At the point of death,a human being only has had the experience of nonexistence before birth and the experience of having lived his/her life after they were born.In the final analysis from the perspective of strict em...At the point of death,a human being only has had the experience of nonexistence before birth and the experience of having lived his/her life after they were born.In the final analysis from the perspective of strict empiricism,the individual only has two options:the nonexistence before birth or the eventual reliving of one’s life.The return of one’s life is supported by the paradigm of a multiverse and an antimatter universe.This is atheism’s logical certainty.展开更多
Exploring the concept of death within Judaism may seem audacious,yet it is encouraged by the tradition of inquiry intrinsic to Jewish thought.Despite the caution urged by rabbinic authorities,Jewish texts ranging from...Exploring the concept of death within Judaism may seem audacious,yet it is encouraged by the tradition of inquiry intrinsic to Jewish thought.Despite the caution urged by rabbinic authorities,Jewish texts ranging from the Torah to mystical writings offer rich perspectives on death,the soul,and the afterlife.This article examines how death is represented in Jewish belief and practice,considering diverse expressions from ritual law,poetic literature,Kabbalistic cosmology,and esoteric traditions.Emphasis is placed on ritual practices,mourning customs,and metaphysical understandings of the soul,including Sheol,Gehenna,and Eden.The evolution of these beliefs is explored through rabbinic,mystical,and popular sources,across historical and cultural contexts.展开更多
Based on the Many Worlds Interpretation,I describe reality as a multilayer spacetime,where parallel layers play the role of alternative timelines.I link physics to ethics,arguing that one’s moral choices shape one’s...Based on the Many Worlds Interpretation,I describe reality as a multilayer spacetime,where parallel layers play the role of alternative timelines.I link physics to ethics,arguing that one’s moral choices shape one’s course in the multiverse.I consider one’s ethical decisions as decoherence events,leading to movement between alternative timelines,lighter(higher)or heavier(lower)realities.Sometimes in one’s curvilinear path in spacetime,one can even experience falling toward lower layers,slipping through wormholes.This theory supports free will and the simulation hypothesis.With this background,I explore the idea that a new theory of gravity might open new possibilities to shape matter and change our worldview through the invention of new technology,transforming information into waves and then into solid matter,paving the way for a new Multiverse Aeon for humanity.展开更多
The evolution of human societal systems rarely manifests qualitative leaps or revolutionary transformations.More commonly observed are subtle,cumulative evolutionary processes characterized by smooth transitions of in...The evolution of human societal systems rarely manifests qualitative leaps or revolutionary transformations.More commonly observed are subtle,cumulative evolutionary processes characterized by smooth transitions of incremental developments.Such evolutionary trajectories can generally be described through quantitative change patterns within societal systems.Yet,what constitutes sustainable development in human society?How might sustainable development be articulated or operationalized?The Three Chains Theory under the framework of System Exchange Theory provides a preliminary exploration and analysis of these questions,offering tentative interpretations.展开更多
During the past few decades, it has become clear that the distribution, sizes, and masses of cosmic structures are best described as fractal rather than homogeneous. This means that an entirely different formalism is ...During the past few decades, it has become clear that the distribution, sizes, and masses of cosmic structures are best described as fractal rather than homogeneous. This means that an entirely different formalism is needed to replace the standard perturbation model of structure formation. Recently, we have been developing a model of cosmology that accounts for a large number of the observed properties of the universe. A key component of this model is that fractal structures that later regulated the creation of both matter and radiation came into existence during the initial Planck-era inflation. Initially, the vacuum was the only existence and since time, distance, and energy were uncertain, its only property, the curvature (or energy), was most likely distributed randomly. Everything that happened after the Planck era can be described by the known laws of physics so the remaining fundamental problem is to discover how such a random beginning could organize itself into the hierarchy of highly non-random self-similar structures on all length scales that are necessary to explain the existence of all cosmic structures. In this paper, we present a variation of the standard sandpile model that points to a solution. Incidental to our review of the distributions of cosmic structures, we discovered that the apparent transition from a fractal to a homogeneous distribution of structures at a distance of about 150 Mpc is a consequence of the finite size of the universe rather than a change in the underlying statistics of the distributions.展开更多
The higher concentration of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) in the lower atmosphere is severely harmful for human health and it also makes visibility diminution along with weather and climate modifications.The main objective is ...The higher concentration of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) in the lower atmosphere is severely harmful for human health and it also makes visibility diminution along with weather and climate modifications.The main objective is to find out the spatiotemporal variation and dispersal of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) along with COVID-19 infection in the dusty city Kolkata.The consecutive two years PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) data of different stations have been obtained from State Pollution Control Board,Govt.of West Bengal.Forward trajectory analysis has been done through HYSPLIT(Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory)model to find the path and direction of air particles.The result showed that the various meteorological or environmental factors(such as temperature,relative humidity,wind,wind speed,pressure and gusty wind)and geographical location regulate the spatiotemporal variation of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5).These factors like high temperature with relative humidity and strong wind influence to disperse the particulate matters from north to south direction from city to outside during summer in Kolkata metropolitan city.During summer(both pre and lockdown years),the height of particles is extended up to 1000 m owing to active atmospheric ventilation whereas in winter it is confined within 100 m.The HYSPLIT model clearly specified that the particles dispersed from south,south-west to north and north east direction due to strong wind.The constant magnification of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) in the lower atmosphere leads to greater frequency of COVID-19 infections and deaths.In Kolkata,the one of the crucial reasons of high infection and deaths(COVID-19)is co-morbidity of people.展开更多
