Statutory Limits Research Articles

On the Inadequacy of the CVR Factor for Active Schemes

Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) is a well-known technique to reduce energy consumption by reducing the supplied voltage within statutory limits. Historically, the efficacy of CVR schemes has been quantified using the CVR factor (CVRf) which relates, in a given period, voltage reduction to energy savings. This metric has proved useful in the past, where fixed voltage reductions were applied. However, this letter shows from a theoretical perspective and with a realistic case study that when used for active CVR schemes (voltages actively controlled throughout the day), the CVRf can be smaller than that for fixed voltage reductions despite the larger energy savings. This could be misleading for decision makers considering active CVR schemes as an energy efficiency measure. Consequently, it is recommended that comparisons among CVR schemes are carried out in terms of actual energy reductions.

Railway carriage mass impact on retarder noise

The paper is aimed on railway brake noise on set up track in a Teplicka nad Vahom arranging station. On the basis of noise measurements, it is possible to determine the presumption of impact of rail brake operation on municipalities in the vicinity of the set up rail area and to adjust its technology in the time frame so that the statutory noise limits are not exceeded. Also is possible to determine, if it is possible to use the technology in praxis to pass requirements for statutory noise limits. For operators of the arranging station and railway brakes is very important to set time schedule properly for every freight train set. It is precisely for this reason that technology can be designed according to the catchment density and the duration of the individual wagon alignment so that the freight trains concerned are not delayed. It is also possible to take into account that a shifted group of wagons with lower weight per axle will cause less braking noise.

Trace elements determination and health risk assessment of Tricholoma matsutake from Yunnan Province, China

Trace elements contents in Tricholoma matsutake (T. matsutake) and its corresponding soil substrates from Yunnan province of China were determined. Samples were collected from seven different locations in Yunnan province, and the contents of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results demonstrated that the average contents of As, Pb, Hg, Cd, and Cr in T. matsutake were 0.82–5.62, 0.34–0.82, 0.03–0.11, 0.24–2.84, and 0.13–0.62 mg/kg dry weight (DW), respectively. The results show that the contents of potentially toxic trace elements (As and Cd) exceeded statutory standard limits of China (1.0 mg/kg for As and 0.2 mg/kg for Cd) in most cases. Differences among trace elements contents from all sampling sites were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Bioconcentration factor (BCF) illustrated that Cd was easily bioaccumulated by T. matsutake. Human health risks of these trace elements were assessed based on target hazard quotient (THQ). The estimated weekly intake of trace elements was estimated and compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) recommended by the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. The results indicate that As and Cd in T. matsutake may pose a potential health risk for human beings. The estimated weekly intake of Pb, Hg, and Cr from consuming T. matsutake were lower than the PTWI.

Assessment of phytoextraction using Sedum plumbizincicola and rice production in Cd-polluted acid paddy soils of south China: A field study

Soil cadmium (Cd) contamination threatens the quality of agricultural products and human health and the situation is particularly serious in acid paddy soils in south China. Phytoextraction is an in-situ and environmentally friendly technique but it is still a challenge to complete remediation in the short term and resume rice production safely. A field experiment on a total area of one hectare was conducted to evaluate the Cd removal efficiency from a contaminated acid paddy soil (pH 5.0, Cd 0.6 mg kg−1) by repeated phytoextraction using the hyperaccumulator Sedum plumbizincicola from October to next June every year. The plant grew well with a shoot dry biomass of 1.8 − 5.9 t ha−1 and a Cd concentration of 51.4 − 94.9 mg kg−1 and Cd accumulation of 169 − 353 g ha−1. The Cd removal rate from rooting depth (the top 15 cm) of the arable soil ranged from 13.8 to 34.7% each season with an average of 21.8%. In plot 1 the soil total Cd concentration decreased from 0.64 to 0.29 mg kg−1 after two seasons of phytoextraction. The soil Cd concentration decreased mainly within the depth range 2 − 10 cm which corresponded with the root distribution pattern of S. plumbizincicola. Subsequent rice Cd risk assessment shows that grain Cd concentrations in phytoextracted soil decreased significantly compared to non-phytoextracted soil. Brown rice Cd in lower accumulating rice cultivars MY12085 and MY12086 was < 0.2 mg kg−1 (Chinese standard), while additional immobilization was needed in the case of higher accumulating cultivars. This field study strongly indicates that phytoextraction of slightly contaminated acid soils using S. plumbizincicola is feasible to depress the total Cd concentration to meet the statutory limit within a relatively short time. Appropriate utilization of rice cultivars and soil amendments in the phytoextracted soils may further contribute to safe agricultural production.

