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• The temporal-spatial evolution of CCD are identified. • The spatial relationship and spatial heterogeneity are presented. • Economic acceleration and foreign direct investment are positive driving factors. • Policy implications for cooperative control in city clusters are proposed. The synergy of pollution and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission reductions has been perceived as a crucial mechanism and central target for fulfilling green economic and social development in China. With the combination of the coupled coordination degree model (CCDM) and spatial autocorrelation analysis, we explored the spatio-temporal trends of coupling coordination degree (CCD) between pollution and carbon reductions in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) between 2011 and 2019, and the spatial Durbin model (SDM) was used to study the driving mechanisms behind CCD. The results demonstrate the coupling coordination degree demonstrated a staged upward trend with a heterogeneity of spatial distribution trend of "High-East, Low-West". Furthermore, the prominent spatial autocorrelation has led to the emergence of radiation effect of synergistic management in some central cities. The SDM indicated that the CCD are greatly influenced by multifarious social-economic factors such as opening-up level, population size, energy intensity, economic development, and technological advancement to varying degree. However, there was substantial discrepancy among the spatial spillover effects of contributory factors on CCD amongst cities of various synergistic categories. Based on regional disparities in synergy levels, this study proposes corresponding policy implications, including fostering cooperative governance, enhancing policy innovation, and promoting technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defect engineering is an essential strategy to achieve the tunable functionalities in perovskite oxides containing volatile elements. In this work, we reported the influence of sodium deviation on the structural and electrical properties of sol-gel-derived NaNbO 3 (NNO) thin films. Sodium deviation in NNO thin films was controlled by the level of x = Na/Nb ratio (x = 0.90, 1.00, 1.10, and 1.20) in the precursor solution. It is found that sodium deviation in NNO thin films has little influence on the crystalline structure, but the dielectric, leakage current, and energy-storage properties are closely related to the sodium deviation. Although excess sodium (i.e. , x = 1.10) in the precursor solution could improve the leakage current and dielectric loss, the large polarization and superior energy storage density are observed in sodium-deficient (i.e. , x = 0.90) NNO thin film. These results indicate sodium deviation as a valuable tool to balance the targeted properties of sodium-based perovskite oxides for potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust output-feedback torque controller is developed for series elastic actuators (SEAs) in the presence of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. The strong robustness of the proposed controller results from the filter-based observer which can estimate the velocity signals and the system lumped disturbance. The dynamic surface method is adopted to make the time-domain controller independent of any derivatives of the command reference, making the torque controller an ideal building block for multi-level control frameworks. The semiglobal stability of the closed-loop control system is proven under the assumption that only the state-independent uncertainty is bounded. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the torque controller, and the implementation of two-level control frameworks, including the impedance control and SEA's load position control, further demonstrates its wide applicability. • The filter-based observer is designed to estimate velocity and lumped disturbance. • Output-feedback based dynamic surface torque controller is developed. • The torque controller do not need any derivatives of the desired torque reference. • Only state-independent uncertainty is assumed to be bounded in the stability proof. • The controller is robust to parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Environmental damage cost of municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment was assessed. • LIME3 model was used to evaluate four types of endpoint environmental damage cost. • Landfill dominated social asset cost, and incineration dominated human health cost. • The priority of MSW treatment was landfill < incineration < compost < fermentation. • 1/3 of damage cost for Shanghai was reduced after implementing MSW classification. Environmental damage cost can measure the impact of pollution caused by human activity on final safeguard subjects from endpoint perspective. Application of environmental damage cost to municipal solid waste (MSW) management is still rare. To fill such a research gap, this study established a MSW environmental damage cost assessment method using Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method based on Endpoint (LIME) model. Four types of environmental damage cost, namely, primary productivity, social assets, biodiversity and human health for waste treatment were investigated in the city of Shanghai. Results show that the environmental damage cost was 113.7, 116.9, 140.0, 144.0 and 170.8 million dollars in Shanghai from 2014 to 2018, respectively. Damage cost of social assets was the dominant component, accounting for about 55%. Landfill mainly caused social assets damage cost, while incineration mainly caused human health damage cost. Scenarios analysis further revealed that after implementing MSW separation, the total environmental damage cost could be reduced by about 1/3. The best MSW treatment method is fermentation, followed by compost, incineration and landfill, with unit environmental damage cost being 0.22, 4.51, 16.04 and 23.47 USD/ton, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2), a widely used superior and versatile material, has imposed considerable energy and environmental impacts with its increasing demand and production. To guarantee the sustainable development of TiO 2 , this study assesses and forecasts the multiple environmental impacts of two mainstream TiO 2 production technologies using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. Results show that toxicity is the dominant environmental impact caused by TiO 2 production. The chloride route has better environmental performance than the sulphate route except for global warming. Sulfuric acid, electricity, and steam are the key factors contributing to environmental burdens. Production of TiO 2 pigment is the key stage to cause environmental impact for the sulphate route, whereas, the production of high‑titanium slag and TiO 2 pigment are dominant stages for the chloride route. Nonrenewable-fossil is the largest source of cumulative energy demand (CED) consumption in both routes. Therefore, scenarios on renewable electricity transition under carbon neutral target and enhancing chloride route are simulated, revealing a 43% reduction of environmental impact mitigation potential. Finally, policy implications on the transition to renewable energy, chloride technology, and circular economy for TiO 2 production are proposed. • A life cycle assessment of two titanium dioxide production routes is conducted. • The chloride route has better environmental performance than the sulphate route. • Toxicity-related impacts are prominent