The importance of irrigation development is considered a key factor for food security and poverty reduction because it improves crop productivity,and ensures stable expansion of agricultural production.However,irrigat...The importance of irrigation development is considered a key factor for food security and poverty reduction because it improves crop productivity,and ensures stable expansion of agricultural production.However,irrigation development requires understanding of the avail-able resources including the suitability of the land for agriculture.In this study,the land suitability for paddy fields was evaluated within the United Republic of Tanzania mainland by integrating the geographic information system(GIS)and analytical hierarchy process(AHP).In this study,11 criteria based on various sources(soil type,soil drainage,soil organic carbon,soil pH,soil depth,elevation,slope,land use,topographic wetness index,temperature,and precipitation)were used.These criteria were used within the GIS-based AHP to identify the most suitable land for sustainable paddy field cultivation considering the preservation of the natural environment of forests and protected areas by examining two scenarios:rainfed condition and irrigation priority.The former ten criteria were assumed to be constant in both scenarios and were assigned the same scores,while the latter criterion(precipitation)was assigned different scores for varying amounts to plan new irrigation projects.Unsuitable land represents 72.8%of the study area,reducing the potential agriculture land(PAL)appropriate for cultivation to 27.2%.In the rainfed condition scenario,the very high and high suitability classes represent 17.6%of the total land of the study area and 64.7%of the PAL.In the irrigation priority scenario,the same classes represent 21.4%of the total land of the study area and 78.6%of the PAL.Finally,the distribution of the land suitability for both scenarios was analyzed within eight administrative irrigation zones to determine the irrigation zone with the greatest potential for paddy field cultivation.展开更多
Within the public health sector of Hong Kong(China),there is a consensus around the important role of traditional Chinese medicines.For Hong Kong(China)to play a bridging role to bring Chinese medicines to the global ...Within the public health sector of Hong Kong(China),there is a consensus around the important role of traditional Chinese medicines.For Hong Kong(China)to play a bridging role to bring Chinese medicines to the global market requires a concerted effort from the government,academic institutes and industries.The release of the final version of the European Medicines Agencies guidance document,which details the acceptance of minimum requirements to nonclinical package in bibliographical applications,grants the opportunity for well-established and traditional herbal medicines to demonstrate an‘acceptable safe’status for registration in the European Union.It is anticipated that this minimum nonclinical package can be applied to demonstrate the safe use of many traditional Chinese medicines regardless of their eligibility to be registered under the simplified procedure within the European Union.This paper conceptualizes an integration of a simplified evaluation route for eligible proprietary Chinese medicines(pCm)with long history of use into the existing drug regulatory framework in Hong Kong(China).Such integration utilizing the minimum nonclinical package,based on bibliographical data or expert report,as proof of evidence to demonstrate safety for pCm with long history of use requires less demand in scientific resources.With Hong Kong(China)conducting‘first hand’review for eligible pCm,it provides an option for overseas and local pharmaceutical companies to register their products in Hong Kong(China)without the need to rely on issuance of Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product from other countries.This could bring eligible pCm with long history of use to reach international risk-based standard and to be marketed globally as‘medicines’to reach their full therapeutic potential.An important process to positioning Hong Kong(China)to compete with other countries in promoting importation and exportation of pCm to better serve the global health.展开更多
In a previous, primary treatise of the author the mathematical description of electron trajectories in the excited states of the H-atom could be demonstrated, starting from Bohr’s original model but modifying it thre...In a previous, primary treatise of the author the mathematical description of electron trajectories in the excited states of the H-atom could be demonstrated, starting from Bohr’s original model but modifying it three dimensionally. In a subsequent treatise, Bohr’s theorem of an unalterable angular momentum h/2π, determining the ground state of the H-atom, was revealed as an inducement by the—unalterable—electron spin. Starting from this presumption, a model of the H2-molecule could be created which exhibits well-defined electron trajectories, and which enabled computing the bond length precisely. In the present treatise, Bohr’s theorem is adapted to the atom models of helium and of neon. But while this was feasible exactly in the case of helium, the neon atom turned out to be too complex for a mathematical modelling. Nevertheless, a rough ball-and-stick model can be presented, assuming electron rings instead of electron clouds, which in the outer shell are orientated as a tetrahedron. It entails the principal statement that the neon atom does not represent a static construction with constant electron distances and velocities, but a pulsating dynamic one with permanently changing internal distances. Thus, the helium atom marks the limit for precisely describing an atom, whereby at and under this limit such a precise description is feasible, being also demonstrated in the author’s previous work. This contradicts the conventional quantum mechanical theory which claims that such a—locally and temporally—precise description of any atom or molecule structure is generally not possible, also not for the H2-molecule, and not even for the H-atom.展开更多
