Search

With unique datasets, this paper studies the effects of dockless bike sharing on house prices. We find that in neighborhoods relatively far from subway stations, house prices increase with the usage intensity of shared bikes. This indicates a positive value of bike sharing as a complement to the subway network. Meanwhile, shared bike usage intensity also has a negative impact on house prices. The negative effect is mitigated for luxury neighborhoods and neighborhoods near City Management Teams, suggesting that the negative effect is related to bike misplacement. Since the breakout of COVID-19, both the positive and negative price impacts have become more evident. This is consistent with the fact that the user base of shared bikes, which allow for social distancing in an open space, has increased during the pandemic. This may enhance people's confidence in the long survival of the bike sharing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital platforms, such as Google, Amazon, or Instagram, provide a promising spatial fix to urban-economic problems by leveraging technology and data while connecting stakeholders and overcoming spatial barriers to make urban life, consumption, sales, and production more efficient. This article contributes to the debate on digital platforms in economic geography by advancing the emerging lens of the platform fix, adopting a critical standpoint concerning the solutionist viewpoint that presents platforms as a fix for various challenges. The article develops its perspective against the background of 57 semi-structured interviews, 200 conducted standardized questionnaires, and long-term on/offline observations. We aim to provide a platform fix perspective revealing how digital platforms redefine spatial interactions, addressing economic challenges through spatial fixes while becoming established as indispensable infrastructures; however, platform fixes often fail to address underlying issues, leading to platform dependencies and the instrumentalization of actors. Therefore, we suggest a cautious application of urban platforms as solutions and critically evaluate the formation of public–private platform partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregates created by a simple physical method promote the charge mobility between semiconductor nanoparticles and, combined with the selective photo-deposition of platinum, dramatically improve the hydrogen production when low loadings of Pt are used. [Display omitted] Photocatalysis has emerged as a promising and environmentally sustainable solution to produce high-purity hydrogen through ethanol photoreforming. It is commonly accepted that adding co-catalysts, especially noble metals, significantly enhances the catalytic activity of semiconductors. However, the high cost of noble metals such as Pt may limit the real application of this emerging technology. Here we evaluate the possibility of reducing the noble metal loading by creating the appropriate interface between pre-formed semiconductor nanoparticles. Commercial titania (P25) was selected as the semiconductor due to its commercial availability, facilitating the straightforward validation and corroboration of our results. Pt was selected as co-catalyst because one of the most efficient photocatalysts for the ethanol photo-reforming is still based on the use of P25 in combination with Pt. We report that the creation of induced aggregates dramatically improves the total hydrogen produced when very low loadings (≤0.05 wt%) of Pt are used. We have developed a pioneering reactor designed for conducting photoluminescence studies under authentic operational conditions of nanoparticle suspensions in the liquid phase. This approach allows us to obtain the average photoluminescence emission from the P25 agglomerates what it would be impossible to obtain by using standard solid samples holders. Thanks to this equipment, we can conclude that this remarkable improvement of the activity is mainly due to creation of an interface that favors the charge transfer between the particles of the aggregates. According to this, the titania nanoparticles of the agglomerates act as an antenna to collect the photons of the sun-light and produce the photo-excited electrons that will be transferred to the platinum nanoparticles located in the same agglomeration. In contrast, raw P25 with low loadings of Pt would have a high number of titania nanoparticles without platinum, and therefore, inactive. This result would be especially relevant in the case of immobilized photocatalytic systems for real future photocatalytic reactors because the immobilization of the semiconductors would generate similar interactions to the one created by our method. Consequently, the initial semiconductor immobilization followed by the subsequent photo-deposition of the co-catalyst emerges as a promising approach for a substantial reduction of the co-catalyst content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a sustainable land use planning tool based on land value-added capturing and urban quality improvements and has been vigorously promoted by Chinese city governments. However, few studies have been conducted on the role of the ‘land finance’ model and on people-oriented planning approach focusing on urban inclusive growth. This paper examines the current implementation of TOD in China and attempts to explore the approach to the paradigm transformation of urban development in China. Evidence from Hangzhou illustrates that the current land-centered and property-led urban rail transit construction, although contributing to the economic sustainability of ‘urban development strategy’, has led to unaffordable housing prices and failed to decentralize population away from downtown areas. This study highlights inclusive growth models which integrate TOD planning with affordable housing for the floating population, not only to ensure equity in housing affordability and space accessibility but also to promote polycentric urban development strategies. The locations of inclusive growth models include new towns/sub-cities, traditional cores and suburbs, which are all based on existing industrial cluster areas and promote the full utilization of existing public service facilities.

