Search

An integrative conceptual model developed tested the relative influence of servant leadership and narcissism in relation to strategic variables including adaptation and cooperation on competitive advantage and firm performance. Data were collected using structured on-site interviews conducted with 140 and 95 key respondents of randomly selected manufactuarer-export houses located in U.S. and China, respectively. Empirical results revealed that both strategic variables and leadership variables were positively related to competitive advantage, which, in turn, influenced firm performance. The influence of societal culture was evident in our results in that relationships among antecedents of firm performance were denser for U.S. than they were for Chinese firms. Based on these findings, insights for administrative guidance and implications for influencing and managing a firms ISA between manufacturers and their principal international distribution channel alliance partners were discussed. Research drawbacks are identified and directions for future studies are proffered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is useful to advance simulated patient (SP) participation in teaching to improve the communication skills of medical students, so this study aims to explore the current state of Chinese mainland SP education. Methods: A cross sectional survey was designed utilizing well defined quantitative research methods and descriptive statistics. The questionnaire sought information which elucidated the current status of SP-based education, the origin of SP-based learning, SP training, challenges of this learning strategy and future developments. Questionnaires were distributed to 79 medical colleges in mainland China, and 68 were returned. Of these, 64 constituted valid responses (81%). Results: The number of SP-based education activities in medical colleges offering 5-year、7-year and 8-year clinical medicine programs was significantly higher than that in medical colleges which offered only a single 5-year program (p < 0.01). Communication skills training accounted for 73% of the content of SP-based learning activities, and was expected to rise in the future to 90%, in response to a need to improve doctor-patient relationships. Persons recruited as 'simulated patients' included students (21% of the total), residents (49%), medical staff (15%) and teaching staff (14%). Colleges, planning a SP-based education program, preferred teachers (80%) and students (55%) to assume 'simulated patient' roles. In objective structured clinical education (OSCE) scenarios, co-scoring by both SPs and teachers featured more highly in the 'consultation' station and 'doctor-patient communication' station. A number of factors were identified as hindering future development and implementation of SP-based learning including budget restraints, SP selection and training. Conclusions: SP-based learning programs offer clear benefits for improving the clinical education of medical students and their communication skills. The main obstacles to achieving more widespread and higher quality SP-based education are insufficient funding and the lack of standardized training and performance evaluation processes for simulated patients. Medical colleges should consider reducing the proportion of students and teachers acting as SPs, and attract more citizens to participate in SP-based learning activities. Formalised training and evaluation of SPs performance are necessary to establish a 'standard simulated patient' for a particular medical discipline, thus improving SP-based activities and student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study investigates changes in spontaneous reporting (SR) compliance and ADR patterns following adoption of a new hospital SR system, and multiple interventions designed for its improvement use under modified drug administration guidelines. Methods: In total, 1389 ADR cases were reviewed. Cases were divided into two groups, cases from period 1 (n = 557, from January 2006 to June 2011) under the old SR system and cases in period 2 (n = 832, from July 2011 to December 2016) under the new SR system with multiple interventions to improve physician SR compliance. General information, drug information, and clinical manifestations were investigated and compared between periods. Results: Interventions for improved clinician training, education on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and economic incentives substantially improved SR adherence. We also found that changing drug usage patterns (based on the new drug administration guidelines) greatly influenced ADR occurrence and type. Conclusions: We found the SR compliance can be improved by multifaceted interventions. Drug usage patterns also influence ADR occurrence, so programs tailored for rational use are essential. These results could lead to further improvements in the SR system for ADRs in China, and provide guidance for establishing better methods of pharmacovigilance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tested the clinical efficiency (item grouping, internal consistency of the subscales, construct validity, and clinical feasibility) of a widely used pain assessment system, the Mandarin version of the American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R-C), in Chinese patients. We also attempted to investigate the current quality of pain management provided in orthopedic inpatient units in China and provide baseline data. First, we