Comparative Study on Energy Consumption Structure of Ordinary Rural Households and Rural Tourism Households in Zhejiang Province, China

With the rapid development of rural tourism in China, more and more rural households operate a rural tourism business. The purpose of this study is to understand the energy consumption characteristic of ordinary rural households (ORHs) and rural tourism households (RTHs) in the mountainous area and islands area in Zhejiang province. 225 households were surveyed, including 185 ORHs and 40 RTHs, based on a field survey in Quzhou (mountainous area) and Zhoushan (islands area). Results reveal that energy consumption of ORHs is low, but energy comsumption of RTHs is high, about 3 to 5 times higher than that of ORHs. Given the results, the government and RTHs should pay more attention to take measures to reduce energy comsumption. Meanwhile, the factors affecting households’ energy consumption are also analyzed. Energy consumption of ORHs is affected by frequently used area, family income level and permanent population. Then energy consumption of RTHs is mainly related to the total building area, number of air conditioner (AC), number of guestrooms and family income level.

Copper-based bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO_(2) reduction:From mechanism understandings to product regulations

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2) RR)is a promising method to solve current environment and energy issues.Copper-based catalysts have been widely studied for converting CO_(2) into value-added hy-drocarbon products.Cu monometallic catalyst has been proved to have some shortcomings,including relatively high energy barriers and diverse reaction pathways,leading to low reaction activities and poor product selec-tivity,respectively.Recently copper-based bimetallic tandem catalysts have attracted extensive attentions due to their special catalyst structure,which can be easily regulated to achieve high CO_(2) RR reactivity and product selectivity.With the development of quantum chemistry calculations and spectroscopic characterization methods,deep understandings of CO_(2) RR from the mechanism perspective provide a broad horizon for the design of effi-cient catalysts.This review offers a good summary of reaction mechanisms and product regulation strategies over copper-based bimetallic catalysts,along with a brief discussion on future directions towards their practical applications.

Research on Energy Consumption of Traditional Natural Villages in Transition: A Case Study in Zhejiang Province

Traditional agriculture is in the direction of increasing integration of the primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry in Zhejiang province. A survey was undertaken on energy consumption of traditional natural villages by taking Anji Ligeng village for an example. This paper firstly studied rural buildings, rural family structure, occupants’ activity and the usage of household appliances in the form of a questionnaire. Then, the household energy resource structure and energy consumption structure were analyzed and compared with other surveys. The results show that, the electric energy consumption was 6 kWh/(m2•a), which was far less than urban residential household. In rural household energy resource structure, the proportion of non-commercial energy resource was higher than commercial energy resource. Firewood accounted for 83%, electricity for 12%, LPG for 3% and solar energy for 2%. In building energy consumption structure, cooking and hot water took up 33%, appliances 31%, lighting 20%, heating 12%, cooling 4%. In all influential factors, frequently used area, number of air conditioner per household and building function were obviously correlated with energy consumption;income, building shape factor and window to wall area ratio had no correlation with energy consumption in the low energy consumption area.

Structure variety and its effects on biological activity of tea polysaccharides

Tea polysaccharides(TPSs),one of the major bioactive ingredients in tea,have been widely studied due to their variety of biological activities,including antioxidant,cancer prevention,hypoglycemia,anti-fatigue,anti-coagulant,anti-obesity and immunomodulatory effect.The biological effectiveness of TPSs has direct relation with their structures such as monosaccharide composition,molecular weight,glycosidic linkages,conformation and others,which can be influenced by tea materials,processing methods,extraction and purification procedures among others.Comparing to the study of tea polyphenols,the exploration of TPSs in structural elucidation and biofunctionality is very preliminary.Yet several factors affecting the structural change of TPSs have been studied and identified.Consequently,the variation of some TPS biological activity brought by the change of TPS structures has been evaluated and preliminary correlation of structure activity relationship of TPSs has been performed.Therefore,this review aims to serve as a summary research report regarding the influencing factors on TPSs structures and consequential effects on the biological activities of TPSs.We hope to provide updated information and systematic references for future study and functional food development of TPSs.

Metabolic fate of tea polyphenols and their crosstalk with gut microbiota

Tea represents an abundant source of naturally occurring polyphenols.Tea polyphenols(TPs)have received growing attentions for its wide consumption in the world,and more importantly its pleiotropic bioeffects for human health.After ingestion,TPs may undergo absorption and phase II reaction in the small intestine,and most undigested proportion would be submitted to the colon to interact with gut microbiota.Interactions between gut microbiota and TPs are bidirectional,including not only bacteria-mediated TPs metabolism,e.g.,removal of gallic acid moiety and ring fission to release phenolic acid catabolites,but also TPs-based modification of bacterial profiles.Crosstalk between TPs and gut microbes may benefit for gut barrier function,for example,improvement of the intestinal permeability to alleviate inflammation.Moreover,by reshaping microbial composition and associated metabolites,TPs may exert a systemic protection on host metabolism,which contributes to improve certain chronic metabolic disorders.Given that,further understanding of the metabolic fate of TPs and interplay with gut microbiota as well as potential health-promoting effects are of great significance to development and application of tea and their polyphenolic components in the future as dietary supplements and/or functional ingredients in medical foods.

