Revealing the hidden carbon flows in global industrial Sectors-Based on the perspective of linkage network structure.

This paper interprets the implicit carbon flows in global industrial sectors from a network perspective. Using the SNA-IO integrated model, along with cross-border input-output data from Eora26 (2000-2020) and global energy balance data, the implicit carbon emissions of global industrial sectors and their evolution are analyzed. A carbon emission network structure from an industrial chain perspective is proposed. The results indicate that the carbon emissions responsibility of an industry is not only associated with its own energy consumption. It also involves the carbon emissions transfer resulting from the exchange of products and services between upstream and downstream industries. Block model analysis reveals the carbon emission transfer relationships and their interconnections among global industrial sectors, tending towards an industry clustering pattern where "production side" converges with "demand side" coexisting in supply and demand. There are noticeable inequalities in wealth gains and environmental burdens between these blocks. This paper can provide targeted carbon reduction policy recommendations for various industrial sectors to participate in global responsibility allocation and promote the formation of a low-carbon global industrial sector network.

Study on the impact of informal environmental regulation on substantive green innovation in China: evidence from PITI disclosure.

Informal environmental regulation plays an important role in green innovation, which is of great significance to realize the win-win situation between environmental protection and economic development. However, few studies have focused on the incentive effect of informal environmental regulation on innovation motivation. Based on the panel data of 286 cities from 2003 to 2018, the DID (difference-in-differences) model is used to investigate the impact of pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) published by ENGOs (Environmental Non-governmental Organizations) on substantive green innovation. The results show that PITI disclosure has a significant positive and robust effect on substantive green innovation in China. Additionally, heterogeneous analysis shows that key environmental protection and highly innovative cities benefit more from PITI disclosure. The effect in the second stage is stronger than in the first stage. Mechanism analysis shows that PITI disclosure enhances substantive green innovation through FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and human capital channels. Based on the above conclusions, three policy implications are put forward in this paper.

Safety Assessment of 3S, 3'S Astaxanthin Derived from Metabolically Engineered K. marxianus.

Previous reviews have already explored the safety and bioavailability of astaxanthin, as well as its beneficial effects on human body. The great commercial potential in a variety of industries, such as the pharmaceutical and health supplement industries, has led to a skyrocketing demand for natural astaxanthin. In this study, we have successfully optimized the astaxanthin yield up to 12.8 mg/g DCW in a probiotic yeast and purity to 97%. We also verified that it is the desired free-form 3S, 3'S configurational stereoisomer by NMR and FITR that can significantly increase the bioavailability of astaxanthin. In addition, we have proven that our extracted astaxanthin crystals have higher antioxidant capabilities compared with natural esterified astaxanthin from H. pluvialis. We also screened for potential adverse effects of the pure astaxanthin crystals extracted from the engineered probiotic yeast by dosing SD rats with 6, 12, and 24 mg/kg/day of astaxanthin crystals via oral gavages for a 13-week period and have found no significant biological differences between the control and treatment groups in rats of both genders, further confirming the safety of astaxanthin crystals. This study demonstrates that developing metabolically engineered microorganisms provides a safe and feasible approach for the bio-based production of many beneficial compounds, including astaxanthin.

A Monte Carlo simulation for studying grid inefficiency of Frisch grid ionization chamber.

The grid inefficiency (GI) of Frisch grid ionization chambers (FGICs) must be considered in the case of accurate energy measurements. A Monte-Carlo model has been developed based on the Garfield and SRIM toolkits to investigate the GI of FGIC. It could simulate the charge signals from different electrodes without considering the electrical noises and random effects in the experiments. Computations made with the weighting potential and charge signals of FGIC exemplify the possibilities of this model. The GI values obtained with different methods showed the difference among the existing approaches in the literature. In addition, the results of homogeneous deformations of one wire over one grid period showed that deformation in the grid plane caused more distortion on GI than that perpendicular to the grid plane. An individual experiment was also carried out with a compound alpha source (241Am and 243Am) to validate the feasibility of this model. The results showed that the raw pulses and GI values obtained from the simulation agreed well with those measured from the experiment. The present work showed that this Monte-Carlo model could be well applied to investigate such type of detector, which could provide great conveniences for future work to measure the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments.

Incorporating Near-Pseudocapacitance Insertion Ni/Co-Based Hexacyanoferrate and Low-Cost Metallic Zn for Aqueous K-Ion Batteries.

The limited availability of cathode materials with high specific capacity and significant cycling stability for aqueous K-ion batteries (AKIBs) hinder their further development owing to the large radius of K+ (1.38 Å). Prussian blue and its analogs with a three-dimensional frame structure possessing special energy storage mechanism are promising candidates as cathode materials for AKIBs. In this study, K0.2 Ni0.68 Co0.77 Fe(CN)6 ⋅ 1.8H2 O (KNCHCF) was prepared as a cathode material for AKIBs. Both the electrochemical activity of Co ions and the near-pseudocapacitance intercalation of KNCHCF enhance K+ storage. Therefore, KNCHCF exhibits a superior capacity maintenance rate of 86 % after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 3.0 A g-1 . The storage mechanism of K+ in AKIBs was revealed through ex situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Moreover, the assembled K-Zn hybrid battery showed good cycling stability with 93.1 % capacity maintenance at 0.1 A g-1 after 50 cycles and a high energy density of 96.81 W h kg-1 . Hence, KNCHCF may be a potential material for the development of AKIBs.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis versus quantitative computer tomography and anthropometry for the assessment of body composition parameters in China.

