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Background Bladder cancer is classified into high and low grades with different clinical treatments and prognoses. Thus, accurate preoperative evaluation of the histologic grade through imaging techniques is essential. Purpose To investigate the potential of amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI in evaluating the grade of bladder cancer and to evaluate whether APTw MRI can add value to diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at MRI. Materials and Methods In this single-center prospective study, participants with pathologic analysis-confirmed bladder cancer with no previous treatment, lesions larger than 10 mm, and adequate MRI quality were enrolled from July 2020 to September 2021 in a university teaching hospital. All participants underwent preoperative multiparametric MRI, including APTw MRI and DWI. The mean APTw and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the primary tumor were measured independently by two radiologists. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of these quantitative parameters. Results In total, 83 participants (mean age, 64 years ± 13 [SD]; 72 men) were evaluated: 51 with high-grade and 32 with low-grade bladder cancer. High-grade bladder cancer showed higher APTw values (6% [IQR, 4%-12%] vs 2% [IQR, 1%-3%]

The trifluoromethyl group and other fluoroalkyl groups have received great attention in organic and medicinal chemistry due to their unique properties, such as their strong electronegativity and high lipophilicity. Consequently, the development of methods for the introduction of trifluoromethyl and fluoroalkyl groups into organic molecules has recently seen remarkable progress. In this chapter, copper-catalyzed/mediated fluoroalkylation reactions, including trifluoromethylation, difluoromethylation, and trifluoromethylthiolation are summarized.

Ricinoleic acid is a kind of unsaturated fatty acids in oil of castor bean (Ricinus communis) seeds with wide application value. However, there is little transcriptomic information on genes related to ricinoleic acid biosynthesis in castor beans. To better understand the regulation mechanism of ricinoleic acid biosynthesis, immature seeds at three developmental stages (S1, S2, and S3 corresponding to 15, 30, and 45 d after pollination) were collected. The results indicated that the accumulation of castor bean oil and ricinoleic acid increased gradually during seed development, and reached the maximum value at the late stages of seed development (45 d after pollination). Furthermore, RNA sequencing was conducted to analyze the transcriptome of the developing seeds at three developmental stages. Totals of 9 875 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among the three time points. Based on the annotation information, 49 DEGs related to lipid biosynthesis were screened among all DEGs. Through cluster analysis of the 49 DEGs, ten genes with increasing FPKM values from seed development stages S1 to S3 were selected as candidate key enzymes, since they showed similar patterns of increase with castor bean oil accumulation and ricinoleic acid biosynthesis during seed development. The transcriptomic data of the 10 candidate key enzyme genes was further validated by RT-qPCR. Ultimately, a putative model of key genes correlated with ricinoleic acid accumulation was built. Our study identified a series of key genes and revealed the proposed molecular mechanism of ricinoleic acid accumulation in castor bean seeds through the transcriptional analysis. It broadens our knowledge of ricinoleic acid biosynthesis and castor bean oil accumulation and also provides a theoretical foundation for the genetic engineering key genes that can improve the ricinoleic acid production in castor beans as well as in other plants.

High myopia is an important cause of low vision and blindness in the world, most of which are characterized by the prolongation of the axial length, accompanied by various degenerative changes of fundus posterior pole, especially in the optic disc area and peripapillary structures, such as optic disc tilt, optic cup and rim changes, chorioretinal atrophy, posterior staphyloma and intrachoroidal cavitation, and so on. This article reviews the optic disc morphological features and peripapillary structure changes of high myopia, in order to reveal the pathogenesis of high myopia and provide new ideas for finding more effective prevention and treatment methods.高度近视眼是导致低视力及盲的重要原因之一，多以眼轴不断延长，伴随眼底后极部出现各种退行性改变为特征，其中视盘区的形态及盘周结构变化尤为明显，如视盘倾斜、视杯与盘沿改变，视盘旁脉络膜视网膜萎缩、后巩膜葡萄肿以及脉络膜内空腔等。本文就高度近视眼的视盘形态特征及盘周结构变化作一综述，以期揭示高度近视眼发生发展的病理机制，为寻找更为有效的防治方法提供新思路。.

