CHINA'S AND INDIA'S PERSPECTIVES ON ARMED INTERVENTIONS IN AFRICA AND SYRIA

When both China and India sat on the United Nations Security Council in 2011–12, it deliberated whether to invoke Chapter VII of the UN Charter to endorse military intervention in Africa and the Middle East. China and India demonstrated almost identical voting patterns and acquiesced to the intervention in Côte d’Ivoire, Libya and Mali but balked at an attempt in Syria. Despite their divergent political systems, what was the glue that held them together? Why were they opposed to external intervention in Syria only? Was Libya a game changer for their perception of military intervention

Long-term regional precipitation disparity in northwestern China and its driving forces

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Effect of Chronic Alcohol Consumption on Phosphatidylcholine Hydroperoxide Content of Rat Liver and Brain

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between alcohol-induced oxidative stress and tissue phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PC-OOH) content of rat liver and brain.Methods: Ten Wistar rats were divided into two groups: one group was given 20 % ethanol (5 g/kg) and the other the same volume of normal saline, orally once a day for 6 weeks. Catalase activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and PC-OOH content of liver and brain were determined.Results: The ethanol-treated group had lower catalase activity and total antioxidant capacity. MDA level in the liver was 0.33 ± 0.07 μM/mg protein which is significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of the control group (0.17 ± 0.06 μM/mg protein), but in brain, there was no significant difference. PC-OOH level in the ethanol-treated group was 46.91 ± 12.87 pmol/mg in liver and 71.97 ± 26.12 pmol/mg protein in brain while PC-OOH level of control group was 21.40 ± 10.71 pmol/mg protein in liver and that in brain was 25.29 ± 5.67 pmol/mg protein pmol. Thus, PC-OOH levels in both liver and brain were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of control group. PC-OOH content in the liver and brain correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with catalase activity and total antioxidant capacity (TAC).Conclusion: The study demonstrates that PC-OOH content in liver and brain tissues may be a marker for alcohol-induced oxidative stress.Keywords: Alcohol Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, Phosphatidylcholine Hydroperoxide, Liver, Brain, Biomarke

Obtaining strong ferromagnetism in diluted Gd-doped ZnO thin films through controlled Gd-defect complexes

We demonstrate the fabrication of reproducible long-range ferromagnetism (FM) in highly crystalline Gdx Zn 1−xO thin films by controlling the defects. Films are grown on lattice-matched substrates by pulsed laser deposition at low oxygen pressures (≤25 mTorr) and low Gd concentrations (x ≤ 0.009). These films feature strong FM (10 μB per Gd atom) at room temperature. While films deposited at higher oxygen pressure do not exhibit FM, FM is recovered by post-annealing these films under vacuum. These findings reveal the contribution of oxygen deficiency defects to the long-range FM. We demonstrate the possible FM mechanisms, which are confirmed by density functional theory study, and show that Gd dopants are essential for establishing FM that is induced by intrinsic defects in these films

Perioperative antithrombotic management in joint replacement surgeries

Objectives To determine optimal perioperative antithrombotic management for patients with cardiac diseases undergoing joint replacement surgeries. Data sources MEDLINE and PubMed database search up to January 2013. Study selection Those dealing with perioperative antithrombotic management of patients undergoing orthopaedic operations, especially joint replacement, and also those undergoing general surgery. Various combinations of the following key words were used in our search: 'antiplatelet', 'antithrombotic', 'anticoagulant', 'coronary stent', 'perioperative', 'venous thromboembolism', 'cardiovascular', 'surgery', 'orthopaedic', 'knee replacement', 'hip replacement', 'joint replacement', and 'arthroplasty'. Data extraction Literature review, original articles, and best practice guidelines. Data synthesis Patients should be stratified according to their risk of developing arterial thromboembolism in order to decide the most appropriate perioperative antiplatelet or anticoagulant regimen for them. After recent coronary stenting, including bare-metal stents implanted within 6 weeks and drug-eluting stents implanted within 6 months, surgery should be deferred. For venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in patients already on aspirin, the dosage should be adjusted as necessary or additional low-molecular-weight heparin administered. Conclusion The perioperative management of patients with cardiac diseases in receipt of antithrombotic agents is based upon a delicate balance between the perceived risk of arterial thromboembolism and the perceived risk of perioperative bleeding. One must exercise good judgement in deciding the most appropriate perioperative antithrombotic regimen. Venous thromboembolism is also a common problem after joint replacement surgeries. For patients already on aspirin, optimal venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is still being debated.published_or_final_versio

The World Health Organization must answer these hard questions in its coronavirus inquiry

If the WHO wants to maintain its legitimacy on the world stage, it must now answer some tough questions about the extend it has kowtowed to China during the coronavirus pandemi

Opinion - A 'Weakened' Quad?

This piece focuses on whether the Quad, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as well as the arrival of a new Australian federal government in May, can provide a coherent strategic narrative on the Indo-Pacific; specifically, a strategic narrative that can serve as the framework for the collective action of the four states to meet the objectives of the grouping

Bio-Inspired Preparation of Clay–Hexacyanoferrate Composite Hydrogels as Super Adsorbents for Cs+

A facile and low-cost fabrication route, inspired by the adhesive proteins secreted by mussels, has been developed to prepare a clay-based composite hydrogel (DHG(Cu)) containing hexacyanoferrate (HCF) nanoparticles for the selective removal of Cs+ from contaminated water. Initially, montmorillonite was exfoliated prior to coating with a thin layer of polydopamine (PDOPA) via the self-polymerization of dopamine. Mixing the composite (D-clay) with the HCF precursor, followed by the addition of copper ions, led to the self-assembly of the polymer-coated exfoliated clay nanosheets into a three-dimensional network and in situ growth of KCuHCF nanoparticles embedded within the gel structure. Analytical characterization verified the fabrication route and KCuHCF immobilization by a copper–ligand complexation. Rheology testing revealed the composite hydrogel to be elastic under low strain and exhibited reversible, self-healing behavior following high strain deformation, providing a good retention of KCuHCF nanoparticles in the membrane. The adsorbent DHG(Cu) showed a superior Cs+ adsorption capacity (∼173 mg/g), with the performance maintained over a wide pH range, and an excellent selectivity for Cs+ when dispersed in seawater at low concentrations of 0.2 ppm. On the basis of its excellent mechanico-chemical properties, the fabricated hydrogel was tested as a membrane in column filtration, showing excellent removal of Cs+ from Milli-Q water and seawater, with the performance only limited by the fluid residence time. For comparison, the study also considered other composite hydrogels, which were fabricated as intermediates of DHG(Cu) or fabricated with Fe3+ as the cross-linker and reactant for HCF nanoparticle synthesis

Two Dimensional Pseudo-Wiener Filtering in Ultrasonic Imaging for Nondestructive Evaluation Applications

This paper deals with the use of a two dimensional pseudo-Wiener filter for ultrasonic image enhancement. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique for the improvement of the lateral resolution and image enhancement of ultrasonic images in materials such as graphite/epoxy composites and stainless steel. The difficulties encountered in the implementation of the filter will be delineated. Methods of overcoming some of these ‘implementational hurdles’ will be suggested