Analysis of carbon dioxide bands near 2.2 micrometers

Carbon dioxide is one of the more important atmospheric infrared-absorbing gases due to its relatively high, and increasing, concentration. The spectral parameters of its bands are required for understanding radiative heat transfer in the atmosphere. The line intensities, positions, line half-widths, rotational constants, and band centers of three overlapping bands of CO2 near 2.2 microns are presented. Non-linear least squares (NLLS) regression procedures were employed to determine these parameters

Short-Term Effects of Biogas Digestates and Pig Slurry Application on Soil Microbial Activity

The effect of four biogas digestates (BD-A, BD-B, BD-C, and BD-D) and pig slurry (PS) on soil microbial functions was assessed at application rates corresponding to 0–1120 kg NH4+-N ha−1. At dose corresponding to 140 kg NH4+-N ha−1, 30.9–32.5% of the carbon applied in BD-A, BD-C, and PS was utilized during 12 days, while for BD-B and BD-D corresponding utilization was 19.0 and 16.9%, respectively. All BDs resulted in net nitrogen assimilation at low rates (17.5–140 kg NH4+-N ha−1) but net mineralization dominated at higher rates. PS resulted in net mineralization at all application rates. All residues inhibited potential ammonium oxidation (PAO), with EC50-values ranging between 45 and 302 kg NH4+-N ha−1. Low rates of BDs appeared to weakly stimulate potential denitrification activity (PDA), while higher rates resulted in logarithmic decrease. The EC50-values for PDA were between 238 and 347 kg NH4+-N ha−1. No inhibition of PDA was observed after amendment with PS. In conclusion, biogas digestates inhibited ammonia oxidation and denitrification, which could be an early warning of potential hazardous substances in the digestates. However, this effect can also be regarded as positive, since it may reduce nitrogen losses

Using Artificial Neural Network as an Approach to Analyze People Sentiment Level Based on Social Media Data

The internet has become an essential online communication tool for many people today. For a variety of reasons, many researches have been done lately in the field of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) considering people sentiments based on social media data. This analytical study conducted to analyze happiness of Libyan people based on twitter data sets.  Matlab used in this study to code around 1,000 status/comments data. Processing consists of five processes, namely cleansing, Tokenization, case folding, removal stop word, and stemming. The study represents Artificial Neural Network model for the mining of Twitter opinions using an Artificial Neural Network model approach for the abstracting and visualization scheme of Twitter feeds and a classification and prediction approach. This study presented a contribution in the form of proposing a new visualization model for Twitter mood prediction based on the ANN approach

Microstructure, Elastic and Inelastic Properties of Partially Graphitized Biomorphic Carbons

The microstructural characteristics and amplitude dependences of the Young’s modulus E and internal friction (logarithmic decrement δ) of biocarbon matrices prepared by beech wood carbonization at temperatures Tcarb = 850–1600°C in the presence of a nickelcontaining catalyst have been studied. Using Xray diffraction and electron microscopy, it has been shown that the use of a nickel catalyst during carbon ization results in a partial graphitization of biocarbons at Tcarb ≥ 1000°C: the graphite phase is formed as 50 to 100nm globules at Tcarb = 1000°C and as 0.5 to 3.0μm globules at Tcarb = 1600°C. It has been found that the measured dependences E(Tcarb) and δ(Tcarb) contain three characteristic ranges of variations in the Young’s modulus and logarithmic decrement with a change in the carbonization temperature: E increases and δ decreases in the ranges Tcarb 1300°C; in the range 1000 < Tcarb < 1300°C, E sharply decreases and δ increases. The observed behavior of E(Tcarb) and δ(Tcarb) for biocarbons carbonized in the presence of nickel correlates with the evolution of their microstructure. The largest values of E are obtained for samples with Tcarb = 1000 and 1600°C. However, the samples with Tcarb = 1600°C exhibit a higher suscep tibility to microplasticity due to the presence of a globular graphite phase that is significantly larger in size and total volume.Peer reviewe

Chinese overseas doctoral student narratives of intercultural adaptation

This study aims to explore how Chinese overseas doctoral students adjust to a different academic, social and cultural environment, using Giddens’ theoretical framework of self-identity (1991). The findings indicate the participants proactively used various coping strategies in meeting challenges, and adapting to new social environments. Continuity and stability of self-identity were achieved either culturally or academically through self-reflexivity, autonomy, creativity, authenticity, and reliance on an ontological identity. The result is to challenge the grand narrative of essentialised “problematic Chinese learners”

Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Among Never Smokers in Golestan Province, Iran, an Area of High Incidence of Esophageal Cancer – a Cross-Sectional Study with Repeated Measurement of Urinary 1-OHPG in Two Seasons

Studies have suggested a possible role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the etiology of esophageal cancer in Golestan Province, Iran, where incidence of this cancer is very high. In order to investigate the patterns of non-smoking related exposure to PAHs in Golestan, we conducted a cross-sectional study collecting questionnaire data, genotyping polymorphisms related to PAH metabolism, and measuring levels of 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG), a PAH metabolite, in urine samples collected in two seasons from the same group of 111 randomly selected never-smoking women. Beta-coefficients for correlations between 1-OHPG as dependent variable and other variables were calculated using linear regression models. The creatinine-adjusted 1-OHPG levels in both winter and summer samples were approximately 110 μmol/molCr (P for seasonal difference = 0.40). In winter, red meat intake (β = 0.208; P = 0.03), processed meat intake (β = 0.218; P = 0.02), and GSTT1-02 polymorphism (“null” genotype: β = 0.228; P = 0.02) showed associations with 1-OHPG levels, while CYP1B1-07 polymorphism (GG versus AA + GA genotypes: β = –0.256; P = 0.008) showed an inverse association. In summer, making bread at home (> weekly versus never: β = 0.203; P = 0.04), second-hand smoke (exposure to ≥3 cigarettes versus no exposure: β = 0.254; P = 0.01), and GSTM1-02 “null” genotype (β = 0.198; P = 0.04) showed associations with 1-OHPG levels, but GSTP1-02 polymorphism (CT + TT versus CC: β = –0.218; P = 0.03) showed an inverse association. This study confirms high exposure of the general population in Golestan to PAHs and suggests that certain foods, cooking methods, and genetic polymorphisms increase exposure to PAHs

A narrative inquiry into the identity formation of Chinese doctoral students in relation to study abroad

The present study explores a topic which has been under-studied to date, namely the identity formation of Chinese PhD students in relation to study abroad. Underpinned by Giddens' (1991) "reflexive project of the self", which privileges agency and reflexivity, and using a narrative inquiry approach, it presents four students' 'stories' collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in the form of a trajectory of development fro past to future. In building a picture of theways in which students' self-identity is shaped by and shapes their experience of study abroad, the stories illustrate individual agency, motivation, self-determination and reflexivity. In doing so, they challenge the essentialised view of Chinese students as a homogeneous and sometimes problematic group and point to implications for action by the host institutions

Overexpression of ZEB2 in Peritumoral Liver Tissue Correlates with Favorable Survival after Curative Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: ZEB2 has been suggested to mediate EMT and disease aggressiveness in several types of human cancers. However, the expression patterns of ZEB2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its effect on prognosis of HCC patients treated with hepatectomy are unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, the methods of tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were utilized to investigate ZEB2 expression in HCC and peritumoral liver tissue (PLT). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC), spearman's rank correlation, Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the data. Up-regulated expression of cytoplasmic/nuclear ZEB2 protein was observed in the majority of PLTs, when compared to HCCs. Further analysis showed that overexpression of cytoplasmic ZEB2 in HCCs was inversely correlated with AFP level, tumor size and differentiation (P<0.05). Also, overexpression of cytoplasmic ZEB2 in PLTs correlated with lower AFP level (P<0.05). In univariate survival analysis, a significant association between overexpression of cytoplasmic ZEB2 by HCCs/PLTs and longer patients' survival was found (P<0.05). Importantly, cytoplasmic ZEB2 expression in PLTs was evaluated as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (P<0.05). Consequently, a new clinicopathologic prognostic model with cytoplasmic ZEB2 expression (including HCCs and PLTs) was constructed. The model could significantly stratify risk (low, intermediate and high) for overall survival (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings provide a basis for the concept that cytoplasmic ZEB2 expressed by PLTs can predict the postoperative survival of patients with HCC. The combined cytoplasmic ZEB2 prognostic model may become a useful tool for identifying patients with different clinical outcomes