Medicine and mineralogy

1977 ◽  
Vol 286 (1336) ◽  
pp. 585-592 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Man ◽  
Mineral Dusts ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Fibrous Mineral ◽  
Different Levels

The article deals with the health hazards caused by mineral dusts, and by asbestos fibres in the induction of cancers in particular. Mineral dusts cause damage by inhalation, rarely by ingestion or ingress into the skin. In the lung, bronchitis, fibrosis (pneumoconiosis), and cancers may result. Few mineral dusts cause cancers, and asbestos is unique in causing two separate types within the lung. Epidemiological and other studies of groups of asbestos workers have shown important differences in risk with the type of fibre and the type of job. All types of asbestos cause fibrosis and an excess of bronchial cancers which are, however, also closely cigarette related. Crocidolite is especially related to cancers of the surface of the lung (mesotheliomas). Mining and milling of chrysotile, the most used type of asbestos, have caused few mesotheliomas, despite heavy dust exposures in the past. The diseases induced by asbestos are dose-related* Where it has been possible to divide the groups of asbestos workers into those with different levels of past exposure, the least exposed groups have shown small or no excess of asbestos-related diseases despite their exposures having been considerably higher than that likely to have been encountered by the general public. Present evidence indicates that the general public have not been at risk of asbestos-related diseases, but more evidence is required about the proportion of all mesotheliomas which are related to asbestos. The new techniques of mineralogy when applied at a micro level to the dust in tissues, and particularly in the lung, may be of great help in answering this important problem. Some comparisons of the mortality from occupationally related cancers, accidents, smoking habits, and general diseases are given. Current research into the biomedical effects of natural fibrous mineral dusts is likely to be of great value in ensuring that the new man made mineral fibres now being developed are manufactured and used under circumstances which will cause no ill effects to health.

Stellar Evolution

1962 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 137-143
Author(s):  
M. Schwarzschild
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Stellar Evolution ◽  
Space Craft ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Substantial Body ◽  
Individual Stars ◽  
The Past ◽  
Evolution Of Galaxies ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fast Flow

It is perhaps one of the most important characteristics of the past decade in astronomy that the evolution of some major classes of astronomical objects has become accessible to detailed research. The theory of the evolution of individual stars has developed into a substantial body of quantitative investigations. The evolution of galaxies, particularly of our own, has clearly become a subject for serious research. Even the history of the solar system, this close-by intriguing puzzle, may soon make the transition from being a subject of speculation to being a subject of detailed study in view of the fast flow of new data obtained with new techniques, including space-craft.

Performance Assessment Study of Indian Railways – Case of Low Efficiencies in Large Government Monopoly

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110255
Author(s):  
Sabyasachi S. Roy ◽  
Mukul Kulshrestha
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Rail Network ◽  
The Past ◽  
Assessment Study ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Global Population ◽  
Financial Losses

Indian Railways is the world’s largest government-owned monopoly, annually carrying passenger numbers that surpass the global population. It is world’s fourth largest rail network after the U.S.A., China, and Russia, and is managed by a separate Ministry of Railways. The operating ratios have consistently been around 90% in the past several years, indicating that that the capability to generate operational surplus is low. Further, its expenditure on staff and their pensions has been increasing. Consequently, capacity growth is increasingly being funded through borrowings, which threatens to further worsen the financial situation. Thus, railway services in India are often perceived as being inefficient and unsatisfactory. However, this perception of inefficient services has no scientific basis as mid- and micro-level efficiency analyses of Indian Railways have never been carried out. This paper adopts a data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based approach to evaluate the performance efficiencies of the 69 divisions of Indian Railways. Six models that deploy a range of performance indicators like operating expenditures, numbers of staff employed or passengers carried, freight carried, rail network length, and revenues generated have been employed to assess efficiencies. The results demonstrate the existence of significant inefficiencies that may possibly be attributed to lack of proper management, planning policies, and mis-governance, resulting in significant financial losses. The paper discusses these issues and the policy reforms needed in the developing country context, while suggesting some reforms that may lead to improved sector performances.

