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China faces the dual pressure of haze pollution control and carbon emission reduction. The goals of national key ecological functional areas (NKEFAs) are to improve ecological quality and enhance ecological supply. In this paper, a time-varying difference-in-differences model is used to assess the impact of NKEFAs on PM2.5 and CO2 by the panel data of prefecture-level cities of China and then investigate the synergistic reduction effect. This quasi-natural experiment reveals that NKEFAs can effectively reduce both PM2.5 and CO2 and then achieve the synergistic emission reduction effect. Land use pattern optimization and productivity enhancement are identified as key drivers for promoting this synergistic effect. This effect is observed in NKEFAs of water conservation and soil conservation types, as well as in the northern region, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and southeast coastal areas of the southern region. This study provides valuable theoretical references and empirical insights for realizing a synergistic status of environmental improvement and low-carbon transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on China' s policy of main functional area planning, the National Key Ecological Functional Areas (NKEFAs) regard the improvement of ecological environmental quality as their primary task. However, due to the strict industrial access system, attention should be paid to whether their ecological protection objectives can be balanced with economic growth. To answer this question, the establishment of NKEFAs was treated as a quasi-natural experiment, and by employing China' s prefecture-level data from 2001 to 2019, this study used the time-varying DID model to assess the impact of this ecological policy on environmental quality and economic growth. The study found that: (J) The NKEFAs could improve environmental quality and promote economic growth, so that a win-win situation involving the realization of ' lucid waters and lush mountains' and ' gold and silver mountains' could be achieved. This finding remained robust under multiple scenarios, including counterfactual testing and excluding other policy interference. © The mechanism analysis showed that the NKEFAs could improve both environmental quality and economic growth through the effects of territory spatial optimization, industrial structure upgrading, productivity enhancement, and factor agglomeration. © The policy effects of the NKEFAs showed heterogeneity among functional area types, geographic spaces, and quantile levels. Water conservation type and biodiversity maintenance type ecological functional areas as well as such areas in China' s southwest region, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and southeast coastal areas, all achieved joint improvement of environmental quality and economic growth, while water conservation type ecological functional areas and such areas in the northeast and north regions only saw improved environmental quality, and windbreak sand-fixation type ecological functional areas and such areas in the northwest region only promoted economic growth. With the rise of the quantile, the positive effect of NKEFAs on environmental quality gradually increased, while the positive effect on economic growth gradually decreased. This study is conducive to the accumulation of experience and institutional improvement in the sustainable implementation of ecological policies, and it can serve as a useful theoretical reference for achieving a balanced synergy between ecological environmental protection and stable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of high CO2 (5% and 10%), on respiratory metabolism and quality of sweet cherries ("Rainier" and "8–102" varieties), were evaluated following storage at 0°C for 60 d. Quality (respiration rate, weight loss, firmness, etc.) in sweet cherries was significantly improved by high CO2 in storage. And high CO2 enhanced pentose phosphate pathway, decreased in the glycolytic pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle in aerobic respiration proved by elevated the contents of NADP(H), source, and fructose, as well as alleviated the levels of NAD(H). Cell membrane integrity was also better in these conditions, with higher activities of pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase b, and adenosine triphosphatase and lower activities of polyphenol oxidases and cytochrome C oxidases. Moreover, high CO2 decreased anaerobic respiration by inhibiting the accumulations of pyruvic acid, ethanol, and acetaldehyde, as well as by reducing the activities of pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase. Novelty impact statement: High CO2 (5% or 10%) enhanced the NAD(P)H levels in sweet cherries held at 0°C for 60 d.Respiratory metabolism was higher following the use of 10% CO2 during such storage.High CO2 maintained cell membrane integrity in sweet cherries stored at 0°C for 60 d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]