Search

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Briet., a valuable herb native to China, is susceptible to the "sprout tumble" phenomenon because of high temperatures, resulting in a significant yield reduction. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying the response of P. ternata to heat stress are not well understood. In this study, we integrated transcriptome and miRNAome sequencing to identify heat-response genes, microRNAs (miRNAs), and key miRNA-target pairs in P. ternata that differed between heat-stress and room-temperature conditions. Transcriptome analysis revealed extensive reprogramming of 4,960 genes across various categories, predominantly associated with cellular and metabolic processes, responses to stimuli, biological regulation, cell parts, organelles, membranes, and catalytic and binding activities. miRNAome sequencing identified 1,597 known/conserved miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the two test conditions. According to the analysis, genes and miRNAs associated with the regulation of transcription, DNA template, transcription factor activity, and sequence-specific DNA binding pathways may play a major role in the resistance to heat stress in P. ternata. Integrated analysis of the transcriptome and miRNAome expression data revealed 41 high-confidence miRNA-mRNA pairs, forming 25 modules. MYB-like proteins and calcium-responsive transcription coactivators may play an integral role in heat-stress resistance in P. ternata. Additionally, the candidate genes and miRNAs were subjected to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to validate their expression patterns. These results offer a foundation for future studies exploring the mechanisms and critical genes involved in heat-stress resistance in P. ternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful applications of artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have been prompting regulators to speed up the related regulation processes. China and the EU have been particularly ambitious in this regard. The EU AI Act has been swiftly progressing through the institutions and is expected to be officially adopted in spring 2024. This article argues that its overall approach is wrong, that it extends EU regulation into policy areas which come under national competences and that it will hurt European AI innovation in particular and society in general. Instead of regulating AI per se, the EU or the member states should regulate the use of AI in specific sectors or, better still, regulate it in technologically independent ways—by specifying what is allowed or prohibited, regardless of the technology used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined how gay men were incorporated into China's HIV/AIDS policies from 1987 to 2019. We also explored how these policies reflect the country's broader position regarding homosexuality. A textual analysis method was adopted using China's national-level HIV/AIDS policies, regulations, a nd guidelines (1987–2019, N = 26). Three periods related to the incorporation of gay men into China's HIV/AIDS policies were identified: 1987–1990, 1991–2001, and 2002–present, based on whether gay men are explicitly mentioned in the national HIV/AIDS policies. Four ways in which gay men are addressed through national HIV/AIDS policies were identified. Notably, heteronormativity-related moral and sex education remains in place in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), while homosexuality has already symbolically decriminalized and depathologized since the late 1990s and the early 2000s, respectively. Additionally, increased education on sexual orientation was included in the HIV/AIDS policy as of 2017. While China's pragmatic approach to HIV/AIDS has contributed to the increased visibility and representation of gay men in official and public discourse, the country's response to HIV/AIDS seems to reflect its persistent regulation of nonnormative sexuality as well as moral control toward homosexuality. Other underlying issues regarding China's HIV/AIDS policies and suggestions to improve HIV/AIDS governance are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a distributed ledger technology (DLT) application, cryptocurrency has impacted the current financial legal relationship, and its regulation is becoming increasingly important. Some international organizations and countries have ratified laws and regulations concerning cryptocurrency. However, the supervision and regulation of cryptocurrency in China are still encountered some problems, such as consumer protection, the opposition between the global asset flow and the supervision of a single sovereign state, and the difficulty in determining the subject of legal responsibility. To seek solutions to these problems in China, the primary task is to define the legal attribute of cryptocurrency, to balance blockchain innovation and financial risk. At the same time, the regulatory sandbox can be used to regulate blockchain-based cryptocurrency. Among others, the core regulatory measures are establishing the technical standard access system, financing audit registration system, and investor suitability management system of blockchain financial enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insurance companies have always been at the forefront of developments in the processing of large volumes of data. This paper investigates in a comparative perspective the implications of the increasing reliance by insurers on automated quantification, examining developments of insurance law and technology in continental Europe, the common law (particularly the United States), and mainland China. The paper sheds light on the challenges brought by automated quantification in digital insurance, reviews the regulatory options that may address such challenges and inquires into the regulatory approaches pursued in different regions of the world. The comparative analysis of the strategies pursued will show that, when thinking about regulatory options for digital insurance, it is important to keep in mind that the shift to automated quantification, although global, raises different risks and opportunities depending on the contexts and the legal frameworks in which it takes place. The variance of contexts and legal frameworks explains why the impact of automated quantification in insurance is for the time being strong in the common law world, present but less intrusive in China, and proceeding at an even slower pace in continental Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of digital education, the legal regulation of the Processing of minors' personal information implemented by education platforms is crucial in order to protect the rights and interests of minors' personal information and to promote the development of digital education. From the perspective of consent terms, we analyze the practical needs, values, and paths of legal regulation of the Processing of personal information by education platforms. Specifically, at the level of practical needs, the failure of consent terms poses a challenge to the rights and interests of personal information, and the fragmentation of legislation increases the difficulty of regulation; at the level of values, legal regulation should adhere to the principle of risk prevention, the principle of information accessibility, and the principle of the best interests of the minor; at the level of paths, the government, the self, and the third party should follow the above principles to propose corresponding paths of regulation. The research results are conducive to better proposing feasible legal normative measures to regulate the processing behavior of