Estimating the economic impact of large hydropower projects: a dynamic multi-regional computable general equilibrium analysis

In response to rapidly growing energy demands, Chinese authorities plan to invest more in hydropower development. However, there are concerns about the possible effects on macroeconomy. This paper uses SinoTERM, a dynamic multi-regional computable general equilibrium model (CGE) of the Chinese economy, to analyze the economic impact of large hydropower development projects. The model features regional labor market dynamics and an electricity subdivision module with substitutability between various types of electricity generation. The results suggest that hydropower development will boost economic growth in the project region. Most sectors in the project region will benefit from the hydropower development such as other services, health, and education, while some sectors will suffer a loss in output because of the substantial increase in real wages. For the national, every 10,000 yuan investment can drive the national GDP growth of 1,000 yuan, and the cost is expected to be recovered in ten years. By the end of 2040, the real national wage will be around 0.16% higher than the baseline scenario. The project could only be justified if net environmental benefits outweigh this loss

Screening of Bioactive Compounds from Moutan Cortex and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities in Rat Synoviocytes

Moutan Cortex, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various diseases, is the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae). Most of the pharmacological investigations of Moutan Cortex have been addressed to its central nervous system activities, anti-oxidative and sedative actions. Otherwise, there are few reports about the active compounds with anti-inflammatory activity of Moutan Cortex. The aim of the present study was to screen and identify bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory effect from Moutan Cortex. With the aid of preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique, ethyl acetate and ethanol extract of Moutan Cortex were isolated into twenty-two fractions. Bioactivities of these fractions were evaluated by measuring expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in rat synoviocytes subjected to interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Eight compounds were isolated from six active fractions and identified by HPLC/MSn. Purified compounds, paeoniflorin, paeonol and pentagalloylglucose resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of TNF-α synthesis and IL-6 production in synoviocytes treated with proinflammatory mediator. These results suggested that paeonol, paeoniflorin, glycosides and pentagalloylglucose contribute to the anti-inflammatory effect of Moutan Cortex

Regression Model Selection and Assessment of Agricultural Water Price Affordability in China

The agricultural water price depends on the agricultural water price affordability (AWPA) in each region. This study found that the logarithmic linear model had the best fitting effect through evaluating the grey situation decision model, which considered factors such as rainfall and output value per unit area. The contribution of each influencing factor was determined by the Lindeman–Merenda–Gold method. We established a new model to determine the water expenditure coefficient (WEC) by improving the way that the value of the WEC is assigned. Then, the AWPA in different regions was calculated. The results showed that the WEC was between 2.62% and 12.95%, and the AWPA price was between 0.058 and 0.52 yuan/m3 (0.0084 and 0.075 $/m3). The contribution of precipitation and output was 45.20% and 25.60%, respectively. The WEC and AWPA in northeast, northwest, and northern China are higher than those in southwest and southern China. The AWPA in the Yellow River Basin was higher than that in the Yangtze River Basin; however, the space for adjustment in the Yellow River Basin was slightly smaller than that in the Yangtze River Basin

Regression Model Selection and Assessment of Agricultural Water Price Affordability in China

The agricultural water price depends on the agricultural water price affordability (AWPA) in each region. This study found that the logarithmic linear model had the best fitting effect through evaluating the grey situation decision model, which considered factors such as rainfall and output value per unit area. The contribution of each influencing factor was determined by the Lindeman–Merenda–Gold method. We established a new model to determine the water expenditure coefficient (WEC) by improving the way that the value of the WEC is assigned. Then, the AWPA in different regions was calculated. The results showed that the WEC was between 2.62% and 12.95%, and the AWPA price was between 0.058 and 0.52 yuan/m3 (0.0084 and 0.075 $/m3). The contribution of precipitation and output was 45.20% and 25.60%, respectively. The WEC and AWPA in northeast, northwest, and northern China are higher than those in southwest and southern China. The AWPA in the Yellow River Basin was higher than that in the Yangtze River Basin; however, the space for adjustment in the Yellow River Basin was slightly smaller than that in the Yangtze River Basin

Impact of Water Saving Policy on Water Resource and Economy for Hebei, China Based on an Improved Computable General Equilibrium Model

Hebei Province of China is facing a severe water resource shortage, making it urgent to formulate economical and effective water conservation policies. However, few studies have focused on analyzing the resource and economic impacts of a water policy. This study developed an improved computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with an extended water resources module as a policy analysis tool. The extended water resources module includes different water resources as commodities and water sectors, and introduces a substitution mechanism among the water resources. Policy scenarios containing different policy types and policy objects were established, including water price, technology (tech) improvement, structure adjustment, and water reuse policies in primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. The impact on the water resource and economy of the scenarios was analyzed using the CGE model. The recommended policies include: an agricultural technology improvement policy that decreases groundwater usage by 240 hm3; an industrial technology improvement policy under which water usage per 10,000 CNY of industrial added value decreases by 13%; an industrial water reuse policy that increases unconventional water usage by 20%; and a structure adjustment policy to increase the proportion of the tertiary sector. The study provides an analysis tool for simulating and evaluating a water resource policy

Refined Allocation of Water Resources in Pishihang Irrigation Area by Joint Utilization of Multiple Water Sources

