Taking Agricultural Landscapes into the Development System of Scenic Spot —with the Detail Plan of Yanmen Mountain Scenic Spot in Zhaixing Mountain as a Study Case

As a kind of landscape resources, agricultural landscapes play a crucial role in rural tourism. It is a new attempt by taking agricultural landscapes into the development system of scenic spot for their mutual support and promotion. With the detail plan of Yanmen Mountain Scenic Spot in Zhaixing Mountain Scenic Area as a study case, the authors studied how to take agricultural landscapes into the development system of scenic spot.

Rate-Sensitive Numerical Analysis of Dynamic Responses of Arched Blast Doors Subjected to Blast Loading

Current practice in analysis and design of blast doors subjected to blast loading considers only simple boundary conditions and material properties. The boundary conditions and material properties, in fact, have considerable influence on the response of blast doors subjected to blast loading. In this paper, the dynamic responses of a reinforced concrete arched blast door under blast loading were analyzed by the finite element program ABAQUS, combined with a previously developed elasto-viscoplastic rate-sensitive material model. And the effect of the surrounding rock mass and contact effect of the doorframe were also taken into account in the simulation. It is demonstrated that the strain-rate effect has considerable influence on the response of reinforced concrete blast door subjected to blast loading and must be taken into account in the analysis.

Failure analysis of air fan blades

The failure of all 12 blades of an air fan was investigated by metallurgical and mechanical experiments and an examina-tion of the fracture surface. The experimental results show that the cast aluminium-silicon alloy without any modification had a number of material defects, such as coarse grains, a loose structure, a large number of shrinkage holes, a long and thin bold-pin shaped silicon-phase, poor material strength and serious brittleness. In addition, installed on the spindle without elastic conjunction, blade No.10 vibrated and inevitably.spun off due to the large centrifugal force. Therefore, blade No.10 first cracked at the locking handle, then broke at the root, which caused all the other 11 blades to be broken by the crack of blade No.10.

Use of the reported Edmonton frail scale in the assessment of patients for transcatheter aortic valve replacement： a possible selection tool in very high-risk patients？

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement （TAVR） has revolutionised the treatment of patients with aortic stenosis （AS） over the last 15 years.TAVR is a well-established procedure for the treatment of patients considered high risk for open surgery. Results from the PARTNER （Placement of AoRTic traNscathetER） trial showed that inoperable patients randomly assigned to TAVR, had a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality, as well as hospitalisation, at one year compared to best medical management.

Inducible nitric oxide synthetase genotype and Helicobacter pylori infection affect gastric cancer risk

AIM： To investigate the association of the inducible ni- tric oxide synthetase （iNOS） C150T polymorphism with Helicobacter pylori （H. pylor/） infection and gastric can- cer （GC） risk in Iran. METHODS： In order to determine whether there was a correlation between iNOS genotype and GC in Iran, we conducted a case-control study using samples from 329 individuals. For each sample, the C150T ilVOS poly- morphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction （PCR） and restriction digestion. Patients were grouped by cancer presence, demographic and behavior charac- teristics, and/-/, pylori infection status. Statistical tests were conducted to determine whether any behavioral factors or a particular iNOS genotype was associated with GC in the study population. RESULTS： In this population, we found that smok- ing, hot beverage consumption, a familial history of GC and H. pylori infection status were significantly associated with GC development （P = 0.015, P 〈 0.001, P = 0.0034, and P 〈 0.015, respectively）. The distribution of the C150T ilVOS genotypes among the two study groups was not statistically significant alone, but was impacted by H. pylori infection status. When compared to the non-/-/, pylori infected group, cancer patients who had a heterozygous CT genotype and were also infected with H. pylori were 2.1 times more at risk of developing GC [odds ratio （OR） = 2.1, P = 0.03] while those with a homozygous TT genotype and infected with H. pylori were 5.0 times more at risk of developing GC （OR = 5.0, P = 0.029）. In contrast, this association was not seen in patients in the control group.CONCLUSION： ACT or TT polymorphism at position 150 in the iNO$ gene significantly increases the risk of GC and may be a marker for GC susceptibility.

Research on low-frequency mechanical characteristics of the MR dampers in ship isolators

A new isolator composed of a steel rope spring and a magneto-rheological(MR) damper was designed and a study on low-frequency mechanical characteristics of MR dampers in isolators was carried out.It used the characteristics of the MR damper,such as fast response,controllable damping,small energy consumption,wide dynamic scope,and great adaptation.The relationships between MR damping forces and influencing factors were analyzed based on experimental data.The results show that damping force is not only related to structural dimensions,but also closely related to controllable current and vibration frequency.Finally,the empirical formula for damping forces was corrected,and the relationship between correction coefficients and factors analyzed.

