In this study, the authors use a political perspective to explore the relative global status of cities in China. Two questions are addressed. Firstly, by using international organizations as the subjects and quantitat...In this study, the authors use a political perspective to explore the relative global status of cities in China. Two questions are addressed. Firstly, by using international organizations as the subjects and quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of their offices, the overall position of Chinese cities in the global distribution of international organizations is estimated. The results show that 22 Chi- nese cities are involved in international political affairs. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou dominate these activities and have high po- litical global-city status. Secondly, through qualitative analysis of Guangzhou City, the authors explore how its status as a center for intemational organizations has been shaped in recent years. The locational decision-making process is analyzed and the factors are demonstrated at both national and city scales. The definition of international organizations as used in this study refers not only to those supranational bodies that have the ability to manage relations across states (such as the European Union), but also those in- ter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and diplomatic representatives and delegations that today also manage and regulate relations between and among states.展开更多
Neurological complications associated with HIV-1/AIDS are being recognized with a high frequency that parallels the increased number of AIDS cases. The early infiltration by HIV-1 into the nervous system can cause pri...Neurological complications associated with HIV-1/AIDS are being recognized with a high frequency that parallels the increased number of AIDS cases. The early infiltration by HIV-1 into the nervous system can cause primary and/or secondary neurological complications. The most common neurocognitive disorder is AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC). In developing countries of Asia the three most opportunistic infections are tuberculosis (TB), cryptococcosis, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Therefore, it is expected that secondary neurological complications due to TB and cryptococcosis will be the most common cause of morbility and mortality in HIV-1/AIDS cases in China. Research of NeuroAIDS in China is necessary to understand the impact and the biology of HIV-1 in the nervous system. Future studies would include, the molecular epidemiology and the description of opportunistic infections associated to HIV-1; the neuropathological description of primary and secondary HIV-1 complications in different groups; the HIV-1 neurot- ropism and immune response studies for China’s unique HIV-1 strains and recombinant forms derived from the nervous system, including experimental models such as the use of transgenic rats; and the study of potential resistant virus, primarily when the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has not full access in the brain.展开更多
International non-governmental organizations were among the first international actors that responded to the emer- gence of AIDS crisis in China. Since 1994, the number of international non-governmental organizations ...International non-governmental organizations were among the first international actors that responded to the emer- gence of AIDS crisis in China. Since 1994, the number of international non-governmental organizations and charitable foundations working in AIDS related issue areas in China has grown steadily and substantially. Despite their organiza- tional differences, most of these non-governmental actors present the characteristics of independent mission, localized practice and diverse working focus. Even though they are constrained by financial and other factors compared with multilateral and bilateral official assistance agencies, they have still played a unique role in fighting against AIDS in China as technical experts, public educators, and civil society supporters.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of international classification criteria (2002) for primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and the role of lower lip biopsy in diagnosis of pSS in Chinese patients....Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of international classification criteria (2002) for primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and the role of lower lip biopsy in diagnosis of pSS in Chinese patients. Mothoda Patients who were diagnosed by the experts/rheumatologists as pSS during 1990-2002 from the Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively collected as experimental group. Patients who were diagnosed as non-pSS connective tissue diseases or non-connective tissue diseases served as control group. Those with a history of head-neck radiation, hepatitis C virus infection, AIDS, lymphoma, sarcoidosis, graft versus host disease (GVHD), and anti-acetylcholine drug use were exempted. Both groups were required to complete questionnaires about symptoms such as dry eyes and dry mouth, and complete the objective tests of keratoconjunctivitis and xerostomia including Schirmer test, corneal staining, unstimulated salivary flow, sialography, lower lip biopsy, and antinuclear antibodies (including anti-SSA/SSB antibodies) test. Results A total of 330 pSS patients were included in experimental group and 185 non-pSS patients in control group. The mean age of both groups matched (47.8 ± 10.9 years vs. 46.2±13.6 years, P 〉 0.05). The sensitivities of the criteria in pSS patients with lower lip biopsy and in pSS patients without lower lip biopsy were 89.2% and 87.2%, respectively; the overall sensitivity was 88.5%. The specificity was 97.3%. A total of 11.3% pSS patients with negative anti-SSA/SSB antibodies were diagnosed as pSS by lower lip biopsy. Coadwion The international classification criteria (2002) for pSS is feasible in Chinese patients. It has high sensitivity and specificity, and may serve as diagnosis criteria in routine clinical practice.展开更多
