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Energy poverty occurs when a household cannot fulfill its energy needs. Despite its widespread occurrence, Chinese cities have yet to formally recognize energy poverty as distinct from general poverty at the national level, thereby limiting the effectiveness of countermeasures. Guangzhou, a subtropical first-tier city in China, has a complex population comprising diverse migrants and locals of all ages. This age diversity greatly affects energy demand and poverty sensitivity, so analyzing age's impact on energy poverty is crucial. Thus, this paper surveyed 1072 households in 2020 to measure the extent of energy poverty. The energy poverty rate was found to be 13.85 %. Additionally, a U-shaped relationship was discovered between age and energy poverty, with a turning point at age 44. The adults in Guangzhou who are in energy poverty are not in income poverty. Higher education levels were found to impact energy consumption in households of both younger and older adults. For individuals older than 42—or 46 with a higher education level—the likelihood of experiencing energy poverty gradually decreases with age. Our findings indicate a unique pattern in which both younger and older individuals are susceptible to energy poverty in a humid subtropical climate. To achieve the UN's 2030 clean energy goals, policymakers must focus on tailored skill training, enhanced social welfare, and effective affordable housing policies to alleviate energy poverty. • We use survey datato measure Guangzhou household energy poverty. The LIHC indicator is 13.86%. • The relationship between age and energy poverty in the household is U-shaped. • Younger and older residents are vulnerable to energy poverty. • Younger and older highly educated individuals are more vulnerable to energy poverty than those without higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strew pellet production not only contribute to regional sustainable development and localized energy transition, but also help to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions. With the development strew pellet products in China, it is critical to uncover the embodied emissions, land use and economic cost effectiveness from producing strew pellet. In order to reach such a target, two main categories of biomass pellet production including a large-scale centralized factory and a small-scale distributed workshop are investigated. Compared with raw coal production, the unit co-benefits in terms of per gigajoule of straw pellets from centralized factory are 1687 kg CO 2 , 8.65 g SO 2 , 3.21 g NOx, and 3.897 g PM 10 , and 0.33 m2 land use, and those for straw pellets from centralized factory are 1352 kg CO 2 , 8.46 g SO 2 , 3.12 g NOx, and 4.22 g PM 10 , and 0.33 m2 land use. Cost-effectiveness for the two straw pellets production system were also uncovered so that the relevant interested agents such as decision makers, business investors or environmental researchers can see the potential economic performance from developing such kind biomass plants. We conclude that environmental performance of the straw pellets whether from centralized factor or decentralized workshop have attractive alternatives to coal production. Image 108297 • LCA-based co-benefits approach was applied to investigate biomass pellet production. • The analysis framework includes energy consumption, equipment and infrastructure. • Emission factors and land demand for producing one-unit products are presented. • Environmental performance of straw pellets has attractive alternatives to raw coal. • Electricity is an important factor affecting the performance of pellets production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it's well known that the carbon intensity from passenger transport of cities varies widely, few studies assessed the disparities of that in city-level and its underlying factors due to the limited availability of data, and thus developed effective strategies for different types of cities. This study is the first to present a comprehensive inventory of emissions from passenger transport on road for 360 cities in mainland China for 2018, based on the data from 5 transport modes and evaluated by combining distance-based and top-down fuel-based methods. In 2018, passenger transport on road in China emitted 1076 MtC. A large portion of CO 2 emissions was identified in the southern and eastern coastal areas and capital cities. GDP, population, and policy were the major factors determining the total CO 2 emissions, but not carbon intensity. Clustering analysis of carbon intensity and 9 socio-economic predictors, using a tree-based regression model, clustered the 360 cities into 6 groups and showed that higher carbon intensities occurred in both affluent city groups with a high active population share and less affluent city groups with a low population density but high density of trip destinations. Forward-and-backward stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that constructing a compact city is more effective for city groups with a high income and high active population share. Enhancing land-use mixed degree is more critical for city groups with a high income and low active population share, while shortening travel distance by intensifying infrastructure construction is more important for the less affluent city groups. • A new comprehensive inventory of China's city-level emissions from passenger transport on road is presented. • GDP, population, and policy were the major factors determining the total CO 2 emissions, but not carbon intensity. • The active population share and density of trip destinations have significant effect in carbon intensities. • The compactness, land-use mixed and travel distance contribute variously in different city groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we analyzed time series of Shanghai stock index with complex network theory. The degree distribution of the network extracted from the original series can be well fitted with a power law, while the network from return series is governed by an exponential degree distribution. Compared with the time series of standard Brownian motion, we found that the dynamics of the original series can be identified, but the return series has the similar topology with a random one. Moreover, in the scale-free networks from original