Fossil energy is the material basis of human survival, economic development and social progress. The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is becoming increasingly close. However, energy consumpt...Fossil energy is the material basis of human survival, economic development and social progress. The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is becoming increasingly close. However, energy consumption is the major source of greenhouse gases, which can significantly affect the balance of the global ecosystem. It has become the common goal of countries worldwide to address climate change, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and implement sustainable development strategies. In this study, we applied an approximate relationship analysis, a decoupling relationship analysis, and a trend analysis to explore the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth using data from Kazakhstan for the period of 1993-2010. The results demonstrated： （1） the total energy consumption and GDP in Kazakhstan showed a ＂U＂-type curve from 1993 to 2010. This curve was observed because 1993-1999 was a period during which Kazakhstan transitioned from a republic to an independent country and experienced a difficult transition from a planned to a market economy. Then, the economic system became more stable and the industrial production increased rapidly because of the effective financial, monetary and industrial policy support from 2000 to 2010. （2） The relationships between energy con- sumption and carbon emissions, economic growth and energy exports were linked; the carbon emissions were mainly derived from energy consumption, and the dependence of economic growth on energy exports gradually increased from 1993 to 2010. Before 2000, the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth was in a recessional decoupling state because of the economic recession. After 2000, this relationship was in strong and weak decoupling states because the international crude oil prices rose and energy exports increased greatly year by year. （3） It is forecasted that Kazakhstan cannot achieve its goal of energy consumption by 2020. Therefore, a low-carbon economy is the best strategic choice to address climate change from a global perspective in Kazakhstan. Thus, we proposed strategies including the improvement of the energy consumption structure, the development of new energy and renewable energy, the use of cleaner production technologies, the adjustment and optimization of the industrial structure, and the expansion of forest areas.展开更多
This study determined the effects of selenium on the growth of Fusorium strains and the effects of products extracted from the fungal cultures on relevant indicators of chondrocytes injury.
Huashan pine (Finus armandii Franch) is a poential species for dendroclimatic study. Ring-width cores were sampled for four stands of two sites from the eastern extreme of the Qinling Mountains. The ring-width chronol...Huashan pine (Finus armandii Franch) is a poential species for dendroclimatic study. Ring-width cores were sampled for four stands of two sites from the eastern extreme of the Qinling Mountains. The ring-width chronologies developed in this study cover a maximum Period from A.D. 1359 t0 1992 and show high common chronology variance over the common period 1911-1960.All the chronologies are significantly correlated with all others, and the degree of correlation appears related to tree age. Response function analyses reveal that from 41 to 75 Percent of chronology variance can be accounted for by monthly mean air temperature and monthly total precipitation. A sufficiently strong correlation of ringwidth index with May and June rainfall and June temperature exists, implying soil moisture to be a limiting factor for Huashan pine growth. The association displayed by response diagrams between narrow rings, low precipitation, and high temperature during spring and early summer indicates a promising potential of ring widths for reconstruction of spring drought for the study area.展开更多
Background： In the German Democratic Republic（GDR）, resin tapping in Scots pine（Pinus sylvestris L.） forests was a major economic activity, and resin-tapped stands are frequently found up until this day. In this ...Background： In the German Democratic Republic（GDR）, resin tapping in Scots pine（Pinus sylvestris L.） forests was a major economic activity, and resin-tapped stands are frequently found up until this day. In this study, we investigate how the mechanical damage caused by resin tapping affects the growth and climate sensitivity of Scots pine using a dendroecological approach.Methods： Tree-ring samples were collected from resin-tapped and non-tapped trees in two forest areas in northeastern Germany, and tree-growth patterns were analyzed. For elucidating effects of resin tapping on the climate sensitivity of pine growth, climate-growth relationships and pointer years were studied.Results： We observed that resin tapping positively affects tree growth at breast height, likely as wood formation is concentrated on the living part of the bole（i.e. after tapping there is no growth taking place on the tapping face due to the mechanical damage done to the cambium）. We observed no differences in the climate sensitivity of tapped and non-tapped trees, nor in the occurrence of extreme growth responses.Conclusion： Our results highlight that resin extraction is, apart from inflicting mechanical damage, not altering the sensitivity of Scots pine growth to climatic conditions.展开更多