H pylori infection and other risk factors associated with peptic ulcers in Turkish patients: A retrospective study

AIM: To identify and evaluate the relative impact of H pylori infection and other risk factors on the occurrence of gastric ulcer (GU), duodenal ulcer (DU) and gastritis in Turkish patients. METHODS: A total of 4471 patients (48.3% female) out of 4863 attended the Samatya hospital in Istanbul (June 1999 - October 2003) were included. The records of H pylori status (CLO-test), endoscopic f indings of GU, DU and gastritis, personal habits (smoking, alcohol intake) and medication [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin intake] were analyzed using multi-way frequency analysis. RESULTS: We have found that GU in the presence of H pylori had significant association with aspirin (P = 0.0001), alcohol (P = 0.0090) and NSAIDs (P = 0.0372). DU on the other hand had significant association with aspirin/ smoking/NSAIDs (P = 0.0259), aspirin/alcohol (P = 0.0002) and aspirin/smoking (P = 0.0233), also in the presence of H pylori. In the absence of H pylori GU had significant association with alcohol/NSAIDs (P = 0.0431), and NSAIDs (P = 0.0436). While DU in the absence of H pylori had significant association with smoking/alcohol/ NSAIDs (P = 0.0013), aspirin/NSAIDs (P = 0.0334), aspirin/alcohol (P = 0.0360). CONCLUSION: In the presence of H pylori, aspirin, alcohol and NSAIDs intake act as an independent risk factors that had an augmenting impact on the occurrence of GU and only together on the occurrence of DU in Turkish patients.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement and stroke： a comprehensive review

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation （TAVR） has emerged as an alternative, rapidly evolving treatment option for patients with se- vere aortic stenosis and high surgical risk. Stroke is a devastating complication being confined mainly in the periprocedural and 30-day pe- riod following TAVR, with a lower and relatively constant frequency thereafter. Early stroke is mainly due to debris embolization during the procedure, whereas later events are associated with patient specific factors. Despite the fact that the rate of clinical stroke has been constantly decreasing compared to initial TAVR experience, modern neuro-imaging with MRI suggests that new ischemic lesions post-TAVR are almost universal. The impact of the latter is largely unknown. However, they seem to correlate with a reduction in neurocognitive function. Because TAVR is set to expand its indication to lower surgical-risk patients, stroke prophylaxis during and after TAVR becomes of paramount importance. Based on clinical and pathophysiological evidence, three lines of research are actively employed towards this direction： improvement in valve and delivery system technology with an aim to reduce manipulations and contact with the calcified aortic arch and native valve, antithrombotic therapy, and embolic protection devices. Careful patient selection, design of the procedure, and tailored antithrombotic strategies respecting the bleeding risks of this fragile population constitute the main defense against stroke following TAVR.

Conduction abnormalities after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

In the last few years, transcatheter aortic valve implantation （TAVI） has become an alternative procedure in patients with severe aortic stenosis and high risk for surgical aortic replacement. Due to the anatomic correlation between aortic valve structure and conduction system of the heart, one of the most common complications after TAVI is conduction system disturbances which including bundle branch block, complete heart block and need for permanent pacemaker implantation. Although these disturbances are usually not lethal, they may have a great influence on patients＇ state and long term-survival. Several risk factors for conduction disturbances have been identified which including age, anatomy of the heart, periprocedural factors, type of implanted valve, preexisting abnormalities and comorbidities. As this technique becomes more familiar to physicians, patients should be carefully screened for risk factors for the development of conduction abnormalities after TAVI in order to provide effective prevention and proper treatment.

The Public Private Partnership （PPP） as a Solution During the Period of Transformation of the Medical Services Market in Poland

The public private partnership （PPP） has functioned worldwide for more than 40 years now, and in different countries, it is developing at different speeds with varying degrees of success. The purpose of this article is to emphasize some standards of the PPP, in particular, within health services area which would guarantee a successful transformation process within the medical services market in Poland, and thus an appropriate division of financial and market risks among the public sectors, including local government sector and private partners within the health services area. Certainly, proper transformation solutions within that industry would significantly contribute to the stabilization of the local government＇s finance sector and higher resistance to the global financial crisis.

An Empirical Study of Risk Factors of the Gaming Industry in Macao

Beyond doubt, the gaming industry is the most important to the sustained success for Macao. While the industry has been growing spectacularly well since its liberalization in 2004, now, it is time to critically review the risk factors that may adversely affect its long-term, healthy, and harmonious development. People and organizations need to be vigilant in peace time. Being able to think of possible crises while living in a safe environment has been our traditional wisdom. There is an obvious need to develop and maintain a risk management mechanism for the gaming industry in Macao. Appropriate precautionary measures developed through rigorous study can help mitigate the damage brought by crises and in turn will ensure the sustained development of Macao. Risks and crises, if handled properly, can possibly be transformed into opportunities. This research adopts an integrative approach through systematic and comprehensive investigation to establish an approach to monitor and predict risks and crises for the gaming industry in Macao. This would provide a useful reference for the society and government of Macao in handling them.

