The Law of Diminishing Returns in Determining the Environmental Cost of Mining in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Environmental standards,as independent/explanatory variables of C21 capital costing functions,may refer to parts of space that we want to control in order to protect subsystems that are particularly sensitive and/or importance.In these cases,we need a quantitative relationship that links the environmental characteristics of the source of pollution to those of the reference/control points.In this article we will identify the capital cost functions C21=f(Sf),where Sf is a spatially distributed parameter(e.g.BOD),characteristic of an environmental model.

Diminishing Fears

Public safety concerns in Urumqi have been eased after authorities tightened security measures and vowed punishment for syringe

Underwater Image Enhancement Using Customized CLAHE and Adaptive Color Correction

Underwater images degraded due to low contrast and visibility issues.Therefore,it is important to enhance the images and videos taken in the underwater environment before processing.Enhancement is a way to improve or increase image quality and to improve the contrast of degraded images.The original image or video which is captured through image processing devices needs to improve as there are various issues such as less light available,low resolution,and blurriness in underwater images caused by the normal camera.Various researchers have proposed different solutions to overcome these problems.Dark channel prior(DCP)is one of the most used techniques which produced a better Peak Signal to Noise Ratio(PSNR)value.However,DCP has some issues such as it tends to darken images,reduce contrast,and produce halo effects.The proposed method solves these issues with the help of contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization(CLAHE)and the Adaptive Color Correction Method.The proposed method was assessed using Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology(JAMSTEC),and some images were collected from the internet.The measure of entropy(MOE),Measure of Enhancement(EME),Mean Square Error(MSE),and PSNR opted as performance measures during experiments.The values of MSE and PSNR achieved by the proposed framework are 0.26 and 32 respectively which shows better results.

Combating Climate Change and Global Warming for a Sustainable Living in Harmony with Nature

As humanity has been polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases,the planet is getting warmed up which is triggering the frequency and the intensity of extreme events like heat waves,dry conditions,wildfires,cyclones,tornadoes,lightning,and massive flooding all over the planet Earth.There is considerable evidence that the concentration of greenhouse gases,especially that of CO_(2) has steadily increased in the atmosphere as a result of the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels around the world particularly during the last 70 years.The glaciers in the high mountain and polar regions are diminishing fast,sea levels are rising,and food production is being affected severely in certain parts of the world.In fact,the changing climate has currently become one of the major threats to the survival of civilization.The world scientific communities are warning of a climate emergency and requesting the decision makers to promptly respond and act to sustain life on planet Earth.To deliver net zero emissions by the year 2050,the whole world must phase out the technologies such as coal-powered thermal plants and diesel/petrol/gasoline-powered vehicles which release abundant amounts of CO_(2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and invest in the development of clean energies such as hydel,wind,solar,space-solar,and nuclear energies.This transition to a low-carbon economy with the help of these technologies together with other technologies such as hydrogen fuel,fuel cells,electric vehicles,and massive plantations is expected to take our planet Earth to a safe zone in the coming 20-30 years.

Clinical Application of Double Ovulation Stimulation in Patients with Diminished Ovarian Reserve and Asynchronous Follicular Development Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Technology

Objective This study aimed to compare the clinical effects of double ovulation stimulation(DouStim)applied during the follicular and luteal phases with the antagonist protocol in patients with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR)and asynchronous follicular development undergoing assisted reproductive technology(ART).Methods The clinical data of patients with DOR and asynchronous follicular development receiving ART from January 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups according to their ovulation stimulation protocol:DouStim group(n=30)and antagonist group(n=62).Assisted reproduction and clinical pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results In the DouStim group,the number of oocytes retrieved,metaphase II(MII)oocytes,two-pronuclei(2PN),day 3(D3)embryos,D3 high-quality embryos as well as blastocyst formation,implantation,and human chorionic gonadotropin-positive rates were significantly greater than those in the antagonist group(all P<0.05).No significant differences were found in MII,fertilization,or continued pregnancy rates at the first frozen embryo transfer(FET),in-vitro fertilization(IVF)cancellation,or early medical abortion rates between the groups(all P>0.05).Except for the early medical abortion rate,the DouStim group generally had favorable outcomes.In the DouStim group,the dosage and duration of gonadotropin and the fertilization rate were significantly greater in the first ovulation stimulation induction than in the second ovulation stimulation induction(P<0.05).Conclusion The DouStim protocol efficiently and economically obtained more mature oocytes and high-quality embryos for patients with DOR and asynchronous follicular development.

