ON HYPERBOLIC TIME DISCOUNTING IN EXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCE MODELS: AN APPLICATION TO WORLD OIL RESOURCES

ABSTRACT. Recent research on discounting in long term economic models involves hyperbolic discounting, in which the marginal discount rate shrinks as time passes. To investigate hyperbolic discounting and exhaustible resource allocation, this work develops a discrete‐time world oil model and model solution procedure, then uses the model to examine the consequences of adopting conventional (constant annual) discounting when hyperbolic discounting is appropriate, of adopting one hyperbolic discount rate path when a different hyperbolic path is appropriate, and of adopting hyperbolic discounting when conventional discounting is appropriate. Five conventional and two hyperbolic discount rate paths are considered. One hyperbolic path is that used by Nordhaus and Boyer [2000]; the other is that recommended by Weitzman [2001]. The generality of the findings is also assessed.     

Activity of microemulsion-based nanoparticles at the human bio-nano interface: concentration-dependent effects on thrombosis and hemolysis in whole blood

Background: Although microemulsion-based nanoparticles (MEs) may be useful for drug delivery or scavenging, these benefits must be balanced against potential nanotoxicological effects in biological tissue (bio-nano interface). We investigated the actions of assembled MEs and their individual components at the bio-nano interface of thrombosis and hemolysis in human blood. Methods: Oil-in-water MEs were synthesized using ethylbutyrate, sodium caprylate, and pluronic F-68 (ME4) or F-127 (ME6) in 0.9% NaCl_w/v. The effects of MEs or components on thrombosis were determined using thrombo-elastography, platelet contractile force, clot elastic modulus, and platelet counting. For hemolysis, ME or components were incubated with erythrocytes, centrifuged, and washed for measurement of free hemoglobin by spectroscopy. Results and conclusions: The mean particle diameters (polydispersity index) for ME6 and ME4 were 23.6 ± 2.5 nm (0.362) and 14.0 ± 1.0 nm (0.008), respectively. MEs (0, 0.03, 0.3, 3 mM) markedly reduced the thromboelastograph maximal amplitude in a concentration-dependent manner (49.0 ± 4.2, 39.0 ± 5.6, 15.0 ± 8.7, 3.8 ± 1.3 mm, respectively), an effect highly correlated (r2 = 0.94) with similar changes caused by pluronic surfactants (48.7 ± 10.9, 30.7 ± 15.8, 20.0 ± 11.3, 2.0 ± 0.5) alone. Neither oil nor sodium caprylate alone affected the thromboelastograph. The clot contractile force was reduced by ME (27.3 ± 11.1–6.7 ± 3.4 kdynes/cm², P = 0.02, n = 5) whereas the platelet population not affected (175 ± 28–182 ± 23 10⁶/ml, P = 0.12, n = 6). This data suggests that MEs reduced platelet activity due to associated pluronic surfactants, but caused minimal changes in protein function necessary for coagulation. Although pharmacological concentrations of sodium caprylate caused hemolysis (EC₅₀ = 213 mM), MEs and pluronic surfactants did not disrupt erythrocytes. Knowledge of nanoparticle activity and potential associated nanotoxicity at this bio-nano interface enables rational ME design for in vivo applications.     

Internet中的物理资源

对Internet中的物理资源进行了较系统的介绍，主要内容有：综合物理网站、物理期刊网站和物理教学网站，其中重点介绍了美国和欧洲主要国家的物理网站和物理期刊网站，利用这些物理站点，可以方便的进行文献检索、物理会议查询，物理教学相关资料的查询和世界各大学物理系的查询；可以方便快捷的了解当今世界各国的物理教学学科研的最新进展，文中对各个物理站点的使用方法都一一做了详细的介绍，以方便读者使用。     