Background: Climate-induced challenge remains a growing concern in the dry tropics, threatening carbon sink potential of tropical dry forests. Hence, understanding their responses to the changing climate is of high pr...Background: Climate-induced challenge remains a growing concern in the dry tropics, threatening carbon sink potential of tropical dry forests. Hence, understanding their responses to the changing climate is of high priority to facilitate sustainable management of the remnant dry forests. In this study, we examined the long-term climate-growth relations of main tree species in the remnant dry Afromontane forests in northern Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the dendrochronological potential of selected dry Afromontane tree species and to study the influence of climatic variables (temperature and rainfall) on radial growth. It was hypothesized that there are potential tree species with discernible annual growth rings owing to the uni-modality of rainfall in the region. Ring width measurements were based on increment core samples and stem discs collected from a total of 106 trees belonging to three tree species (Juniperus procera, Olea europaea p. cuspidate and Podocarpus falcatus). Thesubsp. collected samples were prepared, crossdated, and analyzed using standard dendrochronological methods. The formation of annual growth rings of the study species was verified based on successful crossdatability and by correlating tree-ring widths with rainfall. Results: The results showed that all the sampled tree species form distinct growth boundaries though differences in the distinctiveness were observed among the species. Positive and significant correlations were found between the tree-ring widths and rainfall, implying that rainfall plays a vital role in determining tree growth in the region. The study confirmed the formation of annual growth rings through successful crossdating, thus highlighted the potential applicability of dendroclimatic studies in the region. Conclusions: Overall, the results proved the strong linkage between tree-ring chronologies and climate variability in the study region, which further strengthens the potential of dendrochronological studies developing in Ethiopia, and also has great implications for further paleo-climatic reconstructions and in the restoration of degraded lands. Further knowledge on the growth characteristics of tree species from the region is required to improve the network of tree-ring data and quality of the chronology so as to successfully reconstruct historic environmental changes.展开更多
China and India are the two countries with the strongest economic growth in the world. Meanwhile they consume much of the global coal to fuel their economic development. With coal burning as a major factor contributin...China and India are the two countries with the strongest economic growth in the world. Meanwhile they consume much of the global coal to fuel their economic development. With coal burning as a major factor contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions, China and India are confronted with a dilemma of economic growth and environment protection. Will coal consumption reduction cause economic shocks? Is there a causal relationship between coal consumption and economic growth in China and India? In this paper Granger causality tests were used to examine the relationship between coal consumption and GDP in China and India, using data for the period from 1965 to 2006. It was found that a unidirectional causality from GDP to coal consumption existed in China while a unidirectional causality from coal consumption to GDP did in India. Therefore, developing cleaner and more efficient technologies is essential to reduce their CO2 emissions to reach sustainable development.展开更多
A distortion is a departure from the allocation of economic resources from the state in which each agent maximizes his/her own welfare. Distortions can be divided into endogenous distortion(i.e. market imperfections) ...A distortion is a departure from the allocation of economic resources from the state in which each agent maximizes his/her own welfare. Distortions can be divided into endogenous distortion(i.e. market imperfections) and policy-imposed distortion. The relationship between distortion and development is complex, thus favorable distortion would only be possible under certain conditions, where, as argued in this paper, four crucial mechanisms may play roles — advantage of backwardness, second-best principle, coordination failure and political economy perspective. Empirically, both international experience and evidence from China suggest that distortions have a positive effect on total factor productivity(TFP) in the early stages of development, but with increasing income levels this role gradually diminishes. Especially in the phases of middle and high income, the negative effects of distortions are significant and become an important factor leading to the middle-income trap. Therefore, reducing and correcting distortions is the key to achieving sustainable growth. Regarding China, it is necessary to eliminate the distortions in a clear way and let the market play the decisive role in resource allocation. Otherwise, in the name of "growth catch-up," the policy-imposed distortion will occur frequently, and the direction of market-oriented reform will become blurred and swing. Mitigating unfavorable distortions is largely a process of exploring the favorable borderline of government and market, which constitutes a major challenge for all economies.展开更多
