Developing countries have depleted their natural resources in economic interest to achieve high economic growth. Current urbanization patterns and energy consumption and natural resource extraction ...are largely unsustainable. In this background, this paper investigates the impact of natural resources rent, energy resources consumption, and tax revenue on carbon emissions for developing countries. The study employed data for 48 developing countries from 1990 to 2020. We used second-generation methods for empirical analysis that control heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence in the data. The advanced panel data estimates of CS-ARDL provide reliable outcomes by addressing these panel data econometric issues. The study results revealed that natural resources or natural resources rent in their exploitation accelerates carbon emission. Similarly, energy resources excessive consumption and economic growth are highly carbon-intensive for these countries and lead to environmental degradation. In contrast, tax revenue and education stabilized the environmental quality of the study interest. Besides this, to analyze the directional association among variables, the study applied DH causality test, which indicates a bidirectional link between tax revenues and emissions, energy resources and emissions, and income and CO
2
emissions. Based on the finding, the study suggests some policy implications to limit the extraction of natural resources and abate carbon emissions by establishing appropriate strategies and imposing environmental charges.
This paper first conducts knowledge point association analysis on a large amount of data collected in practical applications. Data mining includes data collection, data preprocessing, actual mining, ...and result analysis, establishes knowledge point association rules table, and develops college English diagnostic practice system. Then, starting from the existing paper composition mode of the system, the knowledge point association rule table is introduced, and the knowledge point association relationship mining model is constructed using the association rule algorithm to explore the potential influence relationship between different knowledge points that affect the improvement of learning quality. Finally, the data collected when the system is used is preprocessed, and the three dimensions of learning status evaluation, question-type association analysis, and college English score prediction are, respectively, modeled. Finally, after combining these submodels, a relatively complete and reliable diagnosis is obtained by evaluation model and related verification.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are often detected in the environment and are regarded as endocrine disruptors. We here designated mixtures of PAHs in the environment as environmental PAHs ...(ePAHs) to discuss their effects collectively, which could be different from the sum of the constituent PAHs. We first summarized the biological impact of environmental PAHs (ePAHs) found in the atmosphere, sediments, soils, and water as a result of human activities, accidents, or natural phenomena. ePAHs are characterized by their sources and forms, followed by their biological effects and social impact, and bioassays that are used to investigate their biological effects. The findings of the bioassays have demonstrated that ePAHs have the ability to affect the endocrine systems of humans and animals. The pathways that mediate cell signaling for the endocrine disruptions induced by ePAHs and PAHs have also been summarized in order to obtain a clearer understanding of the mechanisms responsible for these effects without animal tests; they include specific signaling pathways (MAPK and other signaling pathways), regulatory mechanisms (chromatin/epigenetic regulation, cell cycle/DNA damage control, and cytoskeletal/adhesion regulation), and cell functions (apoptosis, autophagy, immune responses/inflammation, neurological responses, and development/differentiation) induced by specific PAHs, such as benzaanthracene, benzoapyrene, benzlaceanthrylene, cyclopentac,dpyrene, 7,12-dimethylbenzaanthracene, fluoranthene, fluorene, 3-methylcholanthrene, perylene, phenanthrene, and pyrene as well as their derivatives. Estrogen signaling is one of the most studied pathways associated with the endocrine-disrupting activities of PAHs, and involves estrogen receptors and aryl hydrocarbon receptors. However, some of the actions of PAHs are contradictory, complex, and unexplainable. Although several possibilities have been suggested, such as direct interactions between PAHs and receptors and the suppression of their activities through other pathways, the mechanisms underlying the activities of PAHs remain unclear. Thus, standardized assay protocols for pathway-based assessments are considered to be important to overcome these issues.
•Over 250 references are reviewed to understand the current status of studies about ePAHs.•Bioassays for the study of ePAHs are summarized.•A total of 41 cell signaling pathways are discussed in association with ePAHs.•A comprehensive list of estrogenic/antiestrogenic PAHs and ePAHs is provided.
Environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Abstract
Academic dishonesty is becoming a big concern for the education systems worldwide. Despite much research on the factors associated with academic dishonesty and the methods to alleviate it, ...it remains a common problem at the university level. In the current study, we conducted a survey to link personality traits (using the HEXACO model) and people’s general attitudes towards the rule (i.e., “rule conditionality” and “perceived obligation to obey the law/rule”) to academic dishonesty among 370 university students. Using correlational analysis and structural equation modeling, the results indicated that both personality traits and attitudes towards the rule significantly predicted academic misconduct. The findings have important implications for researchers and university educators in dealing with academic misconduct.
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•Struvite recovery from produced water was investigated for the first time.•Calcium pretreatment by Na2CO3 achieved low Mg2+ loss and high Ca2+ removal.•High-purity struvite was ...obtained under Mg/N/P molar ratio = 1.5:1:1.5 & pH = 9.5.•Struvite precipitate was free of heavy metals and organic contaminants.•High toxicity reduction towards Vibrio fischeri (60%) was observed.
Unconventional oil and gas industries generate huge amounts of produced water (PW) containing high concentrations of potentially hazardous organic and inorganic contaminants. This study demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneously recovering NH4+, K+ and Mg2+ from PW by struvite precipitation after calcium pretreatment with Na2CO3 addition or CO2 stripping. Without pretreatment, calcium exhibited strong competition for phosphate through the formation of Ca3(PO4)2 precipitate. The pretreatment with a Ca2+:CO32− molar ratio of 1:1.2 achieved a relatively low loss rate of Mg2+ (31.3%) and high Ca2+ removal efficiency (95.9%). The results also revealed that the Mg/N/P molar ratio and solution pH had a remarkable effect on the struvite precipitation, while the seeding dosage and Na+ slightly influenced struvite formation. The combination of pH = 9.5 & Mg/N/P molar ratio = 1.5:1:1.5 was ideal for struvite recovery from PW, resulting in NH4+, K+ and Mg2+ recovery efficiencies of 85.9%, 24.8% and 96.8%, respectively. The results of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy further confirmed that the precipitates generated at this optimal condition were orthorhombic struvite. Moreover, along with the struvite recovery, no accumulation of heavy metals and organic contaminants was observed, indicating that the struvite quality was sufficient for field application. Furthermore, struvite recovery process was able to reduce the Microtox toxicity of PW towards Vibrio fischeri by 60%. Considering the low cost and relatively simple technology, struvite precipitation process has the potential to be used for large-scale applications for produced water treatment and resource recovery.
In the present study, we collected valence, arousal, concreteness, familiarity, imageability, and context availability ratings for a total of 1,100 Chinese words. The ratings for all variables were ...collected with 9-point Likert scales. We tested the reliability of the present database by comparing it to the extant Chinese Affective Word System, and performed split-half correlations for all six variables. We then evaluated the relationships between all variables. Regarding the affective variables, we found a typical quadratic relation between valence and arousal, in line with previous findings. Likewise, significant correlations were found between the semantic variables. Importantly, we explored the relationships between ratings for the affective variables (i.e., valence and arousal) and concreteness ratings, suggesting that valence and arousal ratings can predict concreteness ratings. This database of affective norms will be a valuable source of information for emotion research that makes use of Chinese words, and will enable researchers to use highly controlled Chinese verbal stimuli to more reliably investigate the relation between cognition and emotion.
A stereodivergent reductive coupling reaction between allylic carbonates and vinyl triflates to furnish both E‐ and Z‐configured 1,4‐dienes has been achieved by visible‐light‐induced ...photoredox/nickel dual catalysis. The mild reaction conditions allow good compatibility of both vinyl triflates and allylic carbonates. Notably, the stereoselectivity of this synergistic cross‐electrophile coupling can be tuned by an appropriate photocatalyst with a suitable triplet‐state energy, providing a practical and stereodivergent means to alkene synthesis. Preliminary mechanistic studies shed some light on the coupling step as well as the control of the stereoselectivity step.
