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This research aims to be guided decision-makers in future planning by estimating the tendency of data consistently. In this context, it is thought that the integration of the Autoregressive Distributed Lag-ARDL models, gathering the independent factors and their past effects as well as the past trend of the dependent variable, with fuzzy regression methods, would give more realistic results. To prove the correctness of this idea, the Fuzzy-ARDL method has been proposed and tested the superiority of the research on the projection of USAs' annual oil consumption data examined by researchers previously. For this purpose, raw data of crude oil import price, population, gross national domestic production (GDP) per capita, and oil production variables, previously compiled annually, have been considered independent variables. Then the proposed model has been benchmarked with the other promising models from the fuzzy regression literature. As a result, according to various Accuracy Measures values, it has been seen that the proposed model outperforms the other promising models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The share of renewable energy consumption in total electricity consumption is analysed for a sample of forty-nine countries worldwide from 1985 to 2017. The analysis follows a two-step approach. First, the club convergence model was used to find the convergent countries. Second, a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model estimation was used to analyse the convergent countries. Club convergence analysis confirms that forty-two countries are convergent in renewable energy consumption in total electricity consumption. The subgroup convergence tests confirm the existence of seven subgroups and one non-convergent group. Of these eight groups, the first seven are convergent among their group members, but the eighth group (Norway, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago) is non-convergent. The PVAR revealed a dense Granger causal relationship among the variables share of renewable electricity consumption, fossil consumption, GDP, trade openness, economic complexity, financial development, and oil prices. In their interventions, policymakers should be aware that the share of renewable energy consumption in total electricity consumption is very interdependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluate the influence of maternal consumption of safflower oil on reflex maturation, memory and offspring hippocampal oxidative stress.Methodology: Two groups were formed: control group (C), whose mothers received a standard diet, and Safflower group (SF), whose mothers received a normolipidic diet with safflower oil as lipid source. Treatment was given from the 14th day of gestation and throughout lactation. To evaluate newborn development, the reflex ontogeny indicators between the 1st and the 21st days of life were evaluated; to assess memory, from the 42nd day of life on these animals were examined on open field habituation and novel object recognition test. Following behavioral analysis, the animals were anesthetized and decapitated. Hippocampus was rapidly dissected. In the hippocampal tissues, we evaluated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S transferase (GST) and reduced glutathione (GSH).Results: SF offspring showed delayed maturation of reflexes and improvement of novel object recognition in short-term and long-term (p < 0.05). Safflower oil decreases lipid peroxidation evaluated by MDA levels (p < 0.001) and increases antioxidant defenses as shown by SOD, CAT, GST and GSH levels (p < 0.05). In our study, the composition of flavonoids present in the oil was not evaluated. Furthermore, in a future study, the effect of maternal consumption on female offspring should be verified.Conclusion: Maternal intake of safflower oil could: (1) change neonate reflex parameters, (2) promote improvement of cognitive development in adolescence (3) improve antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic defenses in the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consumption, international trade, and carbon emissions were examined in Japan. • Carbon emission transfers among sectors/countries were identified from 2000 to 2014. • Japan was found to be an emissions net import country (58% of emissions from China). • Household consumption accounted for ∼60% of consumption-based emissions. • These findings can help Japan customise sectoral carbon reduction priorities. International trade accelerates the separation between consumption and production on a global scale, thus leading to carbon transfer. Consequently, carbon flow embodied in international trade reallocates global carbon emission responsibilities, consisting of domestic demand and imports but excluding exports. To tackle the geographic flow of emissions embodied in products and services, carbon emissions must be quantified according to the global value chains. Using Japan as a case study, this study tracked the evolution of consumption patterns, international trade, and related carbon emissions based on multi-regional input-output tables, and carbon emissions inventories. Carbon emission transfers among sectors and countries were identified from 2000 to 2014. As a result, imports from the industrial sector led to a gap between production- and consumption-based carbon emissions. Japan was found to be an emissions net import country over the study period, with about 58% of the total carbon emissions inflow coming from China. Moreover, household consumption accounted for nearly 60% of consumption-based emissions, with industrial sector products and services being the primary source of carbon inflow, and the service, transport, and industry sectors are responsible for the majority of domestically released emissions. These conclusions provide valuable information for Japan to customize sectoral carbon reduction priorities, an essential component of setting decarbonization goals from the consumer perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidic droplets of various sizes are applied in a broad spectrum of biological and chemical processes and require high uniformity for reliable outcomes. Although various droplet detection methods have been employed to achieve monodisperse droplets, the capacitive method stands out for its ease of use and rapid response, enabling real-time feedback control. However, this method has limitations in terms of significantly altering the droplet size, resulting in increased continuous phase consumption and the need for microchannel and sensing component replacements. In response, we present the Sensing Area-Variable Electrode (SAVE), which is designed to produce monodisperse droplets across a broad size range without excessive continuous phase consumption and without requiring the frequent replacement of sensing components. The experimental results demonstrate that using the SAVE electrode enables the generation of monodisperse 0.2, 0.4, and 1.0 nL droplets by simply replacing the disposable microchannel while reusing the sensing components. Moreover, the adaptable number of droplets achieved by microchannel replacement allows the SAVE electrode to be effectively utilized in droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assays, providing a balance between sensitivity and throughput. Consequently, the SAVE electrode addresses the limitations of the capacitive detection method and offers a versatile solution for various droplet-based biological and chemical processes, including ddPCR assays. • SAVE electrode (Sensing Area-Variable Electrode) for optimized droplet detection with minimized oil consumption. • Real-time electrical capacitive method for droplet detection and control. • Simple and cost-effective hybrid microfluidic device combining disposable microchannels with a reusable sensing substrate. • Sensing a wide range of droplet sizes (0.2−1.0 nL) using a single SAVE electrode. • Applied to droplet digital PCR with customized sensitivity and throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chongqing is the only province and city with net energy input in southwest China, and its energy security has been in a tight balance for a long time. To propose scientific and reasonable energy policies for Chongqing under the "dual carbon" goal, this paper studies Chongqing's total energy consumption, coal consumption, natural gas consumption, and oil consumption by a conformable fractional-order grey Bernoulli model with optimized parameters. The new model is studied with its linearized form, the conformable fractional-order accumulation operation, the grey modelling technique, the least squares method, and the whale optimization algorithm. According to historical data, several forecasting models are built. From calculation results, the mean absolute validation percentage errors of the new model are smaller than those of other models in the total energy consumption, coal consumption and natural gas consumption, with values of 1.31%, 1.43%, and 2.41%, respectively. In the oil consumption, the MAPE valid is 3.85%, which is the second smallest among these models. The results illustrate that the new model can provide competitive results. Further, the values in the next five years are calculated. • The conformable fractional-order accumulated generating operator is introduced to preprocess raw data. • The CFNGBMO(1,1) model is discussed. • The WOA algorithm is applied to search the optimal system nonlinear parameters. • The total energy consumption, coal consumption, natural gas consumption and oil consumption are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies how temperature affects the transportation sector's low-carbon performance, measured by carbon total factor productivity (CTFP). The findings reveal that an additional day with temperatures surpassing 30 °C results in a 0.25 % decrease in CTFP compared to days ranging from 15 °C to 20 °C. The mechanism analysis indicates that high temperatures primarily reduce CTFP by undermining technical efficiency, especially in reducing energy- and carbon-oriented technical