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[Display omitted] • 28 out of 57 target PFAS were detected in paper products from China. • 9 groups of PFAS with 1–3 confidence levels were identified by non-target analysis. • Ethanol in food simulants can increase the migration of PFAS. • Long-chain PFAS in popcorn bags can be degraded by microwave heating. • PFAS in some paper products exceeded the recommended daily intake values. The contamination characteristics, migration patterns and health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were investigated in 66 Chinese paper products by using target and non-target screening methods. Among 57 target PFASs, 5 and 6 PFASs were found in the hygiene paper products (

• Index of recycling sustainability for assessing waste paper recycling. • Integrating methodology of GIS and value chain model. • Historical changes of informal recyclables distribution sites in Beijing. • Value chain of waste paper recycling in Beijing may face challenges in the future. • Policy implications to improve waste paper recycling in Beijing. China established a self-organized and market-driven recycling system, which was dominated by the informal sectors. In recent years, the amount of domestically-recycled waste paper grew slower than expectation in China, which may be resulted from a decline in economic sustainability of current recycling system. For understanding the waste paper recycling system in most cities in China, the economic mechanism remains unclear and the city-level data is extremely insufficient. In this work, an index of recycling sustainability (IRS, benefit divided by cost) is analyzed with a resolution of 1 km2 grid in Beijing City, by adopting value chain and GIS methodology. Five degrees of IRS are defined, from high-degree (IRS > 1.10) to low-degree (IRS < 0.95). Different stakeholders in the informal waste paper recycling system were interviewed to fill the data gap. Results show that: (1) from 2015 to 2018, the informal recycling of waste paper accounted for approximate 80% in Beijing; (2) the number of informal recyclables distribution sites decreased from 27 to 11, and their average distance to the city-center rose from 27.5 km to 40.9 km; (3) in 2015 and 2018, the grids with high-degree IRS accounted for 99.5% and 89.2%, respectively, indicating a sustainable waste paper recycling industry in Beijing; and (4) according to the scenario analysis, if the operating cost rises by 30%, the grids with low-degree IRS accounts for 98.5%, indicating a nontrivial challenges when the recycling cost keeps increasing in the future. Policy recommendations are put forward for a more sustainable paper waste recycling system in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, a big paper-making country, produced hundreds of millions of tons of waste paper which contain a lot of fiber every year. Cellulose nanocrystals were extracted from recycled waste paper which can be a high value utilization of secondary fiber. In this paper, cellulose nanocrystals were successfully extracted from waste paper fibers via two different systems, sulfuric acid hydrolysis (SCNCs) and one-step ammonium persulfate (APS) oxidation (OCNCs). This not only broadened the methods of extracting CNCs from waste paper, but also improved the dispersion and reactivity of CNCs. The CNCs products were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy for functional group structure, X-ray diffraction for crystal structure, TG-DTG for thermal stability and scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope for morphology. The results showed that both OCNCs and SCNCs were a rod-like structure. The crystallinity of OCNCs and SCNCs increased to 72.45 and 77.56, but with a low yield of 22.42% and 41.22%, respectively. The result also suggested H 2 O 2 formed by decomposition of APS, selectively oxidized the hydroxyl on the C 6 in cellulose to carboxyl, introduced 0.57 mmol/g carboxyl. Successful preparation of CNCs extracted from waste paper can effectively utilize the fiber resources in waste paper, thus transforming into higher economic benefits. • CNCs was successfully extracted from waste paper fibers via different systems. • No ink-towing or bleaching treatment was carried out during the preparation of CNC. • The structure of CNCs prepared via different systems was compared differences completely and systematically [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the top emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Pulp and paper industry is one of eight the strictly regulated industries about carbon emission in China. However, estimates of carbon emissions from China's pulp and paper industry have been suffered from remarkable uncertainty. It is summarized that is aroused by the inaccuracy of factors evaluating energy consumption, and the huge gap between the calculation standards for assessing energy consumption in the production process and the actual level recorded in the factories. This paper re-evaluated the carbon emission of China's pulp and paper industry from the perspective of life cycle assessment, and applied more accurate emission factors, taking account of the actual energy consumption of the production process in factories, to estimate the actual carbon emissions in maximum. It is found that the national standards about the energy consumption quota of China's pulp and paper industry is no longer applicable, and the actual energy consumption regulated in the production process is far better than the advanced level given by the national standards. The greenhouse gas emission have been seriously overestimated approximately 12.00%–56.17% by international organizations. • Life Cycle Analysis of the China's pulp and paper Industry is conducted thoroughly. • The pulp flow of China's pulp and paper Industry is analyzed. • Energy regulated in factory is far better than the national standards' required. • Carbon emissions of China's pulp and paper Industry are overestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guiding industries to produce in an effective and environmentally sustainable manner has become a key issue for governments around the world. Over the past 15 years, series of regional and industrial development policies have been introduced by the Chinese government. This has influenced the geographical distribution and energy efficiency performance of China’s industries. This paper quantifies the influence of enterprises geographical distribution on energy efficiency improvement in the paper industry and aims at providing some helpful suggestions on industrial development to policy makers. The main results show that, firstly, the paper industry in eastern China shows obvious characteristic of agglomeration. The average location quotient is 1.2278. However, following the industrial and regional development policies, the characteristic of agglomeration is weakening. Secondly, only when agglomeration reaches a certain level (location quotient is above 0.5447) will industrial agglomeration positively impact on industrial energy efficiency improvement (a 1% increase in agglomeration will increase dynamic energy efficiency by at least 0.23%). Thirdly, the regional development policies carried out by the government slow the pace of energy efficiency improvement in China’s paper industry. The empirical results indicate that the government needs to consider regional characteristics and consciously guide industrial enterprises to concentrate in the dominant area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s paper industry consumes a lot of energy and emits huge amounts of pollutions. The Chinese government over the past decades has done a lot to promote energy efficiency of the industry. This paper studies the impact of industrial polices to improve energy efficiency. The energy efficiency change is firstly studied under a framework of total factor efficiency. On this basis, different econometric models are built to discuss the detailed energy efficiency characteristics of the paper industry. The main results are as follow: (i) ownership structure did influence the energy efficiency, but the influence is different in different conditions; (ii) energy efficiency of the paper industry can be improved by economies of scale; (iii) market competition can to some extent overcome the motivation and supervision problem that often occur in state-owned companies; (iv) energy price cannot play the role of resource allocation well in China. Finally, based on our findings, some suggestions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papermaking industry has developed rapidly in recent years in China. Papermaking is a high-energy-consuming process. Consequently, large-scale paper mills usually have cogeneration systems that supply both electricity and steam for the papermaking process. In China, almost all these cogeneration systems in paper mills are powered by coal combustion, which consumes a large amount of energy and emits large amounts of greenhouse gas. The Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology is regarded as a clean and efficient method of coal utilization. In this work, an IGCC process for application in paper mills was designed and modeled. An IGCC coupled with a cascade refrigeration process (CRP) was further proposed in order to reuse the waste heat from the dryer section and improve the energy efficiency of the papermaking process. A paper with a conventional cogeneration system, one with an IGCC cogeneration system, and one with an IGCC coupled with a CRP cogeneration system were analyzed and compared in terms of energy efficiency, capital investment, operational cost, and dynamic payback period. The results showed that the integration of IGCC technology allows paper mills to be more competitive than those featuring conventional cogeneration systems in terms of energy efficiency and operational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's paper industry accounts for a larger proportion of the global paper industry and consumes large amounts of energy. Energy conservation and pollution reduction of the industry have become the focus of China's national development strategy. Energy efficiency is an important index which directly determines the amounts of energy consumption and pollution emissions. To understand the energy efficiency evolution of China's paper industry, this paper establishes an input-output data of the paper industry for 29 provinces in China and applies DEA method and econometric models to estimate and comprehensively discuss the energy