Promoting rural family entrepreneurship is an effective way to realize rural revitalization. The primary aim of this study is to assess the entrepreneurial impact of family social capital on rural households in China. The objective of this study is to understand how family social capital affects rural entrepreneurship in a Chinese context. Using data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies, this study empirically tests the effect of family social capital on rural family entrepreneurship. Research shows that family social capital is significantly and positively correlated with rural family entrepreneurship, indicating that it is an essential determinant in promoting rural family entrepreneurship. Internet use is an effective transmission path for family social capital, which affects rural entrepreneurship, and the impact of rural entrepreneurship varies with family size and household head characteristics. This study not only enriches the theoretical understanding of rural entrepreneurship but also sheds light on the behavioral mechanisms that explain the entrepreneurial process of rural households. To promote rural entrepreneurship and revitalization, it is important to be adept at activating family social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluids near the solid substrate display different properties compared to the bulk fluids owing to the asymmetric interaction between the fluid and substrate; however, to the best of our knowledge, no work has been conducted to determine the interfacial properties of fluids experimentally. In this work, we combined a pycnometer with experimental measurements and data processing to determine the standard thermodynamic properties of interfacial fluids for the first time. In the study, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ([Hmim][NTf2]) and titanium dioxide (P25) were chosen as the probes to prove the concept. It was found that, with the combination of the Gay-Lussac pycnometer and the colligative law, together with selecting a suitable solvent, it is possible and reliable to determine the standard molar volume of the immobilized [Hmim][NTf2]. Compared to the bulk phase, the molar volumes of [Hmim][NTf2] on the P25 surface reduce by 20.8%-23.7% at temperatures from 293.15 to 323.15 K, and the reduction degrees decrease with increasing temperatures. The newly determined standard thermodynamic data was used to obtain the model parameters of hybrid electrolyte perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory density functional theory (ePC-SAFT-DFT), and further predictions of the density of interfacial ionic liquids with different film thicknesses were proved to be reliable in comparison with the experiment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on financial geography literature and the concept of state rescaling, this article investigates the state–finance nexus with an emphasis on state spatial reconfiguration. Through a historically and geographically informed political economic analysis, it argues that China's state-led, market-oriented rural banking reforms are not merely the outcome of a deepening market logic within the financial administration of the rural sector. They are also crucial for state spatial reconfiguration to address uneven rural and urban development. The article calls for greater sensitivity towards relational spatiotemporality and uneven development to comprehend fully the spatiality of the state–finance nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the role of oxygen vacancies in the phase transformation of metal oxide nanomaterials is fundamental to design more efficient opto-electronic devices for a variety of applications, including sensing, spintronics, photocatalysis, and photo-electrochemistry. However, the structural mechanisms behind the phase transformation in reducible oxides remain poorly described. Here, we compare P25 and black TiO2 during the thermal anatase-to-rutile transformation using in situ synchrotron powder diffraction. The precise measurement of the phase fractions, unit cell parameters, and Ti-O bond sheds light on the phase transformation dynamics. Notably, we observe distinct temperature-dependent shifts in the relative phase fractions of anatase and rutile in both materials highlighting the role of the oxygen vacancy in promoting the phase transformation. We employ bond valence concepts for structural modeling, revealing unique trends in temperature evolution of Ti-O distances of black rutile, confirming that this TiO2 phase is preferentially reduced over anatase. These findings not only enhance our understanding of phase transitions in TiO2 but also open new ways for the design of advanced photocatalytic materials through targeted phase control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) has been reported in pituitary adenomas. However, the role of Cdk5 in the tumorigenesis remains unclear. We show that prenatal p25-activated Cdk5 phosphorylates minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (Mcm2), enhancing minichromosome maintenance (MCM) family proteins and driving intermediate lobe-located melanotrope-originated pituitary tumorigenesis. In a mouse model with CaMKII promoter-driven transgenic induction of p25, we observed intermediate lobe-originated pituitary adenoma producing non-functional proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides under persistent p25 overexpression. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed Mcm2 may play an important role during tumor progression. Subsequently, Mcm2 was identified as a potential phosphorylated substrate of Cdk5, mediating the tumorous proliferation of melanotrope cells. Silencing Cdk5 or Mcm2 suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation in the 293T cell lines. Therefore, our findings provide a new mouse model of intermediate lobe-originated pituitary adenoma induced by p25/Cdk5 and unveil a previously unappreciated role of Cdk5 and Mcm2 in pituitary adenoma tumorigenesis.