in China's titanium dioxide industry. • Titanium slag and pigment production contribute to the most environmental burdens. • Promoting clean energy penetration and chloride technology share is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A SD-LMDI model was developed to analyze GHG mitigation potential in MSW sector. • Six scenarios were designed to simulate GHG emission mitigation potentials in 2050. • Economic development was the dominant factor for GHG emissions during 2000–2017. • Landfill gas utilization and MSW recycling were recommended as long-term measures. • Incineration was suggested as a short-term and mid-term mitigation measure. Fast urbanization and economic prosperity generate huge amount of municipal solid waste (MSW). It is therefore critical to identify the determinants of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from MSW treatment and prepare potential GHG mitigation measures. A combined System Dynamics - Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index model is developed to identify the driving forces of GHG emission generated from MSW treatment and explore the mitigation potentials. Shanghai, a typical megacity in China is selected as a case study. Results showed that economic development, population scale and emission intensity were driving forces to induce GHG emissions from MSW treatment, while generation intensity and treatment structure were the factors to mitigate GHG emissions from MSW during 2000–2017. Scenario analysis further revealed that landfill gas utilization and MSW separation improvement were the most effective measures in reducing GHG emissions from MSW treatment, leading to about 88.07% and 85.48% of reduction compared with the business-as-usual scenario in 2050. Scenarios of improving incineration rate, reducing per capita MSW generation and restricting population growth will reduce GHG emissions by 72.29%, 30.06% and 0.30%, respectively. Utilizing landfill gas, improving MSW separation and promoting green behaviors are suggested to mitigate GHG emissions from MSW treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Location optimization model of recyclable MSW recycling center (RRC) was developed. • The model was based on p-median method and total cost minimization. • The optimal number of RRCs for case of Shanghai China was proved to be 14. • Optimized RRCs were located in rural area but surrounded populated urban area. • Optimal RRCs will change with unit transportation cost and unit scale cost. The establishment of recycling network is critical to improve municipal solid waste (MSW) management. However, how to determine the best locations for the recycling stations and recycling centers remains to be solved. Under such a circumstance, this study aims to forecast the MSW generation and develop a cost-based location optimization model using p-median method so that the optimal scale and location of recycling centers can be identified. Shanghai, with an ambitious plan for promoting MSW recycling at the city level, was selected as a case study city. Results show that Shanghai's MSW generation rate will be about 3% from 2017 to 2020. Regional distribution analysis shows that the downtown areas have higher intensity for MSW generation due to high population density and consumption level. Fourteen regional recycling centers were identified to be the optimal places for establishing recycling centers. The achievement of this scenario can lead to the lowest total cost of 144 million Chinese Yuan. Moreover, the optimal results may change if unit transportation cost and unit scale cost are changed. For instance, the optimal numbers of recycling centers will increase with the increase of unit transportation cost or decrease of unit scale cost. Finally, model limitations and policy recommendations are raised by considering the local realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many water footprint studies have been conducted on those water scarce regions to respond their water crisis, while water rich regions also face water sustainability challenges due to inadequate water management or being virtual water exporter. Therefore, this paper tries to clarify the water footprint and detail virtual water flow features of a water-rich province, namely Yunnan province in China, to pursuit for more enlightenment for water conservation of not only water scarce regions but also water abundant regions. Multi-regional input-output (MRIO) method was adopted for water footprint and virtual water flow calculation. Results showed that the total water footprint of Yunnan was 11.35 billion m3, with 7.98 billion m3 (70%) of internal water footprint, demonstrating that Yunnan was a high water self-sufficient province. Moreover, Yunnan was a net virtual water exporter with a value of 1.18 billion m3, which was not good for Yunnan but was good for water scarce provinces. As for the detailed virtual water flow trade, high water intensity Guangxi, Hunan, Xinjiang were the top three net importers of Yunnan, while low water intensity Guangdong, Shanghai and Zhejiang were the top three export provinces of Yunnan. This did not affect Yunnan, but was not a good phenomenon for water sustainability of whole China. Moreover, agricultural sector was found to be the dominant sector for both virtual water import and export, accounting for about 88% and 86%, respectively. To maintain sustainable water management of both Yunnan and China, policy insights on keeping Yunnan as a net virtual water exporter, making use of its advantage in green water, adjusting trade structure by considering provincial water intensity were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neolamellarin A and its twelve derivatives were designed and synthesized. • Brief analysis of the SAR of Neolamellarin A and its analogues for HIF-1 inhibition based on a cell-based dual luciferase reporter assay. • Neolamellarin A and derivative 2b showed high HIF-1 inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 10.8 ± 1.0 μM and 11.9 ± 3.6 μM, respectively) and low cytotoxicity. The novel marine pyrrole alkaloid neolamellarin A derived from sponge has been shown to inhibit hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activity. In this work, we designed and synthesized neolamellarin A and its series of derivatives by a convergent synthetic strategy. The HIF-1 inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity of these compounds were evaluated in Hela cells by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and MTT assay, respectively. The results showed that neolamellarin A 1 (IC 50 = 10.8 ± 1.0 μM) and derivative 2b (IC 50 = 11.9 ± 3.6 μM) had the best HIF-1 inhibitory activity and low cytotoxicity. Our SAR research focused on the effects of key regions aliphatic carbon chain length, aromatic ring substituents and C-7 substituent on biological activity, providing a basis for the subsequent research on the development of novel pyrrole alkaloids as HIF-1 inhibitors and design of small molecule probes for target protein identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey water footprint (GWF), as a measure of water pollution in terms of the amount of water needed to dilute pollutants, has drawn great attention due to the necessity to respond to water contamination and water scarcity challenges. Under such a circumstance, this study aims to reveal China's national and provincial GWF features from 2003 to 2015, and to identify the corresponding driving forces by using the Kaya equation and the Logarithmic Mean Division Index (LMDI) decomposition