人力资源的预测方法

人力资源规划是必不可少的管理环节．科学的人力资源规划，必须建立在对人员供、需的准确预测的基础上．本文讨论人力资源预测的问题和转移矩阵等方法的使用．     

Ring‐opening grafting polymerization of cyclic monomers onto human hair

Natural human hair was successfully modified by the graft polymerization of trimethylene carbonate, β‐propiolactone, ε‐caprolactone, glycidol, ε‐caprolactam, and 5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxane‐2‐thione. In contrast, we could not modify natural human hair by the graft polymerization of oxetane under similar conditions. The model reaction suggested that the main initiating species in these polymerizations were the amino, thiol, and hydroxyl groups in hair, which could induce ring‐opening polymerization. Among the tested monomers, β‐propiolactone was most effective for hair modification with its graft polymer, whose concentration was as high as 0.5 g/g of hair though polymerization under mild conditions. The effects of the hair pretreatment and polymerization temperature on the weight ratio of the grafted polymers were also investigated. Hair modified by grafted polymers was characterized with scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared measurements. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 736–744, 2007     

Interpretation of inorganic arsenic metabolism in humans in the light of observations made in vitro and in vivo in the rat

The toxicity of inorganic trivalent arsenic for living organisms is reduced by in vivo methylation of the element. In man, this biotransformation leads to the synthesis of monomethylarsonic (MMA) and dimethylarsinic (DMA) acids, which are efficiently eliminated in urine along with the unchanged form (As_i). In order to document the methylation process in humans, the kinetics of As_i, MMA and DMA elimination were studied in volunteers given a single dose of one of these three arsenicals or repeated doses of As_i. The arsenic methylation efficiency was also assessed in subjects acutely intoxicated with arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and in patients with liver diseases. Several observations in humans can be explained by the properties of the enzymic systems involved in the methylation process which we have characterized in vitro and in vivo in rats as follows: (1) production of As_i metabolites is catalyzed by an enzymic system whose activity is highest in liver cytosol; (2) different enzymic activities, using the same methyl group donor (S-adenosylmethionine), lead to the production of mono- and di-methylated derivatives which are excreted in urine as MMA and DMA; (3) dimethylating activity is highly sensitive to inhibition by excess of inorganic arsenic; (4) reduced glutathione concentration in liver moderates the arsenic methylation process through several mechanisms, e.g. stimulation of the first methylation reaction leading to MMA, facilitation of As_i uptake by hepatocytes, stimulation of the biliary excretion of the element, reduction of pentavalent forms before methylation, and protection of a reducing environment in the cells necessary to maintain the activity of the enzymic systems.     

人原始生殖细胞的分离和体外培养

从4～10周龄药物流产胚胎的生殖嵴和肠系膜组织中分离原始生殖细胞(primordial germ cells,PGCs),培养在添加人重组白血病抑制因子(rh LIF)、人重组碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(rh bFGF)和Forskolin的小鼠饲养层细胞上.经过4～7 d培养,PGCs形成典型的鸟巢状集落.集落在传代过程中保持碱性磷酸酶活性,且胚胎阶段性特异抗原1(SSEA-1)、胚胎阶段性特异抗原3(SSEA-3)免疫荧光染色呈阳性.具有分化潜能的PGCs能在体外连续传代培养12代.结果表明从药物流产胚胎中分离的人类PGCs可以在体外培养成为具有分化潜能的多能性干细胞.     

饮食中微量元素砷的分布规律与人体健康关系

采用催化动力学光度法测定了六大类(共三十种)样品中的总砷含量，探讨了砷在食品中的分布规律，建立了砷在人体中的安全系效和积累系效的效学评价公式，用于评价砷与人体健康的关系，这对人们选择食物有一定的指导意义。     

资源共享方式若干问题的研讨

社会公用服务系统和工程技术系统，存在共同的资源共享问题。本文通过典例就资源共享方式的若干问题加以探究：讨论广义的多用户系统中人工资源共享方式的分类；阐述常用的共享方式的特点、优缺点；分析系统时间性能及其改进与共享方式的关系等。文章还提出在系统工程范畴里，应对社会公用服务和工程技术两类系统的资源共享方式予以综合研究，并相互借鉴和移植。