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With the discovery of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, we have a better understanding of the non-visual effects of lighting. In this study, the optimum spectral power distribution in sunlight of different color temperatures is calculated by MATLAB software. At the same time, the ratio of the non-visual effect and visual effect (Ke,α) at different color temperatures is calculated according to the sunlight spectrum to evaluate the non-visual and visual effects of white LEDs at the corresponding color temperature. Then based on the characteristics of monochromatic LED spectra, the joint-density-of-states model is used as a mathematical model, and the optimal solution is calculated for its database. According to the calculated combination scheme, Light Tools software is used to optimize and simulate the expected light source parameters. The final color temperature is 7525 K, the color coordinate is (0.2959, 0.3255), and the color rendering index reaches 92. The high efficiency light source has not only the function of lighting, but also the effect of improving work efficiency with lower blue light hazard efficiency of radiation than normal LEDs.

This study compares the effectiveness of COVID-19 control policies on the virus’s spread and on the change of the infection dynamics in China, Germany, Austria, and the USA relying on a regression discontinuity in time and ‘earlyR’ epidemic models. The effectiveness of policies is measured by real-time reproduction number and cases counts. Comparison between the two lockdowns within each country showed the importance of people's risk perception for the effectiveness of the measures. Results suggest that restrictions applied for a long period or reintroduced later may cause at-tenuated effect on the circulation of the virus and the number of casualties.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play a vital role in the development and progression of various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Although the dysregulation of lncRNA ST8SIA6-AS1 participates in the development of multiple malignancies, the underlying molecular mechanisms of ST8SIA6-AS1 in regulating CRC progression remain to be fully discovered.The expression level of lncRNA ST8SIA6-AS1 was examined in the tumor tissues and paracancerous tissues of CRC patients. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to examine the expression levels of ST8SIA6-AS1, miR-5195, and Poly-(C) Binding Protein 2 (PCBP2). The protein expression level of PCBP2 was detected by Western blotting. MTT assay was performed to measure the proliferation of HCT-116 and SW480 cells. Cell migration and invasion abilities were measured by transwell assay. Luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the interaction between miR-5195 and ST8SIA6-AS1 or PCBP2.This study revealed that lncRNA ST8SIA6-AS1 was upregulated in CRC tissues and cells. Knockdown of ST8SIA6-AS1 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. Moreover, ST8SIA6-AS1 was proved to inhibit miR-5195 expression by directly targeting miR-5195. In addition, it was demonstrated that overexpression of miR-5195 inhibited CRC progression. Furthermore, PCBP2 was shown to enhance sh-ST8SIA6-AS1 and miR-5195 mimics-attenuated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by directly binding to miR-5195.Our study revealed that ST8SIA6-AS1 promoted CRC progression via the miR-5195/PCBP2 axis. This study may provide an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of CRC.

With the wages for migrant workers increasing dramatically in China since 2003, the size of the agricultural labour forces has been shrinking rapidly. Intensively substituting agricultural machinery for the shrinking farm labour force is hardly possible for croplands in the mountainous regions of China where mechanization is difficult to achieve due to small field size and rough terrain. This has eventually led to cropland abandonment in these regions. Considering the high pressure for food security in China, cropland abandonment in the mountainous regions should not be ignored. By employing a novel method, this study estimates the extent of recently abandoned croplands (period 2000-2010) and the changes that can be expected in the future in China's mountainous areas. The results show that the total extent of abandoned croplands in Chinese mountainous counties during the period 2000 to 2010 is estimated at 147 million mu (1 mu=666.67m2); in total, about 28% of croplands in mountainous counties was abandoned, including croplands converted in the Grain for Green Programme (GGP). With three scenario assumptions, a sizeable extent, 114 to 203 million mu, of croplands may be abandoned from 2010 to 2030 with the rapid decrease and aging of projected farm labour forces. This could exacerbate the future challenges of maintaining China's food security. A substantial increase in agricultural project investments, including land consolidation and agricultural productive fixed assets, especially micro-tillage machines, could help mitigate the risk of cropland abandonment. Additionally, land-use and environmental policymaking should take into account the expanding cropland abandonment in mountainous regions.

