Study on the License Mode of Value-Added Exploitation of Public Sector information

How to license PSI (public sector information) to those commercial reusers has become so urgent and important issue. The paper discussed the different license mode of value-added exploitation of Public Sector Information in UK and United States. Based on the investigation and comparison, the paper proposed some valuable suggestions on the construction of license mode of value-added exploitation of PSI in China:  A clear attribution  of property of public sector information and  a clear range of Public sector information that can be accessed and be commercial reused and exploited; A diversification license based on clear classification of Public Sector Information; To  establish unified management institute and supervisory body and so on.

Experimental study on behaviour of retrofitted square hollow section slender columns under axial compression

An experimental investigation was conducted in this study on axially loaded square hollow section (SHS) slender columns retrofitted by carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). A total of seven specimens with identical cross section dimensions and raw material properties were compressed between pinned ends to identify the influence of the CFRP, in which six specimens were retrofitted by the CFRP. The effects of many influential factors including different layers of the CFRP, retrofitting directions of the CFRP and retrofitting sequences of the CFRP on the behaviour of the CFRP strengthened SHS slender columns were carefully evaluated. The column strengths obtained from the experimental investigation are compared with the design strengths calculated using the design equations given in the British Standard (CIRIA) and the equations modified based on the section conversion method proposed by Canadian Standard (CAN/CSA-S16-01). It is shown from the comparison that the ultimate strengths of the SHS slender columns were enhanced by retrofitting with the CFRP. The retrofitting directions of the CFRP in the longitudinal directions were found to have a great influence on the ultimate strengths of the CFRP strengthened SHS slender columns. Furthermore, a correction factor (βc) is proposed in this paper for the stability of the CFRP retrofitted SHS slender columns under axial compression

Fast food in a Chinese provincial city: a comparative analysis

More than a decade ago American fast food entered the Chinese market. Since then the number of fast food and organized chain restaurants in China has multiplied. Chinese consumers, especially those who live in large urban areas, have accepted Western-style fast food restaurants that serve French fries and other popular dishes as a way of life. Inspired by the success of the symbolism of McDonald's and KFC, many Chinese restaurants have tried to use traditional Chinese culture to lure customers into what is advertised as indigenous, modern fast food outlets. Recently some Chinese fast food entrepreneurs have successfully developed local versions of the Western fast food system. Based on my three months ethnographic research in HuaiÂan, I address the competitive situation between American fast food restaurants and local Chinese restaurants by examining service, price, management, food, and customer expectations. Specifically, this case analysis includes one of the largest American fast food chains and one of the largest Chinese fast food restaurant chains. The data are based on participant observation, informal and formal interviews, a sample survey, and historical documents. The study finds that in HuaiÂan, one local Chinese fast food restaurant, after improving décor, hygiene and service, has experienced increasing success in the local market. I show that the globalization process has experienced two types of localization in HuaiÂan. First, Western chains have striven to adapt to the consumers in HuaiÂan, by insisting on a high degree of local ownership and by modestly tailoring their products to local taste. Second, the mere presence of these Western chains has encouraged Chinese entrepreneurs to develop decidedly local versions of modern fast food enterprises

Virtual matched filtering : a new hybrid CDMA code acquisition technique under Doppler and higher loads

A new technique for spreading code acquisition is presented. The technique utilizes a multiplicity of communication and processing techniques namely, concatenated short signature coding, Reed Solomon adaptive error/erasure decoding, and pipelining to provide the minimum possible acquisition time in severe overload CDMA and carrier offsets conditions. The overall implementation is equivalent to a very long physical matched filter but is relatively immune to the Doppler degradation. These features would be shown by analysis results. We also propose two strategies in conjunction with the new virtual matched filtering, and compare their performance to known code acquisition techniques

The Application of Three-Dimensional Collagen-Scaffolds Seeded with Myoblasts to Repair Skeletal Muscle Defects

Three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissue constructs are a novel and promising approach to tissue repair and regeneration. 3D tissue constructs have the ability to restore form and function to damaged soft tissue unlike previous methods, such as plastic surgery, which are able to restore only form, leaving the function of the soft tissue often compromised. In this study, we seeded murine myoblasts (C2C12) into a collagen composite scaffold and cultured the scaffold in a roller bottle cell culture system in order to create a 3D tissue graft in vitro. The 3D graft created in vitro was then utilized to investigate muscle tissue repair in vivo. The 3D muscle grafts were implanted into defect sites created in the skeletal muscles in mice. We detected that the scaffolds degraded slowly over time, and muscle healing was improved which was shown by an increased quantity of innervated and vascularized regenerated muscle fibers. Our results suggest that the collagen composite scaffold seeded with myoblasts can create a 3D muscle graft in vitro that can be employed for defect muscle tissue repair in vivo

Preparation and Photocatalytic Properties of SnO 2

SnO2 nanoparticles coated on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes were prepared successfully via a simple wet-chemical route. The as-obtained SnO2/CNx composites were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared SnO2/CNx for degradation Rhodamine B under UV light irradiation was investigated. The results show that SnO2/CNx nanocomposites have a higher photocatalytic activity than pure SnO2 and SnO2/CNTs nanocomposites. This enhanced photoresponse indicates that the photoinduced electrons in the SnO2 prefer separately transferring to the CNx, which has a high degree of defects. As a consequence, the radiative recombination of the electron-hole pairs is hampered and the photocatalytic activity is significantly enhanced for the SnO2/CNx photocatalysts

Advances in Cellular Characterization of the Sirtuin Isoform, SIRT7

SIRT7 is one of seven mammalian sirtuins that functions as an NAD+-dependent histone/protein deacetylase. SIRT7 is the least well-known member of the sirtuin family, but recent efforts have identified its involvement in various cellular processes, such as ribosome biogenesis, gene expression, cellular metabolism and cancer. Here we provide an update on the functions and mechanisms of SIRT7 in cellular regulation and disease

Tunable Supramolecular Ag+-Host Interactions in Pillar[n]arene[m]quinones and Ensuing Specific Binding to 1-Alkynes

We developed an improved, robust synthesis of a series of pillar[6]arenes with a varying number (0-3) of quinone moieties in the ring. This easy-to-control variation yielded a gradually less electron-rich cavity in going from zero to three quinone units, as shown from the strength of host-guest interactions with silver ions. Such macrocycle-Ag2 complexes themselves were shown to display an unprecedented, sharp distinction between terminal alkynes, which strongly bound to such complexes, and internal alkynes, internal alkenes and terminal alkenes, which do hardly bind