efficiency issues based on the framework of total factor efficiency. Our results indicate that China's paper industry has a large energy saving potential even though its energy efficiency has improved during the period 1990–2013. The saving potential is about 65% under the meta-frontier and 44% under the group-frontier. Moreover, there are significant differences between different regions in production technology and energy efficiency. The performance of eastern China is better than other regions. But the technology gaps between the different regions are shrinking and converging over time. Finally, some policy recommendations are proposed to improve the energy efficiency of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw pulp in China, which is the world's largest producer of this material, suffers from water and energy shortages during its entire life cycle. However, limited systematic studies have focused on these issues, and decision makers need be provided with improvement methods for the environmental performance. Thus, an impact-oriented energy and carbon coupled water footprint analysis was conducted in this study based on ISO standards. Results showed that the impact of energy consumption and carbon emissions exceeded that of water footprint. Carcinogens, non-carcinogens, and freshwater ecotoxicity also played effective roles in improving the environmental performance. Optimizing key indirect processes, including chemicals production, steam preparation, electricity generation, wood pulping, and fertilizer recovery, dominated the reduction in environmental burdens. Direct freshwater consumption and wastewater disposal played additional effective roles in controlling water footprint. The water network was thus optimized by a water pinch analysis to decrease the freshwater consumption and pollutant emissions by maximum values of 91.5% and 99.7% after optimization, respectively. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide, methane, chromium, arsenic, mercury, titanium, copper, strontium, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, BOD 5 , and COD were the main pollutants. Overall, the environmental impact can be further reduced by diminishing coal power ratio in national energy structure, adopting recovered steam, and considering multistage regeneration water network to cope with different water use demands. • LCA-based energy and carbon coupled water footprint of straw pulp paper was applied. • Optimizing water network by water pinch method gained marked environmental benefit. • Electricity, steam, and chemicals exerted high impact among all inputs considered. • CO 2 , CH 4 , heavy metals, coal, and water were key contributors to footprint impact. • Improving national energy structure and adopting recovered steam were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a traditional energy and carbon intensive sector, it becomes imperative for the global paper industry to realize green development. This paper aims to provide guidance for the green transformation of global paper industry by evaluating the global paper industry green development level in a systematic and dynamic way. This paper employs text-mining method to develop paper industry green development evaluation indicator system and adopts market-extended LCA model and entropy-TOPSIS method to calculate the paper industry green development level of 48 countries/regions. The results show that during 2000–2030 the paper industry green development level of developing countries improves faster than developed countries, where those of developing and developed countries increase from 0.3369 to 0.3938 and from 0.5120 to 0.5517 respectively and the gap between them narrows from 0.1751 to 0.1579. The comparative analysis reveals that the paper industries of developed and developing countries are in different green development stages. Developing countries, represented by China, improve greatly in economic and social dimensions, but decline seriously in ecological dimension due to enlarging resource consumption and environmental damages. On the contrary, developed countries tend to saturate in economic and social dimensions and have been improving fast in ecological dimension, gradually realizing the decoupling of industrial economic development and environmental damages. To further promote the global paper industry green development, developing countries should focus on promoting the coordinated development between economic growth and environment protection and developed countries should play a leading role in the global green transformation by promoting optimal allocation of resources and cross-regional communications of green technologies. • A paper industry green development indicator system is developed based on text mining. • A global paper industry green development model is built with market-extended LCA. • Complex interactions among the indicators are internalized in the evaluation. • A spatial-temporal analysis is performed on global paper industry green development level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a traditional energy and carbon intensive sector, it becomes imperative for the global paper industry to realize green development. This paper aims to provide guidance for the green transformation of global paper industry by evaluating the global paper industry green development level in a systematic and dynamic way. This paper employs text-mining method to develop paper industry green development evaluation indicator system and adopts market-extended LCA model and entropy-TOPSIS method to calculate the paper industry green development level of 48 countries/regions. The results show that during 2000–2030 the paper industry green development level of developing countries improves faster than developed countries, where those of developing and developed countries increase from 0.3369 to 0.3938 and from 0.5120 to 0.5517 respectively and the gap between them narrows from 0.1751 to 0.1579. The comparative analysis reveals that the paper industries of developed and developing countries are in different green development stages. Developing countries, represented by China, improve greatly in economic and social dimensions, but decline seriously in ecological dimension due to enlarging resource consumption and environmental damages. On the contrary, developed countries tend to saturate in economic and social dimensions and have been improving fast in ecological dimension, gradually realizing the decoupling of industrial economic development and environmental damages. To further promote the global paper industry green development, developing countries should focus on promoting the coordinated development between economic growth and environment protection and developed countries should play a leading role in the global green transformation by promoting optimal allocation of resources and cross-regional communications of green technologies. • A paper industry green development indicator system is developed based on text mining. • A global paper industry green development model is built with market-extended LCA. • Complex interactions among the indicators are internalized in the evaluation. • A spatial-temporal analysis is performed on global paper industry green development level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to a recent World Health Organization estimate, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, which originated in China in 2019, has spread globally, infecting nearly 100 million people worldwide by January 2021. Patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD), particularly cirrhosis, hepatobiliary malignancies, candidates for liver transplantation, and immunosuppressed individuals after liver transplantation appear to be at increased risk of infections in general, which in turn translates into increased mortality. This is also the case for SARS-CoV-2 infection, where patients with cirrhosis, in particular, are at high risk of a severe COVID-19 course. Therefore, vaccination against various pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, administered as early as possible in patients with CLD, is an important protective measure. However, due to impaired immune responses in these patients, the immediate and long-term protective response through immunisation may be incomplete. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to the exceptionally fast development of several vaccine candidates. A small number of these SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates have already undergone phase III, placebo-controlled, clinical trials in healthy individuals with proof of short-term safety, immunogenicity and efficacy. However, although regulatory agencies in the US and Europe have already approved some of these vaccines for clinical use, information on immunogenicity, duration of protection and long-term safety in patients with CLD, cirrhosis, hepatobiliary cancer and liver transplant recipients has yet to be generated. This review summarises the data on vaccine safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy in this patient population in general and discusses the implications of this knowledge on the introduction of the new SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has become the world largest paper and paperboard producer. However, pulp and paper industry has involved high resource consumption and severe pollution especially for water. This research has assessed the eco-efficiency of China's pulp and paper industry at the national level and provincial level. An overview regarding the cleaner production of China's pulp and paper industry was presented to reveal the measures for reducing environmental impact in the last two decades. Slacks-based measure was used to analyze the efficiency levels of 16 provinces' pulp and paper industries. To uncover the underlying causes of eco-efficiency performance, Malmquist–Luenberger index was calculated to discover the drivers of productivity growth of pulp and paper industries. Our results showed that the pollution treatment of China's pulp and paper industry has made progress in terms of water consumption and water pollution, although the absolute amount of pollution discharge is still large. Chemical oxygen demand emissions are still the first critical influencing factor of pulp and paper industry's inefficiency. Furthermore, efficiency progress was the dominating contribution of the industry's productivity growth between 2010 and 2013. The policies for adjusting the industrial structure of pulp and paper industry have resulted in the