The International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference held in China

The sixth International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference (IOPC-Ⅵ) was held from July 31 to August 3 at Qinhuangdao, a seaside city in the north part of China. The conference’s theme is to showcase the latest development and accomplishments achieved

Current Situation of International Organization for Standardization/Technical Committee 249 International Standards of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Objective： To review the current situation and progress of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） international standards, standard projects and proposals in International Organization for Standardization（ISO）/technical committee（TC） 249. Methods： ISO/TC 249 standards and standard projects on the ISO website were searched and new standard proposals information were collected from ISO/TC 249 National Mirror Committee in China. Then all the available data were summarized in 5 closely related items, including proposed time, proposed country, assigned working group（WG）, current stage and classification. Results： In ISO/TC 249, there were 2 international standards, 18 standard projects and 24 new standard proposals proposed in 2014. These 44 standard subjects increased year by year since 2011. Twenty-nine of them were proposed by China, 15 were assigned to WG 4, 36 were in preliminary and preparatory stage and 8 were categorized into 4 fields, 7 groups and sub-groups based on International Classification Standards. Conclusion： A rapid and steady development of international standardization in TCM can be observed in ISO/TC 249.

Developing ISO International Standards for the Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils Sector

Increasing volumes of oils and fats are produced annually with a large section that are traded internationally. The International Organization for Standardization(ISO) body develops international standards covering almost all aspects of technology and manufacturing with 23,882 standards currently published. Standards in the animal and vegetable fats and oils sector is developed by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee SC 11, Animal and vegetable fats and oils. Standards are developed through consensus by national members that represent ISO in their country. Each Standard is developed within a determined timeframe and goes through various pre-determined stages such as project proposal, development, national voting and commenting on the draft Standard to final publication. ISO TC34/SC11 Standards range from sampling of oils and fats, sample preparation to analysis of its composition, the minor components, and quality and identity parameters as well as contaminants. The analysis results are used by industry for product development, labelling, research and to provide peace of mind for consumers on its safety. An important future trend is the focus on the safety concerns from either environmental contamination(e.g. mineral oils) or processing contaminants such as esters of 3-MCPDs(3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol or 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol).

The Second International Conference on HSLA Steels Beijing,China,October 1990 Organized by THE CHINESE SOCIETY OF METALS

GENERAL INFORMATIONThe Chinese Society of Metals is pleased to announcethat The Second International Conference on HSLASteels(HSLA’90)will be held in Beijing,China inOctober 1990.Much progress in research and devel-opment of HSLA steels has been achieved by theworld’s metallurgical and materials community since

The World's Largest Exhibition of Textile Machinery Goes to Italy in 2015 after 20 Years——MP International appointed to organize the show for the second time

Italy will host the 17th edition of ITMA, the world’s largest exhibition of textile machinery.It will be held at the Fiera Milano Rhoexhibition centre in Milan,from 12 to 19 November 2015.

Decarbonizing in Maritime Transportation: Challenges and Opportunities

As global warming caused by greenhouse gases grows (GHGs) into a global environmental threat, carbon dioxide emissions are drawing increasing attention in these years. Among all emission sources, transportation is a major contributor to climate change because of its high dependence on fossil fuels. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has therefore been promoting the reduction of fuel usage and carbon emissions for container ships by such measures as improving shipping route selection, shipping speed optimization, and constructing clean energy propulsion systems. In this paper, a review of the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on climate change is presented;the current situations of carbon dioxide emissions, decarbonizing methods, IMO regulations, and possible future directions of decarbonizing in the maritime transportation industry are also discussed. Based on the result, it is found that in the case that non intelligent ships still occupy the vast majority of operating ships, the use of new energy as the main propulsion fuel has the defects of high renewal cost and long effective period. It is more likely to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction in the shipping industry in a short period of time by using intelligent means and artificial intelligence to assist ship operation. .

