ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
Nexus between green finance, non-fossil energy use, and carbon intensity: Empirical evidence from China based on a vector error correction model

Previous studies have considered the effect of financial development on carbon emissions; however, few studies have explored the role of green finance in carbon mitigation. To bridge this gap, the current study constructs a green finance development index based on four indicators: green credit, green securities, green insurance, and green investment. A vector error correction model is used to analyze relationships between the development level of green finance, non-fossil energy consumption, and carbon intensity using data from 2000 to 2018. We find that China's green finance industry developed rapidly, and improvements in the green finance development index, as well as the increasing use of non-fossil energy, contributed to a reduction in carbon intensity. Simultaneously, an increase in carbon intensity inhibited the expansion of non-fossil energy use, impeded the investment flow to green projects, and ultimately led to a deterioration of green finance development. In addition, non-fossil energy consumption in China was primarily influenced by green finance and carbon intensity, with clear policy-driven effects. However, the impacts of green finance policies continually fell short and lacked continuity. This study proposes ways in which to improve the effect of green finance policy implementation, expand the consumption of non-fossil energy, and develop a carbon trading market. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Examining the impacts of economic and demographic aspects on the ecological footprint in South and Southeast Asian countries

The re-examination of the existing economic and environmental policies in the South and Southeast Asian countries seems to be necessary, as these countries are struggling to achieve the goals of sustainable development. For designing a long-term environmental policy, we intended to examine whether the selected economic and demographic indicators have influenced the ecological footprint in the eight developing countries of Asia from 1990 to 2015. The use of pooled mean group (PMG) approach allowed driving the long-run common coefficients, which may facilitate us to develop a common policy framework for fortifying the environmental quality. The computed results confirmed that the selected variables are cointegrated in the long run, and the variables, i.e., per capita income, nonrenewable energy usage, urbanization, fertility rate, and population density are observed as the significant drivers of the environmental pollution. Moreover, the consumption of renewable energy restored the environmental quality in these countries. Based on the results, we recommended the need for the diversification of the energy-basket for enhancement of the use of renewable energy resources. Further, through sensitization of the necessity of environmental conservation, the governments should promote less carbon-intense economic and demographic practices across the industries and sectors.
Effect of urbanization and international trade on CO2 emissions across 65 belt and road initiative countries

This paper mainly investigates the impact of urbanization and international trade on CO2 across 65 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Countries from 2000 to 2016. The non-linear nexus between urbanization and CO2 emissions is explored through panel quantile regression. Different effects of exports and imports on CO2 is analyzed and compared across different income groups. 2SLS (2-stages least square) regression is employed to handle the endogeneity issue. The results confirmed an inverted U-shaped relationship between urbanization and CO2 emissions only in high income group, which is consistent with the theory of ecological modernization. EKC (Environmental Kuznets Curve) hypothesis is confirmed only in uppermiddle and high income groups. Foreign direct investment increased CO2 emissions, which supports "pollution haven" hypothesis. Exports decreased carbon emissions in low and high income countries, while increased it in lower-middle countries. Imports increased carbon emissions in low income countries, while decreased it in middle and high income countries. Our findings suggest that promoting industry agglomeration during urbanization and enhancing voluntary disclosure of environmental information of FDI firms can reduce carbon emissions. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Age of Acquisition and Spoken Words: Examining Hemispheric Differences in Lexical Processing

The relationship between the age of acquisition (AoA) of words and their cerebral hemispheric representation is controversial because the experimental results have been contradictory. However, most of the lexical processing experiments were performed with stimuli consisting of written words. If we want to compare the processing of words learned very early in infancy-when children cannot read-with words learned later, it seems more logical to employ spoken words as experimental stimuli. This study, based on the auditory lexical decision task, used spoken words that were classified according to an objective criterion of AoA with extremely distant means (2.88 vs. 9.28 years old). As revealed by the reaction times, both early and late words were processed more efficiently in the left hemisphere, with no AoA × Hemisphere interaction. The results are discussed from a theoretical point of view, considering that all the experiments were conducted using adult participants.
Dynamic modelling and techno-economic analysis of adiabatic compressed air energy storage for emergency back-up power in supporting microgrid