scale effects through eliminating backward production capacity and accelerating merger and acquisitions. Moreover, the productivity of pulp and paper industry was underestimated when the undesirable outputs were ignored. It indicates that the stricter environmental regulations have positive effects on paper companies to internalize environmental pressures in the production activities through environmental management. In the future, pulp and paper companies should further internalize the cost of pollution treatment through scale effects and technology improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on soil microplastics is currently at an early stage, and there is no widely approved sampling protocol. Even so, any basic research should minimize errors to ensure that they are not amplified in future research. This paper examines some weaknesses of the original research paper 'Soil microplastic pollution under different land uses in tropics, southwestern China' recently published in this journal. The authors neglected to report the equipment used for soil sampling and did not use field blank samples. There is also a soil layer that was incorrectly named. The type and pore size of filter paper used for filtration during pre-analytical soil sample preparation is very important. In this paper the nature of the filter paper used, and its larger pore sizes are questionable by today's scientists. In addition, the authors in the original paper also overlooked reporting the statistical package used for statical analysis and ensuring if all data sets obey normality, homogeneity, and equality before running the one-way ANOVA test. This statistical step is widely considered mandatory, especially in the soil science community. So, this makes it difficult to trust the results documented. Furthermore, in the original paper, the needle and stereo microscope instruments used to sort microplastic-like materials prior to proper analysis are not reliable. [Display omitted] • A dissecting needle and stereo microscope shouldn't be used to sort out soil microplastics. • Gold-coated filter paper with smaller pore size is better than nitrocellulose filter paper. • The 0–10cm is the top soil layer and 10–20cm is the subsoil layer not a deep soil layer. • The statistical package used for analysis must be documented accordingly. • If the dataset is a normal distribution prior to ANOVA testing, it must be confirmed and reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and the release of carbon emission are two significant features of contemporary economic and social progress in China. However, there are few studies that consider how urbanization policy goals affect carbon emission. This paper aims to study the nonlinear effects of urbanization policy goals on carbon emission in 13 cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In this paper, a multi-dimensional spatial disturbance grey model is proposed. Based on matrix perturbation theory, this paper explores the spatial perturbation bounds of the novel model and verifies that the spatial property of the model is consistent with the viewpoint of the First Law of Geography. Then, the novel model is used to predict the urban carbon emission under different urbanization policy goal scenarios. The results showed that the novel model has spatial regional correlation in spatial region prediction. With the development of urbanization level, carbon emissions show a downward trend in more than 50% of cities from 2022 to 2025. In addition, the improvement of urbanization policy goals will promote the carbon peak time of most cities. The carbon emission intensity will exhibit an inverted U-shaped trend distribution in space. The research results are conducive to providing scientific guidance for the formulation of new-type urbanization policies and helping to achieve the dual carbon goals. • A multi-dimensional spatial disturbance grey model is proposed. • The novel grey model is consistent with the viewpoint of the First Law of Geography. • The spatial distribution of carbon intensity showed an inverted U-shaped pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global shipping industry experiences rapid expansion, the imperative to address greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact becomes increasingly paramount. Hydrogen has emerged as a pivotal and eco-friendly energy source, offering a pathway towards carbon neutrality and a complete zero-carbon transition in maritime operations. However, the widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered ships hinges on the establishment of robust regulations and technical standards. This paper conducts a comprehensive examination of hydrogen fuel cell (FC) technology in ships, scrutinizing the role of international classification societies and exploring existing standards and regulations within the maritime industry, specifically centered around hydrogen energy. The study outlines a strategic developmental roadmap for a green shipping hydrogen energy system tailored for hydrogen FC-powered ships in China. Emphasizing the differences in hydrogen application between fuel cell vehicles and ships, the paper elucidates technical challenges unique to hydrogen FC-powered ships. Furthermore, it proposes a visionary framework for future technical standards, advocating for the creation of a ship-based hydrogen energy standard system, the development of core technical standards, and a heightened focus on safety regulations. Through comprehensive analysis and compelling argumentation on hydrogen fuel cell ship technology and standards, this paper underscores the indispensable role that technical standards play in propelling the advancement of environmentally friendly shipping. Beyond serving as an informative resource, the paper aims to provide valuable guidance and direction for the future demonstration, application, and promotion of hydrogen fuel cell ship technology. Ultimately, it underscores the pivotal role of technical standards in advancing sustainable maritime transportation. • Analyze hydrogen energy technical standards from the production, storage, safety. • Comparison of hydrogen energy technical differences between vehicles and ships. • Outline the unique challenges of applying hydrogen technology to ship operations. • Constructed a technical standard framework for future hydrogen energy ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a bibliometric review focusing on the utilization of water electrolysis as a means of generating hydrogen as an energy carrier. The analysis includes research conducted over the past decade, covering from 2014 to 2023 (till August). Several key aspects are highlighted, including publication trends, the leading country in research output, journal rankings, and a citation analysis of papers related to water electrolysis. The findings reveal a notable increase in publication trends, with China emerging as the leading contributor in this research area. Furthermore, the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy is identified as the highest-ranked journal in terms of both publication number and citation impact. Additionally, the top ten most cited research articles and review papers are investigated to determine their influence within the field. To gain a deeper understanding of water electrolysis methods, the three primary approaches: alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, and solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) is examined. The analysis emphasizes that PEM electrolysis is the most prevalent method for hydrogen generation, particularly when integrated with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power due to its rapid response to electrical input fluctuation. Finally, the challenges and future directions of water electrolysis in hydrogen production are highlighted, including an exploration of economic and environmental considerations at large scale, offering insights into the path forward for advancing this technology sustainably. • A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of water electrolysis for hydrogen production. • Publication trends, journal rankings, and citation analysis are highlighted. • China is identified as the leading contributor in water electrolysis publications. • International Journal of Hydrogen Energy: the highest-ranked journal in this field. • Specific electrolysis methods, including AWE, PEM, and SOE are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A system of indicators has been established for the high-quality economic development index developed by the Chinese government. • High-quality economic development is divided into five dimensions. • Reliance on the resource industry has significantly reduced the level of high-quality economic development. • The theoretical mechanisms of the impact of resource industry dependence on high-quality development are analyzed. • Government governance capacity weakens the impact of resource industry dependence on high-quality economic development. In resource-dependent regions, the meaning of high-quality economic development has yet to be clarified by published research, despite substantial scholarly interest in the topic. With the help of the economic development index developed by the Chinese government, this paper accurately measures high-quality economic development in 30 provinces in China and investigates how resource dependence and government governance capability affect regional high-quality economic development. Research has found that resource industry dependence has a significant inhibitory effect on high-quality economic development. Additionally, the analysis of the mechanisms revealed that resource industry dependence reduces high-quality economic development through a series of effects including crowding out innovation, weakening coordination, lagging green development, hindering global openness, and sharing in weakening. Further research has revealed that government governance capacity weakens the impact of resource industry dependence on high-quality economic development. A detailed analysis of three subsystem indicators of government governance capacity, namely policy planning, capability commitment, and performance assessment, indicates that they all have a weakening effect. To this end, the paper proposes policy recommendations, including increasing innovation inputs, advancing industrial restructuring, promoting green development, enhancing marketization levels, and constructing a diversified employment system. These measures aim to transform resource