In this paper, it is held that the universal relationships of wave growth in fetch-limited conditions , i. e., (f|~) p=A(x|~)-Band (m|~)0= C(x|~) Dshould satisfy the Toba 3/2 power law and the wave energy balance equa...In this paper, it is held that the universal relationships of wave growth in fetch-limited conditions , i. e., (f|~) p=A(x|~)-Band (m|~)0= C(x|~) Dshould satisfy the Toba 3/2 power law and the wave energy balance equation. In the ideal generation situation, theoretically it can be derived that the ideal fetch-limited wave growth relationship should have D=3B and D+B =1, (i.e., B = 0.25, D = 0.75 ) and A3C=2. 1×l(T4C^(1/2)_d , where Cd is the drag coefficient. The 3/2 power law, the wave energy balance equation and the decrease of wave steepness with increasing fetch have became three requirements which should be satisfied by fetch-limited wave growth algorithms. A semi-empirical and semi-theoretical model for fetch-limited wave growth is presented. In the application to the slanting wind situation an un(?)ersal relationship of dimensionless wave energy vs dimensionless peak frequency is presented and the comparisons show that the model is in good agreement with observations.展开更多
The molecular electronegativity interaction vector （MEIV） was used to describe the molecular structure of 30 selected esters. Two excellent QSTR models were built up by using multiple linear regression （MLR） and p...The molecular electronegativity interaction vector （MEIV） was used to describe the molecular structure of 30 selected esters. Two excellent QSTR models were built up by using multiple linear regression （MLR） and partial least-squares regression （PLS）. The correlation coefficients （R） of the two models were 0.945 and 0.941, respectively. The models were evaluated by performing the cross validation with the leave-one-out （LOO） procedure. The cross-verification correlation coefficients （RCV） of the two models were 0.921 and 0.919, respectively. The results showed that the models constructed in this work could provide estimation stability and favorable predictive ability.展开更多
基金supported by International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (2010DFA92720-07)
文摘Fossil energy is the material basis of human survival, economic development and social progress. The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is becoming increasingly close. However, energy consumption is the major source of greenhouse gases, which can significantly affect the balance of the global ecosystem. It has become the common goal of countries worldwide to address climate change, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and implement sustainable development strategies. In this study, we applied an approximate relationship analysis, a decoupling relationship analysis, and a trend analysis to explore the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth using data from Kazakhstan for the period of 1993-2010. The results demonstrated： （1） the total energy consumption and GDP in Kazakhstan showed a ＂U＂-type curve from 1993 to 2010. This curve was observed because 1993-1999 was a period during which Kazakhstan transitioned from a republic to an independent country and experienced a difficult transition from a planned to a market economy. Then, the economic system became more stable and the industrial production increased rapidly because of the effective financial, monetary and industrial policy support from 2000 to 2010. （2） The relationships between energy con- sumption and carbon emissions, economic growth and energy exports were linked; the carbon emissions were mainly derived from energy consumption, and the dependence of economic growth on energy exports gradually increased from 1993 to 2010. Before 2000, the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth was in a recessional decoupling state because of the economic recession. After 2000, this relationship was in strong and weak decoupling states because the international crude oil prices rose and energy exports increased greatly year by year. （3） It is forecasted that Kazakhstan cannot achieve its goal of energy consumption by 2020. Therefore, a low-carbon economy is the best strategic choice to address climate change from a global perspective in Kazakhstan. Thus, we proposed strategies including the improvement of the energy consumption structure, the development of new energy and renewable energy, the use of cleaner production technologies, the adjustment and optimization of the industrial structure, and the expansion of forest areas.