Hydroformylation of formaldehyde to glycolaldehyde:An alternative synthetic route for ethylene glycol

Hydroformylation of formaldehyde to glycolaldehyde(GA),as a vital reaction in both direct and indirect process of syngas to ethylene glycol(EG),shows great advantages in the aspects of the process complexity and clean production.The hydroformylation of formaldehyde to GA is thermodynamically unfavourable,requiring the development of highly efficient hydroformylation catalytic systems,appropriate reaction conditions and in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanisms.In this review,we have made a detailed summary on the reaction in terms of the reaction network,thermodynamics,metal complex catalysts(including central metals and ligands),reaction conditions(e.g.,temperature,pressure,formaldehyde source and solvent)and promoters.Furthermore,the reaction mechanisms,involving neutral and anionic complex in the catalytic cycle,have been summarized and followed by a discussion on the impact of the crucial intermediates on the reaction pathways and product distribution.A brief overview of product separation and catalyst recovery has been presented in the final part.This review gives new insights into the factors that impact on the formaldehyde hydroformylation and reaction mechanisms,which helps to design more efficient catalytic systems and reaction processes for EG production via the hydroformylation route.

Survey and Field Measurement on Residential Lifestyle and Energy Use in Rural China

In the middle of May to September 2014, the research team conducted survey and field measurement on rural residential energy consumption and environment condition in China’s local city in order to grasp the lifestyle pattern and its correlation on energy use in the demand side. In this paper, the analyses of people lifestyle and summer energy consumption will be presented through statistical analyses based on data which collected from questionnaire survey. The results of questionnaire were presented and discussed. Based on the questionnaire results, we classified the housing types into several groups then compared the energy use of each type. The major influential factors on housing energy consumption were analyzed and the results were discussed. The results of field measurement during summer which conducted to several types of houses were also discussed. Finally, the results will propose some strategies on lowering housing energy use in the village. Further, the results will give conceptual layout to find the correlation between environmental quality, thermal condition, and energy consumption.

A core–shell-structured zeolitic imidazolate framework@cationic antimicrobial agent templated silica nanocomposite for tackling antibiotic resistant bacteria infection

Bacterial infection is a major threat to public health.Nanotechnology offers a solu-tion by combining nanomaterials with antibacterial agents.The development of an effective nanocomposite against drug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)is highly important yet challenging.Here,an anti-MRSA core–shell structure is designed,containing antibacterial zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8)as the core and bactericidal benzalkonium chloride(BAC)templated rough-surface mesostructured silica nanocomposite(RMSN)as the shell.The resultant ZIF-8@RMSN nanocomposite exhibits sustained release of BAC and zinc ions,effective disruption of the bacterial membrane,generation of oxidative damage of bacterial DNA,leakage of intracellular components,andfinally bacte-rial death.Furthermore,the synergistic antibacterial mechanisms lead to enhanced biofilm elimination performance.In addition,the ZIF-8@RMSN-modified band-aid effectively combats MRSA infection in vivo.This work has provided a promising nanocomposite against MRSA-related infections.

Regulating electronic environment on alkali metal-doped Cu@NS-SiO_(2) for selective anisole hydrodeoxygenation

Lignin utilization is a potential approach for replacing fossil energy and releasing the environment pressure.Herein,we synthesized a series of novel Cu-based catalysts,Cu@NS-SiO_(2)(NS=nano sphere)and alkali metals(Na,K,Rb,and Cs)doped Cu@NS-SiO_(2),and applied them in hydrodeoxygenation reaction of anisole.High Cu dispersion was presented on all catalysts.The modification of alkali metals on Cu@NS-SiO_(2) significantly enhanced the electron density of Cu sites in the following order:Cs>Rb>K>Na,among which Cs decreased the Cu_(2)p_(3)/2 binding energy most(by 0.7 eV).Moreover,the modification did not substantially affect the geometric structure of Cu species.This regulable electronic environment of Cu sites was crucial for selective deoxygenation and inhibiting the hydrogenation of aromatic rings in anisole,and thus promoted the selectivity of benzene.Compared with Cu@NS-SiO_(2)(~59%),the highest benzene selectivity was obtained on Cs/10Cu@NS-SiO_(2) at~83%.

