Search

Building on cornerstone traditions in historical sociology, as well as work in environmental sociology and political-economic sociology, we theorize and investigate with moderation analysis how and why national militaries shape the effect of economic growth on carbon pollution. Militaries exert a substantial influence on the production and consumption patterns of economies, and the environmental demands required to support their evolving infrastructure. As far-reaching and distinct characteristics of contemporary militarization, we suggest that both the size and capital intensiveness of the world’s militaries enlarge the effect of economic growth on nations’ carbon emissions. In particular, we posit that each increases the extent to which the other amplifies the effect of economic growth on carbon pollution. To test our arguments, we estimate longitudinal models of emissions for 106 nations from 1990 to 2016. Across various model specifications, robustness checks, a range of sensitivity analyses, and counterfactual analysis, the findings consistently support our propositions. Beyond advancing the environment and economic growth literature in sociology, this study makes significant contributions to sociological research on climate change and the climate crisis, and it underscores the importance of considering the military in scholarship across the discipline.

Modeling asymmetric relationships is an emerging subject of interest among sociologists. York and Light advanced a method to estimate asymmetric models with panel data, which was further developed by Allison. However, little attention has been given to the large- N, large- T case, wherein autoregression, slope heterogeneity, and cross-sectional dependence are important issues to consider. The authors fill this gap by conducting Monte Carlo experiments comparing the bias and power of the fixed-effects estimator to a set of heterogeneous panel estimators. The authors find that dynamic misspecification can produce substantial biases in the coefficients. Furthermore, even when the dynamics are correctly specified, the fixed-effects estimator will produce inconsistent and unstable estimates of the long-run effects in the presence of slope heterogeneity. The authors demonstrate these findings by testing for directional asymmetry in the economic development–CO2 emissions relationship, a key question in macro sociology, using data for 66 countries from 1971 to 2015. The authors conclude with a set of methodological recommendations on modeling directional asymmetry.

Eucalyptus is a short-rotation tree species widely used in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. However, the high-intensity management mode of multi-generational succession has also made eucalyptus planting controversial due to ecological and environmental problems, including soil degradation and declines in stand biomass. This paper aims to reveal the effects of multi-generational succession of eucalyptus on soil fertility, organic structure, and biological properties. Soil samples were collected from eucalyptus plantations of different stand ages (5, 11, 17, and 21 years old) in a typical area in south Asia; soil organic fraction structure and content characteristics were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR); and structural equation modeling was used to explore the direct and indirect influences of soil fertility, enzyme activity, and organic fraction on stand biomass. The results showed that the soil fertility and enzymatic activity indexes were significantly different (p < 0.05) in different stand age soils, with the exception of total potassium and cellulase. FTIR analysis showed that 11 infrared absorption peaks existed in the soils of this study area, attributed to silicates, aromatics, carbonate ions, sugars, esters and polysaccharides, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and phenolic alcohols. Combined with the results of peak area integration, the content of esters (1088, 1165 cm1), aromatics (1631 cm1), and phenolic alcohols (3423 cm1) was significantly higher in 17- and 21-year-old stand soils than in control soils. The results of the structural equation model showed that organic components were negatively related (p < 0.01) to enzyme activity and biomass fertility, with standardized coefficients of 0.53 and 0.49, respectively. In summary, we concluded that multi-generation succession of eucalyptus trees can change the structure of soil organic functional group composition and promote the enrichment of aromatic and phenolic alcohol functional groups. The results of the structural equation modeling established the relationships between stand age and soil fertility, organic fraction, enzyme activity, and biomass. The increase in aromatic and phenolic alcohol functional groups was the main change in the organic fraction of the soil. Such changes can directly inhibit the increase in eucalyptus biomass and indirectly negatively affect biomass by inhibiting enzyme activity, and the combination of these two inhibitory pathways could be the main reason for the decline in stand biomass after successive plantings of eucalyptus.