investigated the test–retest reliability of APS-POQ-R-C. In total, 236 orthopedic patients were evaluated. Our results showed that APS-POQ-R-C has satisfactory internal consistency and construct validity, although some items are not appropriate for orthopedic patients. Test–retest reliability outcomes indicated that APS-POQ-R-C is a satisfactory battery with acceptable validity and reliability, and is therefore recommended for pain management in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the impact of social identity on worker competition by exploiting the well-documented social divide between urban resident workers and rural migrant workers in urban Chinese firms. We analyze data on weekly output, individual characteristics, and coworker composition for all weavers in an urban Chinese textile firm during a 53-week period. The firm adopts relative performance incentives in addition to piece rates to encourage competition in the workplace. We find that social identity has a significant impact on competition: a weaver only competes against coworkers with a different social identity, but not against those sharing her own identity. The results are mainly driven by urban weavers competing aggressively against rural coworkers. Our results highlight the important role of social identity in mitigating or enhancing competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake shocked China as well as the world, not only because of its great moment magnitude but also due to the terrible casualties. The complex nature of this earthquake combined with its damage brings the need for studies that assess the seismological characteristics of the Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. In this study, we present the strong ground motion simulation of the great earthquake using the empirical Green's function (EGF) method. First, we select four Mw 4.9 and 5.0 aftershocks, the motions of which are used as Green's functions. The source parameters of the aftershocks including fault size and stress drop are estimated for the simulation. Then the source model of Mw 7.9 with asperities (strong-motion generation area) is derived using forward modeling by trial and error. To validate the accuracy of the proposed source model, strong ground motions at nine stations are synthesized by the EGF method. The simulated strong ground motions are compared with the observed records in terms of acceleration waveforms, velocity waveforms, and pseudoacceleration response spectrum. Despite some discrepancy, the synthesized motions at most stations show good agreement with the observed records. In the proposed source model, the stress drop of the three asperities on the source fault is about 10 MPa, whereas the ratio of combined area to the rupture area is 0.24, which approximates 0.22 from the empirical relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As accumulating evidences suggest close involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in cancer, novel PI3K inhibitors such as ZSTK474, GDC-0941, NVP-BEZ235 and BKM-120 have been developed for cancer therapy. A high frequency of hotspot mutations known as E542K, E545K and H1047R in the PIK3CA gene, which encodes the catalytic subunit of PI3Kα, has been found in various types of human cancers. The hotspot PIK3CA mutations also lead to resistance to therapeutics targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), further suggesting that inhibition of hotspot mutant PIK3CA be required for a PI3K inhibitor as anticancer drug candidate. Methods To investigate the activity of the novel PI3K inhibitors on the hotspot mutant PIK3CA, we determined the inhibition against the respective recombinant mutant PI3Kαs by biochemical assay. We further examined the activity at cellular background by determining the effect on phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473), and that on the growth of cancer cells. In addition, apoptosis and autophagy in cells with or without hotspot PIK3CA mutation induced by the four inhibitors were investigated. Results Our results indicated that each inhibitor exhibit comparable activity on the hotspot mutant PI3Kα to that on the wild type, which was further demonstrated by the cell-based assays. No clear correlation was shown between the PIK3CA genetic status and the sensitivity for apoptosis or autophagy induction. Interestingly, among the 4 PI3K inhibitors, BKM-120 is the weakest in PI3K inhibitory potency, but induces most potent apoptosis, suggesting that BKM-120 might have a unique mode of action. Conclusions Our result shows that the PI3K inhibitors exhibit potent activity on both hotspot mutant and wild type PI3Kα, suggesting they might be used to treat patients with or without PIK3CA mutation when approved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our institute, we have recently found a child Japanese monkey who is characterized by deep wrinkles of the skin and cataract of bilateral eyes. Numbers of analyses were performed to identify symptoms representing different aspects of aging. In this monkey, the cell cycle of fibroblasts at early passage was significantly extended as compared to a normal control. Moreover, both the appearance of senescent cells and the deficiency in DNA repair were observed. Also, pathological examination showed that this monkey has poikiloderma with superficial telangiectasia, and biochemical assay confirmed that levels of HbA1c and urinary hyaluronan were higher than those of other (child, adult, and