The spatial and temporal variations of stable oxygen isotope in precipitation on different time scales are analyzed according to the data from the IAEA/WMO stations with long survey series in the Northern Hemisphere. ...The spatial and temporal variations of stable oxygen isotope in precipitation on different time scales are analyzed according to the data from the IAEA/WMO stations with long survey series in the Northern Hemisphere. Temperature effect is mainly distributed in mid-high latitudes on seasonal scale except for Bamako and Addisababa stations. The δ 18 O/temperature slope displays the positive correlation against altitude for most of the statistical stations. Amount effect appears primarily in the region south of 30 o N and coastal areas. The δ 18 O/precipitation slope is indirectly proportional to precipitation amount. For some of the sampling stations at mid-high latitudes where their seasonal distribution of precipitation is contrary to that of temperature, coupled with temperature effect, the amount effect appears synchronistically. Either the temperature effect or the amount effect on seasonal scale, there are positive correlations to a certain extent between the annual weighted mean δ 18 O and the annual mean temperature for almost all the stations. The correlation between composite δ 18 O and temperature on spatial scale is much more marked, compared with that of individual station. There is a good agreement between 10-year moving average temperature curves I and II, with the values of the former all markedly smaller than corresponding ones of the latter, calculated by the monthly mean series group I and the annual mean series group II, respectively. However, two calculated d δ 18 O/d T curves display the distinct difference: the variation amplitude of slope series II is larger than that of slope series I. Both curves had similar ascending trend from the 1960s to the 1970s, and then, their variations display the anti-phase. Moreover, the analyses show that there is negative correlation between slope series II and temperature series II. However, the status is different for slope series I and temperature series I. Both series have contrary trend from the 1960s to the 1970s, whereas the same trend since the 1980s.展开更多
The authenticity of 91 wines produced in Cyprus from both indigenous and other vine varieties were investigated by a holistic approach, using, advanced technology such as SNIF-NMR (site-specific natural isotopic frac...The authenticity of 91 wines produced in Cyprus from both indigenous and other vine varieties were investigated by a holistic approach, using, advanced technology such as SNIF-NMR (site-specific natural isotopic fractionation-nuclear magnetic resonance) and 1R-MS (isotope ratio-mass spectrometry) for the determination of the stable isotopes and ICP (inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy) for some heavy metals. The spectroscopic characteristics were evaluated statistically using different chemometric methods. The dependency of the D/H (deuterium/hydrogen) ratio of the methylene site in the ethanol molecule (D/H)ll and also theδ ^18O values of the wine water, were the most useful discriminators. Isotopic results allow us to have a complete idea about the regional variability of the isotopes. Among the metals, Ni followed by Pb was the ones with the highest discrimination value. The determined concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd that are related to the safety of wines were within the acceptable limits that have been established by the OIV (international organization of vine and wine) or comparable with the results of the wines of other European countries. The study of the correlation between the load of heavy metals and isotopes in wines showed a dependence on the grape variety but not the geographical location of the vineyard. This is probably due to the close proximity of wine regions in Cyprus.展开更多
The full review of The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention) has been accomplished by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and ...The full review of The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention) has been accomplished by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the new amendment, which is also named as Manila amendment, has been effective since 2012, with a transitional period of 2012-2017. Based on the system engineering context consisting of "Human, Machine and Environment", human factors at sea, i.e., those factors relevant to the seafarers, are consistently underlined. STCW convention is the unique but systematic international maritime legislation looking after the "professional competency standards" of seafarers. The amendment thereto is of great significance for the Maritime Education and Training (MET) systems, which should be fully understood so as to respond to it effectively. The paper analyzes major impacts brought by the amendment, with purposes to raise recommendations for MET systems to implement the amendment effectively.展开更多
Similar to conventional automobiles,same safety problems exist in electric vehicles.In the meantime,since its structural and power features are different,electric vehicles have their particular safety problems.Both do...Similar to conventional automobiles,same safety problems exist in electric vehicles.In the meantime,since its structural and power features are different,electric vehicles have their particular safety problems.Both domestic and international organizations have released some safety standards for electric vehicles which have also been added and complemented along with the development and research of electric vehicles.展开更多
A dynamically positioned vessel, by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the certifying class societies (DNV, ABS, LR, etc.), is defined as a vessel that maintains its position and heading (fixed loc...A dynamically positioned vessel, by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the certifying class societies (DNV, ABS, LR, etc.), is defined as a vessel that maintains its position and heading (fixed location or pre-determined track) exclu- sively by means of active thrusters. The development of control technology promotes the upgrading of dynamic positioning (DP) systems. Today there are two different DP systems solutions available on the market: DP system based on PID regulator and that based on model-based control. Both systems have limited disturbance rejection capability due to their design principle. In this paper, a new DP system solution is proposed based on Active Dis^n'bance Rejection Control (ADRC) technology. This technology is com- posed of Tracking-Differentiator (TD), Extended State Observer (ESO) and Nonlinear Feedback Combination. On one hand, both TD and ESO can act as filters and can be used in place of conventional filters; on the other hand, the total disturbance of the system can be estimated and compensated by ESO, which therefore enhances the system's disturbance rejection capability. This technology's advantages over other methods lie in two aspects: 1) This method itself can not only achieve control objectives but also filter noisy measurements without other specialized filters; 2) This method offers a new useful approach to suppress the ocean disturbance. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.展开更多
