Search

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.”

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.

This article aims to identify and gain an understanding of the internal and external factors that affect building occupants’ energy consumption behavior, which includes biological, psychological, socioeconomic, sociodemographic, contextual, government regulations, time, physical environment, and building characteristics. Based on these factors a series of intervention programs and strategies are proposed aiming to change occupants’ behavior towards energy saving based on the well-known theory of planned behavior. The intervention strategies include feedback system, education, government incentive and policy, and social/peer influence strategies. In addition, the standard economic theory was introduced to provide a theoretical base for modeling the negative effect of energy price on energy consumption behavior. It should be pointed out that in addition to the implication of building energy saving practice, the frameworks, strategies, and factors presented in this article also provide pointers for future research.

The NAV discount is a long standing puzzle in the listed real estate context. In this paper we extend the existing literature’s rational and noise trader explanations by exploring the influence of specific irrational behaviors. Based on behavioral biases identified in the stock and real estate markets, we hypothesize the existence of a relationship between lagged NAV growth and the NAV discount. The findings provide initial evidence of trend-chasing behavior between the dual real estate markets. The results have broader implications for the perception of the relationship between public and private real estate markets.

This paper studies the influence of CEO overconfidence on firms’ financial performance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the US real estate investment trust (REIT) market. CEO overconfidence has been shown to have both negative and positive influences on firms. This paper is the first to combine the two sides in a single framework. We find that firms with overconfident CEOs tend to have better CSR performance. In addition, better CSR performance can increase firms’ financial performance, but this positive relationship is undermined by the existence of overconfident CEOs. Our results not only shed light on the two sides of CEO overconfidence in the real estate sector, but also provide a new prospective for research on the CSR–financial performance relationship.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the volatility clustering in the return of land markets through both theoretical and empirical approaches.Design/methodology/approach– Using extensive monthly panel data at the provincial level from 1986 to 2013, the authors identify the existence of time-correlated and time-varying returns in Canadian land markets.Findings– Consistent with the proposed theory, volatility clustering in land markets tends to be observed in more populated areas.Originality/value– The result has significant implications for portfolio management, economic theory and government policy by revealing the systematic pattern of volatility clustering in land markets.

By laser melting technique, TiCxNy ceramics are prepared under the laser powers of 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 W, respectively. The size of molten pool decreases with the increase of scanning speed from 1 to 4 mm/s at a certain power. TiCxNy microstructure continuously changes from the top to bottom of molten pool. Based on the XRD spectrum, the composition of ceramic can be confirmed as Ti(O0.19C0.53N0.32), C0.7N0.3Ti, C2MoTi, and Ti8C5. Based on the analysis of the growth process, the growth conditions can be confirmed. The maximum depth of molten pool obtained at the laser energy density of 500 W/cm2. The more deviation from this value, the more shallow the pool. The corrosion experiment result shows that TiCxNy ceramic has good corrosion resistance to various corrosive agents except HNO3.

Purpose – In this research, the purpose of this paper is to assess the relative pricing behavior for land in Beijing, China. The paper sees this as important for three core reasons. First, China has a strong growth economy but is still in many ways an undeveloped country and thus the paper do not have significant data about asset pricing behavior there. Second, China has not traditionally had a market-based land and property transfer system – thus, it is interesting to assess how prices are determined relative to typical market expectations. Third, the authors have extensive evidence on pricing behavior in the USA and Europe but little such evidence on China – are the same variables important in land pricing in China and are there other unique local variables. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyzes prices of non-industrial and industrial land separately using a comprehensive data set and a semi-parametric framework. The data and flexible model specification allow the hedonic price coefficients to be estimated more accurately. Findings – The key results are that pricing behavior in general follows the traditional expected variables as determined by size, planning use, location and other neighborhood characteristics. However, the authors also find that land prices are associated with buyer characteristics; for example, foreign investors pay less than local investors. Originality/value – The study fills the gap in the literature in two ways. First, this paper analyzes prices of non-industrial and industrial land separately using a comprehensive data set and a semi-parametric framework. The data and flexible model specification allow the hedonic price coefficients to be estimated more accurately. Second, and more importantly, the authors find evidences that land prices in China are determined by both market force and “Chinese characteristics.” The land market, although established only recently, is at work. In line with the literature, determinants such as size and planning uses are found to be important in determining land prices.

