The Emerging Geography of the Blockchain Industry

Geographers have long been interested in where new technologies and industries emerge. The presence and adoption of a new technology within a region has multiple positive and negative externalities. Scholars have commented on the contribution of these firms to the regional economy, in terms of increasing human capital, innovation, and research and development. Technology firms in particular tend to locate in world cities and technology hubs, with concentrations of highly skilled workers, venture capital, anchor institutions and knowledge infrastructure. Using the blockchain industry as a case, this thesis examines the geography of nascent industries. Blockchain, which emerged in 2009 and is best known for applications such as bitcoin, has application in supply chain optimization, royalty and copyright tracking, cybersecurity, refugee identity and transaction systems, and voting systems. Blockchain’s widespread application across industries and regions provides an excellent opportunity to explore the emerging geography of tech firms. This study explores this geography and attempts to identify key patterns and locations. Using economic data from Crunchbase and analysis using Elasticsearch, this study demonstrates that blockchain firms follows similar patterns seen elsewhere in the tech industry. Large world cities remain at the forefront of both firm and investor activity, and they are shown to be of crucial importance in global networks. Based on these findings, the study concludes by encouraging policy makers to understand the importance of these key geographies and identifies areas for further research to advance our understanding

A multiplex real-time PCR for differential detection and quantification of Salmonella spp., Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Enteritidis in meats

Salmonella (S.) Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis are the major causative agents of food-borne illnesses worldwide. Currently, a rapid detection system using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been applied for other food-borne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. A multiplex real-time PCR was developed for the simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., especially S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis, in beef and pork. For the specific and sensitive multiplex real-time PCR, three representative primers and probes were designed based on sequence data from Genbank. Among the three DNA extraction methods (boiling, alkaline lysis, and QIAamp DNA Mini Kit), the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit was the most sensitive in this study. The optimized multiplex real-time PCR was applied to artificially inoculated beef or pork. The detection sensitivity of the multiplex real-time PCR was increased. The specificity of the multiplex real-time PCR assay, using 128 pure-cultured bacteria including 110 Salmonella isolates and 18 non-Salmonella isolates, was 100%, 100% and 99.1% for Salmonella spp., S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis, respectively. The sensitivity was 100%, 100% and 91.7% for Salmonella spp., S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis, respectively. The multiplex real-time PCR assay developed in this study could detect up to 0.54 ± 0.09 and 0.65 ± 0.07 log10 CFU/ml for S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis for beef, 1.45 ± 0.21 and 1.65 ± 0.07 log10 CFU/ml for S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis for pork, respectively, with all conditions optimized. Our results indicated that the multiplex real-time PCR assay developed in this study could sensitively detect Salmonella spp. and specifically differentiate S. Typhimurium from S. Enteritidis in meats

In Comparison to Pathological Q Waves, Selvester Score Is a Superior Diagnostic Indicator of Increased Long-Term Mortality Risk in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Treated with Primary Coronary Intervention

The development of pathological Q waves has long been correlated with worsened outcome in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this study, we investigated long-term mortality of STEMI patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and compared predictive values of Q waves and of Selvester score for infarct volume estimation. Data of 283 consecutive STEMI patients (103 females) treated by PPCI were analysed. The presence of pathological Q wave was evaluated in pre-discharge electrocardiograms (ECGs) recorded ≥72 h after the chest pain onset (72 h Q). The Selvester score was evaluated in acute ECGs (acute Selvester score) and in the pre-discharge ECGs (72 h Selvester score). The results were related to total mortality and to clinical and laboratory variables. A 72 h Q presence and 72 h Selvester score ≥6 was observed in 184 (65.02%) and 143 (50.53%) patients, respectively. During a follow-up of 5.69 ± 0.66 years, 36 (12.7%) patients died. Multivariably, 72 h Selvester score ≥6 was a strong independent predictor of death, while a predictive value of the 72 h Q wave was absent. In high-risk subpopulations defined by clinical and laboratory variables, the differences in total mortality were highly significant (p < 0.01 for all subgroups) when stratified by 72 h Selvester score ≥6. On the contrary, the additional risk-prediction by 72 h Q presence was either absent or only borderline. In contemporarily treated STEMI patients, Selvester score is a strong independent predictor of long-term all-cause mortality. On the contrary, the prognostic value of Q-wave presence appears limited in contemporarily treated STEMI patients

Harry Potter and the Magic of Translation. Japanese translation of the series and its translation starategies in comparison to the Polish translation and the original.