aged) monkey groups. Of particular interest was that our MRI analysis revealed expansion of the cerebral sulci and lateral ventricles probably due to shrinkage of the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus. In addition, the conduction velocity of a peripheral sensory but not motor nerve was lower than in adult and child monkeys, and as low as in aged monkeys. However, we could not detect any individual-unique mutations of known genes responsible for major progeroid syndromes. The present results indicate that the monkey suffers from a kind of progeria that is not necessarily typical to human progeroid syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an agent-based model to investigate the role of parental relationships and intergenerational reproduction of cultural capital to understand the long-term professional success of an elite family line during the Ming and Qing dynasties in imperial China. We implemented the model by a new method: The pattern-oriented inverse simulation (POIS) method, where multiple patterns observed in an elite family line are employed to guide the model design and test alternative assumptions as family strategies. A genetic algorithm (GA) based inverse technique is applied to fit the simulation outputs with actual data grouped in time intervals as patterns. The simulation results discovered family strategies sustained by the examination systems in imperial China, which relates to important sociological theories on the impact of the intergenerational reproduction of cultural capital within family circles on social inequality in the individual entry in labor and professional markets. The case study also proved that the new methodology of POIS can improve our current practices for systematically exploring simulation parameter space and fit model output with actual data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Feed-back models in the stock markets research imply an adjustment process toward investors’ expectation for current information and past experiences. Error-correction and cointegration are often used to evaluate the long-run relation. The Efficient Capital Market Hypothesis, which had ignored the effect of the accumulation of information, cannot explain some anomalies such as bubbles and partial predictability in the stock markets. In order to investigate the feed-back mechanism and to determine an effective model, we use daily data of the stock index of two Chinese stock markets with the expectational model, which is one kind of geometric lag models. Tests and estimations of error-correction show that long-run equilibrium seems to be seldom achieved in Chinese stock markets. Our result clearly shows the common coefficient of expectations and fourth-order autoregressive disturbance exist in the two Chinese stock markets. Furthermore, we find the same coefficient of expectations has an autoregressive effect on disturbances in the two Chinese stock markets. Therefore the presence of such feed-back is also supported in Chinese stock markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: From the point of view of no-arbitrage pricing, what matters is how much volatility the stock has, for volatility measures the amount of profit that can be made from shorting stocks and purchasing options. With the short-sales constraints or in the absence of options, however, high volatility is likely to mean arbitrage from stock market. As emerging stock markets for China, investors are increasingly concerned about volatilities of Chinese two stock markets. We estimate volatility''s models for Chinese stock markets’ indexes using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method and GARCH. We find that estimated values of volatility parameters are very high for all data frequencies. It suggests that stock returns are extremely volatile even at long term intervals in Chinese markets. Furthermore, this result could be considered that there seems to be arbitrage opportunities in Chinese stock markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Urgent measures for indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds are required in urban areas of China. Considering indoor air concentration levels and hazardous properties, formaldehyde and benzene should be given priority for pollution control in China. The authors proposed the use of air-cleaning devices, including stand-alone room air cleaners and in-duct devices. This study aimed to find the best combination of sorption and decomposition filters for the simultaneous removal of formaldehyde and benzene, employing four types of air filter units: an activated charcoal filter (ACF), an ACF impregnated with a trapping agent for acidic gases (ACID), a MnO2 filter (MDF) for oxidative decomposition of formaldehyde at room temperature and a photocatalyst filter (PHOTO) coupled with a parallel beam ultraviolet (UV) irradiation device. The performance of the combined systems under air flow rates of 35–165 m3 h−1 was evaluated in a test chamber (2 m3) with a constant gas generation system. The experimental results and data analysis using a kinetic approach showed the combined system of ACF, PHOTO and MDF significantly reduced both concentrations of formaldehyde and benzene in air without any unpleasant odours caused by the UV-induced photocatalytic reaction. The system was then evaluated in a full-size laboratory (22 m3). This test proved the practical performance of the system even at full scale, and also suggested that the filters should be arranged in the order of PHOTO/ACF/MDF from upstream to downstream. The proposed system has the potential of being used for improving indoor air quality of houses and buildings in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

