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The huge gap in economic development between developed countries and developing countries has negative impacts on globalization’s contribution to the world. To promote socioeconomic development in Southeast Asia and narrow the gap between rich and poor countries, China implemented the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, perceptions of the BRI around the world are polarized. We used Hsiao–Ching–Wan empirical analysis to provide a more objective way to interpret the BRI and found that the initiative achieved a positive average treatment effect (i.e., a beneficial policy response) of 14.8% for China’s real GDP from 2014 to 2018, of 82.0% for real investment, and of 129.6% for real net exports. Using Kazakhstan and India as examples of member BRI countries and non-member countries, respectively, BRI also achieved a positive average treatment effect of 13.2% and 2.1% for real GDP, respectively. Thus, the BRI is a win–win initiative for both members and non-members. Our analysis, combined with the current situation and our review of other studies, showed that a lack of confidence in the BRI by some countries has slowed BRI’s development. China and other developed countries should therefore make greater efforts to promote development in poor countries along the BRI routes and improve the common development of all humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advance of the new energy industry and the promotion of green innovation are both important ways to solve environmental pollution and achieve economic green transformation, and there may be a non-negligible intrinsic connection between the two. Utilizing panel data covering the period from 2011 to 2021, encompassing 30 provinces and cities in China, this study measures agglomeration levels of the new energy sector and green innovation performance in each region. Via the application of the fixed-effect model and spatial Durbin model, this study empirically examines the impact mechanism of green innovation performance resulting from the agglomeration of the new energy industry. This investigation discloses that there is regional heterogeneity in China's new energy industry agglomeration level, with the highest level observed in the western region. The distribution of green innovation performance forms an "East–Middle–West" ladder pattern, with both the central and western regions falling below the national average. Agglomeration of the new energy sector exerts a non-linear, "U-shaped" influence on green innovation performance, demonstrating conspicuous regional heterogeneity; opening up positively moderates the "positive U-shaped" correlation between new energy agglomeration and green innovation performance. A clear spatial spillover effect characterizes the agglomeration of the new energy industry, demonstrating a non-linear "inverted U-shaped" influence on the green innovation performance of surrounding regions. This paper aims to offer policy insights into the establishment of developmental layouts for the new energy industry in China while simultaneously providing practical references for enhancing regional green innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Chinese economy upheld a frail recovery in 2022 under the triple superposition of contraction of demand, disruption in supply, and weakening expectations, aggravated by unanticipated adverse shocks in the midst of global turmoil. Over the year, rising income uncertainty set off by the pandemic shock continued depressing household consumption and housing demand. Trade also saw slowing growth, along with consumption and investment, with sluggish residential investment awaiting policy stimulus to take force. Unemployment rate remained high, and was much higher for youth engendered by severe structural imbalances in the labor market. Local government debt burden worsened while revenue shrinking, only to exacerbate the local fiscal financial risk. It fared better on the price side. While growth in producer price index kept falling, consumer price index maintained steady growth. Renminbi depreciated against USD through fluctuations with larger swings, but the exchange rate remained in a manageable band. The Institute for Advanced Research‐China Macroeconomic Model projects the baseline growth rate in real gross domestic product to be 5.4% in 2023. We have also used the model to conduct alternative scenario analyses and policy simulations to assess the impacts of potential downside risks or favorable situations. Our findings call for a focus on economic construction with deepening reform and opening up more comprehensively and initiatively. Only by doing so can China spur market vitality, strengthen business confidence, and forge competitive advantages.

Abstract Introduction In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, countries have adopted various degrees of restrictive measures on people to reduce COVID-19 transmission. These measures have had significant social and economic costs. In the absence of therapeutics, and low vaccination coverage, strategies for a safe exit plan from a lockdown are required to mitigate the transmission and simultaneously re-open societies. Most countries have outlined or have implemented lockdown exit plans. The objective of this scoping review is to (a) identify and map the different strategies for exit from lockdowns, (b) document the effects of these exit strategies, and (c) discuss features of successful exit strategies based on the evidence. Methods A five-step approach was used in this scoping review: (a) identifying the research question and inclusion/exclusion criteria; (b) searching the literature using keywords within PubMed and WHO databases; (c) study selection; (d) data extraction; (e) collating results and qualitative synthesis of findings. Results Of the 406 unique studies found, 107 were kept for full-text review. Studies suggest the post-peak period as optimal timing for an exit, supplemented by other triggers such as sufficient health system capacity, and increased testing rate. A controlled and step-wise exit plan which is flexible and guided by information from surveillance systems is optimal. Studies recommend continued use of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as physical distancing, use of facemasks, and hygiene measures, in different combinations when exiting from a lockdown, even after optimal vaccination coverage has been attained. Conclusion Reviewed studies have suggested adopting a multi-pronged strategy consisting of different approaches depending on the context. Among the different exit strategies reviewed (phase-wise exit, hard exit, and constant cyclic patterns of lockdown), phase-wise exit appears to be the optimal exit strategy.

