Pollution characteristics, source apportionment and absorption spectra of size-resolved PAHs in atmospheric particles in a cold megacity of China.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have the capability for solar radiation absorption related to climate forcing. Herein, pollution characteristics and absorption spectra of size-resolved PAHs in atmospheric particles in a cold megacity were comprehensively investigated. The mean concentrations of Σ18PAHs in all the 11 particle size ranges were 3.95 ± 4.77 × 104 pg/m3 and 2.17 ± 1.54 × 103 pg/m3 in heating period (HP) and non-heating period (NHP), respectively. Except for most PAHs with 2 and 3 benzene rings in NHP, most other PAHs showed a unimodal distribution pattern with the peak at 0.56-1.0 µm in both periods, which was caused by PAH emission sources. The PAH-related climate forcing was mainly caused by the solar radiation absorptions at ∼325 (∼330) nm and ∼365 nm. In general, the absorption intensities were higher in HP than NHP. The absorption intensity in the particle size range of 0.56-1.0 µm was the highest, and benzo[e]pyrene was the dominant contributor. In colder periods in HP, higher PAH concentrations caused more intensive PAH-related climate forcing. This study provided new insights for pollution characteristics and absorption spectra of size-resolved PAHs in atmospheric particles, which will be useful for better understanding PAH-related climate forcing.

Seasonal variations and sources of atmospheric EPFRs in a megacity in severe cold region: Implications for the influence of strong coal and biomass combustion.

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) can pose exposure risks by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. As a new class of pollutants, EPFRs have been frequently detected in atmospheric particulate matters. In this study, the seasonal variations and sources of EPFRs in a severe cold region in Northeastern China were comprehensively investigated, especially for the high pollution events. The geomean concentration of EPFRs in the total suspended particle was 6.58 × 1013 spins/m3 and the mean level in winter was one order of magnitude higher than summer and autumn. The correlation network analysis showed that EPFRs had significantly positive correlation with carbon component, K+ and PAHs, indicating that EPFRs were primarily emitted from combustion and pyrolysis process. The source appointment by the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model indicated that the dominant sources in the heating season were coal combustion (48.4%), vehicle emission (23.1%) and biomass burning (19.4%), while the top three sources in the non-heating season were others (41.4%), coal combustion (23.7%) and vehicle emissions (21.2%). It was found that the high EPFRs in cold season can be ascribed to the extensive use of fossil fuel for heating demand; while the high EPFRs occurred in early spring were caused by the large-scale opening combustion of biomass. In summary, this study provided important basic information for better understanding the pollution characteristics of EPFRs, which suggested that the implementation of energy transformation and straw utilization was benefit for the control of EPFRs in severe cold region.

Effects of thermal and acoustic environments on human comfort in urban and suburban campuses in the cold region of China.

In this study, we investigated the effects of thermal-acoustic environments on human comfort in a cold region by focusing on Xi'an in China as a representative city. Four typical open spaces were identified within two universities, with one located in an urban area and the other in a suburban area. Surveys were conducted using questionnaires and environmental parameters were measured to assess thermal-acoustic perception. The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and noise sound pressure levels were employed to measure the thermal-acoustic environments in the four open spaces. The results showed that the neutral PET was 19.1 °C in Xi'an from March to May, and the neutral temperature range was 14.9-23.4 °C. The preferred temperature was 20.0 °C. Acoustic sensation votes were lower in suburban areas than urban areas. Respondents in urban areas exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to the thermal and acoustic environments compared with those in suburban areas. Sensitivity to the thermal environment decreased as the environmental noise levels decreased. The temperature perceived as most suitable increased as the sensitivity to the thermal environment decreased. Acoustic comfort evaluations were generally higher in colder and warmer environments. Warmer environments heightened the sensitivity to the acoustic environment and this effect gradually decreased as the sound pressure levels increased. Thus, based on empirical analyses, we compared the effects of outdoor thermal-acoustic parameters on comfort to provide experimental data support for further outdoor thermal comfort research.

Vegetation restoration strategies based on plant water use patterns.

