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Aim To investigate the applicability of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance neurography (DW-MRN) in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Materials and methods In total, 47 patients with CTS (69 wrists) and 19 normal participants (38 wrists) was included in this study. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the median nerves in the carpal tunnel were determined using DW-MRN. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Results No significant differences in age or body mass index (BMI) were observed between the control and CTS groups. DW-MRN imaging showed obvious hyperintensity in the lesions in CTS wrists, while other nerve regions were related to slight hyperintensity. Interobserver variability analysis indicated excellent agreement regarding both the CSA and ADC measurements for the control and CTS groups. Both the mean CSA and ADC values of the median nerves in carpal tunnel in the CTS group were significantly higher than the control group. According to the ROC analysis, the CSA cut-off value was 11.7 mm2, and sensitivity and specificity were 66.7% and 89.5%, respectively. Conversely, the median nerve ADC cut-off value was 1.047×10−3 mm2/s. The sensitivity and specificity were 91.3% and 76.3.9%, respectively. Conclusion DW-MRN represents a highly reproducible diagnostic technique for CTS. The ADC value of median nerves in the carpal tunnel is significantly higher in CTS patients, which provides a potential powerful tool for the disease diagnosis.

(2017). House Price Determinants: The Roles of Fundamentals and Sentiments. Journal of Real Estate Practice and Education: Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 63-77.

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)Housing is characterized by durability, heterogeneity, spatial fixity, and extensive involvement of governments (Smith, Rosen, and Fallis, 1988). These characteristics pose unique challenges to housing market studies. Researchers have been constantly modifying standard economic models to account for these special traits. The efforts are most noticeable in the expansion of attributes in hedonic price models. Local public expenditure, for example, is included as an independent variable to capture the effect of government investment in local communities (Garcia, Montolio, and Raya, 2010). Distance to bus stops and city centers are used to capture the heterogeneity and local value of housing units (Soderberg and Janssen, 2001; Wang, Potogloub, Orford, and Gong, 2015). Lastly, intertemporal specifications are adopted to model house prices in various cycles (Edmonds, 1985; Knight, Dombrow, and Sirmans, 1995; Gatzlaff and Haurin, 1998; Hill, Melser, and Syed, 2009). Facing a constantly expanding list of attributes to be considered, some procedures and techniques have been developed to aid the selection of variables in hedonic price modeling (Huh and Kwak, 1997; Stadelmann, 2010).Recently, a notable change occurred in this research stream. Having considered a wide range of physical and institutional characteristics of housing markets, researchers and practitioners have become increasingly aware of the effect of psychological elements in this unique sector. Behavioral scientists have already identified applications in studies of pricing behaviors (Genesove and Mayer, 2001; Paraschiv and Chenavaz, 2011a; Sun and Ong, 2014), housing preferences (Arbel, Ben-Shahar, and Gabriel, 2014; Hui, Wong, Chung, and Lau, 2014), mortgage default and delinquency (Ong, Sing, and Teo, 2007; Ong, Neo, and Tu, 2008), and housing cycles (Arbel, Ben-Shahar, and Sulganik, 2009). Although the number of publications remains small, the evidence on the effect of behavioral biases is strong and consistent. Researchers are particularly concerned about the role of loss aversion in housing decisions.According to prospect theory (Kahneman and Tversky, 1979; Tversky and Kahneman, 1992), people decide by choosing the prospect with the highest utility. The utility is determined by two elements: a value function that assigns each event in the prospect a value and a weighting function that transforms the probability of the event. Loss aversion is a core feature that characterizes value function. it refers to people's asymmetric attitudes with respect to gains and losses, or more specifically, losses loom larger than gains. With loss aversion being able to explain economic phenomena, some of which are puzzling circumstances under expected utility theory, this concept has received wide attention. The literature on loss aversion has been expanding rapidly, with reported loss aversion effects varying considerably across research contexts. In a recent meta-analysis of loss aversion in production choices, Neumann and Bockenholt (2014) identified multiple moderators of loss aversion effects. They found that the loss aversion effect is significantly stronger for durable goods. Therefore, housing studies should pay attention to loss aversion, given the durability feature of housing products. Moreover, advances in the studies of loss aversion effects will significantly enhance our understanding on some much-debated topics in housing research. These topics include, but are not limited to, the dual role of housing products (i.e., being both consumption and investment goods), housing wealth effect, and housing cycles. The answers to these questions have significant implications on the decisions of homeowners and renters, developers, and government institutions. The investigation of loss aversion effects is both relevant and important in housing studies.As illustrated in Exhibit 1, homeownership is approximately 65% in the United States, with greater variation in the last two decades. …