Introduction: In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, countries have adopted various degrees of restrictive measures on people to reduce COVID-19 transmission. These measures have had significant social and economic costs. In the absence of therapeutics, and low vaccination coverage, strategies for a safe exit plan from a lockdown are required to mitigate the transmission and simultaneously re-open societies. Most countries have outlined or have implemented lockdown exit plans. The objective of this scoping review is to (a) identify and map the different strategies for exit from lockdowns, (b) document the effects of these exit strategies, and (c) discuss features of successful exit strategies based on the evidence. Methods: A five-step approach was used in this scoping review: (a) identifying the research question and inclusion/exclusion criteria; (b) searching the literature using keywords within PubMed and WHO databases; (c) study selection; (d) data extraction; (e) collating results and qualitative synthesis of findings. Results: Of the 406 unique studies found, 107 were kept for full-text review. Studies suggest the post-peak period as optimal timing for an exit, supplemented by other triggers such as sufficient health system capacity, and increased testing rate. A controlled and step-wise exit plan which is flexible and guided by information from surveillance systems is optimal. Studies recommend continued use of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as physical distancing, use of facemasks, and hygiene measures, in different combinations when exiting from a lockdown, even after optimal vaccination coverage has been attained. Conclusion: Reviewed studies have suggested adopting a multi-pronged strategy consisting of different approaches depending on the context. Among the different exit strategies reviewed (phase-wise exit, hard exit, and constant cyclic patterns of lockdown), phase-wise exit appears to be the optimal exit strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 40-plus years of reform and opening up, China has taken a unique path of development that complies with both its national conditions and the laws of development. This paper analyzes the uniqueness and the universality of Chinese experience and the theoretical logic that has permeated the process of China's opening up and kept pace with the times. Within this framework we analyze the key issues and suitable options for China's future opening up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting in the 1990s, international organizations (IOs) have created various opportunities of access for civil society to voice criticism. While international relations (IR) scholarship has increasingly addressed the resulting interaction between IOs and civil society with a focus on NGOs, we know little about the particular reactions to IOs' opening up by social movements. This paper analyzes reactions to opening up by a transnational social movement centrally addressing IOs: the Global Justice Movement (GJM). Examining reactions by different groups of the GJM in Europe and Southeast Asia to IOs' opening up, we demonstrate that reactions differ considerably depending on activists' assessments of the nature of opening up. In particular, we identify four pathways of reactions on a continuum from (1) strong cooperation with IOs as a reaction to opening up, (2) temporally limited cooperation with different IOs, (3) a hybrid reaction that combines cooperation with specific IOs with a strong opposition to other IOs in reaction to their opening up, to (4) a continuous rejection of all cooperation with IOs. We show how these different reactions are shaped by activists' perceptions of the quality of the international opening up in conjunction with national and local context factors. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates that such perceptions can significantly change over time depending on experiences of interactions. Reactions to opening up are therefore not predictable on the basis of a movement's shape and resources only, but rather depend on a variety of factors such as the movement's perception of the IO's sincerity in a strategic and consequential interaction, as well as the movement's ideological framework and its history of interaction with institutions at other levels, especially in the domestic realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of the knowledge-based economy, technical innovation has not only become a necessary means for countries to gain higher international competition, but also an invincible weapon for enterprises to stand steadily in the market. In the context of the transformation and upgrading of China's economic system, the academic and practical circles gradually realize that excessive dependence on key customers can cause a lack of independence and bring significant operational risks to enterprises. This is a problem that enterprises need to pay attention to and urgently need to be solved, and few existing studies has been addressed this issue. This paper empirically tests the relationship between enterprise technological innovation and key customer dependence using financial data of A-share listed companies from 2007-2018. Our research finds that enterprise technological innovation can effectively reduce the customer concentration and alleviate enterprise reliance on key customers. Moreover, under the guidance of the mass entrepreneurship and innovation policy, and the higher the degree of opening to the outside world, the more significant the negative relationship between them. Further research finds that strengthening technological innovation can create new market growth points by improving the competitive position and satisfying customers' needs, which will impact the concentrated customer structure, reduce customer concentration, weaken the risk of key customer constraint, and finally