Endowment effect refers to the reported gaps between willingness to accept and willingness to pay. According to prospect theory, this effect is a result of the underweighting of opportunity costs. Given the high stake involved in a typical housing transaction, endowment effect is expected to have a significant influence on housing decisions. We develop a theoretical framework to study the presence of endowment effect and its role in housing decision-making process. Three hypotheses are derived and tested through a field experiment conducted in Beijing, China. Our empirical results show that endowment effect plays an important role in the formation of judgmental biases in housing decisions. Moreover, endowment effect interacts with housing cycles. Our study highlights the application of prospect theory in the housing market; thus, it not only extends existing theoretical and empirical works in this important sector, but also clarifies consumer behavior in the emerging property market of China. First Publish Online: 14 Dec 2016

Vehicle communication technology, as the core technology of intelligent transportation system, is expected to pass various communication connection means, combined with artificial intelligence, situational awareness, monitoring device, and precise positioning system, to solve the demand of the intelligent transportation system in the car safety, transportation efficiency, and the information service, etc. And it has the potential to serve driverless system. Device-to-device(D2D) communication is suitable for short distance vehicle communication because of its related characteristics and advantages. D2D users multiplexing cellular network spectrum will bring the same frequency interference problems. In order to avoid interference, improve system performance, this paper proposes a vehicle networking D2D communication mode based on spectrum sensing dynamic selection method. Simulation results show that the system capacity can be maximized by changing the sensing time of spectrum. Dynamic selection model is verified through the comparison superiority, and provides the intelligent transportation system a better vehicle-to-vehicle communication method.

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.

Summary Wnt pathways play an important role in pre-implantation embryo development, blastocyst implantation, and post-implantation uterine decidualisation. However, little is known about the potential role that Wnt signaling plays in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (URSM), and no single biomarker with a high predictive value of maternally caused URSM has been identified. We aim to study the molecular mechanisms by which the Wnt pathway controls the progression of early pregnancy by investigating the expression of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), one of the Wnt agonists, in URSM patients. Plasma and fresh decidual tissues samples were collected from 59 subjects (29 patients with URSM and 30 patients with normal, early pregnancy). Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay system and quantitative real-time RT-PCR were used to determine the serum levels of DKK1 and DKK1 mRNA in the deciduas, respectively. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to measure DKK1 protein levels in the deciduas. Serum DKK1 levels were significantly higher in URSM patients compared to the control group (P

For the first time a novel wideband tunable forced-mode ring resonator is proposed, which consists of a half guided-wavelength (λ g/2) ring resonator and two loading capacitors with different values. By controlling the respective values of the two capacitors, the fundamental resonant frequency (f fund) of the proposed ring resonator can be shifted up and down, resulting in a bi-directional tuning of f fund. With this new design, the tuning range of f fund can then be significantly extended to approximately double the range of the conventional tunable ring resonator. Meanwhile, no other resonance occurs in the wideband frequency-tuning range of f fund. The design equations of the proposed ring resonator are derived by using odd- and even-mode analysis, and the operating principle is investigated and presented. For demonstration, the proposed tunable technique is verified by the simulation and experiment, and the measured tuning range of f fund reaches 1.25 octaves, that is 0.68 → 1.53 GHz.

In this study, tunable dual-mode microstrip patch resonators are presented and utilised to design microstrip bandpass filters (BPFs). The novelty of the designs lies in that the performance of frequency agility can be realised by using either the signal line or the return path (the ground) of microwave transmission line. For the proposed resonators, the resonant frequencies of two coupled degenerate modes can be tuned using a square-loop slot with loaded tunable capacitors on the ground plane or on the patch. The locations of the capacitors are determined according to the electric field distributions of the two orthogonal modes. The variations of the modes in spectrum are studied. Finally, two types of demonstration compact tunable BPFs are designed and fabricated, and the simulated and measured results show good agreement.

A novel microstrip tri-band bandpass filter (BPF) based on stub-loaded triple-mode resonator is proposed. The open- and short-circuited stubs are asymmetrically loaded to a uniform impedance open-loop resonator, constructing a triple-mode resonator. Benefiting from the proposed asymmetrical loading scheme, the designed tri-band BPF not only possesses the controllable bandwidths of the three passbands, but also shows very wide stopband. Finally, a tri-band microstrip BPF with good performance is designed at 1.5, 2.57, and 3.83 GHz. Three transmission zeros near the passbands are obtained to improve the selectivity of the tri-band BPF. Meanwhile, the other transmission zeros produced in the stopband enhance the harmonic suppression level. The rejection level from 4.3 to 13.7 GHz is better than 20 dB. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated data.

