Search

The present study examined bidirectional effects between sleep problems (nocturnal awakenings and insufficient nocturnal sleep) and infant development (gross motor, fine motor, and cognition) in a sample of 182 infants (89 girls) and their parents living in Beijing (China). Using 3 waves of longitudinal data (at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years of age), this study (a) explored the differences in sleep patterns and developmental outcomes between infants in the current sample and infants from other cultures; and primarily examined (b) whether nocturnal awakenings and insufficient nocturnal sleep prospectively predicted infant development; (c) or whether infant development predicted sleep problems. Mothers reported their children's sleep problems, and infant development was assessed with Bayley III. Sleep patterns of Beijing infants were slightly different from those from Finland and Singapore, and most scores on Bayley III in this Beijing sample were higher than those in Danish, Dutch and Sri Lankan samples. Sleep problems and developmental measures were stable across the 3 times of assessments, but cross-lagged associations were limited in number and strength. High scores on the Bayley at 6 months predicted less nocturnal awakenings at 1 year of age. Insufficient nocturnal sleep at 1 year predicted poor fine motor development at 2 years. Thus, findings suggest some bidirectional associations between infant development and sleep problems and further highlight the need to understand these relations within specific cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The cement manufacturing sector is the second largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the most important technologies to decarbonise the cement manufacturing process. China has accounted for more than half of global cement production since 2008. This study suggests criteria to assess the potential to retrofit cement plants and analyses the economics of retrofitting cement plants for CCS with a case study of a modern dry process cement plant locating in Guangdong province, China. The study assumes the extra heat and power for CO2 capture and compression is provided by a new 200MW combined heat and power unit (CHP) (US$17.5/MWh thermal for the cost of coal). The estimated cost of CO2 avoidance by retrofitting a cement plant for carbon capture in 2012 is US$70/tonne at a 14% discount rate with 25years remaining lifetime. Through a stochastic cash flow analysis with a real option model and Monte Carlo simulation, the study found the value of an option to retrofit to be US$1.2million with a 7.3% probability of economic viability. The estimate is very sensitive to the assumptions in the carbon price model (i.e. base carbon price is US$12.00/tCO2e in 2012 and the mean growth rate is 8%). The option value and the probability can reach US$20 million and 67% respectively, if a 10% mean carbon price growth is assumed. Compared with post-combustion carbon capture retrofitting prospect in existing coal-fired power plants, the economics of retrofitting cement plants to carbon capture is less attractive. However, given the uncertainties in climate policy, regulation and carbon market, new-build cement plants in China, with long lifetime, should consider an essential level of “CCS Ready” to reduce the cost of retrofit and keep the retrofitting option open. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China is building more than 1GW of advanced coal-fired power plants every week. This interdisciplinary study investigates the technical and economic performance of retrofitting a 1000MW ultra supercritical pulverised coal-fired (USCPC) power plant locating at Shandong province in China. An ASPEN simulation model is designed to estimate the energy output penalty at different levels of capture. The retrofitted system consists of the conventional power generation unit, the additional post-combustion unit and other associated extra equipments. The ASPEN simulation results show that the efficiency penalty is approximately 8.6% for a 90% capture rate and 6% for a 50% capture rate in this retrofitting study. In addition, the simulation result of the process model is applied to analyse the value of retrofitting flexibility and the economic-viable chance of retrofitting the underlying project through a real option analysis model. The economic model reveals that the value of retrofitting option in the 1GW USCPC power plant reaches US$76 million and that a 40% economic viable possibility of retrofitting to capture CO2 in its remaining 26years lifetime under the hypothetical baseline scenario. The significant economic benefits of retrofitting an existing USCPC plant to CO2 capture implies the urgency to conduct a detail survey on the retrofitting prospect of Chinese coal-fired power plants and develop a guideline to maintain their retrofitting options open. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China has been building approximately 1 GW of new coal-fired power plant per week since 2005. Power plants now in construction may continue to operate until 2040. “CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) Ready” enables and eases the subsequent retrofitting of a plant to be able to capture carbon dioxide later in that plant’s lifetime. Building on the definitions of the IEA GHG (IEA Greenhouse Gas Programme) and GCCSI (Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute), this study suggests a novel concept ‘CCS Ready Hub’ for implementing CCS Ready. A CCS Ready Hub not only includes a number of new coal-fired power plants but also integrates other existing stationary carbon dioxide emissions sources into the planning for potential infrastructure. We conducted a case study of Guangdong province in China with a detailed engineering and economic assessment in Shenzhen City. The study first reviewed the potential storage sites and analysed the existing stationary emissions sources in Guangdong using a GIS (Geographic Information System) approach. Thereafter, we focused on investigating the economic benefits of a ‘CCS Ready Hub’ at a potential 4 GW new USCPC (ultra-supercritical pulverised coal-fired) power plant in Shenzhen. Using the cost of carbon dioxide avoidance in 2020 as a criterion, we found that the concept of a CCS Ready Hub to finance CCS Ready at a regional planning level rather than at an individual plant is preferred since it significantly reduces the overall cost of building an integrated CCS system to reduce carbon emissions in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present results of a major survey of Chinese opinion leaders conducted from March to April 2009, supported by EU–UK–China near zero emissions coal (NZEC) initiative. Respondents were drawn from 27 provinces and regions using an online survey with follow-up face-to-face interviews. A total of 131 experts and decision-makers from 68 key institutions were consulted through online survey. This survey is the first to focus on demonstration projects in particular and is the most geographically diverse. We aim to understand perceptions of applying CCS technologies in the first large-scale CCS demonstration project in China. Though enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and enhanced coal bed methane recovery (ECBM) may not be long-term solutions for CO2 storage, they were viewed as the most attractive storage technologies for the first CCS demonstration project. With regard to CO2 capture technology, on the whole, post-combustion (which would be most applicable to the vast majority of existing power plants which are pulverised-coal) received slightly higher support than pre-combustion. More surprising, respondents from both the power and oil industries favoured pre-combustion. There was no consensus regarding the appropriate scale for the first demonstration. A large number of respondents were concerned about the energy penalty associated with CCS and its impact on the long-term sustainability of coal supply in China, although such concerns were much reduced compared with surveys in 2006 and 2008. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vigorous development of solar photovoltaic energy (PV) is one of the key components to achieve China's "30•60 Dual-Carbon Target". In this study, by utilizing the outputs generated by CMIP6 models under different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and a physical PV model (GSEE), future changes in PV power generation across China are provided for the outlined carbon neutralization period (2051–2070). The results reveal distinct spatiotemporal characteristics in the changes in PV output across China. Overall, compared to the historical period, annual PV power generation is projected to decrease in northern regions and Tibet Plateau with a maximum decrease of ∼4 % under the high emission scenario (SSP585), while southern and central regions exhibit significant increases. Remarkably, under the green development pathway (SSP126), PV power generation is expected to rise by over 10 % in these regions. The magnitude of decrease in the north and increase in the south is projected to become more pronounced with the continuous increase of future carbon emissions. It is anticipated that the three northern regions of China will experience greater decreases in PV power generation in winter compared to other seasons, especially under SSP585. Additionally, the southeast region shows the smallest increase in summer PV generation out of all seasons. Moreover, under SSP126 trajectory, most regions in China exhibit reduced inter-annual and intra-annual variability in PV generation compared to the historical levels. This suggests that pursuing a sustainable path could substantially mitigate potential risks associated with PV generation fluctuations in China. [Display omitted] • A weighted CMIP6 ensemble was used to estimate the PV generation changes over China. • The northern and Tibet regions are projected to decrease in annual PV generation. • Annual PV output will increase in southern and central regions. • China's PV generation shows smaller inter- and intra-annual variability under SSP126. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's steel sector, contributing 40% of world steel production, are moving the plants out of highly-populated areas in China. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an important technology to achieve a deep reduction of emissions in steel plants. Given by high cost and lack of policy incentive in deploying the CCS process, there has been a lack of progress in CCS within the steel sector in China. Capture readiness is a design concept to ease future CCS retrofit and avoid the carbon lock-in effect in steel plants. Capture Readiness design requires moderate upfront investment, i.e. less than 0.5% additional capital expenditure, but could easily enable the plant to be retrofitted with CCS technologies in their lifetime. The paper develops a novel linear programming model to assess the economic cost of Capture Readiness design in a generic steel plant in China. The Baowu Steel Zhanjiang project was used as a reference plant to develop the generic steel plant for the model. Through a Monte Carlo simulation, the results show that the economic cost of making new steel plants in capture readiness for 0.5 million tonnes capture is CNY 