method. Results show that the national total GWF declined from 1418 billion m3 in 2003 to 1655 billion m3 in 2015, and the industrial GWF reduction was the main reason for this decrease. Domestic GWF was the dominant component, particularly for service dominated provinces such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, etc., with proportion up to about 80%. Southern and eastern provinces had higher GWF but lower GWF intensity (GWF per unit GDP), and water scarce northern provinces exhibited higher GWF load although they had lower GWF. The GWF intensity experienced a decreasing trend, with economy effect and intensity effect being the main driving forces, particularly for Tibet. Technology effect and exploitation effect (ratio of water use to water resource) were the main barriers for less developed provinces. Finally, policy recommendations are proposed to alleviate future GWF challenges of China, such as improving the discharge standards of WWTP (wastewater treatment plant), promoting wastewater recycling, reducing GWF intensity and GWF load through industrial structure and trade structure adjustment. Unlabelled Image • Grey water footprint (GWF) characteristic of 31 Chinese provinces was evaluated. • LMDI method was adopted to identify the driving forces of GWF efficiency. • Domestic GWF was the dominant component particularly for developed provinces. • Northern provinces had higher GWF pressure due to poor water resource endowment. • Economy and efficiency effects were the main driving factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With fast development and urbanization, Chinese cities are facing several challenges including issues of environmental pollution, climate change, resource depletion and landfills shortage. Waste recycling is one effective way to respond these challenges. Under such a situation, this paper aims to evaluate energy saving and carbon reduction potential of recycling wastes by taking Shanghai, the biggest city in China, as a case study. Results show that 8.7 Mt standard coal (tce) and 16.81 Mt CO 2 could be reduced under current recycling system in Shanghai. And recycling of waste steel and nonferrous metals were the two dominant contributors, accounting for about 44% and 42% of energy saving, and 60% and 33% of CO 2 reduction, respectively. If the recycling rates of main recyclable wastes were improved to 100%, additional 6.44 Mt energy and 10.02 Mt CO 2 could be further saved, mainly from recycling waste glass, waste plastic and waste metals. Adoption of RPF (Refuse Plastic & paper Fuel) could further contribute to 1.24 Mt energy saving and 2.67 Mt CO 2 reduction. Finally, policy implications on establishing a mature recycling system and promoting RPF technologies are discussed, in which the potential on reducing total energy consumption and CO 2 emission of Shanghai can reach 6.6% and 4.9%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid industrialization and urbanization pose pressure on water resources in China. Virtual water trade proves to be an increasingly useful tool in water stress alleviation for water-scarce regions, while bringing opportunities and challenges for less developed water-rich regions. In this study, Yunnan, a typical province in southwest China, was selected as the case study area to explore its potential in socio-economic development in the context of water sustainability. Both input-output analysis and structural decomposition analysis on Yunnan's water footprint for the period of 2002–2012 were performed at not only an aggregated level but also a sectoral level. Results show that although the virtual water content of all economic sectors decreased due to technological progress, Yunnan's total water footprint still increased as a result of economic scale expansion. From the sectoral perspective, sectors with large water footprints include construction sector, agriculture sector, food manufacturing & processing sector, and service sector, while metal products sector and food manufacturing & processing sector were the major virtual water exporters, and textile & clothing sector and construction sector were the major importers. Based on local conditions, policy suggestions were proposed, including economic structure and efficiency optimization, technology promotion and appropriate virtual water trade scheme. This study provides valuable insights for regions facing “resource curse” by exploring potential socio-economic progress while ensuring water security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With fast development, it is not easy for China to achieve carbon reduction targets only by traditional command and control measures (e.g., the measures for energy-efficiency). Carbon tax is advocated as one effective complementary measure and has high possibility to be implemented for China’s future low carbon development. Under such a circumstance, this paper aims at forecasting the possible impact of carbon tax on both carbon reduction and economic loss of 30 Chinese provinces. A 30-Chinese-province CGE (Computational general equilibrium) model has been developed to conduct the provincial evaluation, and seven scenarios including Business-as-Usual (BaU) scenario and six carbon tax scenarios with carbon price from 20 USD/ton to 120 USD/ton up to 2030 are set. The results show that China’s industrial CO 2 will be reduced from 12.2 billion tons under BaU scenario to 10.4 billion tons, 9.3 billion tons, 8.5 billion tons, 7.9 billion tons, 7.4 billion tons and 7.0 billion tons under scenarios of TAX20, TAX40, TAX60, TAX80, TAX100 and TAX120 in 2030, respectively. Electricity, Metal and Chemicals sectors have high reduction potentials and are priority sectors for carbon tax policy. Provincial disparity analysis demonstrates that coal production/consumption and total energy consumption are key factors to affect carbon tax effect on CO 2 reduction, and Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Shanxi and Hebei have the largest industrial CO 2 reduction potentials after levying carbon tax. However, the implementation of carbon tax will impede economic development for all provinces. Therefore, the concept of carbon tax efficiency is further proposed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of carbon tax by considering both CO 2 reduction and GDP loss. Policy suggestions indicate that provinces of Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Anhui should be set priority when implementing carbon tax policy in China, and carbon price should be no more than 50 USD/ton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disparity between import and export prices of China's graphite products indicates that China suffers a heavy loss of graphite resources. China's graphite resource abundance doesn't transform into an economic advantage. This paper tries to promote sustainable use of China's graphite resources by investigating the effect of environmental regulations on China's graphite resource export. Based on the gravity model and the panel data of the top 30 countries that imported graphite resources from China during 2005–2014, economical mass, population, graphite export price, export duty refund (EDR), language, recession and political conflicts are selected as measurable indicators of environmental regulations to study how the corresponding changes affect graphite export values. The results demonstrate that the determinants of China's graphite export values include economical mass, export price, export duty refund, and language. Policy recommendations are then raised in order to improve sustainable development of China's graphite industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One proposed strategy to solve current environmental challenges is industrial and urban symbiosis (I/UrS); however, appropriate evaluation methods are needed so that the potential benefits of I/UrS can be quantified. Several evaluation methods have been applied separately to study I/UrS, but no integrated studies have been conducted by applying different methods in the same case study area. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a comprehensive framework to evaluate I/UrS by combining the material flow analysis (MFA), carbon footprint (CF) and emergy methods. First, we developed a unified database and step-by-step process to clarify the waste distribution and recycling processes in an industrial city. Then a baseline scenario and an I/UrS scenario were set up to define the baselines and effects of I/UrS and compare the results. Finally, the three methods were applied to identify physical features in the I/UrS system. The MFA-based results showed that the use of I/UrS led to a 6.4% reduction in the physical value of material use. The CF-based results indicated that reduction of waste and by-products results in a 13.8% reduction in CO 2 e emissions. The emergy-based results showed that, with the implementation of I/UrS, the value of the emergy sustainability index (excluding labor and services) improved greatly (a 49.2% emergy reduction) as compared with the baseline case (a 14.3% reduction). In addition, the effects of implementing I/UrS by waste and by-product exchanges for blast furnace slag, scrap steel, waste paper, and waste plastic were evaluated. Whereas the CF reductions of unit ton of blast furnace slag is relatively low, emergy reductions of that is comparatively high. If policymakers only consider CF results when addressing the issue of climate change, the effects on emergy will be underestimated in this case. We conclude that the main actors in this area release huge emissions, but they also have a high potential to reduce their environmental loads. In addition, with appropriate designs, waste paper and plastics recycling could be highly efficient. Finally, the integration of the three evaluation methods should contribute to creating a low carbon and more resource independent society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the sustainability of urban ecosystem is becoming a key area in global sustainable development. Urban metabolism is an effective analysis tool for the study of urban ecosystem. In this regard, how to evaluate the level of urban sustainable development and identify the key factors that affect urban metabolism is critical. Many studies on urban metabolism have been explored during the past half century, but few concerns about the key factors that affect urban metabolism. Therefore, this paper fills such a gap by combining emergy and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) methods in order to analyze the sustainable development level and identify the driving forces of emergy utilization, respectively. A typical industrial city, Shenyang in northeast China, was chosen as a case study city in this paper. Results show that renewable resource utilization in Shenyang was very limited from 2000 to 2010, while nonrenewable resources and the imported resources increased rapidly. During this period, total emergy utilization of Shenyang increased from 8.52 × 10 22 sej to 21.53 × 10 22 sej, and emergy density increased with annual increasing rate of 10.34%, demonstrating a fast development of the economy and high level of resident's consumption. LMDI method was employed to analyze the driving forces of emergy consumption from the aspects of scale, structure and intensity. Results show that the rapid increase of emergy utilization in Shenyang was mainly caused by the expansion of economic scale, while emergy intensity greatly contributed to offset total consumption, and industry structure played a marginal role, with a minor value for its growth. Based upon these results, several policy recommendations were raised, including the use of more renewable and clean energy sources, a regenerative and preventative eco-industrial development approach, and capacity-building efforts, so that the overall environment pressure on urban development can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current rapid urban development, particularly in Asian cities, is facing various challenges, such as resource depletion, environmental emissions and increasing pressures on responding climate change. It is critical for decision-makers to raise the appropriate urban development strategies so that cities can move toward sustainable development. In this regard, well-designed evaluation methods are valuable for managing environmental development and providing guidelines to improve sustainable urban development. Six well-known assessment methods for environment and sustainability assessment, namely, input–output analysis (IOA), life-cycle analysis (LCA), ecological footprint (EF), carbon footprint (CF), emergy analysis and cost benefit analysis are selected. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review on these methods and proposes an integration of different methods so that the holistic performance of one eco-city initiative can be scientifically evaluated and key problems can be identified. Such an integration can solve the problems that each single method is facing so that valuable policy insights can be identified for urban decision-makers to prepare more appropriate urban strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With fast economic development, industrialization and urbanization, China faces increasing pressures on carbon emission reduction, and especially on air pollutants (SO 2 , NOx, PM) reduction, particularly the notorious haze issue caused by air pollution in recent years. Pursuing co-benefits is an effective approach to simultaneously respond to both carbon and air pollutant problems. In this paper, the AIM/CGE (Asia–Pacific Integrated Assessment Model/Computational General Equilibrium) model and GAINS (Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies)-China model are combined together to project future CO 2 and air pollutants emissions in China, as well as reduction costs and co-benefit effects. Considering implementation of carbon mitigation policy and air pollutant mitigation technologies, four scenarios (S1, S2, S3 and S4) are analyzed. Results indicate that by implementing both carbon and air pollutant mitigation (S4), CO 2 emission per GDP can be reduced by 41% by 2020, compared with the 2005 level, and SO 2 , NOx and PM2.5 emissions would change by a factor 0.8, 1.26 and 1.0 of the 2005 level, respectively in 2030. The real co-benefits of emission reductions (S2 minus S4) for SO 2 , NOx and PM2.5 are 2.4 Mt, 2.1 Mt and 0.3 Mt in 2020, and the corresponding cost reduction co-benefits are 4, 0.11, and 0.8 billion €, respectively. Provincial disparity analysis reveals that regions with higher co-benefits are those with higher GDP such as Guangdong, Shandong and Jiangsu, energy production bases such as Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, low coal quality provinces such as Sichuan (for SO 2 ), and industrial base provinces such as Liaoning. Cost-effectiveness is finally discussed for policy implications, which suggests that investment in less developed western regions is more cost-effective and easier in reducing CO 2 or air pollutant emissions than in developed eastern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) is