Oral bioaccessibility and human health risk assessment of trace elements in agricultural soils impacted by acid mine drainage

Cultivated soils around the historic mine site of Tharsis (Spain) contain elevated concentrations of As (up to 621 mg kg−1), Cu (752 mg kg−1) and Pb (2395 mg kg−1), exceeding the regional background levels and the statutory limits set for agricultural use. A site-specific health risk assessment of occupational and environmental exposures was conducted using an approach based on guidelines from regulatory agencies, refined by combining bioaccessibility and bioavailability data.Oral bioaccessibility, as determined by simulating the human digestion process in vitro (Unified BARGE Method), was largely related to total trace element concentrations in soil. Arsenic seemed to be evenly distributed among the gastric and gastro-intestinal phases (about 31%), whereas the bioaccessible fraction of pH-dependent metal cations, like Pb and Zn, was noticeably higher in the stomach (nearly 50%) than in the gastro-intestinal tract (less than 10%). Bioaccessibility assessed by single extraction with 0.43 M HNO3 was overestimated by a factor of 1.2–1.4 relative to that obtained from the BARGE method.Site-specific relative bioavailability (RBA) values of As (27.7%) and Pb (42.6%), predicted from bioaccessibility measurements through linear regression models, had little effect on the overall risk estimates. For the ingestion pathway, the RBA-adjusted cancer risk values (9.7E-05 to 2.0E-04) exceeded the regulatory threshold in all plots, and the hazard index re-calculated after adjustment of oral dose was also above the allowable limit, with values ranging from 2.5 to 4.8. However, no detrimental health effects are expected to occur through inhalation of soil particles in nearby residents.

Implementation of a novel multi-agent system for demand response management in low-voltage distribution networks

In this era of advanced distribution automation technologies, demand response is becoming an important tool for electricity network management. The available flexible loads can efficiently help in alleviating the network constraints and achieving demand-supply balance. Therefore, this forms the rationale behind this paper, which aims to implement a multi-agent system framework in order to achieve flexible price-based demand response. A genetic algorithm-based multi-objective optimization technique is applied to determine the optimal locations and the amount of required demand reduction in order to keep the network within statutory limits. The methodology is based on probabilistic estimation of the granularity of total available flexible demand from shiftable home appliances in each low-voltage feeder. Moreover, an optimal decision making for the start time of appliances upon receiving a real-time price signal is proposed. This is accomplished by considering the willingness to participate as well as price demand elasticity of the different clusters of customers. To fully demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed framework, a modified IEEE 69 bus distribution network comprising 1824 low voltage residential customers has been implemented and analyzed.

Security and optimization rule-based coordinated generator simultaneous tap changing dispatch scheme for transmission voltage regulation

To regulate transmission network voltage within statutory limits, transmission system operators (TSO) can issue instructions to the grid synchronized generators to simultaneously change their transformer tap positions, and these instructions are normally preceded by advance notice and executed at the required time. This operation action is known as “Simultaneous Tap Change Dispatch” (STCD).This paper presents a security and optimization rule-based generator Simultaneous Tap Change Dispatch (STCD) scheme, which aims to maintain system wide-area voltage stability through effective and fast voltage regulation, and to minimize the total amount of reactive power utilization; thus, indirectly reduces the line losses. Technical implementation of the proposed STCD is discussed, and the costs of MVar utilization by the STCD is compared with the employment of new shunt reactors. The proposed STCD scheme is validated in a DIgSILENT Power Factory platform to simulate a real regional system model in Great Britain (GB). And, the effectiveness of STCD scheme in transmission voltage regulation, generator MVar optimization, and operational security are verified by comparing to the baseline (a system with uncoordinated schemes).

