The impact of regional policy implementation on the decoupling of carbon emissions and economic development.

The contradiction between economic growth demands and the achievement of the "dual-carbon" goals at the regional level is a pressing issue in China. As a significant economic and cultural center in the western region of China, the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration has experienced rapid development and urbanization, making it one of the key areas for national development. Therefore, greater attention should be given to carbon emission reduction in this region. This study focuses on the dataset from 2010 to 2019 in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration, utilizing an input-output table to construct a carbon dioxide emission inventory. The research investigates the impact of regional classification on carbon emission levels within the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration. Furthermore, the Tapio decoupling analysis method is employed to assess the decoupling coefficient between regional economic development and carbon emissions. Additionally, the Theil index inequality analysis method is utilized to measure the disparities in per capita carbon emissions among cities within the region. Research findings indicate the following: 1) The regional classification of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration is an effective policy for reducing regional carbon emissions and promoting carbon emissions reduction. 2) There exist variations in energy and industrial structures among cities within the urban agglomeration, necessitating tailored measures for low-carbon transition based on the specific circumstances of each city. 3) The regional classification of the urban agglomeration significantly influences the degree of decoupling between economic development and carbon emissions, with a trend towards stronger decoupling. The study suggests that cities within the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration should adopt measures aligned with their natural conditions and economic characteristics to achieve a low-carbon transition. Leveraging the regional cooperation capacity of the urban agglomeration is crucial to decouple economic development from carbon emissions, thereby promoting sustainable economic growth and environmental protection in a mutually beneficial manner.

Leadership Blossoms in Parental Warmth: Positive Parenting Practices Shape Adolescent Leader Emergence via Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Mechanisms.

Developing leadership skills during adolescence is crucial for future career success. Previous studies have primarily focused on the impact of school settings, academic courses, and simulated team tasks on leader emergence, neglecting the significant role of parental influence in this process. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research investigated the positive relationship between parental warmth and adolescent leader emergence and the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. The quantitative study (Study 1) collected multi-source data from 1255 adolescents (Mage = 14.2, SDage = 0.56, 48.2% male) and their parents, teachers and peers. Findings from Study 1 revealed a positive correlation between parental warmth and adolescent leader emergence. Structural equation modeling showed two mediating pathways: an intrapersonal pathway involving self-esteem and leader self-efficacy, and an interpersonal pathway involving empathy and prosocial behavior. Encouragement of independence, as an additional adolescents-focused parenting practice, strengthened the observed positive relationship. The qualitative study (Study 2) conducted in-depth interviews with adolescents to identify the parental practices that facilitate or hinder adolescent leader emergence for the triangulation of the central research question. Study 2 collected data from 32 adolescents (Mage = 15.16, SDage = 1.37, 50% male). Findings from Study 2 corroborated the significance of parental warmth and the encouragement of independence for adolescent leader emergence, elucidating specific parenting behaviors conducive to these positive parenting practices, such as providing companionship and communication, as well as encouraging adolescents to participate in household tasks. This mix-methods research prepositioned the stages of leadership development, advocating for the importance of the warmth and autonomy from parents as formative factors for cultivating the next generation of leaders.

Tech-economic modeling and analysis of agricultural photovoltaic-water systems for irrigation in arid areas.

Affected by the shortage of water resources and land degradation, the sustainable development of agriculture in more and more arid areas will face serious obstacles. The combinations of agricultural photovoltaic, water transportation and irrigation systems are considered as a potential choice to solve above problem. This study aims to investigate the competitiveness of various system configurations to transport water from water resource to agricultural irrigation systems driven by the output power of agricultural photovoltaic. Including the levelized cost of electricity and net present value, a comprehensive techno-economic assessment model is proposed to analyze the agricultural photovoltaic and irrigation systems in arid areas for six scenarios. The applicability of the proposed model in managing regional water and renewable energy nexus systems was tested through application to a real-world case study in the Gansu province, China. Assuming that the baseline transportation distance is 50 km, the results show that exporting water to farmland through electric water trucks shows the best economic performance with the net present value of 13.71 MU$, and every 10 km increase in the transportation distance can decrease the net present value by 1.32 MU$. An important finding is that when the transportation distance was greater than 100 km, pipeline transportation mode was more economical than electric water truck transportation mode. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to analyze the electricity and water prices, farmland size, photovoltaic efficiency on the economic performance of these systems. Results show that only when the electricity price was greater than 0.08 $/kWh, pipeline transport mode yielded positive benefits, and every 0.1$/m3 increase in the water price can increase the net present value by 0.2 MU$.