disadvantages into resource advantages and facilitate high-quality economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to estimate the energy saving potential in China's paper industry by determining energy intensity under different scenarios. Cointegration model and stability test are applied to formulate the equilibrium equation. Results show that energy price, industry structure, profit margin and technology have significant impact as they are negatively correlated to changes in energy intensity. Three scenarios (BAU (business as usual), intermediate and active) are designed to estimate the future trend of energy intensity in paper industry. In 2010, the energy intensity (energy consumption per unit of value added) was 4 tce/10,000 RMB, and by the scenarios it is expected to considerably decline. According to the BAU (business as usual) scenario, the energy intensity will decrease to 2.56, 1.43 and 0.70 tce/10,000 RMB by 2015, 2020 and 2025, respectively. With respect to the intermediate scenario it is expected to drop further to 0.44 tce/10,000 RMB. Yet by the active scenario, the energy intensity is expected to considerably decline to 0.36 tce/10,000 RMB by 2025. Using the BAU forecast as a baseline, the quantity of energy savings is estimated to be 185.6 billion tce by 2025. Considering this important potential, we also provided some policy suggestions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The continuing increase of the popularity of mobile phones generates a large volume of waste mobile phones. The efficient collection of this waste has become a focus and frontier of both academic research and related business. This paper reviews the waste mobile phone collection in Dalian, China. The findings show that several challenges currently impede the implementation of collection, including unsmooth collection channels, poor convenience, and low environmental awareness of residents. A new joint collection mode is put forward to increase the waste mobile phone collection rate. In the mode, the responsibilities of each stakeholder (including the collecting enterprise, the third-party logistics company, the government, and the resident) are clarified. Moreover, a conjoint analysis method is applied to identify residents' willingness for collection. The obtained results show that compensation mode, collection price, and convenience degree are the three factors that influence the prevailing preferences of residents. Collection services with high market share must satisfy the concourse of three conditions. The collection price exceeds 30% of the mobile phone's original price, the compensation mode is cash and information service is provided. These results can provide a reference for the service design of collection mode and the formulation of relevant corporate strategies. • Waste mobile phones are an environmental problem if not handled appropriately. • Collection is the critical bottleneck of waste mobile phones managements. • A new joint collection mode aiming at increasing collection rate was put forward. • Conjoint analysis was applied to investigate residents' willingness for collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Waste recycling for paper production is an important component of waste management. This study constructs a physical input–output life-cycle assessment (PIO-LCA) model. The PIO-LCA model is used to investigate environmental impacts of four categories of waste recycling in China’s paper industry: crop straws, bagasse, textile wastes and scrap paper. Crop straw recycling and wood utilization for paper production have small total intensity of environmental impacts. Moreover, environmental impacts reduction of crop straw recycling and wood utilization benefits the most from technology development. Thus, using crop straws and wood (including wood wastes) for paper production should be promoted. Technology development has small effects on environmental impacts reduction of bagasse recycling, textile waste recycling and scrap paper recycling. In addition, bagasse recycling and textile waste recycling have big total intensity of environmental impacts. Thus, the development of bagasse recycling and textile waste recycling should be properly limited. Other pathways for reusing bagasse and textile wastes should be explored and evaluated. Moreover, imports of scrap paper should be encouraged to reduce large indirect impacts of scrap paper recycling on domestic environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Papermaking is a water intensive industry. The growth of paper demand will further intensify the need of fresh water resources. Papermaking involves complex processing routes. Previous investigations of water consumption in papermaking industry have focused primarily on key processes and pathways, ignoring the impacts of many intermediate and inter-related processes in paper production cycles and there underestimating the sustainability impacts. Herein, the results of a life cycle analysis of water consumption for papermaking industry in China using an extensive system boundary that includes the water embedded in intermediate processing are presented. The results show the life cycle water consumption and water saving potentials for different papermaking pathways. The advocacy of "forest pulp and paper integration" may have few practical contribution to reducing water consumption due to the low indirect water consumption of raw materials and energy for transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pulp and paper industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries worldwide. In 2007, it accounted for 5% of total global industrial energy consumption and 2% of direct industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. An energy audit is a primary step toward improving energy efficiency at the facility level. This paper describes a plant-wide energy audit aimed at identifying energy conservation and CO2 mitigation opportunities at a paper mill in Guangdong province, China. We describe the energy audit methods, relevant Chinese standards, methods of calculating energy and carbon indicators, baseline energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the audited paper mill, and nine energy-efficiency improvement opportunities identified by the audit. For each of the nine options, we evaluate the energy conservation and associated CO2 mitigation potential. The total technical energy conservation potential for these nine opportunities is 967.8terajoules (TJ), and the total CO2 mitigation potential is equal to 93,453tonnes CO2 annually, representing 14.4% and 14.7%, respectively, of the mill’s total energy consumption and CO2 emissions during the audit period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper precisely estimates the looming demand for hydrogen within the transportation sector, spanning 14 pivotal G20 nations from 2022 to 2050, anchored in the global vehicle hydrogen market penetration rate. Employing a robust techno-economic modeling methodology and leveraging Geographic Information System (GIS) for enriched visualization, it unveils distinct environmental dividends across three thoughtfully devised scenarios: Business- as -Usual, Moderate, and Aggressive. Findings herald India and China as pinnacles of hydrogen demand, with South Korea and Japan tailing closely. The study forecasts the energy consumption for solar hydrogen production in G20 countries to oscillate between 3.02 and 2.89 million GWh in 2022, while production costs are anticipated to range from $8.47/kg to $10.01/kg. In an assertive scenario, the paper illuminates a pathway towards achieving a significant CO 2 reduction, unmasking environmental savings of up to a staggering 48%, equivalent to 1.5 million mtCO 2 , by 2050. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen demand of G20 countries is analyzed using GIS and techno-economic models. • The projected adoption rates of hydrogen vary among the G20 countries. • Solar energy is crucial in determining each region's annual energy demand. • China, US, and India have the highest solar potential throughout the year. • The environmental analysis shows 850–1.5 million mtCO2 total emissions by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The process of automation could hinder political trust in government. • The impact results from unemployment, higher down-side risk and lower group participation. • The performance-based legitimacy structure in a developmental state may hinder its political legitimacy when promoting development. • The government should focus more on citizens' trust when pursuing technological development. • Social security is crucial for governance faced with fast technological advancement. The side effects of automation on the economy have been discussed frequently, but little is known regarding its political consequences. This paper examines the causal effect that automation induces on political costs for the local government. By combining the national individual-level panel data of political trust with the prefecture-level robot exposure rate in China, we find that the development of automation would reduce individuals' political trust in the Chinese local government. Furthermore, we explore the channels through which the automation process could affect political trust, namely the risk of unemployment, intensified pessimism about local government, higher downside risk, and declining organization participation. This paper provides empirical evidence for the impact of automation and the source of political legitimacy, emphasizing the crucial role of governments in coping with technological progress and making good use of endogenous creative destruction. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now a growing interest in early-life influences on adult diseases in China. A number of birth cohorts have been established. This systematic review provided a better understanding of the development of mother–baby cohorts in China. Systematic review. We conducted a systematic review for research or profile papers in English/Chinese that reported data from mother–baby cohorts in mainland China, with ≥1y follow-up after birth. We identified 315 papers, corresponding to 31 cohorts from 19 provinces/megacities. All cohorts started in 1999–2017 (21 after 2010) and were set up with broad objectives or specific scientific focus. The baseline sample size varied, from <500 to >300,000 mothers. A majority of cohorts were initiated during pregnancy and followed children to <10y, only six to adolescence and none into adulthood. These cohorts mostly collected samples from mothers and babies, in addition to using interviews/questionnaires to collect information about pregnancy, birth and child health. Most cohorts were recruited from a single province/city. The large western region was understudied. Mother–baby cohorts have developed rapidly in China, but usually with a short follow-up duration. Extending the follow-up of children and developing cross-cohort collaboration will increase the diversity, size and coverage of the sample, allow studying early influences on life-course health and identify targets for early intervention in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of the technical cooperation mode in the field of hydrogen energy is of great importance in guiding technological innovation. Based on the social network analysis (SNA) and spatial network method, this paper constructs the technical cooperation graph of China's industry-university-research (IUR) tripartites in the field of hydrogen technology. Based on the performed graphs, it shows the game and evolution of hydrogen technology innovation in three stages, respectively 2000–2010, 2011–2015 and 2016–2019. Meanwhile, this paper calculates the changes of network indicators and found that: (1) the network density showed a downward trend, from the initial 0.062 to 0.003. (2) The degree centrality of the network decreased from 14.7% to 5.7%. (3) The average path length and clustering coefficient indicate that the internal connections within the network were relatively close from 2000 to 2010, and had small-world characteristics. From 2016 to 2019, although the clustering coefficient increased, the average path length also increased significantly, indicating that the internal connections of the network did not become closer. From the network characteristics, the collaborative innovation network of China's hydrogen energy industry continues to expand in scale and scope, and the cooperation relationship is stable. However, it shows the characteristics of low network density and loose cooperation relationship, gradually developing into a scale-free network. Developed provinces and cities in North and East China occupy core positions in the industry-university-research network, while other regions are gradually expanding their cooperation efficiency; however, the overall cooperation frequency is relatively low in Northeast China, and most provinces and cities in South and Northwest China are in edge positions with poor collaboration capabilities. • Network analysis sheds light on China's hydrogen energy tech cooperation via patent. • Collaborative innovation in hydrogen technology evolves through three stages. • Tight internal connections with small-world properties seen in network (2000–2010). • Network's internal connections didn't become closer (2016–2019). • Network transforms from a stable and expanding structure into a scale-free network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of energy, food, water, and other utensils by fossil fuels generates pollution that causes constant climate change. To minimize and avoid this phenomenon, opting for less polluting energy production sources is increasingly necessary. Green hydrogen (H 2), a renewable and clean fuel, is analyzed in bibliometric terms in the present work, emphasizing photosynthetic H 2. The data were obtained through the journal database list in Web of Science, in which a total of 1507 was published between January 2010 to September 2022, dealing with the production of photosynthetic green hydrogen. The country with the most significant publication is China, with respectively 24.50% of the publications, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has 60 co-authored papers, the largest in co-authorship—most papers published in the international journal of hydrogen energy, with 19.49% of the publications. The raw materials identified as emerging are cyanobacteria and microalgae, Rhodobacter capsulatus , synechocystis sp pcc6803 and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii pointed out as the microalgae of most significant interest. However, it is necessary to improve them, given the decrease in inactivity provided by the Calvin-Benson cycle. Life cycle assessment studies are needed, as well as H 2 storage. There is a need to reduce the levelized cost of H 2 production, which is around 9.65–25.22 USD/gallon. Studies also point to using cyanobacteria and microalgae to produce other biofuels (bioethanol biodiesel) and materials (supercapacitors, batteries, and polymers). [Display omitted] • Evaluation of the photosynthetic production of green hydrogen. • Analysis of 1507 papers from the Web of Science with CiteSpace, Vosviwer and Exell. • Advanced bibliometric analysis of future trends in the production of green hydrogen. • Using photosynthetic methods to produce biofuels. • Polymer production uses carbon dioxide and green hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The species profile of VOCs from abundant sources were presented. • The potential tracers of VOCs in different sources were identified. • Abundant α-pinene were found in solid wood furniture manufacturing. • T/X ratio can distinguish painting (<2) from printing (>2) sources. A survey was conducted of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from sources of solvent use, industry activities and vehicle emissions in Guiyang, a capital city of China. Samples were collected by canisters and analyzed by GC-MS-FID. The species profiles of VOCs emitted from sources were obtained. Results showed that xylenes, ethylbenzene, acetone and dichloromethane were the characteristics species for painting, 2-propanol and ethyl acetate for printing, α-pinene for solid wood furniture manufacturing, and 2-butanone for biscuit baking. These characteristics species could be as tracers for the sources respectively. In most of samples from the solvent use, the benzene/toluene (B/T) ratio was less than 0.3, indicating that the ratio could be as the indicator for tracing the solvent use related sources. The results also suggested that the toluene/xylene (T/X) ratio be as the indicator to distinguish the VOCs sources of painting (<2) from the printing (>2). Aromatics contributed the most to ozone formation potential (OFP) of most painting and non-paper printing sources, and oxygen-containing VOCs (OVOCs) were major species contributing to OFP of the sources from food production and paper printing. The OFP of the VOCs emissions from vehicle in tunnels and from other manufactures were dominated by both aromatics and alkenes. The α-pinene could explain 56.94% and 32.54% of total OFP of the VOCs sources from filing cabinet and solid wood furniture manufacturing, which was rarely been involved in previous studies of VOCs source profiles, indicating that the species of concern for VOCs sources are still insufficient at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to help control the spread of space debris and junk, deorbit sail devices have been used for deorbiting techniques; however, this approach is still considered risky due to potential failure or malfunction as it need to be exposed to the harsh space environment for a prolonged period of time, particularly in low-Earth orbit. China has made new strides forward in managing space junk, as it has successfully unfolded a 25-square-meter deorbit sail developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spacecraft Technology in-orbit for the payload capsule of a recently launched rocket. Accordingly in this paper, a full life-cycle modelling based on Monte Carlo method is developed to reveal the damage behavior of the 25-square-meter deorbit sail surface under the combined effects of atomic oxygen erosion and deorbit sail defects. The simulation results show that as the atomic oxygen fluence increases and the material defect width widens, the interaction effect of the two factors becomes more and more pronounced, which decisively influences the erosion rate of the sail surface. Morphological characterization of aluminized film PET material, activated silanisation modified material and plasma-polymerization coating material before and after atomic oxygen erosion combined defects is carried out and the atomic oxygen erosion of the deorbit sail surfaces is quantitatively assessed. The assessment results show that compared to the PET material and activation silanisation surface modification material, the plasma polymeric coated material showed much better flexibility, folding resistance and irradiation resistance to prevent geological fold and to shield from the atomic oxygen erosion in space. The atomic oxygen erosion combined defects assessment method studied in this paper provides valuable reference data for the subsequent serialisation of deorbit sail products and other typical lightweight film materials for space applications. • Introduction of Monte Carlo method for material surface damage simulation analysis. • Compare the performance of off-orbit sail surface materials under different protection treatments. • Standardize the process of space flexible film material performance evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report on a review of papers written by teachers aimed at knowing more about teachers’ perceptions of the current situation of classroom assessment in primary mathematics education in China. The review is based on 266 papers included in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. We found that the teacher-authors reflected various aspects of their classroom assessment practice, including the purpose of assessment, the content of it, the person who is the assessor, the assessment methods that are used, and the feedback that is provided. Most attention was paid to feedback; it seems many teacher-authors considered classroom assessment to be equivalent to feedback. In general, the conceived classroom assessment practice as described in the papers echoed well nearly all aspects that are advocated in the Chinese mathematics curriculum standards. The only aspect that was scarcely discussed in the papers was the use of assessment results to adapt and improve instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper industry is one of the eight critical industries for controlling carbon emissions in China. As the paper productions increase, the pulp and paper industry may fail in achieving the emission reduction target due to the rapid growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The study uses life cycle assessment to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions of China's papermaking industry chain in order to propose emission reduction targets and find ways to achieve the emission reduction targets for China's papermaking industry. Considering the net carbon absorption of plant raw materials and the extensive paper industrial chain, this study obtained that the greenhouse gas emission of major paper types under corresponding pathways ranges from 1.96 t CO 2 eq/t paper to 6.55 t CO 2 eq/t paper. Plant carbon sink can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14.3%–42.9% under virgin fiber-based pathways. This study found that the greenhouse gas emissions caused by terminal products of 814 papermaking enterprises counted in China were 282.23 Mt CO 2 eq in 2015, accounting for 10.23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of manufacturing industries and construction. To achieve the emission reduction target by 2050, emissions of the pulp and paper industry in China have been investigated from the perspective of three ideal energy structures. The research findings show that the emission reduction target of Intended Nationally Determined Contribution will be achieved in 30 years if the energy structure of the pulp and paper industry is adjusted only based on the optimal 450 scenario. In terms of other energy structures, the pulp and paper industry should assume afforestation areas ranged from 5900 km2 to 223,000 km2 at least to make up for the greenhouse gas emissions beyond allowance, which accounts for 0.85%–32.16% of the existing areas of plantation forestry in China. • Statistics in this work reveal the problem of excess capacity in China's pulp and paper industry. • GHG emission of paper products in different pathways range from 1.95 to 6.52 t CO 2 eq/t paper. • Energy supply mode transition is conductive to green development of pulp and paper industry. • Pulp and paper enterprises should assume afforestation areas to achieve emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast China played an irreplaceable role in population migrations and cultural exchanges in East Asia during the Paleolithic. This paper collected 182 archaeological sites to analyse the characteristics of spatial-temporal variations of Paleolithic human activities in Northeast China, and explored the driving mechanisms behind these variations in combination with the paleoenvironmental and archaeological studies. During the Lower Paleolithic, constrained by the relatively cold-dry climate and blocked by the Songnen paleo-lake basin, the population was sparse and distributed only near 40° N at the southern end of Northeast China. Upon entering the Middle Paleolithic, as humans developed greater tolerance to cold climates and adopted more sophisticated survival strategies with the application of small lithic tools, their numbers increased and geographical distribution expanded northward to 45° N at the central region of Northeast China. The Upper Paleolithic saw a considerable increase in population and expansion across almost all of Northeast China except for the eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau. We speculated that 50 ka and 30 ka BP were two key points, both of which may be associated with a significant increase in the frequency of migrations and communications among humans, and the widespread popularity of highly mobile microblade technology, respectively. In addition, the environmental analysis of archaeological sites revealed a continuous spread of Paleolithic humans to areas with higher elevations, steeper slopes, and lower temperatures. Meanwhile, they were becoming less reliant on water resources and were more widely conducting activities in open-air areas, showing that the environmental adaptability had been continuously improving over time. This study can provide a reference for the reconstruction of the migration history of early humans in East Asia, and is also of great significance for a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary process of early human-environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments have implemented many regulations to solve traffic congestion and pollutant emissions. Traffic restriction (TR) policy is the most common and widely used traffic regulation. However, it is difficult to alleviate traffic pollution through TR policies. Only a few studies focus on TR policies in multiple cities. In this paper, we classify traffic restrictions by geographical factors and evaluate the impact of different policies based on PSM-DID first. Then, we classify the mixed restrictions and test their effects on air pollution. The results show that TR policy improves air quality regardless of the season. Moreover, the effect of TR policy is not affected by the superposition of the type of traffic restriction. For cities implementing the same TR policy, geographic factors can lead to different outcomes. This finding provides a reference for governments in reducing air pollution. • Traffic restrictions significantly affected air quality in different regions of China. • Cities implemented traffic restrictions have improved air quality in adjacent cities. • Effect of traffic restrictions does not depend on the number of mixed restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The model for multiple horizontal wells considers heterogeneous fracture network. • The number of frac hits is determined by pressure differentials and derivatives. • Higher conductivity promotes inter-well pressure equilibrium. • Lower conductivity is beneficial to extended interference testing. Frac hits can significantly impact the final development results. Therefore, accurately and quickly understanding the frac-hit interference between wells is crucial for efficient development. At present, traditional pressure/production data analysis methods and numerical simulation methods can characterize the frac-hit interference. However, challenges such as quantitatively assess interference, high uncertainty in modeling parameters and computational time still exist. A quantitative evaluation method for the interference between wells with complex fracture networks has not been reported yet. This paper takes shale oil reservoir with three production wells as an example and establishes a semi-analytical model (frac-hit semi-analytical model, FSM) based on the linear flow characteristics. The model accurately characterizes the non-uniform distribution of complex fracture networks in the stimulated reservoir volume by introducing fractal theory. A quantitative evaluation index, interference coefficient, is defined to assess the interference. The coupled flow model is applied to evaluate the effects of interference in three typical wells in a continental shale oil field in China. We can see from the actual data fitting of the FSM model that the interference coefficients between target well A and adjacent wells B and C are 0.1 and 0.05, respectively, which means there are about 8–10 and 3–5 frac hits, respectively. Comprehensive analysis for the effects of interference shows that the current inter-well interference is beneficial for production in low-pressure areas but detrimental to new well production. Based on this, sensitivity analysis is generated to illustrate the relationship between the conductivity of combined fractures arising from hits and the interference coefficient. As the interference increases, the propagation of inter-well pressure accelerates, significantly reducing the time required for inter-well pressure equilibrium. The research findings have important guiding implications for the quantitative evaluation of inter-well interference in field operations of horizontal shale oil and gas wells and optimization of fracturing operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yaozhou Kiln is a famous ancient center for celadon production in China, located in present-day Shaanxi Province. While analyzing its olive-green celadon produced during the Song Dynasty, a common occurrence of brownish base (foot and bottom) was observed. This phenomenon can also be found in porcelain produced at other kilns in China and Vietnam. However, previous research has not systematically explored the coloration mechanism behind it. Through different analytical methods, coupled with reproduction firing experiments, this paper concludes that the brownish base is attributed to the diffusion of iron from the body and sand cushion into the thinly applied glaze on the base, as well as the crystallization formed by the combination of the sand cushion and the surface glaze. Factors influencing the depth of the brownish color include: (1) the iron content of the body; (2) the thickness of the base glaze; and (3) the sand cushion material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A life cycle analysis on recycling and secondary use of lithium-ion batteries. • Based on the recycling in China, the LCA of different methods has been established. • Compared to other recovery, the secondary use has the lowest environmental impact. • Secondary use has the greatest impact on assessment results in dynamic situations. With the rapid development of the global new energy vehicle industry, how to minimize the environmental impact of the recovery has become a common concern and urgent concern. China is a major production and consumption market for electric vehicles, there are no specific and extensive resource and environmental assessment system for batteries. In this paper, the retired Electric vehicles lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) was the research object, and a specific analysis of the recycling treatment and gradual use stages of power batteries were based on life cycle assessment. Different battery assessment scenarios were established according to the development of battery recycling in China. The results showed that the secondary use has the optimal performance compared to the full-component physical, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgy recycling. The results showed that direct recycling has a GWP of 0.037 kg-CO 2 eq·kg LIB-1, which is lower than others. Secondary use of LIB accounts for the most emission reductions with Global warming (GWP) as 12.134 kg-CO 2 eq·kg LIB-1. The secondary use has the greatest impact on the assessment results, especially in dynamic scenarios. Through a comprehensive comparison of different recycling technologies, the secondary use, increasing the recycling rate, reducing resource, energy consumption and pollution emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) technology is one of the main technologies in the