Factors Influencing Radon (²²²Ra) Levels of Water: An International Comparison

Radon levels were measured in 59 water samples of rural and urban places of Bangalore city following procedures of standardized techniques. Though water level of radon above 100 Bqll-1 of WHO is ascribed to causes of lung cancer and leukaemia, very low levels were found in different urban and rural places, but urban-rural gradient observed significantly higher urban levels than rural levels. Correlation between depth of water sampled and radon levels estimated indicates that in urban places, lower water depth is related to higher radon levels, while it is vice versa in rural. It is due to more water use for rural agriculture and more urban water pollution and granite quarries. In comparison to other countries, it is observed that water radon levels are at wide ranges from the lowest to the highest estimated with different techniques and differ due to types of water, soil, rocks and sampling season.

Does US Dollar Supply Trigger House Price Fluctuations?An International Comparison

Cyclical fluctuations in asset prices are closely related to the overall stability of the macroeconomy and have thus become a significant topic in academic and professional exploration.Among these fluctuations,changes in the supply of the U.S.dollar,the global reserve,and primary settlement currency have a broad and far-reaching impact on international financial markets.Since COVID-19,asset prices across various countries have shown differing trends due to fluctuations in the U.S.dollar supply.Housing prices,a key focus in asset pricing research,have been affected to varying degrees.This thesis utilizes seven house price indices from representative cities worldwide from 2020 to 2023 to compare the differential impacts across various countries using an empirical approach.The results indicate that the impact of the U.S.dollar money supply(M2)diminishes in a gradient from the U.S.to East Asia,and then to Europe.

International Exchanges by College Nursing Students: “International Comparisons of Awareness and Challenges”

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of awareness of international exchanges among college nursing students in Japan and other countries and to identify strategies to improve awareness. Method: This is an integrative literature review, consisting of scientific articles published on “Ichushi-Web,” an Internet-based retrieval service by the Japan Medical Abstracts Society (JAMAS) and Google Scholar for domestic documents and, PubMed, Medline, Cochrane library and Google Scholar for foreign documents. We employed search parameters for “the years from 2000 to 2017” in combination with “international educational exchange”, “schools, nursing”, “students, nursing”, “program evaluation”, and “awareness.” Result: The data were extracted from seven documents among a review of 29 retrieved domestic documents written in Japanese, and another seven documents among a review of 111 retrieved foreign documents written in English. All documents from Japan were reports of quantitative studies, and most documents from other countries were qualitative studies. The data from Japanese research reports were classified into four perspectives: interest in international exchange, need to participate in international exchange, understanding of different cultures and awareness of foreign settlers. The data from research reports from other countries were classified into three perspectives: understanding of different cultures, improving expertise in nursing, and awareness of the international community. Conclusions: Strategies that will enhance students’ understanding of diverse cultures are needed to increase their awareness of international exchanges.

Monitoring Zenithal Total Delays over the three different climatic zones from IGS GPS final products:A comparison between the use of the VMF1 and GMF mapping functions

The International GNSS Service(IGS) final products(ephemeris and clocks-correction) have made the GNSS an indispensable low-cost tool for scientific research, for example sub-daily atmospheric water vapor monitoring. In this study, we investigate if there is a systematic difference coming from the choice between the Vienna Mapping Function 1(VMF1) and the Global Mapping Function(GMF) for the modeling of Zenith Total Delay(ZTD) estimates, as well as the Integrated Precipitable Water Vapor(IPWV) estimates that are deduced from them. As ZTD estimates cannot be fully separated from coordinate estimates, we also investigated the coordinate repeatability between subsequent measurements.For this purpose, we monitored twelve GNSS stations on a global scale, for each of the three climatic zones(polar, mid-latitudes and tropical), with four stations on each zone. We used an automated processing based on the Bernese GNSS Software Version 5.2 by applying the Precise Point Positioning(PPP)approach, L3 Ionosphere-free linear combination, 7 cutoff elevation angle and 2 h sampling. We noticed an excellent agreement with the ZTD estimates and coordinate repeatability for all the stations w.r.t to CODE(the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe) and USNO(US Naval Observatory) products, except for the Antarctic station(Davis) which shows systematic biases for the GMF related results. As a final step, we investigated the effect of using two mapping functions(VMF1 and GMF) to estimate the IPWV,w.r.t the IPWV estimates provided by the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive(IGRA). The GPS-derived IPWV estimates are very close to the radiosonde-derived IPWV estimates, except for one station in the tropics(Tahiti).

