This paper aims to investigate the scientific productivity of China's science system. This paper employs the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The results reveal that the overall efficiency of Chinese universities increased significantly from 2009 to 2016, which is mainly driven by technological progress. From the perspective of the functions of higher ed

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess complications and mortality and its predictors, with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) in the Nordic Countries. Design: This was a retrospective, international, multicenter cohort study. Results: Between 1993 and 2013, 442 surgically implanted long-term mechanical assist devices were used among 8 centers in the Nordic cou

The Mesoproterozoic Era (1,600–1,000 million years ago, Ma) geochemical record is sparse, but, nevertheless, critical in untangling relationships between the evolution of eukaryotic ecosystems and the evolution of Earth-surface chemistry. The ca. 1,400 Ma Xiamaling Formation has experienced only very low-grade thermal maturity and has emerged as a promising geochemical archive informing on the in

Low-dimensional narrow-band-gap III-V semiconductors are key building blocks for the next generation of high-performance nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, and quantum devices. Realizing these various applications requires an efficient methodology that enables the material dimensional control during the synthesis process and the mass production of these materials with perfect crystallinity, reproduci

Migratory animals are affected by various factors during their journeys, and the study of animal movement by radars has been instrumental in revealing key influences of the environment on flying migrants. Radars enable the simultaneous tracking of many individuals of almost all sizes within the radar range during day and night, and under low visibility conditions. We review how atmospheric conditi

Fundamental and enduring changes brought about by recurrent economic and financial crises, the digital revolution and ongoing globalisation processes of production and innovation activities are posing major challenges for regional and national economies to renew their industrial structures and develop innovations that break existing development trajectories. This calls for new innovation policy ap

Since the popular uprising and subsequent war in Syria in 2011, more than a quarter of its population have fled – mainly to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt – and another 25% have been internally displaced. The end of 2017 saw 12.6 million Syrians forcibly displaced – 6.3 million refugees, 6.2 million internally displaced (IDPs) and 146,700 asylum-seekers. In the words of the United Nations

What does dignity mean to Syrian refugees and practitioners? And what can humanitarian organisations do – or abstain from doing – to help Syrians preserve and protect their dignity?

A new report from L2GP estimates, that while Syrian humanitarian actors were responsible for delivering 75% of the humanitarian assistance in 2014, they received only 0.3% of the direct and 9.3 % of the indirect cash funding available for the overall Syria response. Despite their crucial role, Syrian NGO’s struggled to get their most basic costs covered in the sub-contracting and partnership agree

A diversity of softwood lignin depolymerization processes yield guaiacol as the main low molecular weight product. This key aromatic compound can be utilized as a carbon source by several microbial species, most of which are Gram positive bacteria. Microbial degradation of guaiacol is known to proceed initially via demethylation to catechol, and this reaction is catalyzed by cytochrome P450 monoox

Assessment of breast density at the point of mammographic examination could lead to optimized breast cancer screening pathways. The onsite breast density information may offer guidance of when to recommend supplemental imaging for women in a screening program. A software application (Insight BD, Siemens Healthcare GmbH) for fast onsite quantification of volumetric breast density is evaluated. The

The shift of the conduction band (CB) edge for thirty different (Lu,Gd) 3 (Ga,Al) 5 O 12 :Ce compositions, with simultaneous variation in Lu/Gd and Ga/Al content was studied using thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL). Specific TSL peaks were related to impurities of Ta, Cr, Yb, Ti and Eu in Lu 1 Gd 2 Ga 3 Al 2 O 12 :Ce ceramics. The shift of Yb-related peak positions (in temperature an

Background: Severely delayed elimination of methotrexate (MTX) is difficult to predict in patients treated with high-dose MTX (HD-MTX), but it may cause life-threatening toxicity. It has not been defined how an increase in plasma creatinine can be best used as a predictor for severely delayed MTX elimination, thus providing a guide for therapeutic interventions to minimize renal toxicity. Methods

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with unfavourable prognosis for patients with advanced stages of the disease. Refractory disease and advanced-stage disease require systemic therapy. We report on a rare case of an atypical predominantly CD8 + folliculotropic MF, a subtype of MF with poorer prognosis, in a 59-year-old woman. She was initially diagnosed with MF restric

Highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM) are formed in the atmosphere via autoxidation involving peroxy radicals arising from volatile organic compounds (VOC). HOM condense on pre-existing particles and can be involved in new particle formation. HOM thus contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a significant and ubiquitous component of atmospheric aerosol known to affect th