Screening of healthcare workers for tuberculosis: development and validation of a new health economic model to inform practice

Methods for determining cost-effectiveness of different treatments are well established, unlike appraisal of non-drug interventions, including novel diagnostics and biomarkers.

Oscillations in a decentralized economic network

The study of exchange markets dates back to LeonWalras's general equilibrium theory. Since then the economic market has been studied for its' equilibrium properties, fairness of allocations of private and public goods, and even the psychological incentives of participants. This paper studies the dynamics of an exchange economy built on a network of markets where consumers trade with suppliers to optimize utility. Viewing the market in as a decentralized network we study the system from the usual control theory point of view, evaluating the system's dynamic performance, stability and robustness. It is shown that certain consumer demand dynamics can lead to oscillations while others can converge to optimal allocations. © 2011 IFAC.

A global assessment of manufacturing: Economic development, energy use, carbon emissions, and the potential for energy efficiency and materials recycling

We present in two parts an assessment of global manufacturing. In the first part, we review economic development, pollution, and carbon emissions from a country perspective, tracking the rise of China and other developing countries. The results show not only a rise in the economic fortunes of the newly industrializing nations, but also a significant rise in global pollution, particularly air pollution and CO2 emissions largely from coal use, which alter and even reverse previous global trends. In the second part, we change perspective and quantitatively evaluate two important technical strategies to reduce pollution and carbon emissions: energy efficiency and materials recycling. We subdivide the manufacturing sector on the basis of the five major subsectors that dominate energy use and carbon emissions: (a) iron and steel, (b) cement, (c) plastics, (d) paper, and (e) aluminum. The analysis identifies technical constraints on these strategies, but by combined and aggressive action, industry should be able to balance increases in demand with these technical improvements. The result would be high but relatively flat energy use and carbon emissions. The review closes by demonstrating the consequences of extrapolating trends in production and carbon emissions and suggesting two options for further environmental improvements, materials efficiency, and demand reduction. © 2013 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved.

The distribution and economic losses of alien species invasion to China

Invasive alien species have become one of the most serious environmental issues in the world. Data of taxon, origin, pathway, and environmental impacts of invasive alien microorganisms, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, herbs, trees, and, marine organisms in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems of China were analyzed during 2001 and 2003, based on literature retrieval and field survey. There were 283 invasive alien species in China, and the number of species of invasive alien microorganisms, aquatic plants, terrestrial plants, aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, fish, and mammals were 19, 18, 170, 25, 33, 3, 10, and 5, respectively. The proportion of invasive alien species originated from America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania were 55.1, 21.7, 9.9, 8.1, and 0.6%, respectively. Methods for estimation of direct economic losses to agriculture, forestry, stockbreeding, fishery, road and water transportation, storage, water conservancy, environment and public facilities, and human health were established. Methods for estimation of indirect economic losses caused by invasive alien species to service functions of forest ecosystems, agricultural ecosystems, grassland ecosystems, and wetland ecosystems were also established. The total economic losses caused by invasive alien species to China were to the time of USD 14.45 billion, with direct and indirect economic losses accounting for 16.59% and 83.41% of total economic losses, respectively.

Regulation of gamete release in the economic brown seaweed Hizikia fusiforme (Phaeophyta)

Gamete release is an essential event in artificial seeding of the economic brown seaweed, Hizikia fusiforme. Mass egg release occurred in the dark, with few eggs being discharged in the light. Release of eggs was elicited with eight practical salinity units (one PSU = 1 g sea salts l(-1)) and was inhibited by salinity levels > 32 PSU. Egg release was optimal at 23 degrees C, and was decreased by 72% in agitated seawater compared to unstirred seawater. Inhibitors of photosynthesis and ions channels suppressed egg release, indicating that this process was physiologically associated with photosynthetic activity and ion transport.

Photosynthetic characteristics of the economic brown seaweed Hizikia fusiforme (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta), with special reference to its "leaf" and receptacle

Photosynthetic responses to irradiance and temperature of "leaves" and receptacles were compared in February ( vegetative stage) and May ( reproductive stage) in the seaweed, Hizikia fusiforme ( Harvey) Okamura (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta) from Nanao Island, Shantou, China. Irradiance-saturated photosynthesis (P-max) was significantly higher in receptacles than in "leaves" on a fresh weight basis, and that of "leaves" was greater in May than in February at ambient seawater temperatures. The optimum temperature for P-max was 30 degrees C for both "leaves" and receptacles, being 5 - 10 degrees C higher than the ambient seawater temperature. The apparent photosynthetic efficiencies were greater in receptacles than in "leaves" within the tested temperature range of 10 - 40 degrees C. The irradiance for saturating photosynthesis for both "leaves" and receptacles was temperature-dependent, with the highest values ( about 200 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1)) at 30 degrees C.

Photosynthetic utilization of inorganic carbon in the economic brown alga, Hizikia Fusiforme (Sargassaceae) from the South China Sea

The mechanism of inorganic carbon (C-i) acquisition by the economic brown macroalga, Hizikia fusiforme (Harv.) Okamura (Sargassaceae), was investigated to characterize its photosynthetic physiology. Both intracellular and extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA) were detected, with the external CA activity accounting for about 5% of the total. Hizikia fusiforme showed higher rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution at alkaline pH than those theoretically derived from the rates of uncatalyzed CO2 production from bicarbonate and exhibited a high pH compensation point (pH 9.66). The external CA inhibitor, acetazolamide, significantly depressed the photosynthetic oxygen evolution, whereas the anion-exchanger inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonate had no inhibitory effect on it, implying the alga was capable of using HCO3- as a source of C-i for its photosynthesis via the mediation of the external CA. CO2 concentrations in the culture media affected its photosynthetic properties. A high level of CO2 (10,000 ppmv) resulted in a decrease in the external CA activity; however, a low CO2 level (20 ppmv) led to no changes in the external CA activity but raised the intracellular CA activity. Parallel to the reduction in the external CA activity at the high CO2 was a reduction in the photosynthetic CO2 affinity. Decreased activity of the external CA in the high CO2 grown samples led to reduced sensitiveness of photosynthesis to the addition of acetazolamide at alkaline pH. It was clearly indicated that H. fusiforme, which showed CO2-limited photosynthesis with the half-saturating concentration of C-i exceeding that of seawater, did not operate active HCO3- uptake but used it via the extracellular CA for its photosynthetic carbon fixation.

A study on the economic efficiency of hydrogen production from biomass residues in China

As part of Pilot Project of KIP of CAS, a feasibility study of hydrogen production system using biomass residues is conducted. This study is based on a process of oxygen-rich air gasification of biomass in a downdraft gasifier plus CO-shift. The capacity of this system is 6.4 t biomass/d. Applying this system, it is expected that an annual production of 480 billion N m(3) H-2 will be generated for domestic supply in China. The capital cost of the plant used in this study is 1328$/(N m(3)/h) H-2 out, and product supply cost is 0.15$/N m(3) H-2. The cost sensitivity analysis on this system tells that electricity and catalyst cost are the two most important factors to influence hydrogen production cost.