Consumption Levels Research Articles

Analysis of the Impact of Chinese Population Aging on Economic Growth and Coping Strategies

Population aging has become a frequent occurrence due to changes in the global population structure, and it has a significant impact on the economic growth of many nations. Particularly in China, with the decline in fertility rates and the extension of life expectancy, the aging problem is further intensifying. The phenomenon of "fewer children and an aging population" is gradually becoming the norm, posing severe challenges to China's economic development. By searching for the relevant population data of the National Bureau of Statistics, this paper analyzes the current situation of Chinese population structure, analyzes the causes of population aging from four aspectsfertility policy, economic and social development, culture and education, and population migration. It also puts forward the impacts of population aging on economic growth, including the decrease in labor supply, the decline in consumption level and the increase in social pension pressure. This paper argues that even though the aging population structure has had a certain impact on China's social economy, people can turn challenges into opportunities. Furthermore, this paper proposes the coping strategies for China's population aging and promoting high-quality economic development, such as improving the elderly consumer market, giving full play to the leading role of government planning, improving the quality of the labor force, and forming an age-appropriate society. The purpose of this paper is to provide theoretical reference and practical guidance for China to cope with the challenges of population aging and the healthy development of population and economy.

Role of Organic Products for Achieving A Sustainable Green Economy

Sustainable green economy is the need of time, and orogenic products can play a decisive role in this goal. Growing demand for organic food is due to the increase in disposal income at urban along with the Government supports, innovative technologies & investments and these factors are the drivers for organic farming and its marketing. These drivers provide immense potential and scope for the Indian organic sector but there are many challenges faced at producers, processors and consumer level, low consumption of Orogenic products is a serious concern of researchers and policymakers. To address this issue, we have studied the phenomenon in rural areas and provided insights to researchers and policymakers about the factors that influence the consumers’ behaviour in rural areas awareness among consumers, the high cost of organic food products, limited availability of organic food products, busy work schedule are Challenges faced by Consumer level We have designed an integrated model based on PCA to study the rural areas consumers’ behavioural intentions towards Orogenic products. 300 useable sample is obtained to analyse by implying PCA- Model. Results revealed that environmental knowledge is a significant predictor and a moderator, but consumers are less educated about ecological issues in rural areas. Results also revealed that Orogenic products and non-orogenic products users or consumers’ preferences are differently influenced by factors studied to measure adoption intentions of orogenic products. Sensitivity analysis results revealed that social influence followed by effort expectance and perceived expectancy of orogenic products are more important for rural areas’ customers. The study also provides empirical evidence of methodological advancement using PCA- Model, Multiple Regression Model and ANOVAand these studies involving human behaviour.

Research on Paths to Enhance the Quality of Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Consumption Scenarios in Liaoning

With the continuous improvement of the socio-economic development level, people's living standards have been ensured, leading to a greater focus on spiritual satisfaction. This shift provides new opportunities for the tourism industry. During the process of driving economic growth and social development, the integration of culture, sports, and tourism industries has emerged as an important force. The development of these integrated industries, as a new model of industry integration in China, has been found to have a high degree of industry fit through systematic practical application. This integration not only enables effective resource consolidation and optimal allocation but also creates more attractive and competitive products and services to meet diverse consumer demands. Analyzing from the consumer perspective, the integration of culture, sports, and tourism can further stimulate consumers' potential, and how to leverage this integration to enhance consumption levels has become an urgent issue for relevant departments and enterprises. This paper comprehensively analyzes the importance of improving the quality of cultural, sports, and tourism consumption scenarios, proposes solutions to problems encountered during development, and thus promotes high-quality development of the industry.

The Recession of America's New Economy — The Paradox of Low Unemployment and Stagnant Wage Growth in the United States

On September 18, the interest rate cut announced by the US Federal Reserve Board was the first interest rate cut since March 2020, and the industry generally analyzed that this will also open the curtain of the Fed's interest rate cut cycle. The Federal Reserve's practice of regulating monetary policy for its interests has improved the US economy. Still, the inhibitory effect of high interest rates on the economy is also emerging. The prolonged period of high interest rates has created a cost-of-living crisis for Americans, whose real standard of living is not as good as the economy looks. The pace of rate cuts is not expected to be as rapid as the pace of rate increases, which may have a contractionary effect on economic development in the United States and other economies. This article will start with the paradox between low unemployment and slow wage growth in the United States. The close relationship between inflation and wage levels is introduced. This analysis explores the factors contributing to the slow economic growth in the United States from various perspectives and offers predictions for the country's short- and long-term economic outlook. While domestic tensions are gradually easing in the short term, the long-term prospects for the U.S. economy appear less optimistic. This is due to enduring structural issues within the country, a significant decline in consumption levels, and external influences that continue to pose challenges to sustained growth.