Aims The possibility of endovascular reconstruction of aortic valve, sinus of Valsalva, and ascending aorta by a minimal-invasive single endograft has not been proven in vivo. Combining our own long-term experiences from transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and Thoracic Endovascular Repair (TEVAR) for ascending and arch dissection, we designed the special endo-graft: a novel one-piece valved-fenestrated-bifurcated endografting, and tried to endovascularly reconstruct the area from Left ventricular outflow tract to aortic arch in animal experiments. Methods and results For 20 healthy adult female pigs weighed between 62.3±2.2 kilograms, we did aortic compute tomography angiography (CTA) examinations and measured morphologic parameters of aortic root. Then we accordingly customized the valved-fenestrated-bifurcated endograft. The endograft was delivered through transapical access and endovascularly reconstructed the segment from aortic valve to proximal part of aortic arch. The overall technical success rate was 95% because of one case of delivery system failure. Instant transesophageal echography (TEE) and aortic CTA confirmed ideal position of the endograft, satisfactory function of aortic valve, and the patency of coronary arteries in all subjects. During follow-up, 12 subjects were sacrificed according to the plan and seven were followed up for 8.1±3.6 months. There was one unplanned death of cardiac infection (unplanned mortality: 5.3%). Follow-up re-examinations (aortic CTA, cardiac ultrasound, and electrocardiogram) found no adverse events. Among 12 sacrificed subjects, there was no evidence of fenestrations alignment lost and no myocardial ischemia according to the pathological analysis. Conclusion The novel one-piece valved-fenestrated-bifurcated endografting might be feasible for minimal-invasive reconstruction of aortic root in animal models, thus provided a prospect to simultaneously treat pathologies involving aortic valve and aortic root in endovascular way.

Five patients with primary malignancies in the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and infra temporal fossa (ITF) were enrolled in this retrospective study between January 2012 and January 2018. After malignancies proven by biopsy and evaluation with CT and MRI scan, all patients received modified maxillary swing (MMS) approach for extirpation of malignant tumors in the PPF and ITF under general anesthesia. En bloc resection with wide surgical margins was successfully performed in all cases. Negative margins were observed in 4 cases and positive margins were found in one patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma who received postoperative radiotherapy. The most common complication was facial numbness. During the follow-up period (range 12 to 57 months), one patient suffered from recurrence while others did not. The advantages of MMS include wide surgical field, full exposure and easy manipulation. The MMS approach is expected to become an standard method for monobloc resection of malignancies in the PPF and ITF.回顾性分析2012年1月至2018年1月于湖南省肿瘤医院头颈外科就诊的5例翼腭窝及颞下窝原发恶性肿瘤患者资料（3例女性，2例男性，年龄13~67岁），患者均经术前活检确诊为恶性肿瘤，颅底CT和MRI检查评估后，接受全身麻醉下改良上颌骨外旋入路切除手术。5例患者均一次性整块切除肿瘤。4例患者切缘阴性，1例腺样囊性癌患者神经切缘阳性并接受术后放疗。术后常见并发症为面部皮肤麻木。随访时间12~57个月，无死亡病例。1例患者肿瘤于颞下窝处复发，于外院再次手术切除；其余患者均无复发。改良上颌骨外旋入路具有术野宽敞，暴露好，便于直视下操作等优点，可为翼腭窝及颞下窝原发恶性肿瘤整块切除提供新的解决方案。.

The aim of this paper was to study sitagliptin in improving the endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and cardiac function of rats with diabetes mellitus (DM) and its possible pathway.Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into control group, DM group and sitagliptin group. The myocardial contraction and relaxation functions of rats in each group were observed via echocardiography. The changes in cardiac structure and fiber were observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Masson staining and Sirius red staining. The immunohistochemical assay was performed to observe the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and VE-cadherin in HAECs; the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HAECs was detected using the fluorescence probe. Moreover, the expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), phosphorylated-protein kinase A (p-PKA), PKA and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were observed via Western blotting.Sitagliptin could improve the myocardial contraction and relaxation functions in diabetic rats and EndMT and ROS production in HAECs. In the DM group, the expression of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was decreased, while the expression of stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) was decreased and the expressions of downstream PKA/ERK pathway and TGF-β1 were increased. The above changes could be reversed by sitagliptin.Sitagliptin can reverse the EndMT in HAECs as well as the cardiac function in diabetic rats through the SDF-1α/PKA pathway.

This study, we explores how information helps housing consumers make informed decisions and discusses potential market outcomes. Specifically, wWe analyse the interaction between the disclosure of information on property conditions and the disparity between home sellers’ willingness to accept (WTA) of home sellers and the home buyers’ willingness to pay (WTP) of home buyers. Three hypotheses are derived and validated through field experimental investigation within the property market. We find that the WTA–WTP disparity exists. The discussed policy instrument for information disclosure appears to function as expected. The release of information helps consumers adjust their judgment and estimation of future maintenance cost in the direction of true probability, reduces the time and monetary costs of searching information and corrects the high risk-premium they demand in buying resale properties. The WTA–WTP disparity is considerably reduced after information disclosure, and market liquidity and efficiency are improved. This study is an important complement to prior research on how information changes the behaviour of consumers in housing markets. Findings can inform the central government about the wide use of smart disclosure in the near future, as well as the scope, format and structure of information to be supplied to general housing consumers.