China is becoming one of the world's most attractive retail markets. Though the literature lacks a comprehensive theory on country differences in the formation of customer satisfaction, such knowledge would enable foreign retailers to better adapt their marketing strategies to Chinese consumers. This study creates such a theory and tests it with data from seven countries. Hierarchical linear modeling shows that country differences in economic development and culture influence both (a) the level of customer satisfaction and (b) how customer satisfaction is influenced by its antecedents. Additional analyses specifically inform foreign retailers about how to adapt to Chinese consumer needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decompressional pressure-temperature ( P-T) path was estimated for ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) eclogite from the Sulu region of eastern China by applying geo-thermobarometers to well-preserved equilibrium mineral pairs. The sample studied is a kyanite-bearing eclogite that was collected from the Taohang area of the Sulu region. Garnet is relatively homogeneous in chemical composition, but omphacite has a clear chemical zoning with decreasing jadeite content from core to rim. Assuming that peak- P equilibrium compositions are preserved in the cores of garnet (Grt) and omphacite (Omp), P-T conditions were calculated to be about 700°C and 3.4 GPa. On the other hand, the jadeite content of omphacite rims varies from 0.35 to 0.46 mol.%. Nevertheless, the variation in Fe/Mg ratios of omphacite rims is very small. Temperatures of 566 ± 54°C were obtained at 1.5 GPa for garnet rim and omphacite rim pairs. These petrological considerations indicate that temperatures should have significantly declined during the early decompression stage of this eclogite. In other areas of the Sulu region, isothermal decompression paths were proposed, and it was concluded that the UHP rocks were exhumed as a large mass tens of kilometers in thickness to avoid thermal effects from the surrounding materials. However, the newly identified decompression path accompanying the significant cooling may indicate that the Taohang outcrop was located at the margin of the Sulu UHP terrane. Thus, the decompressional P-T path is not unique in the Sulu region and varies depending on the location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of stock market efficiency has received a great amount of attention in terms of theoretical and applied research over the last four decades. Unit root tests are often used to test market efficiency. It is most common to use GMM estimate to test orthogonality property of known information. Cointegration tests and estimate are used to explore the longrun equilibrium. This paper provides a full description for Chinese tock markets' efficiency. These empirical investigations suggest that there aresome evidences contradicting the unpredictable criterion of weak-form efficient market hypothesis in Chinese stock markets. We propose that the combination GMM method with cointegration estimate and tests could be a clever method to test the markets efficient and long-run equilibrium between the stock market's indexes and trade volume. We find there is no cointegration between these two variables, suggesting that there might well have speculative factors in the stock markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate what would happen in a Chinese historical family line. We have analyzed a particular family line which had a great many candidates who passed the very tough examinations for Chinese government officials over 500 years. First, we studied the genealogical records Zokufu in China. Second, based on the study, we implemented an agent-based model with the family line network as an adjacency matrix, and the personal profile data as an attribution matrix. Third, using the "inverse simulation" technique, we optimized the agent-based model in order to fit the simulation profiles to the real profile data. From the intensive experiments, we have found that both grandfather and mother have a profound impact within a family in (1) transmitting cultural capital to the children, and (2) maintaining the norm system of the family. We conclude that advanced agent-based models are able to contribute to the discovery of new knowledge in the fields of historical science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies executive compensation, firm performance, and corporate governance in China. In light of the mounting interest in the vital role of corporate governance in economic development, it is important to study how firms in developing countries provide incentives to their top executives. For transition economies struggling to transform their state-owned enterprises into profitable modern firms through various reform measures, the provision of efficient managerial incentives is especially important. Since the link between executive pay and performance represents the bulk of managerial incentives for top management, a closer look at the nature of the pay-performance link for top management in transitional economies will provide much needed information for evaluating the current reform effort and designing future reform measures.

