A well-known fact about the Nigerian Niger Delta region is incessant conflicts between the oil transnational corporations (Oil TNCs) and the oil producing communities. This could be attributed to the fact that the a...A well-known fact about the Nigerian Niger Delta region is incessant conflicts between the oil transnational corporations (Oil TNCs) and the oil producing communities. This could be attributed to the fact that the activities of Oil TNCs have continued to unleash untold devastation on the environment of the oil producing communities and its consequences on the local economy and by extension the total obliteration of the livelihood of the inhabitants of the area. Therefore, the Oil TNCs are increasingly becoming conscious of their devastating impact on the ecology of the area and their blatant disregard for the socio-economic development of the host communities. Consequently, the Oil TNCs have come to embrace the idea of executing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects as a vehicle to intervene meaningfully in order to mitigate the adverse effect of their operations in host communities. This paper attempts a review and analysis of CSR practices of the two major Oil TNCs in Bayelsa State: Shell and Agip in six host communities: Olugboboro, Olugbobiri, Ikebiri 1, Oporoma, Angiama, and Peremabiri in Southern ljaw local government area. The key question explored in this study is: Has the practice of CSR in the Nigerian Niger Delta region by Oil TNCs brought about socio-economic development and drastic reduction in conflict between the host communities and the Oil TNCs? The paper argues that CSR projects of transnational oil corporations in Nigeria are driven by short-term expediency rather than the long term development needs of host communities through the provision of poor quality social amenities to these communities in order to secure social license to operate. For transnational oil corporations to make positive impact in the Nigerian Niger Delta Region, their CSR projects should be long tern in nature, taking into consideration the sustainable development needs of the local communities. The CSR projects should be in the form of high quality social amenities and environmental rehabilitation and protection, which could serve the needs of the present and future generations.展开更多
In this paper,the current situation of agricultural environmental pollution caused by the increase of chemicals input in agriculture in China was analyzed,and it is found that agricultural pollution is related to agri...In this paper,the current situation of agricultural environmental pollution caused by the increase of chemicals input in agriculture in China was analyzed,and it is found that agricultural pollution is related to agricultural industrial policies,urban-rural economic structure,funds input in pollution control,comprehensive environmental management,laws of pollution control,and so forth. To control agricultural pollution effectively,it is needed to implement integration of agricultural and environmental policies,establish environmentally friendly agricultural technology popularizing system,implement integrated planning and management of a basin,and set up and improve legislation to protect agricultural environment.展开更多
From a combination of Maxwell’s electromagnetism with Planck’s law and the de Broglie hypothesis, we arrive at quantized photonic wave groups whose constant phase velocity is equal to the speed of light c = ω/k and...From a combination of Maxwell’s electromagnetism with Planck’s law and the de Broglie hypothesis, we arrive at quantized photonic wave groups whose constant phase velocity is equal to the speed of light c = ω/k and to their group velocity dω/dk. When we include special relativity expressed in simplest units, we find that, for particulate matter, the square of rest mass , i.e., angular frequency squared minus wave vector squared. This equation separates into a conservative part and a uniform responsive part. A wave function is derived in manifold rank 4, and from it are derived uncertainties and internal motion. The function solves four anomalies in quantum physics: the point particle with prescribed uncertainties;spooky action at a distance;time dependence that is consistent with the uncertainties;and resonant reduction of the wave packet by localization during measurement. A comparison between contradictory mathematical and physical theories leads to similar empirical conclusions because probability amplitudes express hidden variables. The comparison supplies orthodox postulates that are compared to physical principles that formalize the difference. The method is verified by dual harmonics found in quantized quasi-Bloch waves, where the quantum is physical;not axiomatic.展开更多
A treat-to-target(T2T)approach applies the principles of early intervention and tight disease control to optimise long-term outcomes in Crohn's disease.The Selecting Therapeutic Targets in Inflammatory Bowel Disea...A treat-to-target(T2T)approach applies the principles of early intervention and tight disease control to optimise long-term outcomes in Crohn's disease.The Selecting Therapeutic Targets in Inflammatory Bowel Disease(STRIDE)-II guidelines specify short,intermediate,and long-term treatment goals,documenting specific treatment targets to be achieved at each of these timepoints.Scheduled appraisal of Crohn’s disease activity against pre-defined treatment targets at these timepoints remains central to determining whether current therapy should be continued or modified.Consensus treatment targets in Crohn’s disease comprise combination clinical and patient-reported outcome remission,in conjunction with biomarker normalisation and endoscopic healing.Although the STRIDE-II guidelines