Housing wealth effect often manifests as a positive relationship between consumption and perceived housing wealth (e.g., the perceived value of houses). When the perceived value of a property rises, homeowners may feel more comfortable and secure about their wealth, causing them to spend more. This study adopts a behavioural approach to verify if this relationship holds true for residential energy consumption in the UK. While controlling for property characteristics as well as a large number of demographic, socioeconomic and energy-use behaviour variables, we identified a significant relationship between housing wealth and energy consumption. Our models also considered psychological biases in energy consumption behaviours such as the framing effect. Our findings not only shed light on the behavioural aspects of housing wealth effect on residential energy consumption, but also demonstrates the possibility and potential to ‘nudge’ households towards energy conservation. Most importantly, we also provide empirical evidences on the intriguing relations among housing wealth, residential energy consumption, and fuel poverty. We argue that overlooking the presence of fuel poverty risks a superficial interpretation of any identified housing wealth effect on residential energy consumption. The fuel vulnerable group should be analysed separately from the rest of the population due to their different energy consumption patterns. This finding is particularly helpful to design and implement energy consumption policies that can strike a balance between social justice and economic efficiency.

The study of reference dependence in property markets is of practical importance due to the unusual characteristics of property transactions, such as high information asymmetry caused by many individuals’ lack of experience in property markets. The overall low transaction frequency and general illiquidity of property markets can exacerbate and reinforce irrational behaviours such as reference dependence. The knowledge gained through an empirical investigation in the UK property market can assist in the attenuation of these distortions. We use a UK online panel data provider, Prolific, to conduct an online experiment on the formation and adaptation of reference points among home buyers and sellers in the UK. Over 600 valid responses were collected in January 2019. By analysing the reported ‘willingness to pay’ of buyers and ‘willingness to accept’ of sellers this paper identifies the presence of behavioural biases in the UK property market, and the extent to which they are caused by both historical and recent prices. The influence of aspirations and social comparisons is established in this novel context. The results of the experiment clearly indicate that reference dependence is prevalent in the UK property market, and both aspiration and social comparisons affect reference point dependence significantly. The observed behavioural bias in housing decisions are “predictably irrational”. The findings of this study pave the way for reliable economic modelling of such irrationality and a better understanding of behaviours in the housing market.

Uterine radial artery resistance index (URa-RI) by Doppler ultrasound may reflect the changes in the uteroplacental circulation and be associated with adverse events in early pregnancy. Recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) are associated with thrombophilia, and anticoagulation treatment with low molecular weight heparin improves pregnancy outcome in women with RPL and thrombophilia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 139 pregnant women with 3 or more RPL and thrombophilia. The relationship between pregnancy outcome and dynamic changes of URa-RI was analyzed in 116 women who delivered a liveborn infant and 23 who miscarried the index pregnancy. Patients were on preconception low molecular weight heparin, low-dose aspirin (81mg per day), and prednisone treatment. URa-RI was measured during periovulation time, at the time of positive pregnancy test, and then repeated every two weeks until 32-week gestation or the time of miscarriage. The URa-RI at 8-week gestation was significantly higher in women who miscarried the index pregnancy than those who delivered alive born infant (0.51±0.08 vs. 0.42±0.03, P

Chongqing has made remarkable progress in economic and social development since it was granted provincial city status in 1997. The city had become a leading economic centre for the upper part of the Yangtze River region and a focal point for an experiment in coordinated urban-rural development. How did the city accomplish such an impressive achievement in spite of the impact of the Global Financial Crisis from 2007 and the political turbulence of 2012? To answer this question, we summarise the economic and social developments in Chongqing over the last two decades and demonstrate how the Chongqing model helped the city to sustain fast economic development while achieving urban-rural integration. Given that Chongqing is set to be a critical hub in the ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative, this article provides a comprehensive update on the 2001 version of the Chongqing city profile, which was published shortly after the city became the fourth municipality directly under the control of central government. In addition, we discuss the lessons that some Chinese cities can learn from the Chongqing model when dealing with housing affordability issues and the challenges and opportunities for Chongqing in the OBOR initiative.

Funder: Economic and Social Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000269, Funder: Newnham College, University of Cambridge; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000663, We analyse land transaction and residential development data from Beijing, China and identify that developers��� evaluation of land transaction exhibits reference dependence and loss aversion. Developers with prior land transaction losses set higher house prices than those without prior losses. This effect is strongest at the beginning and towards the end of the property sales period. It is moderated by developers��� ownership structure and listing status. Privately-owned firms experience stronger effects than their state-owned counterparts, whereas unlisted firms are more strongly affected than their listed counterparts. Results have implications on the relationship between the land and the housing markets in China. In a booming land market where land acquisition entails a high price, developers will transfer excess land price to house prices, thereby increasing the latter. The land market plays an integral role in managing housing prices in China.

Amomum Longiligulare T.L. Wu fruit (A. Longiligulare) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat indigestion, cough and abdominal pain. In addition, it can create a nice refreshing effect in the mouth and tends to reduce body weight. In this research, A. Longiligulare fruit essential oil was successfully extracted by the hydrodistillation method. A. Longiligulare from Ninh Thuan province in Vietnam gave high extraction yield, which was about 4.6 ml/100g on weight dried basis. The optimum condition for hydrodistitllation without immersing A. Longiligulare powder at particle size smaller than 1 mm, at 1/8 material-water ratio, at water flow rate 2.7 g/min after 3 h distillation. Significantly, the high concentration of D-Camphor (46.714 %) and Bornyl acetate (31.809 %) were detected in essential oil from Ninh Thuan’s A. Longiligulare.