The article examines the relationship between executive turnover and firm performance in China to measure how a firm solves two problems. They are the diverging interests of top managers and shareholders, and the diverging interests between controlling shareholders and minority shareholders, which may lead to "tunneling," or the expropriation of the latter by the former. Relating the personal future of the top executives to the company's performance serves several purposes. It aligns the interests of shareholders with those of the managers, and dilutes the alliance between the manager and the controlling shareholders thus protecting the interests of minority shareholders.

The article discusses the system of a direct detection Doppler wind lidar with the dual Fabry-Perot technique which has been built in Hefei, China. A dual, air-spaced Fabry-Perot etalon is designed as the frequency discriminator and the transmission characteristics are measured with a stabilized CW laser and a pulse laser. The FP etalon is used as the frequency discriminator in the lidar system, and its performance mainly determines the accuracy of Doppler measurement.

Chemical variations along with changes in microstructure of the principal constituent minerals make it possible to identify at least four equilibrium stages in the evolution of the Yangkou garnet peridotite in the Su-Lu ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt, eastern China: Stage I—a primary garnet lherzolite stage represented by coarse-grained (a few millimeters size) porphyroclastic aluminous pyroxenes + chromian spinel ± garnet; Stage II—an ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) stage defined by fine-grained matrix phases (0·1–0·3 mm size) of garnet + extremely low-Al orthopyroxene + high-Na clinopyroxene + chromite; Stage III—a medium-pressure stage defined by fine-grained mineral aggregates (<0·1–0·2 mm size) mainly composed of aluminous spinel + high-Al orthopyroxene in the matrix; Stage IV—an amphibolite- to greenschist-facies stage defined by poikiloblastic amphibole. Orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene thermometry and an empirical spinel barometer give temperatures of around 800–830°C and pressures of 1·2–2·9 GPa for porphyroclasts of Stage I. Garnet–orthopyroxene, garnet–clinopyroxene and empirical spinel geothermobarometers give relatively uniform P–T conditions for the matrix garnet–orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene–chromite assemblage of Stage II (∼730–760°C and 3·6–4·1 GPa). Aluminous spinel–olivine pairs in the aggregates give ∼650–680°C at 1·0–1·5 GPa for Stage III. The granulation of the studied rocks may have taken place during subduction (Stages I and II) of the host peridotite. The lack of kelyphitic rims around the matrix garnet and the preservation of incompatible assemblages in the matrix of the studied rocks is due to extremely low H2O activity during the early decompression stage. The peak temperature of associated eclogites in the Yangkou UHP unit is 700–800°C at 3·1–4·1 GPa. These observations suggest that the mantle fragment (garnet peridotite) and the crustal fragment (eclogite) in the Yangkou UHP unit both experienced a common UHP metamorphic event and that the exhumation path obtained by these reference points supports nearly isothermal decompression of the unit. The Yangkou UHP unit is considered to have been exhumed as part of a larger crustal mass (c. >10 km in size) along with the surrounding orthogneisses. Such isothermal decompression paths have also been reported from other areas of the Su-Lu belt and the Dabie Mountains. As the orthogneisses volumetrically account for >90% of these areas, buoyancy-controlled uplift probably played an important role in the exhumation of the UHP rocks, at least from the upper mantle to the lower crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mazhan Basin, Shandong Province, China, is located between the main faults, F3 and F4, of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone. It is an elongated basin more than 60 km in length and 8 km in width and contains a series of typical continental sediments (the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group). This series was divided into three sedimentary facies associations: conglomerate facies association; sandstone facies association of alluvial fan to lake margin environment; and siltstone facies association of lacustrine origins. Their zonal distribution pattern may represent a contemporaneous heterotopic facies due to a lateral facies change from margins to axis of the basin. Their stratigraphic sequence becomes younger northward along the boundary faults. This suggests that the depocenter of the