How can technology and efficiency alleviate the dilemma of economic growth and carbon emissions in China's industrial economy? A metafrontier decoupling decomposition analysis

This paper attempts to explore the decoupling relationship and its drivers between industrial economic increase and energy-related CO_(2) emissions(ICE). Firstly, the decoupling relationship was evaluated by Tapio index. Then, based on the DEA meta-frontier theory framework which taking into account the regional and industrial heterogeneity and index decomposition method, the driving factors of decoupling process were explored mainly from the view of technology and efficiency. The results show that during2000-2019, weak decoupling was the primary state. Investment scale expansion was the largest reason hindering decoupling process of industrial increase from ICE. Both energy saving and production technology achieved significant progress, which facilitated the decoupling process. Simultaneously, the energy technology gap and production technology gap among regions have been narrowed, and played a role in promoting decoupling process. On the contrary, both scale economy efficiency and pure technical efficiency have inhibiting effects on decoupling process. The former indicates that the scale economy of China's industry was not conducive to improve energy efficiency and production efficiency, while the latter indicates that resource misallocation problem may exist in both energy market and product market.

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis:Diagnostic approaches for this uncommon pathology

A case report entitled“Primary gastroduodenal tuberculosis presenting as gastric outlet obstruction”recently published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases presented a rare cause of gastric outlet obstruction and highlighted the atypical manner in which gastrointestinal tuberculosis(TB)can present.The literature with regards to this rare pathology is limited to case reports and case series with the largest being published using data from between 2003 and 2013.However,since then the diagnostic tools available have significantly changed with more modern and increasingly accurate tests now available.This editorial reviews the current state of the art with regards to diagnosis in gastrointestinal TB.

China's Maritime Governance:Practical Evolution and Theoretical Construction

Increasingly engaged in maritime governance,China has developed its distinct vision and gradually established a complete theoretical system surrounding it.In terms of discourse,China has proposed a collection of concepts and ideas including a maritime community with a shared future,the 2lst Century Maritime Silk Road,Blue Partnerships,and marine ecological civilization.In terms of connotations,China champions such values as lasting peace,common prosperity,openness and inclusiveness,and cleanness and beautifulness.Exteriorly and interiorly,we can observe the unique character of China's vision concerning maritime governance,which will continue to upgrade and bear fruit in future practices,boosting the development of Chinese maritime governance theories,multilateral maritime cooperation,and ocean-related international legislation.Guided by its vision,China is expected to contribute more to global maritime security and marine ecological civilization.

Contemporary strategies and approaches for characterizing composition and enhancing biofilm penetration targeting bacterial extracellular polymeric substances

Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)constitutes crucial elements within bacterial biofilms,facili-tating accelerated antimicrobial resistance and conferring defense against the host's immune cells.Developing precise and effective antibiofilm approaches and strategies,tailored to the specific charac-teristics of EPS composition,can offer valuable insights for the creation of novel antimicrobial drugs.This,in turn,holds the potential to mitigate the alarming issue of bacterial drug resistance.Current analysis of EPS compositions relies heavily on colorimetric approaches with a significant bias,which is likely due to the selection of a standard compound and the cross-interference of various EPS compounds.Considering the pivotal role of EPS in biofilm functionality,it is imperative for EPS research to delve deeper into the analysis of intricate compositions,moving beyond the current focus on polymeric materials.This ne-cessitates a shift from heavy reliance on colorimetric analytic methods to more comprehensive and nuanced analytical approaches.In this study,we have provided a comprehensive summary of existing analytical methods utilized in the characterization of EPS compositions.Additionally,novel strategies aimed at targeting EPS to enhance biofilm penetration were explored,with a specific focus on high-lighting the limitations associated with colorimetric methods.Furthermore,we have outlined the challenges faced in identifying additional components of EPS and propose a prospective research plan to address these challenges.This review has the potential to guide future researchers in the search for novel compounds capable of suppressing EPS,thereby inhibiting biofilm formation.This insight opens up a new avenue for exploration within this research domain.