Alcohol consumption in the G7 countries (1960-2021). Permanent versus transitory shocks.

This paper analyses the degree of persistence in the level of consumption of alcohol in the Group of Seven (G7) countries by using fractional integration. The series under examination are annual sales of pure alcohol in litres per person aged 15 years and older, annually from 1960 to 2021, and we look at the influence that external shocks might have had on the series in these countries. The results indicate that only France displays a significant negative trend and thus a continuous decrease in the level of alcohol consumption. For the rest of the countries, the time trend is insignificant. Dealing with persistence, Japan is the only country that shows clear evidence of reversion to the mean. Policy recommendations are reported at the end of the manuscript.

Circ_0000284 Is Involved in Arsenite-Induced Hepatic Insulin Resistance Through Blocking the Plasma Membrane Translocation of GLUT4 in Hepatocytes via IGF2BP2/PPAR-γ

Arsenic exposure can induce liver insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes (DM), but the underlying mechanisms are not yet clear. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in the regulation of the onset of diabetes, especially in the progression of IR. This study aimed to investigate the role of circRNAs in arsenic-induced hepatic IR and its underlying mechanism. Male C57BL/6J mice were given drinking water containing sodium arsenite (0, 0.5, 5, or 50 ppm) for 12 months. The results show that sodium arsenite increased circ_0000284 expression, decreased insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), and inhibited cell membrane protein levels of insulin-responsive glucose transporter protein 4 (GLUT4) in the mouse livers, indicating that arsenic exposure causes liver damage and disruptions to glucose metabolism. Furthermore, sodium arsenite reduced glucose consumption and glycogen levels, increased the expression of circ_0000284, reduced the protein levels of IGF2BP2 and PPAR-γ, and inhibited GLUT4 protein levels in the cell membranes of insulin-treated HepG2 cells. However, a circ_0000284 inhibitor reversed arsenic exposure-induced reductions in IGF2BP2, PPAR-γ, and GLUT4 levels in the plasma membrane. These results indicate that circ_0000284 is involved in arsenite-induced hepatic insulin resistance through blocking the plasma membrane translocation of GLUT4 in hepatocytes via IGF2BP2/PPAR-γ. This study provides a scientific basis for finding early biomarkers for the control of arsenic exposure and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and discovering new prevention and control measures.

Ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block in the management of postoperative analgesia in living liver donors: a randomized, prospective study.

Living donor hepatectomy is a procedure associated with notable postoperative pain, impacting patient recovery and satisfaction. Addressing this challenge, we aimed to examine the effect of ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in postoperative analgesia management of patients undergoing living donor hepatectomy for liver transplantation. A single-center prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted on ASA I-II patients aged 18-65 who underwent elective living donor hepatectomy. Participants were randomized into ESPB (N.=20) and control (N.=21) groups. ESPB was performed under ultrasound guidance with 0.25% bupivacaine (20 mL bilaterally) at T7-T9 levels. The control group received no block. Postoperative analgesia included IV acetaminophen, opioids, alongside fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia. Pain intensity was assessed using Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at various time intervals. Primary outcome was to compare postoperative opioid consumption levels and secondary outcomes were to evaluate postoperative pain scores, requirement of rescue analgesia, and opioid-related side effects. Patients in ESBP group exhibited lower total fentanyl consumption (P=0.023) and lower meperidine use for rescue analgesia (P=0.001) compared to controls. While static pain scores showed no significant difference, Group ESPB reported lower dynamic pain scores in the immediate postoperative period (P=0.047). The incidence of nausea was lower in Group ESPB (6 vs. 17, P=0.002) with no observed complications. ESPB displayed promise in effectively managing post-living donor hepatectomy pain, resulting in decreased opioid consumption, improved pain relief, and reduced rescue analgesia requirements. This technique holds potential to enhance recovery and patient satisfaction following donor hepatectomy.