Abstract With the global ban on the application of organotin-based marine coatings by the International Maritime Organization, the development of environmentally friendly, low-toxic and nontoxic antifouling compounds ...Abstract With the global ban on the application of organotin-based marine coatings by the International Maritime Organization, the development of environmentally friendly, low-toxic and nontoxic antifouling compounds for marine industries has become an urgent need. Marine microorganisms have been considered as a potential source of natural antifoulants. In this study, the antifouling potential of marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, the toxic and red-tide microalgae, was investigated. We performed a series of operations to extract the bioactive substances from Amphidinium carterae and tested their antialgal and antilarval activities. The crude extract of Amphidinium carterae showed significant antialgal activity and the ECs0 value against Skeletonema costatum was 55.4 ~tg mL-1. After purification, the isolated bioactive substances (the organic extract C) exhibited much higher antialgal and antilar- val activities with ECso of 12.9μgmL-1 against Skeletonema costatum and LC50 of 15.1 μmL-1 against Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae. Subsequently, IR, Q-TOFMS, and GC-MS were utilized for the structural elucidation of the bioactive compounds, and a series of unsaturated and saturated 16- to 22-carbon fatty acids were detected. The data suggested the bioactive compounds isolated from Amphidinium carterae exhibited a significant inhibiting effect against the diatom Skeletonema costatum and Amphibalanus amphi- trite larvae, and could be substitutes for persistent, toxic antifouling compounds.展开更多
This study addresses current status of ESSQ management and integration in steel production organisation. The idea is to benchmark maturity levels with the leading Finnish international companies. The examination has b...This study addresses current status of ESSQ management and integration in steel production organisation. The idea is to benchmark maturity levels with the leading Finnish international companies. The examination has been done in compliance with applied maturity model developed by the target corporation. When examining the benchmarked companies through the ESSQ framework, we found that a similar framework cannot be found in any other company as such; instead, operations are distributed under different organisations. Although many sources criticise system-based development, the results of this study indicate that it is nevertheless an efficient way to develop operations.展开更多
The marine shipping industry faces challenges to reduce engine exhaust emissions and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from ships, and in particular, carbon dioxide. International regulatory bodies such as the International M...The marine shipping industry faces challenges to reduce engine exhaust emissions and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from ships, and in particular, carbon dioxide. International regulatory bodies such as the International Maritime Organization and National Environmental Agencies of many countries have issued rules and regulations to drastically reduce GHG and emissions emanating from marine sources. This study investigates the possibility of using natural gas and hydrogen as alternative fuels to diesel oil for marine gas turbines and uses a mathematical model to assess the effect of these alternative fuels on gas turbine thermodynamic performance. Results show that since natural gas is categorized as a hydrocarbon fuel, the thermodynamic performance of the gas turbine cycle using natural gas was close to that of the diesel case. However, the gas turbine thermal efficiency was found to be slightly lower for natural gas and hydrogen fuels compared to diesel fuel.展开更多
Marine fouling is the settlement and growth of a variety of marine organisms, such as bacteria, diatoms, protozoa and algae spores on structures immersed in seawater, such as ship's hulls, navigation buoys, and sonar...Marine fouling is the settlement and growth of a variety of marine organisms, such as bacteria, diatoms, protozoa and algae spores on structures immersed in seawater, such as ship's hulls, navigation buoys, and sonar equipment. Anti-fouling refers to material or systems used to prevent the accumulation of biological material on submerged surfaces. Bio-fouling results in higher fuel consumption and can also facilitate the transport of harmful NIS (Non-Indigenous Species). Antifouling technologies incorporating biocides (e.g., Tributyltin) have been developed to prevent fouling. Their widespread use, however, raised concerns about their toxic effects on marine communities. The AFS Convention (International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems in Ships) is a 2001 IMO (International Maritime Organization) treaty, whereby states agree to ban the use of harmful anti-fouling paints and other anti-fouling systems that contain harmful substances. Particularly, the use of the organotinTributyltin is prohibited, since leaching of that chemical from the hulls of ships has been shown to cause deleterious effects on some sea creatures. Although the AFS Convention has entered into force, its full implementation has not yet been appropriately achieved. Most of the ratifying States have delegated the Classification Society to inspect their ships to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Convention. Since painting ships takes place in dry docks, the full control falls in the hands of Classification Societies.展开更多