Efficacy and Safety of the Chinese Herbal Compound TJAOA101 in Treating Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Protocol for Multicenter, Prospective, and Pre-Post Study

Objective Diminished ovarian reserve(DOR)can lead to early menopause,poor fecundity,and an increased risk of disorders such as osteoporosis,cardiovascular disease,and cognitive impairment,seriously affecting the physical and mental health of women.There is still no safe and effective strategy or method to combat DOR.We have developed a novel Chinese herbal formula,Tongji anti-ovarian aging 101(TJAOA101),to treat DOR.However,its safety and efficacy need to be further validated.Methods In this prospective and pre-post clinical trial,100 eligible patients aged 18–45 diagnosed with DOR will be recruited.All participants receive TJAOA101 twice a day for 3 months.Then,comparisons before and after treatment will be analyzed,and the outcomes,including anti-mullerian hormone(AMH)and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)levels and the antral follicle count(AFC),the recovery rate of menopause,and the Kupperman index(KMI),will be assessed at baseline,every month during medication(the intervention period),and 1,3 months after medication(the follow-up period).Assessments for adverse events will be performed during the intervention and follow-up periods.Conclusion A multicenter,prospective study will be conducted to further confirm the safety and efficacy of TJAOA101 in treating DOR and to provide new therapeutic strategies for improving the quality of life in DOR patients.

Central Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the Navier-Stokes Equations

Central discontinuous Galerkin(CDG)method is used to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for viscous flow in this paper.The CDG method involves two pieces of approximate solutions defined on overlapping meshes.Taking advantages of the redundant representation of the solution on the overlapping meshes,the cell interface of one computational mesh is right inside the staggered mesh,hence approximate Riemann solvers are not needed at cell interfaces.Third order total variation diminishing(TVD)Runge-Kutta(RK)methods are applied in time discretization.Numerical examples for 1D and2 D viscous flow simulations are presented to validate the accuracy and robustness of the CDG method.

Static and Dynamic Structure Characteristics of a Trust Network and Formation of User Trust in an Online Society

This study investigated the characteristics and formation of the online social trust network of Epinions.com, a general consumer review site. An analysis of the static structure of this social trust network revealed a high clustering coefficient, short average path length, and power-law degree distribution;it is therefore a small-world and scale-free trust network. The dynamic evolutionary characteristics of the online social network (OSN) were also examined. The results showed that the scale of the network followed a sigmoidal curve;the average degree of the network was nonconstant and changed into a bell-shaped distribution;the density of the network decreased and subsequently stabilized;and user trust diffusion in the network conformed to the Bass model. Finally, the formation of trust within the network was researched at the overall network (macro) and individual user (micro) levels. Compared with their accumulated contribution and reputation, user activeness had a larger effect on trust formation in OSNs, indicating a “diminishing returns” phenomenon. This phenomenon contrasts with the Matthew effect (i.e. , the more reputation a person has, the more likely he or she is to be trusted) in real-world social networks.

The public health benefits of Tai Ji Quan——Addressing the unmet needs of aging populations in the 21st century

1.Introduction With the increase in older populations worldwide1 comes an increased health burden related to chronic diseases.2–4One of the most disabling of these is knee osteoarthritis（OA）,which occurs in millions of older adults who subsequently live with joint pain and stiffness,leading to chronic disability and a diminished quality of life.5,6 Epidemiological evidence shows a higher prevalence of OA in older adults living in urban and

QUANTITATIVE HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC CYTOCHEMICAL OBSERVATION ON PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF TCH-863 ON D-GAL INDUCED RAT LIVER DAMAGE(2)

Preventive effect of TCH-863 on D-Gal induced rat liver damage was further studied with histochemical and electron microscopic cytochemica! techniques. The quantitative analyses on the hirtochemical results were made with 4 different image analysers. Experimental procedure: 1) Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups as in Report (l); 2) Routine histochemistry and electron microscopic cytochemistry were carried out; 3) Contents of DNA and RNA in hepatocytes were determined with Quantimet 970 image analyser; 4) Act-