Development of Wind Energy in the Region of Tehuantepec

Wind energy is renewable energy which is an alternative to the challenge facing the worlds electricity sector to reduce the conventional electricity that is based on burning fossil fuels. Mexico recognizes the need to undertake sustainable development activities that promote the welfare of present and future generations. This country has a significant potential whose exploitation could meet up to 5% of electricity needs. The region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca State has been characterized as the region with the highest wind resources in Mexico. This article discusses the current state of wind energy in this region from an economic perspective, environmental policy and to promote greater participation in the national grid.

Risk Threats in a Creative Funding Scheme for Infrastructure Project in Indonesia： Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan Toll Road Project Case

A creative solution to financial gap in Indonesian infrastructure development is the Public Private Partnership （PPP） scheme. One of the constraints in PPP implementation in toll road infrastructure is the lack of interest from the private sector, which are caused by the uncertainties defined as risks surrounding the project. This urges the importance of risk analysis on project investment to describe the measurement of risk allocated to the private sector. This paper aims at measuring the risks impacts on the project viability using Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan （Cisumdawu） Toll Road section as the case and finding some creative way out. By employing Monte Carlo risk analysis technique we are able to measure the risk impact perceived by the private sector through probability distribution of the project NPV and IRR. Based on the result of Monte Carlo analysis on the Cisumdawu toll road, the overall risk impact perceived by the private sector is too much to bear. The risks considered as high-impact are risks on land acquisition, risks on construction, risks on toll revenue, risks on interest rates and disaster risks on post construction phase. The result shows the importance of decreasing the risk level on the mentioned risk that can be done through the increased participation of local government in managing the toll road projects. A creative solution again is needed to strike balance between the interest of private sector and that of public sector to deal with risks.

Theoretic analysis of Professor Shao Jing-ming's ‘Three-acupoint and Five-needle Method’ for asthma

＆#39;Three-acupoint and Five-needle Method＆#39; is a summary of Prof. Shao Jing-ming＆#39;s clinical experience in the treatment of asthma for years. It is used to alleviate asthma during seizure and to improve the pulmonary functions, strengthen the body constitution and prevent recurrence in the remission stage. This article introduces the theoretic source and basic principle, and concrete operating method, i.e. puncturing bilateral Feishu （BL 13）, Dazhui （GV 14） and bilateral Fengmen （BL 12）, and adding acupoints based upon pattern identification, in combination of moxibustion and cupping therapy for promoting the clinical application of this method.

A noise cross PSD estimator for dual-microphone speech enhancement based on minimum statistics

Some two-microphone noise reduction techniques that work in the frequency domain exploit coherence function between two noisy signals. They have shown good results when noise signals on two sensors are uncorrelated, but their per-formance decreases with correlated noises. Coherence based methods can be improved when the cross power spectral density (CPSD) of correlated noise signals is available. In this paper, we propose a new method for estimation of the CPSD of the noise, which is based on the minimum tracking technique. Despite the fact that the proposed estimator does not need to implement a voice activity detector (VAD), its performance is comparable to a CPSD estimator that uses an ideal VAD.

Clinical Study on Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome by Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Premenstrual syndrome（PMS） is a collection of physical and emotional symptoms occurring two weeks prior to woman＇s menstruation, such as tension, emotional upset, attention deficit, irritability, depression and anxiety, insomnia, headache and distending breasts, which vanish shortly after the start of menses. Serious PMS can affect the sufferers＇ work,

Renal-function change after transjugular intra-hepatic portosystemic shunt placement and its relationship with survival:a single-center experience

Background:The effect of transjugular intra-hepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)placement on renal function and the correlation of post-TIPS Cr with mortality remain unclear.This study aimed to assess the effect of TIPS placement on renal function and to examine the relationship between post-TIPS Cr and mortality risk.Methods:A total of 593 patients who underwent de novo TIPS placement between 2004 and 2017 at a single institution were included in the study.The pre-TIPS Cr level(T0;within 7 days before TIPS placement)and post-TIPS Cr levels,at 1–2 days(T1),5–12 days(T2),and 15–40 days(T3),were collected.Predictors of Cr change after TIPS placement and the 1-year mortality rate were analysed using multivariable linear-regression and Cox proportional-hazards models,respectively.Results:Overall,21.4%of patients(n=127)had elevated baseline Cr(≤1.5 mg/dL;mean,2.5161.49 mg/dL)and 78.6%(n=466)had normal baseline Cr(<1.5 mg/dL;mean,0.9260.26 mg/dL).Patients with elevated pre-TIPS Cr demonstrated a decrease in post-TIPS Cr(difference,-0.60 mg/dL),whereas patients with normal baseline Cr exhibited no change(difference,<0.01 mg/dL).The 30-day,90-day,and 1-year mortality rates were 13%,20%,and 32%,respectively.Variceal bleeding as a TIPS-placement indication(hazard ratio=1.731;P=0.036),higher T0 Cr(hazard ratio=1.834;P=0.012),and higher T3 Cr(hazard ratio=3.524;P<0.001)were associated with higher 1-year mortality risk.Conclusion:TIPS placement improved renal function in patients with baseline renal dysfunction and the post-TIPS Cr level was a strong predictor of 1-year mortality risk.