Child abduction proceedings

This article deals with the legal processing of a serious problem regarding societal security, human rights and the rights of minors, i.e. child abduction. The procedure of the returning of an abducted child is one of the most challenging types of court proceedings. Courts decide within the statutory time limit of six weeks after filing the petition. There is a foreign element in the proceedings, embodied either by the parties to the proceedings or by the necessity of clarifying the child’s habitual residence. Translators or interpreters are recruited to guarantee the parties’ right to act in their mother tongues. The court, as a rule, executes and orders expert evidence within a short period of time, for example to determine the circumstances that rule out the return of the minor to his/her country. As a rule, hearings take place all day or several days in a row. Courts apply international treaties and EU law when making decisions. The difficulty of bringing proceedings is additionally increased by frequent requests from the court hearing the authorities of the Member State of the habitual residence of the minor. The return of the child is usually accompanied by tensions between the parties, emotions and stress.

Washout kinetics of ethanol from the airways following inhalation of ethanol vapors and use of mouthwash

Introduction: Breath analyzers are commonly used to test for alcohol intoxication, i.e., elevated systemic levels of ethanol, at workplaces and among vehicle drivers. However, local low-dose exposure to ethanol in the mouth or airways may temporarily increase the breath-alcohol concentration (BrAC) without the systemic ethanol level being affected, leading to false positive test results. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of local ethanol exposure on the BrAC.Methods: Eleven healthy adults (six women) were exposed to on average 856 mg/m3 ethanol vapor for 15 min, followed by repeat collection of exhaled breath in Tedlar bags. One hour later, the subjects washed their mouth for 30 s with a typical mouthwash containing 22% ethanol and post-exposure breaths were again collected repeatedly. Negligible systemic uptake of ethanol was confirmed by analysis of blood sampled before, between and after the exposures. Ethanol in breath and blood was analyzed by gas chromatography.Results: No or very low levels (less than 0.002 mg/g) of ethanol were detected in blood at any time point, indicating negligible systemic uptake. The decline in breath was mono-exponential after both exposures with average half times of 0.4 (range 0.3–0.8) min after inhalation exposure and 1.9 (1.1–3.0) min after mouthwash. BrAC levels in the first sample, collected a few seconds after exposure, were 0.14 (0.07–0.13) mg/L after inhalation and 4.4 (2.7–6.0) mg/L after mouth wash. On average, it took 0.5 (0.06–0.7) min and 11 (6–15) min, respectively, for the BrAC to fall below the Swedish statutory limit of 0.1 mg/L air.Conclusion: In practice, use of breath analysis should not be a problem even if the subject inhaled ethanol vapors before the test. In contrast, use of ethanol-containing mouthwash results in a false positive test if sampling is done within 15 min.

Ochrona konsumenta przez ustawowe limitowanie opłat kredytowych

The subject of the article is presenting the assessment of currently applicable statutory limits, aimed at limiting the interest and non-interest costs of consumer loans against the background of the evolution of the approach to remuneration from capital (usury). Religious, ethical, legal and economic arguments about usury were raised. The analysis shows that in the conditions of high institutional differentiation of the credit-loan sector in Poland, the impact of fees limits is diverse and multidimensional. Evaluation of the impact of regulation can be formulated in the aspect of exploitation, excessive debt, financial exclusion and general social well-being. The conclusions indicate that the statutory limitations of consumer credit costs have negative side effects in many respects. They cause, among others, the limiting of access to short-term low-value loans for the weakest consumers and the development of the gray market. Therefore, despite the noble premises of the legislator, it is more effective to reduce the price of credit and improve the general well-being by supporting the supply side of the market by limiting the risk of running a business and developing competition. The article was based on the study of the subject literature and the analysis of legal provisions regarding the maximum interest and non-interest costs of consumer loans.