向国际标准化组织中央秘书处推荐人才的建议

Training and sending talents to international organizations are of great significance for countries to participate in global governance.The standards set by the International Organization for Standardization(ISO),the Largest and most prestigious international standardization organization in the world,are referred to as the"passport"to international trade and have a significant influence on the growth of the world’s economy and social system.This paper introduces the recruitment mechanism of the ISO Central Secretariat(ISO/CS),and discusses the existing problems of China’s international talent cultivation and provides suggestions on how to cultivate and send experts to work at ISO.

Development of a Porcine cDNA Microarray:Analysis of Clenbuterol Responding Genes in Pig(Sus scrofa) Internal Organs

Pig （Sus scrofa） fat accumulation can be reduced by feeding with high dosages of clenbuterol, but the molecular mechanism has not yet been explained. In our study, a porcine cDNA microarray representing 3 358 pig genes was successfully developed. This microarray is the first porcine DNA microarray in China and its false positive rate is 0.98%, which means the microarray platform is reliable. The microarray can be used to study gene expression profiles in multiple pig tissues because the present genes percentage of adipose, skeletal muscle, heart, liver, lung, kidney, and spleen were all more than 60%. This microarray was used to identify the genes responding to clenbuterol stimulation in pig internal organs, including heart, liver, lung, spleen, and kidney. Many genes were identified including enzymes involved in lipids metabolism （lipoprotein lipase up-regulated in liver, heart and lung, ATP-citrate lyase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase II precursor up-regulated in liver, succinyl-CoA up-regulated in lung, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase down-regulated in spleen）, and signaling pathway genes （cAMP-protein kinase A signaling pathway was found up-regulated in liver, heart, lung, and kidney as reported previously, while transforming growth factor was found down-regulated in heart and lung）. However, no common gene responding to clenbuterol administration was found in all tissues. The expression levels of 14 genes were analyzed using real-time PCR with 82.1% of them induced to express similar magnitudes as in the microarray analyses. This work offers some understanding of how clenbuterol so effectively reduces pig adipose accumulation on the molecular level.

Paradox of international maritime organization's carbon intensity indicator

The 76th session of the Marine Environment Committee(MEPC 76)of the International Maritime Organization adopted several mandatory measures in June 2021 to reduce carbon emissions from ships.One of the measures is the carbon intensity indicator(CII),which is the carbon emissions per unit transport work for each ship.Several options of CIIs are available and none of them is chosen to be applied yet.We prove that,at least in theory,requiring the attained annual CII of a ship to be less than a reference value,no matter which CII option is applied,may increase its carbon emissions.Therefore,more elaborate models,combined with real data,should be developed to analyze the effectiveness of each CII option and possibly to design a new CII.

International non-governmental organizations’provision of communitybased tuberculosis care for hard-to-reach populations in Myanmar,2013-2014

Background:National tuberculosis(TB)programs increasingly engage with international non-governmental organizations(INGOs),especially to provide TB care in complex settings where community involvement might be required.In Myanmar,however,there is limited data on how such INGO community-based programs are organized and how effective they are.In this study,we describe four INGO strategies for providing community-based TB care to hard-to-reach populations in Myanmar,and assess their contribution to TB case detection.Methods:We conducted a descriptive study using program data from four INGOs and the National TB Program(NTP)in 2013-2014.For each INGO,we extracted information on its approach and key activities,the number of presumptive TB cases referred and undergoing TB testing,and the number of patients diagnosed with TB and their treatment outcomes.The contribution of INGOs to TB diagnosis in their selected townships was calculated as the proportion of INGO-diagnosed new TB cases out of the total NTP-diagnosed new TB cases in the same townships.Results:All four INGOs implemented community-based TB care in challenging contexts,targeting migrants,post-conflict areas,the urban poor,and other vulnerable populations.Two recruited community volunteers via existing community health volunteers or health structures,one via existing community leaderships,and one directly involved TB infected/affected individuals.Two INGOs compensated volunteers via performance-based financing,and two provided financial and in-kind initiatives.All relied on NTP laboratories for diagnosis and TB drugs,but provided direct observation treatment support and treatment follow-up.A total of 21995 presumptive TB cases were referred for TB diagnosis,with 7383(34%)new TB cases diagnosed and almost all(98%)successfully treated.The four INGOs contributed to the detection of,on average,36%(7383/20663)of the total new TB cases in their respective townships(range:15-52%).Conclusion:Community-based TB care supported by INGOs successfully achieved TB case detection in hard-toreach and vulnerable populations.This is vital to achieving the World Health Organization End TB Strategy targets.Strategies to ensure sustainability of the programs should be explored,including the need for longer-term commitment of INGOs.