This study evaluates the partial exclusion effects of store promotion. We find that a manufacturer with a better brand name has a higher willingness-to-pay for promotion services offered by retail stores or online platforms. The promotion results in higher sales-weighted average prices (wholesale and retail) and a larger inter-brand price gap. The stores or platforms extract more profits from manufacturers and consumers through the promotion services. The effects on consumer surplus and social welfare depend on whether the promotion alters consumer preferences. If it does, more consumers would be choosing their less-preferred brands because of the larger inter-brand price gap, which would be socially inefficient. If it does not, the promotion may help to correct the price distortion, but the social welfare effect is positive only when the promotion effect is small enough. In both cases, the promotion services reduce the total consumer surplus by softening inter-brand competition.

This paper examines the effects of fiscal decentralization on the default risk of Chinese local government debts based on data from both urban construction investment bonds and local government bonds. The empirical evidence indicates that while fiscal revenue decentralization tends to mitigate the default risk of local government debts, fiscal expenditure decentralization increases it. Four policy measures, namely, fiscal transparency, hard budget constraints, debt quotas, and local officials' ability to manage debt are also introduced to investigate how they affect the influence of fiscal decentralization on Chinese local government debt risk.

Glioma is one of the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumors with high recurrence rate and mortality rate and heavily depends on the angiogenesis. LncRNA H19 has many diverse biological functions, including the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. Here, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of lncRNA H19 affecting angiogenesis in glioma, which could help to uncover potential target for glioma therapy. RT-qPCR analysis was performed to detect the expression of lncRNA H19 and miR-138 in HEB, U87, A172 and U373 cell lines. MTT assay was used to evaluate the cell viability. To evaluate the migration and invasion after lncRNA H19 knockdown, Transwell and wound healing assay were employed. After lncRNA H19 knockdown, protein expression of HIF 1α and VEGF was detected by western blot and tube formation was assessed. For the prediction and validation of the interaction between lncRNA H19 and miR-138, bioinformatics and luciferase assay were performed. We investigated the regulatory roles and downstream molecular mechanisms of lncRNA H19 in glioma by knockdown H19, which inhibited the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of glioma cells. Moreover, miR-138 acted as a target of H19 as detected by luciferase reporter assays. Meanwhile, HIF-1α was also a target of miR-138 and miR-138 could also regulate the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of glioma cells by targeting HIF-1α and affecting the expression of VEGF in turn. Our findings identified an upregulated lncRNA H19 in glioma cells, which could promote proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis via miR-138/HIF-1α axis as a ceRNA. This study provided a new opportunity to advance our understanding in the potential mechanism of lncRNA in glioma angiogenesis.

