西藏农村人力资本投资困境分析

农村人口综合素质整体不高,日益成为西藏农村反贫困和可持续发展的重要制约因素之一,加大人力资本投资日益迫切.文章提出没有基于本地化的农村办学思路,师资队伍整体落后与教育质量不高长期并存,教育投资观念偏差根深蒂固,基层卫生服务能力薄弱及健康知识普及严重不足等是当前西藏农村人力资本投资存在的诸多困境,并指出尽快优化教育发展结构、突出师资队伍建设、加强成人培训力度、关注妇女儿童健康是提高农村人口发展能力的重要途径.     

Development of liquid-nitrogen-cooling friction stir spot welding for AZ31 magnesium alloy joints

A liquid-nitrogen-cooling friction stir spot welding (C-FSSW) technology was developed for welding AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets. The liquid-nitrogen cooling degraded the deformability of the welded materials such that the width of interfacial cracks increased with increasing cooling time. The grain size of the stirred zone (SZ) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the C-FSSW-welded joints decreased, whereas that of the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) increased with increasing cooling time. The maximum tensile shear load of the C-FSSW-welded joints welded with a cooling time of 5 or 7 s was larger than that of the friction stir spot welding (FSSW)-welded joint, and the tensile shear load decreased with increasing cooling time. The microhardness of the C-FSSW-welded joints was greater than that of the FSSW-welded joint. Moreover, the microhardness of the SZ and the HAZ of the C-FSSW-welded joints increased, whereas that of the TMAZ decreased, with increasing cooling time.     

The influence of home environmental factors and life style on children＇s respiratory health in Xi＇an

To assess associations between home indoor air environments and asthma,allergies and pneumonia,children aged 1–8 years were surveyed from 12 kindergartens in the city of Xi’an.2,020 questionnaires were responded with a response rate of 83.5%.The prevalences of doctor diagnosed asthma,hay fever,and pneumonia were 2.9%,3.6%,and 28.3%,respectively.Living close to a highway was a risk factor for current rhinitis(AOR 1.5,95%CI 1.2–1.8),eczema(AOR 1.7,95%CI 1.2–2.5),and diagnosed pneumonia(AOR 1.3,95%CI 1.0–1.6).Dampness problems in the home were associated with 50%–130%increases in the prevalences of asthma and allergy.Airing bed linen under sun-shine was protective,especially against rhinitis.Pet avoidance was consistently and significantly associated with asthma and allergy(AOR 1.3–2.4).Decoration of the home during children’s early life is a risk factor for current rhinitis(AOR 1.9,95%CI 1.3–2.9)and eczema(AOR 1.9,95%CI1.1–3.6).Risk factors for pneumonia were living in an apartment(AOR 1.4,95%CI 1.1–1.8),latex wall paint(AOR 1.3,95%CI 1.0–1.7),dampness(AOR 1.4–1.5),breast feeding\3 months(AOR 1.3,95%CI 1.0–1.7),never airing bed linen in sunshine(AOR 1.3,95%CI1.3–1.6),and cleaning children’s room less frequently than once per day(AOR 1.4,95%CI 1.1–1.7).This study demonstrates that home indoor environmental and life style factors may influence the health of children in Xi’an.     

三线交叉D梁施工过渡方法

为解决隧道近接施工极易造成的隧道塌方问题,以达成线新建铁路与既有线为依托,阐述了三线交叉D梁施工的过渡方法,即在保证既有线铁路和高速公路安全运营的前提下,对既有线下新建铁路右线路基进行D梁过渡爆破拆除.该方法很好地解决了施工时间紧、施工条件和施工环境受限的难点,为类似工程问题的解决提供了参考依据.     

Studies on induction hardening of powder-metallurgy-processed Fe-Cr/Mo alloys

Induction hardening of dense Fe-Cr/Mo alloys processed via the powder-metallurgy route was studied. The Fe-3Cr-0.5Mo, Fe-1.5Cr-0.2Mo, and Fe-0.85Mo pre-alloyed powders were mixed with 0.4wt%, 0.6wt%, and 0.8wt% C and compacted at 500, 600, and 700 MPa, respectively. The compacts were sintered at 1473 K for 1 h and then cooled at 6 K/min. Ferrite with pearlite was mostly observed in the sintered alloys with 0.4wt% C, whereas a carbide network was also present in the alloys with 0.8wt% C. Graphite at prior particle boundaries led to deterioration of the mechanical properties of alloys with 0.8wt% C, whereas no significant induction hardening was achieved in alloys with 0.4wt% C. Among the investigated samples, alloys with 0.6wt% C exhibited the highest strength and ductility and were found to be suitable for induction hardening. The hardening was carried out at a frequency of 2.0 kHz for 2-3 s. A case depth of 2.5 mm was achieved while maintaining the bulk (interior) hardness of approximately HV 230. A martensitic structure was observed on the outer periphery of the samples. The hardness varied from HV 600 to HV 375 from the sample surface to the interior of the case hardened region. The best combination of properties and hardening depth was achieved in case of the Fe-1.5Cr-0.2Mo alloy with 0.6wt% C.     