Analysis of Rural Interstate Fatality Rates in Consideration of Recent Increases in Maximum Statutory Speed Limits

The relationship between traffic safety and speed limits has been an area of significant research. Since the repeal of the National Maximum Speed Law in 1995, states have full autonomy in establishing maximum statutory speed limits. Since 2001, at least 25 states have increased their maximum limits to speeds as high as 85 mph. This study examines changes in rural interstate fatalities from 2001 to 2016 in consideration of such increases. Speed limit policy data include the maximum speed limit for each state–year combination, as well as the proportion of rural interstate mileage posted at each speed limit in each state. Random parameter negative binomial models are estimated to control for unobserved heterogeneity, as well as time-invariant effects unique to each state. The results show that increasing the mileage of rural interstates posted at 70, 75, or 80 mph by 1% is associated with fatality increases of 0.2%, 0.5%, and 0.6%, respectively. These increases are more pronounced than when considering only the maximum statutory limits in each state. The study also examines the influence between these higher limits and the frequency of fatal crashes involving speeding and driver distraction. At the highest limits of 75 and 80 mph, the increases among these subsets of crashes are greater than the increases in total fatalities. Ultimately, this study provides important empirical evidence in support of continuing speed limit policy discussions, in addition to identifying salient analytical concerns that should be considered as a part of longitudinal analyses of state-level fatality data.

Factors Contributing to Deer–Vehicle Crashes on Rural Two-Lane Roadways in Michigan

Deer–vehicle crashes (DVCs) continue to be a problem in the United States, with 1.2 million such crashes occurring annually. DVCs are a particular issue on two-lane rural highways in Michigan, accounting for more than 60% of crashes. Such a high proportion of DVCs limits the transferability of existing safety models, including those found in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), that are often based on data from states with considerably lower proportions of deer crashes. To counter this, a cross-sectional analysis of deer crashes was performed using data from Michigan. The data were analyzed across four categories of rural two-lane roadways, including: state highways, federal aid county roadways, non-federal aid county roadways, and unpaved (gravel) county roadways. Mixed effects negative binomial regression models utilizing spatial and temporal random effects were generated separately for each of the rural two-lane roadway types. Results showed speed-related factors, including lane width, shoulder width, horizontal curvature, and peak level of service, had a significant effect on DVC occurrence for most types of rural two-lane roadways in Michigan. Wider lanes were associated with a greater occurrence of deer crashes, perhaps because of higher prevailing travel speeds. Conversely, horizontal curves with design speeds lower than the statutory speed limit were associated with fewer deer crashes, perhaps because of lower travel speeds through curves. Wider shoulders, which afford greater separation between the travel lanes and the roadside, were found to have significantly lower deer crash occurrence. The number of available hunting licenses did not have a consistent effect on DVCs.

Bacteriological Quality Assessment and Antibiogram Profile of Bacteria Associated with Sachet Drinking Water Sold at Zaria, Northern Nigeria

Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sachet drinking water was carried out with view to determine the bacterial load and fitness of the water sold in the study area for human consumption.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Ten samples of different brands were aseptically collected and analyzed using heterotrophic count and most probable number technique. The isolated bacteria were microscopically and biochemically characterized and finally confirmed using Box™ Easygel® E. coli Quantitube™ Test Kit (Micrology Laboratories manufactures, Easygel®, USA) biotyping. Physicochemical analysis of the samples was done using standard methods. The isolated bacteria were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique.&#x0D; Results: The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 1.0×102 to 3.0×102 cfu/ml, with MPN/100ml values ranged from &lt;0.03 to 1.2. The temperature ranged from 8 to 18°C, at the pH range of 5.0 to 7.6. The findings showed that, high temperatures and pH was associated with high bacterial counts. There was no statistical relationship between microbial loads and the temperature (p= 0.454) of the analyzed sachet water. Also, there was no statistical relationship between microbial loads and pH (p= 0.446) of the sachet water. The bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella sp, Citrobacter freundii and Proteus vulgaris. Most 9 (90%) of the water analyzed fell within the statutory limits. While, the remaining 1 (10%) fell within the contamination level, which recorded high bacterial counts beyond the standard of safe drinking water set by water and food regulatory bodies.&#x0D; Conclusion: The isolation of E. coli and Salmonella sp. in sample brand “A” in this study is an indication that if not promptly checked, an outbreak could occur in the near future. All the isolates are susceptible to variety of antibiotics used, except Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella sp. and Citrobacter freundii which recorded resistance to amoxicillin, and Proteus vulgaris which recorded multidrug resistance.