To investigate the pregnancy and obstetric outcomes of patients with congenital uterus didelphys who achieved clinical pregnancy after in-vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).This was a retrospective matched-cohort study of 83 infertile patients with uterus didelphys who underwent IVF/ICSI and achieved clinical pregnancy from January 2005 to December 2018 at our center. For each patient in the study group, three control patients with normal uterine morphology who underwent IVF/ICSI in 2018 were selected randomly. Patients in the two groups were matched for number of gestational sacs, maternal age, infertility type, cause of infertility, fertilization method, endometrial thickness 1 day before embryo transfer and number of embryos transferred. The classification of congenital uterine anomalies was based on the American Fertility Society system (1988). The pregnancy and obstetric outcomes of the didelphic and control groups were compared separately for singleton and twin pregnancies, and for all pregnancies combined.In singleton pregnancies, women with uterus didelphys had increased risk of preterm birth (odds ratio (OR), 4.68; rate difference (RD), 0.14; P 0.001), Cesarean section (OR, 2.80; RD, 0.17; P = 0.016) and birth weight 2500 g (OR, 4.06; RD, 0.10; P = 0.017) compared to women with normal uterine morphology. In twin pregnancies, the presence of uterus didelphys was associated with increased risk of preterm delivery (OR, 4.79; RD, 0.37; P = 0.006), perinatal mortality (OR, 3.16; RD, 0.19; P = 0.043) and birth weight 2500 g (OR, 9.57; RD, 0.35; P = 0.001).The presence of uterus didelphys was associated with significantly increased risk of some adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to pregnancies with normal uterine morphology in women who underwent IVF/ICSI. A twin pregnancy in women with uterus didelphys was associated with worse perinatal outcome. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Study question What are the ultrasonic characteristics of heterotopic intramural pregnancy (HIMP)? How to manage and what about the clinical outcomes of HIMP? Summary answer Expectant management may be a considerable choice for an non-viable intramural pregnancy (IMP). Most intrauteine pregnancies (IUPs) of HIMPs seems to have good outcomes. What is known already Heterotopic pregnancy (HP) post in vitro fertilization is very rare in infertility women, with a prevalence of 0.04%. HIMP is one of the rarest types of HP, where one gestational sac (GS) is embedded within the endometrial cavity and the other one GS is implanted in the myometriun. HIMP was firstly and only described by Jiangtao Lyu et al. in 2018. So far, little is known about its natural history and ultrasonic imaging characteristics. And there is no consensus regarding the ultrasound diagnosis and clinical management for HIMP due to few evidence-based medicine records. Study design, size, duration A retrospective observational study was conducted of 6 infertile women who obtained a HIMP through in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) between January 2009 and December 2019 at our reproductive centre. Participants/materials, setting, methods Six infertile women conceived a HIMP via IVF-ET were retrospectively retrieved between January 2009 and December 2019 at the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (Changsha City, China). The ultrasound diagnosis, clinical management and pregnancy outcome of these cases were analysed. The ultrasound findings, therapeutic methods and clinical outcomes were obtained from the hospital’s electronic medical records. This study was approved by the local ethics committee. Main results and the role of chance: Six women with HIMPs were retrospectively analysed. Among them, 5 cases were revealed by ultrasound scans; however, one case was misdiagnosed. The diagnostic accuracy was 83.3%. Five cases of HIMP were diagnosed at initial scan. The diagnostic time ranged from 22 to 38 days after ET (5 + 6 - 7 + 6 weeks). Among them, an intramural GS was observed in all 5 cases; embryonic cardiac activity (ECA) was detected in one case by the followed-up scans; there was a yolk sac only in one case; an empty GS was noted in 3 cases. An IUP was revealed in all 6 cases, and ECA was observed in 5 cases at the initial diagnosis or later. A GS with a yolk sac only was showed in one case. Among the 5 diagnostic women, one case with a live IMP was treated with laparoscopy at 8 + 1 weeks, 4 cases were managed expectantly. Of them, the IUPs of 4 cases delivered live infants and one case managed expectantly experienced miscarriage. In one case, IMP was misdiagnosed as interstitial pregnancy at day–28 scan. Exploratory laparoscopy and foetal reduction were performed at 8 + 2 weeks. Laparoscopy confirmed an IMP and the retained IUP delivered a live infant. Limitations, reasons for caution The case numbers are too few to draw any objective conclusions, because of the extreme rarity of HIMP. Thus, a further multi-centre larger prospective study will help to confidently illustrate the clinical significance, and effective and appropriate management method for women with a HIMP. Wider implications of the findings: Our study showed that HIMP may not be as rare as previously reported. Increased awareness of this condition, better comprehension of the diagnostic criteria and improved resolution of ultrasound equipment may result in more frequent and accurate detection of HIMP, which will be helpful for early management to preserve IUP. Trial registration number Not applicable.

除了间歇性缺氧和睡眠结构破坏等特征外，阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA）患者的免疫功能也发生了改变。国内外研究表明，OSA患者多种免疫细胞数量及功能均发生了改变，且OSA患者这些免疫功能的改变与一系列疾病如感染、动脉粥样硬化、肿瘤及自身免疫性疾病等发生率的增高相关。本文就阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的免疫功能改变及其可能的机制作出简要综述。.