Bioactive oils extracted from sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries contain highly nutritional and medicinal compounds; however, the oil contents of sea buckthorn berries are very low. Thirteen inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers were used to identify markers associated with oil content of dry pulp in 51 cultivars and lines, which clustered into three major groups based on 137 polymorphic markers. Dry pulp oil contents in 45 cultivars and lines in Group I ranged from 6.6 to 33.1%; these accessions belonged to H. rhamnoides ssp mongolica and its hybrids with H. rhamnoides ssp sinensis. Three lines (H. rhamnoides ssp mongolica) in Group II had high dry pulp oil contents (33.7 to 37.5%), whereas three lines of hybrids in Group III had low dry pulp oil contents (10.9 to 17.5%). The dry pulp oil content of H. rhamnoides ssp mongolica (27.2 ± 0.9%) was higher than that of hybrids (12.0 ± 1.2%) (P < 0.01). Four ISSR markers (881340, 8251000, 817380, and 8071100) had positive association with high dry pulp oil content (P < 0.01) using stepwise multiple regression analysis. The use of these ISSR markers is a potential strategy to select genotypes with high dry pulp oil content and suitable parental combinations for improvement of sea buckthorn berries.

To compare the clinical features and high-resolution esophageal motility-impedance characteristics among esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (Eoo) patients, type Ⅱ achalasia (Ach) patients and healthy controls (Con), in order to explore the values of esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) in diagnosis and treatment of Eoo patients.Patients with dysphagia were enrolled from December 2011 to December 2014 at the outpatient department of Peking University Third Hospital, so were age-matched healthy volunteers. All the patients with organic obstruction were excluded. All the participants were tested with high-resolution esophageal motility-impedance measurement, the patients were diagnosed as Eoo or Ach according to the Chicago classification criteria. Clinical features and esophageal motility characteristics of Eoo, Ach and Con were analyzed.A total of 23 Eoo, 24 Ach and 20 Con were enrolled, whose gender ratios, average ages and body mass indexes were of no significant differences(all P0.05). (1) The Eoo group had higher percentage of food reflux[21.7% (5/23) vs 0(0/24), P=0.005]and belching[17.4% (4/23) vs 0 (0/24), P=0.013], but lower percentage of dysphagia[47.8% (11/23) vs 79.2% (19/24), P=0.025]and vomiting[0(0/23) vs 12.5%(3/24), P=0.040]compared with the Ach group, with no significant differences in other symptoms(all P0.05). Besides, the Eoo group had lower Eckardt scores than the Ach group[1(1, 2) vs 3 (2, 5), P0.001]. (2) The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure-minimum in the Eoo was higher than the Con[(26.73±2.77) vs (17.16±1.76) mmHg, P0.05]. The mean LES basal pressure; and the LES integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), IRP-maximum, and LES relaxation percentage were significantly different among Eoo, Ach and Con[(19.80±1.25) vs (35.95±2.36), (8.43±0.72) mmHg, both P0.05; (23.22±2.02) vs (48.37±3.71), (12.32±1.29) mmHg, bothP0.05; 38.61%±3.10% vs 12.42%±5.66%, 64.00%±3.85%, both P0.05]. (3) There were significant differences in velocity, amplitude, and duration of esophageal peristaltic wave and intrabolus pressure (all P0.05) among Eoo, Ach and Con; and failed contraction percentage, panesophageal pressurization percentage, premature contraction percentage, and rapid contraction percentage of Eoo were lower than Ach (all P0.05) while complete contraction percentage of Eoo was high compared with Ach (P0.001), but no significant differences between Eoo and Con. (4) The Eoo had significantly less incomplete bolus clearance[0.00% (0.00%, 20.00%) vs 100.00% (90.00%, 100.00%), P0.001]and shorter bolus transit time[(5.44±0.29) s vs (24.13±1.69) s, P0.001]than Ach, but there were no significant differences between Eoo and Con in these two indexes[0.00% (0.00%, 20.00%) vs 0.00% (0.00%, 9.75%); (5.44±0.29) s vs (5.30±0.19) s; both P0.05].The clinical manifestations and esophageal HRM characteristics of Eoo appear to be between Ach and Con, which suggests that Eoo may be an early-stage of Ach. Further study of the pathophysiological characteristics of Eoo patients may provide more evidence to elucidate the pathogenesis of achalasia.