Electronic machines in the guise of digital computers have transformed our world―social,family,commerce,and politics―although not yet health.Each iteration spawns expectations of yet more astonishing wonders.We wait...Electronic machines in the guise of digital computers have transformed our world―social,family,commerce,and politics―although not yet health.Each iteration spawns expectations of yet more astonishing wonders.We wait for the next unbelievable invention to fall into our lap,possibly without limit.How realistic is this?What are the limits,and have we now reached them?A recent survey in The Economist suggests that we have.It describes cycles of misery,where inflated expectations are inevitably followed,a few years later,by disillusion.Yet another Artificial Intelligence(AI)winter is coming―“After years of hype,many people feel AI has failed to deliver”.The current paper not only explains why this was bound to happen,but offers a clear and simple pathway as to how to avoid it happening again.Costly investments in time and effort can only show solid,reliable benefits when full weight is given to the fundamental binary nature of the digital machine,and to the equally unique human faculty of‘intent’.‘Intent’is not easy to define;it suffers acutely from verbal fuzziness―a point made extensively in two earlier papers:“The scientific evidence that‘intent’is vital for healthcare”and“Why Quakerism is more scientific than Einstein”.This paper argues that by putting‘intent’centre stage,first healthcare,and then democracy can be rescued.Suppose every medical consultation were supported by realistic data usage?What if,using only your existing smartphone,your entire medical history were scanned,and instantly compared,within microseconds,with up-to-the-minute information on contraindications and efficacy,from around the globe,for the actual drug you were about to receive,before you actually received it?This is real-time retrieval of clinical data―it increases the security of both doctor and patient,in a way that is otherwise unachievable.My 1980 Ph.D.thesis extolled the merits of digitising the medical record―and,just as digitisation has changed our use of audio and video beyond recognition,so a data-rich medical consultation is unprecedented―prepare to be surprised.This paper has four sections:(1)where binaries help;(2)where binaries ensure extinction;(3)computers in healthcare and civilisation;and(4)data-rich doctoring.Health is vital for economic success,as the current pandemic demonstrates,inescapably.Politics,too,is routinely corrupted―unless we rectify both,failures in AI will be the least of our troubles.展开更多
This paper mainly investigated the value of the rainwater by introducing a “Logic of Encounter” that is a new logic beyond the logos and lemma through the metaphors which compare the real rainwater to one’s life. A...This paper mainly investigated the value of the rainwater by introducing a “Logic of Encounter” that is a new logic beyond the logos and lemma through the metaphors which compare the real rainwater to one’s life. A consideration regarding sustainable rainwater resource utilization has been described and the main results are summarized in the paper.展开更多
This study represents an example of investigating the associations between the joint exposure to ozone (O3) and particulate matter of sizes less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and car...This study represents an example of investigating the associations between the joint exposure to ozone (O3) and particulate matter of sizes less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) emergency room (ER) visits and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ER visits using multivariate geostatistics in Houston, Texas, from 2004 to 2009. Analyses showed lack of strong pair-wise association among the predictors of O3, PM2.5, wind speed, relative humidity, and temperature. Whereas CVD and COPD ER visits exhibited a strong positive correlation. Both outcomes drastically increased from 2006 possibly due to immigration from neighboring locations. Parametric testing showed that the data differed significantly between the years. Multivariate multiple regression results on the 2009 data showed that PM2.5, relative humidity, and temperature were significant to both CVD and COPD ER visits. Codispersion coefficients were constant which justified the assumption of intrinsic correlation. That is, our predictors had strong influence on the spatial variability of CVD and COPD ER visits. This multivariate geostatistics approach predicted an increase of 34% in CVD ER visits and 24% increase in COPD ER visits, which calls for more attention from policy makers. The use of multivariate geostatistics analyses enabled us to successfully detect the effects of risk factors on both outcomes.展开更多
The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)industry is critical to not only for public health but also for economic growth.According to the European Union(EU)directives,under the EU framework for(traditional)herbal medicina...The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)industry is critical to not only for public health but also for economic growth.According to the European Union(EU)directives,under the EU framework for(traditional)herbal medicinal products,herbal medicines with long history of use can be registered in EU.However,there is a condition in this directive in which only those that have at least 10e15 years in the EU market are accepted for registration and/or marketing authorization.In author opinion,the condition of 10-15 years of use in EU countries set within the EU regulatory framework is with consideration of the genetic differences which can result in variation in adverse drug responses among different world populations.With this concept in mind,it is reasonable to project the principal of the EU directive to the Asian countries where TCM is originated.Countries like China,Singapore,Japan and South Korea that have well established drug registration framework are in best position in executing the best practice and facilitate harmonization of registration for TCM within the region.Furthermore,the registration process itself allows more safety and efficacy data to be collected systemically before and after product registration/marketing authorization.These are valuable information for future drug development.The therapeutic value of TCM is limitless,it has been left out in the EU regulatory framework,and the opportunity for it to be expanded and carried forward in modern medicines is shadowed by the limited number of TCM that are qualified to be registered under the EU regulatory framework.An early establishment of a harmonized risk-based registration process for TCM in Asian countries is important.This will strengthen the database to substantiate the history of safe use and further preserving and expanding the therapeutic values of TCM within and beyond the Asian region.展开更多
Shifting focus from the patient’s body to the healer’s body,this essay focuses on how Chinese physicians instrumentalized their bodies to heal(ie,body-as-technology)and their hands to think with(ie,hand-memory techn...Shifting focus from the patient’s body to the healer’s body,this essay focuses on how Chinese physicians instrumentalized their bodies to heal(ie,body-as-technology)and their hands to think with(ie,hand-memory techniques or simply,hand mnemonics).When physicians used their hands to memorize concepts related to clinical practice,calculate with time variables,and carry out ritual gestures intended to reduce risk,improve fortune,and even cure,their hands became extensions of their minds.This essay has three parts that follow the discovery process of the author’s research on hand-memory techniques found in Chinese medical texts.The first part“Divination and Revelation”explains the significance of how the author first learned about Chinese divination practices that used hand mnemonics.The second part“Original Frame”introduces the scholarship on arts of memory in Europe that informed interpretations of the earliest hand mnemonics found in Chinese medical texts.The third part“Expanded Frame”deploys some concepts from cognitive science to help situate Chinese medical hand mnemonics more broadly as an example of extended cognition.The essay concludes with an important distinction:sometimes Chinese healers’hands were used separately from their bodies to think through things and sometimes hand and body had to be integrated in order for the healer’s body-as-technology to act as a therapeutically effective instrument.展开更多
The Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones(1833-1898)conceived the subject of The Mirror of Venus between 1865 and 1867.He painted two versions:a small version in gouache and oil and a larger version in oil on canv...The Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones(1833-1898)conceived the subject of The Mirror of Venus between 1865 and 1867.He painted two versions:a small version in gouache and oil and a larger version in oil on canvas.In composing this subject Burne-Jones was inspired by the poetic and chromatic description of a lyrical stanza on“The Hill of Venus”in the long epic poem Earthly Paradise,written by his close friend and collaborator William Morris.1 This study comprises three parts:Burne-Jones’s history of the paintings,his iconographical sources,and an iconological interpretation of The Mirror of Venus.展开更多
In signal processing,multiresolution decomposition techniques allow for the separation of an acquired signal into sub levels,where the optimal level within the signal minimises redundancy,uncertainties,and contains th...In signal processing,multiresolution decomposition techniques allow for the separation of an acquired signal into sub levels,where the optimal level within the signal minimises redundancy,uncertainties,and contains the information required for the characterisation of the sensed phenomena.In the area of physiological signal processing for prosthesis control,scenarios where a signal decomposition analysis are required:the wavelet decomposition(WD)has been seen to be the favoured time-frequency approach for the decomposition of non-stationary signals.From a research perspective,the WD in certain cases has allowed for a more accurate motion intent decoding process following feature extraction and classification.Despite this,there is yet to be a widespread adaptation of the WD in a practical setting due to perceived computational complexity.Here,for neuro-muscular(electromyography)and brainwave(electroencephalography)signals acquired from a transhumeral amputee,a computationally efficient time domain signal decom-position method based on a series of heuristics was applied to process the acquired signals before feature extraction.The results showed an improvement in motion intent decoding prowess for the proposed time-domain-based signal decomposition across four different classifiers for both the neuromuscular and brain wave signals when compared to the WD and the raw signal.展开更多
Proceeding from the double-cone model of Helium, based on Bohr’s theorem and recently published in?[13], a spherical modification could be made by introducing a second electron rotation which exhibits a rotation axis...Proceeding from the double-cone model of Helium, based on Bohr’s theorem and recently published in?[13], a spherical modification could be made by introducing a second electron rotation which exhibits a rotation axis perpendicular to the first one. Thereby, each rotation is induced by the spin of one electron. Thus the trajectory of each electron represents the superposition of two separate orbits, while each electron is always positioned opposite to the other one. Both electron velocities are equal and constant, due to their mutual coupling. The 3D electron orbits could be 2D-graphed by separately projecting them on the x/z-plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, and by plotting the evaluated x-, y- and z-values versus the rotation angle. Due to the decreased electron velocity, the resulting radius is twice the size of the one in the double-cone model. Even if distinct evidence is not feasible, e.g. by means of X-ray crystallographic data, this modified model appears to be the more plausible one, due to its higher cloud coverage, and since it comes closer to Kimball’s charge cloud model.展开更多
The purpose of this contribution was to evaluate a recently published atom model for Helium, characterized by a double rotation of the electrons which exhibit perpendicular rotation axes. Thereby, each rotation is ind...The purpose of this contribution was to evaluate a recently published atom model for Helium, characterized by a double rotation of the electrons which exhibit perpendicular rotation axes. Thereby, each rotation is induced by the spin of one electron?[1]. Hereto, a tangible mechanical model was used which facilitated to derive the mathematical formulae as the basics for two-dimensional projections, and—not least—for a digital animation yielding freeze images from different perspectives. The resulting shape of the electron shell turned out to be not spherical. In particular, the total velocity of the electrons is variable since the relative running direction may change—in contrast to the initial assumption—, even leading to an intermittent standstill, and implying a variable kinetic energy. Thus it can be concluded that this model describes a rotating rotor but not the Helium atom, and that it must be abandoned.展开更多
The emerging development of Extractive Reference Substance (ERS) is a methodology that meets the needs for quality control for Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) and respects the holistic viewpoint of Traditional Chinese ...The emerging development of Extractive Reference Substance (ERS) is a methodology that meets the needs for quality control for Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) and respects the holistic viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its clinical use of multiple ingredients with synergistic effects. The convention of using just a selected few Chemical Reference Substances (CRS) cannot adequately assess the quality of intact CHM. A validated chemical spectrum of an ERS provides the global characteristics in order to more specifically identify and assess targeted CHM. This paper describes the fundamental concepts, potential significance, and basic criteria of ERS, along with methods of preparation and calibration. Given the diversity of CHM, the various problems that will occur in establishing the proper process of ERS will need to be solved in a step by step manner. The ERSs of Ziziphi spinosae semen and ERS of Fritillaria thunbergii bulbus are given as examples of the development of ERS and demonstrate why we are optimistic about the utility of this approach.展开更多
文摘At the point of death,a human being only has had the experience of nonexistence before birth and the experience of having lived his/her life after they were born.In the final analysis from the perspective of strict empiricism,the individual only has two options:the nonexistence before birth or the eventual reliving of one’s life.The return of one’s life is supported by the paradigm of a multiverse and an antimatter universe.This is atheism’s logical certainty.
