GaSb surface grating distributed feedback interband cascade laser emitting at 3.25 µm.

A second-order distributed feedback interband cascade laser emitting at 3.25 µm was designed, grown, and fabricated. By coherent epitaxy of a GaSb cap layer instead of the conventional thin InAs cap on top of the laser structure, a high-quality surface grating was made of GaSb and gold. Enough coupling strength and a significant inter-modal loss difference were predicted according to the simulation within the framework of couple-wave theory. Lasers having 2-mm-long cavities and 4.5-µm-wide ridges with high-/anti-reflection coatings were fabricated. The continuous-wave threshold current and maximum single-mode output power were 60 mA and 24 mW at 20°C, respectively. The output power of 5 mW was still kept at 55°C. Continuous tuning free from mode hopping and high single-mode suppression ratios (>20 dB) were realized at all injection currents and heat-sink temperatures, covering a spectral range of over 20 cm-1.

[Prevalence and epidemic characteristics of metabolic syndrome among adult residents in Nanjing City in 2010-2013].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the prevalence and epidemic characteristics of metabolic syndrome(MS) among adult residents in Nanjing City. METHODS: In 2010-2013, a total of 4918 adult residents in Nanjing City were surveyed using a multi-stage stratification and population proportional clustering random sampling method. Questionnaires, physical examinations and laboratory examinations were conducted to collect the basic conditions, health history of the subjects and related indicators including height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, etc. The 2009 International Joint Interim Statement(JIS) was used to filter patients with metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: Among the 4918 surveyed subjects, 1627 were MS, with a crude prevalence rate of 33. 1% and an age-standardized prevalence rate of 26. 3%, the standardized prevalence rate of MS was 29. 0% in males and 24. 8% in females. Age-standardized prevalence rates between different genders had no significant statistical difference(χ~2=1. 352, P=0. 245). There were significant statistical differences between the crude prevalence rate of MS among subjects of different ages(χ~2=132. 557, P<0. 001), occupations(χ~2=87. 572, P<0. 001)and educational level(χ~2=26. 077, P<0. 001). Patients with a family history of hypertension(χ~2=26. 582, P<0. 001) and a family history of diabetes(χ~2=16. 013, P<0. 001)had a higher prevalence of MS. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adult residents in Nanjing City in 2010-2013 was relatively high.

Is Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) an Effective Market-Incentivized Environmental Regulation Policy? Evidence from China's Eight ETS Pilots.

Climate change and environmental issues caused by carbon emissions have attracted the attention of governments around the world. Drawing on the experience of the EU, China is actively developing a national carbon emissions trading market, trying to encourage emission entities to incorporate carbon emissions reduction into production and consumption decisions through carbon pricing. Is this scheme an effective market-incentivized environmental regulatory policy? Since China successively launched ETS pilots in 2013, the effectiveness of reducing carbon emissions has become one of the current focus issues. This study uses the difference-in-differences (DID) method to evaluate the impact of ETS implementation on emissions reduction and employs the Super-SBM model in data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the emission-reduction efficiency of eight ETS pilots in China. We find that the carbon trading policy has achieved emission-reduction effects in the implementation stage, and the greenness of economic growth has a significant positive impact on regional GDP. The establishment of China's unified carbon market should be coordinated with regional development. Some supporting measures for regional ecological compensation and the mitigation of regional development are yet to be adopted.