Review on Natural Resources Utilization in China

Natural resources are fundamental requirements for development.  Even though with abundant natural resources, China is encountering the most difficult situation to preserve the natural resources while keeping the economic growth and social development. Currently in China, the majority (about 93%) of energy consumption is fossil fuels, for example coal, petroleum and natural gas.  Owing to fast industrialization and urbanization, the needs for fossil fuels are getting higher and higher.  In order to ensure energy security, it is necessary to reform the energy structure and to find alternative energy sources, due to rapid depletion of natural resources.  In addition, the Chinese Government is under tremendous pressure in seeking harmonic balance between economic growth, social development and environmental protection.  Through literature review and survey, the purpose of this study is to review the status of natural resources utilizations, to analyze the natural resources management system, to summarize existing problems during natural resources exploitation and utilizations, and then to provide appropriate and feasible recommendations for future improvement

Protective effect of liquiritin on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells

Purpose: To determine the protective effects of liquiritin on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells.Methods: Neurotoxicity in PC12 cells was induced by different concentrations of corticosterone. Proliferation of PC12 cells was evaluated using CCK8 assay kits, while apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry.Results: The results indicate that corticosterone inhibited the proliferation of PC12 cells time- and dosedependently. The inhibitory effect (0.2 mM) was ameliorated by liquiritin. Furthermore, the cell apoptosis rate and protein level of caspase 3 in PC12 cells induced by corticosterone were ameliorated by liquiritin (1 and 2 mg/mL) treatment. Moreover, the protective effect of liquiritin (2 mg/mL) on corticosterone induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells was weakened by K252a (the specific TrkB inhibitor) treatment. In addition, the protein level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and (tyrosine-kinase receptor) TrkB showed a reverse trend to caspase 3.Conclusion: Liquiritin shows protective effects against neurotoxicity induced by corticosterone in PC12 cells, and these effects are exerted via up-regulating BDNF/TrkB signaling.Keywords: Liquiritin, Antidepressant, Corticosterone, Neuroprotection, PC12 cells, BDNF/TrkB signalin

Scalar Induced Gravitational Waves from Finslerian Inflation and Pulsar Timing Arrays Observations

The recent data from NANOGrav provide strong evidence of the existence of the \acp{SGWB}. We investigate \acp{SIGW} from Finslerian inflation as a potential source of stochastic gravitational wave background. Small-scale ($\lesssim$1 Mpc) statistically anisotropic primordial scalar perturbations can be generated in Finslerian inflation. The second order \acp{SIGW} from Finslerian inflation are also anisotropic on small scales. After spatially averaging the small-scale anisotropic \acp{SIGW}, we obtain the large-scale isotropic \acp{SGWB}. We find that the parameters of small-scale anisotropic primordial power spectrum generated by Finslerian inflation affect the \acp{PTA} observations of large-scale isotropic gravitational wave background

Persistent spin current in mesoscopic ferrimagnetic spin ring

Using a semiclassical approach, we study the persistent magnetization current of a mesoscopic ferrimagnetic ring in a nonuniform magnetic field. At zero temperature, there exists persistent spin current because of the quantum fluctuation of magnons, similar to the case of an antiferromagnetic spin ring. At low temperature, the current shows activation behavior because of the field-induced gap. At higher temperature, the magnitude of the spin current is proportional to temperature T, similar to the reported result of a ferromagnetic spin ring.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, one more reference adde

Effectiveness of Adherence to Standardized Hypertension Management by Primary Health Care Workers in China: a Cross-sectional Survey 3 Years after the Healthcare Reform

The standardized hypertension management provided by primary health care workers is an important part of China's recent health care reform efforts. Investigating 5,116 hypertensive patients from a cross-sectional survey conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012, this study found that adherence to standardized hypertension management is associated with positive effects on hypertension-related knowledge, healthy lifestyle behavior, antihypertensive medical treatments, and blood pressure control. It will be necessary to provide primary health care workers with sufficient training and reasonable incentives to ensure the implementation and effectiveness of hypertension management

Risk factors and outcomes of carbapenem-nonsusceptible Escherichia coli bacteremia: A matched case–control study

BackgroundInfections due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae have been the emerging problem worldwide. This primary object of this study was to understand the risk factors and clinical outcomes of carbapenem-nonsusceptible Escherichia coli (CNSEc) bacteremia.MethodsWe conducted a matched case–control study in a 3,715-bed tertiary care medical center in northern Taiwan. The controls were selected among patients with carbapenem-susceptible E coli and were matched with CNSEc for bacteremia.ResultsFifty-one patients were included in this study (17 cases and 34 controls). Bivariate analysis showed that prior exposure to carbapenems (p<0.001), stay in intensive care units (p=0.016), placement of central venous catheters (p=0.001), chronic liver diseases (p<0.001), uremia with regular dialysis (p=0.004), and mechanical ventilation (p=0.004) were associated with CNSEc bacteremia. Multivariate analysis revealed that prior exposure to carbapenems [odds ratio (OR), 29.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.76–484.70; p=0.019], uremia with regular dialysis (OR, 98.58; 95% CI, 4.02–999; p=0.005) and chronic liver diseases (OR, 27.86; 95% CI, 2.31–335.83; p=0.009) were independent risk factors for CNSEc bacteremia. Compared with carbapenem-susceptible E coli group, CNSEc group had a longer hospital stay (68.4 days vs. 35.8 days; p=0.04) and a higher disease severity, as indicated by a Pittsburgh bacteremia score greater than or equal to 4 (5.6% vs. 2.5%; p=0.015). Patients with CNSEc bacteremia had a higher overall in-hospital mortality rate (94.12% vs. 50.00%; p=0.002), but there was no difference in the 28-day mortality between these two groups.ConclusionsCNSEc bacteremia would lead to a poor outcome among patients with prior exposure to carbapenems, chronic liver disease, and uremia with regular dialysis