A sand culture experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Si on the growth and endogenous hormone concentrations (indole-3-acetic acid [IAA], gibberellic acid [GA3], and abscisic acid [AB...

Air pollution is one of the most harmful consequences of China's rapid economic development and urbanization. Particularly in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) regions, particulate matter concentrations have consistently exceeded the national air quality standards. Over the last years, China implemented ambitious measures to reduce emissions from the power, industry and transportation sectors, with notable success during the 11th and 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) periods. However, such strategies appear to be insufficient to reduce the ambient PM2.5 concentration below the National Air Quality Standard of 35 μg m−3 across the BTH region within the next 15 years. We find that a comprehensive mitigation strategy for the residential sector in the BTH region would deliver substantial air quality benefits. Beyond the already planned expansion of district heating and natural gas distribution in urban centers and the foreseen curtailment of coal use for households, such a strategy would redirect some natural gas from power generation units towards the residential sector. Rural households would replace biomass for cooking by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity, and substitute coal for heating by briquettes. Jointly, these measures could reduce the primary PM2.5 and SO2 emissions by 28% and 11%, respectively, and the population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations by 13%, i.e., from 68 μg m−3 to 59 μg m−3. We estimate that such a strategy would reduce premature deaths attributable to ambient and indoor air pollution by almost one third. Keywords: Solid fuel substitution, PM2.5, Natural gas, Human exposure, Outdoor and indoor health benefits

Dynamics of labor migration processes depends on the differentiation and degree of labor market development. Significant difference in the development of socio-economic systems and labor markets is one of the main explanatory factors of increasing migration mobility between developing countries. Provisions of the neoclassical theory of economics, the concept of new economics of migration, the theory of dual labor market, the theory of individual choice, the Lee econometric model and the Massey’s synthetic theory of migration, used in our approach, explain this phenomenon. Effective regulation of labor migration implies the need to predict the volume, structure and direction of migration and to estimate the effect of age-structured migration flows on the labor market development. In drawing up the basic dynamic equations of models, it is necessary to consider the situation in the labor markets, characterized by the absence of barriers and boundaries, which will set the socio-economic system with the same initial conditions for all rational individuals and regions, taken into account in the models. This article describes a model that takes into account the feedback of the average wage determined by the supply of labor resources, affecting the migration processes between the countries of origin and destination. The model takes into account the impact of the age distribution of migration flows on the labor market in the country of destination of migration and allows to assess the potential of migration flows and their impact on the socio-economic system. The dynamic model of labor migration is also a model of optimization, which simulates the optimal level of labor resources and their costs, which allows to establish a strategy for the development of migration policy for the regions and countries of migration destination. The main characteristic of this model is that it can cover dynamic mechanisms of interaction of multifactor factors both in sending regions and in receiving countries simultaneously. This model can be used to estimate the outflow of migrants and returning migrants from countries of origin.Dynamics of labor migration processes depends on the differentiation and degree of labor market development. Significant difference in the development of socio-economic systems and labor markets is one of the main explanatory factors of increasing migration mobility between developing countries. Provisions of the neoclassical theory of economics, the concept of new economics of migration, the theory of dual labor market, the theory of individual choice, the Lee econometric model and the Massey’s synthetic theory of migration, used in our approach, explain this phenomenon. Effective regulation of labor migration implies the need to predict the volume, structure and direction of migration and to estimate the effect of age-structured migration flows on the labor market development. In drawing up the basic dynamic equations of models, it is necessary to consider the situation in the labor markets, characterized by the absence of barriers and boundaries, which will set the socio-economic system with the same i...