scholarly journals Sixty Years with the Chrysobalanaceae

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghillean T. Prance
Keyword(s):  
Economic Botany ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Conservation Ecology ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Findings ◽  
The Family ◽  
Molecular Studies ◽  
Economic Use

AbstractA review is given of the studies of Ghillean Prance and associates on the Chrysobalanaceae over the past sixty years. This has focussed on defining the generic boundaries in the family and on monographic work with a worldwide approach to this pantropical family. The importance of field studies for work on monographs and Floras is emphasized. Monographs are still the basis for much work on conservation, ecology and economic botany and are needed as a foundation for molecular studies. The importance of being open to experimenting with new techniques and as a result being willing to change the taxonomy in accordance with new findings is demonstrated and emphasized. The twelve genera of the Chrysobalanaceae at the beginning of this career-long study have now increased to twenty-eight in order to present a much better monophyletic and evolutionary arrangement based on recent molecular evidence. In particular it was necessary to divide and rearrange the originally large genera Parinari and Licania into a number of smaller segregate genera. All known species were included in a worldwide monograph published in 2003. A brief review of the economic use for the family is given.

scholarly journals Beyond a Dichotomous Understanding of Online Anonymity: Bridging the Macro and Micro Level

2021 ◽  
pp. 136078042110197
Author(s):  
Lina Eklund ◽  
Emma von Essen ◽  
Fatima Jonsson ◽  
Magnus Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Online Auctions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Plural Form ◽  
Contentious Issue ◽  
Online Anonymity ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Theoretical Synthesis ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Different Levels

Anonymity on the Internet is a contentious issue; by some seen as an important freedom to be protected, while others argue for increased identification to protect groups at risk of exploitation. The debate reflects a dichotomous view of online anonymity; you are, or you are not anonymous. However, anonymity is a complex process played out on different levels and defined by various actors. While empirical studies show this, theoretical synthesis is lacking. This essay provides perspective on anonymity online by comparing two critical cases, online auctions and online gaming, we corroborate results from a 4-year interdisciplinary project with researchers from sociology, economics, and computer and system sciences. We argue that one should talk about anonymities in plural form, as online anonymity is not a state but a relational process. We put forth a conceptual model, which unpacks online anonymity as interdependent macro structures – legal, commercial, and technological – and micro/meso facets – factual, social group, and physical – to be used in future research.

scholarly journals Seed dispersal of Diospyros virginiana in the past and the present: Evidence for a generalist evolutionary strategy

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 4035-4043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mimi Rebein ◽  
Charli N. Davis ◽  
Helena Abad ◽  
Taylor Stone ◽  
Jillian del Sol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Evolutionary Strategy ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
The Past

Dynamical theory of neutron diffraction

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 1261-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. F. Sears
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Diffraction ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Dynamical Theory ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Neutron Interferometry ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
The Past ◽  
Neutron Optics ◽  
Coherent Wave ◽  
Special Cases

We present a review of the dynamical theory of neutron diffraction by macroscopic bodies which provides the theoretical basis for the study of neutron optics. We consider both the theory of dispersion, in which it is shown that the coherent wave in the medium satisfies a macroscopic one-body Schrödinger equation, and the theory of reflection, refraction, and diffraction in which the above equation is solved for a number of special cases of interest. The theory is illustrated with the help of experimental results obtained over the past 10 years by a number of new techniques such as neutron gravity refractometry, Pendellösung interference, and neutron interferometry.

scholarly journals A Fast and Effective Method to Identify Relevant Sets of Variables in Complex Systems

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1022
Author(s):  
Gianluca D’Addese ◽  
Martina Casari ◽  
Roberto Serra ◽  
Marco Villani
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Gene Regulatory Networks ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Graph Analysis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Medium Level ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Gene Regulatory ◽  
High Level

In many complex systems one observes the formation of medium-level structures, whose detection could allow a high-level description of the dynamical organization of the system itself, and thus to its better understanding. We have developed in the past a powerful method to achieve this goal, which however requires a heavy computational cost in several real-world cases. In this work we introduce a modified version of our approach, which reduces the computational burden. The design of the new algorithm allowed the realization of an original suite of methods able to work simultaneously at the micro level (that of the binary relationships of the single variables) and at meso level (the identification of dynamically relevant groups). We apply this suite to a particularly relevant case, in which we look for the dynamic organization of a gene regulatory network when it is subject to knock-outs. The approach combines information theory, graph analysis, and an iterated sieving algorithm in order to describe rather complex situations. Its application allowed to derive some general observations on the dynamical organization of gene regulatory networks, and to observe interesting characteristics in an experimental case.