International Comparison and Enlightenment of the Industrial Policies for the New Energy Vehicles

For a long time, the new energy automobile market has been maintained locally and cannot fonn a mechanism of the market competition. Since this year, the State Council has repeatedly broken this abuse, and the abolition of the local catalogue of the new energy vehicles is the right remedy. In the implementation of the new energy vehicles, it is very important to advance the basic equipment. Compared with the purchase tax preferences, consumers need to improve the basic equipment such as the charging piles and improve the basic access environment. At present, the actual situation of the production and marketing of the new energy automobile industry in our country is that it develops fast but is not perfect, and its output and sales are large but its quality is not good. Behind the initial scale, it is the reality that the overall technical level is not high. We still haven't mastered many core technologies such as batteries, motors, and the electronic control and so on.

Modulatory effect of International standard Scalp Acupuncture on brain activation in the elderly as revealed by resting-state fMRI

The specific mechanisms by which acupuncture affects the central nervous system are unclear. In the International Standard Scalp Acupuncture system, acupuncture needles are applied at the middle line of the vertex, anterior parietal-temporal oblique line, and the posterior parietal-temporal oblique line. We conducted a single-arm prospective clinical trial in which seven healthy elderly volunteers (three men and four women;50–70 years old) received International Standard Scalp Acupuncture at MS5 (the mid-sagittal line between Baihui (DU20) and Qianding (DU21)), the left MS6 (line joining Sishencong (EX-HN1) and Xuanli (GB6)), and the left MS7 (line joining DU20 and Qubin (GB7)). After acupuncture, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated changes in the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity in various areas, showing remarkable enhancement of regional homogeneity in the bilateral anterior cingulate, left medial frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Functional connectivity based on a seed region at the right middle frontal gyrus (42, 51, 9) decreased at the bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus. Our data preliminarily indicates that the international standard scalp acupuncture in healthy elderly participants specifcally enhances the correlation between the brain regions involved in cognition and implementation of the brain network regulation system and the surrounding adjacent brain regions. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Union Hospital at Jilin University, China, on July 18, 2016 (approval No. 2016ks043).

Cultivate Talents with Both Noble Qualities and Knowledge of Chinese and Western Culture——Exclusive Interview with Professor Yin Meiqun, Dean of the Business School of Beijing International Studies University

Although it was frigid outside mid-winter, classrooms in the Business School of Beijing International Studies University are still as warm as spring,because of the passionate teachers and students. Professors were conducting lectures in English, as the students listen carefully and occasionally answered the questions posed in fluent English.If hearing their voices only, audiences might easily mistake that they were in a university in an English-speaking country.'

International Comparison,Regional Characteristics and Regulatory Management of Structural Rise in the Prices of Chinese Industrial and Agricultural Products

China's price fluctuations increasingly exhibit significant structural characteristics,and since 2003,there have been several rounds of significant structural price rise.The degree of structural rise in the prices of industrial and agricultural products in China is not only higher than in the general developed countries and developing countries,but also more prominent than in other transition economies.And the structural rise in the prices of Chinese industrial and agricultural products exhibits significant economic zone differences:the structural fluctuations are the greatest in the central and western regions,significantly higher than in the eastern regions as well as the national average.From the perspective of causes of structural rise in the prices of Chinese industrial and agricultural products,the government must aim to coordinate the industrial and agricultural investments and bridge the gap in the industrial and agricultural technologies and supply capacity.