Food, energy, and water (FEW) are interconnected pillars that underpin the security of people’s livelihoods. In this paper, we propose a decision-support model to better understand and aid management of regional FEW nexus systems under uncertainty. We apply the model to a case study focusing on fluctuations in water supply, which significantly affect production in the agriculture and energy sectors in Shanxi Province, China. We use a two-stage, stochastic, chance-constrained programming approach to the proposed spatially detailed cost-minimizing FEW nexus model under demand and natural resource (land and water) constraints. This approach translates the target reliability level (i.e., the probability that the devised solution can satisfy all constraints) into a penalty that has to be paid in the case of their non-fulfillment. On this basis, robust decisions (i.e., production options suitable for a broad variation in certainty of water supply) are derived. Using this approach, we estimate the penalties required to achieve given levels of reliability by incentivizing the deployment of water-saving technologies. For example, our model predicts that water storage would become cost-effective if the penalty for exceeding the available water supply were 2.5 times higher than the current price for industrial water; this would enable at least 40% reliability compared to 18% if the penalty were at the current water price level. Taking advantage of the differences in water intensity of crops in different sites, our model optimizes the reservoir location, which allows water withdrawal by agriculture to be reduced by 1.23%. We also evaluate the benefits of incorporating uncertainty and missed opportunity due to a lack of perfect information. In the case study, we show that the benefits of including uncertainty in the form of the two-stage stochastic programming approach appear to be quite significant, reaching 4% of the total solution costs. Water-importing costs, taxes, and subsidies are instruments that translate into the penalty in this model; the modeling approach presented here can thus be used to inform cost-effective and robust management of the FEW nexus in Shanxi Province, China, and other water-scarce regions around the world.

This paper illustrates the results of daylight glare simulations of a simple office carried out using five different five weather data files (Chinese typical year weather, CSWD(C), CSWD(A), international weather for energy calculations and Meteonorm), for three Chinese locations (Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou). The aim is to analyse the impact of choosing one weather file or the other on the prediction of daylight glare in the interior environment. The results show that using the Chinese typical year weather and CSWD(C) files can make a better prediction of the time distribution of daylight glare than the others. Analysis of the total amount of daylight glare leads to the conclusion that the Chinese typical year weather file should be recommended when considering extreme weather conditions and the CSWD(C) or Meteonorm files should be recommended in normal weather conditions.

The possibility of a spectrally tunable solar-like light source is drawing attention with the development of LEDs. We researched the market of high-power, monochromatic LEDs and established a database with 103 kinds of LED by a new model. We used the database to match the solar spectrum in the wavelength range 380–780 nm. The optimal combination maximising the fit to the solar spectral curve was obtained. The trade-off relationship between the selection of LEDs and the fit was investigated in detail. The results show that the optimal combination contains 34 types of LED with a maximum correlation index R2 of 88.67%. The value of R2 reduces to 85.06% when the number of LED types is reduced to 20, but the R2 value decreases sharply if the number of LED types is decreased to 16, with a R2 of 79.97%.

This paper aimed to estimate health risks focusing on respiratory diseases from exposure to gaseous multi-pollutants based on new data and revealed new evidence after the most stringent air pollution control plan in Beijing which was carried out in 2013. It used daily respiratory diseases outpatient data from a hospital located in Beijing with daily meteorological data and monitor data of air pollutants from local authorities. All data were collected from 2014 to 2016. Distributed lag non-linear model was employed. Results indicated that NO2 and CO had positive association with outpatients number on the day of the exposure (1.045 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.003, 1.089) for CO and 1.022 (95% CI: 1.008, 1.036) for NO2) (and on the day after the exposure (1.026 (95% CI: 1.005, 1.048) for CO and 1.013 (95% CI: 1.005, 1.021) for NO2). Relative risk (RR) generally declines with the number of lags, ozone produces significant effects on the first day (RR = 0.993 (95% CI: 0.989, 0.998)) as well as second day (RR = 0.995 (95% CI: 0.991, 0.999)) after the exposure, while particulate pollutants did not produce significant effects. Effects from the short-term exposure to gaseous pollutants were robust after controlling for particulate matters. Our results contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dependencies between the change of air pollutants concentration and their health effects in Beijing after the implementation of promising air regulations in 2013. Results of the study can be used to develop relevant measures minimizing the adverse health consequences of air pollutants and supporting sustainable development of Beijing as well as other rapidly growing Asian cities.

