Correcting the uneven burden sharing of emission reduction across provinces in China

Although China committed to reduce its energy and emission intensity, the allocation of such national targets in the provincial level is still a political negotiation process and lack of a systematic principle from the perspective of efficiency. This paper proposes an allocation principle based on the efficiency levels. The efficiency levels are estimated by employing a stochastic frontier analysis approach and the links between energy intensity and efficiency are constructed. The results show that energy efficiency change is not the major contributor to energy intensity reduction. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that (i) the efficiency-based allocation can distribute reduction burdens among regions smoothly compared to the intensity-based allocation; and (ii) the national target of emission intensity reduction can be achieved solely through efficiency measures.     

Nonlinear correlation between RMB internationalization and nonferrous metal prices

The correlation between Renminbi (RMB) internationalization and nonferrous metal prices was studied using the nonlinear Granger causality test and the dynamic conditional correlation-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (DCC-GARCH) model. The results indicate that the relationship between RMB internationalization and nonferrous metal prices reflects a complex nonlinear mechanism. There was no mutual influence between RMB internationalization and nonferrous metal prices prior to the trials of the RMB settlement in the cross-border trade in July 2009. Since then, however, a bidirectional causal relationship between RMB internationalization and the price of copper and a unidirectional causal relationship from the price of aluminum to RMB internationalization were examined. In addition, due to the impact of extreme events, such as economic and financial crises, RMB internationalization and nonferrous metal prices are not always positively correlated but are rather occasionally negatively correlated.     

银含量对多孔镁银合金组织和耐腐蚀性能的影响

研究了银含量对粉末冶金技术制备的多孔镁银合金显微组织、物相组成和耐腐蚀性能的影响。SEM分析表明在多孔镁基体中加入银元素后,多孔合金孔壁的晶粒细化,致密度增加。XRD和EDS分析表明多孔Mg-3%Ag合金由单相α-Mg固溶体组成,而Mg-4%Ag合金由α-Mg和Mg4Ag两相组成,具有阴极强化性质的Mg4Ag相呈网状分布在晶界上。耐腐蚀性测试表明,多孔镁银合金比纯多孔镁的耐腐蚀性好。多孔Mg-3%Ag合金具有最佳的耐腐蚀性能,其自腐蚀电位(-1.4073 V)最大、维钝电流密度(3.4169×10-4 A·cm-2)最低,在人体模拟体液中浸泡48 h后腐蚀速率(0.162 mm/a)最低,腐蚀后其表面仅有少量的腐蚀产物。     

Cost and productivity effects of demographic changes on local water service

We investigate the impact of demographic changes on local public services taking the case of water service. We apply a structural production function approach to a large panel of German water utilities between 2003 and 2014. Exploring variation of population density and the population age structure across service areas and over time, we provide evidence that demographics and their changes significantly affect the utilities’ productivity and costs. We find that demographic changes cause significant cost increases in rapidly shrinking and ageing regions. Our results provide important policy implications regarding the prevention of growing regional disparities in public services.     

From action icon to knowledge icon: Objective-oriented icon taxonomy in computer science

Icon plays a critical role in computer interface design. Studies on icon taxonomy explain the way in which various types of icon represent the objects and provide designers creation rules by which icons are more in line with users’ cognitive psychology. However, along with larger and larger use of icons, the previous classification criterion causes the boundary between categories blur. What’s more, Single classification standard is not able to well illustrate the icons applied in today’s computer applications. The purpose of this paper is to present an objective-oriented icon taxonomy which proposes to categorize icons into action icon and knowledge icon. To assess this proposition, we analyzed a sample of icons that applied in computer interface and suggest precise application domains to both action icon and knowledge icon categories. The results of this practice manifested that action icon and knowledge icon implied a high relation with applied environment and explicated the development trace of computer icons. This work is one of the first to point out the notion of knowledge icon and to highlight the importance of objective of icon application. Findings in this paper could enrich icon use in computer interface design, especially provides possible way to improve online knowledge sharing by visual tool like icon.     

Open Water: Impacts of Retail Competition on Service Performance and Water-Use Efficiency in England

This paper examines the retail water service market introduced in England in 2017, which allows non-domestic consumers to choose their water retailer. Market competition was intended to motivate service improvement and enhance water-use efficiency. Interview and survey data on the responses of incumbent water companies and the impact on consumers reveal varied strategic responses but no significant change in service quality or bills. High transaction costs linked to market complexity, incompetent data management, asymmetric information, and regulatory restrictions account for the limited impact of market opening. Finally, contrary to expectation, the retail market does not appear to affect water-use efficiency uptake significantly.     

Exploring the impact of boundedly rational power plant investment decision-making by applying prospect theory

In liberalized electricity markets, empirical findings suggest that power plant investment decision-making under uncertainty exhibits bounded rationality. This study leverages the Nobel-prize-winning theory – prospect theory – to evaluate the impact of various boundedly rational elements on electric power system transition. Results show that boundedly rational investment behavior renders higher uncertainties and higher system costs. Further analysis highlighted that reference dependence, a factor overlooked in existing studies, can dominate the system's evolution. In light of the presented results, it could be relevant for energy policy evaluation to consider, among others, the perspective and status of investors.