The cranberry, a commodity of social, cultural, and economic importance to New England, is under threat due to climatic change in this region of the United States. Yet, previous research reveals that cranberry growers have mixed attitudes about the anthropogenic roots of climate change, with many being skeptical. Building on the researchers’ analysis of the personal and ecological conditions that affect climate change attitudes among cranberry growers, this paper examines the effect that key actors in the growers’ social networks have on those attitudes. Through statistical analysis of survey data and content analysis of two important cranberry newsletters, the paper finds that cranberry growers’ perceived importance of two key cranberry growing institutions, the “sociopolitically focused” Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association and the “technically focused” University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station, as well as connections to other cranberry growers, is associated in nuanced ways with growers’ climate change attitudes. Drawing on the sociological theory of “social capital,” the paper examines how these social ties to key actors/institutions may result in greater threat perception or worry about climate change. It then considers how “green ties,” if harnessed and supported by these important actors in the cranberry grower network, might significantly mitigate climate change in the future. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10584-020-02808-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Verbal nominalization is recognized as a typical discourse in business English correspondence. This study aims to analyze characteristics of verbal nominalization in the corpus of business English correspondence. The results show that the verbal nominalization is usually realized by symbolic suffixes and singular suffix and the suffixation with the significant frequencies in business English correspondence, which is positively contributed to the remarkable discourse features of business English correspondence.

Indium phosphide/zinc sulfate (InP/ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) are presumed to be less hazardous than those that contain cadmium. However, the toxicological profile has not been established. The present study investigated the acute toxicity of InP/ZnS QDs with different surface modifications (COOH, NH2, and OH) in mice after pulmonary aerosol inhalation. InP/ZnS QDs were able to pass through the blood-gas barrier and enter the circulation, and subsequently accumulated in major organs. No obvious changes were observed in the body weight or major organ coefficients. Red blood cell counts and platelet-related indicators were in the normal range, but the proportion of white blood cells was altered. The InP/ZnS QDs caused varying degrees of changes in some serum markers, but no histopathological abnormalities related to InP/ZnS QDs treatment was observed in major organs except that hyperemia in alveolar septa was found in lung sections. These results suggested that the effects of respiratory exposure to InP/ZnS QDs on the lungs need to be fully considered in future biomedical application although the overall toxicity of quantum dots is relatively low. Published version

The background and scientific objectives of the Mars Climate Station (MCS) for Tianwen-1 are introduced, accompanied by a comparative review of the status of related meteorological observation missions and of advanced sensing technologies. As one of the China Tianwen-1 Mission’s principal scientific payloads, the MCS contains four measurement sensors and one electronic processing unit that are specially designed to measure local temperature, pressure, wind, and sound on the Martian surface. The MCS’s measurement principles, technical schemes, ground calibration techniques, and adaptability evaluation to the Mars surface environment of MCS are introduced in details. The conclusion presents measurement performance specifications of the MCS, based on ground test results, that will provide guidance to future research based on data from the Tianwen-1 and later Mars missions.

The macro-comparative decoupling literature has often sought to test the arguments made by the treadmill of production (TP) and ecological modernization (EM) theories. However, due to data limitations, these studies have been limited to analyzing the years after 1960. Given that both theories discuss historical processes operating before 1960, analyzing pre-1960 data is warranted to more comprehensively test the propositions made by both theories. We assess the long-term relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions from 1870 to 2014 using a sample of global North nations. We use Prais-Winsten regression models with time interactions to assess whether, when, and how much CO2 emissions have decoupled from economic growth over time. We find that significant relative decoupling has occurred twice since 1870: during the last 30 years of the nineteenth century, the timing of which is contrary to what both the EM and TP theories might expect, and after 1970. We also observe that the relationship remained relatively stable from the turn of the twentieth century to approximately 1970, which aligns with the arguments made by the classical TP work. We conclude that shifts in the global organization of production have shaped the magnitude of the economic growth–CO2 emissions relationship and its changes over time, which has implications for climate mitigation policy.