OBSERVATIONS ON MANGANESE-CONTAINING SUPERO- XIDE DISMUTASE ACTIVITY IN HUMAN LUNG CANCER

Manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity in lung cancer tissues from 5 patients with pulmonary carcinoma were measured by the nitrite formation method, lipid peroxide (LPO) values being measured by spectrophotometry of thio-barbituric acid reaction. The results obtained show that Mn-SOD activity exhibits most evidently in lung cancer tissues, less evidently in peripheral tissues around the lung cancer, but the least in normal peripheral lung tissues, indicating a declined tendency as definitely proved by statistical treatment (P【0.01). In addition, LPO values are found to be lower in lung cancer tissues than those in normal peripheral tissues.

S2A-4 Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Maternal alcohol consumption is the leading known non-genetic cause of mental retardation.Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause a range of structural and functional birth defects,which are defined as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders(FASD).Growing evidence suggests that excessive cell death in selected cell populations is a major component of the pathogenesis of FASD.This suggests that a strategy for protecting against ethanol’s teratogenesis by epigenetically regulating the genes involved in the apoptotic pathway is promising for effective intervention and prevention of FASD.We have recently found that treatment with ethanol resulted in a significant decrease in miR-125b expression in neural crest cells(NCCs)and mouse embryos.We also validated that Bcl-2 antagonist killer 1(Bak1)and p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis(PUMA)are the direct targets of miR-125b in NCCs.In addition,overexpression of miR-125b significantly reduced the ethanol-induced increase in Bak1 and PUMA protein expression,caspase-3 activation,and apoptosis in NCCs,indicating that miR-125b can modulate ethanol-induced apoptosis by the regulation of Bcl-2 and p53 pathways.Furthermore,microinjection of miR-125b mimic resulted in a significant increase in miR-125b expression and a decrease in the protein expression of Bak1 and PUMA in ethanol-exposed mouse embryos.Up-regulation of miR-125b also significantly reduced ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation and diminished ethanol-induced growth retardation in mouse embryos.Our studies have also shown that exposure to ethanol resulted in a significant increase in the activities of histone deacetylase(HDAC)and DNA methyltransferase(DNMT),and increased the methylation of Bcl-2 promoter in NCCs.In addition,ChIP-qPCR assay revealed that ethanol exposure significantly decreased acetyl-histone H3 binding to the Bcl-2 promoter and the expression of Bcl-2.Supplementing with sulforaphane(SFN),an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables and a dual epigenetic regulator which can inhibit both DNMTs and HDACs,reversed the ethanol-induced hypermethylation of Bcl-2 promoter and reduction in acetyl-histone H3 binding to the Bcl-2 promoter.Treatment with SFN also restored the expression of Bcl-2 in ethanol-exposed NCCs.Furthermore,supplementing with SFN diminished ethanol-induced apoptosis in NCCs and in mouse embryos exposed to ethanol in vivo.These results demonstrate that SFN can epigenetically restore the expression of Bcl-2 and attenuate ethanol-induced apoptosis by decreasing methylation and increasing histone acetylation at the Bcl-2 promoter.These findings support the potential of dietary consumption of SFN or SFN-rich broccoli sprouts to attenuate ethanol-induced apoptosis and confer in vivo protection against FASD through epigenetic regulation of the expression of anti-apoptotic genes.

异常H反射对周期性腿动症的病理生理学理解的影响

Objective: To get more insight in the pathophysiological basis of periodic lim b movement disorder (PLMD) with or without restless legs syndrome (RLS), we inve stigated whether these patients have spontaneous changes in H-reflexes or show altered reflex patterns after (external) inhibition or excitation of the relevan t spinal segment. Methods: The ratio of the peak-to-peak values of the maximal soleus H-reflex and the maximal direct muscle potential (H/M ratio), H-reflex recruitment curves, vibratory inhibition and recovery curves of the soleus H-r eflexin double stimulus experiments were measured in 9 PLMD patients and 11 cont rols. Results: In comparison to controls the vibratory inhibition, predominantly reflecting pre-synaptic inhibitory action, was depressed in PLMD patients. The soleus H-reflex recovery curves showed increased late facilitation and depress ed late inhibition, both reflecting diminished inhibition due to post-synaptic central activity. Conclusions: Our data indicate diminished inhibition at spinal level in PLMD patients. This is probably due to altered function of the descend ing spinal tracts, peripheral influence or changes at the inter-neural circuitr y at spinal level itself, or combinations of these 3 possibil ities. Significance: The results of this study give further insight in the pat hophysiology of PLMD and RLS by stressing the importance of diminished central i nhibition.

