经济学、熵和可持续性

经济学是一门在传统上讨论稀缺问题的学科。稀缺资源的配置（自然资源和劳动力）涉及到广泛的哲学问题——有关价值、偏好、效率以及权益的问题。近年来物理科学和生态科学的发展，导致了可持续性的看法，并随之带来了一个以往不被主流经济学家重点关注的新问题。Daly（1992a）把宏观经济规模这个问题，或者说较之环境经济的规模该有多大这个问题说成是“灿烂的反常现象”。因为，尽管单一的经济活动最优规模可以按照其净利润是最大的观点来确定，但对于最优宏观经济规模却没有一致同意的度量。这种反常现象在主流经济学家们中关于获得最优的各个时期间的资源分配（这是可持续性的最重要问题）的方法的不一致的意见中反映出来。争论提出了关于在新古典理论里规模问题是否已被充分地考虑，以及这个问题到底是否应该被考虑这样的基本问题。这场争论的核心问题（Burness et al. 1980; Ranson,1979, 1986; Swaney, 1985, 1986）是资源利用的新古典理论是否应该被修改以包含热力学的第二定律（也叫熵定律）。新古典理论目前包含第一定律（即能量守恒与物质守恒），它论证了表明理性的经济代理人的偏好的价格。籍以精确地反映资源稀缺的条件，及市场籍以有效分配稀缺资源的条件。但是，熵定律对所有的不仅仅由守恒反映的自然流程施加了一种额外的方向性约束。在经济计划及政策发展的预测中，如果第一定律的因素产生了稀缺资源显著地不精确的度量，那么熵就变得是与资源利用的经济学有关系的了。译者单位：河海大学商学院（常州213022

Is three the magic number? The role of ergonomic principles in cross country comprehension of road traffic signs

Road sign comprehension plays an important part in road safety management, particularly for those drivers who are travelling in an unfamiliar country. Previous research has established that comprehension can be improved if signs are designed to adhere to ergonomic principles. However, it may be difficult for sign designers to incorporate all the principles into a single sign and may thus have to make a judgement as to the most effective ones. This study surveyed drivers in three countries to ascertain their understanding of a range of road signs, each of which conformed in varying degrees and combinations to the ergonomic principles. We found that using three of the principles was the most effective and that the most important one was that relating to standardisation; the colours and shapes used were key to comprehension. Other concepts which related to physical and spatial characteristics were less important, whilst conceptual compatibility did not aid comprehension at all. Practitioner Summary: This study explores how road sign comprehension can be improved using ergonomic principles, with particular reference to cross-border drivers. It was found that comprehension can be improved significantly if standardisation is adhered to and if at least three principles are used

STIX X-ray microflare observations during the Solar Orbiter commissioning phase

Context. The Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) is the hard X-ray instrument onboard Solar Orbiter designed to observe solar flares over a broad range of flare sizes. Aims. We report the first STIX observations of solar microflares recorded during the instrument commissioning phase in order to investigate the STIX performance at its detection limit. Methods. STIX uses hard X-ray imaging spectroscopy in the range between 4-150 keV to diagnose the hottest flare plasma and related nonthermal electrons. This first result paper focuses on the temporal and spectral evolution of STIX microflares occuring in the Active Region (AR) AR12765 in June 2020, and compares the STIX measurements with Earth-orbiting observatories such as the X-ray Sensor of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES/XRS), the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly of the Solar Dynamics Observatory, and the X-ray Telescope of the Hinode mission. Results. For the observed microflares of the GOES A and B class, the STIX peak time at lowest energies is located in the impulsive phase of the flares, well before the GOES peak time. Such a behavior can either be explained by the higher sensitivity of STIX to higher temperatures compared to GOES, or due to the existence of a nonthermal component reaching down to low energies. The interpretation is inconclusive due to limited counting statistics for all but the largest flare in our sample. For this largest flare, the low-energy peak time is clearly due to thermal emission, and the nonthermal component seen at higher energies occurs even earlier. This suggests that the classic thermal explanation might also be favored for the majority of the smaller flares. In combination with EUV and soft X-ray observations, STIX corroborates earlier findings that an isothermal assumption is of limited validity. Future diagnostic efforts should focus on multi-wavelength studies to derive differential emission measure distributions over a wide range of temperatures to accurately describe the energetics of solar flares. Conclusions. Commissioning observations confirm that STIX is working as designed. As a rule of thumb, STIX detects flares as small as the GOES A class. For flares above the GOES B class, detailed spectral and imaging analyses can be performed