A schematic to make the spectra of the exterior noise of high speed railway was put forward. The exterior noise spectrum was defined based on the characteristics of the high-speed train exterior noise. Its characteris...A schematic to make the spectra of the exterior noise of high speed railway was put forward. The exterior noise spectrum was defined based on the characteristics of the high-speed train exterior noise. Its characteristics considered here include identifying the exterior main sources and their locations, their frequency components including the Doppler effect due to the noise sources moving at high speed, the sound field intensity around the train in high-speed operation, the sound radiation path out of the train, and the pressure level and frequency components of the noise at the measuring points specified by the International Organization for Standardization(ISO). The characteristics of the high-speed train exterior noise of the high speed railways in operation were introduced. The advanced measuring systems and their principles for clearly indentifying the exterior noise sources were discussed in detail. Based on the concerned noise results measured at sites, a prediction model was developed to calculate the sound level and the characteristics of the exterior noise at any point where it is difficult to measure and to help to make the exterior noise spectrums. This model was also verified with the test results. The verification shows that there is a good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results.展开更多
This paper describes the main activities of the ship recycling facilities that have moved to the Asia continent and puts emphasis on environmental and working conditions under the umbrella of the new IMO (Internation...This paper describes the main activities of the ship recycling facilities that have moved to the Asia continent and puts emphasis on environmental and working conditions under the umbrella of the new IMO (International Maritime Organization) convention. However, the convention is not enforced yet and the legal gaps found on limited existing regulations do not impose strict rules on the shipping industry and at the same time offer motives for the safe recycling of ships. Ship-owners seem reluctant to send their vessels for scrap but rather prefer to employ them till the last minute, preferably in areas where the environmentally-friendly concept is not of primary importance. The dynamics of this specialized industry can be better shown by examining variables such as legal instruments, occupational health and safety hazards, geographical allocation of scrapping sites, scrap prices, safety working plans and volume to be scrapped. The next step is to build a simulation model in order to discuss the relevant scenarios. The first scenario is based on the current conditions where the ship-owner's decision is mainly affected by the fluctuations of the market and whether the effectiveness of existing regulations can improve the working environment in terms of health and safety. The second scenario refers to the situation when the IMO Convention is implemented, then it will produce two major recycling markets, the first one for the convention ships and the second for non-convention ships.展开更多
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Functionally, it has emerged as the organizational necessity of both the universal complex structure and the import...The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Functionally, it has emerged as the organizational necessity of both the universal complex structure and the importance of its overall activity. It was created on the basis of Article 57 of the United Nations Charter, stipulating that the specialized UN agencies are autonomous international organizations. They enjoy their autonomy on the basis of the contract they were established by, being engaged in activities within the United Nations system. On the territories the organization member states comprise, they enjoy privileges and immunities, having the international legal capacity to carry out their activities in accordance to the Statute. The 1944 Multilateral Convention was to establish both protection and efficient development of international civil aviation. In accordance to that rights and obligations of member states were established. It is of a special importance to emphasize obligation of parties to take their parts in both co-operation and programs aimed at improvement of international transport, navigational equipment, and installations. In the globalized world of today, air traffic is an irreplaceable part of the system of communication. It enables fast and timely business contacts between the people from various continents, as well as transport of goods.展开更多
Mexico is considered by different international organizations as a country where the bovine tuberculosis is an endemic problem. However, there are important and consistent improvements in eradicating the disease by th...Mexico is considered by different international organizations as a country where the bovine tuberculosis is an endemic problem. However, there are important and consistent improvements in eradicating the disease by the implementation of government policies and with the livestock organization support. The current situation of the program shows good results regarding decreasing the prevalence, and as a consequence, the risk of this disease for public health and animal health, as well as the improvement in animal production and international and national trade. Today, the bovine tuberculosis distribution is almost known in Mexico. In addition, a series of controls and indicators have been established, which allow maintain consistency and reliability in the data that are managed and analyzed.展开更多
China's international energy cooperation and energy security are important parts of The Belt and Road initiatives. China and the countries along the Belt and Road continue to promote cooperation, actively use the exi...China's international energy cooperation and energy security are important parts of The Belt and Road initiatives. China and the countries along the Belt and Road continue to promote cooperation, actively use the existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms to promote the regional and inter-regional energy cooperation. Countries along the Belt and Road are rich in oil and gas resources; their demand on the diversification of export meet with the diversification demand on imports of consumption countries; and their oil refining and chemical technology as well as construction capacity is weak, which provides a lot of new opportunities in cooperation for Chinese enterprises. However, the energy cooperation of Chinese enterprises are also facing some challenges in the complex environment of energy cooperation, the interference of big powers, non-traditional security threats, and energy policy factors. Finally, the paper puts forward the strategic thinking of China's international energy cooperation under the new situation.展开更多