Planning of a Resilient Underground Distribution Network Using Georeferenced Data

This study describes a practical methodology for a resilient planning and routing of power distribution networks considering real scenarios based on georeferenced data. Customers’ demand and their location are the basis for distribution transformer allocation considering the minimal construction costs and reduction of utility’s budget. MST (Minimum Spanning Tree) techniques are implemented to determine the optimal location of distribution transformers and Medium voltage network routing. Additionally, the allocation of tie points is determined to minimise the total load shedding when unusual and extreme events are faced by the distribution grid, improving reliability and resilience reducing downtime during those events. The proposed methodology provides a coverage of 100%, supplying electricity to the totality of customers within statutory limits during normal and unusual conditions.

Tax Limits and the Future of Local Democracy

Property tax limits are state-level laws that place caps on local governments’ tax rates and revenue. These statutory limits, which put pressure on already strapped cities and counties in forty-six states, present an inexorable dilemma for local policymakers. On the one hand, they may cause cuts to vital services, bankruptcy, and reliance on regressive revenue sources. At the same time, however, tax limits may reflect genuine concerns about government profligacy and nonresponsiveness. While much research has focused on the first side of the dilemma—examining the laws’ fiscal consequences—this Article explores the second, probing how tax limits affect the distribution of political power between local voters and policymakers. The Article makes three contributions. First, it argues that property tax limits have focused too strongly on a tax reduction goal to the exclusion of other potential objectives. Instead, tax limits can improve local public control and oversight of government fiscal decisions. Prioritizing public control would increase voter satisfaction and expand opportunities for taxpayer voice. Second, having identified this additional tax limit objective, the Article evaluates the laws’ potential efficacy in achieving it. To do so, the Article identifies a list of statutory features that enhance or undermine local public control. The Article then surveys property tax limits in all fifty states, and is the first to code each statute for features affecting the power of local voters. The survey results demonstrate that tax limits in most states undermine public control by reducing voter power, instead shifting power to governors and state legislatures and prioritizing a pure tax reduction goal. The Article’s third and final contribution is a menu of policy reforms for state and local actors. Distinct from others commentators who tend to advocate wholesale embrace or repeal of tax limits, this Article suggests reforms that respect the laws’ public appeal while seeking to soften their harsher consequences. Assuming that the state-set limits will persist, mayors, city councils, and state legislators can use the suggested reform principles to reinvigorate local democracy and, perhaps, address some of the concerns that led to the limits being adopted in the first place.

Determination of Metal Hazard in the Processed E-Waste Types, Floor Dust and Pulverized Epoxy Powder Generated at an E-Waste Handling Site in India

At the e-waste handling site, the obsolete electronic items are dismantled and it releases dust laden with fine metallic fragments, called as floor dust. Further, the broken cables are denuded from its plastic insulation and shredded to fine grained pulverized epoxy powder. These two-processed e-wastes appear to contain metal residues. Hence, the aim is to examine the metal composition and identify the hazard, if any. Pulverized epoxy powder measured high values of Cd (7.43±0.48 μg/g), Pb (338.85±0.13 μg/g), Ni (534.62±53.68 μg/g), Li (30.12±0.02 μg/g), K (508109.90±31605.89 μg/g), Ca (817395.40±2.52 μg/g) and Na (3528.00±539.07 μg/g) while floor dust had high levels of Cr (39.61±5.78 μg/g), Cu (4778.14±861.91 μg/g), Zn (4172.88±821.75 μg/g), Fe (11164.90±1111.61 μg/g) and Se (1613.00±259.04 μg/g) with significant differences (p&lt;0.05). The worn out electronic oddments attributes to high levels of metals. Principal component analysis could extract two components accounting for 78% variance in total. Although the values are less in comparison with the statutory limits, the processed e-wastes still pose a risk of metal toxicity due to their high volume. The composition of metals in the processed e-wastes presents us a new challenge to handle them.