文摘Exploring the concept of death within Judaism may seem audacious,yet it is encouraged by the tradition of inquiry intrinsic to Jewish thought.Despite the caution urged by rabbinic authorities,Jewish texts ranging from the Torah to mystical writings offer rich perspectives on death,the soul,and the afterlife.This article examines how death is represented in Jewish belief and practice,considering diverse expressions from ritual law,poetic literature,Kabbalistic cosmology,and esoteric traditions.Emphasis is placed on ritual practices,mourning customs,and metaphysical understandings of the soul,including Sheol,Gehenna,and Eden.The evolution of these beliefs is explored through rabbinic,mystical,and popular sources,across historical and cultural contexts.
文摘Based on the Many Worlds Interpretation,I describe reality as a multilayer spacetime,where parallel layers play the role of alternative timelines.I link physics to ethics,arguing that one’s moral choices shape one’s course in the multiverse.I consider one’s ethical decisions as decoherence events,leading to movement between alternative timelines,lighter(higher)or heavier(lower)realities.Sometimes in one’s curvilinear path in spacetime,one can even experience falling toward lower layers,slipping through wormholes.This theory supports free will and the simulation hypothesis.With this background,I explore the idea that a new theory of gravity might open new possibilities to shape matter and change our worldview through the invention of new technology,transforming information into waves and then into solid matter,paving the way for a new Multiverse Aeon for humanity.
文摘The evolution of human societal systems rarely manifests qualitative leaps or revolutionary transformations.More commonly observed are subtle,cumulative evolutionary processes characterized by smooth transitions of incremental developments.Such evolutionary trajectories can generally be described through quantitative change patterns within societal systems.Yet,what constitutes sustainable development in human society?How might sustainable development be articulated or operationalized?The Three Chains Theory under the framework of System Exchange Theory provides a preliminary exploration and analysis of these questions,offering tentative interpretations.
文摘During the past few decades, it has become clear that the distribution, sizes, and masses of cosmic structures are best described as fractal rather than homogeneous. This means that an entirely different formalism is needed to replace the standard perturbation model of structure formation. Recently, we have been developing a model of cosmology that accounts for a large number of the observed properties of the universe. A key component of this model is that fractal structures that later regulated the creation of both matter and radiation came into existence during the initial Planck-era inflation. Initially, the vacuum was the only existence and since time, distance, and energy were uncertain, its only property, the curvature (or energy), was most likely distributed randomly. Everything that happened after the Planck era can be described by the known laws of physics so the remaining fundamental problem is to discover how such a random beginning could organize itself into the hierarchy of highly non-random self-similar structures on all length scales that are necessary to explain the existence of all cosmic structures. In this paper, we present a variation of the standard sandpile model that points to a solution. Incidental to our review of the distributions of cosmic structures, we discovered that the apparent transition from a fractal to a homogeneous distribution of structures at a distance of about 150 Mpc is a consequence of the finite size of the universe rather than a change in the underlying statistics of the distributions.
文摘The higher concentration of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) in the lower atmosphere is severely harmful for human health and it also makes visibility diminution along with weather and climate modifications.The main objective is to find out the spatiotemporal variation and dispersal of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) along with COVID-19 infection in the dusty city Kolkata.The consecutive two years PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) data of different stations have been obtained from State Pollution Control Board,Govt.of West Bengal.Forward trajectory analysis has been done through HYSPLIT(Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory)model to find the path and direction of air particles.The result showed that the various meteorological or environmental factors(such as temperature,relative humidity,wind,wind speed,pressure and gusty wind)and geographical location regulate the spatiotemporal variation of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5).These factors like high temperature with relative humidity and strong wind influence to disperse the particulate matters from north to south direction from city to outside during summer in Kolkata metropolitan city.During summer(both pre and lockdown years),the height of particles is extended up to 1000 m owing to active atmospheric ventilation whereas in winter it is confined within 100 m.The HYSPLIT model clearly specified that the particles dispersed from south,south-west to north and north east direction due to strong wind.The constant magnification of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) in the lower atmosphere leads to greater frequency of COVID-19 infections and deaths.In Kolkata,the one of the crucial reasons of high infection and deaths(COVID-19)is co-morbidity of people.
