CDM baseline approaches and carbon leakage

Carbon leakage is an important issue because it can reduce the environmental effectiveness of international climate agreements. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the clean development mechanism (CDM) can potentially reduce carbon leakage significantly. To what extent this potential can be realized depends on how the CDM baseline approach accounts for this effect. We use a computable general equilibrium model to analyze the impact of three different baseline approaches, and find that they produce diverging results as the number of CDM projects increase. We do, however, find that under realistic assumptions on the level of CDM activity the CDM will significantly reduce carbon leakage irrespective of which baseline approach is used.     

Différences individuelles au niveau des croyances erronées à l'égard des inquiétudes.

Erroneous beliefs have been identified as key variables related to the development and maintenance of excessive worry. For example, people presenting a high level of worry often believe that worrying helps them to prevent the occurrence of future negative events or translates a positive characteristic of their personality. They thus develop excessive and uncontrollable worries in order to maintain the perceived advantages. The factors related to the development and the maintenance of erroneous beliefs about worry are however unknown. The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between erroneous beliefs and personal variables (i.e., gender, worry themes, and predominant types of worries) in a sample of 544 participants. Analyses showed that beliefs differed significantly according to the gender, but not according to the predominant types of worries. School concerns were significantly associated with the belief that worry helps to motivate. This study brings preliminary useful information to better understand the presence of erroneous beliefs about worries and suggests conducting further researches using other personal variables and clinical samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decoding bar codes from human-readable characters

In this study we have decoded bar codes by recognizing the human-readable characters of the interpretation line printed below the bar pattern. Using this approach, we were able to successfully decode bar codes with a resolution of 0.8 pixels per module.     

Bioactive double glass coatings for Co-Cr-Mo alloy

Glass compositions for double coatings for a Co-Cr-Mo alloy were developed. The glass compositions were chosen to fulfil such requirements as matching thermal expansion, low glass transition temperature and moderate solubility. For the ground coat a fairly high durability is required, whereas the cover coat must be bioactive, i.e. become attached to living bone by a chemical bond. Two compositions of each type were developed by computer-aided optimization. The glasses were chosen in the Na₂O–CaO–B₂O₃–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–P₂O₅ system. The bioactivity was tested in vitro by immersion in a simulated body fluid. The double coatings on Co–Cr–Mo alloy released hexavalent chromium into the solution as detected by yellow colouration and spectrophotometry. This colouration was strong at the margin between coated and uncoated metal and may be explained by oxidation of trivalent chromium of the alloy in the presence of glass. The released chromium did not have any notable effect on the calcium phosphate formation. After replensihing the solution no coloration was observed. This suggests that the chromate is easily dissolved and that it may be possible to wash it out prior to implantation.     

Analysis of noncovalent chitinase-chito-oligosaccharide complexes by infrared-matrix assisted laser desorption ionization and nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Transferring noncovalently bound complexes from the condensed phase into the gas phase represents a challenging task due to weak intermolecular bonds that have to be maintained during the phase transition. Currently, electrospray ionization (ESI) is the standard mass spectrometric (MS) technique to analyze noncovalent complexes. Although infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (IR-MALDI)-MS also provides particular soft desorption/ionization conditions, this method has so far hardly been applied for the analysis of noncovalent complexes. In this study, we employed IR-MALDI orthogonal time-of-flight (o-TOF)-MS in combination with the liquid matrix glycerol to characterize the specific complex formation of chito-oligosaccharide (CHOS) ligands with two variants of Chitinase A (ChiA) from Serratia marcescens, the inactive E315Q mutant and the active W167A mutant, respectively. The IR-MALDI-o-TOF-MS results were compared to those obtained using nano-ESI-quadrupole (q)-TOF-MS and ultraviolet (UV)-MALDI-o-TOF-MS. Using IR-MALDI-o-TOF-MS, specific noncovalent complexes between ChiA and CHOS were detected with distributions between enzymes with bound oligosaccharides vs free enzymes that were essentially identical to those obtained by nano-ESI-q-TOF-MS. Chitinase-CHOS complexes were not detected when UV-MALDI was employed for desorption/ionization. The results show that IR-MALDI-MS can be a valuable tool for fast and simple screening of noncovalent enzyme-ligand interactions.     