Understanding the role of oxygen vacancies in the phase transformation of metal oxide nanomaterials is fundamental to design more efficient opto-electronic devices for a variety of applications, including sensing, spintronics, photocatalysis, and photo-electrochemistry. However, the structural mechanisms behind the phase transformation in reducible oxides remain poorly described. Here, we compare P25 and black TiO2 during the thermal anatase-to-rutile transformation using in situ synchrotron powder diffraction. The precise measurement of the phase fractions, unit cell parameters, and Ti-O bond sheds light on the phase transformation dynamics. Notably, we observe distinct temperature-dependent shifts in the relative phase fractions of anatase and rutile in both materials highlighting the role of the oxygen vacancy in promoting the phase transformation. We employ bond valence concepts for structural modeling, revealing unique trends in temperature evolution of Ti-O distances of black rutile, confirming that this TiO2 phase is preferentially reduced over anatase. These findings not only enhance our understanding of phase transitions in TiO2 but also open new ways for the design of advanced photocatalytic materials through targeted phase control.

An innovative strategy to reduce water pollution is adsorption-assisted photocatalysis. A novel mesoporous heterogeneous adsorbent MOF-5-based photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a green method from plastic waste through a one-step solvothermal process. Additionally, ZnFe2O4 nanocrystals were physically ground with commercial Degussa P25 at room temperature to prepare ZF/P nanocomposite catalysts. These catalysts demonstrated significant photocatalytic activity for the removal of BTX from wastewater. BTX was successfully degraded in an aqueous solution utilizing integrated adsorption and photocatalytic degradation using the newly developed ZF/P@MOF-5 samples with 0.01% of ZF/P. The in-depth characterization of the ZF/P@MOF-5 confirmed its positive physicochemical properties, such as porous nature, stability, high surface area, beneficial functional groups on its surface, and photocatalytic activity. PL spectroscopy also shows that the ZF/P-incorporated MOF-5 nanocomposite has a lower electron-hole recombination rate. The as-prepared ZF/P@MOF-5 mesoporous heterogeneous adsorbent-photocatalyst presented high adsorption and maximum degradation of BTX under visible radiations after 180 min. The reusability results demonstrated that 20 P/ZF @MOF-5 composite can be used effectively for up to four cycles, which makes the process more economical. This experimental study demonstrates that the novel ZF/P-incorporated MOF-5 is a potential route to producing photocatalysts for dissociating BTX wastewater that is highly effective, stable, economical, and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural transformation toward the knowledge economy is often credited with increasing polarization and precarization of the low end of the labor market. Little is known, however, about the geography of low-income work since the literature has largely ignored sub-national variation. This article explores how the knowledge economy as the main driver of the transformation has affected the concentration of low-income work throughout the Swedish regional system for the last 30+ years. We propose a model where the knowledge economy affects the prevalence of low-income work through three mechanisms: polarization, upgrading, and labor market tightening. We find that the prevalence of low-income work in Sweden has decreased, and regions have converged under this metric over time. The penetration of the knowledge economy is, moreover, associated with lower levels of low-income work, and even though the knowledge economy is related to increasing polarization and, through it, an expansion of the low-income sector, the opposite effects of upgrading and tightening outweigh it. We discuss these findings in relation to studies conducted in different contexts and argue that institutional embeddedness, in particular (but not exclusively) labor market institutions, matters greatly in shaping these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional economic resilience is the ability of the regional economy to hold out when there is an economic shock. Interconnectedness between actors in a regional economy is a crucial factor in regional economic resilience, especially for the adaptive resilience. However, extant studies have analyzed the overall regional resilience competencies in terms of advanced technology, productivity input factors (human and physical capital), and agglomeration economies. This study aims to operationalize the concept of the regional economy's network characteristics and empirically analyze the relationship between network characteristics and the resilience of regional economy. We posited the hypotheses on the relationship between the network characteristics of regional industrial ecosystems and resilience. We use the automobile parts yearbook of the South Korea Automobile Association from 1997 to 2019. We built automobile industry transaction data by digitalizing the paper-based records. It operationalized the concept of weak tie using modularity and skewness. As a result, an economic ecosystem with weak ties showed better performance in economic resilience. This study argues that the regional industrial ecosystem is an important, but neglected, factor for the sustainable development of the regional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluids near the solid substrate display different properties compared to the bulk fluids owing to the asymmetric interaction between the fluid and substrate; however, to the best of our knowledge, no work has been conducted to determine the interfacial properties of fluids experimentally. In this work, we combined a pycnometer with experimental measurements and data processing to determine the standard thermodynamic properties of interfacial fluids for the first time. In the study, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Hmim][NTf2]) and titanium dioxide (P25) were chosen as the probes to prove the concept. It was found that, with the combination of the Gay-Lussac pycnometer and the colligative law, together with selecting a suitable solvent, it is possible and reliable to determine the standard molar volume of the immobilized [Hmim][NTf2]. Compared to the bulk phase, the molar volumes of [Hmim][NTf2] on the P25 surface reduce by 20.8%–23.7% at temperatures from 293.15 to 323.15 K, and the reduction degrees decrease with increasing temperatures. The newly determined standard thermodynamic data was used to obtain the model parameters of hybrid electrolyte perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory density functional theory (ePC-SAFT-DFT), and further predictions of the density of interfacial ionic liquids with different film thicknesses were proved to be reliable in comparison with the experiment results.