field of space geodesy, it has played an extremely important role in laser ranging data application and research. As a commonly used geodynamic satellites, the main contribution of LAGEOS and LAGEOS-2 is the solution of orbit determination and station coordinates. At present, there are 8 analysis centers of the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) to release the precise orbit products for the two LAGEOS satellites. However, there is currently no relevant research on the analysis of the consistency of these orbits. So, the authors would evaluate the accuracies of them, and the results show that the orbital accuracies of the two LAGEOS satellites are 3 ∼ 5 cm. SLR is regarded as one of the important input data of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), the analysis center of ILRS provides weekly solutions of station coordinates for ITRF. But, due to the limitation of SLR observation conditions, for example most observations of Chinese SLR stations can be made at night, and laser ranging test cannot be conducted in rainy days, the orbit solution of the seven-day arc may have the problem of less data. Therefore, this paper proposed a method for computing the station coordinates based on long arc orbit determination, and we developed the LAODGEO software (Long Arc Orbit Determination Software for Geodynamic Satellite), which is used to solve the orbits of two LAGEOS satellites and station coordinates of five SLR stations in China. The results show that the obtained orbital precision is basically superior to 3.70 cm, and the 3DRMS values between station coordinates solved by us and the coordinates published by SLRF2014 are mostly smaller than 0.013 m, which is consistent with research results domestic and overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, two subsidy policies, which are based on electric vehicle (EV) consumers and EV charging station firms, have been widely implemented in different areas in China to promote EV adoption. However, the effectiveness of subsidy policies is significantly influenced by the indirect network and herd effects, depicting the positive impacts of the numbers of energy infrastructure firms and the sales of vehicles on consumers' utilities, respectively. Taking the aforementioned effects into consideration, this study examines the optimal subsidy policies by developing a Stackelberg game model. The game model analyzes the interaction and decisions of multiple stakeholders (i.e., consumers, energy infrastructure firms, EV and gasoline vehicle manufacturers, and the government). Interestingly, we find that a stronger herd effect will promote EV sales when the unit production cost of EVs is low; however, it will hinder EV sales when the unit production cost is high. Besides, we compare the effectiveness of the two subsidy policies for promoting EV adoption, reducing environmental impacts, and increasing the social welfare. Findings show that the effectiveness of subsidy policies highly depends on the extent of the indirect network and herd effects. Specifically, compared with EV consumers-based subsidy policy, EV charging station firms-based subsidy policy will be more effective in only two conditions: a weak indirect network effect and a strong herd effect. Otherwise, the EV consumers-based subsidy policy will be more effective. The findings of the paper are helpful in enhancing the effectiveness of subsidy policy in China. • Government subsidy cannot always promote electric vehicle adoption. • The indirect network and herd effects affect the effectiveness of subsidy policy. • A stronger herd effect will not always promote electric vehicle sales. • Either consumers or charging station investors can be the best subsidy object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have investigated the spatial variations of the ionosphere, but the quantitative characteristics of the ionosphere are rarely reported. In this paper, we utilize the total electron content (TEC) data to evaluate the latitudinal gradient of the ionosphere within 10°-50° N over the China sector. It is found that the magnitudes of latitudinal gradient are significantly higher within 10°-40° N and 45°-50° N, respectively. The database of TEC from 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2022 is processed to figure out the local time, seasonal, and solar activity dependency of the latitudinal gradient. The results suggest that the gradient within 10°-40° N is higher in the daytime and during high solar activity period. They are more noticeable in the spring and autumn, and least visible in the summer. Conversely, the gradient within 45°-50° N strengthens in the nighttime and under lower solar activity, and has larger values in the summer months. Furthermore, the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2020) model is assessed in terms of the reproducibility of latitudinal gradient. The IRI-2020 basically represents the latitudinal gradient within 10°-40° N, whereas it overestimates the gradient in the low solar activity period and misses the gradient features near 45°–50° N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Research progress of observation-based ozone formation sensitivity is reviewed. • Threshold values for Photochemical Indicator methods need to be localized. • Reaction mechanisms and monitoring capability need to be improved for OBM. • Ozone formation sensitivity in China presents the gradual shifting tendency. • Dynamic regulation capability for ozone pollution control needs to be built. Observation-based method for O 3 formation sensitivity research is an important tool to analyze the causes of ground-level O 3 pollution, which has broad application potentials in determining the O 3 pollution formation mechanism and developing prevention and control strategies. This paper outlined the development history of research on O 3 formation sensitivity based on observational methods, described the principle and applicability of the methodology, summarized the relative application results in China and provided recommendations on the prevention and control of O 3 pollution in China based on relevant study results, and finally pointed out the shortcomings and future development prospects in this field in China. The overview study showed that the O 3 formation sensitivity in some urban areas in China in recent years presented a gradual shifting tendency from the VOC-limited regime to the transition regime or the NO x -limited regime due to the implementation of the O 3 precursors emission reduction policies; O 3 pollution control strategies and precursor control countermeasures should be formulated based on local conditions and the dynamic control capability of O 3 pollution control measures should be improved. There are still some current deficiencies in the study field in China. Therefore, it is recommended that a stereoscopic monitoring network for atmospheric photochemical components should be further constructed and improved; the atmospheric chemical mechanisms should be vigorously developed, and standardized methods for determining the O 3 formation sensitivity should be established in China in the near future. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The close-coupled selective catalytic reduction (cc-SCR) catalyst is an effective technology to reduce tailpipe NOx emission during cold start. This paper investigated the optimal ammonia storage under steady and transient state in the cc-SCR. The study showed that a trade-off between NOx conversion efficiency and ammonia slip is observed on the pareto solutions under steady state, and the optimal ammonia storage is calculated with ammonia slip less than 10 µL/L based on the China Ⅵ emission legislation. The rapid temperature increase will lead to severe ammonia slip in the transient test cycle. A simplified 0-D calculation method on ammonia slip under transient state is proposed based on kinetic model of ammonia adsorption and desorption. In addition, the effect of ammonia storage, catalyst temperature and temperature increasing rate on ammonia slip are analyzed. The optimal ammonia storage is calculated with maximum ammonia slip less than 100 µL/L according to the oxidation efficiency of ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) downstream cc-SCR. It was found that the optimal ammonia storage under transient state is much lower than that under steady state in cc-SCR at lower temperature, and a phase diagram is established to analyze the influence of temperature and temperature increasing rate on optimal ammonia storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely recognized as low-carbon transportation that adopts green and clean technology with contributing to mitigating global climate change. However, it appears that the practice in using EVs has not gained widespread popularity despite the promotion of various incentives with the presence of various restricting factors and challenges. In conducting this study in the context of China, we hypothesize that restricting factors have varying impacts on promoting EVs in China, where the adoption of EVs is of great potential. This paper identifies these restricting factors by applying AHP-FCE integrated approach, and these factors are classified into five dimensions, namely, technical, infrastructural, economic, governance and social. The results indicate that the top five restricting factors are security issues, limited driving range, long charging time, improper distribution of charging stations and lack of sharing between charging piles respectively. Our research contributes to a better understanding of EV restricting factors and their significance, which offers the assistance in the formulation of policies and decisions in order to promote effectively EVs in China. • The promotion of EVs is of great potential in China for mitigating global climate change. • Explore the RFPEVs in China using AHP-FCE integrated approach. • The RFPEVs in China can be classified into five dimensions, namely, technical, infrastructural, economic, governance and social. • The technical and infrastructural related are the most important constraints. • The main three important restricting factors are security issues, limited driving range, long charging time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of bilateral air connectivity on bilateral service trade flows. Our service trade data includes 'commercial', 'transport', 'travel', and 'government' services. We developed a reduced-form gravity-type model using the Chinese data. An instrument variable (IV) approach is adopted to address the endogeneity issue between bilateral air connectivity and the service trade variables. Our key results are: (a) increasing the number of direct routes can significantly promote bilateral service export and import trades; (b) the average route-level traffic density has only marginal positive effects; (c) improving air connectivity would enlarge China's overall service trade deficit, because the transport and travel services imports are promoted more than their exports; (d) The 'commercial' service exports can be stimulated more than the imports, making China achieve larger commercial service trade surplus by improving bilateral air connectivity. •Increasing the number of direct air routes significantly promotes bilateral service trades in China. •Improving air connectivity enlarges China's overall service trade deficit. •Enhancing bilateral air connectivity stimulates China's commercial service exports more than imports. •China's growing international air transport, facilitated by the Belt-and-Road Initiative, has had a substantial impact on bilateral service trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the ionospheric responses to the February and April 2023 geomagnetic storms using Total Electron Content (TEC) derived from the 10 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations at the transition of low to mid-latitudes (Approx. 