Tematem pracy jest analiza wybranych zjawisk językowych translatoryki japońsko-obcojęzycznej, których źródłem są teksty z serii książek o Harrym Potterze autorstwa J.K.Rowling w japońskim przekładzie Matsuoki Yūko, przy jednoczesnym porównaniu i skonfrontowaniu ich z polskim tłumaczeniem dokonanym przez Andrzeja Polkowskiego oraz z oryginałem angielskojęzycznym. Celem pracy jest porównanie i krytyka dwóch skrajnie różnych tłumaczeń w kontekście języka wyjściowego w sytuacji, gdy wszystkie trzy języki reprezentują odmienne typy strukturalne i powiązania semantyczne. Przedmiotem analizy są między innymi wymyślone przez autorkę pojęcia, nazwy zaklęć i przedmiotów, anagramy, teksty rymowane oraz gry słowne. Pierwszy rozdział dotyczy trudności, z jakimi musi zmierzyć się tłumacz tekstow literackich. Drugi, pełniący rolę wprowadzenia do tematu pracy, opowiada o tłumaczeniu serii na języki świata. Kolejne rozdziały poświęcone są strategiom translatorskim specifycznym dla języka japońskiego, między innymi wykorzystaniu sylabariuszy hiragana oraz katakana, semiotyki furigany i kategorii zaimków osobowych. W dalszych rozdziałach analizie poddane są dłuższe fragmenty tekstu, takie jak dialogi, slogany czy rymowane zagadki słowne.The subject of my dissertation is an analysis of translation strategies used by the translator of the Japanese version of Harry Potter books in comparison to the original and to the Polish version. Those strategies include using hiragana and katakana syllabaries, furigana semiotics, and first person pronouns among others. The elements used as an example include names of magic creatures, spells, anagrams, alliterations, manner of speech, rhymed riddles and word play

Experience With Operation of Mobile Cementation Facility at A-1 NPP

The purpose of the paper is to describe a mobile cementation facility (MCF), which was designed by VUJE, Inc. and by JAVYS, Inc. (Nuclear and Decommissioning Company) in 2003. MCF was constructed and installed in 2004 in the so-called garden nearby A-1 NPP in Jaslovske Bohunice, where underground storage tanks for liquid radioactive waste are located. The facility is designed to process liquid radioactive waste and sludge or gravel collected from the underground tanks. These storage tanks are situated in the vicinity of active water treatment plant belonging to A-1 NPP. The tanks, some of which are of diameter 16 m, have their internal complex structure. All tanks were designed to collect various liquid waste streams from the A-1 NPP reactor building. Special remotely controlled DENAR 41 manipulator was developed. for the collection of liquid waste as well as for other purposes (collection of solid waste, decontamination, cutting of internal pipelines, etc.) The unique mobile equipment, which carries a suitable pump for sludge pumping to the cementation facility, was used to collect sludge last year. Large diameter of the storage tanks and small hatchways for the inspection access (approximately 540 × 540 mm) through which the telescopic mast of manipulator DENAR 41 or the special mobile vehicle were inserted into the tanks proved to pose some difficulties while being at use. Standard ISO containers, in which the main components are installed, were designed and used for the MCF project. The whole equipment is relatively easy to transport and can be installed to any other tanks with stored liquid waste. In-drum mixing technology is applied during cementation process. Standard 200 litre drums with the cement product are the only outputs form the mobile cementation facility. Production of 200 litre drums with the cemented product gradually increased from 19 pieces per year in 2005 to 88 pieces last year in 2008. Several problems particularly in the cement dosing system as well as problems in monitoring and measurement system with occasional failures in control system appeared amidst MCF operation. However these issues were always operatively resolved and the cementation facility could successfully met desired expectations.</jats:p

VUJE Experience With Cementation of Liquid and Wet Radioactive Waste

Liquid and wet LLW generated during operation as well as decommissioning of NPPs is treated with different methods and fixed in a suitable fixation matrix so that a final product meets required criteria for its disposal in a final repository. Cementation is an important process used for fixation of liquid and wet radioactive waste such as concentrate, spent resins and sludge. Active cement grout is also used for fixation of low level solid radioactive waste loaded in final packing containers. VUJE Inc. has been engaged in research of cementation for long. The laboratory for analyzing radioactive waste properties, prescription of cementation formulation and estimation of final cement product properties has been established. Experimental, semi-production cementation plant has been built to optimize operation parameters of cementation. VUJE experience with cementation of liquid and wet LLW is described in the presented paper. VUJE has assisted in commissioning of Jaslovske´ Bohunice Treatment Centre. Cement formulations for treatment of concentrate, spent resins and sludge have been developed. Research studies on the stability of a final concrete packaging container for disposal in repository have been performed. Gained experience has been further utilized for design and manufacture of several cementation plants for treatment of various liquid and wet LLW. Their main technological and technical parameters as well as characterization of treated waste are described in the paper. Applications include the Mochovce Final Treatment Centre, Movable Cementation Facility utilizing in-drum mixing for treatment of sludge, Cementation Facility for treatment of tritiated water in Latvia and Cementation Facility for fixation of liquid and solid institutional radioactive waste in Bulgaria, which utilizes lost stirrer mixer.</jats:p