Population, consumption and climate colonialism

Strategies for combatting climate change that advocate for human population limitation have recently been understandably criticised on the grounds that they embody a form of ‘climate colonialism’: a moral wrong that involves disproportionately shifting the burdens of climate change onto developing nations (which have low per capita emissions but high fertility rates) in order to offset burdens in affluent nations (which have high per capita emissions but low fertility rates). This article argues that once the relevance of population growth to climate change has been correctly understood as working in tandem with consumption levels, this objection fails as a general criticism. Moreover, even if population could be ignored as a variable, the climate colonialism charge would re-emerge in a different form, since, at present population sizes, it would be environmentally catastrophic for developing nations to reach the production ambitions which see their per capita emissions massively increase. Even if emission reductions in affluent nations are (rightly) prioritised, there are good reasons to prevent enormous growth of emissions in developing countries. Those environmental risks become much greater given developing nations’ projected population increases in the coming century. The article then explores how the necessary radical environmental policies pertaining to fertility rates might be enacted in non-coercive ways, reducing the sting of the ‘climate colonialism’ charge. The article ends by considering some reasons to be moderately sceptical about such policies.

Structural insulation panel system (SIP) as an alternative for cooling energy saving, decarbonization, and energy cost reduction in hot and dry climates. A simulation-based approach

ABSTRACT During the last decades, the growing urban prospects represent a challenging condition to develop climate change adaptation solutions before the urban overheating effects and its challenges to the environment, human health, and building energy consumption, which is critical in hot arid climates with record-breaking heatwaves where society is turning to air conditioning instead of energy-efficient building envelopes. The primary aim of this study was to examine the influence of the Structural Insulation Panel (SIP) system heat transfer in energy-related aspects and contrast it with those of conventional construction systems. Therefore, a comparative study was carried out in low-income dwellings to measure the thermal transmittance of the building envelope and assess the thermal energy simulation allocated in Köppen-Geiger´s hot desert climate, characterized by typical maximum temperatures of 45°C in the summer season. The investigation ascertained the levels of energy consumption, the capacity of the air conditioning system, the associated energy costs, and the potential decrease in carbon footprint. The study shows SIP as a viable construction system alternative, the evidence shows a 20% heat gain reduction, the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system capacity was reduced by 38%, and energy cost by 27%. The system also contributes to the decarbonization and carbon footprint by 20%. Likewise, to reduce the heat flow, a crucial element is evident, since transmittance in thermal bridges significantly affects the heat transfer in these low thermal conductivity systems with structural reinforcement elements.

Dynamic Asset Allocation and Retirement Decision with Consumption Ratcheting and Effort Choice

This study examines the problem of choosing optimal consumption, investment, early retirement, and effort levels for an economic agent who is unwilling to reduce their consumption over time. The agent’s income depends on a fixed wage rate, and varies proportionally with their level of effort, which incurs disutility due to labor. By applying the dual-martingale method, we reformulate the problem into its dual form, dividing it into two distinct sub-problems: one focuses on selecting a consumption path that does not decrease, while the other determines the optimal timing for early retirement. Using this method, we find optimal strategies in the form of explicit closed-form solutions.

Impact of adjusted fertility policies on household consumption patterns in China

China's fertility policy adjustments have impacted family fertility decisions but have not reversed the declining birth rate, with economic pressures playing a significant role. This study utilized data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) and treated the implementation of China's "two-child" policy as a natural experiment. Using a propensity score matching-difference-in-differences model, the study analyzed data from four periods before and after the policy change to examine how having underage children and additional children affects household consumption behavior. The results indicate that household consumption increases with the number of children, as families with newborns experience higher overall consumption levels. The addition of a second child amplifies this effect, but per capita consumption expenditure decreases as family size grows. Differences in consumption patterns were observed between families with an additional first child and those with a second child. Furthermore, the impact of additional children on household consumption varies significantly depending on the family's education level. The study suggests that the government should design differentiated fertility policies tailored to family characteristics to reduce economic and childcare pressures and create a more supportive environment for family decision-making.

Joint Short-term Power Forecasting of Hydro-Wind-Photovoltaic Considering Spatiotemporal Delay of Weather Processes