基金funded by the Natural Science Basic Research Plan of Shaanxi Province,China(2014JM4170)the Department of disease control of Shaanxi Health and Family Planning Commission,China(2010/2012)
文摘This study determined the effects of selenium on the growth of Fusorium strains and the effects of products extracted from the fungal cultures on relevant indicators of chondrocytes injury.
文摘Huashan pine (Finus armandii Franch) is a poential species for dendroclimatic study. Ring-width cores were sampled for four stands of two sites from the eastern extreme of the Qinling Mountains. The ring-width chronologies developed in this study cover a maximum Period from A.D. 1359 t0 1992 and show high common chronology variance over the common period 1911-1960.All the chronologies are significantly correlated with all others, and the degree of correlation appears related to tree age. Response function analyses reveal that from 41 to 75 Percent of chronology variance can be accounted for by monthly mean air temperature and monthly total precipitation. A sufficiently strong correlation of ringwidth index with May and June rainfall and June temperature exists, implying soil moisture to be a limiting factor for Huashan pine growth. The association displayed by response diagrams between narrow rings, low precipitation, and high temperature during spring and early summer indicates a promising potential of ring widths for reconstruction of spring drought for the study area.
基金profited from field equipment financed by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation through a grant to EM and MMTa contribution to the Virtual Institute of Integrated Climate and Landscape Evolution Analysis-ICLEA-(grant no.VH-VI-415)the Terrestrial Environmental Observatories project-TERENO-of the Helmholtz Association
文摘Background： In the German Democratic Republic（GDR）, resin tapping in Scots pine（Pinus sylvestris L.） forests was a major economic activity, and resin-tapped stands are frequently found up until this day. In this study, we investigate how the mechanical damage caused by resin tapping affects the growth and climate sensitivity of Scots pine using a dendroecological approach.Methods： Tree-ring samples were collected from resin-tapped and non-tapped trees in two forest areas in northeastern Germany, and tree-growth patterns were analyzed. For elucidating effects of resin tapping on the climate sensitivity of pine growth, climate-growth relationships and pointer years were studied.Results： We observed that resin tapping positively affects tree growth at breast height, likely as wood formation is concentrated on the living part of the bole（i.e. after tapping there is no growth taking place on the tapping face due to the mechanical damage done to the cambium）. We observed no differences in the climate sensitivity of tapped and non-tapped trees, nor in the occurrence of extreme growth responses.Conclusion： Our results highlight that resin extraction is, apart from inflicting mechanical damage, not altering the sensitivity of Scots pine growth to climatic conditions.
基金financial supports for this study were obtained from the Pan African University(PAU)African Union(AU)Addis Ababa,Ethiopia as part of its PhD scholarship scheme
文摘Background: Climate-induced challenge remains a growing concern in the dry tropics, threatening carbon sink potential of tropical dry forests. Hence, understanding their responses to the changing climate is of high priority to facilitate sustainable management of the remnant dry forests. In this study, we examined the long-term climate-growth relations of main tree species in the remnant dry Afromontane forests in northern Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the dendrochronological potential of selected dry Afromontane tree species and to study the influence of climatic variables (temperature and rainfall) on radial growth. It was hypothesized that there are potential tree species with discernible annual growth rings owing to the uni-modality of rainfall in the region. Ring width measurements were based on increment core samples and stem discs collected from a total of 106 trees belonging to three tree species (Juniperus procera, Olea europaea p. cuspidate and Podocarpus falcatus). Thesubsp. collected samples were prepared, crossdated, and analyzed using standard dendrochronological methods. The formation of annual growth rings of the study species was verified based on successful crossdatability and by correlating tree-ring widths with rainfall. Results: The results showed that all the sampled tree species form distinct growth boundaries though differences in the distinctiveness were observed among the species. Positive and significant correlations were found between the tree-ring widths and rainfall, implying that rainfall plays a vital role in determining tree growth in the region. The study confirmed the formation of annual growth rings through successful crossdating, thus highlighted the potential applicability of dendroclimatic studies in the region. Conclusions: Overall, the results proved the strong linkage between tree-ring chronologies and climate variability in the study region, which further strengthens the potential of dendrochronological studies developing in Ethiopia, and also has great implications for further paleo-climatic reconstructions and in the restoration of degraded lands. Further knowledge on the growth characteristics of tree species from the region is required to improve the network of tree-ring data and quality of the chronology so as to successfully reconstruct historic environmental changes.
