Abstract China successfully achieved universal health insurance coverage in 2011, representing the largest expansion of insurance coverage in human history. While the achievement is widely ...recognized, it is still largely unexplored why China was able to attain it within a short period. This study aims to fill the gap. Through a systematic political and socio-economic analysis, it identifies seven major drivers for China's success, including (1) the SARS outbreak as a wake-up call, (2) strong public support for government intervention in health care, (3) renewed political commitment from top leaders, (4) heavy government subsidies, (5) fiscal capacity backed by China's economic power, (6) financial and political responsibilities delegated to local governments and (7) programmatic implementation strategy. Three of the factors seem to be unique to China (i.e., the SARS outbreak, the delegation, and the programmatic strategy.) while the other factors are commonly found in other countries’ insurance expansion experiences. This study also discusses challenges and recommendations for China's health financing, such as reducing financial risk as an immediate task, equalizing benefit across insurance programs as a long-term goal, improving quality by tying provider payment to performance, and controlling costs through coordinated reform initiatives. Finally, it draws lessons for other developing countries.
Oil sorbents play a very important part in the remediation processes of oil spills. To enhance the oil‐sorption properties and simplify the oil‐recovery process, various advanced oil sorbents and ...oil‐collecting devices based on them have been proposed recently. Here, we firstly discuss the design considerations for the fabrication of oil sorbents and describe recently developed oil sorbents based on modification strategy. Then, recent advances regarding oil sorbents mainly based on carbon materials and swellable oleophilic polymers are also presented. Subsequently, some additional properties are emphasized, which are required by oil sorbents to cope with oil spills under extreme conditions or to facilitate the oil‐collection processes. Furthermore, some oil‐collection devices based on oil sorbents that have been developed recently are shown. Finally, an outlook and challenges for the next generation of oil‐spill‐remediation technology based on oil‐sorbents materials are given.
Hydrophobic and oleophilic sorbent materials are demonstrated as promising candidates for the cleanup of oil spills. An overview of the latest developments and advances in the fabrication of oil sorbents through modification strategy, carbon‐based oil sorbents, and polymer‐based oil sorbents, as well as some smart oil sorbents and oil‐collecting devices based on oil‐sorbent materials are presented.
A built‐in electric field in electrocatalyst can significantly accumulate higher concentration of NO3− ions near electrocatalyst surface region, thus facilitating mass transfer for efficient nitrate ...removal at ultra‐low concentration and electroreduction reaction (NO3RR). A model electrocatalyst is created by stacking CuCl (111) and rutile TiO2 (110) layers together, in which a built‐in electric field induced from the electron transfer from TiO2 to CuCl (CuCl_BEF) is successfully formed . This built‐in electric field effectively triggers interfacial accumulation of NO3− ions around the electrocatalyst. The electric field also raises the energy of key reaction intermediate *NO to lower the energy barrier of the rate determining step. A NH3 product selectivity of 98.6 %, a low NO2− production of <0.6 %, and mass‐specific ammonia production rate of 64.4 h−1 is achieved, which are all the best among studies reported at 100 mg L−1 of nitrate concentration to date.
An electrocatalyst is created by stacking CuCl (111) and rutile TiO2 (110) layers together. A built‐in electric field induced from the electron transfer from TiO2 to CuCl (CuCl_BEF) is thus formed, which triggers interfacial accumulation of NO3− ions around the electrocatalyst. A NH3 product selectivity of 98.6 %, a low NO2− production of <0.6 %, and mass‐specific ammonia production rate of 64.4 h−1 is achieved.
Nitrate electrocatalytic reduction (NO3RR) for ammonia production is a promising strategy to close the N‐cycle from nitration contamination, as well as an alternative to the Haber–Bosch process with ...less energy consumption and carbon dioxide release. However, current long‐term stability of NO3RR catalysts is usually tens of hours, far from the requirements for industrialization. Here, symmetry‐broken Cusingle‐atom catalysts are designed, and the catalytic activity is retained after operation for more than 2000 h, while an average ammonia production rate of 27.84 mg h−1 cm−2 at an industrial level current density of 366 mA cm−2 is achieved, obtaining a good balance between catalytic activity and long‐term stability. Coordination symmetry breaking is achieved by embedding one Cu atom in graphene nanosheets with two N and two O atoms in the cis‐configuration, effectively lowering the coordination symmetry, rendering the active site more polar, and accumulating more NO3− near the electrocatalyst surface. Additionally, the cis‐coordination splits the Cu 3d orbitals, which generates an orbital‐symmetry‐matched π‐complex of the key intermediate *ONH and reduces the energy barrier, compared with the σ‐complex generated with other catalysts. These results reveal the critical role of coordination symmetry in single‐atom catalysts, prompting the design of more coordination‐symmetry‐broken electrocatalysts toward possible industrialization.
A coordination‐symmetry‐breaking Cusingle‐atom catalyst enables a good balance between catalytic activity and long‐term stability in nitrate electroreduction to ammonia. The catalytic activity is retained after operation for more than 2000 h, while an average ammonia production rate of 27.84 mg h−1 cm−2 at an industrial level current density of 366 mA cm−2 is achieved.
