Context: The establishment of an ecosystem health assessment framework from a human–environment view is vital to landscape sustainability. Although several studies have improved the assessment framework by integrating ecosystem services (ESs) supply or demand, consideration of the sustainable supply of ESs is lacking. Objectives: The objective of this paper is to improve the current methodological framework by integrating ecological integrity and the sustainable supply of ESs to establish an ecosystem health assessment framework. Methods: An improved assessment framework, including four indicators, vigor, organization, resilience, and ecosystem services supply rate, was established from the perspective of human–environment systems. Then, the performance of the improved assessment framework was demonstrated in a case study in China from 2000 to 2020. Results: From 2000 to 2020, the overall spatial pattern of ecosystem health values in China was high in the southern and southeastern coastal regions, and low health values were mostly located in the western region, parts of Inner Mongolia, and metropolitan areas, with a descending trend from southeast to northwest. The imbalance between the potential and actual supply of ESs greatly contributed to the deterioration of regional ecosystem health. During the study period, the regional ecosystem in China was found to be in a more unhealthy state than in traditional Vigor-Organization-Resilience-Ecosystem services (VORES) evaluation. Conclusions: The improved assessment framework that incorporates the ecological integrity and sustainable supply of ESs provides a new perspective for understanding the complex inherent characteristics of ecosystems and the regional human-nature connectedness in coupled human–environment systems. Our results could serve as a scientific reference for practical landscape governance in a changing world to achieve landscape sustainability.

The shape of a building profoundly impacts its energy consumption throughout its life and is a critical consideration in early architectural design. Despite its significance, the influence of building shape on heating and air conditioning energy usage remains insufficiently understood. This study systematically analyzes the relationship between building shape and energy consumption, grounded in objective facts about building energy performance from the perspective of architects during the initial design phases. This analysis aids designers in making informed decisions. Key parameters, notably the widely used building shape coefficient, are examined. The relationship between building shape and energy consumption across various global and China’s diverse climate zones is synthesized. Current simulation tools and methodologies are assessed to guide future research. Findings reveal a predominant reliance on simulations for comparing energy use across specific building shapes. The academic understanding of the shape−energy relationship remains superficial, complicating standardization. Future research should prioritize extensive, multi-parameter simulations to enhance understanding of building performance, thereby facilitating energy-efficient design.

In 2021, COVID-19 has been widely spread worldwide. Few studies focused on infection risk in the different confined spaces on university campuses. However, obtaining the quanta value of SARS-CoV-2 using the conventional method is not identical. Therefore, in our study, the estimation method of the quanta value was improved via statistically analyzing the viral load of the infectors and fitting the droplet number concentration of different particle sizes. Moreover, the infection risk and efficacy of typical engineering control measures in confined spaces such as dormitories, classrooms, gyms, libraries, and refectories were evaluated using the improved Wells-Riley equation. The results demonstrated that: (1) the quanta value range of SARS-CoV-2 was 20.49 ∼ 454.87 quanta/h, which was confirmed by the existing literature; (2) the infection risk in dormitories and classrooms was 100% (exposure time was eight hours) and 5% (exposure time was 1.5 h), respectively, while basic reproduction numbers were both 2.8; (3) The combined control measures mainly based on engineering measures such as ventilation, high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filter, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), partially based on surgical masks were recommended. The findings could provide suggestions for universities to scientifically formulate intervention measures and self-protection means for students.

Economic development and fast growing urbanization in China have caused severe air pollution, with frequent pollution episodes endangering the health of inhabitants and disturbing social activities, and as an expanding metropolis, Chengdu has suffered ever since. The concentration variations of main air pollutants, such as PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and NO₂, often show periodicity because of meteorological impact and anthropic activities, and display orientation discrepancies due to influences of wind speed (WS), frequency and pollutant sources. These features have complicated the mechanisms of pollution episodes and deepened the difficulty in pollution control evaluation. The WS has significant influences on the periodicity and orientation variations in pollutant concentrations, and quantifying the influence of which is of high significance and provides sustainable foundations for pollution alleviation strategies. Different time-scale cycles (i.e., Diurnal, weekly, seasonal and annual), along with the WS, wind frequency, wind and spatial orientations in urban areas, were analyzed in this paper. Results show that the periodicity of diurnal, seasonal and annual cycles is remarkable, and weekly cycle is obvious by adding the influence of the WS in 16 orientations. The WS has direct impacts on pollutants varying in the range of 1.5–2.5 m/s, and has a remarkable diffusion effect on pollutants once above 2.5 m/s. Over heavy pollution hours in diurnal, weekly, annual cycles and transitional seasons, the WS had more significant influences on pollutants, and whereas the wind frequency is not the main impact factor for orientation variations. For Chengdu, the northeast orientation is suitable to construct a wind panel with a remarkable diffusion effect on pollutants, while air pollutions in the northwest and southwest orientations were severe with the WS below 1.5 m/s, and pollution diffusion in the north-northwest orientation was the worst. This work can provide guidance and reference for urban planning optimization and air environment protection in cities with air quality control considerations impacted by city wind.