Thoughts on the Development of Bridge Technology in China

In the history of bridge engineering, demand has always been the primary driving force for development. Driven by the huge demand for construction since China’s reform and opening-up, Chinese bridge has leapt forward both quantitatively and qualitatively in three major stages, by completing the transition from “follower” to “competitor,” and nally to “leader.” A new future is emerging for Chinese bridge engi- neering. As an important part of China’s transportation infrastructure, the bridge engineering industry is facing challenges in this new era on how to support the construction of a new form of transportation. This paper provides a summary of the status of bridge technology in China, based on a basic analysis of stock demand, incremental demand, and management demand. It is our belief that the Chinese bridge engi- neering industry must ful ll three outstanding requirements: construction ef ciency, management effec- tiveness, and long-term service. Intelligent technology based on information technology provides a new opportunity for innovation in bridge engineering. As a result, the development path of bridge engineering needs to be changed. This paper puts forward the idea of developing a third-generation bridge project that is characterized by intelligence, and discusses this project’s implications, development focus, and plan. In this way, this work provides a direction for the improvement of the core competitiveness of China’s bridge engineering industry.

Effect of dexamethasone on intelligence and hearing in preterm infants: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE： A meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials investigating the long- term effect of dexamethasone on the nervous system of preterm infants. DATA SOURCES： Online literature retrieval was conducted using The Cochrane Library （from January 1993 to June 2013）, EMBASE （from January 1980 to June 2013）, MEDLINE （from Janu- ary 1963 to June 2013）, OVID （from January 1993 to June 2013）, Springer （from January 1994 to June 2013） and Chinese Academic Journal Full-text Database （from January 1994 to June 2013）. Key words were preterm infants and dexamethasone in English and Chinese. STUDY SELECTION： Selected studies were randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of intravenous dexamethasone in preterm infants. The quality of the included papers was evaluated and those without the development of the nervous system and animal experiments were exclud- ed. Quality assessment was performed through bias risk evaluation in accordance with Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 software in the Cochrane Collaboration. The homogeneous studies were analyzed and compared using Revman 5.2.6 software, and then effect model was selected and analyzed. Those papers failed to be included in the meta-analysis were subjected to descriptive analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Nervous system injury in preterm infants. RESULTS： Ten randomized controlled trials were screened, involving 1,038 subjects. Among them 512 cases received dexamethasone treatment while 526 cases served as placebo control group and blank control group. Meta-analysis results showed that the incidence of cerebral palsy, visual im- pairment and hearing loss in preterm infants after dexamethasone treatment within 7 days after birth was similar to that in the control group （RR = 1.47, 95%CI： 0.97-2.21; RR = 1.46, 95%CI： 0.97-2.20; RR = 0.80, 95%CI： 0.54-1.18; P 〉 0.05）, but intelligence quotient was significantly de- creased compared with the control group （MD = -3.55, 95%CI： -6.59 to -0.51; P = 0.02）. Prete rm infants treated with dexamethasone 7 days after birth demonstrated an incidence of cerebral palsy and visual impairment, and changes in intelligence quotient similar to those in the control group （RR = 1.26, 95%CI： 0.89-1.79; RR = 1.37, 95%CI： 0.73-2.59; RR = 0.53, 95%CI： 0.32-0.89; RR = 1.66, 95%CI： -4.7 to 8.01; P 〉 0.05）. However, the incidence of hearing loss was significantly increased compared with that in the control group （RR = 0.53, 95%CI： 0.32-0.89; P = 0.02）. CONCLUSION： Dexamethasone may affect the intelligence of preterm infants in the early stages after birth, but may lead to hearing impairment at later stages after birth. More reliable conclusions should be made through large-size, multi-center, well-designed randomized controlled trials.

Japanese Science and Technology Basic Plan: A Perspective of Policy Process

The Japanese government formulates the Science and Technology Basic Plan every five years based on the Science and Technology Basic Law, and indicates the future direction of Japan’s science and technology. This paper describes its history, significance, and decision process of this Science and Technology Basic Plan. Then this paper describes the characteristics of the previous five plans, contributions to Japanese science and technological activities, and its challenges for the future. In the formulation of the Science and Technology Basic Plan, the role of the Council for Science and Technology Policy has been significant. However, after establishing Shinzo Abe administration, the inclination to global innovation has been emphasized in Japan as well, the Council for Science and Technology Policy was renamed the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, and the midterm and annual strategies centered on innovation have also been prepared. This paper described these movements.Japan suffers from population decline and the increase in governmental deficits, and there is also a tendency towards weakness in science and technology innovation. To formulate more suitable science and technology basic plans will revitalize and strengthen Japan’s science and technology innovation.