An ever-increasing number of developing economies with varied levels of financial development have adopted Inflation Targeting (IT) frameworks to guide monetary policy. Using a panel dataset of 54 developing economies over the period 1980 to 2015 (30 of which have IT frameworks), we re-visit the rather controversial issue of whether adoption of an IT framework leads to superior outcomes in terms of reducing inflation and its variability. After controlling for potential endogeneity and self-selection concerns of policy adoption, our main empirical finding is that IT frameworks appear to reduce inflation rates in developing economies regardless of the level of financial development, while it reduces variability of inflation rates only when we control for levels of financial market development. We further find that the effectiveness of IT framework on inflation is highly dependent on financial inclusion and bank characteristics, while the effect on inflation variability is more associated with components of capital market development.

Building on an analytical model, we provide cross-country empirical evidence that net skilled emigration appreciates bilateral real exchange rates through the wage channel in source countries. Chains of causality in the presence of the Law of One Price run through the “spending effect” and the “resource allocation effect,” analogous to the remittance-based Dutch disease effect. A pricing-to-market model allows pass-through for both traded and nontraded prices when the Law of One Price is violated. The skilled emigration elasticity of real exchange rate is estimated to be in the range of between 0.6 and 0.8, with internal prices playing a dominant role. Alternative model specifications show robust outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6) in the process of the migration and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs). METHODS: After different concentrations of recombinant human Gas6 (rhGas6) were added to hPDLCs, cell prolife-ration experiment (CCK-8) was taken to observe the effect of rhGas6 on hPDLCs cell proliferation. Scratch test and cell migration test (Transwell) were taken to analyze the migratory ability of hPDLCs in different concentrations of rhGas6 groups. After osteogenic induction, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) was taken to detect the expression of the Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). ALP staining was used to detect the amount of mineralized nodules. RESULTS: After adding different concentrations of rhGas6, there were no statistically significant differences in hPDLCs cell proliferation among the experimental groups and the control group at 24, 48 and 72 hours (P>0.05). After 24 h of scratch, the healing area in the 800 μg/L of the rhGas6 group was greater than that in the control group, but without statistically significant difference (31.06%±13.70% vs. 21.79%±9.51%, P>0.05). In the migration test, after 24 h, the number of hPDLCs cells which penetrated through the membrane in the 800 μg/L rhGas6 group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). After rhGas6 was added and osteogenic induction, Runx2 and ALP gene expressions of hPDLCs in the 800 μg/L group were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.60±0.30 vs. 0.91±0.10, 2.81±0.61 vs. 0.86±0.12, P < 0.01). After Gas6 was knocked down, the ALP expression of hPDLCs was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.39±0.07 vs. 0.92±0.14, P < 0.01). There was no significant change in Runx2 expression (P>0.05). After 7 days of osteogenic induction, the mineralized nodules formed in the Gas6 knockdown group were significantly less than those in control group (0.25±0.04 vs. 1.00±0.11, P < 0.001). After 14 days of induction, the staining degree of the Gas6 knockdown group was lower than that of the control group, but there was no significant difference (0.86±0.04 vs. 1.00±0.16, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: After downregulation of Gas6 gene, mineralized nodule formation was reduced and ALP gene expressions were decreased in the early stage of osteogenic induction (7 days). After addition of rhGas6, Runx2 and ALP gene expressions were increased and the number of cell migration was increased, suggesting that Gas6 might play a promoting role in the migration and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells.

The aviation industry found that a number of engine power-loss events were related to the ice crystal icing, and the research on ice crystal icing had gradually attracted the attention of scholars. In this work, the compressor and ice crystals ingested are regarded as study objects, and the trajectories of particles are calculated based on the Lagrangian approach. Moreover, the two-way coupling method is applied to solve the heat and mass transfer process between ice crystals and the flow field. The variation of particle diameter and temperature under different MVD (Medium Volume Diameter), RH (Relative Humidity) and TWC (Total Water Contents), and the variation of temperature, velocity and pressure of internal flow field are also studied. The result indicates that the MVD, RH and TWC play an important role in the ice crystals motion. Moreover, the temperature and velocity of internal flow field are also greatly affected by the three parameters while the pressure is little affected. In addition, without considering the ice crystal icing, the ice crystals ingested by the compressor would reduce the total temperature at the outlet of compressor, and improve the isentropic efficiency and mass flow rate.

