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The present study highlights the importance of renewable energy investment in achieving the goal of sustainability. Several studies have been conducted to explore the factors affecting environmental quality. However, the literature on the importance of renewable energy investment in affecting environmental quality is scant. Thus, this study investigates the impact of renewable energy investment on carbon emissions for 24 China provinces from 2005 to 2020, along with green finance, income per capita, technical innovations, and industrial structure. The co-integration test results show a stable long-run association between renewable energy investment and sustainable development with other factors. However, the results of AMG and CCE-MG estimators show the significant contribution of renewable energy investment, technical innovations, and green finance to environmental sustainability. Besides, economic development and industrial infrastructure show an adverse effect on environmental sustainability and cause to increase in carbon emissions. In addition, the moderate role of renewable energy investment in technical innovation and industrial infrastructure significantly contributes to a sustainable environment. On behalf of obtained outcomes, the current study proposes some imperative policy implications to attain the desired level of a sustainable environment. • Renewable energy and sustainable growth. • Research and development, renewable energy, and sustainability. • Impacts of financial development and renewable energy on socioeconomic indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the invasion of Spartina alterniflora is an important driver for the decrease of mangrove area and ecological service functions related to this habitat. In the past few decades, S. alterniflora clearing and mangrove restoration projects have mainly focused on the areas where it is already changed but ignored the potential distribution areas. This study suggested that implementation of mangrove protection prior to the areas with the threat of S. alterniflora invasion could greatly improve protection efficiency and save costs. Thus, using Maximum Entropy Modeling (MaxEnt), we estimated the potential spatial distribution of both mangroves and S. alterniflora in China, considering the current distribution data, topographical, sediments, sea surface temperature and bioclimatic variables. What's more, we identified and calculated the potential distributed areas in each province. We aimed to explore (i) the key factors determining the distribution of mangrove and Spartina alterniflora along the coastline and (ii) the hotspots of their competitive occurrence, including S. alterniflora invasion areas and mangroves degradation areas, in order to support mangrove conservation. The model showed that the distance to the coastline and the topography play important roles in the distribution of S. alterniflora, while mangroves were more sensitive to the range of the annual sea surface temperature. Our results furthermore confirm that S. alterniflora has a wider potential distribution area (~10,585 km2) than mangroves (~9124 km2) at the coastline of China; and predict the provinces Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Zhanjiang, Beihai and Wenzhou as hotspots for the competition between mangroves and S. alterniflora. We propose that priority should be given to the protection or restoration of mangrove plants in those areas which are co-suitable for mangroves and S. alterniflora. In these areas, management measures should be conducted that hinder S. alterniflora invasions or clear existing S. alterniflora plants, firstly. This study provides guidance for the management of native species by preventing biological invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the overall prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among women examined at a hospital in Harbin and to evaluate the impact of HPV types on the natural outcome and state of cervical cytology. A total of 2,938 female outpatients from the affiliated hospital of Harbin Medical University were enrolled. Rapid hybridization gene chip and liquid-based cytology tests were used to detect HPV genotypes and cervical cytology. The overall prevalence of HPV in women who came to this hospital was 36.45 %. The majority were infected with a single strain, and the high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) type constituted the largest proportion. HPV16 and 58 were the most common types, while the genotypes of single low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) were not the same in different age groups. HPV53, 16 and 81 were the most common types in multiple HR-HPV infection; HR-HPV16, 33, 81 and LR-HPV 6, 44, 43 were the most common in HR and LR-HPV infection. In total, 44.1 % of the women with HSIL and 44.0 % with ASCUS were positive for HR-HPV16. Multiple HPV infections and single HPV infections had no effect on the natural outcome after half a year. HPV16, 81 and 35 had a better natural outcome, followed by HPV52 and 53, but HPV58, 59 and 18 had a bad outcome after half a year. This is the first study to show that the distribution of HPV types is different in Harbin than it is in other regions. These findings will provide guidance for the vaccination program in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of suspended particles (SP) of different concentrations and sizes on the secretion of exopolysaccharide (EPS) by Chlorella pyrenoidosa (C. pyrenoidosa) and Microcystis flos-aquae (M. flos-aquae) in Jinjiang Estuary, Fujian Province, China were studied in co-cultures of microalgae and SP. The results show that the SP concentration has an "inhibit–promote–inhibit" effect on the secretion of EPS by C. pyrenoidosa, whereby there is an optimal concentration of SP corresponding to the largest amount of EPS secreted by C. pyrenoidosa. Low concentrations had no significant effect on the secretion of EPS from M. flos-aquae (p > 0.05), whereas higher concentrations had an inhibitory effect. The C. pyrenoidosa EPS content was found to be significantly decreased in response to SP of small particle sizes (0–75 and 75–120 μm) and significantly increased for SP of large particle sizes (120–150 and 150–500 μm). Small particle sizes (0–75 and 75–120 μm) were found to be beneficial to the secretion of EPS from M. flos-aquae, and the promotion of EPS secretion gradually decreased with the increase in SP particle size. However, when the particle size was too large (120–150 and 150–500 μm), SP had no significant effect on EPS secretion. This study is helpful for understanding the microalgae EPS secretion response to SP and provides a scientific basis for studying the mechanism of EPS secretion by algae and the effect of SP on eutrophication of the estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Shaking table tests of three 1/6-scale rounded rectangular hollow tall piers were conducted. • A second plastic hinge appeared at the middle region of piers due to higher-mode effects. • The damage behaviors were found to be different with those of the semistatic specimens sharing the same section. The seismic performance of rounded rectangular hollow tall piers, applied popularly in railway bridges in high-intensity areas in China, has rarely been investigated till now. The current seismic design approaches mostly stem from short-to-medium solid columns whose seismic behavior is different from those of hollow members. According to cyclic tests in publications, there are also obvious differences in the seismic performance between the rounded rectangular hollow piers and the common hollow ones. To clarify the differences among them and update the existing design approach, the damage modes and dynamic responses of rounded rectangular hollow columns under different-level earthquakes should be studied comprehensively. Therefore, three 1/6-scale models from a 40 m prototype pier were tested using a 10.1 m × 8.1 m 6DOFs shaking table. The experimental outcomes were analyzed and compared with those previous semistatic tests. The results showed that the three specimens underwent flexural damage with horizontal cracks distributing along the whole body. Moreover, a second plastic hinge region, evidenced by the denser flexural cracks around the middle part, appeared in addition to the lengthened plastic hinge close to the pier footing. These findings are mainly attributed to the combined influence of the variable hollow section and higher-order effects, which differs greatly from the damage behaviors of specimens under cyclic loads. As expected, the increased stirrup ratio produced great improvement in the seismic performance of rounded rectangular hollow tall piers (DB1 and DB2), while fewer stirrups corresponded to a decrease in ductility (DB3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]