Analysis on the Environmental Conditions for Economic Development in Central China

AbstractUsing the data of year 2005 to 2009, quantitatively analyze central regional environmental conditions from the aspects of environmental support level, environmental governance capacity, environment al support capacity and coordination between economic development and environment. Main conclusions are as follows: environmental pollution and environmental improvement co-exist, but increasing pressure on environmental pollution is particularly evident; environmental governance efforts are enhanced greatly; environmental support capacity index shows an increasing trend in general; coordination between economic development and environment fluctuates acutely. some remarks and advices are given finally

Statistical analysis of turbidite cycles in submarine fan successions

To statistically test and evaluate the significance of asymmetric upward thickening and thinning trends and other cyclic patterns in turbidite successions, twenty-eight bed-by-bed sections with a wide coverage in geological time, tectonic settings, facies characteristics, and depositional environments were measured and described. First, 286 sandstone packets were selected from the 28 turbidite sections through statistically based segmentation. Then, these packets were examined by three powerful correlation tests (Kendall's, Spearman's, and Pearson's correlation tests) and four tests for randomness. Only 34 (11.9%) of the sandstone packets pass tests designed to identify asymmetry at the 10% significance level. Monte Carlo simulation and the binomial probability analysis indicate that the number of asymmetric sequences identified in the original set of turbidite sandstone packets is indistinguishable from the number which can be produced by random processes. -- Eighty-six sandstone packets were tested for upward coarsening and fining trends. It was found that as many as 50% of sandstone packets from coarse-grained channel fills fine or coarsen upward. Upward fining sequences dominate, which is interpreted as the result of channel filling or the stacking of onlapping deposits at a channel mouth. -- The Hurst statistic provides a measure of long-term persistence. Sixteen (84.2%) of 19 turbidite sections show the Hurst phenomenon, i.e., irregular and non-periodic clustering of high and low values of bed-thickness, grain-size, and sandstone percentage. This clustering is related to vertical changes of sedimentary facies caused by lateral shifting of environments on the fan surface. The strength of the clustering, inferred from Hurst K values, might be useful as an index to distinguish submarine fan environments: channel-Ievee complexes tend to have strong clustering; lobe-interlobe deposits tend to display moderate clustering; and basin-floor sheet sand systems tend to have weak clustering. -- Combining facies characteristics observed in the field with the statistical results provides some criteria for the identification of submarine fan environments, and yields four preliminary fan models. (1) Type 1 sandy fans typically form in forearc basins, are fed by littoral sources or fan deltas, and are characterized by very coarse (pebbly sandy) sediments. Both channel and lobe deposits are well developed. A significant number of upward fining sequences can be found in channel deposits. Channel-interchannel complexes, particularly channel-levee complexes, display strong clustering of bed-thickness, grain-size and other parameters. (2) Type 2 sandy fans mainly form in forearc basins but also in foreland basins, and are fed by littoral sources or small rivers. The basic features of this model are similar to those of model 1, but pebbly sediments are absent or rare, and upward fining sequences lack significance. (3) Type 1 muddy fans tend to form in passive margins, foreland basins or foredeeps, and are fed by a large river delta. They are typically characterized by nested sandy bodies of channel and crevasse-splay-lobe deposits in very well-developed muddy levee deposits, which causes strong clustering of bed-thickness, grain-size and other parameters. Channels might gradually die out without a sandy lobe at the end. (4) Type 2 muddy fans form in the same tectonic settings as model 3, but sediments are mainly derived from failure at the shelf break, resulting in well-developed megaturbidite beds with thick mud caps. The large, muddy turbidity currents responsible for these beds are usually unchannelized and efficiently transport sandy sediments to form wide spread basin-floor sand sheets

