Construction contractor evaluation is a critical issue in successfully completing a project. It is important for project owners and other stakeholders to identify potentially failing contractors and to avoid awarding them contracts. Previous studies developed construction contractor default prediction models incorporating managerial or economic variables into traditional financial ratio models to enhance predicting power. However, managerial variables are subjective and qualitative, and both economic variables and financial ratios are only available periodically and may not provide the necessary information in time. This study predicts contractor default by employing three option-based credit models (BSM, CB, and BS) based on stock market information, and the empirical results show that all of the models have strong discriminatory power in ranking contractors from riskiest to safest. The misclassification rates of the three models are BSM: 10%, CB: 10%, and BS: 12.7%, all of which are smaller than that of...

The use of the flexible ureteroscope for treating renal and ureteral calculi has rapidly increased in the last decade. Although the use of the flexible ureteroscope by experienced surgeons has excellent outcomes and safety profiles, several studies have reported many surgical complications with its use. We conducted a narrative review of the published literature sourced from PubMed. We used a combination of three keywords: “ureteroscope,” “morbidity,” and “urolithiasis,” with or without the additional keywords of “infection,” “mortality,” “hematoma,” and “ureteral injury.” Infection, bleeding, and ureteral injury are the main complications. We analyzed the possible causes of morbidity and death after the use of a flexible ureteroscope. Finally, we propose recommendations to prevent these complications.

Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus pelagicus) primarily inhabit the coastal regions of Southeast Asia. This study aimed to examine their population genetic structure, phylogeography, and historical demography by applying partial sequences to the control region in the mitochondrial DNA. The analysis focused on 6 populations comprising 166 individual samples collected from Taiwan (Kezailiao Kaohsiung (KK) and Penghu (PH)), mainland China (Xiamen (XM) and Hong Kong (HK)), Vietnam (Hanoi (VN)), and Singapore (SGP). The estimated nucleotide diversity (π) for all of the samples was 0.062, with values ranging between 0.018 (PH) and 0.045 (HK). Our study collected 116 haplotypes and classified them into lineages A and B. The XM, HK, VN, and SGP populations made up lineage A, and the PH and KK populations comprised lineage B. For each lineage, the results highlighted indications of demographic expansion. Lineage A can be traced back to the second-to-last interglacial period, while lineage B possibly originated in the last glacial period. There were significant differences in the F_ST values among the six populations, except for the pairs HK–XM and PH–KK. In conclusion, the phylogeography and genetic structure of P. pelagicus in Southeast Asia were potentially affected by the Pleistocene glacial cycles and human introduction. These findings further highlight the possible dispersal routes of P. pelagicus throughout Southeast Asia.

The three-spot swimming crab (Portunus sanguinolentus) is mainly distributed in South East Asia. An analysis of mitochondrial control region partial sequences allows us to determine the population genetic structure, phylogeography and historical demography of this species in East Asia. The seven populations, which included 110 individuals, were collected from mainland China (Shanghai, SH, Xiamen, XM and Hong Kong, HK), Taiwan (Yilan, YL, Taichung, TC, Donggang, DG) and Singapore (Singapore, SGP). The nucleotide diversity (π) of all individuals was 0.01149, with values ranging from 0.00372 (SGP) to 0.01345 (YL). In total, 90 haplotypes have been identified, which can be divided into two major lineages: lineage A consists of specimens from SH, YL, XM, TC and DG, and lineage B corresponds to specimen from SGP. From the second to the most recent interglacial period, population expansion was observed in each lineage. However, a low level of genetic differentiation was also observed in the three-spotted swimming crab, P. sanguinolentus, according to F_ST values. Our results suggest that several past and present habitat configurations have shaped the genetic patterns of P. sanguinolentus until now. During Pleistocene glaciations, when sea levels were low, this species may have moved along the coast from Southeast Asia to China. It first colonized the Hong Kong area during this era. After sea levels rose and shorelines receded, it subsequently spread to the coast of mainland China.

Tourism transport contributes 70−80% of sector emissions, necessitating sustainable route optimization. This study presents an innovative Geographic Information System (GIS)-enhanced framework adapting the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) to minimize tourism carbon emissions while addressing critical temporal constraints (scenic spot hours, seasonality, transport frequency). We employ multi-objective optimization balancing travel cost, time penalties, and emission abatement. Case studies at Meihua Lake (Taiwan, China) and Sayram Lake (Xinjiang, China) demonstrate reduced travel distances $(12.1 \%$ and $5.8 \%)$ and $\text{CO}_{2}$ emissions $(\sim 9 \%$; Meihua: 4.998 kg to 4.548 kg; Sayram: 157.08 kg to 140.83 kg). Combining electric vehicles with temporal optimization achieves up to 55.7% lower emissions versus conventional transport. This first framework uniquely incorporating real-world complexities (attraction hours, preferences, capacity) simultaneously optimizes temporal constraints and environmental impact, offering practical applications for sustainable ecotourism and climate goals.