertility in men and women had a decreasing trend of -9.3 and -11.6 in high-income countries. Other regions have seen an increase, the highest being in South Asian women, and men of the Middle East and North Africa, with rates of change of 40.9 and 19.0, respectively. Over time, the secondary infertility prevalence in women of Central Asia, Central Europe and Eastern Europe, as well as of high-income countries, has been declining (rates of change of -16.9 and -11.7, respectively). Other regions have been on the rise, with the highest increase among women of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (trend of 119.9 and 83.4, respectively), and in South Asian men (trend of 48.4). Conclusion The overall trend of infertility prevalence shows a downward trajectory in high-income and developed countries and an upward trend in others. These findings might be explained by missed cases of infertility due to a low tendency for reproduction and the presence of more infertility treatment facilities in these regions.

Breast Cancer Mortality Trends and Predictions to 2030 and Its Attributable Risk Factors in East and South Asian Countries

Abstract: Background Amidst the rising breast cancer burden in Asia, we aim to predict the future mortality risk due to breast cancer and identify the risk-attributable deaths for breast cancer among East and South Asian countries. Methods We used country-level data to predict the trends in the next decade relating to female breast cancer mortality by employing data from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We used the stochastic mortality modeling and prediction techniques to forecast the age-specific and risk-attributable breast cancer mortality trends at the regional and national levels of East and South Asia. Results The number of deaths caused by the breast cancer is predicted to increase in East and South Asian countries in the next decade (2020–2030). Age-standardized death rate (ASDR) of breast cancer is predicted to increase by 7.0% from 9.20/100,000 (95% CI: 6.04–12.12) in 1990 to 9.88/100,000 (95% CI: 7.12–11.4) in 2030 in East Asia, and about 35% increase from 13.4/100,000 (95% CI: 9.21–16.02) in 1990 to 18.1/100,000 (95% CI: 13.23–21.10) in 2030 in South Asia. At the national level, the highest percent change in ASDR between 1990 and 2030 was reported in Pakistan (a 62% increase) and Nepal (a 47% increase). The highest percent change in breast cancer mortality between 2020 and 2030 for females of age group 80–84 years was observed in Pakistan [21.6, (95% CI, 20.6–94.7)], followed by Afghanistan [13.3 (4.0–80.8)], and Nepal [36.6 (11.1–125.7)] as compared to the other countries. In the females of aged 50–80 years, the predicted death rates were associated with high body mass index, high-fasting plasma glucose, and diet high in red meat, across the majority of countries under study. Furthermore, reductions in percent change in mortality rates occurred in several countries with increases in sociodemographic index (SDI), notably across high SDI countries. Conclusion Breast cancer mortality risk varies substantially across East and South Asian countries with higher mortality risk in low/middle SDI countries. Early detection using screening, awareness among females and health workers, and cost-effective and timely treatment of patients with breast cancer is vital in stemming the tide of breast cancer in the next decade.

Explaining Geographic Shifts of Chip Making toward East Asia and Market Dynamics in Semiconductor Global Production Networks

Abstract: Abstract Few recent geographic studies have focused on how market dynamics might explain macroregional shifts in industrial production. This article examines the pivoting of semiconductor manufacturing toward East Asia during the 2010s, drawing upon proprietary data sets and interviews with leading semiconductor firms. Building on the existing conceptions of user-producer collaborations in economic geography, I conceptualize the relevance of market dynamics for explaining industrial-geographic change. In particular, I specify how customer intimacy in intermediate markets and demand responsiveness in end markets, as two critical dimensions of market dynamics, create strong demand for new chip-making capacity, and how spatial and relational proximity can strengthen interfirm collaboration and customer intimacy in semiconductor production networks. Empirically, market dynamics prompting massive growth in East Asian chip-making capacity are manifested in new product transition and chip demand from global lead firms in the information and communications technology sector and their manufacturing partners mostly located in East Asia. Demand responsiveness to new lead firms and end markets within East Asia has also induced chip design and new capacity to be colocated in the region. Customer intimacy between chip design firms and their foundry providers has led to massive growth of outsourced wafer fabrication in East Asia. Complementing supply-side explanations, such as state support and technological leveraging, this article’s core findings on demand-led market dynamics in explaining geographic shifts in semiconductor manufacturing contribute not only to the studies of global production networks in high-tech industries but also to the renewed interest among geographers in market dynamics and their consequences for uneven development.

The effects of nurturing pressure and unemployment on carbon emissions: cross-country evidence

Abstract: Nurturing pressure and unemployment affect our production and life in many ways. The aim of this study is to examine the potential effects of nurturing pressure and unemployment on global CO2 emissions, by using the panel data of 77 countries and regions from 1991 to 2020 and a STIRPAT-based theoretical framework. The results show that at the global level, both nurturing pressure and unemployment overall have negative effects on CO2 emissions. While at the regional level, it becomes a different situation. An increase in nurturing pressure leads to an increase in CO2 emissions in the Americas and the Middle East and a decrease in CO2 emissions in Africa, Europe, and Asia–Pacific. Unemployment has a positive effect on CO2 emissions in the Middle East and a negative effect on CO2 emissions in Africa, Americas, Europe, and the Asia–Pacific regions. There is no evidence that unemployment has certain effects on CO2 emissions in the Middle East and the Asia–Pacific regions.

Fractional contribution of global warming and regional urbanization to intensifying regional heatwaves across Eurasia

Abstract: Increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves (HWs) in a warming climate exert catastrophic impacts on human society and natural environment. However, spatiotemporal variations of HW and their driving factors still remain obscure, especially for HW changes over Eurasia, the region with the largest population of the world. Here we provide a systematic investigation of the HW changes over Eurasia and quantify the contributions of different natural and anthropogenic factors to these changes. Increasing frequency, duration and intensity of HW are observed in most parts of Eurasia, and the occurrence of the first HW event tends to be earlier as well, especially in Europe, East Asia, Central Asia, Southwest Asia, and the Mediterranean region. These intensified HW activities are particularly stronger and more widespread after 1990 s. The spatial pattern of the increasing HW trend is closely tied to the interdecadal changes of sea surface temperature in the North Pacific. More intense hot airmass convection, atmospheric circulation obstruction over the Mediterranean region and the enhanced Mongolian high hinders the southward movement of cold air and cold and wet airmass exchange. Further analyses suggest that the intensifying Eurasian HW tendency is a combined result of both climate change and human activities. Overall, the fractional contributions of climate warming, urbanization, standardized precipitation evaporation index, and Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation to the frequency of Eurasian HWs are 30%, 25%, 21% and 24%, respectively. It is also suggested that the relative influential rate of different driving factors for HW varies over time and differs in different areas.