educational platforms so as to protect the personal information rights of minors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is a slowly progressive cancer that develops in the epithelial cells of the prostate, which is prone to bone metastasis. In recent years, with the improvement of living conditions and the extension of life expectancy, the incidence of prostate cancer has also increased year by year in China. This study mainly focuses on the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA LINC01133 (LINC01133) in the progression of prostate cancer, providing new possibilities for the development of prognostic pathways for patients. Prostate cancer patients were diagnosed according to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). LINC01133 level was determined by RT-qPCR assays. The clinical significance and prognostic value of LINC01133 in prostate cancer were assessed through the chi-square analysis, Kaplan-Meier curves, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. In vitro cell experiments were performed by CCK-8 and Transwell methods. Luciferase activity assay and Pearson analysis were used to explain the relationship between LINC01133 and miR-141-5p. LINC01133 was decreased in prostate cancer tissue and cell specimens, which was associated with shorter overall survival. The abnormally high expression of LINC01133 directly targeted miR-141-5p and affected the normal growth and behavior of prostate cancer cells, while miR-141-5p mimic alleviated the inhibitory ability of LINC01133 on prostate cancer cells. LINC01133 sponge miR-141-5p mediated the progression of prostate cancer, and LINC01133 may be a potential prognostic marker for prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in comparative law research, this paper compares differences in the regulation of online child pornography in China and the United States. The United States began regulating child pornography through criminal law in the 1970s, gradually refining the laws to distinguish between child pornography and obscenity and prohibit the possession of child pornography and virtual child pornography. In contrast, China treats child pornography on an equal footing with adult pornography, but imposes more lenient penalties on disseminating child pornography, which has led to the proliferation of child pornography. By comparing the two countries' policies and laws on child pornography, this review makes four recommendations for other countries: (i) define child pornography in criminal law; (ii) distinguish between obscenity and child pornography; (iii) prohibit virtual child pornography on the internet; and (iv) increase criminal penalties for child pornography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design a self-selection-pricing mechanism in which an electricity supplier offers its customers an optimal menu of contracts subject to a price ceiling set by the government, a hybrid model of market mechanism and government controls. We calibrate the model using information from a residential electricity market in China. Our mechanism outperforms the tiered-electricity-pricing system in China in terms of environmental and industrial sustainability but comes at the cost of providing less protection for low-income households (i.e., less equity). We conclude by offering measures of sustainability and equity that governments could use when trying to balance the trade-off between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to the approach in judicial practice, Paragraph 1, Article 153, of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, as a rule of invalidity for violating mandatory provisions, does not adopt a dichotomy towards mandatory provisions with effectiveness and administrative characteristics, yet it maintains the legislative philosophy of differentiation. It leaves unspecified whether mandatory provisions that do not explicitly render a juristic act invalid impact the act's validity, entrusting this determination to the discretion of judges on a case-by-case basis. When judges, under the authority of Paragraph 1, Article 153 of the Civil Code, explore the normative intent of mandatory provisions to assess their effect on the validity of juristic acts, they should engage in legal policy analysis centered on consequence-based argumentation to overcome the limitations of norm typological analysis. This analysis employs a reasoning model predicated on the normative purpose, utilizing a consequencefocused interpretative approach for formulating and arguing propositions of rules applicable to pending cases, thereby arriving at case-specific conclusions. Since the invalidation of juristic acts serves as an auxiliary regulatory tool for the state economy and society, a consequence-oriented interpretation needs to be based on the idea of mutual instrumentalization of public and private laws. This entails predicting the outcomes of negating the validity of a juristic act in industrial regulatory scenarios and assessing these outcomes within the framework of public and private regulatory instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first systematic approach to detect fake transactions on cryptocurrency exchanges by exploiting robust statistical and behavioral regularities associated with authentic trading. Our sample consists of 29 centralized exchanges, among which the regulated ones feature transaction patterns consistently observed in financial markets and nature. In contrast, unregulated exchanges display abnormal first significant digit distributions, size rounding, and transaction tail distributions, indicating widespread manipulation unlikely driven by a specific trading strategy or exchange heterogeneity. We then quantify the wash trading on each unregulated exchange, which averaged more than 70% of the reported volume. We further document how these fabricated volumes (trillions of dollars annually) improve exchange ranking, temporarily distort prices, and relate to exchange characteristics (e.g., age and user base), market conditions, and regulation. Overall, our study cautions against potential market manipulations on centralized crypto exchanges with concentrated power and limited disclosure requirements and highlights the importance of fintech regulation. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, Special Section of Management Science: Blockchains and Crypto Economics. Funding: This research was partly funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation [Grant G-201907-6995], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72192802, 72192800, and 72192801], Ripple's University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI), and the FinTech at Cornell Initiative. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.02709. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on the political economy of trade protection has focused on how firms lobby for their preferred tariffs, but opportunities to change the tariff schedule in the United States by legislation are relatively uncommon. How can importers lobbying in their private capacity escape from tariffs without relying on Congress? In the United States, products must be sorted into tariff categories by the customs office before the appropriate duty can be determined. This article documents how firms seek to lower their tariffs by strategically requesting product classifications from customs. Firms hire lawyers to make legal arguments to customs officials promoting an interpretation of the tariff schedule which lowers their costs. Lobbying for favorable classification is most important to the firm when similar categories have very different tariffs. The language of product descriptions is political because legal arguments for a particular classification are more persuasive when the descriptions are worded flexibly. Using a data set of over 200,000 classification rulings between 1990 and 2020, I find evidence that firms request classifications in response to certain quotas and the China tariffs. The findings characterize the tariff schedule as a living document and describe how the distribution of tariffs and the language of product descriptions affect the structure of protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are experiencing a period of renewed interest in human activities in outer space and, in particular, the return of humans to the Moon. Multiple lunar missions, including the NASA led Artemis project and the China and Russia International Lunar Research Station propose a sustained human presence on the Moon which will require in-situ resource extraction and usage. This article explores the likely impact of statements and actions by states on the future evolution of international space law in relation to space resource activities, highlighting the urgent need for greater clarity in the law regarding space resource activities. It will examine the relevant international law, domestic legislation, multilateral agreements, and recent international discussions concerning space resource activities. It concludes that the current international space law regime lacks clear laws regarding space resource activities and emphasises the importance of space law evolving in order to progress with industry and exploration. • Current international law lacks clear guidance regarding the legal frameworks applicable to space mining. • Competing domestic laws and guidelines may create tension between competing users of the Moon. • An international framework is needed to clarify the rules of resource extraction and use in space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contemporary Accounting Research is the property of Canadian Academic Accounting Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Religion is permitted in China, but its practice is tightly regulated by the state. This paper uses individual‐level longitudinal data to investigate the association between religious regulation and religious outcomes in China. Measures of regulation are constructed from instances of state action against Christians as well as Christian perceptions of unfair treatment by the government. In summary, as regulation increases, an individual is less likely to identify with a religion and less likely to say that religion is important. For those individuals without religious identification in either wave, regulation is negatively associated with religious importance. Yet, for those individuals with identification in one or two waves, regulation is either unassociated or even positively associated with importance. These findings contribute to research on regulation of religion and religion in China. More broadly, they demonstrate the state can wield considerable power over people's private lives but also that this power has limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts to set standards for artificial intelligence (AI) reveal striking patterns: technical experts hailing from geopolitical rivals, such as the United States and China, readily collaborate on technical AI standards within transnational standard‐setting organizations, whereas governments are much less willing to collaborate on global ethical AI standards within international organizations. Whether competition or cooperation prevails can be explained by three variables: the actors that make up the membership of the standard‐setting organization, the issues on which the organization's standard‐setting efforts focus, and the "games" actors play when trying to set standards within a particular type of organization. A preliminary empirical analysis provides support for the contention that actors, issues, and games affect the prospects for cooperation on global AI standards. It matters because shared standards are vital for achieving truly global frameworks for the governance of AI. Such global frameworks, in turn, lower transaction costs and the probability that the world will witness the emergence of AI systems that threaten human rights and fundamental freedoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) in pressurized aqueous solution on the dehydration of CaSO4·2H2O to form α-hemihydrate gypsum (α-HH) phase and the regulation of crystal shape were studied in this paper in order to provide guidance for the low-cost and high-value utilization of phosphogypsum. The results showed that H3PO4 can significantly accelerate the formation rate of the α-HH phase and that it did not participate in the formation of the α-HH phase in the form of eutectic phosphorus during crystalline phase transformation. In terms of crystal shape regulation, H3PO4 can impact the effect of a citric acid crystal regulator on α-HH crystal shape regulation. The more H3PO4 added, the greater the aspect ratio of α-HH. Accordingly, the water consumption and 2 h dry compressive strength of α-HH products were gradually increased and decreased with an increase in H3PO4 content, respectively. Despite this, the compressive strength of α-HH can still meet the requirements of the α20 grade in JC/T 2038-2010 "α High Strength Gypsum" in China when the H3PO4 content was limited to less than 0.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aesthetic medicine has become a booming industry in the world. However, there are widespread social and health risks posed by aesthetic medicine, including illegal practice, and misleading information from aesthetic medicine institutes. Social media and advertisement play important roles in leading to appearance anxiety among young people nowadays. Regarding the chaotic situation in the aesthetic medical field, there is a fact that the practice of aesthetic medicine has been marginally regulated, even in some developed countries. China has the largest population in the world as well as the large number of aesthetic medical customers. Regarding the protection of people from harm, there is a great challenge for the Chinese government. So, China has enacted the toughest governance these years both on the supply and demand side. Some of the strategies may be useful for health authorities in certain countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impending loss of market exclusivity for established biologic products creates a lucrative market opportunity for biosimilars. However, complex and variable regulatory requirements between regions present challenges to developers. Understanding the regulatory differences between two major markets, Europe and China, will expedite entry into these key markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately identifying the matching relationships between territorial space evolution and the resources and environment carrying capacity will directly guide the sustainable use of territorial space. Based on the evaluation of the territorial space dynamics of the lower Yellow River, this paper evaluates the suitability of territorial space development by focusing on ecological protection, agricultural development, and urban construction. Specifically, the resources and environment carrying capacity is estimated by identifying and mediating potential conflicts in the development of territorial space. The matching relationship between the evolution of territorial space and the resources and environment carrying capacity is identified using the matching degree model. The results demonstrated that: (1) Between 2000 and 2020, the agricultural space of the lower Yellow River was relatively