Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is a polypeptide precursor with 241 amino acid residues which undergoes extensive post-translational modification to yield a range of smaller, biological active peptides including £\-, £] -, £^-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (£\-MSH, £]-MSH, £^-MSH )¡A£]-endorphin (£]-EP) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). POMC-derived peptides play important roles in appetite and energy homeostasis. Recently, the peripheral POMC system is under active investigation to delineate their pathogenic roles in metabolic diseases such as Cushing¡¦s syndrome and obesity. In the present study, we utilized adenovirus gene delivery system to achieve systemic POMC overexpression in adult C57/BL6 mice for at least 30 days. Subsequently, the plasma and abdominal adipose tissue of mice were collected and analyzed by biochemical assays and weight determination respectively. POMC overexpression did not increase in the food uptake and body weight. These results imply that local POMC gene delivery induced the visceral fat accumulation and altered the metabolism in mice. It was observed that systemic POMC overexpression significantly elevated the triglyceride and the cholesterol levels in mice. However, POMC gene delivery also induced elevated plasma glucose concentration at weeks 1-4 and evoked glucose tolerance in mice at week 4. Interestingly, insulin resistance was readily detected in POMC-transduced in mice at as early as week 1. Besides, Micro-CT scanning and histological studies demonstrated that the visceral fat was significantly increased in POMC over-expressing mice compared with control animals. These data indicate that hepatic POMC gene delivery causes systemic ACTH rise and insulin resistance, which recapitulates the clinical features of Cushing¡¦s syndrome. In summary, POMC gene delivery induces systemic POMC overexpression and results in visceral fat accumulation and insulin resistance, which may facilitates a mice model for Cushing¡¦s-like metabolic syndrome.

The major aim of this study is to develop an integrative framework of the determinants and consequence of international human capital, the human capital which enables a firm to compete globally. The open systems view is introduced to develop a comprehensive measurement of international human capital, which includes input-based, transformational, output-based, and managerial international human capital. Human capital accumulation modes (the documentation mode and the socialization mode) are identified as the potential determinant, and global initiatives (global learning and global marketing) and financial performance as the potential outcome. The Structural Equation Modeling technique is employed to investigate the determinants and outcome of the human capital system. The results support our expectation that human capital accumulation modes foster the development of international human capital, which in turn enhances a firm¡¦s global initiatives and financial performance. Important role of output-based and managerial international human capital are also identified. Output-based international human capital not only enhances a firm¡¦s financial performance, but also facilitates its global initiatives. Managerial international human capital, on the other hand, indirectly fosters a firm¡¦s financial performance and global initiatives through its direct positive influences on the other international human capital components.

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As the traditional sources of competitive advantage can no longer provide a sustainable edge for business; the contemporary approach to global business strategy point to core competencies, invisible assets, and organizational capabilities as key factors influencing MNC¡¦s long-term success in global markets. An organization¡¦s intellectual assets are said to be a pack of knowledge under that firm¡¦s ownership or control, through services and the embodiment in firm¡¦s outputs to flow over time period. Knowledge especially has become the most strategically important resource and the potential to compete for advantages among MNCs to advance themselves in the information-driven societies. Derived from theoretical origins of resource-based view and behavioral perspective, an integrative framework from a sample set of 129 further concludes six determinants that enable MNC to build layers of knowledge-based global competence to compete and sustain advantages globally using structural equation modeling (SEM). Human interface, ISO, and parent innovation are found to have direct effect to firm¡¦s knowledge-based global competence, while IT, transnational innovation, and substantial investment in human capital are found to link indirectly through mediating effect of learning culture. From the resource perspective of the firm, as emerging country in its early phase of internationalization as Taiwan, local capabilities for knowledge innovation at host await to be developed over time and hence focal units rely on knowledge inflows from parent to assist their needs. Such interdependence between globally linked and locally leveraged for innovation makes externalized knowledge important for effective knowledge diffusion across network of subsidiaries aside from use of personnel flows for transferring implicit knowledge, IT for transferring explicit knowledge, and ISO for transferring codified knowledge, each requires good integration mechanisms to keep culture, language, and communication barriers to the minimum in cross-cultural settings. Investment in human capital and implementation of learning culture can benefit company enormously from movement of people either horizontally or vertically in terms of learning and sharing through socialization, and building a network of cross-functional interdependence for transferring knowledge, expertise, and sets of common goals and values for synergy.

The distribution, enrichment, and accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments, especially those at the vicinity of tributary estuaries of Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan were investigated. Sediment samples from six locations in the Kaohsiung Harbor were collected quarterly in the period from 2002 to 2005 and characterized for metal content (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn and Al), water content, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, total grease, and grain size. Results showed that metal concentrations varied from 0.58 mg kg-1 for Cd to 596 mg kg-1 for Zn. Metal concentrations at the vicinity of river mouths were higher than those at other locations. All heavy metals studied, except Cr, had relatively high enrichment factors and geo-accumulation indices in the estuaries. Moreover, metal concentrations correlated closely to the physical-chemical properties of the sediments, which strongly suggested the influence of industrial and municipal wastewaters discharged from the neighboring industrial parks and river basins. Results would help develop strategies for pollution control and sediment remediation of Kaohsiung Harbor. Ocean disposal of wastes such as dredged sediments causes the concentrations of contaminants and some other water quality parameters in the water column to change. In this study, the STFATE (Short-term Fate) system, a model developed by the US Corps of Engineers for managing automatic dredging and disposal of the dredged materials, was used to model and simulate the deposition, dispersion and accumulation of the dredged material disposed at an ocean site. Additionally, aerial photographs taken from a helicopter on dispersion of the disposed sediments were used to calibrate and verify the modeling results for evaluating its applicability in predicting the influence of disposing dredged sediments on the surrounding seawater quality. Simulation results indicate that after 4 h of ocean disposal, the dredged sediment showed negligible adverse influence on the seawater quality (SS = 3 ¡V 4 mg/L). Results of simulating the dispersion of dredged sediments revealed that 20 seconds disposal duration resulted in smaller influence distance and range but a longer time for the seawater to recover to its original state. A longer disposal time of 1,200 seconds would cause a larger distance and range of influence but a shorter recovery time. The verification results demonstrate that simulated values on the dispersion length, width, area and shape generally comfort to the trends of monitored data; the average error is around 27.8%.