Across the world, human activity is approaching planetary boundaries. In northwest China, in particular, the coal industry and agriculture are competing for key limited inputs of land and water. In this situation, the traditional approach to planning the development of each sector independently fails to deliver sustainable solutions, as solutions made in sectorial ‘silos’ are often suboptimal for the entire economy. We propose a spatially detailed cost-minimizing model for coal and agricultural production in a region under constraints on land and water availability. We apply the model to the case study of Shanxi province, China. We show how such an integrated optimization, which takes maximum advantage of the spatial heterogeneity in resource abundance, could help resolve the conflicts around the water–food–energy (WFE) nexus and assist in its management. We quantify the production-possibility frontiers under different water-availability scenarios and demonstrate that in water-scarce regions, like Shanxi, the production capacity and corresponding production solutions are highly sensitive to water constraints. The shadow prices estimated in the model could be the basis for intelligent differentiated water pricing, not only to enable the water-resource transfer between agriculture and the coal industry, and across regions, but also to achieve cost-effective WFE management.

Labour migration across countries has been playing a key role in the process of economic integration in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The experience of labour migration in CIS appears to be characterized by growing complexity with an increasingly diverse array of countries of origin and destination. The main issues of this paper are: 1) to understand how wage dynamics defined by the labour demand/supply ratio feeds back to migration dynamics, which affects the migration flows between sending and receiving countries over time; 2) to explore how the age structure affects migration flow which in turn effects labour supply in the host country; and 3) to project the potential future migration flow and its impacts on surplus and deficit of labour resource, in order to provide the relevant for migration policies at the both national and regional levels. In this paper we analyse these issues within a dynamic framework; we consider migrant flow into a host region/country at certain moments of time depending on the relationship between expected earnings, costs, and age structure. In addition, we also consider how migration flows interact with natural population growth and age structure in sending and hosting countries.

Rapid growth and globalization of the domestic economy have dramatically accelerated urbanization in China, resulting in significant environmental impacts and challenges for sustainable development. Using a multistate model accounting for distributional aspects of age, sex, education, and migration in rural and urban regions, we estimate the magnitude of urbanization in China through 2030 and examine some major associated sustainability issues. Results indicate that: (1) for a range of assumptions, China’s urban population will nearly double from 2000 to 2030; (2) the labor force will constitute a larger share of total population in urban areas than rural due to internal migration of younger workers—this appears particularly true for the mega-urban metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai; (3) rural populations will experience more aging than urban; and (4) level of education among China’s rural labor force will remain low, which could pressure China’s industrial structural transition from an agricultural to a service-based economy.

Growing population, rapid urbanization, rising incomes, and changing consumption preferences stimulate intensification of livestock production and excessive fertilization of crops in China. We present an innovative approach that sheds light on options to prevent negative environmental consequences of food production. Trends indicate that agricultural production expansion will take place in “profitable” locations around densely populated areas, where there are generally insufficient natural resources to recycle production wastes. This will likely lead to increased environmental impacts and risks to human health, with the largest impacts in close proximity to population hotspots. We identify trends in Chinese agricultural production and devise and compare feasible mitigation scenarios. We present a spatial allocation procedure that facilitates management of agricultural production expansion, accounting for environmental and health constraints. This procedure, based on behavioral principles, uses a spatial risk preference structure induced by local conditions, including environment, production, and demand, with important research and policy implications.