Multi-scenario Simulation and Spatial-temporal Analysis of LUCC in China's Coastal Zone Based on Coupled SD-FLUS Model

Increased human activities in China's coastal zone have resulted in the depletion of ecological land resources.Thus,conducting current and future multi-scenario simulation research on land use and land cover change(LUCC)is crucial for guiding the healthy and sustainable development of coastal zones.System dynamic(SD)-future land use simulation(FLUS)model,a coupled simulation model,was developed to analyze land use dynamics in China's coastal zone.This model encompasses five scenarios,namely,SSP1-RCP2.6(A),SSP2-RCP4.5(B),SSP3-RCP4.5(C),SSP4-RCP4.5(D),and SSP5-RCP8.5(E).The SD model simulates land use demand on an annual basis up to the year 2100.Subsequently,the FLUS model determines the spatial distribution of land use for the near term(2035),medium term(2050),and long term(2100).Results reveal a slowing trend in land use changes in China's coastal zone from 2000–2020.Among these changes,the expansion rate of construction land was the highest and exhibited an annual decrease.By 2100,land use predictions exhibit high accuracy,and notable differences are observed in trends across scenarios.In summary,the expansion of production,living,and ecological spaces toward the sea remains prominent.Scenario A emphasizes reduced land resource dependence,benefiting ecological land protection.Scenario B witnesses an intensified expansion of artificial wetlands.Scenario C sees substantial land needs for living and production,while Scenario D shows coastal forest and grassland shrinkage.Lastly,in Scenario E,the conflict between humans and land intensifies.This study presents pertinent recommendations for the future development,utilization,and management of coastal areas in China.The research contributes valuable scientific support for informed,long-term strategic decision making within coastal regions.

Optimizing a Transportation System Using Metaheuristics Approaches (EGD/GA/ACO): A Forest Vehicle Routing Case Study

The large-scale optimization problem requires some optimization techniques, and the Metaheuristics approach is highly useful for solving difficult optimization problems in practice. The purpose of the research is to optimize the transportation system with the help of this approach. We selected forest vehicle routing data as the case study to minimize the total cost and the distance of the forest transportation system. Matlab software helps us find the best solution for this case by applying three algorithms of Metaheuristics: Genetic Algorithm (GA), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), and Extended Great Deluge (EGD). The results show that GA, compared to ACO and EGD, provides the best solution for the cost and the length of our case study. EGD is the second preferred approach, and ACO offers the last solution.

Exploring Ester Prodrugs: A Comprehensive Review of Approaches, Applications, and Methods

The review provides an overview of the approaches, applications, and methods for ester prodrugs. Ester prodrugs are pharmacologically inactive compounds in their original form but become active drugs on biotransformation within the body, which offers advantages concerning the solubility, stability, and targeted delivery of the active drug. Several approaches of ester prodrugs have been reviewed in this review, including simple ester prodrugs, amino acid ester prodrugs, sugar ester prodrugs, lipid ester prodrugs, and polymeric ester prodrugs. This review incorporates in vitro and in vivo methods as well as the characterization of physical and chemical properties for ester prodrugs, cell culture systems, enzymatic assays, and animal models—all of these having a very important bearing on the evaluation of stability, bioavailability, and efficacy for ester prodrugs. While the benefits of using ester prodrugs are significant, there are also disadvantages like instability, poor or variable enzymatic hydrolysis, and toxicity from released promoieties or by-products. This review discusses solutions to the various limitations that include enhancing stability with ionizable promoieties and using physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling. The review also highlights the application of ester prodrugs in neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, and the ongoing efforts to address the critical limitations in treatment efficacy. Future prodrug strategies are poised to advance significantly by harnessing diverse transport mechanisms across the blood-brain barrier and integrating nanotechnology.

Cenozoic giant coal-bearing basin belt discovered in China's sea and its adjacent areas

Sea area is an important area of oil and gas exploration in China.It has been found that China's sea area mainly consists of coal type oil and gas,and the exploration of coal-bearing series source rocks has become an important part of oil and gas exploration there.Through years of comprehensive geological research in China's sea area,it has been revealed that it has undergone multiple occurrences of tectonic opening and closing movements in varying degrees in the Paleogene,forming 26 Cenozoic sedimentary basins of various types,such as active continental margin,passive continental margin,transitional continental margin and drift rift basins.In the present study,it is observed for the first time that coal type source rocks are mainly developed in 14 continental margin basins in China's sea area,revealing that a very large C-shaped coal-bearing basin group developed there in the Cenozoic.Next,based on the coupling analysis of paleoclimate,paleobotany,paleogeography and paleostructure,it is observed that there are five coal-forming periods in China's sea area,namely the Paleocene,Eocene,early Oligocene,late Oligocene and Miocene-Pliocene,and the coal-forming age is gradually new from north to south.It is also found that the coal seams in the sea area are mainly developed in three coal-forming environments in Cenozoic,namely delta,fan delta and tidal flat-lagoon.The coal seams developed in different environments are characterized by thin thickness,many layers and poor stability.However,the coal-bearing series source rocks in China's sea area have a wide distribution range,very high thickness and large amount,thus forming a material basis for the formation of rich coal type oil and gas.