endorse the pursuit of endoscopic healing,clinicians must consider that this may not always be appropriate,acceptable,or achievable in all patients.This underscores the need to engage patients at the outset in an effort to personalise care and individualise treatment targets.The use of non-invasive biomarkers such as faecal calprotectin in conjunction with cross-sectional imaging techniques,particularly intestinal ultrasound,holds great promise;as do emerging treatment targets such as transmural healing.Two randomised clinical trials,namely,CALM and STARDUST,have evaluated the efficacy of a T2T approach in achieving endoscopic endpoints in patients with Crohn’s disease.Findings from these studies reflect that patient subgroups and Crohn’s disease characteristics likely to benefit most from a T2T approach,remain to be clarified.Moreover,outside of clinical trials,data pertaining to the real-world effectiveness of a T2T approach remains scare,highlighting the need for pragmatic real-world studies.Despite the obvious promise of a T2T approach,a lack of guidance to support its integration into real-world clinical practice has the potential to limit its uptake.This highlights the need to describe strategies,processes,and models of care capable of supporting the integration and execution of a T2T approach in real-world clinical practice.Hence,this review seeks to examine the current and emerging literature to provide clinicians with practical guidance on how to incorporate the principles of T2T into routine clinical practice for the management of Crohn’s disease.展开更多
Porcine epidemic diarrhea(PED)caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),is a severe infectious and devastating swine disease that leads to serious economic losses in the swine industry worldwide.An increased...Porcine epidemic diarrhea(PED)caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),is a severe infectious and devastating swine disease that leads to serious economic losses in the swine industry worldwide.An increased number of PED cases caused by variant PEDV have been reported in many countries since 2010.S protein is the main immunogenic protein containing some B-cell epitopes that can induce neutralizing antibodies of PEDV.In this study,the construction,expression and purification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A(PE)without domain Ⅲ(PE△Ⅲ)as a vector was performed for the delivery of PEDV S-A or S-B.PE(△Ⅲ)PEDV S-A and PE(△Ⅲ)PEDV S-B recombinant proteins were confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis.The immunogenicity of PEDV S-A and PEDV S-B subunit vaccines were evaluated in mice.The results showed that PEDV-S-B vaccine could not only induce specific humoral and Th1 type-dominant cellular immune responses,but also stimulate PEDV-specific mucosal immune responses in mice.PEDV-S-B subunit vaccine is a novel candidate mucosal vaccine against PEDV infection.展开更多
In this editorial,we comment on the article by Wang et al.This manuscript explores the potential synergistic effects of combining zanubrutinib,a novel oral inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase,with high-dose methotr...In this editorial,we comment on the article by Wang et al.This manuscript explores the potential synergistic effects of combining zanubrutinib,a novel oral inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase,with high-dose methotrexate(HD-MTX)as a therapeutic intervention for primary central nervous system lymphoma(PCNSL).The study involves a retrospective analysis of 19 PCNSL patients,highlighting clinicopathological characteristics,treatment outcomes,and genomic biomarkers.The results indicate the combination’s good tolerance and strong antitumor activity,with an 84.2%overall response rate.The authors emphasize the potential of zanubrutinib to modulate key genomic features of PCNSL,particularly mutations in myeloid differentiation primary response 88 and cluster of differentiation 79B.Furthermore,the study investigates the role of circulating tumor DNA in cerebrospinal fluid for disease surveillance and treatment response monitoring.In essence,the study provides valuable insights into the potential of combining zanubrutinib with HD-MTX as a frontline therapeutic regimen for PCNSL.The findings underscore the importance of exploring alternative treatment modalities and monitoring genomic and liquid biopsy markers to optimize patient outcomes.While the findings suggest promise,the study’s limitations should be considered,and further research is needed to establish the clinical relevance of this therapeutic approach for PCNSL.展开更多
There is an urgent need for China's rural land transfer in order to develop modern agriculture,ensure food security,transfer rural population,and accelerate industrialization and urbanization.At present,there is s...There is an urgent need for China's rural land transfer in order to develop modern agriculture,ensure food security,transfer rural population,and accelerate industrialization and urbanization.At present,there is still disordered transfer of rural land in China,making the interests of the transferors and transferees difficult to be effectively guaranteed;there is inefficient transfer,leading to decline in actual agricultural production level after transfer;there is jobless transfer,leading to difficult placement for rural surplus labor after transfer,seriously restricting rural land transfer.Therefore,the Chinese government's legal responsibility,economic responsibility and social responsibility in rural land transfer should be further strengthened.展开更多
