Phillipsdreyer3782

Different from the previous studies that evaluated the degrees of carbon market efficiency as constant, the novelty of this work is to capture degrees of market efficiency that are time-varying over time and its static and dynamic relationship with liquidity in China's five emissions trading system (ETS) pilots (Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hubei) from January 2017 to June 2019. For this purpose, this work employs the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity in mean (GARCH(1,1)-M) model with state space time-varying parameter (Kalman filter), Modified Amihud illiquidity ratio, fixed effect variable intercept panel regression model and panel impulse response analysis. The empirical results are as follows (1) Shenzhen pilot is the best performer for the market efficiency, followed by Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Hubei; although the other four except the Shenzhen pilot are inconsistent with weak-form efficiency, the market efficiency of Beijing pilot has improved and the Hubei pilot has the lowest market efficiency; (2) there are the positively long-term equilibrium relationship between market efficiency and market liquidity of pilots; and (3) market liquidity can positively affect the market efficiency of pilots lasting three months. These findings suggest that the market participation ability, linkages between carbon markets, speculation of low market efficiency and carbon derivatives tools can be considered by unified China's national carbon market.The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not only created a global health crisis, but it is also now threatening the environment. A multidisciplinary collaborative approach is required to fight against the pandemic and reduce the environmental risks associated with the disposal of used personal protective equipment (PPE). This paper explores an innovative way to reduce pandemic-generated waste by recycling the used face masks with other waste materials in civil constructions. In this research, for the first time, a series of experiments, including modified compaction, unconfined compression strength and resilient modulus tests, were conducted on the blends of different percentages of the shredded face mask (SFM) added to the recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) for road base and subbase applications. The experimental results show that RCA mixed with three different percentages (i.e., 1%, 2% and 3%) of SFM satisfied the stiffness and strength requirements for pavements base/subbase. The introduction of the shredded face mask not only increased the strength and stiffness but also improved the ductility and flexibility of RCA/SFM blends. The inclusion of 1% SFM to RCA resulted in the highest values of unconfined compressive strength (216 kPa) and the highest resilient modulus (314.35 MP). However, beyond 2%, increasing the amount of SFM led to a decrease in strength and stiffness.Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) otherwise known as heavy metals are ubiquitous in soils and can have a range of negative health and environmental impacts. In terrestrial systems understanding how PTEs move in the environment is made challenging by the complex interactions within soil and the wider environment and the compositional nature of PTEs. PTEs are compositional because data of individual PTEs within in a sample are ratios which may be under a sum constraint, where individual components sum up to a whole. In this study three different scenarios were considered, one using the centred log ratio transformation (clr) a compositional transformation, the more "traditional" log10 transformation (log10) and untransformed data acting as a comparison (unt) were applied to four different datasets. Three were the Liver, Muscle and Kidney tissue of Eurasian Badgers (Meles meles) and the fourth was soil and data were extracted from a regional geospatial survey. Cluster analysis demonstrated that the clr and log10 transformation were able to resolve compositional trends at the point of the individual sample, whilst unt could not and did not meet the preconditions for the next phase of analysis. At the level of compositional trends between PTEs complex heatmaps demonstrated that clr was able to isolate PTE relationships and highlight commonalities between different datasets, whilst log10 could not. In the final phase, principal component analysis (PCA) of the clr transformation showed similarities between the signals in the soft tissues and the disparities they had with soil, whilst the log10 transformation was unable to achieve this. Overall, the clr transformation was shown to perform more consistently under a variety of analytical scenarios and the compositional approach will provide more realistic interpretations about PTEs in both soil and animal soft tissue than the log10 or unt conditions.In 2015, China initiated the Sponge City Program (SCP), an integrated urban stormwater management strategy, to mitigate the paradoxical challenges of urban flooding and water shortages. Very few studies have attempted to examine the willingness to participate of multi-level stakeholders in the case of storm-water management initiatives. To address this gap in the existing body of knowledge, this study took Guyuan city, Ningxia Province, a Stage 2 pilot city located in the arid northwest region of the People's Republic of China, as a case study. Members of three key stakeholder groups were surveyed, i.e., government, commercial entities and communities, and a total of 687 valid questionnaires were obtained in the SCP. Via a logistic regression model, the results showed that (1) the stakeholders reached a consensus during the participation