Financial Performance Analysis of Distressed Banks in Ghana: Exploration of the Z-score

A robust bank-based financial industry is a major player in the stability of an economy, as such; the macroeconomic decisions of most countries revolve around the financial sector. In 2017, the Ghana financial industry witnessed a cleanup exercise due to the impaired conditions under which it operated and therefore there was the need for the enforcement of those policy measures. The sector was inundated with nonperforming loans coupled with the weakling nature of tier one capital of most banks. To ascertain how grounded certain affected banks were, this study used financial ratios aided by the Z-score to analyse the financial performance of UT Bank prior to the 2017 bank industry health check in Ghana. Annual financials over a ten-year period (2007-2016) were used. It was realised that debt management practices of UT Bank were unimpressive. This was observed in the poor leverage and risk management variable ratios. Considering the results, UT Bank clearly had difficulty obliging to customers’ maturing debts. The average mean values of debt-to-equity and debt-to asset of 7.6 and 0.90 respectively pointed to a case of distress. The credit management practices of individual banks in the industry need resuscitation. As a policy recommendation, the regulator of the bank industry should tighten up its supervisory and monitoring powers to help in detecting early signs of non-performing banks. The study further proposes that statutory lending limits of banks be re-enforced to uphold the threshold of 10 percent for unsecured loans and 25 percent for secured loans of net owned funds of banks.

The influence of cultivation method on nitrate content in some lettuce samples

The use of nitrogen fertilizers is one of the main effects for the accumulation of nitrates in plants. Conventional agriculture, in comparison to integrated and organic farming, causes greater environmental pollution and poorer quality of crops. Within the framework of the research, we studied the influence of the method of cultivation on the content of nitrates in the samples of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The samples were received directly from growing areas from different parts of Slovenia and analysed in the laboratory for the nitrate content (NO3-) according to the accredited method. The samples from conventional cultivation showed the highest sample representation (51 %), with values in the highest concentration range (1000 - 2500 mg of NO3- kg-1, one sample exceeded 2500 mg kg-1 fresh mass). Within the framework of integrated cultivation, there were less such samples (34 %), and among the samples from organic cultivation no sample exceeded 1000 mg of NO3- kg-1. Of 88 analysed samples, one sample exceeded the statutory limit value applicable to lettuce of the type Iceberg ('Ljubljanska ledenka'). On average, the Iceberg samples contained more nitrates than other types of lettuce.

Beach-cast as biofertiliser in the Baltic Sea region-potential limitations due to cadmium-content

Macroalgal mass blooms and accumulating beach-cast are increasing problems in many coastal areas. However, beach-cast is also a potentially valuable marine bioresource, e.g. as a biofertiliser in coastal agriculture. One limiting factor in use of beach-cast as a fertiliser is uncertainty regarding the cadmium (Cd) concentration depending on beach-cast composition and location. In this study, chemical analyses were performed on beach-cast from Burgsviken Bay off Gotland, in the Baltic Sea. The results revealed large variations in cadmium concentration depending on sampling location and beach-cast composition, with levels ranging between 0.13 and 2.2 mg Cd/kg dry matter (DM). Of 15 beach-cast samples analysed, one had a cadmium content above the Swedish statutory limit for sewage sludge biofertiliser (2 mg Cd/kg DM) and four had values above the limit suggested by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency for 2030 (0.8 mg/kg DM). Species-specific analysis revealed that eelgrass (Zostera marina) contained significantly higher cadmium concentrations than filamentous red algae species (Ceramium and Polysiphonia spp.). Avoiding eelgrass-rich beach-cast by seasonal timing of harvesting and monitoring differences in cadmium concentrations between harvesting sites could thus facilitate use of beach-cast as biofertiliser.

Management of Civil Cases by Chinese Courts: A Study on Time Limits for Trial and Adducing Evidence

Management in the light of efficiency is one of the most significant aspects of case management. In Chinese civil actions, people’s courts take control over cases mainly through two systems – the systems of time limits for trial and for adducing evidence – in the name of efficiency. In order to ensure cases are concluded within the correct statutory time limits for trial, the legislature has set out the time limits for trial and adducing evidence in the Civil Procedure Law. The system of time limits for trial places demands on courts and judges to hear cases, while the system of time limits for adducing evidence sets requirements on how the parties need to act. The two systems encourage the most two important participants in litigation – judges and parties – to complete their duties within the proper time limits, which leads to greater efficient in Chinese civil procedure.