reduce the business risk. This paper contributes to the existing literature in three aspects: First, this paper interprets the economic consequences of technological innovation from the perspective of key customer dependence, and explores the mechanism of interaction between them. Second, this paper visualizes the macro policy and external environment in the Chinese context, and implements entrepreneurship and innovation policies and openness to the behavior and results of enterprises, which proves its regulating function of technological innovation to reduce the dependence on key customers. Third, different from the existing researches focusing on the market response to technological innovation, this paper returns the research perspective to the real economy to help enterprises adjust their business strategies in a timely manner according to changes in customer structure, and find a feasible response to mitigate customer concentration risk. The study provides empirical evidence for government innovation policy, enterprise technology innovation strategy and customer relationship management, provides managers with a new way of thinking to prevent and mitigate the business risks arising from customer concentration, and also helps encourage firms to attract new customer resources through technological innovation, reshapes new competitive advantages for Chinese firms to participate in international cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moroccan cultural toursim is an old custom; it dates back to the Protectorate era, from the 1920s. It first favored the so-called imperial cities before expanding to the south-east, in the Oriental Anti-Atlas. The Western Anti-Atlas yet endowed with a certain wealth of heritage, in a rural and agrarian environment, has not known, until now, the same craze, despite the proximity of Agadir, major tourist center. The article tries to explain this delay in the tourism development of this part of the Atlas chains and also presents examples of heritage sites and objects likely to attract tourists. As this part of the Atlas has only recently interested a few Moroccan or foreign geographers, this article is based on these few researches and especially on the numerous and punctual observations made, by the author, during the last two or three decades, until 1999.

The world faces nowadays serious health problems caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). This last was reported by officials in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019, and led to a pandemic as of March 2020. Subsequently, the world economy plunged into an unprecedented paralysis. Despite the threat of COVID-19 on the populations’ health, many countries, including Algeria, have begun the process of opening up to boost industrial activities. While significant efforts are being put to manage the recovery process of industrial activities within Algerian companies, this article contributes to: the assessment of the pandemic risks and workers’ resilience mechanism to allow the continuity of companies’ activities and to improve their response to this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entering year 2020, the Chinese economy was struck by the COVID-19 outbreak. The unprecedented pandemic, entangled with the already elevated complexities in the nation's internal environment and external surroundings, aggravated its economic outlook. Internal factors including severe education mismatch in China's labor force, its vanishing demographic dividend, the declined purchasing power of its middle-income groups, risen leverage ratio of households and enterprises, and soared local government debt reinforced to weaken China's domestic demand. External factors, especially uncertainty in the China-US relation in the face of the re-shaping global value chain, dragged world economic recovery and thus China's exports and imports. This summary report highlights some major challenges and opportunities faced by the nation under its new development strategy that stresses internal circulation of domestic economy aided by its interaction with the globe. Our analyses based on IAR-CMM model provide a unified framework for addressing China's short-, medium-, and long-term issues in an internally coherent manner. Looking into year 2021, our benchmark projection reports an 8.4% annual real GDP growth rate. Alternative scenario analyses and policy simulations are conducted to assess the impacts of potential downside risks and the corresponding policy options for ensuring implicit targets. Through the lens of these analyses, we conclude that a refocus on effective management of internal demand, while deepening structural reforms on supply side and advancing orderly opening up, can help smooth the internal and external circulations of the Chinese economy to achieve high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new spatial agglomeration of an open economy should conform to the spatial agglomeration theory of the new economic geography and the characteristic conditions of the Chinese population, follow the historical practice and development trend of the spatial agglomeration of China’s open economy for the past 40 years since reform and opening up, fit the transformation of the development status and goals of the Chinese economy, and fulfill the requirements of the new era brought about by the new trends of economic globalization. It is necessary to guide the open economy towards a proper clustering in the central and western regions and accelerate the regional opening up. Meanwhile, in order to promote the proper distribution of production factors and the coordinated development of an open economy, we should facilitate the spatial optimization distribution of production factors by employing the comparative regional advantages and endowments, thereby improving the international competitiveness of China’s open economy.