Ball Milling Solid-State Synthesis of Highly Crystalline Prussian Blue Analogue Na2-x MnFe(CN)6 Cathodes for All-Climate Sodium-Ion Batteries.

With a series of merits, Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) have been considered as superior cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Their commercialization, however, still suffers from inferior stability, considerable [Fe(CN)6 ] defects and interstitial water in the framework, which are related to the rapid crystal growth. Herein, a "water-in-salt" nanoreactor is proposed to synthesize highly crystallized PBAs with decreased defects and water, which show both superior specific capacity and rate capability in SIBs. The air-stability, all-climate, and full-cell properties of our PBA have also been evaluated, and it exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance and higher volume yield than its counterpart synthesized via the water-based co-precipitation method. Furthermore, their highly reversible sodium-ion storage behavior has been measured and identified via multiple in situ techniques. This work could pave the way for the PBA-based SIBs in grid-scale energy-storage systems.

A Novel Method for the Accurate Measurement of Soil Infiltration Line by Portable Vector Network Analyzer.

Accurate measurement of soil infiltration lines is very important for agricultural irrigation systems. It can help monitor the irrigation of soil to control irrigation amounts and promote crop growth. The soil infiltration line is a complex dynamic boundary and is difficult to model accurately, leading to estimation deviation. A traditional TDR (time domain reflectometry) method is used in soil infiltration line measurement, but it lacks good applicability and accuracy. In this paper, we proposed a method-VFTT (The vector network analyzer's frequency domain signals are converted to the time domain)-by the time domain to frequency domain conversion principle to improve the accuracy of soil infiltration line measurement. The experiment results show that the measurement method of soil infiltration line based on VFTT has high accuracy and robustness. After fitting the measured value with the actual one, R2 reaching more than 0.98 can effectively measure the position of the soil infiltration line.

Integrating satellite and reanalysis precipitation products for SWAT hydrological simulation in the Jing River Basin, China.

In hydrological studies, satellite and reanalysis precipitation products are increasingly being used to supplement gauge observation data. This study designed the composite simulation index (COSI), considering two factors: F1 (data accuracy assessment) and F2 (hydrological simulation performance), to compare the performance of the latest satellite-based and reanalysis-based precipitation products (IMERG, ERA5, ERA5-Land), the prior precipitation products (TRMM, CMADS), and the multi-source weighted-ensemble precipitation (MSWEP). The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was then applied to compare and analyze the hydrological simulation performance of four preferred products using three data fusion methods including simple model averaging, variance-based weighted averaging, and the latest quantile-based Bayesian model averaging (QBMA). The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Reanalysis products are superior to satellite-based products in terms of F1. However, the satellite-based precipitation products exhibit less BIAS and relatively higher F2, while the MSWEP has relatively high performance on both F1 and F2. (2) Among reanalysis-based precipitation products, CMADS has the best COSI value of 0.53. Although ERA5-Land shows good performance for individual parameters, the comprehensive assessment reveals that ERA5 outperforms ERA5-Land in terms of both F1 and F2. (3) IMERG and TRMM exhibit similar spatiotemporal patterns and similar F1, but IMERG is superior in F2. (4) QBMA outperformed traditional methods in F2, improving the NS coefficient of SWAT model from 0.74 to 0.85. These findings provide a useful reference for analyzing the strengths and limitations of satellite-based and reanalysis precipitation products, and also provide valuable ideas for the combined application of multi-source precipitation products in hydrological studies.

Deciphering the point source carbon footprint puzzle: Land use dynamics and socio-economic drivers.