stable, while the ecological space was generally shrinking, and the urban space continued to increase; (2) The characteristics of suitability for the agricultural development and urban construction of the lower Yellow River are characterized by landform and land-sea differentiation. The carrying scale of resources and the environment is based on agricultural space and is increasing yearly, followed by ecological space, which is gradually decreasing, and urban space, which first increased and then decreased; (3) Between 2000 and 2020, the matching index of the ecological and agricultural space evolution and the resource and environmental carrying capacity in the lower Yellow River exhibited a downward trend, while the regional difference increased. Furthermore, the matching index of urban space and the resources and environment carrying capacity indicated an upward trend, while the regional difference decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops case studies of the UK and China to analyse divergent national financial regulatory approaches to FinTech as a novel political economy of platforms. Regulating with platforms is core to the approach taken in the UK, where start-up and early-career platforms are enrolled into an innovation-friendly financial regulation regime that promotes consumption and competition balanced with stability. In China, meanwhile, measures are being instituted to enhance rules and restrictions imposed on FinTech platforms. BigTech-led FinTech expansion was encouraged to expedite financial reforms to fuel economic growth and ensure authoritarian state control, but regulation is now shown to be working against the furtherance of platform power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability standards verify that goods and services meet minimum social and environmental norms. They have rapidly gained traction in value chains that connect lead firms with dispersed global suppliers. Historically, such standards have been created by firms, civil society and state regulators in the global North to govern global value chains sourcing goods and services from Southern producers. However, this century has witnessed the emergence of Southern-led sustainability standards. While a few studies have investigated this development, little is yet known about how Southern standards are shaped by public and private actors, or how domestic as well as global value chain dynamics impact their development. We address these gaps through a comparative study of Chinese clothing and Indian tea standards. Drawing upon the concepts of synergistic and antagonistic forms of governance, this article analyses how, when and why Southern actors (public, private and social) choose to develop new sustainability programmes which either emulate or else disrupt established transnational standards within this governance arena. Recognising the agency of Southern actors, but also their constraints to act within this established field, we examine how the sector-specific political economy dynamics of apparel and tea production shape the mechanisms, processes and relations through which Southern sustainability standards are forged in this increasingly multi-polar world of trade and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Policy & Internet is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the market reaction to strategic alliance agreements (SAAs), a prevalent yet previously uninvestigated corporate voluntary disclosure practice. We document that investors react positively to SAA disclosures in short windows, and that the effect of SAA disclosures is transitory, since a reversal occurs within 30 days after the disclosure. We also find that the market reaction is weaker to an SAA involving the progress of existing cooperation projects and that markets react more positively to SAAs disclosed by firms that had released progress reports before. The results of cross-sectional tests indicate that investor sophistication and being a high-technology firm strengthen the association between SAA characteristics and market reactions. Finally, we document that market reaction decreased after the passage of the SAA format guidelines in 2015 and after firms have received a comment letter related to an SAA. Overall, our findings indicate that SAA disclosure is a crucial information resource for investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of digital currencies has drawn attention to the need for strict rules to protect consumers and prevent illegal activities. The article will give an overview of existing rules and regulations in terms of certain global perspectives (China, US, EU, etc.) relevant to digital currencies, in addition to setting appropriate models to deal with the difficulties and opportunities presented by this new technology. The report analyzes the regulation environment for digital currencies, weighing the benefits and inconveniences of the current legislation and highlighting the fields that require reform. The paper provides a framework for effective regulation of virtual currencies that incorporates innovation and risk management, protects the interests of all stakeholders and relies on the best global practices. Moreover, it will be carried out a detailed analysis of the differences between Centralized Digital Currency (CBDC) and Decentralized Digital Currency (Cryptocurrencies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to show that divergent perceptions among regulators, the regulated and the associated regulatory bodies across multiple jurisdictions regarding the nature and functionality of cryptocurrencies hamper the development of a more comprehensive and coherent regulatory framework in curbing crimes and other related risks associated with cryptocurrencies. Design/methodology/approach: The study has used a descriptive doctrinal legal research method to investigate and understand the insights of existing laws and regulations in four selected jurisdictions concerning cryptocurrencies and how these laws could be further improved and developed to reduce crypto-related crimes. Furthermore, the study has also used a comparative research method to conceptualize the contours of the new legal discourse emerging from cryptocurrencies to adopt and implement a sound regulatory framework. Findings: The study illustrated that divergent regulatory treatment among different jurisdictions might suffocate novel digital innovations such as cryptocurrency. These fragmented regulatory approaches by various jurisdictions question the sustainability of the present national legislation adopted to regulate cryptocurrencies. Looking into other jurisdictional developments in regulating cryptocurrencies, it is apparent that a concerted regulatory approach is needed to minimize the abuse of this innovation. Research limitations/implications: The study has implications for regulators and policymakers to review the current regulatory framework for regulating cryptocurrencies to prevent regulatory arbitrage. The divergent legislative measures concerning cryptocurrency among different jurisdictions question the sustainability of these legislative initiatives, considering the evolving and borderless nature of cryptocurrency. Therefore, this paper will help regulators to consider the present legislative gaps in establishing a common global regulatory approach in the crypto sphere. Originality/value: The study contributes to the existing body of literature by examining the regulatory frameworks of four jurisdictions, namely, the USA, Canada, China and the EU, related to cryptocurrencies, with a discussion on the development of cryptocurrencies-related laws among these four jurisdictions and their