Lead soaps in paintings: Friends or foes?

The origin(s) and role(s) of metal soaps in paints are a worldwide concern today. These hybrid compounds, containing both fatty acid chains and metals associated with a carboxylate function, are increasingly identified in paints. As reviewed in the first part of this work, the presence of metal soaps in paints is differently interpreted in scientific publications: metal soaps are sometimes considered to play a positive role as anchor points, during paint drying processes; they can also be considered as responsible for many degradation processes (protrusions, efflorescences, darkening, etc.). Their origins are also interpreted in various ways. In some paintings (in particular from the twentieth century), they have sometimes introduced on purpose, as additives, to modify the physical properties of the painting materials. In older paintings, metal soaps are usually thought to result from an uncontrolled reaction of oil with lead-based pigments, in particular lead white, red lead, and lead tin yellow. In the second part of this work, the review of historical recipes of lead-based paint shows an important number of recipes based on controlled mixing of oil with lead driers. In the third part, the experimental reproduction of such traditional recipes using walnut oil and litharge (PbO) shows that lead soaps can be formed, both in about one hour at ～100°C, or in about one month at room temperature. It shows as well that after a few years, litharge is no longer detected in the paint medium, while different lead carbonates are. Finally, the micro-infrared spectroscopy and micro-X-ray diffraction re-analysis of protrusions from a nine-year model painting shows together with lead soaps, the presence of Pb₅(CO₃)₃(OH)₂O (‘synthetic plumbonacrite’), an unusual phase recently observed in a protrusion from a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. This work highlights (i) the multiple origins and roles of metal soaps in paints and (ii) the importance of combining the analysis of fragments from historical paintings with the analysis and reproduction of historical recipes. In particular, we show that the components detected today in historical paintings may severely differ from those originally used or prepared by the painter, complicating the assessment of the painter's intentions. More than the presence of metal soaps, the key questions to be tackled should be about their origins and (re)mobilization.     

复合铁、镍、铜催化剂用于二氧化碳的资源化（英文）

目的:1.对现有的CO_2重整系统中铁系催化剂进行改进以期获得更高的产率和产物选择性;2.实现反应体系中催化剂的高效回收以延长反应体系的可持续性。创新点:1.开发复合铁、镍、铜催化剂用于水煤气变换反应,获得了更高的产物选择性;2.提高了CO_2重整体系在常压条件下液态烃类的产率。方法:1.由核心沉淀法制得复合铁/氧化铝催化剂;2.在固定床反应器中进行CO_2重整反应。结论:1.干、湿条件下的CO_2重整过程产生相同数量的CO;当温度高于500°C时,CO的产率达到饱和。2.采用镍作为铁催化剂助剂时,CO的选择性从85%降低到76%,但是产物中可检出9%的甲烷。3.采用铜作为铁催化剂助剂时,尽管CO_2的转化率降低了一半,然而CO的选择性提高到了95%。     

Effectiveness of a psycho-educational staff training program on attitudes of staff in a long-term care facility: A pilot study and framework

Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) is a significant challenge for staff working in long-term care facilities. This study examines the effectiveness of a psycho-educational training aimed at changing staff’s attitudes. The results indicated that participants’ attitudes toward dementia were more positive, person-centered, and hopeful; some participants’ attitudes were unchanged or altered negatively after the training sessions. The conclusiveness of evaluation findings was limited due to time constraints for staff to participate in the complete educational program and the small dataset. Further research is indicated to revise the methodology of the training to ascertain if the framework regarding education on dementia influences staff’s attitude and the overall well-being of the residents.     

A time-space network based international transportation scheduling problem incorporating CO2 emission levels

Environmental problems have received a great deal of attention in recent years.In particular,CO2 emissions worsen global warming and other environmental problems.The transport sector accounts for 20% of the total CO2 emissions.Therefore,the CO2 emission reduction of the transport sector is of great importance.In order to reduce emissions effectively,it is necessary to change the distribution and transportation processes.The purpose of this study is to minimize both the transportation costs and CO2 emissions during transportation.Our model considers a transportation scheduling problem in which loads are transported from an overseas production base to three domestic demand centers.The need for time-space networks arises naturally to improve the model.It is possible to know the distance carriers are moving,and also consider the timetables of carriers during transportation.Carrier choice,less-than carrier load,and domestic transportation among demand centers are considered as the three target areas to reduce CO2 emissions during the distribution process.The research model was formulated as a mixed integer programming （MIP） problem.It achieves cost reduction,and will contribute to improvement of the natural environment.     

The influence of biological sex and cuff width on muscle swelling,echo intensity,and the fatigue response to blood flow restricted exercise

The purpose was to determine if the muscle swelling, echo intensity, and fatigue responses to blood flow restriction differs based on cuff width (Experiment 1), applied pressure (Experiment 2), and sex. Ultrasound of muscle was taken before and after exercise. In Experiment 1 (n = 96), men swelled more than women and more with a narrow cuff than a wide cuff (0.60 cm vs. 0.52 cm). Expressed as a percentage change, there were no longer differences between cuffs (Narrow: 15% vs. Wide: 14%) or sex (Men: 14% vs. Women: 15%). Echo intensity remained unchanged. Women required more repetitions to reach task failure in sets 2, 3, and 4. In Experiment 2 (n = 87), men swelled more than women (Men: 0.46 cm vs. Women: 0.31 cm). Expressed as a percentage change, there were no differences. Echo intensity decreased in both conditions and to a greater extent with a higher applied pressure. If the acute muscle swelling response is important for initiating long term adaptation, then our results indicate that neither cuff width, sex, nor applied pressure will differentially impact the adaptation observed via this mechanism. Changes in echo intensity were inconsistent and the utility of this measurement may need to be reconsidered.     

The economics of the University of the Air of Japan revisited

In 1988 UAJ completed the first phase of its initial plan, thus enabling an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of UAJ and a forecast of its future based on available data. The cost per student at UAJ is 2/5, 1/2, and 3/4 of that at national, public, and day programs of private universities, and 1.1 times and 6.7 times of that at evening and correspondence programs of private universities repectively. The projected cost per graduate is slightly lower than that at national universities and 1.1, 1.9 and 2.3 times of that at public, correspondence and day, and evening programs of private universities respectively. The cost per credit is 1.3, 1.5, 2.2, 2.4 and 4.6 times of national and public universities, day, evening, and correspondence programs of private universities respectively.The simulations indicate that the cost per credit can be decreased by expanding the operation of UAJ to a nationwide scale, employing a surface circuit or satellite system; however, it is necessary that the number of students be doubled in order to make the cost per credit equivalent to that at public universities. However, even when the number of students is four times, the cost per credit is not equivalent to that at day programs of private universities regardless of what method is used. Although the current cost per credit is higher than that of conventional universities, changes in cummunication technology and student characteristics could alter the cost-effectiveness of UAJ.     

日本的教育经济学:实证分析的展望和课题

本总结了迄今为止日本教育经济学中实证研究的成果，探讨了今后需要进一步研究的课题。本从以下几个方面阐述了日本教育经济学的发展，即人力资本理论和教育收益率、劳动市场与教育、教育成果的成因分析、教育产业分析、教育需求的决定因素等，并比较各类研究的目的、方法、结论和政策意义。虽然以上每一方面都积累了很多研究成果，可是由于资料的限制，教育经济学中的实证研究尚存在着许多有待进一步研究的课题。