Effect of Dual Trigger In Vitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection During the Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone-Antagonist Cycle on Final Oocyte Maturation and Cumulative Live Birth Rate in Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Objective It is well known that a dual trigger treatment can improve clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization(IVF)in high or normal ovarian responders.However,it is not clear whether dual triggering also benefits patients with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR).The aim of this study was to investigate whether a dual trigger treatment of gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)agonist combined with human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG)for final follicular maturation improves the cumulative live birth rate(CLBR)during the GnRH-antagonist cycle in patients with DOR.Methods This retrospective study included patients with DOR who received a GnRH-antagonist protocol during IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(IVF-ICSI)cycles at Peking University People’s Hospital from January 1,2017 through December 31,2017.Oocyte maturation was triggered by GnRH combined with hCG(n=110)or hCG alone(n=71).Embryos were transferred on the third day after oocyte retrieval or during a subsequent freeze-thaw cycle.Patients were followed up for 3 years.Results The dual trigger treatment did not affect CLBR,which is an overall determinant of the success rate of assisted reproductive technology(ART).Women in the dual trigger group had significantly higher rates of fertilization than those in the hCG group(90.1%vs.83.9%,P=0.040).Conclusion Dual trigger with GnRH agonist and hCG did not improve CLBR in patients with DOR,but did slightly improve fertilization rate,oocyte count,and embryo quality.

Analysis of uterine artery and sex hormones in treating diminished ovarian reserve with tiaojing decoction

Objective: To observe the effect of tiaojing decoction and climen on diminished ovarian reserve patients with de ficiency of Kidney-Yin by sex hormone and uterine artery blood flow parameters. To verify the e ffectiveness of tiaojing decoction on diminished ovarian reserve and uterine artery blood flow parameters, explore the correlation between uterine artery blood flow parameters and sex hormones. Methods: Total 60 diminished ovarian reserve patients with deficiency of Kidney-Yin were randomly divided into the experimental group (n=30, taking tiaojing decoction and climen) and the control group (n=30, taking climen) and they were treated in 3 months. Observe bFSH, bE2, uterine artery PSV, EDV, S/D, RI before and after the treatment in the 2-4 day of menstruation. Results: After treatment, serum sex hormone levels and uterine artery blood flow parameters of the two groups were significantly different (P < 0.05), and the experimental group was significantly better than the control group. There was a linear correlation between PSV and FSH, PSV and E2, FSH and E2. Conclusion: Tiaojing decoction combined with climen has significant effect on diminished ovarian reserve patients with deficiency of Kidney-Yin. Uterine artery blood flow parameters can reflect the sex hormone levels.

9.3.Adrenal gland

920252 Ketoconazole in the treatment ofCushing’s syndrome.CHEN Jiawei (陈家伟),etal.Dept Endocrinol,1st Affili Hosp,Nanjing MedColl.Chin J Endocrinol & Metabol 1991;7(4):201-203.

阿尔茨海默病静息EEG的同步活动出现异常波动

Objective: We examined the hypothesis that cognitive dy-sfunction in Alzheimer’s disease is associated with abnormal spontaneous fluc tuations of EEG synchronization levels during an eyes-closed resting state. Met hods: EEGs were recorded during an eyes-closed resting state in Alzheimer patie nts (N=24;9 males; mean age 76.3 years; SD 7.8; range 59-86) and nondemented su bjects with subjective memory complaints (N=19;9males;mean age 76.1 years; SD 6. 7; range: 67-89). The mean level of synchronization was determined in different frequency bands with the synchronization likelihood and fluctuations of the syn chronization level were analysed with detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). Resu lts: The mean level of EEG synchronization was lower in Alzheimer patients in th e upper alpha (10-13 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) band. Spontaneous fluctuations of synchronization were diminished in Alzheimer patients in the lower alpha (8-10 Hz) and beta bands. In patients as well as controls the synchronization fluctuat ions showed a scale-free pattern. Conclusions: Alzheimer’s disease is characte rized both by a lower mean level of functional connectivity as well as by dimini shed fluctuations in the level of synchronization.The dynamics of these fluctuat ions in patients and controls was scale-free which might point to self-organiz ed criticality of neural networks in the brain. Significance: Impaired functiona l connectivity can manifest itself not only in decreased levels of synchronizati on but also in disturbed fluctuations of synchronization levels.

