City profile: Ningbo

Ningbo is located in the south-east of Yangtze River Delta by the East China Sea, 220 km south of Shanghai. The city has been an important port in East China for foreign trade since 7th century. Since 1980s, encouraged by China’s economic “open-door” policy, one of the ways the city attracted foreign investment and thus grew its economy was by establishing multi-functional economic development zones near its deep-water port. As a result, Ningbo is now one of the top ten coastal ports in the world (as measured in Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, TEUs). Similarly, the city’s GDP per capita is approximately three times the national average. The current and historic prosperity of Ningbo is in no small way related to its geographical position, just 20 km inland from the Hangzhou estuary and the gateway to the East China Sea. It is also the approximate centre of a 1000 km2 coastal plain, at the confluence of the Fenghua and Yao Rivers, and from where the Yong River leads to the sea. However, also a result of this geographic location the city is now facing an increasing risk of coastal flooding caused by increase in urban area; climate change (increased rainfall intensity); and predicted sea-level rise. As a result both water management and current flood management practice (and related infrastructure) are under scrutiny. In addition to describing the evolution of the city, this paper focuses on the implication of current planning practices in Ningbo, which aim to ensure the sustainable development of the city both in terms of its natural resources and its expected rate of economic growth

INVESTIGATE THE CRITICAL FACTORS OF SUCCESSFUL GREEN COSMETICS MARKETING

Developing effective marketing strategies for successfully green cosmetic marketing is critical for strengthening a company’s competitive advantage and performance. This research adopts the more comprehensive factors and emphasizes the perspectives of senior managers, utilizes the DANP method proposed by Ou Yang et al. (2008) which combines DEMATEL and ANP to examine the major factors of successful green cosmetic marketing. Firstly, the fourteen evaluation criteria are extracted from past literature and are classified into four clusters; then consult with ten scholars/experts; finally, interview with ten senior managers of green cosmetic companies The research results show that the Perceived Value Cluster is the main influence source and The Strategy Diamond Cluster plays as the central role among the four clusters. For green cosmetic companies, the top three priority criteria show that the crucial aspect of business strategy is to identify the means to generate returns by achieving superior quality and a distinctive image across the value chain. To secure a competitive advantage, green cosmetic companies can effectively distinguish themselves from competitors by employing differentiation strategies and prioritizing eco-friendly products to appeal to environmentally conscious customers. Green cosmetic companies focus on product quality, implements differentiation strategies, and prioritizes eco-friendly products. This approach not only meets the rising consumer demand for environmentally conscious products but also enhances the brand's competitive advantage in the market

Animal models for the study of primary and secondary hypertension in humans.

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Spandidos Publications via http://dx.doi.org/10.3892/br.2016.784Hypertension is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is defined as systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP/DBP) >140 and 90 mmHg, respectively. Individuals with an SBP between 120 and 139, or DBP between 80 and 89 mmHg, are said to exhibit pre-hypertension. Hypertension can have primary or secondary causes. Primary or essential hypertension is a multifactorial disease caused by interacting environmental and polygenic factors. Secondary causes are renovascular hypertension, renal disease, endocrine disorders and other medical conditions. The aim of the present review article was to examine the different animal models that have been generated for studying the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying hypertension. Their advantages, disadvantages and limitations will be discussed.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Doctoral Training Award), Economic and Social Research Counci

A targeted gene panel that covers coding, non-coding and short tandem repeat regions improves the diagnosis of patients with neurodegenerative diseases

Genetic testing for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is highly challenging because of genetic heterogeneity and overlapping manifestations. Targeted-gene panels (TGPs), coupled with next-generation sequencing (NGS), can facilitate the profiling of a large repertoire of ND-related genes. Due to the technical limitations inherent in NGS and TGPs, short tandem repeat (STR) variations are often ignored. However, STR expansions are known to cause such NDs as Huntington\u27s disease and spinocerebellar ataxias type 3 (SCA3). Here, we studied the clinical utility of a custom-made TGP that targets 199 NDs and 311 ND-associated genes on 118 undiagnosed patients. At least one known or likely pathogenic variation was found in 54 patients; 27 patients demonstrated clinical profiles that matched the variants; and 16 patients whose original diagnosis were refined. A high concordance of variant calling were observed when comparing the results from TGP and whole-exome sequencing of four patients. Our in-house STR detection algorithm has reached a specificity of 0.88 and a sensitivity of 0.82 in our SCA3 cohort. This study also uncovered a trove of novel and recurrent variants that may enrich the repertoire of ND-related genetic markers. We propose that a combined comprehensive TGPs-bioinformatics pipeline can improve the clinical diagnosis of NDs

GPER-induced signaling is essential for the survival of breast cancer stem cells.