sustainability in curbing crimes in the Darknet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notice and comment process, in which government organizations make public draft laws and regulations and solicit feedback on these proposals, is a prominent governance reform in contemporary China. This article examines the durability of notice and comment policymaking by conducting a pair of audits of the practices of dozens of central government ministries and provincial governments. There are a number of reasons to expect that it is difficult to sustain governance reforms in China. Nevertheless, the audits—which the authors carried out in 2014 and 2021—demonstrate that, subject to a number of constraints, notice and comment policymaking was routinely implemented by government organizations throughout the period under analysis. Although the notice and comment process is a durable governance reform, additional research is needed before it can be concluded that the procedure brings more than a veneer of transparency to Chinese policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) are increasingly important players in global politics and development. However, they are undergoing significant adaptations as governments worldwide have instituted restrictions to regulate their activities. What explains the various ways in which they respond to these institutional pressures? In our study of INGO responses to a new restrictive law in China, we identify four strategic responses with varying levels of compliance: legal registration, provisional strategy, localization, and exit. The institutional pressures—strategic responses link is influenced by INGOs' adaptive capacity, which is in turn shaped by an organization's issue sensitivity, value‐add, government ties, and reputational authority. The integrated framework we develop for INGO strategic responses can shed light on state‐INGO relations in other countries, many of which are subject to increasingly stringent regulations and a closing political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the relationship between psychological stress and the emotional state of Chinese college students and the moderating effect of physical exercise. Methods: Students in a university in Jiangsu Province were randomly selected for the survey, and questionnaires were administered using the Physical Activity Rating Scale, the Profile of Mood States, and the Chinese College Student Psychological Stress Scale. A total of 715 questionnaires were distributed, and 494 valid questionnaires were returned. Among the students, there were 208 (42.1%) males and 286 (57.9%) females, with a mean age of 19.27 years (SD = 1.06). Results: We found a significant negative correlation between physical exercise and psychological stress (r = −0.637, p < 0.001); a significant negative correlation between physical exercise and emotional state (r = −0.032, p < 0.001); and a significant positive correlation between psychological stress and emotional state (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). Physical exercise negatively moderates the relationship between psychological stress and emotional state (B = −0.012, p < 0.01, ΔR2 = 0.007). Conclusion: Physical exercise is negatively correlated with both emotional state and psychological stress. Physical exercise can reduce the influence of psychological stress on emotional state and promote emotional health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The development of CAR-T cell clinical trials has accelerated over the last two decades. These trials, collected on Clinicaltrial.gov until 2022, come mainly from the United States (n = 377) and China (n = 636), while Europe (n = 58) remains far behind these two leading countries. The aim of our analysis of clinical trials was to provide an overview of the characteristics of these trials, such as conditions, targets, phase status, and especially, pointing out the nature of the academic or industrial investigator. We have highlighted that poorly developed academic and industrial collaborations in Europe could be one explanation of the delay of Europe to bring a CAR-T cell product to market, compared to the leading countries. Moreover, regulatory and financial differences also come into play. A valorization of the development of these advanced therapy medicinal products as well as the provision of financial support would accelerate the process in Europe. The development of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells therapy initiated by the United States and China is still currently led by these two countries with a high number of clinical trials, with Europe lagging in launching its first trials. In this systematic review, we wanted to establish an overview of the production of CAR-T cells in clinical trials around the world, and to understand the causes of this delay in Europe. We particularly focused on the academic centers that are at the heart of research and development of this therapy. We counted 1087 CAR-T cells clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov (Research registry ID: reviewregistry1542) on the date of 25 January 2023. We performed a global analysis, before analyzing the 58 European trials, 34 of which sponsored by academic centers. Collaboration between an academic and an industrial player seems to be necessary for the successful development and application for marketing authorization of a CAR-T cell, and this collaboration is still cruelly lacking in European trials, unlike in the leading countries. Europe, still far behind the two leading countries, is trying to establish measures to lighten the regulations surrounding ATMPs and to encourage, through the addition of fundings, clinical trials involving these treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing attention has been focused on the extent to which corporate political connections influence the growing pollution due to the rapid growth in the popularity of firm pollution in developing countries. We adopt a static threshold regression model to investigate the effects of heterogeneous environmental regulation on political connections and firm pollution based on the panel data from China's A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2019. The empirical results show a non-linear relationship between the degree of political connection of listed company executives and the level of firm pollution. And the relationship between the two roughly presents a U-shaped relationship under the action of the marketincentive environmental regulation threshold. However, it roughly presents an inverted N-shaped relationship under the action of the command-control environmental regulation threshold. Additionally, the group test results show that the existence of regional and ownership heterogeneity causes certain differences in the environmental behaviour of politically connected enterprises. These findings indicate that diverse environmental regulations are needed to promote sustainable green development and to further expand the theoretical and practical exploration of political connections on firm pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government considers natural gas the preferred transition energy resource and is attempting to increase its proportion in China's primary energy mix. In recent years, the reform of China's natural gas sector has been steered towards breaking down vertical integration and developing a more market-based pricing system, the latter of which has long been subject to decisive government intervention. This article provides a comprehensive study of China's gas pricing system through an analysis of policy and regulation. It shows that the previous reform