Treatment Progress in Diminished Ovarian Reserve:Western and Chinese Medicine

Diminished ovarian reserve(DOR),generally defined as a decreased number or quality of oocytes,has a significant impact on quality of life and fertility in women.In recent years,the incidence of DOR has been increasing and the ages of patients are younger.The search for an effective DOR treatment has emerged as one of the preeminent research topics in reproductive health.An effective DOR therapy would improve ovarian function,fertility,and quality of life in patients.In this review we evaluated DOR treatment progress both in Western medicine and Chinese medicine,and elucidated the characteristics of each treatment.

Effects of Zishen Yutai Pills on in vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer Outcomes in Patients with Diminished Ovarian Reserve:A Prospective,Open-Labeled,Randomized and Controlled Study

Objective:To explore the effects of Zishen Yutai Pills(ZYPs)on the quality of oocytes and embryos,as well as pregnancy outcomes in patients with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR)receiving in vitro fertilizationembryo transfer(IVF-ET).The possible mechanisms,involving the regulation of bone morphogenetic protein 15(BMP15)and growth differentiation factor 9(GDF9),were also investigated.Methods:A total of 120 patients with DOR who underwent their IVF-ET cycle were randomly allocated to 2 groups in a 1:1 ratio.The patients in the treatment group(60 cases)received ZYPs from the mid-luteal phase of the former menstrual cycle by using gonadotropin-releasing hormone(Gn RH)antagonist protocol.The patients in the control group(60 cases)received the same protocol but without ZYPs.The primary outcomes were the number of oocytes retrieved and high-quality embryos.Secondary outcomes included other oocyte or embryo indices as well as pregnancy outcomes.Adverse events were assessed by comparison of the incidence of ectopic pregnancy,pregnancy complications,pregnancy loss,and preterm birth.Contents of BMP15 and GDF9 in the follicle fluids(FF)were also quantified with enzymelinked immunosorbent assay.Results:Compared with the control group,the numbers of oocytes retrieved and high-quality embryos were significantly increased in the ZYPs group(both P<0.05).After treatment with ZYPs,a significant regulation of serum sex hormones was observed,including progesterone and estradiol.Both hormones were up-regulated compared with the control group(P=0.014 and 0.008),respectively.No significant differences were observed with regard to pregnancy outcomes including implantation rates,biochemical pregnancy rates,clinical pregnancy rates,live birth rates,and pregnancy loss rates(all P>0.05).The administration of ZYPs did not increase the incidence of adverse events.The expressions of BMP15 and GDF9 in the ZYPs group were significantly up-regulated compared with the control group(both P<0.05).Conclusions:ZYPs exhibited beneficial effects in DOR patients undergoing IVF-ET,resulting in increments of oocytes and embryos,and up-regulation of BMP15 and GDF9 expressions in the FF.However,the effects of ZYPs on pregnancy outcomes should be assessed in clinical trials with larger sample sizes(Trial reqistration No.Chi CTR2100048441).

A TVD Uncertainty Quantification Method with Bounded Error Applied to Transonic Airfoil Flutter

The Unsteady Adaptive Stochastic Finite Elements(UASFE)approach is a robust and efficient uncertainty quantification method for resolving the effect of random parameters in unsteady simulations.In this paper,it is shown that the underlying Adaptive Stochastic Finite Elements(ASFE)method for steady problems based on Newton-Cotes quadrature in simplex elements is extrema diminishing(ED).It is also shown that the method is total variation diminishing(TVD)for one random parameter and for multiple random parameters for first degree Newton-Cotes quadrature.It is proven that the interpolation of oscillatory samples at constant phase in the UASFE method for unsteady problems results in a bounded error as function of the phase for periodic responses and under certain conditions also in a bounded error in time.The two methods are applied to a steady transonic airfoil flow and a transonic airfoil flutter problem.