文摘The importance of irrigation development is considered a key factor for food security and poverty reduction because it improves crop productivity,and ensures stable expansion of agricultural production.However,irrigation development requires understanding of the avail-able resources including the suitability of the land for agriculture.In this study,the land suitability for paddy fields was evaluated within the United Republic of Tanzania mainland by integrating the geographic information system(GIS)and analytical hierarchy process(AHP).In this study,11 criteria based on various sources(soil type,soil drainage,soil organic carbon,soil pH,soil depth,elevation,slope,land use,topographic wetness index,temperature,and precipitation)were used.These criteria were used within the GIS-based AHP to identify the most suitable land for sustainable paddy field cultivation considering the preservation of the natural environment of forests and protected areas by examining two scenarios:rainfed condition and irrigation priority.The former ten criteria were assumed to be constant in both scenarios and were assigned the same scores,while the latter criterion(precipitation)was assigned different scores for varying amounts to plan new irrigation projects.Unsuitable land represents 72.8%of the study area,reducing the potential agriculture land(PAL)appropriate for cultivation to 27.2%.In the rainfed condition scenario,the very high and high suitability classes represent 17.6%of the total land of the study area and 64.7%of the PAL.In the irrigation priority scenario,the same classes represent 21.4%of the total land of the study area and 78.6%of the PAL.Finally,the distribution of the land suitability for both scenarios was analyzed within eight administrative irrigation zones to determine the irrigation zone with the greatest potential for paddy field cultivation.
文摘Within the public health sector of Hong Kong(China),there is a consensus around the important role of traditional Chinese medicines.For Hong Kong(China)to play a bridging role to bring Chinese medicines to the global market requires a concerted effort from the government,academic institutes and industries.The release of the final version of the European Medicines Agencies guidance document,which details the acceptance of minimum requirements to nonclinical package in bibliographical applications,grants the opportunity for well-established and traditional herbal medicines to demonstrate an‘acceptable safe’status for registration in the European Union.It is anticipated that this minimum nonclinical package can be applied to demonstrate the safe use of many traditional Chinese medicines regardless of their eligibility to be registered under the simplified procedure within the European Union.This paper conceptualizes an integration of a simplified evaluation route for eligible proprietary Chinese medicines(pCm)with long history of use into the existing drug regulatory framework in Hong Kong(China).Such integration utilizing the minimum nonclinical package,based on bibliographical data or expert report,as proof of evidence to demonstrate safety for pCm with long history of use requires less demand in scientific resources.With Hong Kong(China)conducting‘first hand’review for eligible pCm,it provides an option for overseas and local pharmaceutical companies to register their products in Hong Kong(China)without the need to rely on issuance of Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product from other countries.This could bring eligible pCm with long history of use to reach international risk-based standard and to be marketed globally as‘medicines’to reach their full therapeutic potential.An important process to positioning Hong Kong(China)to compete with other countries in promoting importation and exportation of pCm to better serve the global health.
文摘In a previous, primary treatise of the author the mathematical description of electron trajectories in the excited states of the H-atom could be demonstrated, starting from Bohr’s original model but modifying it three dimensionally. In a subsequent treatise, Bohr’s theorem of an unalterable angular momentum h/2π, determining the ground state of the H-atom, was revealed as an inducement by the—unalterable—electron spin. Starting from this presumption, a model of the H2-molecule could be created which exhibits well-defined electron trajectories, and which enabled computing the bond length precisely. In the present treatise, Bohr’s theorem is adapted to the atom models of helium and of neon. But while this was feasible exactly in the case of helium, the neon atom turned out to be too complex for a mathematical modelling. Nevertheless, a rough ball-and-stick model can be presented, assuming electron rings instead of electron clouds, which in the outer shell are orientated as a tetrahedron. It entails the principal statement that the neon atom does not represent a static construction with constant electron distances and velocities, but a pulsating dynamic one with permanently changing internal distances. Thus, the helium atom marks the limit for precisely describing an atom, whereby at and under this limit such a precise description is feasible, being also demonstrated in the author’s previous work. This contradicts the conventional quantum mechanical theory which claims that such a—locally and temporally—precise description of any atom or molecule structure is generally not possible, also not for the H2-molecule, and not even for the H-atom.