Preliminary Measurement of Internal Organs of Congjiang Fragrance Pig and Huanjiang Fragrance Pig

Fragrance pig is a famous miniature local breed in China,which is similar to human on the aspects of physical structure,anatomy,nutrition,metabolism and blood biochemical indicators. The internal organs of Congjiang fragrance pig and Huanjiang fragrance pig with different month ages were weighed. The results showed that the proportion of stomach in body weight in Congjiang fragrance pig was higher than that in Min pig,Harbin white and Landrace,and the proportion of large intestine in body weight in Congjiang fragrance pig was also higher than that in ordinary pigs; the weights of heart,liver and kidney in 8- 10 months old Congjiang fragrance pig were similar to that in Chinese adults. This provided reference data for future in-depth development and utilization of fragrance pig.

The post-Paris approach to mitigating Arctic warming——perspectives from shipping emissions reduction

The availability of increased Arctic shipping as a consequence of sea ice decline is a regional issue that is closely linked with international climate governance and global governance of the maritime industry. Sea ice decline creates favorable circumstances for the development of merchant shipping, but is accompanied by increases in greenhouse gas emissions. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry is of utmost importance to prevent the destruction of the fragile Arctic ecosystem. This paper focuses on the core content of the Paris Agreement and suggests that the International Maritime Organization could guide the shipping industry to reach a fair agreement with states that includes market-based measures, capacity building, and voluntary actions of shipping companies as non-state actors.

Research on governance of HFO use and carriage on ships in accordance with the Polar Code

In this paper, we discuss the environmental damages caused by the use and carriage of Heavy Fuel Oil(HFO) by ships in Arctic waters. We also review efforts made by major international and regional organizations in governing the use and carriage of HFO by ships in Arctic waters after implementation of the Polar Code, and analyze the obstacles and difficulties that lie ahead. By illustrating the features of the Arctic Council and the International Maritime Organization(IMO), which govern Arctic waters, we examine measures taken by these two organizations in tackling HFO issues. These include: assessing indigenous and local community’s reliance on HFO transportation in the Arctic, developing risk prevention measures for ships operating in Arctic waters, seeking economic alternatives to HFO that contribute to a greener economy, developing a package of HFO governance measures, strengthening cooperation between relevant international and regional organizations that govern HFO to provide suggestions for follow-up discussions on HFOs, and optimize governance by relevant organizations and determine a better global solution to governing the use and carriage of HFO by ships. In addition, we discuss the feasibility of an IMO-imposed HFO ban from the perspective of the Arctic governance to clearly grasp the path of its future development.

The Impact of Meetings on the Network Governance and Mobility of UN Policy Programs on Environment and Education

Purpose:This paper adds to the understandings of how face-to-face meetings contribute to the network governance and global mobility of United Nations(UN)policy programs on environmental and sustainability education(ESE).Design/Approach/Methods:Data from interviews with 13 international ESE policy leaders were transcribed,coded,and analyzed for key themes related to the research purpose.Findings:The findings indicate that meetings provide an arena for collaboration and influence on UN ESE policy programs,as well as facilitating the impact of the policy programs on UN member country policy.In addition,attending meetings enables the production of network relations that bind ESE policy communities together across distant locations.They are also a venue for the networking labor involved in forging new relationships and facilitating the social learning that supports global policy mobility.Originality/Value:This pilot study enriches understanding of face-to-face meetings as a key vector of policy mobility and a significant factor in the overall network governance of UN organizations and their policy programs.We hope the study contributes to the fields of critical policy studies and ESE,as well as to informing policy actors on how important their participation in meetings can be for the network governance and mobility of UN policy programs.