series, the small-world property is detected and the time interval distribution between connected pairs decays as an exponential function, which implies that nodes correlated with a given one appear in a Poisson process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) has long been used for human consumption and medicinal purposes in China. It is recommended for some diseases in which radical species are produced as a result of oxidative stress. However, the systematic study on the antioxidant capacities of various tissues of jujube is still lacking. In order to address this, various tissues of three jujube varieties were characterized with respect to their antioxidant capacities and antioxidant compounds such as flavonoid, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and phenolic. Antioxidant capacity was measured using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) assays. The phenolic acids were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results show that the peel of all cultivars has the highest antioxidant capacities, reflecting the highest content of total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins found in this part. In addition, the predominant phenolic acid in jujube was found to be protocatechuic acid, followed by gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. The results obtained in this study clearly indicate that Chinese jujube has a significant potential to use as a natural antioxidant agent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on household-level survey data collected from Qinghai Province of China, we estimated the greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from spatial perspectives, including household energy consumption in pastoral, agropastoral, and agricultural zones. The findings suggest that the total annual GHG and pollutant emissions per capita in the area was 2296.32 kg per year. The highest amount of pollutants was emitted from the pastoral zones, followed by the agropastoral and agricultural zones. CO 2 is the primary GHG emitted by household energy consumption. Dung burning was the cause of the high PM 2.5 emissions in the pastoral areas, while the use of coal was the primary cause of GHG and pollutant emissions in the agropastoral and agricultural zones. • We used empirical data from rural households in Qinghai, China. • This paper indicates the reliance of local energy consumption on non-commercial energy. • We estimate greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions resulting from solid-fuel combustion. • We compare indoor pollutant emissions from pastoral, agropastoral, and agricultural zones spatially. • This paper provides policy recommendations for energy transition towards clean energy. Energy consumption in the household sector has become an important issue in China's energy consumption and an important unit of China's clean energy transformation. Currently, the potential air pollution, carbon emissions and health risks caused by energy consumption in many areas cannot be ignored, and refined and regionalized index-based research data necessary to support decision making are lacking. Based on household-level survey data collected from Qinghai Province, China, we estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from spatial perspectives, including household energy consumption in pastoral, agropastoral, and agricultural zones. The findings suggest that the total annual GHG and pollutant emissions per capita in the area was 2296.32 kg per year. The highest amount of pollutants was emitted from the pastoral zones, followed by the agropastoral and agricultural zones. CO 2 is the primary GHG emitted by household energy consumption. Dung burning was the cause of the high PM 2.5 emissions in the pastoral areas, while the use of coal was the primary cause of GHG and pollutant emissions in the agropastoral and agricultural zones. These findings highlight the need to integrate household energy policies with rural development to enable a complete transition towards cleaner fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We develop a new model of economic growth that as a starting point the traditional neoclassical growth model RCK(Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans) • We examine the effect of government tax and fiscal expenditure structure on economic growth. • We find that income tax rate, allocation of government fiscal expenditure is inverted "U" in relation to the economic growth rate. • The finding helps the government to form more rational technological innovation preferences in decision-making. China's economy has been transitioning from labor-driven and capital-driven at a stage of rapid growth to innovation-driven at a stage of high-quality development. In this paper, government's "technological innovation preference" (TIP) is introduced into the traditional neoclassical economic growth model which is Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans (RCK), as a factor affecting the utility of endogenous growth model with capital accumulation and technological innovation. Assumed that the government fiscal revenue is used for public and research spending, through which we can examine its impact on high-quality economic growth and transmission mechanism, as well as how TIP influences on the economy. Results indicate that the tax rates and the growth rates would be raised, while the proportion of public spending would fall if TIP enhanced by the government. Furthermore, though steady-state output level may be lower in short term, however, it may also achieve high-quality growth in long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. is an important medicinal plant mainly distributed in China. A. lancea is rich in volatile oils and has a significant effect on various diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on the signature constituents of volatile oils, A. lancea is divided into two chemotypes: the Dabieshan and Maoshan chemotype. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) results revealed that the hinesol and β-eudesmol contents in the Dabieshan chemotype were higher than those in the Maoshan chemotype. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technologies were combined to investigate the molecular mechanisms of sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis in A. lancea. A total of 42 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for terpenoid biosynthesis were identified in the two chemotype groups, and nine full-length terpene synthase (TPS) genes were identified. Subcellular localization revealed that AlTPS1 and AlTPS2 proteins were localized in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum. They use FPP as a substrate to generate sesquiterpenoids. AlTPS1 catalyzes biosynthesis of elemol while AlTPS2 is observed to perform β-farnesene synthase activity. This study provides information for understanding the differences in the accumulation of terpenoids in two chemotypes of A. lancea and lays a foundation for further elucidation of the molecular mechanism of sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Grubs, larvae of family Scarabaeidae, are used in East-Asian herbal medicine. • DNA metabarcoding was applied to 11,539 Grubs. • Identified 21 amplicon sequence variants from Grubs species. • Identified 28 amplicon sequence variants from non-Grubs species. • These finding urges stringent quality measure to ensure human safety and drug efficacy. Grubs, called Qicao in China, have a long tradition as herbal medicine in East Asia. These larvae belong to the diverse family Scarabaeidae and are typically harvested from the wild during their immature stage based on morphological characteristics. However, rapid and accurate identification becomes challenging when relying solely on external morphological features, as the lack of clarity on biological sources raises safety concerns for clinical applications. The application of DNA metabarcoding provides a solution by enabling the determination of the biological source of a large sample. In the current study, we collected 19 batches of Grubs, consisting of 11,539 individuals, from the market and analyzed their biological composition through metabarcoding. We identified 49 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), 21 of which were Grubs. The 21 ASVs were classified into seven Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) through species delimitation, which revealed that commercially available Grubs are predominantly sourced from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis , while species of Rutelinae, Anomala , and Holotrichia were also abundant in some commercial batches. Among the identified ASVs, 28 belonged to non-Grub species and indicated adulteration from different animal families; high abundances of these ASVs were detected for Bombycidae, Tabanidae, and Viviparidae. Our findings underscore the complexity of Grubs' species composition and advocate for a deeper understanding of the wildlife sources contributing to herbal products. This research contributes valuable insights into the molecular identification of Grubs, paving the way for enhanced quality assurance in traditional medicine applications to provide safe and effective medicines for humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PM, SO 2 , CO reduced significantly, NO 2 was less clear, and O 3 increased significantly. • Excess health risks (ER) based on WHO guideline are two times than those from CAAQS guideline. • PM 10 rather than PM 2.5 contributed the most to ER. • ~15%, ~85% and ~95% people in YRD, FWP and JJJ were exposed to polluted air (HAQI > 100) in 2018. • Population-normalized HAQI significantly added the inequality of people exposure to polluted air. Air pollution events occurred frequently in China, and tremendous efforts were devoted to the reduction of air pollution in recent years. Here, analysis of ambient monitoring data of six criteria air pollutants from 367 Chinese cities during 2015–2018, showed that PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 and CO were reduced significantly by 22.1%, 13.5%, 46.4% and 21.5%, respectively, NO 2 reduction was less significant (6.3%) while O 3 level instead increased over China (13.7%). Spatial distribution, seasonal, monthly and diurnal variations of the air pollutants during 2018, implicated of effective control measures, were discussed in details, especially for the five key densely populated regions of Jing-Jin-Ji (JJJ), Fen Wei Plains (FWP), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Sichuan Basin (SCB) and Pearl River Delta (PRD). Moreover, excess health risks (ERs) of the six pollutants were estimated for 2018, and such risks was two times higher if the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline rather than Chinese guideline was adopted. PM 10 rather than PM 2.5 was the dominant contributor to ERs, and the case with both PM 2.5 and PM 10 exceeding threshold values occupied ~1/3 of total days, yet contributed ~2/3 of total ERs. For 2018, the health-risk based air quality index (HAQI) was further calculated by combining health risks from multiple pollutants, and it was found that high HAQI mostly distributed in North China Plain (NCP). ~15%, ~85% and ~95% people in YRD, FWP and JJJ were exposed to polluted air (HAQI > 100), and population-normalized HAQI further added the inequality, JJJ and a small region of SCB had much higher HAQI (>280). Investigations on HAQI with socioeconomic factors show that total population, population density and built-up area presented an inverted U-shape, suggesting existence of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), while a positive relationship was found between HAQI and share of secondary industry. Multiple regression analysis suggested that built-up area was the most prominent factor to HAQI, followed by the gross domestic product (GDP). The findings here demonstrate in great details the current characteristics of air pollution and its associated health risks in China, therefore providing important implications for effective air pollution control strategies in near future for different regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers and their energy saving behaviors make significant sense for long-run sustainability and enacting effective energy policies, particularly in the fragile eco-environment and non-developed rural area. This study investigates the rural household energy-saving behaviors and influencing factors in the loess hilly region of China by taking Qin'an county in Gansu province based on a total of 506 households by adopting the participatory farmer assessment method. Most peasant families pay close attention energy conservation in their daily