Towards Innovative Research Approaches to Investigating the Role of Emotional Variables in Promoting Language Teachers’ and Learners’ Mental Health

The adequacy of language education largely depends on the favorable and unfavorable emotions that teachers and students experience throughout the education process.Simply said,emotional factors play a key role in improving the quality of language teaching and learning.Furthermore,these emotional factors also promote the well-being of language teachers and learners and place them in a suitable mental condition.In view of the favorable impact of emotional factors on the mental health of language teachers and learners,many educational scholars around the world have studied these factors,their background,and their pedagogical consequences.Nonetheless,the majority of previous studies have employed traditional research methods in assessing these variables and their influences on language teachers’and learners’mental health.Because of the complex and dynamic quality of emotional factors,traditional research approaches often fail to evaluate these factors and their dynamic,non-linear connections with teachers’and learners’mental health and well-being.Accordingly,some novel research approaches are required to measure the dynamicity and complexity of emotional factors in language education settings.To address this call,the current state-of-the-art conceptual article seeks to provide new insights for investigating emotional factors and their potential impact on language teachers’and learners’mental states.This study also intends to offer a comprehensive list of emerging methods that take into account the complex and dynamic nature of emotional variables.Finally,the study outlines the potential implications of this review for educational researchers.

Effect of two surgical approaches on the lung function and prognosis of patients with combined esophagogastric cancer

BACKGROUND Adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction has a center of origin within 5 cm of the esophagogastric junction.Surgical resection remains the main treatment.A transthoracic approach is recommended for Siewert I adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and a transabdominal approach is recommended for Siewert III adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.However,there is a need to determine the optimal surgical approach for Siewert II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction to improve lung function and the prognosis of patients.AIM To investigate and compare the surgical effects,postoperative changes in pulmonary function,and prognoses of two approaches to treating combined esophagogastric cancer.METHODS One hundred and thirty-eight patients with combined esophagogastric cancer treated by general and thoracic surgeries in our hospital were selected.They were divided into group A comprising 70 patients(transabdominal approach)and group B comprising 68 patients(transthoracic approach)based on the surgical approach.The indexes related to surgical trauma,number of removed lymph nodes,indexes of lung function before and after surgery,survival rate,and survival duration of the two groups were compared 3 years after surgery.RESULTS The duration of surgery,length of hospital stay,and postoperative drainage duration of the patients in group A were shorter than those of the patients in group B,and the volume of blood loss caused by surgery was lower for group A than for group B(P<0.05).At the one-month postoperative review,the first second,maximum ventilation volume,forceful lung volume,and lung volume values were higher for group A than for group B(P<0.05).Preoperatively,the QLQ-OES18 scale scores of the patients in group A were higher than those in group B on re-evaluation at 3 mo postoperatively(P<0.05).The surgical complication rate of the patients in group A was 10.00%,which was lower than that of patients in group B,which was 23.53%(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Transabdominal and transthoracic surgical approaches are comparable in treating combined esophagogastric cancer;however,the former results in lesser surgical trauma,milder changes in pulmonary function,and fewer complications.

Colon cancer and their targeting approaches through nanocarriers:A review

Colon cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in the world.Colon cancer develops when healthy cells in the lining of the colon or rectum alter and grow uncontrollably to form a mass known as a tumor.Despite major medical improvements,colon cancer is still one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally.One of the main issues of chemotherapy is toxicity related to conventional medicines.The targeted delivery systems are considered the safest and most effective by increasing the concentration of a therapeutic substance at the tumor site while decreasing it at other organs.Therefore,these delivery systems required lower doses for high therapeutic value with minimum side effects.The current review focuses on targeting therapeutic substances at the desired site using nanocarriers.Additionally,the diagnostic applications of nanocarriers in colorectal cancer are also discussed.

