The Buffered \pi-Calculus: A Model for Concurrent Languages

Message-passing based concurrent languages are widely used in developing large distributed and coordination systems. This paper presents the buffered $\pi$-calculus --- a variant of the $\pi$-calculus where channel names are classified into buffered and unbuffered: communication along buffered channels is asynchronous, and remains synchronous along unbuffered channels. We show that the buffered $\pi$-calculus can be fully simulated in the polyadic $\pi$-calculus with respect to strong bisimulation. In contrast to the $\pi$-calculus which is hard to use in practice, the new language enables easy and clear modeling of practical concurrent languages. We encode two real-world concurrent languages in the buffered $\pi$-calculus: the (core) Go language and the (Core) Erlang. Both encodings are fully abstract with respect to weak bisimulations

A rational path towards a Pareto optimum for reforms of large state-owned enterprise in China, past, present and future

Since Deng Xiaoping’s historic move towards a market economy in post-Mao China during the 1980s, by far, the most challenging task in China’s reforms has been that related to the moribund state-owned sector due to a range of ideological, political, as well as economic reasons. Such reforms have so far been slow and hesitant, moving forward and backward with mixed results. This paper tackles the pros and cons of such reforms and aims to square a rational strategy based on what has been done so far in the state sector. Unlike a narrow approach currently prevailing in the literature, this paper establishes a partial equilibrium model which incorporates the principal-agent problem into a mixed oligopoly model to explore an optimal strategy for state-owned enterprise reforms in China. We argue that ceteris paribus the current illnesses of low efficiency and rent-seeking commonly suffered by China’s state-owned sector can be cured by a two-pronged strategy in which the importance of property rights holds the key. We have identified two ‘Coase Property Right Points’ in the commonly known choices of institutional changes in a reforming Soviet economy to firstly, make it more efficient, and then Pareto optimal. One institutional change is a ‘joint-stock reform’; the other, a ‘full privatisation reform’. In particular, this study regards ‘social-extra policy burdens’ as the main obstacle to improve much needed efficiency in the state sector. Coase Property Right Points show the necessity for a reduction of the social-extra policy burdens vis-à-vis the state sector’s true comparative advantag

Enhanced Electrokinetic Remediation of Cadmium (Cd)-Contaminated Soil with Interval Power Breaking

This study compared electrokinetic (EK) remediation with and without interval power breaking in the removal of total and plant available cadmium (Cd) in the soil. Two laboratory experiments, i.e. EK remediation with interval power breaking (24-12 h power-on-off cycles) and conventional EK remediation (continuous power supply), with the same accumulated time (192 h) of power supply, were conducted to remove soil Cd. After the EK remediation with interval power breaking, the total Cd removal efficiency in the soil rose to 38%, in comparison to 28% after the conventional EK remediation. As for the plant available Cd, the removal efficiency was enhanced from 52 to 63%. Additionally, the electric current during the EK remediation and electric conductivity after the EK remediation were higher in the soil treated by interval power breaking, which indicated an enhanced desorption and/or migration of charged species. It further meant that the higher removal efficiency of soil Cd by interval power breaking could be related to the enhanced desorption and/or migration of Cd species. This study indicated that both conventional EK remediation and EK remediation with interval power breaking were effective methods to remove soil Cd but EK remediation with interval power breaking was more efficient.Peer reviewe

In situ electrokinetic (EK) remediation of the total and plant available cadmium (Cd) in paddy agricultural soil using low voltage gradients at pilot and full scales

Electrokinetic (EK) remediation has been widely studied at laboratory scales. However, field-scale research is far less. In this study, a 14-day EK remediation was carried out, in a field pilot (4 m2) test and a full-scale (200 m2) application for the first time, in a cadmium (Cd) contaminated paddy agricultural field near a mining area. A low voltage of 20 V was applied at both scales; voltage gradient was 20 V m & minus;1 and 4 V m & minus;1 at the pilot and full scales, respectively. Samples were taken from near the anode and cathode, and in the middle of the electric field, in the soil layers 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 40-50 cm. After the EK remediation, a significant portion of the total Cd was removed in all the layers at the pilot scale, by 87%, 72%, and 54% from the top down, but only in the 0-10 cm layer at the full scale by 74%. As for the plant available (exchangeable and soluble) Cd, significant removal (64%) was only observed in the 0-10 cm layer at the pilot scale. The percentage reduction of the electrical conductivity and removal efficiency of the total Cd was higher near the anode than the cathode. The soil pH was elevated near the cathode but stayed below pH 6 due to the sufficient supply of lactic acid. After the EK remediation, the concentration of the total Cd dropped below the hazard threshold, i.e. 0.4 mg (kg dry wt soil)& minus;1 for agricultural paddy fields in China. A total energy of 2 kW & middot;h and 0.6 kW & middot;h was consumed at the pilot and full scales, respec-tively. This study showed a successful in situ EK remediation of Cd contaminated paddy agricultural soil, espe-cially in the surface layer, with low voltage and energy demand. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe

A systematic review and network meta-analysis of pharmaceutical interventions used to manage chronic pain

It is estimated 1.5 billion of the global population suffer from chronic pain with prevalence increasing with demographics including age. It is suggested long-term exposure to chronic could cause further health challenges reducing people’s quality of life. Therefore, it is imperative to use effective treatment options. We explored the current pharmaceutical treatments available for chronic pain management to better understand drug efficacy and pain reduction. A systematic methodology was developed and published in PROSPERO (CRD42021235384). Keywords of opioids, acute pain, pain management, chronic pain, opiods, NSAIDs, and analgesics were used across PubMed, Science direct, ProQuest, Web of science, Ovid Psych INFO, PROSPERO, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and EMBASE. All randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs), epidemiology and mixed-methods studies published in English between the 1st of January 1990 and 30th of April 2022 were included. A total of 119 studies were included. The data was synthesised using a tri-partied statistical methodology of a meta-analysis (24), pairwise meta-analysis (24) and network meta-analysis (34). Mean, median, standard deviation and confidence intervals for various pain assessments were used as the main outcomes for pre-treatment pain scores at baseline, post-treatment pain scores and pain score changes of each group. Our meta-analysis revealed the significant reduction in chronic pain scores of patients taking NSAID versus non-steroidal opioid drugs was comparative to patients given placebo under a random effects model. Pooled evidence also indicated significant drug efficiency with Botulinum Toxin Type-A (BTX-A) and Ketamine. Chronic pain is a public health problem that requires far more effective pharmaceutical interventions with minimal better side-effect profiles which will aid to develop better clinical guidelines. The importance of understanding ubiquity of pain by clinicians, policy makers, researchers and academic scholars is vital to prevent social determinant which aggravates issue.</p

A systematic review and bayesian meta-analysis of medical devices used in chronic pain management

Whilst. pharmacological therapies remain the cornerstone of pain management in chronic pain, factors including the current opioid epidemic have led to non-pharmacological techniques becoming a more attractive proposition. We explored the prevalence of medical device use and their treatment efficacy in non-cancer pain management. A systematic methodology was developed, peer reviewed and published in PROSPERO (CRD42021235384). Key words of medical device, pain management devices, chronic pain, lower back pain, back pain, leg pain and chronic pelvic pain using Science direct, PubMed, Web of Science, PROSPERO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PorQuest and ClinicalTrials.gov. All clinical trials, epidemiology and mixed methods studies that reported the use of medical devices for non-cancer chronic pain management published between the 1st of January 1990 and the 30th of April 2022 were included. 13 studies were included in systematic review, of these 6 were used in the meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis for pain reduction showed that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation combined with instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization treatment and pulsed electromagnetic therapy produced significant treatment on chronic lower back pain patients. Pooled evidence revealed the use of medical device related interventions resulted in 0.7 degree of pain reduction under a 0–10 scale. Significant improvement in disability scores, with a 7.44 degree reduction in disability level compared to a placebo using a 50 score range was also seen. Our analysis has shown that the optimal use of medical devices in a sustainable manner requires further research, needing larger cohort studies, greater gender parity, in a more diverse range of geographical locations

A systematic review and bayesian meta‑analysis of medical devices used in chronic pain management

Whilst. pharmacological therapies remain the cornerstone of pain management in chronic pain, factors including the current opioid epidemic have led to non-pharmacological techniques becoming a more attractive proposition. We explored the prevalence of medical device use and their treatment efficacy in non-cancer pain management. A systematic methodology was developed, peer reviewed and published in PROSPERO (CRD42021235384). Key words of medical device, pain management devices, chronic pain, lower back pain, back pain, leg pain and chronic pelvic pain using Science direct, PubMed, Web of Science, PROSPERO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PorQuest and ClinicalTrials.gov. All clinical trials, epidemiology and mixed methods studies that reported the use of medical devices for non-cancer chronic pain management published between the 1st of January 1990 and the 30th of April 2022 were included. 13 studies were included in systematic review, of these 6 were used in the meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis for pain reduction showed that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation combined with instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization treatment and pulsed electromagnetic therapy produced significant treatment on chronic lower back pain patients. Pooled evidence revealed the use of medical device related interventions resulted in 0.7 degree of pain reduction under a 0–10 scale. Significant improvement in disability scores, with a 7.44 degree reduction in disability level compared to a placebo using a 50 score range was also seen. Our analysis has shown that the optimal use of medical devices in a sustainable manner requires further research, needing larger cohort studies, greater gender parity, in a more diverse range of geographical locations