still the critical environmental issue in China. The central government adopts the top-down strategy for SO 2 control. However, due to its large size and imbalanced economic development, regional disparity exists and inequity is generated. Under this condition, it requires a region-specific control policy to reach the SO 2 mitigation target effectively and efficiently. To date, there have been few studies in this area. Consequently, this study investigates the regional disparity of SO 2 emission, reduction potential and abatement cost in China's 32 regions by employing the GAINS China model, and analyzes the inequity issues and policy challenges. Results show that up to 2030, applying with flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and limestone injection technology (LINJ), China's SO 2 emissions would be reduced by 51.33% as compared to no policy scenario. Regional disparity is evident in term of reduction potential and unit abatement cost. Regions with larger scale of industry and power generation (e.g. eastern areas) and lower quality of coal (e.g. Heilongjiang province) present a larger reduction potential and lower unit abatement cost. What is more, as the result of the imbalance between middle-western and eastern regions, inequity is highlighted. Certain poor areas (like Guizhou province) have to deal with heavy SO 2 emissions and higher abatement cost per GDP with their limited budgets. Future challenges of promoting cost-effective pollution control strategy considering regional condition are discussed in-depth. Our findings are critical for relative flexible policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid economic development in China, water crisis is becoming serious and may impede future sustainable development. The uneven distribution of water resources further aggravates such a problem. Under such a circumstance, the concepts of water footprint and virtual water have been proposed in order to respond water scarcity problems. This paper focuses on studying provincial disparity of China's water footprints and inter-provincial virtual water trade flows by adopting inter-regional input–output (IRIO) method. The results show that fast developing areas with larger economic scales such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Xinjiang had the largest water footprints. The most developed and water scarce areas such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Shandong intended to import virtual water, a rational choice for mitigating their water crisis. Xinjiang, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi and Hunan, had the largest per GDP water intensities and were the main water import regions. Another key finding is that agriculture water footprint was the main part in water footprint composition and water export trade. On the basis of these findings, policy implications on agriculture geographical dispersion, consumption behavior changes, trade structure adjustment and water use efficiency improvement are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we classify the carbon emission inventories into three perspectives through a case study in Beijing: territory account (TA), production account (PA) and consumption account (CA). A single-regional–input–output (SRIO) method was used to calculate production account and consumption account with a traditional competitive input–output (IO) table. Results show that both TA and PA have the same final values, but disparity exists at the sectoral distribution level. Both PA and CA increased from 2000 to 2007, but CA was bigger than PA and increased faster than PA. This indicates that Beijing was a carbon importer with an increasing trend. Sectoral analysis shows that “melting and pressing of metals (14)”, “Nonmetal mineral products (13)” and “Petroleum processing, coking, and nuclear fuel processing (11)” have higher direct carbon emissions from production perspective (TA), whilst “Construction” and “Service” sectors have higher emissions from consumption perspective (PA and TA). High embodied emission sectors in PA/TA, particularly the “Construction” sector, deserve more attentions for carbon emission mitigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Industry and fossil fuel combustion are the main sources for urban carbon emissions. Most studies focus on energy consumption emission reduction and energy efficiency improvement. Material saving is also important for carbon emission reduction from a lifecycle perspective. IS (Industrial symbiosis) and UrS (urban symbiosis) have been effective since both of them encourage byproduct exchange. However, quantitative carbon emission reduction evaluation on applying them is still lacking. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to fill such a gap through a case study in Kawasaki Eco-town, Japan. A hybrid LCA model was employed to evaluate to the lifecycle carbon footprint. The results show that lifecycle carbon footprints with and without IS and UrS were 26.66 Mt CO2e and 30.92 Mt CO2e, respectively. The carbon emission efficiency was improved by 13.77% with the implementation of IS and UrS. The carbon emission reduction was mainly from “iron & steel” industry, cement industry and “paper making” industry, with figures of 2.76 Mt CO2e, 1.16 Mt CO2e and 0.34 Mt CO2e, respectively. Reuse of scrape steel, blast furnace slag and waste paper are all effective measures for promoting carbon emission reductions. Finally, policy implications on how to further promote IS and UrS are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lead-free dielectric thin-film capacitors with desirable energy storage density are gathering attention due to the increasing environmental concern and the miniaturization of electronic devices. We here reported the new lead-free dielectric thin films, namely (1- x)NaNbO 3 - x BaHfO 3 (x ≤ 0.15), prepared by a sol-gel method, and presented the dependence of their structural, electrical and energy storage properties on the x level of BaHfO 3. The microstructure, leakage current and breakdown strength of pristine NaNbO 3 thin films are significantly improved by addition of BaHfO 3. As a result, the superior energy storage performances were obtained at x = 0.1 with recoverable energy storage density W r of 23.1 J/cm3 at 1100 kV/cm, excellent thermal stability from 30 to 210 °C (Δ W r < 4.6%), good fatigue resistance (Δ W r < 2.9% after 104 electrical cycles), and the fast charge-discharge rate (τ = 0.82 μs). • The new lead-free (1- x)NaNbO 3 - x BaHfO 3 thin films were designed and fabricated. • The superior energy-storage density of 23.1 J/cm3 was achieved in x = 0.1. • The good thermal stability and fatigue resistance were demonstrated for x = 0.