Modeling neuropsychiatric disorders using human induced pluripotent stem cells

Neuropsychiatric disorders are complex disorders characterized by heterogeneous genetic variations,variable symptoms,and widespread changes in anatomical pathology.In the context of neuropsychiatric disorders,limited access to relevant tissue types presents challenges for understanding disease etiology and developing effective treatments.Induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)reprogrammed from patient somatic cells offer an opportunity to recapitulate disease development in relevant cell types,and they provide novel approaches for understanding disease mechanisms and for development of effective treatments.Here we review recent progress and challenges in differentiation paradigms for generating disease-relevant cells and recent studies of neuropsychiatric disorders using human pluripotent stem cell(hPSC)models where cellular phenotypes linked to disease have been reported.The use of iPSC-based disease models holds great promise for understanding disease mechanisms and supporting discovery of effective treatments.

Emerging Urban Poverty and Effects of the Dibao Program on Alleviating Poverty in China

The present paper describes the current urban poverty situation, examines the factors affecting the probability of a household being in poverty and investigates how the urban minimum living standard guarantee （dibao） program helps poor people to get out of poverty. The targeting efficiency of the urban dibao program is discussed. The present study finds that the poverty rate of households with unemployed workers is much higher than that of households without unemployed workers. The urban dibao program is helpful in reducing poverty rates, but it does not reduce poverty rates too much. The government should place emphasis on helping laid-off and unemployed workers to become reemployed. The most urgent problem for the dibao program is improving the efficiency of targeting.

Rural Labor Migration and Poverty Reduction in China

Using various sources of data, this paper examines the contributions of rural labor migration to economic growth and poverty reduction in China. The results show that there is still a significant number of people living in poverty in rural areas, while the effectiveness of migration on poverty reduction has declined, implying an urgent need for new approaches to poverty reduction. China＇s experiences could also be valuable for the formulation of development strategies in other developing countries.

Inequality of Opportunity in China's Labor Earnings: The Gender Dimension

This paper investigates the inequality of opportunity in China's labor earnings,defined as the component of inequality determined by personal circumstances that lie beyond the control of an individual,of which gender is one,as opposed to the component determined by personal efforts.Using the Survey of Women's Social Status in China (2010),we measure the share of inequality of opportunity in the total inequality of individual labor earnings for people aged 26-55 years,and separately for six birth cohorts and for female and male subsamples.Gender is revealed as the single most important circumstance determining nationwide individual labor earnings,with one's region of residence, father's occupation,father's education,birth cohort and holding rural or urban hukou also playing significant roles.A further investigation into the roles of circumstances and personal efforts (including education level,occupation,Communist Party membership, migration and marital status)confirms that circumstances play.an alarmingly high role in shaping labor earnings distribution in China,and reveals notable gender differences that cannot be attributed to personal effort alone.These results provide the basis for recommending ways to improve gender equality of opportunity in the future.

Effects of porous clay ceramic rates on aeration porosity characteristics in a structurally degraded soil under greenhouse vegetable production

Soil structure degradation in greenhouse vegetable fields reduces vegetable production. Increasing aeration porosity is the key to ameliorating soil structure degradation. Thus, we tested the effect of a porous material, porous clay ceramic(PLC), on the amelioration of soil structure degradation under greenhouse vegetable production. A 6-month pot experiment was conducted with four PLC application levels based on volume, i.e., 0%(control), 5%(1 P), 10%(2 P), and15%(3 P) using Brassica chinensis as the test plant. At the end of the experiment, soil columns were sampled, and the aeration pore network was reconstructed using X-ray computed tomography(CT). The degree of anisotropy(DA), fractal dimension(FD), connectivity, aeration porosity, pores distribution, and shape of soil aeration pores and plant biomass were determined. The DA, FD, and connectivity did not significantly differ as the PLC application rate increased.Nonetheless, aeration porosity significantly linearly increased. The efficiency of PLC at enhancing soil aeration porosity was 0.18% per Mg ha^(-1). The increase in aeration porosity was mainly due to the increase in pores > 2 000 μm, which was characterized by irregular pores. Changes in aeration porosity enhanced the production of B. chinensis. The efficiency of PLC at increasing the plant fresh weight was 0.60%, 3.06%, and 2.12% per 1% application rate of PLC for the 1 P, 2 P, and 3 P treatments, respectively. These results indicated that PLC is a highly efficient soil amendment that improves soil structure degradation by improving soil aeration under greenhouse conditions. Based on vegetable biomass, a 10% application rate of PLC was recommended.

Engineering synthetic optogenetic networks for biomedical applications

Background： Recently, optogenetics based on genetically encoded photosensitive proteins has emerged as an innovative technology platform to revolutionize manipulation of cellular behavior through fight stimulation. It has enabled user defined control of various cellular behaviors with spatiotemporal precision and minimal invasiveness, creating unprecedented opportunities for biomedical applications. Results： This article reviews current advances in optogenetic networks designed for the treatment of human diseases. We highlight the advantages of these optogenetic networks, as well as emerging questions and future perspectives. Conclusions： Various optogenetic systems have been engineered to control biological processes at all levels using light and applied for numerous diseases, such as metabolic disorders, cancer, and immune diseases. Continued development of optogenetic modules will be necessary to precisely control of gene expression magnitude towards clinical medical practice in the context of real-world problems.