efficiency. To combat heat stress, the transportation sector markedly increases the proportion of coal and oil consumption, thus shifting its energy structure towards a more carbon-intensive configuration. The heterogeneous analysis uncovers that the adverse impacts of high temperatures are more pronounced in transportation sectors located in the eastern region, in those that are energy- and labor-intensive, and in those heavily reliant on road transport. Moreover, we find that high-speed railways can effectively mitigate the negative impacts of high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positively charged, negatively charged, and uncharged graphene sheets are integrated into a 3D material to form the novel filter material capable of efficiently separating multiple oil-in-water emulsions in one-step. [Display omitted] • The filter materials are integrated with three different charged graphene sheets. • The filter materials can separate varieties of type and content of oil-in-water emulsions. • The type and proportion of functional groups in filter materials can be adjusted. • One-step separation of complex oily wastewater is realized under gravity. Global daily oil consumption reaches nearly 100 million barrels, a figure which consequently leads to the generation of substantial volumes of oily wastewater during the processes of oil production and transportation. Existing advanced materials exhibit remarkable properties for emulsions stabilized by specific surfactants. However, these materials face limitations in practical application due to the intricate composition of surfactants present in real-world oily wastewater. In this paper, we aim to tackle this issue by presenting a solution that involves the utilization of surface-engineered graphene-based multi-level filter materials (GMFMs). These specially prepared GMFMs incorporate positively charged, negatively charged, and uncharged graphene sheets, which synergistically combine to form a porous structure with unique wettability. This innovative design allows the filter material to exhibit exceptional separation capabilities for complex emulsions. The surface-engineered GMFMs exhibited exceptional efficiency in the separation of mixed surfactant-stabilized emulsions and industrial wastewater. Operating at a high throughput of approximately 5000 L m−2 h−1, these GMFMs achieved an impressive oil removal efficiency of 99.8 % or higher after just one-step separation. The combined efficiency, reusability, and broad applicability of GMFMs facilitate efficient separation of oil-in-water emulsions on a large scale, promising a sustainable solution to the pressing issue of oily wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive operational cost function was established based on the deep peak shaving characteristics of thermal generators. • The impacts of different combinations of renewable energy penetration on the power system operation were analyzed. • The effect of energy storage deployment on improving flexibility in high penetration renewable energy systems were analyzed. Higher proportions of renewable energy are one of the most prominent features of future power systems. However, renewable energy, such as wind and PV power generation, is subject to inherent variability and uncertainty, which leads to fluctuations in electrical production and necessities flexibility enhancement to ensure sufficient adjustable resources responding to such fluctuations. This paper proposes to enhance the flexibility of renewable-penetrated power systems by coordinating energy storage deployment and deep peak regulation of existing thermal generators. First, the growing flexibility requirement in the presence of variable renewable energy is discussed and quantified using proposed indices. Then, we analyze the characteristics of thermal generators providing deep peak regulation, and establish a comprehensive operation cost function including coal consumption, wear-and-tear consumption, and oil consumption of thermal generators. On this basis, we propose a flexibility enhancement method coordinating battery energy storage capacity optimization and deep peak regulation of thermal generators, which aims at minimizing the total investment and operation costs while satisfying operating constraints on representative days. Extensive case studies on a modified IEEE-RST 24 system verified the proposed flexibility enhancement method under different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil consumption of an engine causes particulate matter, catalyst poisoning, and sometimes abnormal combustion such as pre-ignition. One of the factors in oil consumption is oil transport upward through the ring gap in a piston. When the rings rotate and the ring gaps meet and stay a certain position, hence the gaps line up, it is assumed that so more oil can transfer upward. The effect of the piston motion on ring rotation is investigated in authors' past study using three types of rig testers which represent lateral, up-and-down, and tilting motions of a piston respectively, and force acting on the piston ring in the circumferential direction is measured. The results show that the lateral and the up-and-down motion cause the piston ring rotation. In this study, the effect of the interaction between those piston motions on the rotational force was investigated. It was found that three components of the piston motion showed an interactive effect on the piston ring rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ongoing climate change and environmental pollution, renewable energy supply has been overemphasized in many countries. Since an increase in the prices of non-renewable energy sources or the country's income might shift energy demand from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy sources, this study examines the relationship of renewable and non-renewable energy consumptions with income and price. Whether price and income have an asymmetric effect on energy consumption was tested in the models constructed for 42 net energy exporter countries from 2000 to 2018. The asymmetry test indicates that only price has an asymmetric effect on solar, wind, and geothermal energy consumption among renewable energy sources, whereas both price and income have an asymmetric effect on oil consumption among non-renewable energy sources. According to the results of using specific heteroscedasticity and individual-specific first order autocorrelation to estimate the symmetric and asymmetric panel regression model, the income elasticity in the wind and solar energy models was more than one. Moreover, although the consumption of all energy sources is sensitive to the price of crude oil, positive shocks in prices are more effective on consumption than negative shocks in prices. • The asymmetric relationship of energy consumption with price and income was examined. • Asymmetric panel regression models for specific sub-energy sources were constructed. • The price effect was asymmetric with heteroscedasticity and PSAR structures. • The income elasticities of wind and solar energy was found greater than one. • The response of consumption to the increase in prices was higher than to the decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mathematical model of hydrodewaxing process considers n-paraffin distribution. • Feedstock fractional composition is recalculated into group composition. • Optimization increases product yield by 1–6 % and catalyst resource by 10 %. This work proposes the approach to the modeling of the oil distillates catalytic hydroprocesses, based on consideration of the hydrocarbon chemical transformations, n-paraffin distribution in the feedstock by the number of carbon atoms in the molecule and n-paraffins reactivity in the target hydrocracking reaction, as well as the unsteady nature of the processes due to changes in the feedstock composition, technological modes and catalyst activity. Using the proposed approach, a mathematical model of the oil distillates hydrodewaxing process was developed. To consider the group composition in the model, an approach to recalculation of the feedstock fractional composition into the group composition was developed, as well as an approach to determination of n-paraffin distribution in oil distillates. Using the developed mathematical model, the study of the influence of hydrogen-containing gas consumption on the oil distillates hydrodewaxing process was carried out, and the process was optimized by such technological parameters as temperature and hydrogen-containing gas consumption. It was shown that when the process is carried out at optimal technological parameters, taking into account the composition of the feedstock and the dynamics of catalyst deactivation, the product yield is 1–6 % higher, and the catalyst resource increases by 10 % compared to the operation of the process at the actual (non-optimal) technological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the changing world, oil continues to be important in energy production. Using monthly data from 1965 to 2022, the permanency of oil consumption fluctuations was investigated. Fourier-based Granger causality tests were used to examine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. Long-term relationships were estimated using Fourier-based Engle Granger cointegration tests. Unlike previous research, this study considers the long and short-term effects of countries that consume the most and least oil, as well as on a global scale, from different perspectives, examining oil price fluctuations together, and estimating these analyzes using the Fourier approach. Oil consumption fluctuations appear temporary in New Zealand and Luxembourg but permanent in all other countries. Oil consumption and prices share a causal relationship in the US, Japan, New Zealand, and Luxembourg, but no relationship elsewhere. A long-term relationship exists between oil consumption and prices in the US, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, and Estonia. In other countries, no long-term relationship is found between these two variables. Error correction model estimation shows only the equation for