The study on the water source of plants in alpine mountainous is of great significance to optimize the allocation and management of water resources, and can also provide important reference for ecological restoration and protection. However, the controls of water sources for different plants in alpine mountainous region remain poorly understood. Based on the advantages of stable isotope tracer and Bayesian (MixSIAR) model, the water source of plants in Qilian Mountains was quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the water sources of plants in Qilian Mountain mainly included two parts: direct source and indirect source. The direct source is soil water, which provides most of the water that plants need. The highest contribution of soil water to shrubs was 80 %, followed by trees (73 %) and herbs (72 %). It is worth mentioning that trees mainly use deeper soil water (below 60 cm), shrubs mainly use surface and intermediate soil water (0-60 cm), and herbs mainly use surface soil water (0-40 cm). What is more noteworthy is that indirect sources, such as precipitation, glacier and snow meltwater, and groundwater, are also water sources that cannot be ignored for plant growth in study area. Shrubs and Herbs use more soil water in the range of 40-60 cm, which leads to the possibility of water competition between these two planting types. Therefore, attention should be paid to this phenomenon in the process of vegetation restoration and water resources management. Especially when planting or restoring artificial plants, it is necessary to consider the water use strategy of the two plants to avoid unnecessary water competition and water waste. This is of great significance for ecological stability and sustainable utilization of water resources in the study region.

Frost protection mechanism based on rubber airbag interlayered composite lining system for cold-region tunnels.

To solve the problem of freezing damage in cold-region tunnels, this study proposed a rubber airbag interlayered composite lining system, and tested its performance of buffering, pressure adjustment, waterproofing, and heat preservation by simulating a low-temperature environment in an artificial freezing chamber. The experiment results show that the frost-heaving force exerted on the lining can always be lower than 1.69 kPa by constantly adjusting the airbag pressure, and the maximum frost-heaving force can reach 28.25 kPa without the airbag. In addition, the airbag also has good waterproof performance. Finally, the airbag can significantly improve the temperature field of the surrounding rock and reduce the freezing depth (6.75 cm < 17.25 cm). The insulation effect of the airbag is positively correlated with its thickness and negatively correlated with the thermal conductivity of the filling gas. The insulation effect of CO2 is better than that of air. The rubber airbag interlayered composite lining system provides a new scheme for freezing damage control in cold-region tunnels.

Impact of climate change on water quality evolution in cold regions using a water-heat-nitrogen processes coupled model.

Cold regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Thus, evaluating the response of water quality evolution to climate change in cold regions is vital for formulating adaptive countermeasures for pollution control under changing climatic conditions. Taking the Songhua River Basin (SRB) in Northeast China as the target area, we designed a water-heat-nitrogen coupled model based on the principle of water and energy transfer and nitrogen cycle processes model (WEP-N) in cold regions. The impact of climate change on pollution load and water quality was analyzed during the freezing, thawing, and non-freeze-thaw periods by taking the sudden change point (1998) of precipitation and runoff evolution in the SRB as the cut-off. The ammonia nitrogen load at Jiamusi station, the outlet control station in the SRB, was decreased by 1502.9 t in the change period (1999-2018) over the base period (1956-1998), with a - 9.2% decrease due to climate change. Compared to the ammonia nitrogen load during the base period, the ammonia nitrogen load decreased by - 171.3, - 506.9, and - 824.8 t during the freezing, thawing, and non-freeze-thaw periods, respectively, while the coefficient of variation showed an increasing trend during three periods, especially during the freezing and thawing periods. However, the water quality changes differed among periods owing to varying runoff during the year. Meanwhile, increasing runoff and decreasing ammonia nitrogen load improved water quality at Jiamusi station during the freezing period. During the thawing and non-freeze-thaw period, the water quality deteriorated due to the decrease in runoff more than the decrease in ammonia nitrogen load. Hence, the impact of climate change on water quality during thawing and non-freeze-thaw periods should be monitored to potentially offset the human influence on pollution control. The difference in the rate of change of the proportion of Class IV water between the two models with or without the soil freeze-thaw mechanism was 15.9%. The result shows that the application of a model that does not consider the freeze-thaw mechanism might slightly exaggerate the impact of climate change on water quality.

Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on urban air, Land surface temperature and air pollution in cold climate zones.