Copyright of Foro Internacional is the property of El Colegio de Mexico AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the change of opening-up strategy, the urban-rural interaction in China has turned towards integration. In the early years of the People's Republic of China, the policies in different areas led to the urban-rural interaction of factors and products, and the urban-rural relationship was characterized by mutual assistance and reciprocity. However, the international blockade and embargo made New China take the road to prioritize the development of heavy industry. The urban-rural segregation system, such as unified purchase and marketing, people's commune and household registration, makes the allocation of factors and products based on the planning by governments, thus resulting in urban priority, urban-rural segregation and slow development. Reform and opening-up started from agricultural reform and township enterprises. But driven by foreign demand, factor agglomeration promoted urban development and widened the urban-rural gap, forming the urban-rural "dual structure". Since the dawn of the 21st century, the expanding domestic demand has led to the implementation of the urban-rural coordination strategy and the new rural reconstruction. The No. 1 Document series have redirected the factors, products and public services to the rural regions. The urban-rural interaction has begun to show progress. The urban-rural income gap started to show a narrowing trend once it peaked. In the new era, all-round opening-up and rural revitalization have helped to resolve the contradictions of urban-rural imbalances. The urban-rural interaction has entered a new stage of integration development. However, it's necessary to speed up the integration of the urban and rural economy and establish a unified public products system. Relying on the policies of opening-up, the eastern, central, western and northeastern regions should develop with distinctive spatial patterns of urban-rural interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ecological economics has paid little attention to the assessment and evaluation of megaprojects – large, complex infrastructure projects often delivered via public-private partnerships, which entail deep uncertainties, considerable economic and political stakes, and significant impacts on society. Megaprojects proliferate, despite their problematic relation with sustainability. Developing approaches and methods for the appraisal of megaprojects therefore constitutes a major task for ecological economics. To provide a basis for an ecological economics approach to megaproject appraisal, this article first reviews the 'mainstream' and 'alternative' strands of megaproject appraisal literatures. It then explores the possible contributions to megaproject appraisal from two ideal-typical branches of ecological economics: 'institutionalist deliberationism' and the environmental justice approach. Both can help to 'open up' megaproject appraisal 1) beyond the 'iron triangle' of project appraisal criteria employed by the mainstream megaproject scholarship; 2) to a broader range of appraisal perspectives; and 3) towards 'informal' appraisal, i.e. the wider sociopolitical discourse including media interventions and NGO initiatives. Conclusions suggest four areas of further work: 1) integrating formal and informal appraisal; 2) role of appraisal and the appraiser in megaproject governance; 3) role of deliberation in the face of power asymmetries; and 4) the possibility of sustainable megaprojects. Highlights • Mainstream megaproject appraisal focuses excessively on the 'iron triangle' criteria. • Ecological economics can contribute to necessary opening up megaproject appraisal. • Alternative megaproject literature and ecological economics share common premises. • Deliberative institutionalism and environmental justice approaches examined • Four challenges for research on ecological economics megaproject appraisal [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper would like to analyze how the Ministry of Information and Tourism became a battlefield for the two political families of the Caudillo’s government during second Francoism. Over the 1960s, reformists battled against technocrats linked to the Opus Dei within the government and fought for power. The censorial policy evolved according to the personality in charge of the Ministry: Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Minister between 1962 and 1969, tried to lead a political opening up but was confronted with the immobilist sector embodied by ecclesiastical authorities and technocrats. Using some concrete examples of official documents, plays and censorship archives, this work aims to highlight the infightings for power.