fan–lake system tends to migrate northward along F3. From the asymmetric features (i.e. basin shape, lithofacies distribution, facies change) the Mazhan Basin can be explained by progressive subsidence at the Tangwu releasing bend of F3 with sinistral strike–slip movement. Judging from the fission track (FT) ages from the Wangshi Group, it was concluded that a sinistral strike–slip movement along the main fault, F3 of the Tan-Lu Fault in Shandong, has lasted until the Late Cretaceous. Its displacement is estimated to be larger than the migrated distance, 60 km, of the depocenter of the Mazhan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HRM and decision-making patterns can affect the overall effectiveness of joint ventures. Discusses the results of case studies of Chinese-Japanese and wholly Japanese ventures in China. Proposes that the Japanese managerial strategies may be more suited to building the new management norms in the initial phases of the joint venture while the Chinese managerial style ensures continued progress, within the Chinese cultural context, in the more advanced stages of the joint venture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urinary excretion of hippuric acid and methylhippuric acid was studied in workers (233 subjects; 122 men and 111 women) exposed to toluene and xylenes in combination and in non-exposed controls (281 subjects; 141 men and 140 women) recruited from the same factories or factories of the same regions. Smoking and drinking habits of the subjects were obtained by medical interviews. From each worker, one urine sample was collected at the end of a shift and analysed for hippuric and methylhippuric acids by high performance liquid chromatography. Air samples for the estimation of toluene and xylenes were collected with diffusive personal samplers. There was a linear correlation between the time weighted average exposure either to toluene or xylene isomers and the concentrations of hippuric acid or methylhippuric acid isomers in urine. Essentially no difference was found in the correlation between quantitative exposure and excretion in the three xylene isomers. Comparison of the slopes of regression lines indicated the absence of metabolic interaction between toluene and xylenes at the measured concentrations. The metabolism of toluene and xylenes was significantly reduced among smokers or drinkers compared with non-smokers and non-drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illustrates how the Saccharomyces cerevisiae NDI1 gene has been transcribed and translated in Chinese hamster cells. Methodology used in the study; Investigation of the expression of the yeast ND11 gene in mammalian cells; Mitochondrial localization of the NdI1 enzyme expressed in Chinese hamster CCL16-B2 cells; Concluding remarks on the NDI1 gene.

ABSTRACT Aim For the purpose of reducing both the consumption of crude drug resources and patient burden in preparing the decoctions, we developed a new preparation method for the decoctions of Kampo formula: immersion of powdered crude drugs in hot water ( IPCD method), inspired by a method of decoction that was widely used in the Song period of China. Methods Ephedra herb (terrestrial stem of Ephedra sinica), scutellaria root (root of Scutellaria baicalensis), and Kampo formulas that contain several crude drugs including ephedra herb and scutellaria root were powdered, and then immersed in hot water to extract the ingredients. The residue was filtered out using a commercially available tea server. The contents of marker compounds in the decoctions were measured. Results Using the IPCD method, the amounts of marker compounds from ephedra herb and scutellaria root transferred to hot water exceeded by 1.3-1.4-fold that obtained by the standard method of decocting the same amounts of cut crude drugs for >30 min. The amount of transferred marker compounds reached a plateau within 4 min after the beginning of immersion, suggesting that only 4 min of immersion is sufficient for the IPCD method. The sludge residue of powdered crude drug produced by immersion could be easily filtered with a commercially available tea server. Conclusion Using this method, the same or greater amounts of marker compounds were transferred in the decoctions in a much shorter time with lower consumption of crude drugs than with the usual decoction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, following our previous work on civil service examinations in imperial China, we investigate women's role in a Chinese historical family line using an agent-based simulation (ABS) model with a grid oriented genetic algorithm (GOGA) framework. We utilize a GOGA framework, because our ABS had such large parameter