The objective of this study was to analyze air pollution and thermal environment in Turkey's cold region before, during, and after COVID-19 in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The CO, NO2, O3, PM10 and SO2 data from the state air quality stations, as well as ground air temperature data from six weather stations, and land satellite images from the USGS website using ArcGIS 10.4.1 software were collected in January, March, April and August of 2019, 2020 an 2021. In order to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 measures and restrictions on cold region cities, air pollution indicators, land surface temperature and air temperature as well as statistical data were analyzed. The results indicated that the CO, NO2, PM10 and SO2 emissions decreased by 14.9%, 14.3%, 47.1% and 28.5%, but O3 increased by 16.9%, respectively, during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 as compared to these of the pre-COVID-19 levels in 2019. A positive correlation between air temperature and O3 in 2019 (r2 = 0.80), and in 2020 and 2021 (r2 = 0.64) was obtained. Air temperature in 2020 and 2021 decreased due to lockdowns and quarantine measures that led to lower O3 emissions as compared to 2019. Negative correlations were also found between air temperature and NO2 (r2 = 0.60) and SO2 (r2 = 0.5). There was no correlation between air temperature and PM10. During the COVID-19 lockdown and intense restrictions in April 2020, the average LST and air temperature values dropped by 14.7 °C and 1.6 °C respectively, compared to April 2019. These findings may be beneficial for future urban planning, particularly in cold regions.

Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on methanogenic hydrocarbon degradation: Experiment and modeling.

Cold regions are warming much faster than the global average, resulting in more frequent and intense freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) in soils. In hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, FTCs modify the biogeochemical and physical processes controlling petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) biodegradation and the associated generation of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Thus, understanding the effects of FTCs on the biodegradation of PHCs is critical for environmental risk assessment and the design of remediation strategies for contaminated soils in cold regions. In this study, we developed a diffusion-reaction model that accounts for the effects of FTCs on toluene biodegradation, including methanogenic biodegradation. The model is verified against data generated in a 215 day-long batch experiment with soil collected from a PHC contaminated site in Ontario, Canada. The fully saturated soil incubations with six different treatments were exposed to successive 4-week FTCs, with temperatures oscillating between -10 °C and +15 °C, under anoxic conditions to stimulate methanogenic biodegradation. We measured the headspace concentrations and 13C isotope compositions of CH4 and CO2 and analyzed the porewater for pH, acetate, dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, and toluene. The numerical model represents solute diffusion, volatilization, sorption, as well as a reaction network of 13 biogeochemical processes. The model successfully simulates the soil porewater and headspace concentration time series data by representing the temperature dependencies of microbial reaction and gas diffusion rates during FTCs. According to the model results, the observed increases in the headspace concentrations of CH4 and CO2 by 87% and 136%, respectively, following toluene addition are explained by toluene fermentation and subsequent methanogenesis reactions. The experiment and the numerical simulation show that methanogenic degradation is the primary toluene attenuation mechanism under the electron acceptor-limited conditions experienced by the soil samples, representing 74% of the attenuation, with sorption contributing to 11%, and evaporation contributing to 15%. Also, the model-predicted contribution of acetate-based methanogenesis to total produced CH4 agrees with that derived from the 13C isotope data. The freezing-induced soil matrix organic carbon release is considered as an important process causing DOC increase following each freezing period according to the calculations of carbon balance and SUVA index. The simulation results of a no FTC scenario indicate that, in the absence of FTCs, CO2 and CH4 generation would decrease by 29% and 26%, respectively, and that toluene would be biodegraded 23% faster than in the FTC scenario. Because our modeling approach represents the dominant processes controlling PHC biodegradation and the associated CH4 and CO2 fluxes, it can be used to analyze the sensitivity of these processes to FTC frequency and duration driven by temperature fluctuations.

The difference in thermal comfort between southern and northern Chinese living in the Xi'an cold climate region.

A year-long longitudinal survey regarding perceptions of outdoor thermal conditions and thermal comfort was conducted in Xi'an, a City in a Chinese cold region. The survey included micrometeorological measurements and a longitudinal questionnaire. The thermal comfort and adaptability of southern Chinese (people from Changsha and Guangzhou) and northern Chinese (people from Xi'an) in Xi'an were studied from the three aspects of psychological, physiological, and behavioral differences. The results of similar studies in other regions were compared with those of this study. Regarding psychological differences, northerners were more adapted to Xi'an's climate than southerners, with an expected temperatures of 20.7℃ and 24.1℃ for northerners and for southerners, respectively. Regarding physiological differences, the neutral temperature of the northern population was 22.12℃, while that of the southern population was 21.12℃. The neutral temperature for the southern population in Xi'an is similar to that of northern people living in Xi'an. Regarding behavioral differences, northerners were more likely than southerners to maintain their thermal comfort by adjusting their clothing when they experienced a change in the outdoor environment. This study not only indicates that there were differences regarding the thermal comfort of people originating different regions but also provided support for fully explaining the mechanism of climate adaptation of human thermal comfort. In addition, this work provides basic data regarding formulating outdoor thermal comfort standards and provided data support for personalized thermal comfort.