Introduction The optimal treatment of choledocholithiasis combined with cholecystolithiasis remains controversial. Common surgical methods vary among endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration (LTCBDE), laparoscopic transductal common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) with or without T-tube drainage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of surgical methods and to determine the appropriate procedure for patients with cholecystolithiasis combined with choledocholithiasis. Methods From January 2013 to January 2019, a total of 1555 consecutive patients diagnosed with cholecystolithiasis combined with choledocholithiasis who underwent surgical treatment in Tongji Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Total 521 patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones underwent LC + LCBDE + T-Tube were excluded from the analysis. At last, 1034 patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into three groups according to their surgical methods: preoperative ERCP + subsequent LC (ERCP + LC group, n = 275), LC + LCBDE + intraoperative endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) + primary duct closure (Tri-scope group, n = 479) and LC + laparoscopic transcystic CBD exploration (LTCBDE group, n = 280). Clinical records, operative findings and postoperative follow-up were collected and analyzed. Results There was no mortality in three groups. Common bile duct (CBD) stone clearance rate was 97.5% in ERCP + LC group, 98.7% in Tri-scope group, and 99.3% in LTCBDE group. There were no difference in terms of demographic characteristics, biochemistry findings and presentations, but the Tri-scope group had the biggest diameter and amount of stones and diameter of CBD, the LTCBDE group had the least CBD stones and the biggest diameter of cystic gall duct (CGD). ERCP + LC group have the longest hospital stay (14.16 ± 3.88 days vs 6.92 ± 1.71 days vs 10.74 ± 5.30 days, P P P Conclusion All the three surgical methods are safe and effective. Tri-scope approach and LTCBDE approach have superiority to preoperative ERCP + LC. LC + LTCBDE shows priority over Tri-scope approach, but should be performed in selected patients. LC + LCBDE + T-Tube can be an alternative management if the other three procedures were failed. The surgeons should choose the most appropriate surgical procedure according to the preoperative examination results and intraoperative situation.

Cuihua Zou,1,2,* Xiaohua Huang,1,2,* Xuequn Lan,1 Xiaorui Huang,1 Yun Feng,1 Jianmin Huang,1 Lanqing Meng,1 Chongdong Jian,1 Donghua Zou,3 Jie Wang,4 Xuebin Li1,2 1Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, 533000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, 533000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Neurology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, 533000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jie Wang; Xuebin LiThe Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, 18 Zhongshan er Road, Baise, Guangxi, 533000, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail yyfywj@126.com; yyfylxb@163.comPurpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential pathogenic mechanisms of post-intracerebral hemorrhage depression.Methods: Profiles of gene expression in brain tissue of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) or depression were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for the two diseases separately. With these DEGs, we conducted an enrichment analysis based on Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) as well as cross-talk analysis, then we identified hub bridge genes using integrated bridge landscape analysis.Results: We found 131 DEGs for interaction between ICH and depression. In the enrichment analysis, we found 55 GO terms and KEGG pathways involving interacting genes of ICH and depression, and 10 GO terms and 10 KEGG pathways most significantly related to cross-talk between ICH and depression. In the integrated bridge landscape analysis, we identified 20 hub bridge genes. In further analysis, we found that hub bridge genes HLA-A, HMOX1, and JUN related to endocytosis, cell adhesion, and phagosomes may exert their effects through the dopamine (DA) system and the serotonergic pathway post-ICH depression. HLA-A may play a role in the occurrence and development of ICH and depression through immune mediation and cell adhesion. HMOX1 and JUN may participate in the mechanism by interacting with HLA-A.Conclusion: Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified potential hub bridge genes and pathways related to post-ICH depression. Our study provides references for further research on mechanisms on the pathogenesis of post-ICH depression.Keywords: intracerebral hemorrhage, depression, differentially expressed genes, hub bridge genes