Regional integrated energy systems (RIES) represented by hydro, wind, and solar energy are crucial avenues for future clean energy development, fully leveraging their complementarity can facilitate the orderly supply of renewable energy, significantly enhance the level of new energy consumption, and make outstanding contributions to achieving carbon neutrality goals. However, run-of-river hydropower (RHP), wind power (WP), and photovoltaic (PV) are affected by the chaotic characteristics of the weather system, with significant random fluctuations, and their output characteristics have significant heterogeneity, which brings a big challenge for the complementary coordinated scheduling. The high-accuracy power prediction of RHP, WP, and PV in the region is one of the key means for solving the above problems. To meet this challenge, by analyzing the spatio-temporal correlation properties between weather processes and station output, a novel joint prediction framework for short-term power forecasting (STPF) of regional hydro-wind-PV clusters is proposed. Firstly, to solve the problem of significant heterogeneity of water, wind, and solar, a Differentiated Spatio-Temporal Mixture Network (DSTMN) is proposed, which differentially encodes the weather and power information at multiple locations, enabling the extraction of common features while preserving their specificities, which addresses the difficulty of representing the inherent correlation patterns between wide-area meteorological information and heterogeneous energy sources. Secondly, to further explore the spatio-temporal correlation between meteorological information and power information, to improve the forecasting performance of the model, a spatio-temporal-lagged correlation (STLC) that can quantify their spatio-temporal delays is proposed. By analyzing the correlation characteristics between regional grid numerical weather prediction (NWP) information and station output at different spatial and temporal scales, the optimal spatial location and delay time of NWP inputs under the current scenario are determined for each station. Based on this, the best NWP scene probabilistic transfer model is established based on the Rank Bayesian Ensemble (RBE) method. By fitting the conditional probability distribution of the current best NWP spatiotemporal location and the 2nd day’s best NWP spatiotemporal location, providing a reliable input for the STPF model. Finally, a case study with 164 hydro-wind-solar stations in China demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method. Specifically, we achieved an accuracy improvement of 0.46% — 11.03% on the 2nd day of forecasting compared to benchmark methods.

Robust degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride by electro-assisted activation of peroxymonosulfate over porous cobalt-manganese oxide nanowire array in situ grown on nickel foam

The electro-assisted activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) with transition metals for treating antibiotics in water environment has become a research hotspot. In this work, porous cobalt-manganese oxide nanowire array was successfully in situ fabricated on nickel foam (Co2.5Mn0.5O4/NF), and the degradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) by PMS activation over Co2.5Mn0.5O4/NF in the presence of an electric field (defined as E-Co2.5Mn0.5O4/NF-PMS) was further studied. The E-Co2.5Mn0.5O4/NF-PMS system showed an unexpectedly high catalytic performance for TC degradation, achieving a removal efficiency of 98.71% in 20min with a rate constant of 0.2092min−1. Thereinto, the electric field ensured a rapid redox cycle of Co(II)/Co(III) and Mn(II)/Mn(III)/Mn(IV), which activated PMS continuously and guaranteed the robustness of TC degradation process. Specifically, the catalytic system exhibited outstanding stability after ten consecutive cycles. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and quenching experiments illuminated that non-radical pathway involved singlet oxygen (1O2) was dominant in TC oxidation degradation in E-Co2.5Mn0.5O4/NF-PMS system, and furthermore possible degradation routes of TC were revealed. Of note, the degradation system exhibited relatively low level of energy consumption (0.51 kWh m−3 order−1), widespread applicability in treating wastewater contaminated with different organic pollutants, and excellent resistance toward the interference from background anions.

Analysis of the entrepreneurial process at the level of the entity by reporting to coaching

Successful entrepreneurship occurs when creative people put together a new way to satisfy needs by identifying new market opportunities. This is done through a patterned process that mobilizes and directs resources to deliver a specific product or service to customers using a go-to-market strategy that presents investors with building sustainable revenue streams and profitability. The design of a product and specific operations require the application of sustainability criteria at the level of energy and material consumption, contributing to the elimination of unfair social impact due to the company’s operations, including its impact on the supply chain.

The Influence of Halal Lifestyle, Halal Knowledge and Promotion on Rabbani Brand Purchasing Decisions

This study aims to determine and analyze the influence of halal lifestyle, halal knowledge and promotion on purchasing decisions of Rabbani Brand (Study on Rabbani Consumers in Medan City). This study uses a quantitative method, with an associative approach. The number of samples in this study was 92 respondents, namely consumers of Rabbani Medan Store). The data source used in this study is primary data obtained by distributing questionnaires to respondents. Data analysis techniques in this study are data quality testing, classical assumption testing, multiple linear regression analysis and hypothesis testing carried out using SPSS software version 25. The results of the study indicate that Halal Lifestyle partially has a positive and significant effect on Consumer Purchasing Decisions at Rabbani Medan Store in 2024. This is evidenced by the t-count value of 3.430 which is greater than the t-table of 1.662 and has a significant figure of 0.001 <0.05. Halal Knowledge partially influences Consumer Purchasing Decisions at Rabbani Medan Store in 2024. This is evidenced by the t-count value of 3.040 which is greater than the t-table of 1.662 and has a significant figure of 0.003 <0.05. Promotion partially influences Consumer Purchasing Decisions at Rabbani Medan Store in 2024. This is evidenced by the t-value of 2.922, which is greater than the t-table of 1.662 and has a significant figure of 0.004 <0.05. The results of the study indicate that Promotion is classified as very satisfying consumer expectations, because the promotions offered are very affordable for consumers who have a limited shopping budget. Halal Lifestyle, Halal Knowledge and Promotion simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on Consumer Purchasing Decisions at Rabbani Medan Store in 2024. This is evidenced by the F-value of 29.860, which is greater than the F-table of 2.01 and has a significant figure of 0.00 <0.05. Based on the results of the determination coefficient test (Adjust R Square), it is known that the Halal Lifestyle, Halal Knowledge and Promotion variables can explain the level of Consumer Purchasing Decisions by 48.8%. While the rest (51.2%) can be explained by other factors not examined in this study.

