Performance investigations of two channel readout configurations on the cross-strip cadmium zinc telluride detector

Multiple application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) are required for the detectors if their readout channels are larger than that of ASIC channels. For a system with such a readout scheme, there is a need to configure channels among ASICs to achieve the lowest electronics noise and highest count rate. In this work, experiments were performed to investigate the performance of two different readout configurations between two ASICs in a cross-strip cadmium zinc telluride detector. A lower electronic noise level, better FWHM energy resolution performance, and higher count rate was found for the anode electrode strips with each ASIC allocating half of the detector area when compared to allocating each ASIC channel to alternate anode channels

Faith at Work

How can faith be lived at work? How can ethical values be implemented in business? Believ - ers in all religions are searching answers. In Christianity, Christian entrepreneurs and Christian workers encourage each other in associations by conferences, trainings, coaching, Bible stud - ies, prayer, advocacy, philanthropy and publications. This Directory lists about 53 Associations of Christian Entrepreneurs and 17 Associations of Christian workers in order to get inspired and increase networking between them. The Geneva Agape Foundation is committed to strenghten faith at work by cooperating with such associations (www.gafoundation.world)

Emission drivers of cities at different industrialization phases in China

As cities are the center of human activity and the basic unit of policy design, they have become the focus of carbon dioxide reduction, especially metropolitan areas that are high energy consumers and carbon dioxide emitters in countries such as China. The fact cities differ in their levels of development and stages of industrialization points to the need for tailor-made low-carbon policies. This study is the first to consider cities' different phases of industrialization when analyzing city-level emission patterns and drivers, as well as the decoupling statuses between economic growth and their emission levels in China. The results of 15 representative cities at different phases of industrialization show that various decoupling statuses, driving factors and decoupling efforts exist among cities, and that heterogeneity among these factors also exists among cities at the same industrialization phase. For further decomposition, energy intensity contributed the most to emissions reduction during the period 2005 to 2010, especially for cities with more heavy manufacturing industries, whereas industrial structure was a stronger negative emission driver during the period 2010 to 2015. Based on those findings, we suggest putting into practice a diversified carbon-mitigation policy portfolio according to each city's industrialization phase rather than a single policy that focuses on one specific driving factor. This paper sets an example on emissions-reduction experience for other cities undergoing different industrialization phases in China; it also sheds light on policy initiatives that could be applied to other cities around the world

Driving forces of CO2 emissions and mitigation strategies of China’s National low carbon pilot industrial parks

In an effort to address climate change, in 2013 China launched the world’s largest government-driven carbon emission reduction programme, the National Low Carbon Industrial Parks Pilot Programme (LCIPPP). This paper analyses this newly developed pilot program. To deepen our understanding of the causes and the impact of industrial park CO2 emissions, we use the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology) model and data from 20 pilot industrial parks involved in the LCIPPP for the period 2012–2016. This study quantitatively evaluates the effect of CO2 emissions on output, energy structure, energy intensity, industrial structure, R&D intensity, and population change in different regions and nationally through an elasticity coefficient method. The results confirm that an increase in output and energy intensity is a dominant contributor to the growth of CO2 emissions whereas an increase of the share of tertiary industry and R&D intensity has significant effects on reducing CO2 emissions. The elasticity of energy intensity and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in the eastern region of China is the highest, indicating that using renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions for the industrial parks is more effective in the eastern region as compared to the central and western regions of the country. The elasticity of population is significantly negative in both the central and western areas while it is positive in eastern part of China, thereby illustrating that promoting labour intensive industries will be an effective way to reduce CO2 emissions for the industrial parks in China’s central and western regions. Our study reveals that differentiated low carbon development pathways should be adopted. Concrete policy implications for reducing CO2 emissions are also provided

Faith at Work

How can faith be lived at work? How can ethical values be implemented in business? Believers in all religions are searching answers. In Christianity, Christian entrepreneurs and Christian workers encourage each other in associations by conferences, trainings, coaching, Bible studies, prayer, advocacy, philanthropy and publications. This Directory portrays 95 Associations of Christian Entrepreneurs and of Christian workers and 32 Associations from eight other religions! A unique directory, also searchable online. The Geneva Agape Foundation is committed to strenghten faith at work by cooperating with such associations (www.gafoundation.world)

Pulsed Large Volume Injection Gas Chromatography Coupled with Electron-Capture Negative Ionization Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry for Simultaneous Determination of Typical Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants

A pulsed large-volume injection gas chromatography coupled with electron-capture negative ionization quadrupole mass spectrometry (pLVI-GC/ECNI-qMS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of typical halogenated persistent organic pollutants (H-POPs). By monitoring the characteristic ions of large mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) for each of the H-POPs rather than the chlorine and/or bromine ions, this method avoided the possible interferences arising from the H-POPs themselves and from complex matrices encountered frequently in current GC/qMS methods; and allowed, on the other hand, the use of 13C-labeled and perdeuterated analogues as internal standards for reliable quantification. pLVI up to 120 μL improved the instrumental detection limits down to pg–fg mL−1, comparable to or lower than those obtained by the recognized GC/high-resolution MS methods reported so far. The H-POPs including 12 polybrominated diphenyl ethers, 1 polybrominated biphenyl, 10 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 4 hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, and hexachlorobenzene were involved in this study. The method developed demonstrated good linearity (r2 = 0.9904–0.9999) within 0.5 to 50,000 pg mL−1 for PCBs and 0.05 to 5000 pg mL−1 for other H-POPs, and was satisfactory in terms of both repeatability (0.07%–2.2%) and reproducibility (2.1%–8.4%). It was validated by analyzing a NIST standard reference material SRM-1946 of Lake Superior fish tissue with low 0.01 to 63 pg g−1 method detection limits, and successfully applied to the determination of the H-POPs in five reference materials of different matrices