Japan can be interpreted based on statistical significance. A one-unit deviation between oil consumption and prices can reach equilibrium in 20 months. • A causal relationship exists between oil consumption and oil prices in the USA, Japan, New Zealand, and Luxembourg. • The fluctuations in oil consumption series appear to be temporary in New Zealand and Luxembourg, while they are permanent in all other countries. • A long-term relationship exists between oil consumption and oil prices in the USA, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico and Estonia. • A one-unit deviation between oil consumption and oil price can reach equilibrium in 20 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strive to lower reliance on fossil fuels and transition to clean energy sources necessitates innovations in energy storage. This study empirically investigates the effectiveness of energy storage innovations towards a greener environment on a global scale. To this end, we use quarterly frequency time series data on a global scale over the period 2000 to 2020 and the estimation techniques based on the nonparametric multivariate quantile on quantile regression (MQQR), multivariate quantile regression (MQR), and Kernel-based regularized least squares (KRLS). The empirical results reveal that energy storage innovation and nuclear energy are strongly related to a decline in carbon dioxide emissions (CO 2 e) but natural resources and oil consumption intensify the level of CO 2 e across quantiles. However, the effects of energy storage innovation, nuclear energy, natural resources, and oil consumption are heterogeneous leading to an asymmetric pattern across quantile distribution. The policy implication of this study is that, on a global scale, energy storage innovation and nuclear energy provide opportunities for attaining a greener environment and more environmentally sustainable future but natural resources and oil consumption impede policies toward a sustainable environment. Therefore, our study recommends, among other things, an aggressive boost of energy storage system and nuclear energy while decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. [Display omitted] • Energy storage innovations (ESI)–CO 2 emissions (CO 2 e) nexus on a global scale. • Apply a Multivariate Quantile on Quantile Regression. • ESI and nuclear energy (NE) reduce CO 2 e across quantiles. • Natural resources (NR) and oil consumption (OIL) intensify CO 2 e across quantiles. • Effects of ESI, NE, NR, and OIL on CO 2 e are asymmetric across quantiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Committed to achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century, South America faces unique challenges in carbon mitigation due to its distinct socio-economic, technological, and institutional backgrounds compared to developed and other developing economies. Previous research on South America's carbon emissions has limited country and sector coverage and typically adopts a top-down approach that focuses on the overall emissions of an economy, neglecting individual energy sources and emission sectors. Therefore, this paper compiles a comprehensive inventory of CO 2 emissions for South American countries based on a meticulous bottom-up approach and multi-source data integration, followed by a thorough analysis of their temporal evolution patterns and the driving forces behind them. Between 2010 and 2020, South America's overall emissions peaked in 2014 at 1092.3 Mt., led by emissions from oil consumption and from the transport and electricity sectors, and dropped to 865.6 Mt. in 2020, due to the economic fluctuations and COVID-19. Specifically, Brazil was the largest emitter, Chile experienced the most significant increase in emissions, and Paraguay recorded the highest emission growth rate. Generally, expanding population was constant driver of emission growth. High energy intensity led to significant emission increases in Brazil and Ecuador, while elevated carbon intensity was the main driver in Argentina. Energy structure changes played a positive role in most countries to different extents (e.g., much more significant in Brazil than in Chile) but aggrevated emissions in Paraguay and Guyana. Therefore, carbon mitigation strategies should be tailored to each country's unique national circumstances. • During 2010–2020, South America's CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels peaked in 2014. • Transport and electricity sectors comprised over 60% of total emissions. • Brazil was the top emitter, while Chile saw the largest increase in emissions. • Emission patterns and driving factors varied significantly across countries. • Carbon reduction strategies should be tailored to local circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic evolution of the seasonal patterns in world oil consumption is dictated by complex interactions between regional consumers. Although this global pattern was stable and predictable in the past, recently it has undergone dramatic changes that have not been well understood yet. This paper contributes to literature on oil consumption behaviours by analysing the counter-balance of 'coincident' and 'counter-directional' regional seasonal patterns that have time-varying amplitude relative to their longer-term trends. It is shown that the recent global seasonal changes have been mainly driven by long-run demand trends in fast-growing emerging markets and, to a lesser extent, by idiosyncratic changes in regions' seasonal amplitude. Our analysis is relevant to energy policy in general as both global and regional oil consumption seasonality have important implications for oil pricing, investment decisions, hedging, geopolitics and energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing concern of the Indonesian government towards the ever increasing national level of carbon emissions and the increasing demand of oil, in 2014 the Indonesian National Energy Council released the National Energy Policy which set the target of an increased renewable energy portion to become 23% of the total national energy consumption while setting a limit to oil consumption to be at most 25%. As the road transportation sector consumes more than 60% of the national oil consumption, measures targeting this sector will be important in fulfilling the target. A model has been set up to evaluate the impact of the measures on oil consumption via two main avenues: the substitution of oil based fuels with alternative fuels (e.g. biofuel, compressed natural gas/CNG), the reduction of oil consumption via vehicle retirement and the acceleration of fuel economy improvement for vehicles. Results have shown that it is important that policies consider the presence of older vehicles in the population since there is presently no vehicle retirement policy or penalty for older vehicles resulting in a large number of old vehicles still being operational. Thus, introduction of new vehicles will have a limited effect on the average fuel efficiency. Implementation of a vehicle retirement policy to reduce the amount of older vehicles is shown to be very effective in stemming the increase of oil consumption. In regards to fuel substitution, oil substitution with ethanol is most impactful, as most motor vehicles in Indonesia rely on gasoline including the rapidly increasing motorcycle population. While oil consumption is also reduced by biodiesel substitution, impact is more limited due to a smaller diesel vehicle population with a lower annual increase of vehicle population. In addition, financial, social and regulatory barriers exist that impend implementation of alternative fuels and vehicle limitation schemes. We also evaluated possible barriers and avenues that can further promote these measures to meet the national energy policy target. • The impact of fuel substitution of Indonesian road transportation energy was simulated. • The avenues in order to meet the national energy policy target were evaluated. • Fuel substitution with ethanol is the most impactful for the Indonesian transportation energy sector. • Oil consumption can be also reduced by biodiesel substitution. • Regulatory barriers exist in the implementation of alternative fuels and vehicle limitation schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is the modelling and the optimization of energy consumption during essential oils extraction by conventional and microwave assisted processes. As regards energy efficiency assessment, an indicator has been developed and used that reflects the evolution of energy consumed per mass unit of essential oil extracted. The adopted modelling approach allows, in addition of energy consumption estimation, to follow its evolution throughout the extraction process. For models validation purposes, a set of 170 extraction kinetics data reported in the literature was used. The results showed that the simulated energy consumption during the extraction process is in good agreement with the measured values in all studied cases. Also these results show that an increase of essential oil recovery rate from 90% to 99% induced an energy consumption multiplied by a factor between 1.8 and 11 whether in conventional processes or those assisted by microwaves. This increase of energy consumption per mass of extracted essential oil highlights the fact that targetting a maximal oil recovery through plant depletion, is neither an economical nor an ecological optimum. The comparison between classical and microwaves assisted processes showed that generally the use of microwave heating reduce energy consumption with a reduction factor varying between 2 and 10 regardless of the extraction yield. This modeling approach provides a valuable insight on the optimal work conditions in favor of a cleaner production of essential oils and can be considered as a precious tool for increasing efficiency in the use of energy and cost reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies focus mainly on the influence of ETS on energy consumption, carbon emissions, and the economy; however, the effects on energy consumption and output structure still need to be discovered. This study employs