The Singapore political, social, economic system was fashioned in response to the existential challenges arising from sudden independence and a profoundly resource-challenged situation of a city-state seeking to ensure its viability. It eschewed the liberal democratic model promoted by Britain and the West. Instead Singapore sets out to establish a model that works for it, delivering social change and a better life for its people, albeit with constraints on liberty. Today, as the liberal democratic model of government is seriously under review for effectiveness, the Singapore model is better appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The astonishing surge in China's international trade is the result of comprehensive economic reforms in the 1980s and 1990s. Trade was further bolstered by China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. We examine several aspects of China's international trade that might help to explain its surprisingly fast growth and its ever‐growing role in the global economy. A large number of studies have analyzed how trade liberalization, the WTO accession in particular, has profoundly changed the Chinese economy. We survey notable contributions to this literature that analyze the effects of trade liberalization on Chinese firms, individuals and households. Meanwhile, China's exports have had various effects on importing countries and the enormous growth of China's exports is seen by some observers as posing a threat to China's trading partners. Therefore, we discuss the emerging literature on the effects of China's spectacular export growth on consumers, labor markets, innovation, media and politics in foreign countries. Given the new domestic and external circumstances, the Chinese Government is determined to push for the formation of a new trade structure characterized by broad opening up to transform China into a strong trading powerhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we reflect on a project called 'Synthetic Aesthetics', which brought together synthetic biologists with artists and designers in paired exchanges. We - the STS researchers on the project - were quickly struck by the similarities between our objectives and those of the artists and designers. We shared interests in forging new collaborations with synthetic biologists, 'opening up' the science by exploring implicit assumptions, and interrogating dominant research agendas. But there were also differences between us, the most important being that the artists and designers made tangible artefacts, which had an immediacy and an ability to travel, and which seemed to allow different types of discussions from those initiated by our academic texts. The artists and designers also appeared to have the freedom to be more playful, challenging and perhaps subversive in their interactions with synthetic biology. In this paper we reflect on what we learned from working with the artists and designers on the project, and we argue that engaging more closely with art and design can enrich STS work by enabling an emergent form of critique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Geoengineering proposals are appraised against mitigation options and adaptation. [•] Broad range of criteria are identified spanning natural, applied and social sciences. [•] By ‘opening up’ inputs and outputs findings contrast with those of other appraisals. [•] Ranks of geoengineering proposals are most often lower than mitigation options. [•] Stratospheric aerosol injection performs poorly here compared with other appraisals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Business Economics / Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Leather processing has been an important light industry in China, which has contributed a lot to economy. The recent environmental challenges caused tremendous pressure to leather manufacture. The conventional beam house processes employ a wide range of chemicals which result in more than 60% of the total pollution in leather processing (mainly based on COD, BOD, TS, SS, NH3–N). In this study, cleaner beam house processes were tested on cattle sofa leather to provide a clean environment. A control experiment was run parallel using conventional beam house processes. The results show that the de-hairing is complete through pelt histological microstructure, the extent of opening up of fibre bundles is very good, which is substantiated through chrome distribution analysis, scanning electron microscopic pictures of wet blue leathers and the analysis of contents of total proteins, polysaccharide and hydroxyproline in composite liquor, and the performance of the leathers is shown to be satisfied with the quality standard of sofa leather. The results from composite water analysis show that the cleaner processes enjoy in the reduction of emission water, chemical oxygen demand, total solids and ammonia-nitrogen loads by 46%, 93%, 58% and 54%, respectively, compared to the conventional processes. The total dry sludge from the clean processes is almost eliminated, and the composite cost is decreased by 10%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Currently, China has already attended regional cooperation forum such as APEC and institutional regional organization like CAFTA. Since 2007, China has implemented FTA strategy. However, it is necessary for China to plan overall region cooperation strategy according to mutualbenefit and all-win open strategy. This article concludes that China should adopt differentiation and progressive strategies. From perspective of policy, China should strengthen the programming and perfect organization structure and give prominence to the micro-body status of enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have witnessed increasing attention in theory and practice to participatory approaches to policy appraisal, in part due to the potential of such approaches to facilitate reflexive policy appraisal. It has been observed, however, that in practice these approaches are often as prone as traditional, non-participatory appraisal techniques to being limited in the extent to which that can achieve reflexivity e.g. due to the influence of interests and power and problems of representation. This article explores the extent to which Q Methodology, or ‘Q’, can play a role in ‘opening up’ (Stirling Science, Technology & Human Values, 33, 262–294, 2008) policy to reflexive appraisal. A Q study of fire management discourses in Cape York, northern Australia is