Adiabatic compressed air energy storage technology recently attracts a great attention due to its merits of low cost, long lifetime and environmentally friendly. Several MW scale pilot plants were recently built to explore the technology deployment potential. With the encouragement of the success of these pilot plants, this paper presents the recent research in dynamic modelling and comprehensive techno-economic analysis of adiabatic compressed air energy storage in providing emergency back-up power to support microgrid operation. The dynamic modelling for key components of a MW scale adiabatic compressed air energy storage plant and the associated microgrid is carried out. The models developed are used for analyzing the system dynamic performance while it provides emergency back-up power. Then, the economic benefit estimation model is developed for conducting a comprehensive economic analysis in order to understand the economic gains of adiabatic compressed air energy storage operation with different microgrid configurations, power supply reliabilities and diesel prices. The simulation results indicate that the MW scale adiabatic compressed air energy storage can normally fully restore the power supply to important loads within several minutes. It is acceptable for the load with no strict requirement on power outage time, but its standalone operation cannot meet the requirement of uninterruptable power source. For a microgrid having low power supply reliability requirement, high diesel price and abundant renewable energy sources, using adiabatic compressed air energy storage for providing emergency back-up power can achieve higher economic benefits compared with diesel generators.
Does renewable energy technological innovation control China's air pollution? A spatial analysis

China's rapid industrialization has led to severe air pollution, which has attracted considerable attention from academia and media. To achieve cleaner production, the Chinese government has incorporated the construction of ecological civilization into the overall layout of the 'Five in One' and proposed that environmental protection and economic development should be placed on an equal footing. Based on the panel dataset covering 31 Chinese provinces during 2011-2017, this study investigates the spatial features of air pollution and the relationship between energy technology innovation (RETI) and air pollution through Moran's I index and spatial panel econometric models. The results indicate that, first, the air quality in northern China is generally worse than in southern China, especially in Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei, and Henan. Second, technological innovations in renewable energy are beneficial to alleviate nitrogen oxides (NOx) and respirable suspended particles (PM10) concentrations, while they are not significantly associated with sulfur dioxide (SO2). Third, the spatial econometric model shows that the spatial spillover effects of SO2, NOx, and PM10 are 0.626, 0.585, and 0.177, respectively. It is suggested that regional and district policymakers need to consider spatial locations when improving air quality. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Short-term effect of ambient ozone pollution on respiratory diseases in western China

Ambient air pollution has been regarded as an important cause of the morbidity and mortality of respiratory diseases. In the current work, a total of 469,490 respiratory emergency room (ER) visits in Lanzhou, China from Jan 1, 2013 to Dec 31, 2016 were collected. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to investigate the association between O3 and respiratory ER visits for the different gender and age subgroups. The results showed that: (a) with per inter-quartile range (IQR) (31 µg/m3) increase in O3, the greatest relative risk (RR) of respiratory ER visits for the total was 1.014 (95% CI 1.008-1.020) at lag 4 days. Females and 16-to-45-year-olds were relatively more sensitive to O3; (b) the significant lag effects were found in single-day lag models, with the highest RR values for different groups were observed at lag 3-lag 5 days. The multi-day cumulative lag effects were stronger for the total; (c) in the multiple-pollutant models, the effects of O3 were generally increased when introducing other pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2) for adjustment. This study demonstrated that short-term exposure to O3 increased the RR of respiratory ER visits in Lanzhou, China.
Preliminary techno-economic analysis of biodiesel production over solid- biochar

This study suggests the economic potential of biochar-based biodiesel production by conducting the techno-economic analysis. The itemized cost estimation was performed by categorizing biochar production facility and biodiesel conversion plants for 30,000 ton y(-1) of biodiesel production capacity. The result of sensitivity analysis shows the methanol and waste cooking oil (WCO) costs are significantly sensitive to determine a unit biodiesel production cost. When the biodiesel selling price was 1.70 $ kg(-1), the discounted payback period was varied from 1.91 (not discounted) to 2.06 years (10% discounted). In addition, the break-even price of biodiesel was calculated to 1.55 $ kg(-1) when the discount rate was 10%. It means that this technology is to be feasible because of commercial diesel price (0.97 to 1.88 $ kg(-1)). The consideration of tax exemption and subsidy for biodiesel can be good option to supply WCO based energy production.
Analysis on the relationship between fisheries economic growth and marine environmental pollution in China's coastal regions

The rapid development of China's fisheries economy is accompanied by intensified marine environmental pollution over the period covered by this study. Based on data from multiple sources, this paper attempts to measure the relationship between fisheries economic growth and marine environmental pollution among China's coastal regions over the past 17 years. For this purpose, it firstly quantifies changes in fisheries economy and fisheries population. It then goes onto comparing the degree of changes in fisheries economy and marine environment. Finally, it depicts the relationship between fisheries added value (FAV) and polluted marine area (PMA) and between per capita net income of fishermen (PCNIF) and PMA ratio. Results suggest that i) the compound annual growth rate of FAV, FAV per capita, and fisheries population are 835%, 8.61%, and -024%, respectively; ii) the difference of FAV per capita increases significantly over time, while that of PMA and PMA ratio decreases moderately; iii) the relationship between FAV and PMA and between PCNIF and PMA ratio in all China's Seas and in the East China Sea show the same inverted N-shape while in the South China Sea inverted U-shape. In the Bohai and Yellow Sea, the former's relationship exhibits inverted U-shape, with the latter's N-shape. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Hybrid solar-biomass combined Brayton/organic Rankine-cycle plants integrated with thermal storage: Techno-economic feasibility in selected Mediterranean areas

