This paper proposes a metafrontier slack-based efficiency measure (MSBM) approach to model ecological total-factor energy efficiency. This new advanced approach incorporates group heterogeneities of ...regions, total slacks, and undesirable outputs simultaneously into energy efficiency analysis. We incorporate global environmental technology into the proposed model so as to improve its discriminating power. We conduct an empirical analysis of regional ecological energy efficiency by incorporating carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of China during 2001-2010. The results indicate that most of the provinces are not performing at high ecological energy efficiency. Significant regional technology gaps in ecological energy efficiency exist in three areas. We present some policy suggestions based on the empirical results.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Nanoparticles interacting with proteins to form protein corona represent one of the most fundamental problems in the rapid development of nanotechnology. In the past decade, thousands of studies have ...pointed out this issue. Within multi-protein systems, the formation of protein corona is a homeostasis process in which proteins compete for the limited surface sites of nanoparticles. Besides, the formation of protein corona generally shows a tendency of evolving with time and involves many different driving forces controlled by properties of nanoparticles, proteins and environment. Therefore, recent research on the dynamic process and mechanisms of protein corona formation in both animals and plants are summarized in this review. The factors that affect the formation and the techniques that commonly used for protein corona analysis are proposed. Furthermore, in order to provide reference for the future research, the limitations and challenges in protein corona studies are assessed and the future perspectives are proposed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This paper proposes a sequential meta-frontier Luenberger productivity index (SMLPI) that incorporates undesirable outputs to measure carbon productivity growth over time. This new index combines the ...concepts of sequential production technology, meta-frontier directional distance function, and the Luenberger productivity Index to produce a composite indicator, so that it can take group heterogeneities and the progressive nature of technology into consideration for productivity measurement. The SMLPI is then applied to a unique dataset of China's coal-fired power plants, including 5048 observations covering the period 1999–2008. The results show an increasing trend of carbon productivity growth during the sample period for both state- and non-state-owned power plants. Further decomposition analyses show that the production technology also exhibits an increasing trend for both groups, but the efficiency change exhibits a decreasing trend. For the state-owned group, the technology gap decreased before 2003, but increased thereafter. On the contrary, for the non-state-owned power plants, the technology gap increased before 2003, but decreased thereafter.
•A new sequential meta-frontier Luenberger productivity index is proposed.•The carbon productivity of China's power plants increased during 1999–2008.•The production technology increased while the efficiency change fluctuated.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The cross-cultural adaptation of social-emotional learning (SEL) has cast doubts. Although there are significant differences between low- and high-context cultures, few analyses have been conducted ...on the effects of SEL intervention in high-context cultures. To explore the effectiveness of the SEL program in China, which is different from low-context cultural background, this study presents findings from a meta-analysis of 86 randomized SEL programs involving 8,736 students. Compared with the control group, SEL participants significantly improved social-emotional competence (SEC), including SEL skills, attitudes, positive social behavior, and emotional distress (reduction). However, there was no significant improvement in behavioral problems. Due to the lack of emotional education in China and the Hawthorne effect, compared with SEL programs in low-context countries, China's SEL programs have improved SEC more, up to three times that of low-context countries. The general area of the school, SEL framework, intervention object, and educational level of participants moderates SEL positive outcomes. Types of textbooks, SEL framework, participant features, and educational level of participants moderate SEL negative outcomes. These findings provide empirical evidence for the positive impact of SEL programs in China. To improve the SEC of Chinese students, policymakers should actively implement SEL programs in China.
Although the physical effects of air pollution on humans are well documented, there may be even greater impacts on the emotional state and health. Surveys have traditionally been used to explore the ...impact of air pollution on people's subjective well-being (SWB). However, the survey techniques usually take long periods to properly match the air pollution characteristics from monitoring stations to each respondent's SWB at both disaggregated spatial and temporal levels. Here, we used air pollution data to simulate fixed-scene images and psychophysical process to examine the impact from only air pollution on SWB. Findings suggest that under the atmospheric conditions in Beijing, negative emotions occur when PM
(particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm) increases to approximately 150 AQI (air quality index). The British observers have a stronger negative response under severe air pollution compared with Chinese observers. People from different social groups appear to have different sensitivities to SWB when air quality index exceeds approximately 200 AQI.