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<p>There is something happening in Central Eastern Europe and the Baltic</p><p>States. There is an economic boom and the GDP is growing. But, what causes the economy to grow? Is the explanation factor accumulation or is there a technologic growth. The long-term growth in East Asia from 1960 to 1997 was misinterpreted by many. The purpose of this thesis is to determine how large the total factor productivity growth has been in Central Eastern Europe and the Baltic States between 1996 and 2001. The stated purpose is being tested by using growth accounting.</p><p>The result differs between countries; some countries have a strong technological growth while others’ GDP growth is dependent on factor accumulation. The result of the latter, if it will continue, is a downturn in the GDP growth since it is not viable in the long term.</p> / <p>Vad är det som händer i Centrala Östeuropa och de Baltiska staterna? Deras ekonomier växer, men frågan är vad tillväxten kommer ifrån. Är det faktorackumulation eller teknologisk tillväxt? Den långvariga tillväxten i Östra Asien från 1960-talet fram till slutet av 1990-talet misstolkades av många. I den här uppsatsen undersöks vad som ligger till grund för tillväxten i de tidigare kommunistländerna.</p><p>Med hjälp av ”growth accounting” estimeras vad var och en av kapital, arbetskraft och teknologisk utveckling bidrar med till utvecklingen.</p><p>Resultatet var inte likartat för alla undersökta länder. Vissa länder hade en stark teknologisk tillväxt under den undersökta perioden, medan andra länders tillväxt enbart berodde på faktorackumulation. Resultatet av den senare, om detta kommer att fortsätta, är att tillväxten kommer att avta då faktorackumulerad tillväxt inte är långsiktig.</p>

本文主要是探討APEC區域經濟中的勞工移動現象。目的除了分析全球／區域勞動力市場的形成是虛幻的想像外，更重要的是要說明移民勞工的形成是各國策略安排下的結果。國家行動（state action）深刻地介入與干預勞動力市場的發展，並透由各種經濟制度、法令規範、政策措施，來輔助資本主義的積累及衰退時的重新奮起。對於這些以輔助資本積累的社會制度、環境，Gorden稱之為「積累的社會結構（social structure of accumulation）」。本文我將借用Gorden的觀點來說明，移民勞工在國家行動的刻意安排下如何成為「積累的社會結構」的一環，並且在這個過程中移民勞工的商品屬性如何被改變。

Klövsjukdomen digital dermatit hos kor ger upphov till smärta hos djuren samt störningar i produktionen. För att förebygga och behandla klövsjukdomen används olika preparat, däribland CuSO4-lösning. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om och i så fall i vilken omfattning spridande av kopparförorenad gödsel påverkar Cu-halten i jordbruksmark. Studien genomfördes med provtagning av två oberoende jordbruksmarker där ett av områdena gödslas med kopparförorenad gödsel. Resultaten visar att jordbruksmark där förbrukad CuSO4 spridits med stallgödseln ger upphov till en signifikant ökad Cu-halt i markens översta lager, 0-25 cm. / The hoof disease digital dermatitis rise pain with the cows as well as production disruption. To prevent and treat the hoof disease different substances are used, including CuSO4 solutions. The purpose of this study is to examine if, and in that case in which incidence, the spread of copper contaminated manure affects the copper content in agricultural land. The study was performed sampling two independent agricultural areas. One of the areas was fertilized with copper contaminated manure. The results show that agricultural land where CuSO4 has been spread with the manure has a significant higher content of Cu in the upper level of the soil, 0-25 cm.

The aim of this report was to quantify the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in ice-covered lakes in winter (October-March) during three consecutive years, and to assess whether the concentrations of DIC and CH4, as well as the ratio DIC:CH4 differs between years and between lakes affected by clearcutting and untreated reference lakes. Water- and gas samples were collected from four boreal lakes (two affected by clearcutting and two untreated reference lakes) located in Västerbottens inland in spring. The lakes were found to accumulate on average 91, 55, and 84 mgCm-2d-1 during winters 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015, mostly originating from CO2. The concentrations of DIC (autumn and spring) were higher in the affected clear-cut lakes compared to reference lakes for all years, including the reference year (2012-2013) before clear-cutting. No such difference was found for CH4 or the ratio DIC:CH4. Accumulated concentrations of CO2 and CH4 varied between years while the ratio (accumulated) CO2:CH4 increased over time for all lakes but with no difference between the clear-cut lakes and the reference lakes. The differences between the clear-cut and the reference lakes, hence, are unclear with differences between years likely stemming from natural variations. The effects of clearcutting in catchment areas might be more visible at other times of year not seen in this study which focuses only on winter. The amount of CO2 and CH4 accumulated under ice in lakes was substantial i.e. high-lighting the importance of including winter accumulation of greenhouse-gases in estimations of yearly emissions from lakes.