The purpose of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics, clinical efficiency, and pharmacoeconomic parameters of piperacillin/tazobactam administered by extended infusion (EI) or intermittent infusion (II) in the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in critically ill patients with low illness severity in China. Fifty patients completed the study, with 25 patients receiving 4/0.5 g piperacillin/tazobactam over 30 min as the II group and 25 patients receiving 4/0.5 g piperacillin/tazobactam over 3 h every 6 h as the EI group. Drug assay was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The percentage of the dosing interval for which the free piperacillin concentration (%fT) exceeds the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was calculated. The patients’ therapy cost, clinical efficiency, and adverse effects were also recorded. %fT>MIC was about 100, 98.73, and 93.04 % in the EI arm versus 81.48, 53.29, and 42.15 % in the II arm, respectively, when the microorganism responsible for HAP had an MIC of 4, 8, and 16 mg/L. The therapy cost in the EI group was lower than that of the II group ($1351.72 ± 120.39 vs. $1782.04 ± 164.51, p = 0.001). However, the clinical success rate, clinical failure rate, and drug-related adverse events did not significantly differ between groups. EI treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam was a cost-effective approach to the management of HAP, being equally clinically effective to conventional II.

In this study, we developed a framework to analyze the impact of land use policies on water area changes. We used quantitative and qualitative approaches in our model, including Delphi method, Moran's I, 3D kernel density surface (3D-KDS) technique, and orthogonalized regression. The model facilitates visual examination of spatiotemporal patterns in water area changes and identification of the net effect of land use policies on water area changes. We consider three types of land use policy and four control variables which include water management policy and climate change factors to test the model by using data from Ejina, an oasis area from Inner Mongolia, China. The results of both 3D-KDS and Moran's I coefficient showed distinctive patterns in negative and positive water area changes. Standardized coefficients from the augmented orthogonalized ordinary least squares (OLS) models helped isolate the net effects of the three types of land use policy on negative and positive water area changes. Land use policies had greater impact on hydrological environment changes than water management policy and climate change factors. Our model can be utilized to assess the effectiveness of land use policies in an area and aid in helpful in monitoring the implementation of existing policies and design of new land use policies.

The New-type Urbanization Plan in China is facing planning, economic, and environmental constraints. A fast-growing urban population imposes distinct pressure on social and natural resources in most cities. As a result, the urban land use pattern in China has rapidly expanded from planar to stereoscopic. Although the pattern has effectively maximized the utilization of land resources, the “one-size-fits-all” solution is not applicable to all cities in China. The assessment of the suitability of a city is important before the application of the “three-dimensional” (3D) development approach, especially for cities with important natural endowment at stake. This study proposes a framework to assess the potential of a city for 3D space development in China. Our model considers land use suitability, economic feasibility, and landscape visibility in urban 3D space development decisions. We use Liuzhou City as a case study to demonstrate the empirical implementation of this framework. Our analysis shows that the model can assist urban planners to visualize urban morphology and to identify optimal development directions. By balancing planning, economic, and environmental needs, our model enables local governments to meet their development targets without sacrificing the environment. The proposed framework is a useful tool for local government to realize the New-type Urbanization Plan while ensuring that urban residents “see the mountains, view the rivers, and remember their past.”