Existing research inadequately explains the factors that drive temporary internal migration in China. Using data for 2005 drawn from 1,903 households in 43 rural villages, we calculate binomial and multinomial logit (BL, MNL) models of probabilities that an adult belongs to one of three categories of worker-on-farm, off-farm, or temporary migrant-as a function of individual and household characteristics. We control for village fixed effects, paying close attention to male/female differences. Nearly all coefficients-even for village dummies-vary significantly by sex. For two variables-age and schooling-the relationships are non-linear. There is an optimal age and amount of schooling that maximizes the probability that a worker will be employed away from the family farm. For schooling, this is low, suggesting that educated workers are underemployed. This might indicate that schooling beyond primary grades is poor quality, or at least inappropriate for the job market.

Agriculture is a major source of water, air and soil pollution. Pollution rates are often linked to intensification of agricultural activities, i.e., large-scale livestock production and excessive fertilization of crops. In this paper, we develop a concept of a spatially and temporally explicit model for sustainable agriculture production planning, which operates at a detailed spatial scale and integrates demand and agricultural production activities at national and sub-national levels. It distinguishes environmental loads and sources of agricultural pollution originating from two main agricultural activities: livestock raising and crop production. The indicators used to reflect the impacts of agricultural production comprise of fluxes to air (emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide) and water (nitrate leaching). Possible domains of the indicator variables are subdivided into sub-domains of different impact severity classes. Risk functions indicate the degree of risk associated with agricultural production, similar to fuzzy logic approaches. Alternative production scenarios are compared in terms of human exposure to risk, i.e., the number of people in different risk classes. In this way the model allows for assessment and testing of strategies for mitigating agricultural pollution. Application of the integrated model is illustrated by a case study of agricultural production development in China. China is of global importance due to its huge size and is of scientific interest due to its heterogeneity. Experience gained from the case study can be used for similar research in other regions.

This paper applies methods of probabilistic population forecasting to assess the range of uncertainty of China’s future population trends. Unlike previous applications of probabilistic population projections that consider stochastic future fertility, mortality and migration, this paper will also account for the significant uncertainty of China’s current fertility level (with published figures ranging from 1.2 to 2.3) and the related uncertainties about the sex ratio at birth (with estimates from 1.06 to above 1.2) and the size of the youngest cohorts in the 2000 census. The model applied in this paper will be based on assumed uncertainty ranges for current conditions, in addition to the probabilistic treatment of future trends. Given the sheer size of China’s population, these significant uncertainties about current conditions are of high importance not only for the future population of China but also for considerations on a global scale.

The goal of improving the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has attracted a great deal of attention. Many performance models of PEMFC have been developed. The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel modelling method for the performance of PEMFC based on fuzzy model identification and to present a simple and accurate T-S model of the performance of PEMFC. In this modelling method, only the experimental data of operating parameters, such as cell/stack temperature, pressure and humidity of reactant gas, and external load, are required; other property parameters that are difficult to obtain are not needed. Thus the modelling process is simplified. By contrast with the models proposed in the literature, the T-S model of the performance of PEMFC is simple and accurate. In addition, this model can be conveniently applied to control of PEMFC system.