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has established international standards (International Accounting Standards (lASs) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)) to ensure more co...The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has established international standards (International Accounting Standards (lASs) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)) to ensure more comparability and transparency and also higher-quality financial statements. The creation of such standards by the IASB aims at achieving harmonization of accounting practices among countries. The objective of this research is to show that in accordance with the expectations of international organizations, the adoption of IAS-IFRS increases the information content of financial statements and also to identify the key accounting variables that have been affected by this adoption. This article used a sample of year observations of 150 French firms which have adopted IAS-IFRS since 2005 as data to study the association relationship between accounting variables and stock returns before and after the adoption of IASs. The findings of this paper show that the application of IAS-IFRS as accounting standards increases the information content of accounting numbers. Dividends, long-term debts, equity, and revenue variables are most correlated with stock returns. Their information content has reached 80% after the adoption, while it was 30% before.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41130747,41320104001)
文摘In this study, the authors use a political perspective to explore the relative global status of cities in China. Two questions are addressed. Firstly, by using international organizations as the subjects and quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of their offices, the overall position of Chinese cities in the global distribution of international organizations is estimated. The results show that 22 Chi- nese cities are involved in international political affairs. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou dominate these activities and have high po- litical global-city status. Secondly, through qualitative analysis of Guangzhou City, the authors explore how its status as a center for intemational organizations has been shaped in recent years. The locational decision-making process is analyzed and the factors are demonstrated at both national and city scales. The definition of international organizations as used in this study refers not only to those supranational bodies that have the ability to manage relations across states (such as the European Union), but also those in- ter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and diplomatic representatives and delegations that today also manage and regulate relations between and among states.
文摘Neurological complications associated with HIV-1/AIDS are being recognized with a high frequency that parallels the increased number of AIDS cases. The early infiltration by HIV-1 into the nervous system can cause primary and/or secondary neurological complications. The most common neurocognitive disorder is AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC). In developing countries of Asia the three most opportunistic infections are tuberculosis (TB), cryptococcosis, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Therefore, it is expected that secondary neurological complications due to TB and cryptococcosis will be the most common cause of morbility and mortality in HIV-1/AIDS cases in China. Research of NeuroAIDS in China is necessary to understand the impact and the biology of HIV-1 in the nervous system. Future studies would include, the molecular epidemiology and the description of opportunistic infections associated to HIV-1; the neuropathological description of primary and secondary HIV-1 complications in different groups; the HIV-1 neurot- ropism and immune response studies for China’s unique HIV-1 strains and recombinant forms derived from the nervous system, including experimental models such as the use of transgenic rats; and the study of potential resistant virus, primarily when the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has not full access in the brain.
文摘International non-governmental organizations were among the first international actors that responded to the emer- gence of AIDS crisis in China. Since 1994, the number of international non-governmental organizations and charitable foundations working in AIDS related issue areas in China has grown steadily and substantially. Despite their organiza- tional differences, most of these non-governmental actors present the characteristics of independent mission, localized practice and diverse working focus. Even though they are constrained by financial and other factors compared with multilateral and bilateral official assistance agencies, they have still played a unique role in fighting against AIDS in China as technical experts, public educators, and civil society supporters.
基金Supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China(30300164 ).
文摘Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of international classification criteria (2002) for primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and the role of lower lip biopsy in diagnosis of pSS in Chinese patients. Mothoda Patients who were diagnosed by the experts/rheumatologists as pSS during 1990-2002 from the Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively collected as experimental group. Patients who were diagnosed as non-pSS connective tissue diseases or non-connective tissue diseases served as control group. Those with a history of head-neck radiation, hepatitis C virus infection, AIDS, lymphoma, sarcoidosis, graft versus host disease (GVHD), and anti-acetylcholine drug use were exempted. Both groups were required to complete questionnaires about symptoms such as dry eyes and dry mouth, and complete the objective tests of keratoconjunctivitis and xerostomia including Schirmer test, corneal staining, unstimulated salivary flow, sialography, lower lip biopsy, and antinuclear antibodies (including anti-SSA/SSB antibodies) test. Results A total of 330 pSS patients were included in experimental group and 185 non-pSS patients in control group. The mean age of both groups matched (47.8 ± 10.9 years vs. 46.2±13.6 years, P 〉 0.05). The sensitivities of the criteria in pSS patients with lower lip biopsy and in pSS patients without lower lip biopsy were 89.2% and 87.2%, respectively; the overall sensitivity was 88.5%. The specificity was 97.3%. A total of 11.3% pSS patients with negative anti-SSA/SSB antibodies were diagnosed as pSS by lower lip biopsy. Coadwion The international classification criteria (2002) for pSS is feasible in Chinese patients. It has high sensitivity and specificity, and may serve as diagnosis criteria in routine clinical practice.