文摘Electronic machines in the guise of digital computers have transformed our world―social,family,commerce,and politics―although not yet health.Each iteration spawns expectations of yet more astonishing wonders.We wait for the next unbelievable invention to fall into our lap,possibly without limit.How realistic is this?What are the limits,and have we now reached them?A recent survey in The Economist suggests that we have.It describes cycles of misery,where inflated expectations are inevitably followed,a few years later,by disillusion.Yet another Artificial Intelligence(AI)winter is coming―“After years of hype,many people feel AI has failed to deliver”.The current paper not only explains why this was bound to happen,but offers a clear and simple pathway as to how to avoid it happening again.Costly investments in time and effort can only show solid,reliable benefits when full weight is given to the fundamental binary nature of the digital machine,and to the equally unique human faculty of‘intent’.‘Intent’is not easy to define;it suffers acutely from verbal fuzziness―a point made extensively in two earlier papers:“The scientific evidence that‘intent’is vital for healthcare”and“Why Quakerism is more scientific than Einstein”.This paper argues that by putting‘intent’centre stage,first healthcare,and then democracy can be rescued.Suppose every medical consultation were supported by realistic data usage?What if,using only your existing smartphone,your entire medical history were scanned,and instantly compared,within microseconds,with up-to-the-minute information on contraindications and efficacy,from around the globe,for the actual drug you were about to receive,before you actually received it?This is real-time retrieval of clinical data―it increases the security of both doctor and patient,in a way that is otherwise unachievable.My 1980 Ph.D.thesis extolled the merits of digitising the medical record―and,just as digitisation has changed our use of audio and video beyond recognition,so a data-rich medical consultation is unprecedented―prepare to be surprised.This paper has four sections:(1)where binaries help;(2)where binaries ensure extinction;(3)computers in healthcare and civilisation;and(4)data-rich doctoring.Health is vital for economic success,as the current pandemic demonstrates,inescapably.Politics,too,is routinely corrupted―unless we rectify both,failures in AI will be the least of our troubles.
文摘This paper mainly investigated the value of the rainwater by introducing a “Logic of Encounter” that is a new logic beyond the logos and lemma through the metaphors which compare the real rainwater to one’s life. A consideration regarding sustainable rainwater resource utilization has been described and the main results are summarized in the paper.
文摘This study represents an example of investigating the associations between the joint exposure to ozone (O3) and particulate matter of sizes less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) emergency room (ER) visits and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ER visits using multivariate geostatistics in Houston, Texas, from 2004 to 2009. Analyses showed lack of strong pair-wise association among the predictors of O3, PM2.5, wind speed, relative humidity, and temperature. Whereas CVD and COPD ER visits exhibited a strong positive correlation. Both outcomes drastically increased from 2006 possibly due to immigration from neighboring locations. Parametric testing showed that the data differed significantly between the years. Multivariate multiple regression results on the 2009 data showed that PM2.5, relative humidity, and temperature were significant to both CVD and COPD ER visits. Codispersion coefficients were constant which justified the assumption of intrinsic correlation. That is, our predictors had strong influence on the spatial variability of CVD and COPD ER visits. This multivariate geostatistics approach predicted an increase of 34% in CVD ER visits and 24% increase in COPD ER visits, which calls for more attention from policy makers. The use of multivariate geostatistics analyses enabled us to successfully detect the effects of risk factors on both outcomes.
文摘The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)industry is critical to not only for public health but also for economic growth.According to the European Union(EU)directives,under the EU framework for(traditional)herbal medicinal products,herbal medicines with long history of use can be registered in EU.However,there is a condition in this directive in which only those that have at least 10e15 years in the EU market are accepted for registration and/or marketing authorization.In author opinion,the condition of 10-15 years of use in EU countries set within the EU regulatory framework is with consideration of the genetic differences which can result in variation in adverse drug responses among different world populations.With this concept in mind,it is reasonable to project the principal of the EU directive to the Asian countries where TCM is originated.Countries like China,Singapore,Japan and South Korea that have well established drug registration framework are in best position in executing the best practice and facilitate harmonization of registration for TCM within the region.Furthermore,the registration process itself allows more safety and efficacy data to be collected systemically before and after product registration/marketing authorization.These are valuable information for future drug development.The therapeutic value of TCM is limitless,it has been left out in the EU regulatory framework,and the opportunity for it to be expanded and carried forward in modern medicines is shadowed by the limited number of TCM that are qualified to be registered under the EU regulatory framework.An early establishment of a harmonized risk-based registration process for TCM in Asian countries is important.This will strengthen the database to substantiate the history of safe use and further preserving and expanding the therapeutic values of TCM within and beyond the Asian region.
基金International Consortium for Research in the Humanities(IKJF),University of Erlangen-Nürnberg(2011-2012,2014,2016)Elizabeth and J.Richardson Dilworth Fellow,Institute for Advanced Study,Princeton(2017-2018)+1 种基金National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship,US Government(2019)Visiting Scholar,Max Planck Institute for the History of Science,Berlin(2021-2022).