lives. Most farmer households (88.74%) were conscious of energy saving in their daily lives, and consider energy saving as a self-acting behavior (68.58%) and good habit (87.94%); electricity is the main clean energy for farmers; the price of energy-saving products is the key factor for farmers, and the female and the younger householders have better performance in energy conservation. Farmers' energy-saving behaviors are negatively correlated with the altitude of their dwellings but positively correlated with the education level of householders, family size, income. We argue that continuous training on energy saving is necessary and should be tailored to local conditions and supported by the government. • A rural household survey of 506 households was conducted in the loess hilly region of China. • Female, younger, and higher education level shows positive impacts on energy saving. • Energy-saving behaviors positively correlated with income, health conditions, environmental concerns, and energy availability and prices. • The training efforts for promoting energy saving of rural households should be enhanced. • We argue that government subsidies should integrate into the promotion of energy-saving products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study provides the first intensive investigation of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDT) distribution in typical paint factories and shipyards in China where DDT containing antifouling paint were mass produced and used respectively. DDTs were analyzed in soil, sludge and sediment samples collected from three major paint factories and two shipyards. The results showed that the total DDTs concentrations detected in paint factory and shipyard sites ranged from 0.06 to 8387.24mgkg−1. In comparison with paint factory sites, the shipyard sites were much more seriously contaminated. However, for both kinds of sites, the DDTs level was found to be largely affected by history and capacity of production and use of DDT containing antifouling paint. (DDE+DDD)/DDT ratios indicated that DDT containing antifouling paint could serve as important fresh input sources for DDTs. It can be seen that most samples in shipyards were in ranges where heavy contamination and potential ecological risk were identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) exert great potential in reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and reducing the dependence on petroleum products, and are also essential in realizing the social transformation toward a low-carbon society. Since public are the principal users and stakeholders of NEVs, it's vital to understand their acceptance of NEVs and discuss the influencing factors of public acceptance, so as to promote the development of NEVs. Based on the survey data of Gansu Province, this paper analyzes the public perception and acceptance of NEVs in underdeveloped regions, and explores main factors affecting their acceptance by adopting Structural Equation Model. The results show that the public acceptance of NEVs is relatively higher, with only 51.99% residents are willing to accept NEVs. And there are differences of public acceptance of NEVs among different groups. The acceptance of females, young and less educated public are relatively higher, decreases with aging and increases with education attainment. Perceived risk and perceived cost are significantly negative correlated with public acceptance of NEVs, while subjective norm and the quality of NEVs positively correlated with public acceptance. In addition, support policy is significantly positively correlated with perceived cost while perceived cost is positively corelated with perceived risk. Finally, this paper proposes countermeasures and suggestions on improving the public acceptance of NEVs in underdeveloped regions. • We conducted the NEVs acceptance of 1356 residents in Chinese underdeveloped regions. • 51.99% of the public in underdeveloped regions of China were willing to accept NEVs. • Perceived risk, perceived cost, and NEVs' quality are the key influencing factors. • Support policy, knowledge have significant indirect impact on acceptance of NEVs. • Enhancing subsidies and supporting facilities were effective ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We evaluate the implementation and potential impact of solar energy-based poverty reduction program in Qinghai, China. • PV stations, precisely planned to fulfill 'targeted' intervention, were aggregated into larger PV farms in implementation. • It is challenging to precisely target the poor, improve income, facilitate energy transition, and enhance local capacity. • Future energy-based development needs to sufficiently consider local contexts and promote local engagement. In 2014, China initiated a nationwide poverty reduction campaign through deploying photovoltaic (PV) systems in its vast rural areas, which aims to support over 2 million households. Despite the significant socioeconomic benefits anticipated by policy-makers, it remains unclear regarding the challenges of implementing such an ambitious program in remote rural areas and its effect on poverty reduction. Focusing on Qinghai, a province that serves as the testbed for solar energy development in China but suffers chronic poverty, we aim to assess implementation status of the program, and examine whether and how solar energy-based development affects rural household well-being and generates socioeconomic spillovers. Using data from multiple sources, including household survey, interviews, policy documents, and large-scale socioeconomic covariates, as well as advanced statistical and spatial analyses, we find there have been substantial adjustments to the plan of building small-scale PV stations across poor villages throughout Qinghai. While total installation capacity was met, the 97 planned PV stations in 39 counties were aggregated into 24 medium- to large-scale PV farms in 27 counties. We also find substantial challenges to precisely target the poor, improve their income, facilitate a transition in household use of energy, and enhance local capacity for economic development. Future PV-based intervention programs need to sufficiently consider local contexts and demands, and promote local engagement to achieve the twin goals of sustainable energy transition and poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]