Infusion methods for determination of peripheral resistance: influence of infused medium and back pressure

Many isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi have been obtained from ticks and vertebrate tissues collected in North America and continental Europe but only one established culture of United Kingdom Borrelia burgdorferi has been recorded. In this paper we report the isolation of B. burgdorferi from one of 108 tick pools representing 733 ticks and eight-four tissue samples from twenty-six rodents collected in the U.K, and the subsequent failure to establish the isolate (from ticks collected in Fordingbridge) in culture. In contrast, using identical techniques and culture medium, B. burgdorferi was isolated from one of seven tick pools collected in Switzerland, and from a single pool of ticks collected in Slovakia, and both isolates were successfully passaged. Analysis of questing I. ricinus collected from Fordingbridge by direct immunofluorescence showed 6/32 (19%) of adults and 8/108 (7%) of nymphs were positive for B. burgdorferi, although only one nymph contained > or = 1000 spirochaetes. To examine further the problem of isolating U.K. B. burgdorferi, twelve Ixodes ricinus tick samples from Fordingbridge, a recognized focus of Lyme disease, were subjected to isolation and culturing techniques, and the procedures monitored by use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Whereas 11/12 samples were PCR positive after 2 weeks in culture, only one was PCR positive after 4 weeks. Motile spirochaetes were not visible by dark-field microscopy in any of the cultures. The results indicate that the standard BSK II medium routinely used to isolate and culture B. burgdorferi does not readily support the replication of the Borrelia species endemic to the U.K.     

母材中碳进入熔池方式及其影响研究

归纳并提出了熔地母材中碳进入熔池中的方式，在此基础上，探讨了焊态下熔焊接头中脱／增碳层的形成原因，形成时期以及焊缝不均匀混合区中的碳分布特点。得出”母材中碳以机械混合唱 ，母材团，扩散混合三种方式进入熔池 态下，母材侧不完全熔化区因碳扩散鸸菜成了不明显的脱碳层，焊缝侧不均匀混合区因多为源方式而形成了碳分布不均匀的增碳层。利用异种接头金相观察和硬度测试结果。验证了所得结论的正确性。     

Documentation of violence against civilians in a civil war. Examples from Kashmir

Physicians for Human Rights/Denmark visited Kashmir three times in 1993 and 1994. In Indian-held Kashmir we examined victims of torture and gunshots and we assessed similar evidence collected by local lawyers and doctors. In refugee camps for Indian Kashmiries we examined ten children, who were reported to have been tortured at the age of 5-14 years, and ten other children who allegedly had been ill-treated. Furthermore, 17 adults, who reported that they had been tortured, were examined. In nearly all cases there were physical findings in accordance with the histories of torture. In many cases, including those of the children, the findings were highly remarkable by their shape and localization. We interpret them as evidence of intentionally inflicted injuries. In the refugee camps we carried out a prevalence study of exposure to organized violence. Approximately 95% of all families had been exposed to violence; 35% reported that their children had been ill-treated. The physical findings indicate that intentional traumatization of civilians including children in Indian-held Kashmir takes place; the results of the prevalence study suggest that exposure to violence is widespread.     

The Measurement of Left Ventricular Function and the Detection of Wall Motion Abnormalities with High Temporal Resolution Ecg-Gated Scintigraphic Angiocardiography

An ECG-gated, scintigraphic imaging procedure is described in which a complete, average cardiac cycle is visualized with high temporal resolution. The ability of this method to detect wall motion abnormalities and quantitate left ventricular function is illustrated in a patient with severe coronary artery disease. These results are compared to (contrast) angiographic findings in the same patient.