A modeling approach to the efficient evaluation and analysis of water quality risks in cold zone lakes: a case study of Chagan Lake in Northeast China.

Due to the influence of complex regional climate, water quality perturbation factors of lakes in cold regions are complicated, and the uncertainty of each factor needs further study. This study coupled two algorithms (clustering and EM) to establish a water quality uncertainty model of Chagan Lake, a typical cold region lake in China. A BN model containing nine influencing factors (including water temperature (WT), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), etc.) was established and optimized, and sensitivity analysis was also performed. The results indicate that the water quality status of the lake is class III and 27.47% risk of exceeding the standard. The water quality of the lake is more susceptible to disturbance during the freezing period (WT < 1 °C). TP is the most sensitive factor for water quality disturbance in the lake followed by chemical oxygen demand (COD), TN, and fluoride (F). Parameter control result displays, and the multifactor synergistic control scheme could reduce the water quality risk of the lake by 36.47%. This study demonstrates that our proposed method can be used to predict both sudden water quality events and the overall trend of water quality fluctuation, which is important for rapid water quality evaluation and management decisions.

A pH-responsive phosphoprotein washing fluid for the removal of phenanthrene from contaminated peat moss in the cold region.

Oil pollution is one of the major environmental concerns in the petroleum industry. In this study, a cheap food-grade sodium caseinate (NaCas) was used as a pH-responsive washing fluid in the remediation of phenanthrene (PHE) affected peat moss. The effects of environmental factors on the removal of PHE were systematically investigated. The results showed that increasing NaCas concentration and washing temperature improved the PHE mobilization, while high salinity and humic acid dosage displayed a negative effect. The factorial analysis revealed that three individual factors and two interactions exhibited significant effects on the washing performance. Due to the pH-responsive property of NaCas, the turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the washing effluent were remarkably reduced by simply adjusting the solution acidity, improving the practical application of such a washing method. Significantly, the toxicity modeling proved that NaCas can reduce the binding energy between PHE and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the selected marine organism, and thus relieve the toxicity of PHE to the organisms. Given these advantages, NaCas-assisted washing can be a viable option for the remediation of contaminated peat moss.

Thermal effects of vertical greening with creepers in different life stages on the outdoor environment under a cold climate.

In this study, we assessed the direct and indirect thermal benefits of growing creepers on a building during four life stages (green, yellowish, yellowing, and wilting) based on field measurements of the temperature and humidity, and theoretical analysis. The results showed that the direct thermal benefits of creepers were significant in the green, yellowish, and yellowing stages, where they gradually decreased as the life stages progressed, with cooling gains of up to 8 °C in the green stage compared with the concrete wall, and the insulation benefits were still approximately 1 °C in the wilting stage. Creepers also had significant indirect thermal benefits in the green, yellowish, and yellowing stages, where the best cooling effect was obtained in the yellowish stage, but no significant indirect thermal benefits were found in the wilting stage. In addition, creepers could reduce the ambient air temperature by increasing the relative humidity in the surrounding environment. The results obtained in this study may provide a scientific reference to facilitate the construction of vertical greening in cold regions and to determine the specifications for related applications, as well as providing insights into vertical greening research at the same latitude.

Effects of different exercise types on outdoor thermal comfort in a severe cold city.

The promotion of China's National Fitness Program has caused an upsurge in the construction of outdoor sports venues and sparked an interest in research on the thermal comfort of people exercising outside. The design of exercise facilities and parks is usually function-oriented, and the spatial layout and arrangement of exercise paths are based on the exercise type. However, few studies compared the thermal comfort of different exercise types. This study investigated seasonal differences in thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and other influencing factors among people who engaged in various types of exercise in a severe cold city in China. The results showed significant differences in thermal comfort among the different exercise types. The acceptable thermal range of exercising people is greater than that of the resting ones. In the cold season, the thermal comfort of different exercise types had a significant correlation with thermal sensation, but not with humidity and wind sensations. On the other hand, the thermal comfort of jogging respondents was more affected by humidity, wind, and sun sensations during the hot season. The modified UTCI range of thermal stress category was proposed as a design reference for the thermal environment of outdoor exercise venues. Overall, this study can help enrich and guide outdoor thermal comfort research in severe cold regions and aid the design of urban exercise spaces.