Childhood obesity, sugar, and Early Childhood Caries: the sweet trap.

What drives our irresistible attraction to foods like chocolate, fries, or a warm apple pie? Sugar intake triggers the brain's dopamine system, creating a sense of reward that unconsciously conditions a preference for foods that satisfy cravings. Over time, this weakens attraction to healthier, low-fat and low-sugar foods. This response shares characteristics with addiction, sparking the concept of "food addiction." For early humans, this reward-driven behaviour was advantageous, motivating them to seek high-calorie foods essential for survival when food was scarce. Today, however, it fuels a global surge in obesity and diabetes the real "killer" of our times. Additionally, a study on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) found that a sugar-heavy diet reduces sensitivity to sweetness, leading to increased consumption. This phenomenon, like "desensitisation" in humans, suggests that high sugar intake may promote obesity by altering taste perception and reward circuits [May et al., 2019]. The link between sugar-rich diets, obesity, and public health is a critical concern for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the sustainability of the western healthcare system. A 2024 study published in BMJ [Lara-Castor et al., 2024] revealed that from 1990 to 2018, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in children and adolescents (aged 3-19) from 185 countries rose by 23%, paralleling a global rise in obesity rates in this age group (Fig. 1). The findings highlighted a range of consumption levels influenced by factors like age, parental education, and urban living; however, the overall increase calls for national and targeted approaches to reduce SSB intake. Exactly like the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) among children and adolescents aged 5-19 has risen dramatically from just 8% in 1990 to 20% in 2022. While just 2% of children and adolescents aged 5-19 was obese in 1990 (31 million young people), by 2022, 8% of children and adolescents were living with obesity (160 million young people) [GBD 2019 Risk Factors Collaborators 2020; Okunogbe et al., 2022] (Fig. 2) [Ritchie and Roser, 2017]. Establishing good habits early is vital, as children are highly receptive to new behaviours. Notably, paediatric prevention begins even in the womb [Paglia 2017; Paglia, 2019]: a 2021 Canadian study [Laforest-Lapointeet al, 2021] linked maternal consumption of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy to an increased risk of infant obesity. By examining the gut microbiomes of 100 infants, researchers found that artificial sweetener intake could influence infant gut health and body mass index in the first year of life. The effects of sugar thus begin before birth and extend into early childhood. In Italy, added sugars are often introduced into infants' diets before 12 months, and delayed oral hygiene practices worsen the risks. Parental obesity further correlates with a higher incidence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC), emphasizing the need to address sugar consumption and health habits from prenatal to early childhood stages [D'oria, Bettocchi et al., 2024] Addressing the roots of obesity and diet-related diseases in young populations is therefore crucial and early intervention is key. In Italy, the government is attempting to curb sugar consumption through the so-called "sugar tax," introduced in the 2020 Budget Law. The tax was initially set to take effect on January 1st, 2021; but was postponed to January 1st, 2022. Then to January 1st, 2023; again to January 1st, 2024, and recently postponed once more to January 1st, 2025…Hoping next year will finally be the one!