文摘The spatial and temporal variations of stable oxygen isotope in precipitation on different time scales are analyzed according to the data from the IAEA/WMO stations with long survey series in the Northern Hemisphere. Temperature effect is mainly distributed in mid-high latitudes on seasonal scale except for Bamako and Addisababa stations. The δ 18 O/temperature slope displays the positive correlation against altitude for most of the statistical stations. Amount effect appears primarily in the region south of 30 o N and coastal areas. The δ 18 O/precipitation slope is indirectly proportional to precipitation amount. For some of the sampling stations at mid-high latitudes where their seasonal distribution of precipitation is contrary to that of temperature, coupled with temperature effect, the amount effect appears synchronistically. Either the temperature effect or the amount effect on seasonal scale, there are positive correlations to a certain extent between the annual weighted mean δ 18 O and the annual mean temperature for almost all the stations. The correlation between composite δ 18 O and temperature on spatial scale is much more marked, compared with that of individual station. There is a good agreement between 10-year moving average temperature curves I and II, with the values of the former all markedly smaller than corresponding ones of the latter, calculated by the monthly mean series group I and the annual mean series group II, respectively. However, two calculated d δ 18 O/d T curves display the distinct difference: the variation amplitude of slope series II is larger than that of slope series I. Both curves had similar ascending trend from the 1960s to the 1970s, and then, their variations display the anti-phase. Moreover, the analyses show that there is negative correlation between slope series II and temperature series II. However, the status is different for slope series I and temperature series I. Both series have contrary trend from the 1960s to the 1970s, whereas the same trend since the 1980s.
文摘The authenticity of 91 wines produced in Cyprus from both indigenous and other vine varieties were investigated by a holistic approach, using, advanced technology such as SNIF-NMR (site-specific natural isotopic fractionation-nuclear magnetic resonance) and 1R-MS (isotope ratio-mass spectrometry) for the determination of the stable isotopes and ICP (inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy) for some heavy metals. The spectroscopic characteristics were evaluated statistically using different chemometric methods. The dependency of the D/H (deuterium/hydrogen) ratio of the methylene site in the ethanol molecule (D/H)ll and also theδ ^18O values of the wine water, were the most useful discriminators. Isotopic results allow us to have a complete idea about the regional variability of the isotopes. Among the metals, Ni followed by Pb was the ones with the highest discrimination value. The determined concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd that are related to the safety of wines were within the acceptable limits that have been established by the OIV (international organization of vine and wine) or comparable with the results of the wines of other European countries. The study of the correlation between the load of heavy metals and isotopes in wines showed a dependence on the grape variety but not the geographical location of the vineyard. This is probably due to the close proximity of wine regions in Cyprus.
文摘The full review of The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention) has been accomplished by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the new amendment, which is also named as Manila amendment, has been effective since 2012, with a transitional period of 2012-2017. Based on the system engineering context consisting of "Human, Machine and Environment", human factors at sea, i.e., those factors relevant to the seafarers, are consistently underlined. STCW convention is the unique but systematic international maritime legislation looking after the "professional competency standards" of seafarers. The amendment thereto is of great significance for the Maritime Education and Training (MET) systems, which should be fully understood so as to respond to it effectively. The paper analyzes major impacts brought by the amendment, with purposes to raise recommendations for MET systems to implement the amendment effectively.
文摘Similar to conventional automobiles,same safety problems exist in electric vehicles.In the meantime,since its structural and power features are different,electric vehicles have their particular safety problems.Both domestic and international organizations have released some safety standards for electric vehicles which have also been added and complemented along with the development and research of electric vehicles.