65 million (USD 9.5 million) in a conservative 5% carbon price growth rate scenario. The paper found the value of flexibility brought by capture readiness design is significant and is equal to approximately 15% of initial capital investment. The economically viable chance of retrofitting steel plants with CCS technologies in the lifetime is 49%. In an uncertainty analysis, for a 6% growth rate of carbon price, the option value could be increased to CNY 145 million while the probability of retrofit increases to 79%. China's CCS policy should consider a requirement for newly built steel plants to adopt capture readiness design to capture the significant economic value and ease emissions reduction in the iron and steel sector in the long term. • This is the first study investigating CCS readiness in the iron and steel sector. • Capture readiness steel plant can ease retrofit processes with carbon capture and storage in a plant's lifetime. • The paper proposes the key criteria for designing a CCS readiness steel plant. • A novel model is developed in assessing the value of capture readiness. • The retrofit option value of a steel plant is higher than the estimated additional cost for making CCS readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are increasing rapidly in Guangdong, an economically developed Chinese province. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an important approach to lower carbon concentration in this area. This study provides guidance and recommendations for CCS development and demonstration by analysing the necessity of CCS in Guangdong. Furthermore, this study identifies the major opportunities and technical demands related to CCS development in this province based on a sectoral analysis of emission inventory and the forecasting and identification of the potential CO2storage capacity. A CCS development roadmap is then developed for Guangdong based on the analysis results, and the milestone goals of this roadmap from the present until 2030 are presented in accordance with the development of technology in and the current status of Guangdong. In addition, the roadmap suggests CCS support policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammation that frequently involves the aorta and its major branches. The clinical features of TA vary in different ethnic populations. The objective of this study is to characterize the clinical features, angiographic findings, and response to treatment of patients with TA in Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China. The hospital records of 125 patients diagnosed with TA were retrospectively evaluated. Eighty patients were followed for a median duration of 36 months. Females (86.4%) were most frequently affected. The mean age at onset was 26.9 years. Constitutional symptoms were present in only 38.4% of patients. The most common clinical finding was pulse deficit. Histological findings from 12 clinically inactive patients showed active lesions in 58.3%. Angiographic classification showed that type I was the most common, followed by type V and IV. Type I was more common in adult patients than in pediatric patients. Although immunosuppressive treatment induced remission in most patients, over 90% of those who achieved later remission relapsed. Both bypass procedures and angioplasty showed high rates of initial success, but restenosis occurred in 34.7% of bypass procedures and 77.3% of angioplasty procedures. Eight patients died during the follow-up period with the main cause of death being congestive heart failure. Constitutional symptoms were not frequent in our study. Correlation between the clinical assessment of disease activity and histologic findings is often poor in TA. Angiographic findings showed that type I was the most common in our study. Over the longer term, the outcomes of revascularization were superior to angioplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), has been deemed an essential component for climate change mitigation and is conducive to enabling a low-carbon and sustainable future. Since the 12th Five-year Plan, China has included this technology as part of its future national carbon mitigation strategies. China's policy framework in relation to CCUS has had a strong influencing role in the technology's progress to date. This paper employs the "policy cycle" to analyze China's existing CCUS regulatory framework at the national and provincial level, evaluate its performance and clarify its shortcomings in light of the comparisons of policy movements undertaken in other countries. The results indicate that China's CCUS policy is insufficient for further development of the technology and many issues remain to be solved. This includes the lack of an enforceable legal framework, insufficient information for the operationalization of projects, weak market stimulus, and a lack of financial subsidies. These factors may be the reason we have seen low participation rates of Chinese companies in CCUS and little public understanding of what the technology offers. To overcome these challenges, suggestions are provided for improving China's CCUS legal and policy framework. • The development of China's CCUS policy framework is reviewed. • China's national Five-year Plans referring to CCUS affect provincial policies as they share similar objectives since 2011. • China's national policies influence China's research and engineering practices related to CCUS. • China's CCUS fails to meet the proposed targets in technology roadmap issued during the period of the 12th Five-year Plan. • Recommendations to amend the regulatory framework for CCUS in China are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]