Promoting rural household agricultural entrepreneurship is a key way to increase farmers’ income and achieve rural revitalization. In the growing digital economy, the ability to use the internet to access information is crucial for agricultural entrepreneurship. Based on the data of China Land Economic Survey, this paper uses the panel Logit fixed-effects model to investigate the impact of digital skills on farmers’ agricultural entrepreneurship and the underlying mechanisms. The findings indicate that digital skills have a statistically significant positive influence on farmers’ agricultural entrepreneurship. Furthermore, digital skills can enhance farmers’ agricultural entrepreneurship by increasing factor availability, including production credit, modern technology, and social capital. The positive effect of digital skills on farmers’ agricultural entrepreneurship is more pronounced for farmer groups with more farming experience, greater land resources, no major adversities experienced and lack optimistic expectations for the future. Additionally, this research revealed differences in the impact of different types of digital skills on farmers’ agricultural and non-agricultural entrepreneurship. This study contributes to the micro analysis from the perspective of farmers’ agricultural entrepreneurship, which provides policy implications for developing countries worldwide to enhance agricultural entrepreneurship by improving digital skills.

This study explores the specifics of strengthening Central Asian regional cooperation and its potential opportunities according to Hungary’s Eastern Opening Policy.

This study examines how children engaged in cocoa farming in Ghana affect household welfare. Data was gathered from 384 cocoa producers using a multistage sampling technique and analysed employing the Cragg double hurdle and propensity score method. The study found that only 2.3 % of cocoa farmers highly used children for cocoa activities. Additionally, household size, cooperative membership, and credit access were found to have significant impacts on both the use and extent of use of children on cocoa farms. Moreover, cocoa farmers who used children experienced improvements in their income, food security and assets compared to those who did not use children. The study also confirms the reality of the practice of employing children on cocoa plantations in Ghana. Harnessing the considerable advantages of credit access and cooperative membership, we emphasize the importance of extension agents sensitizing cocoa farmers about the merits of forming cooperatives. This approach could serve as a means of obtaining group/individual credits to support cocoa production. Furthermore, in light of the notable improvements in the welfare of cocoa farmers, it is imperative for COCOBOD to take decisive action in invigorating the regulation against child labor and instead embrace agricultural technologies as viable alternatives.

AbstractBased on three fundamental theories, commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing, transaction cost theory, and force field theory, this study has examined the factors affecting collaboration in the agricultural supply chain in the North Central region of Vietnam by analyzing EFA, CFA, and SEM. The research results have shown that trust and commitment are two important antecedents of collaboration, and they have a positive effect on collaboration in the agricultural supply chain. Risk has a negative effect on collaboration and is explained based on the concept of understanding the nature of risk and the characteristics of the research context. The dark side of collaboration is opportunistic behavior, testing the influence of this factor and concluding that it is necessary to limit opportunistic behavior to enhance collaboration in the agricultural supply chain. It is shown that there is a difference in the level of collaboration among specific agricultural sectors in the North Central region, in which collaboration in cultivation and livestock sectors has a low level, but in aquaculture, it is higher. Similarly, contractual relationships are essential for promoting collaboration in the agricultural supply chain. From these research results, the study has proposed some practical solutions to increase collaborations in the agricultural supply chain in the North Central region of Vietnam.