Characterization and Comparison Analysis of WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants and Iso Standards of Chinese Materia Medica

Medicinal plants or Chinese materia medica(CMM)are now attracting worldwide attention as they have increasingly prominent advantages over chemical drugs in disease treatment and healthcare.Since the 1990s,World Health Organization(WHO)and International Organization for Standardization established the Technical Committee of Traditional Chinese Medicine(ISO/TC 249)have carried out the development of quality standards on medicinal plants or CMMs respectively,and a considerable number of monographs and international standards have been published.Since the two international organizations adhere to different principles,the standards they develop naturally have different emphasis.Driven by market demand and international trade,ISO mainly takes quality,efficacy and safety into consideration when developing standards,while WHO pays more attention to clinical practice,quality control and medication guidance.Up to now,there is a lack of comparative analysis on the records,background,principles,basic content,and main requirements of quality standards on medicinal plants or CMMs respectively published by WHO and ISO.Therefore,based on international standards of CMM developed by ISO/TC 249 platform and WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants,this paper systematically compares the purposes,selected principles,standard-developing process,basic content,and main quality requirements to summarize their similarities and differences,and find their merits,aiming to serve as a reference to the development of international standards for CMMs that helps them go global.

The Arab League’s Decision-making System and Arab Integration

This paper analyzes the function of the Arab League decision-making system and its influences on the Arab integration from the perspective of institutionalism and integration theory.Arab League makes its decisions on the basis of cooperation and negotiations.Theoretically,only in some policy fields where cooperation outperforms unilateral action,can such a decision institution lead to mutual policies and unanimous actions.However,practically,this system lacks efficient operations on the regional level.Even in the fields of economy or security,where member states share more mutual interests,the integrative cooperation of the Arab League is confined to the limited policy framework,with minimum agreements as its outcome.Experience from the Europe Union suggests that there must be a supra-national institution to propose draft,supervise the development and implementation of the policies,and regulate the behaviors of relevant nations.The integrative direction and outlook of Arab League depends exactly on its future decision-making system.

Objectifying Research on Special Region Corresponding to Five Internal Organs in Colour Inspections of Chinese Medicine

Objective：To study the differences in a special region（SR） corresponding to five internal organs between the young and the elderly and to verify the effectiveness of a developed system for objectifying research in colour inspections of Chinese medicine（CICM）.Methods：An image acquisition device imitating daylight to meet the requirement of CICM was designed.Image processing software based on CICM theory was developed.A total of 83 normal people were sampled and assigned to two groups.The first group（Group I）included 30 people with an average age of 24 ±2,and the second group（Group Ⅱ） included 53 people with an average age of 74 ±4.After image processing,the chromaticity of 10 SRs corresponding to five internal organs was calculated.R,G,and B represent the chromaticity of color red,green,and blue,L indicates color brightness,whereas a and b denote red and yellow respectively.The difference between the young and the elderly was analyzed.Results：（1） The chromaticity of each SR corresponding to five organs was obtained.The average R,G,B,L,a,and b of the sample were 194.4,147.6,119.3,65.2,15.5,and 22.3,respectively.（2） The R,G,B,and L of the young were greater than those of the elderly,but the a and b of the young were less than those of the elderly.（3） A statistically significant difference in each SR was found between the young and the elderly（P0.05）.The total differences for the Lung（Fei）,Heart（Xin）,Liver（Gan）,Spleen（Pi）,and Kidney（Shen） were 50%（3/6）,66.7%（4/6）,66.7%（4/6）,83.3%（5/6）,and 91.7%（33/36）,respectively.However,the Kidney SR had the greatest statistical discrepancy.Conclusion：The old Chinese saying that human Kidney deficiency worsens with age was verified by the results.The objectifying system used to examine CICM was effective.Thus,this system may be used as a basis for further research.