Garlic Consumption and All-Cause Mortality among Chinese Oldest-Old Individuals: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

In vitro and in vivo experimental studies have shown garlic has protective effects on the aging process; however, there is no evidence that garlic consumption is associated with all-cause mortality among oldest-old individuals (≥80 years). From 1998 to 2011, 27,437 oldest-old participants (mean age: 92.9 years) were recruited from 23 provinces in China. The frequencies of garlic consumption at baseline and at age 60 were collected. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for potential covariates were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) relating garlic consumption to all-cause mortality. Among 92,505 person-years of follow-up from baseline to September 1, 2014, 22,321 participants died. Participants who often (≥5 times/week) or occasionally (1-4 times/week) consumed garlic survived longer than those who rarely (less than once/week) consumed it (p < 0.001). Participants who consumed garlic occasionally or often had a lower risk for mortality than those who rarely consumed garlic at baseline; the adjusted HRs for mortality were 0.92(0.89-0.94) and 0.89(0.85-0.92), respectively. The inverse associations between garlic consumption and all-cause mortality were robust in sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses. In this study, habitual consumption of garlic was associated with a lower all-cause mortality risk; this advocates further investigation into garlic consumption for promoting longevity

The Emergence and Development of Social Assistance in Beijing

As an integral part of the social protection system, the social assistance program in China was fully implemented in all cities in 1999. In recent years, the government has made a further commitment to guide its development, extension, and institutionalization. Accordingly, it has grown dramatically in recent years both in terms of expenditure and number of recipients. It acts as a last resort ‘safety net’ for urban poverty-stricken residents and as a ‘shock absorber’ mitigating social tensions resulting from market-oriented reforms. This paper presents an analysis of the background and development of the social assistance program in Beijing, focusing on issues related to the design and implementation of the program. Relying as it does on a decentralized delivery structure at the neighborhood level, Beijing social assistance programs can have substantial variations in terms of practice and outcomes. This paper proposes that in the long term, China needs to design a more coherent and integrated social protection system

Informal traders lock horns with the formal milk industry: the role of research in pro-poor dairy policy shift in Kenya

A polarizable atomic multipole-based force field for the membrane bilayer models 1,2-dioleoyl-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE) has been developed. The force field adopts the same framework as the Atomic Multipole Optimized Energetics for Biomolecular Applications (AMOEBA) model, in which the charge distribution of each atom is represented by the permanent atomic monopole, dipole and quadrupole moments. Many-body polarization including the inter- and intra-molecular polarization is modelled in a consistent manner with distributed atomic polarizabilities. The van der Waals parameters were first transferred from existing AMOEBA parameters for small organic molecules and then optimised by fitting to ab initio intermolecular interaction energies between models and a water molecule. Molecular dynamics simulations of the two aqueous DOPC and POPE membrane bilayer systems, consisting of 72 model molecules, were then carried out to validate the force field parameters. Membrane width, area per lipid, volume per lipid, deuterium order parameters, electron density profile, etc. were consistent with experimental values

Electrical, Magnetic and Thermal Properties of UNi₂Si₂ and UNi₂Ge₂

The magnetic susceptibility, resistivity, and Hall coefficient of single crystals of UNi₂Si₂ and UNi₂Ge₂ have been investigated. Thermoelectric power and specific heat measurements of UNi₂Si₂ have also been carried out. The magnetic susceptibility of UNi₂Si₂ and UNi₂Ge₂ follows the Curie-Weiss law in the paramagnetic state at high temperatures and the anisotropy shows that the magnetic moments on the U atoms are constrained to lie preferentially along the c axis. The resistivity of these two compounds is largely due to magnetic scattering and the phonon contribution only amounts to 8-14% of the total resistivity at room temperature. Along the c axis, the resistivity shows a Kondo type of behaviour at high temperatures. The temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient can be accounted for by a theoretical model invoking a magnetic skew-scattering process. Distinct features and anomalies are observed in both the resistivity and the Hall coefficient at the magnetic transitions of these two compounds. The thermoelectric power of single crystal UNi₂Si₂ is also anisotropic, with the c-axis component strongly coupled to the magnetic phase transitions. The gamma value obtained from the specific heat measurements of UNi₂Si₂ is 22 mJ mol⁻¹ K⁻² which indicates a small mass enhancement in the system.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD

Applying Descriptivist Norms to Folklore Translation

This research delves into the analysis of descriptivist norms in the translation of folklore, using the translation of The Epic of Baeuqloxgdoh as an example. Folklore, representing the collective wisdom of diverse cultures, poses complex challenges in translation where preservation and adaptation intersect. Translation norms, including Gideon Toury’s initial, preliminary, and operational norms, play a pivotal role. Through a comparative analysis of two translated versions of the epic, this paper aims to elucidate the norms underpinning the translation process. By scrutinizing the similarities and differences in translation choices, the study reveals norms governing the translation process. Despite the limitations posed by a small sample size, this research contributes to understanding folklore translation and sheds light on its broader implications for intercultural communication and the preservation of literary heritage

Smart-assist : a reminder system

The objective of this project is to develop a reminder system to remind people of important events. Reminder systems are very important and popular. However, there is no general reminder system currently available. Almost all existing reminder systems are developed for special tasks. This report focuses on developing a reminder system called Smart-Assist, which has all the features of current existing reminder systems. The major distinctive features of Smart-Assist are: (1) An Open Source based system. The use of existing Open Source reduces the cost and promotes its use. (2) A database based application. All the information is stored in a MySQL database and hence persistent. (3) A system which runs either locally or though the Web, but data are made persistent by sharing the same database. (4) A real time system. Event trigger and timing depends on the system time. (5) An automatic event driven alarm system with audio playing feature

“Cerveja com características chinesas”: Marketing de cerveja sob o regime maoísta

This essay explores the nationalization of beer in twentieth-century China. Using the theoretical fra­mework of “culinary infrastructure,” it shows how the physical facilities and technologies of brewing and marketing interacted with local drinking cultures to shape the understandings of beer in China. It begins by describing how a western consumer good originally marketed to colonial representatives was gradually adopted by the urban Chinese as a symbol of modernity in the first half of the twentieth century. It then reviews the nationalization of foreign-owned breweries and the growth of domestic production in the first decades of Communist rule. The essay concludes that the Chinese acquired a taste for beer as an everyday marker of urban privilege that survived Maoist radicalism and remains to this day a defining feature of Communist China.Este ensayo explora la nacionalización de la cerveza en la China del siglo XX. Usando el marco teórico de “infraestructura culinaria”, muestra cómo las instalaciones físicas y tecnologías de producción de cerveza y comercialización interactuaron con las culturas de beber locales para formar los entendimientos de la cerveza en China. Comienza describiendo cómo un bien de consumo occidental originalmente comer­cializado a representantes coloniales fue adoptado gradualmente por los chinos urbanos como símbolo de modernidad en la primera mitad del siglo XX. Entonces, reseña la nacionalización de cerveceras de propiedad de extranjeros y el crecimiento de la producción local en las primeras décadas del gobierno comunista. El ensayo concluye que los chinos adquirieron el gusto por la cerveza como un marcador cotidiano de privilegio urbano que sobrevivió al radicalismo maoísta y permanece hasta hoy como una característica definitoria de la China comunista.Este estudo explora a nacionalização da cerveja na China no século XX. Usando o quadro teórico da “infraestrutura culinária”, mostra como as instalações físicas e tecnologias de fabricação e comercia­lização interagiram com culturas locais de bebida para moldar os entendimentos de cerveja na China. Começa por descrever como um bem de consumo ocidental originalmente comercializado por repre­sentantes coloniais foi gradualmente adotado pelo chinês urbano como símbolo da modernidade na primeira metade do século XX. Em seguida, analisa a nacionalização das cervejarias de propriedade estrangeira e o crescimento da produção doméstica nas primeiras décadas do regime comunista. O estudo conclui que os chineses adquiriram o gosto pela cerveja como marca diária de privilégios urba­nos que sobreviveu ao radicalismo maoísta e permanece até hoje uma característica definidora da China comunista

BIODEGRADABLE MEDICAL DEVICE HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE DEGRADATION RATE AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

Disclosed herein are biodegradable medical devices comprising biodegradable material (e.g., magnesium-calcium alloys) having an adjustable rate of degradation that can be used in various applications, including, but not limited to, drug delivery applications, cardiovascular applications, and orthopedic applications to make biodegradable and biocompatible devices. Also disclosed herein are methods of making biodegradable medical devices comprising biodegradable materials by using, for instance, hybrid dry cutting/hydrostatic burnishing

Health Service Access for Rural People Living with HIV/AIDS in China: A Critical Evaluation

The increasingly serious HIV/AIDS epidemic creates a significant burden for the public health system; however, little attention has been paid to the issue of health service access in rural China. Based on a qualitative study of 34 Chinese rural People Living with HIVIAIDS (PLWHA) and 13 health providers, this study fills a gap by examining health service access from both the demand and supply-side. Utilizing access theory, this study explores the availability, affordability and acceptability of health services in rural China. Moreover, this study focuses on access barriers and institutional obstacles that PLWHA meet during their illness and considers the influence of the current Chinese political philosophy of marketization and privatization of the health care systems