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1 (GPER), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, mediates estrogen-induced proliferation of normal and malignant breast epithelial cells. However, its role in breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) remains unclear. Here we showed greater expression of GPER in BCSCs than non-BCSCs of three patient-derived xenografts of ER- /PR+ breast cancers. GPER silencing reduced stemness features of BCSCs as reflected by reduced mammosphere forming capacity in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo with decreased BCSC populations. Comparative phosphoproteomics revealed greater GPER-mediated PKA/BAD signaling in BCSCs. Activation of GPER by its ligands, including tamoxifen (TMX), induced phosphorylation of PKA and BAD-Ser118 to sustain BCSC characteristics. Transfection with a dominant-negative mutant BAD (Ser118Ala) led to reduced cell survival. Taken together, GPER and its downstream signaling play a key role in maintaining the stemness of BCSCs, suggesting that GPER is a potential therapeutic target for eradicating BCSCs

Air toxics and early childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia in Texas, a population based case control study

BACKGROUND: Traffic exhaust, refineries and industrial facilities are major sources of air toxics identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for their potential risk to human health. In utero and early life exposures to air toxics such as benzene and 1,3-butadiene, which are known leukemogens in adults, may play an etiologic role in childhood leukemia that comprises the majority of pediatric cancers. We conducted a population based case–control study to examine individual effects of benzene, 1,3-butadiene and polycyclic organic matter (POM) in ambient residential air on acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) diagnosed in children under age 5 years in Texas from 1995–2011. METHODS: Texas Cancer Registry cases were linked to birth records and then were frequency matched by birth month and year to 10 population-based controls. Maternal and infant characteristics from birth certificates were abstracted to obtain information about potential confounders. Modelled estimates of benzene, 1,3-butadiene and POM exposures at the census tract level were assigned by linking geocoded maternal addresses from birth certificates to U.S. EPA National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment data for single and co-pollutant statistical analyses. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were applied to evaluate associations between air toxics and childhood leukemia. RESULTS: In adjusted single pollutant models, odds of childhood leukemia among mothers with the highest ambient air exposures compared to those in the lowest quartile were 1.11 (95 % CI: 0.94–1.32) for POM, 1.17 (95 % CI: 0.98–1.39) for benzene and 1.29 (95 % CI: 1.08–1.52) for 1,3-butadiene. In co-pollutant models, odds ratios for childhood leukemia remained elevated for 1,3-butadiene but were close to the null value for benzene and POM. CONCLUSIONS: We observed positive associations between 1,3-butadiene and childhood leukemia in single and co-pollutant models whereas effect estimates from single pollutant models were diminished for benzene and POM in co-pollutant models. Early life exposure to 1,3-butadiene rather than benzene or POM appears to increase early childhood risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0154-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Prevention of Dental Damage and Improvement of Difficult Intubation Using a Paraglossal Technique With a Straight Miller Blade

Patients with diseased teeth, or those who are difficult to intubate, have a higher risk of dental injury during laryngoscopy. We report 3 cases of smooth endotracheal intubation using a paraglossal technique with a straight Miller blade in patients with poor dentition. Three patients with poor dentition were scheduled to undergo surgery under general anesthesia. All patients presented with extremely loose upper central incisors and had lost the other right upper teeth, while micrognathia and prominent, loose upper incisors were noted in 1 case. We elected to use a straight Miller blade using a paraglossal approach. A nasopharyngeal airway was inserted after induction of general anesthesia to facilitate mask ventilation and prevent air leakage from the mask. The Miller blade was then inserted from the right corner of the mouth, avoiding contact with the vulnerable incisors, and advanced along the groove between the tongue and tonsil. The endotracheal tube was subsequently smoothly inserted after obtaining a grade 1 Cormack and Lehane view without dental trauma in all 3 cases. Direct laryngoscopy using the paraglossal straight blade technique avoids dental damage in patients with mobile upper incisors and no right maxillary molars. It is a practical alternative method that differs from the traditional Macintosh laryngoscope in patients with a high risk of dental injury during the procedure. This technique, which provides an improved view of the larynx, might also be helpful with patients in whom intubation is difficult

The Information Of The Milky Way From 2MASS Whole Sky Star Count: The Bimodal Color Distributions

The J-Ks color distribution (CD) with a bin size of 0.05 magnitude for the entire Milky Way has been carried out by using the Two Micron All Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC). The CDs are bimodal, which has a red peak at 0.8 < J-Ks < 0.85 and a blue peak at 0.3 < J-Ks < 0.4. The colors of the red peak are more or less the same for the whole sky, but that of the blue peak depend on Galactic latitude, (J-Ks ~ 0.35 at low Galactic latitudes and 0.35 < J-Ks < 0.4 for other sky areas). The blue peak dominates the bimodal CDs at low Galactic latitudes and becomes comparable with the red peak in other sky regions. In order to explain the bimodal distribution and the global trend shown by the all sky 2MASS CDs, we assemble an empirical HR diagram, which is composed by observational-based near infrared HR diagrams and color magnitude diagrams, and incorporate a Milky Way model. In the empirical HR diagram, the main sequence stars turnoff the thin disk is relatively bluer, (J-Ks)0 = 0.31, when we compare with the thick disk which is (J-Ks)0 = 0.39. The age of the thin/thick disk is roughly estimated to be around 4-5/8-9 Gyr according to the color-age relation of the main sequence turnoff. In general, the 2MASS CDs can be treated as a tool to census the age of stellar population of the Milky Way in a statistical manner and to our knowledge this is a first attempt to measure the age.Comment: Accepted by ApJ on Sept. 11 201

Biofuel Combustion Emissions - Chemical and Physical Smoke Properties

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