当前我国处在城市化的快速发展阶段，城市化的推进又会促进经济的进一步增长。山区的人口变化对这一过程有很大影响。本研究主要探讨如下四个问题：1) 山区的人口结构是否仍然年轻？2) 山区人口下降和快速老龄化的原因？3) 中长期的山区人口结构会是怎样的变化？4) 如何平衡城市化过程中的土地利用、产业转型，及农村人力资源与社会服务？本文意在分析人口数量和结构变化的原因和现状，预测可能的变化趋势，引起决策者对山区人口问题的重视，以实现平衡发展的目的。研究数据主要为人口普查数据和重庆市相关统计数据，以及土地利用数据和相关GIS数据。本研究综合使用了队列人口统计分析和地理信息系统(GIS)方法，以重庆市山区为例，对人口结构变化和人口空间分布进行分析与预测。 China has been undergoing with rapid urbanization, which is a transformative process that could set off a new wave of economic growth. In this process, demographic change in mountain regions has much effect in line with constructing towns and cities. This paper investigates mainly four issues: 1) Is the mountain population structure still young? 2) What is the major reason for mountain population decline and rapid aging? 3) How does mountain people structure look like? And 4) What are the crucial points in making balanced development among land use, industrial transition and social services? We aim to explore the drivers of change, to project the possible trend, and to recall the policy makers to pay attention on mountain population issue, in order for a balanced development. Data base is from two sources: population census and statistics Chongqing, and GIS data and land maps of Chongqing. In the analysis we combine two methods that are based on cohort demography analysis, and spatial distribution via GIS model at village scale.

From the social-ecological nexus perspective, environmental inequality is embedded in its root of social problem arising from income inequality. “The urgent global challenges of sustainability and equity must be addressed together” (IPCC2011). This paper intends to explore the link between house income inequality and environmental vulnerability in Rural of China. In the process of rural to urban dominated economy transformation, social structures are changing, and ecosystems are facing stress. Given China's dynamic economic and environmental situation, we aim to provide an assessment in the inequality of energy use and environmental effects in two different systems of urban and rural region in China. The paper deals with three questions: 1. how has household expenditure linked with the energy use directly and indirectly; 2. how has China challenged by inequalities between rural and urban household on the residential energy consumption; 3. how high is the emission estimated in the rural residential energy use? The analysis results indicate obviously that almost half rural family still use no-commercial energy and thus coal is the main commercial energy sources; the per capital CO2 emissions of rural region is much higher than urban region, which is driven by low energy efficiency and less advanced public infrastructure. It address the equity issues that policy should focus on energy affordability and promoting a transition away from biomass to other modern energy sources in rural China. In the paper, the input-output table is employed for accounting the indirect residential energy use and emissions, which is associated with the eight sectors of household expenditure. The data sources are from various household serveries and energy statistics in the period of 1990 to 2016.

Leptin is the protein product of the recently cloned obesity gene. Leptin receptor mRNA is found in a number of central and peripheral locations. The hypothalamus is a presumed site of action. However, little is known about the specific locations of the receptor in peripheral organs. Epinephrine has potent anorectic effects and can cause weight loss by a variety of mechanisms. Excretion of epinephrine is reduced in the ob/ob mouse, which lacks leptin, suggesting an effect by leptin on the adrenal medulla. In the current study, the presence of the leptin receptor was identified on epinephrine-secreting cells in the adrenal medulla. Immunohistochemical studies found dense leptin receptor-like immunoreactivity in the adrenal medulla with no labeling in the adrenal cortex. Double immunofluorescent labeling confirmed that the leptin receptor was present on cells that were phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase-like immunoreactive and therefore were epinephrine-secreting cells. Leptin receptor mRNA in the adrenal medulla was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, with the majority of the mRNA coding for the short isoform (Ob-Ra) of the receptor. Finally, autoradiography was performed using 125I-labeled leptin; specific binding was found in the adrenal medulla, with no specific binding in the adrenal cortex. These results suggest that leptin may have a direct effect on epinephrine-secreting cells in the adrenal medulla. Epinephrine may play a role in mediating the effects of leptin to reduce body weight.

Gene expression profiles for intervertebral disc (IVD) cells treated with different osmolarities were compared to identify key genes associated with intervertebral disc diseases.Microarray data was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and pre-processed using package of R. Gene co-expression was determined with Pearson correlation coefficient. Interaction networks were established with the protein-protein interaction (PPI) information obtained from Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD database) for the two conditions: isosmoticity and hyperosmosis, and then a comparative analysis was done to identify disease-related genes. The functional annotation was performed for these genes using network ontology analysis (NOA), which also confirmed the effectiveness of this method.A total of 45 feature genes were obtained through comparing 7 samples treated under isosmotic conditions and 9 high osmotic conditions. Biological processes and molecular functions were then revealed by NOA.A range of disease-related genes were obtained, which might serve as the potential biomarkers or drug targets. More works are needed to further elucidate their roles in the development of intervertebral disc diseases like intervertebral disc herniation.