a time-varying difference-in-differences approach to test whether China's ETS significantly affects energy structure represented by coal, oil, and natural gas consumption and renewable energy output. The results show that the ETS policy significantly reduced China's coal and oil consumption and increased natural gas consumption and renewable energy output. Besides, the influence of ETS on energy structure becomes increasingly significant over time. The results demonstrate that energy investment mediates the effects of ETS on energy consumption and output structure, and industrial structure mediates the effects on coal and fossil consumption. In addition, as economic development increases, the negative effects of ETS on coal and oil consumption decrease, the positive effect of ETS on natural gas consumption increases, and the positive effect of ETS on renewable energy output decreases. As the share of the secondary sectors increases, the negative effect of ETS on coal and oil consumption decreases, the positive effect of ETS on natural gas consumption decreases, and the contribution of ETS to renewable energy output increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the asymmetric impact of oil price, economic growth, financial development, and industrialization on oil consumption in Tunisia, using the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model over the period 1980–2020. The NARDL bound testing approach confirms the presence of a cointegrating relationship between oil demand and its determinants. The results show that oil demand is income elastic and price inelastic. In the long run, the impact of increased and decreased financial development on oil consumption is found positive and negative, respectively. The findings also highlight that a positive (negative) shock to industrialization decreases (increases) energy consumption. The study of symmetrical causality supports the feedback hypothesis between growth and consumption. However, the asymmetric causality analysis shows that only negative shocks to economic growth have impacts on oil demand. The Tunisian economic model could be oriented in such a way as to support economic activity and implement energy saving policies. Finally, the implications of the different findings are discussed and key recommendations for policymakers are also provided. • The demand for oil is income elastic and price inelastic. • There is a positive relationship between financial development and oil consumption. • There is a negative relationship between industrialization and oil demand. • Only negative shocks to economic growth impact on oil demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the on-site visual detection of oil wear debris, a panoramic ferrograph was proposed. A rotation-symmetric high-gradient permanent magnetic field was constructed to deposit wear debris without a pump and valve. And a template-based stitching image algorithm was used to generate panoramic debris images. Moreover, the index of particle coverage area (IPCA) of 12 panoramic debris images was statistically analyzed. The coefficient of variation (CV) of IPCA is 6.1%, which indicates a high repeatability. In particular, the detector can also image debris in black oil. The panoramic ferrograph has the advantages of no need for a pump and valve, no oil sample consumption, and a high repeatability, which can provide a new means for the rapid on-site oil debris analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel consumption and the drying behavior of lemon verbena leaves were determined in a continuous flow dryer equipped with a solar pre-heating system. In order to reduce the share of fossil fuels and their negative impact to the environment, the total energy during the drying process was supplied using the combination of solar energy (solar water heater) and natural gas. The experiments were carried out at three levels of drying air temperature (30, 40, and 50 °C) and three levels of air velocity (1, 1.5 and 2 m/s). Two working conditions were considered for the drying system: a) solar-gas drying (SGD) mode and b) gas drying (GD) mode. According to the results, in SGD mode, the fuel consumption at drying temperatures of 30 and 40 °C was zero at all levels of the air velocity, while in the GD mode the fuel consumption increased with increasing the inlet air temperature. The highest and lowest essential oil (EO) content was obtained at 40 °C and 2 m/s by 0.60% and at 50 °C and 1 m/s by 0.33%, respectively. The central composite design-Face Centered technique with response surface methodology was used for the optimization of the drying process. The optimum conditions for drying lemon verbena leaves were obtained at drying temperature of 39.54 °C and an air velocity of 2 m/s. In this mode, the fuel consumption was zero, drying time was 131.48 min and EO content was 0.52%. Image 1 • Clean solar energy was used for drying lemon verbena in a continuous flow dryer. • Using the proposed dryer, the fuel consumption during the drying process decreased. • In solar-gas mode, the fuel consumption at temperatures of 30 and 40 °C was zero. • The highest EO content of leaves was obtained at 40 °C and 2 m/s by 0.60%. • The optimum conditions for drying in this dryer were obtained at 39.54 °C and 2 m/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results from an analysis on the economic impact of early standardization for biobased materials with potential to internalize the costs of environmental damage from crude oil consumption. The results of the quality game in a vertically differentiated model show that incumbents will always improve the environmental quality of their products to increase profits. New entrants will in any case benefit from this, but their own incentive to improve quality remains low. To ensure that both players improve environmental quality, the standard should not be too strict in the event of early release. This will enhance the average environmental quality of products in the market and increase demand, possibly with a positive impact on social welfare. Then early standardization will be beneficial for both the biobased industry and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few study has been conducted to forecast India's dependence on foreign oil, although India is the world's third-largest oil consumer and exporter, making it a key player in the oil market. This work is aimed to accurately forecast India's dependence on foreign oil. To develop better forecasting techniques, this study used linear Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and nonlinear Back Propagation (BP) to correct nonlinear metabolic grey model (NMGM) forecasting residuals in three steps: (i) integrating the metabolic idea with a nonlinear grey model to develop NMGM, (ii) integrating the proposed NMGM with ARIMA to develop NMGM-ARIMA, and (iii) integrating the proposed NMGM with BP to develop NMGM-BP. To further improve forecasting accuracy, this work forecasted the India's dependence on foreign oil from two perspectives: (i) direct forecasting the change of ratio of imports oil to total oil consumption in India, (ii) indirect forecasting, i.e., the difference between the forecasted oil consumption and production was divided by the forecasted oil production. The proposed NMGM-ARIMA and NMGM-BP were used to fit the India's dependence on foreign oil for 1995–2017 and forecast the data for 2018–2030. The mean relative error of the proposed forecasting models was around 1.5%, which could produce a convincing forecasting results. Our forecasting results show that India's dependence on foreign oil will reach 90% around 2025, which poses serious challenge to Indian oil security and the global oil market. • The gap between oil supply and demand has caused India's foreign oil dependence to climb to 80%. • Two combined NMGM-ARIMA and NMGM-BP models are used to forecast. • We have predicted oil dependence from both direct and indirect aspects. • The mean relative percent error of the proposed technique is 0.67–1.87%. • The forecasting results from the two aspects show India's foreign oil dependence level will reach 90% at around 2025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To more accurate forecast China's oil consumption, the major driving force of global new added oil demand, a new nonlinear-dynamic grey model is developed, namely NMGM (1, 1, α). The proposed NMGM (1, 1, α) upgrades the nonlinear grey model (GM) from stationary to dynamic model through effectively integrating nonlinear forecasting technique and the biological metabolism idea. The proposed NMGM (1, 1, α), and other three existing grey models (linear GM (1, 1), nonlinear GM (1, 1, α), metabolism GM (1, 1)) are run respectively to simulate and forecast Chinese oil consumption from 1990 to 2026. The simulation results show that our proposed NMGM (1, 1, α) are higher accurate than the other three models. In addition to better forecast energy consumption, the proposed NMGM (1, 1, α) also can be used to forecast in other fields. The modeling results based on the NMGM (1, 1, a) show that China oil consumption in the next decade (2017–2026) will be increased by 51%. The better forecasting Chinese oil consumption by using the proposed model can provide useful information for the researchers, policymakers and others stakeholders in Chinese and global oil market. • Integrating nonlinear grey model to biological metabolism process. • The proposed NMGM (1, 1, α) makes nonlinear grey model from stationary to dynamic. • The proposed NMGM (1, 1, α) presents higher accurate, with MAPE lower than 3.000%. • China's oil consumption will be increased by over half in the next decade. • The proposed NMGM (1, 1, α) also can be used to forecasting in other energy areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen consumption in oil refineries increases sharply because of more and more heavy and sour crude oil processing, which also makes hydrogen sulfide a considerable contaminant in off-gases of hydrotreaters. This work presents a simulation-based optimization model for synthesis of hydrogen networks with H 2 S removal. Aspen HYSYS is employed