Evaluation of the efficiency of Chinese energy-saving household appliance subsidy policy: an economic benefit perspective

China has made great efforts to control energy consumption and reduce environmental pressure in recent decades. In the residential sector, the dramatic increase in the ownership of household appliances has driven the growth of electricity consumption, which calls for effective energy-saving policies. In this study, we exemplified the sales of refrigerators in Beijing, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of current subsidy policies for stimulating the purchase of energy-efficient household appliances. In specific, we first selected ten pairs of refrigerators from six brands having similar functions, however different in their energy efficiency grades (EEG). By applying a combination of net present value (NPV) difference method and Conversion Method of Electrical Engineering Coefficient, we calculated and compared the changes in the NPV difference and dynamic investment payback period (DIPP) to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy. The results revealed that economic benefits were mainly generated in EEG2; thereby we suggest that the government can cancel subsidies for EEG2 refrigerators, and increase the subsidy amount for EGG1 refrigerators at a potential rate of 24% in the future

Ketamine Inhibits Lung Fluid Clearance through Reducing Alveolar Sodium Transport

Ketamine is a broadly used anaesthetic for analgosedation. Accumulating clinical evidence shows that ketamine causes pulmonary edema with unknown mechanisms. We measured the effects of ketamine on alveolar fluid clearance in human lung lobes ex vivo. Our results showed that intratracheal instillation of ketamine markedly decreased the reabsorption of 5% bovine serum albumin instillate. In the presence of amiloride (a specific ENaC blocker), fluid resolution was not further decreased, suggesting that ketamine could decrease amiloride-sensitive fraction of AFC associated with ENaC. Moreover, we measured the regulation of amiloride-sensitive currents by ketamine in A549 cells using whole-cell patch clamp mode. Our results suggested that ketamine decreased amiloride-sensitive Na+ currents (ENaC activity) in a dose-dependent fashion. These data demonstrate that reduction in lung ENaC activity and lung fluid clearance following administration of ketamine may be the crucial step of the pathogenesis of resultant pulmonary edema

Vertical Distribution of Suspended Sediment under Steady Flow: Existing Theories and Fractional Derivative Model

The fractional advection-diffusion equation (fADE) model is a new approach to describe the vertical distribution of suspended sediment concentration in steady turbulent flow. However, the advantages and parameter definition of the fADE model in describing the sediment suspension distribution are still unclear. To address this knowledge gap, this study first reviews seven models, including the fADE model, for the vertical distribution of suspended sediment concentration in steady turbulent flow. The fADE model, among others, describes both Fickian and non-Fickian diffusive characteristics of suspended sediment, while the other six models assume that the vertical diffusion of suspended sediment follows Fick’s first law. Second, this study explores the sensitivity of the fractional index of the fADE model to the variation of particle sizes and sediment settling velocities, based on experimental data collected from the literatures. Finally, empirical formulas are developed to relate the fractional derivative order to particle size and sediment settling velocity. These formulas offer river engineers a substitutive way to estimate the fractional derivative order in the fADE model

Natural foods resources and dietary ingredients for the amelioration of Helicobacter pylori infection

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gastric-persistent pathogen that can cause peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer, and mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. This pathogen is commonly treated with antibiotic-based triple or quadruple therapy. However, antibiotic therapy could result in the bacterial resistance, imbalance of gut microbiota, and damage to the liver and kidneys, etc. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Interestingly, natural food resources, like vegetables, fruits, spices, and edible herbs, have potent inhibitory effects on H. pylori. In this review, we systematically summarized these foods with supporting evidence from both animal and clinical studies. The results have indicated that natural foods may possess temporary inhibition effect on H. pylori rather than durable eradication, and may help to reduce H. pylori colonization, enhance the effect of antibiotics and modulate the host’s immune response

Exploring the Changing Gap of Residential Energy Consumption per Capita in China and the Netherlands:A Comparative Analysis of Driving Forces