EZ switch: A stereodivergent reductive coupling reaction between allylic carbonates and vinyl triflates to yield both E‐ and Z‐configured 1,4‐dienes has been achieved by visible‐light‐induced photoredox/nickel catalysis. The stereoselectivity of this cross‐electrophile coupling can be tuned by choosing an appropriate photocatalyst, providing a practical and stereodivergent means to alkene synthesis.
Despite the discovery of animal coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2, the evolutionary origins of this virus are elusive. We describe a meta-transcriptomic study of 411 bat samples collected from a ...small geographical region in Yunnan province, China, between May 2019 and November 2020. We identified 24 full-length coronavirus genomes, including four novel SARS-CoV-2-related and three SARS-CoV-related viruses. Rhinolophus pusillus virus RpYN06 was the closest relative of SARS-CoV-2 in most of the genome, although it possessed a more divergent spike gene. The other three SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses carried a genetically distinct spike gene that could weakly bind to the hACE2 receptor in vitro. Ecological modeling predicted the co-existence of up to 23 Rhinolophus bat species, with the largest contiguous hotspots extending from South Laos and Vietnam to southern China. Our study highlights the remarkable diversity of bat coronaviruses at the local scale, including close relatives of both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV.
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•Four novel SARS-CoV-2-related viruses were identified in rhinolophid bats•RpYN06 is the closest relative of SARS-CoV-2 in most of the virus genome•A high diversity of bat coronaviruses was present in a very small geographic area•Ecological modeling reveals a broad range of rhinolophid bats in parts of Asia
A study of 411 bat samples collected in Yunnan province, China between 2019 and 2020 yields 24 full-length coronavirus genomes, including four viruses highly related to SARS-CoV-2 and three to SARS. The closest relative to SARS-CoV-2 infects a species of bats that is found in regions that extend from South Laos and Vietnam to southern China.
Microcystins are cyanotoxins produced by many species of cyanobacteria. They are specific inhibitors of serine/threonine protein phosphatases and are phytotoxic to agricultural plants. This study ...used a formal meta-analysis to estimate the phytotoxicity and bioconcentration rates of agricultural plants exposed to microcystins, and the human health risk from consuming microcystin-contaminated plants. Among the 35 agricultural plants investigated, microcystins were most phytotoxic to durum wheat, corn, white mustard and garden cress. Leafy vegetables such as dill, parsley and cabbage could bioconcentrate ∼3 times more microcystins in their edible parts than other agricultural plants. Although the human health risk from ingesting microcystins could be greater for leafy vegetables than other agricultural plants, further work is needed to confirm bioconcentration of microcystins in realistic water-soil-plant environments. Still, we should avoid growing leafy vegetables, durum wheat and corn on agricultural land that is irrigated with microcystins-contaminated water and be attentive to the risk of microcystins contamination in the agricultural food supply.
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•Microcystins phytotoxicity in agricultural plants was studied by meta-analysis.•Greater phytotoxicity of microcystins is from natural bloom extract.•Durum wheat, corn, white mustard and garden cress exhibited the most phytotoxicity.•Leafy vegetables could bioconcentrate ∼3 times more microcystins than other plants.•Human health risk from ingesting microcystins could be greater for leafy vegetables.
Human ingestion of agricultural plants that bioconcentrate microcystins from contaminated irrigation water is an emerging public health issue.
The translation of unparalleled efficiency from the lab-scale devices to practical-scale flexible modules affords a huge performance loss for flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The degradation ...is attributed to the brittleness and discrepancy of perovskite crystal growth upon different substrates. Inspired by robust crystallization and flexible structure of vertebrae, herein, we employ a conductive and glued polymer between indium tin oxide and perovskite layers, which simultaneously facilitates oriented crystallization of perovskite and sticks the devices. With the results of experimental characterizations and theoretical simulations, this bionic interface layer accurately controls the crystallization and acts as an adhesive. The flexible PSCs achieve the power conversion efficiencies of 19.87% and 17.55% at effective areas of 1.01 cm
and 31.20 cm
respectively, retaining over 85% of original efficiency after 7000 narrow bending cycles with negligible angular dependence. Finally, the modules are assembled into a wearable solar-power source, enabling the upscaling of flexible electronics.
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