spaces with real values that it required much greater computational resources. First, we studied the genealogical records. Second, based on that study, we implemented an agent-based model with the family lines branched out into two clusters to compare different family norms. Third, using an "inverse simulation" technique, we optimized the agent-based model in order to fit the simulation profiles to real profile data with real-coded GA. From these intensive experiments, we have found that (1) The combined influence of the father, uncle, mother and the aunt has important significance in maintaining a successful family norm, and (2) a particular role of the aunt to pass it on as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is a dearth of information on the temporal changes in polychlorinated dibenzodioxin/furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) contamination, in both environmental and biological specimens, in China. We compared the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in human milk collected in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, in northern China in 2002 (n =30) and 2007 (n =20). The level of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs showed an increasing trend. The mean concentrations of PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs were 4.47TEQ pgg−1 fat and 6.24TEQ pgg−1 fat in human milk from Shijiazhuang in 2002 and in 2007, respectively. Based on statistical analysis of questionnaire data collected by in-person interviews with mothers, we found positive correlations between consumption of sea fish and PCDFs. The PCDDs, PCDFs, PCDD/Fs, and PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs levels in individuals consuming greater amounts of sea fish were higher than those consuming less sea fish, both with and without adjustments for potential confounding factors. Among 17 congeners of PCDD/Fs, the 2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF, and 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF congener concentrations in 2007 increased 134%, 55%, 53%, 57%, 65% and 130% when compared to 2002 levels, respectively. The 2007dl-PCB congener levels were greater than those of the 2002 samples, with the exception of PCB81 and PCB77. Specifically, PCB105, PCB114, PCB118, PCB123 and PCB156 had increased greater than twofold from 2002 to 2007. Continuous surveillance of PCDD/F and dl-PCB levels in human milk is needed to accurately evaluate both environmental contamination and the human health risk to neonates in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previously, we demonstrated that the concentrations of DDTs were greater in breast milk collected from Chinese mothers than from Japanese and Korean mothers. To investigate dicofol as a possible source of the DDTs in human breast milk, we collected breast milk samples from 2007 to 2009 in China (Beijing), Korea (Seoul, Busan) and Japan (Sendai, Takarazuka and Takayama). Using these breast milk samples, we quantified the concentrations of dichlorobenzophenone, a pyrolysis product of dicofol (simply referred to as dicofol hereafter), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) using GC–MS. Overall, 12 of 14 pooled breast milk samples from 210 mothers contained detectable levels of dicofol (>0.1ngg−1 lipid). The geometric mean concentration of dicofol in the Japanese breast milk samples was 0.3ngg−1 lipid and significantly lower than that in Chinese (9.6ngg−1 lipid) or Korean breast milk samples (1.9ngg−1 lipid) (p <0.05 for each). Furthermore, the ΣDDT levels in breast milk from China were 10-fold higher than those from Korea and Japan. The present results strongly suggest the presence of extensive emission sources of both dicofol and DDTs in China. However, exposure to dicofol cannot explain the large exposure of Chinese mothers to DDTs because of the trace levels of dicofol in the ΣDDTs. In the present study, dicofol was confirmed to be detectable in human breast milk. This is the first report to identify dicofol in human samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human breast milk samples collected in 2007–2008 from four countries, Vietnam (Hanoi), China (Beijing), Korea (Seoul) and Japan (Sendai, Kyoto and Takayama), were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Comparing with previous surveys, the present study indicates that the DDTs in breast milk from China and Vietnam had gradually decreased during the last decade, but were still 5–10 times higher than those in other nations. The ratios of p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT and o,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT were higher in Beijing than in the other countries, suggesting