Economic irrigation water productivity of wheat and potato: An earth observation perspective on policy implications in the Litani Basin, Lebanon

Efficient water management is critical in addressing the challenges posed by water scarcity and resource sustainability in agriculture. However, the utilization of remote sensing technology to monitor and enhance water productivity in data-scarce environments remains an open question. This study underscores the importance of integrating earth observation systems into agricultural water management policies, elucidating their potential to shape crucial policy decisions and investment strategies, particularly in regions facing data limitations. To address this issue, we provide a comprehensive framework that blends remote sensing data with field-based economic information, to develop the concept of economic productivity of irrigation water. Leveraging FAO’s Water Productivity Open-access portal (WaPOR) data, we spatially assess yields, water use, crop water productivity, economic water productivity, and economic irrigation water productivity (EIWP) for wheat and potatoes in the Upper Litani Basin of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Early season potatoes outperform irrigated wheat significantly, providing up to ten times higher returns on irrigation water ($6/m3 vs. $0.6/m3). Spatial analysis shows that southern areas have 30 % lower potato EIWP than northern areas of the valley but 55 % higher wheat EIWP, mainly due to higher rainfall. Our findings reveal that merely considering crop water productivity is insufficient when deciding what to plant, as it fails to account for profitability. While transitioning to crops or practices with greater EIWP can enhance economic productivity on the short-term, it may simultaneously lead to increased water consumption. As a result, the shift towards highly water-productive systems may require measures such as controlling irrigated areas or implementing restrictions on water withdrawals to maintain stable water consumption levels. This study offers valuable insights for water resource management, agricultural policy, and sustainable water utilization, especially in semi-arid regions like the Litani Basin, providing a foundation for informed decision-making in these resource-constrained environments.

An assessment of the pozzolanic potential and mechanical properties of Nigerian calcined clays for sustainable ternary cement blends

This study investigates the potential of calcined clays from Nigerian deposits as supplementary cementitious materials. Clay materials were obtained from three sites namely: Ikpeshi, Okpilla and Uzebba. The raw clay samples were then calcined at 700°C and 800°C. Chemical and mineralogical compositions were determined for the raw and calcined clay samples using XRF and XRD respectively. The chemical composition by XRF confirmed these clays as potential pozzolans with SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3 collectively exceeding 70%. XRD analysis identified kaolinite and quartz as major mineral phases in the raw clays, which transformed into metakaolin upon calcination. Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) indicated varying lime consumption levels among the clays, with Ikpeshi clay displaying the highest pozzolanic reactivity and Uzebba clay the least. Compressive strength investigation on mortar cubes prepared with 50% substitution of Portland cement with the calcined clay and limestone, showed that Ikpeshi clay at 800°C had the best strength performance, with strength activity index of 0.92 (at age 28 days), demonstrating superior pozzolanic potential. Strength development was more significant between 7 and 28 days, indicating the pozzolanic reaction's contribution to long-term strength. However, initial strength at 3 days was lower than the reference Portland cement due to a delayed pozzolanic reaction. XRD analysis of blended pastes revealed typical phases of hydration like portlandite, calcium silicate hydrate phase, strätlingite, and ettringite, with the calcined clay blends showing reduced portlandite content, indicating absorption by the pozzolan's alumina phase.

China’s carbon emission forecasts in different development models

China is the world's largest carbon emitter, its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals significantly reduce climate change and global warming problems. Although the Chinese government proposed carbon emissions will peak by 2030, how do different development models affect carbon emissions in the future? Here, we analyzed the spatial and temporal trends of carbon emissions over the past two decades. Then we constructed the STIRPAT carbon emissions model based on ridge regression analysis. Finally, one national STIRPAT model and eight STIRPAT models at the sub-regional scales were generated because the effects of population, economy, and energy consumption vary significantly across regions and periods. Meanwhile, we established nine different future development models based on various population, economy, and energy consumption levels, and forecast their carbon emissions from 2020 to 2060 by eight sub-region STIRPAT models. Our results documented that (1) China's carbon emissions significantly increased by 445.79 million-ton/yr between 2000 and 2019. Meanwhile, population, total energy consumption, and GDP were growing at a rate of 7.60 million people/yr, 185.37 million-ton/yr, and 4791.74 billion-yuan/yr, respectively. (2) Ridge regression results indicated that carbon emissions are positively influenced by population, economic growth, and energy consumption in all regions, but the degree of influence varies across sub-regions. (3) In 2060, carbon emissions will be lowest across all variables at low levels of development and highest at high levels of development. Meanwhile, low energy consumption and population levels are possibly the main directions for controlling carbon emissions in the future. The findings indicate that the carbon peak target could be achieved by 2030 by controlling population and energy consumption alone. However, relying solely on these strategies may pose significant challenges in meeting the dual carbon targets, which emphasizes the need for a scientific foundation to inform low-carbon development policies. The findings provide a scientific basis and reference for the low-carbon sustainable development in China.

Reply to 'Re-calculation of sodium risks needs better reconciliation with consumption levels and risk parameters'.

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