The Chinese New Middle Class and Green NGOs in South China: Vanguards of Guanxi (Connections)-Seeking, Laggards in Promoting Social Causes?

By examining the emerging Chinese new middle class as well as green non-governmental organisations, this study finds that while the emergence of the Chinese new middle class facilitates the growth of green NGOs, the Chinese new class is not activists or agitators working against the government. Based on in-depth interviews with leaders of green NGOs founded by the Chinese new middle class in Guangdong province, this research examines why green NGOs do not call for or advocate environmental protection It concludes that contrary to conventional wisdom, the Chinese new middle class is a vanguard of guanxi (connections)-seeking, but a laggard in promoting environmental protection and civil-society activism. Green NGOs are principally used as a tool to cultivate social capital in the form of guanxi in order to promote personal material interests

Scaling of the geomagnetic secular variation timescale

\ua9 2024 The Author(s).The ratio of the magnetic power spectrum and the secular variation spectrum measured at the Earth\u27s surface provides a timescale as a function of spherical harmonic degree l. is often assumed to be representative of timescales related to the dynamo inside the outer core and its scaling with l is debated. To assess the validity of this surmise and to study the time variation of the geomagnetic field inside the outer core, we introduce a magnetic timescale spectrum that is valid for all radius r above the inner core and reduces to the usual at and above the core-mantle boundary (CMB). We study in a numerical geodynamo model. At the CMB, we find that is valid at both the large and small scales, in agreement with previous numerical studies on. Just below the CMB, the scaling undergoes a sharp transition at small l. Consequently, in the interior of the outer core, exhibits different scaling at the large and small scales, specifically, the scaling of becomes shallower than at small l. We find that this transition at the large scales stems from the fact that the horizontal components of the magnetic field evolve faster than the radial component in the interior. In contrast, the magnetic field at the CMB must match onto a potential field, hence the dynamics of the radial and horizontal magnetic fields are tied together. The upshot is becomes unreliable in estimating timescales inside the outer core. Another question concerning is whether an argument based on the frozen-flux hypothesis can be used to explain its scaling. To investigate this, we analyse the induction equation in the spectral space. We find that away from both boundaries, the magnetic diffusion term is negligible in the power spectrum of. However, is controlled by the radial derivative in the induction term, thus invalidating the frozen-flux argument. Near the CMB, magnetic diffusion starts to affect rendering the frozen-flux hypothesis inapplicable. We also examine the effects of different velocity boundary conditions and find that the above results apply for both no-slip and stress-free conditions at the CMB

Characterising Jupiter's dynamo radius using its magnetic energy spectrum

Jupiter's magnetic field is generated by the convection of liquid metallic hydrogen in its interior. The transition from molecular hydrogen to metallic hydrogen as temperature and pressure increase is believed to be a smooth one. As a result, the electrical conductivity in Jupiter varies continuously from being negligible at the surface to a large value in the deeper region. Thus, unlike the Earth where the upper boundary of the dynamo—the dynamo radius—is definitively located at the core-mantle boundary, it is not clear at what depth dynamo action becomes significant in Jupiter. In this paper, using a numerical model of the Jovian dynamo, we examine the magnetic energy spectrum at different depth and identify a dynamo radius below which (and away from the deep inner core) the shape of the magnetic energy spectrum becomes invariant. We find that this shift in the behaviour of the magnetic energy spectrum signifies a change in the dynamics of the system as electric current becomes important. Traditionally, a characteristic radius derived from the Lowes–Mauersberger spectrum—the Lowes radius—gives a good estimate to the Earth's core-mantle boundary. We argue that in our model, the Lowes radius provides a lower bound to the dynamo radius. We also compare the Lowes–Mauersberger spectrum in our model to that obtained from recent Juno observations. The Lowes radius derived from the Juno data is significantly lower than that obtained from our models. The existence of a stably stratified region in the neighbourhood of the transition zone might provide an explanation of this result