presented which exposes the existence of four key discourses in the region: discourse A—rational fire management; discourse B—fire-free conservation; discourse C—pragmatic, locally controlled burning; and discourse D—indigenous controlled land management. At present only discourses A and C are reflected in policy. Appraising existing policy on the basis of the different constructions articulated by discourses B and D of the purpose of and practices involved in fire management, is successful in opening up existing policy to reflexive appraisal. In the face of considerable scientific uncertainty as to the ecological impacts of different burning regimes in northern Australia, this process of opening up has important potential for appraising the social desirability of existing policy and practice in the region. This analysis provides a practical demonstration of the wider potential of Q Methodology in opening up other important contemporary policy issues to reflexive appraisal. It also provides the basis for recommending the expansion of participatory processes for facilitating stakeholder engagement in fire management policy and practice in Cape York. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the relationship between initial government policies and the emergence of convergence clubs in post-reform China. We test the structural stability of a global convergence equation using China's provincial data over the period 1985–2000. We find that the provinces cluster around two basins of attraction defined by initial opening-up. Domestic market reform exerts a positive and significant influence on provincial economic growth but has no threshold effect. The two convergence clubs exhibit strikingly different growth behaviors, suggesting that the roles of some growth-promoting factors, such as human capital and infrastructure, depend on whether an openness threshold is passed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beam house processes1Beam house processes generally mean liming–reliming processes, which employ beam.1 in leather processing are known for their uncleanness. More than 60% of the total pollution is emerging from the liming–reliming processes. The use of lime and sodium sulphide is purely empirical without quantification. Lime has a potential to drive swelling in a gradual manner due to its low solubility; however, the use of lime is currently creating a lot of environmental concern. Huge amounts of lime sludge and total solids formation are the main drawbacks of lime. Sulphide plays a detrimental role in effluent treatment plants. This is mainly due to the application of lime, sulphide, water and other chemicals without any rationalization. An approach has been made to apply the beam-house chemicals with optimal requirement. This is based on the fact that swelling requires only 20 to 40% water (based on raw skin weight before soaking) for conventional opening up. This would, in principle, make possible the use of only one tenth of the chemicals conventionally used in liming–reliming processes maintaining the same concentration gradient. The process employs 40% water, 0.35% sodium sulphide and 1% lime for liming and 40% water and 1% lime for reliming, with conventional process time in a drum. Commercial post-reliming processes and operations were adopted. A control experiment was run parallel using conventional liming–reliming processes. It has been found that the dehairing is complete and the extent of opening up of fibre bundles is comparable to that of the control. This has been substantiated through scanning electron microscopic, stratigraphic chrome distribution analysis and softness measurements. Performance of the leathers is shown to be on par with conventionally opened up leathers through physical and hand evaluation. Especially, softness of the leathers is numerically proven to be comparable with that of control. The process also enjoys reduction in chemical oxygen demand and total solids load on environment by 85 and 12%, respectively compared to the conventional process. The total dry sludge from the liming–reliming processes is brought down from 152 to 6 kg for processing 1 ton of raw skins, which has been demonstrated for the first time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Existing related researches have focused on the linear relationship between population aging and carbon emissions, which easily lead to partial understanding of the effect of population aging on carbon emissions. In order to more comprehension of the effect of population aging on carbon emissions, this study explores the nonlinear relationship between population aging and carbon emission through empirical analysis of ten selected provinces in China from 2000 to 2016 using the panel threshold model. In the proposed panel threshold model, carbon emission is set as the explained variable, population aging is set as the core explanatory variable, the levels of population aging and trade openness are set as threshold variables, the levels of economic development, energy consumption structure, industrial structure, and technological innovation are set as the controlling variables, respectively. The results show that population aging has a threshold effect on curbing carbon emission. The levels of population aging and trade openness are two key factors that affect the relationship between population aging and carbon emission. Whether the level of popultion aging is lower or higher than the threshold value of 0.12937, the population aging has a negative coefficient on carbon emissions. Moreover, the higher the level of population aging, the greater the offsetting effect of population aging on carbon emission. When the level of trade openness is below the threshold value of 0.30990, the effect of population aging on carbon emission is negligible. When the level of trade openness is higher than the threshold value of 0.30990, the offesetting effect of population aging on carbon emission begins to appear. In other words, population aging has an offsetting effect on carbon emission when trade openness is in relatively high level, whereas the offsetting effect disappears when trade openness is lower than threshold value. Unlabelled Image • Investigating the relationship between aging and carbon emissions • Panel threshold regression model is proposed. • Estimating the impact coefficient of aging on carbon emissions • The effect of aging on carbon emissions has two thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]