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Water-related problems are currently second only to energy issues as threats to human society. North China is a region that is facing severe water scarcity problems. In order to provide appropriate water mitigation policies a regional study is completed. Under this circumstance, Liaoning Province, a typical heavy industrial province in north China is chosen as a case study region. The input–output analysis method is employed in order to evaluate the water footprint both from production and consumption perspectives. The results show that the total water footprint of Liaoning in 2007 was 7.30billionm3, a 84.6% of internal water footprint and a 15.4% external water footprint. The water trade balance of Liaoning was 2.68billionm3, indicating that Liaoning was a net water export region, although water shortages are becoming a more serious concern. The “Agriculture” and “Food and beverage production” sectors are found to have the highest water footprint, water intensity, water exports, and water trade balance. Based upon Liaoning realities policy implications and suggestions are made, including industrial and trade structure adjustment, application of water efficient technology and management measures, and appropriate capacity-building efforts. The methodology and findings may be useful for investigation of water footprints throughout various regions of the world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Greywater is found to bring higher water pressure than freshwater consumption, thus grey water footprint (GWF) has received great attention as a comprehensive indicator to assess wastewater pollution. Industrial park is an important source for wastewater discharge, but few GWF studies have been conducted at the industrial park level due to lack of data availability. To fill such a gap, this study develops one GWF assessment model at the industrial park level by considering wastewater sources from enterprises, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), residents and agriculture. Such a model is then tested in the Changzhou Economic and Technology Development Zone (CETDZ). Results show that non-connected enterprises were the dominant sources for wastewater discharge, particularly in terms of total phosphorus (TP) and NH 3 –N pollution. The critical pollutants for GWF in CETDZ include total nitrogen and TP, which are mainly from rural towns. The top ten companies for GWF are identified, which can help the local government to prepare more appropriate wastewater control policies. Several mitigation measures, including increasing connection rate of the non-connected enterprises, controlling key enterprises, recycling wastewater from WWTP, and reducing the background concentration of natural water bodies, are investigated, in which increasing connection rate is identified as the most effective one. Finally, several policy recommendations on increasing connection rate, such as implementing river dredging projects and artificial wetland technology, are proposed. • Grey water footprint (GWF) assessment model for industrial park was established. • Non-connected enterprises were found to be important sources for GWF. • Nitrogen and phosphorus were identified as the critical pollutants for CETDZ. • Concrete policies that were different from existing studies were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating oxide materials onto semiconductors is a critical part of the design of new electronic and photonic oxide devices. Sodium niobate (NaNbO 3) is a prospective environmentally-friendly antiferroelectric and has received continuous attention in exploring its functionalities for numerously potential applications, particularly in energy-related fields. In this work, integration of antiferroelectric NaNbO 3 thin films on wide-bandgap semiconductor 4H-SiC substrates is investigated to take a deep insight into the conduction mechanism. Detailed analysis of current-voltage characteristics suggested the dominance of trap-related space-charge-limited current mechanism in Pt/NaNbO 3 /4H-SiC devices and the corresponding density of trap states ~2.5 × 1018 cm−3, along with the activation energy ~0.32 eV were determined. Meanwhile, the homogeneous resistance switching behavior was demonstrated in the Pt/NaNbO 3 /4H-SiC device due to the contribution of the trapping/detrapping of charges, which may facilitate the potential applications in nanoscale electronic devices. • NaNbO 3 /4H-SiC heterostructures were fabricated by a sol-gel method. • Conduction mechanism was realized in NaNbO 3 /4H-SiC heterostructure. • The density of trap states and the corresponding activation energy were determined. • The homogeneous resistance switching behavior was observed in Pt/NaNbO 3 /4H-SiC device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shanghai is the first city to implement Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) sorting regulation in China, and it also has policies on economy, demography, MSW collection and treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the impacts of these polices on MSW management for Shanghai. System dynamics model is a prevailing method to simulate impacts of various policies on MSW management from a dynamic and complex perspective. Besides, different from existing studies that consider only a certain process of MSW management, our system dynamic model simulate the entire process of MSW production, sorting, collection and final treatment. Seven scenarios are set to simulate the impacts of these policies. Results show that economic policy has great impact on future MSW management. MSW generation in 2035 will decline by 3.25 Million tonnes if Gross Domestic Production growth rate decrease by 1%. Demographic policy will reduce MSW generation per capita, but increase the total amount of MSW generation. MSW sorting policy will decrease total demand of MSW landfill, but soar the demand of food waste treatment facility. Treatment method policy will not play a big role in decreasing total demand of MSW landfill. Finally, policy implications including prudent economic and demographic policy, strengthening biochemical treatment capacity and comprehensive utilization of residues are proposed. It is anticipated that this system dynamic model and policy implications can contribute to the MSW management of other 45 Chinese cities that are planning to implement sorting regulation soon, or even other global cities. • A System Dynamics method based MSW management model for Shanghai was developed. • Processes of MSW production, separation, collection and treatment were considered. • The model assessed four policies related to MSW management during 2010–2035. • The economic and demographic policies should be considered synergistically. • Food waste treatment capacity should be increased to meet the sorting regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Feasibility of waste to energy transition and UIS implementation has been quantified in the study. • Energy saving effect, CO2 emission reduction of different MSW treatment options are evaluated. • In new incinerators, supply steam has higher energy recovery efficiency than power generation. • Situate new incinerators near to industrial areas will reduce the heat lost. It is important to promote energy saving and resource conservation in cities to promote sustainable development. Urban-industrial symbiosis (UIS) strategy is one of the effective ways to reduce resource consumption and carbon emission in the city. However, rather few studies focusing on both the cost benefit of waste treatment optimization and the heat loss of the energy network optimization in the UIS system. In this study, a typical industrial city Shenyang was selected, and the proposed UIS system included an optimized waste treatment system and industrial system. The results indicate that (1) Steam transportation limited the energy saving effects of the UIS system and economic factor played a key role in the waste treatment method transition. The investment payback time of change the MSW treatment method from landfill to waste power generation and to steam generation was 7.7 years and 11.1 years, respectively. (2) Through UIS implementation, Shenyang city could recover 8.05 × 106 GJ of energy from UIS system and reduce the carbon emission by 1.3%. This study provides quantitative analysis to understand the energy savings and