Background Results of the ADJUVANT trial established adjuvant gefitinib as an optimal choice for EGFR-mutated stage II-IIIA NSCLC patients. However, clinical benefit varied among patients. To investigate this heterogeneity, we performed comprehensive tumor genomic analyses on these patients. Here, we report the predictive MEDUSA model (Multiple-biomarker Evaluation to Determine the Utilization of Specific Adjuvant therapy) that can guide clinical decision of adjuvant therapy. Methods 171 baseline specimens from ADJUVANT (n = 95, gefitinib arm; n = 76, vinorelbine plus cisplatin [VP] arm) underwent targeted sequencing (Geneseeq 422-gene panel). Predictive biomarkers were identified by Cox regression with gene-by-treatment interactions, and a multi-gene composite score was developed to compare the benefits of these treatments. Results EGFR mutations were confirmed in all cases. TP53, NKX2-1, CDK4, MYC and RB1 were identified as predictive biomarkers. Specifically, gefitinib-favoring biomarkers include TP53 exon4/5 mutations (interaction HR [iHR] 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.93, p = 0.035), and copy number gain of NKX2-1 (iHR 0.26, 95% CI 0.098-0.68, p = 0.006), CDK4 (iHR 0.14, 95% CI 0.025-0.77, p = 0.024) and MYC (iHR 0.10, 95% CI 0.011-0.98, p = 0.048). RB1 alterations strongly favored VP (iHR 4.07, 95% CI 1.56-10.53, p = 0.004). The MEDUSA model was developed based on the above, and stratified patients into 3 groups: Strong Gefitinib-favoring (SG, n = 60), Moderate Gefitinib-favoring (MG, n = 87), and VP-favoring (VP, n = 24). Notably, the SG group demonstrated significant OS benefit with adjuvant gefitinib as well: HR of OS was 0.44 (95% CI 0.2-0.98, p = 0.04). Table: 1441PD . MEDUSA Score mDFS (m) 2y DFS(%) HR(95% CI) P SG ≤-0.5 34.5 vs 9.1 70.3 vs 11.0 0.21 (0.1-0.43) MG -0.5 to 0.5 32.8 vs 20.7 67.5 vs 41.0 0.61 (0.35-1.07) 0.08 VP ≥0.5 19.3 vs 34.2 41.6 vs 69.2 3.07 (0.98-9.52) 0.04 Conclusions Incorporating alterations in TP53, NKX2-1, CDK4, MYC and RB1, MEDUSA score could guide personalized adjuvant therapy for resected stage II-IIIA EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients. Clinical trial identification NCT01405079; Release at July 29. 2011. Legal entity responsible for the study Chinese Thoracic Oncology Group (CTONG). Funding AstraZeneca Roche. Disclosure Y. Wu: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Honoraria (self): Eli Lilly; Honoraria (self): Pfizer; Honoraria (self): MSD; Honoraria (self): BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim. H. Bao: Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. Toronto. Y. Chen: Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. Nanjing. Y.W. Shao: Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. Nanjing. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background High tissue-tumor mutation burden (tTMB) is a predictor of response to immunotherapy (IO). Tissue availability and tumor heterogeneity are barriers to tTMB use in clinical practice. Plasma-based blood TMB (bTMB) is a convenient alternative that strongly correlates with tTMB in non-small cell lung cancer. Whether this correlation holds true in other cancers is unknown. Here, we examined the correlation between bTMB and tTMB as well as the clinical utility of TMB as a predictive marker of response in a heterogeneous Phase I IO cohort. Methods Advanced cancer patients (pts) treated with mono- or combination IO therapy at the Princess Margaret phase I unit were enrolled. Pre-treatment plasma ctDNA and matched normal blood controls were collected via an institutional liquid biopsy program (LIBERATE, NCT03702309). Available archival tissue FFPE samples were analyzed. The GeneseeqPrime 425 gene panel was used to sequence both ctDNA and FFPE samples. Results From December 2017 to July 2018, 39 pts with 19 tumor types were accrued from 25 different trials, 87% of which involved a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor. The median age was 59y (21 – 77) and 52% were female. The most frequent cancers were colorectal, head and neck and breast, each with 5 cases. Thirty-one patients (79%) had detectable mutations in plasma ctDNA. The median bTMB was 5 (1 - 53) mut/Mb. Twenty-one pts had available FFPE samples. Of those, mutations were detected in 20 (95%) samples. The median tTMB was 6 (2 - 124) mut/Mb. Among the 16 pts with detectable mutations in both FFPE and plasma samples, a significant correlation between bTMB and tTMB was observed (r = +0.67; p Conclusions In a typical heterogeneous phase I IO cohort, bTMB was correlated with tTMB. In this small series, neither bTMB nor tTMB were associated with survival. However, 2/3 PRs had high bTMB. Further studies in larger cohorts are warranted. Legal entity responsible for the study Lillian Siu. Funding Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; BMO Chair in Precision Genomics; Geneseeq Technology Inc. Disclosure A. Wang: Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. J. Huang: Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. A. Spreafico: Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Merck; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Bristol-Myers Squibb; Advisory / Consultancy: Oncorus; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Idera; Research grant / Funding (institution), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Bayer; Research grant / Funding (self): Symphogen; Research grant / Funding (self): AstraZeneca/MedImmune; Research grant / Funding (self): Surface Oncology; Research grant / Funding (self): Jansseen Oncology; Research grant / Funding (self): Northern Biologics. A.R. Hansen: Advisory / Consultancy: Genentech/Roche; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): GlaxoSmithKline; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy: Boston Biomedical; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Boehringer Ingelheim; Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca/MedImmune; Honoraria (self): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Karyopharm Therapeutics. A.A. Razak: Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Merck; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Boehringer Ingelheim; Research grant / Funding (self): CASI Pharmaceuticals; Research grant / Funding (self): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (self): Deciphera; Research grant / Funding (self): Karyopharm Therapeutics; Research grant / Funding (self): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (self): Roche/Genentech; Research grant / Funding (self): Boston Biomedical; Research grant / Funding (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Research grant / Funding (self): MedImmune; Research grant / Funding (self): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (self): GlaxoSmithKline; Research grant / Funding (self): Blueprint Medicines; Research grant / Funding (self): AbbVie; Research grant / Funding (self): Adaptimmune. P. Bedard: Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Research grant / Funding (institution): Sanofi; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (institution): Genentech/Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Servir; Research grant / Funding (institution): GlaxoSmithKline; Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (institution): SignalChem; Research grant / Funding (institution): PTC Therapeutics; Research grant / Funding (institution): Nektar; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): Seattle Genetics; Research grant / Funding (institution): Mersana; Research grant / Funding (institution): Immunomedics; Research grant / Funding (institution): Lilly. H. Bao: Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. X. Wu: Leadership role, Full / Part-time employment: Geneseeq Technology Inc. T.J. Pugh: Advisory / Consultancy: DynaCare; Licensing / Royalties: Hybrid-capture sequencing for determining immune cell clonality; Licensing / Royalties: Combined hybrid-capture DNA sequencing for disease detection; Honoraria (self): Merck; Honoraria (self): Prosigna; Honoraria (self): Chrysalis Biomedical Advisors; Research grant / Funding (institution): Boehringer Ingelheim. L.L. Siu: Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca/MedImmune; Advisory / Consultancy: MorphoSys; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Symphony Evolution; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Genentech/Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Loxo; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Spouse / Financial dependant, Immediate Family Member - Leadership and Stock/Owenership: Angios; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Research grant / Funding (institution): GlaxoSmithKline; Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Boehringer Ingelheim; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Astellas Pharma. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Diamondback moth or DBM is the major pest of Brassica vegetable production worldwide. Control has relied on insecticides, and DBM resistance to these compounds has evolved rapidly. We review and summarize data on DBM population dynamics across a large latitudinal gradient from southwest to northeast China: DBM is, on average, more common in southern locations than in northern locations. The species' phenology is consistent: in southern and central locations there is a decline during hot summer months, while in the north, the species can only exist in the summer following migrations from the south. A cohort-based discrete-time model, driven by daily maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall, which was built using the DYMEX modelling software, captures the age-structured population dynamics of DBM at representative locations, with year round cropping and threshold-based insecticide applications. The scale of the simulated pest problem varies with cropping practices. Local production breaks and strict post-harvest crop hygiene are associated with lower DBM populations. Biological control appears to improve the management of DBM. Of the management strategies explored, non-threshold based applications of insecticides with reduced spray efficacy (due to poor application or resistance) appear the least effective. The model simulates the phenology and abundance patterns in the population dynamics across the climatic gradient in China reasonably well. With planned improvements, and backed by a system of field sampling and weather inputs, it should serve well as a platform for a local pest forecast system, spanning the range of DBM in China, and perhaps elsewhere.