Point source carbon emissions account for approximately 80 % of total emissions. Investigating the influence of land use and socio-economic indicators on these emissions is crucial for achieving sustainable development goals. Existing research faces challenges such as focusing on specific regions, mixing variables that may exhibit multicollinearity, and lacking sufficient land use information. This study takes China, the largest emitting country, as a case study, utilizing geospatial big data to subdivide land use into 11 categories based on emission sectors. The impacts of land use and socio-economic indicators on different emission sectors are discussed from the perspectives of bivariate and spatial statistical analysis, with spatial hotspots identified. Hierarchical regression is used to evaluate the explanatory power of the indicators and to establish models, and potential carbon reduction strategies are further explored. Key findings reveal: (1) Significant multicollinearity between land use and socio-economic indicators was demonstrated, with land use explaining 57.1 % of emissions compared to 37.4 % explained by socio-economic indicators. The spatial consistency between land use and emissions exceeds 80 %, and the spatiotemporal variability is relatively low, making land use a more advantageous factor in explaining point source carbon emissions. (2) Agricultural mechanization increases emission intensity, but this efficient farming method helps convert surplus plowland, the largest influencing factor (Coefficient = 0.717), into carbon sinks, thereby controlling agricultural emissions. (3) Land intensification helps control industrial land, the main factor influencing industrial emissions (Coefficient = 0.392). It also contributes to the efficient use of carbon reduction technologies and industrial supporting land. (4) Mixed commercial and residential land has the greatest impact on commercial, service, and household emissions. However, its relationship with the economy (Correlation = 0.479) is stronger than its relationship with emissions (Correlation = 0.182), making it more applicable to cities that serve as economic growth hubs.

P-doped spherical hard carbon with high initial coulombic efficiency and enhanced capacity for sodium ion batteries.

Hard carbon (HC) is one of the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its cost-effectiveness and low-voltage plateau capacity. Heteroatom doping is considered as an effective strategy to improve the sodium storage capacity of HC. However, most of the previous heteroatom doping strategies are performed at a relatively low temperature, which could not be utilized to raise the low-voltage plateau capacity. Moreover, extra doping of heteroatoms could create new defects, leading to a low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE). Herein, we propose a repair strategy based on doping a trace amount of P to achieve a high capacity along with a high ICE. By employing the cross-linked interaction between glucose and phytic acid to achieve the in situ P doped spherical hard carbon, the obtained PHC-0.2 possesses a large interlayer space that facilitates Na+ storage and transportation. In addition, doping a suitable amount of P could repair some defects in carbon layers. When used as an anode material for SIBs, the PHC-0.2 exhibits an enhanced reversible capacity of 343 mA h g-1 at 20 mA g-1 with a high ICE of 92%. Full cells consisting of a PHC-0.2 anode and a Na2Fe0.5Mn0.5[Fe(CN)6] cathode exhibited an average potential of 3.1 V with an initial discharge capacity of 255 mA h g-1 and an ICE of 85%. The full cell displays excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 80.3% after 170 cycles. This method is simple and low-cost, which can be extended to other energy storage materials.

Carbon nanosphere synthesis and applications for rechargeable batteries.

Carbon nanospheres (CNSs) have attracted great interest in energy conversion and storage technologies due to their excellent chemical and thermal stability, high electrical conductivity and controllable size structure characteristics. In order to further improve the energy storage properties, many efforts have been made to design suitable nanocarbon spherical materials to improve electrochemical performance. In this overview, we summarize the recent research progress on CNSs, mainly focusing on the synthesis methods and their application as high-performance electrode materials in rechargeable batteries. As for the synthesis methods, hard template methods, soft template methods, the extension of the Stöber method, hydrothermal carbonization, aerosol-assisted synthesis are described in detail. In addition, the use of CNSs as electrodes in energy storage devices (mainly concentrated on lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are also discussed in detail in this article. Finally, some perspectives on the future research and development of CNSs are provided.

Metonymic event-based time interval concepts in Mandarin Chinese-Evidence from time interval words.

Starting from the overwhelming view that time is metaphorically conceptualized in terms of space, this study will, on the one hand, take the time interval words into minute analysis to confirm our view of event conceptualization of time at a more basic level along with space-time metaphoric conceptualization of time at a relational level. In alignment with the epistemology of the time-space conflation of the Chinese ancestors, our view is supported by the systematic examination of evidence related to the cultural origins of the conceptualization of time, through a scrutiny of the original meanings and construction of words related to intervals of time in Mandarin Chinese. This study offers a new explanation of how: (1) the conceptualization of time in Chinese is realized through metonymic cognition and (2) words related to specific intervals of time are coined based on the metonymic conceptualization of related events or a corresponding event schema. Five major types of event-based metonymies are identified, and their interactive functions are illustrated. Based on this evidence, we argue that the double nature of both metaphoric and metonymic time conceptualization in Mandarin Chinese lies in the fact that time interval words can be used in its time categorial sense or as a time entity which suggests the etymological origins of Chinese as ideograph. It is concluded therefore that the event-based metonymy conceptualization of time can provide better insights into the characteristics of Chinese modes of thinking and its influences on the perception of and interaction with the world. This study can also serve as good evidence for the shaping effect of language on cognition.