for rigorous process and thermodynamic modeling of the H 2 S removal unit. The proposed model is solved using the genetic algorithm combined with the linprog and fmincon solvers in the Matlab platform. The optimal hydrogen sources and the recirculated absorbent fed into the H 2 S removal unit as well as the optimal design of the hydrogen network can be determined simultaneously. A case study is performed to illustrate the application and effectiveness of the proposed model. The result shows that the introduction of H 2 S removal can decrease the fresh hydrogen consumption by 43% and the total annualized cost by 17%. • Rigorous thermodynamic and process modeling of H 2 S removal unit in Aspen HYSYS. • A simulation-based optimization model for synthesizing hydrogen network with H 2 S removal. • A solution strategy to enhance the computational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates asymmetric effects of renewable and nuclear energy on economic growth by extending production function along with labor and capital for Pakistan's economy. Paper utilises non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model with the yearly data of 1990–2016 to extract reliable facts. Results reveal the presence of asymmetric co-integration among variables. Results offer evidence of positive and negative shocks to renewable and nuclear energy variables will have positive impact on economic growth. Further, capital formation contributes positive to economic growth. Addition to this, two more conventional models have been constructed to investigate asymmetric impacts of economic growth, oil prices, oil consumption and CO 2 emissions on nuclear and renewable energy consumption. Results reveal that oil consumption leads to a negative impact on renewable energy consumption while it is neutral for nuclear energy consumption. Oil price was having neutral impact on renewable and nuclear energy consumption. Policy suggestions are given based on empirical results. Highlights • Renewable energy consumption has asymmetric positive affect on economic growth. • Nuclear energy consumption shows a positive and asymmetric linkages with economic growth. • Oil consumption has negative impact on renewable energy consumption. • Oil price shows neutral impact on renewable and nuclear energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The implementation of International Maritime Organization regulations for CO 2 emission reduction has oriented ships to sail at lower speeds. Speed reduction reduces fuel consumption of ships significantly. In order to perform efficient ship operation, energy demand throughout the whole engine room has to be decreased. The goal of the study is to minimize electrical power consumption during slow steaming operation, hence equivalent fuel consumption and emissions could be decreased. A computational study was carried out in order to clarify potential savings with respect to main engine load. The study quantifies the energy savings in main engine cooling system which has significant potential to reduce electrical power consumption in slow steaming operations. Operational requirements are determined with the help of realistic engine room simulator of a container ship which has waste heat recovery system. The values, obtained from the simulator were verified using the technical manual of a diesel engine, which have similar output power range. The results of calculations show that there is great potential to improve energy efficiency when variable pumps are used. Based on the results, from the main engine cooling system, 60% of electrical power demand reduction can be achieved. The power reduction saved by pumps, decreases considerable amount of marine diesel oil consumption as 296.2 tons where 367.4 tons of fuel needed by diesel generators or oil fired boiler. The reduction in fuel consumption is 80% that the saving in the central cooling system corresponds 948 tons of CO 2 emission reduction and $207,300 cost saving. Highlights • Slow steaming was investigated with a novel perspective. • Cooling system is analysed for decreased engine loads. • Propose a cooling solution to decrease fuel consumption at marine engine operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study attempts to propose the economic and non-economic reforms to reduce CO 2 emissions in China from 2004 to 2015. • It investigates the roles of forests area and forest investments (non-economic reforms) and installation of industrial treatment plants (economic reforms) for 30 Chinese provinces through varies of analysis. • We find that for economic sector reforms, increasing in investment for industrial treatment plans, such as carbon injection treatment, leads to a decrease in CO 2 emissions. For non-economic reforms, the empirical results indicate that higher CO 2 emissions is controlled by increasing the forest land and forest investment. • These findings have significant practical implications for policymakers to introduce economic and non-economic reforms simultaneously to overcome environmental degradation effectively. The study examines the main contributors of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission in China and attempts to propose the economic and non-economic reforms to mitigate this emission. We use the panel data from 2004 to 2015 of 30 Chinese provinces to conduct the full sample, regional and policy-based analysis. Our findings have shown statistically significant and positive effects of coal consumption, oil consumption and industrialization on CO 2 emission in China. In economic sector reforms, we find that increasing in investment for industrial treatment plans, such as carbon injection treatment, leads to a decrease in CO 2 emission. For non-economic reforms, the empirical results have provided the evidence that higher CO 2 emission is controlled by increasing forest land and forest investment. These findings have significant practical implications for policymakers to introduce economic and non-economic reforms simultaneously to overcome environmental degradation effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A low friction piston ring pack, with tangential load halved, was tested in engines with four different cylinder liner finishes. Oil consumption, oil temperature and liner surface temperature were monitored at different load and speed levels, under similar test conditions. The two smoother surfaces generally kept lower oil consumption compared to the two rougher ones. Results were correlated using an area-fractal analysis. The relative area of the surface was calculated at different scales and the result was compared with the level of oil consumption for the different liner surfaces at different engine speeds. It was found that oil consumption was strongly correlated with scale for areas of above 1000 μm2 and below 20 μm2. Highlights • A correlation is established between oil consumption and relative area determined by area-scale fractal analysis. • Waviness, dale and core volume parameters have a high correlation to oil consumption at engine speeds above 1200 rpm. • Functional scale analysis gives the possibility to visualize surfaces at the appropriate scale of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Life cycle comparison of coal and oil shale to liquid fuels routes are conducted. • Life cycle GHG emissions of CTF and STF routes are 15.54 and 9.82 t CO 2 -eq/t-fuels. • Life cycle water consumption of CTF and STF routes are 12.98 and 7.69 t/t-fuels. • Three feasible suggestions are proposed to reduce GHG emissions and water consumption of CTF route. Abstract Traditional liquid fuels production is heavily dependent on crude oil. Due to the conflict between liquid fuels demand and shortage of crude oil supply, Chinese government has begun to develop alternative feedstocks. In this paper, we carried out comparative analysis of coal to liquid fuels (CTF) and oil shale to liquid fuels (STF) from the perspectives of life cycle GHG emissions and water consumption. Results show that the life cycle GHG emissions of the CTF and STF routes are 15.54 and 9.82 t CO 2 -eq/t-fuels, which are greatly higher than that of oil to liquid fuels (OTF) route (6.36 t CO 2 -eq/t-fuels). The life cycle water consumption of the CTF route is the largest, 12.98 t/t-fuels, followed by the STF route, 7.69 t/t-fuels, and the OTF route 1.18 t/t-fuels. Therefore, taking measures to conduct the reduction of GHG emissions and water consumption is the key for the CTF. Three feasible suggestions are proposed as follows: (1) integrating coal and hydrogen-rich gas to produce liquid fuels; (2) optimizing the heat exchange and water networks; and (3) mobilizing the enthusiasm of reduction of emissions and saving water by implementing carbon tax and raising water price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Accurately predicting the propagation of hydraulic fracturing arising from the wellbore is essential in petroleum engineering, hydraulic engineering, etc. There are various factors influencing fracture propagation, such as the initial fracture orientation and in-situ stresses, while the limitation of appropriate methods and techniques hinders the further investigation on the propagating mechanism. In the study, a simulator based on High-order Generalized Finite Element Method (GFEM) is introduced to investigate the propagation behaviors of hydraulic fractures arising from the sidewall of wellbore. For better recognization of hydraulic fracturing, several numerical examples are performed based on the simulator. Different influencing factors are studied, including intersection angle between fracture and wellbore, in-situ stresses and fracture interactions. It is found that, regardless of in-situ stresses in the surrounding rock, pre-existing fractures approximately propagate straightforward along their initial directions and finally form planar fracture surfaces. Regarding in-situ stresses, with acute intersection angle between fracture and wellbore, fractures propagate toward the direction of the minimum principal stress. Besides, two parallel and opposite fractures individually arising from two parallel and non-coincidence