Asymmetric relationship between global and national factors and domestic food prices:evidence from Turkey with novel nonlinear approaches

This study investigates the asymmetric relationship between global and national fac-tors and domestic food prices in Turkey,considering the recent rapid and continuous increase in domestic food prices.In this context,six global and three national explana-tory variables were included,and monthly data for the period from January 2004 to June 2021 were used.In addition,novel nonlinear time-series econometric approaches,such as wavelet coherence,Granger causality in quantiles,and quantile-on-quantile regression,were applied for examination at different times,frequencies,and quan-tiles.Moreover,the Toda-Yamamoto(TY)causality test and quantile regression(QR)approach were used for robustness checks.The empirical results revealed that(i)there is a significant relationship between domestic food prices and explanatory variables at different times and frequencies;(ii)a causal relationship exists in most quantiles,excluding the lowest quantile,some middle quantiles,and the highest quantile for some variables;(iii)the power of the effect of the explanatory variables on domestic food prices varies according to the quantiles;and(iv)the results were validated by the TY causality test and QR,which show that the results were robust.Overall,the empiri-cal results reveal that global and national factors have an asymmetric relationship with domestic food prices,highlighting the effects of fluctuations in global and national variables on domestic food prices.Thus,the results imply that Turkish policymakers should consider the asymmetric effects of global and national factors on domestic food prices at different times,frequencies,and quantiles.

Organic cathode materials for rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries:Fundamentals, recent advances, and approaches to optimization

Rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries(MIBs) are favorable substitutes for conventional lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) because of abundant magnesium reserves, a high theoretical energy density, and great inherent safety. Organic electrode materials with excellent structural tunability,unique coordination reaction mechanisms, and environmental friendliness offer great potential to promote the electrochemical performance of MIBs. However, research on organic magnesium battery cathode materials is still preliminary with many significant challenges to be resolved including low electrical conductivity and unwanted but severe dissolution in useful electrolytes. Herein, we provide a detailed overview of reported organic cathode materials for MIBs. We begin with basic properties such as charge storage mechanisms(e.g., n-, p-, and bipolartype), moving to recent advances in various types of organic cathodes including carbonyl-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-based materials. To shed light on the diverse strategies targeting high-performance Mg-organic batteries, elaborate summaries of various approaches are presented.Generally, these strategies include molecular design, polymerization, mixing with carbon, nanosizing and electrolyte/separator optimization.This review provides insights on exploring high-performance organic cathodes in rechargeable MIBs.

A Comparison between Deductive and Inductive Approaches for Teaching EFL Grammar to High School Students

This study had the purpose of testingtwo methods for teaching grammar in Englishasa Foreign Language(EFL)class:the deductive and inductive approaches in terms of effectiveness and rapport.This research was conducted in a public high school in Ecuador.Seventy students enrolled in the second year of senior high school participated.One in-service teacher taught the EFL classes during the process of intervention(10 weeks),and two EFL teachers observed all of these classes and recorded the information by filling in observation sheets.The students were administered grammar pretests and post-tests in order to assess their grammar knowledge.The results of the tests showed a significant difference in the scores in favor of the inductive approach.After the statistical analysis of the data obtained from the tests and observation sheets,we concluded that the inductive approach is more effective for teaching grammar in the EFL classroom in terms of instruction and rapport.

Direct Approaches in L2 Instruction:A Turning Point in Communicative Language Teaching?(Ⅰ)

In 1990 Richards argued that there were two major approaches to teaching speaking skills,an indirect approach,"inwhich conversational competence is seen as the product of engaging learners in conversational interaction"(p.76),and a direct approach,which"6involvesplanninga conversational programme around the specific micro skills,strategies,and processes that are involved in fluent conversation"(p.77).

Interactive Approaches in ESL Teaching and Its Application

Traditionally,second language reading was considered as a simple passive decoding process.However,researchers began to study the issue from the psycholinguistic perspectives,and proposed the interactive approach to ESL reading.In this thesis,a brief review is made concerning the related theories.Some strategies are suggested to improve learners’ability in top-down and bottom-up models.Finally,it is pointed out that these two models interact in the reading process,and therefore the teaching methods should also be applied in good combination to improve reading.

Analysis of the Impact of Optimal Solutions to the Transportation Problems for Variations in Cost Using Two Reliable Approaches

In this paper, we have used two reliable approaches (theorems) to find the optimal solutions to transportation problems, using variations in costs. In real-life scenarios, transportation costs can fluctuate due to different factors. Finding optimal solutions to the transportation problem in the context of variations in cost is vital for ensuring cost efficiency, resource allocation, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, environmental responsibility, risk mitigation, and operational fortitude in practical situations. This paper opens up new directions for the solution of transportation problems by introducing two key theorems. By using these theorems, we can develop an algorithm for identifying the optimal solution attributes and permitting accurate quantification of changes in overall transportation costs through the addition or subtraction of constants to specific rows or columns, as well as multiplication by constants inside the cost matrix. It is anticipated that the two reliable techniques presented in this study will provide theoretical insights and practical solutions to enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of transportation systems. Finally, numerical illustrations are presented to verify the proposed approaches.