Plasma sRAGE is independently associated with increased mortality in ARDS: a meta-analysis of individual patient data

The soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) is a marker of lung epithelial injury and alveolar fluid clearance (AFC), with promising values for assessing prognosis and lung injury severity in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Because AFC is impaired in most patients with ARDS and is associated with higher mortality, we hypothesized that baseline plasma sRAGE would predict mortality, independently of two key mediators of ventilator-induced lung injury. We conducted a meta-analysis of individual data from 746 patients enrolled in eight prospective randomized and observational studies in which plasma sRAGE was measured in ARDS articles published through March 2016. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Using multivariate and mediation analyses, we tested the association between baseline plasma sRAGE and mortality, independently of driving pressure and tidal volume. Higher baseline plasma sRAGE [odds ratio (OR) for each one-log increment, 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.38; P = 0.04], driving pressure (OR for each one-point increment, 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.07; P = 0.002), and tidal volume (OR for each one-log increment, 1.98; 95% CI 1.07-3.64; P = 0.03) were independently associated with higher 90-day mortality in multivariate analysis. Baseline plasma sRAGE mediated a small fraction of the effect of higher Delta P on mortality but not that of higher V (T). Higher baseline plasma sRAGE was associated with higher 90-day mortality in patients with ARDS, independently of driving pressure and tidal volume, thus reinforcing the likely contribution of alveolar epithelial injury as an important prognostic factor in ARDS. Registration: PROSPERO (ID: CRD42018100241)

Genomic analyses identify recurrent MEF2D fusions in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Chromosomal rearrangements are initiating events in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Here using RNA sequencing of 560 ALL cases, we identify rearrangements between MEF2D (myocyte enhancer factor 2D) and five genes (BCL9, CSF1R, DAZAP1, HNRNPUL1 and SS18) in 22 B progenitor ALL (B-ALL) cases with a distinct gene expression profile, the most common of which is MEF2D-BCL9. Examination of an extended cohort of 1,164 B-ALL cases identified 30 cases with MEF2D rearrangements, which include an additional fusion partner, FOXJ2; thus, MEF2D-rearranged cases comprise 5.3% of cases lacking recurring alterations. MEF2D-rearranged ALL is characterized by a distinct immunophenotype, DNA copy number alterations at the rearrangement sites, older diagnosis age and poor outcome. The rearrangements result in enhanced MEF2D transcriptional activity, lymphoid transformation, activation of HDAC9 expression and sensitive to histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment. Thus, MEF2D-rearranged ALL represents a distinct form of high-risk leukaemia, for which new therapeutic approaches should be considered

Targeted therapies in colorectal cancer: an integrative view by PPPM

In developed countries, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy, but it is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death. Clinicians are still faced with numerous challenges in the treatment of this disease, and future approaches which target the molecular features of the disorder will be critical for success in this disease setting. Genetic analyses of many solid tumours have shown that up to 100 protein-encoding genes are mutated. Within CRC, numerous genetic alterations have been identified in a number of pathways. Therefore, understanding the molecular pathology of CRC may present information on potential routes for treatment and may also provide valuable prognostic information. This will be particularly pertinent for molecularly targeted treatments, such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody therapy. KRAS and BRAF mutations have been shown to predict response to anti-EGFR therapy. As EGFR can also signal via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) kinase pathway, there is considerable interest in the potential roles of members of this pathway (such as PI3K and PTEN) in predicting treatment response. Therefore, a combined approach of new techniques that allow identification of these biomarkers alongside interdisciplinary approaches to the treatment of advanced CRC will aid in the treatment decision-making process and may also serve to guide future therapeutic approaches