Amylose content (AC), which is regulated by the Waxy (Wx) gene, is a major indicator of eating and cooking quality (ECQ) in rice (Oryza sativa). Thus far, only a limited number of mutations in the N-terminal domain of Wx were found to have a major impact on the AC of rice grains and no mutations with such effects were reported for other regions of the Wx protein. Here, nucleotide substitutions in the middle region of Wx were generated by adenine and cytosine base editors. The nucleotide substitutions led to changes in 15 amino acid residues of Wx, and a series of novel Wx alleles with ACs of 0.3%-29.43% (wild type with AC of 19.87%) were obtained. Importantly, the waxyabe2 allele showed a "soft rice" AC, improved ECQ, favorable appearance, and no undesirable agronomic traits. The transgenes were removed from the waxyabe2 progeny, generating a promising breeding material for improving rice grain quality.

In this study, cluster analysis and hierarchical regression were used to analyze the relationship between math anxiety (MA) and mathematical modeling ability in a sample of 1359 eighth-grade students from five places in China. Our results showed students tended to worry more about having difficulty in mathematics class (58%) than reported by the Shanghai PISA 2012 (53%); our finding is closer to the PISA 2012 global average (59%). Our analysis also revealed students were less nervous when solving mathematics problems (20%), felt less helpless when faced with a mathematical problem (14%), and were less worried about getting poor math grades (32%) than the PISA 2012 Shanghai average (27%, 28%, and 71%, respectively) and global average (31%, 30%, and 61%, respectively). Female students reported higher MA than male students; cluster analysis showed substantial gaps in mathematical modeling between high and low MA students. After controlling for family SES, gender, and task difficulty, MA explained an additional 3.5% of the variance of mathematical modeling ability, with task difficulty accounting for 19% of the variance. The relationship between MA and mathematical modeling depended on the difficulty of the tasks. The applications of the results are further discussed in the study.

Ecologically unequal exchange theory and the concept of environmental load displacement contribute two important global, political economic approaches to environmental sociology. In this chapter, we first introduce these two concepts. We then trace the intertwined but distinct historical roots of these two ideas, which have now coalesced into a more unified body of research. Next, we discuss early foundational theoretical development and empirical research. Then we review the most current research to date, including several special issues of journals and a recently published book on these perspectives. We conclude with thoughts on future directions.

To meet the high energy and high strength requirements of advanced propellants, a novel propellant RDX/TEGDN/NBC was designed by hexogen that was also called RDX and triethylene glycol dinitrate/nitrated bacterial cellulose (TEGDN/NBC) composite. The basic properties such as structure, morphology and thermal properties were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and simultaneous thermal analysis (TG-DSC). The rheological properties were measured by rheometer and the effects of RDX content were studied by steady flow and dynamic test in detail. The results showed the added RDX of RDX/TEGDN/NBC composites solutions could destroy the stable structure of the system. Under the external force, RDX/TEGDN/NBC composite solution exhibit a better fluidity compared with TEGDN/NBC composite solution. And with the RDX increase, the viscosities of the solution systems decreased first and then increased, reached their minmum values when the RDX content was 15 wt%.

This study contributes to interdisciplinary research on the social and environmental determinants of population health, with a focus on the interaction between working hours and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration. The authors estimate longitudinal models of the relationship between US state-level average life expectancy and both average working hours and PM2.5 concentration for the 2005-2014 period. Results obtained from two-way fixed effects models indicate that average life expectancy is negatively associated with both average working hours and fine particulate matter concentration. Findings also indicate clear moderating relationships: the negative association between life expectancy and working hours is amplified as PM2.5 concentration increases, and the negative relationship between life expectancy and fine particulate matter concentration is amplified when average working hours increase. The results of this study underscore the need for additional research on the multiplicative impacts of socioeconomic factors and environmental factors in the modeling of population health.