文摘Shifting focus from the patient’s body to the healer’s body,this essay focuses on how Chinese physicians instrumentalized their bodies to heal(ie,body-as-technology)and their hands to think with(ie,hand-memory techniques or simply,hand mnemonics).When physicians used their hands to memorize concepts related to clinical practice,calculate with time variables,and carry out ritual gestures intended to reduce risk,improve fortune,and even cure,their hands became extensions of their minds.This essay has three parts that follow the discovery process of the author’s research on hand-memory techniques found in Chinese medical texts.The first part“Divination and Revelation”explains the significance of how the author first learned about Chinese divination practices that used hand mnemonics.The second part“Original Frame”introduces the scholarship on arts of memory in Europe that informed interpretations of the earliest hand mnemonics found in Chinese medical texts.The third part“Expanded Frame”deploys some concepts from cognitive science to help situate Chinese medical hand mnemonics more broadly as an example of extended cognition.The essay concludes with an important distinction:sometimes Chinese healers’hands were used separately from their bodies to think through things and sometimes hand and body had to be integrated in order for the healer’s body-as-technology to act as a therapeutically effective instrument.
基金I want to express my gratitude to the auction houses,libraries,museums,photographic collections(Wikipedia,Wiki Commons Images),and private collections here cited for their assistance in granting me permission to photograph or reproduce the images in this essay.
文摘The Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones(1833-1898)conceived the subject of The Mirror of Venus between 1865 and 1867.He painted two versions:a small version in gouache and oil and a larger version in oil on canvas.In composing this subject Burne-Jones was inspired by the poetic and chromatic description of a lyrical stanza on“The Hill of Venus”in the long epic poem Earthly Paradise,written by his close friend and collaborator William Morris.1 This study comprises three parts:Burne-Jones’s history of the paintings,his iconographical sources,and an iconological interpretation of The Mirror of Venus.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:#U1613222,#81850410557,#8201101443The Shenzhen Science and Technology Program,Grant/Award Number:#SGLH20180625142402055CAS President's International Fellowship Initiative Grant,Grant/Award Number:#2019PB0036。
文摘In signal processing,multiresolution decomposition techniques allow for the separation of an acquired signal into sub levels,where the optimal level within the signal minimises redundancy,uncertainties,and contains the information required for the characterisation of the sensed phenomena.In the area of physiological signal processing for prosthesis control,scenarios where a signal decomposition analysis are required:the wavelet decomposition(WD)has been seen to be the favoured time-frequency approach for the decomposition of non-stationary signals.From a research perspective,the WD in certain cases has allowed for a more accurate motion intent decoding process following feature extraction and classification.Despite this,there is yet to be a widespread adaptation of the WD in a practical setting due to perceived computational complexity.Here,for neuro-muscular(electromyography)and brainwave(electroencephalography)signals acquired from a transhumeral amputee,a computationally efficient time domain signal decom-position method based on a series of heuristics was applied to process the acquired signals before feature extraction.The results showed an improvement in motion intent decoding prowess for the proposed time-domain-based signal decomposition across four different classifiers for both the neuromuscular and brain wave signals when compared to the WD and the raw signal.
文摘Proceeding from the double-cone model of Helium, based on Bohr’s theorem and recently published in?[13], a spherical modification could be made by introducing a second electron rotation which exhibits a rotation axis perpendicular to the first one. Thereby, each rotation is induced by the spin of one electron. Thus the trajectory of each electron represents the superposition of two separate orbits, while each electron is always positioned opposite to the other one. Both electron velocities are equal and constant, due to their mutual coupling. The 3D electron orbits could be 2D-graphed by separately projecting them on the x/z-plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, and by plotting the evaluated x-, y- and z-values versus the rotation angle. Due to the decreased electron velocity, the resulting radius is twice the size of the one in the double-cone model. Even if distinct evidence is not feasible, e.g. by means of X-ray crystallographic data, this modified model appears to be the more plausible one, due to its higher cloud coverage, and since it comes closer to Kimball’s charge cloud model.
文摘The purpose of this contribution was to evaluate a recently published atom model for Helium, characterized by a double rotation of the electrons which exhibit perpendicular rotation axes. Thereby, each rotation is induced by the spin of one electron?[1]. Hereto, a tangible mechanical model was used which facilitated to derive the mathematical formulae as the basics for two-dimensional projections, and—not least—for a digital animation yielding freeze images from different perspectives. The resulting shape of the electron shell turned out to be not spherical. In particular, the total velocity of the electrons is variable since the relative running direction may change—in contrast to the initial assumption—, even leading to an intermittent standstill, and implying a variable kinetic energy. Thus it can be concluded that this model describes a rotating rotor but not the Helium atom, and that it must be abandoned.
文摘The emerging development of Extractive Reference Substance (ERS) is a methodology that meets the needs for quality control for Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) and respects the holistic viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its clinical use of multiple ingredients with synergistic effects. The convention of using just a selected few Chemical Reference Substances (CRS) cannot adequately assess the quality of intact CHM. A validated chemical spectrum of an ERS provides the global characteristics in order to more specifically identify and assess targeted CHM. This paper describes the fundamental concepts, potential significance, and basic criteria of ERS, along with methods of preparation and calibration. Given the diversity of CHM, the various problems that will occur in establishing the proper process of ERS will need to be solved in a step by step manner. The ERSs of Ziziphi spinosae semen and ERS of Fritillaria thunbergii bulbus are given as examples of the development of ERS and demonstrate why we are optimistic about the utility of this approach.
