Recasting China’s Foreign Policy: Focusing on Post-Jiang Leaders’ Authority Building

This article is structured as follows. Part II provides a succinct summary of recent China’s assertive external conduct. Based on the created Assertive Foreign Policy Index, we choose several cases from the sample for the deeper analysis to understand the reasons behind foreign policy decisions. Part III illuminates the authority-building theoretical framework, redefined from Breslauer (1982) analysis of post-Stalin leaders. Through the authority-building framework lens, we can penetrate into China’s domestic politics, having a better understanding of the decision-making process. Part IV explains the specific characteristics of leaders’ authority-building in post-Jiang’s China and its implications to foreign policy. Part V provides an in-depth case study analysis, comparing Hu and Xi authorities and its influence on a range of foreign policy choices they have. Part VI concludes the analysis and provides some insight for further research

Kuwait’s Strategic Response to its Developmental Challenges: Recasting its Strategic Options and Implementation Strategy from a Korean Perspective

Chapter 01. Introduction: Confronting Kuwait’s Present Reality Chapter 02. Critical Factors and SWOT Analysis for Crafting Strategic Response Chapter 03. Managing Stakeholders and Crafting the Implementation Strategy Chapter 04. Labor Market Reform Chapter 05. Updating Education and Human Resources Chapter 06. Fiscal Reform in Kuwait Chapter 07. Other Focal Areas Of Policy Initiatives For The Upcoming Five-Year Development Pla

Multi-Color Luminescence Transition of Upconversion Nanocrystals via Crystal Phase Control with SiO2 for High Temperature Thermal Labels

Upconversion nanocrystals (UCNs)-embedded microarchitectures with luminescence color transition capability and enhanced luminescence intensity under extreme conditions are suitable for developing a robust labeling system in a high-temperature thermal industrial process. However, most UCNs based labeling systems are limited by the loss of luminescence owing to the destruction of the crystalline phase or by a predetermined luminescence color without color transition capability. Herein, an unusual crystal phase transition of UCNs to a hexagonal apatite phase in the presence of SiO2 nanoparticles is reported with the enhancements of 130-fold green luminescence and 52-fold luminance as compared to that of the SiO2-free counterpart. By rationally combining this strategy with an additive color mixing method using a mask-less flow lithography technique, single to multiple luminescence color transition, scalable labeling systems with hidden letters-, and multi-luminescence colored microparticles are demonstrated for a UCNs luminescence color change-based high temperature labeling system

Typhoon Rammasun-Induced Near-Inertial Oscillations Observed in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific Ocean

Wind-induced near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) have been known to propagate their energy downward and equatorward, yet few observations have confirmed this in tropical regions. Using measurements from a moored ADCP in the tropical northwestern Pacific, we report an energetic NIO event associated with Typhoon Rammasun in May 2008, when an anti-cyclonic warm eddy existed around the mooring site. Our analyses reveal that the anti-cyclonic eddy traps the NIO energy at two layers around 120 and 210 m where the buoyancy frequency show high values. The NIO energy continuously decays at layers below its maximum at 210 m, and disappears at depths below the thermocline. During their propagation from 137 to 649 stretched-meter depths (equivalent to 100 - 430 m), NIOs shift their frequencies from 0.92f to 1.05f probably due to the effective f, which changes its magnitude from smaller to larger than local inertial frequency f in the anti-cyclonic eddy. In addition, their vertical energy propagation becomes faster from 0.17 to 0.64 mm s-1. Decomposition of downward and upward NIO energy propagation shows that the typhoon-induced NIOs remain 29% of their energy in the upper layer, and transfer 71% to the subsurface layers. Our results suggest that typhoon-induced NIOs interacting with meso-scale eddies can play an important role in providing the energy source available for ocean mixing in the tropical regions

Readout-segmented echo-planar imaging in diffusion-weighted mr imaging in breast cancer: comparison with single-shot echo-planar imaging in image quality

