A study on the factor market distortion and the carbon emission scale effect of two-way FDI

Based on the data of 30 Chinese provinces for the period from 2004 to 2015, this paper expounds the carbon emissions effect of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) from the perspective of scale effect and factor market distortions. This study uses Kaya identity to decompose carbon emission and construct simultaneous equations model to empirically examine the factor market distortion and the carbon emission scale effect of two-way FDI. The results show that the inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) increase regional carbon emission through scale effect and also exacerbates factor market distortion in China, whereas the outward FDI trends reduce carbon emission and reduces factor market distortions in China. The study also shows that human capital, research and development (R&D), trade openness, and capital accumulation are important determinants of two-way FDI. Therefore, the study proposes that IFDI policies should focus on acquiring green technologies. In addition, the domestic enterprises should be encouraged to participate in global business.     

Determination of nickel in blood and serum samples of oropharyngeal cancer patients consumed smokeless tobacco products by cloud point extraction coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Oropharyngeal cancer is a significant public health issue in the world. The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer has been increased among people who have habit of chewing smokeless tobacco (SLT) in Pakistan. The aim of present study was to evaluate the concentration of nickel (Ni) in biological samples (whole blood, serum) of oral (n?=?95) and pharyngeal (n?=?84) male cancer patients. For comparison purposes, the biological samples of healthy age-matched referents (n?=?150), who consumed and did not consumed SLT products, were also analyzed for Ni levels. As the Ni level is very low in biological samples, a preconcentration procedure has been developed, prior to analysis of analyte by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The Ni in acid-digested biological samples was complexed with ammonium pyrrolidinedithio carbamate (APDC), and a resulted complex was extracted in a surfactant Triton X-114. Acidic ethanol was added to the surfactant-rich phase prior to its analysis by FAAS. The chemical variables, such as pH, amounts of reagents (APDC, Triton X-114), temperature, incubation time, and sample volume were optimized. The resulted data indicated that concentration of Ni was higher in blood and serum samples of cancer patients as compared to that of referents who have or have not consumed different SLT products (p?=?0.012–0.001). It was also observed that healthy referents who consumed SLT products have two to threefold higher levels of Ni in both biological samples as compared to those who were not chewing SLT products (p? Figure

?     

Trilemma association of energy consumption,carbon emission,and economic growth of BRICS and OECD regions: quantile regression estimation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recent research has shown a huge impact of non-renewable energy (NRE) production on environmental health. In this context, this work analyzes the...     

不同营养环境下棕鞭藻共栖细菌的群落结构比较

微藻富含油脂,可以用作合成生物柴油的原料,被认为是最具发展前景的生物质能源.微藻的光合培养体系往往是非纯培养体系,现有研究更多地关注微藻生物量的积累及其对废水环境的净化效果,而对体系中广泛存在的共栖细菌缺乏全面深入的认知.本文通过对棕鞭藻共栖细菌的16S rDNA基因进行高通量测序分析,研究棕鞭藻（Ochromonas）在生活废水、BG11及Glu+BG11（BG11中添加10 g·L^-1葡萄糖）3种不同营养环境中共栖细菌的群落结构差异,进而阐明有机物及复杂废水环境对微藻共栖细菌群落结构的影响效果.结果表明,生活废水、BG11及Glu+BG11 3种营养环境中共栖细菌群落结构存在显著差异,生活废水体系中生物多样性显著高于BG11及Glu+BG11体系,生活废水中共栖细菌香浓（Shannon）多样性指数高达4.32,其次是BG11及Glu+BG11,Shannon指数分别为2.13、1.54.从共栖细菌群落的组成上看,3种营养环境中优势菌属差异显著,生活废水中优势菌属有芽殖杆菌属（Gemmobacter）、鞘脂单胞菌属（Sphingomonas）及玫瑰球菌属（Roseococcus）,相对丰度分别为14.46%、14.9%、14.54%,其中,芽殖杆菌属只在生活废水中有较高丰度.BG11中寡养单胞菌属（Stenotrophomonas）与玫瑰球菌属的丰度分别高达26.86%、51.03%.Glu+BG11中寡养单胞菌属较BG11中显著增加,达到82.41%,而玫瑰球菌属较生活废水及BG11中则明显降低,菌群丰度仅为6.2%.对比3种营养环境,玫瑰球菌属均具有较高丰度,是棕鞭藻良好的共生菌.     

Violence breeds violence: burnout as a mediator between patient violence and nurse violence

The present study examines whether patient-perpetrated violence triggers anger, hatred and other negative emotions that, under certain circumstances, might motivate nurses to behave violently with patients. In doing so, this study considers burnout as a mediator in the patient violence–nurse violence relationship. To test the causal paths, data were collected from 182 nurses working in two government-sector teaching hospitals of Pakistan's Punjab province. Results confirm that patient violence toward nurses leads to nurse violence toward patients through the mediating effect of burnout. The study advises hospitals to provide wellness and stress management programs to nurses who regularly experience events involving patient violence. Hospitals may consider allowing nurses to take short breaks after an encounter with violently behaving patients. In addition, hospitals should conduct empathy-promoting training, emotional intelligence training and ‘lens of the patient’ training programs to sensitize their nursing staff.     

Dietary intake assessment of pyrethroid residues from okra and eggplant grown in peri-urban areas of Punjab,Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study was designed to assess the gradual increase in the use of insecticides on vegetables and to familiarize the consumers regarding the...     

Human health risk from organ-specific accumulation of toxic metals and response of antioxidants in edible fish species from Chenab River,Pakistan

In the current study, the bioaccumulation of essential and nonessential metals and related antioxidant activity were analyzed in three organs (muscle, gills, and liver) of herbivorous (HF) and carnivorous (CF) edible fish of Chenab River. The comparative analysis revealed a more heterogeneous accumulation of metals in the muscles of HF fish than that of CF fish [chromium (Cr, 3.4 μg g^?1), cobalt (Co, 1.7 μg g^?1), copper (Cu, 3 μg g^?1), and iron (Fe, 45 μg g^?1) versus Cr (1.3 μg g^?1), Co (0.1 μg g^?1), Cu (1.1 μg g^?1), and Fe (33 μg g^?1), respectively, P?<?0.001]. These results implied an organ-specific accumulation of metals at different trophic levels. According to logistic regression analysis, the bioaccumulation of metals had marked differences in HF and CF. The antioxidant activity was significantly related to the tissue type and the metals to which the organs are exposed to. The liver of CF fish had a higher activity of antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and lipid peroxidase (LPO) than that of HF (P?<?0.05). LPO and guaiacol peroxidase (POD) in both groups were associated with a number of metals, but in HF, cadmium (Cd), Cr, Pb, and Zn were more related with the LPO and SOD activities. Moreover, Cd, Co, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn were above the permissible limits set by various agencies. In numerous cases, our results were even higher than those previously reported in the literature. The results provide an insight into the pollution pattern of Chenab River. These results may be helpful in the future to identify biomarkers of exposure in aquatic organisms.

Nexus between green finance and climate change mitigation in N-11 and BRICS countries: empirical estimation through difference in differences (DID) approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Green finance is inextricably linked to investment risk, particularly in emerging and developing economies (EMDE). This study uses the difference in...     

A step towards sustainable path: The effect of globalization on China’s carbon productivity from panel threshold approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Surfacing the stress of global CO2 emission reduction and the change into a low-emission economy has become one of the prominent economic concerns in...