was parochial and incremental, driven by the critical developmental conditions of China's gas market. The gradual reform exemplifies the lack of systematic planning for the pricing reform and a relatively weak regulatory system. The latest reform has demonstrated a more systematic approach to restructuring China's natural gas market with the improved political will to introduce competition into China's gas market. However, the political imperative to reform natural gas pricing is challenged by the regulatory uncertainty rooted in the pre-existing conditions of China's natural gas sector and the vested interest of industrial stakeholders. This article analyses the challenges of the latest reform to understand the limitations of the reform measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article intends to corroborate the argument advocated by heterodox economists such as Akyüz, Chang and Furtado that state regulation is crucial to extracting the possible benefits of foreign direct investment (FDI). We do so by analyzing the policies used by China since its opening to this type of investment in 1979. The article innovates by scrutinizing China's major FDI laws, regulations and guidelines that compose the formal framework under which foreign-owned enterprises have operated in the country for almost 40 years. We then address the traditional view that China developed simply because it increasingly opened its market to foreign investment and adopted a foreign investment-led growth model. We argue that it was because of this strong regulation that FDI had such a positive effect, contributing to technological transfer and trade expansion, although not defining the ratio of capital accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extension of the dynamic capabilities model is evaluated in a rapidly changing and complex context: the global automotive sector. This industry is undergoing significant change to improve sustainable performance (e.g., alternative power train technologies with less pollution and better energy performance) responding to more stringent regulations and changing locus of innovation (i.e., suppliers investing more in R&D). Using a comparative and validated sample of 104 R&D projects in the U.S. and China, five hypotheses are tested and supported: 1) dynamic capabilities are significantly related to R&D project success, mediated by strategic intent (H1); 2) dynamic capabilities and resources operate independently and significantly in a model to predict sustainable R&D project success (H2); 3) for the U.S. data (a mature economy), there is a significant relationship between technology novelty and dynamic capabilities (H3), but not for the Chinese data, as predicted (H4); and 4) the Chinese economy does not experience the slowdown encountered in the U.S. economy (H5), but Chinese R&D is dominated by incremental improvements of existing products. These results sustain and clarify the differences in the dynamic capabilities model in mature and emerging economies for the global automotive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article outlines key regulatory and governing issues and actions in China's internet and digital media in the first decade under the leadership of Xi Jinping. It argues that both the domestic and global dimensions are equally crucial to understanding China's internet regulation and governance in the Xi era. It further argues that the two interrelated dimensions that emphasise the state's centrality and supremacy in internet-related regulatory issues and frameworks help strengthen China's existing political structure at home and promote China's digital power globally in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the data of China A-share listed firms from 2015 to 2019, we examine the effect of exchange inquiry letter regulation on stock price informativeness. It is found that the stock prices of inquired firms contain more firm-level information after the receipt of inquiry letter. Further research demonstrates that attracting investors' attention to more firm-specific information is the potential channel through which inquiry letters improve stock price informativeness. This paper provides empirical evidence for the effectiveness of exchange inquiry letter regulation, which has significant implications for listed firms improving information disclosure and for regulators playing a better role in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to conduct a detailed analysis of the feasibility of issuing sukuk in China and examine the regulatory issues related to the issuance of sukuk in China. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses SWOT analysis to explore China's internal and external environments related to the issuance of sukuks and examines the application of sukuks as an alternative financing instrument in China. Findings: As a unique financial instrument, a sukuk can assist in meeting China's current financing needs. Moreover, it is feasible to issue a sukuk. China should be prepared to modify its legal system and set up a regulatory framework conducive to the issuance of sukuks. Furthermore, blockchain technology can be used to overcome certain limitations of sukuks. Originality/value: This study provides a detailed analysis of sukuk issuances in China. This study discusses the issue of sukuk issuance in China from the perspective of finance and law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical insurance fraud (MIF) poses a substantial global financial challenge, necessitating effective regulatory strategies, especially in China, where such measures are in a critical developmental phase. This study investigates the effectiveness of various regulatory components in deterring MIF among enrollees and explores preference heterogeneity among individuals with different characteristics, utilizing a discrete choice experiment survey. Grounded in deterrence theory, our conceptual framework incorporates five attributes: intensity of economic penalties, restrictions on medical insurance benefits, deterioration of social reputation, and certainty and celerity of penalties. Employing a D-efficiency design, 24 choice sets were generated and blocked into three versions. A multistage stratified sampling method was adopted to collect data from the basic medical insurance enrollees in Shanghai. The survey was conducted from September to October 2022. The sample representativeness was further improved via the entropy balancing approach. Data from the final sample of 1034 respondents were analyzed using mixed logit models (MIXLs), incorporating interactions with individual characteristics to assess preference heterogeneity. Results reveal that escalating economic penalties, suspending insurance benefits, listing individuals as unfaithful parties, ensuring penalty certainty, and expediting enforcement significantly enhance the deterrent effect. We observed preference heterogeneity across different demographics, including age, gender, education, health status, and employment status. The study underscores the pivotal role of economic penalties in deterring MIF, while also acknowledging the significance of non-economic measures such as enforcement efficiency and social sanctions. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers to tailor and strengthen regulatory schemes against MIF, contributing to the advancement of more effective and precise healthcare policies. • Our study designed a discrete choice experiment based on the deterrence theory to tackle medical insurance fraud. • The severity, certainty, and celerity of regulations are vital for deterring medical insurance fraud. • Economic penalties play the most important role. • Deterrence preferences towards regulation vary with different enrollees' characteristics. • This study provides evidence-based regulatory design recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of a conditional management earnings forecast mandate on voluntary disclosure and the properties of analyst forecasts in China, where firms are required to provide earnings forecasts when they expect to either make a loss, turn from loss into profit, or experience a large change in earnings. We find that firms' propensity to issue voluntary management earnings forecasts is higher when they anticipate the disclosure of mandatory management earnings forecasts in the future. This relation is stronger for government‐controlled firms. We also find a significant improvement in the quality of analyst earnings forecasts (measured by forecast accuracy and dispersion) for firms that provide voluntary management earnings forecasts, while the disclosure of mandatory management earnings forecasts is negatively associated with analyst earnings forecast quality. We document that this differential effect on analyst earnings forecast quality is attributable to the higher quality of voluntary management earnings forecasts. Further analyses suggest that the positive effect of voluntary management earnings forecasts on analyst earnings forecast quality is larger for firms with a relatively weak existing information environment. Our findings suggest that the conditional mandatory disclosure of management earnings forecasts can incentivize managers to provide voluntary forecasts, and that these voluntary forecasts play a greater role than mandatory management forecasts in improving firms' external information environment in the Chinese capital market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazardous waste as a global issue closely links environmental pollution, public health, resource sustainability, and social governance. Its rapid increase and distinct drawbacks have threatened our eco-civilized planet. The Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework can demonstrate how cultural, political, and economic behavior varies in an anthropogenic system. In this review, we use this systematic framework to examine China's hazardous waste management venture and uncover the fundamental theory of man-land relationship. The key drivers (e.g., policy, technology, industry, and socioeconomic incentives) are equipped in a shareable manner, and these drivers can affect waste trends in each region depending on population size and industry level. However, pressure for the achievement of sustainable development goals is yielded by the drivers of industrialization and improper hazardous waste management. In China, the state of hazardous waste generation increased from 9.74 Mt (1Mt = 109kg) in 1998 to 75 Mt in 2018. During 2001-2017, the comprehensive utilization, disposal, and storage ranged from 5-20 Mt, 2-15 Mt, and 3-10 Mt, respectively. Human and environmental impacts can be seen through the changing state of waste generation and handling. As a response, China has led the world to hazardous waste management and recovery lineups through resource efficiency and recycling. Finally, we also try to draw a coherent roadmap for future direction and associated policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why has China delayed commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops over the last decade given its heavy public R&D investment in biotechnology and maturing GM capacity? Further, imports of GM products for consumption are allowed while similar domestic GM‐crops cannot be commercialized. The paper analyzes, from a political economy perspective, how the delay of commercialization arises from the government balancing interests and conflicts among vested interests to keep social stability based on comprehensive secondary data and unique primary survey data. Anti‐GMO activists have, over time, been able to shape the public perception of biotechnology. Their efforts have garnered widespread acceptance among interest groups and have been sufficient to raise the specter of underlying social instability, which is always near the top of mind for China's government. As a result, no movement on commercialization has been made since 2010—more than a decade ago. The failure to commercialize is important because food production would increase considerably if China were able to commercialize GM crops and the resolution of the biotechnology issue has broad implications for food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-Ac-DON) and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-Ac-DON) throughout the wheat processing chain were systemically evaluated by one-to-one corresponding studies of the whole processing chain. DON and its derivatives were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in wheat grains and corresponding wheat bran, wheat flour, and semi-finished and finished wheat flour-based products. This investigation showed that wheat grain processing to wheat flour significantly decreased the levels of DON by approximately 52.7%-68.2%. Wheat flour processing of wheat flour-based products decreased the DON concentration by approximately 7.0%-70.6%. Among the processing methods, biscuit making showed the largest reduction (70.6%). The co-occurrence frequency of DON with low levels of 3-Ac-DON and 15-Ac-DON was significantly greater in wheat grains and wheat bran than in wheat flour. For wheat flour-based products, only the distribution pattern of 3-Ac-DON was observable in processed wheat flour products prepared using grains heavily contaminated with DON. In China, to the best of our knowledge, the processing factors (PFs) of DON in wheat flour and wheat flour-based products were systematically evaluated for the first time. The average PF of DON was 0.35 for wheat flour and the average PFs were 0.37-0.84 for wheat flour-based products, with biscuits having the smallest PF (0.37), indicating DON significantly decreasing in biscuit making. Furthermore, dietary exposure assessment of DON indicated an acceptable overall health risk in Chinese consumers, with the highest exposure being observed in infants and young children. This study provides important references for classified management of DON limits in wheat and its various products in China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

hnRNP E1 (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein E1) is an important RNA-binding protein (RBPs) that plays a vital role in tumor development. Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) contains numerous sites that can bind to RNA/DNA and may be modified by multiple RBPs, which contribute to HPV gene expression and HPV-associated cancer development. However, the effects of hnRNP E1 on HPV16 oncogenes in the development of cervical lesions remain unclear. A total of 816 participants with different grades of cervical lesions were enrolled in a community-based cohort established in Shanxi Province, China. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases were used to analyze the association between hnRNP E1 mRNA expression and cervical lesions. Cells with up_ and down_regulated hnRNP E1 were established. hnRNP E1 functions were evaluated using cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry analyses, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. Our results showed that hnRNP E1 expression was linearly dependent on the severity of the cervical lesions. Low expression of HPV16 E2, high expression of E6, and a low ratio of E2 to E6 could increase the risk of cervical lesions. hnRNP E1 expression was correlated with HPV16 oncogene expression. hnRNP E1-relevant genes were involved in the dopaminergic synapses, Wnt signaling pathway, gnRH secretion, and mTOR signaling pathway. hnRNP E1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 stage, and decreased HPV16 E6 expression. Our results indicate that hnRNP E1 could downregulate HPV16 E6 oncogene expression and inhibit cervical cancerization, which sheds new light on preventing the carcinogenicity of HPV across a range of diseases by regulating RNA-binding proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within two decades, China built a very large platform economy. From the beginning of 2021, however, the Chinese government started to implement a set of new policies, popularly known as 'strong regulations', in order to correct improper platform behavior and improve market efficiency. These policies caused some negative effects on short-term momentum of the platform economy, including lay-offs of employees, decline of investment, and shrinkage of market valuation. This paper attempts to address the following questions: why did the authorities initiate this new policy? what are its net impacts on the platform economy? and how can the regulators do better? While acknowledging the urgent need for proper regulations for China's platform economy, this paper argues that the authorities should find a better balance between regulation and development, with innovative thinking in dealing with issues such exclusive agreement, differential pricing and monopoly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is one of the largest consumer markets in the international legal and illegal wildlife trade. An increasing demand for wildlife and wildlife products is threatening biodiversity, both within China and in other countries where wildlife destined for the Chinese market is being sourced. We analysed official data on legal imports of CITES-listed species in five vertebrate classes (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish), and on enforcement seizures of illegally traded wildlife, during 1997–2016. This is the first study that collates and analyses publicly available data on China's legal and illegal wildlife trade and considers a broad range of species. Specifically, we estimated the scale and scope of the legal and illegal wildlife trade, quantified the diversity of species involved, and identified the major trading partners, hotspots and routes associated with illegal trade. Our findings show that substantial quantities of wildlife have been extracted globally for the Chinese market: during 1997–2016 over 11.5 million whole-organism equivalents and 5 million kg of derivatives of legally traded wildlife, plus over 130,000 illegally traded animals (alive and dead) and a substantial amount of animal body parts and products, were imported into China. Although measures to reduce demand and alleviate poverty are crucial to curb unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade in the longer term, China's wildlife regulators and enforcers must take urgent measures to disrupt the supply chains from source to market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed oil is one of the most famous edible oils with high affordability and versatility. The fragrant rapeseed oil (FRO) is becoming the most consumed cooking oils in China due to its attractive color, unique flavor and rich nutrition. Presently, at least three types of commercial rapeseed oils, classified as strong, mellow, and light fragrant rapeseed oils (SFRO, MFRO, and LFRO), are produced and consumed, based on odor attributes and appearance originated from roasting, pressing, and refining steps. On this basis, the increasing efforts have been made to identify the compositions of volatile flavors of fragrant rapeseed oils, find the relationship between volatile flavor formation with production processes, and elucidate the forming pathways of characteristic volatile flavors in fragrant rapeseed oils. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of typical physical/chemical/nutritional/volatile difference of strong, mellow, and light fragrant rapeseed oils, outline the production processes to result in their difference, and summarize the strategies including optimizing the roasting, pressing, and refining conditions, and increasing the substrate supply to enhance the volatile flavors of fragrant rapeseed oils. Some remaining unanswered questions in improving the quality, retaining the nutrients and controlling formation of the hazards such as benzopyrene were also pointed out. The review hopefully presents a reasonable full picture of production, volatile flavor formation and regulation of fragrant rapeseed oils and benefits for providing the flavor-attractive, nutritional, healthy, and safe fragrant rapeseed oils in the near future. • Classification and production process of fragrant rapeseed oils were reviewed. • A comprehensive difference of three type fragrant rapeseed oils was summarized. • The flavor formation and pathways of fragrant rapeseed oils were outlined. • Regulation strategies to improve the flavor of rapeseed oils were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the social welfare effect of China’s largest online ride-sharing platform. Under the plausible assumption that consumers would change from traditional transportation to online ride-sharing when the marginal benefit of saved time outgrows the additional cost, we calculate the distribution of implied wage rate of passengers. We then use the passenger wage rate to calculate the social welfare generated by the decrease in waiting time and the reduction of waiting uncertainty brought about by the ride-sharing platform. Our estimate suggests that the ride-sharing platform created a total of 130.5 billion Yuan of social welfare in the three years between 2016 and 2018, and the consumer surplus and producer surplus created by an average transaction are 5.4 Yuan and 2.5 Yuan, respectively. The robustness test finds that our results were insensitive to the assumed risk aversion coefficient in the model, the subsample number used for each city, and the inclusion of nonlinear terms in the model. Alternative hypotheses, such as learning effect, seem unable to explain our result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government officials in China have taken different views regarding shadow banking. Some have seen the industry as overly risky, potentially undermining the formal financial system, while others have asserted that it is an increasingly important part of the financial system, filling a gap in finance provision to particular sectors and smaller firms. Do their views matter? Regulators have striven to crack down on the riskiest practices in shadow banking, but are the policies effective? In this article, we analyze the impact of government attitudes and actions on the shadow banking sector. Using a unique data set based on information collected from various sources in a difference-in-difference model, we find that shadow banking regulation plays a strong role in China's financial sector, while contradictory government views (in the form of commentary in the People's Daily) on shadow banking do not. This reveals that shadow banking is strongly affected by political authority when it is codified into regulation. Only some aspects of shadow banking can be legitimized through regulation, while the remainder of China's financial system remains constrained due to state dominance over the financial sector. This underscores the "funny" nature of shadow banking's money flows. This article is one of the first to study the effects of government views and regulations on the shadow banking system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]