Therapeutic effect of regulating autophagy in spinal cord injury: a network meta-analysis of direct and indirect comparisons

Objective:An increasing number of studies indicate that autophagy plays an important role in the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury,and that regulating autophagy can enhance recovery from spinal cord injury.However,the effect of regulating autophagy and whether autophagy is detrimental or beneficial after spinal cord injury remain unclear.Therefore,in this study we evaluated the effects of autophagy regulation on spinal cord injury in rats by direct and indirect comparison,in an effort to provide a basis for further research.Data source:Relevant literature published from inception to February 1,2018 were included by searching Wanfang,CNKI,Web of Science,MEDLINE(OvidSP),PubMed and Google Scholar in English and Chinese.The keywords included"autophagy","spinal cord injury",and"rat".Data selection:The literature included in vivo experimental studies on autophagy regulation in the treatment of spinal cord injury(including intervention pre-and post-spinal cord injury).Meta-analyses were conducted at different time points to compare the therapeutic effects of promoting or inhibiting autophagy,and subgroup analyses were also conducted.Outcome measure:Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan scores.Results:Of the 622 studies,33 studies of median quality were included in the analyses.Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan scores were higher at 1 day(MD=1.80,95%CI:0.81-2.79,P=0.0004),3 days(MD=0.92,95%CI:0.72-1.13,P<0.00001),1 week(MD=2.39,95%CI:1.85-2.92,P<0.00001),2 weeks(MD=3.26,95%CI:2.40-4.13,P<0.00001),3 weeks(MD=3.13,95%CI:2.51-3.75,P<0.00001)and 4 weeks(MD=3.18,95%CI:2.43-3.92,P<0.00001)after spinal cord injury with upregulation of autophagy compared with the control group(drug solvent control,such as saline group).Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan scores were higher at 1 day(MD=6.48,95%CI:5.83-7.13,P<0.00001),2 weeks(MD=2.43,95%CI:0.79-4.07,P=0.004),3 weeks(MD=2.96,95%CI:0.09-5.84,P=0.04)and 4 weeks(MD=4.41,95%CI:1.08-7.75,P=0.01)after spinal cord injury with downregulation of autophagy compared with the control group.Indirect comparison of upregulation and downregulation of autophagy showed no differences in Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan scores at 1 day(MD=-4.68,95%CI:-5.840 to-3.496,P=0.94644),3 days(MD=-0.28,95%CI:-2.231-1.671,P=0.99448),1 week(MD=1.83,95%CI:0.0076-3.584,P=0.94588),2 weeks(MD=0.81,95%CI:-0.850-2.470,P=0.93055),3 weeks(MD=0.17,95%Cl:-2.771-3.111,P=0.99546)or 4 weeks(MD=-1.23,95%Cl:-4.647-2.187,P=0.98264)compared with the control group.Conclusion:Regulation of autophagy improves neurological function,whether it is upregulated or downregulated.There was no difference between upregulation and downregulation of autophagy in the treatment of spinal cord injury.The variability in results among the studies may be associated with differences in research methods,the lack of clearly defined autophagy characteristics after spinal cord injury,and the limited autophagy monitoring techniques.Thus,methods should be standardized,and the dynamic regulation of autophagy should be examined in future studies.

Absolute Internal Energy of the Real Gas

The internal energy U of the real, neutral-gas particles of total mass M in the volume V can have positive and negative values, whose regions are identified in the state chart of the gas. Depending on the relations among gas temperature T, pressure p and mass-specific volume v=V/M, the mass exists as a uniform gas of freely-moving particles having positive values U or as more or less structured matter with negative values U. In the regions U>0?above the critical point [Tc , pc , vc] it holds that p(T,v)>pc and v>vc, and below the critical point it holds that p(T,v)c and v>vv , where vv is the mass-specific volume of saturated vapor. In the adjacent regions with negative internal energy values Uc is the line of equal positive and negative energy contributions and thus represents a line of vanishing internal energy ?U=0. At this level along the critical isochor the ever present microscopic fluctuations in energy and density become macroscopic fluctuations as the pressure decreases on approaching the critical point;these are to be observed in experiments on the critical opalescence. Crossing the isochor vc from U>0 to UΔU>0 happens without any discontinuity. The saturation line vv also separates the regions between U>0 and U , but does not represent a line U=0. The internal-energy values of saturated vapor Uv and condensate Ui can be determined absolutely as functions of vapor pressure p and densities (M/V)v and (M/V)i , repectively, yielding the results Uiv, U=Ui+Uvc and U=Ui=Uv=0 at the critical point. Crossing the line Vv from U=Uv>0 to U=Uv+UiΔU=-Ui>0 to be removed from the particle system. The thermodynamic and quantum-mechanical formulations of the internal energy of a particle system only agree if both the macroscopic and microscopic energy scales have the same absolute energy reference value 0. Arguments for the energy reference value in the state of transition from bound to freely- moving particles in macroscopic classical and microscopic quantum particle systems are discussed.