To explore the curative effects of vancomycin and cefotaxime combined with gamma globulin respectively in neonatal septicemia and their influences on PCT, CRP, and hs-CRP, so as to provide references for clinical treatment.181 patients with neonatal septicemia admitted to Huangshi Maternity and Child Health Hospital from April 2012 to August 2014 were selected as the study subjects. Patients treated with vancomycin combined with gamma globulin were selected as group A (96 cases) and those treated with cefotaxime combined with gamma globulin were selected as group B (85 cases). The improvement time of clinical symptoms (milk rejection, nervous system symptoms, body temperature), hospital stays, mortality, medicine curative effects, adverse reactions, complications, and levels of serum CRP, PCT, and hs-CRP of patients before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.The improvement time of clinical symptoms like body temperature, milk rejection, and neurological symptoms, as well as hospital stays in group A were lower than those in group B (p0.05); the total effective rate of medicine curative effects in group B was better than that in group A (p0.05); there was no significant difference in levels of serum CRP, PCT, and hs-CRP between the two groups before treatment (p0.05); after treatment, levels of serum CRP, PCT, and hs-CRP in both groups decreased significantly, and levels of serum CRP, PCT, and hs-CRP in group B decreased more significantly than those in group A (p0.05).Cefotaxime combined with gamma globulin in the treatment of patients with neonatal septicemia has short improvement time in clinical symptoms, high total effective rate of drugs, low mortality, fewer adverse reactions and complications, and can significantly reduce levels of serum CRP, PCT, and hs-CRP, which is worthy of further promotion and application in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the gingival thickness and gingival biotype of gingival recession teeth of Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 112 non-molar teeth with gingival recession in 34 patients were included. Direct measurement, cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) measurement and periodontal probe method were used to evaluate gingival thickness and biotype. Gingival thickness was measured at 2 mm apical to the gingival margin. Direct measurement was performed with a caliper of 0.01 mm resolution and anesthesia needles attached to silicone disk stops. Gingival biotype was assessed by sulcus probing, if the periodontal probe was visible through the gingival tissue, the gingival biotype was thin; If not visible, the gingival biotype was thick. The differences of gingival thickness among different gingival biotype, tooth site and gingival recession type were analyzed respectively. Besides, the results of CBCT measurement was analyzed compared with the direct measurement. RESULTS: The average gingival thickness of non-molar recession teeth was (1.17±0.41) mm. The average gingival thickness of thick and thin biotype group were (1.38±0.4) mm and (0.97±0.30) mm, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P＜0.001).The median of gingival thickness was 1.1 mm. Using 1.1 mm as the cut-off value of thick and thin gingival thickness group, the results matched well with the gingival biotype classification results by periodontal probe method (P=1.000). The average gingival thickness of maxillary teeth was significantly thicker than that of the mandibular teeth. They were (1.39±3.44) mm and (1.01±0.31) mm, respectively (P＜0.001). The mean gingival thickness of MillerⅠ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ degree gingival recession teeth were (1.15±0.34) mm, (0.83±0.17) mm and (1.26±0.56) mm, respectively, without statistically significant difference (P=0.205). The gingival thickness measurement results between CBCT method and direct measurement were without statistically significant difference (P=0.206). CONCLUSION: In the non-molar gingival recession teeth, the cut-off value of gingival thickness to classify thick and thin biotype of Chinese population was 1.1 mm. The average gingival thickness of the maxillary teeth was significantly thicker than that of the mandibular teeth. Besides, CBCT measurement was an accuracy method for evaluating facial gingival thickness.