that there is less fresh intake of commercial DDT products and a possible exposure to dicofol in China. CHL and PCB levels were relatively higher in mothers from Japan, whereas β-HCH and HCB were more common in Chinese women. In Japan, it is suspected that mothers in the urban/coastal area (Sendai) were more continuously exposed to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) than mothers in the rural/inland area (Takayama). In addition, OCP levels in primiparae were significantly higher than those in multiparae from Japan and Korea. These indicate that both parity and regional factors are major determinants of the levels of OCPs and PCBs in human milk. On the other hand, higher concentrations of PBDEs were observed in mothers'' milk from Korea. The congener was dominated by BDE-47 (43–54%), followed by BDE-153 (23–33%) in all regions except for Beijing where BDE-28 (23%) was relatively abundant. In Japanese breast milk, regional and parity-dependent distributions were not observed for PBDEs. Among PBDE congeners, age-dependency was observed for BDE-153, which was negatively correlated (p <0.05) to the age of mothers in Kyoto (17 participants were housewives), while it increased with age in Sendai (10 participants were clerks). No such correlation was seen for BDE-47, indicating that BDE-47 was ingested and assimilated via different kinetics or routes from BDE-153 in Japan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Very limited information is available on body burdens and environmental levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs) in mainland China. In the current studies, human milk samples were collected from 30 breastfeeding mothers in Shijiazhuang city (industrialized) and 11 in the Tanshan countryside (agricultural) of Hebei Province in northern China. An additional 20 samples were obtained from mothers in Tokyo, Japan. PCDDs, PCDFs, and dl-PCBs in human milk were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. Our results show that arithmetic means for body burdens of PCDDs/Fs and dl-PCBs in Hebei were 3.6 and 1.9pg TEQg−1 fat, respectively, which were only about one fourth of the levels in Japan. In addition, no difference was found in the chemical levels except dl-PCBs between the urban and rural areas. Based on the results of an in-person interview of the Chinese mothers using a 59-item questionnaire, freshwater fish consumption was found to correlate with the body burden of dioxins. Principal component analysis of dioxin congeners revealed that the patterns of dioxins in the Hebei urban and rural areas are quite similar; however, they are clearly different from those in Japan. Collectively, our results suggest that the lower body burdens of dioxin in Hebei may be due in part to the relatively slow industrialization and a lower consumption of marine foods. Finally, the results indicate that comprehensive monitoring of dioxins and dl-PCBs in humans as well as in the environment and foods is necessary in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• 756 magnetotelluric data were inverted in the Tarim basin by 3-D MGS inversion scheme. • 3-D electrical conductivity structure in the Tarim basin was obtained. • The crystalline basement of the Tarim basin is divided into three types of basement. • The Tarim basin possesses the attributes of a cratonic basin. • The variable lithosphere depth distribution of the Tarim basin was obtained for the first time. The Tarim basin, located in northwestern China, is the largest inland basin with oil, gas, and mineral resources in China. To study the deep structure of the Tarim basin, we conducted a magnetotelluric (MT) survey of the entire basin using 756 datasets to build a three-dimensional (3-D) electrical conductivity model. Based on the initial 3-D model, which was derived from a two-dimensional (2-D) minimum support gradient (MSG) inversion, the electrical conductivity structure of the Tarim basin was imaged by a 3-D MT regularized inversion using the contracting integral equation method (CIE) and quasi-Newton optimization. Based on simulation results, a thick resistive anomaly exists near the center of the Tarim basin, which suggests that the basin has the properties of a cratonic basin. The basin is also surrounded by resistive lithosphere faults, which indicates that it has the properties of a fault basin. The crystalline basement of the Tarim basin is divided into a resistive craton basement, high resistance basalt basement, and conductive crevice water metamorphic basement based on the shallow resistivity structure. In addition, the lithospheric thickness was estimated using the deeper resistive structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]