Static composting of cow manure and corn stalk covered with a membrane in cold regions.

The disposal of livestock wastes is an urgent task in China. Compost is highly regarded for its ability to treat livestock wastes and protect arable land. In particular, some problems of livestock manure in cold regions, such as low efficiency because of low environmental temperature in winter, urgently need to be solved. In order to provide valuable composting information in the cold area at low environmental temperatures, the composting experiments were carried out with cow manure and corn stalk as substrates. The properties and bacterial community of compost samples in different stages were investigated. The electrical conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and organic matter (OM) of the final compost were 551 µS/cm, 1.12, 0.77, and 63.5%, respectively. No E. coli or Ascaris eggs were detected. The temperature was the key factor to affect the physical-co-chemical and biological properties. The absolutely dominant genera were Sporosarcina, Virgibacillus, Flavobacterium, and Steroidobacter in heating, high temperature, cooling, and maturing stages, respectively. Also, these bacteria could act as biological indicators during the composting process. Cryobacterium, Caldicoprobacter, Virgibacillus, and Sporosarcina were relatively novel genera in the compost piles in a cold environment. The biodegradation of exogenous substances mainly occurs in the initial and maturing stages. It is proven that composting can be carried out successfully in early spring or later autumn after a harvest.

Indoor Environmental Quality of Residential Elderly Care Facilities in Northeast China.

The indoor environmental quality is based on the indoor environmental performance of buildings, such as air temperature, lighting, and acoustics. These parameters have a specific impact on users' health and experience. This study explores the relationship between the indoor environment of residential elderly care facilities in cold regions and the sensitivity of the elderly to these facilities with the aim of improving the elderly care environment. This study measured the acoustic, lighting, and thermal environment in four residential elderly care facilities in Northeast China in spring, summer, autumn, and winter through a participant survey. In the residential elderly care facilities surveyed in this study, brightness and illuminance show a nonlinear relationship with lighting evaluation. With an increase in brightness and illuminance, the satisfaction of the lighting environment in different seasons first increases and then decreases. The relative humidity of the different types of rooms varies greatly in spring and less in winter. The average air quality score of the bedroom is higher than that of the activity room. The correlation between odor assessment and overall indoor environmental quality is very poor. The results of the questionnaire survey indicate that the participants were satisfied with the facilities' overall indoor environmental quality. This quality is affected by physical, environmental, and demographic factors. This study provides a reference for the design of other residential elderly care facilities.

Spatial-temporal variations of reference evapotranspiration and its driving factors in cold regions, northeast China.

Reference evapotranspiration ([Formula: see text]) is an important indicator for hydrometeorological change, which integrates atmospheric and surface conditions, and its downward trends have been reported in many regions over the past several decades. Cold regions constitute an important ecological barrier in China; however, few studies focus on change in [Formula: see text] in cold regions. Especially in the cold region of northeast China (CRNEC), as one of the national strategic grain bases, understanding spatial-temporal variations of [Formula: see text] is important for agriculture water management and ecological protection. This study selected the observations at 113 national meteorological stations located in CRNEC and evaluated the trends of [Formula: see text] and their driving factors from 1961 to 2017. Results indicate that annual [Formula: see text] increases from the northeast to the southwest of CRNEC and has an insignificant decreasing trend in the whole study period, in which 33 stations (29.2%) show significant decreasing trends and only 19 stations (16.8%) show significant increasing trends at the 95% confidence level. An abrupt change in [Formula: see text] data is detected from 1994. Reasons for this abrupt change in [Formula: see text] vary largely over the study areas. Analysis shows that wind speed and minimum air temperature are the two major factors that control the change of [Formula: see text] before 1994. It also shows that wind speed and actual vapor pressure are the two major controlling factors after 1994. We also found that [Formula: see text] shows a certain correlation with Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Western Pacific Index, but there is a significant correlation between meteorological factors and teleconnection factors related to [Formula: see text]. These findings will promote agricultural water management and improve water ecological protection in the CRNEC. We investigated changes in reference evapotranspiration relationships with atmospheric circulation and its attributions over the cold regions in northeast China during 1961 ~ 2017. The results indicate that the wind speed and minimum air temperature are the two major factors that control the change of ET0 before 1994, and wind speed and actual vapor pressure are the two major controlling factors after 1994. We also found that ET0 shows a certain correlation with Western Pacific Index in the whole period.