International audience; We examine the relationship between earthquakes and ultralow frequency (ULF) wave activity in the nighttime ionosphere based on the electric field data in the direct current/ULF range observed by the DEMETER satellite over a~5.5 year period from May 2005 to November 2010. ULF wave activity is identified by an automatic detection algorithm and those which occur on the geomagnetic disturbed days (Kp > 3 at any time intervals) are discarded. Only the earthquakes with depth ≤70 km and occurring in the region of |MLat| < 40°are selected. A superposed epoch analysis is performed to study the statistical association between ULF wave activity and the selected earthquakes. The results show that (1) there are clearly temporal and spatial correlations between ULF wave activity and earthquakes whose catalog magnitudes are both ≥4.8 and ≥5.0, and (2) enhanced ULF wave occurrence rate happens~1 day and 1 week before the earthquakes and at less than 200 km distance from the epicenters.

This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of Xiangshao granules for treating emotional disorders in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The current investigation was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial that included 300 perimenopausal and postmenopausal Chinese women aged 40–60 years. Participants received either a placebo (n = 150) or Xiangshao granules (n = 150) for 8 weeks. Outcome measures included Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores, which were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. The primary efficacy variables were changes in HAMD and HAMA scores after 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the mean HAMD scores decreased from 15.0 to 7.9 in the Xiangshao group and from 16.3 to 10.0 in the placebo group, and the respective mean reductions in HAMA scores were from 16.0 to 8.5 and from 17.1 to 10.9. Clinical improvements in symptoms of both depression and anxiety after 8 weeks differed significantly in the two groups (p Xiangshao granules can relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety significantly and safely.

Photoacid generators (PAGs) with environmentally friendly cores and partially fluorinated sulfonate salts have been synthesized and studied. The cores were based on naturally occurring compounds such as cholesterol and glucose and were functionalized with a biodegradable octafluoro-3-oxapentanesulfonate. These PAGs were soluble in common spinning solvents and lithographically characterized with poly(styrene-co-4-hydroxy-styrene-co-tert-butylacetate) photoresist, and they showed higher resolution for photoresist applications than a perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)-based triphenylsulfonium salt PAG, capable of patterning 50 nm dense lines. In addition, microbial bioassays confirmed that the newly developed PAG compounds can be broken down by microorganisms commonly found in conventional wastewater treatment systems. The biodegradation potential of the new PAGs presents a distinct advantage compared to that of PAG perfluorinated structures such as PFOS and perfluorobutane sulfonate, which are highly resistant to biodegradation and difficult to treat by conventional processes. The excellent performance and environmental compatibility of these PAGs make them promising candidates for use in high-resolution lithography systems.

This paper, based on data from China after its membership into the World Trade Organization (WTO), shows the co-existence of a fluctuating skill premium and rises in wages for both skilled and unskilled labor. Our research provides one specific factor, the tariff reduction biased toward unskilled labor-intensive sectors, to explain and quantify the magnitudes of skill premium dynamics using the mandated-wage approach. The empirical evidence indicates that sector-biased tariff reductions have widened wage inequality in China through their effect on product prices. World price competition, on the other hand, has contributed to declining wage inequality via product prices, which is consistent with the endowment-based expectations of China's integration into the more skilled-labor abundant world.