Urbanization in China Based on International Comparison:A Discussion with Two Prevalent Views

Two prevalent views are reviewed on China's urbanization firstly.Then,this article highlights the characteristics and pattern of urbanization in the world based on the quadrants map,using data of 118 countries or areas.The results indicate that the process of urbanization in the world excluding the data of China has slowed down gradually.A further exploration examines China's urbanization process and economic development over time,which reveals that both urbanization level and the level of economic development belong to the low-grade coordination pattern.The low level of urbanization is closely connected with the low level of economic development.Actually,China's urbanization gap appeared during 1985-1995,but it has been eliminating this urbanization gap since 1995 as a result of rapid urbanization growing.The complicated realities revealed in this analysis challenge the existing two prevalent views.

Explore Business Opportunities of Jaboticaba and Build A Long Term Enterprise一Exclusive Interview with Ally Biz International Group CEO John Soo

'Acompany shall have its commitment to build a century-old business if it hopes to continue operation for a long time.'John Soo is the third generation of Chinese immigrants in Malaysia and CEO of Ally Biz International Group. His forefathers were engaged in traditional plantation business. As a new-generation Malaysian Chinese who have received higher education and worked in many international companies as accountant or CEO, John Soo found that the business opportunities in traditional plantation industry has becoming slim. The challenge is to seek a better business project for new breakthroughs.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetic patients: A comparative study using WHO, NCEP ATP III, IDF and Harmonized definitions

To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Malaysian type 2 diabetic patients using WHO, NCEP ATP III, IDF and the new Harmonized definitions, and the concordance between these definitions. This study involved 313 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at two Malaysian tertiary hospitals. Socio-demographic data were assessed using a pre-tested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were carried out according to standard protocols. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were examined. Kappa (k) statistics were used for the agreement between the four MetS definitions. The overall prevalence rates of MetS (95% CI) were 95.8% (93.6-98.1), 96.1% (94.0-98.3), 84.8% (80.8-88.9) and 97.7% (96.1-99.4) according to the WHO, NCEP ATP III, IDF and the Harmonized definitions, respectively. The Kappa statistics demonstrated a slight to substantial agreement between the definitions (k = 0.179-0.875, p k = 0.875, p hest specificity (100%) in identifying MetS. In conclusion, the new Harmonized criteria established the highest prevalence of MetS among the four definitions applied. There was a very good concordance between the WHO and NCEP ATP III criteria. The extremely high prevalence of MetS observed in type 2 diabetic patients indicates an impending pandemic of CVD risk in Malaysia. Aggressive treatment of MetS components is required to reduce cardiovascular risk in T2DM.

小麦纹枯病菌核糖体基因内转录区序列比较

对 7个从江苏省小麦纹枯病样本分离到的丝核菌菌株,进行形态学鉴定、融合群分类和致病性测定,提取病菌的DNA,采用通用引物ITS1(TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG)和ITS4 (TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC),扩增病菌的rDNA内转录区(ITS),并对扩增产物进行了测序。用这些序列在NCBI中进行BLAST分析,得到与这些菌株亲缘关系最近的菌株序列,并明确了这些菌株的分类地位。对以上的菌株序列进行Alignment分析,结果表明,病菌的 5. 8SrDNA序列高度保守,而ITS区的可变性则相对较高,在双核和多核丝核菌、双核丝核菌CAG1融合群和非CAG1融合群菌株间存在差异,可用于反映菌株间的进化关系和双核丝核菌种下分类。

