The current study examines cranial variation of contemporary East Asians with an aim to comprehensively describe and define the morphology of people in this region. In doing so, a better understanding of the causes of variation within East Asia and compared to other geographic populations is sought. The study encompasses a broad range of samples from Northeast Asia to island Southeast Asia. Traditional linear and angular data and analytical methods (e.g Box and Whisker, Principal Components Analysis) were used to assess cranial variation. Thus the results may be compared to published studies using traditional craniometric approaches. Innovative geometric morphometric data collection and analysis techniques are also used here for the first time. Results show East Asians are distinguishable from non-Asians on the basis of their tall, round, vault, shorter cranial length, tall faces that are flattened in the upper and mid-facial regions, short malars (anteroposterior length), narrow interorbital breadth and orthognathism. A north-south East Asian cline was also detected, with the northern samples exhibiting tall, orthognathic faces, and a long low vault. This long, low vault shape is in contradiction to the purported shape of cold-climate adapted populations. Southern East Asians possess a tall, rounded vault and a short, projecting (prognathic) face. Island Southeast Asians inhabiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands exhibit a 'mixed' morphology, possessing the southern East Asian facial form, but the long, low vault seen in northern East Asian samples. The long, low vault also characterises non-Asian samples from Australia, Africa and Melanesia. Shape differences were significantly associated with latitude, explaining most of the variation. The identification of ancestral East Asian features in recent samples suggests phylogenetics may also be contributing to variation in part. The study concludes that there is clear evidence for geographical variation among modern East Asians, some if it being continuous (clinal) and some discontinuous. Importantly, much of the variation reflects adaptation to climate, with a phylogenetic component also recognised. The study contributes to our understanding of human evolution in a region that today constitutes around half of the world?s population.

The problem of climate change is the major challenge to the world community. However, the full world community still fails to find an adequate solution to this problem. In such a situation, the mutual efforts of plurilateral institutions, such as the G8+5, MEM (now MEF), APEC and APP are major drivers of the successful solution to the problem of climate change. This study examines these informal plurilateral institutions’ role, their effectiveness in policy creation and implementation, and their potential impact on global or regional climate governance to show that the APP and MEF have been effective in inducing climate action by their members. This paper applies an analytic framework of the six dimensions of global government developed by John J. Kirton. The development of environmental initiatives of six Asia-Pacific countries(the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, Korea and Russia) have been accompanied by the introduction of energy efficient technologies policies such as building and clean coal policies.

The problem of climate change is the major challenge to the world community. However, the full world community still fails to find an adequate solution to this problem. In such a situation, the mutual efforts of plurilateral institutions, such as the G8+5, MEM (now MEF), APEC and APP are major drivers of the successful solution to the problem of climate change. This study examines these informal plurilateral institutions’ role, their effectiveness in policy creation and implementation, and their potential impact on global or regional climate governance to show that the APP and MEF have been effective in inducing climate action by their members. This paper applies an analytic framework of the six dimensions of global government developed by John J. Kirton. The development of environmental initiatives of six Asia-Pacific countries(the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, Korea and Russia) have been accompanied by the introduction of energy efficient technologies policies such as building and clean coal policies.

The work presented in this thesis document reflects the results of a study carried out to better quantify the magnitude and fate of the anthropogenic air pollutants emitted from East Asia. Simulations of anthropogenic sulfur compounds by a regional on-line coupled chemistry-climate model suggest that large portions of East Asia have high SOx concentrations, and most subregions within East Asia are net exporters of SOx (SO2+SO4) (i.e. the anthropogenic S emissions from the region are greater than the deposition to the region). Among them, China is responsible for ~ 85% of the total emissions, and ~ 50 % of its total emitted SOx is exported to locations outside its borders. During the later winter to early spring when the continental outflow conditions predominate, about 20% of the total emitted SOx within the investigated area has been exported to North Pacific Ocean based on our model simulations. Those exported anthropogenic SOx from East Asia (mainly in the form of sulfate) is likely large enough to perturb the sulfate aerosol concentration over the North Pacific Ocean. Our investigation by integrating numerical simulations through a regional off-line full chemistry transport model, which is driven by the meteorological conditions calculated by a regional climate model, with field measurements of both gaseous and particulate species at a rural site adjacent to the largest industrialized area in China suggests that CO emissions from China, especially eastern China are likely underestimated by ~ 50 % in the current East Asia anthropogenic emission inventories. In addition, a 60-90 % underestimation of particulate carbonaceous emission in the inventories is suggested. Further statistical diagnoses, together with the back-trajectory analysis show that the missing CO sources are likely associated with SO2 sources that are already accounted for in the current inventories. This in turn suggests the emission factors of coal-combustors used in the current inventories are likely underestimated.

Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li zheng zhi da xue, 1971. / Includes bibliographical references (2nd. group).

Thèse--Université de Genève, 1973. / At head of title: Université de Genève, Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales. Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-154).

Thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.