The housing wealth effect often manifests as a positive relationship between consumption and perceived housing wealth (e.g. the perceived value of houses). When the perceived value of a property rises, homeowners may feel more comfortable and secure about their wealth, causing them to spend more. This study adopts a behavioural approach to verify if this relationship holds true for residential energy consumption in the UK. While controlling for property characteristics and a large number of demographic, socioeconomic and energy-use behaviour variables, we identified a significant relationship between housing wealth and energy consumption. Our models also considered psychological biases in energy consumption behaviours, such as the framing effect. Our findings shed light on the behavioural aspects of housing wealth effect on residential energy consumption and demonstrate the potential to ‘nudge’ households towards energy conservation. Most importantly, we provide empirical evidence on the intriguing relationship among housing wealth, residential energy consumption and fuel poverty. The findings of this study are particularly helpful in designing and implementing energy consumption policies that can strike a balance between social justice and economic efficiency.

Subsoil tillage loosens compacted soil for better plant growth, but promotes water loss, which is a concern in areas commonly irrigated. Therefore, our objective was to determine the physiological responses of high yield spring corn (Zea mays L.) to Subsoil tillage depth when grown in the western plain irrigation area of Inner Mongolia that leads to the best water use efficiency. The experiment during 2014 and 2015 used Zhengdan958 and Xianyu335 with three differing subsoil tillage depths (30, 40, or 50 cm) as trial factor and shallow rotary as a control. Subsoil tillage increased shoot dry matter accumulation, leading to a greater shoot/root ratio. Subsoil tillage helped retain greater leaf area index in each growth stage, increase the leaf area duration, net assimilation rate, and relative growth rate, with greater effects as tillage was deeper, effectively delaying the aging of the blade. Grain yields were increased by 0.7%–8.9% on average in subsoil tillage treatments compared to conventional soil treatment shallow rotary, Water use efficiency were increased by 1.93%–18.49% on average in subsoil tillage treatment compared to shallow rotary, resulting in net income increases by 2.24% to 6.97% compared to shallow rotary. Among the three different subsoil tillage depth treatment, the grain yield, water use efficiency, and net income is the best under the treatment of subsoil tillage depth of 50 cm.

Using an age-structured process-based simulation model for diamondback moth (DBM), we model the population dynamics of this major Brassica pest using the cropping practices and climate of Guangdong, China. The model simulates two interacting sub-populations (demes), each representing a short season crop. The simulated DBM abundance, and hence pest problems, depend on planting regime, crop hygiene and biological control. A continuous supply of hosts, a low proportion of crop harvested and long residue times between harvest and replanting each exacerbate pest levels. Biological control provided by a larval parasitoid can reduce pest problems, but not eliminate them when climate is suitable for DBM and under certain planting practices. The classic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) method of insecticide application, when pest threshold is reached, proved effective and halved the number of insecticide sprays when compared with the typical practice of weekly insecticide application.

Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide, which has been identified as an endogenous ligand for the GH-sretagogue receptor. The sequence and expression of ghrelin has been determined in many species. In this study, to reveal the molecular characterization and expression patterns of ghrelin in the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), the full-length DNA and cDNA encoding ghrelin were cloned from reindeer stomach using genome walking and rapid amplification of complementary deoxyribonucleic acid ends (RACE). The expression of ghrelin in almost all tissues was examined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The 4076 bp amplicon of the ghrelin gene consisting of 4 exons and 3 introns was cloned from reindeer. Results of cDNA cloning and sequence analysis revealed that the full-length ghrelin cDNA was composed of 539 bp that included a 5'-untranslated region (46 bp), an open reading frame (ORF) (351 bp), and a 3'-untranslated region (142 bp). In addition, ghrelin was expressed in the all tissues examined, with the expression in the abomasum significantly higher than that in other tissues (p0.05), followed by the pancreas, duodenum, testis and oesophagus. The results show that the expression of ghrelin in the reindeer gastrointestinal tract is extensive, suggesting its may have a role in regulating the digestive function.