Space Shuttle/TDRSS communication and tracking systems analysis

In order to evaluate the technical and operational problem areas and provide a recommendation, the enhancements to the Tracking and Data Delay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Shuttle must be evaluated through simulation and analysis. These enhancement techniques must first be characterized, then modeled mathematically, and finally updated into LinCsim (analytical simulation package). The LinCsim package can then be used as an evaluation tool. Three areas of potential enhancements were identified: shuttle payload accommodations, TDRSS SSA and KSA services, and shuttle tracking system and navigation sensors. Recommendations for each area were discussed

O assistente social como mediador cultural em escolas públicas dos bairros de Guamá e Terra firme

I Congresso Internacional América Latina e Interculturalidade: América Latina e Caribe: cenários linguístico-culturais contemporâneos, 07, 08 e 09 de novembro de 2013 - UNILAA intervenção do Assistente Social nas atividades de arte e cultura nas instituições de ensino fundamental e médio nos bairros do Guamá e da Terra Firme. Estudos anteriores constatam que estes não são apenas espaços de violência, como registra a mídia. São espaços multiculturais e agregadores de cultura antiviolência, onde os sujeitos artistas utilizam a arte como meio de transformação social, através do método fenomenológico busco contribuir para a sistematização da intervenção do assistente social na área da educação e cultura, identificando as atividades de arte e cultura nas instituições de ensino fundamental e médio, importância nas instituições em que são desenvolvidas e habilidades requeridas ao profissional de Serviço Social. A metodologia conduziu a investigação nos respectivos bairros com os alunos que estudam nas instituições de ensino fundamental e médio nos bairros, por meio de aplicação de questionários sócio­econômico­cultural que ao definir cultura identificaram as manifestações culturais que estavam ocorrendo no mês (junho/2013) em que o questionário foi aplicado, quanto ao fazer profissional do Serviço Social, a maioria dos alunos da escola pública estadual relacionam o trabalho do assistente social com a prestação de ajuda e auxílio. Os alunos da escola pública federal demonstraram maior efetividade e segurança na resposta, em consonância com o Código de Ética do Assistente Social, também foi realizada entrevista semi­estruturada com a Assistente Social das instituições de ensino. Segundo a pesquisa identifica­se a sobrecarga do profissional do serviço social com as demandas postas pelos alunos no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, de tal modo que não possa acompanhar atividades de arte e cultura desenvolvidas nas instituições de ensino, e por meio de levantamentos bibliográficos e visitas de observação ao local de pesquisa foi possível identificar as atividades, projetos de extensão de arte e cultura nas instituições de ensino

Berberine induces autophagic cell death and mitochondrial apoptosis in liver cancer cells: The cellular mechanism

Extensive studies have revealed that berberine, a small molecule derived from Coptidis rhizoma (Huanglian in Chinese) and many other plants, has strong anti-tumor properties. To better understand berberine-induced cell death and its underlying mechanisms in cancer, we examined autophagy and apoptosis in the human hepatic carcinoma cell lines HepG2 and MHCC97-L. The results of this study indicate that berberine can induce both autophagy and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Berberine-induced cell death in human hepatic carcinoma cells was diminished in the presence of the cell death inhibitor 3-methyladenine, or following interference with the essential autophagy gene Atg5. Mechanistic studies showed that berberine may activate mitochondrial apoptosis in HepG2 and MHCC97-L cells by increasing Bax expression, the formation of permeable transition pores, cytochrome C release to cytosol, and subsequent activation of the caspases 3 and 9 execution pathway. Berberine may also induce autophagic cell death in HepG2 and MHCC97-L cells through activation of Beclin-1 and inhibition of the mTOR-signaling pathway by suppressing the activity of Akt and up-regulating P38 MAPK signaling. This is the first study to describe the role of Beclin-1 activation and mTOR inhibition in berberine-induced autophagic cell death. These results further demonstrate the potential of berberine as a therapeutic agent in the emerging list of cancer therapies with novel mechanisms. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.postprin