The accumulation of proteins in filter membranes limits the efficiency of filtering technologies for cleaning wastewater. Efforts are ongoing to coat commercial filters with different materials (such as titanium dioxide, TiO2) to reduce the fouling of the membrane. Beyond monitoring the desired effect of the retention of biomolecules, it is necessary to understand what the biophysical changes are in water-soluble proteins caused by their interaction with the new coated filter membranes, an aspect that has received little attention so far. Using spin-label electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), aided with native fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS), here, we report the changes in the structure and dynamics of bovine serum albumin (BSA) exposed to TiO2 (P25) nanoparticles or passing through commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes coated with the same nanoparticles. We have found that the filtering process and prolonged exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles had significant effects on different regions of BSA, and denaturation of the protein was not observed, neither with the TiO2 nanoparticles nor when passing through the TiO2-coated filter membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis is an interesting approach to convert solar energy into chemical energy. To achieve efficient energy conversion, a mixed photocatalyst of CaTiO3 nanocuboids and commercial anatase TiO2 nanoparticles P25 were used. This is due to the formation of a heterostructure between CaTiO3 nanocuboids and P25, which enhances the photocatalytic activity. Experiments on the degradation of methylene blue under black light irradiation showed that the hybrid photocatalyst exhibited 11 % higher degradation performance than P25 only. Moreover, a photocatalyst film was formed on FTO glass and used as an electrode for a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC). This is the first time CaTiO3 nanocuboids were mixed with P25 and used as electrodes of PECs.

Carbon quantum dot (CQD) decorated semiconductor materials have become promising photocatalysts in photocatalysis, with a chance to solve energy and environmental crises. Red emissive carbon quantum dots (R-CQDs) have excellent photoluminescence (PL), upconversion, narrowed band structure, electron-accepting, and transmission properties compared to other colors emitting CQDs. In this work, we use the as-synthesized R-CQDs to decorate P25 (R-CQDs/P25) for highly enhanced visible-light photocatalysis. The results show that the photocatalytic performance of the R-CQDs/P25 composites is considerably enhanced with the increasing amount of R-CQDs in the visible-light region. The red emissive upconversion R-CQDs play dual roles as a cocatalyst to separate the photogenerated carriers and an upconversion converter from lower energetic photons to high energetic photons. Various measurements reveal that the R-CQD/P25 photocatalysts have a narrowed band gap, improved charge transfer efficiency, and lower recombination rate, synergistically endowing the R-CQDs/P25 composites with excellent photocatalytic performance. The R-CQD/P25–2.5 composite exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, which is ∼10 times higher for hydrogen evolution and ∼20 times higher for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) compared to pure P25, and its apparent quantum yield (AQY) is 4.94% under 450 nm monochromatic light. This work opens the door for rational design of different fluorescence CQDs and their potential application for solar hydrogen production in a low-cost noble-metal-free system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reported an extremely easy method of optical radiation-assisted thermal excitation to dramatically increase photocatalytic hydrogen generation ability of water splitting with P25 as a model compound. This method compensated for the time waste, high cost and operational complexity of traditional catalytic material modification methods, and largely improved the photocatalytic hydrogen production ability of photocatalytic materials. The hydrogen generation rates at room temperature is 1090 μmol/g/h. At 50 °C, the rate increase to 10670 μmol/g/h. The quantum rates at room temperature and 50 °C are 6.5 and 63.3, respectively. It is clear that appropriate low-temperature heating could largely accelerate the hydrogen generation rate of P25. This work presents the detailed mechanism how this method largely enhances photocatalytic hydrogen generation of P25 as well as the laws. The new method offers some evidences and reference for research on how the photothermic synergistic action facilitates the photocatalytic hydrogen generation of catalytic materials. • Ultra-high photocatalytic activity. • Low-temperature-assisted photocatalysis. • Photothermic synergistic action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our article presents an empirical investigation of the relationship between the export performance of Italian provinces and the quality of their local institutions, specifically the rule of law, over the period 2004–2016. According to the results obtained by different econometric approaches (OLS, FE, SYS-GMM), in general a secure and well-defined legal framework – by reducing transaction costs and uncertainty, facilitating capital accumulation and an increase in the firms' scale of production – is associated with better export performance. Interestingly, when the analysis is replicated at the level of the Italian macro-areas (North, Centre and South), the results indicate that the rule of law has a statistically significant and positive association with export performance only in northern provinces, thus suggesting that the effectiveness of this institutional dimension might depend on the level of development of the socioeconomic and institutional features at the local level, i.e. only when a set of suitable economic incentive mechanisms are already in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]