The exploitation of geothermal energy could cause additional thermal load imposed to the foundation and surrounding soils. The effects of temperature changes on the response of energy piles which can induce thermal expansion and contraction of both piles and soils need to be examined. This study investigated the behaviors of an energy pile and the surrounding soil using the model test and 2D thermo-hydro-mechanical finite element-finite difference (FE-FD) method that can solve soil-water-temperature coupling problems based on three phase field theory. In the numerical analysis, the thermo-mechanical property of soil could be described by a new thermo-elastoplastic constitutive model, in which, the concept of equivalent thermal stress was adopted. Time change of temperature and displacement of the pile and soil, axial stress of pile are investigated. The simulated results are in good agreement with those obtained from the laboratory test on a model energy pile. Attention is dedicated to the development of pore water pressure that could cause thermo-consolidation of soil and bring the settlement of pile-soil system. In some circumstances, long-term instability of the pile-soil might happen through years of heating and cooling cycles.

This study examines the tail dependence of returns in international public real estate markets. By using daily returns of real estate securities in seven countries from 2000 to 2014, we analyze how the interdependence of international securitized real estate markets has changed since the Global Financial Crisis. We divide our sampling period into pre-, during, and post-crisis periods, and estimate both upper and lower tail dependence coefficients for each sub-period. Our empirical results confirm that most country pairs have changed from tail-independent to tail-dependent since 2007. Strong tail dependence persists throughout during crisis and post-crisis periods. The findings from the post-crisis sub-sample provide new evidences on increased tail dependence in global real estate market in recent years. We conclude that international real estate securities still offer diversification benefits nowadays but to a lesser extent than in the pre-crisis period. Investing in global real estate securities markets is beneficial for cross-region, mixed-asset portfolios.

Overconfidence is one of the most robust behavioral anomalies in financial markets. By attributing investment gains to their ability, investors become overconfident and trade aggressively in subsequent periods. Evidence from stock markets shows that overconfidence leads to excessive trading and, subsequently, inferior investment performance. However, studies on overconfidence effect are lacking in the real estate sector, which is particularly true for Asia Pacific real estate investment trust (REIT) markets. Thus, this study verifies the overconfidence effect in six Asia Pacific REIT markets, namely, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The study finds that the overconfidence effect is more conspicuous during market boom periods or in inefficient market conditions. In addition, simulation analysis demonstrates that overconfidence could lead to rather large volumes of excessive trading activities in certain markets. Findings are robust across the alternative measures of control variables. Moreover, the policy implications of the research are also discussed.

This paper proposed a theoretical framework based on prospect theory to explain the determinants of housing satisfaction among relocated residents. We test the two most important elements of prospect theory, namely, reference point dependence and loss aversion. For reference point dependence, we investigate the presence of both internal and external reference points; for loss aversion, we test its effect directly by comparing coefficients in loss and gain domains and indirectly by verifying the presence of the endowment effect. Our study area is Xiamen, China, where the recent urbanization frenzy provides a natural experiment setting to reliably test our hypotheses. Our empirical findings provide convincing evidence to support the four hypotheses developed from prospect theory, indicating that prospect theory is a working theory to better understand the motivations and concerns of relocated residents. Policy recommendations are subsequently derived to reduce social conflicts and disharmony caused by urban redevelopment and relocations.

China is in the midst of an unprecedented and critical period of strategic opportunities for land consolidation. In this process, the country has been confronted with new situations, opportunities, and serious challenges, all of which urgently require top-level design of strategic planning framework for land consolidation. Based on an SWOT analysis, we propose a strategic planning framework for land consolidation at the national level, with a focus on clarification of internal Strength–Weakness strategies and external Opportunity–Threat strategies involved in the land consolidation process. Whereas it can be concluded that land consolidation in China has not yet entered the stage of landscape-ecological pattern, it is on the brink of that stage. Thus, the proposed strategic plan should provide strong protection for continuous promotion of land consolidation through the application of a top-down and comprehensive design considering agriculture production, livelihood and ecology as comprehensive targets. Meanwhile, it should also unswervingly adhere to the “red line,” optimize the layout of urban and rural land use and propel a new landscape-ecological pattern of land consolidation. In this way, strategy-oriented support can be provided to improve land consolidation implementation and ensure that it is stable, coordinated and effective.

This article examines the impact of mega events on Beijing housing market from a behavioural perspective. By exploring the situation surrounding the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, we analyse the relationship between mega-event regeneration and expected residential relocation outcomes. Our findings suggest that Beijing Olympic regeneration caused disadvantaged groups to anticipate relocation to undesirable areas, as a result of improved infrastructure, public security, and urban environment. Behavioural sciences research indicates that expectation influences decision-making by serving as a salient reference point. Agents who perceived themselves as in a disadvantaged position or holding a gloomy prospect of their future are more likely to end up in such a situation. This paper offers insights into an effect of mega event regeneration projects that has been largely overlooked in the literature, i.e., the expected housing relocation outcomes. The research calls for government intervention and public attention to this important behavioural aspect of mega-event effects.