The structural and chemical changes of the GaAs(110) surface induced by sequential processes of UV/O3 exposure, HF etching, and gas‐phase polysulfide passivation were investigated by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low‐energy electron diffraction (LEED), and thermal desorption. Prior to any annealing, no samples showed any LEED patterns, and XPS indicated the presence of both As–S and Ga–S bonds. When the polysulfide‐passivated surface was annealed to 400 °C, a sharp oblique LEED pattern started to emerge, which was accompanied by the desorption of S–As species. At the same time, XPS indicated that only a single type of sulfide (S–Ga) remained on the surface. Further annealing of the sample to 600 °C resulted in a complete removal of sulfur species from the surface and the appearance of a (2×1) LEED pattern. In contrast, no LEED pattern was observed from samples that had only been subjected to UV/O3 treatment and HF etching up to an anneal temperature of 600 °C, thus indicating the absence of any ...

In this chapter we present an integrated model for long term and geographically explicit planning of agricultural activities to meet demands under resource constraints and ambient targets. Environmental, resource and production feasibility indicators permit estimating impacts of agricultural practices on environment to guide agricultural policies regarding production allocation, intensification, and fertilizer application while accounting for local constraints. Physical production potentials of land are incorporated in the model, together with demographic and socio-economic variables and behavioral drivers to reflect spatial distribution of demands and production intensification levels. The application of the model is demonstrated with a case study of nitrogen accounting at the level of China counties. We discuss current intensification trends and estimate the ranges of agricultural impacts on China’s environment under plausible pollution mitigation scenarios with a particular focus on nitrogen sources and losses.

The aim of this paper is to understand the sustainability of urban spatial transformation in the process of rapid urbanization, and calls for future research on the demographic and economic dimensions of climate change. Shanghai towards its transformation to a metropolis has experienced vast socioeconomic and ecological change and calls for future research on the impacts of demographic and economic dimensions on climate change. We look at the major questions (1) to explore economic and demographic growth, land use and land-cover changes in the context of rapid economic and city growth, and (2) to analyze how the demography and economic growth have been associated with the local air temperature and vegetation. We examine urban growth, land use and land-cover changes in the context of rapid economic development and urbanization. We assess the impact of urban expansion on local air temperature and vegetation. The analysis is based on time series data of land use, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and meteorological, demographic and economic data. The results indicate that urban growth has been driven by mass immigration; as a consequence of economic growth and urban expansion, a large amount of farmland has been converted to paved road and residential buildings. Furthermore, the difference between air temperature in urban and exurban areas has increased rapidly. The decrease of high mean annual NDVI has mainly occurred around the dense urban areas.

A high-temperature molten carbonate fuel cell stack was studied experimentally and computationally. Experimental data for fuel cell temperature was obtained when the stack was running under given operational conditions. A 3-D CFD numerical model was set up and used to simulate the central fuel cell in the stack. It includes the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations, the ideal gas law and an empirical equation for cell voltage. The model was used to simulate the transient behavior of the fuel cell under the same operational conditions as those of the experiment. Simulation results show that the transient temperature and current and power densities reach their maximal values at the channel outlet. A comparison of the modeling results and the experimental data shows the good agreement.