This paper brings out some remarkable differences between China as a developing country experiencing high economic growth and the Netherlands as a developed country by examining the driving forces behind the evolution of residential energy consumption per capita (RECpc) in the two countries in the period from 2001 to 2015. The components we analysed are income, energy-intensity, weather and energy-mix effects. The most remarkable result is the changing effect of energy intensity in China: during 2001-2007 energy intensity increased, and decreased afterward. The changes reflected changes in material circumstances: the shift to relative energy intensive goods and of saturation of energy demand for heating and cooling. In the Netherlands, the declining energy intensity, warmer winters and the more diversified energy mix decreased RECpc by 511.39, 58.81 and 1.08 kgce, respectively. Although the income growth both increased RECpc in the two countries, the relatively high-speed increasing income in China narrowed the RECpc gap between the two countries. This study implies that the opposite changes in RECpc in developing and developed countries are due to the different development stages reached by the countries. Policy suggestions are being offered to deal with the different circumstances, as revealed through this study

Exploring reasons behind careful-use, energy-saving behaviours in residential sector based on the theory of planned behaviour: Evidence from Changchun, China

Energy-saving behaviours possess great potential for reducing residential energy consumption, which are influenced by various determinants. In this study, we classify the residential energy-saving behaviours into three categories: investment behaviours, control behaviours, and careful-use behaviours. Then, we further investigate the careful-use behaviours within the framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) based on the survey data collected in Changchun, China. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse the careful-use behaviours, which emphasise the effect of careful intentions on careful use behaviours and are further influenced by three driving factors, including attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behaviour control (PBC). The outstanding finding of this study is that, in the case of careful-use behaviours, subjective norm is the most important effect, as it differs significantly from previous studies concerning investment behaviours or other types of energy-saving behaviours. Policy implications for improving careful-use behaviours from the subjective norm perspective are provided accordingly. Widely implemented energy knowledge diffusion and energy information publicity are suggested, and a pro-environmental attitude should be improved through education. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Exploring reasons behind careful-use, energy-saving behaviours in residential sector based on the theory of planned behaviour:Evidence from Changchun, China

Energy-saving behaviours possess great potential for reducing residential energy consumption, which are influenced by various determinants. In this study, we classify the residential energy-saving behaviours into three categories: investment behaviours, control behaviours, and careful-use behaviours. Then, we further investigate the careful-use behaviours within the framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) based on the survey data collected in Changchun, China. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse the careful-use behaviours, which emphasise the effect of careful intentions on careful use behaviours and are further influenced by three driving factors, including attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behaviour control (PBC). The outstanding finding of this study is that, in the case of careful-use behaviours, subjective norm is the most important effect, as it differs significantly from previous studies concerning investment behaviours or other types of energy-saving behaviours. Policy implications for improving careful-use behaviours from the subjective norm perspective are provided accordingly. Widely implemented energy knowledge diffusion and energy information publicity are suggested, and a pro-environmental attitude should be improved through education. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Small Extracellular Vesicles Containing miR-34c Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulates Epithelial Sodium Channel via Targeting MARCKS

Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is a pivotal regulator of alveolar fluid clearance in the airway epithelium and plays a key role in the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI), which is mainly composed of the three homologous subunits (α, β and γ). The mechanisms of microRNAs in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC-sEVs) on the regulation of lung ion transport are seldom reported. In this study, we aimed at investigating whether miR-34c had an effect on ENaC dysfunction induced by lipopolysaccharide and explored the underlying mechanism in this process. Primarily, the effect of miR-34c on lung edema and histopathology changes in an ALI mouse model was investigated. Then the uptake of PKH26-labeled sEVs was observed in recipient cells, and we observed that the overexpression of miR-34c in MSC-sEVs could upregulate the LPS-inhibited γ-ENaC expression. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) was one of target genes of miR-34c, the protein expression of which was negatively correlated with miR-34c. Subsequently, either upregulating miR-34c or knocking down MARCKS could increase the protein expression of phospho-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K) and phospho-protein kinase B (p-AKT), implying a downstream regulation pathway was involved. All of the above suggest that miR-34c in MSC-sEVs can attenuate edematous lung injury via enhancing γ-ENaC expression, at least partially, through targeting MARCKS and activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway subsequently