Effect of alloy elements on iridium shear modulus by Ab initio analysis.

The effect of the addition of rhodium (Rh), rhenium (Re), tungsten (W), gold (Au), and platinum (Pt) on the shear modulus of face-centered cubic iridium (Ir) was investigated using an ab initio method. The shear modulus was calculated using the second derivative of the strain energy with respect to strain. It was found that both the bulk modulus (G) and the ratio (G/B) between bulk and shear modulus decreased with the addition of elements to the Ir, which meant that all five of these alloy elements lowered the brittleness of the bulk Ir. The decreased shear modulus was the main factor for the lowered brittleness. And the decreasing order of shear modulus in the [112] and [100] crystalline directions was Ir > Rh > Pt > W = Au > Re and Ir > W > Rh > Pt > Au > Re respectively. The reason for the order was both the atomic distance and the bond strength between alloy atoms and Ir atoms. The larger bond strength meant the larger shear modulus, and the smaller atomic distance meant the smaller shear modulus.

The Developmental Process of Peer Support Networks: The Role of Friendship.

This study investigated the characteristics and development of peer support networks in an effort to unravel the role of friendship in this developmental process. The relationships between friendship networks and peer support networks were explored, and the influence of dyadic and triadic friendships on the development of peer support relationships was examined. Two waves of data were collected among a sample of adolescents in six Chinese junior high schools (n = 913 students from 28 classrooms; mean age = 14.13 years; 50.49% boys), and classroom friendship networks and peer support networks were analyzed. The results showed that peer support networks were sparse, hierarchical, and sex-segregated. Furthermore, peer support networks and friendship networks partially overlapped. Friends tended to have similar support-seeking and support-providing ties. Longitudinal multiplex social network analysis revealed that peer support networks changed moderately over time, and friendships played various roles in the development of peer support networks. Dyadic friendships improved the formation of peer support ties. A mutual friend improved the formation of support relationships between two students when the mutual friend chose the two students as friends, but a mutual friend also hindered or had no effects on the formation of support relationships in other cases. The implications for educators to improve peer support networks are presented, and directions for future research are discussed.

Recent Progress on Intercalation-Based Anode Materials for Low-Cost Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Intercalation-based anode materials can be considered as the most promising anode candidates for large-scale sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), owing to their long-term cycling stability and environmental friendliness, as well as their natural abundance. Nevertheless, their low energy density, low initial coulombic efficiency, and poor cycling lifespan, as well as sluggish sodium diffusion dynamics are still the main issues for the application of intercalation-based anode materials in SIBs in terms of meeting the benchmark requirements for commercialization. Over the past few years, tremendous efforts have been devoted to improving the performance of SIBs. In this Review, recent progress in the development of intercalation-based anode materials, including TiO2 , Li4 Ti5 O12 , Na2 Ti3 O7 , and NaTi2 (PO4 )3 , is summarized in terms of their sodium storage performance, critical issues, sodiation/desodiation behavior, and effective strategies to enhance their electrochemical performance. Additionally, challenges and perspectives are provided to further understand these intercalation-based anode materials.

Data on the use of optional ergative case marking in Tujia, an endangered language of southwest China.

Agents are optionally marked in Tujia, an endangered language spoken in southwest China. Sentences, discourse texts and conversations are presented in this dataset.

Leader development begins at home: Overparenting harms adolescent leader emergence.