Using the ‘Engagement’ Model of Problem Solving to Assist Students in Capstone Learning

The engagement model for problem solving was developed as a response to soft systems methodology being difficult to implement in certain circumstances. In the years since the original paper was published, the model has developed into an iterative problem solving approach for the assessment, creation and implementation of new ideas in difficult problem situations. This case study paper exemplifies the kind of work undertaken through the use of the model and provides a practical scenario for how one might apply it. The case study takes place in a higher education environment and relates to the development of a capstone course for management majors. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.     

Control of DNA integrity in skeletal muscle under physiological and pathological conditions

Skeletal muscle is a highly oxygen-consuming tissue that ensures body support and movement, as well as nutrient and temperature regulation. DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species is present in muscles and tends to accumulate with age. Here, we present a summary of data obtained on DNA damage and its implication in muscle homeostasis, myogenic differentiation and neuromuscular disorders. Controlled and transient DNA damage appears to be essential for muscular homeostasis and differentiation while uncontrolled and chronic DNA damage negatively affects muscle health.     

Opposing effects on the cell cycle of T lymphocytes by Fbxo7 via Cdk6 and p27

G₁ phase cell cycle proteins, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6) and its activating partners, the D-type cyclins, are important regulators of T-cell development and function. An F-box protein, called F-box only protein 7 (Fbxo7), acts as a cell cycle regulator by enhancing cyclin D-Cdk6 complex formation and stabilising levels of p27, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. We generated a murine model of reduced Fbxo7 expression to test its physiological role in multiple tissues and found that these mice displayed a pronounced thymic hypoplasia. Further analysis revealed that Fbxo7 differentially affected proliferation and apoptosis of thymocytes at various stages of differentiation in the thymus and also mature T-cell function and proliferation in the periphery. Paradoxically, Fbxo7-deficient immature thymocytes failed to undergo expansion in the thymus due to a lack of Cdk6 activity, while mature T cells showed enhanced proliferative capacity upon T-cell receptor engagement due to reduced p27 levels. Our studies reveal differential cell cycle regulation by Fbxo7 at different stages in T-cell development.     

Melatonin transport into mitochondria

Melatonin is a well-known, nighttime-produced indole found in bacteria, eukaryotic unicellulars, animals or vascular plants. In vertebrates, melatonin is the major product of the pineal gland, which accounts for its increase in serum during the dark phase, but it is also produced by many other organs and cell types. Such a wide distribution is consistent with its multiple and well-described functions which include from the circadian regulation and adaptation to seasonal variations to immunomodulatory and oncostatic actions in different types of tumors. The discovery of its antioxidant properties in the early 1990s opened a new field of potential protective functions in multiple tissues. A special mention should be made regarding the nervous system, where the indole is considered a major neuroprotector. Furthermore, mitochondria appear as one of the most important targets for the indole’s protective actions. Melatonin’s mechanisms of action vary from the direct molecular interaction with free radicals (free radical scavenger) to the binding to membrane (MLT1A and MLT1B) or nuclear receptors (RZR/RORα). Receptor binding has been associated with some, but not all of the indole functions reported to date. Recently, two new mechanisms of cellular uptake involving the facilitative glucose transporters GLUT/SLC2A and the proton-driven oligopeptide transporter PEPT1/2 have been reported. Here we discuss the potential importance that these newly discovered transport systems could have in determining the actions of melatonin, particularly in the mitochondria. We also argue the relative importance of passive diffusion vs active transport in different parts of the cell.     

Polynomial-rooting based fourth-order MUSIC for direction-of-arrival estimation of noncircular signals

A polynomial-rooting based fourth-order cumulant algorithm is presented for direction-of-arrival（DOA） estimation of second-order fully noncircular source signals, using a uniform linear array（ULA）. This algorithm inherits all merits of its spectralsearching counterpart except for the applicability to arbitrary array geometry, while reducing considerably the computation cost.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the previously developed closed-form second-order noncircular ESPRIT method, in terms of processing capacity and DOA estimation accuracy, especially in the presence of spatially colored noise.