基金The support of the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Nos.61074053 and 61374114)the Applied Basic Research Program of Ministry of Transport of China(No.2011-329-225-390)are gratefully acknowledged
文摘A dynamically positioned vessel, by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the certifying class societies (DNV, ABS, LR, etc.), is defined as a vessel that maintains its position and heading (fixed location or pre-determined track) exclu- sively by means of active thrusters. The development of control technology promotes the upgrading of dynamic positioning (DP) systems. Today there are two different DP systems solutions available on the market: DP system based on PID regulator and that based on model-based control. Both systems have limited disturbance rejection capability due to their design principle. In this paper, a new DP system solution is proposed based on Active Dis^n'bance Rejection Control (ADRC) technology. This technology is com- posed of Tracking-Differentiator (TD), Extended State Observer (ESO) and Nonlinear Feedback Combination. On one hand, both TD and ESO can act as filters and can be used in place of conventional filters; on the other hand, the total disturbance of the system can be estimated and compensated by ESO, which therefore enhances the system's disturbance rejection capability. This technology's advantages over other methods lie in two aspects: 1) This method itself can not only achieve control objectives but also filter noisy measurements without other specialized filters; 2) This method offers a new useful approach to suppress the ocean disturbance. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.41376106the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong province under Grant No.ZR2013DM017
文摘Abstract With the global ban on the application of organotin-based marine coatings by the International Maritime Organization, the development of environmentally friendly, low-toxic and nontoxic antifouling compounds for marine industries has become an urgent need. Marine microorganisms have been considered as a potential source of natural antifoulants. In this study, the antifouling potential of marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, the toxic and red-tide microalgae, was investigated. We performed a series of operations to extract the bioactive substances from Amphidinium carterae and tested their antialgal and antilarval activities. The crude extract of Amphidinium carterae showed significant antialgal activity and the ECs0 value against Skeletonema costatum was 55.4 ~tg mL-1. After purification, the isolated bioactive substances (the organic extract C) exhibited much higher antialgal and antilar- val activities with ECso of 12.9μgmL-1 against Skeletonema costatum and LC50 of 15.1 μmL-1 against Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae. Subsequently, IR, Q-TOFMS, and GC-MS were utilized for the structural elucidation of the bioactive compounds, and a series of unsaturated and saturated 16- to 22-carbon fatty acids were detected. The data suggested the bioactive compounds isolated from Amphidinium carterae exhibited a significant inhibiting effect against the diatom Skeletonema costatum and Amphibalanus amphi- trite larvae, and could be substitutes for persistent, toxic antifouling compounds.
文摘This study addresses current status of ESSQ management and integration in steel production organisation. The idea is to benchmark maturity levels with the leading Finnish international companies. The examination has been done in compliance with applied maturity model developed by the target corporation. When examining the benchmarked companies through the ESSQ framework, we found that a similar framework cannot be found in any other company as such; instead, operations are distributed under different organisations. Although many sources criticise system-based development, the results of this study indicate that it is nevertheless an efficient way to develop operations.
文摘The marine shipping industry faces challenges to reduce engine exhaust emissions and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from ships, and in particular, carbon dioxide. International regulatory bodies such as the International Maritime Organization and National Environmental Agencies of many countries have issued rules and regulations to drastically reduce GHG and emissions emanating from marine sources. This study investigates the possibility of using natural gas and hydrogen as alternative fuels to diesel oil for marine gas turbines and uses a mathematical model to assess the effect of these alternative fuels on gas turbine thermodynamic performance. Results show that since natural gas is categorized as a hydrocarbon fuel, the thermodynamic performance of the gas turbine cycle using natural gas was close to that of the diesel case. However, the gas turbine thermal efficiency was found to be slightly lower for natural gas and hydrogen fuels compared to diesel fuel.
文摘Marine fouling is the settlement and growth of a variety of marine organisms, such as bacteria, diatoms, protozoa and algae spores on structures immersed in seawater, such as ship's hulls, navigation buoys, and sonar equipment. Anti-fouling refers to material or systems used to prevent the accumulation of biological material on submerged surfaces. Bio-fouling results in higher fuel consumption and can also facilitate the transport of harmful NIS (Non-Indigenous Species). Antifouling technologies incorporating biocides (e.g., Tributyltin) have been developed to prevent fouling. Their widespread use, however, raised concerns about their toxic effects on marine communities. The AFS Convention (International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems in Ships) is a 2001 IMO (International Maritime Organization) treaty, whereby states agree to ban the use of harmful anti-fouling paints and other anti-fouling systems that contain harmful substances. Particularly, the use of the organotinTributyltin is prohibited, since leaching of that chemical from the hulls of ships has been shown to cause deleterious effects on some sea creatures. Although the AFS Convention has entered into force, its full implementation has not yet been appropriately achieved. Most of the ratifying States have delegated the Classification Society to inspect their ships to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Convention. Since painting ships takes place in dry docks, the full control falls in the hands of Classification Societies.