Context, intelligence and interactions for personalized systems

This special issue on Context, Intelligence and Interactions for Personalized Systems provides a snapshot of the latest research activities, results, and technologies and application developments focusing on the smart personalised systems in Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing. It is intended for researchers and practitioners from artificial intelligence (AI) with expertise in formal modeling, representation and inference on situations, activities and goals; researchers from ubiquitous computing and embedded systems with expertise in context-aware computing; and application developers or users with expertise and experience in user requirements, system implementation and evaluation. The special issue also serves to motivate application scenarios from various domains including smart homes and cities, localisation tracking, image analysis and environmental monitoring. For solution developers and providers of specific application domains, this special issue will provide an opportunity to convey needs and requirements, as well as obtain first-hand information on the latest technologies, prototypes, and application exemplars

Actividad antioxidante, fenoles totales y flavonoides totales en extractos de tallos de Jasminum nervosum Lour

Guangxi traditional Chinese Medical University Universidad de Medicina Tradicional China de Guangxi This study evaluated the antioxidant activities of the extracts of Jasminum nervosum Lour. stems along with the effects of different extract solvents on total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and antioxidant potential. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was assessed using the following methods: DPPH, ABTS+ both free radicals scavenging assays, and reducing assays. TP and TF were detected by spectrophotometric and HPLC methods. In former methods, the highest amount of TP content was ethy lacetate extract (EAE), expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The greatest TF content was in the n-butanol extract (BE), expressed as lutin equivalents. No significant difference was observed in the TP/TF content between these two extracts. The antioxidant activity and TP/TF content of three extracts seemed to follow the same trend. This implied that there is a good correlation between antioxidant activities and TP/TF content. But in HPLC methods, EAE contained the highest content of lutin and gallic acid, which decreased in the same order of EAE > BE > PE, the rank order of TP/TF content of EAE and BE were different according to antioxidant ability. The overall results showed that the EAE and BE were richer in phenolics and flavonoids than petroleum ether extract (PE), and may represent a good source of antioxidants.Este estudio evaluó las actividades antioxidantes de extractos de tallos de Jasminum nervosum Lour., y el efecto de diferentes disolventes de extracción en los fenoles totales (TP) y flavonoides totales (TF), y su potencial antioxidante. La actividad antioxidante de los extractos fue evaluada usando los siguientes métodos: DPPH, ABTS+ y ensayos reductores. TP y TF fueron detectados por métodos espectroscópicos y por HPLC. Con el primer método, el contenido más alto de TP se obtuvo en el extracto con acetato de etilo (EAE), expresado como equivalentes de ácido gálico. Por su parte, el mayor contenido de TF se obtuvo en el extracto con n-butanol (BE), expresado como equivalentes de luteína. No se observaron diferencias significativas en la relación TP/TF entre los dos extractos. La actividad antioxidante y la relación TP/TF de los tres extractos parecen seguir el mismo comportamiento. Esto implica que hay una buena correlación entre las actividades antioxidantes y la relación TP/TF. Con el método de HPLC, el extracto EAE contenía los más altos contenidos de luteína y ácido gálico, que decrecieron en el mismo orden de EAE > BE > PE, el orden de la relación TP/TF de EAE y BE fueron diferentes de acuerdo a su capacidad antioxidante. En conjunto, los resultados muestran que los extractos de EAE y de BE fueron más ricos en compuestos fenólicos y flavonoides que el extracto de éter (PE), y pueden representar una buena fuente de antioxidantes

Correlation between preconception maternal non-occupational exposure to interior decoration or oil paint odour and average birth weight of neonates: findings from a nationwide cohort study in China\u27s rural areas

BACKGROUND: Birth weight is a critical indicator of neonatal health and foretells people\u27s health in adolescence and even adulthood. Some researchers have warned against the adverse effects on babies\u27 birth weight of exposure to pollutants in interior decoration or oil paint by odour intake. This study evaluated the effects of maternal exposure to such factors before conception on the birth weights of neonates. METHODS: Data on 213 461 cases in this study were from the database of the free National Pre-pregnancy Checkups Project. Defined as \u27exposed\u27 were those women exposed to oil paint odour or interior decoration at home or in the workplace within 6 months before their pregnancy. The study focused on revealing the correlation between such exposure and the birth weight of the neonates of these women, especially the incidence of macrosomia and low birth weight (LBW). Statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, the Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. RESULTS: The birth weight of babies from mothers non-occupationally exposed to such settings averaged 3465 g (range 3150-3650 g), whereas the birth weight of those from mothers free of such exposure averaged 3300 g (range 3000-3600g). Maternal exposure preconception to interior decoration or oil paint odour reduced the incidence of LBW in their babies (p=0.003, OR 0.749, 95% CI 0.617 to 0.909). Such exposure may also augment the probability of macrosomia (p \u3c 0.001, OR 1.297, 95% CI 1.133 to 1.484). CONCLUSION: Maternal exposure to interior decoration or oil paint odour preconception may increase the average birth weight of neonates, as well as the incidence of macrosomia