wellbores always propagate towards each other after passing by each other. Moreover, the interactions between them become strengthened as the distance between them decreases. Finally, the propagating sequences of hydraulic fractures arising from a group of parallel wellbores are discussed. It is found that the sequence can influence the fracture geometry and previously propagated fractures can restrain the nearest fractures embedded in other wellbores propagating away from each other in subsequent stages. Highlights • 3D fractures arising from the sidewall of wellbore are studied via High-order GFEM. • Effect of intersect angle between fracture and wellbore on fracture path is studied. • Fractures with acute angles always propagate normal to the minimum in-situ stress. • Fractures are verified to propagate normal to each other after passing each other. • Fractures in previous stage restrain the deviation of fractures in subsequent stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A significant portion of the world's crude oil is produced in the form of oil-water emulsions. The effective separation of oil and water dispersions could be considered as one of the critical steps in determination of the economic and technical success of the petroleum industry for many years. Deep understanding of basic droplet coalescence at the interface and different parameters that are effecting on this phenomenon is essential for characterization of the global phase separation. An experimental investigation of the coalescence of single droplet at the interface of Exxsol-aqueous phase was carried, with emphasis on the effect of aqueous phase composition and droplet size on stability of droplets. A Coalescence Time Measurement (CTM) facility is utilized to measure mean coalescence time at the liquid-liquid interface and examine how it could be affected by droplet size, viscosity of the continuous phase and the composition of aqueous phase, which is crucial for characterization of the global separation process. Moreover statistical analysis of CTM data is conducted to develop relationship among the coalescence time and process controllable variables (droplet size, continuous phase viscosity, interfacial tension, density of dispersed phase and continuous phase, salinity and hydrate inhibitor concentration). Highlights • An experimental investigation of the coalescence of single droplet at the interface of Exxsol-aqueous phase was carried, with emphasis on the effect of aqueous phase composition and droplet size on stability of droplets. • Moreover statistical analysis of CTM data is conducted to develop relationship among the coalescence time and process controllable variables. • The average droplet-interface coalescence time increased with increase of the surfactant concentration. • Addition of 13% (w/w) of NaCl to aqueous phase resulted in a pronounced decrease in the average coalescing time. • The lowest average droplet-interface coalescing time was obtained for the Exxsol-aqueous phase system in which 13% (w/w) of NaCl together with 100 ppm of the surfactant were added to the system. It is concluded that the effect of surface-active agent in increasing the stability of droplets is completely inhibited by addition of NaCl to the system due to the salting-out effect. • The presence of hydrate inhibitor (MEG) in aqueous phase at the concentration of 50% (v/v) increased slightly the droplet-interface average coalescing time. • In surfactant free systems, the lifetime of the drops at planar interface of Exxsol-aqueous phase proportionally increased with increase of the droplet size. For systems containing surfactant, completely opposite scenario was detected in relation to the effect of droplet size on the droplet-interface coalescing time. In these systems, stability of the droplet at interface decreased with increase of droplet size. • The average coalescing time of drops increased with an increase in continuous phase viscosity. The observation is explained by intensification of resistance to film drainage and rupture. • The relationships between droplet-interface coalescing time and process variables were determined as described in Eqs. (1) & (2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Source rocks in Lower Cambrian (Є 1) and Middle-Upper Ordovician (O 2+3) have low S2 values, ranging from 0.01 to 0.34 and 0.01–5.95 mg HC/g Rock, respectively. The averages of TOC are 1.07% and 0.84% for Є 1 and O 2+3 source rocks, respectively. The equivalent vitrinite reflectance values (VREs) indicate that Є 1 rocks are in a high-over mature stage for oil generation, and O 2+3 rocks are sufficiently mature. Four oil seepages from the Yingshan Formation in the Qingsong quarry of the Aksu area and 34 core samples from Є 1 and O 2+3 rocks in the Kalpin area were analyzed for stable carbon isotopes. Moreover, 4 oil seepages and 16 core samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Compared with O 2+3 rocks, Є 1 rocks are characterized by lower values of Gammacerane/C 30 hopane (G/H), C 28 /(C 27 + C 28 + C 29) 20R ααα sterane (C 28 %), C 29 /(C 27 + C 28 + C 29) 20R ααα sterane (C 29 %), C 26 20S/C 28 20S triaromatic steroids (C 26 /C 28), (C 26 + C 27)/C 28 triaromatic steroids and (C 26 20R + C 27 20S)/C 28 20R triaromatic steroids, and higher values of C 21 /C 23 tricyclic terpane (C 21 /C 23), C 27 /(C 27 + C 28 + C 29) 20R ααα sterane (C 27 %), and C 35 αβ (22R + 22S) homohopane/αβ C 30 -hopane (C 35 H/H). The two sets of source rocks have a "V (C 27 >C 28

Highlights • We designed a composite index of urban transport oil vulnerability. • This includes the components of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. • Overall, Hong Kong is found to be less oil vulnerable compared to Brisbane. • Outer urban areas, especially in Brisbane, are more oil vulnerable. • Future research should consider transport, energy and land use vulnerabilities. Abstract The volatility in oil prices has been a major concern to car dependent cities, in particular the period of higher oil prices circa 2005–2015. Higher transport costs could exacerbate transport disadvantage and cause social exclusion, yet the fine scale comparison of the spatial variation of oil vulnerability within cities has not been fully explored to date. This paper studies the comparative experience of spatial urban oil vulnerability within two very different Asia Pacific cities – Brisbane and Hong Kong. Census and journey-to-work data are used to evaluate and map oil vulnerability based on prevailing vulnerability concepts of exposure and sensitivity, with a specific focus on adaptive capacity. A cross-city composite indicator is created to visualise car dependence and oil vulnerability based on various socio-demographic, public and active transport indicators. This study allows direct comparison of the stark contrasts between one Asian and one western city in terms of urban form (dispersed vs. compact) and mode share (transit vs. car based). Both of these cities' urban transport policies are also examined to explain their resulting oil vulnerability. The results show transit-led transport policies and land-use matching with rail and active infrastructure investments which reduce transport oil consumption, and could offer longer term resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Due to the significance of low temperature oxidation (LTO) process on the subsequent oxidation reactions and oil recovery for in situ combustion (ISC), this work aimed at conducting a series of comprehensive investigations into LTO of heavy crude oil. The LTO behavior of heavy oil was analyzed by static oxidation experiments. Then the alterations in oil characteristics due to LTO were investigated through coke content measurements, flammability tests and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations. Additionally, the effect of LTO on thermal behavior and kinetics of heavy oil was researched using thermogravimetry (TG)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. The results showed that the temperature played a crucial role in LTO of heavy oil. Almost no coke was deposited at 80 °C. The amount of coke deposition at 160 °C averaged 0.346 g coke/g oil, which was roughly 4.2 times higher than that at 120 °C. The oxidized oil at 160 °C possessed the most superior flammability at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure in comparison to that at 80 and 120 °C. The surface morphologies of oxidized oil at 160 °C and its formed coke were quite rough, which boosted the subsequent combustion reactions. The results of TG/DSC unravelled that the oxidized oils were subjected to higher mass loss and exothermic effect at the fuel deposition (FD) and high temperature oxidation (HTO) stages as compared to crude oil. After the static LTO, the activation energy in the LTO and FD stages for heavy oil was increased, while that in the HTO stage was reduced. Compared with crude oil and oxidized oils, the coke deposited during the static LTO presented the highest thermal release and reaction activity in the HTO interval. This paper can provide some new insights regarding LTO mechanisms of heavy oil to rich the ISC technology. Highlights • LTO behavior of heavy oil was analyzed under different temperatures. • Alterations in oil characteristics due to LTO were presented. • Effect of LTO on thermal behavior and kinetics of heavy oil was researched. • Comprehensive investigations into LTO accelerated to understand LTO mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential health benefits of olive oil consumption, particularly within the context of the Mediterranean diet, have been extensively investigated. However, its specific health benefits remain to be confirmed. The aim of the present work is to review the scientific evidence regarding the specific impact of olive oil consumption on human health, including the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancers, and diabetes mellitus. Ten related meta-analyses were reviewed to this effect. Olive oil consumption was found to be beneficial for several chronic non-communicable diseases (e.g. including cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and