The rapid increase in per capita energy consumption is likely to be an important factor affecting the sustainable development of China's economy. In this study, the convergence of per capita energy ...consumption, which is an important inherent characteristic of China's energy consumption, is investigated using panel data for the period 1994–2014 for 30 Chinese provinces. To control for the potential spatial dependence in energy consumption per capita and introduce dynamics, appropriate spatial dynamic econometric models are employed. The empirical results indicate that there are both absolute and conditional β-convergences in per capita energy consumption across provinces. In addition, there is also evidence for an inverted U-shaped relationship between per capita energy consumption and per capita GDP. Therefore, per capita energy consumption would increase when economic development is relatively low. However, per capita energy consumption may decrease after a threshold level of economic development is reached. Among the factors that potential influence provincial energy consumption, the ratio of secondary industry value-added to GDP and the spatial correlation of energy consumptions in neighboring provinces are positively related to energy consumption per capita, while population density and per capita foreign direct investment do not affect energy consumption per capita significantly.
•β-convergence in energy consumption per capita across Chinese provinces is investigated.•Three spatial dynamic econometric models are employed to control for spatial correlation.•Both absolute and conditional β-convergences in per capita energy consumption exist.•There is evidence for an inverted U-shaped EKC for per capita energy consumption.•Economic structure and spatial spillover effect significantly affect energy consumption.
China is currently undergoing an important stage wherein it is adjusting its development mode and upgrading its industrial structure. Green investment has become a major driving force through which ...China can achieve green and sustainable development. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces for the 2006–2017 period, this paper uses a spatial Durbin model and a dynamic threshold model to empirically analyze the impact of green investment and institutional quality on environmental pollution. The research results show that China’s environmental pollution is significantly characterized by spatial dependence. Local environmental pollution is negatively impacted by green investment, but it is not affected by green investment in neighboring areas; this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. Green investment can reduce environmental pollution by improving efficiency of energy conservation and emission reduction, expanding technological innovation capabilities and upgrading the industrial structure. The regression results of the dynamic threshold model show that green investment has a nonlinear impact on environmental pollution that is dependent on institutional quality. A higher degree of regional corruption can lead to a gradual decrease in the role of green investment in reducing environmental pollution. However, improvements in marketization and intellectual property protection can increase the positive influence of green investment in reducing environmental pollution. Significant regional heterogeneity is also found in the impact of green investment on environmental pollution, and this impact gradually decreases from the eastern coast to the western region.
China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the cooperation of energy production and trade between the relevant countries. This paper investigates the relationship between the energy ...consumption and economic growth of the countries along the Belt and Road using a panel of data for 69 countries during the period between 1970 and 2013. Both of the renewable and traditional fossil energy consumptions are investigated in this study. By employing vector error correction model (VECM), fully modified OLS (FMOLS) and dynamic OLS (DOLS) approaches, the estimation results indicate that the nexuses of the energy consumption and economic developments vary across different subgroups. For the entire group, there is evidence of long−run bidirectional causalities among carbon emissions, energy use, industry value added and GDP per capita. For the energy−importing countries along the Belt and Road, there exists unidirectional short−run causality running from GDP to renewable energy and long−run causality in the reverse direction. In contrast, for the energy−exporting countries, there is a bidirectional causality between the energy use and GDP per capita in the long run. These findings suggest significant cooperation potential in the economies and trades of China and the Belt and Road countries.
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•The nexus of CO2 emissions and GDP is reinvestigated using a specific dataset.•The countries/regions along China's “the Belt and Road” initiative are examined.•The vector correction model, fully modified OLS and dynamic OLS approaches are employed.•Long−run bidirectional causalities between CO2 emissions, energy use and GDP exit.•Renewable energy contributes to long−run growth in the energy−importing countries.
Mathematics is a fundamental subject with significant implications in education and neuroscience. Understanding the cognitive processes underlying mathematical cognition is crucial for enhancing ...educational practices. However, mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety significantly hinder learning and application in this field. This systematic literature review aims to investigate the neuroscience basis and effective educational interventions for these challenges.
The review involved a comprehensive screening of 62 research articles that meet the ESSA evidence levels from multiple databases. The selection criteria focused on studies employing various methodologies, including behavioral experiments and neuroimaging techniques, to explore the neuroscience underpinnings and educational interventions related to mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety.
The review identified key themes and insights into the neuroscience basis of mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety. It also examined their impact on educational practices, highlighting the interplay between cognitive processes and educational outcomes. The analysis of these studies revealed significant findings on how these impairments and anxieties manifest and can be addressed in educational settings.
The review critically analyzes the shortcomings of existing research, noting gaps and limitations in current understanding and methodologies. It emphasizes the need for more comprehensive and diverse studies to better understand these phenomena. The discussion also suggests new directions and potential improvement strategies for future research, aiming to contribute to more effective educational interventions and enhanced learning experiences in mathematics.
This systematic review provides valuable insights into the neuroscience basis of mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety, offering a foundation for developing more effective educational strategies. It underscores the importance of continued research in this area to improve educational outcomes and support learners facing these challenges.