Obesity, especially abdominal obesity, is correlated to increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is urgent to search a simply method to predict visceral fat area (VFA). Herein, we evaluated the correlation of waist circumference (WC) measured by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and VFA estimated by BIA or measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in China. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.09 ± 3.31 kg/m2 and the mean age was 49.16 ± 9.19 years in 2754 subjects. VFA-BIA were significantly smaller than VFA-QCT in both BMI and age subgroups between male and female (p < 0.001). High correlation was observed for WC between BIA and manually (r = 0.874 for all, r = 0.865 for male and r = 0.806 for female) and for VFA between BIA and QCT (r = 0.512 for all). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) showed the perfect agreement between BIA and manually to measure WC (ICC = 0.832 for all, 0.845 for male and 0.697 for female) and implied a good reliability for VFA between BIA and QCT with women among subgroups (ICC = 0.623 for all, ICC = 0.634 for age < 50 years and ICC = 0.432 for BMI > 24 kg/m2), whereas the good reliability was lost in men (ICC = 0.174). The kappa analysis showed a moderate consistency for VFA measured by BIA and QCT (Kappa = 0.522 with age < 50 years, 0.565 with age ≥ 50 years in male; Kappa = 0.472 with age < 50 years, 0.486 with age ≥ 50 years in female). In addition, BIA to estimate VFA (r = 0.758 in male, r = 0.727 in female, P < 0.001) has a stronger correlation with VFA measured by QCT than BMI and WC according to gender categories. Furthermore, ROC analysis showed the cut-off point of VFA measured by BIA for predicting visceral obesity was: 101.90 cm2, 119.96 cm2 and 118.83 cm2 and the Youden's index was 0.577, 0.577 and 0.651, respectively and the Kappa value was 0.532, 0.536 and 0.611 in unadjusted model, model 1 and model 2. In conclusion, being non-invasive and free of radiation, BIA can be used as a safe and convenient tool to estimate VFA in female; especially for monitoring the VFA of the same person, the BIA has superiority to a certain extent. However, the consistency is not most ideal between BIA and QCT. When using BIA to assess whether a person is visceral obesity, we must take into consideration age, BMI and WC. Therefore, we established a regression formula to reflect VFA-QCT by VFA-BIA, age, BMI, and WC. In addition, a more accurate formula is needed to match the CT data in China.

Impact of technological innovation and industrial-structure upgrades on ecological efficiency in China in terms of spatial spillover and the threshold effect.

In the past 40 years, China's rapid industrialization has resulted in remarkable social progress and regional economic prosperity but also has caused problems, such as excessive resource consumption and environmental pollution. Ecological efficiency is an important indicator of whether economic efficiency and environmental efficiency are balanced. Exploring ecological efficiency is vital for achieving sustainable development, as technological innovation, industrial structure upgrading, and ecological efficiency are probably related. However, there has been little research on the relationships among them. In this study, we used the super-efficiency slacks-based model (SBM) involving undesirable output to calculate the ecological efficiency of 30 provinces in China from 2008 to 2017. We found that China's ecological efficiency has risen, fallen, then fluctuated, and that there were significant spatial differences. Then, we used 3 spatial econometric models for comparative analysis, which revealed that the independent effects of technological innovation on ecological efficiency was significant and negative; however, technological innovation demonstrated a strong positive effect in tandem with industrial structure upgrading, and industrial structure always had a positive effect on ecological efficiency. On this basis, we added the cross-item of technological innovation, and industrial-structure upgrades had a significant and positive impact on ecological efficiency, which was significantly greater than the independent effect of technological innovation and industrial-structure upgrades. To explore the mechanism of industrial-structure upgrading and technological innovation on regional ecological efficiency, we set the first 2 as threshold variables. We found that there is in fact a threshold effect of technological innovation and industrial-structure upgrading on ecological efficiency due to the mismatch of periods. These results provide a theoretical rationale for China to formulate strategies to improve ecological efficiency. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:852-865. © 2020 SETAC.

Comparisons between a new point kernel-based scheme and the infinite plane source assumption method for radiation calculation of deposited airborne radionuclides from nuclear power plants.