The Birth of the National Historical Writing in England and France

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Palamarchuk ◽  
◽  
Ekaterina Terenteva ◽  
Sergey Fyodorov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Complex Analysis ◽  
Legal Consciousness ◽  
Historical Writing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Historical Past ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Prevalent Form ◽  
Xviith Century

The monograph is a study of main trends of emergence and evolution of the national historical writing in Western Europe in the XVIIth century. Based on a complex analysis of several phenomena which defined the development of the Early Modern historical writing, it provides a comparative analysis of the regional schools of historical writing (particularly those of the English antiquaries and French érudits) in the process of their respective growth and formation accomplished by the end of XVIIth century with the advent of the national historiography. The conceptual unity of the book is verified within the context of the rise of the national states in England and France, which stipulated a consistent demand for reinforcing the nationally orientated discourses not only in a historical writing but also in legal and political thought. The perception of England as an empire, entrenched in the insular historical and legal consciousness, recurring during the reigns of the Stuarts and extending to the whole British archipelago, determined the establishment of chorography as a prevalent form characteristic of the English historiography. Chorographic structure of the narrative unfolding the space of the territorial “empire” to the reader corresponded to the method of “intellectual appropriation” of the British Isles by the English antiquarians which could be defined as “cultural-historical”. A considerable role was devoted to reactualization of ethnogenetic myths at different levels: while some of them (primarily – the Galfridian myth) were regarded as relevant to the pan-British cultural and historical past, others emphasized autonomous dimensions of the past and present of distinct composites (Scotland, Ireland, Wales) The continental French variant of proto-national historiography also utilized the idea of empire but in a different mode defined by the formula “rex in regno suo imperator est”. The emerging school of érudits modelled principles of its narratives on patrimonial structures rooted in the feudal medieval society (dynasty; royal family; aristocratic lineages; seigneurial rights and vassal obligations; the system of offices created by the monarch stemming from the royal household etc.). The unity of the subjects of the French kingdom was ensured not by the shared territorial commonality but by their loyalty to the king. Therefore, the French variant of “intellectual appropriation” was developed in a socio-political direction in contrast to the territorial.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli as a genetic tool

1985 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-618
Author(s):  
Naomi Datta
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Cloning And Expression ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Genetic Tool ◽  
The Past ◽  
Made In

SUMMARYThe study of Escherichia coli and its plasmids and bacteriophages has provided a vast body of genetical information, much of it relevant to the whole of biology. This was true even before the development of the new techniques, for cloning and analysing DNA, that have revolutionized biological research during the past decade. Thousands of millions of dollars are now invested in industrial uses of these techniques, which all depend on discoveries made in the course of academic research on E. coli. Much of the background of knowledge necessary for the cloning and expression of genetically engineered information, as well as the techniques themselves, came from work with this organism.

Verification of Plastic Interactive Systems

i-com ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Oliveira ◽  
Sophie Dupuy-Chessa ◽  
Gaëlle Calvary
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Interactive Systems ◽  
System Model ◽  
Equivalence Checking ◽  
The Past ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Formal Techniques

AbstractInteractive systems have largely evolved over the past years. Nowadays, different users can interact with systems on different devices and in different environments. The user interfaces (UIs) are expected to cope with such variety. Plastic UIs have the capacity to adapt to changes in their context of use while preserving usability. Such capability enhances UIs, however, it adds complexity on them. We propose an approach to verifying interactive systems considering this adaptation capability of the UIs. The approach applies two formal techniques: model checking, to the verification of properties over the system model, and equivalence checking, to compare different versions of a UI, thereby identifying different levels of UI equivalence. We apply the approach to a case study in the nuclear power plant domain in which several UI are analyzed, properties are verified, and the level of equivalence between them is demonstrated.

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