This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis and techno-economic assessment of a novel hybrid solar-biomass power-generation system configuration composed of an externally fired gas-turbine (EFGT) fuelled by biomass (wood chips) and a bottoming organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plant. The main novelty is related to the heat recovery from the exhaust gases of the EFGT via thermal energy storage (TES), and integration of heat from a parabolic-trough collectors (PTCs) field with molten salts as a heat-transfer fluid (HTF). The presence of a TES between the topping and bottoming cycles facilitates the flexible operation of the system, allows the system to compensate for solar energy input fluctuations, and increases capacity factor and dispatchability. A TES with two molten salt tanks (one cold at 200 degrees C and one hot at 370 degrees C) is chosen. The selected bottoming ORC is a superheated recuperative cycle suitable for heat conversion in the operating temperature range of the TES. The whole system is modelled by means of a Python-based software code, and three locations in the Mediterranean area are assumed in order to perform energy-yield analyses: Marseille in France, Priolo Gargallo in Italy and Rabat in Morocco. In each case, the thermal storage that minimizes the levelized cost of energy (LCE) is selected on the basis of the estimated solar radiation and CSP size. The results of the thermodynamic simulations, capital and operational costs assessments and subsidies (feed-in tariffs for biomass and solar electricity available in the Italian framework), allow estimating the global energy conversion efficiency and the investment profitability in the three locations. Sensitivity analyses of the biomass costs, size of PTCs, feed-in tariff and share of cogenerated heat delivered to the load are also performed. The results show that the high investment costs of the CSP section in the proposed size range and hybridization configuration allow investment profitability only in the presence of a dedicated subsidy framework such as the one available in the Italian energy market. In particular, the LCE of the proposed system is around 140 Eur/MWh (with the option to discharge the cogenerated heat) and the IRR is around 15%, based on the Italian electricity subsidy tariffs. The recovery of otherwise discharged heat to match thermal energy demand can significantly increase the investment profitability and compensate the high investment costs of the proposed technology. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
A hybrid solar chimney/photovoltaic thermal system for direct electric power production and water distillation

In this work, modifications are made on the conventional solar chimney system in order to improve its economic viability. The two main modifications are the addition of a photovoltaic (PV) system to increase the system total electricity production, and the installation of water pool to cool the PV panels as well as to allow the system to generate freshwater. A mathematical model is developed to test the feasibility of both the conventional and modified systems. It is found that the total system utilization factor for the conventional system is 0.51%, while the utilization factor for the modified system is 4.37%. Parametric analysis is conducted to determine the variables that lead to the best utilization factor. The best results are achieved when the submerged PV panels are closer to the chimney. Furthermore, the performance of the system is tested, taking into account the weather data of a location in the country of Jordan. The results showed that the proposed system produces 45.35% more electricity annually than a standalone PV system installed in the same location. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis conducted shows that the chimney height is the most significant variable influences the system utilization factor. That is, the higher the chimney, the higher the utilization factor. Finally, the economic analysis concludes that the cost of freshwater produced by the system is 1.60 US$ per cubic meter, which is 46.3% cheaper than what is produced using other similar systems. Also, the economic indices of the proposed system show an improvement from that for the conventional solar chimney.
In vivo genome-editing screen identifies tumor suppressor genes that cooperate with Trp53 loss during mammary tumorigenesis

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that comprises multiple histological and molecular subtypes. To gain insight into mutations that drive breast tumorigenesis, we describe a pipeline for the identification and validation of tumor suppressor genes. Based on an in vivo genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen in Trp53+/- heterozygous mice, we identified tumor suppressor genes that included the scaffold protein Axin1, the protein kinase A regulatory subunit gene Prkar1a, as well as the proof-of-concept genes Pten, Nf1, and Trp53 itself. Ex vivo editing of primary mammary epithelial organoids was performed to further interrogate the roles of Axin1 and Prkar1a. Increased proliferation and profound changes in mammary organoid morphology were observed for Axin1/Trp53 and Prkar1a/Trp53 double mutants compared to Pten/Trp53 double mutants. Furthermore, direct in vivo genome editing via intraductal injection of lentiviruses engineered to express dual short-guide RNAs revealed that mutagenesis of Trp53 and either Prkar1a, Axin1, or Pten markedly accelerated tumor development compared to Trp53-only mutants. This proof-of-principle study highlights the application of in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 editing for uncovering cooperativity between defects in tumor suppressor genes that elicit mammary tumorigenesis.
A Quantitative Approach for Using Anticipatory Behavior as a Graded Welfare Assessment