A Weighted Goal Programming Model for the DASH Diet Problem: Comparison with the Linear Programming DASH Diet Model

A Linear Programming DASH diet model for persons with hypertension has previously been formulated and daily minimum cost diet plans that satisfy the DASH diets’ tolerable intake level of the nutrients for 1500 mg a day Sodium level and different daily calorie levels were obtained using sample foods from the DASH diet eating plan chart. But the limitation in the use of linear programming model in selecting diet plans to meet specific nutritional requirements which normally results in the oversupply of certain nutrients was evident in the linear programming DASH diet plan obtained as the nutrient level of the diet plans obtained had wide deviations of from the DASH diets’ tolerable upper and lower intake level for the given calorie and sodium levels. Hence the need for a model that gives diet plans with minimized nutrients’ level deviations from the DASH diets’ tolerable intake level for different daily calorie and sodium level at desired cost. A weighted Goal Programming DASH diet model that minimizes the daily cost of the DASH eating plan as well as deviations of the diets’ nutrients content from the DASH diet’s tolerable intake levels is hereby presented in this work. The formulated weighted goal programming DASH diet model is further illustrated using chosen sample foods from the DASH food chart as used in the work on the linear programming DASH diet model for a 1500 mg sodium level and 2000 calories a day diet plan as well as for 1800, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800 and 3000 daily calorie levels. A comparison of the DASH nutrients’ composition of the weighted Goal Programming DASH diet plans and those of the linear programming DASH diet plans were carried out at this sodium level and the different daily calorie levels. It was evident from the results of the comparison that the weighted goal programming DASH diet plans has minimized deviations from the DASH diet’s tolerable intake levels than those of the linear programming DASH diet plans.

An International Comparison on Academic Profession＇ Management Mode

Academic profession＇s management modes in western developed countriesinclude three types： American-German mode,French mode and British mode. They have obvious Features and Experience. Their standards of qualification and consummate the engagement system for faculty are clear; training system is consummate; academic profession develops fast and performance evaluation is very solid. Therefore, it is worthy to learn from such modes to Ameliorate the management and promote the development of academic profession in our country

Comparison of Digital Maps: Recognition and Quantitative Measure of Changes

A new methodology of comparing digital raster maps was proposed which allows not only detecting changes in the maps, but also obtaining quantitative measures of the importance of selected differences. Procedure of object interpretation of satellite images and forming of OMT (Object Map of Territory) is described. A list of allowable differences between two OMTs is defined. Two steps technique of quantitative measuring is proposed. At the first stage functions are constructed for calculating local measures of differences in the amount, areas and locations of objects on the map, as well as relations between the objects. In the second stage local measures are used to calculate the integral measure in order to get generalized assessment of difference between maps. The methods for constructing functions which calculate local and integral measures of differences are described. Examples of comparing and measuring the differences between OMTs are provided. Obtained results by utilizing this technique can be used to analyze trends, forecast of development and might be helpful for choosing most efficient scenarios for sustainable spatial planning and land management.

Protocol for the management of oral surgery patients on warfarin utilizing a Point-of-Care In-Office international normalized ratio monitoring device