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the image quality of standard single-shot echo-planar imaging (ss-EPI) and that of readout-segmented EPI (rs-EPI) in patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Seventy-one patients with 74 breast cancers underwent both ss-EPI and rs-EPI. For qualitative comparison of image quality, three readers independently assessed the two sets of diffusion-weighted (DW) images. To evaluate geometric distortion, a comparison was made between lesion lengths derived from contrast enhanced MR (CE-MR) images and those obtained from the corresponding DW images. For assessment of image parameters, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), lesion contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Results: The rs-EPI was superior to ss-EPI in most criteria regarding the qualitative image quality. Anatomical structure distinction, delineation of the lesion, ghosting artifact, and overall image quality were significantly better in rs-EPI. Regarding the geometric distortion, lesion length on ss-EPI was significantly different from that of CE-MR, whereas there were no significant differences between CE-MR and rs-EPI. The rs-EPI was superior to ss-EPI in SNR and CNR. Conclusion: Readout-segmented EPI is superior to ss-EPI in the aspect of image quality in DW MR imaging of the breast

A Simple and Facile Glucose Biosensor Based on Prussian Blue Modified Graphite String

This work describes the string sensor for the simple and sensitive detection of glucose which is based on Prussian blue (PB) modified graphite utilizing dipping. First, PB modified graphite (PB-G) strings are characterized by physical and electrochemical techniques to optimize the PB-G layer thickness. Then, glucose oxidase (GOx) is immobilized on PB-G string electrode with biocompatible chitosan overlayer (Chi/GOx/PB-G). The Chi/GOx/PB-G string electrode exhibits a sensitivity of 641.3 μA·mM−1·cm−2 to glucose with a linear range of 0.03 to 1.0 mM (R2=0.9957) and a rapid response time (<3 s). Moreover, the Chi/GOx/PB-G string electrodes are less sensitive to common interference materials such as ascorbic acid, uric acid, galactose, and acetaminophen than to glucose. The Chi/GOx/PB-G string electrodes also show excellent reproducibility (<5% RSD). Therefore, our Chi/GOx/PB-G string electrodes can be simple, robust, and reliable tools for glucose sensing which can avoid complicated and difficult multistep fabrication processes. In addition, we expect that they have many potential applications in fields ranging from health care to food analysis, in particular where single use is favorable

Infantile Vitreous Hemorrhage as the Initial Presentation of X-linked Juvenile Retinoschisis

The authors report two cases of X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) manifested as bilateral vitreous hemorrhage as early as in an 1-month-old infant and in a 3-month-old infant. The one-month-old male infant showed massive bilateral vitreous hemorrhage. During vitrectomy, thin membrane representing an inner part of schisis cavity was excised and intraschisis hemorrhage was evacuated. As intraschisis cavities were cleared, the stump of inner layer appeared as the demarcation line between the outer layer of the schisis retina and non-schisis retina. The other three-month-old male infant presenting with esodeviation also showed bilateral vitreous hemorrhage. Typical bilateral retinoschisis involving maculae could be seen through vitreous hemorrhage in both eyes on fundus examination. Spontaneous absorption of hemorrhage was observed on regular follow-up. XLRS could be manifested as massive hemorrhage inside or outside of the schisis cavity early in infancy

Characterizing the Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells and Light-Emitting Diodes

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are being widely studied as a light-absorber for high-efficiency solar cells. With efforts being made throughout the globe, the power conversion efficiency of MHP solar cells has recently soared up to 25.2%. MHPs are now being spotlighted as a next-generation light-emitter as well. Their high color purity and solution-processability are of particular interest for display applications, which in general benefit from wide color gamut and low-cost high-resolution subpixel patterning. For this reason, research activities on perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are rapidly growing, and their external quantum efficiencies have been dramatically improved to over 20%. As more and more research groups with different backgrounds are working on these perovskite optoelectronic devices, the demand is growing for standard methods for accurate efficiency measurement that can be agreed upon across the disciplines and, at the same time, can be realized easily in the lab environment with due diligence. Herein, optoelectronic characterization methods are revisited from the viewpoint of MHP solar cells and LEDs. General efficiency measurement practices are first reviewed, common sources of errors are introduced, and guidelines for avoiding or minimizing those errors are then suggested to help researchers in fields develop the best measurement practice.