Distinct miRNAs associated with various clinical presentations of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in viral infections, but their associations with SARS-CoV-2 infection remain poorly understood. Here, we detected 85 differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) from 2,336 known and 361 novel miRNAs that were identified in 233 plasma samples from 61 healthy controls and 116 patients with COVID-19 using the high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis. These DE-miRNAs were associated with SASR-CoV-2 infection, disease severity, and viral persistence in the patients with COVID-19, respectively. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses of the DE-miRNAs revealed their connections to viral infections, immune responses, and lung diseases. Finally, we established a machine learning model using the DE-miRNAs between various groups for classification of COVID-19 cases with different clinical presentations. Our findings may help understand the contribution of miRNAs to the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and identify potential biomarkers and molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Antioxidant activity, total phenolic, and total flavonoid of extracts from stems of <i>Jasminum nervosum</i> Lour

Guangxi traditional Chinese Medical University Universidad de Medicina Tradicional China de Guangxi This study evaluated the antioxidant activities of the extracts of <i>Jasminum nervosum</i> Lour. stems along with the effects of different extract solvents on total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and antioxidant potential. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was assessed using the following methods: DPPH, ABTS+ both free radicals scavenging assays, and reducing assays. TP and TF were detected by spectrophotometric and HPLC methods. In former methods, the highest amount of TP content was ethy lacetate extract (EAE), expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The greatest TF content was in the n-butanol extract (BE), expressed as lutin equivalents. No significant difference was observed in the TP/TF content between these two extracts. The antioxidant activity and TP/TF content of three extracts seemed to follow the same trend. This implied that there is a good correlation between antioxidant activities and TP/TF content. But in HPLC methods, EAE contained the highest content of lutin and gallic acid, which decreased in the same order of EAE > BE > PE, the rank order of TP/TF content of EAE and BE were different according to antioxidant ability. The overall results showed that the EAE and BE were richer in phenolics and flavonoids than petroleum ether extract (PE), and may represent a good source of antioxidants.<br><br>Este estudio evaluó las actividades antioxidantes de extractos de tallos de <i>Jasminum nervosum</i> Lour., y el efecto de diferentes disolventes de extracción en los fenoles totales (TP) y flavonoides totales (TF), y su potencial antioxidante. La actividad antioxidante de los extractos fue evaluada usando los siguientes métodos: DPPH, ABTS+ y ensayos reductores. TP y TF fueron detectados por métodos espectroscópicos y por HPLC. Con el primer método, el contenido más alto de TP se obtuvo en el extracto con acetato de etilo (EAE), expresado como equivalentes de ácido gálico. Por su parte, el mayor contenido de TF se obtuvo en el extracto con n-butanol (BE), expresado como equivalentes de luteína. No se observaron diferencias significativas en la relación TP/TF entre los dos extractos. La actividad antioxidante y la relación TP/TF de los tres extractos parecen seguir el mismo comportamiento. Esto implica que hay una buena correlación entre las actividades antioxidantes y la relación TP/TF. Con el método de HPLC, el extracto EAE contenía los más altos contenidos de luteína y ácido gálico, que decrecieron en el mismo orden de EAE > BE > PE, el orden de la relación TP/TF de EAE y BE fueron diferentes de acuerdo a su capacidad antioxidante. En conjunto, los resultados muestran que los extractos de EAE y de BE fueron más ricos en compuestos fenólicos y flavonoides que el extracto de éter (PE), y pueden representar una buena fuente de antioxidantes