Background China has a national policy regulating the number of children that a woman is allowed to have. The central concept at the individual level application is "illegal pregnancy". The purpose of this article is to describe and problematicize the concept of illegal pregnancy and its use in practice. Methods Original texts and previous published and unpublished reports and statistics were used. Results By 1979 the Chinese population policy was clearly a policy of controlling population growth. For a pregnancy to be legal, it has to be defined as such according to the family-level eligibility rules, and in some places it has to be within the local quota. Enforcement of the policy has been pursued via the State Family Planning (FP) Commission and the Communist Party (CP), both of which have a functioning vertical structure down to the lowest administrative units. There are various incentives and disincentives for families to follow the policy. An extensive system has been created to keep the contraceptive use and pregnancy status of all married women at reproductive age under constant surveillance. In the early 1990s FP and CP officials were made personally responsible for meeting population targets. Since 1979, abortion has been available on request, and the ratio of legal abortions to birth increased in the 1980s and declined in the 1990s. Similar to what happens in other Asian countries with low fertility rates and higher esteem for boys, both national- and local-level data show that an unnaturally greater number of boys than girls are registered as having been born. Conclusion Defining a pregnancy as "illegal" and carrying out the surveillance of individual women are phenomena unique in China, but this does not apply to other features of the policy. The moral judgment concerning the policy depends on the basic question of whether reproduction should be considered as an individual or social decision.

Using methods of multi-state population projection, the population of China up to 2045 was studied by simultaneous interacting states of educational categories and urban/rural residence in three alternative future paths. The results anticipate that in 2045, more than 60% of the population will have secondary education, while this was the case for only 8% of the population in 1964. This study not only produces educational projections, it also provides regular population projections by age, sex, and urban/rural place of residence. In the coming decades, China will reach its peak in total population, working population, and aging population in different times under low, medium and high scenarios. According to results of this study, an important question will face Chinese policy makers in the context of sustainable socioeconomic and environmental development: How should the anticipated socioeconomic developments in the coming decades be figured into the demographic trade-off between rapid fertility decline in the near term and rapid population aging in the long term?

The binding of rare earth elements (REEs) with water-soluble polysaccharides of nondeproteinization and deproteinization in the leaves of the fern Dicranopteris dichotoma was studied by molecular activation analysis (MAA). Two cold-water-soluble polysaccharides (extracted by 75% ethanol and 90% ethanol, respectively) and one hot-water-soluble polysaccharide (extracted by 90% ethanol) were separated using biochemical separation techniques. The eight rare earth elements (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, and Lu) in these polysaccharides were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Our new results showed that the REEs were bound firmly with the water-soluble polysaccharides in the plant, regardless of whether nondeproteinization or deproteinization was used. The molecular-weight (MW) measurement demonstrated that REEs were mainly bound with low-MW (10,000-20,000) polysaccharides.

The total intensity of geomagnetic field for the period 4500 B. C.-A. D. 1500 was determined with archaeological samples collected from the southern part of China by the Thellier's stepwise heating method. Results indicate that the total intensity of geomagnetic field in this area (28°-32°N, 111°-120°E) varied between 38-90μT during the period 4500 B. C.-A. D. 1500. The high value occurred during the first centuries of Anno Domini with subsequent decreasing while the relative low value was at about 900 B. C. Earlier than 1000 B. C. the average value of the total intensity of geomagnetic field was close to the present day level with evident fluctuations.

Substituents and functional groups cause increase in retention indexes of sixmembered ring compounds on apolar and polar columns. These retention index increments (δ I ) are characteristic and structure-dependent showing a structure-retention index relationship. The δ I values obtained for methyl and halogen atom substitution, double bond conjugationa and multiple substitution in substituted benzenes, cyclohexenes, and cyclohexanes are useful for predictive purpose in tritium labeling studies for tentative structure assignment of radioactive intermediates not amenable to analysis by conventional techniques.

There are remarkably few data on the intensity of the geomagnetic field in early China. New results reported here indicate that the total intensity of the magnetic field of the Earth in the region near Loyang (lat. 34°42′ N, long.112°40′ E) has changed considerably during the past 2,400 yr (500 BC–AD 1900). The maximum value reached about 1,700 yr ago is as much as 54% higher than the present one.