Experimental evaluation of the thermal performance of cool pavement materials in cold regions of China.

The local thermal property evaluation of pavement materials has not received enough attention, making the implementation of cool material measures to alleviate the urban heat island difficult. This study aims to conduct a control experiment on cool pavement bricks selection from the local market. The surface temperature difference and change characteristics of 28 bricks with different physical properties (i.e. colour, thickness, size and internal structure) were recorded by an infrared thermal imager and thermometers. Comparative analysis shows that the maximum surface temperature of the light-yellow brick is 7.3 °C lower than that of the ash black one, and the maximum surface temperature of hollow bricks is 5.6 °C lower than that of solid bricks. Thick bricks have a slightly low mean and maximum surface temperatures, and large bricks also have a low maximum surface temperature, but only deep coloured bricks. The analysis of variance revealed that for the maximum surface temperature, the three factors (i.e. colour, thickness and internal structure) have an interactive effect; for the mean surface temperature, only the colour and internal structure factors have a significant independent effect. This paper provides a feasible bottom-up cooling scheme for urban underlying surface.

Factors influencing resident and tourist outdoor thermal comfort: A comparative study in China's cold region.

Thermal comfort and environmental health in scenic open spaces, a communication bridge between tourists and their environment, are prerequisites for tourism activities. In this study, scenic open spaces in an urban area of Xi'an, China were selected. Thermal perception (thermal sensation, comfort and acceptability) of residents and tourists were investigated through meteorological measurement and questionnaire survey. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was used to determine thermal benchmarks of all visitors to the site. Variables that influence individual thermal perception assessment (physical, individual, society and psychology) were measured and compared. Finally, a series of strategies and suggestions were proposed based on meteorological characteristics and influencing factors of thermal perception from perspectives of designers and scenic spot managers. Results show that: 1) Neutral PET (NPET) of respondents were 17.3 °C (residents) and 15.5 °C (tourists). Neutral PET ranges (NPETR) were 8.9-25.8 °C (residents) and 7.2-23.8 °C (tourists). Preferred PET values were 20.1 °C (residents) and 19.7 °C (tourists). Thermal acceptability ranges (TAR) were 6.3-37.8 °C (residents) and 0.5-39.9 °C (tourists). 2) In winter, physical factors were primary influencers of residents' thermal perception, followed by social factors, while tourists' thermal perception was mainly influenced by physical factors. In spring, physical factors were still the primary influencers for residents, followed by individual factors. Physical factors were also dominant for tourists, followed by psychological. In summer, physical factors were the major influencing factors for residents and tourists' thermal perceptions.

Field Study on Indoor Thermal Environments of Monastic Houses and Thermal Comfort of Monks.

Monastic houses are an essential part of the Tibetan monastic system in China. In this study, the monastic houses of Labrang in the Tibetan region of Gannan were used as the research objects. Physical parameters such as indoor temperature, humidity, and radiation temperature of the monastic houses were measured. The measured results were compared with the standard values, while the air temperature was linearly fitted using TSV, PMV, and aPMV. The results show that the temperature inside and outside the monastic houses fluctuates considerably; the theoretical thermal neutral temperature of the tested monks in winter is 22.46 °C, which is higher than the measured thermal neutral temperature in winter of 16.43 °C. When analyzing the results, it was found that the local climate, dress code, and the monks' specific habits all impact the perception of thermal comfort, which creates a discrepancy between the accurate results and the standard values. The above findings provide a more comprehensive reference for the thermal comfort requirements of the monks in cold areas, which can be used as a guide for the improvement and evaluation of the monastic houses in cold areas.

The characteristics of stroke in Longjiang area and summary of acupuncture treatment thoughts / 国际中医中药杂志

Heilongjiang Province has unique geographical environment, which makes the difference in population morbidity. This paper summarizes the physiological and pathological characteristics of stroke in Longjiang area from the regional factors and dietary factors. The paper also summarizes the treatment thoughts of acupuncture and moxibustion doctors in Longjiang area, mainly including five aspects: Knowing all diseases but treating the essence one, combining theory and practice, combining Chinese and western medicine, combining acupuncture and Chinese medicine, preventing diseases through learning and observing tiny clues. This article aims to summarize the experience of Longjiang acupuncture scholars and enriches the medical connotation of Longjiang area.