Global Impacts of a Bilateral Trade Policy on Ballast Water-Mediated Species Spread Risk: A Case Study of Sino-US Trade.

A trade policy could generate both economic and environmental impacts. This work is focused on the impacts of a bilateral trade policy on ballast water-mediated nonindigenous species (NIS) spread risk. Taking the hypothetical Sino-US trade restriction as an example, we integrate a computable general equilibrium model and a higher-order NIS spread risk assessment model to examine the impacts of bilateral trade policy on both the economy and NIS spread risks. We have two important findings. First, the Sino-US trade restriction would cause decreases in NIS spread risks to China and the US, as well as to three quarters of worldwide countries/regions. However, the rest one fourth would experience increased NIS spread risks. Second, the relationship between changes in exports and changes in NIS spread risks might not be directly proportional. This is observed with 46% of countries and regions that would see their exports increase but their NIS spread risks drop, with positive impacts on both their economies and environment under the Sino-US trade restriction. These results reveal both broader global impacts as well as the decoupled economic and ecological impacts of a bilateral trade policy. These broader impacts demonstrate the necessity for national governments, which are parties to bilateral agreements to give due consideration to the economic and environmental impacts on countries and regions outside of the agreement.

Year-round changes in tropospheric nitrogen dioxide caused by COVID-19 in China using satellite observation.

The lockdown policy deals a severe blow to the economy and greatly reduces the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission in China when the coronavirus 2019 spreads widely in early 2020. Here we use satellite observations from Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument to study the year-round variation of the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) tropospheric vertical column density (TVCD) in 2020. The NO2 TVCD reveals a sharp drop, followed by small fluctuations and then a strong rebound when compared to 2019. By the end of 2020, the annual average NO2 TVCD declines by only 3.4% in China mainland, much less than the reduction of 24.1% in the lockdown period. On the basis of quantitative analysis, we find the rebound of NO2 TVCD is mainly caused by the rapid recovery of economy especially in the fourth quarter, when contribution of industry and power plant on NO2 TVCD continues to rise. This revenge bounce of NO2 indicates the emission reduction of NOx in lockdown period is basically offset by the recovery of economy, revealing the fact that China's economic development and NOx emissions are still not decoupled. More efforts are still required to stimulate low-pollution development.

Comprehensive Assessment for the Impacts of S/IVOC Emissions from Mobile Sources on SOA Formation in China.

Semivolatile/intermediate-volatility organic compounds (S/IVOCs) from mobile sources are essential SOA contributors. However, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the SOA contributions of S/IVOCs by simultaneously comparing different parameterization schemes. This study used three SOA schemes in the CMAQ model with a measurement-based emission inventory to quantify the mobile source S/IVOC-induced SOA (MS-SI-SOA) for 2018 in China. Among different SOA schemes, SOA predicted by the 2D-VBS scheme was in the best agreement with observations, but there were still large deviations in a few regions. Three SOA schemes showed the peak value of annual average MS-SI-SOA was up to 0.6 ± 0.3 µg/m3. High concentrations of MS-SI-SOA were detected in autumn, while the notable relative contribution of MS-SI-SOA to total SOA was predicted in the coastal areas in summer, with a regional average contribution up to 20 ± 10% in Shanghai. MS-SI-SOA concentrations varied by up to 2 times among three SOA schemes, mainly due to the discrepancy in SOA precursor emissions and chemical reactions, suggesting that the differences between SOA schemes should also be considered in modeling studies. These findings identify the hotspot areas and periods for MS-SI-SOA, highlighting the importance of S/IVOC emission control in the future upgrading of emission standards.

Behavioral Activation Therapy for Subthreshold Depression in Stroke Patients: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Subthreshold depression (SD) is known to be a major risk factor for the development of post-stroke depression (PSD). Appropriate intervention to prevent the transition from SD to PSD is thus imperative. As a form of short-term psychotherapy adapted for individuals with cognitive and communication impairments, behavioral activation therapy (BAT) may be a suitable choice. However, the effects of BAT on psychological outcomes in stroke patients with SD has not been established. This study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of BAT in reducing the development of depressive symptoms in this patient population. Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was performed. Seventy participants were randomized to either a BAT group (n=35) or a control group (n=35). Participants in the BAT group received a six-week BAT intervention. The feasibility of BAT was assessed by the number of sessions attended by participants, and the acceptability of BAT to participants and the incidence of adverse events were recorded. The primary clinical outcome measure was the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) at baseline, six weeks, and three months after the group allocation. Secondary outcomes included behavioral activation and the incidence of depression. Results: The intervention was feasible and acceptable, with 94.3% of participants in the BAT group (33 of 35) attending at least five sessions. No adverse events were reported in either group. Compared with the control group, the BAT group showed significant improvements in the CES-D (F=67.689, P<0.05), HAMD-17 (F=4.170, P<0.05), and behavioral activation (F=25.355, P<0.05) scores after intervention, and these differences were maintained at the three-month assessment. Conclusion: BAT appears to be feasible and efficacious for reducing depressive symptoms and increasing behavioral activation among stroke patients with SD. The findings of this study may contribute to the primary prevention of PSD.