No Poverty is the top priority among 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research perspectives, methods, and subject integration of studies on poverty reduction have been greatly developed ...with the advance of practice in the 21st century. This paper analyses 2,459 papers on poverty reduction since 2000 using VOSviewer software and R language. Our conclusions show that (1) the 21st century has seen a sharp increase in publications of poverty reduction, especially the period from 2015 to date. (2) The divergence in research quantity and quality between China and Kenya is great. (3) Economic studies focus on inequality and growth, while environmental studies focus on protection and management mechanisms. (4) International cooperation is usually related to geographical location and conducted by developed countries with developing countries together. (5) Research on poverty reduction in different regions has specific sub-themes. Our findings provide an overview of the state of the research and suggest that there is a need to strengthen the integration of disciplines and pay attention to the contribution of marginal disciplines to poverty reduction research in the future.
This paper examines total-factor environmental performance for various regions in China based on the metafrontier directional distance function. This approach can measure the environmental ...performance of undesirable outputs (pollutants). Technological heterogeneity can be taken into account simultaneously by taking a metafrontier approach. First, the concept of a generalized metafrontier directional distance function is proposed for the model. Second, several standardized composite indicators of environmental performance are developed. Third, the metafrontier directional distance function is estimated by solving a series of data envelopment analysis models. Finally, various regions in China are empirically examined, and the results and their implications are discussed. The results indicate substantial heterogeneity in environmental performance across regions, and some policy suggestions are proposed based on these results.
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CEKLJ, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The carbon emissions of the power industry in China rank the highest among all industries. There is an urgent need to explore the development path of the power industry under carbon peaking and ...carbon neutrality. Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and carbon tax policy are effective policy instruments for realizing the low-carbon transition in the power industry. When both RPS and carbon tax policy are implemented, can they drive carbon reduction in the power industry? This paper constructs an electricity market equilibrium model and a system dynamics (SD) model to analyse the impact of multiple policies in electricity markets to address this question. There were several important results. (1) The increase in quota ratio and carbon tax price negatively impacts the generation of thermal power firms, which raises their willingness to invest in renewable energy. (2) The intensity of emissions reduction has a significant influence on the effectiveness of emissions reduction. The greater the emissions reduction intensity, the better the carbon emissions reduction effect, but the power supply declines. (3) Under multiple policies, green power firms choose cost padding to achieve profit maximization goals, which reduces green power generation and leads to market inefficiency.
•This paper considers the simultaneous implementation of RPS and carbon tax policies.•This paper develops the electricity market equilibrium model and SD model.•This paper designs multiple scenario analysis.•This paper analyzes whether green power firms choose to cost padding.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Checkpoint immunotherapy (CPI) has increased survival for some patients with advanced-stage bladder cancer (BCa). However, most patients do not respond. Here, we characterized the tumor and immune ...microenvironment in pre- and post-treatment tumors from the PURE01 neoadjuvant pembrolizumab immunotherapy trial, using a consolidative approach that combined transcriptional and genetic profiling with digital spatial profiling. We identify five distinctive genetic and transcriptomic programs and validate these in an independent neoadjuvant CPI trial to identify the features of response or resistance to CPI. By modeling the regulatory network, we identify the histone demethylase KDM5B as a repressor of tumor immune signaling pathways in one resistant subtype (S1, Luminal-excluded) and demonstrate that inhibition of KDM5B enhances immunogenicity in FGFR3-mutated BCa cells. Our study identifies signatures associated with response to CPI that can be used to molecularly stratify patients and suggests therapeutic alternatives for subtypes with poor response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy.
The Cathepsins family, including cathepsin B and cathepsin D, potentially affects the entire processes involved in atherosclerosis. Although coronary heart disease (CHD) has been widely studied as ...the basis of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), the relationship between CHD and CTSB/D remains unclear.
We screened for differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) associated with autophagy by limma package in R. For the genes corresponding to the DEPs after screening, we used various databases to carry out functional enrichment of related DEGs to explore their possible influence on a specific aspect of the disease. Functional enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed by DAVID, Metascape and GSEA. STRING and Cytoscape were obtained the hub genes, the analysis of interaction networks through the GENMANIA and Networkanalyst. Western Blot was used to validate the protein expression level of target genes. TF and miRNA prediction were performed using Networkanalyst and visualized using Cytoscape.
The expression levels of members of the cathepsin family were up regulated in CHD tissues compared with the control. GO and KEGG revealed that cathepsin was markedly enriched in endopeptidase activities, immune responses, lysosome pathways, et al. The correlation analysis showed that in patients with CHD, the CTSB/CTSD expression were negatively correlated with ATG4D and BNIP3, but positively with BCL2L1, CAPNS1, and TP53. In the TF-mRNA-miRNA network, has-miR-24-3p and has-miR-128-3p had higher degrees, CTSB/CTSD could be targeted by them.
Our findings elucidated the expression and regulatory role of cathepsins in coronary heart disease induced SCD and might further explore the potential mechanisms of autophagy in CHD.
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