There is increasing interest in the early roots and influencing factors of leadership potential from a life span development perspective. This conceptual and empirical work extends traditional approaches focusing on adults in organizational settings. From the perspective of early influences on leader development, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of overparenting on adolescent leader emergence, influencing mechanisms, and sex differences. Students (N = 1,255) from 55 classrooms in 13 junior high schools participated, with additional responses from their parents, peers, and teachers. The results indicated that overparenting is negatively related to adolescent leader emergence as indicated by parent ratings, teacher ratings, and peer nominations in addition to leader role occupancy. The negative effects of overparenting on leader emergence (perceived and actual) were serially mediated by self-esteem and leader self-efficacy. In addition, sex difference analysis revealed that male adolescents received more overparenting and showed less leader emergence (perceived and actual) than female adolescents. Female adolescents' self-esteem was more likely to be negatively related to overparenting, and female adolescents' leader emergence (perceived and actual) was more strongly related to their leader self-efficacy when compared with male adolescents. Implications for life span leader development theory, for youth and adult leadership development practices, and for parenting practices on future generations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of optimum conditions for Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides encapsulated in cubosomes and immunological activity in vitro.

Cubosomes, as biocompatible carriers in drug delivery systems, consist of curved bicontinuous lipid bilayers. With a honeycombed structure divided into two internal aqueous channels, cubosomes could be used for many bioactive ingredients. Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides (ABPs) are isolated from the roots of Achyranthes bidentata, used in Chinese herbal medicine, and present a noticeable effect as an immunomodulator. This study investigates the optimal preparation of combined cubosome-ABP (Cub-ABP) nanoparticles using response surface methodology and explores their characteristics and stability. The encapsulation efficiency of optimized Cub-ABPs was 72.59%. In-vitro stability studies demonstrated the stability of Cub-ABPs and cubosome nanoparticles without ABPs; both were stable for up to 25days. Safe concentrations of Cub-ABPs and cubosome nanoparticles without ABPs are 104.06µg/mL and 208.13µg/mL with comparatively low cytotoxicity against lymphocytes. Moreover, the feasible immunomodulatory effects of Cub-ABPs were determined by evaluating their proliferation and change of CD4+/CD8+ ratio on splenic lymphocytes in vitro. Proliferation and flow cytometry studies revealed that, compared with free ABPs and blank cubosomes, Cub-ABPs proved more effective in promoting lymphocyte proliferation and in triggering the transformation of T-lymphocytes into Th-cells.

A measurement system of high-temperature oxidation environment with ultrasonic Ir0.6Rth0.4 alloy thermometry.

Iridium-rhodium is generally applied as a thermocouple material, with max operating temperature about 2150 °C. In this study, a ultrasonic temperature measurement system was designed by using Iridium-rhodium (60%Ir-40%Rh) alloy as an acoustic waveguide sensor material, and the system was preliminarily tested in a high-temperature oxidation environment. The result of ultrasonic temperature measurement shows that this system can indeed work stably in high-temperature oxidation environments. The relationship between temperature and delay time of ultrasonic thermometry up to 2200 °C was illustrated. Iridium-rhodium materials were also investigated in order to fully elucidate the proposed waveguide sensor's performance in a high-temperature oxidation environment. This system lays a foundation for further application of high-temperature measurement.

A realization of digital wireless transmission for MRI signals based on 802.11b.

In this paper, a digital wireless transmission system based on 802.11b standard for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) application is designed and built for the first time to eliminate the interference aroused by coil array cables. The analysis shows that the wireless receiver has a very high sensitivity to detect MRI signals. The modulation technique of differential quadrature phase shift keyed (DQPSK) can be applied to MRI data transmission with rate of 2 Mbps and bandwidth of 2 MHz. The bench test verifies that this wireless link has a dynamic range over 86 dB supporting up to 3 T MRI system data transmission. The 2D spin echo imaging of phantom is performed and the SNR of the image obtained by the wireless transmission can be comparable with that got by the coaxial cables.

Expectation-Maximization-Maximization: A Feasible MLE Algorithm for the Three-Parameter Logistic Model Based on a Mixture Modeling Reformulation.

Stable maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of item parameters in 3PLM with a modest sample size remains a challenge. The current study presents a mixture-modeling approach to 3PLM based on which a feasible Expectation-Maximization-Maximization (EMM) MLE algorithm is proposed. The simulation study indicates that EMM is comparable to the Bayesian EM in terms of bias and RMSE. EMM also produces smaller standard errors (SEs) than MMLE/EM. In order to further demonstrate the feasibility, the method has also been applied to two real-world data sets. The point estimates in EMM are close to those from the commercial programs, BILOG-MG and flexMIRT, but the SEs are smaller.