20 ∼ 30°N) across different longitudes in the American and Asian sectors. Significant variations in both sectors were recorded during the recovery phase and were mainly attributed to the Prompt Penetration Electric Field (PPEF), Disturbance Dynamo Electric Field (DDEF) and the thermospheric neutral composition changes as O/N 2 depletion. Similarly, the American and Asian sectors showed TEC enhancements, primarily attributed to the PPEF, during the main phase of the April storm. The negative TEC variations during the recovery phase were observed due to the DDEF and changes in O/N 2. In the Asian sector, positive and negative variations were recorded over Pakistan and China, respectively, during the main phase of the April storm. These variations resulted in high and low concentrations of the O/N 2 ratio due to Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livable environment and ways, as the necessary conditions for the elderly to enjoy their old age, have a significant impact on their mental health and happiness. It's crucial to understand how living arrangements affect depressive symptoms in China. Studies on how various leisure activities modify this association are yet limited. This study relies on panel data derived from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), collected during waves spanning 2008/2009, 2011/2012, 2014, and 2018. The primary objective is to examine the relationship between living arrangements, leisure activities, and depressive symptoms of elderly individuals. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the data. A total of 26,342 observations aged 65 and over were included in this paper. Older adults living alone (β = 0.66, 95 % CI: 0.55, 0.76) or living in institutions (β = 0.69, 95 % CI: 0.40, 0.98) had more depressive symptoms than those living with family. Leisure activities were negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β = −0.16, 95 % CI: −0.18, −0.15). Moreover, there was significant interactions between living arrangements and leisure activities. No matter which kind of living arrangements, participating in physical, productive or social activity was associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms. Study design might introduce bias, and it cannot establish causality between the tested variables. Older adults living alone or in institutions have more possibility to develop depressive symptoms than those living with family, and such a relationship among Chinese older adults can be moderated by participating in leisure activities. • Older adults living alone or in institutions had more depressive symptoms than those living with family. • Participation in leisure activities showed a negative association with depressive symptoms. • There were significant interactions between living arrangements and leisure activities. • Whatever the life arrangements, participating in leisure activities was related to a lower risk of depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the numerical calculation model of salt cavern hydrogen storage was established based on the proposed salt cavern hydrogen storage in a bedded salt mine in Jiangsu Province of China. The effects of the minimum internal pressure, maximum internal pressure, average internal pressure and injection-production rate on the stability and tightness of the storage were explored respectively. The results revealed that: (1) The volume shrinkage rate and the plastic zone distribution of the surrounding rock decreased with the increase of the minimum internal pressure, and increased with the decrease of the maximum internal pressure. (2) When the depth of salt cavern is around 1700 m , its long-term stability cannot meet the requirements according to the traditional standard of 0.3–0.8 times of the vertical stress at the cavern roof. It is therefore suggested that the minimum internal pressure of the storage should be increased to 0.4 times of the vertical stress at the cavern roof. (3) The tightness evaluation indexes, including leak range, pore pressure distribution of hydrogen, and cumulative leakage of hydrogen in surrounding rock, all increased with the increase of average pressure and amplitude of internal pressure. (4) Under the same average internal pressure and injection-production frequency, the greater the injection-production rate (the amplitude of internal pressure), the smaller the cumulative leakage rate is. Therefore, increasing the injection-production rate is beneficial to the storability of the hydrogen storage. • Different internal pressures are set to study the stability and tightness of the salt cavern for hydrogen storage. • Raising the minimum internal pressure can enhance the stability of the salt cavern. • The amplitude of internal pressure is the key factor affecting the tightness of the salt cavern. • The selection of internal pressure for hydrogen storage should take into account the effects of multiple factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst economic downturn pressures, major countries emphasized the manufacturing industry and increased research and development (R&D) investments to realize innovation in manufacturing. Manufacturing enterprises are the main performers of R&D investments, so it is imperative for policymakers to accurately evaluate the policy effect of different industrial tendency and policy intensity on growth. The impact of the overall R&D expenditure on macroeconomy or the effectiveness of enterprises' R&D investment on business profit has been reported in a great deal of literature, but so far, the impacts of enterprises' R&D have little been experimented at the macro level and industrial level. This paper improves the knowledge production function and structured a regional dynamic computable general equilibrium model to simulate the multi-dimensional macroeconomic impact of enterprises' R&D investment. The results show that enterprises' R&D investment has a significant role in promoting economic output, residents' welfare, price control, and international trade, and its impact is declining over time. The impacts of enterprises' R&D on different industries are heterogeneous; industries with lower knowledge capital are more sensitive to R&D investment. These findings contribute to the effectiveness of R&D policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the unintended effects of a tax incentive program on firms' strategic patenting behavior in China. The program reduces the corporation income tax rate for firms certified as high- and new-technology enterprises. Firms must meet patent requirements to be eligible for the program. We employ an event-study design to examine firms' patenting behavior around certification events. Results show that firms strategically increase utility model patent applications in the pre-certification year but do not increase invention and design patents. The strategic increase in utility model patent applications is to meet the patent requirements, but strategic patenting is neither associated with a real increase in R&D activities nor represents substantive innovation outputs. The strategic patenting behavior is more evident for less innovative firms, private firms, non-first-time certification users, and firms in non-priority industries. Our study highlights the importance of understanding firms' behavioral responses for the evaluation and design of tax incentive programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Robust infrastructure is essential to enhance urban productivity and support urban development. • Transportation infrastructure enhances urban productivity by promoting economic agglomeration. • Information infrastructure promotes urban productivity through labor mobility and agglomeration effects. • The promotion effect on urban productivity in eastern regions and megacities is more obvious. • Transportation and information infrastructure have positive spatial spillover effects on urban productivity. Improving total factor productivity is an important driving force for achieving high-quality economic development. Based on the panel data of 256 cities in China from 2009 to 2019, this paper investigates the effect of transportation and information infrastructure on urban productivity. The results show that transportation and information infrastructure promote urban productivity, and the effect in eastern regions and megacities is more obvious. The mechanism analysis shows that transportation infrastructure enhances urban productivity by promoting economic agglomeration, and information infrastructure enhances urban productivity by promoting labor mobility, economic agglomeration, financial agglomeration and industrial agglomeration. The spatial spillover effect shows positive spatial autocorrelation of urban productivity. Transportation and information infrastructure have significant positive spatial spillover effects on urban productivity. China should continue to promote the construction of transportation infrastructure, strengthen investment in information infrastructure, and promote the joint construction, sharing, coordination and integration of transportation and information infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]