process that they were motivated by personal benefits and expected to improve water usage through the participatory process; (2) the government represented the public intereswillingness to participate can further benefit the implementation of sustainable urban water initiatives, as in the case of this megaproject, and their enduring success.The nanotechnology enabled the development of nanomaterials (NMs) with a variety of industrial, biomedical, and consumer applications. However, the mechanism of action (MoA) and toxicity of NMs remain unclear, especially in the male reproductive system. Thus, this study aimed to perform a bibliometric and systematic review of the literature on the toxic effects of different types of NMs on the male reproductive system and function in mammalian models. A series of 236 articles related to the in vitro and in vivo reproductive toxicity of NMs in mammalian models were analyzed. The data concerning the bioaccumulation, experimental conditions (types of NMs, species, cell lines, exposure period, and routes of exposure), and the MoA and toxicity of NMs were summarized and discussed. Results showed that this field of research began in 2005 and has experienced an exponential increase since 2012. Revised data confirmed that the NMs have the ability to cross the blood-testis barrier and bioaccumulate in several organs of the male reproductive system, such as testis, prostate, epididymis, and seminal vesicle. A similar MoA and toxicity were observed after in vitro and in vivo exposure to NMs. The NM reproductive toxicity was mainly related to ROS production, oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis. In conclusion, the NM exposure induces bioaccumulation and toxic effects on male reproductive system of mammal models, confirming its potential risk to human and environmental health. The knowledge concerning the NM reproductive toxicity contributes to safety and sustainable use of nanotechnology.Oil and gas wells are engineered with barriers to prevent fluid movement along the wellbore. If the integrity of one or more of these barriers fails, it may result in subsurface leakage of natural gas outside the well casing, a process termed fugitive gas migration (GM). Knowledge of the occurrence and causes of GM is essential for effective management of associated potential risks. In the province of British Columbia, Canada (BC), oil and gas producers are required to report well drilling, completion, production, and abandonment records for all oil and gas wells to the provincial regulator. learn more This well data provides a unique opportunity to identify well characteristics with higher likelihoods for GM to develop. Here we employ Bayesian multilevel logistic regression to understand the associations between various well attributes and reported occurrences of GM in 0.6% of the 25,000 oil and gas wells in BC. Our results indicate that there is no association between the occurrence of GM and hydraulic fracturing. Overall, there appears to be no well construction or operation attribute in the study database that is conclusively associated with GM. Wells with GM more frequently exhibit indicators of well integrity loss (i.e., surface casing vent flow, remedial treatments, and blowouts) and geographic location appears to be important. We ascribe the spatial clustering of GM cases to the local geologic environment, and we speculate that there are links between particular intermediate gas-bearing formations and GM occurrence in the Fort Nelson Plains Area. The results of this study suggest that oil and gas wells in high GM occurrence areas and those showing any attribute associated with integrity failure (e.g., surface casing vent flow) should be prioritized for monitoring to improve the detection of GM.Soil organic carbon (SOC) in the subsoil may not be so resistant to decomposition as previously assumed, while the mechanisms controlling C dynamics in subsoils are not yet known. This study aimed to (1) identify the factors that control SOC pools in subsoil and (2) compare the differences in SOC pools and controlling factors between the subsoil and topsoil. Subsoils (20-40 cm) were sampled along elevational gradients from two volcanic regions with less-disturbed vegetation each from Tanzania (11 sites) and Indonesia (12 sites). The sizes and mean residence times of labile, intermediate, and stable SOC pools were estimated by fractionation and model fitting to CO2 release during long-term incubation. The controlling factors of each SOC pool were determined by accompanying partial correlation and path analyses. In subsoil, the intermediate SOC pool predominantly controlled the SOC stability within decades. Climatic, geochemical, and biotic factors controlled different SOC pools. Temperature negatively affected the sizes of all three pools. The nanocrystalline minerals contents predominantly and positively controlled the sizes of intermediate and stable SOC pools, and the mean residence time of intermediate SOC pool. Biotic and climatic factors (i.e., microbial biomass, available N for microbes, and excess precipitation) controlled the labile SOC pool. Compared with topsoil, stabilized organic matters were more in the intermediate rather than in the stable SOC pool, and the temperature had a more significant effect on the stable SOC pool in subsoil than in topsoil. Available N for microbes partially controlled the labile and intermediate SOC pools in subsoil (more limited available N for microbes), but not in topsoil. Thus, subsoil SOC would be more sensitive to climate change than topsoil SOC. This study helped to understand the SOC stabilization mechanism and emphasized the high climate- and mineral-dependence of SOC in subsoil of tropical volcanic regions.