With the opening of the Kela No. 2 gas field in the Tarim basin in China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Dec. 1, Xinjiang will produce 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas next year, becoming the co...With the opening of the Kela No. 2 gas field in the Tarim basin in China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Dec. 1, Xinjiang will produce 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas next year, becoming the country’s largest gas producer, according to an official with the China National Petroleum Corporation.展开更多
Music from a piano embodies widetechniques of expression, so thepiano is reputed as the king of musicalinstruments. China’s piano production datesback four decades. At present, there are 20piano production enterprise...Music from a piano embodies widetechniques of expression, so thepiano is reputed as the king of musicalinstruments. China’s piano production datesback four decades. At present, there are 20piano production enterprises in the county,including such backbone enterprises as theGuangzhou Pearl River Piano IndustrialCorporation, the Beijing Xinghai MusicalInstruments Corporation Ltd., the ShanghaiPiano Corporation, the Yingkou NortheastPiano(Group) Corporation and the展开更多
Background: Harvesting activities have proven effective in reducing stress in patients with dementia. At a psychiatric hospital, occupational therapists (OT) made patients with dementia perform vegetable harvesting ac...Background: Harvesting activities have proven effective in reducing stress in patients with dementia. At a psychiatric hospital, occupational therapists (OT) made patients with dementia perform vegetable harvesting activities as a part of their treatment. The patients became calmer and began to smile not only after but also before and during harvesting activity. Therefore, this study aimed to measure autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses over time in a female patient in her 80s with moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who had experience in farming when performing harvesting activities. Additionally, this study aimed to consider factors associated with changes in ANS responses over time and to verify the physiological therapeutic effects of harvesting activities. Methods: An OT with more than 10 years of experience and a good relationship with the patient conducted one-on-one sessions with the patient. Harvesting activity was performed in a courtyard with trees. The patient harvested lettuce (three lettuce plants) grown in a planter while sitting on a chair. Additionally, the planter was set up on a desk. ANS responses were measured over time from before to after the activity for different events at six time periods. Changes in the patient’s ANS responses were assessed during each period. Results: With the involvement of environmental factors and OT during harvesting activities, parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity significantly increased. This may lead to improved mental stability. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that implementing harvesting activities may have a positive effect on the PNS in patients with AD with long-term agricultural experience. However, further studies with a larger sample size and multidimensional evaluations are needed.展开更多
As sales and demand increased in the electric car industry,Lynas,a rare earth producer in Australia,announced a surge in revenue in the second half of 2017.It was reported that the company’s six month sales up to Dec...As sales and demand increased in the electric car industry,Lynas,a rare earth producer in Australia,announced a surge in revenue in the second half of 2017.It was reported that the company’s six month sales up to December 31,2017 was209 million Australian dollars($155.7 million),compared with a$114.6 million in展开更多
文摘A well-known fact about the Nigerian Niger Delta region is incessant conflicts between the oil transnational corporations (Oil TNCs) and the oil producing communities. This could be attributed to the fact that the activities of Oil TNCs have continued to unleash untold devastation on the environment of the oil producing communities and its consequences on the local economy and by extension the total obliteration of the livelihood of the inhabitants of the area. Therefore, the Oil TNCs are increasingly becoming conscious of their devastating impact on the ecology of the area and their blatant disregard for the socio-economic development of the host communities. Consequently, the Oil TNCs have come to embrace the idea of executing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects as a vehicle to intervene meaningfully in order to mitigate the adverse effect of their operations in host communities. This paper attempts a review and analysis of CSR practices of the two major Oil TNCs in Bayelsa State: Shell and Agip in six host communities: Olugboboro, Olugbobiri, Ikebiri 1, Oporoma, Angiama, and Peremabiri in Southern ljaw local government area. The key question explored in this study is: Has the practice of CSR in the Nigerian Niger Delta region by Oil TNCs brought about socio-economic development and drastic reduction in conflict between the host communities and the Oil TNCs? The paper argues that CSR projects of transnational oil corporations in Nigeria are driven by short-term expediency rather than the long term development needs of host communities through the provision of poor quality social amenities to these communities in order to secure social license to operate. For transnational oil corporations to make positive impact in the Nigerian Niger Delta Region, their CSR projects should be long tern in nature, taking into consideration the sustainable development needs of the local communities. The CSR projects should be in the form of high quality social amenities and environmental rehabilitation and protection, which could serve the needs of the present and future generations.