Radiation from the deposited radionuclides is indispensable information for environmental impact assessment of nuclear power plants and emergency management during nuclear accidents. Ground shine estimation is related to multiple physical processes, including atmospheric dispersion, deposition, soil and air radiation shielding. It still remains unclear that whether the normally adopted "infinite plane" source assumption for the ground shine calculation is accurate enough, especially for the area with highly heterogeneous deposition distribution near the release point. In this study, a new ground shine calculation scheme, which accounts for both the spatial deposition distribution and the properties of air and soil layers, is developed based on point kernel method. Two sets of "detector-centered" grids are proposed and optimized for both the deposition and radiation calculations to better simulate the results measured by the detectors, which will be beneficial for the applications such as source term estimation. The evaluation against the available data of Monte Carlo methods in the literature indicates that the errors of the new scheme are within 5% for the key radionuclides in nuclear accidents. The comparisons between the new scheme and "infinite plane" assumption indicate that the assumption is tenable (relative errors within 20%) for the area located 1 km away from the release source. Within 1 km range, the assumption mainly causes errors for wet deposition and the errors are independent of rain intensities. The results suggest that the new scheme should be adopted if the detectors are within 1 km from the source under the stable atmosphere (classes E and F), or the detectors are within 500 m under slightly unstable (class C) or neutral (class D) atmosphere. Otherwise, the infinite plane assumption is reasonable since the relative errors induced by this assumption are within 20%. The results here are only based on theoretical investigations. They should be further thoroughly evaluated with real measurements in the future.

An inferential procedure for the probability of passing the USP dissolution test.

Dissolution is one of the tests that is required and specified by the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary (USP/NF) to ensure that the drug products meet the standards of the identity, strength, quality, purity, and stability. The sponsors also establish the in-house specifications for the mean and standard deviation of the dissolution rates to guarantee a high probability of passing the USP/NF dissolution test. However, the USP/NF dissolution test is a complicated three-stage sampling plan that involves both the sample mean dissolution rate of all units and the dissolution rate of individual units. It turns out that the true probability of passing the USP/NF dissolution is formidable to compute analytically even when the population mean and variance of dissolution rates are known. It is not clear that previously proposed methods are the estimators of the true probability for passing the USP dissolution test. Therefore, we propose to employ a parametric bootstrap method in conjunction with the Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the sampling distribution of the estimated probabilities of passing the USP/NF dissolution test and hence the confidence interval for the passing probability. In addition, a procedure is proposed to test whether the true probability of passing the USP/NF dissolution test is greater than some specified value. A numerical example illustrates the proposed method. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Polymorphisms in MC4R gene and correlations with economic traits in cattle.

MC4R contributes to the control of food intake and energy expenditure, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MC4R gene have clearly been associated with backfat depth, feed intake and growth rate in pig. Our objectives were to scan the complete coding region by sequencing in samples from eight cattle breeds, to estimate the frequency of the SNPs in the MC4R gene and to determine if individual genotypes were associated with several economic traits. Five polymorphisms were detected at position 19 (C/A), 20 (A/T), 83(T/C), 128 (G/A), and 1069 (G/C), and the last one was significantly associated with backfat thickness value (P < 0.01, n = 245). The linkage disequilibrium analysis indicated that the SNP markers C19A, A20T, T83C and G128A were completely linked (r (2) = 1).

Low cost fabrication of the large-area anti-reflection films from polymer by nanoimprint/hot-embossing technology.

In this paper, we present a low cost approach to produce large-area polymer sheets with sub-wavelength nanostructures. The fabricated polymer films would have great potentials to attach to optical or solar-cell-related consumer products when anti-reflection/anti-glaring is mandatory. We employed a special electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma process to fabricate the SWSs with large area directly on silicon substrates. Homogeneously distributed nanotips on the full 4 inch silicon substrate were fabricated by using gas mixtures of silane, methane, argon and hydrogen. An Ni-Co metal mold with a hardness of 550 HV was produced through the replication of the Si mold by electroplating. Afterwards, the molding process was applied to manufacture the nanostructures in PMMA plates in large volume. The nanostructures in PMMA plates with aspect ratios of 4 and diameters of 150 nm were fabricated. The fabricated PMMA sheets could generate the gradient of the refractive indices, absorb the light and greatly reduce the reflectivity. Compared with the PMMA without SWSs, the reflectivity of PMMA with SWSs decreased dramatically from 4.25% to 0.5% at the wavelength of light from 400 to 800 nm.

Influence of surgeon volume on clinical and economic outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The volume-outcome effect has been well documented in both medical treatment and surgery. The relationship of volume-outcome utilization in laparoscopic cholecystectomy has not been studied. The aims of this study were to examine whether the operational volume of individual surgeons is associated with the clinical and economic outcomes of patients with gallbladder diseases undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: A retrospective study was made of all patients who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital between January 1998 and April 2002. In total, 916 patients were operated on by 4 surgeons and the volume for each surgeon was 502, 192, 147, and 75 cases, respectively. Clinical and economic information for each patient was abstracted from medical charts and the financial division. Multiple logistic and linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between three outcome variables, complications, length of stay, total hospital charges, and surgeon volume while controlling for the severity of illness and other selected covariates (morbidity index). RESULTS: Overall, a complication rate of 1.2% was identified. On average, the patient's stay in hospital was 4.7 days, and the average total hospital charge was TWD 49,581. After adjusting for covariates, three regression models indicated that the surgeon with the highest volume had the lowest complication rate, shortest length of stay, and lowest hospital charges. CONCLUSIONS: The operative volume of individual surgeons not only had a positive impact on clinical outcomes, it also had greater effect on conservation of health care resources. The findings validate the theory of practice makes perfect.