基金Project(2682013BR009)supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of the Central Universities,ChinaProject(2011AA11A103-2-2)the National High-Technology Research and Development Program of China
文摘A schematic to make the spectra of the exterior noise of high speed railway was put forward. The exterior noise spectrum was defined based on the characteristics of the high-speed train exterior noise. Its characteristics considered here include identifying the exterior main sources and their locations, their frequency components including the Doppler effect due to the noise sources moving at high speed, the sound field intensity around the train in high-speed operation, the sound radiation path out of the train, and the pressure level and frequency components of the noise at the measuring points specified by the International Organization for Standardization(ISO). The characteristics of the high-speed train exterior noise of the high speed railways in operation were introduced. The advanced measuring systems and their principles for clearly indentifying the exterior noise sources were discussed in detail. Based on the concerned noise results measured at sites, a prediction model was developed to calculate the sound level and the characteristics of the exterior noise at any point where it is difficult to measure and to help to make the exterior noise spectrums. This model was also verified with the test results. The verification shows that there is a good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results.
文摘This paper describes the main activities of the ship recycling facilities that have moved to the Asia continent and puts emphasis on environmental and working conditions under the umbrella of the new IMO (International Maritime Organization) convention. However, the convention is not enforced yet and the legal gaps found on limited existing regulations do not impose strict rules on the shipping industry and at the same time offer motives for the safe recycling of ships. Ship-owners seem reluctant to send their vessels for scrap but rather prefer to employ them till the last minute, preferably in areas where the environmentally-friendly concept is not of primary importance. The dynamics of this specialized industry can be better shown by examining variables such as legal instruments, occupational health and safety hazards, geographical allocation of scrapping sites, scrap prices, safety working plans and volume to be scrapped. The next step is to build a simulation model in order to discuss the relevant scenarios. The first scenario is based on the current conditions where the ship-owner's decision is mainly affected by the fluctuations of the market and whether the effectiveness of existing regulations can improve the working environment in terms of health and safety. The second scenario refers to the situation when the IMO Convention is implemented, then it will produce two major recycling markets, the first one for the convention ships and the second for non-convention ships.
文摘The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Functionally, it has emerged as the organizational necessity of both the universal complex structure and the importance of its overall activity. It was created on the basis of Article 57 of the United Nations Charter, stipulating that the specialized UN agencies are autonomous international organizations. They enjoy their autonomy on the basis of the contract they were established by, being engaged in activities within the United Nations system. On the territories the organization member states comprise, they enjoy privileges and immunities, having the international legal capacity to carry out their activities in accordance to the Statute. The 1944 Multilateral Convention was to establish both protection and efficient development of international civil aviation. In accordance to that rights and obligations of member states were established. It is of a special importance to emphasize obligation of parties to take their parts in both co-operation and programs aimed at improvement of international transport, navigational equipment, and installations. In the globalized world of today, air traffic is an irreplaceable part of the system of communication. It enables fast and timely business contacts between the people from various continents, as well as transport of goods.
文摘Mexico is considered by different international organizations as a country where the bovine tuberculosis is an endemic problem. However, there are important and consistent improvements in eradicating the disease by the implementation of government policies and with the livestock organization support. The current situation of the program shows good results regarding decreasing the prevalence, and as a consequence, the risk of this disease for public health and animal health, as well as the improvement in animal production and international and national trade. Today, the bovine tuberculosis distribution is almost known in Mexico. In addition, a series of controls and indicators have been established, which allow maintain consistency and reliability in the data that are managed and analyzed.
文摘China's international energy cooperation and energy security are important parts of The Belt and Road initiatives. China and the countries along the Belt and Road continue to promote cooperation, actively use the existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms to promote the regional and inter-regional energy cooperation. Countries along the Belt and Road are rich in oil and gas resources; their demand on the diversification of export meet with the diversification demand on imports of consumption countries; and their oil refining and chemical technology as well as construction capacity is weak, which provides a lot of new opportunities in cooperation for Chinese enterprises. However, the energy cooperation of Chinese enterprises are also facing some challenges in the complex environment of energy cooperation, the interference of big powers, non-traditional security threats, and energy policy factors. Finally, the paper puts forward the strategic thinking of China's international energy cooperation under the new situation.
文摘The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has established international standards (International Accounting Standards (lASs) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)) to ensure more comparability and transparency and also higher-quality financial statements. The creation of such standards by the IASB aims at achieving harmonization of accounting practices among countries. The objective of this research is to show that in accordance with the expectations of international organizations, the adoption of IAS-IFRS increases the information content of financial statements and also to identify the key accounting variables that have been affected by this adoption. This article used a sample of year observations of 150 French firms which have adopted IAS-IFRS since 2005 as data to study the association relationship between accounting variables and stock returns before and after the adoption of IASs. The findings of this paper show that the application of IAS-IFRS as accounting standards increases the information content of accounting numbers. Dividends, long-term debts, equity, and revenue variables are most correlated with stock returns. Their information content has reached 80% after the adoption, while it was 30% before.