文摘China and India are the two countries with the strongest economic growth in the world. Meanwhile they consume much of the global coal to fuel their economic development. With coal burning as a major factor contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions, China and India are confronted with a dilemma of economic growth and environment protection. Will coal consumption reduction cause economic shocks? Is there a causal relationship between coal consumption and economic growth in China and India? In this paper Granger causality tests were used to examine the relationship between coal consumption and GDP in China and India, using data for the period from 1965 to 2006. It was found that a unidirectional causality from GDP to coal consumption existed in China while a unidirectional causality from coal consumption to GDP did in India. Therefore, developing cleaner and more efficient technologies is essential to reduce their CO2 emissions to reach sustainable development.
基金part of the research results of the "middle income trap" project conducted by the CASS and the Asian Development Bank Institute(ADBI).Project leader:Cai Fang
文摘A distortion is a departure from the allocation of economic resources from the state in which each agent maximizes his/her own welfare. Distortions can be divided into endogenous distortion(i.e. market imperfections) and policy-imposed distortion. The relationship between distortion and development is complex, thus favorable distortion would only be possible under certain conditions, where, as argued in this paper, four crucial mechanisms may play roles — advantage of backwardness, second-best principle, coordination failure and political economy perspective. Empirically, both international experience and evidence from China suggest that distortions have a positive effect on total factor productivity(TFP) in the early stages of development, but with increasing income levels this role gradually diminishes. Especially in the phases of middle and high income, the negative effects of distortions are significant and become an important factor leading to the middle-income trap. Therefore, reducing and correcting distortions is the key to achieving sustainable growth. Regarding China, it is necessary to eliminate the distortions in a clear way and let the market play the decisive role in resource allocation. Otherwise, in the name of "growth catch-up," the policy-imposed distortion will occur frequently, and the direction of market-oriented reform will become blurred and swing. Mitigating unfavorable distortions is largely a process of exploring the favorable borderline of government and market, which constitutes a major challenge for all economies.
文摘In this paper, it is held that the universal relationships of wave growth in fetch-limited conditions , i. e., (f|~) p=A(x|~)-Band (m|~)0= C(x|~) Dshould satisfy the Toba 3/2 power law and the wave energy balance equation. In the ideal generation situation, theoretically it can be derived that the ideal fetch-limited wave growth relationship should have D=3B and D+B =1, (i.e., B = 0.25, D = 0.75 ) and A3C=2. 1×l(T4C^(1/2)_d , where Cd is the drag coefficient. The 3/2 power law, the wave energy balance equation and the decrease of wave steepness with increasing fetch have became three requirements which should be satisfied by fetch-limited wave growth algorithms. A semi-empirical and semi-theoretical model for fetch-limited wave growth is presented. In the application to the slanting wind situation an un(?)ersal relationship of dimensionless wave energy vs dimensionless peak frequency is presented and the comparisons show that the model is in good agreement with observations.
基金supported by the Youth Foundation of Education Bureau, Sichuan Province (09ZB036)Technology Bureau, Sichuan Province (2006j13-141)
文摘The molecular electronegativity interaction vector （MEIV） was used to describe the molecular structure of 30 selected esters. Two excellent QSTR models were built up by using multiple linear regression （MLR） and partial least-squares regression （PLS）. The correlation coefficients （R） of the two models were 0.945 and 0.941, respectively. The models were evaluated by performing the cross validation with the leave-one-out （LOO） procedure. The cross-verification correlation coefficients （RCV） of the two models were 0.921 and 0.919, respectively. The results showed that the models constructed in this work could provide estimation stability and favorable predictive ability.