emissions reduction potential of UIS practices, and critical insights into the feasibility of its application in the cities of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First introduce the quantitative Molarity Control-Based Method (MCBM). • First performing pneumatic control using control of the molarity. • Novel integrated manifold support untethered operation, 120 g fuel system. • High precision in quantity the maximum error at 17 mg for 1 g target and 71.5 mg(0.7 %) for 10 g. • Well the controllability of the fuel system with a maximum repetitive error of 3.55%. Control of the gas used and doing so in a quantitative way is essential to improve the accuracy of a gas fuel system. However, this process will be affected by the fluctuations in the gas injection volume, resulting from the characteristics of the gas compression used. A novel method is proposed by the authors to offer a solution to achieve better control of the molarity of the gas used. Here, a max error of 0.715 % under the proposed control method for the gas molarity was verified by using a gravimetric analysis method. The method proposed was designed to be applied to an untethered fuel system and a 120 g hydrogen fuel system was built, where the maximum repetitive error of the output work driven by the gas combustion reached 3.55 %, which demonstrated well the controllability of the fuel system. The molarity-based control method shows advantages of high-precision, untethered use and extensibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy perovskite thin films, as the prototypical representative of the high-entropy oxides with novel electrical and magnetic features, have recently attracted great attention. Here, we reported the electronic structure and charge transport properties of sol-gel-derived high-entropy Ba(Zr 0.2 Sn 0.2 Ti 0.2 Hf 0.2 Nb 0.2)O 3 thin films annealed at various temperatures. By means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and absorption spectrum, it is found that the conduction-band-minimum shifts downward and the valence-band-maximum shifts upward with the increase of annealing temperature, leading to the narrowed band gap. Electrical resistance measurements confirmed a semiconductor-like behavior for all the thin films. Two charge transport mechanisms, i.e. , the thermally-activated transport mechanism at high temperatures and the activation-less transport mechanism at low temperatures, are identified by a self-consistent analysis method. These findings provide a critical insight into the electronic band structure and charge transport behavior of Ba(Zr 0.2 Sn 0.2 Ti 0.2 Hf 0.2 Nb 0.2)O 3 , validating it as a compelling high-entropy oxide material for future electronic/energy-related technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The expansion of renewable energy sources for electricity generation is an important part of China's energy strategy to reduce the dominance of coal generated power. Different energy systems face unique challenges with their different energy structures and economic context, which make it necessary to identify the roadmap for renewable energy development with consideration of local energy system. Our study aims to fill a research gap by identifying the penetration of renewable energy in China's energy system. The study begins with a brief review of the current state of renewable energies in China and then identifies the effect of large penetration of wind power and solar energy. China's energy system is simulated using the EnergyPLAN model and assessed under different penetration points of renewable energy sources from technical and economic perspectives. Different realistic intervals of penetration are discussed. Finally, our analysis identifies that the maximum realistic penetration of wind power and solar energy are respectively 38% and 27%. Highlights • Different energy systems face unique challenges. • The aim of this study is to identify the penetration of renewable energy in China's energy system. • China's energy system is simulated using the EnergyPLAN model. • Both technical and economic perspectives are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many industrial parks are implementing industrial symbiosis in order to move toward eco-industrial parks. Research methods on industrial symbiosis expand from focusing on material flows and economic benefits to addressing on social aspects since collaboration among different firms can determine the efficiency of industrial symbiosis. Under such a circumstance, this study focuses on investigating industrial symbiosis relationships among tenant firms within one mining industrial park. Social network analysis (SNA) method was selected for analyzing the characteristics, power quantification and structure of the industrial symbiosis network by taking Gujiao mining industrial park as a case study. Results show that industrial symbiosis is still in its infancy in Gujiao industrial park and should be further optimized. Those anchor firms have less influence on industrial symbiosis and should be encouraged to actively involve in industrial symbiosis. Finally, policy recommendations are proposed by considering the local realities, including the establishment of an information platform, the use of economic instruments, necessary research and development efforts and broad public participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured with a unique geographic position and climate conditions, Qinghai is abundant with natural resources, making significant contribution to China's or even the world's ecological security. In order to evaluate its current sustainability and provide useful policy suggestions to improve its sustainable development, a systematic study on Qinghai's socio-economic system was conducted by applying emergy synthesis. Results show that the total emergy use for supporting Qinghai's economy was 5.13 × 10 24  sej in 2015. The values of emergy to money, emergy density, and emergy used per person are 2.12 × 10 13  sej/RMB, 7.11 × 10 12  sej/m 2 , and 8.72 × 10 17  sej/person, respectively. The holistic picture of Qinghai's socio-economic system is also uncovered based on the temporal analysis of emergy-based indicators. Results show that emergy yield ratio increased from 52.21 in 2002 to 164.10 in 2015. Similarly, the environmental loading ratio increased from 4.64 in 2002 to 57.99 in 2015. Correspondingly, the value of emergy-based sustainability index decreased from 11.25 in 2002 to 2.83 in 2015. These results indicate that Qinghai was highly dependent on local resources and its sustainability experienced a declining trend. In addition, the high absolute value of emergy to money ratio indicates that Qinghai was a net loser for its domestic and international trade. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted to test the reliability of these results. Finally, policy recommendations based on such a systematic evaluation and local realities were proposed to improve its sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese central government has released detailed carbon emissions abatement targets at the provincial level, but provides no specific emissions reduction targets at the city level. Most provincial governments simply allocate carbon emissions reduction tasks to their cities based on the GDP of their cities. Allocation approaches, however, should emphasize the most effective distribution to reach overall targets that reflect actual reduction capacities of cities. This paper proposes an allocation method at the city level by combining a data envelop analysis method, an entropy weight method and a clustering analysis method using the Yangtze River Delta region as a case study. Results of our analysis indicate that cities with higher carbon emissions abatement potentials, financial abilities, a larger number of above-scaled industrial enterprises and higher GDP are better positioned to reduce carbon emissions and should be assigned proportionately higher reduction targets. The merits and policy implications of the proposed approach are discussed in comparison to simply using GDP to allocate emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both air pollutant and carbon emissions are serious problems in China, particularly the economic and pollution intensive urban agglomerations. Therefore, this paper selected the most severely polluted Jing-Jin-Ji region (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei urban clusters) to study the potential of mitigating both carbon and air pollutant emission. The Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model was applied and six scenarios were constructed by considering policies of environmental tax and renewable energy. Business-as-usual (BaU) scenario assumed no tax and fixed renewable energy to 2002 level, whereas other scenarios assumed that intensified renewable energy (RE) and tax on sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) (TAX1 and TAX2) were implemented either alone or combined. The results indicated that both RE and SO 2 tax could contribute to regional low-carbon development and air pollutant reduction, and the reduction is about 10–40% depending on scenarios. However, Renewable energy is always more effective in reducing CO 2 and air pollutant emissions than TAX1 but less effective than TAX2 for Hebei. From the sectoral perspective, power sector would exhibit both the largest emissions and reduction potentials in all three Cities, accounting for about 21%, 31% and 28% of total CO 2 emissions respectively for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, in 2020. Considering different policies, it is more effective for Hebei to apply renewable energy to reduce its power sector emissions in the long term, and tax policy is more effective for emission reduction from other sectors in Tianjin. Further analysis on the economic impact of mitigation policy revealed that Tianjin and Beijing would suffer relatively greater negative impacts than Hebei in terms of loss in total GDP, while developing renewable energy could help to reduce such negative impacts. It is suggested that the policymakers need to take into accounts the regional economic situation and natural resource potential when they formulate low-carbon policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new model for calculating local curvature from the wavelength shifts of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) is developed to improve the robustness of shape sensing. • A gradient-based interpolation optimization method is developed and integrated into the complete algorithm for shape sensing, this being used to interpolate the curvature to reduce the difference between the midpoint curvature and the mean curvature experienced. • A complete FBG-based shape sensing method for flexible needle is reported including modeling, calibration, signal processing and shape reconstruction. Shape sensing is of importance for the manipulation of flexible needles. In this work, a 0.6 mm diameter stylet with five Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) installed as triplets was designed and implemented and a novel model of local curvature was established. A gradient-based optimization method has been integrated into the complete algorithm for shape sensing and this was used to reduce the difference between the midpoint curvature and the mean curvature. The experimental results obtained show that the mean tip errors are 0.35 mm, 0.30 mm, 0.38 mm in the single-bending, double-bending and space-bending experiments, respectively. In a torsion test experiment which was performed, when the rotation angle of the tip was less than 25°, the error seen was less than 0.5 mm. Furthermore, when the needle designed in this work was used to puncture a 60 mm thickness, ex vivo biological tissue, the mean error of the measurement of the needle tip was 0.39 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is experiencing rapid development and suffering from resource depletion and increasing environmental emissions. It is necessary to identify the key patterns of resource use in different Chinese regions so that more appropriate solutions can be raised. Under such a circumstance, the aim of this paper is to scientifically measure and evaluate the sustainability of natural resources utilization of 30 Chinese provinces for the year of 2007 by adopting a bio-perspective method-emergy analysis. After referring to the traditional emergy accounting method, several emergy-based indicators were established to evaluate resource flows, structure, efficiency and the overall sustainable level of different Chinese regions. Furthermore, by employing GIS technology, spatial distribution of natural resources was presented to illustrate emergy consumption with various regional characteristics in 30 Chinese provinces, which may help better understand regional disparities of resource utilization. The results show that regions with most emergy consumption include Shanxi (2.07E+24sej) and Shandong (2.07E+24sej), and most regions with higher resource consumption locate in east China, while less developed region Qinghai has the highest sustainability level, with ESI being 44.82. Another key finding is that renewable resources were very important to sustainability development, and a large amount of consumption on non-renewable resources led to higher environmental press on local and surrounding ecosystems. Sustainable resource use can only be achieved by reducing total resource use, encouraging technology innovation, initiating institutional reform and preparing region-specific development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource over-exploitation and resource depletion have received increasing attentions, especially for industrial regions. In this paper an innovative method that combines emergy analysis and an IPAT (Human Impact Population Affluence Technology) equation is developed in order to create an integrated framework for uncovering the driving forces on resource consumption in one industrial region. Liaoning province, one of the old heavy industrial bases in China, is selected as the case study region. The main results show that total emergy of Liaoning province increased from 9.25E + 23 sej in 2002 to 1.92E + 24 sej in 2012, with 165% growth on non-renewable emergy and 250% growth on imported emergy. Regional emergy/RMB ratio was higher than other developed regions and the average value of China, indicating that this province consumed more local free non-renewable resources to support its own development. The lower ESI (emergy sustainability index) indicates that Liaoning province's sustainability is still weak and far away from sustainable development. IPAT analysis further identifies that rapid economic growth was the main driving force to increase its total emergy use, while technology innovation offset the increase of total emergy use. Policy insights suggest that industrial regions should improve their energy efficiency and optimize their economic and energy structure by applying economic instruments and capacity building efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]