type 2 diabetes), whereas there were contradictory findings regarding its impact on several biomarkers. In conclusion, the aggregated evidence supports the assertion that olive oil consumption is beneficial for human health, and particularly for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of energy in modern life is self-evident. Forecasting future energy consumption can help governments and businesses formulate reasonable energy supply and demand policies to ensure energy security and economic development. To this end, a novel adaptive fractional grey model with fractional derivative was established. Firstly, a novel fractional cumulative operator is proposed that operates in a fractional-order domain and has the potential to alternate between giving priority to new or old information. This method facilitates the effective utilization of data when working with a limited number of samples. Secondly, the model's adaptability and flexibility were improved through the introduction of a nonlinear term in the whitening equation; and the fractional derivative was introduced into the whitening equation to solve the problem of poor adaptability of existing integer-order derivative to nonlinearity and volatility. To enhance the model's performance, the study utilized the Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) algorithm to optimize the model parameters. Furthermore, the robustness of the proposed model was verified using Monte Carlo simulations and probability density analysis; and the experimental results indicated that the proposed model exhibits better robustness. Finally, three actual cases of China's total energy consumption, total crude oil consumption and domestic heat consumption are predicted. • A novel structure adaptive fractional derivative grey model is proposed. • The robustness analysis of the novel model is established. • Comparative study shows that the novel model is superior to other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are of growing public health concern because of their ubiquitous presence in food samples. To get more insight into levels of CPs in vegetable oils from the Dutch market and human exposure via these oils, two series of samples were analysed in this study for the presence of CPs by UHPLC coupled with Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry: 1) 39 vegetable oils from local supermarkets; 2) 13 paired crude and refined vegetable oils obtained from a contract refining company. Short chain CPs (SCCPs) and medium chain CPs (MCCPs) were detected in vegetable oils from supermarkets with an overall range from

[Display omitted] • PAHs formation was affected by various factors during frying. • Emphasizing migration and derivation of formed PAHs during frying in future. • PAHs generation during food thermal processing may be related to radical reaction. • The unsaturated hydrocarbons may be precursors of PAHs in food. • In situ detection may be potential for studying PAHs generation mechanisms. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic and lipophilic, which can be found in frying system. This review summarized the formation, migration and derivation for PAHs, hypothesized the possible mechanism for PAHs generation during frying and presented the research prospects. Some factors like high oil consumption, high temperature, long time and oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids promoted the formation of PAHs and the presence of antioxidants inhibited the PAHs formation. The effect of proteins and carbohydrates in foods on the formation of PAHs is inconclusive. The formed PAHs were migrated into food and air. Moreover, some PAHs transformed into more toxic PAHs-derivatives during frying. The generation of PAHs may be related to low-barrier free radical-mediated reaction and the unsaturated hydrocarbons may be precursors of PAHs during frying. In future, the isotope tracer technology and on-line detection may be applied to discover intermediates and provide clues for studying PAHs generation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil has long been the backbone of our human society since the 20th century. The future evolutionary trends of China's oil consumption have drawn growing interest, given China has planned to achieve the carbon neutrality target by 2060. Using a multi-model comparison framework, we find that China's carbon neutrality target would require reducing its oil consumption, primary energy demand, and carbon emissions by more than 79%, 32%, and 98%, respectively, compared with the reference scenario in 2060. The cross-model averages reveal that the primary energy consumption is 3.87 Gtce, of which oil consumption takes 6.84%, i.e., 190.17 Mt., generating 0.19 GtCO 2 under the 1.5 °C scenario in 2060. Given the shift from 2 °C to 1.5 °C, carbon emissions should be reduced by 92.58%. By evaluating China's oil consumption pathways toward 2060, our multi-model comparisons reveal that: a) The oil consumption will gradually increase to 941.32 Mt. in 2060 under the reference scenario. b) The oil consumption will peak at 780.28 Mt. around 2030 and then decline to 483.16 Mt. in 2060 under the 2 °C scenario. c) China's oil consumption will experience a sharp reduction from 744.25 Mt. in 2025 to 190.17 Mt. in 2060 under the 1.5 °C scenario, with certain differences under the multi-model assessment framework. This research provides reliable assessments of oil consumption, energy demand, and carbon emissions for China, which could also contribute to the domestic practice of addressing climate change. • Multi-model comparison can comprehensively present different trajectories of China's oil demand. • Carbon neutrality requires oil consumption to peak at 744.25 Mt. around 2025 and then declining to 190.16 Mt. in 2060 averagely, accounting for 6.84% of TPEC. • Carbon emissions will decline dramatically to −2.03 to 2.07 GtCO 2 by 2060 across IAMs. • Chinese features and the uncertain factors should be strengthened in IAMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Five different energy efficiency alternatives for the building were studied. • A ground-source heat pump and solar PV usually provide the highest profitability. • A household battery has become profitable at the 2022 electricity price. • Dimensioning of a solar PV system massively depends on the electricity price level. • At the 2022 electricity price level, the array-to-inverter ratio can be up to 4.9. Buildings and the construction sector make up about a third of the final energy consumption and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, offering a significant potential for emission reductions. This paper investigates the conversion of a Nordic oil-heated townhouse into a carbon-neutral one. Five different energy efficiency (EE) alternatives including, for example, different heat pump types and their dimensioning are studied. The electricity demand of the EE alternatives is aimed to be covered as cost-effectively as possible with an on-grid system based on solar photovoltaics (PV) and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The cost-optimal dimensioning of the components is based on the 30-year life cycle cost (LCC), and the work is carried out using an hourly level simulation model developed in MATLAB. To maximize the profitability of the BESS, an intelligent control algorithm based on linear programming is implemented based on a day-ahead electricity spot price for the years 2020–2022 and "perfectly" forecasted power demand and generation data. The data used in the simulation consist of measured electricity consumption, simulated heat generation based on annual oil consumption, and simulated solar PV power generation. It was observed that an about 60% partial-power-dimensioned ground source heat pump together with a solar PV system provides almost always the lowest LCC. However, the BESS was shown to be profitable at the current investment costs for the first time at the 2022 electricity prices, enabling a capacity of 210–230 kWh. On average, the cost-optimized on-grid electricity system was found to reduce the 30-year life cycle costs by 6%, 20%, and 85% with the electricity prices of 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. When the price of electricity is exceptionally high, it may be justified to implement more extensive energy efficiency improvements, such as additional insulation of the building envelope. Nevertheless, the impact on the life cycle costs is marginal. In addition, the cost-optimized solar PV capacity has increased more than sevenfold between 2020 and 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to judge the bottom line of China's oil product consumption is of great significance for energy security. We innovatively divide oil product consumption into bottom-line and non-bottom-line consumption and use the DMA method for forecasting. The results show that bottom-line consumption of oil products will reach 197.29–213.47 Mt in 2025 under the low development scenario, while it will increase to 236.21–250.37 Mt and 269.62–285.8 Mt in the baseline and high development scenarios, respectively. By reducing the high development scenario to the low development scenario, non-bottom-line consumption of oil products can save about 22.09–25.32 Mt. The wide variation in the forecast results under the multi-dimensional scenarios reflects the flexibility and feasibility of future policy combinations to regulate oil consumption. Meanwhile, for any oil product, any combination of policy scenarios will control bottom-line and non-bottom-line consumption in the same direction but with different impact effects. Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel will account for a lower limit of about 44%, 14%, and 27%, respectively, in 2025. • We propose a unique oil product consumption analysis embedded in bottom-line thinking. • We divide the total oil product consumption into two categories: bottom-line and non-bottom-line consumption. • Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel will account for a lower limit of about 44%, 14%, and 27%, respectively, in 2025. • Bottom-line consumption of oil products in 2025 will reach 197.29–213.47 million tons under the low development scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of thermally oxidized oil is associated with metabolic disorders, but oxidized oil-elicited changes in the metabolome are not well defined. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were fed the diets containing either control soybean oil or heated soybean oil (HSO) for 4 weeks. HSO-responsive metabolic events were examined through untargeted metabolomics-guided biochemical analysis. HSO directly contributed to the presence of new HSO-derived metabolites in urine and the decrease of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing phospholipids in serum and the liver. HSO disrupted redox balance by decreasing hepatic glutathione and ascorbic acid. HSO also activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, leading to the decrease of serum triacylglycerols and the changes of cofactors and products in fatty acid oxidation pathways. Most importantly, multiple metabolic changes, including the decrease of tryptophan in serum; the increase of NAD+ in the liver; the increases of kynurenic acid, nicotinamide and nicotinamide N-oxide in urine; and the decreases of the metabolites from pyridine nucleotide degradation in the liver indicated that HSO activated tryptophan-NAD+ metabolic pathway, which was further confirmed by the upregulation of gene expression in this pathway. Because NAD+ and its metabolites are essential cofactors in many HSO-induced metabolic events, the activation of tryptophan-NAD+ pathway should be considered as a central metabolic response to the exposure of HSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting petroleum consumption is a complicated and challenging task because many parameters affect the oil consumption. Whereas a highly accurate prediction model can help one utilize data resources reasonably, an inaccurate model will lead to a waste of resources. Thus, choosing an optimization model with the best forecasting accuracy is not only a challenging task but also a remarkable problem for oil consumption forecasting. However, a single model cannot always satisfy time series forecasting and the variations in oil consumption. In this paper, a total of 26 combination models using traditional combination method were developed to increase the prediction accuracy and avoid the problem of individual risk prediction methods "over-fitting", which would reduce the accuracy. Our conclusion is that the proposed combination models provide desirable forecasting results compared to the traditional combination model, and the combination method of TCM-NNCT is the most feasible and effective one. This paper also discussed the factors related to the statistical models and the results can be used by policy makers to plan strategies. Numerical results demonstrated that the proposed combined model is not only robust but able to approximate the actual consumption satisfactorily, which is an effective tool in analysis for the energy market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the international crude oil trade and the international petroleum trade through econometric analysis and complex network analysis, focusing on the aspects of the driving forces and resistances for the oil trade and competitive or cooperative relationships among countries. The crude oil trade network and the petroleum trade network are constructed. Positional and role analysis reveals that countries can be divided into five positions in the crude oil trade network and twenty-five positions in the petroleum trade network. The relationships among countries within or between positions are discussed and recognized as competitive or cooperative. The bilateral oil trade analysis shows that various factors within countries have influence on bilateral trade volume. The analysis also implies that restrictions on trade partner selection due to geographical resistance forces neighboring oil-importing countries to choose similar oil-exporting countries, which corresponds with the results of the complex network analysis. The complex network analysis shows that the countries in the same position belong to the same region. Furthermore, the analysis results imply that the diversification in petroleum-exporting countries reduces the supply disruption risk for importing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large engines will continue to play a major role in the transportation sector, especially in shipping. In the energy sector, they are essential due to increasingly complex networks and operating strategies. These two sectors are set up for a renewable world through their use of large engines operated with alternative, preferably carbon-free fuels. Intensive research will remain necessary to make these engines even more climate-friendly, to further increase their lifetime and to reduce production, operating and maintenance costs. This research will be supported by the development and deployment of novel key technologies. This paper describes two of these technologies that have been developed at the Large Engines Competence Center: a temperature measurement spark plug and a system for measuring engine oil consumption. Both technologies have in common that they should help engines to run more efficiently, cleaner and with less wear. Spark plug wear impacts engine reliability and maintenance costs. Likewise, wear of the piston assembly and its tribological system is of great importance. This paper provides insight into the development of both technologies and the first instance of their simultaneous application on an engine test bench. It also reveals how spark plug temperature, oil consumption and emissions parameters correlate with each other. The results of an extensive running-in program and endurance runs are presented, and the influence of the manufacturing tolerance of the piston rings on wear and lubricating oil consumption is shown. • A novel method for lube oil consumption measurement has been implemented and tested on a large single-cylinder engine fueled by natural gas. • Different power units have been compared in terms of their lubricating oil consumption, tribological behavior, and wear. • A novel technique for spark plug temperature measurement has been successfully installed and tested. • A spark plug middle electrode measurement is presented with unlimited measurement time at high accuracy and minor modifications. • Strong correlations between spark plug temperature, lube oil consumption and soot and NOx emissions have been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bypass, which consists of intentionally circumventing a collaborative platform in the final transaction phase, represents a threat for commission-based platforms. This paper examines collaborative consumers' motivations to bypass and proposes a conceptual model explaining bypass intention. Multigroup analysis of 549 UK respondents (310 accommodation-rental users; 239 ride-sharing users) using PLS-SEM shows that perceived enjoyment and perceived risk are strong predictors of bypass intention. Our findings also confirm the significant impact of economic benefit influencing bypass decisions, both directly and indirectly, by reducing perceived risk and increasing perceived enjoyment. This study extends the literature on collaborative consumers' bypass motivations, identifying an interplay of utilitarian motive (economic benefit), hedonic motive (perceived enjoyment), and perceived risk. It also contributes to the field of misbehaviors in hospitality and tourism, by showing empirically the link between pleasure and deviance. Finally, it helps platforms to determine the types of exchange that are more prone to bypass. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is to develop an osmotolerant yeast strain with high lactose utilization and further use it to ferment lactose rich whey permeate for high ethanol titer and to reduce energy consumption. Ethanol production and growth rate of selected MTCC 1389 strain were quite high in whey containing lactose up to 150 g/L but it remains constant in lactose concentration (200 g/L) as cells encountered osmotic stress. Thus, strain MTCC 1389 was used for an adaptation to lactose concentration 200 g/L for 65 days and used further for fermentation of lactose rich whey. Fermentation with an adapted K. marxianus MTCC 1389 strain in laboratory fermenter resulted in ethanol titer of 79.33 g/L which is nearly 17.5% higher than the parental strain (66.75 g/L). Expression analysis of GPD1, TPS1 and TPS2 found upregulated in lactose adapted K. marxianus strain as compared to the parental strain. These results suggest that an adapted K. marxianus strain accumulates glycerol and trehalose in response to lactose stress and improve osmotolerance in K. marxianus cells. Thus, the study illustrates that evolutionary engineering is an efficient strategy to obtain a superior biofuel yeast strain, which efficiently ferments four-fold concentrated cheese whey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript analyzes the influencing factors of energy consumption growth in Guangdong Province using the logarithmic mean Divisia index I (LMDI) decomposition method developed based on the physical processes of energy utilization from the primary energy supply to end-use sectors. By introducing the input-output method for mapping the energy allocation diagrams of Guangdong Province, we derive the primary energy quantity conversion factors, which establish the connection between end-use energy consumption and primary energy consumption. These factors are used to develop an LMDI decomposition method suitable for analyzing the energy consumption growth of this region. The method is subsequently applied to analyze the factors influencing energy consumption growth in Guangdong Province from 2004 to 2014. The results indicate that the growth of GDP per capita and population are the dominant factors driving energy consumption growth, while the improvement of electricity supply efficiency is the main factor inhibiting energy consumption growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]