文摘In this paper,the current situation of agricultural environmental pollution caused by the increase of chemicals input in agriculture in China was analyzed,and it is found that agricultural pollution is related to agricultural industrial policies,urban-rural economic structure,funds input in pollution control,comprehensive environmental management,laws of pollution control,and so forth. To control agricultural pollution effectively,it is needed to implement integration of agricultural and environmental policies,establish environmentally friendly agricultural technology popularizing system,implement integrated planning and management of a basin,and set up and improve legislation to protect agricultural environment.
文摘From a combination of Maxwell’s electromagnetism with Planck’s law and the de Broglie hypothesis, we arrive at quantized photonic wave groups whose constant phase velocity is equal to the speed of light c = ω/k and to their group velocity dω/dk. When we include special relativity expressed in simplest units, we find that, for particulate matter, the square of rest mass , i.e., angular frequency squared minus wave vector squared. This equation separates into a conservative part and a uniform responsive part. A wave function is derived in manifold rank 4, and from it are derived uncertainties and internal motion. The function solves four anomalies in quantum physics: the point particle with prescribed uncertainties;spooky action at a distance;time dependence that is consistent with the uncertainties;and resonant reduction of the wave packet by localization during measurement. A comparison between contradictory mathematical and physical theories leads to similar empirical conclusions because probability amplitudes express hidden variables. The comparison supplies orthodox postulates that are compared to physical principles that formalize the difference. The method is verified by dual harmonics found in quantized quasi-Bloch waves, where the quantum is physical;not axiomatic.
文摘A treat-to-target(T2T)approach applies the principles of early intervention and tight disease control to optimise long-term outcomes in Crohn's disease.The Selecting Therapeutic Targets in Inflammatory Bowel Disease(STRIDE)-II guidelines specify short,intermediate,and long-term treatment goals,documenting specific treatment targets to be achieved at each of these timepoints.Scheduled appraisal of Crohn’s disease activity against pre-defined treatment targets at these timepoints remains central to determining whether current therapy should be continued or modified.Consensus treatment targets in Crohn’s disease comprise combination clinical and patient-reported outcome remission,in conjunction with biomarker normalisation and endoscopic healing.Although the STRIDE-II guidelines endorse the pursuit of endoscopic healing,clinicians must consider that this may not always be appropriate,acceptable,or achievable in all patients.This underscores the need to engage patients at the outset in an effort to personalise care and individualise treatment targets.The use of non-invasive biomarkers such as faecal calprotectin in conjunction with cross-sectional imaging techniques,particularly intestinal ultrasound,holds great promise;as do emerging treatment targets such as transmural healing.Two randomised clinical trials,namely,CALM and STARDUST,have evaluated the efficacy of a T2T approach in achieving endoscopic endpoints in patients with Crohn’s disease.Findings from these studies reflect that patient subgroups and Crohn’s disease characteristics likely to benefit most from a T2T approach,remain to be clarified.Moreover,outside of clinical trials,data pertaining to the real-world effectiveness of a T2T approach remains scare,highlighting the need for pragmatic real-world studies.Despite the obvious promise of a T2T approach,a lack of guidance to support its integration into real-world clinical practice has the potential to limit its uptake.This highlights the need to describe strategies,processes,and models of care capable of supporting the integration and execution of a T2T approach in real-world clinical practice.Hence,this review seeks to examine the current and emerging literature to provide clinicians with practical guidance on how to incorporate the principles of T2T into routine clinical practice for the management of Crohn’s disease.
基金This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31900746 and 31802170)Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2019M660182).
文摘Porcine epidemic diarrhea(PED)caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),is a severe infectious and devastating swine disease that leads to serious economic losses in the swine industry worldwide.An increased number of PED cases caused by variant PEDV have been reported in many countries since 2010.S protein is the main immunogenic protein containing some B-cell epitopes that can induce neutralizing antibodies of PEDV.In this study,the construction,expression and purification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A(PE)without domain Ⅲ(PE△Ⅲ)as a vector was performed for the delivery of PEDV S-A or S-B.PE(△Ⅲ)PEDV S-A and PE(△Ⅲ)PEDV S-B recombinant proteins were confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis.The immunogenicity of PEDV S-A and PEDV S-B subunit vaccines were evaluated in mice.The results showed that PEDV-S-B vaccine could not only induce specific humoral and Th1 type-dominant cellular immune responses,but also stimulate PEDV-specific mucosal immune responses in mice.PEDV-S-B subunit vaccine is a novel candidate mucosal vaccine against PEDV infection.