Refined allocation of water resources is an important means of sustainable water resources utilization. Based on General Water Allocation and Simulation (GWAS), this study uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) to construct spatial topological relationships. A fairness optimal minimum was set as the objective function. Total quantity control, water supply potential, and quality-divided water supply were set as constraint conditions. Considering the dynamic mutual-feedback relationship between the middle-lower-reaches reservoir and the upstream reservoir, this study refines the allocation of water resources combined with the characteristics of “long cane knots melons” in the Pishihang irrigation area. Results showed that at 50%, 80%, and 90% frequencies in the base year, 2025, and 2035, respectively, the water deficient ratio is 0. For continuous drought years at 90% frequency, all water users are faced with different degrees of water shortage. In water source structures, water diversion in the irrigated area is the largest, followed by local surface water; reclaimed water and shallow groundwater are used as supplements. In the case of consecutive drought years, the water shortage degree can be reduced through rational development of local water and additional external water transfer. The model has thus been well applied. This study provides a more accurate method for optimizing water resources allocation

Modeling Hydropower investments in China based on Sino TERM

China’s burgeoning economic growth has been accompanied by soaring demand for electricity. Conscious of worsening pollution in Chinese cities due to increased coal-fired electricity generation, and of growing global concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, Chinese authorities are planning to continue massive investments in hydropower generation. This study uses Sino TERM, a dynamic multi-regional model of the Chinese economy from the TERM family, to examine investment scenarios across China. Preliminary results indicate that (1) Hydropower can significantly boost local economic development, driving a GDP growth of 43% per year on average. It can promote the development of some industries such as construction, trade, transport, and machine equipment, but have a little impact on overall national economy. (2) Hydropower can provide 300 billion kW·h of power annually, thus alleviating conflicts between the supply and demand and ensuring China’s energy security. (3) Hydropower can replace 96 million tons of standard coals each year, reducing 200 million tons of CO2 emissions, 2.59 million tons of SO2, with prominent effects on energy saving and emission reduction. Hydropower proportion increases by 1.6%, which is conducive to improving the electric power consumption structure

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Endogenous Hormone Changes during Spike Development in Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchids are popular worldwide due to their high ornamental and economic value; the spike and inflorescence formation of their flowers could be efficiently controlled under proper conditions. In this study, transcriptomic profiles and endogenous hormone changes were investigated to better understand the spike formation of Phalaenopsis. Morphological observations revealed four spike initiation statuses (i.e., S0: the status refers to axillary buds remaining dormant in the leaf axils; S1: the status refers to the 0.5 cm-long initial spike; S2: the status refers to the 1 cm-long spike; S3: the status refers to the 3 cm-long spike) during the process of spike development, while anatomical observations revealed four related statuses of inflorescence primordium differentiation. A total of 4080 differentially expressed genes were identified based on pairwise comparisons of the transcriptomic data obtained from the S0 to S3 samples; high levels of differential gene expression were mostly observed in S1 vs. S2, followed by S0 vs. S1. Then, the contents of 12 endogenous hormones (e.g., irindole-3-acetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins, and cytokinins) were measured. The results showed that the ABA content was decreased from S0 to S1, while the gibberellic acid 1 (GA1) content exhibited an opposite trend, indicating the reduction in ABA levels combined with the increase in GA1 levels in S0 promoted the axillary bud dormancy breaking, preparing for the following spike initiation. The GA20 oxidase and ABA 8′-hydroxylase genes, which are involved in endogenous hormone metabolism and signaling pathways, displayed similar expression patterns, suggesting they were probably the key genes participating in the GA and ABA regulation. Taken together, the findings of this study indicate that GA and ABA may be the key endogenous hormones breaking the dormancy and promoting the germination of axillary buds in Phalaenopsis

Net sediment transport rate validation.

<p>a) View of Cartesian coordinates, van der A et al. [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0190034#pone.0190034.ref032" target="_blank">32</a>]; b) View of log-log coordinates, van der A et al. [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0190034#pone.0190034.ref032" target="_blank">32</a>]; c) View of Cartesian coordinates, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0190034#pone.0190034.e007" target="_blank">Eq (7)</a>; d) View of log-log coordinates, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0190034#pone.0190034.e007" target="_blank">Eq (7)</a>.</p

Instantaneous sediment transport model for asymmetric oscillatory sheet flow

<div><p>On the basis of advanced concentration and velocity profiles above a mobile seabed, an instantaneous analytical model is derived for sediment transport in asymmetric oscillatory flow. The applied concentration profile is obtained from the classical exponential law based on mass conservation, and asymmetric velocity profile is developed following the turbulent boundary layer theory and the asymmetric wave theory. The proposed model includes two parts: the basic part that consists of erosion depth and free stream velocity, and can be simplified to the total Shields parameter power 3/2 in accordance with the classical empirical models, and the extra vital part that consists of phase-lead, boundary layer thickness and erosion depth. The effects of suspended sediment, phase-lag and asymmetric boundary layer development are considered particularly in the model. The observed instantaneous transport rate proportional to different velocity exponents due to phase-lag is unified and summarised by the proposed model. Both instantaneous and half period empirical formulas are compared with the developed model, using extensive data on a wide range of flow and sediment conditions. The synchronous variation in instantaneous transport rate with free stream velocity and its decrement caused by increased sediment size are predicted correctly. Net transport rates, especially offshore transport rates with large phase-lag under velocity skewed flows, which existing instantaneous type formulas failed to predict, are predicted correctly in both direction and magnitude by the proposed model. Net sediment transport rates are affected not only by suspended sediment and phase-lag, but also by the boundary layer difference between onshore and offshore.</p></div