Purpose/objective(s) Internal bladder and rectum motion occur during radiotherapy for cervix cancer. IMRT planning studies have shown that the quality of radiation delivery is influenced by these anatomical changes. The MR-Linac system allows for daily MR image guidance and real-time imaging throughout the treatment fraction, which is ideal for managing and monitoring both inter-fraction and intrafraction motion, without incurring additional radiation exposure. The study is to evaluate bladder and rectum inter- and intrafraction motion using MRI during the full course of MR-Linac radiotherapy fractions, in preparation of MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy. Materials/methods Five stage ⅡA - ⅢB cervix cancer patients were treated with 25 × 1.8 Gy fractions on a 1.5T MR-Linac. Each fraction, pre-treatment MRI scans were obtained at the start of every treatment session, and post-treatment MRI scans were obtained at the end of every treatment session. The bladder and rectum were delineated on each MRI by the same radiation oncologist. Inter-fraction and intrafraction variability were evaluated with the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), the Hausdorff distance (HD), mean distance to agreement (MDA), volume (V) and dose volume parameters. Results Large inter-fraction motion was found for bladder and rectum due to their filling variation (Bladder: DSC: 0.68 ± 0.17, HD: 30.58 ± 15.32, MDA: 7.77 ± 4.65, V: -23.02% ± 13.13%, Dmean: 2.23% ± 7.10; Rectum: DSC: 0.69 ± 0.04, HD: 22.98 ± 4.02, MDA: 3.45 ± 0.63, V: 13.57% ± 18.09%, Dmean: 0.4% ± 0.7%). Median in-room treatment time pre fraction was 35 min which was much longer than conventional treatment time. The intrafraction motion for bladder was obvious that was explained by the bladder filling variation due to prolonged in-room treatment time per fraction (DSC: 0.88 ± 0.07, HD: 14.66 ± 8.48, MDA: 1.89 ± 1.15, V: 13.06% ± 15.66%, Dmean: -0.89% ± 2.45%). The intrafraction rectum motion was much smaller. Conclusion Considerable inter-fraction bladder and rectum motion is observed and intrafraction bladder motion which caused by longer treatment time is also obvious in cervical cancer patients on 1.5T MR-Linac. Intrafraction MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy may potentially further correct this motion. Author disclosure S. Ding: None. H. Liu: None. B. Wang: None. Y. Li: None. B. Liu: None. Y. Ouyang: None. X. Huang: None.

A large literature establishes the growth-enhancing benefits of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into emerging market economies in general. Conventional wisdom holds that FDI is a preferable form of external financing compared to other types of capital flows because of its stabilizing properties. While this might hold true largely for FDI flows of the Greenfield variety, in reality, a greater share of FDI to emerging economies in general and Asian economies appears to be in the form of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Do all types of FDI flows produce similar macroeconomic benefits? This paper empirically explores whether the type of FDI flow, i.e. Greenfield versus M&A, matters in the way it impacts economic growth and domestic investment for a large panel of developing Asian economies over 1990–2013. We find Greenfield FDI contributes positively to economic growth while FDI in the form of M&A appears to have no significant growth influence. We also find that the effects of Greenfield FDI on domestic capital formation are stronger and larger relative to M&A flows.

The confining stresses in a concrete column confined with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) are uniform across the section and isotropic only when the column is under concentric loading and circular in shape. If the column is under eccentric loading or non-circular in shape, the confining stresses in the column become non-uniform and anisotropic. However, without knowing the confining stresses, it is impossible to predict the structural behaviour of confined concrete columns. To overcome this difficulty, a new finite-element (FE) method was developed based on the most up-to-date lateral strain–axial strain and axial stress–strain constitutive models of concrete. This paper reports on using the method to analyse circular concrete columns confined by FRP under eccentric loading. It was found that, under eccentric loading, the confining stresses are generally smaller at larger eccentricity. Overall, good agreement between the theoretical results and published experimental data was achieved. In theory, the FE method can be applied to concrete columns of any shape and even those provided with lateral reinforcement, as will be elaborated upon in subsequent papers.

International audience; We investigate the features of nightside ULF waves in the ionosphere using electric field data in the DC/ULF range observed by the DEMETER satellite over a ~5.5 year period from May 2005 to November 2010. The ULF wave events are recognized by an automatic detection algorithm and a superposed epoch analysis is performed to study the characteristics of ULF waves during geomagnetic storms. The results show that (1) ULF waves of both non‐magnetospheric and magnetospheric origins occur in the ionosphere; (2) non‐magnetospheric ULF waves present seasonal variations but have no clear response to storms; (3) magnetospheric ULF waves show clear association with the recovery phase of storms but have no obvious seasonal variations; and (4) an interhemispheric asymmetry with higher magnetospheric ULF wave occurrence rate in the southern hemisphere particularly around storms can be partly explained by the fact that more of selected isolated storms occurred during summer in the northern hemisphere (NH), hence higher conductivity in the NH. However, an analysis of few storms during equinoxes also shows a minor asymmetry. These results still indicate that the ionospheric conductivity in the southern hemisphere would be lower than in the northern hemisphere at nighttime.