The marked impact of the welfare gap on total welfare within collectives has rarely, if at all, been addressed in traditional welfare theories and in Amartya Sen's theory of welfare functioning and capabilities. With this observation as our starting point, we constructed a research framework that combined welfare functioning, the welfare gap, and welfare capability to assess and analyze changes in the welfare of farmers whose land was requisitioned in Zhejiang province. The findings of our study were as follows. (1) The total welfare functioning of farmers whose land was requisitioned increased by 11.8% as a result of improvements in economic and dwelling conditions and community surroundings. However, social security and psychological conditions deteriorated. (2) Although total welfare functioning has improved, gaps are widening in the distribution of welfare functioning among farmers who underwent land requisition. This was evidenced by the increase of the weighted Gini coefficient, which rose from 0.26 to 0.32 after land requisition. (3) As a result of the improvement in welfare capability, a judgmental bias is evident when farmers assess whether they have gained or lost welfare after land requisition. We conclude that welfare studies should focus not only on the quantitative aspects of welfare distribution, but should also pay more attention to its fairness and impartiality. This can prevent social problems posed by an oversized welfare gap. Moreover, after land requisition, the government and community should provide education and training services, and the current one-time compensation model should be replaced by a lifelong compensation model. At the same time, endowment insurance should be extended in rural areas and urban medical insurance should be progressively incorporated into the social security benefits of farmers who have undergone land requisition.

We examined the relationship between the liver X receptor α gene (LXRα) polymorphism and the susceptibility to stroke. We utilized the single fluorescent-labeled probe technique to detect the genotype of rs12221497 in the LXRα gene in 400 stroke patients and 400 healthy control subjects. The difference in genotype distribution between the 2 groups was analyzed using the chi-square test. Serum lipids and glucose levels between the different genotypes were also compared. We found that the risk of stroke in carriers with the AA + GA genotype was 2.02-fold higher than that in GG genotype carriers (odds ratio = 2.02, 95% confidence interval = 1.18-2.87, P < 0.05), and that the risk of stroke in carriers with the A allele increased by 0.606-fold compared to that in G allele carriers (odds ratio = 1.606, 95% confidence interval = 1.158-2.228). Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for other confounding factors, the A allele was an independent risk for stroke. However, there were no differences in serum lipids and glucose levels between each genotype. We conclude that the rs12221497 polymorphism in the LXRα gene was associated with the susceptibility to stroke in a Han Chinese population.

Previous studies showed that miR-96 was associated with a carcinogenic effect. To investigate the expression of miR-96 and related target genes in the regulation of prostatic cancer, we compared the expression of miR-96 in both prostatic cancer and adjacent normal tissues, and explored the role of miR-96 in prostate cancer.PC-3 cell line originated from human prostatic cancer tissues was prepared. RNA was extracted for examination of miR-96 expression. The expressional alternation of miR-96 target genes, forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) and forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a), in prostatic cancer, was confirmed by PC-3 cells transfected with miR-96 and anti miR-96.Compared with control group, levels of FOXO1 and FOXO3a in PC-3 cells treated with anti miR-96 were 1.584 times and 1.637 times higher, respectively. Further, PC-3 cells were transfected with siRNA targeting FOXO1 and FOXO3a, resulting in a significant decrease of FOXO1 and FOXO3a expression, as verified by qPCR and Western blot analyses. Compared with untreated groups, proliferation and cell clonal formation exhibited a marked increase in PC-3 cells under transfection with both siR-FOXO1 and siR-FOXO3a.As target genes of miR-96, FOXO1 and FOXO3a confer protection against prostatic cancer, while the inhibition of FOXO1 and FOXO3a enhances cancer proliferation.

With the help of new technologies like 64-slice spiral CT, including latest AW4.4, 2D nodule comparing and analyzing technology, MPR and 3D technology, MIP technology and the technology of analyzing pulmonary vascular density by the method of perfusion scanning, we performed characteristic analysis of ground-glass opacities (GGO) for the early diagnosis of lung cancer.We selected 62 patients suspected of lung cancer, whose conventional CT showed that they were patients with GGO. With the help of the new technologies of 64-slice spiral CT provided by GE Company, prospective scans were made and 2 to 4 times of review were arranged. After that, the patients were treated with surgery or needle biopsy to get lesion's pathological results. After several scans, the results including lesion's form, density, blood supply, peripheral sign, doubling time and tissue perfusion were drawn to make a comparison. Based on the results, comparative analysis on GGO's characteristics was made from morphological and functional perspectives.41 patients (66.1%) were pathologically diagnosed with cancer, 10 were diagnosed with inflammation, 7 with fibrosis, and 4 with edema, hemorrhage and other lesions. The comparisons were made between the tumor groups' clinical manifestations (sex, age, symptoms including smoking, coughing, and expectoration), and the difference had no statistical significance (p0.05). Conventional CT scan showed that the shape of GGO was irregular and it showed spiculated sign and pleural indentation. The proportion of the patients with vessel convergence in the tumor group was significantly higher than that of the non-tumor group (p0.05). However, the comparisons between lesions' number, location (superior lobe of the right lung), diameter, edge (blur) and lobulation were made to get a difference ratio (p0.05) which had no statistical significance. Tumor group's doubling time was significantly short, and its perfusion parameters including BF, BV, MTT, and PS were increased significantly (p0.05).The new 64-slice CT technology has great value in the diagnosis of the tumorous GGO.