3D打印技术在腓骨头上入路治疗复杂胫骨平台后外侧骨折中的临床应用

目的探讨3D打印技术在腓骨头上入路治疗复杂胫骨平台后外侧骨折中的临床应用价值。方法回顾性分析67例接受腓骨头上入路治疗的复杂胫骨平台后外侧骨折患者的临床资料,根据术前是否采用3D打印模拟手术将患者分为3D打印组35例和常规组32例。比较2组患者的手术时间、术中出血量、术中透视次数,观察术后切口感染、腘血管损伤、腓总神经损伤等并发症发生情况。随访骨折愈合时间,术后6个月评估Rasmussen评分,末次随访时评估美国特种外科医院(HSS)膝关节功能评分。结果67例患者随访时间为14~22个月;2组各有1例患者发生术后切口感染,均未发生腘血管损伤、腓总神经损伤、下肢深静脉血栓等并发症;3D打印组患者手术时间、术中出血量、术中透视次数均短于或少于常规组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);2组患者骨折愈合时间、术后6个月Rasmussen评分、末次随访时HSS评分比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论3D打印技术应用于复杂胫骨平台后外侧骨折患者的腓骨头上入路治疗中,可以优化手术方案,缩短手术时间,减少术中出血量和透视次数。

中国对“一带一路”沿线直接投资的减贫效应研究

近年来,中国对“一带一路”沿线国家直接投资持续增加,合作领域不断拓展,合作程度不断深入,在此背景下探讨中国对外直接投资对沿线国家是否具有优良的减贫效应,减贫效应是否会因国家属性不同而产生异质性的影响,这种减贫效应又是通过何种渠道、何种机制来传导的,这一系列问题的解答对理论与实践都具有重大意义。文章基于2009—2019年“一带一路”沿线63国的面板数据,依照所属区域大致将沿线63个国家划分为六大板块,构建与对外直接投资的减贫效应相关的计量模型,实证分析中国对东道国直接投资的减贫效应,并采取中介效应检验的方法探索直接投资的减贫效应传导机制。研究表明:中国对外直接投资对降低东道国贫困率的成效显著,为当地经济发展带来强劲的“拉力”,显著地促进了“一带一路”沿线国家的贫困人口的减少。异质性分析表明:这种减贫效应不存在明显的地理区域偏向性,也不以国家经济发展水平为绝对界限;以“是否布局有孔子学院”作为代理变量来衡量文化距离的远近,在“文化距离近”的国家效果更为优良,而对于“文化距离远”的国家影响并不显著。中介效应分析表明:在中国对外直接投资发挥减贫作用的过程中,就业创造与基础设施建设承担了部分中介效应的功能,通过这两种机制,东道国经济的自生能力得到有效提升,授人以鱼不如授人以渔,中国通过创造就业岗位与完善基础建设“双渠道”,提升东道国的自生能力,为当地经济可持续发展带来了源源不断的动力,发展步入良性循环。通过关注贫困群体的能力建设,因地制宜地挖掘贫困地区潜在市场的比较优势,来实现自主减贫。与“输血式”减贫相比,这种“造血式”的减贫方式以提升自生能力为导向,更为有效而持续。为避免模型中内生性问题对研究结论的影响,以中国对外直接投资的一阶滞后项作为工具变量重新进行回归,原结论仍然成立;为保证文章实证分析结论的可靠性,采取分别替换核心解释变量与被解释变量的方法进行稳健性检验,最终的研究结论具有稳健性。基于上述分析,文章提出以就业岗位创造为本、以人才培训为源、以基础设施建设为先,进一步优化中国对外直接投资流向,促进减贫合作。

Estimating the severity levels of road traffic crashes in Bahrain with crash costs estimated with different approaches

An important issue in analyzing accident blackspots is the estimation of severity levels of different types of accidents.This study aims to estimate the severity level of accidents in Bahrain using crash costs.These crash costs were calculated by the Human Capital Approach(HCA)and total reported costs from the victims.The data was collected from the General Directorate of Traffic,insurance companies,Ministry of Works(MoW)and Ministry of Health.It was found,from the survey responses,that there was no significant effect of victim characteristics on the total cost of the accidents.The severity levels were found to be higher than those found in previous literature or adopted by local authorities which could be attributed to the economic conditions of Bahrain.Moreover,the weights found by both approaches were different from each other.Therefore,it is recommended to use the HCA approach due to its comprehensive calculations involving future costs.