To perform quick assessments, welfare practitioners may focus on specific behavioral indicators of welfare, which can lead to challenges in interpretation. Anticipatory behavior has been suggested as a potentially graded indicator of well-being in animals. However, there are difficulties in assessing variations in this class of behavior quantitatively. Here, we propose an analytical approach for identifying and comparing the intensity of anticipatory behavior across different conditions. We evaluated the changes in the behavior of a sea lion at the San Francisco Zoo before and after daily training sessions, the start time of which had differing degrees of predictability. We show that anticipatory behavior is a complex suite of behaviors that can show multi-directional changes prior to an anticipated event. Additionally, we show that the methods utilized here can distinguish among differing intensities of anticipation directed toward daily husbandry events. We suggest that this approach may be broadly applicable for applying measures of anticipatory behavior as a graded welfare indicator.
Long-run causal relationship between economic growth, transport energy consumption and environmental quality in Asian countries: Evidence from heterogeneous panel methods

This paper analyzes data from 18 Asian countries, spanning from 1980 to 2017 to determine panel longrun causality between income growth, transport energy consumption and environmental quality. The empirical methodology of this paper considers structural breaks and cross-sectional dependence issues. In this way, our study becomes one of the few energy-GDP studies that address cross-sectional dependence in the unit root, cointegration, causality and elasticity estimation. We attempt to fill the gap in energy literature by using robust estimates in the case of Asian countries. After these methodological advances, a bi-directional long-run Granger causality between transport energy consumption, environment and GDP growth is found. The common correlated effects mean group (CMG) is used to obtain long-run elasticities. It is revealed that a 1% increase in transport energy consumption and GDP growth deteriorate environmental quality by about 0.57% and 0.46% respectively in Asian countries. Furthermore, the magnitude of elasticities varies from country to country. The empirical findings add new dimensions in energy-efficient technologies in the transport sector that positively affect economic growth without compromising environmental quality. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Positively charged nanofiltration membrane synthesis, transport models, and lanthanides separation

The design and understanding of rejection mechanisms for both positively and negatively charged nanofiltration (NF) membranes are needed for the development of highly selective separation of multivalent ions. In this study, positively charged nanofiltration membranes were created via an addition of commercially available polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) by conventional interfacial polymerization technique. Demonstration of real increase in surface zeta potential, along with other characterization methods, confirmed the addition of weak basic functional groups from PAH. Both positively and negatively charged NF membranes were tested for evaluating their potential as a technology for the recovery or separation of lanthanide cations (neodymium and lanthanum chloride as model salts) from aqueous sources. Particularly, the NF membranes with added PAH performed high and stable lanthanides retentions, with values around 99.3% in mixtures with high ionic strength (100 mM, equivalent to ~6,000 ppm), 99.3% rejection at 85% water recovery (and high Na+/La3+ selectivity, with 0% Na+ rejection starting at 65% recovery), and both constant lanthanum rejection and permeate flux at even pH 2.7. Donnan steric pore model with dielectric exclusion elucidated the transport mechanism of lanthanides and sodium, proving the potential of high selective separation at low permeate fluxes using positively charged NF membranes.
Multi-objective economic dispatch of a microgrid considering electric vehicle and transferable load

In order to investigate the impact of electric vehicles' charging-discharging behaviour and demand side response resources on the economic operation of photovoltaic grid-connected microgrid system, a multi-objective model of microgrid economic dispatching with electric vehicles, transferable load and other distributed generations (diesel engines and energy storage unit) is proposed in this paper. The model takes the comprehensive operating cost of microgrid, the utilization rate of photovoltaic energy and the power fluctuation between the microgrid and main grid as objectives. Moreover, four different cases of microgrid economic dispatch considering electric vehicles and transferable load are put forward, which are electric vehicles' orderly charging and discharging and transferable load participating in demand response in Case 1, electric vehicles' charging randomly and the transferable load participating in demand response in Case 2, electric vehicles orderly charging and discharging and transferable load not participating in demand response in Case 3, electric vehicles' charging randomly and the transferable load not participating in the demand response in Case 4. Multi-objective Seeker Optimization Algorithm and the method of fuzzy membership function are applied in this study to obtain the optimal results. The simulation analysis shows that the orderly charging-discharging behaviour of electric vehicles and the participation of transferable load can effectively improve the economic costs, efficiency and security of microgrid economic operation.