Purpose: This study was performed to assess the utility and safety of an In-Office INR Monitoring Device and present a safe and efficient protocol for the management of patients on oral anticoagulants and/or antithrombolytics requiring routine office oral and maxillofacial surgery. Patients and Methods: Sixty-one patients requiring “minor” oral and maxillofacial surgery being treated chronically with oral anticoagulation (warfarin) were entered into the study and compared in 2 groups. The control group (n = 29) was managed by discontinuing warfarin and any anti-platelet medication(s) prior to surgery. In the study group (n = 30), the decision to continue or withhold warfarin was determined by a protocol in which patients are 1) stratified based on risk for thromboembolism, and 2) classified as requiring “major” or “minor” surgery. Procedures categorized as “minor” surgery included dental extraction(s), dental implants, soft tissue and bone biopsies, and preprosthetic bone surgery, and incision and drainage. Warfarin and antiplatelet medication were not withheld in these patients, and a Point-of-Care In-Office INR Monitoring Device was used to obtain INR levels on the day of consultation and surgery. Local measures including removal of granulation tissue, packing, suturing, etc. were utilized for hemostasis. Results: The 30 patients in the study group maintained on warfarin readily achieved hemostasis using intraoperative local measures. The mean INR measured by the In-Office INR Monitoring Device was 2.36 with a range from 1.3 to 3.2. Study group patients underwent a total of 131 separate procedures including 108 dental extractions (impactions), placement of dental implants, preprosthetic bony surgery, bone cyst removal, soft tissue biopsies, facial skin cancer repair, and incision and drainage. One patient (3%) required “minor” intervention with removal of a “liver clot” on postop day 2 with repacking and suturing. The 29 patients in the control group discontinued off of war farin underwent a total of 99 procedures. One patient (3%) also required a “minor” intervention (repacking of extraction site). There were no “major” complications in either group. Conclusions: This study supports previous studies that minor oral surgery procedures can be safely performed while maintaining patients on warfarin minimizing the risk of a potentially devastating thromboembolic event. When deciding whether or not to withhold warfarin, this study supports the use of the proposed protocol based on 1) risk stratification for thromboembolism, 2) the need for “minor” versus “major” surgery, 3) and utilization of an In-Office INR Monitoring Device. An In-Office Point-of-Care INR measuring device can be a very effective tool to safely simplify and make the perioperative management of the anticoagulated patient more efficient for the patient and oral and maxillo facial surgeon.

New food sources and production systems:a comparison of international regulations and China’s advancements in novel foods with synthetic biology

The global shift towards sustainable food systems has sparked innovations in food sources and production systems,including cell-based meat,plant-based food products,precision fermentation,and 3D food printing.These advancements pose regulatory challenges and opportunities,with China emerging as a critical player in adopting and regulating new food technologies.This review explores the international landscape of new food sources and production systems(NFPS),focusing on China’s role and regulatory approaches compared to global practices.Through this comparative analysis,we aim to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on food safety regulation,offering insights and recommendations for policymakers,industry stakeholders,and researchers engaged in the global food system’s evolution.This comprehensive overview underscores the dynamic nature of regulatory frameworks governing NFPS,highlighting the international efforts to ensure food safety,consumer protection,and the sustainable evolution of the food industry.

阿尔金淡水泉早古生代泥质高压麻粒岩及其P-T演化轨迹

南阿尔金构造带淡水泉一带出露的含石榴石蓝晶石黑云母片麻岩是一套典型的泥质高压麻粒岩,其峰期特征矿物组合为石榴子石+蓝晶石+钾长石+金红石+石英。根据矿物内部一致性热力学数据和Thermocalc 3.23程序计算,确定其峰期变质温压条件为T>850℃和P>11kbar。结合岩相学研究和P-T视剖面图计算,可识别出该岩石经历了4个阶段的变质演化,构成了一个早期快速等温降压,后期近等压降温的顺时针型的退变质P-T演化轨迹,为与陆壳俯冲碰撞有关的高压变质事件的产物。该岩石锆石阴极发光图像显示其内部具有明显的核-边结构,核部为残留的原岩碎屑锆石,边部则表现为面状或扇状生长的变质锆石的特征。微区原位LA-ICP-Ms微量元素分析表明,核部测点的重稀土含量较高,对应Th/U接近于0.4,具有岩浆锆石的特征;边部测点的重稀土相对亏损,重稀土配分曲线平坦,对应Th/U比值均小于0.1,显示与石榴子石平衡共生的变质锆石特征。LA-ICP-MS微区定年获得其变质年龄为486±5Ma,该年龄值与阿尔金江尕勒萨依和英格利萨依两地超高压变质岩石的变质年龄相近,进一步证明沿阿尔金构造带南缘断续存在一条早古生代的高压-超高压变质岩带。另外,本次研究在获得该泥质高压麻粒岩峰期变质时代的同时,还获得该岩石原岩的形成时代上限值约为719Ma,从而限定阿尔金构造带南缘阿尔金群的形成时代可能不属古元古代,而应属新元古代。