This study investigates the relationship between U.S. state-level CO 2 emissions and two measures of income inequality: the income share of the top 10% and the Gini coefficient. Each of the inequality measures, which focus on unique characteristics of income distributions, is used to evaluate the arguments of different analytical approaches. Results of the longitudinal analysis for the 1997 to 2012 period indicate that state-level emissions are positively associated with the income share of the top 10%, while the effect of the Gini coefficient on emissions is non-significant. The statistically significant relationship between CO 2 emissions and the concentration of income among the top 10% is consistent with analytical approaches that focus on political economy dynamics and Veblen effects, which highlight the potential political and economic power and emulative influence of the wealthy. The null effect of the Gini coefficient is generally inconsistent with the marginal propensity to emit approach, which posits that when incomes become more equally distributed, the poor will increase their consumption of energy and other carbon-intensive products as they move into the middle class.

Ambient air pollution, in the form of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses serious population health risks. We estimate cross-national longitudinal models to test whether the negative relationship between life expectancy and PM2.5 concentration is larger in nations with higher levels of income inequality. The dependent variable is average life expectancy at birth, and the focal predictor variables include PM2.5 concentration, income inequality, and the two-way interaction between them. We also estimate the average marginal effects of PM2.5 concentration from low to high values of income inequality, and the predicted values of life expectancy from low to high values of PM2.5 concentration and income inequality. Results indicate that the negative relationship between life expectancy and PM2.5 concentration is larger in nations with higher levels of income inequality, and the reductions in predicted life expectancy are substantial when both PM2.5 concentration and income inequality are high. We suggest that the theoretical principles of Power, Proximity, and Physiology help explain our findings. This study underscores the importance in considering the multiplicative impacts of environmental conditions and socioeconomic factors in the modeling of population health.

While an extensive body of social science research focuses on the interrelationships among economic development, energy systems, and the environment, studies involving the analysis of historical time series data are limited outside the field of economics. Along with the typical statistical challenges that accompany longitudinal data, time series data are likely to experience time-variation and bidirectionality in their relationships with one another. We address these issues and illustrate the utility of semiparametric, time-varying vector autoregressive (VAR) models for analyzing socioecological relationships. We analyze data for the United States from 1870 to 2017, and show how the relationships between GDP per capita, trade openness, fossil fuel intensity, and GHG emissions per capita have changed over time. We conclude by suggesting potential avenues for future research that use these methods.

As a tool for modifying the genome, gene editing technology has developed rapidly in recent years, especially in the past two years. With the emergence of new gene editing technologies, such as transposon editing tools, numerous advancements have been made including precise editing of the genome, double base editing, and pilot editing. This report focuses on the development of gene editing tools in recent years, elaborates the progress made in classic editing tools, base editor and other new editing tools, and provides insights into challenges and opportunities.

Drawing from multiple bodies of literature, the authors investigate the relationship between consumption-based carbon emissions and domestic income inequality for 67 nations from 1991 to 2008. Results of two-way fixed-effects longitudinal models indicate that the relationship between national-level emissions and inequality changes through time and varies for nations in different macroeconomic contexts. For high-income nations, the relationship shifts from negative to positive, suggesting that in recent years, income inequality in such nations increases carbon emissions. For middle-income nations, the association is negative, and becomes increasingly negative in the later years of the study. For low-income nations, the relationship between carbon emissions and domestic income inequality is null for the entire 1991 to 2008 period. These diverse results hold, net of the effects of other well-established human drivers of emissions, including population size, level of economic development, and urbanization. The authors conclude by emphasizing the need for future research on greenhouse gas emissions and domestic inequality, and the central role that sociology should play in this emerging area of inquiry.

The original article has been corrected. Unfortunately the name of the second author was misspelled. This has been corrected.

This paper uses the engagement system of appraisal theory to analyze the news about APEC summit held in Papua New Guinea from the Washington Post, in which the proportion of dialogue expansion and dialogue contraction of engagement resources is 47 and 53, and the contraction resources are slightly higher than the expansion resources. In order to explain that in news discourse, the author refutes other viewpoints while actively expressing his views on the incidents, and also extracts other viewpoints that have reached the objective and reliable information, thus convincing potential readers.