文摘In this editorial,we comment on the article by Wang et al.This manuscript explores the potential synergistic effects of combining zanubrutinib,a novel oral inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase,with high-dose methotrexate(HD-MTX)as a therapeutic intervention for primary central nervous system lymphoma(PCNSL).The study involves a retrospective analysis of 19 PCNSL patients,highlighting clinicopathological characteristics,treatment outcomes,and genomic biomarkers.The results indicate the combination’s good tolerance and strong antitumor activity,with an 84.2%overall response rate.The authors emphasize the potential of zanubrutinib to modulate key genomic features of PCNSL,particularly mutations in myeloid differentiation primary response 88 and cluster of differentiation 79B.Furthermore,the study investigates the role of circulating tumor DNA in cerebrospinal fluid for disease surveillance and treatment response monitoring.In essence,the study provides valuable insights into the potential of combining zanubrutinib with HD-MTX as a frontline therapeutic regimen for PCNSL.The findings underscore the importance of exploring alternative treatment modalities and monitoring genomic and liquid biopsy markers to optimize patient outcomes.While the findings suggest promise,the study’s limitations should be considered,and further research is needed to establish the clinical relevance of this therapeutic approach for PCNSL.
文摘There is an urgent need for China's rural land transfer in order to develop modern agriculture,ensure food security,transfer rural population,and accelerate industrialization and urbanization.At present,there is still disordered transfer of rural land in China,making the interests of the transferors and transferees difficult to be effectively guaranteed;there is inefficient transfer,leading to decline in actual agricultural production level after transfer;there is jobless transfer,leading to difficult placement for rural surplus labor after transfer,seriously restricting rural land transfer.Therefore,the Chinese government's legal responsibility,economic responsibility and social responsibility in rural land transfer should be further strengthened.
文摘With the opening of the Kela No. 2 gas field in the Tarim basin in China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Dec. 1, Xinjiang will produce 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas next year, becoming the country’s largest gas producer, according to an official with the China National Petroleum Corporation.
文摘Music from a piano embodies widetechniques of expression, so thepiano is reputed as the king of musicalinstruments. China’s piano production datesback four decades. At present, there are 20piano production enterprises in the county,including such backbone enterprises as theGuangzhou Pearl River Piano IndustrialCorporation, the Beijing Xinghai MusicalInstruments Corporation Ltd., the ShanghaiPiano Corporation, the Yingkou NortheastPiano(Group) Corporation and the
文摘Background: Harvesting activities have proven effective in reducing stress in patients with dementia. At a psychiatric hospital, occupational therapists (OT) made patients with dementia perform vegetable harvesting activities as a part of their treatment. The patients became calmer and began to smile not only after but also before and during harvesting activity. Therefore, this study aimed to measure autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses over time in a female patient in her 80s with moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who had experience in farming when performing harvesting activities. Additionally, this study aimed to consider factors associated with changes in ANS responses over time and to verify the physiological therapeutic effects of harvesting activities. Methods: An OT with more than 10 years of experience and a good relationship with the patient conducted one-on-one sessions with the patient. Harvesting activity was performed in a courtyard with trees. The patient harvested lettuce (three lettuce plants) grown in a planter while sitting on a chair. Additionally, the planter was set up on a desk. ANS responses were measured over time from before to after the activity for different events at six time periods. Changes in the patient’s ANS responses were assessed during each period. Results: With the involvement of environmental factors and OT during harvesting activities, parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity significantly increased. This may lead to improved mental stability. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that implementing harvesting activities may have a positive effect on the PNS in patients with AD with long-term agricultural experience. However, further studies with a larger sample size and multidimensional evaluations are needed.
文摘As sales and demand increased in the electric car industry,Lynas,a rare earth producer in Australia,announced a surge in revenue in the second half of 2017.It was reported that the company’s six month sales up to December 31,2017 was209 million Australian dollars($155.7 million),compared with a$114.6 million in